Will they know we are Christians?

I recently met with a couple of Christian friends for lunch. We asked the Lord to bless our food and we talked for about an hour about things going on in our lives and where our personal ministries for the Lord were taking us. Our waitress was very nice and took an interest in the spiritual things she heard us sharing.

As she was waiting on us, checking our need for refills and the like, we included her in our conversation. She shared about things going on in her life and her trouble in surviving on a very low hourly wage plus tips. We asked her how many hours she worked a week and what was her busiest day. She said that Sunday was her busiest day, but she disliked it the most of all her work days.

We were shocked by her answer as to why she disliked Sunday work. She said, “Lots of church people come to lunch here after their Sunday church services. They are the most rude and demanding customers I have all week. I am exhausted by the end of my Sunday shift.” In her case, a strange meaning is communicated in the words of the tune, “They will know we are Christians.”    

Going to church on Sunday does not always make us behave like good Christians when we go through the doors of the church and into the world. No matter what we might think we are doing in our activities at church, we can only be a Christian if we allow Christ to dwell in and among us.

In 2^nd Corinthians 13:5-8, St. Paul gives us a litmus test to check our action acidity in saying: ^“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?  And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.  Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.  For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.”

We find guidance in scripture to help us prepare ourselves for daily living and interaction with others. The Holy Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is certainly a blessing to us in seeking God’s Will in our lives. As we have God’s forgiveness and deliverance from our sin, we don’t have to look back, but forward in our interaction with our fellow man. Seeking God’s Will in all that we do makes us ready to take Christian action in all of our environments with the Grace of God and His Spirit flowing into and through us.

We can make our own litmus test to see if we are preparing for and fulfilling that which we are called by God to do in this world. While we may fool ourselves, our Father recognizes immediately if the Spirit of Christ is in us. As for ourselves, we must examine our thoughts and actions regularly to be sure that they conform to God’s Will. In 2nd Peter Chapter 1, we are reminded of our gifts from God and our Savior Jesus Christ and that they are great and many.

And thus in 2^nd Peter 1:5-9, we hear: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.”

So as the song tells us that we should be one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, then “they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” This works in restaurants and at all times and places in our lives.

Seamless Life in Christ

I have a good friend and church-mate that has worked to collect and save all sorts of things about our local church’s history. He has a great interest in the details of our past history, which goes back to 1888. He recently treated our members to some excerpts from an old church newsletter that presented information about activities of church members some eighteen years ago.

Among the excerpts was a quote from an Anglican priest named George Carey, who eventually became the Archbishop of Canterbury. As such, he was the leader of the Church of England and a provider of unity for the worldwide Anglican Communion, although he had no direct authority over it.

The quotation mentioned above, is from Carey’s 1984 book title, The Church in the Market Place. In reading the quotation, I was led to ponder on the disposition of Christ’s church in this world today. He begins, “How it must break Christ's heart that his people are so scattered and divided! Oh, for men and women of love and faith to thread together the 'seamless' robe of Christ that rigidity, arrogance and intolerance tear apart. 'The nearer we come to Christ, the nearer we come together,' once said the Theologian Moltmann. It is about time we discovered that unity in him."

In thinking about now retired Archbishop Carey’s comments back in 1984, it has led me to ponder on the many ways we Christians can let the busy work of our churches get in the way of where God is leading us to fulfill His Will in us and through us in this world. In managing our churches, we sometimes lose touch with God’s mission. While prayer, study and Christian action should be driving us, many times we let disagreements and bossiness get in the way of our outreach and internal ministries.

As practicing Christians we should always trust in God. He will always surprise us when we have doubts about our ability to do something in His name. He is always there beside us and we should look for Him to do our work together with Him.

As we all know, prayer is very important and is very powerful. Whether it is prayer for the sick and needy, prayer for a church project, prayer for church outreach ministry or our own personal prayers for self, family and friends, prayer drives all things. My personal experience in prison ministry has accented my awareness of prayer. In forming a forty person team to spend three days in a State Prison with a group of 42 inmates, prayer is the fuel. Having spiritual talks, discussions, artwork and other sharing with inmates requires prayer.

We have some fifteen talks and meditations during the three days and there is always a small group of us praying in a remote room for the speaker during his talk. The prayer team prays with each speaker before his talk and after his talk. Lunch and supper are prepared off site and brought into the prison to share together each day. Team formation and preparation for such an event takes many weeks prior to the prison retreat. An effective ministry such as this runs on continuous prayer. Local and connected people all over the world participate in prayer for and during this ministry.

All of a churches inward and outward ministry must be Spirit led. Reliance on the gifts of God’s Spirit is necessary in all things. Even with today’s sophisticated ways of communicating around the world on the internet, we must rely on the Holy Spirit as our way of discerning what God expects of us and where He is leading us. We must be so much in tune with the Spirit, that we will intuitively think and do what is right in the different aspects of our lives.

Choosing Our Paths

We are fortunate to live in America, where we have some choice as to how our lives will develop. God gave us free will and free countries like America allow us lots of room to exercise our free will. While we have no specific guarantees from God or our country, we can make many choices about paths we will follow and how we will relate to the rest of humanity. One size doesn’t fit all and there are many takes on life among us.

My Brother Chuck’s life experience is one of those lives a bit different than most. He is seven years younger than me, so I had a front row seat as to how he developed from childhood. From the time he started walking, my brother was interested in nature. Back in those days, we had a milk man that delivered our milk to an insulated box on our front porch. To the milk man’s surprise, he would sometimes find frogs and lizards in the milk box when he opened it to place our milk bottles. These creatures were gifts from my brother Chuck. He put them there for safe keeping.

