Strangest Tree

No ignobleness here huh? Sequoia’s and giant redwoods need not apply. What is your opinion of this fine specimen? The religious channel would confirm that this is an example of a praying tree. The animal channel would define this as a Darwinian misanthrope. The all philosophy channel would argue that this is an Epicurean imposter without rhyme or reason. The all news channel would report that this is an egregious and blatant example of a coniferous imposter, because everyone knows that “wooden personalities” grow on television, not in the wild!

What could this humble image possibly be? Maybe it is … what it is.

When Jesus walked this dusty landscape people everywhere asked, “Who exactly does he think he is?” Jesus knew that arguing detail for detail wasn’t very productive. He tried honesty and reason and a common sense approach that befuddled the authorities, but seemed to resonate with the common man. The examples Jesus spoke of were for everyone, but for obvious reasons, the average person grasps his teaching. Catching fish and being a fisher-of-men. Sowing seed on different types of soil produces different results. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. Help those in need, be honest in business, lay up treasure in heaven.

Who was this person traveling from town to town preaching about the kingdom of God? Warning about the elite religious teachers. Driving merchants from the Temple. Healing all kinds of sickness and afflictions. Those who saw what Jesus did didn’t need to see his PhD certificate from divinity school. His credentials were those who were healed, those who were dying and revived, and those who were near death or dead and raised from the dead! They “were” in the grasp of death; Jesus restored them to health.

Sometimes a tree is just a tree. Sometimes a prophet is just a prophet. Sometimes someone sent from heaven is just that … Immanuel!

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV

Those Elusive Attachments

We form attachments to other people, things, children, stuff, and pets and let’s not forget money.  The father of American capitalism endorsed that creed. John D. Rockefeller, when asked what would make him happier, he did not hesitate to answer, “One more dollar.”  Special prompting through advertising and marketing “wizards” tempt us through magazine ads, TV ads, radio ads, mailing ads to entice us to share in their pleasures of expensive cars, designer clothing, upscale furniture, bigger carats, fancier homes and the latest plastic surgery.  The sirens are going off everywhere screaming, “Buy me, Buy me”.  Got attachments?

Our wants and needs are enormous.  It is not just property that we grasp and cling to.  We cling too precious intangibles: our self-image, our security, our peace-of-mind, our being in-charge, and our need to “be right”, being loved.  All of us want to be loved, respected, admired, the desire to be thought better than we are.  Many will not admit it, but, it is difficult to let go of shameful memories, mistreating another, a mistake, death and a slew of other topics.  What would we feel and what would it mean if we could let go of all this?  It might have to do with forgiving others and not feeling we have to be perfect all the time.  Letting go of some of the baggage or attachments, frees us. A quote by Anthony de Mello about learning to let go hits home.  “If you look carefully, you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that cause unhappiness.  The name of that thing is “Attachment”. What is an attachment?  It’s an emotional state of clinging caused by the belief that without some particular thing or person you cannot be happy.”  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Do you have attachments?

Are Dreamers Dangerous?

Who said…?

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

“My dream of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope on earth.”

“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why…I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”

“I dream my paintings, then, I paint my dreams.”

Walt Disney, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Kennedy and Vincent Van Gogh.

 

Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during sleep. Some are delightful some nightmarish. Now a daydream is a visionary fantasy, imaginative thoughts, usually fun and with joyful thoughts or fantasies when awake. Daydreams can be dangerous and have negative outcomes. For instance when one causes an accident while driving, yet, daydreaming due to lack of focus.

Daydreaming should be a profession that pays the highest wage right? Government already has the distinction of having the most daydreamers on the payroll, so far as anyone is counting. They dream of how to raise your taxes and not call them taxes. There are fees, licenses, permits, and a thousand other ruses to gently float that money out of your pocket and into the general fund where it is spread like manure to grow more voters.

 

Dreaming isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Adam dreamed of taking care of Eden forever but ended up working the soil by the sweat of his brow. Then there’s the guy who dreamed of building bigger barns and taking life easy, his future was less than 24 hours before being nipped in the bud. The devil dreamed of sitting on God’s throne and having every whim fulfilled, he got a rude awakening and will not finish well at all.

