Mary, Mary...

Many years ago,, when I lived in Oklahoma City, I was part of a puppet team at church and once a month we would visit a nursing home and entertain the residents and visit with them.
Once resident still, after all these years, stays in my mind. Her name is Mary. Mary was not a resident that was at the end of life’s highway, but a relatively young person who had an unfortunate event in life.
Mary was in a car that was struck by a train. She survived but the consequences of the accident had caused a stroke in her brain and left her deeply in need of full term care. She had limited use of her arms, couldn’t use her legs, and had very little speech left. Very little was left of the young mother of her children that sat, strapped, in the wheel chair.
Mary was married, she had children and she had a life to live. But a split second changed all of it, and here she sat, her arms tied to the chair’s armrest and a large seat belt holding her in the chair. This sounds cruel, but without this she couldn’t sit up and stay in the chair. Her head tilted all the time to the left and she constantly drooled onto the lap table attached to the chair.
Her hair needed combed and when she tried to talk, it took her ten minutes to say hello. But, while exteriors where a wreck, inside there was still the mind of a woman.
Probably a very sad woman, whose husband decided she wasn’t worthy any more of his love. A man who lied when he said “in sickness and health” at the altar of commitment. A man who divorced the woman he said “until death do we part”. Talk about commitment.
Commitment. Something not very popular in this country. Take a Hollywood minute, and get married and get divorced. Problems arise? Shuck it all and start over. Feel bad? Take a pill and it will get better! Now, now, now. Not later, later, later.
Commitment to many is a dirty word, but to the one who said “faithful is He who called you” (1 Th 5:24) commitment is not something taken lightly.
“But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. “
(Rom 5:8) Talk about commitment. Not very many of use will do that for just anyone, but Christ did for us.
And Christ isn’t just around for the good times, the young times, the fun times, but He is here for all times; “God is faithful, by whom you were called to the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1Co 1:9)
God is with us, in the good times and bad. Beautiful, ugly, ultra athlete or cripple, rich or poor, famous or unknown, Jesus died for all of us and He stays with us. Unlike Mary’s husband, He will never, ever leave us nor forsake us.
I don’t know what ever became of Mary, times and places have changed since then, but knowing her condition, I have no doubt she has no physical pain or suffering any longer.

Remember the Titans

I watched the movie, “Remember The Titans” the other day. This is an inspiring movie about two races of people learning to live together, the story of black and white athletes, families, people and townspeople uniting behind the town’s football team. True to Hollywood tradition, the film portrays the problems very simplistically with the traditional bullies and heroes. People are stereotyped in the predictable roles and you know way before the movie ends, how the film will end. But still it is a good, inspiring movie to watch.
It would be so nice it people would just lay down their differences and “just get along” but it just isnt’ true.
One scene in the movie the coach takes the players to a graveyard at Gettysburg (I wondered during the film how they got onto the battle ground by running through the woods onto the park) and points out how people died there for their freedom today. On the other hand, the battle for racial equality still goes on, and will go on for now and forever (sounds pessimistic doesn’t it?).
Only by one way will people truly be free. “ There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. “ Galtians 3:28
And how can we be free? “Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
Only through Christ can we be free and only by giving up your “freedom” can you be free. This isn’t double speak but it is how it works. By allowing Christ to be “your boss” can you be truly free. Free from worries, cares and free from the fear of what life holds for you when it is over.
Unity with your fellow Christians where there is no black, white, yellow, or red.
Have you ever noticed the color of your blood when you have cut yourself? The blood Christ shed for you is the same color, and so it is also in the person beside you. In Christ, we all the same.

