Who Is My Neighbor?

We talked a bit about the greatest commandments back on January 28th. We also talked a bit about the scope of these commandments. If you love God and you love your neighbor, you are required to act. You have responsibilities. Failure to meet these responsibilities would represent a violation of these commandments. In today's scripture we will see someone following these commands. The interesting thing here is that the one in obedience is not one that the people of the time would have expected.

Luke 10:25-37

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”
²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

It's interesting that the "expert in the law" knew what the greatest commandments were. Perhaps he had heard Jesus speak about this before. Whatever the case, this expert immediately baits a trap for Jesus by asking the question, "Who is my neighbor?". I call it a trap because the expert knew that there were all kinds of reasons why you might not consider someone your neighbor according to the prevailing interpretations of the law at that time.

Never the less, Jesus proceeds to answer the question. He uses a story about a man going from Jerusalem to Jericho that gets mugged on his way home and is left for dead by his attackers.

The road on which the crime was perpetrated turns out to be quite busy. As the "half dead" man lays there in his misery and wounds, no less than two people pass by. One is a priest and the other a Levite. It's interesting that both of these men are supposed to be the shepherds of Israel; leaders in the faith, knowledgeable of every aspect of the law . They were to serve in the temple in various capacities at given times and that may well be where they were headed when the saw the severely wounded man by the road. 

Did they offer assistance? Did they stop to help? No, they passed by the victim on the other side of the road and continued on to their destination.

Why would they do this? Why would they not help? These men knew the law. Had they determined that this man was not their neighbor according to the law? Perhaps a foreigner or a sinner? Or was it something else? Maybe they were concerned about remaining ceremonially clean. If they were going to Jerusalem to serve in the temple, they would have been forbidden to come into contact with human blood or dead bodies. This would have disqualified them from temple service. Then again, maybe they just did not want to get involved or maybe they did not want to be late. Whatever the reason for their lack of concern, it was not a good excuse.

As Jesus explains, a third traveler, a Samaritan, comes along and shows immediate concern for the injured man. He treats and bandages the man's wounds and then delivers him to a local inn so he can receive care. The Samaritan man even pays the innkeeper for the man's stay and says he will be back in a couple of days to check on him and bring more money if needed.

A Samaritan did this. The significance of this is astounding. Samaritans were held in very low regard by the Jews of the time. They were considered heretics to the law and rejected by God. They would not have been considered anybody's neighbor by a Jew in those days. Even so, it was a Samaritan that instinctively did what God's law commanded. It was notably not the priest or the levite - the spiritual leadership of God's people. Strange indeed.

So what would you do? Who is your neighbor? Would you help? Suppose it was someone that looked different from people you normally associate with? Would long hair, body piercings and tattoos stop you? Would their inability to speak English and the color of their skin stop you? Would a gay pride bumper sticker stop you? Would fear stop you?

There's always a reason not to help isn't there? But God's greatest commandments are not festooned with contractual footnotes offering reasons why we do not have to obey in a particular instance. They are plain and clear.

If you love God and you love your neighbor, you will act.

Jesus asked the expert in the law which of the three was a neighbor to the injured man. The expert replied that it was the man who had mercy (he would not even utter the word "Samaritan").

What did Jesus say?

"Go and do likewise" 

Rest

^{Matthew 11:28}

^{Jesus said,}

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Get some rest this weekend. Go to church on Sunday. Visit a Bible or Sunday School class. Learn how Jesus can change your life.  

Talk to you tomorrow.

The God of My Fathers

It was around 1446 BC when an 80 year old Hebrew shepherd met his God in the Sinai desert...

Exodus 3:1-6

3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

⁴ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
⁵ “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ Then he said, “I am the God of your father,^[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Moses had a strange life. For 40 years, he lived in the Egyptian king's palace as the adopted Hebrew son of the King's daughter, but one day he decided to get in touch with his roots and he discovered the misery of his own people. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave and it so infuriated him, that he killed the Egyptian. Even though he had buried the Egyptian in the desert sand, Moses' actions became known and so he fled to the desert. He was taken in by a nomadic shepherd people and he eventually married a daughter of the tribal head - Jethro. He worked as a shepherd until that fateful 
day when Yahweh approached him on the mountainside through an angel inside a bush that burned, but was not consumed.  

The Lord God introduced Himself to Moses and the rest of it is ancient history. I love the story. I am sure that Moses was familiar with the history of his people. He knew the stories passed down from generation to generation; but I am also sure he never imagined that the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would approach him personally, let alone send him on a mission that would last for the remainder of his life. I am awestruck every time I read it. I am only 57, but I do not think I would want to lead 4 million people. Moses did that from the age of 80 to 120.

What strikes me as relevant in this particular passage though is how God introduces Himself. He says, "I Am the God of your father(s)..."

