Ancient Pharisees and Modern Church Leaders

The 23rd Chapter of Matthew is a long rant from Jesus Christ to the religious leaders of His day, the Pharisees. These guys were the 'religious right', the folks who made sure every move was in line with God's law. They made sure people knew how important they were with their lavish clothes which included prayer shawls, tassels and boxes called phylacteries (more on that later).

God had written the law to help people love one another and Him. He didn't miss a beat in His law, with nearly four books devoted to the law. Still, though, people didn't get it. People followed the letter of the law to avoid sinning, but they still didn't have love in their hearts. Without the love, they also began to break the law. About 600 years before Jesus, God said, "You don't love me, I'm kicking you out" and He brought an army in to take them all away. It only lasted 70 years, but Israel never returned to her former glory under Kings David and Solomon.

After the exile, people took God seriously. They were abiding by the letter of the law again, and still did not have love in their hearts. Afraid of exile again, the Pharisees began to make sure that Israel remained true to the law. The system of rules they implemented bordered on the ridiculous, but they thought it was the right way to go. Hey - they needed to appease God, right? They didn't realize that God is Love and all He wants is for us to love each other.

So, in accordance with Deuteronomy 6:8, they made boxes into which they put certain commandments. These boxes, called phylacteries, were tied onto their hands and foreheads to remind them of commandments - namely to love God and to love one another. They needed the physical boxes. The love was not in their hearts.



Along comes Jesus. He knows God's will. He knows that the whole reason we are here is to love God and one another. He becomes known as the thorn in the Pharisees' side, and He won't let up. The Pharisees want Him dead because they see Him as a threat. So, in Matthew 23, He tells the Pharisees exactly what's on His mind:

He opens with a very interesting statement. Speaking to His disciples, he says of the Pharisees, "You must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, fo rthe do not practice what they preach. They tied up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."

vv 3-4

They say 'You are a sinner. You must repent.' But when the time comes for them to face the music, they pray "Lord, Thank you that I am not a sinner like this man over here."

He moves on to describe their dress: "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'"

vv5-7

Self-explanatory?

In verses 8-12, He commands His followers: "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." We are all one down here. The guy in the pulpit is no greater than the lady in the pew, though some would have you believe they are the best thing since sliced cheese. Rabbi means teacher. Christ is our teacher. He is our Master. God is our Father, not a pope or a priest.

He then proceeds to condemn the Pharisees. Read carefully what he says in verses 13-32, taken from The Message:
I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either.
You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned.
You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, 'If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that's serious.' What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: 'If you shake hands on a promise, that's nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that's serious'? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless.
You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment--the absolute basics!-you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?
You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.
You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds.
You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You're cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count.

Wow. Anybody you know? How about some of the legalistic, self-righteous church leaders we have today? How about some of those who are so caught up examining the bark on every tree they can't see that the forest is on fire?

Let's continue with the next four verses, again from The Message:
Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It's on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation--and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse.
You can't squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I'm telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation.
It's purely coincidence that Christ's list of murdered prophets is A to Z - in the Hebrew alphabet it doesn't work this way. But Abel was the first murder in the Bible, and Zechariah (see 2 Chronicles 24:20-22) was the last murder, chronologically, in the Old Testament. Jesus tells the Pharisees that all the blood of everybody murdered on account of their relationship with God will come down on their hands. The Pharisees will pay for the crimes of their ancestors because the Pharisees do not have God's love in their hearts. Here's how - the last three verses:
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God's news! How often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn't let me. And now you're so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I'm out of here soon. The next time you see me you'll say, 'Oh, God has blessed him! He's come, bringing God's rule!'

Jesus loves the people of Jerusalem. They do not love Him. They are going to add Him to the list of the murdered that God sent, and He knows it. Yet, He loves them. He tells them of His eminent return, the return for which we all wait, when He will come on a white horse. This time, He won't be sitting in the shade telling parables about God's Kingdom. He'll come with a battle cry and a sword.