Live In The Moment

I live in a generation that lives for the moment. But this is not a new thing to know. I suspect that my parent’s generation lived for the moment and that their parent’s generation also lived for the here and now. I mean, it is highly likely that every generation past, present and future has or will live just for the moment.
Live for the moment, the here and now, with little preparation for the distant future, no thought for the morrow. Remember the moral of the ant and the grasshopper? The ant worked and worked to prepare for the harsh winter that would be coming, while the grasshopper played in the summer sun with no thought of the winter to be. And what happened, the ant survived the winter and the grasshopper suffered when the snows came.
“ And the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, and the people gathered themselves to Aaron. And they said to him, Up! Make us gods who shall go before us. For this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. “(Exodus 32:1)
Moses goes up Mt. Sinai to get the law from God and the people left down below get impatient and decide to make their own gods. Isn’t strange that they have already forgotten the God that had brought them out of the land of slavery, saved them from the Egyptians and look what happens.
The people had actually seen God and heard Him speak to them, in Exodus 20:19-21 we read “And they said to Moses, You speak with us, and we will hear. But let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said to the people, Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and so that His fear may be before your faces, so that you may not sin. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. “
The people had heard God and had trembled so much in His presence that they asked Moses to be their intercede for them with God. And then, just a short time later, as Moses listens to God on the mountain, they live for the moment and not for the future and produce the golden calf to worship. A false god born of false hope or false fears.
Humans have this trait. We cannot help but live for the moment. We cannot see the future, we cannot know what tomorrow brings, we can only see the past, and we often do not heed the lessons learned from history.
If we truly could see the lung cancer that we could have, we would not take up smoking.
If we could see the heartbreak and loneliness of old age, we would not commit adultery and stay faithful to our husband or wife.
The wasted life won’t happen to me, so we take up drinking or drugs and lose that life we could have lived.
We cannot see with the eye of faith so we will not “be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10)
Being short sighted is not at any time a good policy, and living for today is not a good idea either. The Lord gives us a wonderful “insurance policy” to follow and He guarantees it! Through Christ, all things a possible. Through Christ, salvation is to be had. A future is guaranteed.
I would rather live for tomorrow and all its promise that God has provided than to live for today and all its problems.

Am I In Control?
I left my little farm to take a trip by airplane the other day and of course the thought of “why are people afraid to fly?” crossed my mind. I tell you the truth, it doesn’t bother me to fly, except for the ear popping as you go up and down on landings and takeoffs, but the fact that if the engines stalled at 10, 000 feet just doesn’t bother me.
There is not much you can do, I mean, you can’t pull the plane over and pop the hood and wait for a tow truck can you? So if it goes down, it goes down. In reality, take off and landing are the times for things that go bump to happen. So once your are up, you’re half way there! (sorry, no pun intended).
Just think about it, we get in a 2-ton, 65 mph accident waiting to happen, with no thought and then breakout into a cold sweat as soon as the feet hit the plane’s floor. What gives?
Here is something to think about----when you get in your car, you are in control, when you are in a plane you are not---someone else is in control. They make all the decisions, they will determine
everything about your safe arrival. Then just add about 10,000 feet of altitude.
Again, I think the issue could be control, we like to run our lives, to control every facet of our daily lives, waking or asleep. We do not want to lose control of anything. Hence the fear. Maybe some people have a real fear of heights, flying etc. but I think (in an unscientific opinion poll of 1) that this could be it.
You know, people have had trouble with control issues all along the historical path. Beginning with the Hebrews in the desert to the rejection of the Messiah by the Pharisees, and continuing to today.
We read in Romans 8:9 “You, however, are not of the flesh but under the control of the Spirit, since God's Spirit lives in you. “
Here is the answer to the control issue. God has given us the Spirit to control us, to “run
the show” so to speak. Now this is not to say that we are off scott free to do what we wish for
Paul tell us to show self-control: “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful.
Everything is permissible for me, but I will not allow anything to control me. “ (I Cor. 6:12) and
again he writes:” But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”( Gal. 5:22-23)
Life is hard enough without us trying to run it. God gives this day, so use it to its fullest, and
don’t fret about the day or the morrow. There are so many stories of people trying to run their
lives from the control room only to have it disappear in a moment. Let the world worry about
tomorrow, let God take the stick and fly you around.
Until next time on My Front Porch.

