An Uplifting New Year's Message

I found this video post from Father Longenecker to be a good way to ring in the upcoming new year.

Sad Day

A great woman died last night after services. She will be terribly missed. Life can be devastating. But God, faith in Christ, and the hope He provides will get us through.

I said the closing prayer last night. My prayer was for us to take our frustrations and strife to Jesus. In times like these, that is what we must do.

Heavenly Father,

Help us to grieve. Help us to heal. Help us to look to You for answers. Help us to remember to cherish those good things that You provide. Help us to put away the loneliness, the bitterness, the hurt that the world employs to keep us away from Your Way.

Please be with the family of this great woman as we know she is with You. Be with her friends. Be with us. We know you are the one true living God, and we thank you so much for the forgiveness and hope you gave us in Jesus.

It is in His Name we pray,

Amen.

Happiness Is Fleeting

I listened to a priest a month ago discuss the idea that happiness is transient. Being happy is not a constant thing. We go up. We go down. We struggle and strive. We fail. We get up. Eventually, we die.

He brought the lesson to how people struggle with a "calling" in life. He talked about how some (most) Catholic saints searched and wrestled with what they were supposed to do in this world. They had an internal struggle that was emotionally brutal. They battled depression. They battled the devil.

He then told us that we are called to be saints (Romans 1:7). And it is okay to struggle, but we have to keep focused on Christ and the good things he gave us. We have to become saints today, and that is the key to happiness.

Most of life and "being happy" or the ability overcome the world's emotional brutality comes down to living by faith in Christ (Romans 1:16-17). Faith is truly all we need.

Another Thing About Opportunities And Failure

I started this blog moderately depressed. I thought posting was an opportunity to help with the depression. It thought it was an opportunity to help me rise above the world and the devil's temptations.

Well, I haven't posted much. I haven't sent the link to all of the people I've wanted. I haven't kept up with any reading schedule. And I also don't feel like I am in a good place. But I will do better.

Heavenly father,

Help me be better. Help me follow You and Your truths.

Put passion in my heart. Help me use this passion for You.

It is in Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Opportunities

Last Sunday morning, I ate breakfast with my aunt, uncle, cousins, and parents. I wasn't near my home church. I wasn't near a comparable church. And I felt God was calling me to be with my family.

My uncle asked me to say a prayer. I thought he should do it since it was his house, so I hesitated, and my cousin took control and said a beautiful prayer. I spent the rest of breakfast internally debating whether or not I had made a mistake. Should I have said a prayer? Should I have went to the local church that my aunt, uncle, mom, and cousins are members? Was this morning a test from God that I was failing?

The truth is: I was and am failing. And I will continue to fail. I will miss opportunities. I will fall to the devil's temptation. But we have to remember that "the word of God is living and active" (Hebrews 4:12). We have to remember that by worshiping a living God, by studying and striving for truth, by trusting in Christ we can overcome our failure, and we can take advantage of our next opportunities and stop worrying about our past failures.

We Are All Called To Be Saints

The last few messages I have heard live have all had the following theme "We are all called to be saints."

That is probably the best most effective message there is.

Driving Home Listening To Radio Preachers

I am driving home this evening so I can get up at 5:00AM and go to the city to play around with data. So I can finish something I started. Something I started with the decent intentions. Something that has become an albatross. Something that causes me great pain.

And this preacher is on the radio, and he is preaching about how we cling to the "filth" of life instead of trusting in Christ and clinging to the peace and good things he gave us.

And the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

I realize that I cling to "that jealously, that bitterness, that ridicule." I cling to the filth while I let go of the love that makes us truly complete.

I realize that this has to be the best year of my life. I got married to woman who is so full of love that even though I deeply hurt her with my obsession with filth, she still loves me. I have a wonderful family who lets me stay with them when I have to go to the city. I have friends who talk me off cliffs and do "give a damn" about me. I have love all around me. All I have to do is accept it. All I have to do is acknowledge it.

All I have to do is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind..." (Luke 10:27).

It isn't easy. I will fail. I will have to ask for forgiveness. But it is much better than the filth.

