The Tower of Babbling and Blunt Frippers 8-8-15

1^st Corinthians 1:17 “… not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”

1^st Timothy 6:20 “… avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of knowledge so called.”

2^nd Timothy 2:16 “But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

It seems my clarity is lacking most of the time and I have true empathy for those of you trying to read this confusing blog. Abba knows it’s been confusing to me to try and order it in some coherent train of thought that might make sense to someone. Seems this would make me a perfect candidate for Congress and maybe I should seriously consider adding my confusing voice to the clamor coming out of Washington, DC.

CS Lewis has a great passage regarding the clarity of speech from That Hideous Strength which seems perfectly appropriate in describing the difficulties we have in communication. If it hadn’t been written in 1946, you would think it’s a direct quote from an American politician’s speech. In a prepared speech, the Deputy Director of N.I.C.E. states:

“Tidies and fuglemen – I sheel foor that we all – er – most steeply rebut the defensible, though, I trust, lavatory, Aphasia which gleams to have selected our redeemed inspector this deceiving. It would  - ah - be shark, very shark, from anyone’s debenture ….”

One of the leaders, sensing a need for calm in the following uproar, sent a note to the Directory of Security. The note clearly stated:

“ Blunt frippers intantly to pointed bdeluroid. Pugent. Cost.”

Now this communication was caused by a babbling spell which Merlin had placed on the august gathering – but we can’t use that as an excuse for the failure of clarity in our times.

I was associated for a time with an individual who could talk for 45 minutes and give a presentation like no one I’d ever met before. We were hired into a company at the same time and went through orientation the same day. After spending that day with this person, I went to the guy who hired me and said you’ve made a terrible mistake. If this is the kind of expertise you expect then I am sorely lacking. He smiled and asked me to hang for a while. After attending several of his presentations, I realized I was no better off leaving than when I arrived. It was all empty speech.

I have great respect for writers. Dickens can bring tears to my eyes, I wish I better understood CS Lewis, I like Stephen King (especially since he’s moved beyond the macabre to writings such as The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), Grisham, Archer, Follet (especially The Pillars of the Earth), and numerous others. Movie and TV writers have great talent as well and I think they’re often not appreciated as much as they should be. People can tell when the writing drops off in a TV series for example.

Some of my favorite movie lines are from:

Absence of Malice: Wilford Brimley is a no nonsense, special prosecutor who clears up a revenge scam perpetrated by Paul Newman’s character. In one of the final scenes he tells Bob Balaban’s character, “Eliot, you ain’t no presidential a-point-tee, you got 30 days.”

The Verdict James Mason is a defense attorney objecting to some testimony and tells the judge is should be “disallowed”. The way he delivers the word is one of my favorite parts of the movie. I’ve mimicked his delivery a hundred times with my kids.

Unforgiven One of Gene Hackman’s deputies is saying Gene isn’t scared but that he doesn’t have a straight line anywhere in the house he’s building. “He’s not scared boys, he just ain’t no carpenter.” I used to work for a guy named Carpenter. You can guess what I said when someone asked me about his replacement.

Wondrous Spirit

Who inspired the Holy Scripture.

Bless our communication

In written word and speech.

Allow us clarity and truth

As we submit to Thee.

Deliver us from vain babblings

That do not edify others.

May our work be as yours,

To point people to Christ.

The author and finisher of our faith.

In His name we pray.

Homo II 7-11-15

Leviticus 18:22 “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Leviticus 20:13 “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed a an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”

And just in case you think this is just Old Testament stuff:

1^st Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.”

The standard of our Lord is perfection. Not only in avoiding those things forbidden by the Commandments, but also in always doing what is correct. Anyone who feels themself to be a moral person has obviously decided to overlook their own life experiences. We need a Savior who is perfect to be the repatriation for our failures and have found him in Christ Jesus. Any failure in any point of Law finds us guilty of all. I am a sinner.

Anyone who recognizes their obvious inclination to imperfection (sinful nature), is the person who can struggle against the desires of the flesh, and we do. Failing day by day, going to Abba for cleansing and taking up the struggle again tomorrow.

It can be stated unequivocally that homosexuality is a sin. So is idolatry, pride, disrespect of parents, murder, theft, perjury, adultery, fornication, anger without cause, gluttony, greed, envy, failure to love, failure to serve, etc.

Those involved in the homosexuality recognize their sin. Please bear with me a moment. I am an American and can do as I please within the bounds of the law, or external to it if I believe the law to be unjust. So if I want to be homosexual, I have the ability to do so. Then what was the big push to legalize homosexual marriage? It is obviously the desire of the homosexual community to have society tell them their behavior is moral. Sorry, it ain’t.

