Can You Hear Me Now.....

Can You Hear Me Now…..

How many of you have been monitoring all the different phone options that have been introduced since Black Thursday. Where there any great deals on Cyber Monday? Between the specific phone carrier flyers and phone ads within store flyers there were plenty of options to choose from. It seems there are a few basic things to consider before one purchases a new phone plan. 

So which phone carrier do you use? Seems like we have a choice between the big four, right. Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T Mobile. I assume you have made a choice based on the coverage area of each of these companies. The company you choose might also be determined by whether the coverage is 4G or 3G in your area. Oh, I almost forgot cost as a factor, we will talk about that later.  

The next thing we may consider is how long of a contract do we have to sign up for to receive the service we desire? This might depend on the services you believe you need. It seems most of the bigger companies try and bribe you with a two ye ar contract. Although the competition has now introduced a lot more pay as you go plans with no contract.

Choosing a phone might be the most difficult decision we have to make. I Phone or Smart Phone? Android or Flip Phone? Our choice of phone type might be determined by the apps we think we “need” to have? So many different colors and styles to choose from, it seems endless.

The last factor we probably consider is cost. The bribe with the two year contract usually makes us all feel good about purchasing a regularly priced $600.00 phone for 29 cents. The most expensive plan might be International coverage. Nationwide coverage would probably be the next costliest. A local coverage plan would save us even more dollars. The pay has you go plans seem the cheapest and are popular with companies like Virgin Mobile and Straight Talk. 

 

Jonah 2:7 states, " In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me." God is the ultimate Carrier. We all have lifetime contracts with God, we don’t have to renew after two years and pay more money. The phone, that’s a good one, with God’s plan all you have to do is open your mouth and talk he will listen. We already have all the features we need, and if we don’t know what to say the Holy Spirit will assist us. God’s plan is the only free plan on the market.

Some of us might feel we get a busy signal when we need to talk with God. Others of us want new phones and a two year contract believing this would help are chances of connecting with the big guy. We might even develop a specialized texting code just for God and wallah we are in. It's reassuring that in our distress we don't need a special phone, or a special phone plan or a god ordained text language. A simple plain landline will work and we will never hear a busy signal. We won't experience a dropped call either. "He" will always pick up.

“What we see in Scripture and across history is that men and women of great faith were always men and women of much prayer.” ~ Britt Merrick-Godspeed If there is one thing we could do more of in 2014 it is praying!

Christmas for You…….

This will be the first Christmas since my wife and I have been married (for 34 glorious years) that we are both unemployed. It’s kind of odd when you think about it, that presents will have no significance for us this year since we won’t be getting each other any. A Christmas tree with no presents under it, things could be much much worse. Unfortunately we have eroded the meaning of Christmas too often to, “how much was your take” Don’t you just get a kick out of watching someone’s face when they spy out a price tag someone forgot to remove, hilarious. However, just the opposite took place with the baby in the manger. Christmas for Him was about giving up His take.

We both have been praying more often and pondering many things right now, which is a great thing. We discussed the other day after a trip to a homeless shelter how easy it would be for “people like us to end up there”. What kind of Christmas do homeless people have? The Shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth didn’t win the power ball jackpot and all of sudden fall into a bunch of dough, yet they rejoiced over the mini messiah in the manger. Christmas for them was about worshipping the new born King.

Even though there is no money coming in right now for us, God has stilled blessed us enough that we have money to give away at the end of the year. This usually happens every year and brings us great joy. The three wise men (I just had to write that to make some of you upset) traveled very far and made many sacrifices not to get something, but to give something to the future King of the Universe. Christmas for them meant giving not receiving.

My granddaughter and I are forgoing finishing up the story Black Beauty for this month and concentrating instead on Christmas books which we bring out once a year with our decorations. The really good books always end up connecting to the true meaning of Christmas at the end. The reason for Christmas which most of us realize is the Christ Child.

So as I get into a conversation with the brown eyes of a three year old boring down on me in all seriousness about what grandpa can get her for Christmas she ponders this Jesus child and thinks of her little brother who is four months old. She thinks to herself “no big deal grandpa” if Jesus is just like my brother. But she knows better as we both listen to her little heart speak during prayers at lunch in amazement. Christmas for my grandchildren will someday be more meaningful and majestic as they comprehend who this little baby really is.