 

Its human nature to dream a little, but then you put dreams aside and start the business of living. Ambition is not a bad thing, but it can blindside you to the important matters of life. We wouldn’t have skyscrapers or suspension bridges or tunnels under rivers if there weren’t dreamers. Jet airplanes, super-tankers, and space travel originated by a dream. Mega-churches, mega-amphitheaters, and mega-stadiums were first dreams on paper.

 

Can you dream where America would be without God? Can you dream where this country would be without the great-awakenings? Can you dream where this great nation would be without a national Day of Thanksgiving? Can you dream where this country would be without freedom of religion? Can you possibly dream what would happen if we did what God asks of us?

 

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves

and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will

I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

Hand in Hand

Touch is the first sense we acquire and might just be the secret to successful relationships. Communication at birth is through touch from the parents, doctors, nurses, and a cadre of other medical specialists. People impart essential security and communication through touch. Hands-on is critical. We are wired to respond to touch. Think about it, if touch is a language, it appears we instinctively know how to use, manipulate and unfortunately abuse. Touch is a highly sophisticated and precise way to communicate our emotions. When a mother to-be is with child, touching, stroking and rubbing her plump tummy while talking to the baby indicates bonding. The unborn infant feels the vibrations, touch, comfort, nurturing, and loving-kindness before birth. This might be the child’s first encounter with the outside world. It is a fact; we are never touched as much as when we are children, which is why our comfort level with physical contact is so important. Touching is a marker for closeness.

The big hands-on people are: doctors, nurses, managers, care-givers, and teachers. These touchy-feely people have a professional responsibility to not send the wrong touching message. Experts say a good rule of thumb is to keep the hands above the shoulders. Otherwise, it gets creepy. Of course, different cultures have different tolerant levels. Then, there’s the quality of the touch, the duration, the implications—you know what we mean? Sometimes, it’s a complex matrix to figure out. The only rule of communication by touch that results in you not getting into trouble is—not to do it at all. Can we afford that?

There’s very little in life that touches our hearts like the trust of a child. Walking across the busiest highway at rush hour wouldn’t bother a child, as long as they can hold onto mom or dad’s hand. Fear isn’t the over-riding factor, trust is the one and only concern that concerns that little one.

 

Can you have trust like that when you’re an adult? The answer is yes, but it’s not such a simple matter. It can be simple but our fears and knowledge of how things really work prevent faith from blooming.

 

On one occasion the role was reversed. In the Gospel of Luke there is a story of an atypical Roman officer who loved his servant and the Jewish people. This man was a rarity in early Palestine territory. His servant was sick and about to die! The Roman centurion heard that Jesus was nearby and he sent out some elders of the Jews asking Jesus to come and heal his servant. Jesus was close to the centurion’s house when he was met by some friends of the centurion. He sent them to tell Jesus that, “He didn’t deserve Jesus even coming to his house. If Jesus would only say the word his servant would be healed.” (Luke 7)

 

When Jesus heard this he was amazed at the centurion. Let’s pause here for a moment. Do you realize what it took to get Jesus’ attention, let alone amaze Jesus! Jesus told the crowd that he had not seen such great faith – even in Israel! When the friends of the centurion returned to the centurion’s home they found the servant healed and feeling well. This man didn’t beg and plead with Jesus. This man didn’t hold the hands of Jesus begging. It was the simple faith of a man who knew Jesus could do anything. When you have that kind of faith, Jesus is amazed.

 

This Gentile’s faith was a welcome contrast to the unbelief of the Jews.

What kind of faith are you showing these days?

Where would we be without the Master’s touch?

A Clockwork Orange Christmas

Did you see the movie in 1971? It was a movie written, produced, and directed by Mr. Kubrick. Based on a book written a decade earlier, it portrayed a collection of misfits in a dystopia. A dystopia is a society that is in many ways dysfunctional and undesirable. They characterize a society that has malfunctioned and had a cataclysmic decline in morals and values. There is no right or wrong, violence is commonplace and life is worthless!

In short it is the opposite of utopia.

Now which world would you rather live in if given the opportunity? Ninety nine percent of people would pick utopia. But that leaves the question of why anyone would choose the world of dystopia. It makes for interesting fiction and it gives those who abhor rules and regulations a sounding board. What if sports had no rules? What if crime had no punishment? Raise your hand from your hiding place if you desire such a world.