Every person has immoral desires. There is no better proof of the concept of original sin than our own flesh. These desires take the form of any or all of the sins or lack of perfection noted above. Are people born with homosexual tendencies or does it result from life experiences? I consider it a moot point. If you struggle against homosexual sin, you are no better or worse than any other sinner struggling against the weak point that the Evil One has found in your life. Each and every time we fail, we must go to Abba and admit our sin and ask for his cleansing and help in overcoming our flesh.

So, the Supreme Court has ruled that homosexual marriage is legal and leaves Christians in a quandary as to what to do. First, this should come as no surprise and gives us hope that Christ’s return is closer than it was yesterday.

2 Timothy 3: 1-4 “¹ This know, also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴ Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God ,”

Second, if you’re in a church that claims Christ yet accepts sin in conflict with Scripture – flee – today. The Bible, God’s inspired word as delivered by the Holy Spirit cannot be changed by man. To reject scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit is to sin against Him. Don’t fall into the trap of trusting your own sense of righteousness. Third, work to change the system.

         To SCOTUS I say. How dare you assume to make law in violation of the Constitution you have sworn to uphold. Your ruling on homosexual marriage is void and of no effect. You did not create marriage and have no right to declare it legal in contrast to God’s word. You are like the rulers God’s prophets have spoken against, and distort justice for the sake of the filthy lucre that stains your robes.

 Mighty Father,

Wonderful Counselor,

Forgive our Country

For their acts against your Word.

Have mercy on the little ones

That belong to You.

Those that trust in Christ

And honor your Word.

Abba, we pray for SCOTUS,

That you will bless and protect those that honor You,

And that you will change the hearts of those

That deceive themselves.

Lord, we also pray for those

With besetting sin,

That they might be freed

By the love of Christ and the truth of your Word.

We also pray for the little ones

Who are abused by mankind,

That they might be protected

And not led into sin.

Racism and the Flag 6-28-15

         I wrote this over five years ago when black leaders were calling for a boycott of South Carolina due to the presence of the Confederate flag at the State capital. Seems like everybody is piling on due to the crazy, Nazi demon's acts in Charleston, so I guess I’ll toss in a couple of cents.

My wife and I went to a 40^th reunion of her high school class last weekend and I was asked to bless the food. There was several Black folk there and during the prayer I asked Abba to make the Charleston situation a uniting rather than a dividing factor. One of the men came up later and thanked me for mentioning the issue. This was after I had driven by an AME Zion church that morning with a marquee that said “This Means War”.  So back to the future:

I live in the great state of South Carolina. Whenever people ask where I’m from I say “South Carolina – the last free state in the Union”. I love this state and I’m proud of being a resident. I also take pride in my southern heritage and like the song Dixie. Personally, I like the confederate flag and don’t associate it with racism. Oops, better check with Abba.

OK, OK - I know that racism exists. I’ve heard white people say “If (people of a certain race) are in Heaven, I don’t want to go”. Don’t worry, you won’t. There is not a true Christian in the known universe who believes this. Tony Evans is one of my favorite Christian teachers and one of the things I look forward to in Heaven is spending time with him.

The worm has tuned somewhat and my experience is that just as much, if not more, racism exists in the black community as the white (see Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton). This is becomes obvious when a black politician publically complains racism is the source when someone disagrees with some asinine comment on their part. As the old saying goes, “The guilty dog barks first”. I do believe this to be a minor anomaly in today’s society and feel, as addressed above, that a majority of the people of any race see people as people.

In the 1999, my oldest son and I attended a Promise Keepers conference in Charlotte. Many of my favorite Christian leaders were there: Greg Laurie, Chuck Colson, Joe Gibbs, etc. A black pastor was there who made a statement that some people didn’t like him because of his race. He said “I didn’t do it – God did”. If you are black by the glory of God, or white by the glory of God, it is the glory of God. Take delight in your race as well as the race of others: “For there is no respect of persons with God”.

The NAACP has sponsored a boycott of South Carolina due to the confederate flag being on the capital grounds. The impact of the boycott doesn’t seem to have been of much effect and that’s not really the point. What does the scripture say we should do in situations like where we may offend Christian brothers, of our own or other ethnicities?

Prov. 24:23 – “These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.”

Rom. 2:11 – “For there is no respect of persons with God.”

Eph. 6:9 – “…. knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him.”

Rom. 14:13 – “Let us not, therefore, …. put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in (our) brother’s way.”

Rom. 14:14 – “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself ….”

Rom. 14:21 – “It is good neither to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor anything by which thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”

So, where am I left in service to my Lord who died for me? It is clear; I take no offense to the confederate flag, but I have many black brothers to whom it is an offense and a reminder of their heritage of slavery. Therefore I will not display it and will take no delight in its display in public.

My Father

Blessed be your name for ever and ever.

Have mercy on us Holy Father,

And forgive our sin of respect of persons.

Cleanse us Father of the sin

Of our thoughts

And toungues

In this regard.

