I AM... & I am too

     When I first began to talk to the Almighty I would ramble on and on and imagined that I was making great strides after reading how to books or going to prayer meetings. I listened to many explanations about the God who wanted my attention. There was an occasion in the scripture when the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray and I listened in as Jesus broke it down into understandable terms. First acknowledge Him, know who He is, accept His will in the earth that you are made of and believe His promises. Ask for only the minimal items to sustain your life and realize that you are only forgiven to the degree that you are willing to forgive others. Request the ability to avoid being deceived while trusting that He is able to keep you safe in this dangerous world. Not once in that instruction is there a list of mental affirmations or detailed petitions for changing our government or societal ills. There is no step by step seminar recipe on how to get God to respond our parochial expectations. In the heart of it there is no positive confession, repetition, or neatly framed verses taken out of context to support our assumed conclusions. Jesus is the I AM answer to every prayer in spite of any imagined concept of who we think He is and here are a few of them that you may be familiar with. Jesus said; I am the True Vine. I am the Way. I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the Light of the world, the Bread of Life and the Messiah. He also said I am with you always even to the end of the world.

     There are a few I am’s that arrested my attention in the Psalms also. When I didn’t know how to pray, I would say what David said and that was my approach as I saw so many similarities to what I had been anxious about or when my sin was getting the best of me. Notice in Psalm 31, 38, 39 and 69 for example, that in those passages alone the words I, me and mine appear over 230 times. Not once in any of those passages do you find David asking for financial aid or a better job. He didn’t dwell on his neighbor’s welfare or spend any time blessing Saul, the Senate or the Supreme Court. He didn’t present himself as a patriot nor did he rebuke the devil or recite the words of Moses. He talked straight up. David didn’t claim to have the answer to anything and mostly complained about everything and was often negative in his words and phrases. He said; I am troubled, I am bowed down, I am feeble and I am ready to fail. With many similar words David said I am a stranger, forgotten, and weary and I am like a broken vessel.

     In conclusion I am also come into deep water and I am full of heaviness because I have been over prescribed in the philosophy and mechanics of prayer. I’ve gone to churches where the pastor has his regular voice and a preaching voice. I suspect he believes the Lord will respond if he exaggerates and embellishes the moment with extreme emotion. Our praying voice should be the same as our everyday voice and silence is the better part of prayer as it’s the quiet moments that open the heart up. It’s not the length of time spent before the Lord and although I do admire the one who is fervent for more than an hour, in the end it is the position of the heart. To have a Bible open when praying is optional but the Lord is known to answer; “it is written.” Paul used the phrase I am on one or two occasions and I believe I am too. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain;.. 1 Cor 15:10a.. As you search the scriptures you may find that you identify from time to time with this kind of praying and can confess that; Jesus is the I AM and like David was, I am too.                                                                                

Auto Classic Deposition

       I don’t remember the day or the hour that I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away. I was a young man void of social skills & life in general at the time; confused, irresponsible and totally deluded as the tics & traits of autism developed. Growing up with behavioral problems is not something I appreciate talking about but it’s a fact just the same. My parents released me into the custody of  the Mennonite Church every Sunday morning which was an anxiety hiatus at home and then gave the church folks an extra reason to rejoice when the service was over. As time passed I found myself in a Pentecostal Church across the alley from the house where we lived in Toledo, Ohio. I mention all of this because I don’t think I was really paying attention during any phase of these old school church encounters.

     When I was 21 I met an old acquaintance from the foster home circuit while I was driving cab. He invited me to his church and I was compelled to go after reading Hal Lindsey; and was becoming aware of & scared to death of... missing the rapture. That night I went to The First Apostolic United Pentecostal Church and my world changed forever. I remember the alter call and very little about the actual message but when I left that night everything was different and nothing was the same. I was baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost that next week. I hope to post a significant testimony as to God's prevailing concern for those who are His.