Many times the faith of Christians is as much a hereditary thing as it is experiential. Many of us go through our journey with Christ without ever really meeting Him. We believe because we grew up believing. It was expected. We became Christians because it was expected. We learned about the Bible because it was expected. Then when we reached a certain age, we lost sight of our faith. 

I think this happens because those of us that grew up in the Church, never really experienced the saving power of Christ in the same way that others who come to Him later experience Him.

For me, I had to wander in my own desert for a very long time before I finally heard His voice for true and He called me home to dwell in the land He promised to my fathers - Will and Lloyd and Charlie and Dennis. That land is called Iowa if you are wondering. But...

My point here is, that as dry as it was, the faith of my youth that was passed to me by my fathers, is what I have based my own faith on and it has grown like a holy mountain before me where the living God dwells with me and teaches me daily how to walk in His ways. It has been a difficult and trying journey, but He is helping me to find my way on His path.

Lord, you are the God of my fathers. Your name has been passed down to me from generation to generation and even when I was far away from you, you beckoned me to your Holy Kingdom.

I thank you and praise your name for the grace you have given me. Thank you for bringing me back to your pasture to graze again with the Saints.

I love You Lord. In Jesus' Name,

Amen     

Peace and Safety

"While people are saying, "Peace and safety", destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."
1 Thessalonians 5:3

When Paul wrote those words to the Thessalonians, he was talking about eschatological matters; the second advent of Jesus Christ. It will be a glorious day and it will be a day of mourning and destruction. Some will go on to eternal peace and joy, while others will move on to an eternity of separation from God. It will not end well for those that refuse faith in Jesus. Fear will rule the day among the unbelievers.

And is fear not the major issue of our time? The world is rife with fear and fear mongering. Everyone seems to be afraid of something. Global Warming (now called climate change), currency failures, ISIS, ISIL, Al Qaeda, the Russians, the North Koreans, the Iranians - these things all strike fear in the hearts of westerners just as the Third Reich did in 1939 when blitzkrieg brought Europe to its knees.

My personal opinion about many of these things is that they are manufactured by western governments to control their populations for the advancement of the American Empire and consolidation of the financial and corporate interests that actually rule the world. Constant fear mongering, defensive posturing and promotion of hate with an attitude of fear toward perceived enemies in the interest of maintaining control is the rule of the day.

We even fear the weather. We can't go to work or to school or to church if the weather is a bit threatening because something awful might happen.

You know what? Something awful might happen in any second, in any day in any year at any time.

Why is it that we live in an age where we expect protection and peace and safety all the time and we  are willing to give up the most basic of our freedoms to ensure that nothing bad happens?

It's time for the fear to stop. We have to stand up to it, look it in the eye and say, "No More".

Brethren, we are better than that. We have something that all the nations, governments, corporations and banks that control this world do not have!

1 Thessalonians 5:5,6

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this Day should surprise you like a thief in the night. You are all Sons of the Light and Sons of the Day.   We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like the others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self controlled."

Ephesians 6:10-12

"Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Fear is the opposite of faith. We need to stop allowing fear to rule our lives so that we can actually live. It is the last major tool that Satan has at his disposal and it works in the world and seemingly in God's church. It has to stop. We have to stop allowing it to dictate where we go, what we do and how we vote. If fear is not conquered, in the end, we become slaves. God did not intend us to be slaves to anything but His righteousness.

It's time to re-examine our approach. Just sayin'.     

Making It Work

Ya know, I ain't perfect, but I think I am getting closer to it every day. Just an observation. I am not bragging. If you knew where my head was at 35 years ago and how hard it was for the Lord to get me to this place in my life, you would believe in miracles. I know I do.

My Grandpa would say, "it's no miracle Jeff. You are just getting old. Growing up."

To which I would say...

"Gramps, why did it take so long and shouldn't I be done by now?"

Apparently I am not done. Just the very minute I start feeling good about myself, something happens. You know what I'm talking about; it's those tests and trials that James says we are supposed to consider a pure joy.

I have trouble with that, even after the fact - even when I get a passing grade.

Growing pains are rough.

To make it work for me I like to read Colossians 3:12-17.


¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

That's the key isn't it?


I'm thinking so.

Lord, I love you. Thanks for yet another day of life. Thanks for a good report from Dad's doctor today. Thanks for the extra help at work. Lord, for awhile there, I thought I was under attack. Things with work and with Dad kept getting ratcheted up. I was looking for the evil one to pop out from behind the curtains at any time, but you got me through it. Work was really awful, but you got me through it. So, now on to the next test I guess. Hope I can consider it a pure joy...and when I say that, I am not asking for an opportunity to practice. I just wanted to be sure we were both on the same page with that.

Lord, I'm going to work now. Please watch over Dad today. Please keep him off ladders and ice and help him to be mindful of the date. His sense of time is about shot. I suppose that has it's advantages, but it's also kind of disconcerting. You know what I'm saying.

