A Sad Farewell

Psalm 72:20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

     In my bible reading I came across this portion of scripture and a wave of nostalgia seemed to sweep over me. Life is full of hello's and goodbye's, today's blog is for those who may be stuck on a goodbye. Usually at the end of one year, news articles proliferate with pics and stories of the "stars," we lost in the previous year. We only know most of these people from afar, but some still pull very hard on our heart strings, such as the death/suicide of comedian Robin Williams. He was known the world over for his humor, but that only masked his private pain. We can all relate to that in one degree or another.
     David is one of my biblical heroes, and though I have never met him personally, reading this text evoked in me a profound sense of loss. His life has rippled across time, bringing encouragement, inspiration and joy to multiplied millions. (He being dead yet speaketh.) Yet like all of us will one day experience, there came a time that chapter of his journey ended. Solomon could have used a few more of his daddy's prayers, a few more meals together, a little more time huddling about the challenges facing the kingdom, but that was not to be. There came a day when Solomon had to walk on without his daddy.
     I am part Irish, and the Irish often use the song Danny Boy at funerals. (Though written by an Englishman) In part the lyrics are:

                          Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
                          From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
                         The summer's gone, and all the roses falling
                         It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.

                         But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
                         Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
                         It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
                        Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

     Various interpretations have been given to the song, mine is simply that the lyrics connect with the deep sorrow we often feel associated with a sad farewell.  Solomon was not left comfortless, he had a lifetime of memories of an awesome dad. Yet better than that, he had a hope that farewell was not forever. The Apostle Paul wrote that believers don't mourn the same as those who have no hope. Our goodbyes are really just, "I'll see you in a little bit." All of us are progressing to our own event horizon, beyond which we can no longer interact with those here until they also cross over. Mourning is a part of life as we now no it, how grateful I am to hold on to a promise that says there will be a day when there will be no more tears, no more farewells, no more sad parting. Because of that truth you don't have to live in the tears of loss, but you can live in the hope of reunion.

     My daughter-in-law whose father is an accomplished photographer recently took a picture of my son walking on a stone pier. The picture which is below spoke to me of sorrow and peace (rough waters, calm waters) of loneliness and hope (walking alone, but walking to a joyful destination) and with her permission I have included it here and added some appropriate words. I pray that it will minister comfort to any and all who are living through loss, and waiting for reunion.

I wish you were cold - Rev. 3:15

I Wish You Were Cold!

     This is what Jesus said in part to the church of Laodicea in the 3rd chapter of the book of Revelation. He is not speaking of a physical temperature, but a spiritual one. On the surface it seems a little bizarre at first glance. Surely, the Lord wants us all to be spiritually hot, doesn't He? Yes, He does. But in the passage Jesus is identifying 3 groups of people, 1 hot, 1 cold, 1 lukewarm. It seems He prefers cold to lukewarm, which seems odd when you think about it. I mean, wouldn't a little warmth be better than cold?

     I want to give a  reason why I think Jesus prefers cold to lukewarm. If you think about it, a cold man/woman are more open and likely to change. Take for example the idea of navigating through life. Some people will not accept any kind of guidance, until they come to the place where they realize they really need help.

     We all joke about it, but it seems to be a somewhat universal truth that men won't listen to advice for directions until they realize they are really lost. As long as there is the possibility that he might be going in the right direction, he plows on. It is only when he comes to the realization that every move he makes, makes things worse that he reaches out for help. The prodigal son didn't think about going home till he hit rock bottom. Cold people are more than likely to ask for help.
     Lukewarm people think they are ok the way they are, so they go on their merry way and get to a place where God can no longer speak into their life because they think everything is all right. Lukewarm is the place of dulled conscience, of coasting, of one foot in the church and one foot in the world. God prefers someone spiritually cold with whom He has a possibility of bringing change, to those whom He cannot while they are deaf in their ease with living in/for the world.
     The lesson and warning is, its best to be spiritually on fire, but if you aren't God may send an arctic blast your way to get you to the place where change is possible.

Until You Are Increased

Ex 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

 Jabez prayed that God would enlarge his territory, and God gave him what he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:10) That seemed easy enough, but it doesn't always work out that way. Often before we can have increased territory we need to be personally increased, so the question becomes, "Are you waiting on God, or is He waiting on you?" In the text in Exodus, God clearly states that they needed to increase numerically to be able to possess what He had already given them. So the issue is not about getting more from God, but about being bigger in God to access what He has already made available.

Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit, and Elijah said he had asked for a hard thing. What made it hard, God's ability to give, or man's ability to receive? The answer is only too apparent. My question in this blog is, are you asking for hard (big) things, and are you willing to let God do what is necessary to get you there?

There are two primary ways that I believe God increases his people. The first is through struggle. Ps 4:1  Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me [when I was] in distress... (KJV) When I was a young teenager I got a job in a store that among other things had a shoe shine business. Every now and then a customer would come complaining his shoes were a little too tight. We had a solution for that, it was called a shoe tree, here is a picture of one:

We would put it in the shoe and use the adjustment mechanism to make it a little larger than the shoe was. The leather would stretch over a couple of days, and then we would take it out and do it again. There were limitations, but in general leather has a certain amount of flexibility that can be utilized by stretching it. In the same way distressful situations can help you to grow by forcing you into situations which are bigger than what you normally could handle. Little by little we are increased.

