Thursday, June 21, 2012
War and Peace
Pidlin'
I know, you are probably thinking from the title this is going to be a long chapter. Not to worry, it's just that the last week has brought both war and peace to my heart and mind.
First, the war.....
Syria is in turmoil, some say they are close to civil war. President al Assad has cracked down on dissidents, killing thousands who rebel. Nations are taking sides, even Russia and the US and it can get ugly in a hurry there. Egypt has a new president that is pro-Islamic and anti-west but the army may not let him have much power. Their former president is dead, then alive, then nearly dead. War there could close the Suez canal and cut off oil to the west. Greece is broker than broke and other broke European nations are trying to bail them and themselves out of horrific financial trouble. The US is in moral free-fall. It's hard to even get a debate over same-sex marriage or abortion or nearly any morality based issue. We talk more about money woes and economic recession than nearly anything else. But the NBA finals are highly rated on television and technology promises to connect us and cure us from cancer and even depression. In all the turmoil, pain, and confusion it seems too few are even asking 'where is God?' For the truth of the matter is He is right where we left Him: out.
It has happened before. Israel, then Judah from Old Testament times were going right along with their history, culture, and lives. They forgot God, His love, His mercy, His precepts, and His right to be loved and followed supremely. They sought after military power, economic power, worship for all "gods", perverted justice and morals for personal power and pleasure. Then bit by bit, generation by generation they left the One, True God out of their lives and nation. Lip service was given but God doesn't accept "lip" worship.
In reading in Jeremiah last week, I noticed a couple of things. Judah, and Israel before, with all the strife and turmoil that was going on in their nation was at war with God. One, they didn't know this and denied it when the prophets told them. Two, you don't win a war with God but you don't know you've lost until after the fact. I read one of the saddest scriptures I've ever read in the Bible. It is found in Jeremiah 52, verse 3: "It was because of the Lord's anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end He thrust them from His presence."
"I will never leave you nor forsake you" is the promise in Hebrews 13:5. That promise to each believer is stated similarly in John 10:28-29, " I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them from my hand....no one can snatch them from my Father's hand." I believe in the perseverance of the saints. Eternal life is secure for all believers in Christ. But our nation is at war with God. We don't even know it. We will lose this war unless we repent and turn in faith to Jesus. Please pray for spiritual awakening or in the end, He will thrust us from His presence.
Now the peace....
I piddled last Saturday. I piddled in the garage for two or three hours. I piddled around my workbench. Piddled in the closet with the lawn chemicals and golf equipment. I piddled about the large shelf of miscellaneous stuff that's got to go somewhere but not in the kitchen, bath, or inside closets. I sat and listened to country music and then contemporary Christian music coming from a twenty year old radio on the workbench. I brought the dogs into the garage and watched them sleep and noted which songs made their tails wag. Hallie likes Chris Tomlin. I thought some on piddlin'. There is an art to it. I'm probably not that good at it. My dad didn't teach me. He was a work-a-holic farmer and he didn't know how to piddle. As one of nine boys raised in the depression on a small farm, that figures. My grandfather on my mom's side, Pop, he could piddle a bit. I learned some from him. Pop had more fun, Dad had more success. I guess you have to pick your balance.
There are probably rules for piddlin' but surely one of the rules is that you can't write down the rules for piddlin'. That would be too methodical, too logical, and too organized for piddlin'. Piddlin' has to be done alone for the most part, but small grand kids could probably be acceptable occasionally. It seems to me that piddlin' can't intent to get much work done either. It can get some things done but it has to be kinda accidental. Case in point: I was sorting through the little bins of washers, nuts, and bolts on the workbench Saturday. I noticed that I had only one of those little wrenches for adjusting sprinkler heads. I wondered where the other one was. Oh, I think I laid it on the shelf. I go to the shelf. I start taking stuff off looking for the little tool. Before I knew it, I piddled my way to throwing junk away from the shelf and straightening it out. Looked good. I didn't intend to clean the shelf. Just happened. Didn't find the sprinkler tool. Went back to the workbench. Started sorting and arranging. Found the tool in the next drawer and found I'd organized and cleaned the bench. Didn't intend to, just happened. I sat down with a Gatorade from the garage 'fridge and listened to Third Day and wondered if God piddled. He must have piddled some. How else would we get duck-bill platypuses, kangaroos, walking sticks(bug), cuscuses, and aye-aye's? See, God's piddlin' led to Australia. Not bad...