He Will Lead

I read this post this morning. Father Longenecker reminds us what the early Christians went through to worship. They risked death. Today all we risk is time.

The beautiful part of God's promise in the New Testament is that worship is turned into a "way of life," the striving to be Christ-like (Ephesians 5). Jesus tells us to pray in secret (Matthew 6:6). The New Testament implores us to develop a personal relationship with God, implores us to follow Jesus.

Getting back to Father Longenecker's post, I have always been one who feels like "you are no good dead." Only so many can be martyrs. Organized worship is definitely important and an essential sign of true faith. But it is also essential to be a Christian outside of organized worship.

This brings me to my current dilemma. I am helping my wife recover from surgery. I am in a new town that I will eventually be a permanent resident. I have a place of worship that I want to go to, but I am not a permanent resident yet and can't make a full commitment. My wife has recovered enough to probably go to a single service, but by the end of the service, she will be ready to go. We won't have time to shake hands and talk.

My conclusion is that I have to continue to live a Christian life. I have to concentrate on being a Christian today. I have to concentrate on being a Christian for the next five minutes of my life.

Essential faith requires a trust that as long as we trust and follow Christ, He will lead.

Don't Get Discouraged

Sunday morning, the preacher told us that we can't change the world, and if we worried about changing the world, we would probably not get much done. The idea being we have provide a Christ-like example, teach the Gospel, and move forward. We have to be reassured that even when our example doesn't lead to results concerning other people's changes, when we are Christ-like, we are doing the right thing. In other words, don't get discouraged.

All of this reminds me of Psalm 27.

Repeat Of Preparation And Playing That I Actually Gave

I used to play basketball with a guy from Macedonia and a guy from Ecuador. The guy from Macedonia was the best shooter I have ever seen. I have never seen anyone make as many shots as he could--from anywhere on the court. The guy from Ecuador was 6 foot 4 and would have been a good offensive tackle or tight end if he was born in the United States. He was just an athlete, and tall.

Now one time, I think it was after exams and Christmas break, we had stopped playing for a couple of months. When we started playing again, they both said that they had gained 20 pounds and hadn’t touched a basketball. I had to tell them I was practicing a little here at church and even played with my teenaged cousins back home a few times.

The guy from Macedonia got this wry smile on his face and laughed a little, “That is not practice. I used shoot free-throws an hour every day.” The guy from Ecuador just said with typical Latin machismo, “Practice don’t make you a player.” Needless to say, they beat me pretty bad that day.

So what does this have to do with being a Christian?

First, The Macedonian’s criticism of my practice habits reinforced the importance of serious study. We have to study the Bible rigorously and not haphazardly. This thought occurred to me when we were studying Acts. I didn’t and couldn’t do well on those tests unless I read and reviewed daily. I couldn’t just come in Wednesday and Sunday and know what was going on. Like with basketball, you can’t practice Wednesday and Sundays and expect to do well. It takes much more concentrated preparation and than that.

This practice “idea” reminds me of two passages: In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul implores us to run in such a way that we may obtain “the prize.” Another translation says we must go into “strict training.” He also warns us not to “beat against the air.” It also reminds me of Ephesians 6:10-18 where Paul describes “the armor of god.” Focused preparation and study allows us build and fit a “whole armor” that protects us from the “evil day.”

But armor is not only for protection, and this brings me to my second point. Armor allows us to battle, to evangelize, and to venture to the “ends of the earth.” You can only practice so much before you have to play. My friend from Ecuador taught me that practicing and studying the Bible are not complete ends in themselves; they have to lead to a Christian acts and a Christ-like example. They have to lead to evangelism. (Acts 1:8) This message was driven home when Brother Worley said his mission at the school of Jos was “to train evangelists, not theologians.”

Evangelism was what those basketball games with my international and American friends were and are really about. They were opportunities to demonstrate a Christ-like example, opportunities to spread the Gospel of Christ. It was where I discovered that my friend attended an Iglesia de Christo, church of Christ, in Ecuador, but he had questions that we were able to study together.

