June 12, 2012

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

Reading this Psalm gives you an insight into a day in the life of a sheep. I am not sure you ever had a desire to see life through the eyes of a sheep. Personally, I have never paused in the middle of a busy day and wondered, “What would a sheep think of this?" You probably haven’t either, but when you consider that the Bible compares you to a sheep it might be of some interest to you.

From this moment forward, should a similar thought flash through your mind you will have an answer. According to this beloved Psalm a sheep faces each day concerned about: hunger, harm, harassment, and hereafter.

Incidentally, I have known a few humans who worry about the same things.

Fortunately, for this sheep, he has a shepherd who worries about those same things for him. Do you have a shepherd like that? If you are worried about those things, you probably don’t!

Sheep are grazers. Grazing is great as long as there is plenty of grass. But a flock of sheep will tend to overgraze an area until all the grass is gone. Because they are too timid to move far from where they have grazed, they would starve themselves within a matter of days. Hunger is a concern. No one wants to go hungry, even a sheep!

A good shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures each day and then stand guards over them as they graze on lush green grass. After a few days of learning they can trust their shepherd, they cease to worry about hunger anymore. That is a good day!

Do you have a shepherd like that? You could!

Sheep are defenseless. They have no way of protecting themselves against predators and they can’t run fast enough to get away. So, if they have no shepherd to guard them they will become lunch for a wolf or cougar. So, along with daily concerns about hunger, they worry about harm coming to them!

But if he has a good shepherd, that shepherd is on constant guard watching for predators. Should one attack, he is armed with a staff and a rod with which he can ward off the beast. After awhile the sheep learns he doesn’t have to worry about harm when he is with his shepherd.

The fact that the sheep lays down is significant. They are so timid and flighty that they will not lie down unless they feel completely safe from predators, parasites or pests. If flies or gnats or bees are buzzing around them they will not lie down. When you see a sheep lying down he is either dead or he is feeling completely secure! In that case, it would be evidence that he has a good shepherd who cares enough for his sheep to keep him free of harassment!

Once he has been relieved of his concerns over hunger, harm and harassment, a sheep’s worry turns to the hereafter. What will happen tomorrow? Will he be hungry? Will he be harmed? Will he be harassed? Not having to worry about today will not keep him from worrying about tomorrow. Know the feeling?

But, once again, being under the care of a good shepherd over time, the sheep will come to trust his shepherd so much that he ceases to worry and is content and comfortable following his shepherd anywhere!

Life through the eyes of a sheep!

What does it have to do with you?

It IS you! That is, if you know the Good Shepherd. If not, you know hunger, harm, harassment and concerns about the hereafter.

When you follow the Good Shepherd – life is good and your future is your friend!

June 11, 2012

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philppians 1:21-22

The barnyard animals loved their farmer. He had taken good care of them for many years and made their lives very pleasant. He loved them and in their animal way, they loved him.

One day they were discussing how blessed they were to be owned by such a kind and generous man. It was decided they would honor him to show their appreciation. They all readily agreed and began to brainstorm on the best way to communicate their appreciation for him.

Finally they came upon an idea that pleased them all. Since the farmer arose early every morning to do his chores they knew that he loved eating a good hearty breakfast. So, to thank him they thought they would prepare a breakfast in his honor.

"How shall we do it?" one of them asked.

"Well," said the hen, "I will gladly contribute a half dozen of my delicious eggs!"

"Great idea!" said the cow, "I will give milk for him to drink and cream for Him to make butter for his biscuits."

The hog was strangely silent. The hen and the cow looked at him indignantly and the hen challenged, "Hey, hog! I am giving eggs for our farmer's breakfast and the cow is gladly contributing her milk. How about if you donate some ham and bacon!"

This simple silly story about the barnyard animals illustrates the difference between involvement and commitment. The hen and the cow were willing to be involved but the hog would be committed. They would be giving from themselves but he would be giving himself. That is a big difference! That is commitment! Involvement costs you something - but commitment costs you everything!"

Paul in saying, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" is saying, "I am committed not just involved!"

How do we know that he is committed? We know because he is willing to die. He was willing to pay the cost. Paul loved God more than He loved life itself.

What about you? Are you involved or are you committed? How do you know? How would others know? How would God know? What price are you willing to pay? Do you love God more than you love your own life?

Jume 10, 2012

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array." Genesis 1:31-2:1 

No matter how many times you see it and hear it, the ocean is still impressive.

Sitting on the beach listening to the waves, feeling the breeze and smelling all the smells of the sea, we were once again overwhelmed by it's grandeur.

Coming to the beach through the marsh we saw it teaming with life and a certain beauty. And walking to the beach through the dunes we saw a variety of beautiful little flowers and birds.

