Thinking Like Kings and Queens-Are You Content With Just the Cross

As the years have passed all my excuses seem to have boiled down to answering just one question; am I content at the cross, or to ask it in a more embarrassing way, am I content with just the cross?  Do I need more than just Christ’s death on the cross to feel good about myself and to believe I can successfully tackle the drudgery of each day?  Do I need more in my life than just the assurance Christ loves me, to be able to deal calmly with people who anger and disappoint me?  Can I struggle with circumstances beyond my control, without losing my self-control, just by remembering what Christ did for me on a dusty hill outside Jerusalem?  Do I have the courage to make bold, urgent decisions without enough information just because Christ paid the price?  When the floodwaters overwhelm will just reminding myself God is all I need keep me afloat, or will I instead depend on bottles or pills to summon the courage to carry on day after day?   Finally, will just the comfort of his presence be enough to distract me from this all too real world, or will I instead turn to magazines, the internet, or the latest fad in self-help psychology?  

Are you content with just the cross?

My Opinion of HIS Opinion

Have you ever asked yourself, what is my opinion of God's opinion of me? Look close at the question. It isn't, what is God's opinion of me, it's what is MY opinion of God's opinion of me? Asking it that way puts a whole new light on the issue because I know God loves me, I am supposed to say that. But do I have the same opinion about myself that God does? Think about that for a moment because it can radically change your life. Genesis 1:26 says God put us in charge over the earth and John 3:16 says he loved us enough to give up his son. So God must trust us a whole lot to put is in charge and he must have the highest respect and love for us as can be, after all, he is God! Wow! What a great God we serve. Here's to living with a little more confidence today.   

How Did Paul Do What He Did?-Part 5

How to Change the World in Three Easy Steps-Or Something Like That

Christians face perhaps the most frustrating task known to humankind.  Change the world. (…go and make disciples of all nations…Matthew 28:18)  But many have “changed” the world.  Alexander, Galileo, Guttenberg, Columbus, Franklin, Newton, Marx, Lincoln, Einstein, Gates, to name just a few, all fundamentally altered how we live. So what makes the Christian task so compelling?  It is compelling because of how we are to accomplish it. We are to change the world with no military might to bend people to our way of thinking, no great scientific breakthroughs to wow impress the masses with, no fancy new political ideas or super leaps in technology to wow with. In fact, our only tool if you want to call it that is our mouths. (Go into the world and preach the good news to all creation… Mark 16:15)                                  

Not only that, but on the surface, our strategy does not look too promising either. We must boldly declare to the world an idea that we know it mostly rejects, which is: Christ is the only way to God. (No one comes to the father accept through me. John 14:6)  And we are to do so without compromise as we call this mostly hostile environment home.  In other words, in a rigid, insistent world, we are not to give an inch on the person and purpose of Christ.  Yet we are still to live life so affirmatively, so alluringly, that people will chose to listen to what we have to say about Christ. It seems an almost impossible task.  

Is it any wonder then that, in our oh-so politically charged and correct world, many perhaps most, Christians hesitate to share their faith?  Courageous, indeed, are those who step proudly forth for Christ.  Yet, it takes more than audacity to speak unflinchingly of Christ and persuade of Him at the same time. Using one sentence to both convict of sin and heal that sin in the same moment requires more than just daring. It requires two common C words, but in supernatural abundance, both of which Paul had-confidence and contentment. We will need them in like supply as well to accomplish our task.

So let’s talk first about confidence for awhile. What is it? Well, it’s easy enough to define. Just open the American Heritage Desk Dictionary and one learns that it is, “A feeling of assurance, especially of self-assurance…a firm belief in one’s own power…being sure of oneself.” But we know this. It is nothing new. We have all experienced the oomph and exhilaration of confidence… lost it… found it again, and have even helped other people experience it as well. So we know what it is and how it feels because it is tied to our emotions. And generally our feelings of confidence rise and fall according to what is happening around us at the moment. Therefore, such things as our jobs, if we have one, how much money we make and can we pay the bills, how good the kids are doing in school, did the car start this morning, the state of our marriage and other relationships, our health, whether the Dallas Cowboys win or lose and so forth, all impact our self-confidence.  And I think if asked most of us would say that we are, through it all, confident people. We handle the up’s and downs of life okay, and when struggles confront us we, for the most part, deal with them successfully and come out the other side in good shape.

But in all honesty I think if we measured our self-confidence by the effect we are having on our world for Christ (that is by the number of souls who will follow each of us into Paradise) most of us would be embarrassed. Why is that?  Again, it goes back to our task of confronting a hostile world with the person of Jesus Christ and convincing that world to relinquish its hostility. Let’s be honest, we are intimidated.  So we need to ask, where did Paul’s supernatural confidence come from?  The easy answer is that it comes from God, so this may seem an obvious and perhaps trite question to some.  But I suggest if it were so obvious and easy to answer then there would be significantly less strife, anger and bloodshed in our world today. We would all be leading lost souls to the Lord on a regular basis and churches worldwide would be bursting at the seams.  But those things do not seem apparent, at least not to me.  Yes, it comes from God, but we need to know how He plants it inside us and then where does the water come from that causes it to grow? 

It’s like knowing there is a jack in the trunk of your car, but never learning how to use it.  Its nice to know it’s there, but if you can’t put it to work it will be useless to you when that rusty nail pierces the left rear tire.  But, if you take the time to pull that jack out of the trunk and practice with it, before that nail does its damage, then you will be prepared to take advantage of all the jack has to offer when you need it.  So it is with confidence, if all we know is that it comes from God, but we have not studied how it works and why, then when we need it most, we will be ill prepared to make use of it in our lives.

Getting long here, so more later. 

When Nothing Else Works Try. . .

There is much noise in the world. Politics, religion, wars, terrorists, oil, revolutions and more.  Everyone has answers, but nothing changes. FRUSTRATING. It's going to take a technique our Founding Fathers used to make genuine headway. Theirs was an imp...ossible task, form a new nation out of chaos. Over and over they called on Divine Providence. The Declaration of Independence references "Natures's God," "their Creator," "the Supreme Judge of the World," and "the protection of Divine Providence." And it wasn't a big deal to them. Calling on God was just what they did, what they knew to do. We need to do the same. We just need to be who and what we are-a people of prayer and power. Christians have been distracted from using their most powerful tool in recent decades. It may sound trite, but it works. America's Founding Fathers proved it. A nation of prayors (not prayers) is the most powerful tool for change. So, I'm challenging all my Friends everywhere to everyday be like America's Founding Fathers and call on Divine Providence. God hears and change is sure to follow.  

