Fill In Those Registrations!

Ahhh,the holiday season is past and now is the time to fill in those warranty registrations. You know, for products that have a one year warranty, that will cost more to ship than they are worth, and mostly likely will never wear out before we just quit using them.
The companies that want us to fill out those cards or the warranty is no good, want to know everything about you. Your shoe size, brain capacity, number of children you have, where you live, what books you read, where you eat, and so forth. Nothing to do with anything about the product that scratches your back.
All of those for a twelve month warranty on a product that probably will break down ten days after the warranty expires. Have you noticed that very expensive products don't have all of this rig-a-ma role?
Thank God that we do not have this same process with our Lord and Savior. By the Holy Spirit, we have a guarantee placed on our salvation.

God has prepared us for this and has given us his Spirit as a guarantee.
(2Co 5:5)

No warranty cards required.

A Heart Transplant

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
(Ezekiel 36:26)

Ever hear of Denise Darvall?

On the 2nd of December, 1967, Denise stepped out of her family car and was hit by a another passing automobile. The accident rendered Denise brain dead and her father gave permission for Dr. Chrisstiaan Barnard to remove her heart.

The next day, in the early hours of the day, Dr. Barnard placed her heart into Louis Washkansky, and the first heart transplant was performed.

Mr. Washkansky only lived eighteen days before succumbing to pneumonia, but history had been made.

Today, forty years later, heart transplants are, while still risky, not very uncommon. We now transplant kidneys, lungs, livers as well as hearts. We even have made an artificial heart.

A very long time ago, God told the Israelites that He too, would perform a heart transplant. I will put a new heart in you He told them. "I will take away the stony heart" He said.

The heart of Mr. Washkansky had failed due to disease, a physical illness. The Israelites were dying of spiritual diseases. Their heart had harden from their spiritual infection, their turning away from the ways of God, their Lord.

"And knowing it, Jesus said to them, .... Have you still hardened your heart? "

(Mark 8:17)

And here is God offering them a new heart, a "heart transplant". Quite a promise, don't you think?

Are you willing to take God up on His operation? To have a new heart?

Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Until next time on My Front Porch

Warning! Graphic image!

When I was little, my brother came home from college and being the curious child I was (ok, I was snooping!) I started looking at his books he had brought home with him. One of those tomes was an anatomy book and one photograph was the human heart.
I can remember the time it took me to come to the realization that the human heart did not look like the heart I was familiar with, you know, the valentine day's heart!
I was confused, not willing to believe what my own eyes showed me. This was what the real heart looked like, not the cupid inspired version in my mind's eye.
Eventually, I came around to the real thing, and my false perception was left behind in the dust.
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know God, God decided through the nonsense of our preaching to save those who believe. Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom. (1 Corinthians 1:21-24)
And so, the human denies what his eyes and ears tell him. He sees the power of God to save, the change in people's lives and still denies. He cannot change his false perception of the world and see what God has given him.
The question is, what perception do you carry? Do you accept the changes the Lord has made for your life? Of do you walk away sad as the young man whose possessions shaped his perceptions?
That is the question-what is your perception.
Think on it.

By the way-here is what a real human heart looks like:

God Helps Those Who Help Themselves

Have you heard this before? From my research, Benjamin Franklin is the author of this quote. It does not come from the Bible.
How about this one? Money is the root of all evil. I am sure you have heard that saying over and over.
The Seven Deadly Sins? How about that?
These are sayings, often attributed to the scripture, but look all you might, they are not there. Especially the one by Mr. Franklin.
God, through His Word, definitely teaches that man is dependent on Him for all things. This verse is a good example of the thinking that will get a Christian in trouble. Why? Because she or he will think they can do it all!
In case you were wondering:
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly....But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5: 6 and verse 8)
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)

It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. (I Timothy 6:10)
While Proverbs 6:16-19 lists six sins that God hates, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of the Lord (Romans 3:23 and 5:12). There is no seven deadly sins, all sins are deadly if we do not repent and obey the Lord.
Man loves to add, and take away , from God's Word. To add his bits of wisdom and folly. God, being the really, really smart one, has told us just the right amount of information. A "need to know" type of situation. What we need to know is how to be saved, how to be loved, how to live, and what is next in our lives.
The worst thing we have added is the so called "sinners prayer". Thanks to Charles Finney, from the 19th century, people have bowed their head and prayed, thinking that has saved them.
You must be aware of the sayings that we use. Many are good advice, and that is just what they are, good advice. Then there are some that are bad advice.
Stick to "look both ways before crossing the street" and don't add or remove from God's Word.
Until next time on my front porch.

