Do you have “B.O.”?

BOLD, BULL-HEADED OBEDIENCE

Do you have “B.O.”?  By this I mean bold obedience!  brash obedience.  belligerent obedience.  even, bull-headed obedience.

I remember times when our kids were young and we trying to teach them to eat healthy foods.  Jeremiah, as a child, would sit for an hour in defiance before he would let a nasty, un-kosher (?!) green vegetable enter his mouth.  Maybe, like Daniel, he was deadly determined to eat only clean foods (Dan.1:8)?!  He was like Simon Peter (Acts 10) refusing to “kill and eat” anything unclean. (It has come back to haunt him; little Samuel will eat very little besides chicken nuggets and rice!)  But, this trait, this rebelling against hell, has a lot of merit, spiritual stubbornness!

In his encouragement for believers to live sanctified lives, the Hebrews’ writer challenges, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Heb.12:4)  Recall the response of the three Hebrew youths who were told, on pain of death, to bow to the idol – “17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Dan.3:17-18)  The king went into a rage because of their impudence!  No, they were not disrespectful, but certainly were defiant.  Remember the similar situation with Daniel – “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Dan.6:10)  Daniel, again, was true to his God, regardless of the consequences.  Also, consider the commitment of the Apostles when ordered by the Jewish leaders to stop preaching about Jesus – “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”  and then they added, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.” (Acts5:29-30) ouch!

Do these images resemble our response to sin and Satan?!  Or, does “wimpy-wavering” more accurately describe us?  Maybe even “rebellious returning”?  Scripture talks about a dog returning to its vomit, a washed hog to the mud. (2Pet.2:22) Ugh!  (disgusting  visual image?!) But, does that resemble your response?  Instead of retorting, “get behind me, Satan”  (Mt.16:23), are we more likely to respond like Peter, “I do not know the Man” (Mt.26:74)?!

From where does this B.O. come?  A clue can be seen in the way Jesus responded to temptation from Satan – “…it is written …”  (Mt.4) Putting on “the full armor of God” (Eph.6:11) will go a long ways in this spiritual combat.  The psalmist, wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart  that I might not sin against you.” (Ps.119:11)  Surely, the heroic stories of such stalwart saints can stir our hearts to bold obedience!  Also, Paul tells us the very grace of God is key – “¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2)  But, such resolve and strength generates from above.  “greater is he in us…” (1Jn.4:4) reveals the source.  And,  the fact that “I can do all through Him, who strengthens me” (Phil.4:13) should embolden me.    Yes, even the archangels call on the Name when confronting evil forces.  (Jude 9)  “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” (Jas.4:7)  Indeed, our B.O. is a sweet aroma to our Lord.  Let’s say “No” to Satan, and “Yes, sir” to Jesus!     

 

Are 

you 

a 

“little stinker”?!

FAT SECTION IN HEAVEN?

FAT SECTION IN HEAVEN?

                I once upon a time was in a cult.  They used the name “Jesus”  often.  But after awhile, I began to seriously wonder about them.  When they had weight scales at discipleship meetings, the warning signals began to get deafeningly loud!  I strained to remember Jesus adding rule #11, “thou shalt not be fat.”  Really!  Where is GRACE in all this?  (there were a lot of issues; this one is only illustrative) 

                The point of this diet-diatribe is not obesity.  But, seriously, in some cultures and times fatness has been seen as a sign of success and health!  (think Samoan or German?!)  And, for crying out loud, they do make caskets in XL.  Feasting can be seen as gluttony or as good times.  Sure, the Beijing Olympics Stadium architects had to broaden the seat sizes for non-Chinese guests, but …

                My point is this -- being patient with shortcomings and failings.  I am reminded of David’s comments in Ps.103,

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

9 He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

14 For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

Do we recognize that “we are dust”?!  Are we patient with others, and even oneself? With their shortcomings and even failures?  Maybe it is somebody’s speech? (I work in a paper mill!) maybe it is their dress-code? (drooping pants laws?! Come on, now!) 

