Jesus Christ is the Answer to Evil

By My Anonymous Friend

Two days ago a most horrific crime was committed in an elementary school in a small town in Connecticut. 26 people were murdered by a mad man. 20 of these were youngsters aged 6 and 7. Many are analyzing, speculating, pontificating, and lecturing us as to what could have caused a young man to kill his own mother and all these innocent children. It is not my intent to try to explain this tragedy. All I can say is that evil is real and very much present in our world.

 

I would like to add a further note which is that part of the biblical Christmas story also involves evil. In fact it also involves the murder of innocent children. Amid the lights, dinners and gift exchanges, let us not forget that a power mad politician viewed the birth of Jesus as a potential political threat. To make sure no newborn baby would ever challenge him for power, Herod ordered all babies aged two and under in Bethlehem and surrounding areas, to be killed. I wonder how many parents grieved then just like the parents in Connecticut do today? Hundreds maybe? Who knows? Both are horrible displays of human evil and depravity.

 

Christmas is a season of joy, celebration, and happiness. After all we wish one another a "Merry" Christmas! I am not suggesting we do anything less. I simply share this sobering reminder that it is precisely because of evil and depravity that the Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The birth of Jesus meant that the Lamb of God which would serve as the atoning sacrifice for the very depravity we saw on display two days ago and which, to be very sure, resides in each of us as well, entered the human scene.

 

So the joy of this season goes much beyond dinners and concerts and gifts. The fundamental joy consists in the fact that it marks the introduction or public display of God's remedy for depravity. So as we all grieve and hurt for the surviving loved ones in Connecticut, there can also be room in our hearts for joy and celebration. As we pray God's comfort and peace to those in the deepest of sorrows, let us also pray to give thanks for the gift of Jesus Christ! Depravity and evil are only too real! The remedy for sin and evil as well as the provision for redemption are equally real!

 

Entitlement

By My Anonymous Friend

 

One of the values that describe much of today's western culture is embodied in the word entitlement. It involves the notion that one has a right to a benefit or a certain reward. More and more legislation establishes these rights and citizens expect or assume they deserve them. It can be debated whether such a thing as government provided health insurance for example, is indeed a right. I find that Canadians who for years have lived with government controlled health care, generally regard it as a right. Many Americans who have a stronger tradition of free enterprise, do not. I am not writing today to advance that argument one way or the other. Instead I wish to share with you how I observed this kind of thinking at an entirely different level.

 

We have a family member who is a college football coach. This past week he made a very difficult decision in the middle of a game to replace the starting quarterback. The replacement quarterback came into the game at half time and in the end helped his team to a victory. Not too long after the game, emails and text messages began to come to several members of the coaching staff. Both parents of the quarterback who was benched chimed in, understandably not happy at all. The mother of this young man even emailed the wife of the head coach and complained bitterly about what she perceived as gross injustice. Fortunately before the day was over some apologies were extended.

 

I was very surprised to learn of this. It is not uncommon for parents of high school athletes to give unwanted advice to a coaching staff but this matter involves college students. It seemed very inappropriate for the parents to complain, especially to the wife of the head coach. But I believe this is part of entitlement thinking. Of course, some of the anxiety came because any parent thinks his or her child is the greatest and most capable athlete, scholar, citizen, worker, potential world leader, etc. But part of what happened here is that the parents believed their son was entitled to be quarterback because of certain alleged promises made when he was recruited and simply because he had been in this position for the first several games of the season.

 

This kind of thinking is why many excellent teachers leave the profession. Teachers do not get support from the parents of students. Instead the parents if they care at all, tend to take the side of the students and defend or excuse their lack of performance, etc. It is very discouraging to a teacher. Parental biases and misguided or inflated assumptions about their genius or super gifted children, make it very difficult for a teacher to find cooperation between school and home.

 

It is no wonder that students grow up with the idea that things should be handed to them. Our daughter who works in student life at a private university observes the same phenomenon. In her ten years of work she believes this entitlement kind of thinking has risen sharply.

 

Entitlement thinking then logically extends to society too. Once a person begins to benefit from the government "trough" of provisions and handouts, he begins to expect it. Politicians know how to offer anything and everything to citizens in order to get their votes. More than ever before this is the issue in the upcoming American election. One side believes that government provides jobs, financial success and prosperity, while the other side advocates the more traditional theory of hard work, enterprise and risk.