Folks, I'll tell you what I believe. This passage applies to all the self-righteous in the Church today. The closed-minded who work under Satan's leadership to divide the church into it's little splinters so they can be glorified - they are the modern-day Pharisees. Anybody who says that Christ's blood is not sufficient for salvation - they are the modern-day Pharisees. Anybody who says you may be saved, but you are not worshipping properly - they are the modern-day Pharisees. They are hopeless. They are frauds. They are condemned, and they are taking everybody they convert with them.

This sounds like harsh words, but they need to be said. Matthew 23 wasn't preserved so we could see how Jesus treated people 2000 years ago. We aren't meant to sit back and say, "I'm glad I'm not a Pharisee!" What can we learn from this passage? Can we learn that our modern Church needs to observe the mistakes of the Pharisees? Can we learn that the same condemnation that fell upon the Pharisees may indeed fall upon us?

I pray fervently for the Church to heal from it's shattered pieces. There are many who are praying and working with me. Perhaps you are one, as well. By working together, we can reunite the amputated parts of Christ's body. Working together, we can build a force that, unified against Satan, will show this country and this world how much love there really can be.

Christian Unity - A Futile Hope?

I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

John 17:20-26

I have stated before that there are basic foundations upon which the church was founded. Those basic foundations are summed up quite nicely in the Nicene and Apostle's Creed. Christ's Church is built upon this foundation. Disagreement with these foundations is disagreement with the Gospel - which is disagreement with God's Word - which is disagreement with God.

But, beyond those foundations, Christian demoninations have found their strength in setting up their own rules.

On Mount Sinai, God laid down the Law. The Talmud. Pharisees, so afraid of violating the Law, built a wall around the Law called the Mishnah. God said, "Don't cook a baby goat in the milk of its mother." The Mishnah says, "Don't eat milk and goat meat, 'cuz you might accidentally use the milk of the mother." Modern Orthodox Jews won't eat cheeseburgers because they don't know the source of the meat and the milk. The cheese might be from the milk of the mother of the burger.

The Mishnah is also the source of some of the Pharisees' complaints about Jesus. God said, "Honor the Sabbath and keep it Holy." The Pharisees said, "If we don't do anything on the Sabbath, it will be holy. Nobody is allowed to do any work on the Sabbath. That way they will keep it holy." When Jesus walked through a grain field and popped the kernels to eat, He was violating the rule of the Mishnah - which was written by men who didn't think God had gone far enough in His Law.

In Christianity, unfortunately, we have some Pharisees of our own. They are the 'hard-liners' in demoninations. They believe their additions to the foundations are the only thing that is right. Some are fanatical about methods of worship. Some are fanatical about no meat on Fridays. Some are fanatical about instrumental music. And, if you disagree with their interpretation of these non-Divine additions to the foundations, you are damned.

I am driven to attempt to re-unite Christ's Holy Church. That cannot be done by just me. It requires all Christians to put aside their doctrine and traditions that were invented by people and step back to the Bible. My own tradition, the Church of Christ, claims to have done that. And, in many ways, they have. But some are rabidly fighting to maintain some things that are not foundational. For example, instrumental music. I have been told that, since God punished Nadab and Abihu for doing something they were commanded not to do, God will also punish me for doing something I was not commanded to do in worship.

Huh?

"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,[ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Romans 10:8-13

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8-10

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

John 3:16-21

What do these passages say to us? Believe and you are saved. You are not saved by being dunked - though you are commanded to. You are not saved by helping others - though you are commanded to. You are not saved by singing praises - though you are commanded to. Don't believe and you are condemned. You are not condemned for not being dunked. You are not condemned for not helping others. You are not condemned for not singing praises, even if you have a piano, guitar or other musical instrument accompanying you.

My friends, we are called to fight a huge battle. The battle we must fight is against those outside our faith. We are called to bring as many with us as we can. Why, then, do we feel we must fight amongst ourselves over petty matters that only serve to shatter us? When accused of driving out demons by the king of demons, Jesus said, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."

Matthew 12:25

Well, Satan took note of that and has been using it in Jesus' Kingdom ever since.