I am reminded of our Savior’s prayer on the Cross – “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.”  (Lk.23:34) Contrast that with the attitude of the Twelve – “Lord, do you want us to bring down fire?!”  (Lk.9:54)  Jesus rebuked, “… you do not know what of spirit you are…” (forgotten they were of the Holy Spirit? Or, following the spirit of this age?! Or both? Hmm?)  Jesus looked out over the crowd, later to reject him, and sighed, with compassion, “…they are like sheep without a shepherd…” (Mt.9:36)

In striving for holiness, do not become a Pharisee!  In a word, “judgmental”.  I remember a deep conversation I once had with a struggling saint.  She confessed that her greatest sin was “judging others”.  Before me was a person sold out for Jesus.  She took seriously God’s charge for his people to be sanctified and holy.  And, she had difficulty dealing with other believers who had a divided allegiance.  And, she was right.  We ARE called upward.  Wallowing in weakness for years is NOT good.  But, neither is a merciless ministry.

From a personal vantage, one must lie – you have to lie to others and keep them at arm’s length, and you have to lie to yourself!  That is how penitents distort into Pharisees – they lie to themselves and others.  The truth is this -- I am “like other men”!  (Lk.18:11)  I just need to admit it to myself, and others.  I am a sinner.  The first step in the 12-step process is what?!

Another time we will grapple with the balance between excellence and acceptance.  Neither Troy nor Athens was balanced.  The Stoics and Epicureans both were eccentric.  Ascetics and Antinomians need to work out their differences, for sure.  An “accountability group/partner” is not so somebody can have the dirt on others.  It is because "we are but dust". But, for now, loosen up a little bit?! Your belt and your bias. 

Show Yourself!

Sometimes I wonder why God does not make himself more obvious.  Sure, the signs are obvious and undeniable, to any honest and humble heart.  But, who has a pure heart, to see God?!   Why is He not more like the movie title, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”?!  Where is the lock that fits my key?  Some things fit, but, I have more questions than answers.

Really, why can’t God just break into our TV’s with a “sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled program, but tonight I am bringing you a special message from the real White House; …”?!!  Now, that would get our attention, right?  What if, everywhere, around the globe, at 3 p.m. local time, each time zone in turn, He appeared on all channels, in everybody’s own language?  After about the third time zone from the dateline, most people would be tuning in.  By the time it got to NYC, most people would have already listened to the BBC!  I can hear it now – “no, I’m serious; turn on your TV!  Google it and you can watch the youtubes with translations!  I’ve heard it in Japanese, Chinese, Hindi – look for the Australian video, you can understand it!!  God said …”

God could do this.  But, he chooses not to, seemingly.  As I pondered this question, driving to work one morning, eastbound, the rising Sun, nearly blinding me, forced me to lower my visor.  I wanted to stare into the brilliant orange fireball, but to do so would be hazardous.  It was beautiful, but too much for my retinas and was overloading my optical nerves.  It hurt to stare, but the beauty was overwhelming.  Like a moth to a flame I was feeling, drawn but dancing around, attracted but afraid!

So many have incredible stories of contact – trances and séances, anointings and appointings, visions and decisions, “over here” or “over there”.  Yet, I do sense you in the smile of a newborn.  I hear you in the silent glance and held hands of an old couple.  The stars can be heard praising on a clear, cool night.  Sometimes a song or even a good movie can stir my spirit to touch the ethereal.  And, when I read of the Nazarene, I muse, “yes!” 

But, when I turn to the glare and the noise, it gets extremely dark and quiet.  Like one trying to appreciate the delicate flavor of a mushroom cream after a jalapeño appetizer, I am left frustrated.  It will take a while to cleanse my palate to “taste and see that he is good”.  Like one trying to appreciate the intricacies of Bach after years of over-amped BTO, elusion leads to delusion.  A little too much AC/DC, and far too little "JC"!  We have taken the wrong exit, and we are on a "Highway to Hell"!  And like the people at Sinai, we ask not to meet.  Like the garden stumble, we fall back in fright, only to attack.

Create in me a new heart.  Give me ears to hear.  Turn and heal me.  I will listen for the whispers.  I will watch for the shadows.  Open my eyes that I may see.

Show Yourself! 

 

The Old Ones Are Dying

THE OLD ONES ARE DYING

(Vertice, Gilbert’s wife, was buried yesterday, 01/21/12)

At work, in the Lime Kiln Mud Room, waiting on my co-worker, John, I began to wander to scenes from my younger years.  “Is Gilbert alive?” was the question twisting my mind.  As I get older, I have trouble remembering who has left, and who remains.  Gilbert was the preacher who baptized me, two weeks after my 13^th birthday.  Years later, he also performed my wedding to Melanie.  In many ways he has been a mentor.  I still remember his advice to a teen boy considering ministry – “If you can do anything else, then do not preach.” (some 40 years later, I still find myself not wanting to do anything else, although I am.)