Now, at this time, if we haven’t been practicing or playing up to our abilities, let us recommit ourselves. If you’re not a Christian, isn’t it time to get in the “game?” If you have any need before the church, please come forward as we sing.

Quotes From Bono

"Freedom was born on Christmas Day." And from "New Year's Day," "We can begin again."

So I am going to start from the beginning. In the next few days, I am going to come up with a reading plan for the book of Genesis. I have seen plans that get you through the entire Bible in a year. I have heard an older guy discuss reading the Old Testament one year and New Testament the other year. The big idea is to make me read on continuous basis. I will begin again.

Maturing As A Christian

I have this idea for a lesson called "Maturing, Growing, Progressing as a Christian." It is influenced by Eldredge's ideas and the last two years of my life.

The central point of the lesson would be that it takes time and effort to grow into the idealized "elder." Growing isn't easy, and there are numerous Biblical examples of the difficulties that we will face. Some of my recent posts point to this theme.

I read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 on Sunday. When I think of a "trembling" Paul, it gives me the courage to keep growing.

Afternoon Prayer

LORD, help me to remember that You are always in control, and the best I can hope to be is Your vessel. Help me to listen to You and rise above the noise of the world. Help me to remember that You are always with me during the good, the bad, and the ugly. Thank you. It is in Christ's name I pray.

Doubting Thomas

Last Sunday I read the story of Thomas (John 20:19-30). The one who had to feel to believe, the doubter who wanted additional proof.

Most of us have some Thomas in us. Most of us want something additional. We want to feel to believe.

This wanting can lead to serious study of what it really means to be Christ-like. Or it can lead to "giving up." The choice is ours. We can struggle with our doubts, or we can let our doubts overcome us. We can let our doubts prevent the action, activity, and study it takes to discover Truth, the effort it takes truly find God.

Thomas saw and believed but "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." We will never see what Thomas saw. But Lord, help us to do what it takes to "Stop doubting and believe" and to exclaim to You "My Lord and my God!"

At His Word

I read the following from a little book called A Thought A Day that my wife gave me: "…I guess faith to me means simply taking God at [H]is Word."

There is nothing I struggle with more than taking someone at his word. I want to know for certain. I want to make sure.

Curiosity can be a positive trait. It leads to scientific discoveries. It leads to progression.

But at the end of the day, we have to trust God and what he has given us and not our "own understanding" (Proverbs 3: 5-8).

The Sower Revisited

Last night, the preacher explained that the sower was God, and the soils were us. We have to make our hearts receptive to the Word. He commented that the only variable in receiving Christ is our own hearts. The seed is always perfect, and "God does not show favoritism" (Acts 10:34).

It is up to us to clear the thorns and rocks out of our heart. It is up to us to prevent "the evil one" from snatching Christ from our hearts. It is up to us.

Health Care

I have a lot of thoughts about health care. Most concern economics. But here is a one Christian prospective:

"Any system is only as good as the people in it. Britain's socialized National Health Service would be a dream if the people in it were honest, hard working, compassionate and self sacrificial. Likewise, the American private health care and insurance industries would work like a dream if the people within them were honest, hard working, compassionate and self sacrificial. Both systems are just systems. Both (as systems) have strengths and weaknesses. Both would work well if the people within them worked well.

...

Systems are only made better when people are made better and people can only be made better by something called Grace, and grace can only be discovered through contact with the source of Grace, and that is why the Christian faith is not just an option, but a necessity."

The Parable Of The Sower

About a month ago, I attended the start of a series of lessons on Jesus' parables (Matthew 13:1-23) (Mark 4:1-20) (Luke 8:1-15). The preacher took us in the direction that we had to "spread seeds." Christians must broadcast the Word and the Gospel of Christ throughout their individual worlds. Every person one meets is an opportunity to further the Kingdom of God. He also talked about watering the seeds through encouragement and the nourishing example of Christian living.

A gentleman questioned him though by pointing out that a sower shouldn't intentionally broadcast seeds where they have no chance of growing. In other words, some people aren't receptive to Christ, and it is a waste of effort to spend but so much time on them. Yes, we have been commissioned (Matthew 28:16-20), but it seems foolish to plant seeds on rocks. I haven't spent the time to thoroughly study the issue, but I thought it was worth studying more thoroughly.