At the end of all this piddlin' I was refreshed, not tired. (That's got to be one of the rules, you can't tell your wife piddlin' doesn't make you tired). Piddlin' keeps your hands busy but your mind free. Piddlin' slows the pace so your spirit notices and enjoys even small blessings like a well-made old school chair to sit on, a cold drink to sip on, two old dogs to show you how to handle the stress in the world, and an old radio playing an old hymn sung in a new way by a modern band. I realized what I had after all that piddlin' were deep and profound thoughts that would bring world peace if I could remember them. In the meantime, I'll have to settle for lower blood pressure, contentment, an accidentally clean garage, and a promise to piddle again really soon. I'd invite you over to show you how but I think that's against the rules.
Peace,
Cos
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Nobody Gets Saved 'Round Here No More
Uncle Bill had to be visited. I had to do it. I wasn't even sure how he was related to me. He wasn't my mother's or my dad's brother. But around those two, four, and six hundred acre family farms where I was raised he was in the mix and he was Uncle Bill. He was somewhere around eighty-two, maybe eighty-five now. He still lived on his place eight miles out from "town." "Town'' had only nine hundred people. No one had heard from him in a long while so I guessed I had better check on him. I had saved the last two days of my vacation for recuperation from the first six days so I had the time to make the hour drive out to his farm. Might be a nice relaxing drive and visit to nostalgia. So I went.
Down the interstate to a state highway and then down the farm-to-market road and then onto the gravel road and then the part gravel, part grass, part mud lane that led to his old farmhouse. There he was, weeding his garden on the side of the barn. It looked like a good wind would blow that old barn over, but it had looked like that for thirty years. "Hey, Uncle Bill, howyoudoing?" (it's one word in the country) "Not bad for an old fossil, howyoudoing, Squirt?" He called all of us "Squirt." He would figure out my real name sooner or later. I took no offense.
We headed up to the porch. Uncle Bill went in to get coffee. Starbucks may have learned about strong coffee from Uncle Bill and Aunt Martha. Dad joked that Bill's coffee killed Martha twenty years ago but it kept Bill going. I asked for ice water.
"What brings you out here, Squirt? You know I ain't got no money."
"I don't need any money Uncle Bill. Some of us cousins were visiting and none of us had heard from you or seen you in a while so I thought I'd run out and see what's going on. So, what's been happening with you?"
"Nothing much.You don't think this old world would listen to an old dried up farmer from nowhere, do you? I don't even recognize this world anymore. It's like a foreign place to me."
"Do you mean because of the modern technology and electronic or the....
About that time an alarm went off in his pocket. He reached in the chest pocket of his overalls and pulled out an iphone. "S'cuse me a moment." Uncle Bill fired off a text and set his phone down on the old recliner he kept on the porch for sitting in the morning and evening. It was then I noticed he set it down next to an ipad.
"No, its not the technology. That's just a matter of desire and practice. Heck, it's all touch screen. If you want something hard try fixin' a Farmall planter box from 1955. No, the problem with this world is that no body gets saved around here no more."
"What do you mean Uncle Bill?"
"How long you been preaching, "Squirt?" (at least he remembered what I did) Must be thirty or more years now. You can't tell me you haven't noticed the change in people. You baptizing as many as you did twenty years ago? I didn't think so. So did you quit telling them about salvation in Jesus or did the world around you quit listening?"
"But Uncle Bill, more people come to Christ as Savior in the world now than at any time in church history."
"I said no body gets saved 'round here no more. Lots of folks in Asia, South America, Africa, and even Muslims are coming to Christ but not so much in Europe or the good old USA."
"How do you know all those stats Uncle Bill?"
"That's nothing. I'm connected. The problem is we've gotten so tolerant we even tolerate our own sin in our nation. We've gotten to the point where we think the government, Wall Street, M.D. Anderson, Edward Jones, Tony Romo, Lebron James, Tim Tebow, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, the Kardashians, Snoop Dog or Ophra will fix our problems as if our problems were all just physical, emotional, financial or mental. We look to celebrities for wisdom and reality shows for adventure."
"Uncle Bill you kinda went off like a preacher there. I see people every week that really love Jesus and serve Him."
"You work in a church, Preacher! Don't be so naive, Squirt. Nobody gets saved 'round here no more cause they admire Jesus like all those other celebrities. There's a big difference between admiration and committed love. I "loved" Rita Hayworth as a young man. What an actress, what a beauty! I never held her, kissed her, made love to her. I never fed her, nursed her when she was sick, told her a certain movie was wrong for her, listened to her complain, or comforted her when she grieved. I never prayed with her or worshipped with her. I didn't love Rita, I loved your Aunt Martha. Nobody gets saved 'round here no more 'cause they don't think they got anything to be saved from. As long as they are eating, drinking, working, paying bills and entertaining themselves modern people think they are doing fine. They will go right on admiring Jesus to hell."
