I Had Hoped We'd Be Better Than This

I normally don't write two blogs in one day, but I could not let a recent quote from President Obama go without commenting on it. First, I am a patriotic American, second, I am a full blooded Latino, third, I am a Christian who prays for our elected leaders, including President Obama.

Yesterday, addressing a Latino audience, the President said; "And if Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, we're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don't see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it's gonna be harder - and that's why I think it's so important that people focus on voting on November 2." When I heard a replay of this quote, I was extremely disappointed and terribly frustrated at the bottom feeding level of rhetoric that the upcoming election is generating. I believe our country has always taken pride in the fact that we could disagree politically and ideologically, but when push came to shove, we would unite again to get the job done. Our transitions of power at presidential election time have always been orderly, regardless of how heated and dividing the rhetoric might have been. I can never remember, however, anyone calling someone who didn't agree with you an enemy. In particular, using the word to describe a large class of people, who do not agree with you. Use of the word enemy takes the situation to a new level, a level that may make it impossible to unite again after the next election is over. Punish is a word that implies much more than just winning or losing an election. It implies a continuing action that goes far beyond the casting of a ballot. I have been concerned for our country as the discussion about illegal immigration, health care, the economy and other issues has become so contentious. Now, with the leader of our country talking in terms of enemies and punishing, who will be the uniter? Who can we look to? Obviously, as a Christian, my prayer focus doesn't change, but emotionally it is much harder to pray for a president that sees me as his enemy, as someone who needs to be punished. I have had to work at praying for him because I don't support his handling of the economy, or the passage of the massive health care bill, or the US government's lawsuit against Arizona, a state that is merely trying to enforce federal law already on the books. But I will continue to pray, because my Lord has asked me to.
O God, times are tough, and getting tougher. We need Your wisdom, Your grace, Your love. Help us, O God, to make a difference in these contentious times. We need You, O God. Our country needs You. We are a needy people and You must be Lord of our lives. Thank You, because we can trust You and Your word.

The Dreaded Check Engine Light

I hate it when warning lights start showing up on my dashboard. If the car manufacturer's were really honest, when the Check Engine graphic on the dash goes on, it should read, "Plan on spending anywhere from $125 to $500 to get this light to go off. You will probably have to go back 2 or 3 times to the repair shop, and then for weeks after you spend the money, you will glance down at your dash every 30 seconds because you think it will go back on. Just as you finally decide that it really is fixed, it will go back on, normally the week before you have to have a safety check in order to license your car for another year." On Saturday I was able to get a warning light to go off that indicated that I had a tail light, brake light, or other light out. I checked and checked and none of the lights were out. Then, after I pulled my car into the garage to see the lights better in the dark, I noticed that one of the brake lights was dimmer than the other one. Being a devoted DIYer, (do it yourself) I took both sets of lights apart and tried to figure out what the problem was. After an hour or so, I finally noticed that one of the wires going to the affected light socket didn't look like the other one. I took it apart and actually fixed it. Another DIY victory. I can't imagine how much that would have cost at a repair shop. Since this is a safety item, it needed to be fixed in order to license my car by the end of October.

This morning I took my car in for the safety inspection, paid my $12 and smugly awaited a positive outcome. Alas, it wasn't to be. I have a right front axle that needs to be replaced, Grrr. Since I take my vehicles to the same mechanic, they let it slide and passed my car anyway, with my pledge that I would get if fixed, soon. I sense another DIY project... Then it was on to the Check Engine light. 3 hours and $257 later, my check engine light was off. I learned all about EGRs and compression modulators and still felt taken.  

On the way home I noticed I was looking at the dash every few seconds. Maybe if I stop looking at it, the check engine light will just go on and I can start the "taking it back to the mechanic" routine. I love my car, I hate my car. :)

The 99ers

One of the stories on 60 Minutes tonight was about people in the Silicon Valley (the high tech area in the San Francisco Bay Area of California) who have lost their jobs to the current recession. Most of the story revolved around a type of town hall meeting for people who were unemployed. It was part support group, part 12 Step type meeting and part revival meeting. They called themselves the 99ers. (Unemployment benefits were extended by Congress to 99 weeks. Because of the huge cost, Congress will probably not extend the benefits again.) The 60 Minutes commentator interviewed several people. Most of them were high level professionals who made everywhere from $70,000 a year to well over $200,000. In many cases they had exhausted their unemployment insurance, cashed out their retirement accounts and gone through all of their savings. These were single and married people in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

The comments were almost nearly the same. Most people said something like "I can't believe this has happened to me", or "I never believed it would take 2 years, 3 years to find another job". One single lady who had exhausted all of her resources finally moved into an attic space in a friend of a friends house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. This single lady in her 50s was virtually at the end of the financial line. Another family had used all of their savings, they had used their children's college savings accounts and were trying to sell their home. The man, who lost his $200,000 a year job, had exhausted his unemployment insurance and had taken all of his 401K account to buy a franchise business that cleans home heating and AC vents. Sadly, because of the recession there wasn't enough work to make any money. They were at the end of their financial rope.

