The Treasure Of Scripture Mediation

         In letters to the editor the Bible is often a battle ground. I fear that young people will misjudge the Bible as negative. If used correctly it is a proven resource of positve transformation. It is given as a guide to a peaceful life. Approached with a humble desire to change for the better it gives illuminating insight. What we look for determines what we get.

With obscure violent verses bitter folks try to justify wrath. In prison I confronted inmates who taught malice towards Blacks, Jews, and Catholics. They twisted the Scriptures into toxic poison . In cults it is misused to brain wash followers into puppets to blindly obey the leader. Rev. Jim Jones and David Koresh are recent historical examples. Destructive uses of the Scriptures blind us to it's beneficial purpose.

       In public protests the Westport Baptist Church in Topeka , Kansas misuse the Bible as a hateful weapon against people of a different sexual orientation. Preachers use it to condemn denominations they don't like. Religious leaders use it to condemn a political party. Without interpreation of historical and cultural context people can twist isolated verses into a proof text to fit their own ego driven agenda.

      We need leaders to explain the Scriptures in a life giving way. Martin Luther King showed us the right path. He quoted the Bible in public addresses and in his books. His choice of passages emphasize guiding principles of forgiveness, self-control, peace building, and inclusive justice. He taught the main message which is to walk humbly with God, to do justice and seek wisdom. He is in agreement with St. Augustine who taught that the cardinal rule in evaluating religious teaching is the increase of the active love of God and neighbor..

       One way to experience the uplifting wisdom of the Bible is daily meditation with an experienced guide. The internet provides a free site to learn inspiring insights with the “Upper Room”. It offers testimonies from people world wide in all walks of life who share expeiences of transformation. It does not market any denomination. It follows the example of Martin Luther King with a consistent challenge to do justice and mercy. This free ministry can help us to grow in understanding and train us to practice moral awareness and integrity. We need a daily dose of spiritual vitamins. If we are willing to listen for the Divine Author  to teach us His agenda the Scriptures will enlighten our journey.

         Why was the Holy Book given to us?, “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another, showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, The Message.

        This a great treasure is offered to everyone. It has value far beyond material wealth or celebrity status. It teaches what is eternally important.

Birth Weight Treasure

       Holding our grandson Timothy born on November 25th close on my chest warmed my heart. The Creator of life bestows such amazing trust. Timothy is a mystery of promise placed into human hands. Tiny Tim is fragile and needy He is a precious endowment of talent placed in our lap.

       What awesome capability is poured into 7 pounds and 11 ounces. Timothy will develop unique abilities as he is cherished and nurtured. We are enriched and renewed by his presence. His physical size is small but his capacity to do wonderful things is large.

      There is responsibility ingrained with the trust of a new person given to us. We are losers if we don't perceive the worthiness of children. If we are too busy to invest our time and money in children we miss out on the opportunity of a life time. When we experience wonder in the presence of a new baby we are enabled to respond with reverence.

      In Christmas we celebrate Jesus. He came to us vulnerable and fragile. He came with a birth weight. He was blessed to have Joseph and Mary who recognized his special nature and invested themselves in giving him protection and moral guidance.

      The birth of Jesus instructs us to consider the noble bearing of each child. Rabbi Jesus had special respect for children. He cherished kids in a society that devalued them. When his disciples pushed aside parents who wanted their babies to be blessed Jesus was angry. He granted the parents' desire to bestow honor.

      What is our attitude towards children? Rabbi Jesus said, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. “ Matthew 18:4-5. It is easy in our adult world to overlook the dignity of children. We neglect children if we do not understand their great value.

      A valid way to celebrate Christmas is to give kindness, generosity, and wise care to children he has placed in our life. We receive Jesus into our life by welcoming with awe the little ones He places under our influence .

       What does it mean to give welcome? To listen to a chlid's dreams encourages him to believe there is a future of hope. To encourage constructive abilities is to create confidence she can make a positive contribution in society. To take time to be fully present shows a child he is worthy of attention. Kids perceive quickly when they are considered a treasure or viewed as mere “rug rats” in the way of adult routines.

      I was awe-struck when I held Timothy. The grandeur of his presence moved my soul beyond words. May we all respond reverently to such latent greatness wrapped in birth weight.

       We receive the Christ Child anew when we help children in poverty in the Ozarks. A generous gift to Crosslines will help a food insecure child to know he is not forgotten.

