How I make important life decisions

 How much time and care do you take to make important life and family decisions?

Time spent in consideration

Coke or Pepsi?  1 second.

“Fries or fruit with that?”  5 seconds.

“Going to college?” 2 years +

“Chosen your career path?”  1- 20 years +

“Changing jobs?” 1 - 20 years

Buying a house now, or continue renting?  1 - 10 years

Have kids together?  15 minutes to 15 years

Starting your kids in pre-school or waiting until Kindergarten?  4 - 5 years +

Private, public or home school?  1 - 18 years

There are countless other life decisions and concerns we may have over health, finance and in some cases, safety or survival.

How about this… Let’s suppose we all have a soul…  

What about eternity — what happens to your soul after you die? 
What happens to your child’s soul?

How much time, thought and planning is appropriate to make sure that decisions are made about the state of our soul - and that of family…friends….kids…  How important is this compared to how much time we’ve spent on any of the other life decisions listed above? How much “research” and studying have you done about eternity? 

Considering that the eternity of a soul will far outlast the home or career we spend endless hours mulling over.  “It can wait until later.”  School doesn’t wait, careers don’t wait. Home purchases don’t wait.

“Fries with that?”     “What is the state of my soul?”    “What is the future of my child’s soul?”

It’s worth our time. It’s worth prayer.  It’s worth asking the Creator of the universe.

What do you believe?

Language please! Check your swearing at the door.

 “Language, please!”

I spend more time out and about in public spaces these days.  Before retirement, at least 8 to 10 hours of each day were spent with co-workers and customers. Overall, there really wasn’t much swearing or coarse language to be heard. It self-regulated partly out of professionalism, and also due to simple courtesy for our peers. 

Gracious speech isn't solely a biblical idea, but I did find over 100 bible verses to mirror my work experiences:

Ephesians 4:29 “ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

That’s why some brash public swearing caught my attention this past month. On several occasions, people near me in the store or in a parking lot just let loose with coarse strings of expletives….#%@$ !!  None of them were directed at me, I just happened to be within immediate earshot. One guy was angry for forgetting his purchase in the store. Another woman was venting after an obviously contentious cell phone conversation. #%@$ !!

Look, I’m no angel. I’ve needed my mouth washed out with soap many times over the years.  (Miss Daley, my 4th grade teacher, actually did insert a sliver of soap into the mouth of an older boy she heard taunting us at recess. "Swish it around in there, Jimmy and we'll make sure you clean out those filthy words,” she huffed. She might be arrested for that now). 

It’s wrong to say there’s a ‘proper’ time and place for swearing. God is our companion wherever we go. But it’s definitely not meant for Main Street or public areas where we have families and toddlers in tow. Common courtesy.

So here’s what I did. Last week when I heard a young woman curse into her phone as we strolled by, I said, “Language.” in a firm, neutral tone loud enough to be heard. I’m not sure what I expected, but to my surprise, she immediately said, “Oh. Yeah, sorry!” in her own tone of sincere apology. With that one word, she knew exactly what I meant.  Emboldened - and encouraged - I tried it again. A guy this time, #%@$ ! As he struggled to cram some boxes into his hatchback. “Language, please,” I said in the same even, but firm voice as I walked by.  “Yeah….you’re right.” he slowly agreed, no less pleased with his overflowing packages.  These two folks could have turned on me, irritated and belligerent. Or, they might have had no real clue - no idea why some guy was blurting “language” into thin air (poor man).  But they knew.

We know right from wrong, don’t we? At many levels. We’re made in the image of God. He gave us a conscience. Historically, we’ve absorbed discerning, common-courtesy behavior like this by following the lead of family and community role models. Judeo-Christian ethic. Midwestern values. In a society attending church or synagogue and familiar with the Bible, coarse language sticks out and offends. At least it should. 

What it if somebody did the same thing to me, only they firmly, loudly called my attention to other behaviors of mine... "Curb your selfishness, please!"  Lighten up on the Impatience, please!"  "Insensitive, please!"  "Less Greed, please!"  Ouch. Would I be irritated and belligerent?  I hope not. I hope I’d come around as quickly as those other two folks did…”Oh, yeah, sorry!”  “Yeah, you’re right,” and then get on with things.