How Did Paul Do What He Did? Part 4

So we considered in earlier blogs that Paul’s strategy for revolutionizing the Roman world did not involve the military, political parties, the latest in technology or launching mega ad campaigns. His strategy centered on training new believers how to rethink who they were and what they were capable of accomplishing by tapping into the real and absolute power of their salvation. The mind was a common theme running throughout his letters. He repeatedly speaks of our minds and the part they play in learning to have confidence in who we are in Christ. No less than 39 times he writes of things such as being of one mind, having the mind of Christ, humbleness of mind and having a sound mind. In Romans 12:2, he exhorts us to,

“…not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your MIND.” (emphasis mine, NIV)

We have arrived at the heart of what I am trying to say in these blogs, so please stay with me at this point. Here lies the key to Paul’s success. This is how he did what he did. By renewing his mind in Christ, Paul grew to understand and believe all the following. First, God has all power and no one can stop what He chooses to accomplish. Second, God has a desire and a plan to achieve it. Third, that desire is that everyone should hear the name of Jesus and have an opportunity to accept Him as their Lord and Savior, thereby changing cultures, societies and nations. Fourth, His plan is to use us, you, to talk Jesus up in our various cultures, nations and societies, just as Paul did. Fifth, anyone who joins with God in this plan, just as Paul did, automatically taps the power of God. Finally, and most importantly, because God’s plan cannot be thwarted those who join Him are guaranteed success in changing their culture for Christ, just as Paul was.

Which century or decade makes no difference; success is certain. What country and which culture makes no difference; success is certain. No matter how depraved a society, success is certain. No matter what political system is in vogue, whether nationalism, capitalism, socialism, communism or some other “ism”, success is certain. In other words, failure is simply not possible to achieve in God’s plan. If a person, a group or a nation chooses to join God in the simplest of ideas (talk about Jesus); they will succeed in changing their society and culture.

We are the only variable that matters. The only real question to ask yourself is, will you be a part of God's plan or not? You do not have to be. God will find someone to replace you if you decline the invite. Therefore, how confident are we in our salvation and the power it holds? Do we really believe all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us? Do we really believe that, or is it just a feel-good fairy tale we pull out when things go wrong? If we, you, do believe, then there is no question about it. America (any nation for that matter) can still today, experience the full and awesome revolutionizing power of the Gospel simply because the faithful stop complaining about what has been lost, give up longing for the past, and start gossiping about Jesus with everyone we know, everywhere we go.   Only then will America “go back" to what it used to be.  That is what Paul knew and believed and that is how he did what he did. 

I am already starting to hear the groans and the “it’s easier said than done's.” That’s okay. Those groans and chuckles come from minds still awaiting training and renewal in Christ-minds that still lack the confidence to see the possible. For only the confidence gained by the renewing of our minds can overcome the inner doubt we can do it, silence the, it is too difficult objections, and calm the reluctance to move forward caused by timidity and fear of rejection.

So we need to talk about that confidence, where it comes from and how it should look in our lives.  We also need to discuss what it means to gossip about Jesus. For now all I will say is that it does not mean being obnoxious.  More later.   

A Big Thank You.

To all my Facebook friends and readers. I just want to take a moment here to say thanks for your friendships and all your views and reads. I truly enjoy writing and each of your clicks is more encouragement than you may ever know. Please also feel free to comment. In Christ, D.M.C.

Don't Give Up-Part 3 How Did Paul Do What He Did?

With all the dysfunction, corruption, endless bloviating, and petty whining going on these days across this great land of ours I think the number one question on everyone’s mind is can America ever be the country we want it to be? Can America really change? Can we reverse the loose morals of our times? We ask, are we doomed to spiral ever downward as a nation into an abyss of total moral depravity? We nostalgically want to know, will we as a people ever again see the magnificence of self-reliance as opposed to the unimaginative dullness of relying on government? We sense inside that it is the right way to live so we wonder can we stop blaming our problems on everyone else and see the grandeur of accepting responsibility for ourselves.  Can each America find the courage and strength to shed the heavy cloak of victimhood we have learned to wear so well in the past few decades? Will we once again stand proud in the liberty and splendor of rugged individualism? Can we regain the brilliance of knowing that failure is the most important part of success? Are we to regain the wondrous vision that even the lowliest of hard, honest work lifts the soul high then, grasp the nobility of charity not being a lifestyle?

But most of all, I think Americans are just plain tired. They are tired of being shamed out of their pride of country by those who would exact acceptance of all viewpoints accept the traditional American viewpoint. They are tired of being intimidated out of speaking up for right and against wrong by narrow-minded cries of intolerance from those who understand tolerance the least. And right now, we are tired of being spent into poverty as a nation through the biggest Ponzi scheme ever foisted on a people.  All that said what do we do about it?

As I mentioned in Part 2, complaining about our problems is also plentiful in America but does not constitute involvement or lead to solutions.  It is an easy, poor substitute and gives the false impression of caring and doing something about the problems we face as a nation. Therefore, gripe sessions are not going to work. And I keep talking about how the Apostle Paul, without firing a single shot, set the stage for the downfall of the pagan Roman Empire and keep asking how he did that? The real question here is of course, how can we use his 1^st Century model to change our 21^st Century America?  A tall order to be sure, but we can do it.

So what was his model? We already know it was not military. Neither was it political, scientific, or based on the legal system, social programs or technology. He brought down the Romans simply by knowing who he was in Christ and having the confidence to keep going no matter what dangers and turmoil he faced. Only supreme confidence in himself because he first had supreme confidence in his Commanding General, gave him the moxie to stand up over and over again to keep preaching Jesus in a hostile, deadly, pagan culture. He did it by transferring that confidence to new Christians from Jerusalem to Rome and perhaps Spain, building churches everywhere he traveled and training up his own replacements before he died a martyr’s death.

Yes, he built his strategy for changing a culture and continent by tapping the power that dwells in knowing who we are in Christ. And if he can do it, so can we.     More later.    

Take a Chance on Love

Remember falling in love: the awe, the excitement, the tension, the confusion, that need to see them, hear their voice, be near them. Remember when you first woke up in the morning how ordinary the world was, until the magic of the instant they crossed your mind for the first time that day brightened everything and transformed your world into a place where anything was possible.  Remember how regardless of whatever else you had to get done during the day, you found a way to be together, even if it was for just a moment. Where does all that come from?  Its comes from God! He created us to fall head over heels in love with us. He has been in love with us like that since the beginning of time. Excited about us, confused by us for sure at times, wanting to hear from us, spend time with us. And in His world everything is possible, because we can do all things through Christ. Fall in love with God all over again. He won't grow tired of you, he will always listen to you, have time for you, and every time you walk out in a huff, he will hang around, waiting for you to come back. And when you do he will greet you with open arms. So give it a try.  Fall in love again!