     So now let me share the story seen from the angle of the classic car that you pass on the road from time to time. The day I was set apart unto God was the best day of my life. What follows is an allegory of my salvation as it relates to a brand new automobile. My experience with the Lord on the day I was saved was in showroom condition. It looked great; it shined and had that new car smell that was pleasant to breathe. The Lord handed me the keys and gave me the title to an awesome responsibility and to tell the truth I was proud of it in an innocent sort of way. It came with a full tank of gas and an owner’s manual. There were limitations and maintenance requirements and I was given charge of a powerful new vehicle.

     At first I kept it washed and shined it often. I changed the oil and rotated the tires just like the service agreements specified. I was careful in the traffic and kept my speed to a minimum, well, to some degree. Then time began to have its way and the novelty started to wear thin. After a good season of learning about what was required of me as an owner and manager of such a wonderful gift, I began to get a bit lazy. I didn’t wash it as often and I ran a few stop signs. I got pulled over once or twice for some infraction or a busted tail light. I became lax about taking care of the basic business and soon I began to hear a noise in the transmission. A tire went bad and the dent wasn’t my fault. A car must have backed into me at a shopping mall or a local tavern. It couldn’t have been at church or an auto parts store because I hadn’t parked close to one of those for some time. Little by little and day by day my blessing began to fall apart and I stayed parked for lack fuel and maintenance. It wasn’t long before the bird droppings and the weather laid claim to my existence. I was forced to move on because of personal issues and the last I saw of salvation, it was sitting in the yard, up on blocks and beyond repair. When I left that day I thought I’d never see it again.

     As the years passed I walked or hitchhiked everywhere. I went to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. I drove other people around from time to time in their own car and was an expert on their salvation but didn’t even have the compassion to change a tire for them. I would think about my salvation and cry big tears of sorrow but did little to address the topic until the Lord began to deal with me about returning to the scene of the crime. I said things like; it’s too late but I should go back and scrap it out for parts. Maybe I could sign it over to the devil for 30 pieces of silver and get me a nice bicycle. Praise God, the Lord didn’t see it that way. When I had absolutely nothing left in this world He reminded me that I still had an old clunker sitting in my yard. After convincing me that He would help me restore it to its original condition I was on the road again home.

     It was an embarrassing encounter the day I first saw it in this new light and the burden of my heart was that it was raining and I didn’t look any better then the old beater that sat there before me. We both needed washing at the very least. What could possibly be the first move here? I was clueless but the Lord said let’s start by getting the engine running again. That would be the heart of the matter. Many replacement parts were needed and as time passed I still walked to work but the sound of the engine running at last was a pleasant sound in my ears. After a new set of tires and a major clutch and fly wheel overhaul we were close to being at least road worthy. At first I could only drive during the day as I hadn’t dealt with a broken headlight yet and the crack in the windshield was a ticket magnet. As the days passed the responsibility returned and I worked out my own salvation with fear and trembling, like the Bible says. I was soon being seen on the street again behind the wheel of the best thing I ever owned. It didn’t look good on the outside and a trip to the body shop was in the forecast. The engine hummed and the noise in the differential disappeared. I too began to show signs of improvement as I told other owners the truth about WD40 and the GPS. I was looked to as an authority on disrepair and was able to steer a few novice owners away from the ditch ahead.

       The Lord helped me keep any pride in check as my old clunker turned in to a car show classic. I was this close to joining a Classic Car Club for Jesus group but the Lord said, don’t even go there. I allowed Him to continue the up keep and receive the credit as I had little to do with the restoration of my vintage experience in Christ. These days I get looks when I drive down the street and people make comments but in the end they may never understand this whole story. I saw an old man in a vintage model the other day and his story was that he got it brand new and has owned it and kept it in show room condition since the day he first drove it. I was blessed to know that there are people in this world who have a healthy respect for the gift that God has given them and take care of it with their life. I too now tell my story when I meet the guy who just obtained the title to his new ride and advise him to drive with the utmost consideration for others on the highway and to keep his eye on the fluids. There’s no telling where he will be in 10 years but I pray that he has sense enough to maintain that wonderful blessing called salvation.