Satan is dividing the church and conquering it from within. As a splintered force, we are easy to defeat. A defeated army will have problems gaining new members. We are all seen as hypocrites when we fight amongst ourselves like this. Who is guarding the outer flank? We are all so busy fighting each other, we are perilously exposed to the real danger.

Still, though, when I try to speak with people about divisiveness, all I hear is, "I'm right. Agree with me and we will be unified." Am I that blind that I can't see what is so important about pre- and post-millenialism? Am I so stupid that I can't see the importance of grape juice vs. wine in the cup? Am I so crazy that I can't understand the implications of using musical instruments in corporate worship?

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
Born of the virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead and buried.
On the third day He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven where he sits at God's right hand. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Universal Church, the forgiveness of sins and the life everlasting.

That's it. That's my statement of faith. I don't know if Hell is a flame that burns sinners forever or until they're consumed. I don't know if Jesus' millenial reign will be before or after the tribulation. I will not say anything beyond that creed is necessary for salvation. Nor should any demonination.

Yes, there are guidelines laid down for worship. Yes, there are rules we should follow in life. No, they are not the difference between Heaven and Hell, and no, I don't think anybody in the church should consider them worth splintering the body.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Oh, There's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to stay
Well Blessed be your name

- Blessed be Your Name, Tree 63

I'm sitting in Denny's writing this one on my Palm IIIxe. I'd listened to the song on the way over, but their Muzak is playing BeeGees - "How Deep is Your Love". Yuk. Drove all thoughts of Tree 63 out of my head. :-(

But the idea is still fresh. Written, presumably, with a thought to Job, this song says (and this is Clay's Paraphrase again) "no matter what life deals me, I will say Blessed be the Name of the Lord."

It's a hard thing to remember, especially when it feels like life's dealing from the bottom of the deck. How can you sing praises when you want to reach out and touch somone with a closed fist ? "Praise God and let this left break this guy's nose."

It's even worse when the problem isn't a person but a seemingly cursed house. At least a bruise will heal. Put a hole in the wall and your wife will never let you forget. Trust me, I know.

So, I'm left with an attitude that needs to praise God, but instead screams out (not in Denny's, thank you very much) "Who is doing this to me and why are you doing it?"

There can only be two possible answers - God or Satan.

For those who may be reading this that don't believe in this malarkey, here are my troubles: A/C quit - and another Houston summer is rapidly approaching. The TV quit - I may be able to fix it. I haven't had a job in four years. There's a hole in the ceiling where I fell through when working in the attic - yeah, I know, I brought that one on myself. The sewer backed up twice in 14 months - both times 'cuz they were doing maintenance on the lines. This time they don't want to replace the damaged carpet. The galvanized pipes routinely leak. Both cars need major work. The siding on my garage needs replaced. And we barely have the dough to make ends meet under ideal conditions.

This cannot possibly be random chance. A string of events like this would prove to the most hardcore atheist that there is/are higher power(s).

So, it's gotta be God or Satan, right? The Bible tells us that God loves us right? If He loves us, then why would He do this to us, especially someone who believes himself to be saved by the Blood of the Lamb? Well, first off, the saved of this world are no different from everyone else. Some just don't like to admit it. We are told that we will endure trials for His name's sake: Count it all joy, my brothers, whenever you fall into various trials, knowing that the proving of your faith works out sndurance. And let endurance have its perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4, Recovery Version. We also know that the Lord will not give more of a trial than we can overcome - with His help. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

1 Corinthians 10:13, The Message

So, if this trial comes from the Lord, then I know that I will make it through as long as I lean on Him.

If, on the other hand, this trial is borne of the enemy, then I am to lean on Christ all that much more. Nothing on Earth is worth more to me than Christ. As a servant of Christ, I make sure my family is properly cared for. As a servant of Christ, I ensure my family is taught His ways.

As a target of the enemy, however, I am undoing all the teachings of Christ. And it's all because I don't sing praises when I am afflicted.

I am 40. Four years ago I became a Christian. The 36 years of rage; 36 years of trying to handle life's difficulties on my own - they are dying a slow death. Though Clay Harryman was crucified on the cross on Januzry 30, 2002, some of the old heart keeps creeping back. Satan doesn't want to let me go.