Language is a reasonably non-combative topic. But what if I walked down the street of a crime and arson-ridden town? "Stop Stealing, please!"  "No Assaults, please!"  "Stop Destroying property, please"  I might finally meet with some irritation and belligerence, or worse - even if the call-out struck home in their hearts.

Jeremiah 18:12 "But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of their evil heart.'"

Remember Miss Daley, my 4th grade teacher taking care of business with the swearing bully?  I just did an internet search about potty mouths and how to best correct our children….35 million suggestions.  Start there. Pray we can return a few generations to the "common" courtesy shared by people made in the image of our loving God.

Matthew 12:36 “ I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””

What do you believe?

Basketball - I lost the touch!

 I've always loved shooting hoops! Taking it to the rack. Basketball.  Back in the day...

I spent countless hours raining basketballs on the backboard my dad hoisted above our old garage. Not too far from the basket, our driveway quickly narrowed to the right of center. There was also a telephone wire crossing right through our jump-shot range. My friends and I developed clever dribbling skills to dodge an unforgiving concrete wall where the pavement slanted. We honed long-range "rainbow" shots to literally arc over the telephone wire. Today they'd be in the 3-point range. Both skills kept me competitive in pick-up and league games from grade school through university. Win or lose, I loved playing basketball!

My 5' 2" daughter wisely chose diving as her go-to sport, so I drifted away from competitive, run-and-gun hoops. I also saw other dad's and co-workers limping around with injured knees and ankles. No thanks! I officially retired myself to nothing but "shoot arounds," just as I had enjoyed back in the day.

Fast forward 20 years and there I was again - looking out on a well trod, slightly uneven, wooden court. A co-worker had been coaxing me to his church gym for the Saturday morning pick up game. "Just a bunch of guys having low key fun," he assured me.  Telling myself it was a good way to fellowship with other church guys and youth, I finally agreed. 

It was a friendly game as promised, maybe a little more up tempo than I expected. Soon I had my first open shot. Standing below the board, I called out and got the pass. I easily caught the ball and flipped it up for the sure two points. A simple bank shot I have literally made thousands of times in my life. 

Clunk! The ball fell short, hit the rim and bounced back out into play. How in the world? A few plays later I stole the ball and had nothing but a clear court of clever dribbling ahead of me. Racing down for an easy layup I clumsily lost track of the ball. My legs weren't doing what I told them to and I nearly stumbled to the floor. A defender snatched the ball back and the game continued.

Sometime later I rediscovered my rainbow, over-the-wire-shot and managed to redeem some of my earlier - very embarrassing - mistakes. But I would never have guessed it was possible to lose those simple skills. Things I took for granted. Muscle memory, accuracy, coordination. No practice, no payoff.

We are stumbling down the uneven court of a Godless society. God is asking each of us to get back in the game. (that's the voice inside you saying, 'we have to do something about this, for my kids, my grandkids, and everyone else we know!') Have you kept up the skills to share Gods love?

Someone might say, "Yeah, we used to pass out Gospel tracts with our youth group, I knew the 4 spiritual laws by heart." Sure, and I never missed a layup before in my life. I'm using this illustration to encourage each of us to know why we love Jesus. Why God loves us. Know it well enough to "catch the ball," when God passes along someone seeking his mercy and Grace. And He will - or He already has. Take it to the hoop.

It's wonderful to say that you are simply going to love people and winsomely shine the Light of Jesus in everyday life. Be ready for what comes next. To connect the dots of mercy, forgiveness, redemption, Grace and eternity...with Jesus. Don't throw clunkers up agains the rim. Do some reading (muscle memory). Practice with family (no practice, no payoff). Get back to a bible study. Recover some of your best spiritual strengths that have laid dormant since youth group 20 years ago. 

Isaiah 40:29
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength."

What do you believe?

 .

Life Saving Toddler Rescue !

We tried to warn my grandson.

"Be careful...you're leaning too far over the edge..."

He started by just peering over the canoe to see into the lake. Leaned just a little farther over to see better. "Watch it buddy, get back in your seat please!"  No deal. He reached all the way over to actually touch the water...it was irresistible.  

