something has come up...

I'm afraid I have an announcement:

This will be the last blog I plan on posting.

For this year.

Yeah - it's New Year's Eve, and I have to get out there and work today. Chilly - NO, it's not what you would call COLD if you live in a place where they have to put anti-freeze into coffee creamer to keep the population moving in the winter, but for SoCal, this is about as cold as it gets.

So - instead of rounding up the 'best of 2010,' or somesuch, I think I would like to look ahead. WAY ahead -

Revelation 22
Eden Restored

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Won't THAT be awesome?

What is of value to you and I?

I have been reading in Revelation recently. I am at the point where the new Jerusalem is lowered to the new Earth, and we get to read a description of it -
Chapter 21:15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia (about 1400 miles) in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits(200 feet) thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. (The exact stones are not all clear) 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

Many things came into my mind as I read this passage - one was an old joke. Yes, this is Chas' mind we are delving into here...

A man finally found a way to take his wealth with him to heaven. Having been told all his life that 'you can't take it with you,' he exhausted himself on the project and may very well have died years earlier thanks to the effort he expended - but he did show up at the pearly gates holding a huge bag of gold.

Saint Peter had only one question for the man -

"Why did you bring your own paving material?"

Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

Idols

Exodus 34:17 “Do not make any idols.

God makes it so clear, countless times in the Bible, that we are not to worship things. Things - that is, things we can touch, smell, see, hear or taste. The problem is that we are designed by God to worship Him, and that makes us tend to want to worship. But if we are not very careful, we will begin to worship things instead of God.

Such a simple concept, and yet it has the power to change our eternity. And that's just not something we should be careless about. But are we as careful as we think we are? I have read in many places about the danger of taking something I have made with my own hands - out of wood, or stone - and setting it up as a god. Then worshiping it.

Here's one such passage from Deuteronomy 4:23 "Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time--if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and provoking him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell."

Sounds so silly, really. A person makes something with his or her own hands, and then bows down to worship it. But take away the idea that it is a little statue or shrine. In place of a golden 'idol' which comes to mind so easily, try to substitute any of the millions of things in our lives which we begin to worship if we are not careful. Things such as:
our reputation
our pride
our income
our job
our career
our education
our skills
our family
our home
our homelessness
our pain
our health
our fitness
our possessions
anything. Any thing.

It's time we tell you - You're adopted.

Galatians 4

1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

I have a friend who just returned home from Columbia where they adopted a little girl. They have posted dozens of pictures and given a running account of the process which began years ago with applications and even another prior adoption which fell through at very much the last minute.

The mommy posted a simple note on FaceBook Christmas morning saying, "This is my first Christmas season relating to Joseph as the adoptive parent. God's love is amazing for all of us!!! Merry Christmas to all far and near!"

Hope and I attempted an adoption close to 25 years ago. I still have a tiny hole in my heart over the entire thing - the mother changed her mind at the last moment and backed out. We wanted so badly to help little Alexander out of a tough situation, but it was not to be. We had taken very few steps really - we had spent some time with an attorney (a friend who was going to help us find another attorney who specialized in private adoption), we began plans for converting our other bedroom into a room fit for a little man, we bought some toys - OK, I bought some toys, Hope was far more reserved about the whole thing. And we traveled to southern California to pick the boy up for a weekend 'trial.' - we lived in San Jose, CA at the time.

My point is that we went way out of our way to adopt this boy. But we didn't go nearly as far as our friends who ended up spending weeks in Columbia meeting diplomats, officials, agents, going to consulates and embassies - just to be sure all the paperwork was finished before flying home JUST in time for Christmas.

But even they didn't go to the great lengths that God went to, just to adopt you and I as sons and daughters. Wow. Thanks.

Newton

Momentum.

Years ago in Physics class (and lab), I studied various 'laws.' One of them states that "a body in motion tends to stay in motion, while a body at rest tends to stay at rest."

This is Newton's first law of motion - if you want to see the detailed version, here it is:

"Every body remains in a state of rest or uniform motion (constant velocity) unless it is acted upon by an external unbalanced force. This means that in the absence of a non-zero net force, the center of mass of a body either remains at rest, or moves at a constant speed in a straight line."

Newton did not discover this, it had been around for centuries, but he put it together and refined some of the formulas, so he is generally credited with being the father of modern physics.

I had to do countless hours of calculations based on f=ma, and we got into the differences in linear vs. angular momentum. I had more trouble with the algebra and trig than the concepts - for some reason I could totally understand and 'picture' all of these theories, and had no trouble expressing them in words or even pictures, but I had a lot of trouble working out the simple math of the formulas. But I digress.

A heavy object requires force to get it into motion from rest, and it will also require force to bring it back to rest. A simple practical example would be the amazing amount of power it takes to accelerate a jetliner from a standstill up to takeoff speed, and then the equally large amount of force to bring it back down from flying speed to a stop upon landing. The heavier the airplane, the larger the amount of force required - but also the faster the airplane is going, the more force it takes to stop it.

What I didn't expect was how much this applies to my life in a more philosophical sense. A person at rest requires a lot of force to get them into motion. A church at rest requires a lot of force to get them into motion. And 'rest' in this case can very much be equal to moving in a steady direction at a steady speed. Doing the same thing requires no real thought or effort once all the habits are developed.

But a person in motion tends to take quite a bit of force to bring them to a stop, or to change their direction, and I don't mean physically. Now, in classical physics it is a matter of mass versus force, which can tell you the amount of force needed, and Heavy vs. light, fast versus slow, more acceleration vs. a gradual change in speed, etc. But there is one variable missing in the physics which is very much present in the personal:

Time.

The longer a person (or church) has been doing something, the more force is required to bring it to a stop, or even change it's direction. Tradition, habit, comfort, and about a dozen other words all communicate that once we get in the habit of doing something, it is very hard to stop.

Unless we are acted upon by an outside force.

Lord - be the 'outside force' that I need, because I do desire to change.

"And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn"

Jesus came to earth. That really should be enough, because we needed Him to do so. He came to die in our place - the ultimate in covering a debt we couldn't cover ourselves. But the way He came speaks volumes.

Born into the lineage of David (as prophesied)to show His divine connection to the chosen people of God. That set Him up as a royal member of the Kingdom of God - or the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus' message (later in life) was that we need to 'repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.' He had the full right to say so on this basis alone, but he was also correct in His proclamation because he IS God.

