Not Forever

No human person is perfect. I've known some who had a lot of perfection about them, but none of them had perfection down perfect.

And no one or thing on this earth or in this life is forever. Many people struggle with these two aspects of life here on this globe. How many times do people say, 'You can't judge me, you're not perfect.' 

That brings to my mind this story: 

"A priest and a pastor are standing by the side of a road holding up a sign that reads “The end is near! Turn around now before it’s too late!”

A passing driver yells, “You guys are nuts!” and speeds past them. From around the curve, they hear screeching tires—then a big splash.

The priest turns to the pastor and says, “Do you think we should just put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?"

Side note here, someone suggested this ending: The pastor answers, "No, I think we need another sign that says--"You're almost there, speed up...".

There are times when no matter how you try to help people, they just take offence. Do we have to be perfect to tell people what they're doing is not going to work? In day to day situations the only thing to do is stand back and let them do it their own way. Sometimes there is a second chance when it doesn't work out, but most often there isn't, and in the end it just is what it is. So, we're not perfect, and our body isn't eternal. There of course is the rub. Our spirit will continue on eternally. Our clay earthen vessels will some day wear out and return to dust—as they say 'ashes to ashes, dust to dust, "for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."Genesis 3:19 But 'You're almost there, speed up,' is a very poor choice as well.

It makes me very sad when I go to a funeral and the survivors all praise the deceased for living their lives and 'doing it their own way'. That's all well and good on this side of eternity, but the survivors can't see the spirit that has left the clay vessel. The vessel is like the shell of a katydid, a butterfly, or any creature that forms a new outward being, and it's the left behind thing. Perhaps the spirit is pleading that the survivors won't follow his/her example. Pleading that those left behind will heed God's warnings and God's Words.  

We can't do it our way, unless our way is God's way first. This is the sad fact of this life. An even sadder fact is that if all of us would do it God's way our lives would all be better. It begs the question, since God is perfect, He can judge us (and will one day), the person saying "You can't judge me, you're not perfect," isn't being quite honest are they... 

2 Corinthians 4:7  "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves;" 

 In the last few years we've had a number of prominent people who've committed suicide. With the last person's death some have come out and blasted the person for their selfish act. 

• first off, yes it is selfish. At least it's thoughtless for our loved ones who will have to deal with the aftermath
• second, not knowing why the person saw this as a solution, blasting them and calling them selfish is like trying to close the door after the cat has escaped
• third, reaching out before the person comes to that point is crucial. Let me repeat, before they reach that point
• and final, blasting a dead person for anything is fruitless, and in its own way selfish

Here is an excerpt from my upcoming book "If I Should Die". Ruth's mother had been murdered two years earlier, and the exchange goes like this:

Ruth broke the mesmerizing silence. “Thank you for the fries and shake—and for all you’ve done, Julius. We’ve been praying about this matter for a long, long time. We try to fix everything ourselves, and when we can’t then we take it to God. We should take it to Him first.” 

“What about your mother?” Seth asked. 

“Excuse me?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Shouldn’t God have done something to save her?”

“The important thing isn’t that we will die, or how we will die, the crucial thing is our spiritual condition when we die. Mom obeyed the Lord Jesus. Evil didn’t destroy her faith.” Ruth frowned, and examined her hands as they lay in her lap. “I miss my mother, but we can’t turn back time.”

“There are no magic wands in life.” Julius looked sideways at Seth. “You shouldn’t allow Satan to sidetrack your mission.” Julius glanced in the mirror at Ruth. “The question goes, ‘if God is so powerful, why do bad things happen’? We live in an uncertain world. One that Eve and Adam chose—sometimes bad things happen.”

“True. There are no guarantees, and our spiritual condition trumps everything else,” Seth said.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Dues Vult / God wills it

 I found the comment to be intriguing:
"Walsh is correct. Modern churches have done their utmost to become all things to everyone, and in their homogeneous wanderings, have lost sight of the core principals of Christianity. Values. Honor. Respect. Sacrifice. Perseverance. Decency. Tradition. To stand against evil, even in the face of death. These are the things the Bible teaches, and our Faith demands. Until we return to the foundations of our Faith, darkness will continue to run rampant in this world."

The comment was taken from an article by Matt Walsh, and was labeled Marty P and Deus Vult, lest I be accused of not giving credit where credit is due.

That observation coupled with this quote is by G.K. Chesterton:

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."

~ G.K. Chesterton

 Resonated with me as I read and hear so many in the Christian community trying to analyze why we are losing so many of our young people into the world. Hello, my brothers and sisters in Christ. If you line most of our Christian youngsters up alongside their worldly peers you honestly can't pick them out of the group. They are shuffled off to the same secular day-care centers, eventually to be shuffled into the same secular schools. They are taught the same secular (and in some cases horrid nonsense) of public schools, and we wonder at their turning away from what we perceive to be Christianity. 