 

My own view is that when entitlement mentality really takes root, the result is what we see today in various European countries. Early retirement is seen as a right. The very mention of bumping up the retirement age even slightly, results in mass rioting. People do not realize the truth of Margaret Thatcher's statement that the problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money! When entitlement minded people are asked where the money handed to them is to come from, they really do not know, and apparently do not seem to care either. Such thinking is absurd and cannot be sustained.

 

But, there is a legitimate place for social concern and support for those who are in need. How can this be addressed? My own conviction is that the role of government should be diminished and the role of the family, the church, and local communities needs to be expanded. Historically this is how western society functioned. How many hospitals even to this day have biblical names? It is because Roman Catholics or Protestants helped them to get started. Many universities began as church sponsored institutions. Relief and social concerns were addressed by churches, not governments. Slowly this has changed. As homes and families become increasingly fractured and dysfunctional, government has stepped in. I believe in part it is because more effective local controls have passed the buck so to speak, and we have become all too willing to let government programs take over. The more centralized any program becomes, the likelihood of inefficiency, abuse and fraud rises. We have ample evidence of this everywhere today. I sometimes ask people who advocate for more government control to show where a government program has performed with efficiency, financial responsibility, and timeliness. Examples of this are hard to come by.

 

So what is a person of faith to do? This is not an easy question. It is surely not entirely an either/or matter. My sense is that the pendulum is swinging far too much in the direction of entitlement thinking brought about by government programs that are easy to access and abuse. But how can families take on more responsibility for needy kin? How can the church do a better job of caring for the needy in its community? What should you or I do individually to address the needs of the homeless, the unemployed, or the addicted? What do you think?

Whales and Butterflies!

by My Anonymous Friend

Seems like the past month or so has been one huge adventure after another for us. This past week my sister, brother, and sister-in-law joined us for several days in Victoria, BC's capital city on Vancouver Island. While there we enjoyed the incredible beauty of mountains, ocean, flowers, and forests. In addition, we toured a butterfly garden and enjoyed a whale watching expedition. Hence the title and the pictures above.

I could not help but marvel at the beauty of God's creation. So today my wish is to share just a few details of what I firmly believe is the work of God. I simply do not have the faith to believe that somehow a big bang at some point in history, followed by years and years of evolution, could produce the intricacies and fascinating composition of what we observed. Let me start with butterflies.

In our visit to the butterfly place we were bombarded with facts and details about these amazing creatures. I will share just a few.

1. Butterfly eggs are laid on leaves attached by a glue so powerful that science has yet to understand it all together. The egg stage may last only a few weeks but in some cases eggs are dormant over winter and hatch in spring. In other instances eggs can remain dormant for several years without hatching until weather or moisture conditions are favorable. What man-made creation can lie around for several years without at least some deterioration?

2. Butterfly wings fascinate me. In the larva stage the little wing discs are very small and a trachea forms a sort of wing vein. Initially the wings are very flexible but within just minutes they harden dramatically and are powerfully attached to the body of what will momentarily become a fully developed butterfly. The garden we visited provided microscopes so visitors could examine the intricate wings more closely.

3. Life span. Butterflies may live only a few days although some species live as long as a year. Thus the cycle of life and death is endlessly repeated.

I could go on and on, but I am not a lepidopterist (person who studies butterflies) and few who read this are either. My intent is simply to give a sampler of how intricately and fascinatingly nature has been created.

Now let me quickly move to whales. What a contrast!

There are various types of whales of course, and the ones we viewed are known as Orcas or killer whales. I was impressed that our guide seemed to know the names of the several families or pods of whales that inhabit the area between the state of Washington and Vancouver Island. He even seemed to recognize specific whales by their antics and swimming patterns. Apparently there are resident whales as well as transient pods of whales. Our first sighting of a whale was when a dorsal fin (over 6 feet in length) broke the surface of the water. Sometimes that is all we saw while at other times the whales rose up out of the water revealing their giant black and white bodies. The whales we saw were about 20 feet in length and our guide compared them in weight to a school bus. Imagine such a vehicle rising from the water and then crashing back into the ocean again. What a picture! These whales are among the fastest marine mammals, reaching speeds up to 55 kph (30-35 mph). The pods we followed cruised along at a more leisurely pace. Baby whales weigh up to 400 lbs at birth, and adult whales eat about 300 poinds of food (mostly salmon) per day.