Snapping back, “is Gilbert still walking among us…”  A year ago, last October, we buried Rupert, my 83yr old dad.  At work, this month, we lost a co-worker, in his 50’s, to cancer.  At the Christmas dinner, for the paper machine crew, I skipped meeting the retirees who were invited.  Somehow, I did not want to walk over from the pulp mill.  It was not laziness.  Soon enough, I will be stepping through the doors of retirement and …

Sometime during my senior year in high school, in the football locker room, I sat alone, dealing with the relentless advance of time.  I had just made a great tackle, on the practice field, and coach rewarded me by sending me to the showers, letting me skip wind-sprint drills that ended practice.  But, I was not feeling fortunate.  Rather, I sat there, alone, in the dark, sweaty locker room ruing, even lamenting, the knowledge that I had only two games left, and then, it was over.

Gone?!  “…teach me to number my days…” (Ps.90:12) is the advice/warning that echoes in my head.  The words “…your life is but a vapor, a mist…” (Jas.4:14) take form in the haze.  To be sure, the “sting” (1Cor.15:55) is gone; it will be nearly euphoric.  Like some Valhalla seeking warrior, I welcome the final battle.  In victory, pulling him close to me, although it means grasping his sword edge, I want to spit in Death’s face as he vanquishes me.  Remember Obiwan’s esoteric answer?  “you cannot imagine…”  Then he quietly drops his defenses and allows Vadar’s light-saber rage.   

Images of three departed, yet present, warriors haunt me.  Moreso, I am reminded of the Good Shepherd’s confident boast, “…no man takes my life, but I gladly lay it down…” (Jn.10:18)

For now, I will cherish each breath, each moment, each day He gives me. I will choose to have a good attitude.  I will pray for good health and, moreso, a good heart.  Life is too short to be negative and down.  I will raise my head, in positive praise, and sing the victor’s anthem.  I will make each day count. 

Recently, I gave in to the nagging of my wife and mother, and the advice of my daughter, and went to the sleep clinic.  I now have a “snorkel” and sleep in deep-space cryostasis as we transport to the next destination. (weirdo)  My oldest son asked, “…why did you give in?”  (he knows how stubborn I am.)  With a grin, I responded, wryly,  “I want to play the last quarter full-speed.”  He smiled, knowlingly.  But, now with good REM, I can fully face the new day!

Soon enough, I will be with them.  Somehow, recently singing “Precious Memories” with the rural Tennessee church we sometimes visit, seemed to be especially bitter-sweet.  Questions of legacy and replacements nag my thoughts.  Sometimes, I question that I may be a “weak-link” in this inter-generational hand-off.  I do not want to fumble the ball!  Let’s run the race with perseverance and focus.   The grandstands are full of cheering fans, all-stars from the past. (Heb.12:1)  And, soon enough, they will run onto the field to celebrate the victory!

Christmas Gifts

CHRISTMAS GIFTS  (or, a father’s Xmas wish)

At our family Xmas party, looking around the room filled with family, I asked the youngest, “would you rather have this bowl of chocolate, or a signed, blank check?”  Of course, he reached out for the treat, oblivious to the value of the paper.  Point being, how often do we opt for the immediate over the immortal, the exciting over the eternal, the trash over the truth?

Xmas means gifts! (To all, except scrooges!) Where did this get started?  Some would point to St. Nicholas. (4^th cent. bishop who secretly gave gifts to his church flock)  Others would look deeper to the Magi. (what three gifts?)  But, the “root” of this Xmas “tree” is God himself!!

Gift-giving is a big deal in December, but, moreso it is an important theme in Holy Writ.  -- Matt.16:26  “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  And, Isa.9:6 “… to us a child is born… a son is given…”  And there is the crucial theme verse -- Jn. 3:16 “God loved us so much that he gave his own son…”

The Father gave, but make no mistake, it runs even deeper -- Jn.10:1-18 “good shepherd … no man takes my life; I lay it down freely…”  (Jesus gave his life; it was not taken from him.)  The Apostle Paul gets to the crux with his crescendo -- Rom.6:23 “… free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”  One of my touchstone passages, Eph.2:8-9 “saved by grace through faith… it is the gift of God” --  this free gift is both our faith, and our salvation!  Look around!  How few have faith in their heart.  And, how weak is the faith that flickers in too many hearts.  What a great gift is belief!

