Making Retirement Plans

The Bible tells of a farmer whose crops exceeded his expectations: greatly! Abundantly producing to the maximum, this farmer was overjoyed. In his year of plenty, he eagerly considered what to do with his newfound wealth. The Gospel of Luke chapter 12 records the story. A certain rich man found his crop would not fit into his barns! He came up with the idea that he would tear down his old small barns and build newer bigger barns to store his grain. Would you like to hear what his big plans were?

‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” Luke 12:18-19

Did you notice all the “my’s” and “I’s” regarding his wealth? This man had a problem with greed and giving God credit for his good fortune. Jesus was telling the story to a crowd of people. There were probably some in the crowd who might have felt “that could be me”! Not to leave them hanging, Jesus told them what God thought about the farmer’s big plans.

“But God said to him, “You fool! This night your life will be required of you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Luke 12:20

Let’s be perfectly clear—when God calls you a fool—you’re a fool! Don’t be a fool. Everything on this earth belongs to God: always has, always will! Think about this. Why do you save money? To retire? To buy more expensive cars or toys? To be secure? Jesus challenges us to think beyond earthbound goals and to use what we have been given for God’s kingdom. Faith, service, and obedience are the way to become rich toward God. So how can we learn to be content? Strive to live with less rather than desiring more; give away out of your abundance rather than accumulating more; relish what you have rather than resent what you’re missing. See God’s love expressed in what he has provided, and remember that money and possessions will all pass away. We become content when we realize God’s sufficiency for our needs. When you make your big plans for the future: please include God.

No Gnome cure

You’re sick; you go to a respected doctor, you’re examined, a diagnosis is made; the prognosis is not good; you await a formal announcement. The doctor informs you that he can prescribe some medications to help with the pain and suffering, but even with the best medical care—there’s no cure. You take a deep breath and get a second opinion, and a third, and a fourth. Your faith is stretched but you don’t lose hope. You’ve heard of others that were told the same thing and some overcame, and some didn’t. You’re concerned and worried, but not desperate. You keep all your options open.

You hear about a traveling preacher is preaching about the saving and healing power of Jesus Christ from the little town of Nazareth in Palestine. You carefully consider the circumstances; it’s not idol worship, so you give it some consideration. You can’t get to the traveling preacher, he’s too important, too busy, and he’s not coming to you. Could there possibly be another way? A friend of yours takes a simple handkerchief to the preacher, he touches it, your friend brings the handkerchief back to you, and ‘you’re cured’! Impossible? It happened!The apostle Paul was on his third missionary journey. Making a stop in Ephesus, a seaport in what is now modern-day Turkey, Paul preformed numerous miracles in the city. Including touching handkerchiefs, which were then delivered to people in need; curing their sicknesses. We need to clarify an important point—it wasn’t a magical cloth that healed anyone, it wasn’t the power of Paul’s touch, it was a miracle-working God that did the curing.

“God did extraordinary things through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” Acts 19:11-12

When someone is told there’s no known cure—that may be true. But God isn’t restricted to the same limitations we face.

Wired For Success

Almost everybody respects a successful general in battle tested conditions. Admiration is higher if the general is on “your” side. It’s usually not until the war is over that battle plans and strategy can be analyzed and evaluated. Generals George Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Douglas MacArthur, George Marshall all displayed a knack for planning, strategy, heroism, determination and execution. But then several for the other side did likewise. British Bernard Montgomery was brilliant and Germany’s Erwin Rommel was so respected they nicknamed him, the ‘desert Fox’. Campaigns can be military, economic, territorial or personal.

The New Testament records the very personal campaign of one man who is known for his planning, strategy, and execution of his plan to “Git R Dun”. Exactly what was this man’s obsession? Why was he so fanatical about its execution? The Bible is full of strong personalities and men of action, but this man was so focused on his task, God intervened and stopped him cold.

