March 8 – Distressing Times

        2 Peter 2:6-8 - “...if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in this righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard);”

        Sometimes there is a fine line between hating the sin and loving the sinner. We know that Jesus did it perfectly, but we redeemed sinners have a much harder time doing so. I currently work (2018) in the hospitality sector of the workforce, specifically at a hotel, in the center of the universe – in a small town that emphasizes history, arts, New Age philosophy, city-life getaways, and dwindling morality. The basic function of any hotel is to provide sleeping accommodations – comfortable, amenable, and commensurate with one's financial expectations. This hotel also offers spa services, contains a restaurant, and hosts special private events, such as weddings and receptions. All of those functions do not require a great deal of moral decisions, when transacting with the public – except for weddings.

        American society has acquiesced to the trending philosophy of amorality. So, now a heterosexual couple, who are my age, are stressing over the “wedding” plans of their gay son, who is “marrying” another gay guy. (Gay marriage is obviously an oxymoron; hence, my use of quotation marks.) The parents are not stressing about the two young men, only with the wedding details. As I watched this unfold several times, with our wedding co-ordinator, my distress arose, my anger arose, and my stomach turned. The distress came to a head one day, when I was working the front desk on the day of a gay couple's “wedding” reception at the hotel. The couple had asked the front desk personnel to hand out gift bags to their overnight “wedding” guests – an act that was not unusual, and that I had done before. However, this time was different. Giving out arrival gifts is not part of my job, but rather a favor to the hotel guest. So, when I refused to give out gifts this day, my co-workers and boss were not happy. Rather, they questioned my ability to treat people with courtesy and respect. To them, that simple gesture was not a big deal. To me, handing out arrival gift bags, was a tacit approval of an immoral act. As 1 Timothy 5:22 states, I was not going to “participate in the sins of others”. Therefore, I took a stand for what I believed. It was quite an uncomfortable situation for my team that day.

        Just like Lot felt 3500 years ago, I am distressed over the blinded, but filthy deeds of lawlessness today. Psalm 12:8 states, “The wicked freely strut about, when what is vile is honored among men.” The fourth chapter of Ephesians gives us the explanation for this behavior. “....you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking,. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (vv 17-19).

        What is our job as Christians to combat this evil? Ask God to open blinded eyes. He is ultimately the one who has the power to change hearts and minds. Gently instruct “in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth...” (2 Timothy 2:25). Recognize that God is, in some fashion, “sending you to them, to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:17, 18). Let us purpose to walk in the light, even as the darkness is glorified among us.       

January 12 – Absolute Truth

        John 14:6 – "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

        That statement is the most exclusive statement that any religious figure could ever make. C.S. Lewis said that there are three possible conclusions from this statement: 1) that Jesus was lying; 2) that Jesus was a lunatic; or 3) that Jesus was truthful, and therefore, he really was the Son of God – the 2^nd person of the Triune God in the flesh. If Jesus was truthful, then Christianity is a very exclusive belief system. Thirty years after Jesus ascended into Heaven, the apostle Paul makes another bold statement about the story of Jesus. Galatians 1:8 – "Even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim a gospel other than the one we proclaimed to you, let him be eternally condemned!"

        From these verses and others, is where we get the idea that the Bible is God's recording of manifested truth for all of mankind – absolute truth. Even though God chose a timeline of hundreds of years to reveal more and more of himself, there always existed an absolute truth – one for all people, at all times of history, in every place on the earth. Jesus became the ultimate revelation of God himself and the final word in the unfolding of God's truth to mankind (Hebrews 1:2,3; Romans 16:25f).