"Uncle Bill, that's depressing. What do you do with all that, that negativity? How do you cope with such a gloomy assessment? Do you just gripe about it?"
"Oh, no. I started a web site and blog. I have over five hundred regular readers and a couple of hundred guests each week. I do a question and answer session each week on Facebook and have over 1700 friends. The avg. age of the people reading and interacting with me is 23. They get mad, even belligerent, but they keep asking and talking. A few dozen have told me they have come to faith in Christ. I just keep telling them one way or another they need to be gloriously, radically, marvelously, miraculously saved. And some are."
The drive home was horrible. My mind was aching. I gave myself a headache. My wife met me in the kitchen. "How was your visit with Uncle Bill?... Hey, you don't look so good? Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, nobody gets save around here no more..................."
Squirt Cos
Down the interstate to a state highway and then down the farm-to-market road and then onto the gravel road and then the part gravel, part grass, part mud lane that led to his old farmhouse. There he was, weeding his garden on the side of the barn. It looked like a good wind would blow that old barn over, but it had looked like that for thirty years. "Hey, Uncle Bill, howyoudoing?" (it's one word in the country) "Not bad for an old fossil, howyoudoing, Squirt?" He called all of us "Squirt." He would figure out my real name sooner or later. I took no offense.
We headed up to the porch. Uncle Bill went in to get coffee. Starbucks may have learned about strong coffee from Uncle Bill and Aunt Martha. Dad joked that Bill's coffee killed Martha twenty years ago but it kept Bill going. I asked for ice water.
"What brings you out here, Squirt? You know I ain't got no money."
"I don't need any money Uncle Bill. Some of us cousins were visiting and none of us had heard from you or seen you in a while so I thought I'd run out and see what's going on. So, what's been happening with you?"
"Nothing much.You don't think this old world would listen to an old dried up farmer from nowhere, do you? I don't even recognize this world anymore. It's like a foreign place to me."
"Do you mean because of the modern technology and electronic or the....
About that time an alarm went off in his pocket. He reached in the chest pocket of his overalls and pulled out an iphone. "S'cuse me a moment." Uncle Bill fired off a text and set his phone down on the old recliner he kept on the porch for sitting in the morning and evening. It was then I noticed he set it down next to an ipad.
"No, its not the technology. That's just a matter of desire and practice. Heck, it's all touch screen. If you want something hard try fixin' a Farmall planter box from 1955. No, the problem with this world is that no body gets saved around here no more."
"What do you mean Uncle Bill?"
"How long you been preaching, "Squirt?" (at least he remembered what I did) Must be thirty or more years now. You can't tell me you haven't noticed the change in people. You baptizing as many as you did twenty years ago? I didn't think so. So did you quit telling them about salvation in Jesus or did the world around you quit listening?"
"But Uncle Bill, more people come to Christ as Savior in the world now than at any time in church history."
"I said no body gets saved 'round here no more. Lots of folks in Asia, South America, Africa, and even Muslims are coming to Christ but not so much in Europe or the good old USA."
"How do you know all those stats Uncle Bill?"
"That's nothing. I'm connected. The problem is we've gotten so tolerant we even tolerate our own sin in our nation. We've gotten to the point where we think the government, Wall Street, M.D. Anderson, Edward Jones, Tony Romo, Lebron James, Tim Tebow, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, the Kardashians, Snoop Dog or Ophra will fix our problems as if our problems were all just physical, emotional, financial or mental. We look to celebrities for wisdom and reality shows for adventure."
"Uncle Bill you kinda went off like a preacher there. I see people every week that really love Jesus and serve Him."
"You work in a church, Preacher! Don't be so naive, Squirt. Nobody gets saved 'round here no more cause they admire Jesus like all those other celebrities. There's a big difference between admiration and committed love. I "loved" Rita Hayworth as a young man. What an actress, what a beauty! I never held her, kissed her, made love to her. I never fed her, nursed her when she was sick, told her a certain movie was wrong for her, listened to her complain, or comforted her when she grieved. I never prayed with her or worshipped with her. I didn't love Rita, I loved your Aunt Martha. Nobody gets saved 'round here no more 'cause they don't think they got anything to be saved from. As long as they are eating, drinking, working, paying bills and entertaining themselves modern people think they are doing fine. They will go right on admiring Jesus to hell."
"Uncle Bill, that's depressing. What do you do with all that, that negativity? How do you cope with such a gloomy assessment? Do you just gripe about it?"
"Oh, no. I started a web site and blog. I have over five hundred regular readers and a couple of hundred guests each week. I do a question and answer session each week on Facebook and have over 1700 friends. The avg. age of the people reading and interacting with me is 23. They get mad, even belligerent, but they keep asking and talking. A few dozen have told me they have come to faith in Christ. I just keep telling them one way or another they need to be gloriously, radically, marvelously, miraculously saved. And some are."
