Your Ear Gets Cut Off and It Saves Your LIfe

One of the most interesting stories surrounding the events of Holy Week is the account of the High Priest's servant. Unfortunately the Biblical narrative is very brief, but I began to think about the implications of what happened. Malchus, the High Priest's servant, was probably the equivalent of a modern day executive assistant. The High Priest sent him with the group to arrest Jesus. In fact, he may have been the leader of the group. The High Priest couldn't go because it wouldn't have politically expedient, and he was going to be one of main prosecutors. When the group arrives to make the arrest, one of Jesus' disciples pulls out a sword and off comes Malchus' ear. Can you imagine the pain, and the screaming that took place. Undoubtedly, many other swords came out and it could have gotten ugly right away. Jesus steps up, takes the severed ear and puts it back in place. I wish there would have been a way to capture the astonishment on Malchus' face. I'm sure in Christ's complete and perfect way of doing things, there was not a scar, line or any other evidence that the ear had ever been anything less than perfect. I don't think Jesus cleaned him up. All the blood was still there, and perhaps dirt and leaves and other debris from rolling around on the ground in pain.

Can you imagine the encounter when Malchus went back to report to the High Priest. The HP probably didn't even ask about the arrest at first, he would have wanted to know how Malchus had gotten so dirty, and bloody. Can you imagine the servant trying to explain that his ear had been cut off, and yet when the High Priest examined his ear and scalp, he could see that nothing was wrong with the ear.

I can't help but think that throughout the afternoon, as Jesus hung on the cross, from a distance away Malchus observed all that went on. Every few minutes his hand would slip up to his ear, a finger would run around the spot where it had been severed, and Malchus' heart hurt a little more. Along with the centurion, he may have whispered the words, "truly, He was the son of God." I think Malchus lost an ear (not really) and gained his life...

Sometime It Pays To Be A Rookie

Another story that is totally fascinating to me is the account in Matthew, Mark and Luke of the tearing of the temple curtain. Once again, however, none of the writers goes overboard with their narrative of the incident. Notice, Matt 27:51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Mark 15:38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Luke 23:44-45 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. That is it! One of the biggest events of the whole week and that's all they write. The tremendous symbolism of the curtain tearing is that it gave all of us access to the Holy of Holies. In other words, Jesus really did redeem us, individually and personally, never again would we need a human to go before God for us. What a tremendous change.

We know from the original organizational system of caring for the temple, the Levites or priests had regular rotations and specific duties. They were assigned these duties by clans and in some cases, the special talents and requirements of the job were taught and handed down from generation to generation. I think that on this day, all of the priests wanted to be where the action was. They wanted to see Jesus carry his cross on the Via Dolorosa, they wanted to be at Golgatha to see the nails pounded into his wrists and feet, and they wanted to see what happened as he hung on the cross. I think that they chose the youngest priest with no senority to tend to the temple on that afternoon. This poor guy is already shaking in his boots because he is the only one there. (have you ever been alone in a big church building with all the lights out?) It got dark, the sun stopped shining, the earth shook, and rocks split. I can imagine that this rookie priest was nearly out his mind with fear. And then it happened...he heard an awful tearing sound. He looked into the Holy Place and almost had a heart attack. He clapped his hands over his face and covered his eyes as quickly as he possibly could. For a second he was looking into the Holy of Holies and staring at the Ark of the Covenant. He knew that meant instant death. After a few moments, he realizes he's not dead, he slowly looks through his fingers and, yes, it is the Ark of the Covenant and the huge, thick curtain is now in two parts, each part pushed to the outside walls of the temple. He slowly walks to where the curtain hung. He reaches out, and then quickly pulls his hand back. He reaches out again, and pulls it back. Then he puts in his whole arm, then a leg, and finally he steps into the Holy of Holies. I believe that right then the Holy Spirit came down and started a one man revival right on the spot. I can imagine the rookie priest dancing aroung the Ark, praising God and shouting at the top of his lungs. He was in the manifest presence of God, alive, more alive than he had ever been. So what if he had to stay at the temple and miss all the action. His life would never be the same again.

I pray that as we celebrate Maunday Thursday, Tenebrae and Good Friday services, that God's manifest presence will be real for each one of us. Oh Lord, even if we need to be rookies again, help us know You and the reality of Your sacrifice for us.

Some Unusual Events During Holy Week

I have always been fascinated by the events of Holy Week. From the triumphal entry through the resurrection, and beyond the week to the Day of Pentecost and Christ's ascension. I am continually frustrated by the lack of narrative in the gospels, particularly when an event seems so monumental. Through the years I have taken some of these events and meditated on them and come up with my own idea for why the event is even mentioned at all, and the implications of it for us. During the next few days I'm going to write about some of these.

The first one comes from Mark 14:50-52. Then everyone deserted him and fled. A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. Now, why in the world is this account in Mark's gospel? What does a New Testament streaker have to do with Christ's arrest? I also find it interesting that verse 50 tells about everyone deserting Christ, which I take it mean all of the disciples and their followers. This young man, in verse 51 is identified as a follower of Jesus as well.

Matthew Henry in his famous commentary says that this young man probably lived near the garden where Jesus was arrested, was curious about all the noise, threw on a linen sheet and went out to investigate. Since everyone else ran away, the Roman soldiers tried to arrest him by grabbing his clothes and he ran out of his clothes, naked as a jaybird (my twist on the story) into the night. The Bible Illustrator commentary says that the young man was the writer of the book of Mark, John Mark. This impulsive behavior, throwing a linen sheet around himself, was consistent with other things that we know about Mark. The commentary also says the reason that this account only appears in the book of Mark is that, since everyone who was following Christ had run away, Mark was the only one who knew what happened when the soldiers tried to grab him. The commentary writer also says that it was common for New Testament writers to include anecdotes about themselves in their writing without identifying themselves.

So there you have it. John Mark, who would eventually write the book of Mark, decides, probably on a whim, to see what all the commotion is about. He wraps himself in a linen cloth and runs into the garden to see what was going on. On the way into the garden he is passed by all the devoted and brave disciples and followers running for their lives the other way. The soldiers try to make at least one arrest beside Jesus, and wind up with just a linen sheet for their troubles. I hope Mark lived nearby the garden. If they had decency laws in that day, he may have been arrested for public nudity.

So what is the takeaway for us living in the 21st century. For all the teaching the disciples received, for all the miracles they saw, for all the changed lives they observed, when "push came to shove", they acted like humans. Finite beings who resorted to self preservation by running as fast as they could away from trouble. As I have thought about this short account, I have wondered if I would have acted differently? Would I admit, unlike Peter, that, "yes, I am one of His followers", or would I have done exactly what Peter did? Fortunately, we know the "rest of the story." We know what happened. We know the triumph of the resurrection. The disciples and followers didn't. So I guess the short answer is that I probably would have done exactly the same as they did. More later...