        This sets Christianity apart from Hinduism and Buddhism, which would perhaps be inclusive of some Christian beliefs. Islam claims a direct revelation of God to Mohammed, some 500+ years after Jesus lived on the earth. Jesus, in Islam, is relegated as just a prophet, not God in the flesh. And Islam would certainly not agree with our opening scripture. Therefore, Christianity is at odds with Islam, also. Add into the mix, the myriad of other religions not followed by a billion people, as the other big three are. All would be at odds with our beginning scripture. Absolute truth has to be this way, or it would not be absolute, and therefore not truthful or trustworthy at all. It would be arbitrary at worst, as in all the minor belief systems that just make up their own doctrine, or hopeless and uncertain, at best, of a happy future, as in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Only Christianity brings the free grace of God, the free gift of salvation, for anyone who would understand it and take it.

        There can only be one belief system that is true in this world for everyone, everywhere, at all times. It has to be exclusive to have any validity of claim to truth. If it is not exclusive, it is worthless to put one's trust in, as eternal truth.

October 14 – The Ultimate Living Epitaph

        Psalm 73:26 – "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and he is my portion [in life] forever."

        Yesterday's (Oct 13) thoughts about Psalm 73 took a general view about the entire Psalm. Today's thoughts focus on verses 23-26. They are contrasted against verses 21 & 22: "When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a brute beast before you." Do you get angry, frustrated, even cynical with the circumstances surrounding you – the situations that seemingly will not resolve themselves? A change of attitude and thinking is then necessary.

        A bold declaration is needed in the midst of ongoing trials. Let's start with verse 23: "Yet I am always with you [God]; you hold me by my right hand." This promise is re-iterated by Jesus in John 10:27-29: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my father's hand." And, as if two persons safeguarding my life were not enough, triple protection is found in Eph. 1:13, 14: "You also were included in Christ, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession....." What a promise!

        Verse 24: "You guide me with your counsel, and afterward, you will take me into glory." This is affirmed by Jesus in John 14:26: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Earlier in John 14, Jesus states (vv. 2,3): "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you otherwise. I am going there to prepare a place for you; therefore, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." This is the promise of an eternal home with God.

        Verse 25: "Whom have I in heaven, except you [God]? Earth has nothing I desire besides you." Peter re-iterates this thought in John 6:67-69: "Jesus asked the Twelve, 'You do not want to leave me, too, do you?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.' "     

        Finally, the best faith statement declaration of all comes in verse 26: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of of my heart and he is my portion forever." If I live to old age, then surely my flesh and heart will fail, My body will run down, but God will be there to give me strength, both physical and spiritual, encouraging me to praise him to the end, knowing that soon, I will be with him in bliss. No matter how bleak your life looks at this moment, take courage from these verses, and press on in God's strength.

        There was a popular praise song in the early 2000's called "Lord, (I Don't Know)" that had the same rock-solid faith sentiment in its chorus. (The Newsboys were one band that played it well.) The words are: "Lord, I don't know where all this is going, or how it all works out. Lead me to peace that is past understanding, a peace beyond all doubt." May God use these verses from Psalm 73 to lead us to a peace in our hearts that is beyond our doubts.

August 8 – Clouds

        Psalm 68:32 – "Sing to God, oh kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to Adonai, to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice."

        How often do we contemplate the sky, the clouds, and the way they are formed and move over our heads? The grey overcast sky with no rain can be depressing, but the billowing clouds of summer thunderstorms can be awesome. I believe that Psalm 68 was written by David in triumphant fashion as a song that reflected the pageantry of the final journey of the ark of the covenant, to the tabernacle in Jerusalem. It was a picture of God ascending Mount Moriah to take his place as the triumphant king, reigning over Israel's territory.

        It is quite interesting to hear David use the poetic words "to him who rides the ancient skies above." What? God rides and travels, and transports himself on the clouds? I thought that the spirit of God appears wherever he wishes, in the blink of an eye. Why does he have to take the time to float by, in the clouds? It is to give us an impression of God's power and sovereignty. Psalm 18 also gives us a picturesque, hyperbolic view into the awesome view of God. In summer, the clouds start to thicken as the heat of the day rises higher and higher. From a distance, we can see the skies growing darker as the storm forms and approaches. Lightning flashes and peals of thunder follow. Then the downpours come, possibly with wind, and the storm passes by, doing God's bidding. I like to sit on the front porch to watch as the storm approaches, usually from the west or northwest, here in the mid-Atlantic region. It really is a display of the power of God. As David Zaffiro states in his song "Through His Eyes", "like a mirror held to God, the storm reflects his strength".  What an awesome word picture!