THE GREAT CHASM
These people belong to the world. That is why they speak from the world's perspective, and the world listens to them. I John 4:5

I have never been to the Grand Canyon out west, but I have been the “grand canyon” of the east, the New River Gorge. It is an impressive sight, standing on the edge of the gorge and looking out across to the other side. Any season of the year, the view is one of a kind.
To get to the other side of the gorge there is a modern bridge spanning the gorge at a narrow point. It only takes a few minutes to drive from one side of the gorge to the other.
Looking way, way down at the New River running through the gorge you will see the old bridge that once was the only way across the gorge. You had to drive all the way down to the bottom of the gorge, cross this old narrow bridge and then drive all the way back up. It took at least on hour (I was told) to cross from one side to the other. And before any bridge was built, people on one side were separated from those on the other.
Look at today’s verse and the analogy holds for people and God. When people belong to the world, see the world with the world’s eye then they are on one side the “great gorge” and God is on the other side.
Again in first John (4:6) we read “We belong to God. The person who knows God listens to us. Whoever does not belong to God does not listen to us. “
As a member of Christ’s body, our outlook on life is quite different than one who denies Christ or does not know Him. Just look at the decisions many people make in their life, ones they do not think anything about, but to a Christian the same decision would not be made.
As I have said to others before, what happens doesn’t surprise me, it just disappoints me. These two verses teach us that there is a grand canyon between God’s people and the people of the world. Two different view points.
No wonder Christ said :” You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden. “(Matthew 5:14)
Until next time On My Front Porch

For the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, and they have both fallen together.

Do you remember (or know of) Jack Tatum? Mr. Tatum played defense for the Oakland Raiders football team and was a graduate of Ohio State University, where he also played football. Tatum was known for his hard hitting player on the field throughout his career. Many a quarterback or running back can attest to his play during his football career (1971-80)
During his day, he was indeed, quite famous, football-wise.
Today, twenty-three years later, I read in the sports pages that the once mighty Jack Tatum has lost his lower left leg. Due to complications of Type-2 diabetes, surgeons had to remove his leg to preserve his life. (Diabetes is a serious problem among Americans today. Take heed that you know how it is caused. Take this as a health warning.)

Ah, when we were young! So fast, furious, full of grace and skills. Isn’t it ironic that as time passes and we accumulate knowledge and wisdom we lose the physical skills to apply some of that wisdom?
Ever been behind an old person driving? Notice that an elderly person has a great fear of falling? Need glasses now? Can’t hear so well, don’t like your daughter’s music or style of dress? Have you bought a new car and selected one for its suspension, size and comfort not its speed and looks? I hope you don’t pull your pants up past your waist, yet!
Yes time has past us by, youngsters now run the fields of contest and we watch or coach. We hire contractors to do the work instead of doing it ourselves. We start reading the obituaries in the paper...
Time takes its toll on all of us, physically, but what really important is that we grow in Christ as we age physically.
Ephesians 4:15 “But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ;”
Without Christ, all those years of accumulated knowledge is just plain wasted.
With Christ all things are possible, even growing up, with or with out legs.
Until next time on my front porch.

Recently I heard on the radio a report about the dearth of live births in Japan and how this country has reached a negative population growth (more deaths than births, the population is shrinking). The commentator somehow used this to illustrate the ability of Japanese women to have an abortion.
I am adamantly opposed to abortion, but I have serious trouble with this person’s conclusions.
Japan is a prosperous nation, highly education, with a rising female educated work force. It is a trend for highly educated couples to have fewer children or elect to not have any at all (Double Income, No Kids, DINKs). I think that there are more causes for the effect of negative population growth to occur than just abortion.
I liked the message against abortion, but I don’t like the very weak argument or suspect conclusions. Truth or fiction? Yes and no.
There is no suspicous statements from God. No deciding if it is the truth or fiction.
1Th 2:13 “ And for this cause we thank God without ceasing, that when you received the Word of hearing, of God, you welcomed it as the Word of God, not as a word of men, but as it is, truly the Word of God, which also effectually works in you who believe.”
When you read the Bible, the facts contained within it are not twisted to mislead you, but are written so that you can learn the truth about yourself, about God, about Christ and about salvation.
2Ti 2:15 “Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. “
When you read the Bible, the previous verse says it all. Just as God doesn’t lie to us
(Tit 1:2 on hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the eternal times, ),we cannot lie to ourselves or to God about what we read. We cannot twist the Word of God to achieve our own goals or agenda.
Think about it.