The other way God increases people is much more pleasant. "Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; " Praying in the Spirit builds you up (spiritual muscles, increases your capacity), and makes you able to have increased territory. This is not painful but is the opposite of that, it is the grace of God working through and bringing you to a higher level. This is my preferred method, but in my life I have learned God tends to use both. If you are going to pray big prayers for expanded territory know that God will use these methods to get you where you need to be. If you want to have a double portion, you are going to have to become a larger vessel. Praying in the Holy Ghost is a good way to keep the fire on your altar burning. Blessings!

Stupid Bible Laws, you shall not wear garments made out of mixed materials.

De 22:11 Don’t wear clothes of mixed fabrics, wool and linen together. (MSG version)

This particular law is a favorite of those who would like to tell us the Old Testament has no application for today. It is most often bandied about by those trying to make the biblical injunctions against homosexual behavior as irrelevant or ridiculous. Often those who mention it do it a mocking type fashion. The argument runs something like this: "Yes the OT forbids homosexual behavior, but those laws are so archaic and stupid, for example in Deuteronomy 22:11 it says you can't mix fabrics, how stupid is that, nobody follows that law today do they?" Those who make such arguments turn a blind eye to Jesus who said: Mt 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

So what should be our approach to these "archaic" laws that don't seem to make much sense. Since this is only a blog and not a place for a theological treatise, I will only briefly touch on the subject. First the Apostle Paul twice said the law is good, Romans 7:16; 1 Tim 1:8. But in this age in which we live, and being heavily influenced by western democratic ideals, we have our "modern," approach to the law. It runs something like this, if it makes sense, and I agree with it, than I will obey it. That type of living is summed up in this passage from the book of Judges: Judges 21:25 "In those days [there was] no king in Israel: every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes." History shows that to be one Israels most evil and backslid times. It sums up the theology of the age in which we live.

In our modern society there seems to be the opinion that the only parts of the bible we need to follow are the parts we understand and agree with. Every week it seems another megachurch pastor is coming out and saying he doesn't agree with hell, or that homosexuals if they get married are just as legitimate as heterosexual marriages. Jesus believed in hell, and very clearly taught it, but that matters little to these "enlightenend," ministers, because it doesn't fit with their idea of what a loving God is like. Clue for them: God doesn't have to fit in our box, as He told Moses, "I AM that I AM."

Getting back to the mixing of fabrics, on the surface it is a stupid law, but in point of fact it is genius. Let me explain. If God is omniscient, (and He is), then He understands how every activity and event ripples across the world and across time.

If we accept that God understands consequences that we have absolutely no ability to even remotely comprehend, than we must also accept that He will tell us to do things for which we can never fathom the reason behind. Somewhere along the line God must train us to trust, believe, and follow when things don't make sense, but are perfectly clear to Him. Look at this verse: De 8:2 "And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

God made them walk in circles to test them to see if they would keep His commandments. How long will you follow God if it doesn't make sense to you? Why can't we mix wool and linen? It's a test to see if you will follow instructions that have no practical reason for you to follow. This is a very important principle: do you only follow the commands that make sense, that you agree with, that you understand the reasons behind, or do you trust God and do what He says.

If God tells you not to date someone, does He have to tell you why? If He says don't go into debt to buy a car, and your present job condition says you can easily make the payments, will you obey? What if He knows you are getting laid off in two month? Mixing fabrics seems like a silly rule to follow, unless you understand that it is teaches the principle that you are to follow God when it makes sense and when it doesn't. Can God make rules you don't like or understand, just to leave them as a test to see if you will obey Him? Why couldn't Jews eat a BLT? We used to try to explain that law by saying that pork was bad for us, playing again into the idea that for a rule to be from God it must have a logical and good reason we can understand behind it. If pork was bad for us and that was the reason for the law, then God should have banned a lot of other types of food, but He didn't. The pork law is a law that exists to test whether we obey God or we live by a rule that says we only obey when we agree and understand His laws.

The purpose of this post is not to tell people to live under all the OT laws, but rather I picked one law out that is often held up to scorn, and attempted to show through it, that we should follow God and not require Him to explain all the reasons for His decisions and leadings. Keep your fire burning.

At The Scent of Water It Will Revive

There is a wonderful passage of scripture in the book of Job that says: Job 14:7-9 "For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground, And its stump dies in the dry soil, At the scent of water it will flourish And put forth sprigs like a plant."

The picture above is from a tree in Tennessee that was right on the corner of a sharp bend in the road. Having been struck numerous times it finally was knocked down and cut up, but the stump remained, and as you can see new life is growing again.