My off the cuff response is that personal evangelism is personal, and we have to pray and let the Holy Spirit guide us. I guess it comes back to trusting in our Father to lead and recognizing that we are just His followers.

What We Know, And What We Don’t Know

Some events are unexplainable. Bad things happen. Good things happen. And it is hard to find plausible reasons. I've been around a university enough to know that some people will try to explain any and every thing.

But explaining some things is just empty. There are times when you have to remember 1 Corinthians 2:11. "God's thoughts are not our thoughts."

There is evil in this world. There is also goodness. God knows all, and if we love Him with all of our hearts, everything will be alright in eternity.

Let It Be

People disappoint. They will always disappoint. It is human nature. It is the fall. Your parents, your friends, and yourself will let you down many times in life. We can certainly learn from people, but no one can fully trust another human being.

This leads me to Matthew 5:38-40. I've never fully appreciated Jesus' advice. What does "turning the other cheek" really mean? Do I allow myself be beaten?

But isn't Jesus telling us that we will be slapped by people? That the world will try to knock us down, but if we want to remain true to Him, we must keep our head held high, present the other cheek with a sense of dignity, and let the world be?

People disappoint. So trust in Him, and let it be.

Inaction Is Just A “Foolish Controversy”

One of my favorite verses is Titus 3:9. Most of my time seems to be spent in some "foolish controversy," some difference of opinions, some external or internal struggle that causes anxiety. I do avoid many "foolish controversies" with other people, and I think most people do the same. The problems come when the "controversy" involves an action that I am thinking about taking. Most of these actions are inconsequential. The controversy surrounding them is fictitious and completely made up by me with help from the world I have chosen to inhabit. But I drown in a quagmire of inaction, arguing with myself, and do nothing until I am forced.

But we are told to avoid these "controversies," these "arguments and quarrels about the law." We are told to move away, run to higher ground, to rise above the world. We must remember that we are saved by His grace. We are saved by the renewal of the Holy Spirit that only Jesus can bring. (Titus 3:3-8) Being saved means we are expected to move past controversy and follow Christ.

We are not told to avoid all conflict. We must "stand for something, or we will fall for anything." But we cannot get caught up in foolishness, or we'll spend our lives fighting with ourselves instead of fighting for God.

Morning Prayer

Heavenly father,

Help me take life one day at a time.
Help me focus on the things that You want me to do today.

Help me get past myself and follow your Son.

It is in His name that I pray.

We’re Supposed To Go The Extra Mile Even When We’re The Only One Running

I've been reflecting on Deuteronomy 22:1-4 for the last few days. I wanted to use it for Sunday morning's reading but thought that the modern symbolism in "ox, sheep, and donkeys" might not come across in a reading.

At first, the challenge to help others, to help them even to the detriment of ourselves struck me as burdensome. But I have never felt that burdened when I have helped someone. (At least, the burden usually subsides pretty quickly.) In fact, there is nothing more invigorating and lifting than doing something nice for someone else, especially someone you genuinely care about.

The problem, at least for me, is not the helping, but the "ignoring." We all ignore some problems of others. We cannot "save the world." We have to keep our eyes open for problems and issues that we can help solve, but we have a tendency to do this anyway. Most families, both church and home families, keep an eye out for those in need and will help any member who asks. But my problem is I don't ask. I ignore my own problems. I am the brother whose "donkey has fallen on the road" and am shooing brothers away who are willing and want to help. And when I do this, I am shooing away Jesus.

Brothers can and do help, but only with His grace, can I get my ass off the road.

My Reading From My Sister’s Wedding

Since I have so much more experience than them, J____ and J____ have asked me to give some marital advice from the Bible:

I am an economist, so I start with Ecclesiastes 4:9

 ⁹ Two are better than one, 
       because they have a good return for their work:

And paraphrasing Titus 3:9

⁹… avoid foolish controversies …and arguments…, because these are unprofitable and useless.

And from 1 Peter:

 ⁸…live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. ⁹Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

Also from 1 Peter:

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.'