 

Time for Your Checkup!

We take our automobiles to the service center for oil changes regularly. While having our car serviced we ask the repairman to check the belts, the brakes, the shocks, the radiator and anything else that may need some attention. This is a scheduled planned maintenance program that helps to ensure our primary means of transportation remains safe and dependable while hopefully helping to avoid costly repairs in the future. Make sense? Of course it does. We try to do the same thing with our health. Seeing a doctor for regular checkups hopefully avoids any surprises that may overcome us. Same thing for our homes, our boats, our RV’s, our retirement plans, our families.

When was the last time you had a spiritual check-up? You know, dusted off the old beliefs, added new dogma, fine-tuned your view on the Old Testament, updated your position on the New Testament. Are there some old hymns that you no longer want and need to replace with modern tunes? Still want to keep those old Ten Commandments or replace them with the new and improved ‘Seven Simple Suggestions’? What about those twelve Apostles, should you upgrade to the ‘Fab’ Four because a dozen names are too hard to remember? Maybe a new version of the Bible is needed, one that is easy to download when you go to church on Easter and Christmas. Don’t forget about the weddings you attend at church, that counts as worship time right?

Special Delivery

For most of his fabled career, Santa Claus always relied on reindeer for his mode of transportation in supporting his global export enterprise. Today, however, modern technology is giving the ‘big fella’ in the red velvety suit other options other than ruminants. Old Saint Nick might not be needed to guide his sleigh tonight? That’s right. For his 5.8-millions-mile trek to all “naughty” and “nice” boys and girls on his list, Kris Kringle might stay home and “kick back” this Christmas. How’s that, you say?

 

Direct and to the point, Santa’s sleigh might, that’s might, mind ya, be equipped this year with solar panels retrofitted to “trick-out his ride” at the cost of a mere $100,000. Liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries were installed that helps power-up the sled, like it does cars, at the cost of $5,000. On-board there’s a few propane balloons at the cost of $50,000 each, for emergencies. Then, there’s the global GPS system NASA designed for back-up at the cost of $2 million. Oh yeah, that cloaking and stealth radar package comes in around $41 billion. It’s a costly trip for Santa. Bottom line, Magic Reindeer are no longer reliable. Rudolph with his nose so bright simply has grown older and lost some of his step. Besides, where the drone sled doesn’t go, UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, and all the many other delivery experts and systems will pick-up the slack. Prices may vary—read the fine print. For a real Christmas gift and the ultimate delivery, read on.

 

Hark the hearld lark sings

Hey, isn’t that reminiscent of a Christmas song?  Isn’t that supposed to be “angel” sings?  Is it Christmas already and you nearly missed it?  Naaah!  Wrong story and month.  Shake it off!  You’ll be alright.  However, we are going to talk about one of God’s precious creatures—the birds.  Nope, it’s not a partridge in a pear tree.

Some birds build their nests in trees, bushes, and barns.  Some build their nests on ledges of tall buildings, under eaves of department store, some under porches, in garages, on decks, anywhere they can.  Bird nests have been found in the most unusual places; under the hood of a car, in high voltage boxes, on elephants, anywhere and everywhere they

Holding Adam's Hand

“So God created man in his own image,

In the image of God he created him;

Male and female he created them.”

Genesis 1

 

The Bible says that; God saw all that he had made, and it was very good! Since Adam and Eve walked on this spinning rock, there have been billions of people come and go. Death is quite a common occurrence. Most of them have been buried in the earth. Death was not supposed to even happen! Adam and Eve were created to live forever; they were warned that if they ate the forbidden fruit, they would—die! God’s exact words were, “You will surely die.” You know the story, they ate the forbidden fruit, judgment was pronounced, and they died.

 

Camel-flage

We know that money talks and it travels across continents very easily.

We know that it makes people do strange things and affects our judgment.

We know what it can do when it finds the right hands at just the right time.

What we don’t know is how exactly does it make people extremely stupid?