$10 A Year

For fifty dollars, a young man recently received five years of imprisonment for holding up a pizza delivery man. After calling in a fake order, he waited for the delivery to be made, held up the delivery man and made off with just fifty dollars or ten dollars a year for this action.
So, in essence, this man valued his life to be about ten dollars a year. Just think, fifty dollars will just fill up a large car or truck with gasoline! It will just buy about two dinners at a medium priced restaurant. Not a good trade for five years of your life is it?
We could wonder all about why someone would risk so much for so little, but let us look at something else; "Beware lest anyone rob you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. "(Colossians 2:8)
We can find person after person letting their faith be robbed for just about the same amount.
The valuable treasure that God's has given us, we let men take away.
Look closely at this verse, notice Paul writes "philosophy", "vain deceit", "tradition of men", and "the world". Let's look at each one in more depth.
Philosophy is man's thinking about himself. This definition of philosophy illustrates very well the problem with philosophy. There are a lot of philosophers who have argued themselves out of a religious faith. Philosophy is a wonderful subject to study, but remember, it is man's thinking about himself.
Vain deceit just about defines itself. One problem with a person who is wrapped up in philosophy is there is a tendency to be "puffed up" and to think highly of one's self. This is where philosophy can draw you away from the Lord. The arrogance of self.
"I would become a Christian, but I can't cause of my father and mother." This is a common refrain from people who are studying to become a child of God. They realize that mom and dad weren't following God and so they resist. This young man or woman is so immersed in the traditions of men that they cannot see what God offers them. And not just religious traditions-which Jesus railed against so much-but all kinds of traditions.
Tradition is a great faith killer. We have always done it this way...and so we never move forward to be with Christ or closer to Christ.
Finally, there is the elements of the world. Many things of this earthly paradise can steer us away from the Gospel message. It is easier to hear the siren call of a physical life than it is to follow the Master. It is easier to blame God for your problems than to embrace Him for a solution. It is even easier to deny His existence than to live for Him. It is indeed dangerous to heed the elements of the world.
All of these things will rob you of your faith. So, watch out that you don't exchange your pearl of great price for ten dollars a year.

But we have this treasure in clay jars to show that its extraordinary power comes from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

I have spent the summer studying the human body as a way of improving my teaching of anatomy this next school year. And so I have spent every day looking inside the vessel we call our body.
I looked at the heart, the stomach, the lungs, the muscles, the blood vessels, the bones, the tendons, the nerves, the intestines, the brain, literally from head to toe.
There laying on the metal gurney was the vessel that once was called Mary, Bob or Bill. This person loved, cried, laughed, raised children, had hopes, aspirations and fears.
All our treasure, wrapped up in a bundle of tissue we call us.
The scripture speaks of a treasure in clay jars.
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars to show that its extraordinary power comes from God and not from us. In every way we're troubled but not crushed, frustrated but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:6-9)
One way people used to protect valuable property was to place it in an ordinary clay jar. This way when robbers broke into their home, they would overlook the ordinary jar in the corner and head for the nice looking container thinking that is where the treasure is.
God has put His treasure in us, the ordinary clay jars, not the fancy, ruby enshrined, gold plated ones.
Our ordinary, regular lives are illustrative of the power God places in us. We are not from nobility. We do not have to be special people, nor a celebrity. Riches will not place us at the front of the line, nor will social standing.
When others look at us, it is not us, but God's amazing gift that they see. In the darkness of the world, we beckon with light so bright.
All in a clay vessel.
I stand there looking down at her. Trying to remember the names for tomorrow's quiz, and thinking, this is what we are, a clay vessel...
Until next time on my front porch.