HOTEL LIFE

A friend of mine was telling me about the renovations at the church he attends. The foyer was designed as a hotel foyer instead of the traditional church foyer. The reason for this design was explained by this “we are just passing through this place and are here for just a short time”.
How appropriate for Christians!
In Matthew 24:35 we read “The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.”
We walk a short walk while on this earth and this place we call home we need to call our hotel, a place where we are just staying for a short while.
In Luke 12:16-31 Jesus tells us the parable of the man who tears down his barns to build larger barns only to find that “your soul shall be required of you” (verse 20). This is a familiar parable to us, but later Jesus explains why we don’t worry about accumulating for the future, that God will take care of us.
In Luke 12:23 we read that” Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”
Just like a hotel room, we spend the night, enjoy the breakfast bar and journey on. We leave the furniture behind, the silverware, the sheets, the cable t.v., the pool, the building and just leave with what we brought.
Our walk with Christ is so similar. We walk with Jesus daily, enjoy the blessings each day and leave this life with what we brought with us.
The best way to end this week’s thought is to let Jesus do the talking:
“But rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Luke 12:31

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
This scripture (John 8:32) has been played out this week in the events in Iraq. When the people of Iraq learned the truth about Saddam and why the U.S.A were there, well, the scenes on t.v. are telling the story. People wanting to be free don't fight the liberator.
Another story of how truth will change things is the article in the New York Times by Eason Jordan concerning CNN's conduct while reporting information from Iraq before the war (Times site requires registration). It has started a fire storm among many people about reporting, fairness and objectivity of reporters.
It is always that way. The truth will make you free. Sometimes learning the truth is not easy. As these two examples have shown. Truth will enlighten or humble, rejoicing or repentant, happy or sad. When the truth is told there should be 100% winners, but often there are losers, people who cannot or willnot hear the true
Jesus faced just that type of person. Many rejoiced at the freedom that His truth gave them, while others plotted to deny the truth and get rid of the teller of truth.
"But now you seek to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth which I have heard beside God;" John 8: 40.
" And because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me." John 8:45
Telling the truth is hard. Just watch a little child struggle to tell the truth. Truth telling is not a human trait, but a learned one. It is easier to tell the truth, no matter how hard the consequences are, than to not tell the truth and deal with the consquences later, but humans still opt to hold back the truth.
Jesus told the ultimate truth, that He will set you free. That by His death and resurrection you will be free. Free from sin. Free from the death that sin brings to all people. Free from the curse of death that haunts men and women of all time.
Free from the question "when I die, what is next?"
People in Iraq are dancing in the streets with their new found freedom, while others are cursing and plotting to take it away, to stop the advance of freedom.
Where do you stand in the march of spiritual freedom?

"For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" Romans 1:18

“a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” writes the preacher in Ecclesiastes 3:4. And now is a good time to laugh.
Sent, via e-mail from my father-in-law, and off obviously the internet the following situations:
The police of a certain city were trying to talk a distraught man out of a house, where he had barricaded himself. After firing tear gas into the house (10 canisters) the police discovered the man was standing beside them, shouting out to give himself up.
A would be bank robber uses his finger and thumb to simulate a gun in a holdup. Usually you put your hand in your coat pocket. He did.
After his house burned down due to a faulty fire alarm system short, the man exclaimed, “This is worse than last year, when someone stole my newly installed security system!”
On the phone with 911, “My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!”
“Is this her first child?” asked the 911 operator.
“No!” replied the anxious husband, “this is her husband!”