I came away from these wonderful experineces basking in the pleasure that I am personally related to the God Who designed all these marvellous creations. What a great God! My intent in sharing all this today is to encourage you also to look about you and realize how amazingly beautiful and intricate the world around us is.

An Encouragement for Mothers

by My Anonymous Friend

Hello to you this week, and Happy Mother's Day to all mothers!

I spent the entire day yesterday at a pregnancy center board of director's retreat. The mission of this center is to encourage life affirming choices through education and pregnancy resources. One of the workers at the center talked about her work with those who in the past have opted for an abortion and are finding difficulty now dealing with that decision. It was a very touching account. For women like this, today is a miserable day. It is also a difficult day for women who are not mothers for whatever reason. Our culture is often very insensitive and when mothers are honored, as they should be, especially those who desperately would want to be mothers but are unable to, feel great pain and sorrow. This point is similar to what I wrote last week about widows. When tables are set for 4 or 6, a single person feels very much left out of the picture. Similarly, on Mother's Day, please be sensitive to wonderful women around you who are not yet mothers or who perhaps never will bear a child.

We would not think of Gideon as a role model or as one who might teach us a lesson pertaining to Mother's Day! I would suggest that mothers can learn a helpful lesson from him however. Please hear me out.

Gideon appeared on the scene (Judges 6) at a terrible time in Israel's history. While today Israel fears a nuclear threat from a determined and hostile neighbor, in Gideon's day the threat to Israel was perhaps even worse. A nomadic roving mass of humanity called the Midianites made life miserable for Israelites. They destroyed their crops, killed their livestock, and ravaged the landscape in every way possible. It was so awful that Israelites abandoned their homes and fled to caves and clefts in mountains to live.

After about 7 years of this misery, the Lord appeared to Gideon and informed him that he would be the deliverer of Israel. Gideon was mystified and skeptical. He asked how in the world he could possibly accomplish this considering he really had no credentials as such to lead his fellow Israelites to victory over the Midianites. God's answer was interesting. In one sense we can say that God actually did not answer Gideon. He simply assured him that He would be with him.

To me this is the critical point. Mothers frequently are at their wits end. Their children do not always make wise choices. Mothers feel very deeply the financial pressures that come into a household when there is not enough income. Mothers deal with health issues--- their own, or those of their own parents or children. Mothers worry about many things. They often suffer quietly and, as the mother of Jesus, they "ponder" things.

To mothers we can say confidently,........The Lord is with you!

If you are a skeptic or a cynic you might say, "What good will that do? How will that pay bills? How will that help children to stay away from harmful influences?" My reply would be that it is one thing to face problems alone but quite another to know that there are others who are there to help you face the problems.

Perhaps a simple illustration will help. Many years ago the ministry which I led, was facing a potential law suit. This was totally new territory for me. I was scared. The grieved party was very angry with us, for no valid reason in our opinion. However, after speaking with a lawyer, my spirit was greatly relieved. He spoke with wisdom and experience and great understanding. He suggested an approach which we followed to the letter. There never was a lawsuit and the the grievances were satisfied. Even better, relationships were restored. I can clearly recall the feeling of comfort and hope that I experienced simply by being in the presence of the lawyer who advised us. I was no longer alone in this battle.

I have never been a mother and obviously never will be one. Somehow, I hope that my attempt to write about the comforting presence of the Lord in our lives will serve to encourage and lighten the burden of mothers as well as others who read this. Happy Mother's Day! Do not ever forget---- the Lord is with you!

IN THE BEGINNING MAN CREATED GOD!

By My Anonymous Friend

Does that heading grab you like it did me? Recently atheists in America gathered for what they called a Reason Rally to "celebrate our belief in reason, science and the power of the human mind"-- according to one of the several speakers at the event. The statement above was one of various slogans and banners that were seen there. A cable news reporter interviewed various attendees with questions like, "What if there is a hell? Are you afraid to go there?" and, "How do you explain the origin of the universe?" When the predictable answer, "Big Bang" was offered, the next question was "Where did the big bang come from?" This was answered by, "You just take it as truth!" So much for reason and the power of the human mind!!!

My initial reaction was anger and sadness. The people interviewed were essentially arrogant and cocky, or so it seemed to me. They flaunted their beliefs (or unbeliefs) as a badge of honor. My anger quickly gave way to sadness however. These misguided folks have no idea what will await them if they continue on the path they are on. I also felt sadness because they know nothing of the incredible love and mercy our Lord demonstrated for them and continues to extend to them every day.