Have mercy upon us

And let your grace rain down on this land.

Cleanse our toungues

With an ember of righteousness.

That we might glorify

The Savior who died for us

Even Christ Jesus

Lord and King forever.

 

 

 

Horses versus Men 6-5-15

1^st Broverbs 1:1 “Take heed my son, and pursue not the woman who loves the steed; lest thy life be full of feed and fencing and all thy resources vanish in the pursuit of pasture, barns and the need for the farrier and the veterinarian” (FNT)

            Time for another acronym – FNT means funny (at least in my own warped sense of humor), but not true. All my Navigator friends know there’s no book in scripture named “Broverbs” so please don’t take this literally. “Broverbs” did seem appropriate for a discussion between us guys and my ADD is pushing toward some others …. stay tuned. Well, let’s do one more:

1^st Broverbs 1:2 “Deliver not thyself into the hands of the dermatologist. Surely, embarrassment shall come upon thee and thy face shall gross out thy friend.” (FNT)

OK, back to the hosses. I suppose it’s just my lot in life to be in love with a woman who loves her horses more than me. In fact it seems I fall in rank behind not only the horses - but the kids, the dog, the cats, the house, the yard, the garden, etc., etc. She’s kinda like the Knights of Nee in The Holy Grail: “Bring me a shrubbery”.

My standard line is if Maxwell’s Silver Hammer came down upon my wife’s head and it split open; a horse would jump out. I thought about it a long time and decided I needed to communicate with her on a level she could understand. I sat her down for a serious talk and said “Sweetheart, you know how I get depressed sometimes thinking I don’t get enough of your attention. Well, I’ve thought long and hard about this and I’ve decided that I want you to treat me like one of the horses.” “What, huh – what do you mean by that”, she rejoined. (I knew I’d get her attention if I mentioned horses). “Well, just like the horses, everyday I need to be fed, groomed and ridden” I said.

Understanding brightened her entire appearance. “She got it” I thought. I was able to communicate in a way she could understand. Not that her understanding made a lot of difference in my lifestyle. Oh well, Abba didn’t say the life of a servant would be easy.

So anyway, my sister found a tee shirt one time that describes why a woman likes a horse better than a man. On it was listed the “Ten Reasons I’d Rather Dream About Horses” and they are:

1.      They’re tall and strong.

2.      They have lots of hair.
3.      They’re always there when you need them.
4.      They never watch cable.
5.      They’re well groomed.
6.      They know what “Whoa” means.
7.      They look good in leather.
8.      They smell good when they sweat.
9.      You’re always on top.
10.  The ride lasts longer than 5 minutes.

The truth is I kinda like horses (I do like golf better, but that’s a different subject). The movie Secretariat was great. I went back to YouTube and watched all the Triple Crown videos of Secretariat’s wins; it brings a tear to your eyes. The entire Country was pulling for Big Red and he had a unifying effect at a time when it was needed. If you watch closely, his jockey, Ron Turcotte, didn’t even use a whip; seems he was just hanging on for dear life. It was during his autopsy they found his heart to be twice the size of a normal horse. The movie had a great biblical quote at the end that came from Job. The entire passage is:

Job 39: 19-25 “¹⁹ Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? ²⁰ Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible. ²¹ He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth on to meet the armed men. ²² He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; neither turneth he back from the sword. ²³ The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. ²⁴ He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. ²⁵ He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains and the shouting.”

 

Wondrous Abba,

Help us appreciate

the wonder of Your creation

and the beauty of animal life.

Grant Father

That our task of gardening

Be fruitful and that our

animals be properly cared for.

We desire this

to honor You

And the creation which

You have made.

And grant us Holy Father

That we may delight in service

Beginning in our own house

In Jesus name.

Adrian Peterson and The Abused Child 5-30-15

Proverbs 13:24 “He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him early.”

 

First things first: I detest the term “black man”, “white people” and any other term that clarifies people according to the color of their skin. Maybe some day we’ll get over it and be able to look at people as people. Cam Newton has great athletic ability, but one of the things I admire most about him is his refusal to get into the black / white issue regardless of the media’s pressure.  

Well of course all white people are racist. That’s exactly why all white people have hated Bill Cosby for his entire career and why he’s been so unsuccessful. Same with Oprah – she ain’t got a dime to her name. Richard Pryor too – except when he was in his red light comedy mode. (I’m getting to a point here so please be patient.) The truth is that the vast majority of white people delight in a successful black man (or woman).

I’m supporting Ben Carson for President and not because he’s black, but because of his faith, honesty and correct diagnosis of what needs to be fixed in America after the Obama fiasco.