So, I'm back where I started. How can I sing praises when I just want to lay down and cry?

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord

So, like so many before me, I just suck it up and praise the Lord. After all, I can't take it with me. And these ~80 years (of which 40 are past :o ) will only be a flash in the pan of eternity. My house in Glory won't need an air conditioner. It won't have a hole in the ceiling. I won't need a TV. Nor will I have a mortgage. I will be able to praise His Name for all time as I finally experience perfect peace. No more trials. No more broken dreams. No more chasing after the wind

All through Ecclesiastes.

So, while we still have breath, let's show Satan what it's all about. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Quality of Life

Someone once asked me how I felt about euthanasia. I replied (in my smart-alecky way), "I think they really took it in the shorts in Tienamen Square!"

Seriously, though. This is a very important topic. Some are inclined to believe that just 'cuz someone's quality of life isn't what the rest of us think it should be, that person should be eliminated. Case in point: A friend of the family was in his 30s when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. His friends wouldn't play golf with him anymore because he was so slow. Basically, he was abandoned. So, he took a gun and blew his brains out. I was told that this is a good reason for euthanasia. I think it's a good example of why euthanasia should not be even considerable.

Another example: I wanted to die. I thought my life was as bad as it could get. There was no way it could be any worse. First off, I was wrong - it could get worse. Secondly, it really wasn't that bad. Someone ministered to me when I was down and out. Someone cared enough about me to get off their duff and tell me that the most powerful being in the universe cared about me. I was then led to the light, and taught that no matter how dark the world appears, there is something special to be found.

So, into my life that was filled with anger, booze and emotional disorders, came God. He showed me how beautiful my life wias, even with all the problems. He showed me that I had something to offer the world. I began to reach out to those who have suffered like I have. I began to share God's love with drunks and people with emotional disorders.

After I was told that this man's death was a good reason for euthanasia, I responded, "Think of the testimony he would have had if only someone had ministered to him! Instead of throwing him away because of his disease, bring him up and teach him about life! He could have been an agent for change rather than a dead man."

I commented before about how the infirm can help teach God's love without even saying a word. It's all up to us. We can share God's love with everyone - regardless of their, or our, abilities.

Fluoroscopy & a Barium Milkshake

Just last Sunday (Mar. 19), a friend of mine was detailing his 8 weeks in the hospital. One of the comments he made was, "Nobody can make a barium milkshake taste better!" Well, the next evening, I started suffering major stomach cramps. My wife coerced me into seeing the doctor. She wanted me to get an Upper GI. I had to drink a barium milkshake. Well, it wasn't as bad as I'd been led to believe. Although, the straws they used wound up splattering me with the stuff. Yuk.

My doctor thinks I have a duodenal ulcer. I turned 40 in October, and since then I have come to appreciate the body of my youth; the body I ravaged with alcohol and other bad stuff. That body could handle nearly anything - 750ml of tequila, jalapenos by the gross, running a mile and a half in 15 minutes (well, that was stretching it) and numerous hits to the head and other parts of my body. Now, I'm breaking down. I need reading glasses. My back hurts when I wake up. My legs hurt. I may have an ulcer. And it all comes with age.

Solomon wrote "Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless."

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, NIV

He was probably an old man at this point. Some would say he was a cynical, grumpy old man. Like me, however, he ravaged his youth with physical pleasures. He also recognized that these pleasures would only last a short time. He would grow old and die. And what would become of his life?

I am getting old. I will die. What will become of my life?

My daughters don't want to know that I will eventually die. They do not yet understand that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment"

Hebrews 9:27

. What will I leave? What will be my legacy? I would like the world to remember me not as the drunkard that roamed the world until 1994. I would like the world to remember me not as the person who took advantage of his friends. I would like the world to remember me as I am now - a man who desires to seek after God's own heart.

So, as I sat in the waiting room at the Imaging center, waiting to drink my yummy shake, I pondered over the events in my past. I thought about who I have been. I also thought about who I am becoming.