     One other thing should be mentioned. The Lord held the title during the whole process of preserving and restoring my soul. That probably explains why I couldn’t find the title until I searched the scripture and found it in the top drawer. It was there all the time.      

   Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:  Phil 1:6

….let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;… ( lifted out of Hebrew 12:1-2 )

The Gospel According to Mr. Potato Head

    The Toy Story movies are innocent enough and a pleasant diversion from the responsibilities of adulthood. Having no TV has not cured me of a fun film and I’m still a visual person. The Bible says that without a vision the people perish and since our thoughts are not His thoughts, it’s only natural that we would twist the concept to our own liking. One of the joys of imagination is that it gets away from us to the point of ultimate obsession or fills a void with momentary inspiration. I’ve been blessed with both extremes and I will attempt to put a face on it for you. No pun intended.

    It is to the pastime of children, who are learning to craft an expression, a demeanor they might be stuck with all their life, that I present the changing view of the person commonly known as Mr. Potato Head. Now that he is in the Church he prefers to be known as Brother Potato Head; not to be confused with Pastor Potato Head who has a formal background in the study of Potato Hermeneutic Development. That’s what his PHD stands for. In order to stay on track we’ll avoid going into detail about his starchy tuber home life, his sweet potato and the tater tots. This may be a delightful comparison but my theological spin on these particular Spudsters is limited.

    Imagine if you will first thing on Sunday morning waking up to a blank expression. With no apparent reflection in the mirror and no clue as to how to put on a reasonable testimony of the truth, we’ll just have to sort through a collection of add on items that should cover the situation until after the benediction. Then we can replace the outward appearance with a more realistic expression of life beyond the church parking lot as we put on an appropriate phony face. The little ears that we had at 10 am are removed and an appropriate large set is put into place to capture the essence of gossip, opinion and a new CD just released by The Dipsy Chips. The drowsy eyes of the post offering sermon is now changed to a big colorful set of attentive peepers that you pop in to watch your favorite Sunday afternoon sports event. The nose that has no capacity to discern between religious flatulence and a fragrant fellowship with God, has been replaced with huge garage sized nostrils that are drawn away to the aroma of a false prophet’s promise. I could go on and on about the replaceable mouth that speaks one thing at the Bible study and another thing at the water cooler and the flexible hands that are raised in the worship service but lowered in the handling of worldly goods and everyday business, but I won’t.

    One item that doesn’t come in the box with the Potato Head Disciple is the heart of the apparatus and not something to be toyed with. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.  Jer 17:9-10.  Keeping up appearances has always been a challenge and we have all been known to put on a front to cover an inner anxiety or hide a transgression from those around us. We fill the duplicitous orifice with a plastic plug; a convenient nonessential distraction until the day the Holy Spirit or a close friend points out the disguise. You can fool church people most of the time but you can’t fool God at all and as we come to terms with true repentance we will eventually assume a suitable expression that will remain the same in every situation. Until that look is achieved there will always be numerous playful accessories and some assembly required.

  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.  Prov 6: 16-19

Whosoever Will... let him repeat after me?

Have you ever had to study for a doctrinal purity test? Getting re-certified for what is certifiably unnecessary is a tedious exercise but an impromptu inspection or a supposed quality controlled analysis is to be expected from time to time. When asked for the reason for the hope that is in us we are to have an answer or as Peter says; a defense. (1 Pe 3:15) As of late a brother has asked for a definitive layout for presenting the Gospel so as to meet his class criteria developed from a lengthy methodology associated with his understanding. I’m guessing no amount of reason, resource or scripture from any other perspective will satisfy him but I will make an attempt.