 

Sploosh! Wet, surprised, frightened. Floating on his back, it took a few seconds before he started to cry. What he did not fully realize, how could he -  was that Grandpa was already attending to his rescue. Love hadn't lost sight of him. "Don't worry buddy, Grandpa's right here. We'll get you out of there in a jiffy." With a few paddle strokes and a yank on his life vest we did! 

Lots of soothing words. "You're safe now. Grandpa's got you. We'll get you dried off and into a warm bath." 

Soon after the quick paddle back to our cabin, the little guy began to process what had happened. He looked at me and made an arcing motion with his little hand...fell in the lake. Yup. "Bapa," he said, pointing at me with wide eyes and a lifting motion to credit my role in his rescue.

I smiled. "That's about the size of it. You fell in, Grandpa was right there, you're fine now." Rescue. Reassurance. And sometime later, when he was dry and ready to go back outside, his mother and I sat him down to say, "That's why we wear our life vest and listen to Grandpa's instructions about sitting safely inside the canoe, understand?" Again the arcing hand motion.. “Bapa,” he nodded. I think he understood. For now. We'll see if it ever happens again!

Isn't that how we all test limits in our lives? Look, lean...reach over the edge and sometimes get soaked? God has given us moral limits and unbounded freedom to choose. It's not to "control" us into sitting rigidly in one place. It's because we're never more than a few temptations away from splooshing into the lake.

“God shows his love in this, that while we were yet sinning, He saved us.”  Romans 5:8

God sees sin coming. “Be careful, you’re leaning over the edge…”  That’s why we have a conscience. That’s why Jesus was so specific in the Gospels.   But through it all, God loves us like a Grandpa loves his wayward Grandson, no matter what. 

Bonus: God offers full forgiveness through repentance and faith in Jesus. Not just “another chance” (stay in your seat next time!), but as though our sin never occurred, 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Bapa loves you, Grandson, no matter what. Let’s get back in the canoe.

What do you believe ?

Here is what we know...breaking news!

April 12, 2022. The rush hour subway shooting in Brooklyn grabbed our attention and launched a breakneck news cycle. Only 2 months later, Brooklyn is just one of many shocking national tragedies. 

“Here is what we know”.

That is the jarring, live TV news prelude to updated calamities. “Here is what we know!”  

During those first hours of the Brooklyn attack, I stayed glued to our news channel like everyone else. At first, “what they knew”  in Brooklyn was limited to a few high level facts:  

“Brooklyn, subway, shooting, victims. No idea why, no suspect, no info on the victims, etc.”

Thanks to smart phones and social media, more details quickly burst forward. Images and video revealed some of the horrifying aftermath. Smoke in the subway tunnel. First responders treating the injured.

Soon, “what we know” became “what I saw” as actual eye witnesses came forward and shared their accounts. As you’d expect, people experienced different perspectives of the scene. Some were closer to the assailant than others. Some were less flustered, less frightened and better able to narrate their account. 

Within hours, most of the available information had been collected, verified and pieced together for all to see. 

Many years from now, “what we know” of this tragedy will likely be unchanged: Brooklyn, subway, shooting, victims and their loved ones, disturbed suspect apprehended, heartbreaking for all. Don’t misunderstand…many other details are accessible in abundance; but most people will absorb just the “what we know” summary. Except the families. Except the loved ones. They will relentlessly pursue every new detail, including anything to help determine… “why?”

I let myself ponder for a moment how a disturbing event might have been handled in the time of Jesus Christ… “Here is what we know:”

“Empty tomb after ‘miracle messiah’ crucified and declared dead, disciples rejoice and cite holy prophecy, authorities deny and search for answers.”  

There were no smart phones, but the same post-event narrative process took place. Credible eye-witness bystanders naturally experienced different perspectives from multiple locations. The garden, Jewish Sanhedrin, Herod’s palace, Pilate’s court (not guilty), public flogging, dragged-cross through the streets, crucifixion (no broken bones), donated tomb sealed with stone, Roman guard, risen! All these accounts were collected, scrutinized and compiled. And that was only the final week of Jesus’ life! 

It triggered an unprecedented pre-event deep dive. The scrutiny of what led up to that final week and why.  More eye witness accounts and prophetic scriptural research. Family members and friends all wanted to get it right. Authorities hoped to pursue and discredit anything that glorified the rebel Jesus. 