When Someday is Today-Part 5

It came to my attention this day that I did not followup with the results of my surgery for possible cancer back in June. I closed out Part 4 on a very positive note about the power of prayer and fellowship had the surgery on June 3, which went very well and just moved on.  My apologies to those who may still be wondering, but I am cancer free. In fact surgery went very well. I was a little sore but up and about the next day.  Thanks again for all the prayers.  

Commitments and the What If's of Life

What if God had chosen to not send His Son to die for us a little over 2000 years ago?  What if He chose to wait until August 1, 2011 to send the Savior?  What if we did not have the Bible to teach us about God?  What if the names Jesus and Christ were not yet one?  What if the Church did not exist? How would your life be different? All of those things are possible because God could easily have had a different timetable for history. 

Now, take this scenario a step further and make it deeply personal, painfully intimate and by all we know impossible.  What if your teenage daughter came to you tomorrow morning and said an angel came to her in the night and told her that God had made her pregnant.  What would you say?  And when she topped that fanciful tale by saying her child was God Himself, what would you do?

We do not have much information about Joseph, Jesus' adoptive father, but we do know quite a bit about what kind of man he was from the story of how he dealt with his virgin wife being pregnant.  Under Jewish law, he had the right to stone her. But he chose not to. For a time he thought he would quietly divorce her, but he did not.  What did he do?  He followed through with his commitment and married her.

Easy 21^st Century morality probably makes it impossible for us to understand really how hard that was for Joseph.  The shame of Mary’s apparent situation was deep and bitter. The patriarchal pressure of the day demanded he redeem his honor and Mary’s future was in serious doubt. I think how he stood up to the pressure and married his young betrothed is lesson for us in what it takes to be a man or woman of God.

First, commitment was ingrained in him, promises were integral to his self-image and his word was his bond. In his mind, he was what he said. And shame was sure to follow if he did not live up to it.

Second, he was in tune with God.  I strongly doubt God would have chosen to pair the righteous, humble mother of His son with an unrighteous, ungodly man. So Joseph was in tune with God before he faced the challenge of Mary’s pregnancy.  So when God came to him in the dream he was prepared to follow without question.

He was a righteous and humble man of God who was willing to listen to that “still small voice.” 

I pray that I, we, you, are in tune with God and have the commitment Joseph had to follow through.  We so easily make promises today, only to break them due to emergencies, busy schedules, and changing circumstances.  There is much for us to learn about life, ourselves and God, simply by following through.  We short circuit so many teaching moments when we bail on commitments.  And with God as our teacher, who knows what might have been, had we just kept that promise.   

Joseph’s life was surely blessed by God because he had the humility to listen and the fortitude to keep his promises and follow through.  May your life be as blessed.

 

Don't Give Up-Part 2

Let’s Have a Fight

I think it is safe to say that through the centuries religion, more than anything else, has stirred the greatest passions, caused the most fights, inspired the grandest visions, launched the fiercest wars, and resulted in the most deaths.  Why?  First, I believe it is because religion has always and will always define every person who has ever lived and will live.  It is inescapable.  For, even if one defines themselves as non-religious, or even as an atheist, religion, through their active ongoing un-religion, is the central, defining theme of their lives.

Second, whoever/whatever we are as individuals, originated in our views of God and what we believe does or does not lie beyond.  If we believe there is a great “Something” out there to which we are responsible, our lives will follow quite a different path and have a much different flavor, if you will, than someone who believes there is nothing          “out there” to which we are beholden.  Which leads to the third reason religion can be so volatile. 

It is personal.  It is who we are.  It is how we define the very core of our soul and the purpose of our being.  This makes it very difficult, if not impossible in most cases, to approach differing views on religion openly without making someone feel as if their personal integrity and self-worth are under heavy attack.

The final reason religion is so cantankerous is that it lives deep in the heart and is, therefore, able to transcend time, race, culture and geography.  Safe in its sanctuary, religion cannot be rooted out and dispatched with, as so many have vainly attempted through the millennia.  It simply never goes away.  Therefore, it is destined to forever irritate and offend somebody, somewhere.

So, we fight, we scream, we argue, we shoot, we bomb, we kill.

We have learned since 9/11 that political correctness does not help; neither do tanks, money, food, medicine or compromise. Religion is just too old, too deep and too personal for surface remedies to be effective. The only way to bridge the religion gap and stop the fighting is by first admitting all the above. That is not to say we can stop all the fighting and end all wars.

But we can, as Christians, take personal responsibility for better acquitting ourselves and our faith in the eyes of the world. We know that Christianity has never failed anyone. Yet, we also know that we each fail Christianity every day. Jerusalem and the Holy Land have always been dear to the hearts of Christians. But the life of the Apostle Paul should have been the model for the Crusades of the Middle Ages, as noble as they were intended to be. For without raising an army, throwing a single spear, firing one arrow, or thrusting any swords, his patient battle plan of one heart after another, revolutionized a culture and a continent bringing down the mightiest empire the world had ever seen at that time.

God does not need our fearsomeness to achieve His goals.  He requests only that we are faithful in telling those we know and who cross our paths about His Son. That is all Paul did.  Think about that too long and the awesomeness of it can be overwhelming. So that raises the obvious question, “How did Paul do what he did?”  I am so glad you asked.  

More later. 

Don't Give Up! There Is A Way!

Its easy to complain about what is, about what is not, about them, about what we don't like, about this, about that and about the other.  The problem with complaining, however, is we have fooled ourselves into believing that complaining is the same thing as being involved, the same thing as being constructive, the same thing as solving a problem, the same thing as doing something about it, whatever "it" is.  That is why, despite all our complaining, little really changes in our own lives, our schools, local politics, state government and Washington DC.  Real change requires real involvement by committed people,  thinking big on a small scale by addressing a problem over an extended period of time until the desired results are achieved.  

For the Christian the prime example of this principle in action is the early first century church and specifically the Apostle Paul. The first church in Jerusalem was a rag-tag collection of fisherman, tax collectors and other unimpressive Hebrews and Gentiles. Yet within fifty years of Christ's crucifixion  the church was so wide spread throughout the Roman Empire that Nero feared it enough to feed the faithful to Colosseum lions and burn Rome to the ground as a pretext to justify his persecution. The main architect of this dramatic and almost immediate change was of course Paul.  So lets briefly examine how he accomplished the task, how he made real, lasting change happen within a religious and political atmosphere that was fully devoted to not just defeating, but totally destroying his agenda.  I think you will be amazed at how simple yet effective his plan was.

First of all Paul was prepared before he began. We know from his letters that his preparation began in being trained to be a Pharisee of Pharisees (Philippians 3:5). He knew the Old Testament by heart even before he was blinded by Christ on the Road to Damascus. So although spiritually dead before his conversion, the thoughts, ways and patterns of God were permanently tattooed on Paul's heart waiting for him to rely on when the time was right. We also know from his letters that he spent perhaps the next fourteen years (II Corinthians 12:2) personally studying with the risen Lord Himself for the task that lay ahead of him.  So the first step to making real, effective change of any kind take place is preparation for the work ahead.