We, the aging population of the world, are looking for purpose. We are looking for a legacy. I pray that my legacy will be one of Christ. I pray that I will leave the world having introduced at least one other to Christ.

More About Prayer

What I Learn from My Kids
My two-year-old is very thankful. Though it's hard for us mortals to understand her, I love to watch her pray.

"tain oo Gaw for my foo, my chay, 'Cole, Daddy, Mommy, stool, TB, bur, doddy, ca..." and she thanks God for everything she sees.
(Translation: "Thank you God, for my food, my chair, [sister] Nichole, Daddy Mommy, stool, TV, bird, doggy, cat...")

To have the faith of a little child who, to steal a line from the Word, in all things gives thanks - this pleases our Lord. She doesn't conceive of God in the same way we do, but she does know where glory is due. Perhaps that is our problem as grown-ups. We lose that childish simplicty.That simple faith that knows who God is and what He can do - before we forget it all.

Children believe what they are told. Their minds are like sponges soaking up all they see and hear. As aduts, we become more cynical and choose what to believe and what not to. It is a necessary part of life - wihout it we would be easy prey for every con artist around. We would also easily fall for the deception of the Father of Lies.

Still, though, Jesus told us that we are to become as the little children. We must accept His teachings though they are opposite the world's teachings. It is a hard pill to swallow, especially for one trained in the sciences as I was. Science tells me there is no God. Experience tells me there is.

The disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:1-4, NIV

Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? My little girl will be (and your young children as well), though I - with my hard heart and even harder mind - will be much lower than her.

Prayer

Almighty Father in Heaven, hear our prayer. We confess that we try to understand that which is not understandable - to conceive the inconceivable - to fathom the unfathomable. Our sin is that we try to mold You into our image. Our sin is that we cannot understand You so we try to put you in a box that we can handle. Rather than do as Christ instructed and simply accept what we're told, we try to get our minds around that which we could never grasp. Our child-like faith is damaged and we must reduce it to a tiny portion of the truth.

Father, please forgive us for being unable to understand. We believe. Help our unbelief! Give us the faith our children happily possess. Remove from us the knowledge that keeps us from knowing You. Take from us our will and impose Your own upon us. Mold us back into Your image - the image that was destroyed when sin entered Your creation.

Thank you, Father, for Your lovingkindness that refuses to hold us accountable for our inability to understand. Thank you for nudging us ever so gently to the truth. Thank you for not giving up on us.

In Jesus' Holy Name we pray,
Amen.

With whom would YOU like to speak?

Pick someone. Anyone. Given the chance, with whom would you like to speak? Anybody out of history, past or present. Who would it be?

George Washington?
Abraham Lincoln?
Hannibal?
Martin Luther?
Abraham?
King David?
Jesus Christ?

I always wanted five minutes with Geddy Lee and a couple of bass guitars. I would like to thank him for all he taught me via Rush records. Nah, I'm not a world-famous bassist, but I did pick up a couple of tricks listening to him play. I never could master YYZ, though.

I've only spoken with one celebrity. I nervously asked for Leslie Nielsen's autograph while telling him that he was awesome in Airplane. Yeah, I know. Not much of an intro.

So, anyway, who's your tag? A celebrity? Someone in politics? How about the most powerful person in the world? What if you could actually speak with the person who made you? What if you could carry on a conversation with Him anytime you wanted? And get this - what if He actually wanted to talk with you? Does that interest you?

Lots of people look at prayer as a drudgery. It is something you must do because you're a Christian. Praying is the thing you do before meals and at bedtime. And you ask for more than you thank Him for. And you try to look sincere o your kids will believe you really like it. After all, you're just muttering words to the air, right?

But honest-to-goodness chats with the Creator can change your life. I'll tell you about a chat I had with Him one day about four years ago. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I had grown tired of taking pills every day just so I wouldn't lose my temper. I earnestly prayed that God would remove this curse from me. My daughter ran away when I walked into the room. My house had holes in the wall from throwing things. My wife was ready to leave me before things got worse. With medication, I was better. But it took 22 pills every day. So, I asked God to remove the curse.
The answer came to my heart - not a voice but a feeling. He replied that he would grant me the peace promised when people seek Him. Through prayer and study of His Word, I have found peace. Through prayer and staying in contact with Him, I am remaining on an even keel. And I stopped taking medications a couple of years ago.