At it's core Christianity is a giving up of one's self:
Matthew 16:24  "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." 

We haven't taught our children to sacrifice for Christ, in word or deed. Those in authority are afraid to teach their members on this as well. Often we hear platitudes about sacrificing, but that is as far as it goes. Look at the list in the above comment: Values. Honor. Respect. Sacrifice. Perseverance. Decency. Tradition. To stand against evil, even in the face of death.

Well, well, 'Values'. What does it mean, Values? Perhaps honor and respect could be the first of the values?

• Ephesians 6:1  "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2)  Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise)," 
• 1 Timothy 5:17  "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching."
• Romans 13:7  "Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor."

Sacrifice? I've been in this situation more times than I can list. You are at a different congregation, or in a different scenery at least. After introductions, invariably the question is asked, 'What do you do? What kind of work are you involved in? It is seldom thought that as a wife that your number one 'job', would be in the home. And if you answer, "I work at home" there is a void. Everyone knows what you do 'in the home', so what would the next question be? There is a plethora of questions  and conversations that could follow, but it is so seldom that we get that answer most of us don't know what to do with it. What does this have to do with sacrifice? Historically men have been the 'breadwinners' of the family, and families lived on what the goodman brought home. Made do with what they had. Now, of course prices are so high there is no way families can make do with less than two incomes. To live on one income would require...sacrifice. And indeed, it would be a sacrifice, I don't say that lightly. 

It would show that we value something above money. That we would rather obey and follow scriptural principles than sell our soul to the highest bidder.    

So, honor and sacrifice would be a beginning, followed by perseverance, decency, and even tradition. How important is our faith? How important are our children, and that they be taught truth? How important that they be taught to stand against evil, even in the face of death? If we can't or won't stop following the crowd, do we really expect our children to do so?

"These are the things the Bible teaches, and our Faith demands. Until we return to the foundations of our Faith, darkness will continue to run rampant in this world."

The comment  taken from the article by Matt Walsh, from Marty P (Deus Vult), is on the mark. I don't know who this person was, but unless we as Christians stop howling in anger against those who would try to tell us the truth and turn back to following the Lord, we're doomed.

Philippians 4:12  "I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound: in everything and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want. 13)  I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me."

Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

The Princess That Could Not Cry~

Books, in our upstairs at my grandparent's there were all sorts of books. I honestly don't remember learning to read--I remember looking at the pictures. Drawings of kids from the nineteen thirties accompanying poems such as:  

"I have a little doggy who used to sit and beg, 

but doggy tumbled down the stairs and broke his little leg..." 

Hopeful that this works. I'm not a computer geek, nor do I understand computers at all. So, why I cannot get the alignment setting to reset from center back to normal I have no idear. Sigh, and roll eyes here. 

Back to the story about stories. Somehow, not learning to read, just knowing how to read. My cousin Coco and I used to laugh at one book in particular with the name 'Excuse My Dust'. I don't know what it was about, and I would like now to take a closer look at it, but alas, it has gone the way of the world. There were classics, and Readers from a different school era. Most of those appeared to be from a Catholic school curriculum. An oddity, because no one except my Uncle Matt had ever been Catholic, and I'm sure they weren't his. I still have in my possession some of those dear readers. I think I should have memorized them I read them so many times. There was 'The Caliph's Wonderful Clock', 'Cinder Lad', even a 'Saint George, the Dragon Slayer'. One that has stuck in my mind was, 'The Princess Who Could Not Cry'. It was exactly that, about a princess that no matter what happened would laugh. The King and Queen did all they could think of to get her to cry, they even called in experts and offered a reward to that end. It was all to no avail. At last a 'good wife' came to them carrying a medium sized covered basket. Everyone was curious, but no one imagined this pleasant middle aged woman would meet with success. Much to their surprise within half an hour they heard sobs coming from the palace kitchen. They opened the door to find the princess in tears...peeling onions. The common  village 'good wife' had won the reward. 

You may think this pleasant story has no spiritual application, but...countless times in my life I've heard the admonition that as Christians we are supposed to be joyful--always--because we have a glorious God, a wonderful Savior, and the Holy Spirit for an intercessor. But sometimes life gives us onions, and while we may not spend our lives peeling onions, some days even the most cheeriest amongst us may have our moments of sadness, hurt, pain. The phrase 'we live in a fallen world', has a Biblical basis. Romans 8:22 "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."

