Walk With Me

As he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

(John 1:36)

When combat engineers clear out an enemy minefield, they mark the path that soldiers must walk as they cross the field. Failure to heed the warning signs will produce the most dire circumstances!
Soldiers are train on how to extract themselves from a mine field if they accidentally find themselves in one. They follow their footprints.
And so, this brings us to today's thought as we sit on my front porch. Whose footprints are you following.
When John the immerser saw a man walking by, he knew immediately that it was Jesus. "Look the Lamb of God!"
The question of the day is this. When people see you walk by, will they know you are a follower of the Lamb of God?
Will they know you because "Therefore by their fruits you shall know them."?(Matthew 7:20)
I carried a poem someone gave me for years in my wallet, this is the poem

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach
with the Lord.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.

For each scene,
he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand.
One belonged to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed
that many times along the path of his life,
there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened
at the very lowest
and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him
and he questioned the Lord about it.:

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during
the most troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when I needed you the most
you would leave me."

The Lord replied,
"My precious, precious child,
I love you and would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then I carried you."

~Author Unknown~

And so I ask again, when you turn around, whose footprints are you following?

EASTER AND HOLIDAYS

This weekend is Easter weekend. Many churches around the world are having Good Friday services, observing Lent, and Easter on Sunday. To many it is a time of reflection on the death and resurrection of Jesus, to others it is just another day in the week.
I often "wise crack" that we have twice a year, the "two day Christians". Once on Christmas and again on Easter. For many this is the only time of the year they will worship God and our Savior. Two out of 50 services. I also assume that this is the only time of the year they pray and sing to God.
What has created this mentality? That Easter Sunday is more special than any other Sunday?
The Hebrew writer writes, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
(Hebrews 10:25)
You can look all you want in the Bible and you will not find an "Easter service" commanded. Nor will you find Lent, and all the other religious festivals that people do. In fact you will read this verse:
"Therefore, let no one judge you in matters of food and drink or with respect to a festival, a new moon, or a Sabbath day. "(Colossians 2:16)
Now before you "poo-poo" this, read on to verse 23 of the same chapter:
"All of these things will be destroyed through use because they are based on human commands and teachings. These things have the appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion, humility, and harsh treatment of the body, but they have no value against self-indulgence."
(Colossians 2:22-23)
All of these holidays are human designed and installed. God just tells us to assemble, worship Him, encourage each other to good works, build each other up and rejoice that we are saved.
Back to the original question; why do people ignore God 50 weeks and only visit 2 days out of a year? Because many, many religious bodies have labored to emphasize ritual over spiritual, process over life, style over substance and trappings instead of true service.
While people look for a relationship with God; feel goodness is hyped and people turn away.
So, while Easter is a great time to reflect extra on God's plan for our redemption, I visit that topic at least once a week.
Do you?
Until next time on my front porch.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(Genesis 1:1)

When I turn on my computer and start the internet connection, one of the things that pops up is the NASA image of the day. Just about everyday, the image is a great view of our universe around us. The stars, the gas clouds, the nebulae, the clusters and galaxies. Photos from the surface of Mars and moons of Saturn.
We read in Psalm 19:1 in a psalm by David: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse proclaims His handiwork."
A long, long time ago, a shepard boy looked up at the sky. A sky that hadn't been touched by the electric lights of cities. A sky that did indeed show the glory of God. That young man of course was David. And the sights that he did see!
Have you ever looked up at the sky free from light pollution? Where the stars are so bright you can see your way around? I have and it is indeed awesome.
I was standing on the sand in a country called Kuwait, preparing to go to war, and looked up to the sky and say the stars. There were no lights around, not one street light, house light or security light. I didn't need a light to see by. The stars were enough. As I looked, I realized the immenseness of space. And the peace of God. The glory of the Lord.
I can imagine David, in his battles with Saul, standing and looking up at the night sky and feeling the presence of God in all His majesty.
Journey away from the city. Look to the heavens and see the glory of the Lord. Experience the sight that David wrote about:
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse proclaims His handiwork.

Until next time on my front porch.