Say 'Hi' to Mom for me and if she's watching me, tell her to quit laughing.

I'm feeling the Peace today. It's good.

In Your Name Lord..Amen

Six of One And A Half Dozen Of the Other In 2016

Is this really going to be the offering in 2016? We get either the Whore of Babylon or the Bush Baby?

I'm sorry, but I can't. I just can't. We do not live in a hereditary monarchy. The Houses of Clinton and Bush need to go. The entire middle east is in flames because of the policies of these families. I cannot bear it any longer. If this is my choice, I will not tick a presidential candidate on my ballot.

It's time to consider adding "none of the above" to the ballot.

I might be able to pull the trigger for Rand Paul or Ted Cruz, but I cannot think of anyone else that would entice me into voting for a presidential candidate. And even these two would continue the Empirical reorganization of the middle east.

These are not good days for Christian Libertarians.

That Great Gettin' Up Morning

 

 It's been a busy day and it's only 9 AM. Popped out of the hole this morning and there it was...my shadow in all it's glory. It seemed bigger than last year.

I know I know....everything will be all right. Spring, she is a coming albeit a bit later than we may have hoped, but it will come nevertheless!

Anyhow, the annual ceremony this morning made me think about something else. It kind of made me tear up with happiness. It seems that happiness always makes my face leak, but here it is. Here is what I thought about....
 -------------
1 John 3:2-3
 
² Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
 --------------
There will come a day, a great and glorious day, when the Son of the Lord God will appear in the eastern sky. His glory and brilliance will outshine the sun and the days of shadow and darkness will be no more. The dead will live again and those of us that are His will rise to meet Him in the air.

All the world will see Him and those of us that are His will be remade, we will be like him, becoming eternal beings with new bodies and pure minds, prepared for eternal service in His everlasting kingdom. The Peace that Passes All Understanding will be upon us and we will share with Him in His eternal inheritance. 

All the spring times in my life here will not compare to the final Spring that is coming. I long for the Day.

Rest. 

So bring it on Lord. 

Lord, Thanks for the promise. Thanks for setting in motion the final reunion. It will be good to be with you both in Spirit and in Person.

Lord, it's time now to resume the daily grind, to get back to the matters of the world that really do not matter all that much. But I wanted you to know when I saw the sun this morning, it made me think of you. You light up life when I am surrounded by darkness and I know you are going to get me through to the Day we all look forward to.

Please watch over me today. Let me reflect your glory. Take care of Dad today while I'm gone. Please keep him upright and safe.

Please bless my workplace, my church and my home. Drive the evil one from our presence. Assign him to the abyss. Strengthen me for the time that is coming.

I love you.

In Your Name I pray these thing....Amen and Amen  

Church

Good Morning. Welcome to Ghog's Church of the On Line Rodents

Ghog, will you open with some prayer please?

"Lord, we would like to thank you for the lovely weather. It's perfect for hibernating in a burrow. Even so, we come together today to celebrate your life and what you did for us. We thank you for coming here in the fullness of time to teach us how to live. We thank you for sacrificing your life and then defeating death that we might live again with You in the Time after our time on earth. Lord we also thank you for this opportunity to come together on line and share with each other even when we are separated by the wonderful geography you have created. We know that you did not cancel church even though we did and we at least wanted to say 'Hi'. Thanks for being there. Now please keep the old ones safe. Heal the sick ones. Cheer up the sad ones. And send spring as soon as possible. Please be mindful that tomorrow is my day...I really do not want to see my shadow. Some clouds when I pop out of the burrow tomorrow would be nice. Just a thought. Anyway, thanks for hearing our prayers. I know we are just ground hogs in your sight, but we love you. In Jesus' name...Amen"

Now maybe we should sing a song?

Do you think so? I really can't sing very well.

Do it anyway...no one but God will hear and that's who it's for. He likes a joyful noise.

How 'bout a Rich Mullins tune?

OK

Oh God you are my God and I will ever praise You
Oh God you are my God and I will ever praise You
I will seek you in the morning and I will learn to walk in your ways
And step by step you'll lead me
And I will follow you all of my days.

Thanks Ghog for your rendition of an otherwise worthy praise song

I tried to warn you.

And now the sermon...

Today's scripture comes from Matthew 6:25-33

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

This scripture is from the Sermon on the Mount. The mountain is never identified, but it is believed to be somewhere just northwest of the Sea of Galilee. He gave a lengthy sermon there and this is just one small, but important part.

So why should Christians worry. Seriously. If we know the promises that we have in Christ, why is it that we get are underwear all up in a bunch over things that, in the big picture, do not really matter. Ultimately God is going to take care of us.