The World Is Ready For Another Triumphal Entry

Hundreds of years before Christ made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Zechariah wrote in chapter 9, verse 9, Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah goes on to accurately foretell the coming of the Messiah. Matthew, Luke and John all give the account of Christ riding triumphantly into Jerusalem. The three accounts differ on one point. Matthew says the people spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the tress and spread them on the road. Luke says people spread their cloaks on the road. From John's account we get the name Palm Sunday. He said, They took palm branches and went out to meet him.

In each account, the result is the same. The people greeted Jesus as the conquering King who would rule over them and oust the Roman government that was oppressing them. They didn't realize that the humble procession, Jesus riding on a donkey's colt, was meant to represent a different kind of kingdom. One that emphasized the first shall be last, and children, widows and orphans were great in the eyes of the King. This was to be a spiritual kingdom, not a political one.

Today our world is desperate for another triumphal entry. There is not a political ruler in any country who knows what to do. There is unrest in every major region of the world. If it is not political, it is religious. In New Zealand and Japan it is physical as these countries try to recover from devastating earthquakes and the effects of them. Even in our own country we have a multitude of serious issues that are causing division from Congress to the Presidency, to states that are fighting with unions, to unrest at our borders. States that are bankrupt and inflation that is accelerating the erosion of our way of life.

As Christians, we know the only Triumphal Entry that we need has already taken place. Now we look for the Triumphal Return. Until then, we absolutely must make a difference in a desperate world as we share the answer to the hole in people's lives. May this Easter season bring triumphant peace and new relationships in Christ as we affect people's lives for Him.

Running From the Boogieman

There was no worse nightmare for me as a kid than getting chased by a boogieman or monster. In every dream, I tried to run, but my legs operated in slow motion and I could never get away. Fortunately, I always woke up before I got caught. Every once in while, as an adult, I will have one of these "getting chased" dreams. I'm always very happy when I wake up to find out that my legs really do work much better then in my dream.

I was reading this morning about the account of King David conquering the Jebusites and taking up residence in Jerusalem. It was eventually named the City of David. Shortly after that they tried to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and failed. About the same time, the Philistines decided to create some havoc. David inquires of the God, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The Lord answered, "Go, I will hand them over to you." God goes on to say "As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." The final verse of this says "..and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer."

As I thought about this, I wondered, when God intervened on Israel's behalf, and there are many accounts of this happening in the scriptures, what did it look like? What would cause seasoned warriors to turn on themselves or get so spooked that they ran for their lives? I wonder if these enemy armies ran into the ultimate Boogieman? There is a hint of what may have happened on this day in Psalm 18, a psalm of deliverance.
    The Lord thundered from heaven;
      the voice of the Most High resounded.
    He shot arrows and scattered the enemies,
      bolts of lightning and routed them.
    The valleys of the sea were exposed
      and the foundations of the earth laid bare
    at the rebuke of the Lord,
      at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

Now that sounds like a soldier's worst nightmare if you are fighting on the wrong side. I imagine legs got weak, screams of terror filled the air and everything was left behind as the enemy army ran away as fast as they could go. We've read the "end of the book." Anyone who fights Israel is going to have to fight the Boogieman, and He doesn't lose.

A Wonderful Childhood Memory

On Monday, I received the latest issue of Heritage magazine. It is an Assemblies of God publication that chronicles the history of the Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal movement. The first two articles in this issue were accounts of the early Hispanic Pentecostal movement in the United States, particularly in the Southwest. I read these articles with great interest because my grandfather was a pioneer pastor in the Spanish speaking Assemblies of God and I attended his church in San Jose, California until age 15. It was fun to see pictures of people that I knew, including one of my uncle's graduation from Bible College in 1940. I knew many of these people because they were friends and contemporaries of my grandparents and they hosted many people over the years in their San Jose home. When I was old enough to go places with my grandfather, I would attend many ministerial meetings and events with him. I think I became his shadow. One of the great times every summer was going over to Bethany University (then Bethany Bible College) for the Spanish District Council. It was great to run around with kids from all over the western part of the United States while our parents and grandparents attended the various church services and business meetings.

After reading the articles, I was reminiscing about memories from my Spanish church days. One incident from the 1950s stands out in particular. One of the stops that Oral Roberts made with his huge 75,000 seat tent was at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. The organizers had met with all of the ministerial associations in the city to gather support for the crusade. The "reward" for the leaders of each group was that they could sit on the platform for one of the healing crusade services. Since my grandfather was a Spanish Assemblies of God leader at the time, one of those nights, he and his fellow leaders were ushered to the platform for a unique perspective of the crusade service. Since I went everywhere with him, there I was, a child, sitting among the Spanish ministers, watching the power of God in action. I do not remember anything about the service. I can't remember any of the music, the preaching, or any other aspect. I do remember the healing line. At the end of the platform there was a ramp that started on the right side of the platform and came up to the platform height just about the center of it. Oral Roberts sat in a chair at the top of the ramp and people lined up, to a child it looked like blocks, to get prayed for. After awhile, wheel chairs, braces and crutches started to accumulate on the stage. Even now, if I close my eyes and think about that evening, I can see every detail in my mind. The opportunity to experience God's power in action from about 20 feet away will always be with me. This experience has fueled a life long desire to see God supernatural manifest Himself in the lives of His people. I hope I never lose that desire.

My 31 Year Old Daughter I Have Never Met

I have been sick, and home, with the flu this week. When I was feeling better, I decided to read a couple of books on my reading list. One of those was Heaven Is For Real, by Todd Burpo. Todd is a Wesleyan pastor who wrote about his 4 year old son's near death experience. The book is a best seller, and an easy read. I would recommend it.

Chapter 17, Two Sisters, wiped me out. In this chapter, Colton (the 4 year old) announces to his mom that he has two sisters. The problem is Colton only has one older sister. Because of Colton's age, his parents had not chosen to tell him about a miscarriage that had happened years earlier. Colton tells his mom that his sister in heaven looks a lot like his older sister Cassie, just smaller and with dark hair. He went on "in heaven, this little girl ran up to me, and she wouldn't stop hugging me." Let me say here, if you are a parent who has lost a child to miscarriage, you need to read this book. This chapter alone will bring tremendous comfort and peace to you.

In November of 1979 we were moving from a church in Manteca, California to a church in Albany, Oregon. The day the movers were at our home loading all our possessions on a truck, Kathy began to miscarry our 4 month old baby. I rushed her to the emergency room and over the next hours they took good care of Kathy through the miscarriage and the D & C procedure that followed. They kept her overnight and the next day we set out for Albany, Oregon. When we got there, I had to go immediately to work because as the new minister of music, we had the Christmas season in front of us with a lot of music to learn, rehearse and present. We did the best we could to heal, but it was a difficult time, particularly because we did not know anyone in our new city very well.

Fast forward to a time when we were serving a church in the Denver area. Our choir was singing the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir arrangement of I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy. Kathy told me that as we sang the song, she saw a picture, perhaps a vision, of her grandmother, who had passed away in the 70s holding the hand of a little girl with red hair, Kathy's color. I know that gave Kathy great comfort.