Laughter is great. It sure beats crying. Maybe sometimes it is best to laugh about it instead of crying about it. Just recently, researchers are stating that talking about problems just doesn’t help. That people who just get on with their lives cope better. But then others say no, no, we must have counselors and talk about it. Who knows?
Anyway, a good joke is worth the time to listen to and enjoy. I do find it interesting, using my electronic Bible, and searching for laugh, laughing, and laughter, that many of the uses of the word is used in a negative sense. Like you laughter will turn into tears, etc. There are not a lot of returns on the search for laughter.
But joy, wow! There are a lot of verses on joy and happiness.
And there is the real message today.
Laughter is fleeting, a moment in the sun that comes and goes. But happiness and joy are deeper. Down in the bones of the soul.
“And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
Verse after verse about joy, you read how Christians counted it all joy in situation after situation. Only deep faith and trust in God will allow a person in any circumstance be that joyful.
Laughter can turn to sorrow in a heart beat, but joy will be there always.
“ But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy” (Galatians 5:22)
Laugh today, enjoy the day, remember, joy is here to stay.

Mother’s Milk
The weather is getting warmer, up here on our little ridge top farm. The snow is melting, and the ground is thawing. Soon the flowers will bloom, the leaves will be budding and the babies will be here.
While we don’t have any pregnant animals on our little farm, many farmers do and soon, if not already, the little ones will be here (usually the worst night in March).
As soon as they are delivered, the babies immediately head for their mother’s milk. The first feeding is very important for the newborn animal. It gives them all the materials needed by the animal to survive the first few hours on earth. Animals that do not get the first feeding from their mothers are often doomed, even if they get a feeding of milk later on!
Their mother’s milk is important for the survival of the animal. The protein for muscles, calcium for bones, sugar and fat for calories to stay warm, and other ingredients that helps the baby to grow.
It is no wonder that the scripture uses the same word picture to describe our relationship with Christ. In I Peter 2:2 we read: “desire the sincere milk of the Word, as newborn babes, so that you may grow by it”.
God’s Word is the milk that we need to grow up in Christ until the time for us to partake of solid food, the meat of the Word
“ I have fed you with milk and not with solid food, for you were not yet able to bear it; nor are you able even now.” (I Corinthians3:2) While this verse illustrates that the readers of I Corinthians are not ready for a diet of meat, the implication is clear, we need to grow (mature) in Christ and begin to “eat” the meat of the Word. We cannot just survive on a liquid diet of milk and expect to grow in Christ.
In Hebrews 5:12 we read “ And you have become in need of milk, and not of solid food. “ The writer of Hebrews tell us quite clearly to move on to the meat of the word.
“For everyone partaking of milk is unskillful in the Word of Righteousness, for he is an infant” (Hebrews 5:13). I don’t think you want to be a infant your entire life in Christ.
Just like the calf won’t grow if he doesn’t start eating grass and leave the milk alone, as God’s child you need to leave the milk and start a high protein diet of meat.
And remember, this meat is good for the heart!

The Shield of Faith

The land Jesus stood on when He physically walked with us was ruled by the Roman Empire. At this juncture of human history, the Romans were the strongest power in the Meditteran area. From Spain to Israel, Rome ruled supreme over nations and city states.
One tatic the Romans had developed was highly effective. Each foot soldier carried a heavy wooden shield that was covered with leather that could be used for protection from spears, swords and arrows.
The Roman infantry was organized around the decade (10) and century (100) just like modern infantry is organized around squads, platoons, and companies. Each unit marched into battle with strict organization. When attacked the shields were used to protect not only the individual soldier, but others beside him. In essence, this tatic produced a tank on the battle field. As long as the formations remained intact, the Romans were almost unbeatable in battle.
One thing the soldier did before battle was to soak his shield in water to water-log the wood and leather. This would protect the soldier from flaming arrows fired at them.
This was just one piece of armor on the soldier to protect him in battle.
“Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Ephisians 6:16).
Today, as Christians, we hold a shield that performs the same function. A shield that will quench, or put out, the arrows or darts of the wicked. Notice that Paul calls this shield the shield of faith. Not a shield of hope, or shield of grace or shield of love or shield of maybe it will work. In Isaiah (21.5) we read about annointing the shield. This was done by putting oil on the shield to make the arrows slide off when it hit the shield.
The question is, are you using your shield of faith? Are you letting it put out the flaming arrows or making them slide off your shield? Is your shield annointed?
But were does this shield of faith come from? What gives our shield strength? The following scriptures will answer this question:
In Genesis 15:1 “ After these things the Word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. “
”Jehovah, the shield of your help” (Deuteronomy 33.29), “Our soul waits for Jehovah; He is our help and our shield.” (Psalm 33.20)
So, today, use your shield, just like the Romans did.