Challenge:  John writes that he has no greater joy than to hear that his children are faithful. (3Jn.4)  As Job sacrificed continually for his children, daily I pray for my children.  The gift of FAITH I would pass on. (and, so would fathers gone home from among us.)  Joshua’s challenged -- “choose ye this day…” yet, too few choose, or, even feel the need to choose, …  What will it be?  Chocolate ice cream, or the real treasure? Let this choice, for faith, be intense, as Paul challenges -- Rom.12  “give your life as a living sacrifice”  And, then pass on this precious gift of faith!  Mt.10:8 “freely you have received, freely give…”  Oh, and one more!  Acts 2 “…you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Matthew 1:18-25 (KJV)

 ¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
 ¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
 ²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
 ²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
 ²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
 ²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
 ²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
 ²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

TERMITES IN THE TEMPLE

TERMITES IN THE TEMPLE
 

Why would a man continue to smoke and drink after nearly dying?

One cigarette seems harmless enough.  One drink hurts little.

But, over a lifetime of abuse, taste is dulled and wind shortened.

The joy of life has been robbed by the polluted pleasures given.

It makes no sense that one cannot see this happening.

Then, I stop to consider the little “cigs” in my life.

What bad little habits are robbing me of the abundant life?  What “termites” are slowly, but surely, undermining and destroying the life God had planned for me?  A little here and a little there and a lifetime has been wasted.  What might have been will never be realized.

Thinks on things above …

 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1Cor.3:10-15)

sin can be so insidious, so subtle, so sneaky, so saturating, so ...

we can seemingly get away with it for years, but it is eating a hole in our hearts, in our mind, in  our soul.  it is frightening what can be going on under the surface, undetected, but destruction that is untold in its magnitude.

I have to wonder how my heart responds incorrectly to my world because of the sin that infects me.  I have to wonder how my thought processes are distorted because of sin that has crept into my life, or worse, I have invited.  One begins to rationalize, excuse, redefine, ...

It reminds me of cancer.  So many people are in the latter stages of the disease before they are even aware of the problem.

Let us regularly go the the great Physician for checkups and for the meds we so desperately need! 

Solomon was a fool?!

Solomon Was a Fool

Quick, who was the wisest man ever?  Many would answer “Solomon”, and with some good reason.  But, in another way, Solomon was a fool.  How so?  Old SS’ers surely remember the story of the two mothers, one of whom had lost her child and secretly swapped the dead infant for the other.  Solomon was confronted with the task of determining who was lying.  (This was in the pre-DNA-testing days.)  What to do?!  “Split the child in two halves and give them each a part,” was his unbelievably wise response.  The liar sneered, “sure, I will take half”  But the true mother cried for mercy and sobbed, “give the whole child to the other woman…”  You see, God had given Solomon a wise heart as he humbly requested – 1Kgs.3:12 “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.”  Solomon was the wisest in the earth – 1 Kings 4:29-30 “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.  And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.”  Indeed, Solomon’s reign was a great time for God’s people -- 1 Kings 4:25  “And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.”  The Temple of God was built under his direction.  Great sacrificial worship was offered up.  2 Chronicles 9:22 “And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.”

But, as the Apostle Paul chided the Galatian believers, “…you started out so well, but…”

Nehemiah 13:26 “Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.”  1 Kings 11 -- "But king Solomon loved many strange women … Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods ... and his wives turned away his heart. 4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 7Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 9And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded."

The source of the troubles of Solomon could too easily be blamed on women.  The real issue is faith.  These women were not believers in the one true God.  And, moreso, Solomon the Wise foolishly chose to experiment with substitutes for the fear of God.  We read in Ecclesiastes how Solomon began to experiment with pleasure, wealth, whatever he desired.  Some of his pursuits were seemingly harmless, even noble, like work and education; but they became substitutes also.  But, in the end he finally concluded, recognized and acknowledged that fearing God and obeying Him is what it is all about.

Jesus says we should learn from the life of Solomon.  Matthew 12:42 -- “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”  And, Jesus (the one greater than Solomon) has summed up life with two commandments – “love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love others as yourself”.  But, what do we love?!  For what do we hunger and thirst?  What causes us to pant like a deer?  Is it anything beside God?  Anything else is a substitute confusing our appetite like a drug or poison.  It dulls our desire for what really fulfills and nourishes.  And, then we can become an addict that has lost control and is slowly poisoning himself.  Or, we can go to the last chapter, and learn from the wisest man in the East -- Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Thoughts for further study:

“fool for Christ”

Marks of a fool?! (“fool” comments in Proverbs ) vs. “bear in my body the marks of Christ”

fool, fake, failure, faithful-fighter