Stay on the Track

Go in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in through it. (Matthew 7:13)
Ever watch a train go by? I am one of those people who deliberately slows down to see if a train is coming, not one who speeds up to get across the tracks before the train comes. There is just something about trains, the size, the power, that appeals to me.
One observant fact here, the train goes where the tracks take it. It doesn't turn off the road to go there or wonder over here. It stays on the tracks. Real observant, I'd say.
The tracks limit the direction of the train.
So, also is our walk with Christ. Notice that Jesus states that the way to destruction is broad-not narrow.
Now, from what I understand, the everyday gate in walled cities is broad and easily to enter. And of course, in combat, such a gate is a liability. A large army can easily walk right in!
So the big, broad gate is closed in times of danger, locked and barred. To get into the city you had to take a narrow gate. Here, easily defended, only one person or two could enter.
To us, who live in unfortified cities, it is easy to think of broad tree lined streets with lots of room for cars and people.
Which is exactly why, in many cities around the world there are broadways, or large streets directly into the downtown. So that the army can march in or out very quickly.
Now, Jesus uses this military construction to illustrate a point. That it is harder to be righteous than to not to be.
Jesus is going around teaching about the kingdom of God and He is asked:
And one said to Him, Lord, are the ones being saved few? (Luke 13:23)
He goes on to say in Luke: "Strive to enter in at the narrow gate. For I say to you, many will seek to enter in and shall not be able. "(Luke 13:24)
Not be able. A hard statement. Why will many not be able to enter?
Because of the narrow-mindedness that of church members? Of the judgmental attitude of others in the church? Now, that is an easy and lazy response. No, Jesus said the hard one:
"And once the Master of the house has risen up and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, and He shall answer and say to you, I do not know you; from where are you; then you shall begin to say, We ate and drank in Your presence, and You have taught in our streets. "(Luke 13:25-26)
Huh? What is going on? They did not receive His message. They continued to follow the easy, broad path of living that they had. They did not change. They did listen. They heard Him, they had supper with Him.
Only a few will listen and learn. What street are you walking on?

The Bath Towel, A Safety Pin and Superman

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways. (1 Corinthians 13:11)

Take a bath towel, a safety pin, and and make yourself a cape. Stick your arms straight out in front of you and run around your front yard saying:

"Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful that a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!"
"Look! Up in the sky!"
"It's a bird!"
"It's a plane!"
"It's - SUPERMAN!"

Today, your neighbors, as they look out from their windows with locked and barred doors, may think you are a little "off", but back in the late 1950's to early 60's they wouldn't have minded, because....well.. you were a little kid back then!
In my very early childhood, I discovered the t.v. reruns of the 1951 t.v. show "Superman".
An actor (George Reeves) wearing long underwear with a big S stitched across the front of his chest rescued people in distress, leaped over tall buildings and subdued all the bad guys he happened to meet. He was bullet proof and most of all he could fly! Wow!
So, out in the yard we went with our towels as capes and "swoosh" we "flew" around the yard playing superman. We leaped over tall buildings (well, cardboard boxes), stopped parked cars in the driveway, were impervious to plastic dart guns (well, at least everywhere but the eyeball!), and were faster than anything in our imagination.
We were kids and we played, well, like kids.
We thought like kids. Remember John Glenn, Alan Shepard and the astronauts? Of course! Let's play astronaut! We need to train to be one! Let's get up on the roof and practice reentry!
The thinking process of a child. 1) Don't think through what will happen. 2) Just do it. 3) Turn any object into what it isn't. 4) Imagination run wild.
A simple scary show on t.v. could keep me up for minutes at night, worrying about the hidden dinosaurs in the heating vent? Remember, I was just a kid.
Then times changed. I became older. I started reading other things than comic books. History, current events. I started watching the news instead of Popeye. I became older and different. I grew up and the towel is now used to keep me dry, not help me fly.
Read what Paul wrote above. When I became a man I gave up my childish ways.
I seriously do not like the expression: "He/she never grew up. They still act like child." "Discover your inner child." "Look at the world with childish eyes."
Anyone who knows children, know they do not look at the world like we do. Their perception is very different, and often at times very wrong. We do not have to take an adult and yell, "don't touch the stove!" But you do with a three year old. We do not let ten year olds drive, and for good reason. You have to be eighteen to vote. We recognize the importance of maturity.
So why do we insist on acting like kids?
Jesus pointed out to us:
Truly I tell you, whoever doesn't receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never get into it at all." (Mark 10:15)
This is not a commandment to start acting like a kid again. This is a commandment to be like a child as you completely trust in the Lord, your Savior. To come, like a child to her father asking for forgivenss for the deed they did, to ask GOD to save you.
Because children are so dependent on their parents, God wants us just like them, dependent on Him. To be mature enough to realize that we cannot live our life in a vacuum. We need Him to guide our way. To watch out for us. To help us. To save us.
We don't need to act like a child. Reread what Paul wrote. We grow up in Christ, we mature, we leave the milk behind and dine on the meat.
We will always be God's child. He will always be there.