This is a view of a whole lot of stars. This photo, from NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, is of NGC 290 and is called an open cluster.
These stars are 200, 000 light years away in the Small Cloud of Magellan, a galaxy-which is a neighbor of ours!

It is amazing, on clear dark night, to gaze up and look at the stars overhead. To spot the constellations and even to name a few stars. And maybe even see a meteor.
Stars inspire us. We call famous people stars, we call our children stars, we number our prize athletes stars and vote them onto all-star teams.
And God calls us His stars also.
In Phillippians we read "so that you may be blameless and innocent, God's children without any faults among a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world "
(Philippians 2:15)
Did you see that last part? Shine like stars in the world. To be called a star is pretty cool, but also there is meaning behind this verse.
Remember, we look up at stars, so we are to live so that others can look up to us and see Christ in us.
On a dark, starry night, you can actually see due to the star light. We need to shine, to light the way for a dark world, just like stars. How do we do that? Be being blameless and innocent before others. It is who we are.
It takes a nuclear engine to fuel a star to shine so bright. Our fusion reactor is Jesus in our hearts. He fuels our light.
So, shine on!

LOVE TODAY

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? (Matthew 5:46)

It is February, and it is also time for Valentine's Day. Chocolate, candy hearts, cards, flowers, and all other sorts of gifts to express one's love to another.

The history of this holiday is a long one, dating back to Roman times. The customs have changed through the years, but one constant has stayed the same, the love for that "someone special".

Today, we actually know what goes on in our body when we "fall in love" with another person. The chemical and physical changes in our brain. The chemical saturation that takes place, making the euphoria a person feels for that special someone.

It is no myth that love is blind, it truly is!

As time passes, this chemical infatuation lessens its hold and a person's feelings will lessen. Then the true test of love comes into being, as the romance changes to commitment.

True love takes a commitment from a person. It is not a passing fad, infatuation, or chocolate heart. It is a true gut check, when the times are bad, you are there type of love.

This is why Jesus state that it is easy to love someone who loves you, but to truly love, you have to love unconditionally.

And He should know.

But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Love is hard.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)

When times get rough, when life throws its worst at you, when that someone special isn't so special, love will endure.

As Paul tells us, without it, what good am I? (I Cor. 13.13: But the greatest of these is love. )

In today's love society, love comes and it goes. In God's kingdom, love comes and it stays.

And he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and I will store all my fruits and my goods there.
(Luke 12:18)

The other night, I viewed the tail end of the History Channel's narration about Athens and other Greek city states. The show ended with the narrator discussing the Parthenon, the Athenian temple to Athena. The temple was built by Perikles, the ruler of Athens.
The narrator stated how many years it took to build this expensive building, that there was opposition to it and about its political significance. One interesting thing that he said was that as the temple was completed, the power of Athens was starting to wane. The glory days were coming to an end.
And so ends all human endeavors. We strain, struggle, plot and conceive and then the Lord comes in the night and says:
But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul shall be required of you, then whose shall be those things which you have prepared? (Luke 12:20)
Some people get very upset at reading such words, others just nod their heads and continue to build bigger barns.
So the question is what are you?
So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. Is this you?
Jesus continues to tell His disciples that the material goods of this world are not what we are about; And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?
Instead, He tells them, But rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
So, seek, not plot. Have the heavenly things added to you, not the baubles of the world, do not strain against the tide, but go with God.
The Parthenon still stands, a ruin of its former glory. It actually was still being used as a worship place when Paul looked upon it. It has been a Christian church and a Moslem mosque.
Now it is a place people visit.
The thing is, its original purpose, to showcase the power of the political men is long gone.
Until next time on my front porch.

Information from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon

Hey Its the Holiday Season!