You say, "but I have to plan. I have to make sure there is enough for the future. I have to leave something for the kids. I gotta be sure the cupboards are full and there's gas in the tank. I have to work to make that happen. I have to be busy keeping up with Jones' and the Smith's. I don't know what's going to happen. I have to be prepared."

Do you really think that you have that much control over your destiny? Do you really think you can prevent personal disaster by storing up stuff and protecting it with your guns while you live in your suburban fortresses?

Let me tell you something. When the hammer falls and the feces hit the oscillating wind device, no matter how well you think you have prepared, those preparations will not be enough. They are going to run out. Or someone will steal them from you. Or they will rot before they are consumed. Ultimately, you will be in the same boat with the rest of us...totally dependent on God and each other. Why not just face that fact now and quit struggling so much in your life. Instead enjoy what God has given. See to the needs of your family by spending time with them. Take care of what you already have and enjoy because tomorrow it may be gone.

As Rich Mullins would, "we should all dress like flowers and eat like birds".

Seriously though, there are many things more important than the pursuit of material possessions, even when it comes to the essentials like food, shelter and clothing.

Everything will ultimately be all right. Whatever it is, by the grace of God and under His care, you will get through it. And if you die in the process, you will be with Him. It's a win win situation.

Worrying is for amateurs. Be a pro.

Thanks Ghog for that instructive, bold and direct message..."oscillating wind device" where did you get that one? Never mind. I don't want to know.

Since we're not actually together today, please be sure to take time to remember what the Lord did for you and thank Him for His sacrifice and His victory from which we all benefit.

I'd ask Ghog to sing us a closing song before the benediction, but I don't think anyone wants that.

So Ghog, will you close us out with some prayer...no song necessary.

"Lord, it's been good to be here today at the HyVee with the on line brethren. It would have been nice to see everyone in person, but that was not to be. I really needed to teach a class today too. My brain is full and I had no where to empty it. That being said, this too has been an instructive endeavor. Please bless us today as we go back out into the world. Help us to remember who we are and help us to act like it when we're out among 'em. Lord we love you. Thanks for the grace. Help us please to spread it around a bit. In Jesus' Name we pray these things....Amen   

They Canceled Church

Really? Are you kidding me? They never cancel church.

Ya, but it's snowing...alot

So...I know a 79 year old man that made it to church this morning and you know what they did? They sent him home.

I don't know what they were thinking. Guess I'll shovel some snow. Wait, here comes Joe to plow us out. Great!!! Now I only have to do the sidewalk

Something is still not right. I feel like I should be doing something right now. I feel like I should be with my peeps sharing the scriptures and acting like I know what I'm talking about. The Holy Spirit is willing, but weather is not.

Something is still not right. I feel like I should be with people...together...in a group setting.

I must be sick. I think I'm having church withdrawal. What the devil is wrong with me? Something is broken. I'm not sure I can go a whole other week without church...

Tomorrow is Ground Hog Day. Cheer up. You'll be fine.

What did you get me for Ground Hog Day?

Same thing as last year only twice as much.

Oh, good. I love a surprise.

You Might Be An Introvert If...

This list comes from thomrainer.com.

1. You might be an introvert if you enjoyed timeout as a child.
2. You might be an introvert if you shop at 1:00 am in the 24-hour grocery store to avoid seeing people.
3. You might be an introvert if you rearrange the name cards at a dinner table so you don’t have to sit next to people you don’t know.
4. You might be an introvert if you like to have an extroverted friend with you so he can carry on the conversations you want to avoid.
5. You might be an introvert if your favorite game is solitaire.
6. You might be an introvert if your favorite number is one.
7. You might be an introvert if you take plenty of reading material on airplanes to avoid talking to people.
8. You might be an introvert if you smile when you see the “Do Not Talk” sign in the library.
9. You might be an introvert if you try to convince family members that you are really okay staying at home for a week of vacation.
10. You might be an introvert if you avoid buying new clothes so people won’t comment to you about them.
11. You might be an introvert if you can’t understand what’s so bad about solitary confinement.
12. You might be an introvert if you enjoy talking to yourself more than anyone else.
13. You might be an introvert if the word “meeting” causes you to become mildly to violently nauseous.
14. You might be an introvert if you work in your garden at night with a headlamp to avoid conversations with neighbors.
15. You might be an introvert if you think social media is the greatest invention in 200 years because you can communicate without being around people.
16. You might be an introvert if your favorite room in the house is the bathroom because you know you can be alone there.

That last one is near and dear to my heart. If I really have a home, that's what it's for. It's my hiding place - that and my truck. The truck is really better. It won't hold much more than one other person...hope they are quiet.

Community

"Let him who is not in community beware of being alone. Into the community you were called, the call was not meant for you alone; in the community of the called you bear your cross, you struggle, you pray. You are not alone, even in death, and on the Last Day you will be only one member of the great congregation of Jesus Christ. If you scorn the fellowship of the brethren, you reject the call of Jesus Christ, and thus your solitude can only be hurtful to you."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life together

OUCH !!!!