        One October I spent an evening by myself at Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia. As dusk approached, I sat upon the rocky slope looking west. God seemed to ride on the clouds and linger for awhile, as he painted the sky with purples and yellows that I had never seen mixed before. I took the best sunset photos that I have ever taken. And then he flew away into the fading grey.

        Praise be to God for the daily change in his clouds, for his daily display of power.

May 13 ─ The Golden Rule, part 1

        Matthew 7:12 – "So in everything, do to others what you want them to do to you,

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

         It is 2018, and this verse has been weighing on my mind lately. I can remember growing up in the 70s, and hearing this verse being touted outside of its Biblical context. As if it was a mantra for living, when one did not even care about the other teachings of Jesus. And it was! Notwithstanding the negative connotations of ignoring the rest of Jesus' teachings, society still accepted the wisdom of this verse as stand-alone decent behavior. And why not? The simple keeping of this command has ramifications throughout society and individuals alike.

         How much more peaceful our lives would be if everyone followed this command in detailed ways everyday! Let me give a few examples. Most people like to keep their home electric bills as low as possible. We turn off lights when not needed; we don't leave the TV on all night. The list goes on. So, why would I leave the lights and TV on in my hotel room when my stay has ended? (I see this regularly, as I work at a hotel.) The cumulative effect of this causes the business owner to pay more for electricity, which may cause his room rate to rise, which in turn may cause potential guests to look elsewhere for cheaper lodging, which in turn causes the business owner to not make money, which could effect his bottom line, as well as taxes that he would normally pay to the state and local governments. All of this, because I, and hundreds others, thoughtlessy left the lights on – after all, I don't have to pay the business owner's electric bill. Oh, how short-sighted we are!

        How grouchy do we get when someone tramples our rights? It is because the other person is usually doing something selfish, which affects me directly or indirectly. That selfish act may be something needful, but he doesn't think how it will affect those around him. For example, a couple of years ago, there were a string of burglaries at residences around me. I even had an air compressor in my garage stolen at this time. The neighbor across the street also had some items taken from his outbuildings. As a reaction to this phenomena, he erected a large, bright dusk-to-dawn light on the side of this house, closest to his outbuildings. Never mind that the light now constantly shines in my bedroom window every night. Why could he not have erected a motion-sensor light, which would shine only if there were motion, and then shut itself off shortly thereafter? He wasn't thinking about how it would affect others around him. He was not following the golden rule. And my peace has been disturbed.

        When I play my non-vocal music at work, it is at a level that suits me, but does not bother the other areas of my workplace. The level is audible to guests, but not obnoxious in any way. It is background music, which is where it belongs – in the background, not in anyone's face, disrupting a respectful conversation. How rude and disrespectful when the opposite happens to me in my own workplace! Peace is disrupted because someone else is not thinking of others in relation to their own actions.

        How many more common examples could we think of? Life would be much more peaceful, if we simply thought of how our own commonplace actions would affect others.

July 5 – Marriage Honored – Part 2

      1 Corinthians 5:15f – "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside [the church]?"

        It is a fantastic event when two people get married. A wedding is always a joyous occasion, with solemn vows exchanged, and feasting and dancing enjoyed by family and friends. We honor God, when we recognize his first institution, and follow its model, with its holy promise, love – and boundaries.