You’ve seen it countless times before. Someone suddenly comes into a lot of money then things suddenly start to go, for lack of a better word, haywire! Lottery winners seem to be the obvious examples, but they are merely the ones who make the headlines. What about the television industry stars who rocket to fame and fortune and leave common sense at the lost and found? Nothing against youth and fame and fortune, it affects the older generation too. What is it about sudden wealth, or accumulated wealth for that matter that makes the cranium take leave of its dwelling place and like a moth on crystal meth dive straight for that flame?

Foul or Home Run?

The Louisville Slugger Company, Louisville, Kentucky makes baseball bats. It’s the preferred bat for major leaguers. Major league players broke 1,697 bats in 3 months in 2012. Wow! It’s not surprising, given what the skinny piece of wood has to withstand. When a 90-plus-mile-an-hour pitch makes contact, it exerts about 8,000 pounds of force, and vibrations ripple across the bat. If the ball hits a weak spot, the wood breaks or splinters. For infielders, it’s time to duck and cringe.

 

Everyone knows that baseball is the great American pastime. In fact, any televised sport is the great American pastime. Let’s cut to the chase, anything televised, computerized, Facedbooked, Tweetered or Twittered is the great American pastime. Sitting in a bar drinking the day away, or melting some heroine in a spoon, or gambling at the casino all day have all officially taken a backseat to the electronic entertainment industry. What’s next, will we see kids (and adults) wired directly into the electrical outlet?

Reading is becoming a lost and dying art form for some people. That’s a shame because God doesn’t speak through many “burning bushes” these days. He also doesn’t make stone commandments to be read before the huddled masses anymore. And the last time anyone checked, there hasn’t been a dove landing on anyone’s shoulder while being baptized in the Jordan River lately. That leaves the old fashioned written Word to be read, digested and practiced the old fashioned way.

Casualty of Plunder

Is it called “Duct Tape” or “Duck Tape”? Actually, either moniker is correct. Duck Tape was its original name and was invented in 1942 during World War 11. It was waterproof and invented by the Johnson & Johnson Company for the military to keep their ammunition boxes dry and from being easily plundered. It is strong, sturdy, and durable and has repaired NASA spacecrafts to B52 bombers to home air ducts to anything it will stick to. When applied—it’s a very sticky situation. In the early 1950’s a bank robber was reported to have wrapped himself up so tight in duck tape before robbing a bank that it took 2 years to remove it from his head. Ouch! A sticky situation, harrowing circumstances.

 

The Bible recounts stories of brave survivors after harrowing circumstances. One such story is almost unbelievable and would make Hollywood countless millions if it were to ever make the big screen. But here you can enjoy it in its purest form and see antagonist and protagonist up close and personal.

Our story begins in 1 Samuel 30. David the future king of Israel and his men were returning to the city of Ziklag where their wives, children and provisions were. Before David arrived there, the Amalekites had taken all the women and children captive and burned the city. All the men wept at the loss and later thought of stoning David. When David consulted with the priest, God told him to pursue the enemy and recover everything that was taken. When they began their pursuit, they came across an Egyptian near death in a field, and they brought him to David. He was ill and hadn’t eaten or drank anything for three days. After reviving the man with food and water, they found out he was an Egyptian slave to one of the Amalekites; and part of the raiding party that took their wives and children!

 

After barely surviving death, he agreed to help David and his men find the raiding party if they wouldn’t kill him or hand him over to the Amalekites. A deal was struck. David and his men found the raiding party and fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day! The Bible tells us, “Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had been taken. David brought everything back.”

 

David used what he had plundered as presents for his friends in Judah. David reestablished contact with the citizens of Judah who would later be the ones to name him king. That Egyptian was one lucky duck! His master, an uncompromising barbarian left him for dead when he fell ill, and the poor man suffered for three days and nights. David and his men found him, gave him food and water, and the day was won. Coincidence or blind luck? Was God in the details? F Y I – God dwells in the details!