The drive home was horrible. My mind was aching. I gave myself a headache. My wife met me in the kitchen. "How was your visit with Uncle Bill?... Hey, you don't look so good? Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, nobody gets save around here no more..................."
Squirt Cos
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The Cap
He who was seated on the throne said, " I am making everything new! " Rev. 21: 5
It was a spur of the moment thing, a thought that seemed like a good idea at the time. You know how those go but what the heck. So I called him and and asked. He was a Viet Nam veteran and one of those traveling Viet Nam Wall memorial walls was only about twenty miles from us. "You wanna go? I'll take you." He said "Yeah." Surprised me. I picked him up.
He never talked about the war much, at least not to me. No reason he should but I don't think he talked much about it to anyone. The Viet Nam vet's weren't treated like the veterans of WWII, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. At best they were ignored, at worst they were spat upon, heckled, and ridiculed. Most just hoped when they came home to slip in, greet the family, get in the car and quietly go home. It was a war everyone just wanted to forget for a number of reasons politically, militarily, and morally. News was dominated by racial hatred and riots, dirty politics, Watergate, drug abuse putting more soldiers in hospitals than bullets and death tolls from the war that eventually topped 58,000..(not to mention 3 million Vietnamese), it was a bad time in America. A soldier home from Viet Nam wasn't honored much as honor was scare in America back then. If Korea was the "forgotten war," then Viet Nam was the lost and buried war. The young men who made it home were lost in the turmoil and their rightful place of honor beside America's fighting men was buried along with the bad memories of a bad time.
As we walked along the length of the wall he began to tell stories. Maybe he had told those stories to his wife and kids, his dad, I don't know. I heard names, episodes, Army lingo I'd never heard him use before. He was not infantry and never went out on patrol but his base was regularly rocketed and mortared. He told of how close the mortars came, picking up hot shrapnel for a souvenir, sliding into a bunker like sliding into a base to get to safety, standing on picket with an M-14 when intel told of a coming attack. He told of sorry human beings and noble ones he met along the way. He just walked and talked and then we were at the end of the wall. We wandered over to a trailer selling memorabilia to finance the wall's travels. I was a little surprised. He studied the caps, the pins, the flags. He talked about coming home and the Army rushing them through so quickly that his group never got their campaign pins. He lingered for a good ten or fifteen minutes. I was a little surprised. He went to the attendant and ordered a cap that said Viet Nam Veteran. I was getting to be less surprised. I paid for the cap. I was shocked. Then he bought a pin. I think I finally get it.
He can wear the cap now. For all that was wrong about Viet Nam, it's finally right and good to recognized that these guys served and sacrificed like maybe no one else. Little thanks, little recognition, little honor was given after that war from nearly forty years ago. But the truth eventually comes out and no truth, nobility, sacrifice, no selflessness goes unnoticed forever. If it escapes our notice, it never escapes God's. He will make all things new; He will heal; He will remember; He will bring justice; He will bring peace.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Isaiah 2:4
Thank-you for your service. Wear the cap proudly. Be at peace.
Cos
It was a spur of the moment thing, a thought that seemed like a good idea at the time. You know how those go but what the heck. So I called him and and asked. He was a Viet Nam veteran and one of those traveling Viet Nam Wall memorial walls was only about twenty miles from us. "You wanna go? I'll take you." He said "Yeah." Surprised me. I picked him up.
He never talked about the war much, at least not to me. No reason he should but I don't think he talked much about it to anyone. The Viet Nam vet's weren't treated like the veterans of WWII, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. At best they were ignored, at worst they were spat upon, heckled, and ridiculed. Most just hoped when they came home to slip in, greet the family, get in the car and quietly go home. It was a war everyone just wanted to forget for a number of reasons politically, militarily, and morally. News was dominated by racial hatred and riots, dirty politics, Watergate, drug abuse putting more soldiers in hospitals than bullets and death tolls from the war that eventually topped 58,000..(not to mention 3 million Vietnamese), it was a bad time in America. A soldier home from Viet Nam wasn't honored much as honor was scare in America back then. If Korea was the "forgotten war," then Viet Nam was the lost and buried war. The young men who made it home were lost in the turmoil and their rightful place of honor beside America's fighting men was buried along with the bad memories of a bad time.