And from James:

 ¹⁹…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. .

And the Golden Rule From Luke 6:31:

³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Now for the "love" reading from 1 John:

¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

And finally the greatest commandment from Luke 10:27 and the ultimate reason why we come together today:

 ²⁷…: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'^[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor (which includes your spouse) as yourself.'^[d]"

Past, Present, And Future

The Saturday before last, my wife took me to a Braves game for my birthday. She knows nothing about baseball except that Atlanta is close to Clemson, the Braves play in Atlanta, and Atlanta has good shopping and the CNN center. It was a beautiful night, not too hot, not too cold and we had decent seats. And I immediately started to complain that we had paid too much for parking, hot dogs, a "collector's cup" of soda, and about how I should be writing my dissertation, and about the "job market." As Dennis talked about Sunday morning, I was murmuring.

She rightfully got a little upset and said, "Can't you just enjoy the moment? Can't you see how lucky you really are?" Fortunately for our domestic tranquility, I shut up, started to appreciate the wonderful night, the beautiful game, and even though the Braves were shut out I was happy. I even calmly answered all of her questions.

This got me to thinking about something that C.S. Lewis discusses in The Screwtape Letters. I am paraphrasing (and I couldn't find my copy to verify), but he talks about how the devil wants people to live in the future and the past, anywhere but in the present. This is not to say that we can't plan for the future or learn from the past, but Satan wants us to concentrate and focus on anything but the present and the opportunities we have right in front of us.

The devil wants us to always be looking to the future for something better, something different, some thing that feels better. This obsession with the future is an underlying premise behind evolution, communism, fascism, premillennialism, procrastination…. (What is the ultimate end of evolution?) The devil wants us to dream about tomorrow, wants us to dream about some unknown, wants us to be worrying about finishing dissertations instead of enjoying the baseball game right in front of us. The devil wants us to take our sights off God and righteousness in favor of some future promise, some future Messiah. This "longing for something different" and the destruction it brings is a central theme of the Old and New Testaments. For example, Paul discusses this in Thessalonians with in his warnings against idleness.

In similar ways, the devil wants us to live in the past. Because much of the past is sin or as one songwriter put it "that jealously, that bitterness, that ridicule." It is our old self. It is historical precedent. It is also an underlying premise of evolution and communism. (What is the "missing" link?) The past is my complaining, and my worry about how much I spent on parking and hot dogs and things I should have done for my dissertation. It is the lack of forgiveness that we some times cling to, and the vengefulness that it can bring out of us. It is those things that we must repent of. (In economics, we call these sunk costs.)

But Christ died for our sins, for our past, and He gave us the greatest hope in heaven. A hope that once we walk with Him that nullifies any worry about the future. A Christian's future is heaven and Christ lived and died, so we could be forgiven of our past and so we could have a true and un-worrisome hope for the future. He died, so we could live.

Walking with Christ gives you the peace of the present, the joy of being able to live in and for the moment. If you haven't given your life to Christ, if you have any need, please come forward as we sing.

Preparation And Playing

I used to play basketball with a guy from Macedonia and a guy from Ecuador. The guy from Macedonia was the best shooter I have ever seen. I have never seen anyone make as many shots as he could--from anywhere on the court. The guy from Ecuador was 6 foot 4 and would have been a good offensive tackle if he was born in the United States. He was just a good and tall athlete.

Now one time, I think it was after exams and Christmas break, we had stopped playing for a few weeks. When we started playing again, they both said that they had gained 20 pounds and hadn't touched a basketball. I had to tell them I was practicing a little here at church and even played with my teenaged cousins back home a few times.

The guy from Macedonia got this wry smile on his face and laughed a little, "That is not practice. I used practice just shooting free-throws an hour every day." The guy from Ecuador just said with typical Latin machismo, "Practice don't make you a player." Needless to say, they beat me pretty bad that day.

So what does this have to do with being a Christian? First, we have to study the Bible rigorously and not haphazardly. This thought occurred to me when we were studying Acts. I didn't and couldn't do well on those tests unless I read and reviewed daily. I couldn't just come in Wednesday and Sunday and know what was going on. Like with basketball, you can't practice Wednesday and Sundays and expect to do well. It takes much more concentrated preparation than that.