Then I got to thinking about what Scripture says about atheists. In several Psalms an atheist is described as a fool. The Hebrew language has a variety of words to describe those who are unwise. We might think of these words as a kind of heirarchy or scale of foolishness. At the low end of the scale is a word that speaks of someone as simple or just plain silly. At the other extreme is a word that speaks of someone as a madman. The word used by the Psalmist is somewhere in the middle. It refers to someone who is empty or devoid of mind. The word used does not refer to a person who is an idiot, or to one who is devoid of common sense. Rather it describes a person who is morally foolish and one who is blind and ignorant of spiritual matters. Being this way in his heart then leads him to act in very foolish and corrupt ways.

How ironic that I am writing about this on April 1--- a day known in many countries of the world as April Fools Day. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1392) is thought by many as the origin of this interesting observance. Others argue that the Iranian day known as Sizdah Bedar (536 BC) where people play jokes and pranks on each other is really the true origin of April Fool's Day as we know it today. Regardless, it is amusing to learn how different cultures observe the day. French speaking people (including French Canadians) as well as Italians, historically tacked paper fish on the backs of unsuspecting victims hoping not to be caught in the act. Often April 1 was a day of pranks and practical jokes. Many times instructions were given to go somewhere for a special event that did not exist. An example is an April Fool's announcement from April 1, 1857 announcing the supposed washing of the lions at the Tower of London pictured below.

April Fools Day is a fairly harmless holiday. I have been the perpetrator of April Fools pranks and I have been the recipient of them as well. It is mostly clean fun and amusement. But the misguided folks at the Reason Rally are another matter all together. Denying God's existence is much more serious. It has eternal consequences. Let us show the genuine love of Jesus and pray for those in deliberate ignorance and foolishness.

Moral Relativism

By My Annonymous Friend

I watched a documentary yesterday telling the story of the Canadian military in Afghanistan. At one point the narrator opened a window to his mind and world view when he stated that Afghanistan created a problem for him intellectually. He said that he was raised to believe in a morally relative world where distinctions between right and wrong, or good or evil, were blurred or perhaps non existent. It is true that this view is prominent in western culture. A Zogby poll some years ago showed that 75% of American college professors teach and believe that there is no such a thing as right or wrong. Individuals and cultures must make decisions about what is right or wrong for them. This is how we hear statements like "I decide what is right for me!" or, "This is my truth!" A variation of this thinking is an absurdity I sometimes offer in jest – "I stand up for the truth whether it is right or wrong!"

Back to the Afghan documentary. Why did the narrator face an intellectual dilemma? The reason he cited is that is that he could not explain the Taliban who restrict education, force women into despicable life styles, blow up historic and religious shrines and monuments, and so on. I smiled when I heard him talk about this. Of course he faced a troubling situation. The world he was told existed was in reality a different kind of world. Some have said that moral relativists in fact see the world more as they would like it to be rather than how it is in fact. I think that is true. For many moral absolutism is annoying and interferes with how they live. I commend the narrator for his honesty!

I am aware that I have selected a major and very serious topic. There is a great deal in ancient philosophy and religion about the topic of good and evil. It is for some a reason to believe that God does not exist because if He is a good God then He could not allow evil to exist. This argument has an answer. In Taoism, the ying and yang concept is an effort to show that there is a complementarity between good and evil. I reject this way of thinking as well.

Today's disciples of moral relativism claim that tolerance and neutrality are their virtues. For example, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America once stated, "…teaching morality doesn't mean imposing my moral values on others. It means sharing wisdom, giving reasons for believing as I do - and then trusting others to think and judge for themselves." She claims to be morally neutral, but this is categorically untrue. Recent talks about defunding Planned Parenthood have been met with howls of protests and incredibly dishonest propaganda. Those who promote abortions are in no mood to hear the arguments of those who value the life of the unborn. Here is another example of supposed tolerance and neutrality. I found it amusing and also disappointing that a recent climate change (it is now embarrassing to call it “global warming”) conference refused to allow a leading British author and skeptic of this politically fashionable theory to speak at a conference on climate change. So much for tolerance!

Our society is paying a huge price for the false teaching of moral relativism. Contrast today's world with the thinking of George Washington. In his September 19, 1796 Farewell Address to the nation, George Washington stated, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great Pillars."