While this isn't a very religious post, it sure is fun to reminisce!
My son sent me a link:

http://www.radarmagazine.com/features/2006/12/toys.php

It is about the dangerous toys that I grew up with. So here we go, down the lane of misbegotten memories:
Here is my reply to him and some not so good fatherly advice!?!
Hope you can find some Lawn Darts at a garage sale so Dillon can enjoy the fruits of throwing them over the roof (Yup, dear ole dad did that one back in Marietta, Ohio when he was younger.) We also threw footballs, GI Joe (with parachutes), baseballs, softballs etc. over the roof. Mom would catch us when we hit the roof and she heard the thump!
I had an action figure (boys played with toy soldiers or action figures then) and I put a parachute on him and tossed him off the roof one day. It actually worked!
That was fun,so we had to, you guessed it, go higher. So up the t.v. antennae we went. Or I went. That antenna got me in a lot of trouble. Make sure you install an antenna beside your house, not for t.v. (we have cable now) but so Dillon can get on the roof easier!
Then there was the chemistry set. Oh my! Not like today's lame ones. Give me a break! I made gunpowder with my set. Not foaming baking soda!
I wore an actual radium dial watch for a while. Wish I still had it. I wonder if I ate off the radioactive fostoria plates in the 70's? They are more radioactive than samples in the lab (only if the paint chipped off).
I had toy guns that launched projectiles galore. None went down any one's throats, though there were a few bullies I think I would have tried, if I had been thinking of it (and not running a lot).
I remember a friend, who decided to put calcium carbide in a pop bottle (look it up) add water to the bottle, attach a balloon to the bottle and fill it with the acetylene gas that was produced. Of course,when ignited, it made a satisfactory whooshing sound. It ended though when he (like us all) decided that bigger is better and it prematurely went off and burned him (not too bad, I think).
Then there was the event of the chewing tobacco. Red Pouch I think. At least I was smart enough to say -no thanks-(thanks to my brother's experience) and I still grin at the green faces of my friends.
I laid in the back window of the car as we drove out to Uncle John's house. Oh no! No air bagged car seat! No helmet! No tooth protector! No safety device!! And no ticket for parents either!
How did I survive? Maybe dad wasn't an idiot driver? Who knows? Angels working overtime?
Tree climbing, riding bikes down stairs, sledding over ice packed ramps and across streets, jumping out of haylofts of barns, swinging on grape vines, playing football(tackle) without any padding, driving dad's tractor as fast as it would go up the highway, and also his car on the country ridge. (I think I put it up on two wheels on a turn one day.)
I took chemistry, biology, anatomy, organic chem, and am still alive.
I experimented with gravitational fields by falling out of trees, over handle bars of bikes (onto a graveled road, nice chest dive there!), trying to do flips off of the high dive (ouch! that hurt!) catching baseballs with body parts not meant to (eyes, etc.)
Concussions, pneumonia, burns, pokes,falls, trips, battery acid, countless bike wrecks, sports injuries, you name, I almost did it.
How did I grow up? I don't know!
Love Dad

My parents let me play, on my own. There were no "play dates". I escaped house from the house in the morning and only returned when hungry or a) if hurt b) it was time to come in.
Parents were not "helicopters" hovering over everything I did.
Like one wise woman said once to me, "We raise corn, and rear children." and so did my parents.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. And fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)
As a child, when I was disobedient, the part about fathers and wrath was nice to know, as a dad, Colossians 3:20 is nice to know.
Actually, following the scripture makes for a good life. Despite toy dangers!