His name was Saul of Tarsus. His training as a Pharisee was the finest available, his zeal was unparalleled, his intensity was unmatched, his belief that the newfounded Christian movement was a deadly threat to Judaism was intensely sincere, and his efforts to do what he thought was right changed his life! In an instant. Saul was wired for success and determined to “round up” all these newly minted “Christians” and return them to Jerusalem for questioning or worst! Saul not only was good at his job, he was very effective. He was the number one enemy of the state. Saul was arrogant and God was going to humble him. This man was making so much progress thwarting this new movement that Jesus literally stopped him in “his tracks” on the Damascus road, and had a heart-to-heart talk with this headstrong individual. Saul’s meeting with Jesus, and his subsequent ‘conversation’ is found in the Book of Acts chapter 9. The entire life of Saul is found in Acts chapter 7 through 28, and his letters.

No person, apart from Jesus himself, shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul. Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus changed his life forever. He never lost his fierce intensity, but from then on it was channeled for the gospel. God did not waste any part of Paul—his background, his training, his citizenship, his mind, or even his weaknesses. God does not waste our time either—he will use our past and present so we may serve him with our future.

It doesn’t end there, it begins there! Saul’s name was later changed to Paul. His personal campaign to stop this new movement of people following Jesus Christ was turned on its head. Once he reconciled the Lord of the Old Testament was intertwined with Jesus of Nazareth, he became the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul wasn’t wired for success; he was wired to pull millions, perhaps billions, into heaven.

Paul says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” Philippians 1:21

The Good news is that forgiveness and eternal life are a gift of God’s grace received through faith in Jesus Christ and available to all people.

One Tough Choice

There was a movie several years ago about a woman in a German concentration camp that was forced to choose between her two children. She knew that one child would be permitted to live and the other would surely die. It was famous actress (Meryl Streep) in a famous movie role (“Sophie’s Choice”, 1982) and it was based on a novel written by William Styron in 1979. She played a Polish immigrant and was forced into prostitution to protect herself and her family. It was a moving movie. Aren’t the best stories? Aren’t the most tragic?

A story in the Bible had a similar gut wrenching decision that had to be made. We can witness the mitigating factors that led up to the fateful decision. One man was being hunted and although he could have run and escaped, he chose to give himself up. He knew the consequences would be fatal to him and that he had to make the right decision. He didn’t shy away from the decision, but he didn’t jump at the decision either. We have a record of his agonizing over it. The decision was made only after all other contingencies were explored and rejected.

Can you possibly imagine a person willingly surrendering to his enemies, knowing that they would beat him, torture him, ridicule him, and ultimately kill him in a brutal manner? Wouldn’t that be a story for the ages? For eternity?

The story happened just in the manner described. If the story didn’t happen Christianity would have probably died out. The Easter holiday as we know it would be non-existent. Eternal life would be agony, hope would be abolished, and re-connecting with your Creator would be a pipe dream at best.

“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”” Luke 22:39-42

Jesus not only experienced the horror of crucifixion but, even worse, he would have to suffer the total separation from God in order to die for the world’s sins. Have you thanked him—again?

What Can One Strike Do?

With just one strike a life can be destroyed, a home, a tall building, a city block, even an entire metropolis could be wiped from the face of the earth. Lives that are forever changed, scars that never fully heal, mementos and treasures forever lost, a contented life thrown into absolute turmoil.

Does one strike mean that it’s the last strike? In the game of baseball, three strikes and another player is given the next chance. What if after three strikes ‘you’ are given another chance! What if after three strikes ‘you’ are in the running for MVP (most valuable player)?! What can one strike lead to?

Simon Peter was a plain fisherman called by Jesus to join him; Peter became a new person with ambitious goals and lofty priorities. Peter didn’t become a perfect person; he became a ‘changed’ person. Jesus’ first words to Peter were, “Come after me” Mark 1, and Jesus’ last words to him were, “Follow me” John 21 What did Jesus see in this man that caused him to grant him a new name, Peter—“The Rock”!