Are we looking forward to this time of year? Some of might not be because it just means more busyness in our already maxed out schedules. You can literally be Christmas activitied to death. Church activities, TV Christmas specials, Christmas concerts, parties with coworkers, open houses to attend, oh and don’t forget the guys shopping for our wives on Christmas Eve. Many of you just collapsed on the couch just thinking about all that activity? So how do we all catch our breath and take some serious “time” to “ponder” this thing we call Christmas? We will have to be intentional and not feel guilty about saying n-o. How do you spend some time by yourself, clear your mind, climb up into your Father’s arms and ask Him, “Why did you send your son down to earth for us?” After we ask that question, don’t say anything else, just listen for a really long time! Christmas for us should be about listening to our Father talk to us about this baby!

Please No More Simplistic Sunday Answers

You walk into church and a person greets you with the typical, “how are you doing”? Sometimes I feel like they don’t want to know how I am doing unless I give the patented Sunday morning simplistic answer, “just fine”.  The reason I believe this is the case is because most often I don’t have that patented answer, some days even on Sundays I am not fine at all. I recently replied to that question with, I am not good at all, I am really hurting today”. The person got rid of me as fast as they could, I believe they saw leprosy forming on my limbs, he’s unclean, he’s unclean. Prove my theory right or wrong this Sunday when someone asks, “how you doing”, don’t give them the Sunday morning simplistic answer.

This phenomena isn’t just a Sunday morning church peculiarity. As most of you know I am in between assignments from God right now seeking His guidance and listening for His voice. The common response from most that talk with me is, “God has something better for you”. I believe their response is sincere, but not quite Biblically sound.  It could be as someone pointed out to me that, “they just don’t know what else to say and want the best for you”, I get that, and I am very thankful. In reality God might not have anything “better” for me in mind. He promises it will be better but that guarantee is only when I go HOME to live with HIM.

I was often guilty of this simplistic Sunday morning response as well. “I will pray for you”, was a common phrase that slipped off my tongue faster than the national debt climbs.  Prayer is powerful if one does it, which often times I didn’t and at the same time Matt 25:31-46 speaks to me that more than a Christian cliché is needed. Talking with that person who is emotionally spent, physically overwhelmed with dark circles under their eyes from a lack of sleep, and spiritually as dry as a desert because their 19 year old son has just committed suicide, I am sorry, “I will pray for you just doesn’t cut it”. So how do we overcome acedia in our lives and move past being the barriers of these Sunday morning simplistic sayings?  

Can we see in our minds eye that the best solution to this problem is that we will have to invest in other people’s lives just like Jesus did. We might have come to tears because of the overwhelming need someone has in their lives, just like Christ did. We might have to reach into our pocket books and help in concrete ways, just like Christ did. Our homes might need to be used for something other than our weekly meals and TV viewing. We might actually have to start caring about others more than we care about ourselves and our own needs.  We might have to cancel our own pity party when we realize how pitiful it really is compared to someone else’s situation. Tough stuff for all of us, including me, but being engaged and ready to act is what the body of Christ should be about.  Start today by swearing off anymore Simplistic Sunday Morning Answers, Amen!

Numbness No More

The recent shooting and killings at the naval ship yard
(http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/16/20522196-gunman-kills-at-least-12-at-washington-navy-yard-gathering-weapons-along-the-way?lite) has re-energized the dialogue on gun violence. We have long talked about the effects of TV violence on children, but what about the effect on adults? (http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9523930/tv-violence-problem) Many people who oppose “Christians” voicing their negative opinions about too much violence will often times point out how violent the Bible is. Therefore, what gives us the right to speak up about such atrocities? One thing we can all say with certainty is that the acts and severity of violence has been ratcheted up beyond belief (http://www.infowars.com/11examples-of-the-escalating-crime-and-violence-that-are-plaguing-communities-across-america). In Gen. 6:11 the Bible states, “Now the earth had become corrupt in God’s sight and it was filled with violence.”  Have we become more numb to violence once again?