Three thoughts have arrested my attention from that passage. The first is that it speaks of the despair of those whom life has continually whittled at till they are nothing more than a stump. There is a depth of hurt and sorrow in this world that is so deep and profound that a death like state is what it most resembles. This is not simple melancholy, or seasonal affective disorder, this is a sadness that is so overwhelming that suicide seems an attractive alternative. But hold on, there is more to the passage...

The second thing I see is hope. The tree above has been given a second chance, and while life will be different it is still beautiful life. One of the first lessons in the bible is that God makes beautiful things out of dust. You may be wondering how that could be done. Don't waste your time, it is not something to figure out, especially in a mind that cannot see a way out. It is just a fact that God reminds us of billions and billions of times a year. Rebirth. Look at the next picture and compare the dirt and the plant. We will never be able to fully fathom how such a thing can happen, but it is a wonderful message of hope for messed up lives.  The passage in Job has a wonderful twin in the New Testament: 1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,..." Hope is the expectation that something good is going to come my way. Jesus can give you a, "living hope." Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, is ever His promise. From the cold dead soil of your life, though impossible in your own eyes, God can bring new life.

Third thing is for believers who will be reading this post, "at the scent of water it will revive." (KJV) It is God's purpose for us that we be the scent of water, to those in a dry and barren land. Others should seek refreshment in our presence because we bring a sense of the abundant life that Christ has given us. Let your light so shine before men... Keep your fire burning!

Cute but Dangerous; the Hickory Caterpillar

Beware the Hickory Caterpillar

Recently a friend told of an encounter with one of these rascals, an encounter that perhaps saved his life. (At the end of this blog I have attached a link where you can find out more about the dangers of the Hickory Caterpillar.) I am not sure where he was, but one of these cute caterpillars got on him he brushed it off, and went about his business and thought nothing of the encounter. A short time later his neck began to really swell up in the area where the caterpillar had been. As the swelling increased so did their concern, and it wasn't long before he and his wife were off to the ER greatly concerned as to what was going on.

He got to the hospital and they began to do tests, and the doctor seemed to be ignoring the swelling on his neck. My friend kept saying to the doctor, "what about this swelling on my neck, what about this swelling on my neck." The doctor finally told him, he wasn't concerned about the swelling it was simply an allergic reaction, but what really concerned him was that he found out my friend had an enlarged heart which had resulted from years of having high blood pressure and it not being treated. The doctor was focusing on the true hidden danger my friend was facing, not the external visible one.

What a great lesson for me as a pastor. Yes external things need to be dealt with it, but often there are much larger issues of the heart we cannot see. So often as God said to Samuel the prophet, man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart. We tend to judge people by the externals we can see, but the truth is there are a lot of people with good externals, but very bad internals.

Jesus said it this way, Mt 23:27 "You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh.Mt 23:28 People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds. (Msg version)

God help us all, to be like that doctor, and though we may recognize an issue in the external, lets focus on the internal. There are a lot of people who live in very nice houses, and yet they are very depraved inside, I don't know about you but that is a lesson in life it seems I have to keep being reminded of. Keep your fire burning!

Here is the link for info on those caterpillars: http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation/naturalhistory/bugoftheweek/hickory-tussock-moth.cfm

Satisfying Sleep

Psalms 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved [even in his] sleep. (NAS)

Sleep is as necessary to life as is eating. It allows the mind time to process the days events, gives the body opportunity to rejuvenate, the emotions are given some space to sort themselves out, so it is good for body soul and spirit. That is, if you have satisfying sleep. Without it we are as grumpy as two year olds, and we find that because we had fitful sleep we still have the same problems, but now we have even less strength to deal with them.


Charles Spurgeon described the dynamics of a stressed out mind at bed time, with word pictures better than I could ever attain to:

"You imagine if you fix your mind upon a certain subject until it shall engross your attention, you will then sleep; but you find yourself unable to do so. Ten thousand things drive through your brain as if the whole earth were agitated before you. You see all things you ever beheld dancing in a wild phantasmagoria before your eyes. You close your eyes, but still you see; and there be things in your ear and head, and brain,which will not let you sleep."

Hard work and hard worrying will have you eating what the text above calls the bread of painful labors. If you never learn how to process stress you will wind up sleepless in Seattle, turning to drugs, cranky, wore out, and nigh on to a nervous breakdown.

The bible has some sound advice that has stood the test of time, and helped many a weary pilgrim. First it tells us that worry is useless. (Mt. 6:27-33) Worry is not capable of doing anything to improve your situation, all it can do is rob you of strength, and take the wind out of your sails. In short it makes things worse.

The second piece of advice is to cast your care upon Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7) I am not a very good fisherman. Whenever I cast a line out, I pull it in a few seconds later and see if I caught anything. That is not how its done, I know it, and that is why I hardly go fishing, I don't have the patience for it. Being aware of that part of my personality has helped me to realize I can't be the same way with prayer. You can't pray and then 2 minutes later say, "where's my answer?" That is not how it works (usually). Like the song says, take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there. Easier said then done, unless of course you REALLY DO TRUST the person you are leaving them with. Keep your fire burning, get rid of the weights that would dampen it.