Second, Paul knew there was strength in numbers.  He did not see himself as a lone wolf.  As his ministry grew, each step of the way Paul was humble and sought the prayer and financial support of the Church in Jerusalem and Antioch.  And he also took partners such as Barnabas, Mark, Luke, Timothy, and others on each of his missionary journeys.  So the second step to realizing change is developing a sincere humility about oneself.  Its not about me, its about the change.    

     

Third, Paul planned big by working small. His overall goal was to have the Gospel of Christ preached to the entire Roman world.  He even called himself the Apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13).  But how did he go about doing that?  One soul, one church at a time. He had no advance teams going before him preparing the way.  He didn't have press agents or place adds on TV and the Internet, prepared no Power Point presentations, asked no money for his efforts (I Corinthians 4:12) and didn't stay in the swankiest hotels.  When he entered a new town he went immediately to the Jewish Synagogue out of respect for local authorities and tradition (again its not about me) and began simply to preach the Risen One.  From there circumstances and the responses of the locals guided his next moves.  But it was always one local village, one local soul at a time.  Plan big by working small.

Finally, Paul persisted (II Corinthians 11:25).  Despite repeated disasters, roadblocks, attempts on his life, imprisonments, and rejections Paul remained focused on his one simple goal-preach Christ to the Roman world.    

So change can be accomplished through preparation, humility, planning big by working small and persistance.  Where do we go from here?   

God will be fully honored in America again.  More later

Old Times for New Days

So often we want to go back to "the good old days." Who can blame us? There was genuine comfort in grandma's fried chicken, naive bliss in the innocent games of seven year olds, sincere delight in remembering family vacations spent arguing with your brother in the back seat about where exactly his side of the car stops and your's begins, shear pleasure in the wonder of your first ice cream sandwich, and carefree confidence in knowing your parents had the answers to everything. Who doesn't long to return to those days when the weight of today bears down? Few if any I surely suppose.

Is it any wonder America longs to return to better days? Can she be blamed for yearning after a time when things made sense, when people were, no not perfect, but not so proud of their imperfections, failures and downfalls as to parade them for all to see? Of course she cannot. In fact, if you listen close, you can hear the quite plop of liberty's tears as they fall one by one on the dying ideas that gave her life 235 years ago; trusted, proven ideas like personal responsibility, thrift, self-reliance not government handouts, living as we can, not as we demand, a call to uniqueness and mankind's greatest hope.

Jimmy Stewart's film "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" (1939) may seem corny compared to Oliver Stone's, "Nixon" (1995). Yet, whether we acknowledge it or not, Stewart's three quarters of a century old corny description of what America can be, is exactly what we pine for today. Unfortunately, today we seem only able to woefully pine away for days past, rather than rally ourselves in Mr. Smith fashion. For in our twenty-first century self-congratulating sophistication, we have lost sight of what drove Mr. Smith's rousing passion on the floors of Congress.  Indeed, despite protests to the contrary from many circles now, he, not us, was and would still be today, the true sophisticate. For his appeal to the higher angels in his fellow Congressmen was neither naive nor something to be dismissed as simplistic and out of touch with today's reality.  Rather it revealed Mr. Smith's deep, healthy understanding of human nature, his clear, healthy ability to read between the lines and his firm, healthy grip on the notion that America is first and foremost an idea that requires and deserves our never ending, unapologetic defense.

But Americans have grown fearful of, perhaps embarrassed by Smith-like love of country and exuberant patriotism. Why? For decades now, we have been bludgeoned by criticisms of all kinds, and never ending demands we apologize for our past mistakes of omission and commission, as if we are the only people in history to have erred. While recognizing and righting genuine wrongs is never wrong, our apologies have turned to pathological groveling and our current, neurotic need to apologize over and over again for making the very same mistakes every nation, land and peoples throughout human history have made (and continue to make without apology) reveals that we have fully lost contact with the clarity of Mr. Smith's world. No wonder we are such a nostalgic people in 2011. Were mistakes made? Absolutely. Was slavery wrong? Absolutely. Will more mistakes be made? Absolutely. But they were and will be made by people, not America.

Here too, we see the sophistication and wisdom of Mr. Smith. His pride in America was firm and lasting, just as ours still can be today, not because he believed Americans were perfect by virtue of  citizenship. Not at all. His pride, his over the top patriotism came from knowing the IDEA we call America has never failed anyone. The IDEA began the debate about slavery in America at the Constitutional Convention in 1789, not the delegates in attendance. The IDEA spurred Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and the IDEA settled the issue at Appomattox Courthouse in 1865, not soldiers in blue and gray. And as the last 150 years have past it is the IDEA that is America, not self-interested citizens with something to gain or lose, that has compelled us to face, as no other nation has, each new herculean task that comes with proudly calling ourselves Americans. And despite all the criticism, it is the IDEA that continues to compel the poor, the oppressed and the hopeless toward our shores.     

Mr. Smith read between the lines.  He knew ideas, if not people, can be perfect. Therefore, he believed in the pure virtue of one particular idea, America. And despite his imperfections, in 1939 Jimmy Stewart held that virtue high in a movie so all could see. And despite our imperfections, we, you too, can today be like his Mr. Smith, standing high on a hill, proudly shining the light that is America on all the world. 

Arnold & Anthony-Who Is Next?

So two more public figures fall from on high this month due to secret relationships and internet indiscretions. How sad for us, for them, their families, our nation.  But should we be surprised?  I don't think so.  Its nothing new.  Power, money, and sex have been the downfall of all peoples, the haves and the have nots, the well connected and the forgotten, ever since the first tribal chieftains met for the first time, thousands of years ago to divvy up the deer meat and bear skins.  True, the Internet seems to lend an aire of modern sophistication to today's lurid displays of no self-control and petty perversions.  But the truth is, no matter which century you live in and no matter how crude or refined the technology, maturity is still maturity, self-control is still self-control, and being faithful and true in all its many forms and expressions has not changed one iota.  In fact, despite all our so called progress through the ages, our modern weaknesses still perfectly mirror those of our ancient, agrarian ancestors.

More truth; weakness and taboos confront each of us.  Who has not had to deal with the temptations of the untouchable, the forbidden, the thou shalt nots? On one level or another we have all been challenged; averting the eyes, flipping the channel, walking through the wrong door, lingering instead of leaving.  And every family has a tale told in hushed tones only at night after the children are asleep, we hope! Who of us has not been touched by sad stories?  Stories of fallenness, broken hearts, shattered dreams, shame and sorrow fall from the branches of every family tree, littering the narrative of each successive generation.  We all know, deep down in side, that failure is all too human.  So why are we so disappointed when public figures fall?  Are they less human than we?  Are they made of better stuff than we?  No of course not.  So why?