        When I see a so-called believer, whom I knew somewhat in years past, shack up with his/her soulmate, it pains my heart, knowing that God's commands toward fornication are not respected. The living together is sometimes a matter of convenience, while most of the time it is clearly a matter of selfishness. The question one should ask is: "Whom do I want to please today, and always, with my life and its actions – me or God?" Even if there is not sex involved in the living arrangements, the very appearance of evil negates that fact in the eyes of everyone (1 Thess. 5:22; 2 Corinthians 8:19-21). So, when I get a wedding invitation from someone who has been shacking up, I experience two emotions. The first emotion is gladness, for the fact that the persons are correcting the external appearance – the outward arrangement of marriage. The second emotion is stunted joy. You are asking me to help celebrate your sacred union on your wedding day, even though you have already disrespected the sacredness of that union. If you couldn't wait to consummate your relationship, then why should I celebrate months later, after the fact? To me, it takes the "punch" right out of the party!

        Well, you might say, "Wait a minute! Are you not acting like the brother of the prodigal son?" Perhaps, but, I have been to a few weddings of people who had shacked up previously. None of them contained confessions of repentance for actual or possible sinfulness. The story of the prodigal son contained real and voiced repentance.

        The verse above comes at the end of a fairly short argument by the Apostle Paul regarding a self-called believer in the Corinthian body of Christ, who was knowingly having an affair with his father's 2^nd wife (not the man's mother). It was public knowledge, and deemed to be okay, probably due to the tacit response of the church's leadership. To Paul, this seems to be an obvious case of blatant sin, being allowed to continue with nothing said, and thus being the leaven that works itself through the rest of the dough, in which it comes into contact. In other words, its tacit allowance causes the spiritual culture around it to be influenced – in a negative way.

        Today, in 2018 in the western world, it is quite common for couples to live together before they get married, if they ever do get married. In the eyes of the world, marriage is growing ever un-sacred. Bad turns to worse progressively – which is not a surprise. It should not be so for the body of Christ. We are the light of the world, and should act accordingly to help a dying world see that it is living in the dark. God calls us out of the world's system to be different, to be set apart from cultural norms when they go against God's commands, ways, and model of living. We must be different on purpose in order to not let the evil leaven to work its subconcious ways in our lives.

March 22 – Depth of Understanding

        Mark 4:11, 12, 33 – "Jesus told [the Twelve], 'The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside, everything is said in parables, so that "they may be always seeing, but never perceiving; always hearing, but never understanding; otherwise they might repent and be forgiven....with many similar parables, Jesus spoke the word to [the crowds], as much as they could understand."

         Verses 12 and 33 almost seem to contradict each other. Does Jesus want me to understand God's truth, or does he not? Does he want me to follow God's ways, or does he care that I persist in my folly? Please make up your mind, Jesus. The crux of the matter, however, goes deeper than surface appearances. Let's start with God's heart.

        The Scripture is plain in 2 Peter 3:9 – "....Yahweh is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish [spiritually], but wanting everyone to arrive at a place of repentance." Therefore, God does not take pleasure in us humans persisting in our sinful lifestyles. Then, why do verses 11 and 12 in the opening scripture, seem so mean-spirited on the surface?

        One must go back to the Old Testament scripture to which these verses point. Isaiah 6:9-13 is the reference point. Isaiah prophesied during the point in time, in which the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had mostly lost their way in being obedient in serving God. How did this happen? Psalm 80:11, 12 gives us the answer: "But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own devices." That sounds exactly like what happened to Pharoah when he would not allow the Israelites and Moses to leave Egypt. It is exactly what happens to sinners, who are described in Romans 1:18-32. When we allow our stubborn hearts to become calloused, it takes much more work to get us to repent. That is why Jesus had to speak in parables as "much as they could understand". It takes persistent chipping away of hard callousness to get to the soft flesh. It takes the blasting of time to sand down the hard grittiness.