As Chuck continued to grow, he selected other ways to connect with nature. He had a wonderful butterfly collection as well as a leaf collection. He had an interest in sports and hiking and after high school he went to our local junior college. He happened to have a professor that had a retreat cabin in Wisconsin, some 900 miles north of the college. He gave Chuck the keys to the place and told him to go visit and check out the condition of the cabin for him.

Chuck asked a neighbor friend and classmate to go on the excursion with him. After a cold and snowy winter, the guys decided to check out other parts of the U.S. That led them to Colorado and what would be home for both of them the rest of their lives. They each married and raised families there. Brother Chuck ended up in the Log Home construction business to support him and his family, but had lots of time for recreation. His list of activities included: kayaking, mountain climbing, vertical rock and ice climbing, bicycling, and fishing to name a few. He continues all of these today at age 63 and has expanded his explorations to many parts of America, Canada, Costa Rica & Mexico.

While being a good citizen during his life, Chuck has lived a bit differently than most of us. Other than his many recreational likes, he has approached life in a way apart from the worldly interferences that distract many of us. He has avoided the pressures of society and work as much as possible. He rarely listens to or watches the news. He refers to them as the talking heads and sees the media and politics as a distraction to his life enjoying nature.  

I stumbled upon an excerpt from Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden -or- Life in the Woods, the other day and it made me think of my brother Chuck. This book was required reading for many of us in our schooling years. Thoreau lived for two years in a self-built cabin in the forest near Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts. His reason for doing this is well explained by him in the quote below. While most of us have not been led to choose the lifestyle of Chuck or the direction suggested by Thoreau, they both reflect our need for more balance and enjoyment of life.

Thoreau writes in his Walden book: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan- like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to "glorify God and enjoy him forever."

Let’s enjoy God’s created gift of the Earth more and more. After all, He put us in charge! Genesis 1:28.

Realizing Our Amazing Gifts

We humans tend to take our God Given Gifts for granted. A friend of mine recently gave me some booklets with excerpts from the writings of Daniel G. Amen, M.D. The quoted book title is CHANGE YOUR BRAIN—Change Your Life. Dr. Amen is a clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist and brain enhancement expert.  He has authored 22 books and is the medical director of the world renowned Amen Clinics.  

Like much of Science, Dr. Amen’s writings about personal issues of humans and just how complicated our brains are, can be used to better understand our God given gifts. Our lives are not accidents of nature and as our brains are described by Dr. Amen, we are unique in the universe.  While Dr. Amen practices forms of spirituality that are not acceptable to most Christians, his knowledge of the brain can certainly be used by all to better appreciate our great gift from God.

He has stated the following: “The brain is the most complicated organ in the universe. There is nothing as complex as the human brain. Nothing. It is estimated that we have 100 billion neurons or nerve cells and trillions of supportive brain cells called glial cells. Each neuron is connected to other neurons by up to 40,000 connections between cells. You have more connections in your brain than there are stars in the universe. Also, even though your brain is only about two percent of your body’s weight, it uses twenty-five to thirty percent of the calories you consume. Your brain is the major energy consumer in the body. Of the breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks you had today, almost a third went to feed your brain.” Dr. Amen also states that, “Our brain consumes 20% of the oxygen you breathe and 25% of the blood flow in your body.  

In Dr. Amen’s pamphlet BRAIN HEALTH—Master Questionnaire, he lists some fifty things that impact humans mentally. While few if any of us are impacted by all these conditions, we might all have been impacted occasionally or briefly by them. I don’t have room to list all fifty in this column, but here are a few: “lack attention to detail, are easily distracted, are restless, are negative, feel sad, feel bored, have low self esteem, feel socially isolated, feel upset when things do not go your way, worry, hold grudges, have a short fuse and lastly, wait for something bad to happen.”  That’s thirteen of the list of fifty. Dr. Amen’s work is excellent in helping folks with their brain health.

While I see the value of Dr. Amen’s work, reading some of his writings strengthens my faith in God and His ability to create us children with such complicated parts. The abilities of our brains make us different from all creation. We had to be created like this to be able to fulfill His charge for us to manage His created Planet Earth.

Genesis 1: 26-28 explains it this way,  “ Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

We are special in this world; however, we must realize our God given gifts and use them to understand His creative intent in putting us in charge of what He created. We matter to God. We don’t need to let Him or ourselves down.

Our Place in Creation

Once we decide to let go and let God act in our lives, we come to understand life in many different ways. We find God in the smallest pieces of creation that we missed in our past. When we seek to understand God in our lives, we are humbled by how limited we are in all of man’s achievements compared to God’s creative power. That which man has been able to understand about God’s created Universe is as small as a mustard seed compared to His work in creation.

Although the abilities of our minds to understand creation are limited, it is still a great gift we’ve been given by God that puts us above all creatures of the Earth. God has given man the sense to be drawn to those things that are a mystery to us, and the desire to unwind what we can’t understand. The danger in all of this is to become inebriated with what we can achieve and think we are on a level with our creator.

When man gets to the point where he thinks himself an expert on what is true in this world, he sets himself up for a calamity. He is ignoring the fact that it is God who is helping him find solutions. God acts quietly in our lives behind the scenes and has a helpful and generous plan in all things.

As human beings in our small part of God’s creation, we sometimes let our egos take charge and think that we have control over things. This is a trap we set for ourselves, that keeps us from fully enjoying all living humans and the gift of nature that God has given us. Much worse is a person not connected with our Creator God and thus is doomed to a life unfulfilled and meaningless. When it’s all boiled down, we are called to live our lives for others, and make this world a better place.