Born in Bethlehem (as prophesied) for many reasons, but from our eyes it was because of the census and the fact that his parents were required to go there to register, once again because Joseph was of the lineage of David, who was foretold to have an unending royal line. But also, keep in mind, it was foretold:

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times." (Micah 5:2)

He was born in a stable - and I can't think of a prophesy which specifically says anything about a filthy barn, or cave, or slop-holder, but there are plenty which indicate that Jesus left behind the riches of heaven, humbled himself and came to preach to the poor and simple people of earth.

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-11)

And that includes you and I - thank God!!

Merry Christmas!

Tron

I went to see the movie "Tron" yesterday. The best part was being with my daughter KJ and family friend Elizabeth. The movie was a snore.

I find it so interesting that a company can spend millions upon millions of dollars to create a movie like this, and then enough people will pay for the privilege of seeing it that it can make all that back and millions more. Even movies which are rated as "box-office bombs" can earn millions of dollars in profits for the studios: they can still sell lots of toys, collectible items, clothing items, and then of course: the DVD or Blu-Ray disc which inevitably comes out and sells more than anyone thought it would.

So - I can see why there are so many people who dream about getting into movies. But I sure do weep for the morality and collective conscience of our nation if the people who star in these things are any representation of where our nation is headed. Women are objectified, sex outside of marriage is seen as the norm, young people are shown as wiser than adults, rebellion is something to be revered, the list goes on. But we don't sit and watch movies with our critical discernment turned on, because the very nature enjoying a movie is that we "suspend disbelief."

I just don't like that we also tend to "suspend our moral standards" as we do so.

God help us.

"Soused to the gills"

Hammered-head shark dies

By ANNIE KARNI
"A Serbian man reportedly has become a hero in Egypt -- by accidentally killing a shark with his butt while drunk.

Dragan Stevic was soused to the gills while partying at the Red Sea resort Sharm El Sheikh when he inadvertently felled the beast that had been terrorizing tourists for weeks.

Stevic cannonballed into the water from a high-diving board, according to a Macedonian news agency.

Instead of making a splash, he came down right on the shark's head, killing the toothed terror instantly.

The fun-loving party boy was immediately touted as a local hero who saved tourist season, which had dried up after the shark had injured three people and killed one vacationer.

Stevic swam to shore and is currently in the hospital recovering from alcohol poisoning."

The article above brought a smile to my face, as I tried to imagine a more unlikely 'hero.'

I find it amazing that God can truly make anything - ANYTHING - work for good in our lives. Even raw unmitigated stupidity.

Guess I need to trust Him more.

The Truth

John 18:36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate."

Jesus said that He came into the world to testify to the truth. And even though Pilate doesn't seem to know what truth is, I do. And you do too, if you read the word at all. The Bible contains the truth - but sometimes it is hard to swallow. For example, the reason God sent Jesus into the world? Because we need a savior. Why do we need a savior? Because "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Which means, in other words - if God had NOT sent Jesus, we all would be doomed. That's the truth. Not that we deserve it, not that we were his special one, or that we were so close to being perfect that we needed just a little help ... no. We were and are corrupt, ruined, damaged, separated from God and destined for eternity in Hell. And were it not for what Jesus did on the cross for us, that's exactly what we would be headed for, still.

And THAT, my friend, is the truth.

Tuesday

Well dear reader - I want to thank you for showing up here again. I try to post things that might be of interest, things which challenge me to grow - and I hope might also challenge you in much the same way. But you just never know what is strictly for me, and what is strictly for you.

So - today it's all about Sheep.

I was just reading Revelation 5, where there is a scroll with seven seals. That means it was sealed by God, because 7 is God's number, so to speak.

But who would be worthy to come forward and break the seals and open the scroll? Sure, there is a lot of imagery here, we are reading a careful description of heavenly things put down as well as a man can do so. But of course, overseen by the Holy Spirit.

Who comes forth to break the seal? Who is worthy? A lamb.

I have been in arguments with other Biblical Students (and teachers) over whether or not this Lamb was a four-legged lamb, or a representation of Jesus Christ. The conclusion I come to is that if John had seen a man he would have written something else, like "Lamb of God," or "Son of Man," or "Son of God," or "THE Lamb," etc. He wrote "a lamb."

And then he goes on to say, "looking as if it had been slain," which tells us that even though it was a lamb, it was also The Lamb. That would be Jesus - the one who died for you and I.

The only one who was worthy to do so - is now the only one who is worthy to do this.

God has such detailed plans - and yet we fear. We doubt. We forget that even the tough parts of our lives work in perfect harmony with God's plan for us - because I doubt that any of us would volunteer to leave God's side, descend to Earth, and then to die in pain and agony. And even fewer of us would volunteer to do that for a bunch of people who had a proven track record of turning their backs on you.

Through Christ, who strengthens me

I get to take an eleven-hundred pound spa up four flights of stairs today. And it's taking place down in Malibu. I will have a good strong helper going with me, and the contractor for the customer will provide four or five strong men to give us a hand.

The most important thing, however, is that we will also have a crane on hand. Unfortunately, the crane cannot reach the final landing on the stairs, so we will have him set the tub as far back as he can safely reach, and then we will go up the last part with manpower.

I can think of all sorts of reasons that this is like our spiritual life - but I'll let you run your mind on this one.

My source of strength

If the world can get me to take my eyes off of God, then it has me right where it wants me.

Brand-name logo on God's child?

3 John 1: 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."

I have seen too many young people imitating what is evil - and unfortunately, some of those observations began decades ago, so those people are really no longer young. What am I saying? There are powerful forces at work in the world to draw us away from purity, righteousness, honesty, grace and the humility that honors God. And those powers are nothing new, so people around me of all ages tend to display this amazing power to be like the rich, powerful, famous or even just the popular. And according to the verse we just read, that is not good.

I'm going to think about this one as I hit the ground running today - join me?

This is love

2 John 1: "4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."

SO - if we walk in obedience to His commands, we exhibit love. Seems to me that is going to weld together a strong church, a strong body of believers. So why, then, do we have so many divisions and factions?

Good question.

Weeper

I preached at our church yesterday. It didn't go as well as I had hoped, but I think I was obedient. That's not code for "I did the best I could," at least not in this case, because I really felt that I was supposed to do several things differently than we normally do them, and I did exactly what I felt I was supposed to do.

It just made things, well, different.

First off, I got the message that I was to tell the church that God loved them. Sounds so easy, right? I mean here, let me do it right now:"God loves you."