        So, Isaiah 6:11, 12 asks the question, " 'For how long, O Adonai?' And he answered "Until the cities lie ruined, and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted, and fields ruined and ravaged, until Yahweh has sent everyone far away, and the land is utterly forsaken." We get the picture that one might have to hit rock bottom before the eyes are opened to see the need to repent of our sinful ways. Obversly, verse 13 in Isaiah 6 gives us hope for those who have hit rock bottom. "As the terebinth and oaks leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land." How often do we see new shoots of growth spring from a stump that is left just above the ground level? Sometimes we do see them, depending on the hardiness of the tree that was cut. The word of God is telling us that there is hope for the worst of us – that new life can spring from what appears to be ruins.

        Let us allow ourselves a greater depth of understanding of what Jesus is trying to teach us, by not letting our hearts become hardened. Let us turn again to him, and to following God's ways with our entire hearts. We should desire to say to God, "Thy will be done." Let us not get to the point where God says to us "Alright, your will be done." Our depth of understanding, at that point, will have become very shallow.

March 6 – Victory in Death

        Psalm 17:15 – "And I, in righteousness, I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness."

        Is it still a blessed thing to live, and live some more? So sings one of my favorite spiritually-minded bands from the 90s. I am certainly "pro-life" on the conservative side of morality, as the over-arching theme of the Bible paints that picture. I am even more on the side of the Catholics, who consistently fight for the right of life from "natural birth to natural death". Things get complicated, however, now that modern science and health technology is able to prolong our physical existence, to extend our time on this earth. Some would call some of this technology "unnatural", as in the case of a person kept alive on a ventilator, with no hope of life without it. Some would call a piece of this technology "merciful", as in the case of easing the pain for a terminally-ill cancer patient. "Natural" death occurs less and less these days. Don't get me wrong; I am not judging anyone for the decisions he makes regarding the use of any of these technologies. No one has to answer to me.  I am simply asking the question – is it still a blessed thing to keep on physically existing just to keep putting off the inevitable?

        Paul's faith in God was so strong, that he said in Philippians 1:23, 24, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is better for you that I remain in the body". He knew that he would be with his Maker when his physical life ended. In the 21st-century western world, the mindset is to live as long as possible, because there is nothing after death – no afterlife, no hope, not even re-incarnation, because there is no God, who designed the afterlife. I believe that some of this yeast has spread through the body of Christ; this leaven is devoid of hope, and is not full of truth. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that death is easy to take. It still hurts when we lose a loved one. The sting of death is still currently stinging – an unpleasant experience on many levels.

        The psalm above, this prayer of David, is similar to most of his psalms. It is a cry of deliverance from wicked men, who are out to make his life miserable. It contains hope as well, in verse 14. Then verse 15 seems like an odd statement to me in the context of the Psalm. Is David referring to peaceful physical sleep, and a sense of victory in God, when he awakes? Quite possibly. But, as with much of the Bible, there are double entendres (and sometimes triple and quadruple) lurking around every corner. As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15, he calls death "sleep". He then goes on to describe that death will one day be swallowed by Life himself in a victorious manner.

        For us believers, the finality of life on this earth ushers us across the "Jordan" to the promised land, to heaven, our temporary home in God's abode, where there is no longer any suffering, but only bliss, joy, and eternal peace. Why is that? Because God is not only preparing a "place" for his children (John 14:1-4), but that place is in his presence. We will finally be able to "see" the image of our Master Jesus, because we will no longer be looking through a clouded glass at the vague beauty on the other side (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will be on the other side, where our sight will be clear, and where we no longer have to experience the sting of death.

February 13 – Keep Yourself Alive

        Luke 12:35 – "Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him."

        In 1994, King's X recorded a song called, "Sunshine Rain". The bridge had these words:

...a friend of mine

who's fallen down a million times

told me, told me

feelings never go away

you have to learn to live this way

and keep yourself alive -

that's what he said.