As I read chapter 17, I began to weep uncontrollably. After 31 years, I realized that I had never dealt with the grief of losing this baby. Between making sure Kathy was taken care of, driving to and getting settled in a new city, starting a new job and jumping into the Christmas season, I never stopped. After Christmas that first year, it was on to Easter and everything else that went into this new ministry. On Wednesday, when Kathy got home, I tried to tell her about this chapter and about my own personal experience. I could hardly get the words out. I have not cried this hard in a long, long time. I realized, however, that at one point, my tears of grief turned to tears of joy. Joy, because one day I'm going to meet this young lady, my daughter I have never met.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Yesterday in our worship services we sang a hymn and a new song written approximately 500 years apart. We sang Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress Is Our God alongside A Mighty Fortress by Christy and Nathan Nockels. At the end of the first and second verses of Luther's A Mighty Fortress..., we went right to the chorus of Nockel's A Mighty Fortress. Since both songs were in the same key, it worked perfectly.

Martin Luther wrote his timeless classic right after nailing his 95 theses to the Catholic church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. It is said that Luther would gather other reformers together for worship and prayer and they would sing this wonderful hymn as encouragement during some of the darkest days of the Reformation. Luther based the lyric of his hymn on Psalm 46. Verses 1-3 say; God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Verse 7 says; The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (emphasis mine)

Verse 1of Luther's hymn reads;
   A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark (strong wall) never failing;
   Our helper He a mid the flood, of mortal ills prevailing.
   For still our ancient foe (enemy), doth seek to work us woe (temptation to sin).
   His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

The second verse of Christy and Nathan Nockel's song says;
  Our God is jealous for His own. None could comprehend His love and His mercy.
  Our God is exalted on His throne, high above the heavens, forever He is worthy.
   And we will keep our eyes on You. We will keep our eyes on You.

   (chorus) A mighty fortress is our God. A sacred refuge is Your name.
   Your kingdom is unshakable, with You forever we will reign.

What wonderful music to encourage our hearts. Words from the Reformation and the 21st century to help us worship God.

Learning New Technology, Again...

After a being a lifelong PC user, I took the Apple plunge this week. Kathy organized our relatives and a few friends and gave me a gift card to our local Apple store for my birthday. After I bought it, a friend who works at the store, Vince, helped me set up my mail accounts, contacts, and showed me some of the basic features. What little I have done so far, I am really enjoying it. I can understand why Mac and iPhone users are such fans. Since my only exposure to Apple up to now has been a couple of iPods, the iPad is pretty cool. The  digital growth and implementation into our lives has been spectacular.

I think it was in 1988 when I bought the first two computers for the church I was working at. We bought one for our grade school and one for the main church secretary. Among many, one task stands out in my mind as being revolutionary at the time. It was how we addressed our major church mailings. We had a huge table machine called an Addressograph. It used metal plates stamped with a person's name and address on it. The metal plates snapped into metal holders and they would go in a tray which the machine would pick up one at a time. I big arm would come across the envelope or folded newsletter and pass over the paper and an ink ribbon. It made a horrible noise, and I knew that one day someone was going to lose some fingers in the process of addressing. In order to make a change of address, we had to send off to a company to make a new metal plate. With our new computer, our secretary entered the names and addresses once, printed them to a dot matrix printer with a label roll attached and while the labels were printing, she could do something else. A few keystrokes and a change of address was made. We all thought we had died and gone to heaven.

Today that computer wouldn't even be able to load our present day operating system, much less do any work. But in 1988, it was almost miraculous. Today, with a device that comfortably sits on my knee, I can see and talk with my children in England, just as easily as I can with someone across the room. In 1988 we were so taken with the moment that we had no idea what the future might hold. And yet the same principal is true, I'm so taken with this new technology that I'm not even thinking of what may be coming down the road. One thing hasn't changed, however. In 1988 we found ways to use our new computers to affect people's lives for Christ. I have already had those thoughts with my new iPad. How, mixed in with everything else I might do with it, can I affect people for Christ. We'll see...

   

I Love Watching Nature Come To Life

I was working in my yard yesterday. We all do the annual ritual of clearing away the dead stalks of plants that had their moment of glory and now give way to a new season. Pulling here, pruning there, deciding what to keep and what needs to go. Trying not to prune too much, but making sure each plant and tree will fill out nicely and thinking about new plants to purchase when the time comes. We have had a lot of rain and snow this winter and the ground is still very saturated. In fact, it snowed a couple of inches just this past Monday, leaving behind another layer of moisture. So after getting muddy and and scrapping off my tennis shoes for the 10th time, I decided to call it a day. It is supposed to be nice next week, so I'll get more time to finish the job.

The one thing I love about this time of year, and the thing that kept distracting me yesterday, was looking at all the bits of green. I love seeing nature wake up. Tiny buds that are just starting to open. Looking at Bradford Pear and Dogwood buds. Right now they are just tiny little balls, waiting for the right time to explode into color. I was even on my roof sweeping off the last of winter debris and saw the first Redbud blossoms about to burst open. I pulled last years dead plants away from all the daffodils and crocus plants, saw the first of those blooms and took a look at my rose bushes. Tiny bits of red and green where beautiful leaves will grow in a few weeks.

Today I'm sore from all the bending over, but my spirit is rejuvenated. Spring has a way of doing that. New life has a way creating a freshness that is renewing. Today is the first day of Spring. Thank you, God, for a wonderful reminder of Your life, in us.

Sin Can Have Catastrophic Consequences

This morning my daily Bible reading was the account of the children of Israel thoroughly demolishing Jericho and then getting routed in their attempt to take the city of Ai.

When Joshua hears of the defeat he prostrates himself before God. His biggest concern is that the other kings and people of Canaan will hear of this defeat and make it nearly impossible for the Israelites to conquer the land. God tells Joshua to "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned;..." The next morning each tribe passes by Joshua and the tribe of Judah is chosen, the clans pass by and then the families and finally it gets down to Achan. He confesses his sin. He has taken a beautiful robe, two hundred shekels of silver and fifty shekels of gold. In today's prices, maybe $500 for the robe, $2,872 in silver and $28,380 in gold, for a total value of $31,752. Joshua sends some men to Achan's tent and they retrieve the plunder. They take Achan, the plunder, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys, sheep his tent and all that he had to the Valley of Achor.

The Biblical account doesn't mention how old Achan is, or anything about a wife, nor does it say there were son or daughter-in-laws or grandchildren. As I thought about the story, Achan would have been in the second generation of Israelites that was inheriting the promised land, so he could have been near 40 years old. His children were probably teenagers or in their early 20s, perhaps his wife had died in childbirth and Achan had not remarried. Can you imagine the terror in Achan's heart as he realizes that everyone he loves and everything he has worked for is being gathered up for destruction? I can't imagine the tremendous emotions he is feeling that make it almost impossible to speak to his children, to ask for their forgiveness. I can imagine Achan shouting to Joshua and the leaders "please don't do this to my family, they had nothing to do with my sin, please spare them." Losing everything for $31,752. From the Bible's account, it appears that only a short time transpires before Achan, his children and all he owns is stoned to death and burned.