How hard was that? But from the moment I stood up to walk over to the pulpit, I was overwhelmed with God's love for the church - yes, your church, and this local church and this motley crew of individuals whom God wants to weld together into a powerful tool against the darkness which reigns in our communities. I got just a sliver, a tiny sliver at that, and it almost felt like a physical impact. I should have seen it coming: it happened first at around three in the morning when I was first hit by the idea to add that to the opening of my sermon. Sounded so easy - "be sure to tell them

THIS"

And a four-ton container of solid love-tronium landed on my chest.

So - the church was treated to a very different opening for their Sunday sermon: the speaker stood there and wept for a few minutes. I'm going to go get the digital recording later today - and most likely burn it - but I'll time it. It seemed like it took me about two weeks to actually get my first coherent word out... we'll see.

Other than that - I enjoyed the experience. What do I mean? I mean that I am one of those preachers who has to be hit by a message or I won't preach a message. If it doesn't move me first, I 'm not going to bother bringing it. So - I enjoyed hearing that, even though the enemy lies to us, we not only have the tools to know the truth, we have a powerful advocate who stands before the Father, interceding for us.

That, my friends, is cool.
Very cool.

Sacrifice

Ezekiel 45:18 “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In the first month on the first day you are to take a young bull without defect and purify the sanctuary. 19 The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the upper ledge of the altar and on the gateposts of the inner court."

Sacrifice. We have a different understanding of the word today than the Jews did in the times of the Old Testament. Back then, it meant to give something to God. And not just anything - they had to be sure that whatever they were sacrificing to God was perfect. Even if it was grain, it had to be from the first harvest. But it had to cost them something - David once said he would not sacrifice that which cost him nothing (1 Chronicles 21:24).

Nowadays, it is a word which indicates something that costs us more than we are willing to pay, or a price that is lower than we are willing to take for an item: "all cars will be sold at sacrifice prices," or "I will do this for you, but understand it is a real sacrifice for me..."

So where, along the way, did a standard of everyday behavior become such an exception to the rule? I guess about the same time we began to think of God as owing us. But if there is any doubt about who owes whom, think of the one sacrifice which ended all other sacrifices: Jesus' death on the cross. Hebrews 9:14 says, "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"

One sacrifice which forever changed the world, the Kingdom of God, and our lives. I'll take that. And thanks for it, Father.

Wholesome thinking

2 Peter 3:1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. "

This little tidbit of truth from the opening remarks of the book of 2 Peter could so easily be overlooked - but it is truth, and truth has the power to change. I was thinking about the passage in Revelation where John records the words of Jesus as He warns the church that they had left their "first love." (Revelation 2:4 - the church of Ephesus)

So - if we had to form a graph somehow, showing the level of wholesome thinking in our life - would the trend be up, down, or flat?

Hmm. OK God - I get it.

The valley

Ezekiel 37
The Valley of Dry Bones

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath [a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "

I like to call this "the valley of hope," because the message to me is: even when ALL hope has literally dried up and gone, God can bring new life.

I don't care what our situation is, how hopeless it seems to us, God can not only call together the bones, but put tendons, muscle, and then breathe HIS life into it. How useful would it have been if God had simply called forth an army of old, dead men? He breathed HIS life into them because that's how God rolls.

Sermon prep 101

Prep for next week's sermon begins in earnest today. Funny how that sounds so normal and correct, yet in reality I am one of those people who sees almost everything that happens to me as a potential sermon point.

I don't preach that often any more - let's put that in perspective: I have done a handful of Wednesday night Bible Studies and two Sunday Sermons in the past twenty years - so as I say, I don't preach often.

Which means that I have many years of sermon points saved up, and the big job ahead of me is to hear from God which one, two, or at the most: three He wants me to use this week. And it gets better: I have already seen a list of the things which are to be included into next Sunday's schedule, and I will be lucky to have about thirty minutes at most. At most!

So - I feel more like an editor than a student at this point. But you want to hear the biggest challenge?

I am asking God that I say exactly what He wants our church to hear - and that may have nothing whatsoever to do with my huge stack of stuff. God tends to speak to the exact issues of the exact time and place of the exact person who is willing to be a listener. So I have to hear from Him this week as I study, and be ready to throw aside all the things I want to say to the church so I can say what HE wants me to.

How hard could that be?

New weapons of warfare

I read a fascinating article yesterday. It was all about a computer virus which is now coming to light - but don't worry, this one is not going to offer any threat to you or your computer. It was aimed directly at Iran - specifically Iran's nuclear industry. And it worked: over a period of time thousands of machines were ruined. Not computers, but machines which helped to make enriched plutonium and/or other heavy metals and elements of nuclear bomb production. And the computers which controlled these thousands of machines were sealed: they were isolated and NOT connected to the Internet in any way.

So how did the virus get into these 'safe' systems? It first went into the computers of people who worked at the plants. One by one people - yes, individual people - were targeted and their computers were infected. Then, one or more of them brought home some work, or transferred one file or document to and/or from their personal computers, and that was the way in for this devious virus. Once 'in,' it had enough smarts to go to the control systems, AND erase it's trail so nobody knows (and that is still true) exactly HOW it got in. That way, they can't protect against further intrusion, so it will be possible for this type of attack to be used in the future.

In fact, this type of virus could very easily be in place in the nuclear industry in any number of other countries right now - waiting and watching for the way into the very core.

If you are interested in all the gory details, here is a link to the entire article. It's long and detailed, but it paints a picture of mass destruction from a very elegant little virus. The article was written by Ed Barnes, published November 26th, 2010 by FoxNews.com, under the title: "Mystery Surrounds Cyber Missile That Crippled Iran's Nuclear Weapons Ambitions" I give you all of that information because I don't know how long the link will be useful, and you can search for it later. Or ask me to send you a copy via email.

What's the big deal with this? Well, the systems which were attacked were very specific, and the way the virus got in was totally unorthodox in computer virus technology. It never would have made it 'in' if it hadn't been escorted in by people who never knew they were even being used to do so.

Just like the church - people bring in all manner of things which can cripple and even stop the work. Complaining, gossip, anger, territorial wars, tradition, comfort, personal peace and affluence - all these and many more things which well-meaning people unknowingly bring into the church can go straight to the very heart of ministries and stop them cold.

I pray that I am not one of those people! I am just as vulnerable as you. Lord Jesus! Help us to keep this from happening.

Can we stop long enough to actually give thanks?