The lights are up and the tree is decorated. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas will soon be here.
As a kid, my dad would bring home these huge, huge Christmas trees (at least they were huge when I was a kid, like all snows were knee deep etc.). After we decorated them, I would lay under the tree (really, that was how big they were) and look up through the branches at all the lights.
We had those "old-fashioned" lights that had big bulbs and when you unscrewed one, they all went out-not these tinny little ones today.
I would lay there and just look at the lights. Enjoying the colors.
And then mom would get out the manger scene and we would put up the manger, put in the straw, and then place all the figurines. A lot of thought went into where to put baby Jesus. Every year He would go in a different place that usually ended up smack in the center of all.
In my innocence of childhood, I would stare at the little figure of the baby and wonder about it all. I would imagine the shepherds in the fields and wonder, just what is a manger anyway?
Today, I have that manger and those figures. My parents no longer get all the Christmas decorations out and so I asked for it. I wanted a small piece of my childhood and the childlike wonder of thinking about Jesus in the manger.
You know, today, as adults we all get all heated up about things around Christmas.
Things like-you know it started as a Pagan holiday? Yup, I know-the tree, the lights, Santa Claus, are all myths and stuff like that. If reindeer didn't like the zoo, then how come they don't just fly away?
Jesus wasn't born in December! It isn't mentioned in the Bible! It says wise men, not three wise men.
Then there are all kinds of stories about Mary, Joesph and Jesus. Mary was a virgin her entire life (then were did the brothers come from?). Mary dreamed the whole thing and made it up (someone really made that up).
Then there is the PCer's and their hatred of anything Christian-we won't go there.
We have Christmas pageants, Christmas lighting displays numbering on the thousands, so many shopping days to go! things to do, places to go and oh my! I am so stressed! (Yes, there is now post-holiday stress syndrome, don't tell me how, but it is here.)
And Jesus called a little child to Him and set him in their midst, and said, Truly I say to you, Unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:2-3)
When I hear or read all the adult screaming about Christmas, I think of the little boy who laid under the tree and wondered about it all. I wonder about how a little child coming up to Jesus.
"Hi Mr. Jesus, my name is Timmy"
"Hi Timmy, how are you?"
"Fine"
"Mr. Jesus, why do you have holes in your hands?"
And He would proceed to tell him about His love and how much He loves him. And the little boy would probably ask Him things like "Why?" and Jesus would tell him.
Kids are like that. When he learned about the holes, I could hear little Timmy ask
"Did it hurt very much?"
Innocence.

I think I will go lay under the tree.

Until next time on my front porch.

CHANGING THE RULES

Where I live, one of the never ending tasks in autumn is raking leaves. Actually I mow them. I read in the newspaper's garden section that mowing leaves is good for your yard, so I mow them. So while doing this routine task, I listen to the radio and as I did, I heard a most interesting program.
In a nutshell it was a story about a preacher in a church that somehow studied the Bible and learned that there is no hell. The story was about the consequences of his new teachings from the pulpit and the changes he experienced.
As I listened to this story and learned about this man, I realized what lead him to this errorous teaching, he went from poor Biblical knowledge to even worst.
He went from a very, very large congregation to a very small one very quickly. And the people that that came to hear him now, based in the interviews on the radio, are the kind that would love that there be no hell. That God is all love, and no judgment, all mercy and no wrath.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. God is God and not What We Think He Is.
Let's look at some scriptures:
But we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. (John 9:31)
on hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the eternal times, (Titus 1:2)
And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:14-15)

This event is not unique. Wouldn't you go to a church that said, come as you are and you are already saved? Their message? Continue to live a good life, by whatever standard or definition you desire. God is love.
I do not read this in the scripture. Yes I read God is love, and we are to love, and yes I read that and more.
I read that God wants us to love Him. To love each other. To worship Him and also to commit myself to change my life, to become something more than what I am. To actually be different.
Jesus said "and said, Truly I say to you, Unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. "(Matthew 18:3)
Notice the word-converted?
Post-modernism is just what this article is about. Do what you want, justify it anyway you can, come are you are and stay as you are, "just grow in yourself" and don't worry about what the scripture really says.
So we reflect and self-reflect on our reflections some more. The scripture tells us to hold up the mirror (the Bible) and compare how we look. Unfortunately, some are holding up their own mirror and looking at themselves.
Until next time on my front porch.

Do You 'Google'?

