Palms of My Hands

The holidays are both a time of great joy and family fun as well as deep
despair and hopelessness. This year was different for us because it was our
first Thanksgiving without my dad. The depth of the loss cannot be expressed
in words. But in the midst of great loss there was also enjoyment, games,
too much great food, and recreation (basketball and racquetball--I feel like
a truck ran over me!).

It has always been difficult for me to completely enjoy the festivities of
the holidays knowing that others are suffering. I was reminded this season
of a wife whose abusive husband tried to remove her and their child from
their home by selling it through a court ruling. A young man is trying to
put his life back together whose wife recently died of cancer. He was still
grieving for the loss of his mother, father, and grandmother who all died
closely together. A nineteen year old in the prime of his life is paralyzed
after an accident. This happened shortly after his sister was in a serious
accident. An elderly couple awakens to a smoke and flame filled house after
their chimney pipe ignites the rafters. They are a wonderful couple, without
insurance, and she has multiple sclerosis. A young mom experiences a
horrible headache and within a few days loses her ability to use her limbs
completely. The doctors are unsure of the diagnosis but say that it could be
one of the more serious central nervous system diseases. You would think I
was watching the six o'clock news but this short list was my personal
experience this week. I could insert the several men who lost their jobs
this week due to the poor economy but I think we have covered enough despair
and hopelessness.

Why? Has God forsaken us? No, not ever; and even if our culture turned from
their wicked ways, the painful experiences that my friends experienced above
would have still occurred. In this world we are going to experience
tribulation. This world is not our home, we are just passing through, and
the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the
glory that shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8). It is easy to lose sight that
this life in our present distresses is very temporary. It is also easy to
lose sight that these sufferings are our preparation to be fit vessels for
our Master's use.

Are you suffering and feel as though God has forsaken you? The prophet
Isaiah writes, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." "Can a
woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the
son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I
have engraved you on the palms of my hands." What an incredible word
picture...what an incredible truth! But during the midst of our loneliness
and suffering, we often don't think that tomorrow will bring hope and
redemption; and that is because we seek for relief rather than redemption.
Jesus himself said he would never leave us nor forsake us. We are engraved
on the palms of his hand.

Do you find yourself in a lonely relationship where you long to find love
again? The Apostle Paul wrote, "I seek not yours, but you." So often we see
only what we aren't receiving. Paul's statement reveals the heart of his
ministry of self-sacrifice on behalf of others. He goes on to say, "I will
very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I live
you, the less I be loved." 2nd Cor 12

When I reflect upon Paul's words I am reminded of my calling--to live for
the benefit of others; to get my focus off myself...which is difficult to do
sometimes because of my self centered nature. Thankfully, God's Word puts
things in perspective--I am reminded of his promises and his plan. We have
been bought with a price...we are to now take up our cross and follow him;
and though a cross leads to crucifixion, the glory that will follow cannot
be compared.

Good verse for the day: Job 23:10 ---"HE knows the way I take ---when He has tried me I will come forth as gold”!!!!! Amen

(the picture of the turkeys was just before Thanksgiving. They were walking
through my backyard. It was a perfect shot--with my cell phone camera!)

Doing the Hard Things

Doing Hard Things
I was conversing with a friend of mine last night and he said something that
caught my attention. He said that he has been noticing how the younger
generations walk more slowly than our generation. The current teenage
generation seems to walk at snail pace and even slower. I have noticed this
phenomenon myself. I see young people even dragging their feet as they walk.
We no longer see groups of kids playing basketball at the neighbors. When I
grew up there was a pick up game of basketball every night. During the
summers we had enough neighborhood friends to play baseball; at night we
played kick-the-can, and on a slow day you could find a bunch of us kids
hiking up the streams catching crayfish or climbing the cliffs. We were
always on the go. Today, kids are found sitting behind a computer or in
front of a tv. What has happened? I would like to share a teen's perspective
in the article below. I found this article in Magnum Opus III written by
Alex and Brett Harris. Nicely written...worth reading...worth having your
teens read especially.

Doing the Hard Things
by Alex and Brett Harris

We've all heard people say that God wants us "on fire" for Him. Maybe your
pastor has talked about being "sold out" for Jesus, or a conference speaker
has challenged you to serve God with "total abandon." We're used to that
kind of talk. It's almost cliché.

But has anyone ever told you that God commands you to do hard things?

For some reason that sounds more extreme, doesn't it? Being "on fire" or
"sold out" for God sound like positive emotional states where nothing can
really get to you. Even serving God with "total abandon" doesn't make us
feel uncomfortable as long as we leave it general and vague. But "do hard
things" sounds so—well, hard.

We don't like hard things in our society, especially as young people. We
avoid hard things as much as possible. Unfortunately (or should we say,
fortunately), there's no avoiding them in the Bible.

Of course, our tendency is to say that God's commands aren't "easy" or that
it's only by His grace that we can obey any of them—and both of those
statements are 100 percent true—but why can't we ever come out and say that
God's commands are hard? When Christ commands us to love our enemies, why
can't we just call it what it is?

Everything God commands is hard. Repenting is hard. Forgiving is hard.
Turning the other cheek is hard. Overcoming sin in our lives is hard.
Honoring our parents is hard. Sharing the gospel is hard. Reading our Bibles
is hard. We could go on.

Part of our hesitation to call things hard can be that we're afraid to come
across as unspiritual. After all, if we're truly "on fire" for Jesus,
shouldn't it be easy for us to read our Bibles every day, say no to sin, and
share the gospel with others?

But when we think that way, we're missing something huge that God wants to
teach us about personal growth and His plan for our lives.

The Way We Grow

In James 1:2, we're told to consider it "pure joy" when we're faced with
challenges, trials, and obstacles, because they test our faith and makes us
stronger. Think about that: The God who created you and loves you cares
about your growth. And the way He has designed you to grow is through
challenges.

When you work out your muscles grow stronger. When you challenge yourself
mentally your brain grows new neurons. When you do hard things, you grow,
both in character and in practical areas of competence.

If we want to grow we need to get over the idea that God's love means He
wants us to go through life with as little effort or discomfort as possible.
This is similar to the mistaken notion that we don't need to change because
God loves us just the way we are. God does love us just the way we are, but
He also loves us too much to leave us that way. He wants us to grow.

Of course, none of this is to say that God wants us to live joyless and
pain-filled lives, but our joy must be rooted in more than temporary
circumstances, and at times pain is necessary in order to gain something of
greater value.

A Radical Argument

We're making what sounds like a radical argument. We're not just saying
that hard things happen and that you can benefit from them. We're not just
saying that you have the ability to do hard things. We're telling you that
you should do hard things because it's the best and only way to experience
true growth in your life.

Take a moment and think. Can you remember any period of growth in your life
(as a Christian, student, athlete, musician) that didn't involve effort and
even some level of discomfort? The truth is that all growth involves
discomfort.