As we walked along the length of the wall he began to tell stories. Maybe he had told those stories to his wife and kids, his dad, I don't know. I heard names, episodes, Army lingo I'd never heard him use before. He was not infantry and never went out on patrol but his base was regularly rocketed and mortared. He told of how close the mortars came, picking up hot shrapnel for a souvenir, sliding into a bunker like sliding into a base to get to safety, standing on picket with an M-14 when intel told of a coming attack. He told of sorry human beings and noble ones he met along the way. He just walked and talked and then we were at the end of the wall. We wandered over to a trailer selling memorabilia to finance the wall's travels. I was a little surprised. He studied the caps, the pins, the flags. He talked about coming home and the Army rushing them through so quickly that his group never got their campaign pins. He lingered for a good ten or fifteen minutes. I was a little surprised. He went to the attendant and ordered a cap that said Viet Nam Veteran. I was getting to be less surprised. I paid for the cap. I was shocked. Then he bought a pin. I think I finally get it.
He can wear the cap now. For all that was wrong about Viet Nam, it's finally right and good to recognized that these guys served and sacrificed like maybe no one else. Little thanks, little recognition, little honor was given after that war from nearly forty years ago. But the truth eventually comes out and no truth, nobility, sacrifice, no selflessness goes unnoticed forever. If it escapes our notice, it never escapes God's. He will make all things new; He will heal; He will remember; He will bring justice; He will bring peace.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Isaiah 2:4
Thank-you for your service. Wear the cap proudly. Be at peace.
Cos
Thursday, May 24, 2012
A Prayer
A Prayer
Hear my prayer, O Lord.
We need You. If there has ever been a time when You were needed more I can't remember it, nor can I even imagine needing You more than now. We need You in our hearts, in our homes, in our financial institutions, in our industries, in our entertainment, in our nation and in Your church. As a warrior nation we remember this Memorial Day weekend our fallen soldiers.Thank-you for their sacrifice. We were born fighting and have kept fighting for nearly 240 years. We like to believe we stood for justice and right and mostly we can honesty say that. But now, we also need a different kind of warrior,God; one that wages battle for truth, Your truth. We need warriors that battle with prayer, and who's lives are marked with grace, peace and love. Where are Your warriors who engage the enemy with nobility born of courage, courage born of conviction, conviction born of character, character shaped by righteousness, and righteousness birthed by faith in Christ? Our adversary has turned our gaze to greed, our joy to seeking pleasure, our hope for help to politics and politicians. Forgive us, O God, for looking everywhere but to You in sweet surrender of our wills to Yours.
We need You, Lord. Our greatest enemies are from within now. There are fightings within and fears without because You are not within and we are without You in so many of our dealings with families, friends, issues, and nations. Help us seek a higher good than the American dream. Help us seek a Heavenly Kingdom and grant us a vision for that raises our lives and our nation to that higher plane. I pray these things happen without force or coercion but only by an outpouring of your Spirit in response to a humbled church in a stumbling nation seeking Your blessing in prayer and obedience. I would ask this awakening before we go the way of ancient Israel into captivity. Indeed, much of our nation is already in captivity to death, license, and the pursuit of self. Grant that we might lose ourselves in the pursuit of Your glory and in that glory may we see true life, eternal and abundant.
Awaken us O Lord. Awaken each son and daughter of Yours born of Your Spirit to the joy, the hope, the freedom and justice that is ours in Your Kingdom. Awaken a longing for fellowship with You in every thought, movement and moment of our days. Pursue us with Your love and may we stop in repentance long enough to be caught by Your grace. We are in trouble and our nation, our world needs You. Thank-you for the good news that You may be found even as You have sought us; that You may be known even as You have known our sin and deceptions; that You may be trusted and obeyed even as You grant us the ability to trust and the strength to obey. Sweep away our apathy to the Person of Christ and the things of Your Spirit and fill our spirits with the riches of Your Presence and the glory of Your cause.
Thank-you for never surrendering our souls to disregard and our hearts to unfinished work. Thank-you that You will not stop until Christ is formed in the lives of Your sons and daughters. Now I ask that you raise an Army of warriors for this nation, her homes, her institutions, her future to wage war by prayer. May they see Your hand act in the salvation of the lost and in a righteousness that exalts this nation even as she exalts Your Son, even Jesus, Our Lord and Savior....
Amen
PS: An Invitation: Please join me in prayer, wherever you do your devotions, each Wednesday, at a time between 7 and 9 AM to pray for a Spiritual Awakening in our nation. Join me from your home, car, cart, or wherever you may find yourself in this commitment of prayer. It's your choice if you tell me or not, but please pray.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Who Tells You "No?"
President Obama has announced that he is now in favor of gay marriage. His views have changed through the years as have the American public's views on the subject. More folks, according to some polls, are in favor of same sex marriage. I don't know if that is why President Obama changed his mind, evolved as he called it, or not but it is curious timing in an election year. In an interview with ABC, the president did say that his daughters, Malia and Sasha had an influence on his decision. With many of his daughter's friends having gay parents and their thinking that this was normal their acceptance influenced his acceptance.