When I was younger, and needed some information, my parents would say, look it up in the dictionary. Look it up in the encyclopedia! Don't ask me!
Today, when my children ask me, how do you spell this word? where is outer wherever? what does this mean? I tell them to google it.
Do you know what that means? Do you know what a wiki is? Wikipedia? Do you know what a blog is? How about 'jump the shark'?
If you think signal to noise ratio is something radio people need to know, then think again.
Have you had your nosh? No? Good, then you won't spoil your supper.
(If you don't know these words, then it is homework time, try www.urbandictionary.com. Warning: when searching this site, certain words are not appropriate!)
Our language changes constantly. I have a reproduction of a medical phamplet from colonial America. It is a slow read due to the words and spelling conventions of that time. And hey, do you remember groovy? Far out?
There is one thing that never changes, the eternal truths of the scripture. How we speak will change, what language we read will change, but the Word of God does not. It is a constant standard.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
That is a wonderful verse. Especially in an age of rapid change, a philosophy of "no truth" and anchor less lives.
The last time you visited this page, you read about post-modernism. This is part II of this series.
Not that language changes, but that man's philosophy (philosophy is defined as man's thinking about himself-which is quite a clue in itself, wouldn't you think?) is what changes.
God does not change, but society certainly does. And yet, the inner person never changes. We all seek answers to the same questions as those who listened to Paul and Peter.
I have heard the following explanations: in the 1930-40-50's church members were duty bound. That was our society. Do your duty. Be responsible, etc. Then from the 1960's on that mind set slowly changed.
I like to generalize the change as going from "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" to "Ask not what I can do for my country, but what can it do for me?"
As we stare into the face in the mirror, we do not like what we see and so we go reflect some more.
How often have you heard, "I do not get anything out of worship?" "Worship isn't spiritual anymore?" " I need a more spiritual worship?" or the famous one "Worship is boring"?
I call this the Season of Discontent. This will be another post.
Remember, God is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
Go in peace.
See you next time on my front porch.

How are you on postmodernism? If you don't know what I mean by this word, then you have quite a bit of homework to do. And if you don't know the term that probably means you have ascribed to it without realizing it.
It is the current societal mode of thinking that is moving through our church culture today. I don't know about the secular world, and really, it doesn't bother me. It bothers me when it comes out of the mouth of a Christian.
Why?
Because it allows things like this to be taken seriously, "If the Bible doesn't forbid it, then it most be permissive." "It was written in the old testament and Jesus established the new testament so it doesn't apply."
On the surface, these statements seem ok, but go deeper and they tell a serious story.
First, this type of thinking is flawed. Let me give you an example.
The Bible doesn't forbid ____________(fill in the blank) so it must be ok. Usually when this is stated, it is in reference to the new testament. Take something simple, say how you dress.
The scripture doesn't say you can't wear blue jeans. Why? Well for one, they were not invented yet. It doesn't say woment can't wear them or men either. So, you could say that is permitted. Ok. You can. But the scripture does say a lot about modesty when it comes to dress and then you have example and command.
The postmoderinlist will say, well what is modest? Who defines it? It is the person's descision to decide what is/isn't modest .
No, not really. It is God's decision.
And those who don't like that will argue with you forever about it. (this is another post topic, stay tuned). I hope this little bit gives you a clue here.
Let's s take another example. Say, something in worship. The new testament doesn't forbid several things in worship. So people say, we can do that! Ok, let's offer up sacrifices!
No, no they will say, that is o.t. stuff and Jesus did away with that....do you get it? How the thinking went? (Actually we do offer up sacrifices when we worship, and if we don't think we don't couldn't that be part of the problem?)
Finally, to keep this short (more on later posts), let's let God to the talking.

For everything that was written long ago was written for our instruction, so that we might have hope through the endurance and encouragement that the Scriptures give us.
(Romans 15:4)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
(2 Timothy 3:16)

Next time we look at the question, Where will this all lead?

But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those two men, their stupidity will be plain to everyone.
(2 Timothy 3:9)

While this verse really doesn't apply, it does remind me of bad drivers. How many times have you been cut off by someone (cut off means the drive right around you, pull over right in front of you, almost hitting you)? It usually brings a response like "look out!" or "what were you thinking!". Well, at least from me. This is a bad driver. Or maybe a angry driver? And then, to add topping to the fright cake, the driver immediately exits the road.
That is when I look back in my rear view mirror and notice that there is no one else behind me!
So what gives?
Then I go to service and I hear this example: "When someone cuts you off, how do you react?" and I proceed to get dressed down about being a "Christian Example" to the other driver. What other driver? He or she blew by me and came just this close (hold up two fingers 1 inch apart) of removing my family from the highway. He never noticed.
But, if the above verse really did apply here, I love the first part of the verse....they will not get very far...great!
And that is so true of just about everything isn't it?
The verse is actually talking about people who oppose the truth, the gospel. and how Paul confronts these people: "But you have observed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, "(2 Timothy 3:10)
Paul really let's them have, by living like Jesus.
So the question here is this-what example are you living today? Can you oppose those who oppose the truth?
And finally, can you bear the cost?
and my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
(2 Timothy 3:11)
Can you bear being the example, like Paul bore the example?