Such a variety of landscapes and plants and wildlife. God spoke it all into existence and pronounced it "very good"!

Sitting on the beach and slipping into relaxation we felt that same sense of "very goodness". What an amazing creation! What an incredible God! The soothing sound of the relentless wave washing ashore was having a therapeutic effect on me. It brought to mind this verse:

^"His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters." Revelation 1:15

I have stood at Victoria Falls and heard the deafening roar of the plunging waters worshipping as I thought of this verse and wondered if I was hearing the voice of God. It was overwhelming!

The gentle sounds of the ocean waves are no match for the sounds of the Falls that drown out every other sound, but I was equally blessed as I thought again of this verse and felt as though God was whispering to me through the waves, "I love you" over and over again!

And, indeed He does! His love is as constant as those waves washing to shore and as vast as the ocean! As a point of emphasis, He built His reassuring voice into the sounds of nature!

June 9, 2012

Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

One of the misconceptions that is doing great harm to the Faith and to the Church is the idea that there are levels of commitment. You might hear someone claim in self-defense that they are "more committed" than someone else. What they should say is that they are less uncommitted than that person. The point that Jesus is making here is either you are committed or you are not.

Claiming to be "sort of" committed is like saying you are "sort of" pregnant. You either are or you are not. You can't "sort of" sky dive. You can't "sort of" get married. Peter didn't "sort of" walk on water. Jesus didn't "sort of" die on the cross.

The challenge Jesus is issuing is this - "you can't 'sort of' follow Me!" Either you are a disciple or you are not! Either you do His will or you don't. Either you walk in holiness or you don't. Either you are saved or you aren't.

I know you live in a day and a culture that wants to nuance everything into shades and degrees. That would be fine if you were the rule-maker or the arbiter of the rules - BUT YOU ARE NOT - He is! He makes the rules and you don't. So, you either obey Him or you don't. You are either following Him or you are not. That is what commitment means!

Having grown up in corn and soybean country, I appreciate what Jesus is saying to His hearers, who were also rural folks. What He was saying was, "When you go out to plow you don't 'sort of plow', you plow or you don't!" No true farmer would begin plowing and quit. No true farmer would "sort of" plow. No real farmer would plow forward while looking backward.

In rural Indiana where I was raised and in rural Illinois where I served for 22 years, there are cornfields so huge you can hardly see across them. I have always been impressed how straight those long rows or corn or beans are. Never have I seen a field with crooked rows. That is proof that the farmers who planted those rows were committed to planting.

How so?

Farmers plant straight rows by lining up their plows and there planters with a reference point at the end of that row and they stay focused and aimed at that point. Straight rows are evidence of a committed and focused farmer. Those perfectly parallel rows are proof of a committed farmer who never looked back while he plowed!

When you think about commitment think about plowing. When you measure your commitment think about focusing on a fixed point and moving straight toward that point continually. And of course, that straight point is the way of God and the will of God as outlined in the Word of God.

There are no "sort of" committed plowers. Neither are there any "sort of " committed Christians. Either you are committed or you're not. Don't buy the lie.

June 8, 2012

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:6-8

I don't know if you have ever played golf but if you have you know it is a hard game. If you haven't you can take my word for it. But I have noticed it is easier when I can fully commit to a shot. My last round I had one of those days where it seemed like every shot was from an awkward lie or an uncomfortable distance so that I was never quite sure whether to go up a club or down a club. So I really struggled to hit those shots with confidence. When there is the slightest bit of doubt as I hit the shot, it seldom turns out well.

Anytime I stand over a shot with uncertainty in my mind the result is seldom good.

In other words, it is hard to play golf when I have conflicting thoughts about the club selection or the correct distance or what sort of shot I should hit from the lie I have. When I am double-minded my game is unstable and results in double bogeys.

However, when I am facing a shot that has a comfortable distance and a good lie and I know exactly what club to hit, then I can commit to the shot and hit it with confidence and the result is much better.

In the same way, life is more difficult when I am uncommitted. Any time there is doubt or confusion or indecision life gets more difficult. When I doubt God or am not fully convinced about His Word or indecisive in regard to His will, life gets harder.

James, in these verses admonishes believers to be fully convinced about God's goodness and His grace and the truth of His Word. When I am committed to God in these ways, my life gets immediately better.

I want to be a single-minded follower of Christ. I don't want to second-guess Him nor live in confusion or doubt. I want to walk with faith and confidence in my Christian life. That is what commitment is. Commitment is being single-minded and fully convinced God is Who He says He is.

When Jesus was facing the temptations from the Devil in the wilderness, what the devil was after was getting Jesus to doubt the goodness and the holiness of God. He wanted to shake the Lord's confidence in His Father and under mind His faith. In short, the Enemy wanted to offer the Lord a "Plan B" in place of the suffering on the cross.