The whole creation is waiting for redemption.  We are to help the downtrodden, and one thing a person who is suffering doesn't need to hear is that all they need to do is cheer up.

Matthew 26:75 "And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly." 

Peter wept bitterly over his sin and betrayal. There are times when we should weep bitterly as well. As long as we lay it before the Lord and leave it there. 

Luke 19:41 "And when he drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it,"

Jesus wept over the sins of Jerusalem, their hard unrepentant heart, and we should weep for those same things for our nation, and world.  

John 11:35 "Jesus wept."

All I know of this is that Jesus 'groaned' in His spirit. Was it his love for Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, or because of their lack of understanding, or something else? Maybe all three 

Ecclesiastes 3:1  "For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:... 4)  a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn..." 

Therefore, let us take to heart the following admonitions to help the helpless, weak, and poor amongst us. Be not high minded, we never know when it may be our turn.

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep."

James 5:13  "Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14)  Is any 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:" 

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Compassion vs. Communism

"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price...and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. (Acts 5:1-4 ASV)

This is a lesson of a man and wife who sold property and wanted to look like they had given all of the money to the Apostles.  The husband first brought the money and pretended he gave the whole amount, Peter called chastised him on his lie and Ananias falls down dead; next the wife comes in and is asked if this was the amount paid them. Yes, she said, and the same thing happens to her, because of their lie to God. Their sin was not for keeping part of the money, but for LYING to God about it. As Peter said, "While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power?" Here's a secondary lesson in here.You can fool people sometimes, but you can never fool God. 

There is a rise in our country today lifting up 'socialism' as a shining example, and over the years some have used the early church, after Pentecost, and said it was socialistic.

Acts 2:43  "And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44)  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45)  and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need. 46)  And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,"

This was a period of learning and growing in the fledgling church, but it wasn't a forever situation. The growing of the church in Jerusalem lasted until the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Act 8:2  "And devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him. 3)  But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison. 4)  They therefore that were scattered abroad, went about preaching the word."

God doesn't condone socialism. Socialism is anti-God. Government replaces God, and becomes a god.

This passage in 2 Corinthians tells how we ought to give to God. Not as of necessity, but of willingness, because God loveth a cheerful giver. We ought  to care for those less fortunate as well, but not with a gun held to our head as happens under socialism.

2Corinthians 9:5  I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your aforepromised bounty, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not of extortion. 6)  But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7)  Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

God does expect us to be compassionate on others who can't help themselves. It isn't compassion to encourage those who can work and take care of themselves and their own families to become idle and worthless.

1Timothy 5:8 "But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever."

The Apostle Paul informs the Thessalonians:

"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat. For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 ASV)

Socialism tries to make everyone equal, but the equality only extends as far as misery; everyone is equally miserable.  

Left Behind?

As I sit in my pew on a Sunday afternoon I am thankful. There are many things I'm thankful for, of course, but this particular moment I'm thankful we're a small 'country' congregation. We're family and friends here at our particular group. If we're family, we're friendly family, and if we're friends, we're friendly friends.

I digress, however, because where I am thankful for our relationships here, it is brought on as I see on the floor toward the front of the building something, perhaps a coat or a sweater that some little person has left behind in their dash to their pew (or was it to the rest room?).

As apparently is true for most women one thought leads to another. I began to muse on the idea of age, time, life, and how many things we as human beings 'leave behind'. Step by step as we grow older we leave our younger self behind. Some of those things are better left behind.  In growing older  we learn to walk, run, dress ourselves, social behaviors, and so on until eventually we learn to be an adult. As adults we leave things behind, and not all of it is childish behavior and not all should be left behind. The scripture tells us two aspects of these things. This first one is becoming a responsible adult:

• "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11 ASV)

Childish behaviors are things we ought to put away. On the flip side, there are several aspects of little children we should retain. 

• Matthew 18:2 "And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, 3)  and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4)  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." 

• Mark 10:14  "But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God. 15)  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein." 

• Luke 18:17  "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein." 

The aspect here is that children are teachable, receptive, and humble. As we become adults we often leave behind humility. Some other things we leave behind are: faith, trust, love and kindness. We lose our sense of wonder at the creations of God—the world in which we live, and the creatures that God formed and placed here. We lose the ability to ask how and why things work. Life settles in and we get set in our ways, but the saddest is when we lose our ability to dream. The ability to enjoy the small pleasures in our lives. We can't fully enjoy the larger things in our lives until we learn the lesson of enjoying the smaller things. The phrase 'carpe diem' means to seize the moment—Not to diminish the future, but to savor what we are blessed with at the moment.