       The context of the song is vague, but I can glean a few spiritual truths from those lines. First, although unrelated to the verse above, I can walk by faith in obedience to the commands of God, no matter how I feel (2 Corinthians 5:7). Secondly, there is a sense in our lives, that we have to "keep ourselves alive", in a spiritual sense. This is where the verse in Luke 12 applies.

        Jesus expects us to live our lives daily on purpose. His life was perfectly lived that way. Even if we don't know what specific direction to take in the circumstances in which we find ourselves, we are to watch and be ready for our master to "show up" unexpectedly.

        In my 40s I would spend a few weeks every year hiking the mountain trails of West Virginia. One October, I pitched my tent by the side of a road on top of a mountain, right next to a trail that led to an well-known eagle lookout, with a small building. It was foggy at dusk, when I pitched my tent, so I didn't know that there was actually a house nearby. I awoke in the middle of the night to hear voices, which was quite disturbing. However, I eventually went back to sleep and awoke at daybreak. I had hoped to hike to the lookout, but it was still quite foggy. I decided to venture anyway. The fog was very thick, which did not hinder me following the trail. However, I could not see more than 30 feet ahead of me at any given time. As I walked, I heard a voice inside say that when one cannot see what is ahead, keep walking anyway. To me, that was God's spirit telling me to keep walking in faith, keeping myself alive. This concept is related to what we find in Philippians 3:16. "Only let us live in step with what we have already attained."

        What are some practical ways of "keeping ourselves alive"? Hebrews 10:24-25 commands us to "consider how we may spur one another towards love and good deeds. Let us not quit meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another all the more..." That can mean attending church, as long as there is purposeful conversation among believers, not just listening to a soliloquy.  Another way is to set aside time in our day to worship God, praying to him, thanking him, and spending a little time reminding ourselves of what is communicated in the Bible. Of course, we need to engage people where they live, acting upon what we know to do, in accordance with Jesus' commands (which are numerous, but not burdensome) (1 John 5:3-4 & James1:22).

        Don't let yourself start to fade spiritually. Keep yourself alive. Let's press on, seeking to experience that abundant life that Jesus talked about in John 10.

February 9 – No Condemnation

        Romans 8:1 – "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

        As a believer, this is one of the most encouraging verses in which we can trust and to which we should cling. We should memorize it and meditate upon it frequently. Here is why.

        Condemnation has to do with the end of second chances. It is final; it is utter ruin. It is being fit for nothing good, anymore. It is death, without any hope for a life in God's paradise. No one is finally condemned until after death. As long as persons live, there is hope for redemption. As believers, we are no longer self-condemned as John 3:17 puts it. And, since God himself does not condemn us, we should be thankful and excited to realize that God loves us more than we can imagine. Further in Romans 8, we read in verse 31, "...if God is for us, who can be against us?" Of course, lots of people and demons are against us. But Paul is stating that because we are in God's family, there is victory in life, now. and/or, ultimately. That in itself should encourage us to press on to know God more intimately, and to desire to be used for his purposes.

        Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35f). (Can you tell that Romans 8 is my favorite chapter in the whole Bible?) Not even sin! 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins (at any point in our new life) that God is faithful and just to forgive us. And finally, Hebrews 4:16 gives us the confidence to always approach God, even when we have sinned. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need."

        Thank you, God, for not condemning us, but purchasing us through the precious blood of Jesus, our savior.ca

March 13 – My Times (Part 2)

        Acts 5:3-5 – “Then Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit...? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.' When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died...”

        My times are in God's hands. Does that mean that God knows the length of my times? And/or does God control those times? Can I sabotage my own life and cut short those times? The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a story that gives pause, causing one to think that one could cut short his own life. It is a story clearly about the sin of deception, not about giving 100% of the profits from selling a piece of land.