There are few holidays on the US calender which create more controversy than Thanksgiving. Was it a celebration of the whites over the Native Americans, as many Hollywood stars would have us think? Was it begun at Plymouth Plantation (Plymouth Mass in 1612)as the new settlers abandoned collectivism and discovered the motivational power of simple capitalistic rewards for your own hard work? They recorded their thanks to God for the provision He brought, but so many today want to point out we may not have survived without the aid of the Native Americans

Much later in our history (1863) President Lincoln offered a proclamation which is, by some, considered to be the establishment of the day as a national holiday - perhaps not officially a government-sponsored holiday yet, but one celebrated by the entire nation nonetheless. He said this: "I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

FDR declared the day a National Holiday on December 26, 1941. He also moved it away from the very last day of November so that retail sales could get a boost around Christmas. Yes - the date of the holiday was adjusted to boost the Commercialization of Christmas.

OK - so enough history. What do YOU plan on doing today? Please - be sure it includes at least a few moments of reflection upon the goodness and providence of God. He truly deserves our thanks. Today, and every day.

Praise God in a down economy? You kidding?

1 Peter 1

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

OK OK - so I have a problem. I'm normal. You in the black chair - stop laughing. I AM!

I, just like you, have a tendency to feel that I need to be making money, paying my bills, getting ahead, saving for retirement, keeping my cars well maintained, recycling, eating healthy, exercising, losing weight and all that. But God seems to think that this 'salvation of your souls' is somehow of greater worth than all that other stuff. So, He orchestrates our lives for the more valuable things. The things HE considers more valuable, that is. Because He loves us.

Go figure.

What would be the point?

Ezekiel 20
Rebellious Israel

20:1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me.

2 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.’

4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the LORD your God.” 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”

Funny - I was JUST thinking about how worthless some of the things are in my life. I have a warehouse full of stuff. I'm going to take a hard look at selling it all off and getting back to the basics. But of course, keeping things simple is nothing worth crowing about if I don't then offer myself to the Lord and say, "OK Lord, I have let go of the anchors in my life, now what shall we do together?"

The best-laid plans of mice

Boasting About Tomorrow

James 4:13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Interesting how often we - in our "Entitlement" society - get upset when our plans fall through.

Interesting.

Why didn't you warn me?

Ezekiel 12
The Exile Symbolized

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

3 “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4 During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. 5 While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. 6 Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

7 So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

8 In the morning the word of the LORD came to me: 9 “Son of man, did not that rebellious house of Israel ask you, ‘What are you doing?’

10 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel who are there.’ 11 Say to them, ‘I am a sign to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives."

God seems to go out of His way to let the people know what is about to happen to them. Think about that. God gets a bad rap for 'being cruel' and/or other negative things, when in fact there were clearly laid-out warnings and always a way of redemption provided.

James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Growth -

Wow =- it's Wednesday already. What happened to Tuesday. Forget Tuesday, what happened to the last twenty years of my life!

I was just taking stock of my life. I obviously must not do that very often. I have been in meetings where the speaker said, "think of where you were five years ago. Have you grown? Think of where you want to be five years from now. What are you doing to get there?"

I felt like I needed to change. But I don't know if I did. Sure, I make changes in my business - I hire new people, fire others, lay off folks as business demands, try new suppliers, new shippers, even try selling different brands of goods. But overall, I'm still in the same business.

Do we do the same with our Christian walk? Do we make small changes here and there, like putting a new band-aid on a missing limb or something?

There are small changes which can make huge differences, but there are also small changes which only make us feel as if we are advancing, growing, when we really are not. Hmm. I may have a sermon here.

I'll let you know.

The meeting

We had our "Annual Business Meeting" at church yesterday. We had lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers, grilled on the patio. That tends to send the smell of cooking food into the church near the end of the service and encourages folks to come out, have lunch and stay for the biz meeting. It worked: we had a good crowd at lunch, good food I might add, and then a good crowd of folks for the meeting.

I was nominated for a second term as a board member. I have lost track of how many three-year terms I have served, but it's up around five or six now. A friend came to console me, saying they tried to vote me out but were sad to hear I had been elected to "another three year sentence."

Well, let's see what the year has in store for us - God cares about us all, and He cares out the church more than we do. So as we continue our search for the right pastor, we trust in Him to guide.

There you have it.

Hard work

I'm not afraid of hard work. I'm not afraid of werewolves either - but that doesn't mean I want to go out of my way to have either of them in my life.

We have not been selling as many hot tubs as we normally do - this should come as no surprise given our economy - yet God is faithful and we have begun to make a little money again. We are doing it by working harder. It's the pits! But it had to happen sooner or later.

We have sold more replacement covers, filters, supplies, repairs, and other small-ticket items recently. Those items make us far less money per sale, and take more work per sale, but with enough of them taking place - well we can make ends meet.

So now what? We were convinced that our business was at the end. Now, we are not so sure. God! What we need here is a little direction, please. Oh, and thanks for the sales you ARE bringing in, please don't stop. OK?

Dead end

Hebrews 9: 15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

The book of Hebrews tells us that there were ways to rid us of sins under the Old Testament, but that Christ brought a new way. Christ bypassed the trappings of the old method, with animal blood being spilled as a way to pay for sins, and applied a new way. He paid with HIS blood, which was about as superior a payment as anything could be. It covers us. COVERS us - as in - we no longer have to repeat the sacrifice, nor do we have to live in fear that our sins separate us from the love of God.

The old ways were a dead end - they went 'so far' and no farther. They were a shadow, a cheap copy, an imitation of the real thing. Christ Jesus is that real thing.

Thousands of years of prophesy and tradition have pointed us to the one Lamb which, when slain, paid the price for the sin of the world.

I like that.

Problem

I had to make a tough choice last night. It has been cold, and that combined with windy conditions a few days out of last week seem to have trigger some sort of reaction with my asthma. I do not generally have trouble with it, I don't have a lot of allergies - really just one or two - and for the most part I can totally live as if I was not an asthmatic. But last night it kicked in with a vengeance. And that's where the choice came in.

I could lay there not able to breath easily - which slowly makes all the muscles sore, and keeps me from sleeping - or I could get up and puff on an inhaler. I sometimes clear up just by getting up and sitting up - sometimes I grab a blanket and go sit in my recliner until I clear up and doze off. Other times just sitting at my computer for an hour will do the trick as I cough and hack and finally everything clears out.

But last night none of it worked. So I toked on the inhaler. Once didn't seem to do it. Twice didn't seem to do it. By the time I was on my third inhalation, I began to get some relief and was pretty happy to put the thing down and climb back into bed breathing freely.