Of course, Jesus Christ, “Here is what we know,” is riveting history, and thoroughly documented in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 

Today’s secular skeptics might re-craft a  “what we know” news summary to read something like: “Roman crucifixion ends rabble rousing philosopher;  misguided followers left with inconsequential moralizing…”  That is the diluted, disingenuous summation of Jesus’ ministry - and of Christian believers by inference! The false headline is easy to absorb, but it fails to dig into eye-witness accounts, centuries of prophetic “back story” and many comparable details by secular authors of the time.

“Here is what we know:”

God made all things and it was good in the garden. Then came sin. Generations of people failed to follow God’s commandments. Sin progressively eroded culture and God’s favor. A Savior was prophesied, became incarnate via humble birth to a poor family, led a miraculous ministry, inspired new hope of love-mercy-forgiveness, was crucified, risen from the dead, faithful believers further advanced his message of love, mercy, forgiveness and Grace across centuries and continents. Eternal life remains in the balance for believers and non-believers to choose. 

2Timothy 4:3-4. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

What do you believe?  What will you do based on what you now know?

Grand Canyon Moon - Darkness does not overcome light

I took this unedited smartphone image long after sunset last month.

We were standing on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, facing a brisk, chilly wind.

The joke was on us, in a way. 

 
Friends and fellow travelers had gushed about the incredible display of stars to be seen at the canyon. "You'll see the Milky Way and constellations like you've never seen them before!"

The truth is, we've enjoying star gazing in the "pitch dark" on many occasions. Camping, hiking in other national parks where there is no ambient light. Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Tetons, Yellowstone, Badlands....as well as canoe trips in the Ontario Boundary Waters.

But my bride and I were all-in to see the Canyon's stars. Despite the gusty breeze, we meandered along the rim until we found a suitable vista point and clambered out of the car.

Except...this is what we saw! The full moon was SO bright that it actually lit up the canyon and cast shadows! It was dazzling.  Star gazing - and the Milky Way - we're not on our Grand Canyon agenda for this trip.

We also live in a dark cultural moment.

It feels oppressive to me at times. Millions of people are literally shouting down our faith in God. Others work stealthily behind the scenes and undermine rational thought about what our children should learn. "My truth," takes precedence over Jesus' Truth, ("I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." John 14:6). So many lost and unfortunate people have used darkness of night for property destruction and callous, nonchalant violence against their neighbors.

Jesus is the Light.

If the Grand Canyon were the deepest, darkest, most oppressive cultural moment before us, then Jesus is the spectacularly moonlit night. He transcends all darkness. A Light so bright that we are able to better see and understand what lurks in the shadows, what fears to face the Son of God.

John 1:5
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 8:12
"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Light of life can overcome - and overwhelm with God's love - the empty, fruitless darkness.

2Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Can you shine that Light over this way please...?

What do you believe?

Same view of heaven - 13 centuries later !

It's probably happened to you, too. Somebody is so familiar with a piece of equipment or a recipe that they can walk you through it over the phone - it's almost like you're both right there, seeing it together.

Our new furnace was acting up a couple months ago. The on-call technician offered to help me trouble shoot it over the phone. He told me which panel screws to remove and where to look for an indicator light. The blinking light would give us an indication of the malfunction. At first, I didn't see any light and told him so. "Try looking a little lower on the panel," he suggested, "you have to look under the blower motor." Sure enough, just as he anticipated over the phone, I bent a knee and immediately saw the light - like we were both there.

Pretty slick use of technology for two people using the phone at the same time. But what if two people were to similarly describe the same scene, separated by centuries of time - about a place no other people had seen, where supernatural beings dwell. Now that would be...transcendent!

That's what our faith group came upon at bible study some weeks back. 

The prophet Isaiah described his revelation from God around the year 700 B.C. In part, Isaiah wrote to warn the people of Judah to expect exile to Babylon. The exile indeed came to pass 100 years later. In one of his prophetic visions, Isaiah said, Isaiah 6: 1-3

"I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory.” 

The Bible is filled with prophetic visions from God. It's easy - and tempting - for me to sometimes gloss over these mysterious words and read on to more easily understood "reality."

But another person from our faith group caught a gem of detail I'd missed (this is why we need to study with the community of believers, we learn so much more together!). 