It is easy to become sarcastic, to see life through cynical eyes—Eyes of doubt, distrust, and disbelief. We need to put that away. Leave that behind.

The story is told of a father checking on his young son one morning. He reached the hall just outside his son's bedroom as his son opened his eyes and sat up. The first word out of his mouth that morning was, "WOW" as he stared at the world around him. This struck a chord in the father's heart. When he retold the story he encouraged his audience to have a child's heart and a child's eyes. 

Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

Who Am I?

In Bible class we used to play the 'Who Am I' game. I had little Gingerbread men figures with questions on the back. I'd hold them up and the first question was usually the 'hard' question then there were at least two more questions. It might have started out with: "My father's name was Terah." #2 could have been, "I had two brothers, Nahor and Haran." If they still hadn't gotten it #3 could have been "God called me out of Ur of Chaldees." The beginning question was always, 'Who Am I?"

"Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." (Matthew 16:13-14 ASV)

Sometimes we hear people today talking about Jesus. They are still giving different answers. Some may say, "He was a good man." Others have said, "He was crazy, or he was a deceiver." However, there are several factors that should be examined before a conclusion is made.

Matthew 16:15: "He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am?" 

16) "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 17) "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 

18) And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  

So, those closest to Jesus confessed that he was the Christ the Son of the living God. Not only did they confess,but they lived and died for that confession. 

Jesus says in verse 18 that 'upon the rock of Peter's confession (that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God) that Jesus' church would be built (upon that confession), and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. And they haven't prevailed against the fact that he is who he said he was. 

I love how the gospel of John tells us: 

John 20:26  "And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 

27)  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 

28)  Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." 

Thomas had been a doubter, but his last statement speaks volumes.

Yet, there will be doubters until the trump of God shall sound on the last day. Life will be going on as usual. 

Ecclesiastes 8:11 "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12)  Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him: 13)  but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. 

To the doubters amongst us, remember the Apostles that walked with Jesus were convinced that Jesus was the Christ so much so they lived, preached, and died for their confession. Remember also Thomas' reaction to Jesus resurrection. My Lord and my God.

There are several things Jesus was not. 

• He was not a liar, nor deceiver.
• He was not wicked, nor a homosexual.
• He was not homeless, but a wanderer
• He was not a socialist, nor a Robin Hood

As it says in Ecclesiastes, because God doesn't strike people dead, or evil isn't punished immediately people are emboldened to mock God and Jesus. Their hearts are set to do evil, but those that believe in and fear God know there is a judgement coming. God is not wishing any to perish so he gives sinners another chance. We hear too often when people die, 'they've gone on to a better place'. They have not gone on to a better place if they are unrepentant sinners. They have not gone on to a better place if they aren't following Jesus.

Jesus is the spotless lamb of God. He was our perfect sacrifice, but without laying claim to that inheritance we won't get it. Our radio station has games with prizes, but since I don't play I'm not expecting to 'get their prize'. If you don't allow Jesus to put your name on the list you won't win the prize.    

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Shattered Dreams

"But thou didst follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience, persecutions, sufferings. What things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." (2 Timothy 3:10-14 ASV)

We've endured the last few days snow, fog, and ice, but today the sunshine is powerful. It is shining and warming the earthly inhabitants. The trees had at dawn a coat of crystal, like shimmering glass. The sun is warming this layer that is so beautiful, and it is falling to the ground off the stems and twigs. Falling to lie on the ground beneath the trees, shimmering for the moment, but soon to melt into a distant memory. 

Dreams can be like that as well. We don't know what dreams the Apostle Paul held for his life work. He was a Roman born, and a Jew. Something of an oddity. He had learned at the feet of a highly respected and learned man of the Law, Gamaliel. Saul, also known as Paul, was a respected part of the Jewish system in his early life.

• (Philippians 3:4)  "though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more:"

• (Philippians 3:5)  "circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;"

• (Philippians 3:6)  "as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless."

• (Philippians 3:7)  "Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ."

He left it all when he found that Jesus was the Way (the Truth and the Life). He gave up a good life to be  hounded by 'Judaizing teachers' in his latter years. He journeyed much, teaching all, both Jews and Gentiles. He withstood hunger, cold, betrayal disappointment...in a word he suffered persecution from Satan and human sources.   

(2 Timothy 4:16 ASV)  "At my first defense no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account. (2 Timothy 4:17)  But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might me fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion."

"All forsook me, But the Lord stood by me..."

Sometimes the good life isn't the one we hoped for. Like ice crystals melting on the ground, the life we want may be transient, fragile and  worthless. 

(Matthew 6:33 ) " But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.(Matthew 6:34 ASV)  Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Hallelujah! What a Savior!