How Much Is Enough To Be Grateful?

         An inmate nearing release said, “If I can make enough money in regular work then I will give up my criminal past. If I can't earn enough to make me happy I will take what I want.” I appreciated his honesty. I replied, “How will you know when you have enough? He paused and said he would have to explore this when he returned home. I doubt with his materialistic values if he ever was fully satisfied.

       I ponder how much is enough to be grateful and find motivation to do what is right. The law of diminishing returns applies as we strive for satisfaction. Satiety eludes us as we grasp for more. If our basic needs are secure advertisements allure that we can never be happy without the sale's pitch . Are wishes for instant gratification of bigger and better things valid needs? Material accumulation or endless pleasure seeking activities bring a temporary elation which require another quick fix as the high recedes. Each passing thrill satisfies less.

       There is a spiritual reality about the experience of fullness. Haggai , in 1:5-6, expresses this timeless truth , “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

        Contentment is found not in worldly status, possessions or passing pleasures. They fail to satisfy our soul and lead to gratitude. A glut of wealth with its trappings often brings only a restlessness of overindulgence. To reflect on the precious gift of our humanity filled with great potential brings new awareness of a deeper dimension of true wealth given freely by our Maker. Our greatest treasure is who we are made to become.

       If we honor the Giver of life we experience a satisfaction of soul which can't be purchased. The Jewish prophet Haggai challenges us to serve others with earthly wealth as the way to inner peace. When we acknowledge the Divine Master and surrender to His higher purpose of generosity our grasping can come to rest. In the practice of integrity and sharing with the poor we can find the heart content.

       Enough is not found in excess. Enough is found in the choice to practice a more generous way of life.

      In the Jewish Passover Meal an ancient song of thanksgiving, the “Dayenu”, is shared. It is an up-beat role call of remembrance. A list of God's gifts which no money can buy are proclaimed. After each blessing is named the people say, “It would have been enough for us”. This refrain reminds us that awareness of the Generous Giver and His gifts is enough for us to practice behavior which honors Him.

The Blue Bomber!

       Rev. Hewlett stopped to talk in the street in front of my home. I was washing and waxing my car. I had just purchased it for $100.00. It was a 1950 blue 2 door Plymouth. I had saved to buy a car by working at a grocery store. Being 17 years old and having a car meant new opportunities. Now I could ask girls out.

      Growing up in St. Louis our family did not own an automobile. We walked or took the bus to get to work or school. We lived 6 blocks from. On Sunday in every kind of weather we walked to worship.

     Rev. Hewlett gently warned me about making an idol of my car. He told me God blessed me with the Plymouth to help others. He challenged me to dedicate it to God. His words were an awakening of the danger of idolatry.

      In response to my pastor's counsel Mom and I had a short prayer of dedication of the car. We knew other people walked to church and needed a ride. Therefore on Sundays I shuttled folks to church. Mom was proud that we helped her widowed friends to avoid rain and hot weather when walking to worship.

       Rev. Hewlett appreciated the way I responded to his leadership about the Plymouth. In worship he complimented me for dedicating my old car to do good things for others. Then the moment was ruined!

      He described the car as a jalopy dedicated to God. I was mortified . In my eyes the car was not in dilapidated condition. It did burn a quart of oil every 100 miles. With noise and trail of smoke my friends named it , “The Blue Bomber”. My visceral reaction did reveal how much I loved that car. It took me awhile to forgive my pastor for such an insensitive remark! People get outraged if their idol is insulted !

      I need to heed the command of Moses for my spiritual health. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth..You shall not bow down and worship them”. Exodus 20: 4-5.

       The Blue Bomber served our family well for one year then fell apart. Rev. Hewlett was right. It was a jalopy on the way to the junk yard. My pastor gave me a lesson for life. When I make an idol it will consume all my time. An idol brings false hope of soul satisfaction. The path of happiness is to serve God with worldly possessions to help others.

      His counsel helps me when tempted to make an idol of political party, religious leader, elected official, or church denomination. They, like my blue bomber, are good in a limited way but very temporary. They are flawed and can not deliver the goods. My Creator alone is the source of a meaningful life and I need to worship Him only.

My Will Or His Will Be Done?