That hurt. I'm a ground hog. I like to hibernate, particularly in the winter, but there is apparently no hibernation for the Christian groundhog.

We live in a culture that thrives on individuality - not that there's anything wrong with that :>)

But Christ calls us to live in community; to submerge ourselves in Him and each other as His body on earth. We must attain the full stature of Christ and we cannot do that as solitary individuals. Christian maturity is reached in the inter connectivity of the members of the Body with each other and with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our culture militates against this. The individual is heralded and celebrated for rebelling against the status quo and sometimes Christians will bring this philosophy into the church.

To be sure, we all have different gifts and we are individual souls, but when we are knit together as the Body, our strength can become unmeasurable.

We were created in the image of God. He wants His creations to be in relationship with Him and not in a one on one sense. He wants to be our God and for us to be His people - together.

None of this means that we have to be carbon copies of each other. We will not be. But we can work together, using our individual talents and gifts for the single minded purpose that Christ has set us to.

I think I'm finding my place in this body. I'm surely part of the brain!

My friend Gary likes to quote Solomon: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Maybe that's my purpose in the body. I could become the whetstone of the Church. There's a scary thought. I will work on that. See you Sunday.

As Gary would say, "go to Sunday school"
   

I Am Not Of This World

Sometimes I really believe that. I am not like other human beings it seems. I feel some sense of alienation in just about every place I go, be it work or church or even home.

And what is home for someone like me? It's a place to sleep and eat and wash before going somewhere else to do something else. The word "home" has little relevance for me.

I thought home was here in Iowa. When I came back in 1994, I thought that the longing I have for rest and peace would be satiated by a place called home.

To some extent it was. I found places and people I liked and I have been dwelling in this land since that time.

But there is still a longing for something else. I can't put my finger on it. It is illusive and elusive; just beyond my reach. I am close. I can see it from here and I feel like I have been looking for it all of my life.

Jesus knows where this place is and He is there right now, and that's the other thing. Even though I talk to him every day and I read his words in some form or even if I repeat it in my mind, I find that I miss Him.

Odd no? How can I miss a place I have never been to and a man that I have only met in the spiritual sense? And yet I do miss Him and the place where He is.

I think that's where I belong. That is where my peace is. That is where my home is.

Don't get me wrong. I have a very nice burrow. I have a good job. There are people here that love me, that pray for me and that care about me.

But I am certain that I do not belong here. There is a place, but it ain't here. I long for it more every day.

I know I am not of this world. 

Life Under the Law

I know I've posted this before, but it's just about the funniest of the Monty Python stuff.I'm still laughing...again.

The Greatest Commandments

While in conversation with the Pharisees in Palestine 2000 years ago or thereabouts, Jesus said the greatest commandments were: 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself.

Strangely, neither of these commandments were from God's top 10 list and therein lies the mystery of Jesus' words.

Jesus chose from Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (the Shema) and Leviticus 19:18 (that last citation may be incorrect). He went on to say that these commands summed up the whole law. If you could keep these two commands, you would keep the law in its entirety.

The first response of the uninitiated would be to say, "that's easy", but really what do those commands mean at their heart. I think you will find it's a very tall order.

If you take a serious look at the 10 commandments, you will see an order to things. They outline in very basic language what is considered to be the responsibility of all God's people, first to God, then to family and finally to your neighbor. For example:

If you love the Lord, you will have no other gods before Him. You will not take His holy Name in vain.

If you love your family, you will honor your parents, and you will not commit adultery or any other sexual offense.

And if you love your neighbor, you will not covet his or her possessions.

Check out the 10 commandments in Exodus 20 (I think).  

All 10 commandments fall neatly into the two that Jesus issued to the rich young man. And while it does simplify things in terms of what you need to remember, I personally believe it greatly expands our responsibilities. If you really take Jesus' simplification of the law to heart, our duties to God become vast and all encompassing.

Merely learning to love can be hard. Loving God whom we have not seen or heard from except thru His word is quite a leap. And loving our neighbor...well why doesn't the government do something right?

This is where the world is and, in spite of Jesus' words, that's where many Christians are at in their journey with Christ. We have allowed our culture to pull us away from each other, from our God and from the very things that matter most to Him.

I think we need to start to build a consensus within the Church to rediscover what these two commandments mean for us and how to make them work in the 21st century.

It's hard for me to talk about these things because it will require me to change more than most folks. I am not what you'd call a people person, but you know what? The Lord is a people person. He loves them all and does so openly and without regard. He expects us to live in community with each other and to love each other. What's more, He does not want us living in a fortress separate from the world. Our walls, whatever they consist of, need to come down. We need to embrace those that do not know Jesus even as he once embraced us to save us.