I admit I have no apparent notches on my gospel gun & have impressed very few by using the Four Spiritual Laws or Chick tract hermeneutics. A repeat after me prefab prayer without genuine repentance after being presented an incomplete or inadequate gospel holds little hope for salvation let alone a right understanding of spiritual matters. To convince a perspective convert that he can be saved by perusing a Cliffs Notes works based participation is at least the first stage of a potentially authentic deception. You’ll remember Jesus scolding the religious elitists for their worldwide evangelistic fervor, to bring a person to God (Matt 23:15) only to then make him into twice the child of hell that they themselves were. Promoting salvation via misapplication of truth procures a false conversion in its truest sense. I dare not compare myself to Jesus in any regard but the situation calls for at least an examination of the spirit of certain passages. Jesus was persistently challenged to the point of frustration as seen in Mark 8. We will believe you ‘if.’

 “And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.” Mk 8:11-12

A new generation of religious elitists (which in essence is of the same generation mentioned above) is with us today & often makes the same selective demands that Jesus refers to in Matthew 11. I say this to warn my readers that we eventually will have to know what hoop to avoid or choose when jumping is inevitable. Jesus elaborates further on such expectation manipulation in Matthew 11.

 “But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” Matt 11:16-19

My brother, who requires a sign, has not been satisfied with the one I’m calling attention to. He played a tune & I would not dance; I’m expected to professionally weep at the funeral proceedings but I have no tears to manufacture. John the baptizer abstained from worldly comfort & was said to have a demon while Jesus drank wine & was called a drunken glutton. In other words… there may be no satisfactory response. Having butchered scripture in the past to prop up my then developing understanding I eventually learned to refrain from exhausting every arguable proof because scripture is alive to anyone who actively searches the whole counsel of God for himself. Entering a potentially diabolical exegesis can be avoided by remaining silent. I should do it more often.

 Anyone who wants to know the Lord in America today is without excuse & could find salvation in any scrap of scripture, hymn or life’s story & testimony. My friend says no; I must employ a method of systematically choosing verses (I too have picked a few cherries that apply) in the right order; a supposed one size fits all mechanism as it were. Torturing scripture into submission & beating the text into subjection relating to any given subject is not my mission… anymore. Since I have refused to apply the ‘correct’ combination it’s assumed I can’t open the lock. The point is there is no lock.

First of all… very few come to the Lord via advanced scholastic methods. If we are sensitive to the moment & are being led of His Spirit, the words will come & applicable verses recalled as needed. If I should miss or mess up a witnessing opportunity with a stranger then God will present another agent equipped to correct or repair any mistakes. No man’s salvation is contingent on how precise another man’s presentation is & it’s definitely not the crux of closing the eternal deal on any man’s soul. Cookie cutter conflict resolution & rehabilitation techniques have dominated the conversion scene as of late while inspiring a potentially spurious born again experience. Where do the catch & release converted of today’s ever enlarging numbers go & what becomes of them? Many of them are being assimilated into the void of a subtle apostasy. The attempt to lead a man to Christ sometimes takes years or minutes but the Lord is capable of bringing the gifted representative & the target of salvation together. It seems the fields are no longer as white for harvest as they once were & although God is capable of saving people with or without human contact we merely reinforce what God is germinating in the initiate by His Spirit. We’re well into that darkness that Jesus says will come when no man’s efforts will be fruitful. I would admonish anyone to continue to be a witness & preach if given opportunity but don’t stay in the dark about too many things for too long.

Rarely if ever did Jesus use the same tactic twice & no duplicated power points were used as teaching aids. Each new birth is unique too & treated individually as each disciple experiences the regenerating power of mercy, the grace of God & forgiveness of sin. One thing I know for sure is that cultural relevance is culturally irrelevant in the eternal perspective. No societal adjustments are needed; the gospel is the same throughout the entirety of scripture since the days of Able on down to those who are alive & remain when Jesus returns. Repent (upon notification of the righteous requirement of God’s law) & believe. Psalm 38 describes the totality of a sinner’s prayer & the beginning of an understanding of the gospel. The audio visuals of Psalm 19 state plainly that it’s the law of the Lord that converts the soul & His testimony makes the simplest person wise enough to recognize truth & everything after that is plain enough for salvation. Read, believe & obey.