Peter is more a composite of ‘everyman’ than any other apostle. He often rushed to judgment, was rather brash and impulsive. Few could match his enthusiasm, and fewer still could match his devotion to Jesus. What a life filled with extremes he lived. Who could forget his presence during Jesus’ trial? Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus! This was without doubt the lowest period in Peter’s life. Any normal person would be crushed and fade into obscurity, but not Peter. He wept—bitterly, and then remembered. Peter remembered the things Jesus taught, the people Jesus forgave the lives that Jesus restored, the incredible power of forgiveness Jesus showed. Peter was forgiven, restored, and became the leader of Jesus’ disciples.

"But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

What can one strike do? What can a million strikes do? It can change things. What can one carpenter’s Son do? He can change ‘lives’! I ask you again what can one strike do? If you believe and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you can 'strike it rich', forever! Your comments are welcome. Just click on the leave your reply link just above this post. Thank you for your readership and may God bless you richly through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Penultimate Broken Heart

Teenagers, puppy love, first kiss, big crush, true love, infatuation, love sick, broken hearts; “an insatiate thirst for enjoying a greedily desired object” [Montaigne], “the heart’s immortal thirst to be completely known and forgiven” [Henry Van Dyke], “the fulfilling of the law” [Bible], “the reflection of a man’s worthiness from others” [Emerson], “two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one” [Bellinghausen], “a spiritual coupling of two souls” [Ben Jonson], “what makes the world go round” [Fred Allen]. What’s inevitable about these tender items? They compose yet another broken heart, biding time, just waiting to happen. Broken hearts are a universal common denominator—any time, any culture. There is a story of one broken heart that time will never forget, nor will you.

Our story begins in the recorded annals of the oldest book known to man; the Book of Genesis. Things weren’t going so well at all. The human race was starting to populate this majestic globe, but one persistent flaw needled God. We could describe this thorn in God’s side, but why not let God explain.

“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” Genesis 6:5-6

Does this mean that God regretted creating humanity? Was he admitting that he had made a mistake? No! God was instead expressing his sorrow for what the people had done to themselves, as a parent might express sorrow for a rebellious child. God was sorry that the people chose sin and death instead of a relationship with him. Our sins grieve and break God’s heart.

A broken heart filled with pain only grieves so long. God decided to destroy everything in his creation: men, animals, birds, all life under the heavens, every creature that had the breath of life in it! Uttering just one word, or with a wave of the hand, everything would be dust again. Then something miraculous happened. One lowly man changed the mind of God. One man who walked with God, one righteous man, who was mature and well-rounded, but not sinless or blameless, changed the Creators angry broken heart to one of mercy.

Undaunted, God decided to destroy everything and everyone except, Noah, his three sons and their wives and two of every animal that populated the earth. The story of Noah’s life involves not one, but two great and tragic floods. That’s right, two. The world in Noah’s day was flooded with evil and water. You’re familiar with Noah’s ark and the worldwide flood that wiped out mankind only to start afresh. Look how far we’ve come again!

God’s heart was broken once because wickedness was rampant. Imagine God’s heart being broken by the callousness of people rejecting His Son?

Your Number Two is Showing Signs of Stress

The name Pilate is detested for what happened in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. Pilate was a rising star in the Roman political juggernaut machine. Like a middle manager in a Fortune 500 company, he was thrown into the shark tank of political intrigue deep in the backcountry of Palestine to test his survivability. This was no ordinary fire-drill; it was a test for the ages.

Pilate was the Roman perfect or governor of Judea (usually referred to as procurator). He was appointed to this position by Tiberius in A.D. 26. He was in charge of the army occupation, keeping the taxes flowing to Rome, appointing high priests, and deciding cases involving capital punishment. He was a capricious, weak governor who allowed personal and political considerations to affect his judgment. Especially: the trial of Jesus. He didn’t want another report sent back to Tiberius that he wasn’t in control.