As I thought about this story, I put myself in Achan's place. Would my sin ever have this kind of catastrophic consequence? Would I ever put my family in this kind of harm's way? The trouble with sin is that we rarely think through the consequences before hand. We don't pause long enough to make a "pro and con" list. In a moment of passionate violence, whole families and even neighborhoods and towns have been devastated by one person's sin. I thank God for living in a time when we experience His grace, mercy and forgiveness. I also thank Him for His word that reminds me that He can help me turn from sin and evil and follow His righteousness. And, when I don't do that, He forgives and restores.

Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow

This phrase, Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow, is the first line of one of the best known hymns, The Doxology. However, did you know that this verse is actually the fourth verse of the hymn, All Praise To Thee, My God, This Night by Thomas Ken? A hundred years ago , this hymn was considered one of the four greatest in the Anglican church, the others being Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, Rock of Ages, and Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending. Thomas Ken's hymn was part of a trilogy that he wrote. A morning hymn, an evening hymn, and a midnight hymn. The words below are the evening hymn.

The first three verses do not appear in most hymnals today. When you sing The Doxology, it appears like the one verse is the total song. I suspect that if you read these wonderful verses at night, your rest will be blessed by God's presence. If you prefer to sing them, use the melody of The Doxology. (Old Hundredth)

All praise to Thee, my God, this night, For all the blessings of the light!
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings, Beneath Thine own almighty wings.

Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son, The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and Thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

When in the night I sleepless lie, My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest, No powers of darkness me molest.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Is Turmoil In the Middle East A Prophetic Sign Of the Times?

On the heels of governmental turnovers in Egypt and Tunisia, today, again, there were demonstrations and fighting in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Iran. If you look at a map of the Middle East that includes northern Africa, you see how large some of these countries are and how small Israel is. Since radical Muslims would like to wipe out Israel, I can't help but wonder if one of these uprisings will trigger anger against Israel and start a war that may lead to prophetic fulfilment. However, if you believe the Old Testament, you realize that God bent over backwards to protect Israel. I was reading today in Deuteronomy 30:1-10 about God's blessing and wondering if this could apply to today, just as much as it did when the Israelites occupied the Promised Land.

When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. The LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. You will again obey the LORD and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (emphasis mine)

I believe that Israel's decisive victory in the Six Day War was a supernatural intervention by God fulfilling his promises to His people. I'm not so sure that we could see something like this again, if an enemy of Israel gets aggressive and starts a war. We are admonished to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem", and I would add, watch with great interest at what God might do again for His people.

Starting a Bucket List On My Birthday

The Bucket List was a fun movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two retired guys contemplating the end of their lives. In fact, at the end of the movie Morgan Freeman's character passes away. They meet in the hospital and Jack Nicholson finds Morgan Freeman's "bucket list", things he would like to do before he leaves this earth. They wind up collaborating on a list and set off, around the world, to do all the things on the list.

Today is my 62nd birthday, and no, I'm not terminally ill, nor am I very close to retirement, but... I have been thinking about my "bucket list." (1) For instance, Kathy and I, once we do retire, would love to spend 6 months or a year at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in Brooklyn, New York. We would volunteer to be ushers, or greeters, or hosts, or whatever they wanted or needed. We would love to be immersed in that church environment for an extended time.

(2) In 2001 I had the opportunity to work with a group of people at the Oklahoma City Rescue Mission as they learned how to become a Worship Team. I taught, rehearsed and coached them in their special project just before graduation. Ever since that experience I would love to volunteer some time in a rescue mission or homeless shelter. I think I would even like to spend some time as a homeless shelter resident, (paying, of course) to better understand their situation.

(3) When we lived in Albany, Oregon, my friend, Neal Mapes, taught me how to fish for steelhead. I would love to river fish for steelhead or salmon in Alaska, on the hottest day of the season with a guide who knew exactly where the fish ran.

(4) Many of our vacations have been trips to visit with our relatives. (when you are on a budget, free room and board sometimes dictates what you do on vacation :) )While we stopped at a few spots along the way, we usually had limited time and had to get where we were going and then get home. Kathy and I would love to take a small RV and visit many of the spots around the U.S. that we've never seen, taking our time at each location and enjoying this great country.

(5) When I retire, I will have been a Church Business Administrator for over 25 years. I would love to volunteer my time with small churches who needed administration help, and couldn't afford it. There are retired executives programs where businesses can be matched up with qualified retirees who give them a lot of pro bono help. It would be fun to start something like that for churches.

How about your "bucket list?" Have you started one yet? Have you looked around you to see what great opportunities are open for you to get involved with? Maybe down the road we'll see each other in a homeless shelter, helping out...

Worship Wars in the 1600s

Benjamin Keach, born on February 29, 1640, began preaching at eighteen. He was a Baptist minister who was seized in 1662 and put in the open market pillory (public humiliation) after the Act of Uniformity was passed by the British Parliament. In the U.S., we do not any government intrusion into our worship practices. While churches in the U.S. must conform to laws and regulations regarding property, taxes, employment, etc., our government stays out of sprititual and doctrinal issues. In 1662, the British Parliament made the Common Book of Prayers the legal standard for church government, ministerial ordination and most church life. This caused a problem for a lot of ministers who did not believe that the Common Book of Prayers allowed them to preach and lead worship in a manner that God required of them. These ministers had to decide between following a law they couldn't support or preaching and leading in a manner that they believed God wanted them to.

Fortunately for Benjamin Keach and thousands of other ministers, the laws eventually changed and Keach was able to pastor a church in London where he introduced a new and controversial practice-the singing of hymns (as opposed to only the metrical Psalms). Baptists were opposed to hymns at this time, but Keach led his church to sing a hymn at Lord's Supper services and, later, on days of thanksgiving. Finally, about 1690, the church voted (with a few dissenters) to sing hymns every Sunday. It was Benjamin Keach's bravery that paved the way for Isaac Watts, the man who popularized British hymn singing a generation later. It also opened up the way for many hymn writers whose hymns are still sung today. An interesting side note during this same time span; organs used in churches were considered scandalous because they had been used in the circus. How could an instrument used in the circus ever be sanctified enough to be used in a church?

I still remember the early days of using drums in the church, and then guitars and keyboards. How could instruments used in bars and dance halls ever be used in a church? In many churches today the conflict between singing traditional hymns and gospel songs versus contemporary worship music is alive and well. Hymn lovers critized new music for its shallowness and lack of doctrine. New music lovers boycotted hymns and traditional gospel songs because of their outdated language and musical style.

I guess every generation is the same. "Give me what I like and keep me happy." Sometimes in the debate over style and preference, we forget Who is the object of our worship and why we are singing and playing in the first place. This coming Sunday, in our church, we'll sing a blend of older and brand new songs. I will do my best to lead our congregation in singing our worship, all of it, to God. Then, if someone complains that we didn't sing their favorite song in their favorite style, I'll hope they have their favorites on an iPod or they have their favorite CDs in their car so they can listen to them on their way home. :) Thanks, Benjamin Keach.