Our inborn need to be curious and question things of life is another gift from God. When we observe the Cosmos around us and think about life and the possibility of eternal life, our minds race in the processing of these marvelous jewels around us. We are humbled by these things and are drawn closer to God day by day as we attempt to unravel the blessings of life.

The more things we can ponder in this Godly creation, the closer we come to knowing God. Discoveries of science shouldn’t make us feel more in control, but more humble and connected with God’s Eternal Kingdom. Science and religion can go hand in hand when science is used to better understand God’s creative power and love for us little specs on Planet Earth.

The problem with misused science is that it gives man the ability to build weapons of mass destruction to be use to kill each other. So much talent and intellect is used in these efforts that could be used to bring peace to the world in appreciation of the gift all mankind has been given.

As true worshippers of God, we must live out the goodness and righteousness God expects of us. We are called to love one another and when followed by all religions, the world will be an even more beautiful place. Just thinking about these things won’t move us very far in reaching our desired condition for the world.

Of course there is evil in this world as God has given us free will. We can use our religion, our attempt to seek God in all aspects of our lives, to reach out to others and live our lives for them. There is work involved here, but we are not in it alone. When a difficult job seems easy, it’s because God is somewhere nearby.  

God is patient

We should be thankful that God does not operate like the folks in the fairs and carnivals that take your good money to play a game that is almost impossible to win. The phrase they shout at their clientele when ninety-nine percent of them can’t win the game is, “Close, but no cigar!”  This phrase goes back one hundred years when these fair and carnival workers would offer special cigars as prizes to those that could win the game.

God has a different kind of operation with us. He wants one-hundred percent of us to win His prize. That prize is salvation and an eternal relationship with Him as we live this natural life and pass on to a closer presence to Him. In John 5:24 we hear Jesus tell us, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 

When in the Temple, Jesus addressed the Jews that doubted His relationship to God. He told them of the children of God and in John 10:28 He says, ^“And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” Peter refreshes our spirit in 1 Peter 1:6-9 saying, “ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

As a struggling Christian growing up, I had some notion of being with God after death in my natural life. I remember things that my mother and other relatives would say about death when we lost someone. When I was fourteen, I came home from school one day to hear my younger brother tell me, as I got off of the school bus, that our dad had died of a heart attack. He was thirty-nine years of age. With my dad and other family members who have died, I have always had a sense of spiritual connection with them. This was a beginning of knowing that any suffering that I might endure would somehow be eased in a spiritual afterlife.

In my experience of a life threatening brain tumor removal at age forty-nine, God revealed some wonderful things to me. He allowed me to look into eternity with Him from my hospital bed. I then realized that I was already on the fringe of His eternal kingdom. His forgiveness of my sins, which I was already feeling, and my faith in Him had opened His kingdom to me. I had the distinct feeling that no matter what the outcome of my surgery, that I would be blessed. And in seeing this as my gift from God, I could see the same gift for all of those I might leave behind.

I had a vision of Eternal Life as I was experiencing God’s Love & Grace during my surgery. I envisioned Eternal life to be like the ocean. The ocean waves moved toward the shore around the jetties and onto the beach. The shallow water of the beach is where I saw myself in this natural life, however; God’s Eternal Kingdom washed upon me at the beach. It revealed to me that we are already at the edges of Eternal Life and it washes over and around us. If we don’t realize that the surf on the beach is God’s spirit washing over us, we are stuck on the beach and don’t enjoy His Kingdom.

I will never be the same. I am sure of what lies ahead for me, so the troubles of today are easy to bear. I want all of my brothers and sisters in the Lord to be as happy as I am.  In Mark 12:32-34, when Jesus responded to a Scribe’s question as to what is the first commandment of all, the scribe said to Him, “’Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’”  Now, that’s not a close, but no cigar statement, but a close and keep on reaching for God statement. 

Fear Not - Listen Much

Jesus spoke to Peter as Peter's fear caused him to sink into the water. Seeing Jesus walking on the water Peter asked to come with Him. Jesus commanded him to come but the strong wind frightened Peter and he began to sink. Jesus said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:22-33 NRSV). How often do we cry out to come to Jesus and get faint hearted and distracted before we get there?

A reading from scripture or a meditation might inspire us. The Sunday morning sermon may cause us to say, "What a coincidence, the preacher is talking about the very thing that I need to do in my life to resolve my situation." The unfortunate thing is that many times we falter as we try to respond to the inspiration. Like the strong wind that distracted Peter, things can distract us and keep us from fulfilling the message that God sends to us through a life event.

In matters of Faith there is no such thing as being "in over your head". In the natural life there are times when we're put down or rejected because we've tried to move beyond our skills and talents. God's only requirement is that we turn to him and have faith in him. Smart or dumb, rich or poor, the fare is faith.

I often tell a childhood story about my inability to catch a baseball that was hit high in the air. I would become unfocused and nervous as I waited for the ball to come down. I just couldn't keep my eyes on the ball. By the time the ball was near to the ground my quandary was that either I would miss catching the ball altogether or it would hit me in the head. Instead of being a part of the game I was reduced to being a target.

It's so easy to take our eyes off of Jesus. During a spiritual mission in my home church community a number of years ago, Canon Bryan Greene of England told a group of us, "Don't think that salvation is in doing the busy work around the church. That will get you nowhere." He told us that there is only one thing that we should do. He said to us, "Keep your eyes on Christ!"

Many would like to blame their times of struggle on someone else. Our parents seem to be easiest to blame for our problems, however; in Ezekiel 18:1-4 we are told: "...The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge...this proverb shall no more be used by you... "

The Lord goes on to say, "Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine; it is only the person who sins that shall die". It is comforting to know that God does not hold us responsible for another's sin. Our children are not accountable for our sins and we are not accountable for their sins. This the Lord revealed to Ezekiel.