The story ended without any answers, just an overall sense of hopelessness. You wonder how people in this situation cope? Many Christians are in this same situation. Without the promises of God, and the family of God that these people belong to, it would be hopeless. If this recession continues to improve at the very slow pace it is, I think we as the family of God will need to stretch ourselves as we help fellow believers who are caught in this almost unbelievable situation. We may need to figure out ways to give major help; financial, spiritual and practical. We also need to find ways to reach out to people who don't know the Lord, who are panicked and have no where to turn. God help us make a difference. Help us to be so thankful for what you have blessed us with and be willing to give a lot of your blessings away.

"Joy To the World" For A Missions Convention

There are some categories of Christian life that very little music is written for. One of those is for a Missions emphasis service. As our younger generations get further away from hymnal singing, it gets harder to find and pick Missions oriented music.

This past week I was trying to find a good opening song for our 2nd week of Mission's services. I remembered reading about a hymnal that Issac Watts published in 1719. It was titled Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament. Watts paraphrased 138 of the Psalms with the intent of having people who sang these hymns, sing them from a New Testament meaning and style.

Psalm 98, verses 1 through 3 says: Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

This Psalm anticipates the time when Jehovah will be the God of the whole earth and His kingdom will reign over all the nations. With this Psalm talking about God's salvation and revealing His righteousness to the nations, it seemed like the perfect hymn for our Missions service. In giving this Psalm a New Testament expression of praise for the salvation of God, Watts chose to begin by giving praise for the God who became incarnate as the Babe of Bethlehem. Issac Watts titled Psalm 98, The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom.

Sometime later, the title was changed to Joy To the World, and has become one of the most beloved Christmas hymns. I must admit, it was a little weird, but we sang Joy To the World yesterday, October 14th, as a Missions hymn. I think it worked.

Are the Windows Of Heaven Shut For You?

One of the toughest spots to be in as Christians is when we feel like our prayers are not being heard. It's as if Heaven has been closed to us. Usually this comes at a time when we are struggling with one or more serious issues, we recognize that God is the only one who can really help, and it seems like He doesn't care.

In Psalm 77, starting at verse 7, David writes this; "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

The temptation at this point is to help God remember all the good things you have done. All the ministry you have provided in His name, all the selfless acts of kindness you have performed, reminding Him of all your sacrifice. However, David continues to write in verse 13; Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

While it is tempting to try and make God aware of all the good reasons why He should be responding to our prayers, David's approach brings worship, praise and his requests to God in a manner that is consistent with the character of God. A God who loves our worship, our praise and loves to manifest His power among us. God will answer you in His time, in His way, and you will be amazed. Hang on, this season of time will not last. God loves you so much, and He hears every word you whisper to Him.

It Is So Much Easier To Be A Man

This week I observed another "changing of the season" ritual in our bedroom. Kathy changing from her summer wardrobe to her fall wardrobe. For a couple of days there were piles of clothes on our bed, our living room couches, hanging up in our bathroom and other places I'm sure I was unaware of. Of course she made a trip to Target to buy more plastic storage tubs, to join the other storage tubs we already have in our basement. I watched with fascination as the piles grew, then shrunk as clothes got sorted on other piles, into the closet, back out of the closet, into a tub, out of that tub into another tub. Finally, all the clothes made the transition. I took the tubs down to the basement, however, not into storage yet, we still need to organize the other tubs that are already down there. After all, in a couple of months, her Christmas clothes tubs will need to come up. Then came the shoes. You can't wear summer shoes in the fall, after all. Piles of shoes and sandals. Why does a person keep all the shoe boxes?

Just as the clothes transfer ended, the fall jewelry sort started. Kathy has two drawers in her chest of drawers just for jewelry. I must admit, it is cataloged well, and fairly neat. I was amused watching her sort and move jewelry around, talking to herself about what would go with what, and trying on things she hadn't worn in a while. Watching her busyness with her jewelry reminded me to do a quick inventory of mine. Yep, my two rings that never come off my fingers are still there and the only watch I wear is on my dresser. After she showed me her new fall finger nail polish color, the fall switchover was complete. I was exhausted...

However, I was inspired to take a look at my fall wardrobe to make sure I'm ready. Let's see, I've got two clean undershirts and it appears at least one long sleeved shirt is ironed. Now, I'll polish my brown pair of shoes and my black pair and I think I'll be ready. Oh, and yes, my pair of Christmas socks are in my sock drawer just where I put them after last Christmas.