It has to do with hope.  Hope is what gets us out of bed each day.  Hope for a better life fuels our plans for tomorrow, finances mortgages and pays for college.  Hope makes us try again.  Hope is why we stand in line to vote.  The political experiment begun in 1776 and labled, America, is the embodiment of this hope.  America is the hope that free citizens can live side by side in peace just because we choose to.  It is the hope we can agree on certain standards of conduct.  America is built on the hope we will peacefully govern our own affairs without the iron fist of a dictator, or the purple robes of royalty directing our lives for us.  We have forgotten much about who we are.  In short, our Founding Fathers literally bet their lives, fortunes, families and futures on a hope, on what was a radical new belief back then, that we can and will moderate our own drives, desires and passions for the good of all. 

So here lies the source of our disappointment. When we hear of yet another hero, another leader, another in whom we have placed the sacred trust of the hope that is America-when they are exposed as flagrantly lacking self-control and falling easily to the passions of self-gratification, we tremble for America.  We cry a silent tear for our nation wondering if anyone still believes.  We want to know if there is anyone left who has the sternness of character, to no, not be perfect, but to at least get the basics down-to be able to control their passions, at least during a time when the hot, scorching spotlight of public life and service exposes them to all the world?  Is it too much to ask these people, at least during these brief public periods in their lives, to have sex, in all its variations, with only their spouse, go home when they should, tell the truth, and stay sober?  We all know the answer to each is no.

Our nation depends on such accountability.  We call for it, again not to wag a finger in someone's face and shout,"How could you!"  Not at all.  Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.  We do so to remind each other and ourselves of who we are and what we stand for as a nation.  Hope in self governance is grievously wounded by gratuitous self gratification. Guilty verdicts heal those wounds, nurture hope back to health and re-establish it as the preminent American ideal.  In 1863, at Gettsyburg, Pennsylvania President Abraham Lincoln pondered if a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people could long endure."  I believe he had the American hope in mind as he penned those words on the back of a used envelope.  He was asking does a nation so terribly divided by such strong regional self-interests, as America was in the Civil War, have any chance to linger long through the decades- or will the passions that stirred those self interests prove it folly to build a nation on the hope people can live in peaceful co-existence simply because they choose to? 

148 years later, America has returned to Gettysburg.  We are embroiled in a moral civil war as deeply divisive and deadly to America as our first.  With every initial denial of guilt, followed a few days later by yet another hastily called press conference with embarrassing mea culpas, the hope dies a little bit.  As people of faith we must stand up and stop the bleeding.  We must not give in and take the easy road.  We must insert old words like wrong, guilty and punishment back into our public discourse.  Do not be intimidated into silence when painted with labels like intolerant, fanatic, insensitive and narrow minded.  We are neither judging nor condemning, we are simply reminding ourselves from whence we came 235 years ago and assuring that America will indeed long endure.

God Bless America
David Cornell

When Someday Is Today-Part 4

June 1, 6:00 p.m., the day after surgery.  All went well yesterday, but won't know until next week if it is cancer or not.  A little tired/sore of course, but feeling very good all things considered.  Not near as bad as when I had my gall bladder removed 21 years ago.   

So, I started these "Some Day" blogs saying that being told I may have cancer started me thinking about the BIG questions - what if death isn't someday, but today?  What do you do when death and today come knocking at the same time?  Do all things really work for the good?  Is it all real?  Is He really there? Does prayer work? and if so, how?  I think after walking with the Lord for many years we (or at least I) have a tendency to believe I've put these issues to rest, the questions are behind me, and doubt is a thing of the past.  So it was bothersome when they entered my mind.  I did not like it at all.

But what has stuck out in my mind most these past few weeks is how, after a few days of pondering these questions, everything began to unexpectantly fall into place and a peace came over me that I can only explain as from God.  It started on Friday night, May 6, three days after visiting the doctor.  Connie and I hadn't said a lot about the situation before then.  But we were eating KFC Original Recipe that night when I finally asked her, "Well, what do you think?"  That started a long conversation and I finally mentioned money.  I had done a little doodling earlier that day and concluded that if God does take me Connie would be okay financially.  When that became clear to her, she said with such a sincere and honest innocence, "Well that's not so bad!" that I just had to laugh, then she did too.

I tell this story because the moment we both laughed is the moment when things began to clear up in my mind, the peace began to come over me, and I knew with an assurance deeper than ever before that He is there, IT is for real, and that if death is today for me, God will make it turn out for the good of all who love Him and are called according to His purpose. 

Now, I have to say here that while I obviously do not know what I will find out next week, I feel very positive I am going to be around for some time still. 

No matter what happens, though, I am left asking myself, why did such a simple thing as laughter begin the overcoming? and just how does prayer work?  Most of all, what makes prayer so powerful that it makes things better even if circumstances themselves do not improve?  And why is fellowship so healing as well?

This is just my opinion, so take it or leave, but I've concluded lately that it has to do with the Holy Spirit living in each person who loves the Lord and who is called according to His purpose.  Let me explain. Now this might get out there in the ozone a little, but stay with me, please.  First, God lives in every saint through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Second, the sense of brotherhood and unity we saints feel when fellowshipping together is actually the Holy Spirit in all of us coming together as One, forming a divine, unbroken circuit if you will, between believers.  Its what we call the unity of the body of Christ.  Third, through that divine, unbroken circuit linking believers, fellowship becomes a divine battery charger and by plugging into the body/fellowship those who are down are revitalized by the Holy Spirit.

The same idea follows with prayer.  The reason the words of sincere, Godly prayer have a power over and above the mundane verbage of everyday life is that words spoken in humility and dependence on our Lord form a conduit for the Holy Spirit to reach out from one believer to another.  And I believe through that conduit the Spirit actually delivers real power, confidence and healing; just as real as the cable signal coming into our homes through the phone lines.

As I have mulled these ideas over in my mind it has also occurred to me that there is a real and practical aspect to prayer and fellowship we should all strive to understand and master.  They are not some highly elevated, etheral concepts that only the most devout or holy among us can hope to attain to.  Fellowship of the bretheren in all its many forms and Godly prayer are strategic for the health of the body of Christ.  But they are also as simple and easy as coming alongside a brother or sister in need and listening, really listening, and then in sincere humility lifting them with your words into the presence and love of our Lord.