The Jar We Live In

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us;”

Our bodies are so fragile. A careless moment while peeling the potatoes and off we go for a band-aide. A wondering thought and your car careens into a tree. A slip on the ice, and the doctor wraps that arm in plaster.
Our earthly lives are not finite, but extremely limited. That is the nature of life on this planet.
Just like a jar made of clay, once dropped, once broken.
I can remember dropping a beaker in chemistry lab one day. It bounced up (an in slow motion, just like the movies!), and my clumsy grab missed. Again, it hit the floor and bounced up, but to no avail, just missing my outstretched hand. The third time, it didn’t bounce at all, but ended it’s life as a beaker there on the laboratory floor (the fore-runner of three strikes you’re out laws?).
Jars of clay, fragile, holding inside all of what we are on this earth. Ligaments, tendons, muscles, organs, cells, tissue, nerves, and blood.
Literally from dust to dust we travel on this planet. The way it was meant to be...
Then God decides to visit us, to be one of us, to be like us. To put on this jar of earthen dirt and walk beside us. To die for us, to remove from us our sins. To give us something beyond the breaking of the earthen vessel.
Read on in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 to verse thirteen:”For we, having the same spirit of faith (according as it is written, "I believed, and therefore I have spoken"); we also believed and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus shall also raise us up by Jesus, and shall present us with you. (author’s emphasis).
Need I write more? That we will live outside this earthen vessel, that we will be raised up in time? That we will live??
Not biologically, but eternally. Not with corruption, but with incorruption. With life shall we live.
Until that time, see you on my front porch.

Sunrise, sunset

Upon the ridge top that GOD has so graciously allowled me to
live, I get to see both the sunrise and sunset. You may ask, "so what?" You just have to see it to believe it. I can really see the sunrise or the sunset. Unobstructed views abound, 360 degrees of hill top panorama. Add a little bit of cloud cover and sit back and enjoy the pinks, reds, yellows and be in awe!
I have hear that some people make a big deal of getting up early, seeing the sunrise and making some big production out of the whole situation. You know, the 'religious' experience type of thing.
Well, for those of use who rise before light on a daily basis, seeing the sunrise is nice,but it would be nice to sleep in once in a while...but those sunsets! What a glorious end to the day GOD has given us!
Like the ! at the end of a sentence, the 'ya!' when a child opens their birthday present, the "ahhh", the 'pop-pop, fizz-fizz oh what a relief it is' kinda thing it is.
God says to us, the day is over, I've been with you the whole time, always there, leading you, carrying you, helping you, watching you, protecting you, hearing you, guiding you, and now here is my ! to finish your day.
Did you think to thank HIM for your gift of today?
Next time you see that sunset, think about the ! that
GOD has sent to you...and thank HIM for this day you
had. It will not be by again...

GARDENERS IN THE FOREST
Come and sit with me under the tall oaks at watch. Here the squirrel comes, scurrying down the tree, acorn in his mouth, doing its job.
Squirrels have a job? Yes, they do. In the great design of things, squirrels are gardeners in the forest. As they hurried about the forest floor, during the fall, burying nuts to eat this winter, they are helping the oak, walnut or other trees reproduce.
The squirrels do not remember where they buried their “stash”, and now that it is winter and they are looking for a meal, they sniff it out with their nose and dig up their dinner. But sometimes they can’t find the nut and it remains buried in the forest floor.
So, in the spring the tree sprouts and up comes a new oak tree! All because a squirrel “forgot” where it buried its food!
Isn’t God like that? No, not like a squirrel, but He forgets as well as forgiving us (Romans 4:7-8; Jeremiah 31:34). Our sins are buried and forgotten and a new creature is born! Just like an acorn becomes the oak tree, we go from hopeless to hopeful, lost to saved!
And, can’t we do the same with others? It is easy to forgive, but harder to forget. Not only with others, but with ourselves. Forget—a nice word to remember! Forgive someone today, and forget what they did, just like the squirrel forgets and most importantly, just like God forgets.