Be a Brighter Writer

The world needs Brighter Writers. Written anything longer than a shopping list lately? Or, do you use an app for that, too? Is handwriting a dying art? Many probably don’t care of its near demise. They should. Writing is connected to thinking. Recent research suggests there’s a reason to put pencil/pen to paper. It’s good for the mind. You know, thinking. Writing by hand helps lay the neural groundwork for other important skills like reading, comprehension and application. Research has also found that just seeing letters activates a previous documented “reading circuit” after writing on paper, not after typing on a keyboard, or, even tracing, but putting pencil to paper using ball and sticks or cursive. National Teachers Hall of Fame Inductee and Teacher, Michael Terrell, Kindergarten and 1^st grade educator (34 years), suggests children, especially younger children, should put down the iPad, Nook, Tablet PC, and other electronic media, and write. Want to become a better writer, reader and thinker? Write on!

I’m familiar with a brighter writer. A “Jack of all genres”. Great writer. Between 1931 and 1964 he published 34 books. Secondary study reaches into the hundreds. Ninety percent of his income went to charity. He had his father’s fear of being bankrupt for most of his life. He had many wonderful friends. If you’re into theology you’ve read many of his works. If you’re a Christian, you’ve read many of his works. If you’re an atheist, you’ve studied his works. His nickname was “Smallpiglebottom”. Recognize who he is? Some would say, “Oh that’s just Mere Christianity”, and they would be right. Good stuff!

C.S. Lewis was truly what Shakespeare called, “A Man for all seasons.” Without a doubt, C.S. Lewis was perhaps the most influential writer, for the Christian, since the twelve apostles walked the earth. There have been other great writers of course, but pound for pound, soul for soul, C.S. Lewis has literally touched millions of lives with his writing as a Christian apologist. Any serious student of Christian education has elevated C.S. Lewis as the world heavyweight champion of champions. God saw that he came along at just the right time to influence a world of fledgling preachers.

Clive Staples Lewis was as human as any other mortal. Born in November 1898, he was raised in a world on the brink of war. Serving in World War 1, he saw the cruelty and horror of war up close and it cemented his atheism. His friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien gradually led him back to his Christian beliefs. His positions at Oxford University and Cambridge University touched a new generation of twentieth century preachers. His writings of fiction; The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe brought anthropomorphic animals to life. His non-fiction; The problem of Pain, Miracles, and his greatest, Mere Christianity reached an entire world for Christ. It was Mere Christianity that ultimately converted Charles Colson to become a Christian and another giant among those toiling in God’s garden.

Every generation looks for a hero and this generation is no different. If you’re looking for a way to help someone understand what Christians believe and why they believe it, “Mere Christianity” is the best starting place. C.S. Lewis died on November 22, 1963. Sadly his death would be overshadowed by an American president being assassinated that very same day, but his influence lives on and continues to add to God’s kingdom. If you’re looking for a current ‘Brighter Writer’ please consider this quiet humble giant who toiled in God’s garden. The Brightest Writers have already been published – please consult your nearest Bible.

“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. ... A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” - 2 Timothy 2:14-15, 24-26

Atoms, Molecules and Evil

We’re made up of flesh and blood. Bones, cartilage, muscle, nerves, organs, some connecting tissue, a little enamel and a bucket full of chemicals and you too could build a human. Genesis says that God created man in His own image. Maybe He took the same blueprints and tweaked them a bit to create the animals, fish and birds. One thing God didn’t include was EVIL. We managed to find that all on our own. Don’t snicker and point fingers, if you had been in Adam and Eve’s place you probably would have failed sooner than later, and somebody would be talking about you.

Thousands of years later we’re still here and so is evil. As the diagram shows it’s in our head, it comes out of our mouth, it’s in our heart, and it is spread by our own hands and it’s in our legs so it can travel faster with us. 

When God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He told them they could do anything under the sun but eat the fruit from one particular tree. You know what happened; all that instruction went in one ear and flew out the other. Luckily the serpent was there to direct them to the very tree that would ultimately kill them! A tree that contained the knowledge of good AND evil. One tree, one fruit. Who wouldn’t desire to have it all? 

This could well have been the first case of food poisoning. A buffet of any fruit the mind could imagine and all waiting to be picked by innocent human hands until a crafty busboy directed the innocent diners to one deadly fruit. Once evil was ingested, it infected the entire body. Evil is contagious.

Psalms 23 reminds us, “I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.

”Romans 12:21 reminds us, “Do not be overcome with evil.”