It sure is easier being a man.

Earning the Right To Lead People To Christ

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the process of leading people to Christ. If we are surrounded by a world (our immediate circle of neighbors, acquaintances, workplace friends, relatives, etc.) that desperately needs Christ, than how does the process begin where sharing Christ becomes a natural part of our lives. A story I recently read, by Jonathan Fallwell, the senior pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, is part of the key.

Jonathan tells of going with his father, Jerry Fallwell, on a trip to debate Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler magazine. After the debate, Mr. Flynt asked Jerry Fallwell if he could give he and his son a ride back to Lynchburg, Virginia after the debate. Mr. Fallwell agreed and they boarded Mr. Flynt's beautiful black and gold Gulfstream III. On the trip the two men talked as if they were old friends, about sports, food, politics and many other topics. After they landed, Jonathan Fallwell asked his dad about that conversation, a conversation that really bothered Jonathan. "Dad, how is it that you can sit on that airplane and carry on a conversation with him as if you guys were old friends. He is the exact opposite of everything you believe in; he does all of the things that you preach against; and yet you were treating him as you would someone from our own church. Why?" Jonathan then wrote this; "Dad's response changed my whole outlook on ministry. He said, 'Jonathan, there's going to be a day when Larry Flynt is hurting and lonely and will be looking for help and guidance. He is going to pick up the phone and call someone who can help him. I want to earn the right to be that phone call!'"

Isn't this how Christ lived his life on earth. He was severely criticized for spending time with sinners, yet I'm sure He knew that one day they would call on Him in their time of need. O God, help me, help us, to develop the kind of relationships with people who do not know you in such a way that it earns us the right to be the "phone call" of help that leads them to You.

Stopping People From Running Into the Pit

This morning we began our annual Missions emphasis at our church. During one of the praise & worship songs, Mighty To Save, (the lyrics talk about our mighty God's power and His salvation) I remembered an incident from the middle 80s that I related to our 8:15 AM service congregation. Kathy and I were serving on the staff of the PTL Television Network and I was also on the pastoral staff of Heritage Village Church. It was a holiday weekend and PTL usually had many holiday events, including All Night Sings. All the greats in gospel music were invited. That weekend Maude Aimee Humbard was one of the singing guests and her husband, Pastor Rex Humbard, was along for the trip. He was the long time pastor of The Cathedral of Tomorrow in Akron, Ohio, and at one time reached more people around the world by television than any other Christian broadcast.

Rex Humbard was driven by the task of preaching and leading people to Christ. He was known as a "soul winner", a person who has a single focus of leading people to Jesus. On this particular weekend, during the early hours of the morning, while the All Night Sing was going on in the main auditorium, I went behind the auditorium into a large hallway where there were refreshments and chairs for performers to sit on. Rex was there all by himself, sitting in a chair near the refreshments. I asked if I could sit down and talk with him. He said yes. In the course of our conversation, I asked him what had started him on the ministry path of being so focused on leading people to Christ. He told me about an early dream or vision he had. "I was driving on a rural road. As I drove past a large field, I noticed many cars pulled over and people running to the center of the field. My curiosity got the better of me and I stopped my car and started walking toward the center of the field. As I got closer to the center, I realized that there was a large pit in the center. Many people tried to hold themselves back, but they couldn't and fell screaming into the pit. Others, as they were running, never even slowed down and fell into the pit. I immediately realized that this was an opening to Hell and I had to stop people from falling into the pit."

This was near the end of his public ministry. Probably close to 50 years of preaching and teaching. As he told me the story, I could tell he had the same passion, and the story was just as real that night as it was when he first experienced it. Incredible. Are there any more Rex Humbards out there?

Getting Back On the Right Track

Nehemiah was tremendously used of God to bless Israel by hearing from God, and carrying out a plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The Biblical account of Nehemiah and his efforts are inspiring and have many applications to our lives as Christians. While this was a wonderful time in the lives of the nation of Israel, another momentous event took place at the same time. On October 8th, 445 B.C., Ezra, the high priest at the time, brought the scroll of the Law before an assembly of all the Jews in Jerusalem.

The date was significant because it was the first day of the Hebrew civil calendar. Ezra began reading at daybreak and read until noon. Historians tell us that the people stood and listened attentively and began to weep as they realized that what they were hearing were the very words of God. The reading of the Law on October 8, 445 B.C. was a turning point in the history of Israel. Until that day, the people's lives centered around the the temple. On this day they became a people whose religious life centered on a book - God's book.