Looking ahead to the end of the first century, 800 years after Isaiah... the Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation. My wife and I visited the Island of Patmos (photo) where John experienced and documented the revelation he received from God. It's a real place, right there in the Aegean Sea, not all that far from Ephesus, Turkey. John had been in the company of Jesus Christ during his ministry. In Revelation 4:2-8, John recalls:

"Im­me­di­ately I was in the Spirit; and be­hold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne....Be­fore the throne there was a sea of glass, like crys­tal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four liv­ing crea­tures full of eyes in front and in back. 

The first liv­ing crea­ture was like a lion, the sec­ond liv­ing crea­ture like a calf, the third liv­ing crea­ture had a face like a man, and the fourth liv­ing crea­ture was like a fly­ing eagle. 

The four liv­ing crea­tures, each hav­ing six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, say­ing:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!”

Both prophets saw the sovereign Lord on his throne, and both saw the company of special angels, the Seraphim; with six distinctive wings and both heard continuous streams of praise,

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!

As my study friend astutely noted..It's as though both prophets were given a window to the same scene, the very dwelling of God himself. And within the limitations of human description, they both clearly discerned that the Lord was exalted and praised. This wasn't abstract art or flowery prose, they both saw what God revealed to them in real time. More like FaceTime or Zoom, then a mere telephone call with your repair technician, like....they were both there.

It's easy to wave this off as a parlor trick or purely symbolic in a way common to apocalyptic literature. And who's to say that John didn't copycat the idea from Isaiah? And why/how did John offer so much more detail about the scene than Isaiah? 

But prophets did not, and could not lie or misrepresent their intent. The penalty for that was death (Deuteronomy 18:20). Like anything in the Bible, I approach it with the faith it is due - a reliable historic and Holy Spirit-inspired account of God's intent. 

God's purpose isn't to confuse or complicate matters for us. I go with Isaiah and John on this one. I believe they glimpsed the real deal. What an amazing - and eternal - time of joyful worship is still before us.

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Who was, and is, and is to come.

What do you believe?

It's not fair - I paid my college debt, why not you?

 This isn't really about college loans, but...as I write this, there are suddenly thousands of people from most political and religious persuasions who seemingly agree on a single, controversial topic.  

Topic for debate: People should remain responsible for repayment of their personal college loans.

The current government administration has signaled their intent to "forgive" the repayment of existing student loans. Financially, it's a staggering number. The public response has been swift and visceral. The basic gist of it, without taking a side:

1. Great! I'm happy to have my loan burden eliminated. I accept.
2. Not fair! I carefully budgeted, lived within my means and repaid my school loans in full. Why should anyone else do less?
3. Not fair! I actually "downsized" my own choice of schools to match what I could afford - I would have gladly attended a more expensive school knowing you'd cancel the debt!
4. Not fair!  I never attended college, never accrued any debt and now that "cancelled" debt will actually be "paid" by all taxpayers - including me. Maybe I would have attended college, maybe not, but I never had the luxury to consider "no-pay" loans.
5. Not fair!  There's plenty of debt besides college loans. What about mortgages and small business loans...can we "forgive' those and have taxpayers pay off my debt as well.               

Enough about that, I promised. 

Isn't it interesting though, how these "not fair" phrases and examples have suddenly come to life?   

A related term, "personal accountability" had fallen from grace in recent years. Many cultural debates berated "personal accountability" use as lacking situational empathy. Judgmental. Insensitive. Tone-deaf. 

But in truth, most people who find unilateral college loan forgiveness to be unfair, also believe the accountable parties - those persons with the loans - should pay. Persons and accountability. 

Personal accountability.

It's back, for now. At least for one subject, one news cycle.

"Personal accountability" has also been at odds with Christianity. 

Christians believe there is supernatural peace, joy, hope and love through faith in Jesus Christ. Even eternal life. But why Jesus, what was his purpose? He came with mercy, for the forgiveness of our sins - for all of us, all of our sins.  He asked one thing, that we acknowledge our sinful ways - turn from them - and then follow Him. "Repent and believe," Jesus said.  Mark 1:15

I can hear it now, though...Hold on there, tiger! That sounds a whole lot like "personal accountability." In order for me to acknowledge sin in my life, you have to presuppose that there is a definable "right and wrong." And maybe I believe "my truth" might be independent of some of what you call, "sin." So, what I intend to do is 'follow' Jesus for some of the wonderful philosophy he imparted and 'work around' the parts that would disrupt my day-to-day lifestyle. I can't be measured against things I don't believe.