In the past month I have experienced the absolute reality of the power of prayer, fellowship and the activity of the Holy Spirit in my life.  There is no other explanation for why the questions came and went as they did.  I did nothing but share my situation with the body and receive much prayer from the same.  It was just a matter of words being spoken.  But the sincere prayers of the righteous change much.  I am glad the questions came.  They drove me back to my foundations.  In fact they made me dig my foundations deeper and stronger.  I don't know what's coming next week.  But God does and I will rest in that.

Thanks to all who lift me now and in the future.  David

When Someday Is Today-Part 3

May 20, 6:05 a.m.  So here I sit in front of my computer, ten days after seeing the surgeon who says I may have cancer and eleven days before my surgery. The last time we spoke I left off asking how does prayer work and if all things really do work for good to those who love God? Obviously I have no idea where I will be at the end of the day May 31. But am I any different now, in this moment, than before I went to the doctor on May 3?  I guess I am.  If so, I would have to say one way I am different is that I am more sober, thoughtful and careful with scriptures like Romans 8:28.  Perhaps less cocky as I think about them is a better way to describe it.  Yes, all things do work for the good of those who love the Lord.  But I will be more measured as I proclaim it, more sensitive, less self righteous.  I will be more aware that knowing a Truth and having full faith in a Truth does not make that Truth right for all seasons. 

There is a season for everything under heaven and the sun.  We need time to process bad news, illness, disaster and grief.  There are those moments when we will doubt, those times we will question, those mornings we will struggle mightily to do it over again and those evenings when we will curse the dying  day as we slip into sleep.  Its called being human.  Know this however; "all things" does hold true - especially so, even more so, in those dark moments of our lives and during those days when we can only endure.  But now when I come alongside a soul in distress, when encouraging and lifting another, I will be wiser and more thoughtful in the words I choose.  I will remember that "all things" may be out of season for some in their "moment" and perhaps even meaningless to a soul hanging by their finger tips on the edge of a thousand foot cliff.  

So, not less faith in "all things" just a wiser application.

As I wrote earlier, doubt was followed by shame.  I was shocked and puzzled by it at first.  I mean after all, after forty years of walking with our Lord, a Sunday School teacher, a deacon and the author of a book about trusting God just does not doubt.  Its just not possible.  Yeah right!

Pride comes in many forms.

But question I did.  Yet, over the past days and weeks I have come to believe it was necessary and nothing to be ashamed of.  How did I come to that conclusion? I am so glad you asked!  As I reflect on those moments I have to wonder.  When it really can be a matter of life and death, is the question "Is it really true?" a sign of doubt and that we are weak, as we can so easily assume, or is it something other?  Can it be a sign that our faith is alive and well?  I mean if we did not have true faith, if we really did not believe in He-Who Lies-Beyond why would we worry He might not be there? A true non-believer may worry about their eternal destiny, but they won't worry about what they never had faith in.  And I strongly doubt that anyone lying on their death bed has ever worried about the existence of  Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.

No, the questions can be unnerving to be sure, but they also serve a divine purpose.  They drive us back to our core beliefs.  They make us examine the conditions of our foundations.  They sober our thinking, they settle us down, they prepare us for the trials ahead.  Our Lord and Savior spent the entire last night of His earthly life questioning God. And at dawn, when the soldiers came to falsely arrest Him, He knew what He believed, His foundation was firm, His thinking was clear, His soul was settled and He was prepared to wage and win the greatest battle ever fought.

We are in good, no, divine company when we test our foundations, when we examine our core beliefs and when we question the strength of our convictions.  That truly is God making all things work for our good because we love Him.

More later.  David     

When Someday is Today-Part 2

When we last spoke I was telling you about those first days after learning I may have cancer. I was describing a person struggling against doubt, fear and anxiety.  I left off at Wednesday, May 4, with Romans 8:28 sticking in my craw.  Do all things really work for good?  That's a very good question and as the week went on I continued to ponder it.  Would I ever be as sure of that scripture in the future, as I was in the past?  HMMM. 

I've done a lot of thinking these past two weeks and asked a truckload of questions. 

I have had many people pray for me during this time.  Hands have been laid on me. As people of faith we are supposed to do those things.  They are in the Bible.  So we say we believe in, rely on, and need prayer.  But how does prayer work? I mean, either thought or spoken, prayers are just words, aren't they? Can our minds and vocal cords really play a part in healing illnesses and overcoming other disasters? How can healing be hidden in words?  We can't really extract cures from syllables, consonants and vowels, can we?

My primary doctor arranged an appointment for me with a surgeon the next Tuesday, May 10.  I thought I would wait to tell my wife about my situation until after then.  No need to worry her if I don't have cancer.  But I couldn't wait.  The news was heavy on my mind and getting heavier every moment.  So Wednesday evening, when my wife and I were watching TV, I informed her of my situation at about 10 o'clock.  As usual she was a rock, came over to sit next to me on the couch, wrapped her arms around me and prayed.  Funny how the burden began to lift at that very moment. Is there power in prayer?

On Saturday, we went to a Sunday-School hot dog cook out at the Pastor's house.  Had a good time and ate way too much.  I thought I was doing a good job of hiding my thoughts from everyone, but at church the next day I was called out on the issue (what's wrong with you?) by my Sunday-School class and had to fess up.  They immediately all joined in prayer for me.  Funny how more of the burden lifted right then and there. Is there power in prayer?

This has been a confusing and up and down time.  For after the class prayed I was better for sure, but still weighed down.  So although I love to sing praises and hymns, I stood silent in church later that morning.  The words just would not come.  There was no zeal for the Lord in my heart as I stood,  listening to everyone else vocalize. 

It was Mother's Day so we ate with the kids and grandkids. The chicken fried steak at Chili's is excellent. The kids took it well, I thought, and came over for the rest of the afternoon.  Paul left to return to college about 8 o'clock that evening.  I thought I heard a tinge of worry in his voice as he said goodbye for the week. Grace and I had a good time watching a little TV sitting on the couch together. She will always be my little girl.  Paul is about 6 feet tall and weighs over 250 and will always be my little boy.

Went to the surgeon on Tuesday.  He felt around on my chest for a moment or two and then said, "Well you do have a lump, a mass of something and yes it could be cancer.  But I have seen this in many men your age (I quess I am getting old) and it could be just a fiberous mass as well as it could be cancer. We won't do any tests at this time.  I will schedule you for surgery May 31, take it out and deal with the results at that time.  If its cancer will treat you further.  If not then we will watch you for a while and make sure cancer doesn't develop later."  That was it.  Very anti-climatic really.  So we wait some more.  Oh yeah, Paul left seven messages on his mother's phone that morning anticipating the results of my visit.

I feel good about the situation at the moment. Still, I don't have a final answer.  So, where are faith, hope and love at times like these?  Do all things really work for good to those who love the Lord?  And if it works, how does prayer work? 