          The lyrics of an old hymn inspire me. “Jesus, Jesus, how I trust thee. How I have proved thee over and over. Precious Jesus, give me grace to trust thee more. I am so glad I learned to trust Him. His is my most precious friend”. These words instruct me that there is no greater good to experience in life than to do the Will of God.

        The Will of God has been given a bad reputation from preachers who use this phrase when a person has died. This is a negative and fatalistic way of viewing the generous plans of God directed towards us. The Lord's intentions toward us are for our eternal good. He is our best friend who truly knows what is best for us.

        Our Lord is not a Kill Joy. His Will is over flowing with positive, life giving energy directed towards us. To experience the blessings of His Will we can not have it both ways. We must pray with Jesus in the garden of life decision, “Not my will, but Father may your will be done.” In the giving over of our agendas each day to be directed by God for the doing of His purpose we find meaning and fulfillment.

         Our Lord Jesus knew that the terrible suffering of His cross would not lead to termination but to a life of resurrection and reward. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”, Hebrews 12:2.

        What are the intentions of Jesus as we surrender to Him as Lord and seek to be a faithful and fruitful servant? John 10: 10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

     May we seek daily to do the Will of our Heavenly Father. In His will is our peace. To have the grace to trust Him more in faithful and fruitful obedience is the goal of discipleship.

The Warning Story

        The Gospel reading for Sunday is Luke 16:19-31. The story of a certain rich man and a poor man named Lazarus is a way Jesus warns about eternal consequences of persistent, present, selfish choices. The rich man after death wakes up at a place of eternal torment and faces permanent separation from all that is good. Lazarus is carried tenderly after death to Heaven to be close with God.

        Let me share what I do not believe about Hell. I do not believe that God wants any one to go to Hell. I do not believe our Father creates any person destined for eternal punishment. I do not believe our Father sends a person to Hell because he grew up in a culture where the Christian faith is unknown. The Creator who fashions the heart of all knows those people who surrender to the best truths they have about God and follow the light available to them.

         So where does Hell come from? Where does this great eternal gulf come from? We as sinful people create our own chasm from God.

If we run from God's truth, refuse to accept God as Owner of life,

reject all His holy moral laws written in the heart, ignore the still small voice of conscience, avoid the clear teaching of Scripture as a valid guide, resist the inner witness of the Spirit that sin is real, and rebel against turning our will over to His higher will then we create a great gulf between our heart and God.

        Status of wealth, expensive toys and worldly pleasures of this life are fleeting. There is a wealth of the heart that out lasts clock time. Lazarus invested in a relationship of service and love towards His Maker. He invested in true riches which can not be stolen, rust away or go to the trash heap of broken, obsolete toys. Lazarus was rich in faith and trust in God.

        Here is where the fire comes into the story. I think the rich man experienced a inner burning of regret and grief. He had a fire of self-loathing for being such a fool to throw away eternal life with God for some empty passing thrills. This awareness of such great folly is a fire which never stops burning.

        This story teaches the deep truth that the present moment is a short time of preparation to enter into a blessed existence with God which transcends chronological time. If our hearts are so cold to the poor that we ignore them we must beware. The rich man treated Lazarus as someone who didn't matter. The Lord valued Lazarus so highly he was given a VIP welcome home.

Scouts Are A Positive Example! The Boy Scout Oath talks about duty. This is a dimension of life not emphasized in today's world. Obligation is a part of a good life. President John Kennedy touched upon this when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” It is in an awareness of responsibilities where we discover meaning and direction. The trust placed in us by God and country can be a source of inspiration. “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” We need a sense of inner direction to keep from getting lost in life's journey. The awareness of a sacred oath before God and sharing fellowship with an accountable community is a source of inner direction. A compass is used when hiking in the forest. It is easy to get lost even with the best of maps. The compass orients the map with the magnetic needle showing the direction of true North. This little hand held guide keeps the hiker from going in circles. Some hikers after losing their compass walk long distances in what they think is the right way but only become lost in confusion. This direction finder assists in making true progress to the destination of home. The Boy Scout Oath has roots in the constraints of the message of Christ. Because of the great mercy and generosity of God's unmerited grace we live under obligation. When we are baptized we make an oath to Christ to follow His commands, forgive others, to do our best to grow, and to do kind deeds. May we all take time to look to the compass of Christ who lives within us in His Spirit. It would help us to check often on the inner direction finder of His moral commands and His still small voice of duty. The world can offer us maps for pleasure, popularity, and material success. The big problem is the world does not provide a compass to keep us from getting lost in the pursuit of success. Thank God that in His mercy He provides the compass we need with our vows of duty to Christ and the guidance of His holy moral laws. We are offered the spiritual magnetic needle in Christ to lead us on the road that leads to life abundant. The Scouts are an example of oath of holy duty.