But...that's not fair. 

Colossians 3:25 "For the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

 

What do you believe?

Tell your little brother you're sorry!

 "Tell your brother that you're sorry!"

Two of our grandsons are rough and tumble toddlers.

No surprise when one runs over to us crying and pointing at the other.

"What happened, what did your brother do?"

Took my toy, pushed me, didn't let me take my turn, ate my cookie...you can add more.

They're toddlers, but we (and their parents) try to find learning moments in the midst of the usual brotherly tussles.

"Shouldn't you tell your brother that you're sorry?"

"I'm sorry."

The words pour right out of the guilty party, despite downcast eyes or a fidgety foot; more anxious to get back in action than to stand on circumstance,

"Not me, Grandson, you need to tell your brother!"

That does not come as easily. There is an unspoken reluctance, even at this toddler age, to acknowledge their behavior to the aggrieved party. Playtime even grinds to a halt if the apology is not forthcoming. "Tell your brother, you're sorry..." And sometimes we wait while that little toddler fidgets - no less than we do when it's our turn to admit we're wrong. 

The Grandparent in me holds back a smile, but I'm also transported back to my first job as a playground supervisor. We would step between two battling youngsters and break it up. "I don't know who's at fault here, but I want you both to shake hands. Go on, shake hands...now get back out there and play."

Amazing how that unilateral intervention could mend fences. Even if the actual facts of the fight hadn't been addressed, there was an inroad to reconciliation.

What can we learn about our fence mending with God?  Most of the sins we commit affect our relationship with God in addition to anyone we've hurt. "Lord, I am so sorry," I rightly pray, much more often than I would like to tell you.  "And...?" I sometimes sense God prompting me in His supernatural way...

And, I need to return to the scene of my sin. The friend I was rude to. The cousin I neglected. The neighbor I could have encouraged more. "I'm sorry, and I can do better." It's harder to say than it should be.  James 5:16   "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed"

It's healthy and healing to admit our transgressions (sins) against God's direct instructions. He needs to know that we know what he knows. Selfishness, pride, greed, laziness.  Some church's call it confession. The Bible speaks of it as being "reconciled" to God.  

2Corinthians chapter 5,

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."  

That's the good news, that we will be reconciled - made right through faith in Jesus -  with God. But you still have to shake hands and look sin in the eye:

Jesus said, "Repent and believe the Good News." Mark 1;15.   Repent means: Don't just go back out and play - take a time out to tell God you're sorry, and be specific. It's more than that you believe in Him or that you have faith in Jesus. Tell Him why you're sorry for your sins - and that you understand what you are turning from. That is the "repent" part of Jesus' instructions. Repent - and believe.

We probably all have some additional reading and musing to do. "How do I know what sin is? What is a transgression against my neighbor or against God?  For what must I acknowledge that I am sorry? Why do I need reconciling to God?

God loves you!   He's provided a way to reconciliation (mercy and forgiveness) through faith in Jesus -- and he's detailed how we need best turn from things that the world believes are just fine. I encourage you to read through (and share) the Gospel's and Paul's letters of the New Testament. I'm always challenged and encouraged to do better as I read God's insights.

Now, shake hands - be reconciled -  and get back out there.   What do you believe?

Last spaceship out - want to be on it?

Parents are notable for the sometimes fierce ways we protect our kids. Stay away from fire! Wear your bike helmet! Don't use drugs! Don't talk to strangers! And that's just high school...

It's not all on the prevention side. We champion the future for our offspring in sometimes measured, sometimes over-the-top, helicopter ways, "I've made a list of college campus visits and drafted some ideas for your admission essay. You've got to get a better internship lined up this summer!" 

Exaggerations aside, we're not the first generation to hand-wring over our kids from vulnerable youth to venerable adults. Moses moved an entire generation out of Egypt to seek a better way of life. British parents sent their kids out of the London bomb zone during WWII while Jewish families moved their kids behind false walls, or across secret border crossings to safe havens. As I write this, families are literally running for their lives in the Ukraine, Sudan, Afghanistan, China and so many other troubled areas. We need to pray and support these folks.