With whom would I like to speak? I would like to speak with the One who can grant me perfect peace. I would like to speak with He who has removed my curse. I would like to speak with He who made me and to whom I will fly one day.

See, I already have a direct line to the most important Person ever. I can speak with God whenever I want. And He wants to hear from me.

He also wants to hear from you. He is your Father and He loves you. Just ask Him for a few minutes. Tell Him how much you love Him. Yeah, you may feel awkward at first, but eventually you will find that it becomes easier. You will speak with God and He will grant you perfect peace. He "will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in [God]."

Isaiah 26:3

So, why don't you speak with God right now? He's waiting to hear from you.

To Change the World

2000 years ago, a man came to change the world. His name was Jesus Christ. He accomplished His goal - He changed the world.

When Jesus came, the world was embroiled in many pagan forms of worship. People worshipped many gods; they declared their king to be a god; and they practiced sorcery and divination. Christ, the embodiment of God's Spoken Word, showed us what God wants us to be. He said we are to love God and one another.

That's simple. Loving God means eschewing the false gods. It means not calling on evil spirits for sorcery and divination. Loving one another means just that - loving one another. Don't be mean, help those who are weak and hungry. Do so because you want to, not because you want attention.

Sadly, in blasphemy to His name, the world remained the same. He came to teach love. Men hate each other in blasphemy to His name. He came to gather his flock. Men scatter His flock in blasphemy to His name. Well, that's not entirely true. Men of this world are subject to Satan - to whom the Earth was given by Adam's disobedience. Satan wants God (Jesus Christ) to lose the Holy War that has been running since the beginning of time. Satan, however, knows that he cannot beat God. Satan knows that his only hope is to destroy Christ's legacy. So he tries everything he can.

Instead of worshipping the gods of war, nature and the sea, people began to worship images of Christ. Instead of worshipping the king of the land, people began to worship the pope. Anybody who had a problem with that was declared an enemy of Christ and martyred. This worked for a millenium and a half.

Finally, people began to see the light and break free from slavery to the blasphemous institution that called itself the church. But, as they sought freedom, they found consternation. One said "The Bible says this." The other said, "The Bible said that." Men were free to interpret scripture, and they interpreted it to death. Satan decided that it was now time to confuse people. There are now many denominations that each claim to be the only way to Christ.

To defeat the enemy and restore Christ's Church to its former glory, we must renounce our individual pride. We must be willing to deny our man-made doctrine and review the teachings of Christ. There is room in the church for everyone, and we must make sure everyone knows it. There is room for minor differences in opinion, as long as the basic foundations are there.

Love everybody. Do not refuse admission to the church based on appearance. Do not refuse admission to the church based on history. Love the drug addict and he will become free. Love the homosexual and she will see the glory of Christ. Love the murderer, the liar, the thief. They will see the beauty of Christ and come to know Him.

The only way to change the world is to follow Christ's example. Let's be Christ to the world. Let's change the world.

Minister to the sick. Teach love.

This week, I've been at my grandmother-in-law's house. She is in the final stages of Alzheimer's and requires constant supervision. My mother-in-law and her sister have left their homes to take care of her after Hurricane Rita forced Grannie to leave Biloxi, Mississippi. They are both over 1,000 miles from their homes.

Though I've talked with them on the phone, and though my wife came up in December to help, I had no idea the magnitude of the situation. Since Grannie requires constant supervision (She cannot walk, wears diapers, can be a fighter, etc.), they cannot leave the house together. There is no such thing as time off for the care-givers.

When we came up, the first thing we did was give my mother-in-law and her sister a day off. They had not had one since December. They have asked for help, but due to miscommunication, none was forthcoming.

The experience has made me think. Wednesday night, the preacher spoke about Peter and John healing a lame man. He explained how God used the spectacle to allow Peter and John to teach (preach) about Jesus. He explained that God's miracles are to bring glory to Him.