Overwhelmed By God's Love

On Sunday morning our Choir and Orchestra are singing and playing a wonderful arrangement of the hymn, O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus. Samuel Trevor Francis wrote the hymn in 1890 after experiencing God's love in a very compelling way. On a cold, winter night, Francis found himself walking across London's Hungerford Bridge. He was at a point in his life where his faith was wavering, and he was mulling over his sadness and loneliness. As he walked, and contemplated his life, he heard a whisper tempting him to end his misery and jump into the churning waters below.

Fortunately, Francis didn't pay attention to the dark voice. Instead, he heard God's reassuring words speaking to him that night. On that bridge, he reaffirmed his faith in Jesus Christ, and put complete trust in him as his Savior.

As you read the words of his hymn, you hear echoes of this transformational experience. I love the thought of the first verse;
     O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free.
     Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me.
     Underneath me, all around me is the current of Thy love.
     Leading onward, leading homeward, to my glorious rest above.

There are days when I desperately need the love of God to roll as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me. How about you? Are you hearing a dark voice whispering that you are not worthy? Or that God doesn't love you? Have people hurt you or disappointed you? Cry out to Christ, ask Him to allow his love to roll as a mighty ocean over you. He loves you, and He'll honor your heart's desire.

How Will You Be Remembered

I was straightening my office today and paused to look at a photograph I have on my wall next to my bookshelf wall. I had put some things away and looked up to see the photo of the church I was raised in. It was one of those "everyone in the front of the church" pictures, taken outside, probably at the end of the morning service. I was about 5 years old in the picture, so I don't remember the event. My grandfather was right in front. He was the founding pastor of the church and pastored it until he passed away in 1966. He was just 65 years old and died of cancer. In the years just prior to his passing, he had purchased a 10 acre plot of land and had built a barn, utility room and pump house on the land. He bought a house from a military base and had it moved onto the property. For all of my growing up years I was his shadow. I suspect I didn't help much, and probably got in the way some, but I was always with him. Sadly, he never got to retire on that land. Whenever I think about him I have instant recall of his face. It is as vivid today as it was any day I was with him. Sometimes the grief I feel, even now, is so intense that I can hardly stand it. I have broken down more than once, telling about experiences with my grandfather. One of the biggest regrets I have is that he never got to see me become a minister, receive my ordination credentials and hear me preach or lead a choir. I never got to "pick his minister's brain" or ask him professional advice.

Once a wave of grief passed, today, I sat at my desk and did something I had never done before. I Googled my grandfather's name. Nemias Ruybalid. The first two items that came up were blogs that I had written about him. There were several items that had either his first name or his last name, and none were related to him. The last one on the page was a Social Security website that listed dates of birth and dates of death. I clicked on it and scrolled down to his name. Interestingly enough, my grandmother's record was just above his, even though she lived to be 92. All the record showed was my grandfather's birth date and the month and year of his death.

I thought to myself, "maybe I should write a Wiki page for him. There is so much to tell about this wonderful man who left much too early." How will you and I be remembered? Will someone Google your name 45 years after your death? One thing I remember about my grandpa was that I could see Christ in him. That's how I want to be remembered, that someone could say that they saw Christ in me.

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

On February 13 1915, the New York Times carried this headline: "Fanny Crosby, Blind Hymn Writer, Dies." The article said in part: Franny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, died at her home at 4:30 AM. She had been growing feeble for the last six months and of late was very weak. She would have been ninety five years old if she had lived until March 24.

Fanny Crosby wrote more than 8,000 hymns which have been sung in Protestant churches throughout the world. Her lyrics were so numerous that at the peak of her career, hymnal publishers gave her nearly 200 pen names in order for her hymns and name not dominate every hymnal. She had a tremendous gift of recall and composed many lyrics at a time, committing them to memory before they were written down. One of the hymnal publishers, Phillips Brooks, once gave her seventy five topics and asked her to write verses based on them. She composed every one of the hymns before a line of any of them was placed on paper.

The newspaper article went on to list Fanny Crosby's most well known hymns, including, Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross.

Jesus, keep me near the cross, There a precious fountain.
Free to all, a healing stream, Flows from Calvary's mountain.

In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever.
Till my raptured soul shall find, Rest beyond the river.

In our present church culture, hymn singing is falling out of fashion. Many churches do not include any hymns in their church worship services anymore. When you read Fanny Crosby lyrics, you realize what a loss her writing is to the present day church. Thank you, Fanny Crosby, for sharing your amazing gift with us.

The Coming of Christ Foretold

As I began to plan a Choir-Orchestra-Drama production for this past Christmas, I wanted to use the prophecies of Christ's coming as a basis for the drama and music that we performed. After looking at many scripts and musicals, I finally determined that the product I was looking for did not exist. I gave a number of scriptures and resources to one of our choir members and he wrote a marvelous script set in modern times, using many of the scriptures that foretell the coming of Christ. We wove in appropriate music, called it Christmas Foretold, and had a wonderful production. Many people said "it was the best ever", but then again they always say that...it was very good.

One thing that struck me about the abundance of scriptures is that we only scratched the surface of the available Bible references. The other thing that amazed me is that almost from the beginning, the first chapters of Genesis, there were references to the coming Messiah. In some of the most unlikely places and stories, references to Christ and His coming popped up. This morning in my daily reading I found another one. I was reading the account of the people of Israel coming to the edge of the Promised Land. After their multi-year journey in the dessert, they are about to enter the land and begin conquering it. In Numbers, chapters 22-24, we find king Balak terrified at the prospect of the Israelites being on the edge of his kingdom, Moab. He enlists the services of a pagan prophet by the name of Balaam. King Balak figures that if he can't defeat Israel militarily, maybe he can have a well known diviner put a curse on them and they'll go away. As the story develops, God puts the words in Balaam's mouth and he winds up blessing Israel instead of cursing them. In chapter 24, his last oracle says "A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." This is a clear foretelling of the coming of the Messiah. What an interesting place for this reference to occur. It showed me, once again, that God has a clear plan that spans the ages. He knew what needed to be accomplished and it confirmed to me once again that God's plan extends to me, and you. Today, let us rejoice that God provided a way for us to know Him, and to be known by Him. We know that Star, we know that Scepter, Christ Jesus.

What Are You Reading In 2011?

Pollsters tell us that most adults in the United States do not read a single book in a year's time. In fact, just 15 percent of people read books regularly. 80 percent have less then 10 books at home. One thing that I am grateful for is that my parents took my sisters and I to the library and purchased many books for us to read while we were growing up. That early leading and guiding has stayed with me through adulthood.

I have two distinct reading routines. The first one is first thing in the morning. This year I am reading through The Daily Bible In Chronological Order. I have used this 365 readings book several times and I am really enjoying it again this year. During my morning reading I am also reading Near To the Heart of God by Robert Morgan. This devotional uses 365 hymns as a basis for each daily reading. In addition to these two, I pick another book to read a short portion of each day. In January I read Where Angels Walk by Joan Anderson. In February I started reading Send Me Your Guardian Angel by Padre Pio. (as you can see, I'm on a theme here...)