One problem -

The inhaler contains some sort of stimulant. It's about like two cups of coffee. So I got to lay there - breathing freely - and stare at the ceiling until I got up just awhile ago.

Interesting choices come in all colors, shapes, sizes, and types. The trouble with life choices is that we often don't see the results of our decision until much later. And often, it is too late to do anything about it. Aren't you glad that God is outside of time, and has a plan for your life?

COLD cold cold...

Well, we here in Southern California are sometimes weather wimps. We have such a nice even temperature all year around, that when the occasional hot spell or cold spell hits us we don't know what to do.

I did some plumbing repairs on our house about four months ago, and it involved shutting down all our gas appliances while I moved a couple of pipes. Since then, I haven't bothered to re-light the pilot in our furnace. Didn't need it - till this morning.

OK - so I should make a spiritual tie-in, right?

I'll let you, kind reader, do that one today. Ask God, "in what part of my life do I tend to enjoy comfort and ease?"

But be careful: the spiritual weather may change on us.

On the road

I'll be on the road all day today- I have to run down to Vista, CA, to pick up a few spas and some covers. Not a real big load, but enough to pay some bills.

I'll be on the road extra early, so no blog today - unless I come home with any energy whatsoever and try to put one together Tuesday afternoon or early evening. We'll see!

Thanks for reading -

Who do you spur?

It is so much easier to do what I need to do each day when I am surrounded by support. You know, people who ask things like - "you want to go walking this morning," or "should I make some of that 'zero point soup' we like so much?

I don't have time for much of a blog this morning, my wife and I are about to go take a walk. I was unable to walk most of last week thanks to some physical problems, but I'm going to push through it today and see how it goes. I only lost a half a pound last week, so I'm motivated.

Hebrews 10:24 (New International Version)

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

Demand

Psalms 8:4 -(the Message)
3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
Why take a second look our way?

(New International Version)
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[a]

The car in the picture is a Morgan. Morgans have been built by raving sports car enthusiasts since around 1900. That's over a hundred years, and that places them squarely at the top of the pile when you compare any automaker's number of years of continuous operation. I love Morgans. They are a very interesting blend of old and new - I'm talking now about the new cars - they have kept the very important things that make them what they are. Iconic styling cues such as the slab-sided sweeping front fenders and other things have been there from the earliest models and you can still find echoes of those very same things designed into the latest models. So what's the point?

Things like this endure for a reason - because people continue to value them. That creates a Demand for the product. As long as that demand is there, the company will continue to produce and sell them. For big prices. And it doesn't take millions of people, as there is for most production-line automobiles produced around the world today - but for every Morgan that shows up for sale, there seem to be a line of buyers waiting to bid.

And these cars do exact a price from their owners which goes beyond just the purchase price - the older ones have wooden frames, spoke wheels, aluminum bodywork, and many other designs features which dictate special care and maintenance. And if you want to restore one of these, you can get parts, but be prepared to pay a lot. Yet people do restore them, people do own them, people do take them around to car shows, and people do drive them. And in the case of the newest models, they are amazingly expensive, take a month to hand-build, yet there is a waiting list of people anxious to buy. I owned a very similar British open-top sports car when I was young. I completely restored it from the ground up, painted it red, had to do some form of repair or maintenance almost every weekend - yet I loved the car, and loved every minute behind the wheel.

Again - it's because people value these things. Not everyone - but enough people do. What brought this to the front of my thinking today is this - a challenge that seems to be pounding in my little Chas-brain:

"What do I value?"

I don't have the cash nor the time to own a Morgan of any vintage. Yet I do have some things which take money and time. And I continue to own those things. Why? I value them. I have friends and relatives who say I should get rid of them, some even offer to help me take them to the dump, or to a donation station, or load them into the nearest dumpster. But they simply don't value them as I do, so they do not understand.

Sort of like God loving us. Why? What is so special about us? We need so much, cost so much, take all kinds of special storage, tons of high maintenance, and we so often act as if we deserve all the attention God lavishes upon us. But the only reason I can see for God to do all that He has done, including sending His Son to die for us, is that

He values us.

On paper

I am working with the leadership of our church to select a new pastor. Our church is above average in size, and has a good reputation in our denomination, so we have no shortage of people applying for the job. Our former pastor has moved up to a leadership position in our denominations Southern California District office, and is still very well thought-of in the entire So Cal area, and he's also well connected. He has input on the people who we are considering, and that is interesting, because some of these people look bad on paper. Others look good on paper, but after meeting them we just don't seem to 'click.'

What is it about people that makes it so hard to contain their essence on paper accurately? What would I write about myself? You? And the big question: do we see ourselves as God see us?

Wow - considering I'm still working on my second cup of coffee for the morning, that's deep!

1 Samuel 16:6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

The Son

I was just reading the first chapter of Hebrews, where it says that Jesus is superior to all the angels. And that "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."

This should challenge us to want to know more about Jesus. I have studied the life and times of Jesus countless times. I know the proposed date of his birth, the proposed date he dies, the way he lived and the way he died. I know the lineage of Jesus' family tree, I know the promise of his return, I know that his message while here on earth was, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."

But do I know Jesus personally as well as I could/should?

I'm challenged.

The government

Romans 13
Submission to Governing Authorities
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

It would be easy to obey this clear command if we always agreed with everything our government did. But we don't. If you are a liberal, you most likely blame everything on the conservatives, and vice-versa. We are free to complain, and boy is there a lot of complaining going on right now.

I fear for our nation regarding the polarization we see: people who have never had any concern about 'politics' are now standing up and condemning those whose ideologies oppose theirs. We are splitting apart as a nation, and I see it in the marketplace daily. It is on the radio, in the Internet news, everywhere.

Lord - let us focus on one thing which has the power to bring us together as a nation. Yes Lord, I mean YOU.

A day in the life of a Chas

It's warm in Ventura. That's not something I usually get to say, since we enjoy a wonderful climate all year around, but almost every October it does get a bit warm. We made it through most of the month without any warm weather this year, and here it is, the second day of NOVEMBER, and it's hot outside. Oh brother.

So what to do? Well, I have to go to Thousand Oaks, one of the warmest parts of the county today. Then to the mall to exchange my brand new iPhone which our sound man fried for me, then I get to go home and mow the lawns. Outside. In the heat.

Simple - to the point. There you go!

The pain...

Hope and I "woke up" this morning and we realized that there is a certain mount of truth to the rumor that 'getting old is not for wimps.'