On another level, however, we must be responsible for what we are teaching and modeling for our own and future generations. We are called to share the Lord with our children and all those that we contact. We are called to live and share the life of Christ. Many times and in unique ways a child can teach the parent something about the Godly life. It is ultimately, however, the individual's responsibility to keep God's law.

Living and sharing the Gospel is what is important in life. It is what God is calling us to do. What does our lifestyle communicate to our children, to our friends and neighbors? This is where the work is. Our own personal discipline to keep our eyes on Christ is the key. It's no coincidence that disciple and discipline share the same first seven letters.

And the Good News is that through Christ's crucifixion and atonement for our sin, we can start anew. When we turn to the Lord and dedicate our lives to Him, our loving and guiding creator, Ezekiel reminds us that God does not remember our sins. Let us never turn back to our old and sinful ways.

And I pray: ‘Heavenly Father, help me to live and reflect Your essence. Give me the strength to discipline my life in You. Prepare me to be Your influence in the lives of all those I touch. Give me the courage to take a stand for You and make it my own. Give me the courage to be bold in the world for You. In the name of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, I pray. AMEN’

Doubting God

A lifelong friend recently asked me, “What did Jesus mean when he said ‘Father, Why have you forsaken me.’ If Jesus could doubt God, surely sometimes we can too and still love him. I tell my wife of 45 years sometimes I have doubts about her. She doesn’t like it and says after 45 years of marriage and 5 years of dating you sometimes have doubts about me? I say yes I do.”

The following is my answer to his question: In order for God to communicate more directly with his people, He sent Jesus in human form. Jesus was the Son of God & the Son of Man. He had to live His life as both, which was tough for him. Many of his words on the Cross reflect and connect back to Psalm 22, including "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me."

Jesus was sent by God to take on the sins of the whole world. At that moment on the cross in taking on our sin, it was such a load that for one moment He was separated from God with that load of sin upon Him. Jesus had to doubt God a bit so we could understand the magnitude of God's Sacrifice for us.

It is through the suffering of Jesus that we are made whole in knowing what God was willing to put Himself through in the suffering of Jesus. Our Father died for us through Christ, which is the largest sacrifice a Father could make for His children. All of Jesus’ suffering and even His questioning of His Father only make clear what God was willing to do for us.

Having said that, we must realize that we children of God do have times when we doubt God. Jesus doubted God for a few seconds in His burden that we will never see the likes of in our lives. Because of our human nature, we like to be in control and many times wonder why God is leading us or not leading us in the direction we think He should lead us. It always gets back to the question as to how attentive we are in listening to God and how much our desires cloud God’s wishes for us.

In Jeremiah 29:11-13 we are reminded of God’s intentions: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’” And then in Proverbs 3:5-7 we hear: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”

God does not have an on and off switch that we can use at our discretion. It’s our own personal switch we use to turn Him on and off. God’s switch is always on. Therefore, it’s up to us to keep our internal switch for Him in the “on” position as much as possible. When we do that, we minimize the doubt that sometimes comes upon us.

The classic doubting story in the Bible concerns the doubting of 100 year old Abraham and 90 year old Sarah. In their doubting that God could bring forth a child in Sarah’s womb, whose name would be Isaac, son of Abraham, God said to them in Genesis 18:14: “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”

While we may not have the kind of close conversations with the Lord that Abraham and Sarah had, we need to seek Him as much as possible in every aspect of our lives. Sarah even laughed to herself as she overheard God in His conversation with Abraham in telling him that Sarah would have a child at the age of 90. Her doubt is like our doubt in that we don’t trust God and His leadership in our lives. What seems like reality to use is far from that which God is able to do in our lives.

God has lifted our burden with His sacrifice for us. Jesus took on our burden of sin and should convince us that any doubting of God is useless.

God's Free Ammo!

Some of us older folks remember a song inspired by the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. involvement in World War II. This patriotic song written by Frank Loesser has been mistakenly attributed to others as it became a battle cry of many soldiers. This song entitled "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" is about a chaplain that is with some sailors under air attack.

When he is asked to say a prayer for those sailors engaged in battle, he laid down his Bible and took charge of one of the ship’s guns. As he started firing the gun at the attacking planes, he starts singing, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition and we’ll all stay free.”

God’s plan for His children was certainly not for us to go to battle with each other and kill each other in our inability to get along in this world. God speaks to us through the Words of Jesus in the Gospel of John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This spiritual battle for the Lord is not one that requires us to lie down and let the evil of the world tramp on us. Yes, Jesus tells us to turn the other check and be slapped yet again and to forgive our enemies. Due to the complicated nature of knowing when and if to defend ourselves, we will not discuss it here, but recommend you do your own research for clarification. Isaiah 14:5-7 certainly describes God’s own battle against the evil of the world.

God’s idea of spiritual battle is that we should be soldiers of the cross, accepting and spreading Christ’s Kingdom around the world. This is a battle where the ammunition is the Word of God and the love that He wants His children to have for each other. If you don’t think this is a battle, just look around the world and view the never ending hatred some have for others. Hatred that turns to taking the lives of others for ungodly purposes. As we see in our world, there are bad against good and bad against bad in this refusal to love one another.

Psalm 150:1-6 teaches all of us in saying: “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!”

How could we possibly praise God in the way spoken in Psalm 150, yet turn against His Word and hate others. There are too many citizens and leaders in this world that don’t connect with God in a way that calls them to love others. If they claim a God that allows hatred and murder, he is a false god. As Christians, we believe in one Creator God and we must discount any claims of another. We must forgive others, but not join them in their ungodly or false godly hatred and killing. We must praise God and pass the spiritual ammunition.”  