Until next time on my front porch.

For the love of money is a root of all evils, of which some having lusted after, they were seduced from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
(1 Timothy 6:10)

Coming home the other day from work, I was listening to a radio show called "Talk of the Nation".
On this late afternoon radio show, the host was interviewing the author of a book called Richistan,
by Robert Frank.
What kept my attention to this show was the conversation about how the rich of this nation view themselves, raise their children and spend their money.
And the item discussed that really caught my attention was this; when asked about how much money they would need to be financially secure, the amount always doubled. When a millionaire was asked, their replay was two million, if the person was worth ten million, yep you guessed it, the reply was 20 million.
And the rich are not the only ones to do this. This has been found to be consistent across all financial levels.
The point of this article is to not denigrate the rich, but to illustrate the illusiveness of money.
The scripture of the title, says it all, quite obviously. But this scripture has been distorted many, many times into, "money is the root of all evil". Quite a difference isn't there?
Remember the rich man and his barns? "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)
And then in the middle of the night, "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)
Money is not the root of all evil, it is the love of that money. Money can do so much good, feed the poor, help the helpless, build hospitals, are some of the things it can do. The Bible does not condemn the man who makes money, just the man who loves it.
Quite a difference isn't it?

Not that I speak according to need, for I have learned to be content in whatever state I am.
(Philippians 4:11)

Ever feel like not getting up in the morning? Can't face another work day? That test at school got you feeling blue? The kids acting up and you think you can't take it? Your boss is not happy and neither are you . . .another deadline? another project? What else could there be?
Not feel like it today? Feel like maybe taking a little whine...? (yes that is whine, not wine)
Then go read this article:
The stories behind Memorial Day

While I don't recommend you go to war to fix your problems! I would like to point out the part about the young man who jumped on two grenades, survived and then came home and went to high school.
Read the top verse and then think about your situation. Maybe it really is worse than it seems, but then, I reckon that it is not as worst as you may think.
Just something to think about.
Until next time on my front porch.

They will refuse to listen to the truth and will turn to myths.
(2 Timothy 4:4)

I got the greatest e-mail the other day. It announced that I had won twenty-two million dollars in unclaimed cash! All I had to do was send my bank account information to the sender and all would be over!
Yea, and pigs can fly too.
On the radio, just last week, the news reporter interviewed the sheriff of a neighboring county about a scam that a person had fallen prey to. He had received a cashier's check in the mail, which announced that he had won a monetary prize and to send some money to pay for the taxes.
Of course, the check was bogus and the sheriff was warning people to not cash these checks (they are money orders) as the current victim now owed the bank five thousand dollars. Ouch.
Maybe this verse: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with much pain. "(1 Timothy 6:10) needs to be added to the news accounts about all these scams.
I like the "eagerness to get rich" and "pierced themselves with much pain" part of the verse.
I mean, what makes people fall for these scams? The e-mail I received was full of bad grammar and lousy spelling. When I read it out loud, I about fell over laughing.
But then God's word is so correct-the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And that includes those who want to make it on easy street.
It takes two people to be scammed. One to play the con, and another to be willing to be played. Remember the movie "The Sting"? What caused the rich, powerful man to fall for the sting (con game)? His pride and love of m-o-n-e-y.
People fall for all sorts of scams. Internet myths, urban legends (seen any cats in the microwave lately?), and of course, false doctrine from false teachers.
"If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; "(1 Timothy 6:3)
Just as there are money scams, there are "church scams". People since the beginning have tried to teach a gospel that was not what GOD intended. We read:
"But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed. "(Galatians 1:8)
GOD takes it seriously when you mess with HIS Word. This is not a funny e-mail from wherever, nor is it a fake check we are talking about. This is the business of the eternal soul.
Many today still do not "get it". After all the warnings, all the love, all the teaching, there are those who still insist that they know the way and if you just send them you eternal bank account number you will win!
GOD says, no, you don't. HE is the sheriff you know.

Warnings from the scripture:
But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed.
(Galatians 1:8)
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
(Matthew 7:15)
For I know this, that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also men shall arise from your own selves, speaking perverse things in order to draw disciples away after them.
(Acts 20:29-30)
But because of those false brothers stealing in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus; they desiring to enslave us;
(Galatians 2:4)
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who secretly will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
(2 Peter 2:1)

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.