His headquarters were in Caesarea, the city Herod had built on the Mediterranean in honor of Caesar Augustus. He had a palace in Jerusalem and was in the city at Passover time, hoping that the large crowds wouldn’t stir up any trouble. As it turns out it wasn’t the crowds, it was the Jewish Sanhedrin, the elders and teachers of the nation that wanted a capital sentence carried out, so the case had to be remanded to Pilate.

Pilate had a dilemma on his hands. Pilate also had—a co-pilot—his wife! Her future was inextricably tied to his. Minutes before Pilate made his fateful decision he received a second opinion. “While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’ ” Matthew 27:19

Think about this for a moment! Pilates wife was a godless idol worshiper and not likely to be concerned with the destiny of some teacher of the Jews. Upon awakening from her dream she was adamant to get word to her husband to have nothing to do with this innocent man. Some would say that God gave her that dream, but, perhaps, it was satanic in nature, in that, it was most likely the devil’s last ditch effort to thwart God’s plan of salvation. You see, Jesus had to go to the cross. Remember when Satan appeared to Jesus as He fasted in the desert, showing Him all the kingdoms that he (Satan) would give to Him (Jesus) if He would only bow down and worship him? Matthew 4:8-9. Satan hates the cross, the symbol of suffering and shame because he knew that God’s redemption would be completed there and he’d be defeated there! Let’s wake up here! This is a pivotal point to Christianity.

Pilate and his wife both knew Jesus was innocent, yet, because she struggled with “some” dream, and he was afraid of the crowds, they crucified our Lord. The pencil above looks like a pencil Pilates wife would have used to write her note. Reminds one of how she must have chewed on her “struggle” and her “dream”. When stress is applied “all around” equally it’s evident.

Curious or Cautious?

Solving a puzzle requires various types of skills. Depending of course what type of puzzle you’re talking about. For instance, a medical puzzle requires checking symptoms, running blood tests then making a primary diagnosis. If we’re talking solving a jig-saw puzzle then we look at colors, patterns and side pieces. Who, what, when, where, why and how are the logical starting points for other puzzles. These are frequently asked questions by the police in crime solving, or maybe by a forensic pathologist to find the exact cause of death. An autopsy is still the gold standard for establishing an authoritative answer. Death is a certainty. Only two recorded men have escaped death, Enoch and Elijah. But only one man has been recorded as being called back from death.

Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha and a close friend of Jesus. The sisters had sent for Jesus when Lazarus was near death. Jesus got the message; but stayed an additional two days before returning to Bethany in Judea. Jesus told the disciples with him that Lazarus was dead, and that he was going to see his sisters. At this point the disciples were cautious not curious. The trip would be somber, they would be extra careful not to upset Jesus by talking about how his friend was gone, never to return.

Upon arriving at Bethany, Jesus met with the grieving sisters, Martha and Mary. When Jesus asked where they buried Lazarus, they told him. When the sisters were inconsolable about their brother’s death, we see firsthand the humanity of Jesus. John 11:35 tells us, “Jesus wept”. It’s not only the shortest verse in the Bible; it’s the most emotionally packed display of pure sorrow. Jesus wanted to visit the grave. At this point the disciples were curious not cautious. Jesus stood at the entrance of the cave where Lazarus was buried, and said to remove the stone covering the entrance. With a loud voice, Jesus cried, “Lazarus, come forth”. What happened next was “death defying”, a body wrapped from head to toe like a mummy was moving inch-by-inch directly toward the voice that called it. Curious was in full bloom!

We are cautious about the things we understand, but we are curious about the things we don’t. Maybe that’s why we are so conflicted about death.

Paul says that both life and death are ours. While unbelievers are victims of life, swept along by its current and wondering if there is meaning to it, believers can use life well because they understand its true purpose. Nonbelievers can only fear death. For believers, however, death holds no terror because Christ has conquered all fears. Death is only the beginning of eternal life with God. The book of Romans shows God’s perfect love for us.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Romans 9:38-39

Death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are entirely helpless in its presence. We can struggle with our enemies—pain, suffering, disease, injury—but strength and courage cannot overcome death. Death has the final word. Only one person can walk with us through deaths dark valley and bring us safely to the other side—the God of life, our Shepherd. Because life is uncertain we must follow our Shepherd who offers us eternal comfort.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” And you know the rest of the quote from Psalm 22:4.