         The Boy Scout Oath talks about duty. This is a dimension of life not emphasized in today's world. Obligation is a part of a good life. President John Kennedy touched upon this when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” It is in an awareness of responsibilities where we discover meaning and direction. The trust placed in us by God and country can be a source of inspiration.

        “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

We need a sense of inner direction to keep from getting lost in life's journey. The awareness of a sacred oath before God and sharing fellowship with an accountable community is a source of inner direction.

           A compass is used when hiking in the forest. It is easy to get lost even with the best of maps. The compass orients the map with the magnetic needle showing the direction of true North. This little hand held guide keeps the hiker from going in circles. Some hikers after losing their compass walk long distances in what they think is the right way but only become lost in confusion. This direction finder assists in making true progress to the destination of home.

       The Boy Scout Oath has roots in the constraints of the message of Christ. Because of the great mercy and generosity of God's unmerited grace we live under obligation. When we are baptized we make an oath to Christ to follow His commands, forgive others, to do our best to grow, and to do kind deeds.

        May we all often check our course with the compass of Christ who lives within us in His Spirit. It would help us to take note of the inner direction finder of His moral commands and His still small voice of duty. The world can offer us maps for pleasure, popularity, and material success. The big problem is the world does not provide a compass to keep us from getting lost in the pursuit of success.

       Thank God that in His mercy He provides the compass we need with our vows of duty to Christ and the guidance of His holy moral laws. We are offered the spiritual magnetic needle in Christ to lead us on the road that leads to life abundant.

        The Scouts are an example of oath of holy duty.

Water Is Always Wet

      “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”, Ephesians 5:16 KJV. We swim in time like fish live in water. Our relationship with time calls for us to value it and make wise choices. Fish are automatically benefited by the water they swim in because they are not creatures of choice.

       I learned about making wise use of time from prison inmates who turned to God. Inmates spoke about time as a sentence given them by a judge. They used adjectives to describe time such as; big, slow, heavy, wasted, empty, and dead. When they gave up on doing something constructive with themselves it became dead without meaning.

       Redeemed inmates would say, “Don't let the time do you in, you can do the time.” This happens when we look for ways to make our here and now count for personal growth and the doing of good. As prison chaplain I urged the men to look for unique opportunities afforded by the prison where they could invest in personal growth.

      Now is the only place where we can redeem our time. The past is history we can learn from but we can not live there. The future is a hope but it is uncertain if we will arrive there. Satan wants us to be slaves to past guilt and failures instead of living now in the light of forgiveness. Satan wants us to anxiously brood over a future of anticipated problems and nagging worries of what if this or that happens. The Lord in the light of trust in His guidance and mercy calls us to invest in our present situation to do all the good we can for others. He calls us to be present and accounted for His team.

        In our rushed lifestyle a popular illusion is the concept of “someday”. We excuse ourselves from being faithful to God right now if we buy into the notion, “Someday when I have more time. When I am not so busy. Then I will give God time and service.” In moments of clarity we see instead that “the time is now to fulfill each vow, for I may never pass this way again”.

      Do fish talk about the nature of water each day with surprise, “Did you notice how wet the water is today?” How clueless this would be! It is ironic that we as humans express shock when we say , “how time flies!” or “where did the time go?” or “how does time get away from us so quickly?” Like water is wet, time is fleeting.

    May we each day redeem our time to honor our Lord and be fruitful for His kingdom. Now is the only time to seek God and serve Him! Thank the Lord for the gift of today! It is Divine opportunity.

Keep Walking In The Light

         “ God is light, in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness we lie and do not do the truth. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7.

       What a privilege we have to walk in the light of Christ. We all have our dark side where evil desires lurk to tempt us. At times we can have seasons of dark grief when a loved dies, we lose a job, or have a divorce. Our society celebrates the dark violent side of human nature in movies and TV viewing. How can we get in touch with the light of Christ to redeem us from the destructive power of darkness?

I believe we have the choice each day to wake up and follow the light of Christ or to yield to dark influences. If we will value the light of Jesus enough to follow his guidance we will experience being children of the light.