Fiction is no better than reality. Blockbuster sci-fi movies like to strike this same chord. Spaceships depart the dying (climate change) or exploding (asteroids) earth, desperate to find an inhabitable solar system for their next generation to thrive. Seats are always limited on these fateful excursions. Who goes? Who gets left behind? They like to serve up no-win, sweaty-palmed scenarios that rival our real world crisis in the news.

Fictional or not, what actions would you take if there was an unavoidable sense of urgency and you absolutely could not stay behind in peril?

1. Protect and reassure my child (niece, nephew, Godchild, neighbor, etc.) 

2. Prepare to flee; 

3. Determine where to go and the requirements of entry 

4. Do whatever is necessary to get my child to a better place

What if we were talking about eternity? Life after death? 

Death is absolutely unavoidable. Its timing is unknown - it could be any day, any second - and so the need for preparative urgency is extremely high, in the "red zone." 

This is what mystifies me. Some of the same parents who have so participatively mapped, guided and supported their kids college or career or athletic prep, take a wildly lax view of the same human being's spiritual status.

"They'll figure it out, there's time for that." But follow the logic.  Why can't the same child simply "figure out" school and athletics? There's "time" for that too?  "Well," an offended guardian might reply, "it's different. The time needed to prepare for college or athletics or a career is in the midst of an adolescent's formative years. They need a push in the right direction or they may fail - and later regret missed opportunities or bad choices."   Would they not also regret the opportunity to have spent eternity with their loving God? Are they aware that there is a choice to be made?

A "spaceship" is indeed leaving this earth. It is eternal life with the God of this universe. There are seats available until departure (John 11:25): 

1. Reassure your child that there is a God who loves them and has a loving plan for them.
2. Prepare them with an understanding of what Jesus taught: Humility, mercy, forgiveness, Grace, repentance, faith.  These are all positive ingredients that will enhance every other endeavor in their life.
3. Explain the inevitable choice before every one of us, since we have all sinned and need Jesus, including parents, teachers, employers, coaches and pastors. Call out to the Lord and be saved. Romand 10:13
4. Take every waking measure of your personal time, prayer, love and attention to make sure your child understands their age-appropriate accountability just as well as they understand their age-appropriate homework.  Certainly take no less time than you invest in other scholastics or arts or athletics. 

Not fiction: A foreign power will eventually invade your home and my home and will take possession of everything we love, including our children and other loved ones. It is death. Make sure everyone you love will be able to locate and follow the Light of Jesus.    2 Timothy 1:10

"It has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

What do you believe?

Waitress Faith - Is there a tip on the table?

 Our poor waitress!

After Covid, we returned to a popular dinner theater for their latest production. Ticket holders enjoy drinks and a delicious buffet before heading into the cozy theater-in-the-round for a show. 

You pre-purchase a combined dinner-theater ticket for each person. The only additional credit card charge might be an adult beverage or cocktail during dinner. That’s how we missed leaving a gratuity (tip) for our attentive and hard working waitress. I happened to spy some fine print at the bottom of our pre-printed tickets. “Dinner gratuities not included.”  Oh no! I had just signed our Visa bill for my bride’s glass of wine. That was much, much less than a tip for our combined meal value. “No wonder they print out the meal value separately on the ticket,” we both realized. It's to help you calculate an appropriate tip amount (and prompt you to do so)!

We quickly waved our waitress back over and handed her some additional cash. She accepted our tip with a smile and a warm thank you. “Do you get short-changed on your tips very often?” I asked.  “All the time,” she acknowledged, with barely a hint of irritation. “They should leave a note card out on the table,” my wife suggested, “for people like us who don’t study the ticket that closely. Something like ‘meal tips not included.’”

“They used to do that,” the young woman said, shaking her head, “but some people said it was ‘too pushy.”  My wife and I moved on to the theater and checked in with the hostess for the after dinner show. We chatted more about our waitress, impressed by her Graciousness - providing such a nice experience for us without likely expectation of any payback commensurate to her task. 

Salvation not included

We live, work and play on a planet of endless beauty and enormous resources. It’s easy to forget what a gift this is. It's not from some “mother earth” entity. Not from “nature.” All of it is a gift from God.