The second part of my reading routine is reading for pleasure and to enhance my professional career. This year I have read three books in a five book series by Joel Rosenburg based on end times events. The Last Jihad, The Last Days and The Ezekiel Option. I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in this series. I'm also finishing Crazy Love by Francis Chan and I just started Cracking Your Church's Culture by Samuel Chand, two books that will help in my church work. So, are you reading? I'm always looking for good suggestions. Let me know what your book list looks like. If you are not reading, this is a great time to start. Since you can't be outside much, take some to read a book this week.

Time To Start Writing Again

If you subscribe to my blog, you may have wondered what happened to me. During the middle of the Christmas season, I decided it was time to take a break from some of the things that make my life busier than I would like it to be. While I really enjoy writing a blog, it takes a lot of thought to write about things that I think might be meaningful to other people. While many of my writings have come from my life experiences, many also come from my feelings about current events, cultural issues and just plain life. So after a 55 day break, I am going to start writing again.

Back to the issue of busyness. One of the things that prompted me to slow down during Christmas and the month after was an analysis of all the things that I do both professionally and personally. One of the difficult conclusions to come to is that some of what you do, on a regular basis, really doesn't matter. It may be necessary to fulfil a job commitment, or to insure continuity for other people, but in the end, it really doesn't matter. The realization that you are whipping a dead horse, and didn't recognize it can be disconcerting.

God and I are in conversations now about some things that I would really like to do, things that really matter. We'll see how patient I am, and if He thinks these things are important enough to act on them. In the meantime, back to my blog...

My Own Personal Christmas Tradition

I have a Christmas tradition that somewhere along the line evolved to be my personal one. I think it's because no one else in our family enjoys black and white movies. Several years ago I bought the VHS version of the 1951 classic A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. A few years later I bought the DVD version that has both the black & white and colorized versions. It is still much better in black & white.

Here's a bit of trivia; The word "humbug" is misunderstood by many people, which is a pity since the word provides a key insight into Scrooge's hatred of Christmas. The word "humbug" describes deceitful efforts to fool people by pretending to a fake loftiness or false sincerity. So when Scrooge calls Christmas a humbug, he is claiming that people only pretend to charity and kindness in an scoundrel effort to delude him, each other, and themselves. In Scrooge's eyes, he is the one man honest enough to admit that no one really cares about anyone else, so for him, every wish for a Merry Christmas is one more deceitful effort to fool him and take advantage of him. This is a man who has turned to profit because he honestly believes everyone else will someday betray him or abandon him the moment he trusts them.


I think I enjoy the movie, and the book, because of the complete transformation of a person at this wonderful time of the year. On the day after Christmas, he is so different, that he is beside himself in trying to fool poor Bob Cratchit when Bob arrives a few minutes late for work. Poor Bob is so intimidated by E. S., that he can't even begin to figure out that he has been transformed. After "playing with Bob", and then giving him a raise, E.S. says "I don't deserve to be so happy. [starts laughing uncontrollably again] I can't help it. I-I can't help it!" On Christmas morning when he discovers he is still alive, and that it is Christmas morning, he nearly frightens his maid to death. He dances around his room singing a made up song "I don't know anything!/ I never did know anything!/ But now I know that I don't know/ All on a Christmas morning!" Then he proceeds to stand on his head while his maid throws her apron over her head and runs out of the room in complete panic. She is absolutely sure that E. S. has gone mad. When Bob questions his change, E. S. says "Bob, I haven't taken leave of my senses. I've come to them."


Last night I had a few hours to relax, and I spent part of that time watching A Christmas Carol again. I really enjoy that movie. I'm not sure I deserve to be this happy, but I am...

My Christmas Miracle

Another favorite Christmas story is told by Taylor Caldwell. She was in her 20s, recently divorced, had no job and was on her way job hunting on a spring, rainy day, with no umbrella. She sat down in the streetcar and there against the seat was a beautiful silk umbrella with a silver handle inlaid with an engraved name. The usual procedure would have been to turn the umbrella in to the conductor, but on an impulse, decided to find the owner herself. She found an address for the name in the phone book and took it to the owner. The lady was surprised to see it, it had been a birthday present and had been taken from her locker (she was a teacher) more than a year earlier. Her eyes teared up and she wanted to give Taylor a reward, but to accept money would have spoiled something. Taylor writes, "I think I gave her my address, but I don't remember."

Caldwell writes that the next 6 months were wretched. She could not find a permanent job. Her last job ended the day before Christmas, her 30 dollar rent was due and she had 15 dollars to her name. She purchased some very small gifts for her daughter, a small tree and a little food.  Taylor writes, "there would be no Christmas for me. I had just about reached the lowest point in my life. Unless a miracle happened, I would be homeless in January, foodless, jobless. I had prayer steadily for weeks, and there had been no answer. God and men had forgotten me. I felt old as death, and as lonely."

She looked in her mailbox, only bills in it and two white envelopes. She went upstairs to see that her daughter, Peggy, had proudly set the kitchen table and set out the 3 cans of food that would be dinner. "I felt brokenhearted. We would have only hamburgers for our Christmas dinner tomorrow, and gelatin." She writes, "For the first time in my life, I doubted the existence of God and His mercy, and the coldness in my heart was colder than ice." Then, the doorbell rang, a delivery man was at the door. His arms were full of parcels. I could only stare at the boxes. A huge doll, gloves, candy, a beautiful leather purse. Incredible! It was the teacher, the address simply "California," where she had moved.

Our "canned" dinner that night was the most delicious I had ever eaten. I could only pray, "thank you, Father." I forgot I had no money for the rent and only fifteen dollars in my purse and no job. After Peggy went to bed, I opened the 2 white envelopes. One contained a check for thirty dollars from a company I had worked for briefly in the summer. It was, said a note, my "Christmas bonus." My rent! The other envelope was an offer of a permanent position with the government-to begin two days after Christmas. It was the most joyous moment of my life.

The church bells began to ring. I hurriedly looked at my child, who was sleeping blissfully, and ran down to the street. Someone began to sing, "Oh come, all ye faithful!" I joined in and sang with the strangers all about me. I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all.

And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. God is with us, Emmanuel.

Cosmic Christmas

Cosmic Christmas is a wonderful book by Max Lucado that you can read in a single sitting. It is Max's description of how Christ would come to be born from Mary. It portrays the struggle between good and evil and the attempt on Satan's part to prevent the Seed from ever arriving from Heaven. In one of the most descriptive passages, Max pits Satan against God, and the ultimate reason for Christ coming to earth is revealed.

"The two stood facing each other. God robed in light, each thread glowing. Satan canopied in evil, the very fabric of his robe seeming to crawl. The King walked over and reached for the book. He turned it toward Lucifer and commanded, "Come, Deceiver, read the name of the One who will call your bluff. Read the name of the One who will storm your gates."

Satan rose slowly off his haunches. Like a wary wolf, he walked a wide circle toward the desk until he stood before the volume and read the word: Immanuel.
   "Immanuel?" He muttered to himself. "God with us?" The hooded head turned squarely toward the face of the Father. "No. Not even you would do that. Not even you would go so far. The plan is bizarre! You don't know how dark I've made the Earth. It's putrid. It's evil. It'..."