I can see this beginning to happen in my own church. I see it both as wonderful and scary. I want to keep the Lord's two greatest commands with joy, but as someone who does not reach out easily to others, it makes me afraid at the same time. By nature, I'm an introvert. I am better in writing and when I control the conversation and can plan what I am going to say. Nevertheless, I am called to keep the same commandments. I just have to find a way to do it with the gifts the Lord has given me. I hope I am already on the way to that.

I'm with Francis of Assissi. "Preach the gospel. Say something if you have to".

In The Image of Christ OR In The Image of Christians

It sounds trite, contrived and maybe even controlling, but as Christians we are called to conform to the image of Christ. Our personal persona (if that's not redundant), is to be submerged in His and our less than perfect character is supposed to be remade or even replaced with His perfect image. We are to become Jesus in the world and to represent Him as if we were Him in our deeds and actions and behaviors.

And while there is general agreement about what that means, there is also 2000 years of church traditions that also attempt to define it and sometimes, that's all it is....tradition. Our traditions sometimes have little scriptural basis, but for whatever the reason, we never let that stop us from trying to enforce on each other our personal versions of what it means to be Christ-like.

My thought is that the intent of the heart determines the authenticity of the behavior. Many of us run around acting like self appointed morality police. We expect both Christians and non-Christians to conform to our idea of what it means to be Christ-like and we feel compelled to call them on it when they do not conform to what we perceive as the image of Christ.

Most of the time this happens in the Church between Christians. It can be an ugly discussion or it can be healthy, but it all depends on one thing.

Relationship.

If we are all seeking to be like Jesus and we are trying to adopt his examples in our lives and make them our own, we have to be able to come together to help each other. We cannot do that if we do not have the interconnectedness of relationship and a willingness to listen to each other. There is a tendency among those that think they have the moral high ground to try to control behavior through condemnation and shame.

Let me suggest that this is not necessarily the route you may want to take to "help" someone. Try instead to develop a relationship with this person...a friendship. Encourage trust. Learn to value their opinions so that they will value yours. Let them see how you choose to live. Let it become a topic of discussion. One thing leads to another. Change takes time. If someone trusts you, they are much more likely to listen to you.

That's my thought for the day. Do what you want.

I have to prepare Ground Hog Day. No one wants any surprises on 2/2.  

A Prayer...Lord, What Are You Going to Do with Me?

Lord, I love you. Yes, I am sucking up just a bit. That's beside the point. I know you get that all the time. Even so, I pray.

Lord, I thank you for another day of life. I will be forever grateful for everything you have given me. Thanks for the necessities...for food, water, shelter, clothing, transportation, a job, a pay check. All the stuff that gets me thru the day, the week, the life that you have given me. Basic survival is important.

Lord, I thank you also for the time I have had over the past two decades with the parents and the grandparents. Three of those four are gone now, but you brought me home so that I could enjoy them a little longer. I thank you and praise your name for that. I also thank you for the time I've had with Dad. The last 4 years have been tough for both of us, but we have been getting to know each other again and many issues are resolving themselves because of your grace and forethought in these matters.

I would also offer thanksgiving for church, work and my Sunday School class and for the relationships and friendships that have grown from these places. They all have helped to bring meaning to an otherwise meaningless life and it's because you insinuate yourself into all these places that I frequent that I find some peace and satisfaction in continuing to move through Your creation.

Lord, it was good to have Eric in my life when he was here. I fear that I have somehow ruined what was once a very valuable friendship and a gift from You. He should know me well enough by now to know that sometimes my mouth engages before my brain edits the noise. I miss him. Please send him back.

Thanks for Oliver. He's only a Wheaton Terrier, but he is company and a comfort to Dad and another faithful friend.

Thanks for the beauty of your creation and my continuing ability to enjoy it.

And thanks for time off...hope to have some soon...goin fishin don't you know!

Thanks Lord for your love, your grace your kindness to me; for the compassion and the forgiveness. I'm not sure why you put up with me, but you do and I LOVE YOU ALL THE MORE FOR IT.

Please forgive me when I sin against you by word or deed or even failure to act. Rehabilitate me as best you can and bring me home on the Day...it ain't far off now...not that I'm counting.

Please bring some spiritual healing; at least enough to get me through the rest of my life here Lord and do your best to keep me healthy at least long enough to see Dad home to you.

I appreciate those things you do for me, for hearing my prayers and for taking care of those I pray for. You are so kind to me.

Please watch over Dad for me today. Keep him safe. I can't be there all the time. Please keep watch on my church...your church...help us to get to know each other better...you know what I'm talking about.

Lord, even I have had a few friends in my life. I don't know where they all are exactly, but I would pray that you take care of them and watch over them. If they need faith, please help them to find it and please help them to forgive me if I ever mislead them...probably did at least a couple of times.