This reminds me of Ephesians 6:10-18 where Paul describes "the armor of god." Focused preparation and study allows us build and fit a "whole armor" that protects. But armor not only allows for protection. It also allows us to fight, to evangelize, and to venture out to the ends of the world. You can only practice so much before you have to play. My friend from Ecuador was right in the sense that practicing and studying are not complete ends in themselves; they have to lead to a Christian acts and a Christ-like example. They have to lead to evangelism. (Acts 1:8) This was driven home when Brother Worley said his mission at the school of Jos was "to train evangelists, not theologians." And it was what those basketball games with my international friends were really about.

Now at this time, if we haven't been practicing or playing up to our abilities, let us recommit ourselves. If you're not a Christian, isn't it time to get in the "game" and be baptized? If you have any need before the church, please come forward as we sing.

The Individual Nature Of The Invitation

Last night, I decided I was going to talk about basketball, but this morning I woke up to Madonna and Justin Timberlake's refrain of "4 minutes to save the world" on the radio. It certainly isn't my favorite song, but I thought it raised an interesting question: What would I say if I had four minutes to save the world? This has to be a much better topic than basketball.

As I got to thinking about it, my first thought was this was a tough question. Four minutes just isn't enough. I concluded that if I had four minutes I would probably waste it away worrying about what to say.

Then as I was walking into my office, I got to thinking about the academic world I have lived in for the last few years. All I could think about was Paul in Athens in Acts 17:16-37: so many ideas, so many "devout" or "religious" people worshiping idols "unknown (and false) gods," young un-calloused people searching for something but having very little understanding. So I decided I would probably use my four minutes to read them Paul's words from Acts 17:22-31.

Then I was reading some commentary that reminded me of Friedrich Hayek. One of Hayek's main ideas is that we have to be careful when we use aggregate words like "economy" or "world." The economy and world is really complex system of individuals. No President can fix the economy. The fixes will always help some individuals and hurt some individuals and leave most individuals the same. A national unemployment rate is not as meaningful to me compared to whether my family and neighbors and myself are employed. His idea is that some times individuals use "we," or "us," or "them," and or "they" to avoid the consequences of our own action or inaction. Talking about "the economy" makes us forget that the important and only thing is for us as individuals to go to work and do the very best we can each day. Doing the best I can is the most important thing I can do for the "economy" or the "world."

That is when I realized I was missing the point of the invitation. In a mixed-up sort of way I was committing the same error Adam and Eve did in the garden in Genesis 2:12-14 when they blamed others for their own sin. The invitation is not about "4 minutes to save the world" or a modern university or ancient Athens. It is about our personal, our individual relationship and commitment to God through Jesus Christ. It is about you and me as individuals taking a moment to ask "How am I doing." As Christians we have to thank God for the blessings he has given us and ask for forgiveness for our individual sins. This is a time for us as individuals to recommit ourselves to walk "upright" with the Lord. If you are not a Christian, you are in the right place. You have taken the step towards hearing God's Word. If you are prepared for the commitment that baptism begins, you have the opportunity tonight. If you have any need before the Church, you are invited to come forward as we sing.

You Can’t Game God

I was going to introduce this blog with "I've been feeling moderately depressed." But instead I am going to jump into the story.

I am walking around the Duck Pond asking God questions and praying for guidance. He comes back with "You can't game God [Me]." I ask Him what he means. He leads me to this idea of a Christian blog that I've had for a while. He tells me: "You need to get stuff out of you. Like your personal blog, you need a public outlet for thoughts. You need some feedback. You have many passions. You have many doubts. You have many issues. But you can't game Me by feeling depressed. Depression starts with feeling sorry for yourself. You have so many things to be thankful for. Things I gave you. Depression leads to idleness. God, Christ, the Holy Spirit leads to action. You must act. You can't game Me. You are better than this."

So here it is. My vision is a little murky now, but I hope to post some older presented and not presented Wednesday night devotionals and hopefully some shorter daily reflections.