More later.  David  

When Someday is Today

We know that it is appointed to each of us to die, someday.  But lets be honest, someday is always tomorrow, isn't it.  We like it that way, don't we.  Indeed, we do all we can to keep it that way. Tomorrow is a space separating us from reality, a barrier holding off the inevitable, a deep fog masking the future from our vision; each allowing us to carry on today as if death has no claim on us at all.  We laugh lighthearted at the sign in the pub that reads, "Free Beer, Tomorrow."  But when mortality is on the menu, we search soberly and oh so earnestly for signs that read "Tomorrow."  There is comfort in tomorrow.  Faith is easy, when there is always tomorrow.  Hope has time to prosper, when there is always tomorrow.  Love has room to grow, when there is always tomorrow. 

But what if someday is today?  What if death is not tomorrow?  Where are faith, hope and love when  death and today knock on your door as one?  When death is today can faith really comfort?  Is He-Who- I-Cannot-See really preparing a mansion for me in glory?  We long for and put hope in Paradise.  But are there streets of gold to walk?  We profess that the love of One saves us and will, at our appointed times, usher us into eternity.  Yet entering eternity is impossible before death.  Does love bridge the gap?  Or will I simply slip off into a final night of everlasting sleep?

Facing the possibility my someday is today, has forced me to squarely face questions like those above.  It forces us to face them because we have probably been avoiding them.  I think we avoid them for a number of reasons.  First, as people of faith we think we aren't supposed to ask them.  Second, we are afraid that if we do ask, we may not have real faith, which leads to the third which is, does that mean we really don't believe in God?  And finally, they are just plain scary questions to deal with.

But face them we will.  So what do we do with them?  Let me begin to answer by saying little, insignificant nouns like lump and mass take on tremendous significance when spoken by your doctor.  And when, in your presence, he immediately pulls out his I-phone, places a call to an oncologist collegue and says, "I have a new one for you," you shudder silently inside.      

Since that moment came for me, at 10:37 Tuesday morning, May 3, 2011, all the questions above have been racing through my mind.  I've been a whirlwind inside, an endless cycle of emotions ranging from anger, denial, doubt, fear, prayer, faith, praise, bewilderment and disbelief.  And always hiding out back there in the dark corners and spaces of my mind and soul is the ever present question that says it all, "Why me?"

At first I was okay.  As I rode the elevator down and walked to my car I mumbled to myself, "Well cancer's not so bad, not as scary to hear as I had imagined.  I'll be fine, I can deal with this."  That lasted most of the day, through work, until I got home.  I was alone that evening which was not unusual in itself.  My wife works the RN midnight shift.  But this evening was obviously different and about eight o'clock the questions started to creep in as I sat alone on the couch watching who knows what on the tele.

Strangely, it was not fear of death that began haunting me as I surfed the channels.  Not at all.  I began to ask myself do I really believe it all?  Is He really there? Is the concept, the idea, that which I have never seen, heard or touched, really waiting for me on the other side?  Is this salvation thing all its cracked up to be, or is it just a fairy tale I have used to make myself feel better about life, myself and the future?  Shame followed quickly behind these unwelcome queries, still they would not leave me alone.  Do I really believe nagged me to sleep and followed me out the door as I left for work Wednesday morning.

My favorite scripture for the past twenty-five years has been Romans 8:28, "We know that all things work for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose."  How many times and to how many people have I repeated with great emphasis, "all things" means all things; not some things or just the things we like, but "all things" good and bad.  Funny how late that Wednesday afternoon "all things" began sticking in my throat and would not trip as easily off my tongue as in times past.           

More later.  David

My Want-To-Do List

Have you ever wondered to yourself, "Why bother?" I mean, we can get by on our own just fine. We can take care of ourselves.  We make good decisions.  We can map out our own destinies and be quite the success, without help from anyone, thank you very much.  So why should we bother with prayer?  We have much to get done and time on our knees is just "time-a-wastin." And I had enough book learning back in school, so much so I never want to crack another book again . . . ahh-no disrespect meant to the Bible God.  Besides, how serious do I really have to be about this walking with God stuff?  He sees what all I have to do, so He is not that serious . . . is He? 

We have all been here, haven't we? It is really tough to be devoted. Time is the one thing we simply do not have enough of and it shrinks everyday. So, what are we to do? What does God want from us? Well, its true, He desires our full devotion and attention. But we make it hard on ourselves because we miss a very important point.  That is, while God does desire an intimate relationship with each of use, He does not REQUIRE it.  Think about that for a moment.

The difference between desire and require makes all the difference in the world. It is natural for us to think He requires it.  We grow up learning to fulfill the requirements of others.  From the time we first understand the difference between yes and no we begin meeting the requirements of others every day.  So when we think about prayer, Bible study, going to church, etc, we tend to put those things on our have-to-do list, not our-want-to-do list.  So they become responsibilities, not joys.  No wonder just thinking about them can wear us out.

But think about your want-to-do list for a moment.  You look forward to doing what is on that list, don't you?  Thinking about that list inspires you, gets you off the couch, moves you to action and is always exciting and fulfilling. What is on your list?  Is it gardening, sewing, cooking, woodwork, music, dancing, your family, antiques?  Whatever it is, God just desires to be on that list as well.  And He isn't going to take your list away and make your life dull and boring.  Again, He just desires to be on the list.

He knows that the best relationships, the most rewarding relationships, are voluntary, want-to relationships, so He waits patiently.  And if we don't come around and don't put Him on our want-to-do lists, its no skin off His nose.  Its just some fun times we will be missing out on. He doesn't drag us, pushing and screaming, into a close relationship with Him.  He leaves it up to us.  So if God seems like a drudgery and spending time with Him a chore, its not because they are.  Its because we have made them so in our own minds.

Thinking of prayer and Bible study as hobbies may be too casual for some. So take this or leave it.  But for me, thinking of them more in that light helped me begin to see them as something I was eager to do, activities I looked forward to engaging in; and time spent in them began to fly.  Why? because they were on my want-to-do list, not my have-to-do list.

That Old Word Called Love

My command unto you is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

It is good to be reminded from time to time on our journey that God has tasked us with loving each other the same way He loves us.  It is a nice sentiment, but it raises the question, just how does He love us?  We know He loves us freely, and unconditionally, yet perhaps the most astounding way He loves us is permanently.  Therefore, we will know when we love like Him when our love becomes an unshakable faith in another and an impenetrable strength defending what God brings together.  We will know when our love produces an unquenchable desire for the other's good, a bottomless pit of patience and an ocean of forgetfulness.  Most of all, though, our love will always be there waiting, desperately needing to be used up, yet mysteriously never running dry. 