1 Thessalonians 5:22 reminds us, “Avoid every kind of evil.”

James 1:13 reminds us, “Good cannot be tempted by evil.” 

Sin nature is in us, evil is all around us, but, it doesn’t have to control us.  Evil must be recognized, hated and resisted while there's breath in our bodies.  I believe in the flesh and its senses: tasting, feeling, seeing, smelling, hearing, and any other sense, especially good sense, so, go ahead and 'tag me' as a miracle.  After all, I was made in His image.  

Too Cool Vacation

Where will your next vacation destination be? The mountains with their majestic scenery and abundant wildlife? The ocean with warm waves lapping the stress of work away and the sun providing a golden tan? Maybe the Grand Canyon with its rugged beauty, Mount Rushmore with its unbelievable portraits, the expanse of deserts out West, the Mammoth caves of Kentucky, the luxurious sub-zero rooms built into the face of an iceberg?

 

Built onto the side of an iceberg, vacationers can now finally spend a night on an arctic waterbed. What else can the human mind dream up? Please don’t be worried that a passing ship will hurt your iceberg – icebergs sink ships! Don’t worry that your iceberg may form a crack, break off and slide in the ocean. Don’t worry that your iceberg may decide to roll over and submerge you into that sub-zero freezing water. Is your cell phone waterproof?

People spend a great amount of time and money planning and scheduling exotic vacations. How much time is invested in planning and scheduling your life-after-death plans? A majority have the notion of whatever-will-be will be. That has not proven to be a wise strategy. Jesus has time and again spoke of the Kingdom of God but most people are more interested in the Kingdom at Disneyland for some strange reason. Vacations are temporary! Death has proven to be a more permanent condition. Wouldn’t it be prudent to invest a little time in planning for an after death experience?

See Your Horizon

Please raise your hand high if you own a crystal ball. Can you read it? Can it be read? Can you see what’s beyond your horizon? Ever wonder why all those who can tell the future don’t get a good reading on lottery numbers?

Some questions regarding our horizons …

Question #1 – How do we know the world isn’t flat? One sure way is to watch a ship sailing away from land. You’ll see the ship’s mast slowly fade away until it disappears telling you the earth is curved like a ball.

It's Grow Up Time

Growing up in the suburbs brings with it certain rites of passage. It’s mostly a homogeneous experience. You’re in the general cultural tribe. Most families went to church on Sunday. Most of your neighbors were in similar social- economic circumstances. You socialize together, you play together, you attend school together, and you grow up together. There are a few incidents that make you a singular individual. Riding a bicycle is one mile marker in the life of a child. Things haven’t changed drastically yet. You learn to ride with training wheels until the day you exhibit that ability to break free and be independent.

 

When the adult in charge sees that you’re displaying an air of independence of both ability and confidence, OFF come the training wheels and you’re on your own recognizance. Whether you’re two or thirty-two, it’s that moment in time when you grow up. It’s much more than it sounds like. You step into a pseudo-adult role that quickly adapts into “individual” responsibility. If you fall off your bike it’s your fault, if you succeed it’s your skills and savvy.

If only things were that simple when you move from childhood to adulthood. Wait a minute; it operates exactly that way in the grown-up world. When you attend school you read and study the subject matter in earnest. When test time comes and you fail or succeed, it’s your responsibility. You either failed because you didn’t apply the time-tested rules of study and application or you succeeded and were rewarded with good grades or promotions. Do you see where this discussion is heading? Of course you do. It’s always the same thing being directed at you day after day, and year after year. The training wheels are off. Have you chosen to become a grown-up and assume responsibility for your own actions or not? That answer is a yes or no.

  

There is coming a great Day of Judgment. Jesus refers to it often. The Book of Revelation emphasizes it often. Are you thinking of it often? The training wheels are off, you’re steering, you’re responsible, you’re an adult now.  

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."  1 Corinthians 13:11 

The Shoe that Ate America

Did you see the latest movie about the killer shoe that devoured America? Well, come to think about it, it didn’t actually devour America, it devoured New York. Actually it didn’t devour New York, it devoured New Jersey. And it wasn’t really a giant tennis shoe with alligator teeth; it was a monster storm that destroyed several neighborhoods along the New Jersey coastline. And this happened over a year ago so you shouldn’t be taken by surprise. Huh – What – Wait a minute – What’s going on here? OK, so we took a little literary license to make the story more appealing. What’s wrong with that, Hollywood does it all the time? Are you offended, were you deceived, didn’t you want to be pandered to, entertained and excited and Gee Whizzed?