OK – back to the point. Bill Cosby did a routine many years ago that talked about his Dad’s discipline. “Son, I brought you into this world and I can sure take you back out”. He was a tough guy. Richard’s Pryor’s skit was that his Dad would give him one whack of the belt for every word he spoke: “I (whack) told (whack) you (whack) never (whack) to (whack) … well, you get the idea. Hmmm, wonder if there’s a connection between discipline and success?

(ADD Alert 1 – I have to mention Bill Cosby’s recent troubles. Men are pretty bad sexually as we’ll all admit, but there’s one thing I don’t understand. One of his supposed victims <sic> said he’d drugged her 6 or 7 times. Hmmm, wonder if there’s any shared responsibility here?)

(ADD Alert 2 – In Which Way is Up, one of Richard’s roles was Rev. Lenox Thomas. After the church realizes he’s been messing with the choir they chase him out of the church and he runs into a steam roller. The next scene is his funeral and he’s in a casket about 12 inches tall; appropriate since he’d been flattened by the steam roller; hilarious.)

Children are a gift from the Lord and should be cared for and protected. In the US there are about 46 million kids under the age of 12 (http://www.childstats.gov/). Over 122,000 were determined to be victims of physical abuse (https://www.firststar.org/); about 2.7 percent. While one case of abuse is too many, the statistics are that the vast majority of fathers are not abusive; not what the liberal media would have you believe. Please remember that Good Will Hunting was a movie, not reality.

Someone has told me that John and Charles Wesley’s mother said that if you didn’t discipline your children before the age of two, you were probably too late. These men went on to serve God and establish the Methodist denomination. Each of my sons has experienced my wrath after acting up in church. They each developed a sense of respect for God’s house. My sister got tired of me whining about not being a good father and finally said “at least you’re there”.

 So, what do we say about Adrian Peterson? I’ve seen the photos of his son but don’t really know all the details. At least he’s there with the desire of a father to correct his child. Maybe he needs some help in learning to control his temper (like most of us). The NFL and the Vikings should have minded their own business on this one.

The word for “rod” in scripture is “shebet” which can also mean club. I’m glad my Dad didn’t read Hebrew. The Commandment to honor your Father and Mother has a promise …. “that you may live long in the land”. A death sentence was called upon those dishonoring Father or Mother; a certain way to reduce your lifespan.

Dr. Mark Lee is one of my heroes. He did pre-marital counseling for 40 years and developed a program titled “50 Questions on Marriage”. One of the questions was to determine how you were going to discipline your kids. He said his kids might get away with sassing him, but if they sassed heir mother, they wouldn’t even see it coming.

Mighty Father,

We have felt thy discipline and are thankful

For thy mercy and grace

And love for us.

Help us Abba,

to accept thy diving correction,

And in love

To correct our children as well.

Blessed Lord

Restrain the hand of those who would

Abuse their children

In any way.

Protect these little ones Blessed Father.

Strengthen their angels

And deliver them from

The abusive man.

We pray also Father

For the abusive man;

That he might not visit the abusive experience he has had

Upon his own offspring.

Heaven versus Hell – Generally Speaking 5-23-15

Genesis 5:3 “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.”

            The quote I heard was “All generalities are false”. Hmmm, well let’s see; that’s a generality as well. So, if all generalities are false, then it must be that that generality is false as well and that some generalities therefore must be true. For example, I heard the below from a friend sometime ago as a description of how we look at various cultures:

Heaven                                                                       Hell

German Mechanics                                                     German Police
Swiss Bankers                                                             Swiss lovers
English Police                                                             English Cooks
French Cooks                                                              French Mechanics
Italian Lovers                                                              Italian Bankers

            Has a ring of truth doesn’t it? But does that have to do with our preconceptions or with the actual abilities of a given culture? I’m sure there are bad German mechanics and good French ones. (ADD Alert – I was on an Airbus into Denver recently that started having smoke in the cabin just after we landed. We had to jump off the plane – not something on my Bucket List. So the thought that the Airbus is French built did cross my mind. I was thankful it didn’t happen at 35,000 feet.)

             When I was a youth, products from Japan were regularly dissed. Then Deming (see https://www.deming.org/) went to Japan and taught them quality and process improvement. Sony bought the transistor from (I think it was Motorola) and in a generation the Japanese went from radios to producing world class cars. My current prejudice is products from China – Hey, it’ll be half price just be sure and buy two – one will have problems.

            The truth is amazing: Abba in His wonderful creative nature has created and continues to create individuals. Not a single soul on this planet is exactly like anyone else. Regardless of our preconceptions regarding cultures, each person is unique.

My OCD requires I read the Bible from front to back. I was struggling through the “begats” one time and paused and asked Abba what was important about naming all these people. It came to me that He knew each one of them, as He knows each one of us today. Don’t despair; God knows you, He knows your name and He knows the problems you face each day. He loves you as an individual; an individual that He created.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith The Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Creative Father, Mighty God

Help us to rejoice

In the Wonder of Your creative power

And see others as individuals.