We were involved in a large event at our church last night, but of course, that involved days and days of work in advance. Lots of planning meetings, shopping, moving and loading equipment, and so much more mind-numbing detail that I won't bore you with it.

The event was a success - close to a thousand people showed up - but we are trashed.

So - here is a short teaching from the Book of Titus, Chapter 2:

What Must Be Taught to Various Groups

1You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Happy?

Why is it that we say, "Happy Halloween," yet we post images of the most UNhappy things I have ever seen? Severed appendages, limbs, zombies with brains and intestines hanging out, demons and imps from Hell. Yeah, THAT's happy.

OK - you in the front two rows - let's get out there and raise our voices. Let's take this holiday back.

Charge

2 Timothy 4

1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

This call was specific to Timothy.


Or was it?

The potter

Jeremiah 18

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. "


I have so often thanked God for the growth and development in my life. I have very rough social skills, to say the least. My Mom was a 'difficult' person, and I was close to eighteen years old before I realized that I was becoming one too. In fact I had pretty much turned away every friend I had at that point.

But with the lessons learned from the word of God, and the example set before me by Jesus Christ, I turned that around and began to enjoy having friends and even relatives who seemed to enjoy having me around. It was an amazing transformation - but it came with a perilous cost:

I have to keep in mind - daily - that if I let any part of my old nature creep in I can quite easily become that person I used to be, and I would most definitely die alone.

So I get up every day, and pray first for myself. Does that sound selfish? Not when you understand that I pray, "Once again Lord, let Charles die and Christ Jesus live in his place. Heavenly Potter, mold me into your shape once again." Only then can I begin to see those around me through His eyes, and immediately begin to pray for them, serve them, even care about them.

Soldier on

2 Peter 2:3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.

Amazingly, just as I began to blog this, my wife came over and began talking to me about a potential sale we are working on. It is down in Malibu, and in my experience, the farther a sale is away from our shop the smaller the chance is that we will retain any profit on it. There are a combination of things at work here:

Spas which are far away always seem to fail more, so more long trips are needed to do warranty work after the sale.
Tradesmen who we rely upon to do electrical or concrete work will not go to these jobs, so we have to depend upon new people, or the customer's buddies.
People who have shopped our store from far away are generally trying to get a real low price, and will do amazing things to get it.
People who demand a low price always demand an extra high level of service, and
Those same people also expect us to include expensive items at no additional cost.

So what am I saying - only this: in one split second, my mind jumped from a study of God's word to all of the above, just because Hope came over and showed me an email from a customer while I was trying to blog.

Oh how easily my mind can get OFF of things above! OK - I'm back. But, of course, I now have eaten up my time and have to get out there and walk, then all the normal cleanup stuff - to make myself presentable to the world.

So - how does this tie in to the verse above? I need to set aside the things that so easily side-track me when it comes time to do the work of the Kingdom. Fear, pressures from business, money in general, material possessions, success and failure from man's perspective.

I'll let you know when I get there!!

Man of few words

Out walking this morning, breathing hard, listening to a sermon, trying to hear from God.
I guess I had better take Him into my day!
Let's do that!!

2Timothy 1:7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Slog Blog

Sometimes I have these amazing moments early in the morning when I open God's word and stuff just jumps off the page. Not so much today. I read Jeremiah 9, 10 and 11. It has a bunch of doom and gloom, but it does have this cool passage:

23 This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

24 but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

That's a promise that even when things are bleak, even when God himself allows our lives to swallow us up, He will still exercise kindness, justice and righteousness. No, it doesn't say that He will immediately rescue us, but He will be with us, and ultimately His ways will win out.

Good enough!

It has been a tough road

Well, it's been a while since I have blogged. I have posted dozens of pictures on FaceBook, and put very vulnerable updates in which I bared my soul. I have tried to do what I think pleases God in these other ways, but for some reason He has called me back to blog. I have no idea if this is for anybody's good besides my own, but I'm going to do it anyway. There's nothing wrong with responding to God - even if I AM the only one who get's anything out of it. If I draw closer to God, those people around me will eventually get some of the overflow no matter what.

So - here I am. Sitting at the computer. For those of you who care, I'm a bit sweaty - I just returned from a one mile walk. I pushed it, but I didn't time it, so I don't know what pace I held, but I am so out of shape that it was hard work to keep any kind of pace at all. It is amazing how fast time can slip by when you stop working out or exercising. I have a friend who goes to the gym all the time. I was going to say 'every day,' but I think he has a pattern which involves some days off. It's part of a good regimen to have some breaks, of course, so you don't exhaust or damage your muscles, but even he has noted that if he skips more than a few DAYS it is noticeably harder once he gets back to his program.

And any of us can vouch that it takes about three weeks - roughly - to get a new habit in place. But for me, at least, it only takes about three days to lose it.

And gain weight? Yes I have. I have a plan: I want to get back on my program using the mobile app on my phone, logging my eating and reading all the little newsletters and other support items available from WW to get to the point that when I walk back through the door and begin again, I will be somewhat close to where I was when I last attended.

In other words, I have been so used to being held up as a 'success' by the teachers, who regularly point me out as having lost 80 pounds (even though I only got close to that amount) that I have been set up: I don't want to walk back in there and admit I have fallen off the wagon.

Ah, wretched man that I am. Ah the humanity that is me.

OK - a cup of coffee and a very low-point breakfast is waiting. Keep me accountable - let me know if you read this. Perhaps we can buddy up and help each other.

Rant

I have friends and relatives who post on Facebook, and I'm sure you do as well. It has become the most amazing thing - millions and millions of people have accounts there, and it seems that most of my friends and a whole lot of my relatives post there daily, if not hourly. I put up photos of things I am doing all the time.

But - what to do about behavior. What I mean is: what to do when I come across a picture posted by a person who I care about who posts pictures of themselves involved in self-destructive behavior? You know - them in a drunken stupor, or at a drinking party, or a drug party, or holding a joint, needle, spoon, coke line or other drug-related paraphernalia? I'm not talking about them at a work meeting at a bar, where everyone has a drink in front of them - I'm talking about a constant flow of pictures with behavior which has been proven to destroy lives when practiced with regularity. Yes, it breaks my heart, and I suppose I should stop and pray on the spot. Most of the time I do. But it is getting to be the standard, not the exception. I guess I should never assume that just because a person has been raised right that they will continue to live right - but how can I have input into those lives? What, if anything, can I do when I see them wandering? I want to love them back to righteousness - not condemn or belittle them. I want to say, "I know! This stuff IS inviting, and when you surround yourselves with friends who live like this, it seems the right way to live. I understand! But it will kill you!"