I need to think about going to work now, but first I have lunch with my former boss Dirk...I pray that will go well Lord. It will be good to renew and old friendship.

Thanks for being my Lord

In Your Name I Pray These Things

Amen   

A Groundhog's Automotive Life - I Think I'm In Love

1974-1977 1968 White Four Door Chevy Nova

1977-1982 1970 Blue Chevy Monte Carlo

1982-1990 1981 Blue Ford Courier Pick Up

1990-2001 1990 White Over Silver Chevy S10

2001-2013 2001 Silver Gray Chevy S10

2013 -  ?     2013 Barcelona Red 4WD Toyota Tacoma Pick Up With Access Cab and 4.0 - 6 Cylinder Engine (TRD Sport Package).  

I bought a new truck Monday after 12 years with my 2nd S10. It had 157,056 miles on it. I went with a Toyota this time and it has a lot of stuff I've never had before - 4WD, Electric Windows, Power Locks, Factory Cruise Control, a back up camera in the tail gate that you look at in the rear view mirror and a radio that that syncs with my cell phone so I can take calls without picking up the phone. It is very cool. I'm getting some step tubes tomorrow, hoping Dad can climb up in it for a ride. I was originally looking at Tundra's, but it was never going to fit in the garage. It was a real boat. Way too big.

This Tacoma feels like home. It was sitting on the show room floor and it's red finish and polished aluminum wheels were calling out to me, then I sat in it and I knew what auto love really was. We even had pre marital counseling after the dowry was settled. The service guy trained me on the features and synced my cell phone to the radio and we were pronounced owner and truck. I think it was meant to be. She seems to like older men. 

I think the S10 was hurt at first. She had to know I was leaving her for someone younger, but she will be fine when some kid buys her at the auction and soups up her engine a bit and tricks her out!

I want it to snow now so I can 4 wheel a bit. Better not rush things though. I will be ready for the Tundra in 10 years if I live long enough to retire and the Lord wills it. We will see.

In ten years we could all be on foot because of the tribulation or whatever. I'm hoping I don't live long enough to see the tribulation. My uncle is a pre-trib rapture, dispensationalist. He thinks the church is going to avoid the pain. I do not. The winnowing process is going to be savage. There will be no rapture, there will be a 7 year tribulation followed by arrival of the Judge and then the new heavens and a new earth. By that time no one will be driving. Won't need to.

Automobiles and the end of the Age. Do they go together in the conversation? Probably not, but old guys ramble. Wish you were here take a ride in my truck. It's Number Six. Will there be a Number Seven? It's the number of completeness. Six is the number of man. We will see if I'm sanctified enough for Number Seven. Here's to hoping.

Steve Martin - Atheists Don't Have No Songs (Live on Letterman 03-16-201...

He's right. Atheists ain't got no songs. That's because they have no faith. There is nothing spiritual in them. If it's not material, it's not real and cannot exist. Even so, the song is very entertaining. I always enjoyed Steve Martin.

Voting Is An Act of Aggression

I was hashing out the recent national election in my little ground hog mind and considering permanent hibernation when I had a thought. I'm almost sure the thought was not original with me and I'm sure that many know this and do not care. Let me just say it. The truth about elections is that the act of voting is an act of aggression against your neighbor. It may very well be every citizen's right and duty to vote, but it is also a very aggressive action. When you complete your ballot and run it through the reader or drop it in the box or seal it in the envelope you are telling everyone in your nation that you know exactly how they should live and if they disagree, well then they are wrong, hateful, backward, elitist, communist, fascist or whatever.

Do not try and tell me this is not true. You know in your heart it is true. Think back to the times you have voted and how you felt afterward. Did a smugness come over you? Did you think to yourself, "well I guess I showed them" or maybe it's just your way of "sticking it to the man"? Whatever the case, the real nasty truth of it is that in voting we decide how to steal from our neighbor, how to make them do things we think they should do and how to make them tolerate things that others may well think are immoral, distasteful or unpleasant and also we vote to stop them from doing things; whatever those things may be.

This is certainly a peaceful way of settling disagreements over public policy, but I am not sure it is good in it's present configuration. I mean, what if you have an electorate that has more takers than givers for instance? Should the takers be able to demand more from the givers year after year thus enslaving them? This is just one example of the problem. There are many more. So maybe it's time to define or redefine who should be included in the "electorate".  Most would say that involves discrimination. You can't do that. Everyone has the right to vote. To this I have to say categorically that every one SHOULD NOT have the right to vote.

If you live your life on the public dole for any reason, you should not be allowed to vote. If you do not pay income or property taxes, you should not be allowed to vote. If you are mentally handicapped and you are unable to vote on your own without assistance, you should not be allowed to vote. If you are a government employee at any level that makes their living from other people's taxes, you should not be allowed to vote. Finally, if you are an elected official you should not be allowed to vote.