I don’t expect every presentation to produce spontaneous comprehension & the ideal response, because unless the Lord prepares the heart of the recipient to the gospel prior to the salvation encounter, it could result in endless chatter; often leading to nothing more than initiation non grata. As for what to say to every person I meet, I will not know which direction the encounter goes until words are exchanged & hearts are opened to the moment. Besides; very few encounters ever go like the how to books describe. We all know what it’s like to be half heard & then find what’s repeated is not accurate. Look at Jn 20: 21-23. Some of us do the same thing when passing along what we think is important & whatever we take literally can get inadvertently redefined & even become our exclusive mission; to the exclusion of other aspects of the overall commands of Mark 16:15f. Please indulge (my commentary parenthesis) in this observation of the commission.

 “Go (leave the starting point) into all the world (simple to profound, elementary yet reasonably intelligent; computer communication friendly spheres included) & preach the gospel (the whole counsel of God) to every creature. (No not butterflies & fruit bats) He that believes (His word & your testimony) & is baptized (water optional in a few cases but the baptism referred to here is the Holy Spirit which is the power of God & comes with its own set of evidences) shall be saved; (from then forward & on many levels in this life) but he that believeth not (even after a lifetime of hearing & being witnessed to; unless maybe our presentation was a key factor) shall be damned. (Let’s not go there) And these signs shall follow them that believe: (believers do not seek for or follow after a sign) In my name (by power of intimacy through relationship) shall they cast out devils; (not meant to be an exclusive focus either) they shall speak with new tongues; (one application of that relates to developing a vocabulary obtained from absorbing scripture) They shall take up serpents; (Paul experienced this literally but a deeper application is obvious) and if they drink any deadly thing, (insert New Apostolic Reformation propaganda, new 501c3 mandates, Catholic mysticism & ecumenical occultism) it shall not hurt them; (another obvious meaning) they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” Mark 16:15-18 Sample 2 Tim 4:20 for an interesting perspective; I witnessed the instantaneous & the miraculous but I have also agreed in faith while watching with many prayers, no cure & a long illness that ended in death with no literal recovery)

I haven’t personally done right by every single aspect of this extensive yet elementary process as laid out above; none of us have. Incorporated into the bottom line is the making of disciples by teaching them to observe “all things” according to Matt 28:19-20. When sin is in remission after repentance (Lk 24:47) that is the ‘sign’ that the gospel is alive & active. We know that according to Cor 12 there is as much diversity of gifts & callings as there are species of stars in space & we each have a place in the process. Paul said it best in my defense if I may make the comparison in 1 Cor 1:17. “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect…” He went on to say he only water baptized a few in his career & I’m guessing that those were expedient to the moment. Did the water baptismal mandate not apply to him? Of course it did. This is an example of a liberty that systematic factory outlet store evangelism will never comprehend; God is sovereign & he has His true emissaries in play everywhere. Since the theological landscape is as dark as it’s ever been I only have enough light for one more step, the next encounter & the next comment expressed in public. If I had to accommodate an answer on demand I would default to applying the following: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” Mk 1:15

I hope to appease my new friend by the absence of my company as it would be consistent with the scriptures that apply specifically to this situation. We actually disagree on many other points & I don’t see us enjoying a true fellowship until I become accommodating. What does Amos 3:3 say? It says we are separate from one another by disagreement. Paul & Barnabas had a quarrel too & separated company. I hope this goes that well. Forgiveness of any offence should be easy as my brother has not caused any undue stress. I only pray his understanding will be renewed daily. Because he also is in the position of leadership I confronted him with a warning that I hope would be taken seriously as scripture prescribed in James 3:1. You the reader & I also must give an account of our own professorships. Amen?