        Ananias and his wife were believers, followers of The Way. However, they decided to lie to men and to God in order to appear as bigger givers than they really were. The consequences thereof turned out to be instant death, a clear, swift, fatal judgment of God. (I believe that God was making this an example for the whole church to take notice that he wanted purity in his early church.) Was their death God's ultimate will for their lives? I don't think so. Did he will them to sin? Definitely not! God will not cause anyone to sin, nor even tempt them to do so. This is why I believe that while their “times” were in God's hands, they also brought upon themselves this untimely, premature fate. God says that he will not share his glory with anyone else (Isa. 48:2). Ananias and Sapphira were trying to get more glory from something that they didn't do but said that they did. The positive side of this story, which can only be assumed, is that as true believers, they went straight to heaven to be in God's presence, regardless of the fact that they had just sinned.

        Just because God can see all of history before it happens, doesn't mean that he controls all of history, just to make it happen as he sees it. Remember that God sees my life to come; I don't. So I can make decisions to affect my future, while God sees all the possibilities of the choices I make, or could have made. Read the story of David in 1 Samuel 23 to get the full impact of this concept.

        The bottom line is this: If we keep seeking to obey God daily, we should have no worry about a premature death, even if Satan should bring us a fatal sickness to which we succumb. Our times are in God's hands. Let us live in full confidence, serving him, and eventually receiving all the rewards and inheritance that he has promised his sons and daughters for their obedience (Eph. 1:18; Rev. 22:12).

March 12 – My Times (Part 1)

        Psalm 31:14-15 – "But I trust in you, O Yahweh; I say 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands...."

  

       My times are in your hands, David writes. That is an intriguing phrase, and not one that we use in everyday communication. "My times" refers to our length of years within the bigger picture of history, specifically how are lives are sculpted by, and attempting to sculpt, our culture. It really is a "big picture" concept within the definition of the word "time". Time is this continuum that we cannot stop, without leaving its confines altogether (read: dying).

        I had to research briefly the word "time" in Hebrew, just to make sure that I was not tricking myself into making a modern translation more than it really is. I thought for sure that there would be some different Hebrew meaning behind this odd English phrase. I was pleasantly disappointed. The Hebrew meaning is quite generic, and simply means "time, hours, or times", in a variety of normal general contexts, which we use today when talking normally about events happening at a certain time.

        Let's go back to the longer phrase. My times are in God's hands. Not everyone can say this truthfully, and succinctly, unless God is his Father. This is not just a passive saying, in which we throw up our hands and concede that fate is controlling our destiny. That kind of thinking is for those ignorant of the word of God. David's complete trust/submission to God throughout his life is indicative of his lifestyle. He was a man after God's heart. He was a true believer – a follower of the living God. He was not a person glibly moving through life, fatefully stating that everything happens for a reason, all the while not having a clue what those reasons are. No, he knew that his life was really being cared for, by the God who loved him – the God who is interested in us all – and by the God who is accessible and not far off.

        "My times" also consists of the desire to live a long, full life. Because of the fall of man, physical death for every person is unavoidable. But we were really meant to live for ever. Even though that is not physically possible, our natures desire to not die. For Christians, however, physical death is entrance to heaven, to bliss, and to rest with our heavenly Father. We have faith that our future will be so much better than our present could ever be. Yet, we live mostly in attempts to preserve this physical life as long as possible (partly because of our ties with family and spouse). In many psalms, including Psalm 31 above, the writer cries out to not be killed "prematurely". Verse 13 states, "they conspire against me and plot to take my life". In the previous psalm, David writes, "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you?" These are questions we may ask when premature death stares us in the face. Even the Apostle Paul despaired of life. See 2 Corinthians 1:8-10. Yet, in verse 10, he states that his grim circumstances were there to produce more trust in God, who delivered him at that time from death. In Philippians chapter one, Paul takes this big picture concept to another level in our understanding. In verse 21, he writes from prison, "....[I] will have sufficient courage so that....Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. To live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in this body, it will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far." (Paul was obviously not "choosing" suicide just to be with Christ. That was a figure of speech.) In some way, he was echoing the sentiment of David in Psalm 31, that Paul's times were in God's hands. Like David, Paul was a true believer, and the best example we have of a devoted Christian.