   "It is mine," proclaimed the King. "And I will reclaim what is mine."
   "Why?" Satan asked. "Why would you do this?"
The Father's voice was deep and soft. "Because I love them."

God loves you, and cares about you, and wants to be Lord of your life. Christmas is a wonderful time to give ourselves to God, without reservation. All you need to do is to accept His gift of new life.

Trouble At the Inn

One of my all time favorite Christmas stories is Dina Donohue's Trouble At the Inn. Wally was nine years old and in the second grade, though he should have been in the fourth. Most people knew he had trouble keeping up. When it came time to pick children for the annual Christmas pageant, Wally fancied himself being a shepherd with a flute, but the plays director gave him the role of the Innkeeper. That role didn't have many lines and Wally's size would make his refusal of lodging o Joseph more forceful.

As usual, a large audience had gathered for the town's yearly extravaganza of creches, beards, crowns, halos and a whole stage of squeaky voices. No one was caught up in the magic of the night more than Wallace Purling. When Joseph appeared, slowly, tenderly guiding Mary to the door of the inn, Wally the Innkeeper was there, waiting.

   "What do you want?" demanded Wally, swinging the door open with a brusque gesture.
   "We seek lodging."
   "Seek it elsewhere.." Wally looked straight ahead but spoke vigorously. "The inn is filled."
   "Sir, we have asked everywhere in vain. We have traveled far and are very weary."
   "There is no room in this inn for you." Wally looked properly stern.
The conversation continued and Wally delivered his last line, "No! Be gone!" Joseph placed his arm around Mary and Mary laid her head upon her husband's shoulder and the two of them started to move away. Wally stood there in the doorway, watching the forlorn couple. His mouth was open, his brow creased with concern, his eye filling  unmistakable with tears.

And suddenly this Christmas pageant became different from all others.
   "Don't go, Joseph," Wally called out. "Bring Mary back." And Wallace Purling's face grew into a bright smile. "You can have my room."

Have a blessed Christmas season and take some time to read a few stories, they are gifts.

One Of the Best Gifts

The older I get, the harder it is to remember all of the Christmases I've celebrated. It is even harder to remember many of the gifts I have received. This year, I have had a hard time coming up with a list for Kathy. She is the conduit to our families for ideas. I guess I'm more focused on celebrating the season and enjoying our family here at home, as well as our son's, their wives and children, when they get here later in December. I'm also looking forward to sitting by our tree, reading and enjoying the atmosphere of this wonderful season.

I've been working down in our basement for the past few days. We're painting, cleaning and scrubbing tile floors, installing new lights and generally getting ready for the holidays. As I was thinking about this blog yesterday, I noticed one of the best gifts I have ever received. The interesting thing about this gift is that it wasn't given to me at Christmas, it came to me when we moved from Manteca, California to Denver, Colorado. I worked at First Assembly in Manteca for 7 years, once in the 70s and the second time in the 80s. The second time we were there, I directed the choir every Sunday standing on a small step, in order for the last row of the choir to be able to see me. I have had to use a step in a couple of churches for this same reason. In fact, when we left First Assembly in Albany, Oregon, the choir all signed the step I used and they gave it to me as a parting gift. Apparently they didn't think that their next minister of music would be vertically challenged and would need the "box." The gift I received in Manteca was similar, but it was a small step stool built by the husband and father of two of my choir members. Here is a picture of my stool that was built by Don Graves.

I have used this stool for virtually every home project I have ever worked on. This week, in my basement, I have used it over and over again. By the way, Don's daughter Regina is one of the finest sopranos I have ever had in one of my choirs. She is a wonderful soloist. Her mom, Wanda, was very good as well. At a farewell reception, the Graves family presented this stool to me. Little did they know that 20 years later I would consider it one of the best gifts I have ever received. As you can see, it's a little beat up, painted on and a little rickety. But I suspect I'll use it until it completely falls apart.
 
This Christmas season I want to share, via this blog, some of the wonderful stories I have collected over the years. I will also share some of the remarkable gifts I have received. Regardless, I am so thankful for the wonderful gift of life that Christ gave us in His coming to earth to live, die and be resurrected to reconcile us to the Father. There is no better gift. This season is our chance to tell a desperate world about His coming, and His gift to us.

Time to put my stool away, I'm finished with it for this project. I'll keep it close by...

Ray Charles and Christmas Angel

The day after Thanksgiving is always a potpourri of activities for us. This year we shopped for some new lighting in our basement, I went to pick up a part for Nicole's car from the Toyota dealership, only to find out it was the wrong one, and Kathy and I spent time cleaning out our storage area in the basement and I installed our new lighting. We took some time to watch a Christmas movie titled Christmas Angel. It was the story of a wealthy philanthropist who found out late in life that it is better to give than receive. A multi-millionaire businessman who lost his wife and family because of his obsession with making money. In the end, he gave it all away to needy people. A little predictable, but a fun way to start the season.

The other thing I did has become a personal tradition. I watched, (I'm not sure how many times this is, but it is a lot), Ray Charles Celebrate A Gospel Christmas. In what may have been his last video taped concert, (Christmas 2003, Ray Charles died in June of 2004), Ray Charles sang Christmas songs, gospel songs and his famous arrangement of America, the Beautiful. In this concert he is joined by the 120 Voices of Jubilation from Newark, New Jersey. The wild thing about this concert is that it was performed in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is obvious from the first song that the audience is incredibly responsive to Ray Charles and all the music. They clap as each song starts, they clap in the middle and they go wild at the end. The interesting thing is that when the cameras pan the audience, there is not a single black person in the audience, and almost everyone on the stage is black. What a wonderful inter-cultural experience for all those folks. One of the memorable performances on this video is the Voices of Jubilation's rendition of Total Praise. The director is wonderful to watch. His animation makes the song come alive. The entire concert is a lot of fun and a great way to start the Christmas season. Ray Charles and the choir singing Oh, Happy Day is great.

Now, on the the big stuff. Unwinding the outdoor lights and making sure they all work...

Thanksgiving Day 2010

This morning I was up early to help register runners and walkers for the 20th Gobble Wobble 5K at our church. Every year this race is a benefit for Teen Challenge, a faith based drug rehab program that we support. Several hundred runners braved very cold and drizzly conditions to participate. I thank God for everyone who participated and gave unselfishly on this day to help others.

Now I'm home, I helped Kathy get the turkey stuffed and into the oven and now we have a few minutes to relax. While I try and be grateful all year long for God's blessings to us, this day really helps me reflect on the things that I am so thankful for. As I drove home from the church this morning, and called Kathy to let her know I was on my way, I was weepy as I thought about how much I love her and am thankful to God for her. This hasn't been the greatest year of our lives, but the love that we share and the support we give each other has helped make it a year that we can truly say "God has been faithful." I am thankful for all our children, our married children and grandchildren who are in Springfield, Missouri, Medford, Oregon and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I am thankful for our three teenagers still at home. Even with the challenges that parenting has produced this year, our lives our enriched by our teenagers. I thank God for my parents, sisters and brother and their families, and Kathy's parents and siblings. I am thankful that our home is warm, there is food in the pantry, our bills are paid and we have a little money in the bank.