I Pledge Allegiance

There is much ado out there concerning prophecy, end times, wars and rumors of wars, the anti-christ, Armageddon, 2012, one world government, the U.N., Israel, middle east turmoil, the end of America and on and on.  It all makes for interesting reading and intriguing diversions from our day to day grinds.  And I like a good conspiracy theory as much as the next person.  Is the all-seeing eye on our dollar bill a Masonic symbol proving they are bent on world domination?  Who knows?

But let me ask a potentially controversial question.  What does all that and more have to do with the task Christ has given us of telling the world (our friends, family and neighbors) about His saving love and grace?  The Great Commission found in Acts 1:7-8 tells us to be witnesses to all the world about Christ.  It says nothing about being social commentators, seers into the future, or solving the great mysteries of history.

It is possible, I think probable, we have been duped by Satan into thinking all these "issues" have a real relevance for our lives.  In reality, other than curiosities to ponder lightly from time to time, they have little relevance for the Christian.  History will progress according to God's plan.  And, as we are safe within His protection, we have no reason to fear ANYTHING AT ALL.  I love America and the privileges her citizenship bestows on me as deeply as any, and will to the death, defend her. I will be alert to and respond appropriately when real heresy and false doctrine threaten my family.  I will vote in each election for the candidate who stands for God.  And with you, I will tearfully pledge allegiance to the Red, White and Blue.  But my first allegiance must and always will be to God, Christ and Cross. 

My Great Commission, my purpose for being, my goal in life must be Christ first. The Apostle Paul taught us we are foreigners on earth, our citizenship is elsewhere, we look heavenward to see our land and homes.

In the end, the best prevention against social rot and decay, the most potent antidote to liberal media and bias, and the most powerful weapon we have to fight the enemies of America and our way of life is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have come to the current sad state of affairs in America because we forgot that simple truth.  No, it isn't glamorous.  No, it won't make headlines or get you on the news.  But go tell your friends about Jesus.  One at a time, tell them.  That is how one man, the apostle Paul, brought down the mightiest empire on earth without firing a single arrow, raising an army, marching in protests, or demanding his rights.  It worked for him, it can work for us.  It can save America.  

Just a Walk in the Park??

They went to a place called Gethsemane and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.  "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them . . . Going a little further he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.  "Abba Father . . . take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."  Mark 14: 32-36

We have a tendancy to sanitize this story and think that these few words pretty much cover the Nazarene's last night on earth.  This is one of those times and stories when we like to emphasize the divine side of his nature.  It helps us cope with what he went through the next day, for us. It soothes our guilt. After all, God can take anything.  He feels no pain, so can readily endure the scourges tearing flesh from his body, ignore the stinging thorns piercing deep into his scalp, effortlessly bear the weight of the cross as he stumbles up Golgotha and readily dismiss the agony of the crucifixion. 

God in the Garden is easier for us to bear than the Nazarene in the Garden. God on the cross is glorious, Jesus on the cross is much too personal. But the truth is, a human being exactly, fully and completely like us, agonized all through his last night in the Garden of Gethsemane.  And whether we like it or not, it was no walk in the park.

Jesus himself tells us he was overwhelmed to the point of death.  Luke says he sweat drops of blood and if we read the story closely we see he prayed all night; all night.  So that raises the question - what did he pray about all night?  Did he just ask God one time to "remove this cup" and then easily submit to the trauma and torture he knew was his to absorb? An emphatic No!  If he was praying all night, agonizing all night, sweating blood all night, then he was petitioning God all night to remove it. Begging may be too strong a word for some, but I know what I would be doing in that situation.

So don't shy away from Jesus' humanity that night in the Garden.  Embrace it.  Learn from it, allow it to humble you. Then focus on what his divinity allowed him to do and endure the next day for you.  The only way Jesus could have stood silent before his false accusers, through trial after trial, was  by completely wringing all his humanity out of himself that night in the Garden.  As he agonized, as the salty brine pouring off his body muddied the ground around him, as he pleaded with God throughout that terrible night, he was actually preparing himself for the next day, when he would wage the greatest battle ever fought.  As a result, he was able to face his destiny divinely.  He had no thought for himself that day. His sweat had mingled it all in the dust of Gethsamene. His tears had drenched the rocks over which he lay prone for hours with all human pride, and the air that morning was fragrant with the scent of all human selfishness, pride and vanity.

That is how, on his final day, he had only one thought.  You.  He had only one thought as they shouted, "Crucify him!"  You.  He had only one thought as he walked up that hill.  You.  He had only one thought as he voluntarily lay down on that cross. You.  He had only one thought as he whispered, "It is finished."  You.

The victory is His!  It can be yours as well.    

The Key to Success

I Thessalonians 5:23-24 exposes a telling truth about walking with God we often overlook or try to ignore.  It reads, "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."  Notice who is responsible for making our walk with God successful; GOD, not us. He is responsible for making us a success and he promises to do just that. And since we know he keeps his promises, we have no reason not to do our part.  So be bold in life. We will be successful because of him!  We have no reason to fear the future, no matter what it looks like on TV, no cause to doubt ourselves, even though we know all our secrets, no need to hold back despite our past mistakes.  In fact, because of the Cross, in God's mind we are already successful.  So go do some conquering!

Motivation

We have a motive for everything we do. For the most part they are simple motives which we don't think a whole lot about.  Like why we get out of bed, go to work and grab a hamburger for lunch. Simple things really, but we have motives for them all. Some motives are mundane, some are noble and some are not noble. Some motives serve us well, others fail us. There is one motive, however, that is anything but mundane and much more than noble; doing everything we do for the sole purpose of bringing glory and honor to Christ. I have found that striving to make everything I think, say and do, shine a light on God's grace and goodness is the only perfect motive, the only motive that has never failed me and never will.

All In The Family

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  (Col. 3:13)

What is it about family? We are they and they are us, inseperable yet at times insufferable, never banished, never forgotten, lifelong reminders. Family is the classroom in which we learn how to forgive.  Family compels forgiveness.

It can be especially hard in family to get along, to let it go, forget it and move on. We just don't have to get along if we don't want to. Most of the time not much happens when we don't, so what is the motivation? Often we wind up asking, why should I be the one to change and say I'm sorry, or what's in it for me?

But both questions completely miss the point of what Christianity is all about. First, for the Christian, change is empowering, not an admission of defeat, because each time we forgive and forget we become a little more Christlike in the process.  And think about this.  Nothing comes with salvation accept, salvation. We don't get a new car in the deal, or a raise in pay, a bigger house, new kids or a better spouse. All we get is Christ.  But isn't that enough?  Of course it is. We already have all we need in Christ.

So the next time family is a challenge lead the way.  We don't have to win every arguement at the Sunday dinner table. Let Christ shine through you and prove that love really does mean something in families. Who knows, you may inspire that Crazy Carl or Cathy Clueless each family has, to do some changing and forgiving of their own.