So now the experience, understanding, and morals of teenagers are teaching and shaping the views of the American President and his nation. Does anyone see something backward here? Maybe I'm just remembering wrongly but I seem to recall a day when the parents helped shaped the view, morals, and understandings of the kids. Silly notion I guess.
When it comes to sexual issues, racial issues, financial issues, family issues and morality we find ourselves greatly divided in this nation. Even Christians have radically divergent views on the issues and interpretations of the bible to "back them up." Who is right? I'd like to suggest a little backing up or at least some background work before you "evolve" to your own standing on this or any issue. Please consider the following:
The Right-- Who has the right to decide what is right or wrong? Who has that kind of authority? My belief, and we all start with a belief (apriori assumption), is that God as He has revealed Himself through the bible has the authority to make those decisions and declare right from wrong, good from bad, just from evil. On a personal basis I must ask myself who has the right to tell me "no" or tell me what I need to do, other than my wife, of course? The simple answer is God has that authority. Then one begins to grapple with what exactly has God said to do or not to do, to be or not to be. Here many interpretations are still available but God has the right to say about His creation what is right, proper, good, just, loving, and in accordance with his will and purpose.
The Reason--If (and I mean since) God has the right, does He have, and does He reveal the reasons behind His declarations of right, wrong, good, evil, sin and righteousness along with His purpose for mankind? In most cases God does reveal the reason behind His purposes and declarations of right and wrong. The First Reason, one definition of God, is that He is God and can say and decide what He wants to. But the Bible reveals beyond the first reason is that God's character is actually what determines what is good, right, just, merciful, kind and loving. God has total fidelity to His character. This brings constancy, not mere consistency, to questions of morality and justice and God is constantly, totally, always true to His character which is revealed most clearly in Jesus as kind, loving, merciful, forgiving, generous, sacrificial and right. Another word the Bible uses to say this is "holy." Therefore, the reason God would declare something right, wrong, false, true, hopeful, helpful, and loving is that it was true to His holy character. It therefore would mean that in questions I have about issues I should seek to know the character of God to help me determine what is right or wrong.
Reason II also falls in with the definition of God as revealed in the Bible. God is all-knowing. He knows more about sin and wrong than I do. If He says "no" I may not like it, it may feel wrong, it may oppose my will. But if He is all knowing then I must humbly admit that I am not and trust Him. Let me give you an example. If I seem my toddler who has just learned to walk reach up and start to pull a pot of boiling water off the stove and on to his head, I don't consider if the toddler has friends whose parents let them pull pots on to their heads or search the latest ABCMSNBCCNNFOX poll to see if the American public think its okay. I yell NO and scare the kid away from the stove, not because I'm mean but because I know what the effects could be. That is disciplining love. We learn to trust that since God knows and if he says "no," we need to heed.
Responsibility--- Now I am better equipped to tackle some issues. I may not have total clarity but knowing that God has the right to declare what is right and wrong, good and evil, then I can look at what He has actually said in His word. I can also see the reasons revealed that are accord with His revealed character and purposes. I then have the responsibility to make a decision based on revealed truth (reason) and humble myself, my opinions, my desires, my will, my pride to his right (authority) to tell me what is best for His kingdom and for me.
Applied to this issue of same sex marriage, the answer comes to me that it is wrong. The bible speaks to the issue for periods over 3000 years and in half a dozen cultures. In all that time and in all those cultures it is always declared wrong. The reason has to do with the purpose of mankind in creation. God made mankind both male a female after his image (Gen 1:26-28). To achieve the oneness in which the nature of God is enjoyed and displayed in the relationship,it requires male and female. To be true to the fullest revelation of God in the union both male and female are necessary. In our culture we have tended to take God out of nearly everything that didn't make us feel good or cozy or sweet or give me what I wanted when I wanted it. That goes back to the garden of Eden. In God's image, there is both male and female, and He intended marriage to reflect that. Yes, the world is mesed up, fallen, sinful but even when it goes against public opinion, personal wants or desires, we are still responsible for choosing God's revealed will over ours. It's a matter of trust and obedience but not just in homosexual issues, but in heterosexual unions, marriages, race, finance, law and justice. God has the right to tell us "no" and He always shows us His better "yes" when we have committed our lives to Him in a trusting relationship. We are called to be true to Him above all else as he is to His own character.
Mr President, your kids got this one wrong.
Cos
So now the experience, understanding, and morals of teenagers are teaching and shaping the views of the American President and his nation. Does anyone see something backward here? Maybe I'm just remembering wrongly but I seem to recall a day when the parents helped shaped the view, morals, and understandings of the kids. Silly notion I guess.