Without prejudice,

Without preconception.

Delighting in our differences,

And rejoicing in our common bond as Your creation.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire No. 1 (Revised) 5-17-15

         Well, well – I had to withdraw the original version of this post. I’ve stated one of my RRs (Radio Rabbis) is Steve Brown of KeyLife (http://www.keylife.org/). Steve sends out a newsletter each month which is great teaching. The Newsletter I received after the post said that it might be a good idea not to expose all your faults – even to your best friends – because it can destroy relationships and hurt your witness. BTW – it’s OK with Jesus because he knows everything anyway.

Maybe I’ll just quit blogging all together. My purpose was to speak to other Christians about struggles I’ve faced in an attempt to encourage them and give them hope. In other words, if Jesus can save someone with as terrible a past as I’ve had then he can save you too. I guess I’ll keep going and try to remember to pray before I write, as well as try to be more generic about my sin.

It’s been said that Dietrich Banhoeffer, the brilliant theologian who resisted the Nazis until they hung him just before the end of WW II, visited America and was asked what was the most important thing he had learned in his distinguished career. He replied, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Maybe if we keep that in mind, we can all be a little more effective. As Rick Warren said “it’s not about you” (or me).

So here is the revised “Liar, Liar …”

Eighth grade, junior high: I saw a friend who arrived late to class with an excuse slip. He let me read the excuse; it said” Unexcused Absence”, the reason he wrote was “I overslept”. Wow – couldn’t he think of anything better than the truth? I remember that to this day and hope he continues in truth.

            So Tom Brady’s taking the hit for “Deflategate” and maybe he should. The thing that struck me was Belichick’s original interview about the issue. It seemed it could be summed up as: Ball? The game is played with a ball? Kinda like Roy Williams and the North Carolina basketball players not going to classes: Classes? You mean players have to go to class? Why can’t people take some responsibility?

Harry Reid recently admitted he lied about Mitt Romney never paying taxes. His justification: “Well, who won the election”. I suppose in his mind the end justifies the means.

            Hear America, the inspired voice of the Apostle of Love, the gentle, the kind, the encouraging John; the one whom Jesus loved:

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelievers, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Merciful Father forgive me

And cleanse me from the sin of false speech;

 when I’ve taken the easy way out,

and failed in truthfulness.

Also Mighty Abba, I pray

For all Your servants,

That they may see the light of Your Truth

And be reconciled to You.

My Lord, My King

I also pray for all leaders of our country,

That they may speak truth

And let the light shine on all their activities.

Abide with us Lord Jesus,

May your Spirit convict and overwhelm us

That your Grace may be shed on America

And that our country may be healed.

Death Becomes Him - May 2, 2015

Recently my daughter and I were coming home from basketball practice and we were discussing her Mom (my Wife – which may not always be the case these days) and her somewhat oppressive attitude regarding us doing what we should be doing. My daughter seems to have inherited my quirky sense of humor and said “Hey Dad, you know why women live longer than men?” “Sensing a joke, I responded “You tell me Sweetheart”. “It’s because men want to escape” she replied. We both had a good laugh, but I didn’t confess that such a thought had passed through my mind from time to time. To those of us to whom divorce is not an option there is a certain attraction to the time when we won’t have to listen to it anymore.

            I’m sure women have similar feelings. One of my favorite stories involves Ruth Graham and how she responded to an interviewer’s question. The interviewer asked Mrs. Graham if she ever considered divorce. After thinking for a moment, Mrs. Graham is said to have responded “No, I can honestly say I’ve never considered divorce – murder several times, but never divorce.” Now if such a godly woman can have such frustration with such a godly man, I think we can all take a little heart in the midst of the daily confrontations within our marriages. But back to death.

Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

We’ve all heard the saying “the only things sure in life are death and taxes”. The statistics on death are pretty overwhelming: one out of every one persons will die. So why don’t we just cave to the Kevorkian Solution and choose the time of our own death? Why do we struggle against it so? We spend tremendous resources to prolong life and probably just as much to alter our appearance to avoid the appearance of age as our time approaches.

If we’re going to die for sure, why don’t we just accept it, or as Agent Smith told Neo in The Matrix “ Mr. Anderson, that is the sound of inevitability”. Could it be that our struggle against death has a much deeper meaning? The scripture is clear that we were not created for death, but for life. At our core is the God given knowledge that we were created for life - not death. Death is most unnatural of finalities and hence our struggle against it.

Mighty Abba,

We accept your judgment

Of death for sin.

We look forward to the restoration

of our natural state of eternal life

purchased by Christ Jesus.

The Worst Person I Know - May 2, 2015

I Timothy 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief”.

Romans 7:19 “For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

Romans 7:24 “Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death.”