       In the struggle against the control of darkness I pray we all may practice the following:

       To seek a positive attitude of “I can make a difference for good” instead of staying in the rut of complaining and grumbling.

       To look for wisdom and understanding from the Lord instead of practicing the reactivity of clueless folly.

    To give compassion to all people even if we do not agree with their politics or religion, to refuse to hate anyone.

     To accept personal responsibility for my own happiness instead of blaming other people for my problems.

     To do what is right and fair when tempted to take advantage of the weakness of others.

    To forgive others who hurt us by leaving the dark desire of revenge behind.

     To attend to the light of duty for people who need us to be faithful and to refuse to live a selfish and self centered life.

    To affirm the hope of better days as we follow his leadership instead of giving up to the dark feeling of despair.

    To share our truth with courage instead of being paralyzed by the dark fear of failure or rejection.

    To invest in actions of eternal meaning, what really matters, instead of dwelling in the darkness of boredom and cynicism.

    To affirm the mercy and forgiveness of sins and mistakes, instead of giving into the crushing burden of shame and guilt.

    Yes, we can make a conscious choice to turn away from the destructive down ward pull of our dark side and the dark influences of the world. We can walk in the guiding and healing light of Christ.

      I write this with awareness of my dear friend, professor, minister and teacher. John took his own life when he let the darkness of his failure to control his alcoholism pull him down into terminal despair.

How I miss this talented, gentle and compassionate servant of God. His tragic choice to yield to the control of dark guilt and shame snuffed out his light of great service to college students. May we always affirm that the light of Christ's forgiveness and restorative power gives us hope to pick ourselves us and keep doing what is good and right.

Got A Dream?

        I pray that you will experience a God given dream. We can ask for holy vision to be given us by the Spirit of God. Acts 2:17 offers hope of new noble dreams to reach for, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” The power of holy vision can give us energy to grow faithful and fruitful lives for the Kingdom of God.

         The famous musical, “South Pacific” , has lyrics that speak of this need , “If you don't talk happy, and you never have a dream, how will you ever have a dream come true?” One of the enriching gifts of being filled with the Holy Spirit is to dream new possibilities of growth, service and peaceful living. Martin Luther King was inspired by the dream of social justice and we pray and work for this to come true.

Of course Martin Luther King was not perfect. He was a sinner like all of us.

       What is powerful about his dream is the beneficial nature for other people. Not all dreams are from God! Jeremiah warns us in 23:26-27, “How long? Will the hearts of the prophets ever turn back – those who prophesy lies and who prophesy the delusions of their own hearts? They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another.” Human dreams can be filled with selfish ambitions of greed, ego inflation, power and indulgence.

      A vision for my life as I age is Psalms 92:12-15, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, showing that the Lord is upright.” My dream is to discover new ways to be fruitful for our Lord in my senior years. With the Holy Spirit guiding me age is not a limiting factor.

“Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be, the last for which the first was made.” Robert Browning. Do you have a dream?

Who Despised The Day of Small Things?

          Growing up in church we sand a hymn, “Sweet Hour of Prayer”. I have struggled with this concept of measuring prayer as an hour achievement. I tried to pray many times for an hour but failed. I felt defeated.

         In my effort to pray daily I no longer try hard for an hour. Instead what helps me is the practice of short spaces of time with God through out my day. These intervals may be 5 or 10 minutes to renew my focus on my Lord.

       One break is to read the Upper Room and pray the suggested prayer. Another pause is to read a Psalm and ponder one key verse where the Lord is speaking to me. A short look around outside at God's marvelous creation is prayerful for me. This helps me hear the birds and notice the beauty of our Lord's flowers. It helps me praise Him for His wonderful works. When I catch myself in worry I take some gratitude moments to notice how good my life is and express thanks.

      These interspersed prayerful moments help me to stay focused on the day as God's gift and my need to honor Him. Zechariah 4: 10 encourages me to give my small intervals to God, “For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice.”

When I practice daily these small things I experience the renewing touch of the Spirit of God.

In God's Eyes You Are Indespensible, Never Despicable.

“On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.” 1 Corinthians 12:22-23.

       Reflecting on this passage makes me realize how we need to value ourselves and other members of Christ's body. It is tempting to overlook the vital contribution of a quiet person. Our society teaches that celebrities are the real VIPs. They grab the spotlight and boast to be more important than regular people. This outlook can weaken the body of Christ if we think that pastors, TV evangelists, or popular musicians make the real difference.