This isn't a new idea. We don't want to reinvent truth. But we do want our
generation to rediscover what has always been true—and one thing that has
always been true is that in order to grow we must do hard things. We must
challenge and stretch ourselves, step outside our comfort zones and do
something difficult. It's how we've grown before, and it's the only way
we'll grow for the rest of our lives.

while it may sound more appealing to sign up for a less extreme version of
the Christian life, such as the platinum "do hard things" membership,
perhaps we could take more of a "less benefits for less effort" approach by
instituting something more along the lines of a bronze
"go-to-church-every-week" membership

Unfortunately (or again, fortunately), God doesn't leave that option open to
us.

Writes C.S. Lewis: "It is hard; but the sort of compromise we're hankering
after is harder—in fact, it is impossible…. We are like eggs at present. And
we cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be
hatched or go bad."

In other words, we can't just go on being ordinary, decent Christians,
giving God part of our lives while holding back the rest. Either we are
hatched and learn to fly or we are a dud that will soon start to stink. The
ironic thing here is that although the hardest thing—the almost impossible
thing—is to hand over our whole selves to Christ, it is far easier than what
we are trying to do instead.

Hard Things or Harder Things?

What happens when we avoid hard things? The answer is that hard things come
to us. It's like the guy who won't go in to the gas station to put some air
in a slightly deflated tire, only to have it blow out on him on the freeway
when he's late for an important meeting. Maybe it's even happened before,
and he's already used his spare. Tough luck.

We can't really avoid doing hard things. We can only decide when to do them
and how prepared we will be to handle the hard things life brings our way.
You either do the hard thing of getting prepared, or you deal with the
harder thing of being unprepared. We either "do it" now, or we end up having
to "deal with it" later.

This is about a lot more than flat tires or missed meetings. Resisting
temptation is hard, but not as hard as dealing with an addiction. Finding
and keeping a job is hard, but not as hard as dealing with unemployment and
struggling to make ends meet.

This world would have you think that your best life would be a life in which
you were able to completely avoid responsibility and effort. But a life like
that could be compared to the strange fish that live in the complete
darkness of the deepest parts of the ocean, who never come in contact with a
hard object their entire lives, and whose flesh has become completely
translucent. That is a picture of what we're asking for when we desire a
life of ease.

John Piper, in his book Don't Waste Your Life, shares this story:

I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life.
Consider a story from the February 1998 edition of Reader's Digest, which
tells about a couple who "took early retirement from their jobs in the
Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51.

Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot
trawler, play softball and collect shells." At first, when I read it I
thought it might be a joke. A spoof on the American Dream. But it wasn't.

Tragically, this was the dream: Come to the end of your life—your one and
only precious, God-given life—and let the last great work of your life,
before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and
collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great Day of Judgment:
"Look, Lord. See my shells." That is a tragedy. And people today are
spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream.
Over and against that, I put my protest: Don't buy it. Don't waste your
life.

We don't want to waste our lives. That's why we choose do hard things, and
why we challenge you to do hard things as well.

Theodore Roosevelt said it well when he said, "A mere life of ease is not in
the end a satisfactory life, and, above all, it is a life which ultimately
unfits those who follow it for serious work in the world." Such a life is a
tragedy—a wasted life.

When we fail to do hard things, we not only disobey God, we set ourselves up
to fall short of our true, God-given potential. Even worse, we act as if God
is not worthy of our effort—or as if He is unable to accomplish through us
what He has called us to do.

Living Your Best Life

God isn't glorified when His children limit themselves to what comes easily
for them. He isn't glorified when His children aren't willing to do hard
things. The Christian calling is hard, but it is also the only calling
worthy of such extraordinary effort.

History tells us that our best life is not our easiest life. Those men and
women who were of the greatest service to God and to mankind were those who
gave the most of themselves; those who endeavored, not to avoid
difficulties, but to overcome them; not to seek comfort, but to do what was
necessary, no matter how hard.

If you can take only one thing from this article, take this: Our greatest
joy and satisfaction comes not from avoiding hard things but from joyfully
embracing them. This is how the same Jesus who said, "If anyone would come
after Me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me," could
also say, "for My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Following in
Christ's footsteps is hard, but it's good—and He is the ultimate example to
us of a life spent doing hard things for the glory of God.

Our big, crazy idea is that this is the life God has called us to live
now—not ten or twenty years from now, but right now, as young people. This
is your best life, not your easiest life; the only way to avoid wasting your
single years and ultimately your life.

Something to Give Your Life To

If you want something that you can give your life to, this is it. This will
ask for all of you and give you back more than you could ever imagine.

This is what Jim Elliot was speaking of when he said, "He is no fool who
gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

This is what Christ promised when He said, ""He who would save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save
it."

This is what G.K. Chesterton was talking about when he wrote, "The Christian
ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and
left untried."

Our dream is that our generation would be made up of those who find the
Christian ideal difficult and yet still try—knowing that the loving God who
would never leave us as we are and who desires our growth, will also delight
with the first feeble, stumbling effort we make tomorrow to do the simplest
hard thing for His glory.

George MacDonald, a great Christian writer, pointed out that every father is
pleased at the baby's first attempt to walk, but no father would be
satisfied with anything less than a firm, free, manly walk in a grown-up
son. In the same way, he said, "God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy."
And why would we ever want God to be satisfied with anything less than the
very best for us?

published in Magnum Opus III

If God Really Loves Me then Why?

If God really loves me then why won't my windshield washer work?

On Saturday I drove to western New York and encountered some bad weather.
Snow, slush, trucks, dirt, filthy windshield, and my wiper washer wouldn't
work! And if I used the wipers it would only streak and make matters worse.
Over the past thirty years I have experienced God answering prayers
routinely; little prayers and big prayers like my dad coming to know the
Savior at the end of his life on this earth. Little prayers were answered
like the time I drove off the side of a road to pick some flowers for my
wife. There was a little stone wall that was hidden under the wildflowers
and my car drove right over the center, teetering like a pendulum. It was a
scary moment but we were able to get out of the car safely. There we were in
the middle of nowhere and my right rear wheel suspended in mid air. So my
first action after getting my wife out safely (if the car tipped it would
have tipped on its side on her side) was to complete the task at hand--to
pick the flowers that I drove off the road for in the first place. After the
picking of the flowers we both asked the Lord that he would send us help to
get the car off the stone wall. When we finished praying, within seconds a
car drove past, stopped a couple hundred feet away, backed up, and asked if
we needed any help. I told him that we were stuck. He smiled, backed up his
car, opened his trunk, brought a fifty foot large rope over, tied it to my
frame, gentle slid my car off the wall, untied his rope, walked back over to
his car, threw the rope in the trunk, closed the trunk, smiled at us, and
drove away. This all took less than five minutes. As a young Christian at
the time, I thanked the Lord and continued picking flowers. Over the past
thirty years I have seen God do similar things more times than I can count.
So then, WHY WON'T MY WINDSHILD WASHER FLUID WORK? If one of my children
asked me for help, especially if the request was something so simple and
especially since the situation was causing restricted visibility on a
slippery dangerous highway, I would attend to their needs immediately! So I
asked the Lord again, but no answer. Well, there were a few moments when the
dirty wet splashes from the trucks allowed my some clear vision for a while
and I was thankful, but I wanted it fixed! It was more irritating than
anything. By the time I was half way there, I stopped in Horseheads NY at a
Dunkin Doughnuts and asked if they had some paper towels. The young man gave
me towels and window cleaner and within minutes I had a clean set of
windows. The sun was now shinning and I should be able to drive the rest of
the way streak clear for the most part. Then it hit me. There I was being
helped by a young man whom I could in turn help with finding eternal life.
Since I keep a healthy supply of Bible tracts and booklets in my glove
compartment, I chose the one I thought fit the occasion and brought it to
the young man. As I continued on my way, the windows remained clear, the sun
was shinning, the roads were dry, and I realized that once again the
creative plan of our all wise God can be trusted. I should have known that
inconvenience and temporary frustration was all a part of the greater plan
yet to be realized. I should have known better. My Father always cares about
the little things...he even cares for the sparrows, will he not much more
care for me? When I was a young Christian God answered my innocent little
prayers like the man or the angel who stopped to pull us off the stone wall.
Thirty years later, he now allows temporary inconveniences for me to
experience so that I can experience the joy of rescuing others--just like
the man who stopped to help us. What a master plan! What are you
experiencing these days? You can trust Him...He loves us more than we can
imagine. All things really do work together for good, to them who love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Torn but Healed:

Below is a letter that I just wrote to a dear sister in the Lord who is
experiencing abuse from her husband and some very dark times in her home.
She wrote to me today because she was concerned that some women who might
find themselves in similar situations would read yesterday's blog and think
that I was saying that they need to submit to an abusive relationship. If
you have read my earlier blogs you would know that I believe abuse is never
to be submitted to unless God places you in a Joseph situation that is
beyond your control. But concerning physical abuse in marriage, there are
laws that can protect us, as well as the protection that can come from our
brothers and sisters, pastors and deacons, and family whom we should turn to
when we find ourselves victims of illegal abuse. And even then, I strongly
encourage the victim to see beyond the sin and see how God might still use
them in a redemptive role in their marriage and home. I have heard and seen
too many stories of God's redeeming power to believe that God can't change
the worst circumstances. The question is, are we willing to try for as long
as it takes. Below is the letter I sent to this sister tonight. Please pray
for her. To be in an abusive relationship is a dark place to be; she needs
protection and hope; a hope that does not disappoint.

Dear Sister in Christ: I was listening to a message by James McDonald
tonight and I thought of you. I need to share my heart with you. First, I
can't imagine going through what you are going through. But because I
believe and know this to be true, that God is the One working behind the
scenes to work all of this together for good, then I want to encourage you
to be strong and at the same time yielding and persevering. What do I mean?
The fact is that God brought you and your husband together. And most men
will never be all that they are to be without a faithful wife behind them.
Whatever you do, I plead with you to see through, beyond the sin of your
husband and see the possibilities, the redemption of your marriage and home.
This doesn't mean that you don't call 911 if you are being physically
abused. It does mean that if you do something like that, that your husband
also knows that you committed for life to be all that God desires you to be
for him. It is not an easy role...God never promises relief, only
redemption. This is God's training ground for you and you have been hand
picked to be the woman to help this man...but more so to be the woman to
glorify this great God. In Hosea 6 we read, "Come, let us return to the
LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He
will bandage us." ______ God is involved in all of this. He is not causing
your husband to sin, but He is allowing it for a reason. Here are some
facts. Divorce is not an option. God is going to work this out through you
and he will protect you...and you have laws that will protect you but you
need to take advantage of them if needed...this will take faith...you need,
rather, must, be under the care of a godly pastor whom you can turn. Your
husband must know that you are in this all the way because you are committed
to seeing all that God desires for your marriage and for him. Can you do
this? are you willing to try?

Words people say part 2--Ecclesiastes 8:21

Well it appears we have touched on an area of high sensitivity. So if you didn't read yesterday's blog, I would encourage you to start there. As we look further into Solomon's advice that we "Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you have yourself cursed others," we have to decide whether we really believe this to be true. I cannot think of a time when I ever thought to myself that someone else should be damned. Oh, I was pretty upset with the man who ran over my dog out of pure negligence wasn’t a bit remorseful; and I was pretty upset with the man who cut down the wrong tree in my yard (it was a hundred foot, perfectly straight, over two foot in diameter, cherry tree!); but for the most part I can’t think of a time when I cursed someone. But I know better. The Scriptures teach us that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked and we can’t even know the depths of it all. So because I believe God’s Word to be true and every man a liar, I know that this teaching is for me; therefore, I need to have a more compassionate and merciful attitude toward those who would treat me unkindly and unfairly. Simply, those who are forgiven the most, love the most.

But, that doesn’t remove the hurt instantaneously. I know of a dear sister in the Lord who found out after her father’s death that she wasn’t her father’s daughter and to make matters worse, found out from her betraying sister that not one cent of her step-father’s inheritance would be hers. She was devastated. I know of a husband whose wife berates him in front of his children. I know of too many wives whose husband’s anger is like a ticking time bomb in their home. They live perpetually on edge; they feel beaten down. I know of a grown daughter whose mother accuses her of being self righteous; and a pastor who tried to reach out to the neighborhood kids and is now labeled a pedophile by his neighbors. Can you imagine this hurt? Certainly these hurts go beyond the scope of what Solomon was dealing with concerning an occasional bashing by your servant. BUT, everything is designed by an all wise God.

The angels said that Jesus was bringing peace on earth and most of our Christmas carols would confirm this. But Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace on earth but a sword! Now which is it? Were the angels wrong? Let’s read what Jesus said:

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Mat 10:34-39

That doesn’t sound very politically correct. What is he saying? Simply, if you are going to live for the Lord, then expect that you are going to get roughed up in this life. It is the way it is going to be; and it is the way of the cross! It is the process that God has designed to make us worthy followers; it is the process that God uses to test us to see if we truly desire to follow him. And there is no better place to be tested than in our own homes. If you run away from the pressures then you will not lose the benefits of the testing—tested like gold; pressured to make diamonds. So many lose their reward because they are unable to hold on just a bit longer. God will rescue you; he will redeem you.

Again I will close with the wisdom of my mentor Fenelon from his book Dialogues of Fenelon:

SELF- RENUNCIATION

THE ONLY WAY TO PEACE.

SO long as we dwell within

ourselves, we shall be a prey

to the opposition, the malignity, the

injustice of men. Our temper brings

us into collision with other tempers;

our passions clash with those of our

neighbors; our wishes are so many

tender places open to the shaft s of those

around; our pride, which is incompatible

with our neighbors', rises like the waves

of a stormy sea;-everything rouses,

attacks, rebuff s us. We are exposed on

all sides by reason of the sensitiveness

of our passions and the jealousy of

our pride. No peace is to be looked for

within when one lives at the mercy of a

crowd of greedy and insatiable desires,

and when we can never satisfy this "me"

which is so keen and so touchy as to

whatever concerns it.