Jesus predicted that the end of time would be "as the days of Noah where" (Matt. 24:37-39). Though the earth will be filled with wickedness and violence, mankind will be preoccupied. Maybe this preoccupation is our way of keeping jaded about the frequency and severity of violence? We might not even want to face the definition of violence: Violence is "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence)

I don’t want to regress to being quoted as a dooms day prophet but the world we live in is not getting less violent. I can remember being in a funk for about a month after the Sandy Hook school shootings. My heart was more than sick, thinking about elementary students lying dead in pools of blood where once vibrant conversations, curiousness about the future, and the talk about possibly being the next president of the United States took place. At the same time if I let every single act of violence in the world preoccupy my every thought, I would end up in a mental institution surely contemplating suicide. Why? Because maybe most of us hate this violence so much yet we can do so little to stop what started (sin) in the garden long ago.

But God's people will not be numb to the wickedness: they will "sigh and cry over all the abominations" (Ezk. 9:4). Violence should be a stark reminder of how a lost and dying world needs a Savior. Violence should pierce our hearts and shock our minds into the reality of how diabolical Satan is. Violence should also help us realize that with every act of violence there are victims who need the lifesaving blood of Christ.

May God grant us Christ's tender heart so that the wickedness and violence of the world will never become our “new normal!" 

Never Disarmed

My father lives in CA and has an alarm system in his home.  When I go to visit him I have to disarm the system when I head out to the gym in the morning to get my work out in before he is up. The female computer generated voice actually says “disarmed.” It is a bit comical however, because my Dad tells me he can’t hear the alarm anyway. One of the benefits of maturing, is the world becomes a quieter place. 

The word “protection” just brought into your mind many different images. A policeman, a solider, a shield, McAfee software, seat belts (not so much, shame on you), locks on a door, or an alarm system. We seek protection because we feel there may be a threat to us personally. That threat could be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. We seek and want protection because we don’t want any harm to come to us or those that we love. 

We do not live in an ideal world. Friends are not as friendly as they should be. Neighbors are not as neighborly as they could be. And enemies are not as easily reconciled as we wish they would be. Bad things happen to good people and good people are not as good as we might imagine. When sin entered the world it forever set in motion the need for protection from others and from ourselves. The problem with protection in my mind is that at times it seems very elusive. How many times have we prayed for protection and God seems to be silent. Where is the hit man with his 44 magnum pointed at our enemies? 


In Psalm 27:1,7-9 the Bible says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid? Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior." I am sure we can all relate to David’s plea to our heavenly Father for protection. 

The Bible gives us mental images of God as our strong tower, our shield, our deliverer, our shelter in the time of storm(s), all powerful, our defender, and our protector. He is God, so why does it seem sometimes that He is not protecting us. It might be because we are seeking and can only comprehend a physical presence of God. Some of us have witnessed angels miraculously stepping in and helping us although this is not an everyday occurrence.  It could be we need an audible voice from God telling us He will protect us and that would give us reassurance He is there. I think it is natural in our human thinking to believe God is only protecting us if there is a physical presence we can see or hear, fortunately that is not all of the Biblical truth on this subject.

Many would feel unprotected if that was the case. It does boil down to trusting God. Do we believe that He is God and we can trust Him totally? He says he will never leave us or forsake us. He says He always has what is best for us in mind. He says in His final words before He ascends into Heaven that He will be with us always. He will never be “disarmed” for us. So even though we don’t think He is protecting us because we have languished in this pain past our threshold, or things don’t turn out the way we anticipated, in other words not a positive ending in our minds, He is there!

That does not mean that we don’t keep asking for His protection. Asking God for his protection is not a pleasantry we can take lightly but a necessity we must take seriously. When we signed on the dotted line to fight in this spiritual war 24/7 we  demanded His protection. Without it we will lose the battle, but never the war. Do not hide your face from me, Oh God, protect me from . . . .   

Abundant Grace

We have all been there, driving by or walking by someone who is in need of assistance. (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/homeless-people.html) The first questions and thoughts that often pop into our minds when our eyes meet is, “Do I give them money or not? Do I give them a gift card or not? Maybe they are just taking advantage of me. Or maybe they truly do have a “legitimate” need that I can help with.”