        The visible and upfront servants of God do have an important role. Of equal value to the work of God are the quiet majority who make things happen.

       A false humility can rob us from valuing our place of service so much we excuse our part as being worthless. We can reject this worldly way of thinking which goes like this, “I am not talented, beautiful, young enough, educated well enough, and can not talk well enough to serve God. If I do not attend worship, volunteer or give my participation it will not matter. I am not important like others who are so talented. I am sure I will not be missed.” This is a lie. You are an indispensable part of the health and fruitfulness of the church where you worship.

       The funny movie with the theme of being “despicable” can wake us up. We are not worthless and of no account when it comes to eternal work for our Lord. We are never “despicable” even if worldly people treat us as less honorable.

The Lord does not see you as “despicable”, but as “indispensable”.

Do You Know Your Body Is A Temple Of The Holy Spirit?

        1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 makes a profound statement about our physical body, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” To be aware of the body as the dwelling place of the Divine Spirit would help us to counter the influence of the current secular view of our physical existence.

      The ancient Greek and Roman religions taught that religion is only a matter of the spiritual realm. What you did with your body had no bearing on one's relationship with God. The body was looked upon as inferior to the soul and not worthy of consideration. They despised the body as only a temporary prison of the eternal soul. This view is prevalent in the New Age religion of our day. How things never change.

The point is we must serve God through the way we treat our body if we want to please Him. Do you know that your body is a sacred vessel of the Spirit of wisdom? God wants to show forth His goodness, faithfulness, wisdom and righteousness in moral and healthy living.

        The way the Lord made us with intricate design, awesome mental and physical powers shows that He loves us. His commitment to us is not limited by how long we have the breathe of life. He promises to redeem this body to a new level of transformation in the victory of the resurrection of our Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:13-15 says, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body, By his power He raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.”

        The false play boy philosophy is pushed upon us in our media. It is the same old outlook the Gospel came to deliver from. We can only find peace and fulfillment in keeping the holy moral commands of God to use the body to honor Him. Who does your body belong to? Isn't it your own business what I do with it?

         We own our body as a steward handles the property of the master whom he must give an account to. Our ownership here means responsibility and care. It does not mean moral and sexual wildness where we do what we please.

         Do you know that you are a temple of the Eternal, Holy Spirit?

Gatsby Was Fooled, He Never Was Great.

          We just saw the movie, “The Great Gatsby”. As we reflected on this story of dishonest wealth and sexual wildness it struck us how timely it is. The movie is about the 1920s era of insane money of organized crime enriched by prohibition and corruption of public officials. The rich were getting extremely wealthy with an inflated stock market boom. Morals were considered out of date and old fashioned. All that mattered was getting glamorous clothes, cars and houses. Immediate gratification was the rage with no thought of consequences of lying, cheating, and stealing in order to have it all now. The movie shows the fleeting, false, and empty thrills of the Gatsby lifestyle.

         Human nature has not changed. In the time of Jesus earthly ministry the Gatsby crowd pursued fine clothes, big money, wild parties, and splendid mansions. They were called the Herodians because of their allegiance to King Herod. He agreed with the Romans to be their puppet king in exchange for the Gatsby kind of rewards. The Herodians cooperated with Herod in every way to keep the good times rolling in luxury, pomp, pleasure and sexual wildness. Instant gratification was the offer Herod made to his loyal followers.

The message of Jesus and his way of life was in stark contrast to Herod.

       The wisdom of Jesus is to pursue integrity, generosity, moral faithfulness, to do good to other and to practice self-control. Jesus warned about greed and selfish gain where we can lose our eternal soul. Greater than immediate gain Jesus promises a spiritual kind of wealth that will never lose its value.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust consumes and were thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6: 19-21.

        I wonder when Gatsby was about to die if he experienced some “terminal lucidity”? There comes near death a moment of clarity when in a flash we clearly see if we lived for what was lasting or wasted our energies on what is false and rusting away. With the help of the Spirit of Truth may we all be lucid now about what is worth living for.