In 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Paul talks about the Godly battle in his life in saying: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

So we get medals, even a crown, in seeking God in our lives, not waging a worldly battle, but a Godly fighting of the good fight in Him. Paul informs us further in Galatians 4:8, ^“But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. And continues in Romans 8:31b ^“If God is for us, who can be against us? So the question for us becomes: How is our ammo supply for praising the Lord and passing it on to others?

St. Paul, Our Instructor

I have a friend that thinks the New Testament of the Bible should be called the gospel of Paul. My friend is critical of that Testament because he thinks St. Paul overpowers the Word of God in the Gospel of Jesus. He thinks Paul dominates the New Testament too much.
                                               

I disagree with my friend. The Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus is quite sufficient to inform us about that which God expects of us in our lives. St. Paul serves as the guide as to how we understand and integrate the Gospel of Jesus into our lives. If other folks are like me, I always try to assemble a product before I’ve read the instructions. I think that the list of parts, and what they do, is enough for me to know as I start assembling the product I will depend on.

If our New Testament was without the letters of St. Paul, we would know the main parts of the Gospel and what they’re supposed to do in our lives, but we’d be blind on how to make the Gospel work for us. St. Paul helps us understand just how we can use and benefit from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.    

Let’s take a look at a portion of Paul’s guidance for us in Philippians 4:1-9: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

My goal is to be able to live Paul's exhortation as given here to the Philippians. I want to get up every morning shouting it. I want to have it on my lips at midday. I want to sing myself to sleep with it at night. Rejoice in the Lord! Make me gentle! I know that You are near, Lord! I shall not worry! I humbly make my requests to You in prayer with thanksgiving! Your peace will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus!

My life is a song to the Lord. And like Him it has no beginning and no end. It is the first thing on my lips and the last each day. I have been touched deeply by His Spirit and I cannot forget what He has shown me. In my time of trial he held me up. He carried me through my chaotic journey. He restored me inside and out. He was there when nothing else would do. He protected me before I knew I was threatened. I praise Him in all things, for only He can solve the puzzle and see the answers.

He disciplines me behind His woodshed regularly. I am better when I return. Knowing Him makes my life more difficult, for now I have a way to measure how I'm doing in His name. His gentleness teaches me the way to treat my brothers and sisters. His peace does surpass all understanding. He makes me want to go with Him, but he has work right here for me to do. I mustn't think of any job as too large or too small that He desires to have me take ownership in.

St. Paul told Titus in his letter to him (2:1-15): "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."

The Twenty-third Psalm reveals the Shepherd nature of our Lord and gives us, His Sheep, the confidence that He is always with us. When we live life with this blessing, keeping Him foremost in our thoughts and prayers, we can be His disciples in this world.

Anger is as Anger does!

We’ve been taught that anger is not a good thing. However; it’s hard for us to go immediately to forgiveness when someone has made us very angry. Anger is not a good state for us to be in, but it’s hard for us to control it when we’ve been wronged by someone. After all, even Jesus had times of anger with people.

In John 2:13-22 we are reminded of a very angry Jesus: “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”  Ok, I guess it’s alright for us to be angry about things and people. Well, maybe not. Jesus’ anger was because of a disregard for God’s house. Most times, our anger is not based on something that is directly connected to God.

We must forgive others as soon as possible after our anger has reached its peak. Our anger actually turns inward upon us and causes us to be ashamed of ourselves and to realize that our anger has actually cut us off from God’s love. The longer we stay angry, the deeper we become separated from God. It turns a situation of feeling justified in our anger to one of self punishment. It makes us incapable of love and acceptance of love, only making a bad situation worse.

It is unlikely that in this natural world we might never experience anger. It’s going to come, so we’d better be prepared for it. The more we love and enjoy another person, the greater the impact it has on our relationship with them. It’s a bit easier to be angry at someone we don’t know well. The consequences escalate, the deeper our relationship.  How then do we resolve a situation of anger toward another?

You’ve heard people say, “I can forgive them, but I can’t forget what they did.” That sounds reasonable, but God wants more from us. When possible, God wants us not only to forgive, but to be reconciled with the person and be in God’s community as partners again. When we are angry at someone, we tend to focus totally on what they did and not who they really are. This narrow focus makes it harder to forgive and reconcile with that person.

One of the mistakes we make when another has angered us is to try to recruit others to our side of the situation, which only causes more problems in our community.  An attempt to circle the community against the other person only complicates things and serves no one any benefit. Of course, if others hear of the discord on their own and form their own opinion, our forgiveness and reconciliation of the person becomes an even greater need for the community.

In Scripture, Luke 15: 11-32, a good example of forgiveness is the parable of the Prodigal Son, which we are all familiar with. The father ordered the fatted calf killed to be eaten in celebration for the return of his wayward son to the disgruntlement of the son that kept serving his father in the fields while his brother wasted his inheritance. Now that’s forgiveness and reconciliation. The father did not focus on the sons misdeeds, but instead celebrated the son’s life and his return.

 In the event that we have been so severely hurt by someone’s actions that reconciliation is difficult, we should wait and pray for a time when it makes sense to rejoin our brother or sister. If we are seeking God in our lives, He will lead us in a direction that will be most beneficial under the circumstances.

Forgiving others is difficult sometimes, but forgiving ourselves usually proves to be the most difficult. Not forgiving another or our self provides Satan with a great opportunity. We play right into his hands every time we are so convinced by principle that our un-forgiveness is justified. Are we to, "be outwitted by Satan"?  