Hence in our intercourse with others

we are like invalids who have been

long confined to the bed, who cannot

be touched anywhere without pain.

A sickly self-love, full of pity for itself,

cannot be touched without screaming.

Touch it with the end of your finger, and

it thinks itself flayed alive. Then add to

this sensitiveness the roughness of other

people, full of imperfections unknown

to themselves, their disgust at our

defects (at least as great as ours toward

theirs), and you find all the children of

Adam tormenting one another; half of

mankind made unhappy by the other

half, and rendering them miserable in

their turn.

The only remedy is to come out of

one's self in order to find peace. We

must renounce ourselves, and lose all

self-interest, that we may no longer have

anything to lose, to fear, or to contrive.

Then we shall enjoy the true peace

reserved for "men of good will"; that is,

for those who have no longer any will

but God's, which becomes theirs. Then

men will not be able to harm us; they

can no longer attack us through our

hopes or our fears; then we are willing

to accept everything, and we refuse

nothing.

We may be worried, inconvenienced,

distressed; but God causes it, and that is

enough. We love the Hand which smites;

we find peace in all these troubles,-

happy peace, which follows us even to

the cross! We wish what we have; we

wish nothing of what we have not. The

more perfect is our self-surrender, the

more perfect is our peace.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and

beloved, compassion, kindness, humility,

meekness, and patience, bearing with one

another and, if one has a complaint against

another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has

forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And

above all these put on love, which binds everything

together in perfect harmony. And

let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to

which indeed you were called in one body.

And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell

in you richly, teaching and admonishing one

another in all wisdom, singing psalms and

hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness

in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:12-16

Things People Say

This morning while reading Ecclesiastes 7 I came upon this verse: "Do not take heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you have yourself cursed others."

Something to consider for sure. I don’t know about you but I hate when people don’t like me for whatever reason but at the same time I know that in a position of leadership you can’t lead based on what people think or say or you will never get anywhere. I have come to learn that when people say things that are hurtful, that God has brought that arrow for my good. God is sovereign even over the arrows that can hurt us so deeply. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. I would like to share my part of a discussion I had with a sister who was hurt deeply by someone close to her. She didn’t know what she had done to cause this turning of a heart against her by one she loved, but she was deeply hurt. Hopefully this will meet the need of someone today who finds themselves in a similar situation of hurt:

 

Dear Sister in Christ, here is my initial thought, but what I have pasted below is

the real counsel that you will want to consider…you will want to read it

again and again.  But first, here is my feeble thought….if you don’t

know what someone is mad about, then this shouldn’t involve you…the reason

you are so stirred is because you are feeling the pains of your own

personal rejection…if you have done nothing wrong, then there isn’t

anything for you to do, other than allow this time to humble you and

repress your self-love.  God is behind the scenes placing pressure on

areas of your life that are still alive and too sensitive…oh, what

counsel that I should heed myself!  So therefore, I would not approach

this other person until your sensitivity to the situation is more fully

repressed/dead…but in the meantime, you can still do good to them when

God opens the door in His good timing.  What you are about to read, says

it all…

 

You might already have this book…it is my favorite devotional

http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/prodinfo.asp?number=RCDOFV1&variati

on=&aitem=8&mitem=13

 

 WHEN God purposes to make

us die to ourselves, He always

touches that which is the very essence

and center of our life. Thus doth He

apportion crosses. Let yourself be

humbled; silence and peace under

humiliation are a true benefit to the

soul. One is sometimes tempted to talk

humbly, and it is easy to find a thousand

fine pretexts for so doing, but it is yet

better to be humbly silent. Talkative

humility is to be suspected; in talking,

self-love relieves itself a little.

Do not be angry about what people

say; let them talk, while you try to do

God’s will. As to the will of men, you

could never come to an end of satisfying

it, nor is it worth the trouble. A little

silence, peace, and union with God

ought to comfort you for all that men

may say unjustly.

You need all your resolution in your

present position, but at the same time

your quickness of temper requires

checks and impediments. Possess your

soul in patience. Renew yourself often

in the presence of God, so as to calm

yourself, to humble and adapt yourself

to the little ones. Nothing is really great

save lowliness, charity, distrust of self,

detachment from one’s own opinion

and will. All stiff , harsh goodness is

contrary to Jesus Christ.

 

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides

you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is

the strength of my heart and my portion

forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall

perish; you put an end to everyone who is

unfaithful to you.

But for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

that I may tell of all your works.

Psalm 73:25-28

 

I will share the rest of the story tomorrow…

 

Judges: female leadership and a man's role

If there was a time period in the bible that would best represent our culture today it would be the time of the judges. There was political and economic upheaval, moral decline, and a lack of male leadership. In Judges 5, Deborah the first female judge in Israel, leads the nation to victory over their enemies. A man could have led the way but he lacked the faith and courage to step up to the plate. We live in a day when God is raising up women to fill the role of a man. What will it take for men to rise up and give themselves to a greater cause? In Judges 5:2, Deborah writes a song that will help us understand what led to national revival:

 

            “Then sang Deborah and Barak… “That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD!”

 

In the very first stanza of the song, so much is communicated. Deborah teaches us that finally, the leaders took the lead and finally the people offered willingly.  Stepping up to the plate of servant leadership and being willing to do whatever God is asking you to do to serve Him is what is required; this is what changes a home, a church, a community, and a nation. When we start here, God’s redemption in our homes and churches opens the door for redemption in our communities and nation.

 

In the same song Deborah encourages the leaders by saying,

 

            “My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD.”

 

She also includes a few stanzas of rebuke for those men who sat on the couch wasting their lives:

 

 “Why did you sit still…? why did you stay…?

 

She also writes that among these same men “there were great searchings of heart.” I never want to live my life wondering “what if.” We must act…we must do…we must rise up and move forward by faith. It is alright if we fail; but it is far better to try and do something than sit and hope things will get better.  I love how Deborah rebukes the men in her song who were sitting at home with a guilty conscience. She writes, “Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.” Deborah lets the “sitters” know that others are out their risking their lives.

 

I am hearing of men who are losing their jobs. What a great opportunity for them to seek the Lord and find out how He would use them for His glory. For those men who have had great paying jobs, benefits, and security and now find themselves unemployed—be willing to do whatever God asks you to do…Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God is shaking things up and moving things around…He is providing opportunities to serve Him by faith. He is in complete control…we can trust Him.

Ponderings Ecclesiastes & Judges

I just love spending time with the Lord in the morning. I have a tendency to talk to Him about everything...rarely taking time to listen. Certainly I wouldn't treat a guest that way...just ramble on with my list of important items. In Ecclesiastes 5 Solomon writes, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God (or in the presence of God). To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few."  God is a person, and though God, we should still talk to Him as if we were talking to someone face to face; reflective, reverent, respectful…listening.

 

This morning I also came upon an unusual verse from the book of Judges 5:31 "May your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might."

Or it can be translated, "May they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength."

I like the way the ESV translates this with the word ‘friends.’  To think that we can be a friend of God, blows my mind. We have a God who desires an intimate, personal, friendship with us. This is a great verse to memorize.