Well, I began to think that God may also use infirmity to bring glory to Himself. In the case of Grannie, He is using this to touch the heart of one who has long thought of the church as enemies. She is faithful, but she believes the church has nothing to offer her. She is my mother-in-law. She has been betrayed by the church on numerous occasions. The church can demonstrate their love for her by caring for the sick. Perhaps this love demonstrated can show her that the church is truly the Body of Christ.

I have also come to an understanding of what it means to be in the Body of Christ. There are many shut-ins that are members of my home church. I have avoided them because they make me nervous. I have no idea if their care-takers have a chance for a day off or not. I do not know if they can afford home care or not. I have decided that I, though I have very little material goods, can give of myself. I can give my time. I can give my muscles. I can minister to the well by caring for the sick.


This week has taught me about life, aging, friends, family and being a Christian. I will be digesting my experiences over the next few weeks and writing about them here.

Prayer:

Almighty Father in Heaven, all things turn for your glory. Father, you heal those whom you want to heal, and you allow others to be sick -- all for your glory. We know you love everyone and it pains your heart to see anyone suffer. Still, you teach us love by allowing suffering. You are all-powerful and wise.

Father, thank you for the health you have given us. Thank you for able, strong bodies that can lift the weak. Thank you for knowledge to care for those that cannot care for themselves. Thank you for humble hearts that give us the push we need to care for others - even when it's nasty and yucky.

Father, grant us the gifts we need to reach out to those who are weaker than us. Give us caring hearts, patience and strength. Most of all, Father, give us love.

In Jesus' Holy Name we pray,
Amen.

A message for today's world

Reading: Joel 2

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

Perhaps that's how we would word it today. The prophet Joel was warning his homeland of impending danger. God's Judgment was approaching, and it wasn't gonna be pretty. The first 11 verses detail a doom that makes a nuclear wasteland look like a spring day in the Alps. "A black day! A Doomsday! Clouds with no silver lining! Like dawn light moving over the mountains, a huge army is coming."

Joel 2:2, The Message

But this was meant for Israel, right? I'm not so sure. In the previous chapter, Joel tells Israel (and us) that there are no offerings in the house of God. "And also you priests, put on your robes and join the outcry. You who lead people in worship, lead them in lament. Spend the night dressed in gunnysacks, you servants of my God. Nothing's going on in the place of worship, no offerings, no prayers--nothing."

Joel 1:13, The Message

Is there anything going on in our places of worship? Is the attendance in our churches going up or down? Are those in attendance in touch with God? Are we following true teachers or false teachers?

What, then, shall we do? "Blow the ram's horn trumpet in Zion! Trumpet the alarm on my holy mountain! Shake the country up! GOD's Judgment's on its way--the Day's almost here!"

Joel 2:1, The Message

I like the way The Message says it, "Shake the country up!" The other versions say, "Let everyone tremble in fear," as if nothing can be done. The situation can be fixed, and we are called to do it.

Verse 13 and 14 say, "Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to GOD, your God. And here's why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, this most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. Who knows? Maybe he'll do it now, maybe he'll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all's said and done, there'll be blessings full and robust for your GOD!"

Joel 2:13-14, The Message

Revival in the nation will cancel catastrophe. Through prayer and conviction, we can guide this country back to God. There is a lot going on in America today. Many people out there who believe Christians are self-righteous holy rollers whose only goal is to beat others over the heads with their bibles. We are called to be different than that. We are called to be humble and loving, bringing people to people by love not rebuke.

I ask each of you reading this to go into the world and face your co-workers, neighbors, friends and family in the name of Christ. Loving them for who they are, not who you want them to be. Show them the Christ that Christ showed the prostitutes, drunkards and thieves of His day. He went into their world. He did not demand that they come to Him. We are each called to do the same.

Everybody you encounter will experience God's love, not his wrath. And that's how Christ wants it to be. Once we experience His love, we want to keep it. And we can only keep it by giving it away. That love convicts us to follow His ways. Without that love, we have no desire to please God. And so it comes around. To avoid God's judgment on a wicked generation, we must love that generation with God's love.