Comfort in Seeking God

We live in a world where the righteous, that is the morally right and virtuous, are in the minority. For those who seek the Lord and His Righteousness in their lives, the story in Genesis 18 is certainly a relief in this immoral world. When speaking to the Lord about the sin in Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham asks a series of questions as to the sparing of the city according to how many righteous versus unrighteous live there.

When Abraham gets to the least amount of righteous the Lord would spare the city for, the Lord still replies in verses 32 and 33, “Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there? And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”  So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.”

In the world we live in today, we take some comfort that the Lord won’t destroy it due to the small percentage of righteous folks. Of course in our time, man is coming closer and closer to being able to destroy his neighbor, which could set off a chain reaction with man destroying the world, this wonderful gift from God.

Since we have little or no control over what the rest of the world will do with their lives, we are called in Matthew 6:33-34, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” We certainly hope that others will follow this advice as well.

Assuming we are not as morally right and virtuous as we should be, we must have a plan. The Lord may not destroy a city with as few as ten righteous, however, we must seek Him and His Righteousness daily to understand His path for us in this life.

Now we begin to think about bad things happening to good people and how that fits into the greater picture of living and the promise of eternal life. While God said He would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were only ten righteous people there, He wasn’t saying that people wouldn’t have bad things happen to them whether righteous or unrighteous.

We must seek God in our lives so we will know Him better and He can communicate with us in His Will for the world and for our part in that. We do not live our lives on our own until we die and then hook up with God. We should be seeking communication with God daily if not minute by minute. When we do this, our relationship with God carries us through all things, even the bad things. When our skin and bones drop off at what we call death, our spirit continues in the relationship that we have been seeking with our Creator God on into eternity. We can’t be certain how that will work out if we never get to know Him in our natural lives.

In Jeremiah 29:13 God reveals to us, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Our relationship with our Creator is not meant to be a casual affair. We can’t afford to get into the “put off” mode. There may be many things in life that we can “put off”; however, seeking God in our lives continuously is not one of them. God leaves it up to us to make that decision. His love for us, His children, should be enough to draw us to Him.

In Psalm 121:1-2 the psalmist says, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  Exodus 15:2 further exclaims: “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, the God of my father, and I will exalt him.”

In Proverbs 28:9 we are a bit shaken by God’s strong words: “If one turns away his ear from hearing My teachings, even his prayer is not heard.” Let’s hope we can all seek the Lord our God in our lives and profit from it.

 

Salt and Light

As the story of our creation is told in Genesis, we are informed that in the beginning God created heaven and earth. He created the creatures in the sea, the birds in the sky and the animals on the land. He created man to watch over these creatures and ultimately each other. He gave man "free will" to choose the way man would behave.

So it is and has been and will be that man chooses how he will react to life's circumstances, to his environment, to his fellow man, to himself and to God.

As each new child is born, that child may be born into an environment where people have chosen “God's way", have chosen a "sinful way" or some combination of the two. The latter is the more likely. There are an infinite number of combinations of good and evil in every life. Some lives in tremendous sin and others almost godlike, from Charles Manson to Mother Teresa.

We can be effective for the Lord in the world or we can let the world snuff us out.  In Matthew 5:13, Jesus explains to us:  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

It may not be fair that one might be born into a sinful environment, having no choice in the matter. The whole world is sinful, so in reality everyone is born into a sinful environment. The fact that one life may have more obstacles and challenges than another cannot be denied. This sin was and is man’s choice, not God’s. The "Garden of Eden" story is repeated millions of times daily.

What is fair? It is fair that God's grace is available, unconditionally, to every man and woman. It is fair that God loves us unconditionally. It is fair that we, each of us, can choose to open our hearts and minds to the love of God or ignore Him. It is fair that we can respond to the ups and downs of life in any way we choose. It is fair that we can choose to perpetuate the sin which has gone before or reject it by living our lives with God at the Center. We can literally be “born again” when we are ready to meet life with the “Holy Spirit” at our side.

God sent His son Jesus Christ to show us. Man killed the messenger, but by his death Jesus took on the sins of the world (John 3:16). He left a legacy of lessons reported in the New Testament of the Bible. It is fair that we are born into the "Holy Spirit”. Once we recognize it, it’s our job to do something with it. We can start anew, love the Lord and pass it on.

We will always have difficult challenges. At the end of our very short stay on earth we will lose the right of "free will" and God will take us to His chest. We should try every day to seek God in anticipation of that day. We can recall the Gospel of John 1:1-5. "When all things began, the Word already was. The Word dwelt with God, and what God was, the Word was. The Word, then, was with God at the beginning, and through him all things came to be; no single thing was created without him. All that came to be was alive with his life, and that life was the light men. The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has never mastered it.”    

Jesus goes on to shed more “light” on this matter in Matthew 5:14-16 in saying: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

We must seek to be as pure as the best salt in the world, with a glow that lights up everyone around us. As His light shines upon us, let us pass it on and be a “salty light” in the world.

Tackling Our Healing & Recovery

It’s sometimes hard to know where to start when we are in need of healing and recovery. Do we just ask God to intervene and then sit back and wait? There’s probably a little more to it. Our healing is a two-way street. We have to be seeking God in a sincere and constant way. While we are doing that, God can work with us and communicate with us much better. Then He can lead us through our part of our healing while He is doing His part.

Proverbs 4:20-22 can get us started in saying, “My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.  Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.  For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.” This healing and recovery thing requires a large commitment by us, as we let God work His ways.