When it comes to sexual issues, racial issues, financial issues, family issues and morality we find ourselves greatly divided in this nation. Even Christians have radically divergent views on the issues and interpretations of the bible to "back them up." Who is right? I'd like to suggest a little backing up or at least some background work before you "evolve" to your own standing on this or any issue. Please consider the following:
The Right-- Who has the right to decide what is right or wrong? Who has that kind of authority? My belief, and we all start with a belief (apriori assumption), is that God as He has revealed Himself through the bible has the authority to make those decisions and declare right from wrong, good from bad, just from evil. On a personal basis I must ask myself who has the right to tell me "no" or tell me what I need to do, other than my wife, of course? The simple answer is God has that authority. Then one begins to grapple with what exactly has God said to do or not to do, to be or not to be. Here many interpretations are still available but God has the right to say about His creation what is right, proper, good, just, loving, and in accordance with his will and purpose.
The Reason--If (and I mean since) God has the right, does He have, and does He reveal the reasons behind His declarations of right, wrong, good, evil, sin and righteousness along with His purpose for mankind? In most cases God does reveal the reason behind His purposes and declarations of right and wrong. The First Reason, one definition of God, is that He is God and can say and decide what He wants to. But the Bible reveals beyond the first reason is that God's character is actually what determines what is good, right, just, merciful, kind and loving. God has total fidelity to His character. This brings constancy, not mere consistency, to questions of morality and justice and God is constantly, totally, always true to His character which is revealed most clearly in Jesus as kind, loving, merciful, forgiving, generous, sacrificial and right. Another word the Bible uses to say this is "holy." Therefore, the reason God would declare something right, wrong, false, true, hopeful, helpful, and loving is that it was true to His holy character. It therefore would mean that in questions I have about issues I should seek to know the character of God to help me determine what is right or wrong.
Reason II also falls in with the definition of God as revealed in the Bible. God is all-knowing. He knows more about sin and wrong than I do. If He says "no" I may not like it, it may feel wrong, it may oppose my will. But if He is all knowing then I must humbly admit that I am not and trust Him. Let me give you an example. If I seem my toddler who has just learned to walk reach up and start to pull a pot of boiling water off the stove and on to his head, I don't consider if the toddler has friends whose parents let them pull pots on to their heads or search the latest ABCMSNBCCNNFOX poll to see if the American public think its okay. I yell NO and scare the kid away from the stove, not because I'm mean but because I know what the effects could be. That is disciplining love. We learn to trust that since God knows and if he says "no," we need to heed.
Responsibility--- Now I am better equipped to tackle some issues. I may not have total clarity but knowing that God has the right to declare what is right and wrong, good and evil, then I can look at what He has actually said in His word. I can also see the reasons revealed that are accord with His revealed character and purposes. I then have the responsibility to make a decision based on revealed truth (reason) and humble myself, my opinions, my desires, my will, my pride to his right (authority) to tell me what is best for His kingdom and for me.
Applied to this issue of same sex marriage, the answer comes to me that it is wrong. The bible speaks to the issue for periods over 3000 years and in half a dozen cultures. In all that time and in all those cultures it is always declared wrong. The reason has to do with the purpose of mankind in creation. God made mankind both male a female after his image (Gen 1:26-28). To achieve the oneness in which the nature of God is enjoyed and displayed in the relationship,it requires male and female. To be true to the fullest revelation of God in the union both male and female are necessary. In our culture we have tended to take God out of nearly everything that didn't make us feel good or cozy or sweet or give me what I wanted when I wanted it. That goes back to the garden of Eden. In God's image, there is both male and female, and He intended marriage to reflect that. Yes, the world is mesed up, fallen, sinful but even when it goes against public opinion, personal wants or desires, we are still responsible for choosing God's revealed will over ours. It's a matter of trust and obedience but not just in homosexual issues, but in heterosexual unions, marriages, race, finance, law and justice. God has the right to tell us "no" and He always shows us His better "yes" when we have committed our lives to Him in a trusting relationship. We are called to be true to Him above all else as he is to His own character.
Mr President, your kids got this one wrong.
Cos
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
What Do You See Number 5?