(I can’t wait to share more about Judges 5 tomorrow! It is about women filling the roles of a man…and God sanctioning it!)

 

 

 

God is Testing Them

Because I don't read the newspaper and rarely watch the news, I have been somewhat insulated from the economic woes of our country. As I have stated before, it is a dangerous thing to obtain information that will influence the way you think and live when it comes from sources that have their own agenda and biases. That is not to say that we shouldn't be informed but the addiction to news among Christians, particularly cnn and fox seems to lean toward entertainment more than information. A godly seminary professor once said to me, "You know Mark, I think Jesus really meant what he said, when he shared that if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all that we needed would be added to us."  

 

This morning I was reading Ecclesiastes chapter 5...you must read this chapter! It is so fitting for our present day. If people only realized that God has given us His Word for each occasion of life, they would have not only the information they need but the wisdom. God's Word is written and supernaturally compiled in such a way that when you read it, you will find the newsworthy information you need for each day. For thirty years the Scriptures have provided me with the direction and wisdom I have needed to make the right decision for each need in my life--the secular news has never helped one iota!

 

I would like to share some insights from chapter 5. First, I have noticed lately that I have been dreaming more during the night. This is unusual for me. I am usually a pretty sound sleeper and don't remember too many dreams except on occasion. But lately, they have been many and bizarre. In Ecclesiastes 5 Solomon writes: "For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words." What insight! These past 9 weeks have been among the busiest days of my life. Directing Lamplighter, speaking, learning aviation (hardest thing I have ever attempted), still learning how to be a husband and father, discipling a new believer, working with new staff...and I haven't had time to rake the leaves yet; and this is the short list, which tells me that my life is out of balance and the increased dreams according to Solomon is a result of "much business."

 

Solomon continues this thought in 5:7 by saying, "For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity, but God is the one you must fear." Doesn't that put things into perspective, especially in our economic climate? God has placed in each one of us a spiritual barometer that helps us gauge when we start disconnecting from our great and awesome God. Are there too many dreams? Too many words? Too much fear? Apart from Him, Jesus said, "You can do nothing." I would highly recommend reading all of Ecclesiastes, but particularly chapter 5. There are some golden morsels there that I promise that you will find newsworthy...and the author is a reliable source .

Gentle and Patient: Dialogues of Fenelon

 

“O God, am I called to put up with being badly served?  I will do so gladly, if only I can thereby serve You well.  My work is not to be well served, but to serve You well, to be gentle and patient under all that disturbs me.”

 

Above is a quote from the Dialogues of Fenelon. Fenelon is my favorite author but this quote absolutely disturbs me! Right after I read it, I received a phone call from the same obnoxious US Air representative that I heard from last year and the year before, letting me know that they made another mistake with my miles and had to remove some, which will now require us to pay money to maintain my status, which gives our ministry important benefits. You probably can tell by my run-on sentence that I wasn’t a very happy customer. It would be one thing if this occurred once…but three times?  No wonder they are losing money and customers. And to make matters worse, she was snippety…and I certainly didn’t help matters!  And…I have to then hear the above “be gentle and patient” during devotions! Let’s read that again:

 

“O God, am I called to put up with being badly served?  I will do so gladly, if only I can thereby serve You well.  My work is not to be well served, but to serve You well, to be gentle and patient under all that disturbs me.”

 

I am sure glad that God’s compassions are new every morning and because of His mercies we are not consumed (Lam 3)…or I would have been consumed a long time ago!

The picture below has nothing to do with my day…but it sure is beautiful.

 

In God We Trust: Going, Going, g...

You are about to view an alarming video. As you listen, you will hear that religious extremists are to blame. I would disagree. Throughout history, dark times, like during the time of Nazi Germany or the dark ages, Christianity did not burn bright enough to counteract the darkness. We live in a day when we have the greatest opportunity to shine the brightest. But it will take sacrifice and focus. It will take redeeming the time. It will take self-discipline; it will take dedication, humility and prayer. I am sure you have heard this many, many times, but “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  Humility + prayer + seeking + turning = forgiveness and restoration!  We simply can’t continue to flirt with the American Idol and hope that God’s blessing will be upon us.

 

 

A Capitol Offense

When the new visitor’s center at the United States Capitol opens next month, will it accurately reflect the role of our Creator in America’s public life?

For years, “In God We Trust” has been clearly displayed from the Speaker’s chair in the House chamber.  The current plan for the model of the Capitol in the Center strips “In God We Trust” from the model of the Speaker’s rostrum.

The current plan also refuses to place a Bible on the table President Lincoln used during the Second Inaugural, even though the historical purpose of the table was used to hold the Bible on which he swore the oath of allegiance.

Last week, Callista and I recorded a video asking those who care about preserving our Creator’s role in American history to spread the word about a new petition at newt.org, requesting that Congress make sure the Capitol Visitor’s Center is historically accurate.  It reads:

“We the undersigned petition Congress to ensure that the new Capitol Visitor’s Center is historically correct and accurately reflects the centrality of “our Creator” in the founding of America and in its historical development.”  

(I am not advocating signing the petition. It probably wouldn’t hurt but I don’t know what they do with the email addresses. There are more powerful ways to change this nation…it is found above in Solomon’s address to his people.)

You can watch the video and sign the petition by clicking here.

And of course, our movie, Rediscovering God in America is available at newt.org .

 

 

 

 

http://newt.org/CapitolVisitorsCenterPetition/tabid/308/Default.aspx

 

 

It's a good life...
 
Virginia

 

I give myself to prayer

For those who are facing severe hurt in relationships right now I would like
to share this verse I recently found:

Psalm 109:4
"In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer."

Prayer is what holds us together and calms our anxiety.

Essence of Life in Ecclesiastes: Desirable & Undesirable events

One of my favorite sections of Scripture is Ecclesiastes chapter 3. There you find that well known poem/song, "There is a time for everything." 

 

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 

If I have counted correctly, the word “time” has been repeated twenty-four times! That is a lot of repetition. The question is why? If you look closely at the design of this poem you will notice that each section follows the pattern of Desirable and Undesirable events. They are patterned much like musical notes. For example, “A time to be born is “desirable” and a time to die is “undesirable.” Below I will label the pattern of the desirable and undesirable events with the letters D for Desirable and U for Undesirable.  Let’s look at the pattern for each one:

 

A time to be born, and a time to die;                                                               DU    

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;                                     DU

A time to kill, and a time to heal;                                                                                UD

A time to break down, and a time to build up;                                                            UD

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;                                                                           UD                             

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;                                                                        UD

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;                              UD

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;                                         DU

A time to get, and a time to lose.                                                                                 DU

A time to keep, and a time to cast away;                                                                     DU

A time to rend, and a time to sew;                                                                               UD

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;                                                                UD

A time to love, and a time to hate;                                                                               DU

A time of peace, and a time of war..                                                                            DU

 