The word death reminds us that there is still time for change, time to examine the direction of our lives, and time to confess our sins and find forgiveness from God. Everyone will die, it just makes good sense to plan ahead to experience God’s mercy instead of his wrath. So, stay curious, but remain cautious.

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Children Speaking Gibberish or Jibberish?

When Jesus picked his disciples they were grown men, successful at their trade, but they were brand new to what Jesus had in store for them. They mistakenly assumed that this carpenter from Nazareth would challenge the Roman authority and start the nation of Israel on the path to freedom and self government. Every day Jesus sparred with the Pharisees, the authorities, and the doubters. The disciples witnessed every action and reaction. They thought Jesus was secretly waiting for the right opportunity to strike. The longer they waited, the more anticipation built up.

What do you think the turning point was for most of the disciples? His method of treating everybody equally was a bit unnerving but tolerable. Healing people from every walk of life was incredible and unbelievable. Sparring with the Pharisees and authorities was amusing but tense. When was Jesus going to announce that he was the Old Testament Messiah everybody was waiting for and that he would restore the nation of Israel to its glory days like under King David? Jesus liked to talk about sowing seed, catching fish, forgiving your enemies, helping the poor and a hundred other subjects. With anticipation building, near the end of his ministry, Jesus and his disciples were traveling towards Jerusalem for the last time when they stopped to rest. Guess what happened?

“People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”” Luke 18:15-16 Did those children remember meeting Jesus when they grew up? Would you?

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McOG Burger Super-sized Please

When is your appetite the biggest? A Super Bowl party, a summer cookout, at the state fair, the BBQ and chili cook-off competition? What if your appetite can’t be satisfied with the finest cuisine but demands more? What if all the things in this life can’t satisfy your insatiable appetite? What’s a poor rich miscreant to do? Can an appetite be satisfied? The Bible’s King Og must have had an enormous appetite. He was one of the giants from the remnant of Rephaim. Deuteronomy says his iron bed alone was measured in cubits which scholars believe was about 13 1/2 feet by 6 feet. WOW! Where did such a box springs and mattress come from? And what did his sword and shield weigh? It’s certain his appetite needed a big sandwich for lunch. What would a super-sized meal cost him today? History books state that when the food ran out that Og and the other giants turned on their people and began eating them. Yes, Og had an appetite as well as an attitude and was handed over to the Israelites for defeat by God.

Have you ever met a mega-millionaire who didn’t want another million? Have you ever met a mega-Hollywood star who didn’t want another Oscar? Have you ever met a megalo-maniac who didn’t want more of themselves? What is it about our inner-self that never seems to be satisfied, that never seems to be at peace, which never seems to be contented? What is this elusive ingredient that satisfies our intrinsic longing for peace and satisfaction? Does it even exist?

Take a breath and relax, there’s a solution to alleviate that voracious appetite. Money can’t buy it, brownie points won’t redeem it, and it’s not for barter or trade, and wealth and privilege won’t get you any quicker access. It’s not without a price, but money isn’t the medium for this particular exchange. This is something the whole world has trouble understanding-yet, hungers for. The “hidden in plain sight” quality is twofold—Godliness with Contentment.

The Book of First Timothy reminds us that God provides the resources needed to live a fulfilling and satisfying life. Chapter six, verse six is the launch site for a purposeful journey. “For godliness with contentment is great gain.”

In contrast to the material gain that others think is so important, the Christian finds his gain and nutrition in a non-financial way—godliness and contentment, or self-sufficiency, which ultimately results from an inner satisfaction with the situation that God has ordained for them.

Is your appetite a carbon copy of the world’s selfishness, pride, and lust for power, or do they reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus, your King? Jesus said that God’s kingdom is organized differently from worldly kingdoms. Your attitudes and appetites tend to be closely related.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 6:6