Y2K REVISITED

Happy New Year! It is now 2003 and another year has come and gone. Remember another new year’s day, just a short three years ago? When the world waited with baited breath for the millennium to come? Remember all the hype and hoopla about the Y2K bug and how we must buy gold, stock up with groceries, water, generators, even fill up your car before New Year’s Day because the pumps may not work?
It turned out to be just another new year’s day and now it is three years later.
This is a good example of how we cannot control the events of our lives, no matter how hard we try. What tomorrow brings, we will not know, every day really is a new day, full of adventure or sorrow.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall be anxious for its own things. Sufficient to the day is the evil of it. (Matthew 6:34) “
”Behold the birds of the air; for they sow not, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them; are you not much better than they are? “ (Matt 6:26)
We try and try to be in control of our lives. We research what the doctor tells us, purchase daily planners to control our time, read books for success, watch our weight, exercise to lengthen our time span, and the Lord tells us, “Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?”(Matt.6:67)
Do we listen to the voice of the Lord telling us to not worry about tomorrow or are we still preparing for “Y2K+3"? The question is, who is in charge of our lives?
This is the day of New Year Resolutions, and the best one to make is to put God back in the pilot seat. Let Him take the wheel and be in control.
Then when you arise in the morning, you can say “whatever the day brings, I know my God is in charge of this day”
Save your generator for those stormy winter nights when the lights go out...

JUST ONE FLOOR APART

This past week I went with my students on a hospital tour as part of their career education. As we were guided through the hospital, we came to the floor where cancer patients are cared for. There is the out-patient chemotherapy section and there are the rooms where patients must stay to be cared for. Then our guide pointed down the hall too some rooms where the doors where closed.
“These are our care rooms. This is where terminally ill patients come to die and where we can care for them”. My students just stood there, quiet, absorbed in their thoughts.
“Now let’s go upstairs” our guide startled us out of our revere, “everyone likes to visit this floor.”
Onto the elevator we went and up just one floor. When the doors opened, the students immediately perked up as they say where we were. We were on the floor where the babies were.
As we walked past the nursery, watching a young couple preparing to take their new daughter home, I couldn’t help but notice the contrast of just one floor. On this floor life was starting, one floor down, life was ending.
As an adopted son of God, the brother of Jesus (Galatians 4.5; John 1.12) I have no fear of death. Death no longer has any hold on me.
“Joh 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, He who hears My Word and believes on Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death to life.”
Don’t get me wrong, I still fear the method of my passing, but not what waits on the other side.
When my time of service to my Lord on this earth is done, I will pass from this life to another. That is the promise of God to His children. My time between the floors has passed well, and then I will move on.
This is the gift of this present season. The intangible present that God has sent. One that we cannot touch, smell or see, but will have forever—the gift of Jesus on the cross for our sins.
God gave us His life so that we might live. An eternal present.
Just one floor, from life to death. Where will you be when the elevator takes down to that floor?
Just one floor.

A Charlie Brown Christmas
One of my most favorite television shows is the 1960's Christmas show, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. Charlie, Lucy, Snoopy, Linus and the rest of the gang practice for the school play and search for a Christmas tree. A warm, funny, touching story.
If you have seen the show, remember the scene in the play where Linus quotes the Christmas story? The account about Mary and Joseph and their journey to Nazareth and the birth of Jesus.
That show was made almost forty years ago and how have times changed.
Today, you will never hear the Christmas story in a public school, rarely do you hear Christmas carols (you know the kind Handel, Bach and the rest wrote?), even Silent Night (which stopped WWI for a while) is truly silent in the halls of schools. Just today I read of a school where the only thing allowed is Happy Holidays and Season’s Greetings.
I would like to be able to figure out what went wrong. How did a Christian holiday, a Christian celebration become so stagnant, an anathema to many, almost the enemy of the state? Or is it such a big deal?
I remind you, that Jesus came to save the lost, not sell toys. Jesus came to redeem our souls, not create Santa Claus. Jesus is here to heal our wounded souls not to have us sing carols, no matter how religious they sound.
Yes, all this political correctness, separation of church and state stuff (the big myth, but that is another day), has me upset and kinda ticked off. But the big picture is that I celebrate Christ everyday. I thank my God for the saving power of Christ, that God loved me so much, he gave Himself for me.
Yes I celebrate Christmas. It is a wonderful time of the year. I enjoy all the movies, songs, cookies and lights. It is too bad the Scrooges among us don’t or are afraid to.
Merry Christmas...and thanks Charlie Brown.