I realize that this could be confusing so I will do my best to help you navigate through. You will need to look carefully first at the pattern. Do you see matching patterns? This is written much like music would be written. Note the first two which have a DU DU pattern. These first two match exactly with the last two which have a DU DU pattern. The next two from the top have a UD UD pattern which match the next two up from the bottom, UD UD. This leaves the alternating pattern of the center six with a UD, UD, UD—DU, DU, DU pattern. What beauty! The symmetry suggests that life is beautiful; the ebb and flow of life—a  time for everything! Just beautiful. BUT! I tricked you.  Look again at the last line above.  “A time of peace, and a time of war.” That last line should say, “A time of war, and a time of peace.” I changed it so that you could first see the beautiful symmetrical pattern…how it should have been written if it someone was going to complete this piece of music that would bring the audience resolve and joy at the end of the concert. Instead, Solomon writes the masterpiece and ends it out of step; he ends it asymmetrical, leaving his audience with a bad taste in their mouth. Everything was going so well. The beauty, the symmetry, and then like finger nails on a chalk board, he ends his rendition with the unexpected--UD. And that is exactly what God is trying to communicate. Just when you think you have it all figured out, life throws you a curve. The unexpected happens. That is why Solomon writes what he does next:

 

“What profit does he that works in all his labors?”

 

In other words, if you can’t count on things to happen that way they should, then why try!  You work all your life guiding your children to love the Lord and live a morally upright life, and then they go and make dumb decisions—was the effort worth it? You invest all this time and energy into your marriage—for what? Only to see your spouse make hurtful decisions. You give of yourself in your career. You sacrifice and others profit from your labors—and then you get laid off! You say to yourself, “why bother?” I’m going fishing.

 

Just a few minutes ago, early this morning I received a phone call from a distraught mother who just learned that her 21 year old daughter was making some hurtful and potential harmful decisions for her life. She has been a good mom…sacrificed for her daughter and works tirelessly to support the family (single mom); and now this! what is going on? Why can’t things work out the way they are supposed to? What ever happened to, “I reap what I sow.”  Why can’t the music end the way it is supposed to? Why can’t life have some EXPECTED outcomes?  Why? Because that is the way God changes us into his likeness. If everything happened just as expected, then where would faith come in? trust? That is why Solomon writes what he writes next:

 

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

 

God exercises us in the unknown, unexpected curves of life, so that we might learn to walk by faith. “For without faith it is impossible to please God. We must believe that His is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11.  We must never lose sight that when the curves and unexpected hurtful events occur in our lives, God is always working out everything for His glory and our good! “All things work together for good, to those who love God.” Romans 8.  The sooner we learn this, then we can begin to enjoy what Solomon teaches us as the close of this masterpiece:

 

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:

 

 

Chambers and Charlie Jones

Last night was just incredible! I had the opportunity to attend a celebration service in tribute to Charlie Tremendous Jones and his Savior Jesus. Words cannot describe the influence that one man had on this world. Those of you who never had the privilege of hearing Charlie speak or being in his presence, all that I can say is that it was a once in a life time experience. So many people came from all over the country; and all of us were saying the same thing--we have never met anyone like Charlie nor anyone who loved Jesus the way he did.  Charlie loved his Lord and also loved books, especially the book My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. One of the readings last night was from this treasured devotional that I would like to share. It is from the reading of August 2:

            "In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

            "They typical view of the Christian life is that it means to be delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered IN adversity, which is something very different. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling...." Psalm 91:1, 10

            If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. "In the world you shall have trouble; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." He is saying, "There is nothing for you to fear." The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint.

            God does not give us overcoming life--He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, freedom, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept to the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment--"To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life." Revelation 2:7

           

            Charlie loved reading from Chambers. There wasn't a time when you didn't hear him quoting from this book. Charlie loved life and according to the many who were there last night testified that Charlie was one of those few people in this world who was larger than life. Why? Because he saturated himself with God's Word, great Christian literature, and the truth that he was forgiven--and he who is forgiven the most, loves the most.  If you want to get a copy of Utmost for His Highest you can probably find it on Charlie's website at http://toolscart.com/comersus6f/store/comersus_listItems.asp?strSearch=utmost%20highest

 

“He that perseveres to the end, the same shall be delivered.” Mat 24:13

Proverbs 21, Isaiah 37: The Heart of the King and Prayer

In Proverbs 21:1 we read:
“The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he will."  

Am I concerned with the direction that America might take with its new leader and anti Christian world view? Yes, but we who walk in the light have the ability to influence our culture more than a president and a congress and a judge and a military. We have the privilege and power of prayer! We must never forget that it is righteousness that exalts a nation, not a government. Righteousness is what will influence the government. The salt of the earth must regain the years that have been lost; the light must now shine brighter than the false attractions that so easily have seduced the children of God. Light always shines its brightest in the darkest places. It is time to wake out of sleep. In Isaiah 37:14-20 we read about the power of prayer. Hezekiah, facing an unbeatable enemy prayed:

 

“O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth; You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacharib, which he has sent to mock the Living God. Of a truth, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone are the Lord.”

 

This prayer changed history! Note how God responds:

 

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “Because you have prayed to me …" this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning [Sennacharib] … "Because you have raged against Me and your arrogance has come to My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back the way by which you came … The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this … For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David” (Is. 37:21-22, 29, 32, 35)."

 

Never forget those words--“Because you have prayed to me …" “Because you have prayed to me …"  “Because you have prayed to me …"

 

Recommended Reading: If there was one book that I would have every Christian in America reading, it would be Sir Knight of the Splendid Way. For children it would be Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince and Charlie’s Choice.

 

Ecclesiastes 2:24 and Wyman

On Monday my friend and mentor Wyman Ritchie's life was celebrated during
his preplanned funeral service. He chose the music, the sermon, the
preacher, and the cloths he would wear in the casket. He even had the
preacher give him a test run of the sermon before he died...he told the
preacher to go back and study the text! You would have just loved my friend.
During the service friends shared what they remembered most about Wyman's
life and one stood out more than the rest. The man was the vice-president of
academic affairs at what was once known as Practical Bible Training School.
He shared that he had access to Wyman's grades while he was in school in the
1940's! Can you imagine after you die that someone shows up at your funeral
to let all your friends know kind of student you were and what your grads
were?! He had a 3.9 grade point average and as a student, both at Practical
and Dallas Theological, all knew who Wyman was and where he could be found.
Why? Because when anyone had a question about Greek or Hebrew, Wyman was the
man to turn to--he was known as the Why-Man. And fifty years later, Wyman
still was the man to turn to in our church and for me personally. Whenever
you had a tough question in the Scriptures, Wyman had the answers. Why?
Because he immersed himself in the Word day and night. As a result, he
experienced what both David and Joshua said would happen: "Everything you do
will prosper."