God isn’t pushy. He hasn’t waved a card or bill in our face that says, “Eternal life not included.”  Many of us are indeed appreciative of this life. Others take it for granted or undervalue it's worth. We’ll even say out loud from time to time, “I’m so thankful for the beauty all around us.” (‘Gee, that was a really great meal”). But there’s a second act, the portion after this life here on earth. It's what's on the other side of the eternal "theater" doors. This is the real reason we're here - the part after drinks and a buffet.

The price has been pre-paid, but not by us. Jesus did that on the cross. We can accept His gift with our sincere Faith in Jesus as our Savior, and by asking forgiveness for our sins. I read the fine print: "Whoever believes in me, though they die, yet shall they live." Jesus said that, the Apostle John wrote it the 11th chapter of his Gospel. No extra tipping (works) required. Just personal humility shown in our sincere faith and repentance. You can read more in John's gospel.

For many people around the world, life is miserable, difficult and dangerous - it's no buffet, not even close.  But for all of us, regardless of circumstance, there is promise of an eternal life on the amazing other side. Please check in with Jesus.   

"Behold, I make all things new."  Revelation 21:5

What do you believe?

I can remember my address - but not a bible verse

"I'm not one of those people who can remember bible verses."

Wait, not so fast. This is often an evasive way of saying, "I haven't really tried to commit any bible verses to memory."

You might be genuinely challenged by memory loss. In my age group of 65 and older, as many as 40% of us begin noticing some natural decrease in memory capacity. "It's right at the tip of my tongue," until someone fills in the gap of the particular word or name we were searching for.  Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are progressively - and heart breakingly - worse.

But we're not all diagnosed or over 65, and most people can remember what we want to and choose to. You might be surprised by the number of words and characters you can automatically access on demand (remember).

First, though, why even bother to memorize a bible verse or two?  Because...it's a living resource to encourage others with positive words from God ("God loves you!"  "Where does it say God loves me?"). It's a way of drawing strength and peace in our own struggles (Psalm 23, "He restores my soul"). In our  current cultural climate, it's an absolute necessity to provide true references to what God has taught us ("God sent his son, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him").

How much "memory" do you need? 

"Repent and Believe" Mark 1:15.   4 words!  + 3 digits to included Gospel reference

With just those 22 characters of memory you can explain what Jesus taught as the heart of his ministry 2,000 years ago. 

"God is Love" 1John 4:8    4 words! 19 characters to reassure someone that God loves them.

"All have sinned" Romans 3:23   4 words!  22 characters to describe our shared condition and need for mercy and redemption. It's not "us" judging "them." We're all in this together.

"He saved us" Titus 3:5    4 words!  16 characters to begin the conversation of Jesus' redemptive role. There are many more verses like this, including those that mention Grace, redemption, mercy and forgiveness.

Where are you going to find spare memory like that?  "I'm not one of those people who can remember bible verses...."

Your home or apartment address including zip code is 40 to 50 letters and numbers. Similar effort to several of those verses and that's just one address!

A phone number is 10 digits, if you know at least 2 phone numbers, you have the capacity to commit those sample verses to memory with extra to spare.  Computer passwords are required to be 8 or more digits.   Three passwords gets you the words of Jesus. Birthdays, depending on the month, 13 or more characters. Movie titles,  restaurant names, web sites....you can quickly see that you're fully able to commit to memory those things you find important.

And here's a short cut - a memory saving device of sorts:

Select a few entire passages of scripture by book name and chapter number. There's no need to remember entire strings of words knowing you can find the chapter online or on your smart phone. Just remember the "location" and it's main purpose in your memory.

Acts 10   Peter summarizes for new believers the role and purpose of Christ's salvation

Psalms 23, 100 and 111   Navigate to them and read them aloud for encouragement and refreshment

Matthew 28   has Jesus' "final instructions" for sharing his Gospel throughout then world!

Matthew 5   is Jesus comprehensive "Sermon on the mount"

"I'm not one of those people who can remember bible verses...."  Memory is one of those remarkable gifts God has given us.  Let's take time and effort to apply it to His purpose. For those of you who can remember new movie titles, passwords, birthdays and addresses...you are living vessels for the Good News of Jesus! 

Psalm 119:11 "I have stored what you have said in my heart."

What do you believe?