What We Leave Behind

John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Adolf Hitler, John Wilkes Booth.
Neil Armstrong, Gen. McArthur, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln
Ed Rarick...
As you read that list of famous and infamous people, you might stop and ask, who is Ed Rarick?
Ed Rarick passed away on Saturday morning, 16 September, 2006. At 86, he had lived a full life.
He left behind his wife, children, grandchildren and an entire congregation of people that loved him.
The scripture states that we all face this time. We all have this appointment (Hebrews 9:27) with destiny and we cannot escape it.
So the question is, what will we leave behind?
Let's look at the list above.
John Dilinger and Baby Face Nelson were notorious bank robbers of the Great Depression, Hitler, if I have to tell you, was one of history's worst mass murders, and Booth assinated Pres. Lincoln.
Neil landed on the moon, McArthur liberated the Philippines, George is the father of our country, and Abraham worked to free the slaves.
It is what he left behind that matters
Ed was a man who lead others to Jesus. Who worked in a job, and raised a family. He helped to free men and women from the bondage of sin.
He didn't do what John Dillinger did.
And he isn't famous like Abraham Lincoln, you won't find his face on the next new penny.
He gained his remembrance, not by violence or great deeds, but by how he lived.
We like to remember Abraham, and George. We look up to them and admire their work.
We don't like to remember Hitler or Baby Face and we don't like what they did, but we know who they are. They also left something behind---a lot of hurting hearts, and empty homes.
At worship Sunday morning, each person that lead a part of our worship, at some point, said "I remember Ed...". And a lot of people sitting in the pews were too.
Our pews in our church are empty of several people who have left us because of death. As each one left, they left something behind. A child that grows into a young man that marries and young woman, who together they bring their children to service and start the cycle again. A woman who was hurting a year ago is now thinking of heaven, a boy who misses his mentor, a friend who prayed with him.
We all leave something behind. Either like John Dillinger, or like Ed Rarick.
So the question for us is this, what will we leave behind?

But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. (2 Peter 3:13)

They say you can't go home again, and I guess that might be true, but then who wants to? I look forward to my new home when I leave this home for good.
As I look out over the town where I live, I see quite a beautiful sight, the trees, the blue sky, you would think, why would you want to leave this?
Because, as you look closer you see trash on the street, potholes and rough roads, rundown homes, traffic congestion, air pollution, and other things. In other words, you see the world as you slowly age and it along with you. This is not a perfect world.
Home means family, warmth, protection, the hearth, the place to relax, to rest.
The question is do you want to go home? Do you look forward to home? Going to the best house, never made by human hands?

Until next time, on my front porch.

Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ to remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

(Acts 2:38)

There it was, on the radio, a woman calling into a talk show on the local religious station, “and my daughter accepted Jesus into her heart”.
I am sure you have heard that expression more times than you can name, and so have I. And I just started to wonder about it….
“When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"
(Acts 2:37)
And Peter responded “Bow your heads and ask Jesus to come into your heart.”
Naw, he didn’t say that, I made that up. What he did say was this:
“Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ to remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “(Acts 2:38)
There seems to be a large difference here.
Now, before you go off and quote to me the following verse:
“Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. “ (Romans 10:9)
Then, as I heard the other night, just bow your head and pray...so forth and so on, I just don't read that in the scripture. What I read is
“What are you waiting for now? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.'(Acts 22:16
Now, we are not going to debate baptism, what the question is, “What must I do?”