        So, while we are trusting God that our times are in his hands, let us not worry or be anxious. Jesus stated, "...who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life"? James adds, "You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then who knows the good he ought to do, and doesn't do it, sins."

March 4 – Who Controls the Lottery

        Proverbs 16:33 – "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh."

        This verse speaks of games of chance – gambling, to some extent, whether large or small, insignificant or otherwise. I suppose that we all gamble to some extent. For example, when one eats at a new restaurant, the quality of everything on the menu is unknown. We may have heard of the goodness thereof, but until we experience it, we take a not-so-risky gamble by paying for quality that might not materialize. So what if we lose $12 worth of quality taste? At least, we have had a

sustainable meal. Which means, we have gambled quite insignificantly.

        How about I spend money on something, the odds of which, are stacked against me? Like a national lottery? With millions of dollars at stake? This kind of gambling needs to be scrutinized by our hearts. The verse above states that God is in control of who wins the lottery. Let's not argue the fact that some lotteries actually provide money for charitable organizations. If God has given me resources by which to live, pay my bills, and give back to his kingdom, why would I just throw those resources to the wind? Perhaps, it is because I want "more", which means that I am not content with what I already have. The apostle Paul stated that he had learned to be in content in lack and in abundance (Philippians 4:12-13). Perhaps it is because I do not trust that God will provide for my needs. Jesus tells us just the opposite in Matthew 6:25-34. Perhaps my mind is okay with supporting a charitable lottery, while just playing the game. Whatever the reason, we should check our motives and strive to please God with how we spend our money.

       My motto is thus: "You gotta play to lose." If I never play, I never lose. I And that makes great sense to me. I have never lost at the lottery, because I have never played. Consider the wisdom of steady investment over time, versus a lottery ticket purchase. Proverbs 21:15 advises, "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty."

December 1 – Room For God

        Psalm 10:4 – "In his pride, the wicked one does not seek God; in all his thoughts, there is no room for God." (NIV, 1973)

        This verse particularly stuck out at me as I was reading Psalm 10, which, by the way, is actually a continuation of Psalm 9, the combination thereof being a complete acrostic poem. The stanzas, of which, begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The particular phrase that caught my attention is "no room for God". It immediately reminded me of the Christmas story, in which we are told that there was "no room in the inn" for a pregnant Mary and her husband Joseph.

        What a sad commentary! To have no space in my head, in my mind, in my thoughts – all day – for the God who shows his kindness to me every day and fills my heart with joy (Acts 14:17). Of course, to those who do not believe in God, that way of living is an easy thing. If there is no God, why should I think of him?

      The phrase "no room for God" also made me wonder if the "original" Hebrew conveyed a slightly different meaning. The wording basically states that the wicked do not "seek" or look for God, because to them, he does not exist. Many of the English translations convey this thought of seeking God. Knowing that the NIV is a conceptual translation, it is not surprising that the translators used the phrase "no room for God in his thoughts". I find that phrase much more colorful and poignant, in contrast to the word seek, which is seldom used in common English speech. "Seek" is usually only used casually when we refer to "hide-and-seek". To state that I have no room, or space, or even time, for something conveys the thought that I have filled my mind or my life with other things, things of less importance, or things of no importance, or things for my own pleasure.

        God does want us to be filled with pleasure and joy in our activities, as referenced in the aforementioned verse from Acts 14. However, it is only by following his ways, being led by his Spirit, pursuing his pleasure, that our greatest joy can be found. Psalm 37:4 states, "Delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart." That idea does not mean having a passing thought of God throughout your day. It means having much room in your mind, in your life, in your busy schedule, to learn of God's truth, ways, desires for us, and then to find great delight in walking in them.

        Like the old '50s TV show title, let's make room for Daddy in our lives.