What do you see number five? Could be you don't know where to look or what to look for. Could I help you a bit? Look, see all the people. There are all kinds of people out there. There is your dad behind you, there are teammates to your left and right. There are people who know you and many who don't. There are people who would have good and kind intentions toward you out there and there are some who would do you harm. You will do well if you can learn to tell the difference. Be careful 'till you know which are which. The ones you know who love you will help you here. Keep listening to them. That will be hard in about ten years. That's okay, do some hard things. Remember, most of those people in the stands are spectators. They are there to watch. They will yell "Yeah!" when you do well and groan and even boo when you get a little older when you mess up. Don't pay much attention, spectators are there to watch. Look a little closer to you. See the field? That's why you are there.You are there to engage, strive, try, fail, try again, fail again, succeed, win, lose and enjoy participating in something that was before you, is bigger than you, and will be around after you. Keep looking for those things. Stay on the field of engagement. Enjoy the moment, the teammates, the coaches, the game itself, but don't worry about the spectators, they just watch.
What do you see number five? Mind if I show you something else? Beyond the field, beyond the stands of spectators, look again. Do you see them? There are mountains back there. They loom in the distance. You live with them everyday but they are there in your distance now. One day you will face them from a different perspective. They will be up close. Some of those mountains in your future you will climb. Some of them will prove too steep, too formidable to climb, so you find a way to go around them. Some you can't climb, some you can't go around so you learn to live in their shadow. That seems sad at first glance, like you are giving up and quitting. Only your heart can tell you if that is the case. But those mountains you never quit on or never gave up on but you still couldn't put behind you needn't cause you to despair. There you can learn to live in the shadows and valleys of mountains too tall to climb or too wide to cross. In their shadows there is shelter, there is coolness when the rest of life seems too hot. In the valleys there is fertile soil to grow wonderful things to feed your soul. So don't fear those mountains, face them. In time you will know what to do with each mountain.
So how will you know number five which spectators will encourage and which will harm you? How will you know when to strive and when to relax? How will you know which hard things to do and which mountains to climb and which live with? I can't give a definite answer, but this I know. Keep doing what you are doing right now. And what is it you are doing right now? Why number five, you are looking toward home. Always keep looking there and learning how to get there. That's the clue, always head toward home.
Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 12:22-24
Can you see that number 5?
Cos
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Big "C"
The Big "C"
Everyone needs one. Everyone. Every neighborhood, community, garden club, woosie pastor, stuffy old church and any group for golf, pool, beer, or breakfast.
I lost mine recently and I miss him. But I'm not ready quite yet to get another. I'm speaking of curmudgeons, those crusty, irascible, cantankerous, older folks full of stubborn opinions. Yes, you need one. I'll explain why.
Curmudgeons, the good ones, anyway, come by their curmudeonriness naturally. Maybe the doctor slaps them too hard at birth or their puppy bit them. Then life takes over and turns them that way. It could be the broken hearts, the ravages of war, the inhumanity of man to man, the problem of pain and suffering, who know for sure but they become curmudgeons.
Curmudgeons, the good ones anyway, suck the pretense out of any room they enter or group they talk to. That's why curmudgeons are good for preachers. You can't blow smoke up their rears and expect praise. They don't deal in stained glass truth. Curmudgeons, the good ones are honest like that. If you have ever known or loved a curmudgeon, you know that beneath that crusty, hard-to-crack exterior lies something else: an even thicker, harder-to-crack layer. This makes it hard to whine in front of a curmudgeon and every team, group, and self-pity filled princess or prince from the boardroom, pulpit, and tv screen needs one of these.
Curmudgeons, the good ones anyway, and by good I mean those honest, gruff, crusty guys who haven't given in to bitterness and meanness. They can grouse, poke fun, set things straight but you will notice a slight twinkle in their eye, especially if it is glass, and a wry smile just after he zings you for your pitiful ways but before his beer touches his lips. To be invited back to the breakfast table, the pool table, the dinner table, or wherever he holds court is an honor. Don't miss it if invited back, its not for politeness, its for your education.
If you want a true friend who is loyal to a fault and honest to aggravation then make friends with a curmudgeon if he will let you. If you want to laugh at how backward and ridiculous life is sometimes and how you can so easily get caught up in the foam of it, then listen to your neighborhood curmudgeon.
Gary Jones was my curmudgeon. I'm not sure I want another one just yet. I'm thinking about becoming one myself but I'm not sure I qualify on several levels (see I just whined for no good reason--disqualification). Maybe in time I will learn to care enough about the right things and not just blow off the silly things but blow them away and I will make the realm of curmudgeonry. In the mean time, if you want to hear a real prayer and see real faith, then watch your curmudgeon. Gary prayed with me the last time I saw him before he died (see, no euphemisms like passed, fell asleep, went on, Cur's hate that- he died). Then he stopped me after I prayed my preachery prayer and he prayed--short, straight, genuine, and clear. I wouldn't say curmudgeons have a way with words but they do have a way with the truth and that is language of the Kingdom of God. God heard it, I felt it, and he knew it. I saw the twinkle and wry smile just before he told me get out, he was tired.
Rest well friend,
Cos
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