And leading them outside, he said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved." At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds. Then he and his entire family were baptized immediately. (Acts 16:33)
Hmmmm, believe, be baptized, call on the name of Jesus, and if you look more into the scripture, repent, confess; hmmmmmmmmmm maybe there is more to this than just a prayer? Think on these things.
Until next time on my front porch.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Say you are in church and the dirtiest, most smelly person you have ever met walked into church service and sat beside you? What would you do?
I am sure that most people would say good morning and smile and then focus on worship and well.....
What would you do if that person just told you he had the latest, greatest, scariest disease known to people and that you should stay the required ten feet away from him?
What would you do?
Get up and move?
Stay where you were and debate inside yourself what to do?
Get someone to help you remove the person from church? (I hope not!)
Put your arm around them, tell them Jesus loves them and invite them home for lunch?
What would you do?
I know what Jesus would do.

While Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, (Matthew 26:6)

Can you figure it out? Jesus went into the home of the most social outcast person known at the time.
The amazing thing about this is that his disciples, who were with him, didn't seem to ponder this fact by now. Jesus had rubbed off on them that much already. Now they were complaining about perfume and how much it cost and why did she pour it on his head?

Jesus in a house of a leper.
Disciples didn't care? were use to it? were starting to be...like...Jesus....

What would you do?

(The photo (credit: http://www.indchurch.org/Leprosy-outreach.html) at the begining of this post is of actual leprosy. The person lives in India. For more information on this disease visit http://www.ldolphin.org/leprosy.html and http://www.who.int/lep/disease/disease.htm
It seems leprosy meant skin diseases in general, not just leprosy as we know it. But the alwful affects of leprosy seems to have lead to the terrible discrimination towards suffers.)

Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.
(Heb 13:8)

The wife of my friend recently wrote a column about medicine back in the 1920's and 30's as she was growing up. Her wonderful article (http://www.thewordwright.org/) got me thinking about how things are different today compared to "back then" .
Unlike my friend's wife, I grew up in the 1960's not the 30's, so things are a little bit different.
Let' start with her time, let's see what we have in the 1920-30-40's:
Polio epidemic-growing exponentially yearly. From a disease that hit people to a frightening epidemic in about 20 years!
Infections-a simple cut could kill you. Her mother was very blessed to not die of tetnaus or staph after the accident with the piece of metal.
Pneumonia-still around, still dangerous, but the common cold any child had could have easily turned into pneumonia.
Heard of small pox? measles? mumps? Childhood diseases. Why did we work so hard to produce vaccines against these pests? Because of all the children that died, that is why.
Get an ouchy? It is time for--mercurochrome! It has mercury in it! which is absorbed into the skin hence into the blood stream.....
Then, you survived childhood in the 1930's and as a young man you went to war in the 1940's.

Now for me.
I often wondered how I survived my childhood in the 60's. No seat belts-I used to lay in that little shelf above the backseat that all cars had (between the back window and back of the rear seat) and watch where we had been.
I always dangled my arms or legs OUT the windows.
I rode my bike without a helment! Oh no!
Play astronaut and we would roll down the hill-inside an old wooden wire reel we used for a picnic table!
Climb popular trees and hang onto the top during windy march days (kites were no fun after that). How come the top never gave out and broke? What was I thinking!?!
I rode extreme bike before there was such a thing. Ask me sometime how we rode our bikes! Or went sledding!
I watch too much tv (still do) so am suffering from brain rot because mom said "it will rot your brain out!" (I am still looking for the t.v. wasteland! )
Have had several operations to remove watermelons growing inside my belly after I swallowed the seeds (joke there).
It took a week to recover from an appendectomy-today you are home in time to rot your brain some more via t.v.
I was one of the first generation to be vaccinated against polio.
And all the other stuff-I survived the needle, but didn't get all of the new stuff, I still remember going through the childhood diseases.
I had pneumonia-bad and antibotics saved my life.
I had a concussion-now that I know what they are-I often wonder how many more I had and didn't know about? I don't know-I can't remember!
Then on the other hand-
I didn't know what aids or Hiv was. Nor had I heard of Alzheimer's.
I didn't know what STDs are.
No one every heard of abortions-I suspect they were there, you didn't know about it.
Gay meant happy not the other thing.
Summers where longer and winters were snowy and school was well, school.
Internet? What internet?
Remember Walter Cronkite saying on the t.v. show In the 21st Century "In the 21st century people will have computers in their homes"? Yea, right. And if they do, will they blow up like on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea? (If so, yes!)
Vietnam was raging and protest where happening. I must admit, clothes were more interesting then than today, but not as revealing.
My Dad was younger and stronger. Today is old and feeble.
There were no terrorists and the nation of Israel were one of the good guys.
Superman said Truth, Justice and the American Way and was sure of himself-today he goes off to find himself.