What has happened to conversation in today’s world? People lie all the time. They embellish stories to impress and excite the listener often at the expense of the truth and maybe even the good reputation of a solid person. What could possibly be wrong with that, it’s only a little white lie that grows into a gargantuan monster that eventually eats the teller and the listener. Are there any absolute standards that we should follow in the course of daily living? Well duhhh. Ever heard of the Bible and what it represents? Our lives have been so convoluted by popular opinion and ever-changing moral standards that we’re starting to repeat history. What, you don’t know what the Bible says about killer shoes; err, I mean repeating history?

What the Girl Saw

Imagine you live in Egypt in the summertime. Imagine you are the King’s daughter, and decide one day to go down to the river to bathe and refresh yourself. Imagine that you notice something unusual floating in the water, something that doesn’t belong there; a basket, floating among the reeds. You send one of your servants to fetch the basket and when you look inside you discover a crying baby! Now what; do you push the basket back out into the river or do you give the baby a chance at life? Remember, the Nile River was as dangerous then as now. There were huge crocodiles, venomous spiders, Red Cobras, hippos, mosquitoes with malaria, treacherous rapids; oppressive heat on the water, numerous diseases and the water was unsanitary to drink. It was not possible to eliminate all the risks a baby in a basket would face on the Nile. What was the servant girl to do, push the basket back, out into the river for the crocs?

Pharaoh had ordered that any baby boy born to the Israelites staying in the land must be killed! One mother (Jochebed) decided to try and save her boy. She put him in a waterproof basket and deliberately let the basket float by an area where Pharaoh’s daughter frequented. The Israelite mother even had her daughter watching the basket to see what would happen. When the baby was discovered, the girl watching came to Pharaoh’s daughter and offered a suggestion. She told her that this was an Israelite baby: would she like her to get an Israelite woman to nurse the baby for her? Pharaoh’s daughter decided to keep the baby and raise him as her own. The nursemaid turned out to be the baby’s own mother! And not by coincidence either.

Christ Lifted Up

There is no greater or meaningful event in the history of the world than what happened in Jerusalem on that fateful day that Christ was crucified. Period! The world had been created, people had been created, animals had been created, everything the world needed was in place; then it happened, the serpent ushered sin into the world. Everything was in place then everything changed. Now, there was one puzzle piece added and one piece missing!

 

There was something added in the world that had to be removed and there was something not in the world that had to replace it. Perfection stepped aside while sin stepped in. Now Perfection would have to step back in and replace sin. This would prove to be no easy task. How do you replace something cancerous and deadly with something pure and undefiled?

Jesus tried to explain his mission and purpose to Nicodemus that night he came to Jesus searching for answers to some tough questions. What he told Nicodemus probably didn’t make much sense at the moment, but when Nicodemus was there at the crucifixion a short three years later, he understood perfectly through his tears.

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:14

Ever Won a Superfecta

What’s a Superfecta you ask? I’m glad you asked. An exacta is a wager in which the bettor must pick the first “two” finishers in a race in exact order. A trifacta is a wager in which the bettor must pick the first “three” finishers in a race in exact order. In a Superfecta, one has to pick the first “four” finishers in a race in the exact order. C’mon, how hard could that be you ask? In the Kentucky Derby there are probably 20+ horses running; all you have to do is pick the first four finishers, in their exact order. Money and confidence is all you need!

Ready, set, go! Huh? Oh, you wanna think about it a little more? Okay. Let’s look at this from a different approach. If you’ve studied bloodlines and genealogy; If you’ve read about pedigree and history: If you’re familiar with official documents: If you’re acquainted with past performances: If you’re aware of medical records: If, if, if: Looking at this from yet another angle…Who is seated at the right hand of God now? Who is the intercessor presently? Who is the believer’s High Priest in heaven? Who went to prepare a place for you in heaven?  Did you get all four of these questions answered in their exact order? Super! Ooops, sorry, it’s not a bet if it’s a sure thing! But you can bet on this: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; and every tongue will confess to God” Romans 14:11. When in a race keep your eyes on the prize. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and ‘perfecta’ of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-3. Forget the ‘exacta’, the ‘trifacta’, the ‘Superfecta’ and go for the “perfecter”.