Think about it. Should I be able to force my neighbor to give me a raise in pay? Should I be able to tell my neighbor that they have to pay for my child's education even though they do not have children? Should I be forced to pay for someone else's bad habits? Why should I have to pay for a smoker's health care? Why should I have to pay for some one's birth control or their abortion simply because they have no self control? Why should I be forced to pay for some one's drug rehab? Why should I have to pay for insolvent banks and corporations?; let them go bankrupt and start anew.

You say to me, what about the notion of compassion and helping others? What about your obligation as a Christ follower? To this I answer that I can and do help those in need regardless of the reasons for that need. I do so privately and as a personal choice. I do not do it because I am forced by law to do it or because someone demands I do it. Compassion should be voluntary. It should be one on one. A faceless, nameless government cannot be truly compassionate. The government has no money of it's own. It only has what it takes from us. If government is to be compassionate to one class of voter, it must be It must penalize the other voters by taking the money for that "compassion".

The bottom line is that the nature of the electorate has changed in the United States. There are more takers in the electorate than there are givers.  The givers cannot afford the takers anymore. I think we will have to join you and help ourselves at the public trough too, but then who will write the checks?

Let me close by saying that the election results this year would have made no difference in anything I just said. Our nation will have a $16 trillion deficit at the end of the year. Sometime next year it will hit $22 trillion. You could tax every citizen of the US 100% for ten years and still not pay it. Something has to give here and I'm sick of it being me. The answer to the problem is not pleasant either, but it may be the quickest way to end the problem. I may offer that answer soon.  I need to think some more. In the meantime, if your panties are all up in a bunch about what I said regarding redefinition of the electorate, my advice is to enjoy the snuggy. It's one of those things I like to provide from time to time.

Where We Are Headed As A Nation

I was reading Pat Buchanan today and he lays out some interesting facts about where the US is headed as a nation in the next 30 years. Keep in mind that this has nothing to do with who won the election Tuesday. These things would have been true regardless of who was elected. I might also add that neither one of them would have been able to fix it this problem even though everyone in government has known it was coming for a very long time. It's all about retiring Baby Boomers..the generation born after WWII but prior to about 1967. Here are some excerpts from Pat's column:

Consider. Between 1946 and 1964, 79 million babies were born – the largest, best-educated and most successful generation in our history. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both born in 1946, were in that first class of baby boomers.
The problem.
Assume that 75 million of these 79 million boomers survive to age 66. This means that from this year through 2030, an average of nearly 4 million boomers will be retiring every year. This translates into some 11,000 boomers becoming eligible for Medicare and Social Security every single day for the next 18 years.
Add in immigrants in that same age category and the fact that baby boomers live longer than the Greatest Generation or Silent Generation seniors, and you have an immense and unavoidable increase coming in expenditures for our largest entitlement programs. 

And then there's this...

Benefits will have to be curbed or cut and payroll taxes will have to rise, especially for Medicare, to make good on our promises to seniors.
As for the rest of our federal budget of nearly $4 trillion, we have run four consecutive deficits of over $1 trillion. To bring that budget to balance, freezes would have to be imposed and cuts made in spending for defense and other social programs.From California to Wisconsin to New York, we see the process at work at the state level. Government salaries are frozen, government payrolls are cut, government pensions and programs are scaled back.
California and Illinois are on the precipice of default. Cities like Detroit, Birmingham, Stockton and San Bernardino are already there. 

And Finally..

Europe has arrived at where we are headed. In the south of the old continent – Spain, Italy and Greece – the new austerity has begun to imperil the social order. In the north, the disposition to be taxed to pay for other nations' social safety nets is disappearing.
With government in the U.S. at all levels consuming 40 percent of gross domestic product, and taxes 30 percent, taxes will have to rise and government spending be controlled or cut. The alternative is to destroy the debt by depreciating the dollars in which it is denominated – i.e., by Fed-induced inflation. 

Pat's right. We are in a bad way. I can see retirement age being pushed back to 75. I can see confiscation of IRA's, 401k's and pensions. It is coming. The growing storm in the east is coming our way and those of us that live through it will suffer a great deal. We Baby Boomers have been called both the most productive and the most selfish generation in human history. As a generation, we worked continuously but it was to feed our pleasures. We could not get enough. The political class of Baby Boomers' is the same way. These politicians spent what was in the bank and printed more to give back. The worst part is, we as voters did nothing to rein them in when we could have done so. The generations after that will be left with our debt and they have a right to be angry. They will get nothing. Their parents stole the food from their mouth and they will be slaves for the rest of their lives...unless...they rise up and refuse to pay the debt we left them. It is going to be a very dangerous time ahead. It will get ugly. It might even be wise to leave the country...except...the problem is the same almost everywhere. The world will be a very different place in 100 years, but the next 30 will be hell.