The Season
Up here on the ridge top, basketball season is just starting. Most teams around our little ridge top farm have played four or five games.
It is interesting to watch the teams start their seasons. They wear tee-shirts that read “Winning attitude”, “No pain, No gain”, “A new attitude (I like that one)”.
Coaches are quoted in the paper saying either this is the year (they hope), it is a rebuilding year (not much hope), we have a young team (they are in high school, they’re all young), and my favorite, “we don’t know how we will do this year, but we will do well”, meaning they plan on winning the league, no less and probably will.
But, by the end of February, after four long months, there will be teams with winning records, teams with so-so records and teams with losing records. For most of the teams, hopes have been dashed on the cruel rocks of reality.
That is so much like life. To start life with so much hope, with the “winning attitude” then the rocks of life come along. Hope is dashed on the shoals and then...
“For he who beyond hope believed on hope”(Romans 4:18) is about Abraham. God promised him that he would be the father of all nations, and he placed his hope in God and his promise.
When all seems lost, when all seems dark, there is God and His promise.
“ And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
In Christ there is hope.
You may think your life is not all there, that you have lost at the game of life, but in Christ you have hope. You have God’s promise.
Now excuse, me, but I have to go to a basketball game. May the best team win, and in Christ we all win.

Have you been called intolerant? Judgmental? A hate-monger? Anti-this, anti-that? Against whatever is popular and current? Has the political correctness police come after you? No? Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but Christians have been accused of this or worst, and this is not in come distant country far from you, but right here in the good old USA.
Just as the preacher said, long, long ago, "That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecc 1:9)
Today, Christians are told to be tolerant and accepting of different religions. That everyone is different (duh!) and we can't hurt their feelings. We must learn about diversity. Well....people have worshiped God or gods in different ways for a long time. True, it is important to learn to "get along" and not go across the street and slice your neighbor's head off for worshipping in a way different than you, but preaching intolerant tolerance is just not good.
Let us look at the past for a valuable lesson on why we must be very careful of accepting of other's beliefs.
In the law handed down from God to Moses is a very specific warning about worshipping a certain pagan god: " Again you shall say to the sons of Israel, Any man of the sons of Israel or of the strangers who live in Israel, that gives any of his seed to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones." (Lev 20:2)
Fairly intolerant of the Hebrews and their God isn't it? Well, according to historical research, worship of Molech was very bloody, and it involved the most innocents of all the children." What went on? An idol of this god was built and then heated till it glowed red hot then the children where laid on the outstretched, metal arms of the idol and as they tried to get off the hot arms they rolled off into the flames below. Mothers where to stand so that when you looked at them, this was a cheerful sacrifice. Flutes and drums were playing so you couldn't hear the screams... I don't know about you, but I would be very offended by this religion.
And, yet, in spite of the horrific worship pattern of this religion, the Hebrews, despite warning after warning, fell into just a worship pattern; "And they built the high places of Baal, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech; which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin." ( Jer 32:35)
Somewhere, the people started to accept this type of worship. The horrors of it all did not deter them.
And I suspect it started with the name calling, "what? how can you call this wrong?" "Are you judgmental?" "You are a hateful person to say that!" All arguments to persuade the people that this was acceptable form of worship evidently were successful, except for the children. . .
Until next time on my front porch.