In closing on a lighter note & to show a modem of taste, I chuckled when I first saw the verse below as it compares urinating to starting needless arguments so I will leave it there as there is nowhere else to go (no pun intended) & there’s nothing else to add but I’m sure that my attempt to clarify my understanding still needs work I’ll admit. Some write better than they talk but that’s a God given expression that is proportionately appropriate for the situation at hand. Having never been a gifted speaker as many can attest to, I hope to never fail to direct my written admonitions to those who think, are given to checking every reference & holding only to what is good & worth retaining. 1 Th 5:21

“The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.” Pro 17:14.
 twl

Marvel Much?

I always marvel at this time of year because of the spirit that is revealed in even the best of friends. We hide it well the rest of the year & it lies dormant until a holiday goose is killed & another ox is gored. Then an argument interrupts its silence & the worst of attitude is mistaken as goodwill to men. God says don’t learn the way of the heathen or practice their ways but over time many superstitions are mingled into church history & time has its way with us all. Paul gives grace freely in these matters seeing we are a collection of gentiles from many corners of customs & belief. Faithful Christians in every century picked up mannerisms & practices that a student of scripture finds appalling but in the Spirit of fellowship accepts to a degree. I can't do anything but bring attention to it. *Roman 14:5 should be enough for us to quietly go about our business but it's usually *Daniel 3:6 that will prevail. Someday soon it won’t matter anymore for all religious opposition will be compromised, political dissidents will be rooted out & methodically silenced. Many will recant & sign on to the new agenda as a result. Some will be disposed of in a festive manner & for a season there will be gifts exchanged & worldwide celebration just like in *Rev 11:10. *One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Rom 14:5 *And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Dan 3:6 *And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. Rev 11:10

This is Just What “X”-mas Means to Me

The exercise of “X”-mas which is cherished by so many evolved over time from a pagan practice as I discovered in the “X”-file. I found out that long ago when the heathens were in bloom, some disgusting behavior ruled the day. Some bizarre festivities came to be as a result of enduring those long cold months of the year. People became weary of being in the dark and soon after discovering fire the tribe began to assemble, mostly to stay warm. Eureka! It’s story time. Eventually the imagination began to gel into all kinds of superstitious rituals and one of them became known as the winter solstice celebration and December 25th became a big day in this sunny historical recipe. Primitive religion and basic violent ignorance was the mechanism of the first entertainment system. This chilly and annoying season of vacant space in the schedule became a tiresome routine, so man said, “Let there be lights,” and that was just the beginning. Eventually this pseudo enjoyable, time consuming and expensive activity was born and there were lights.

Then the church ( Roman Catholic mostly ) came up with the “X”-mass notion that if we place the baby Jesus in there somewhere, we could sanitize this void and in the mix make a few bucks; all to the glory of God of course. This salvaging operation in the festivities department soon began to inspire more ridiculous stories that gullible and illiterate Christians commenced to believe, accept and support. What began with pious superstition eventually procured additional financial momentum. This offered the possibility of holding the infant Jesus hostage for a few weeks during the coldest days of the year while negotiating terms for releasing the legends and inaccurate fables. It sounded delightful it glittered and had an aroma of its own. I have come to understand that it just smells.

There’s more. The “X”-mush is a side dish of mentally unhealthy side affects. It can be depressing to a poor man and a disappointment to a greedy or ungrateful person. It has so very little to do with Jesus anymore and more to do with the accumulation of those unnecessary items which at a reasonable time of year will end up in a garage sale. Modestly priced I might add. Don’t get me wrong, I have been both victim and perpetrator in these “X“-miss trends and habits. I too have looked at many a gift and thought, “just what were you thinking when you paid the cashier for this future white elephant?” It’s not going to bother me if you think that I’m a Scrooge. This guilt driven insult is spoken to intimidate the rational inspection of the issue. It is part and parcel to the expectations, family traditions, seasonally cloned attitudes, and the purchasing mystique. These “X”-mess absurdities just keep getting passed on to the children.