We Need Not Be Prisoners of our Past

            Recent news stories tell of human bondage. Alex Rodriquez is reported to face a 100 game suspension because of illegal drugs this year. A few years ago he confessed to using steroids over a 2 year period. Ryan Braun , Brewer's star accepted a 65 game suspension for using illegal substances this season. He now admits to being dirty in 2011 when awarded the MVP.

         Humanity is problematic about reverting to past destructive behaviors.

Psychologists witness the best way to predict future behavior is past actions. This common pattern defies all reason. When a person seems to have achieved success he repeats the same foolish actions that damaged his career, health and family.

Recidivism is the main problem keeping prisons overflowing. Why is it so hard for us to learn our lesson? Why is it difficult to practice a new way of life?

        If we ignore the Lord to help us change we are limited to self reliance. 1 Corinthians 5: 17-18 gives hope beyond self, “So if anyone in in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.”

         Our hope is the higher power of Christ to transform our heart and habits to live wisely. Guidance from Christ is available when we humbly ask for His help day by day to do the right thing. We can overcome the prison of our past if we surrender to do His will daily.

       Freedom from past folly is never a possession to boast about. It is a continuing relationship of trust and obedience with the Deliverer of our soul.

The Lord's Miracles and Magic Are Not The Same Thing.

On July 9^th Rev. Ray postulated in the News Leader that we need to view miracles in the Holy Scriptures as mere magical stories. He opines that to believe in the wonders of Jesus is superstitious magic.

       Magic is rejected by the Apostles. They had conflicts with magicians who wanted to purchase the Holy Spirit to make money. A magician sells an illusion that supernatural power can be forced to to get us what we want. Magic requires no submission to the higher will of our Creator. With a magician, you pay and expect the results you demand.

Palm Readers and Tarot Card spiritualists prey upon desperate people who will resort to any means to find relief for problems.

They are not willing to surrender to the higher will of God. Magic is an inventive attempt to secure supernatural power.

       Biblical miracles are not magic. They are a sign of God's caring and delivering power. A divine miracle is an experience of God in our distress. It is beyond our control or explanation. It is a sign of the grace of God and makes us aware we are not in control. We can only ask humbly for the healing power of God. We do not use a ritual or offer money to make this happen. In no way can we tame God's mercy.

       When I was a prison chaplain an inmate at Leavenworth USP was beaten senseless with a medal pipe and left for dead. The medical staff gave no hope for his recovery or to be a functional human being. To the amazement of the medical experts he woke up and fully recovered all cognitive and physical abilities.

      He requested that we talk. He was surprised to be alive. He asked ; “Why did God spare my life? I do not deserve God's help. I was never good or religious. What does God want from me?” He was in awe of his life's meaning. For the first time he acknowledged the reality of a power greater than human violence. In the presence of the divine mystery of recovery he searched for God's purpose. He experienced this miracle as God's wake up call.

      Instead of denying miracles with the arrogance of a closed rationalistic attitude, it is better to pray for the ability to recognize miracles for what they are and to be thankful for divine mercies.

     The Scriptures warn us to avoid magical thinking about our expectations. Galatians 6:7 warns, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.” Some inmates wrongly expected forgiveness to bring a quick cure from painful consequences. Forgiveness removes guilt and shame, but it is not an escape from problems. We ask for the mercy of God's forgiveness knowing it is not a magic wand. The way to success is to practice kindness, self-control, faithful morality, and wisdom. Our hope is not in magic, but in the harvest honest and generous actions bring.

The Blue Berry Patch Morning.

      The Blue Berry Patch near Seymour was a great adventure on 

Saturday, July 6^th. I was blessed to pick berries with 3 grand kids and a dear friend, Steve Page. We wondered how many pounds we could pick among us. We were amazed at check out to find we had 35 pounds of fresh blue goodness. We started picking at 7 AM and finished before 9 AM! When the grand kids started throwing blue berries at each other I knew it was time to stop, that we had done enough. The berries were just ready in clusters to fall into the bucket.

      It is inspiring to ponder that the Blue Berry Patch is a Christian ministry of outreach to 3^rd world people who lack fresh water. All the profits go to the Cross Catholic Outreach with an effective rate of 97% going to projects to benefit the poor. The management of this blue berry farm calls their outreach, “The Blue Water Project”.

Profits of $43,814 from 2008-10 were sent to the Dominican Republic where folks were drinking from contaminated creeks . Profits of $25,874 from 2011-12 were sent to a critical area of Kenya to help provide clean and sustainable water.