Our church helps serve a meal for the residents at the Churches United for the Homeless (http://www.churches-united.org)  on every 5th Sunday. I have joined them one time in preparing the meal and it was a great experience for me. At the same time I was overwhelmed by the need. It was the only time in my life that I was at a loss for words when someone asked me to pray before the meal was served. The homeless are just one group of people who need assistance in our country and the world. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States) But then I had the thought, “How many people in our own churches have physical, emotional, or spiritual needs as well?” 

The impression made on me that evening motivated my wife and I to send the organization a financial gift shortly afterwards.  However, I don’t believe I was even close to the spirit of the following verses we find in  Acts 4:33-35: "God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold  them, brought the money from the sales  and put it at the apostle's feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need." Who is “anyone in need?” I am sure most of your churches and your personal benevolent guidelines try to explain who “anyone in need” is.

Do we apply those verses in our lives?  How many people do we know who are in need? If someone we have contact with could not pay their rent, would we drain our savings to meet the need? If someone in our small group wrecked their car, would we give them ours? Would we send a check to a ministry that helps the less fortunate in our world? Would we really dare to view our things as our “neighbor’s” things as well? If we did incorporate this view it might lead to more friendships with others and especially those who are less fortunate not only physically but emotionally as well. Nelson Mandela said in his book, The Long Walk to Freedom, “There is little favorable to be said about poverty, but it was often an incubator of true friendship.” I will be the first to admit that my attitude needs an adjustment in this area. In this rich country we live in we probably don’t expose ourselves enough to those who are in need.

Do we pray to God - grant us success at work, in business, and with our money so that we can help those around us? According to Jeff Manion, “the chief inhibitor to generosity isn't greed; it’s fear. A person asks if I support a Compassion International child at $30 a month, will I have enough for me?” Let’s not be afraid to be generous. God does supply all our needs. Let’s step out in faith and overcome acedia in this area of our lives.  The next time you see a person in need step out of your comfort zone and do something you have never done before. 

Pinch an Inch

What is your BMI? No, it is not your Bahamas Mission Inventory. It is your Body Mass Index and you can calculate it here: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm If you haven’t noticed lately the number of people that are overweight in our society and in the church has increased drastically. www.medicinenet.com/obesity_weight_loss/article.htm  At the next potluck at your church try performing a simple experiment. Observe the first 10 people that go through the food line, and determine how many are overweight? Maybe we think that over eating is Biblical. Jesus ate everywhere He went when He did ministry. He also walked (exercise) everywhere He went as well. How is our exercise frequency these days?

The battle with eating too much food and the wrong types of food is real and daily. We have even created TV shows about this hot topic. I know I personally struggle in this area of my life. It takes a lot of self-discipline to first of all curb our appetites and also eat healthy foods. The question is not “Why are we overeating?” It is “Why we are using food to cope” in our lives. Being overweight is just a symptom of the real issue that lies in our hearts. 

We are all familiar with the Bible text from I Cor. 6:19-20 on this topic. http://carm.org/christianity/sermons/1-corinthians-619-20-your-body-his-temple Our bodies are created by God, it is His temple in which the Holy Spirit resides. So taking care of our bodies is a stewardship issue. We have all heard of managing our time, talents, and treasures. I always include a fourth ‘T’ (temple) in my management plan.  Psalm 139:14 says, "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." With proper self-discipline and maintenance these biological temples that God gave us may provide 80 plus years of service. So not only will we be able to serve our King longer, we will also be able to spend more years with those we love including our grand kids, which has become another positive motivator for me. 

If we neglect proper exercise and nutrition for our bodies, all that God has planned for us may elude us. This is even more of a challenge in the “go out to eat” culture we live in. Take courage, it is a daily battle of stewardship in which God wants to assist us with victory. Keep in mind no diets actually work. What we need to do to overcome acedia is change our lifestyles. We also need to show care for kids or grandkids that are in our care. One in three young people today are obese www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/nutrition/pdf/facts.pdf.  If we want to leave a healthy legacy we have to set a good example for them to follow.