So - are these people all becoming defiant? Rebellious? Angry? Bitter? Or is society just getting to the point where we accept any kind of behavior, and mock those who sit and try to call us to righteousness instead of those who party hardy?

I suppose the rule applies: don't post anything on Facebook which you don't want the whole world to see. How about giving it some more thought and ask - would seeing me drinking or cuddling while wearing scant clothes (or fill in the blank here) break the heart of your parents, grandparents, pastor, friend, etc. You can't 'aim' the photos so only another wild child sees them. So - shows who's opinions you value, and who's you don't.

OK - Rant off.

Limitations.

We have a cage for my dog. It's a bit oversize for her, actually, but she sleeps in it every night. It was part of the 'deal' which helped me talk my loving wife into allowing us to add this creature to our lives - "she sleeps in a cage, how much mess could she possibly make around this place?"

Yeah, right. It's funny that the dog does enjoy laying right near us at all times. I take her with me to San Diego in the truck, and she will sprawl across the rest of the bench seat, but she has to have her head on my lap or at least touching against my leg. And at home, IF we are sitting nearby, she will go lay in the cage and sigh. It's her 'den,' her little private place.

OK - so the bloom might be off the rose a little bit on the animal - but the cage sits there in the corner and it makes me think.

Do I have limitations in my life? Hard lines I have formed which I will not cross? Some of them are like the dog's cage: they are useful, positive, good healthy control and even safety. Once I even put the dog's cage into the back of the truck and she went with us to the lake, an hour drive one way. That time the cage was not a limitation, but a tool to allow more freedom. Without it, she would have had to stay home alone, something she despises.

So what limitations do I have which give me freedom - and how often do I let limitations become anchors - things which limit me, stymie me, even grieve the Spirit of God?

I think it's time to look at limitations, lines, barriers, limits in my life. God, show me the good ones and help me bolster them. Show me the ones which limit me from doing the things you have called me to do. Bust those down, turn them to rubble.

Amen.

An Advertisement for Christians...

I saw an add for "Christian Debt Services" on line the other day. I didn't go to the web site, and I can't find it again so I can't give you all the info on exactly what they offer, but I simply want to say that as I glanced over at the ad, my mind thought I was looking at an ad for "Doubt Services."

I think THAT would be far more useful to Christians, don't you think?

Lake prayer

I am headed to the lake today. Some friends and some relatives are coming along, and yes, even the dog. But we have tried to get out there three other times this summer, even going so far as to get the boat out of the warehouse, dust it off, gas it up and have it sitting in front of the house "on the hook" waiting patiently to get wet. And we even had various friends who spent the night on our various couches so they could go with us - only to not go.

What happened to keep us dry? A webcam.

Yes, the lake we go to is called "Castaic," which is apparently "Windy beyond all use" in some alien tongue. And it does get a bit windy sometimes. So much so that if we get a couple of hours on the lake from sunup to about eight we are happy. If we get to enjoy the lake till noon we count it as amazing. But it is the closest large lake to home, and when it's good, it's REAL good. So we try and try.

And the webcam? Well, they have set up a web site with an automated weather station with wind speed and direction, and a webcam - so I can get up and see the lake right from here. We can then make the decision whether or not to make the one-hour drive, or just go put the boat away. And mope. The picture above is fresh off the webcam. OK - so the sun isn't up and you can't see a thing, but I have sandwiches to make and iceboxes to pack, so check back here later if you want to see how it turns out.

Today? Looks good. Funny - I was just thinking the other day that I have asked God for a webcam into my future. I have never used those exact words until right now, but that's pretty much what I want when I ask Him for help in deciding my future plans. I say, "Which way should I go here, Father?"

But I may very well only be offering two choices -

So - today I take the Spiritual Webcam offline. Lord - I'll go where you tell me. No, I'm not going to offer you two or three choices of things I want to do, or directions I want to go. I will open the field to all you have. Anything. Oh, and as long as I'm praying, can we have a nice day at the lake today?
Thanks Lord,

Amen.

New things. It's time.

I am sitting in my office. The phone is not ringing. People are not walking in. The place is a ghost town. Hope has sold a few spas lately, but we are still not covering expenses. I am getting more and more sure that it is time to give up. Quit. I'm not a quitter, generally. But I think it may be the time to look into something else.

Now - just so you know - at the exact instant I typed the above, the phone rang, and somebody was asking for directions. They came about three minutes later, and bought a new cover for their Hot Tub, a $425 (plus tax) sale. That's a nice bonus! But it still doesn't pay the rent. It would pay the rent on a storage facility, or smaller place, but I really do think God is trying to show us it's time. Time to move on.

Add to that the fact that I was listening to a sermon by my former pastor (Dr. Tony Cervero) and he said, "there are times we may think it's all over. But it's never over until God SAYS it's over."

So - is that what you are saying God? You started plenty of people over in the Bible. Moses - and NO I'm not trying for any comparisons here - blew it big time. He spent 40 years in the desert as a result, but God used him in a huge way.

Dear God:
I am ready to start over again, if that is your will. Direct me, free me from the things which would hold me in place, and let me know if it is truly time. I'm yours, and I trust you.

Amen.

The favor of God

We have enjoyed the favor of God, my family and I. I love that phrase, "the favor of God," because for most of us it means some certain level of comfort, money, security, and things like that. But what if God decides that He needs to help us develop character? Or that we need to drop a few possessions along the way so that we may more fully focus on Him, on others, or on a Holy lifestyle? What if we simply are bogged down by a love of money and things, or what if our security (faith) begins to be derived from our income or our bank account instead of God himself?

These are all good questions - don't you think?

Exodus 32:11
But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?

I'm back

Well - I went to Weight Watchers today for the first time in months. Months!! Wow - how could so much time pass so very quickly? Well, it did. And that's not all that happened quickly - I have gained weight.

I found a long time ago that I need a very simple recipe for losing weight: watch what I eat, and exercise daily. So simple. Yet, I slowly tapered off of watching what I was eating, and my exercise slowly dropped from little to none.

But -

I'm back. I walked this morning. Then I went and weighed in. And I am about to go over my tracking program to be sure all my favorite foods are correctly listed so I know how many points I am consuming with each and every morsel. And - I hope I'll get to post a weight loss amount next Monday, a week from today.