But the Lord would have nothing of it! He countered each time with truth from the Bible. He affirmed truth in the face of deception. He was committed to "Plan A" completely and exclusively. That is what commitment is!

Is commitment hard for you? Are you struggling with double-mindedness? Do you struggle with doubting God and/or yourself?

"A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways!" Stablilize you heart and you spirit and your mind by fully committing to Christ. Commitment is easier when there is just a Plan A!

June 7, 2012

^"But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." Matthew 5:37

In the midst of some very remarkable times, last night's Wisconsin recall election stands as a noteworthy event.

Governor Scott Walker's victory was by a larger margin than his original election in 2010. The Governor's win sends a message that reverberated through the mid-term 2010 elections and that is - character still counts and leadership matters.

As one who has committed all of my adult life developing and demonstrating both, I am heartened to see Americans in significant numbers still value those virtues in their leaders.

When Scott Walker ran for Governor of Wisconsin two years ago he ran on a very clear platform of reducing the size of government and restore fiscal responsibility. Our fellow citizens in the Dairy State voted him in on those promises. And once elected, he proceeded to keep both of those promises. In so doing, he turned a large state budget deficit into a surplus. He did this without raising taxes and actually lowered property taxes throughout the State.

Why would anyone object to those accomplishments? Only because he had to oppose the collective bargaining agreements with the public sector unions and required union members to contribute nominally to their own pensions and health plans. Perceiving those moves as a direct threat to their power and influence, the union leaders and members protested and obtained enough signatures to attempt a recall of Governor Scott.

Those are the events that led to yesterday's election.

We conservatives feel somewhat vindicated that a politician who actually did what he said he would do and in the ways he promised to do them AND was awarded for it by his citizens! Our hope is other Governors in other states such as Jindal, Louisiana and Kasich in Ohio, Daniels in my home state of Indiana, Governor Christie in New Jersey, and Governor Haley in South Carolina, should be emboldened by this outcome! While each of these aforementioned Governors have shown courageous leadership by implementing conservative reforms, they too, have come under strong opposition by the unions in their states. Seeing their fellow leader fight the fight and come out standing should strengthen their resolve to fight the for the conservative cause.

Oh, that Senators and Congressmen in DC would emulate these courageous Governors who put their political careers on the line to stand for the conservative principals they embrace.

And you, whether you are a leader or not, should take heart that courageous leadership still matters! In your day to day living you are called to stand for what you believe in rather than compromise your own values and damage your character.

Godly people say what they mean, mean what they say, and live like they mean it. When they say, "Yes", you know it is a yes! And when they say, "No" that is exactly what they mean - and they act like it in their behavior and decisions.

Are you a courageous Christian? Do you deliver on your promises and live what you believe? Can you stand true when others actively oppose you?

Will you ask God to help you do that today? His vote is the only one you really need to win!

June 6, 2012

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” Ephesians 5:31

I want to begin this article by wishing my beautiful bride, Barbara, Happy Anniversary - for the 25th time!

Yep! Today is our 25th anniversary! Time REALLY does fly when you are having fun. And we have a ton of fun!

When people meet me and then meet Barbara, they wonder how someone like me was able to end up with someone like her. That is a typical reaction, and honestly, I understand because I wonder the same thing!

Being married to a pastor is not easy.

Becoming an instant mother to three children was not easy.

Moving away from family and adjusting to a new role in a blending family was very difficult.

But Barbara has faced and conquered each and every challenge that arose during those two and one-half decades. And she has done it with grace.

When you take the marriage vows seriously, as we do, and when you hear that verse saying, "two shall become one flesh" you wonder what that means, exactly.

Of course, the physical image of it is pretty clear. And it is good!

But the spiritual and emotional, and even psychological implications of "two becoming one" are more mysterious - and a bit frightening. How do two sinful, strong-willed, selfish, stubborn and scarred people meld into one? Is that really possible?

Indeed, by the grace and mercy of God - IT IS! Through the power, and patience and presence of the Holy Spirit - IT IS!

That is what makes 25 years so amazing! We have become one! We are each better individually because we are together. I see many areas of my life where I have grown because of her. And she can point to a few where I have helped her!

It is pretty amazing that - not unlike God - the one who knows me best loves me most! I look forward to our daily routines. We miss each other during the day and get excited at the thought of coming home and being back together each evening. On Mondays I begin getting excited about our Friday dates!

Quite amazing this "two become one" relationship that God ordained for marriage. In His mystical math "two become one" when they lose themselves in a Third! His marriage math is God + Man + Wife = ONE!

How's your math?

How's your marriage?