Wow - this is the Apostle Paul speaking; the person who evangelized the known world of his day, who established churches in cities he visited and laid the foundation of Christianity. How could he see himself this way? He had seen the Lord and was personally instructed in the Truth. Seems like everything would be smooth sailing – health, wealth and peace is what the TV preachers tell us – if only we have enough faith.

I walked into my Sunday school class a few weeks ago and said “I am the worst person I know …. and you are the worst person you know”. It’s only within our own thoughts and actions that we see the fruit of the flesh. It’s been said “If you didn’t meet the Devil this morning, you were probably going the same direction he was.” Are you surprised that temptation should come your way? The Evil One has no issue with those on the broad path; it’s the ones who are struggling along the narrow path that he takes exception to.

It seems the things I say I would never do are exactly the places I face temptation. Paul was wrong, I am the Chief of Sinners; I am the Wretched Man. I hate this life subject to the flesh - I’m so pitiful, why can’t I be a better Christian? I hunger for a more spirit filled life; it just seems so useless some times. Here I go in the valley, wallowing in self pity, completely useless in the Kingdom – Satan wins.

But wait – I’m focused on myself, and not on Jesus. He’s already taken care of all this; He’s blessed me.

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

If you’re perfect you won’t hunger and thirst for righteousness (as did our brother Paul). I’m not perfect, but I’m blessed by the King of the Universe. I’m going to keep my eyes on Him and begin the struggle again: pray, read my Bible and fellowship with other believers; other sinners like me.

Lord Jesus,

As we approach your perfection,

We see our depravity more clearly.

Grant that we might live more in the Spirit

and less in the flesh,

And that we may be filled with the righteousness

That you purchased at Calvary.

Theorem No. 1 – All Women have Chocolate - Apr. 22, 2015

         You know, sometimes you just got to have a little bite of chocolate. Being a typical male whose only desire in life is immediate gratification, and who models typical male behavior in failing to prepare for such instances, I typically have to ask my wife where she’s hidden the chocolate. “We don’t have any” is a totally unacceptable response and usually results in a heated argument. After turning away from each other, and an acceptable amount of time to teach me the lesson I so richly deserve, it seems I always receive the necessary bite.

A couple of years ago, I was relating this theory to a wonderful lady who worked with me. Well guess what - a heated argument ensued. She was adamant that my theory was chauvinistic, and I was adamant that chauvinistic or not the theory was true. The tension lasted until a little before quitting time. As she was leaving for the day, this delightful lady came into my office and presented me with a tiny Tootsie Roll and said “I found this in my purse and had no idea it was there and still don’t believe your stupid male theory”.  I said “thank you” and smiled.

 

 

Venus, Mars and Candy Bars No. 2 - Apr. 22, 2015

          Greg Laurie gave a great teaching on the inherent friction that Abba created between the male and female. The scripture says:

Genesis 3:16 – “Unto the woman he said, … thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

The essence of Greg’s teaching is that the original language has the concept that a wife will desire to usurp the husband’s authority in the home, and that the husband will desire to be obnoxious in his use of his authority. Greg said both these attitudes are wrong and that we must struggle to overcome them.

Many men have confidence in their role, but the general failure of the family in our time has caused turbulence in the definition of our responsibilities. We need to confess our failures and turn to Christ for guidance in being the men we are supposed to be, and allow women to have the joy and confidence they will have when fulfilling the responsibilities God has given them.

I don’t mean to say that women are secondary to men in any sense. Women have tried to step up and fill the gaps that men have abdicated – in being the Christian leader in the home, in labor, in politics, in the rearing of children and so forth. But the notable absence of men in these areas is damaging to the culture.

We must remember that Christ Jesus gave great status to women and that scripture tells us clearly that we are to be servant leaders:

Eph. 5:25: “Husbands, love our wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it.”

Women have their own biblical instruction, but until we men get the log out of our own eyes, we can’t afford to be critical of our wives failure to live up to their responsibilities.

So what is our responsibility as husbands and fathers? Abba has given us the responsibility to be the priest in our home; to be the leader in service to God and our family. I don’t know why Abba did this – maybe because men have such fragile egos that they need to be given the authority. So what is the key? There’s an old story about a guy who refused to buy a remote control for his TV …. “It’ll be a sad day when I get so lazy I can’t tell my wife or daughter to go change the channel”. Hmmm, that doesn’t sound right.

Mark 9:35 “… If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

            True servant leadership is not namby-pamby stuff but gives real power. Steve Brown tells a wonderful story about when his daughters were young. When he told them something they might do it reluctantly. When his wife told them to do something they would jump because she was always there for them in an attitude of service. You want power in your home? Start being a servant and you will get it. Jesus said so.

My Lord, my King, my Savior

Have mercy on me

And forgive my lack of service

To You and my family.

Strengthen me O Lord

And allow me to begin anew

To be a servant

And to fulfill my responsibilities.

