How Far Will You Go For God?

Last night, expecting a quiet night after the Marriage Ministry at the Vineyard in Wheeling, I got a phone call that a patient had died and they wanted the chaplain.  The trip from Wheeling was seventy miles and I would not get there till 10:30 PM.  I was met by family and friends from the wife's church who had come out in the rain like myself to be with the family.  They offered comfort and a quiet presence in a difficult time.  So, while I was compensated for my time and miles, they were not.  The question is: "How far will I go for God?"

The answer is not as far as he went for me!  He first sent his Holy Spirit to call me to salvation.  He sent his Son to die so I can live.  He again sent his Holy Spirit to comfort me, teach me, and correct me. He has gone to such great lengths to have a relationship with me the distance I am asked to go can never really balance the scale.

Vicki once asked me if I was ever going to retire and I said no.  I may change ministries, but I cannot find a mandatory retirement age in the Bible.  I am not speaking of retirement as a pastor but speaking of retirement as a Christian.  Jesus said we must work while it is still day.  At first, the picture does not come clear until you realize Jesus is the Light of the World.  As long as his presence is here in the church and in the lives of believers, it is always daytime. 

If it comes to distance for serving God, I think the sky is the limit.  I serve as a Christian husband and father, a chaplain in hospice, and a servant with the marriage ministry at the Vineyard.  I don't know where he will lead me next, but no matter where he sends me, he will provide all I need to go the distance if I just trust in the Father.

Letting Your Yes Mean Yes

As a kid of the sixties I would watch black and white westerns on Saturday morning and loved John Wayne movies.  Often an Indian Chief would say, "White man speak with forked tongue!" because they were promised one thing and the white man did something else.  The forked tongue of the desert snake comes to mind as a reptile which lays in wait for prey to come into sight and then strike.  All of this was done by deception and craftiness. 

Matthew 10:16 reminds us since we are to go out among the wolves we are to be shrewd as a snake.  Jesus is not talking about our conversation but the means and methods of living with and dealing with the non-believer.  Yet, no where is deceit or lying a part of this plan.  In fact, among the world's people, honesty in speech does more than programs of evangelism.

We know the sayings about used car salesmen and politicians.  We expect truthfulness from others but do we demand the same truthfulness in ourselves?  We remember the saying from Bambi--"If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!" but, truthfulness requires the truth spoken in all circumstances.  If you promise something but do not deliever, then you have not been faithful to your spoken word.

Honest is the best policy and it requires a dedication to the truth. Just as Jesus said he was the way, the truth, and the life.  Followers of Jesus must also exhibit the same standard so others will trust you.  Then you can show them the real Truth.

What Time Is It?

I have a total of three watches in my jewelry box.  Two are Elgin wristwatches and the other is a pocket watch I once carried in a vest pocket of a suit.  They are for the basic function of telling me what time it is during the day or night.  They are not for style nor to impress others with my bling.  If I wanted and could afford it, there is a watch with over 200 carats of diamonds available for $25 million dollars. 

Time is something we control or it controls us.  I get up by an alarm clock at 5 AM and try to get to bed by 10 PM.  I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner by a schedule based on time.  I arrive and depart work by a schedule of time.  I go to church by a schedule of time and depending on the length of service, I leave by a specific time.  I have even been told when I pastored churches to be finished by 12 Noon because a lady had a roast in the over for Sunday dinner. 

God created the lights in the sky for man to know the seasons for planting and harvesting as well as sacred times of worship and festivals.  Why is it then we find ourselves slave to the clock.  It has no power in itself.  It functions by a set of gears run by a battery.  It does not speak but it tells us the time we are to be somewhere.  As a man I can not count the number of times I had my agenda set for a departure and my wife had a totally different time in mind.  I actually had us meet someone fifteen minutes earlier than the other couple was to arrive just so I could be there on time.  It was not a happy time in the van after I explained the situation to Vicki while we waited for the Whites.  I will NEVER do that again!

According to Psalm 62:8 we are to "Trust in him at all times, you people: pour out your hearts to him for God is our refuge."   We do not have a timepiece which tells us when to worship God.  Some do so only on Sundays.  Others do it twice a year--Christmas and Easter.  Others have found the secret of worshipping and trusting in God twenty-four hours in a day.  Worship means worthship and we give things in our life time as we see fit.  We give our employers forty hours plus because we value the income or the job.  We value hours before the television watching a show or sporting event giving it a value of time.  We give time to our spouses and children, hobbies, and friends.  We show how much we appreciate them by the giving of time. 