One of our two lovely daughters-in-law, mother of our only grandchild, has had a setback recently. She has been very active in her life, held down a job, kept trim and has lived in a moral way recognizing the Lord in her life. She is a very independent person, doing her part in whatever she undertakes. Then one day things suddenly changed.

As a part of her exercise program, she has been attending Yoga classes to help her stay fit. She was at a class one day doing her stretching exercises when something popped. Her back was in deep pain, she started fainting and vomiting. She was rushed to the hospital, where preliminary indications were that she had an inoperable tumor on her spine that had finally ruptured. She had no previous warning of this issue.

She was taken to a spinal specialty clinic, where it was determined that most of it could be removed and that it was benign. Unfortunately, much damage had been done in the rupturing and the surgery to remove added to that damage. Both of her legs were paralyzed. She spent a month in a rehab unit before being released to her home for follow-up therapy three times a week. She also has a personal trainer that works with her at home the other 4 days.

While she has been very disciplined in her rehab activities, her doctors say that it will take up to a year for any significant improvement with no guarantee of returning to normal. She lives out of state, but my wife and I stay in close touch with her, our son and granddaughter.  We have made several visits to help out and for moral support. My wife told her that she is so “tough”.  With great enthusiasm she responded, “I’m not tough, I have to get better.”

In a recent communication with her, she said that she had found comfort in Holy Scripture and especially in a version of Psalm 37:34 (Living Bible) that she had edited to be in ‘first person’ as if they were her words. She paraphrased that scripture in this way: “I won’t be impatient for God to act, I will travel steadily along his pathway and in due season He will honor me with every blessing.” She is working hard on her part and trusting God on His part.

My daughter-in-law is faithful in her rehabilitation with technicians and trainers, but realizes that her faith in the Lord is even more important.  In Mark 5:34 we are told: “He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’"

In James 3:14-15 we hear: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

My wife and I have been inspired by our daughter-in-law. She married our son 16 years ago and we thought we knew her pretty well. We’ve loved her all these years, but the way she is responding to this life altering situation, has brought even more joy to our relationship with her. Her daughter, our granddaughter, will grow from seeing her mother respond to life’s bumps and hurdles in this way. Our son is also blessed to have such a life partner.

An approach to getting along

One would think there is plenty of direction in Christianity to teach us how to get along with each other. Bible scripture gives us much to think about.  In the Gospel of Matthew 22:36-40, we learn: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”  Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” These words of Jesus don’t leave much wiggle room, but we still have a hard time living in to them.

We may even draw on other traditions to further support what Jesus was saying. There are many traditions that are older than recorded history. One principle of such an old Chinese tradition was the principle of Chung Fu, which means Inner Truth. It was introduced into Confucianism at some point. These principles can help nudge us into our already existing Christian principles and commandments.

In Chung Fu, the idea is to be like the wind blowing across the lake. The invisible action of the wind creates to noticeable ripples in the water. Our goal should be to interact with others in a way that is not clouded with prejudice or other predispositions about a person. If you proceed in life relationships this way, you are more invisible to the other person and your behavior toward them is more effective. To have a deep influence on others you must have a good understanding of them.

In love, our partner must trust us deeply.  In order for this to manifest itself in our relationship, we must take the time to thoroughly understand our partner. In business or professional situations, we must be straightforward in our communications. They must be honest and sincere. We must cultivate a deep and compassionate understanding of the people affecting our lives

We must communicate and cooperate effectively with those around us. To do this and be successful we need to take the time to thoroughly understand their natures. Our prejudice, predispositions, or any other negative must be put aside or their receptivity will be lessened and truth will not be reached. Once we thoroughly understand someone, we can work on gaining their trust; however, Chung Fu principles warn that this needs to be for a mutual benefit, not just our benefit. Without honesty and sincerity, progress cannot be achieved.

We must be gentle in our relationships and not jump to conclusions before we have a deep understanding of the other person. There must be a mutual confidence in this relationship in order to build trust and activate beneficial results.

The light generated in a relationship developed in this way will shine on, in and through each of the parties, so that a clear and clean spirit can do its work.  The inner truth that is manifest in this must grow great before its influence can be truly felt.  

In Hebrews 12:14-16, St. Paul reminds us: ^“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled..”

And then in Romans 12:15-28, Paul continues to support what we have been pondering above in saying: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”  

While we have taken a side trip to the Chung Fu principles, we have only proven that what we need in our lives can be found in Holy Scripture. Our side trip reveals that we must do a better job in practicing our own traditions in Christianity. There is much that we pass by; like a ship passing by its port in the night.

WHATEVER!

I know a lot of people that use the word, “whatever”, in an odd way. It’s almost as if they don’t give a hoot about what you’ve just said to them. It seems to be a put down. They don't care about what you said. The term seems to be used to dismiss a previous statement and express indifference.  It is usually considered offensive and impolite.

 

In recent times the word has become a very popular way to express oneself.  It is used to block further conversation on a subject. It leaves the other person without a way to respond.  Anything we suggest can be blocked by the retort of "whatever". In today’s social media on the internet it is used by shorthand in typing w/e, meaning whatever.

People sometimes say, “Whatever”, when they have lost an argument. Maybe sometimes they say the w/e word as a way of being OK with what you’ve just said, but really don’t have a horse in the race. At any rate, I guess we’re stuck with this slang usage for awhile.

There are plenty of other proper uses of the word whatever that don’t carry quite the negativity. It is used in phrases like: take whatever you want; whatever he says, they won't believe him; whatever do you mean by that; do whatever you like; you have our support, whatever you decide; whatever decision he made I would support it; and take whatever action is needed, to name a few.