See the Light

It could be said that any idiom understands the phrase “See the light?” “See the light” or “Do you see the light” means simply to understand something or someone clearly, at least see the merit of an explanation. This term, dating from the late 1600s, originally referred to religious conversion, the light meaning “true religion”. By the 1800s it was used more broadly for any kind of understanding. It has evolved into “Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel”, or “Do you see the light of day?” Slanguage graduates it from “Know what I mean?” to “You know what I’m saying?”, to “That's what I’m talkin’ bout?”

Not to play on the usual euphemisms we’d like to inquire if you see the light? Our inquiry is simply to ask whether you consider yourself: a religious person, a seeker of truth, a skeptic, or maybe an atheist. Everybody has their own beliefs based on a myriad of factors. Our experiences in life strongly influence what you believe, and what you don’t believe.

Our beliefs should be obvious by now if you’ve been a steady follower of this site. But our beliefs aren’t the focus of this discussion. Can you explain what you believe, and why you believe it, to someone? The Bible is the only book that explains why we are here on this planet and how to prepare to leave it when our time comes. Which raises another question: Do you believe in an afterlife? Do you believe that our actions in this life determine our position in an afterlife?

Got a Grip onThings

Our focus today is passing on the baton. When the baton is passed we naturally assume it involves a runner in a race. Could there be an alternative scenario at play here? If we rotate the picture, could there be something else going on? Maybe their hands cannot reach each other, but one man has a stick that will allow the other man to grab hold of and then reach out with his other hand and grab an arm and then be pulled to safety! Similarly, don’t be so quick to judge a book by its cover.

 

Passing the baton could represent the passing of one era to another. Maybe a preacher is retiring and turning the flock over to another to be cared for. Maybe a senior statesman is stepping aside to let a new generation lead. Perhaps a scientist who has worked their entire life to find a cure for a disease is passing all their knowledge and a diary of their successes and failures in an effort to continue the fight and save future generations.

Where the Spirit Resides

The study of the human mind remains one of the world’s last great frontiers. Your brain makes up only 2% of your body weight, yet it consumes roughly 20% of your body’s energy when at rest. That means the human brain needs a whole lot of nutrition to stay alert and focused throughout the day. The mind is delicate, immeasurable and the most important organ in the body. Medicine, psychology, psychiatry have come a long way, but, have not scratched the surface of its boundaries. Neuroscience is a tricky endeavor. Are we clever enough to figure out ourselves? Sigmund Freud, Darwin, Michelangelo, even Aristotle all tried to unscramble what makes us tick. With limited success, we have discovered that we don’t know everything after all!

 
The Bible says that God created man, so it stands to reason that only God knows for sure what we’re made of. Not only what we’re made of, but how we’re made. The Bible says that the sinful mind is hostile to God in Romans 8:5. The Bible also says that our minds can be renewed in Romans 12:2. Our mind can be prepared for action, 1 Peter 1:13. Probably, most important is that God searches our hearts and minds, see Revelation 2:23. We can do some of these things ourselves. There’s a great example in Luke chapter 15.

Breaking Routine

 

Doing the same thing every day? Again and again? Careful: that’s how life slips away and regrets start accumulating. Wait a minute you say; how is going to work, mowing the grass, going to the grocery, raising kids, going to church and cleaning the house a bad thing? It’s not a bad thing. Everybody has daily chores to perform, but of all the things you do on a routine basis, which ones are the most important? Going to work to put food on the table is very important, but what we’re talking about here is the “examined life”.

First Corinthians in the Bible spells it out for us. It says in chapter eleven verse 28 that, “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” Huh? Is the Bible saying we ought to examine ourselves before we eat every meal? Please remember that we’re reading the Bible, not Emily Post on etiquette. Looking at it in context, the Apostle Paul is reminding those in the early church what happened on the very night Christ was betrayed.