Do we show God our appreciation by giving him TIME?  Popcorn prayers and Sunday morning service is really not enough.  If we were to tithe the time in a 168 hour week, that would be 16.8 hours.  I wonder if we are anywhere near that amount of time?

A Friend to the Weird Kid From Florida

As a child I wanted many friends.  I chose to try to be the class clown as the chubby kid so I could make people laugh with me instead of at me.  Much to the displeasure of my teachers I continued trying for my classmates approval counted in the form of laughs.  As I grew up I realized they still had the opportunity to laugh and make fun of me behind my back as I gave them more and more ammunition by my behavior. 

I still needed approval until one day when I found a friend who accepted me for all of my faults, all of my sins, and all of my warts.  He does not judge me nor think I am the weird kid from Florida.  He did not worry my clothes were not the top of the line or if I lived in the better section of Orlando.  He was born to a working class carpenter.  They didn't have a car nor did his clothes come from the better stores.  Yet, because he was the Son of the Most High God, he was heir of all his heavenly Father had and offered it to me with no strings attached-save one--I make him my friend by faith.

I learned the best way to have a life of ruin is to consider many people my friend.  They will gossip to you and then about you.  Those who we call friends should be willing to keep a trust and a confidence, but they sometimes let things slip to one and then many.  My friend Jesus keeps all things to himself. 

One day I am going to meet my friend face to face.  He will stand beside me when his dad reviews my life.  I will not have to worry about him betraying my past.  He will simply say, "For all of that I died!"  What a friend we have in Jesus. 

Management or Leadership?

 "We manage things but we lead people."

Dr. Stephen Macchia

Yesterday, television shows reminded us of the terror, destruction, and sadness of September 11th, 2001.  Some may remember the pictures of President Bush continuing to read to little children after being informed of the devastation in New York City.  Many have criticized him for remaining in his seat.  However, leadership is not the absence of fear nor is it the failure of action.  Leadership is the calming reassurance in the midst of crisis.  It is also the quiet ability to promote others to action when fear may be their first reaction.

When President Bush spoke from the White House, he was calming in his speech.  When he stood on the rubble in New York with the fireman and told the terrorist around the world they would soon hear from us and he also gave us the direction we needed.  Leaders point out a direction when we might be directionless and they pursue the direction even when others may disagree.

Jesus' style of leadership was a prime example.  He told his disciples over and over of his impending death, but continued with his calm reassurance.  When Peter told him to stop talking about his death, Jesus rebuked a friend.  He spoke to sisters mourning the death of their brother, even in the midst of their accusations.  They told him our brother would have lived if you had been here.  Sounds like us as we blame God for his tardiness.  But leaders also do what is needed to be done and not what is expedient or politically correct.
God always acts in a right way no matter what we think he should be doing. 

God's book tells us to pray for the leaders of our country.  There is not authority which is not established by God--good and bad.  Remember, he is still leading when other leaders are not.  There have been several presidents and many senators and representatives serving in Washington in my life.  All are flawed and all have good and bad times of leadership.  No matter where you stand on this government leadership (White House, Capital and even the Supreme Court) please continue to pray for them.

It Is Over--September 11, 2001.

Valor is defined as strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness and personal bravery.  While I am not a fan of the present administration, I want to thank them for the valor to continue with bringing to justice the mastermind of September 11, 2001.

I was in my office when I got the call the twin towers had been hit by planes.  Vicki and her class where watching the event unfold on television wheeled into her classroom.  I had to help a friend and when it was complete, I raced home to pick up my three month old daughter and hold her tight against my chest.  When President Bush started the war in Iraq, I supported that decision.  Not that I am a hawk, but I do believe, just as when we were attacked by Japan which started the second world war, a nation must be able to protect itself and its citizens.

So, with the strength of his convictions, President Obama sent military personnel into another country without the aid of allies to take justice to this man.  I am sure in the midst of celebration and the like the statement I heard on television those killed on 9/11 may rest in peace, many will believe this is the end. 
But valor from our administration must continue because the people who followed UBL will not rest.  Let us pray for our President, his administration and our troops overseas.  This is a blip, with many more to come. 

Man's heart is evil and war and might cannot remove from it the desire to kill others.  Only God can and will end evil.  Let us also pray for that day to come.