         The Patch will pick one more time this Saturday of July 13. They only pick once a week to let the plants fill out well. I plan to be out there at 7 AM. How wonderful to find fresh, wholesome fruit only a 40 minute drive away. How inspiring to also to be a small part of a world wide vision of compassion for the poor who need clean water. I will attempt to put a few pictures of the adventure on my blog main page.

Adventures With A Three Year Old.

         Colossians 1:16-17 says,”For by him all things were created:things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

        This past week we have been blessed with our daughter, son-in-law and 3 year old grandson Joshua to visit us from Kentucky. Spending time with Joshua on daily adventures helped me get in touch with the splendor of the Lord's greatness in His created things. This Scripture teaches that ,”all things were created by him and for him.. and in him all things hold together.”

We picked fresh blueberries. It was a delight to hear him taste the berries and murmur his approval. We caught bright flashing fire flies on a summer night. We filled an old jar full of them and released them the next morning. We caught 3 large, kicking and jumping trout. The rainbow colors of the trout were so brilliant.

     We were chased by a gaggle of geese wanting to get all the bread in our hands. We made it safely to a foot bridge with some of the bread left over for the ducks. It is so interesting that geese will not come up on the bridge but the ducks do. We went swimming and discovered that he can hold to a kick board and make splashes with his extended kicking feet. On a nature walk we saw beautiful blue dragon flies and red winged black birds.

      Our Lord has made us a wonderful world. Like the old hymn says so well, “He shines in all that is fair.” The Lord must have a great taste for variety, fun and awesome tender beauty to make wonders we can not count. We need an inquisitive 3 year old around to help us see and appreciate some of it!

      Yes, I am tired out but thankful for all this past week of adventure. I praise the Lord for health to tag along with an energetic little man. I will try to attach one photo of the wonder.

The Lord Restores Us When We Keep Loving Him.

        It is my joy to be printed in the Upper Room on Monday, August 12. The theme of that devotional is how we can find true higher power in Christ to continue to build a good life even when our aspirations are crushed. The experience of divorce and being a single parent raising 3 kids is far in the past. May new wife Martha and I have been married for 20 years. She came into my journey of life after I had been a single parent for many years. She and I have blended our two families into one harmonious unit. Now I have 5 children instead of only the original 3. All the children are close to us and we do things with them and the grand children. We have taken all the 5 children into our hearts and we are blessed in their love and support.

      When I was first divorced I was wrong to think that my dream of building a happy family was over. With the Lord's help and Martha's wise partnership we have a very blessed active family life. We have 10 grand children with another one on the way. It is a joy to be active grand parents and to share fun times with them. Attached is a picture of my grandson Owen enjoying the baseball game with me.

      I witness that the words of Romans 8:28 are true to my experience, “”We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” During the time of my despair after the crushing divorce I vowed to keep actively loving and serving the Lord no matter what. When we keep ourselves in the work of loving God daily He will work with us to build a good life, even if all we can give him at times is broken pieces.

Finding Our Safe Tower In Christ

Where Can We Find Safety?

Read: Psalms 91:1-16

        “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalms 91:1-2.

It was my duty to serve as Chaplain at a High Security Prison. The prison housed 1,000 violent men. Gang fights and murders were common on the prison yard. Five gun towers circled the razor wire fences so inmates trying to escape could be shot. One tall gun tower was erected inside the yard to shoot inmates chasing staff members. More bullets were fired from the gun towers in one year here than in any other Federal Prison.

        The warden instructed staff and peaceful inmates, “When threatened run to the shadow of the inside gun tower to be safe until the danger has past.” When walking the prison yard among hundreds of prisoners I felt comforted to know that the yard tower was present. Proverbs 18:10 teaches that God is a fortress, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.” For me God’s name stands for protection, dependable help, and victory over my enemies. I find safety in a close relationship with Almighty God. Close to Him I can overcome inner enemies of temptation, depression, fear and panic. My soul is sheltered with Christ. No terrorist or criminal action can take away my eternal life safe in Him.

        I thank God for being my protective tower for fearful times. My responsibility is to run to the shadow of His name by prayer and obedience where I can find true shelter.

Prayer: Almighty Father, thank you for always being available to be our protective shelter and safe place. May we all turn to you with trust and obedience when threatened by the storms of life.

Thought Of The Day: We can run to the tower of God’s Love instead of just running scared.