Venus, Mars and Candy Bars No. 1 - Apr. 22, 2015

          It’s been said that women are allotted 25,000 words per day and men 5,000. When a guy comes home from work he’s already used up his allotment and can only grunt and sigh in response to any query from his spouse. Women however, have to continue to speak until their allotment is used up. If true, this would explain the inordinate, at least to the male mind, use of the telephone and other communication devices by women (how could I have ever encouraged my wife to start a Facebook page), as well as some of the difficulties in understanding your spouse.

One of the great movie lines of all time was spoken by Strother Martin in Cool Hand Luke – “What we have here is failure to communicate”. It’s obvious we all understand the significance of communication and can advise other of its critical importance in marriage. But are we practicing what we preach? Reminds me of the quip “Hey, take my advice, I’m obviously not using any of it”. So, at the end of the day, how can we better communicate with our wives?

The key to solving any problem is to first realize that it exists and to try and understand its nature. We first must realize that men and women communicate in different ways. From That Hideous Strength is a passage that yields some insight into the issue:

“There are no servants here,” said mother Dimble, “and we all do the work. The women do it one day and the men the next. What? No, it’s a very sensible arrangement. The Director’s idea is that men and women can’t do housework together without quarreling. There’s something in it. Of course, it doesn’t do to look at the cups too closely on the men’s day, but on the whole we get along pretty well.”

            “But why should they quarrel”” asked Jane.

            “Different methods, my dear. Men can’t help in a job, you know. They can be induced to do it: not to help while you’re doing it. At least it makes them grumpy.”

            “The cardinal difficulty,” said MacPhee, “in collaboration between the sexes is that women speak a language without nouns. If two men are doing a bit of work, one will say to the other, ‘Put this bowl inside the bigger bowl which you’ll find on the top shelf of the green cupboard.’ The female for this is, ‘Put that in the other one in there.’ And then you ask them, ‘in where?’ they say, ‘in there, of course.’ There is consequently a phatic hiatus.” He pronounced this so as to rhyme with “get at us.” ” end of quote.

I recently heard a rule for marriage that makes some sense. It says that a wife can tell you what to do, or how to do something, but not both. My wife and I are both control freaks and this rule has brought some relief to our relationship. As a personal example, I appreciate a reasonably organized kitchen. My wife goes on cleaning binges but not on a daily basis and I experienced years of frustration going in to the kitchen to do something and plowing through the chaos. The solution came as a blinding light – if I wanted an organized kitchen – I could do it myself. What a revelation (and relief) for both of us.

Blessed Father

You have given us such a wonderful example

In your living Word.

Patience,

Kindness,

Grace,

Mercy.

Help us mighty Abba

To practice these virtues with our wives.

To turn off the world

And listen.

To be the servant leaders

You call us to be.

 

Physical Attraction - Apr. 18, 2015

Let’s discuss physical attraction. Whether you think Dickens has anything in common with Mario Puzo or not, they both give a wonderful description of an all consuming physical attraction of a man for a woman.  Dickens in Copperfield (I believe - maybe Nickelby) describes a desire so strong that jealousy and violence are thoughts if the man sees his heart’s desire kiss her father goodnight. Puzo describes Michael’s desire to possess as the “thunderbolt” which leaves a man reeling and unbalanced and focused on nothing but the consummation of that desire.

My belief is that initial physical attraction is necessary to begin a relationship and that it comes from Abba; men more from the physical side and women more from the desire to be desired.

CS Lewis wrote a fascinating space trilogy with the final book being “That Hideous Strength”. In that book, a young wife is struggling with her concept of marriage as an institution of equality.  In walking through a garden she thinks:

“Freud said we liked gardens because they were symbols of the female body. But that must be a man’s point of view. Presumably gardens meant something different in women’s dreams. Or did they? Did men and women both feel interested in the female body and even, though it sounded ridiculous, in almost the same way? A sentence rose to her memory. “The beauty of the female is the root of joy to the female as well as the male, and it is no accident the goddess of love is older than the god …. To desire the desiring of her own beauty is the vanity of Lilith, but to desire the enjoying of her own beauty is the obedience of Eve, and to both it is in the lover that the beloved tastes her own delightfulness. As obedience is the stairway of pleasure, so humility is the …””.

            In other words, the delight of a woman is in the desire expressed by her lover. While we are talking here about the physical aspect, there is no denying the mental and spiritual components as well.

Most of us average joes have seen some little dork with a beautiful woman and wondered how in the world is that possible and what is his secret. I’m sure there are isolated cases of money, or family, or physical endowment or the gift of gab or some other such triviality; however, it is postulated here that the secret is in the desire of the lover and its expression. Think about it in your own life experience, what is more ego boosting than to have someone desire you, even if it is not someone you would normally look at twice.