In Ecclesiastes 2:24, I believe that Solomon breaks through the despair and
hopelessness of life in much the same way that Wyman did in his. If you
remember the first installment of Ecclesiastes from two days ago, we
discussed that chapters 1-2:23 are filled with despairing hopelessness: "All
is vanity and vexation of spirit." But in 2:24 everything changes. Solomon
for the first time inserts that in light of the vain attempts at making
sense out of life, there is one thing that can bring joy; "There is nothing
better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in
his toil. This also, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat
or who can have enjoyment?" There it is in black and white. There are two
paths in life. One that leads to despair and vexation (without God), and the
other that leads to the enjoyment of his labors and his rewards (eating!),
with God. And Wyman experienced this because he lived his life connected to
God through the two means that God gave us to stay connected--His Word and
prayer, and of course most important, the forgiveness of his sins through
Jesus Christ's sacrifice on his behalf.

Solomon continues saying, "For to the one who pleases Him God has given
wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of
gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God." So many
people are trying to achieve happiness through their own means. It will
never come; oh they might feel temporarily satisfied with money, a new
house, a new plane, a new car, fun parties, great restaurants, and great
achievements, but they will never experience that inner peace, joy, and
satisfaction of what comes in the presence of a Holy God--a genuine
relationship with the God who made us--our Father. With a genuine
relationship with God and His Son, one of the benefits that you will
experience will be the enjoyment of work. Whether a keeper at home, or a
teacher, or a tax accountant or a construction worker or a speaker, when
your life is connected to God, you just love what you do. In fact, work
doesn't seem like work. I tell people I haven't worked for thirty years!
Really. What I do has never seemed like work for me...i just love it! And
that doesn't mean that there aren't times where life gets hard; and it
doesn't mean that the work load doesn't exhaust me...it does. But the
satisfaction and joy revives me and it has continued now for thirty years.
God is true to His Word!

I can't wait to share what comes next in Ecclesiastes. It is for me one of
the most interesting and mysterious chapters in the entire Bible and it
provides a key truth to finding this joy that Solomon talks about. Enjoy
your day...and your work!

Oh, the picture of the gnarly wood bench...The woodcrafter who created this
bench had more joy in making this bench than most people will experience in
a life time. When our skill reaches a mastery level, we begin to enjoy our
work even more. That is why it is so important to reach a mastery level in
all that we do for the glory of God. It will make a difference in your level
of joy. Acquire the skills, the knowledge, and the mentors to help you
become the best. Joy is around the corner.

Reading part 2

I will continue with Ecclesiastes tomorrow. This morning I came across this
and felt it would be good to share with you:

To move ahead, we must determine what we will leave behind. Jim Collins,
co-author of Built to Last and author of Good to Great, tells about his
desire to read more, and the steps he took to reach that goal. He set up a
reading room and bought the perfect chair for reading, a wonderful reading
lamp, and all the books he wanted to plow through. But when he came home
from work, he'd flop on the couch, flip on the television, and catch up on
the news or the first quarter of Monday Night Football. Soon he'd be glued
to the TV, and the books remained stacked on the chair in his reading room.
Finally he got rid of the TV, and his reading accomplishments soared. He
learned that it's not what you add to your life, it's what you abandon that
will make the difference. As you expand your externally focused ministries,
what will you abandon? You can't continue to do everything. (excerpt from
The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson.)

Mark Hamby

Essence of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes is one of the least read books in the Bible; but it is
one of my favorites and for good reasons. Ecclesiastes is one of those books
where there is hidden treasure. It is masked with a cover of humdrum
hopelessness. Who would want to read a book that starts out like that?! But
that is the beauty of the book. It keeps away those who are not really
seekers. The very fact that Ecclesiastes is part of Scripture, and the fact
that "All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable,"
(2nd Timothy 3:16), you can count on it that there are rich blessings
waiting to be found.
Chapters 1 through 2:23 are indeed negative and hopeless. But if one
misses the transition of chapter 2:24, they will miss the point of the
entire book! Solomon was an incredible author (of course guided by God); in
the beginning he leads the readers to a life of hopeless despair. For
example:
*What does a man gain from all his toil? 1:3
* All things are full of weariness; 1:8
* It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of
men; 1:13
* I have seen everything....all is vanity and striving after wind.
1:14
* I acquired great wisdom and knowledge...even this is striving
after wind. 1:16, 17
* I enjoyed great pleasures, and laughter and concluded, "What use
is it?" 2:1, 2
* I cheered my body with wine, just enough to maintain my wisdom; I
made great works. I built houses, planted vineyards for myself, planted all
kinds of fruit trees, made pools from which to water my forest of growing
trees; I had servants, possessions untold, more than anyone before; I had
everything that could delight the soul and I became great, surpassing all
who were before me. And whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them.
And when I considered all that my hands have done, I concluded that
everything was vanity and striving after wind, and nothing was to be gained
under the sun. 2: 3-11

If that wasn't enough to depress you, Solomon then writes:

* I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I
must leave it someone who might be a fool!
* So I turned and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of
my labors under the sun, because I have to leave everything to someone who
didn't work for it...it just isn't right! 2:18-22
* For all a man's days are full of sorrow, and his work is a
vexation. Even at night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. 2:23
Sounds pretty depressing to me...who would want to continue this
dark and dismal story? Can you imagine being the wisest and richest man in
the world and having this outlook? And for those who would stop here, will
miss out on what I believe, may be one of the most important transitions and
books and of the Bible!
Why? Because in the next verse, everything changes...and we will
look into this great mystery tomorrow! More about the essence of life! What
an incredible God and author of everything!

The Mind and Conscience in Tandem: Reading Skills Rewritten...the rest of the story!

Yesterday I started to answer a question pertaining to what resources would help develop reading skills for adults. I started the article but was unable to finish it. When I came back to it this morning I found that it was not edited. After the initial shock of posting something that was so poorly written, I began to rewrite it. I think you will find this version quite different and the extra toppings enlightening. This may be the beginning of something new! Here was the initial question:

Dear Lamplighter: I know that this is off topic, but I couldn't find a better place to ask. Can you recommend any resources for developing reading skills/proficiency for adults. Listening to MH's CD's I know that this is something that he has developed later in life. Thanks.

Well, the answer to that question is very important to me, especially since reading is the method in which God has chosen to reveal himself and communicate his plan to us daily. Not only are readers leaders and leaders readers, and not only will a person be the same today as they will be five years from now except for the people they meet and the books they read, but reading leads us to truths that transforms our lives; reading helps us find the insights that restores relationships; reading literally unlocks the mysteries of life...yet so few are readers. In fact, only 5% of the entire North American continent reads non fiction according to research found in the book North Bound Train.

Ok, let me get back to the question. Are there any resources for developing skills/proficiency for adults? Yes! The Bible! If a person would like to develop their skills in reading, they must at the same time develop a strong relationship with God and His instruction for mankind. Christ-like character and reading comprehension, I believe go hand in hand. Presently I am conducting research on this subject for my dissertation, so I have plenty of research to share on this subject. But briefly, I have found that reading like any other discipline in life, requires first and foremost, practice. Recently I began studying and training to become a private pilot. It has been the most difficult discipline I have ever attempted. For the first fifty hours of flight training, I hated it. But never once did I question whether it was worth the effort. I knew that someday my efforts and the training were going to bring a freedom into my life that would allow me to do things I have never thought possible. And now one hundred hours later, I am able to drive down the road, get in a plane and fly up to western NY to conduct a Bible study—and to eat chicken cutlets with my mom!!!