I am thankful that as I sat and read God's Word this morning, His promises are true and apply to me, because He loves me and has a relationship with me, by His choosing. I am thankful for friends who love us, and care about us, a church family that we can share our talent and ability with, and our country that has provided the freedom that we enjoy today to worship God like we choose. I am thankful for a day of rest, and the opportunity to reflect on the reasons for the peace and contentment that I feel. Have a blessed day as you thank God for His goodness to you.

My Utmost For His Highest

Oswald Chambers was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1874, the son of a Baptist minister. As a teenager, after hearing Charles Spurgeon preach, young Oswald surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. Chambers studied for the ministry and was the first principal of the Bible Training College at Clapham Common, London. World War I exploded on Europe and the college was closed in 1915.

Chambers joined the staff of the YMCA and with his wife, Biddy, was sent to Europe to minister to the English and Australian troops stationed in Zeitoun and Ismailia. The YMCA constructed 72 by 40 foot reed huts for the soldiers to come and relax in. Within a week, Oswald Chambers had four hundred soldiers packed in each night to hear him teach the Bible. Hundreds came to Christ. He wrote in his diary, "There are so many 'saved' souls waiting instruction, and they take it with zest. There is no difficulty at all in getting men to 'decide' for Christ, they do it readily." Sadly, on November 17, 1917, Chambers died of complications from an appendix operation.

Chambers had written just one book before he died, Baffled to Fight Better, but he had kept a journal. Biddy (his wife) was a trained court stenographer and had taken down word for word many of his hundreds of messages delivered at colleges and military camps. She began editing his material into 365 daily readings and named it My Utmost for His Highest. She completed it in 1927, ten years after Oswald's death. Today the book remains among the top ten Christian titles sold annually.

What will be our legacy, yours and mine? God cannot only use our lives for His glory while we are alive and working for Him, but long after we are gone. O God, help us to keep our focus on You and what You have asked us to do. We'll leave the results to You, for Your glory.

Christmas Reading

Every year, for many years now, Kathy and I have purchased one or two Christmas books a year. Some have been collections of short stories, others are Christmas novels and some have been table top books. One of our favorite authors is Richard Paul Evans. His book, Christmas Box, is a classic. We also enjoyed The Christmas List, The Gift and others by him. This year Evans has a new book titled Promise Me. Kathy found it at Sam's Club the other day and brought it home with some other Christmas shopping. I decided to start reading it on Sunday evening and I finished it last night. Normally, I would wait until closer to Christmas, but since I am a minister of music, I have been selecting, rehearsing and planning for Christmas since July, so reading a Christmas book now fits right into where I am.

For me, part of the enjoyment of Christmas is to immerse myself in the lives of other people and their Christmas celebrations. Many of the stories I have read have been true life stories, others are fictional. All of them help me focus on the wonder of the coming of the Savior and His tremendous gift to me. Another thing I have discovered over the years is that Christmas can "blow right past" you if you let it. The busyness of the season can almost make Christmas one of the those things that you can't wait to come and go so that your schedule can slow down. I have found that if I have a Christmas book to read, even if all I have is a few minutes, those minutes can be so meaningful. Right after Thanksgiving we'll bring up a lot of our Christmas story collections books and put them on our living room coffee table. A cup of tea, a fire in the fireplace and a couple of Christmas stories helps melt away the busyness of the day. This year, in addition to all your Black Friday shopping, stop in a bookstore and look for their Christmas books display. It will be there, and there will be a lot of wonderful books there. Pick up a book of short stories, buy yourself some Constant Comment tea and that evening, read a couple of stories. It will do your soul good...

A Very Nice Visit With My Parents

Last December, my parents moved to the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. My sister relocated for a great job in the hotel industry and my parents moved with she and my brother-in-law. They live in the small town of Youngsville in a wonderful rural setting. When I was there earlier this week, all the leaves on the hardwood trees were turning yellow and red and it was beautiful. Two weeks ago my parents celebrated birthdays, 82 and 91. It was fun to be there so close to their birthdays. This was my first visit to their new home.

My dad has a lot trouble hearing, so our conversations were very short, but I was able to spend a lot of time with my mom, catching up on their move, all of our relatives that we do not see very often and catching her up on my family and all the things we are up to. The interesting thing was all the "spin off" conversations that a memory or an event took us on. I had several questions about the Spanish speaking church that I grew up in and that conversation brought back some neat memories. She reminded me of getting pulled over by a motorcycle policeman right in front of the the church because I pulled out in front of him without signaling or checking to see if anyone was coming. As I recall, I didn't get a ticket because I didn't have a license yet, just my permit. Another memory that I remember was a treat that happened every once in a while when we came home from our evening church service. It was usually fairly late and everyone was hungry. We stopped at a hamburger place where you could get a "bag of burgers for a buck" and a "bag of fries for a buck". For two dollars, we had a feast when we got home from church.

We reminisced about people that we had known and lost contact with, and people that have come back into our lives, largely with digital technology like Facebook. My memory of many of these folks was like I knew them many years ago. I was jarred back to reality more than once when I asked how old someone was now and my mom would say "I think they are in their eighties, or late seventies". Yikes, I remember them in their 20s and 30s. I suppose that some day in the next decade or two, I'll sit with my children and we'll do the same kind of reminiscing. I'll shock them with how old the people are that they remember, and we'll share great memories from every generation. One day, probably sooner than later, I won't be able to do this anymore with my parents. So I am very grateful for another opportunity to do that this week. We made plans to bring Kathy and our kids at home next summer to see them. I hope we can all do the same kind of reminiscing. I think it is really good for us to remember where we came from. It helps clarify where were are going.

This Was Quite An Election

I was up yesterday shortly after 4 AM to get ready to go to the election precinct where I have worked for the past several elections. We opened at 6 AM with many people in line and, except for a short lunch break, I did not sit down until our polls closed at 7 PM. I work at Gambrill Gardens, a retirement living center in West St. Louis County. A lot of our voters are elderly residents of the center. So, in addition to my normal job of helping people cast their ballots on the electronic and paper machines, many of the elderly voters need to have the ballot read to them, or they need special help with the touch screens. When I got home, I was exhausted, however, I really enjoyed the day.

In addition to the large turnout, we had close to 60%, I noticed a real determination on many people's part to "make a difference". In one form or another, many people said something like, "I want my vote to count" or "I want to help make a difference". On our ballot we had quite a few judge confirmations. It surprised me, with many of the elderly voters I assisted, how many of them voted NO on judge confirmations, almost as if there was a determination to sweep every area of government clean and start again.

I think the past 18 months have reignited a grass roots feeling in this country that the individual can make a difference. It has confirmed the idea that the will of the people cannot be ignored, and that if it is, the people will make changes. Now, Christians, it time to pray for new leaders, new direction and people in leadership who will be open to the wisdom and guidance of God. This was quite an election cycle, now let's do something with it.

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?