It’s obvious from looking around that most people have some degree of physical attraction that ignites relationships and results in marriage. I heard somewhere that “all 19 year old girls are beautiful”, and it must be true considering all the matches that are made.

            Another thing should be said about physical attraction and it can be expressed in a great line from what was a semi-popular film. John Belushi and Blair Brown starred in a 1981 movie (whoa – I almost called it an old movie, which I guess it now is) named Continental Divide. Souchak (Belushi) is a journalist in Chicago who writes exposés about crime and has to escape for a time to the Rocky Mountains. He meets Porter (Brown), an ornithologist and through mutual dislike (a powerful aphrodisiac) they eventually fall in love. After returning to Chicago, Souchak is heart broken but eventually returns to journalism – until Porter visits Chicago to give a lecture.

The two renew their relationship until they finally decide their lives require separation. Souchak sees Porter off at the train station and then decides to accompany her to the next stop, and the next and the next. Showing up at her compartment one time, Souchak says “You’re so beautiful”, to which Porter replies “No I’m not, you’re just in love”. Now, we all know that Blair Brown is indeed beautiful, but that’s beside the point. And it’s more than “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” as well. The physical and mental attraction that initiates love and shared experiences creates the desire that gives both satisfaction in the relationship, the male rejoicing in his desire and the female in that she is the object of that desire.

You want to increase the happiness of your marriage? Start (figurative and literally) chasing your wife around the house. I dated a beautiful young lady when in college who’s Dad was a gynecologist. She related to me that her Dad actually chased her Mom around the house. Your kids may act as if they think it’s gross, but there was a sparkle in the eyes of the young lady telling me this story. What can be more confidence building to a child than to see physical evidence of their Father desiring their Mother.

Prov. 5: 18 – 21: “Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times, and be thou always ravished with her love.”

Eccl. 9:9: “Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labor which thou takest under the sun.”

 

Blessed Father

We prostrate ourselves before thee,

And proclaim that Thou art Lord,

Perfect in all Thy ways

Have mercy on us holy Father and

Let thy grace rain down upon us.

Grant us Father the desire to seek Thee early,

To know Thee and see Thy power

We say we desire to know Thee

But fail to pray and fail to read Thy Word.

We shall begin today Father to read and pray

And trust in Thee.

We have distorted our own manhood

And Thy perfect concept of marriage;

Pursuing the desires of the flesh

External to the marriage bed

Grant us Father the path of escape

And the will to walk through it.

As Thy servant Joseph fled from sin

Let us flee as well,

Into Thy loving arms

As the prodigals we are.

We shall evermore delight in Thee

And rejoice in Thy kingdom.

 

Man – I Don't Feel Like a Woman Apr. 16, 2015

In the Post “For Men Only” I said this Blog is just that. Now that all the women have left in a huff and are already on the phone telling their friends what an MCP that blogger is, we can discuss them in honest privacy without fear of disturbance. I’m sure any woman who happened to find this obscure blog has a lot of righteous anger, which I (along with most men) have great talent for causing. But they’ll get over it and won’t ever mention it again until the opportunity for elephantine memory kicks in when you say something wrong 20 years from now.

Man, don’t you just love women. Dealing with women is one of my life’s most delightful experiences. At home work or play, women bring such a unique perspective to most every issue that it’s eye opening and certainly one of the great spices of life. But as with scripture, you have to pay close attention to ensure proper understanding and even then we men have only limited capacity. It has been said that there are two things men must know about women – and nobody knows either one.

It’s not only the physical attraction and relationship that exists, but the total mental interaction as well. If any of us could look through Abba’s eyes, we would probably see His wondrous creative nature in the mental differences between the sexes. I mean really, think about it – both sexes have feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, buttocks (please think of that word in the innocent speech of Forrest Gump - “buh-tocks”), torsos (with all the internal bodily systems), necks, arms, heads and brains (regardless of either sexes legitimate opinion to the contrary), yada, yada, yada. So, in my humble opinion, other than the obvious sexual differences, the mental differences are really what distinguish the sexes.

Our Father, Our Lord, Our King

Thou art worthy of better servants,

Of more obedient children.

Let thy grace continue toward us.

We are thine oh Lord

Accept our insufficient praise.

We stand in awe of the beauty of thy creation

And delight in the wonder of thy perfection.

We delight Father in thy wondrous creative skills

As shown in this world.

For thou hast made male and female,

Beyond understanding, beyond comprehension.

We seek thee early Father

And desire understanding of thy creation.

Help us holy Father to be better men,

Better husbands, better fathers, better workers.

We confess our failures to Thee -

We have lived in the flesh rather than apart from it,

We have loved ourselves rather than our wives,

We have raised our children to seek the world.

Forgive us blessed Father,

Change us and make us more Christ-like.

With humble and contrite hearts,

We desire thy Spirit to rule in our lives.