For those who find reading difficult, do not enjoy reading, and often find their mind wandering off the page, I can assure you that this skill and love can be acquired; but it will take perseverance and confidence. The confidence that I speak of is the belief that a time will come when your comprehension level will begin to soar, new doors of insight will come to you like the wind, and you will not be able to put books down! It will happen. If we lose sight of the reward, we will lose heart and be drawn to defeat and live in that grey twilight that knows no victory nor defeat (Theodore .Roosevelt).

On a practical level, reading the Bible and Lamplighter books have been an enormous help to me. Let me explain. Literature that is rich in vocabulary and wisdom awakens our cognitive skills, the conscience, and our moral imagination. What is missing in literature today is the awakening of the moral conscience. Children and adults are hooked on literature such as Harry Potter and the many romance novels and mysteries found on the shelves of books stores and libraries across our nation. This kind of literature does little more than amuse and entertain. In Neil Postman's words, we are “amusing ourselves to death.” Without the conscience and cognitive skills working in tandem, we lose our eternal focus and moral compass.

Literature such as that found in the Bible and Lamplighter stories for example, though difficult to understand at first, begin connecting the reader to truth--it is truth that sets us free and it is truth that we need the most. So first and foremost, it is essential that we read stories that are filled with truth that transforms...and this could even be a mechanical science book (truth connected to our God-given abilities is where we are heading--more about this later).

Often we lose interest because the vocabulary is too difficult. I have found that stories with a rich vocabulary, even if i don't understand all of the words, have a powerful effect upon my reading ability and comprehension level. In the words of Gene Edward Veith, there is an accumulated effect of knowledge. This accumulated effect of knowledge happens mysteriously. At first when we read something that is above our level of comprehension, it may not seem that it has any effect upon us whatsoever. But in time, we will begin to remember words in certain contexts and suddenly our understanding will begin to turn on like a switch. The brain and conscience are constantly storing. This reservoir of knowledge and wisdom remains untapped for so many and they never experience the freedom and joy that comes through reading. A.W. Tozer once said that next to the Holy Scriptures, the greatest aid to the life of faith, may be Christian biographies. Lincoln, Emerson, Socrates, and others wrote:
A man is known by the company he keeps. It is also true that a person's character is to a large extent developed by the books he reads.”

"Many times the reading of a book has made the future of a man."Ralph Waldo Emerson

Abraham Lincoln commented: "The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who will get me a book I have not read.“

"If we encounter a man of rare intellect we should ask him what books he reads." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have laboured hard for." Socrates.
Historically, from the time of the printing press, it was the reading of the Bible that changed our entire civilization…schools started, scholars were birthed, statesman brought public order, governments were formed, science advanced, health was restored, morality was strengthened and the church eventually cleansed of its heresy and hypocrisy. Today we are seeing a return of heresy and hypocrisy which always parallels the cessation of reading. It was the influence of moral literature that brought us out of the horrors of the dark and medievil ages. The Renaissance would never have occurred apart from the printing press.

David in the Psalms said it well: "I have stored up your Word in my heart that i will not sin against you." There it is...an accumulated effect of knowledge, working in tandem with the awakening of our moral conscience. That is why memorization of the Scriptures on a daily basis is so important. Well, i think i have given you enough to chew on for now. I am hoping to have all of this in a book in about a year. For now i would highly recommend reading four books: First, the Bible. I like reading the ESV version or New American Standard, or King James, but any version will be helpful to start. Each year i recommend reading a different version; you will gain a different perspective and different insights. And for those who have never read the Bible through in a year it is mostly because you have lacked the discipline of commitment. i would suggest, getting rid of the tv, excessive emails, internet meandering, and reading the newspaper and magazines; most of the information in newspapers according the past president of USC and Postman would be considered pseudo information—that is, irrelevant information, made to appear important, but isn’t. But if your career is dependant upon such information, read selectively but not at the expense of the Scriptures. The Scriptures are eternal and the wisdom they contain will help your career, your family, and your future more than any seminar, book, or the stock-market.
Next i would recommend reading seven books: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman; The Disappearance of Childhood by Postman; The Dialogues of Fenelon; and The Basket of Flowers; Reading Between the Lines by Gene Edward Veith; The Hedge of Thorns; and this starter set of biographies, which includes the books that so inspired me to become a reader. These books are essential! (I would also add Bruchko and Let Go by Fenelon…you won’t be able to put them down!)
I must stress this point: Do not lose heart if you don't understand what you are reading, especially when it comes to the Scriptures. Persevere; you will eventually experience a breakthrough and the reward will be a freedom you cannot fathom. I love what Solomon wrote in 2nd Chronicles 15: "If you seek Me with all your heart, i will let you find Me." God and his truths are waiting to be found. God has communicated these truths through language; language recorded in a book!

Wyman's gone to Glory

A few minutes ago I received news that a good friend of mine and mentor,
went to be with the Lord. If you read the third paragraph you will find an
email I received from his wife this morning. His name was Wyman Ritchie and
his wife's name is Mona. You will find that even his last words were words
of service to Christ. In less than one year God has taken my three mentors
to be with Him. Their shoes will not be filled easily. The picture of the
tree above, I took this morning in my back yard. It is unusual for a sugar
maple to still have all of its leaves and still in full color in November;
especially since all of the other maples have lost their leaves. This tree
reminds me of my friend's life. His leaf did not wither...he maintained the
beautiful reflection of his Lord's glory right to the end. Below you will
find my letter to Mona and below that is her letter to me this morning.
Mark

Mona, as soon as I received your email I started to run to the car to come
up to be with you...but I decided to give you some breathing room and spend
time with your family. This morning for the first time I asked the Lord to
take Wyman home...i have wanted him to stay for selfish reasons...i loved
Wyman. I am sitting here down by the lake in tears...healthy tears of
thankfulness for a life well lived. I am so thankful that I called you last
night. The Lord knew that you needed to be there without me...something
sacred being with the one you love before they go to the Lord...I was with
my dad when he went to be with the Lord...now they are both together...i
can't wait for Wyman to meet my dad...i wonder how long it will take them to
meet up. Well, I guess my prayer this morning was answered before it was
prayed. With tears of joy I write this...there were only three men on this
earth that I would say I admired...Wyman was the last one.
Mark Hamby

Dear Friends of Wyman:
Just wanted to let you know that Wyman went to Glory on Oct. 31st at 8:35
pm. We are so happy for him and would not wish him back but are sad
ourselves. He loved the Lord and wanted to be with him. Wyman has
requested that no flowers be sent but if you would like to do something in
memory of him he wanted money just to be given for Dan and Liz Ransom to be
able to get to Italy as missionaries. You would mail it to Summit
Baptist Bible Church 232 Noble Rd Clarks Summit PA 18411. Thanks so
much for your prayers. Mona and Family
____________________________________________________________