And the promise God gave to Joel: "What a day! Wine streaming off the mountains, Milk rivering out of the hills, water flowing everywhere in Judah, A fountain pouring out of GOD's Sanctuary, watering all the parks and gardens!"

Joel3:18, The Message

Prayer:

Almighty Heavenly Father, be with us. Your boundless love has conquered us and shown us the true way to Your light. Help us to share that love with those who do not know You. Your love is gentle yet firm, reminding us of your presence, and correcting our mistakes. We do not know Your wrath, except as we have read it in Your Word. We do not want to know Your wrath, nor do we want it to fall upon those whom we love.

Forgive us, O Lord, for failing to love others as You have commanded. Teach us to love and not rebuke those who do not know You. Show us how to shepherd our neighbors and friends and others we meet into Your flock.

Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your forgiveness.

In Jesus Holy Name we pray,
Amen.

Lent - why?

All my life I'd heard about Lent. I'd seen the kids at school with the gray crosses on their foreheads. I'd heard people talking about making sacrifices. Some of the more devout would follow through on their willing sacrifices of something petty such as lima beans or rabbit and squirrel meat. I knew promiscuous people who would fast on sex during Lent, only to cut loose after Easter and make up for lost time. I never met a single soul who honestly and truly fasted during Lent as a holy experience. Still, there were some tuggings in my heart.

Traditionally, the Church of Christ do not observe the church calendar as it is not mentioned in the New Testament. They do not observe Advent or Lent, Easter is not a holy day and neither is Christmas. They believe these are neo-pagan observations of seasons that have no meaning. They tell us that every day should be celebrated as a holy day; not just the special days that men have set aside.

On Sunday, our minister reflected briefly on Lent. Many were taken aback, myself included. But what he had to say made a lot of sense. The Tradition of Lent is one that gives people an opportunity to reflect on the Passion God has for His creation. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die a painful death, that He may conquer death, that we may have life. Our minister asked what we would sacrifice if we were asked and let it drop, moving on with the sermon which was unrelated to Lent.

Lent was instituted by the early Church around the second century. The goal was to ask people to focus on Christ, not their earthly lives. 40 days would be the time (the Orthodox church observes 50 or 58), starting on Ash Wednesday and ending the Saturday before Easter. The name comes from an Anglo-Saxon word, 'lencten' which means lengthen - the days in Spring get longer or lengthen during this period. Carnival is a latin term that means removal of meat (carni) as those fasting would eat no meat for the 40 days.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season as Christians, in the ancient tradition, put on ashes to indicate mourning. As we reflect on Christ's ultimate sacrifice, His life for ours, it is inevitable we think about death so we put on ashes.

There are those who see Lent differently. Rather than see it as a time of reflection, they see it as a time of imposed restrictions. They lead up to their loss by indulging in all manner of sin and excess on Fat Tuesday (or, Mardi [Tuesday] Gras [fat] in French). They then demonstrate their faithfulness by abstaining from the sins and excesses for the next several weeks.

It is after careful and prayerful consideration that I have decided to observe Lent this year by fasting. I will make sacrifices of my own, including abstaining from things that take my time away from my Lord and foods that are not in my health's best interest. Among these are chat forums I attend and time-wasting web-surfing. I will continue to blog and read e-mail. If I need to download something or maintain my webserver, I will, of course, be on the internet. That is my chosen field of work. But, just to kill time by looking up pictures of atomic bomb explosions (yes, that's a favorite past-time of mine), that's gonna stop. I will devote the extra time to reading the scriptures and praying, which is why Lent was started in the first place.

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I appreciate the information I received from the following online sources:
A History of Lent: Ancient Opportunity for Spiritual Renewal by Rev. Dr. Richard P. Bucher, Pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Definitions: Ash Wednesday ThisisChurch.com - What does it mean...? by St. Mark's Church Community Centre and Putnoe Heights Church Centre, Bedford, England
Seasons of the Christian Church The Seasons of the Church Year by Dennis Bratcher for CRI/The Voice also at www.crivoice.org.