A tale of two charts

I have many friends. And of those many friends, I have many who are struggling with the down economy. And of those, two come to mind this morning. I pray for my own business all the time, and I have to admit that I pray less for my friends. I want to change that, so I'm going to take some steps to put together a list, or program reminders onto my phone or something like that. I have done this in the past successfully, but one by one all the systems expired or got set aside.

It's amazing to me to watch trends. I am on a weight-loss odyssey, and keeping a chart of my weight shows me if I am trending up, or down. Down is better. I keep a chart of my walking, and it shows at a glance if I am walking more, less, or a good faithful amount, and how often. Those two charts have an amazing ability to coincide with each other. A mathematician would say they have an "inverse or negative relationship."

As I walk less, I lose less weight. Technically, a chart (I have one, which will not be posted here at this time...) would show my walking graph descending, and my weight graph ascending.

Funny how I can so clearly see the relationship, and yet there are days, even weeks when I just can't conjure up the strength of will to do what needs to be done to reverse the trend.

Same with prayer and spiritual growth.

Deep emotion vs. depression

I had an epiphany last night. The setting: Hope invited me to watch a movie together, and we don't do that often these days, so I gladly said yes. That means that we chose one title from the over 300 DVD we have on the shelf, and when Hope chooses the title, we generally end up watching a 'chick flick.' OK - so be it. She chose the tear-jerking winner of the century, "PS I Love You."

I had not seen this flick in a year or so - call me lucky guys - so I let myself get into it. And sure enough, it began to move my emotions. I was saddened - and to distract me, I began to look around the room. There on the shelf were the cremated remains of my parents. Hmm. I might have chosen a happier thing to dwell upon, but just at that point in the movie they present the Urn containing the cremains of one of the lead characters. It was fashioned after his guitar case, and it shows up in scene after scene from that point on in the movie. And it dawned on me that I still have my mom's remains sitting in a plastic container from the cremation people. Sort of a brown Tupperware box as it were. I have a nice wooden box for Dad - he worked with wood all his life and I think he would like the fact that it looks like a book sitting on the shelf - but I have wanted to get a matching unit for mom.

So picture the scene - if I look at the movie and tune in to it, I get sad. If I look around the room, I get sad. If I try to lighten the mood by making jokes or funny little statements about anything at all, Hope gives me one of those big sighs which also tends to create a certain type of sadness in me. So to busy my mind in a happier place, I pull out my iPhone and start checking my Ebay items. And what is the first thing I go to look at? Cremation urns. I had to search under several headings, but I finally found a matching box for Mom. Wow - I was getting deep now.

I was so utterly down at that point! And that is the point at which I had the epiphany: emotions can provide us with a rich, deep pallet of color upon which God can have a free hand to paint pain, sorrow, joy, regret, more joy, remembrance, but they do not have to be the backdrop to despair or depression. I can enjoy a sad movie or a deep emotional trip down memory lane and not have it be the open door to depression. God can use every one of our emotions, even anger I'm sure, and if we allow Him to sanctify it, we can watch as He uses it for our good - and perhaps the good of the people around us! Go God!

I was lifted - but the odd thing is: I never left the deep emotional place I was in. Its not as if joy suddenly sprang eternal in my soul. I just had a warm, deep, God moment sitting there in our family room with my wife by my side and the dog at my feet.

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm.

I am on a trip. Reading trip. Through the Bible in a year - using a plan from the good folks at:

BibleGateway.com

I have been reading in the book of Job for some time now, and it can be agonizing to read the interactions between Job and his 'friends.'

But it really gets rolling when God begins to speak. Wow - I love the imagery that is used. God basically leaves no room for response - His opening question would silence most of us: ""Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?"

We have all had to use versions of this approach in our conversations with each other, but of course, we have to soften it a bit if we expect the conversation to continue... God gets to lay it out cold like that. And if God came along and asked that question, directed at you or me, what would be our response?

God has a history of not pulling punches. Even when the communication is non-verbal. For example, think of what God was saying when He sent Jesus to die on the cross. It can be boiled down to this:
"You are cut off from me because of your sins. But I want you badly enough that I will pay the biggest price ever paid to bring you back to me."

So many people tune out at any suggestion that they are less than perfect, and here is God, basically typing in all caps, that we are sinners. Wow - what an old-fashioned word that is. But it's power cannot be denied: we are dead without God. Lifeless. Cut off. Separated, useless, worthless to all but Him. And yet the value He places in us drove Him to offer a sacrifice which none of us could ever come close to offering.

Thanks Father God, for caring, loving, and buying us back.

Milk vs. Meat

ACTS 15
"23b To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell."

There is a distinct difference between the Old Testament and the New - and it is very well illustrated by this passage, among others.

Here we see the reaction that Gentiles have when they are asked to become Jewish: to make their religion an all-encompassing lifestyle, rather than just a part of their life. And they panic.

If you look at the teachings which the elders sent to this church, they are not that demanding: don't eat certain food items, don't eat blood, and avoid sexual immorality. I would propose that this would be a MAJOR change for a lot of people today: even a lot of elected officials...

Just thinking...

Wow - it's a gray day on the coast! I looked out this morning, I even let the dog out and watched as she stepped around puddles, but I didn't really realize that it had actually rained a little until I saw a post about it on Facebook.

Makes me think - where do I get my information about the world around me? There are two worlds I live in: the physical, which is falling apart I'm afraid. But I also live in the spiritual: connected to God by a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I guess I had better be sure which one has pre-eminence. If I am sad because my business is doing so poorly, but not bothered by the people around me who have no hope for eternity, I may be letting the wrong world be my focus.

Makes me think...

Wow

Acts 13:44On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
" 'I have made you[f] a light for the Gentiles,
that you[g] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'[h]"

48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

I have nothing to add to this. Lord - don't let me become cast aside: do not let me reject your message. I know I can do that by my life, even if my words differ from my actions. Amen.

New things

Acts 11
Peter Explains His Actions

1The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."

I posted a blog about this situation the other day, but in my daily reading I came back to the same narrative, or actually the followup narrative wherein Peter explains himself.

I find it most interesting that Peter even HAD to explain himself - but he did, and he did a good job of it: the men who began by criticizing him ended up convinced that God was doing a new thing.

How often do we look at something that God is doing in our life, our society, or even our church and begin by criticizing? We may even have some reason to do so - but God is about new things. You and I were made new when we set Christ as Lord in our lives - you would think we would be more geared up for new things.

Well - grow in God, and watch for Him to do new things around you -
And IN you.