I’ve done a search of Holy Scripture and find that Philippians 4:8 is packed with the word, whatever.  Let’s take a look at how it is used by St. Paul: ^“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Well now, that seems to put a different twist on the word, whatever. Here St. Paul uses it to target the things in our lives that are beneficial to us in our seeking the Lord. In Mark 13:11, we see another use of whatever: “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”
Mark also uses the, whatever, word in 11:24; “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” As it turns out the, whatever word, is used many, many times in Holy Scripture. The following are more examples:

Genesis 2:19 “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.”  Genesis 8:19 “Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark.”  Genesis 21:12 “But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.” Genesis 31:16  “For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
 

This search of Holy Scripture for the whatever word, could go on forever. It is used in so many ways, but doesn’t seem to stand alone very well, as our modern culture sometimes uses it. It seems to need a lot of help in its proper use. While some use it to discount or ignore, its use in the Bible certainly helps raise important things to our attention.

The next time someone states the one word, “whatever”, a good response might be Hallelujah!

Life, Death and Our Spirit

In our religious beliefs, we are seeking to know our Creator God and recognize that we humans have some sort of soul or spirit that is part of us.  We can sense that spirit in each other and have faith that it is an eternal life promise. When we think of most friends and family during their lives and after their death, we certainly sense some kind of spirit relating to them. They had a spirit about them in all that they did in this world and we still sense their spirit after their natural death.

We are all tiny physical pieces of our vast universe, God’s Creation, but we see ourselves as spirits whose souls have always existed. While our mortal bodies seem to be separate from our spirit, we are in some sense immortal in our spirit as we leave these short natural lives to be in God’s Eternal Kingdom.

God does not measure time with a clock. Each of us will experience our own death at a worldly time unknown to us. We are, however, on God’s Time. Einstein probably understood that more than anyone with his theory of Relativity, the thought of which brings us closer together with all humanity that has ever been.

St. Paul tells us in a portion of Chapter 8 of his letter to the Romans: “But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you …though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness……nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Ben Franklin once wrote to a deceased friend’s family (in part), “Our friend and we were invited abroad on a party of pleasure, which is to last forever.  His chair was ready first, and he goes before us.  We could not all conveniently start together; and why should you and I be grieved at this, since we are soon to follow, and know where to find him? Adieu, Ben Franklin”

My personal certainty of God’s Love, Grace and gift of Eternal Life with Him comes from my revelation experience with Him through His Spirit. During a 10-hour brain tumor surgery and a 30-day recovery at UAB Hospital in Birmingham in 1993, I was forgiven and comforted by Him. My fear of death was removed. He even gave me a glimpse into His Eternal Kingdom. Nothing has changed that understanding I received some 20-years ago.
 
More than one hundred years ago, a man of faith wrote the following piece that has been a help to me and many others over the years. It represents a communication from a deceased family member or friend. It is probably what those we have lost over the years would like to tell us: 

 “Death is nothing at all…I have only slipped away into the next room…I am I and you are you…whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by my old familiar name; speak to me in the easy way which you always used.  Put no difference into your tone; wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.  Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.  Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.  Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect, without the ghost of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant.  It is the same as it ever was; there is absolutely unbroken continuity.  What is this death but a negligible accident?  Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?  I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner…All is well.” (By Henry Scott Holland, 1847-1918, a Canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England.)


We are called, as those before us, to nurture our spirit as we live out our lives in the Lord. Our personal spirit, when enhanced by a close relationship with God, is a gift to us and others in our natural lives in this world and our eternal lives in His Kingdom.

Being Yourself

A friend of mine once told me that he liked to go to places like New Orleans, New York and San Francisco because he could feel more like himself in those environs than at home. There was a certain freedom for him in going out of town and turning loose of that self within him. He said it made him see life differently and it gave him a sense of creativity to be even more than he was.

I often wondered just what it was that caused him to feel that way. Was he able to do things not acceptable in his home environment? What was it about these away from home places that freed him up? Was it not possible for him to get freed up at home? Was this some sort of escape from something for him?

It’s not unusual for people to enjoy travel to see different places and things around our country and the world, but most people see that as a way of educating themselves about the world around them, not a way of escaping from their everyday lives. Travel can allow us to take time out to view the world around us, but not escape from who we are in our home communities.

Being aware of the world around us is certainly informative and helpful in our lives, but we can’t live everywhere all the time. We must be able to be ourselves where we live and not have to go elsewhere to find out who we are. Knowing more about the world around us should help us be ourselves at home. We can take the good and the bad we see in the world and help improve our home environments.

In Romans 12:2, St. Paul tells us: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Seeking places and things to free up ourselves is not worthy to offer up to God. If He is not in it with us, we waste our time. Peace, Grace and Comfort comes from God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Our searches without them are dead end roads.

In 1 Samuel 16:6-7, we hear:  “So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”  Does my friend see something in the places he likes to journey to, that are not of the Lord? Like Samuel, is he looking at the outward appearance of things and not to the heart of things?

What are we called to be in our environments? Shouldn’t we be seeking God in this and not trying to be freed up in the natural world? The way we can best be ourselves is to consult with our Creator Father. Who would know better what we have been created to be. If we don’t listen to Him while we’re at home, a travel location will not be of much help. He’s with us at home and in travel, sending us His Love and Grace.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul reminds us of Christ’s message to him: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

So, it looks like “being ourselves” is found at home and everywhere we invite God to be with us. No matter the calamities of life that send us elsewhere to look, God is with us in our weaknesses. It is in all of the ups and downs of our lives, that we are lead when we turn to the Lord.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul again reminds us: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  Paul goes on in Hebrews 11:1, to confirm that faith is our ‘being ourselves’ tool: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”