What is one thing I didn't have as a child that I don't miss that I have today?
I have a Savior.
I didn't then.

Ahhhh, summer....green trees, grass to mow, hay in the fields, humid days, sudden rain showers, and vacation.
Do you take your vacation in the summer? When I was a kid, that was the time we did. We never took vacation during the school year (students do today)! Vacation. What a word.
So where did you go? Local? Across the nation? To another nation? Or just hang out in the back yard?
(With gas near three bucks the back yard sounds good!)
Okay, here we go; decide on the destination-check, bags all packed-check, mail stopped-check, yard mowed-check, oven, iron and lights off-check, tickets or whatever in hand-check, kids in the card-check, all ready to go!
But, oh brother, but, did you remember God in your plans? Did you look up the local congregation to visit while out of town? Did you arrange your trip to be home before Sunday? Did you pack your Bible?
Did you say a family prayer before leaving?
God doesn't take vacations, He is 24/7 there for you----now, are you totally on vacation?

Would you be free from your burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood.

This week we will celebrate our country's independence day. It is the fourth of July! (One of my favorite one-liners, does England have a fourth of July?)
Fireworks, sparklers, barbecue, potato salad, soda pop, ice cream, parades, and lots of red, white and blue! Hooray! Let's have a picnic and watch the pretty colors!
Independence-freedom-heady words, a blessing to have.
But then......are you truly free? Or just think you are?

Christ has set us free so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. So keep on standing firm in it, and stop attaching yourselves to the yoke of slavery again.
(Galatians 5:1)

A live without Christ is not free. The burden of sin is great. The cost of that life of sin is even greater.
Celebrate your freedom in Christ! Everyday is independence day in Jesus. Free from the thoughts during the night of "is there more to life than this?"
Freedom from obsessiveness about things.
But, freedom does not give us freedom from responsibilities.

For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another.

(Galatians 5:13)
Notice, the scriptures says, make it your habit to serve one another. With freedom comes responsibility.

Live like free people, and do not use your freedom as an excuse for doing evil. Instead, be God's servants.

(1 Peter 2:16)

I'll let the last stanza of today's thought finish this post:

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There's wonderful power in the blood.
Words and music by Lewis E. Jones

who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
(Philippians 2:6-8)

Reading this verse brings to mind the expression "walk a mile in his shoes". Most of us know what that means, and many of us know what the verse above means, but do we really understand it?
A couple of years ago I wrote about Granny and her illness. (Here is the link, go and read:
http://www.myfrontporch.blogspot.com/2004_01_25_myfrontporch_archive.html)

I know what it is to walk the mile. So does her husband and so does her daughter (my wife).
Yesterday I lifted her up from her bed, placed her in her wheelchair, lifted her up again and put her in the car. Then off to the doctor we went and then we listened to the doctor and he talked about how to care for her.
Granny is now in Stage III of her illness and we have now moved to 24/7 care and it is time for the professionals.
We have watched the woman who wrote cards of encouragement go to a woman who cries "ouch!" in a little girl voice when we moved her to clean her. The woman who cleaned her little daughter is now cleaned by the grown daughter.
Walk the mile.

Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4)


Two men of our congregation have lost the loves of their lives. Walk the mile.

Another fights the battle of cancer. Walk the mile.

Jesus understands the feelings we have. He knows the feeling of what we go through. He has walked the mile, just like us.

Some of us know what the verse means. Many of us understand it.
So does the God we worship.

Until next time on My Front Porch.