The next day, October 9th, family leaders, priests and Levites met with Ezra to go over the Law in greater detail. Their detailed study led them to celebrat the Feast of Tabernacles again, and more importantly, it led them to celebrate again the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur on October 17th.

I have been reading through the Bible this year with the God Sightings version. I cannot tell you how many times God's word has given me a thought or promise to live by for the day. Sometimes it is a nugget of enlightenment that brings such joy and peace to my spirit. I can't imagine an entire city being so moved by God's Word that they wept as one and vowed to live by His law. What an incredible event.

Fond Memories

As I get older, I discover that I remember specific incidents less and less. I'm not totally sure why that is. I wonder if our brain's "memory hard drive" gets too full and gets selective about what it remembers. It would be nice if we got a "memory almost full" message so we could purge memories that were not as significant as others. Some memories are so special that we remember them over and over, and tell the stories to the same people more than once.

For instance, my dad has some wonderful stories of growing up in Colorado. He lived there at a time when there was abundant game and fish every time he and his adult relatives went into the woods. I have heard some of his fishing stories more than once, and I have enjoyed them every time. I suspect that it doesn't occur to him that he has told the stories before because they are still so vivid in his mind. Each time he tells the story, it's as if the memory has just come to him. I find that there are memories that I recall just like that. Memories that are so vivid that I can recall almost even the most insignificant detail. Then Kathy will ask me, "do you remember...", and I have no clue what she is talking about. Don't tell her, but sometimes when I'm nodding yes and smiling as she talks, I have no memory whatsoever of the event she is recalling in "vivid color."

One of those memories for me is a vacation we took to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the mid 80s. We were both working on the staff of The PTL Television Network and I was on the ministerial staff of Heritage Village Church. Jason, Aimee, Josh and I were fishing on the pier at Myrtle Beach and having a great time. Josh was 3 or 4 and more interested in what was on the pier than in fishing. We had bought him a little Snoopy pole and I had baited it and propped it up on the pier railing so I could see it if a fish started biting. Well, a fish did bite, in fact, it bit so hard it pulled the pole right off the pier into the ocean. "Splash", "what was that", "oh no, Josh's pole is in the water". And that was that. Once we got Josh calmed down with promises of buying another pole, we went back to fishing with the poles we had left. About a half hour later, I got a pretty good bite on my pole, set the hook and started bringing in the fish. As the line started to come in I couldn't believe what I was seeing come out of the water. My hook had hooked Josh's Snoopy pole. I carefully pulled it in, and then let Josh reel in the fish that his pole had hooked and was still securely there. We kept that pole for a long time, well after the time Josh graduated to a larger fishing pole. Finally, in one of our moves, the Snoopy pole didn't make it. That's okay, the memory is firmly embedded in my memory. I suppose I have told the story to someone more than once. But that's okay, older guys can get away with that.

If you know me very well, you know I love Christmas stories. I collect them, tell them and live them. I love story tellers and try my best to be a good one. Stories relate life, and love, and the good things about us. Relish your memories and tell the stories, even if you tell them more than once to the same person.

It's Almost Time For "The Smell"

There are some things that are distinct to every season. When spring arrives, winter clothes go in the closet, lawn tools get tuned up, and your yard get spruced up for the growing season. Each season has its own routine. My favorite season is spring, probably because I love to watch the bleakness of winter wake up. I enjoy seeing buds on the trees, the beginnings of growth on all kinds of bushes, and the first green shoots that come from bulbs that have been dormant all winter. Some of the first signs of life are the various flowering trees. We have a large Bradford Pear tree in our front yard that is covered in beautiful white blooms. I love spring.

There is one part of Fall, however, that I really enjoy. Fall comes, as you know, at the perfect time. It seems like just when you can't take one more hot, humid day, the temperature starts to change. In St. Louis, there is a period of time that our air conditioner is turned off, and the heater is not needed. Not only does it help our utility bill for a few days, it is a great time of year from a temperature standpoint. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. Then comes that one night, or early morning when the heater comes on. I love the smell of the first time the heater goes on! It is a great smell. It says winter is coming, it says it is time to snuggle under a warm blanket, it says its time to make sure the firewood is dry and the kindling is ready. The sad part of it, however, is that it only happens once. You can't duplicate it because when all the dust, spider webs and other stuff in your heater ducts gets burned up by the heater flames, the smell is gone. I think if someone would bottle it up and put it in a spray can, it would sell. I know I would buy some. There is one thing I make sure of when it is time to turn the heater on. I never light the pilot light before I go to bed. It would be a sad Fall if the heater came on at night and everyone was asleep and missed "The Smell." Tonight is is supposed to get down to 38 degrees. With it that cold, we may a little heat in the morning. Can't wait, maybe we'll enjoy "The Smell" tomorrow...