When my son was small, we showered him with gaudily wrapped prizes and read to him from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. My wife cooked and we went to the Christmas service at our church and enjoyed the truth that God became a man and lived on the earth. I have heard that if you want anything done right, you have to do it yourself. The Lord obviously agrees. But I noticed that Jesus had no festivities committee present or even a welcome wagon. There was no invitation on a flashy Hallmark card and I believe very few knew or cared that He had arrived. God was born in a barn of sorts among the farm animals with the smell of manure in His first breath. There was no pine tree cut down in the prime of its life, laden with ornaments over in the corner. None of the fancy wrapped store bought packages, the bric-a-brac of our high tech, remote controlled, return them if you don’t like them environment cluttered the stable floor. The shepherds of today refuse to spread the good news like they did 2000 and some years ago. The wise men and theologians of today don’t believe the bible and wouldn’t understand a sign from heaven if they saw one and couldn’t pour eggnog out of a boot if the directions were written on the heel. Spiritually speaking that is.

Jesus came to us not requiring that we celebrate His birth, because He has no beginning and He has no end. He did although come to present Himself as a gift and still offers Himself to anyone who will accept it. He is now mostly ignored in the “X”-must rush. For those who choose to believe, He only requires that we remember to acknowledge His commandments and promises. But we still insist on giving Him an unfair trial, if we dare to try Him at all. Think of it as a gift exchange with an unusually cruel death for Him and in return a new life for us; as in, His beating for our healing. You get the picture. It’s not as pretty as a Hollywood film, but then truth just isn’t as exciting as intoxicating visual animation.

I appeal to you to consider the resurrection in the “X”-missed it again object lesson. It’s all some of us can do to get out of bed and face another day except on “X”-mas day as we have done since we were children. Great resurrection morning! We rise up early, make a lot of noise tear open perfectly wrapped items and begin operating them with not even the benefit of reading the instructions. We will become goofy and surprised, somewhat confused and also a bit envious too, until about noon when most of the toys will loose their interest in us and remain neglected or broken already. We’ll stuff ourselves silly with white sugar, starch and cooking grease. We will consume the worse types of snack ever invented, designed or brewed and of course do all this with at best a marginal suggestion of appreciation to the One who makes it all possible. Some will say that that’s just my opinion and a very “X”-treme one at that.

I have come to believe that a resurrection happens every December 25th in most of the free world and is soon forgotten in a vapor of gluttonous spending and anxiety. In an earth that knows no peace, a day of ancient custom whose origin is found in witchcraft has no special magic for me, knowing that many will go to their grave without ever opening the gift that God gave us. Go ahead and celebrate this pagan holiday while you can because there are not many “X”-messes left until He returns. Learn to be thankful for every moment you have above ground. Without the Lord and His love for mankind, there would be no use to celebrate anything. He alone has allowed and even tolerated all of the Christmases past. This present one and any future ones however are still in question, and that’s just what “X”-mas means to me.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

　
Written by Timothy W. La Vigne
Original concepts 12/18/1999 Vancouver, WA

Are You Thinking?

Are you thinking of investing in a 2013 hot shot preacher’s Alaskan cruise, annual celebrity concert & revival tour or maybe just an off the rack specialized seminar circuit event? I’m thoroughly impressed with the big name conference & concert combo brochures that are printed on expensive paper & include hotel availability & booking rates. Often, if you sign up early you get a whole 10% off the overpriced gala. Too much exaggeration & not enough honesty are spent hyping the three day music festival or week long seminar that in the real world couldn’t survive without such crafty advertising & heavy promotion. It only takes a few gifted voices to attract the ears of an easily manipulated audience. Just for perspective some Sting 60th birthday concert tickets sold for $1074 a pop. The artist’s name in this case fits the whole concept. Without the oversold curiosity factor, similar pseudo religious pabulum would evaporate. If one person will seek God with an open Bible & a closed mouth sooner or later that person will know more than all the PhD’s in the world. I’m going to write more about this in the future & I’m so inspired by Rick Warren & Joel Osteen. I just can’t decide whether to call the article ‘The Concert Driven Life’ or ‘Your Best Convention Now.’