William McGuffey, author of the McGuffey's Readers, which were used by students in America's public school system from the early 1800's to the early 1900's, wrote, "Erase all thought and fear of God from a community, and selfishness and sensuality would absorb the whole man." McGuffey's ideas are being validated every day when we watch the evening news!

God is not the author of evil! Mankind was given a choice and chose evil. Ever since, humans have been born with both an evil nature and an evil desire. I marvel that it is not necessary to teach small children to be naughty, mean-spirited, to fight with each other, to take away each other's toys, and so on. Even my angelic children, and now grandchildren, seem to take to all these kinds of behaviors with ease. As we continue in life, we continue to make wrong and hurtful choices at times which have horrible consequences.

I commend the honesty and integrity of the narrator of the documentary I saw. Would that others in our society would honestly examine the world in which we live and question their presuppositions and theories. Moral relativism has serious flaws. It cannot answer for the behavior of brutal regimes like the Taliban and others. Nor can it answer for the evil nature that is present in each of us as well.

The great news is that God has an answer for evil. Without compromising His own righteousness and perfection, He established a way for forgiveness and restoration to be possible. This was accomplished by asking His Son, a perfect and thus legally acceptable sacrifice, to assume all the guilt of humanity by dying. Now the offer of salvation and forgiveness has solid philosophical and theological grounds. Justice and mercy were perfectly combined on the Cross.

When Not to Talk

By My Anonymous Friend

I have a variety of interests as I am sure you do also. One activity I enjoy is picking up new recreational vehicles from the factory on occasion and delivering them to a local RV dealer. This past week I made such a trip … to pick up a beautiful new trailer. As I drove I listened to various talk radio stations as I often do. Doing so led me to my theme for this week.

As I listened I was chagrined to hear information being passed off as fact that I knew to be either greatly exaggerated or else patently false. The host of the talk show never once questioned the veracity of the information he was using. What happens a lot in our world today is that bloggers write about things important to them and media outlets use these blogs as their sources without ever doing the kind of fact checking that good journalism requires. Information is then made public in established print or electronic media and picked up by talk show hosts or the public. It is assumed to be true but may in fact not be so at all. At times all spectrums of the political landscape are guilty of this carelessness. This guilt extends far beyond just political discourse and includes business, family, and church life equally. As Winston Churchill once said, "A lie makes its way half way around the world before truth has put its pants on!"

It is very critical for us to be sure we have facts before we speak about them. We can do serious damage to someone's reputation or cause when we pass along information that may not be accurate. Sometimes even when we have facts it is still good judgment to guard what we say. Scripture warns of this in many references.

1. We should not talk if we do not possess the facts. "He who gives an answer before he hears it is folly and shame to him" (Prov. 18:13).

2. We should not talk if our words would only inflame a situation. "He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding" (Prov. 17:27).

3. We should not talk if our words could damage a friendship or hurt another's reputation. "A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are as a scorching fire" (Prov. 16:27).  "A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends" (Prov. 16:28).  "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Prov. 18:21).

4. We should not talk if doing so might put us into a realm where we do not belong. "Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks evil against his brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it" (James 4:11).

As someone for whom talking was a way of life for many years and still is to a great degree, these admonitions are at times very convicting to me. I wonder how many people I have hurt over the years with careless things I have said. James wrote of the power of the tongue. We have all experienced the positive power when a sincere compliment is given. It lifts our spirits and elevates our sense of well being. But we have also experienced the piercing pain that an unthoughtful comment can deliver. It stings and hurts.

My prayer for myself and for you is that we might only use speech that in the words of Paul in Ephesians 4:29 might give grace to the hearer.

Faithfulness

By My Anonymous Friend

This past week some friends of ours celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. It was a delight to join with family and friends to help celebrate this significant milestone in their lives.

Our friends served for some years as missionaries in Vietnam before being forced to leave in 1975. They shared many stories of their work there and how they survived the Tet offensive in 1968 and the final weeks before the war ended in 1975. Some readers may recall that several missionaries were killed during the war and our friends were involved in recovering the bodies and seeking to honor their lives with a dignified burial.

Such stories provide intrigue and fascinate a listener but in my view there is something infinitely more significant about the life and ministry of our friends. Their work did not end in 1975. For years and continuing into the present, they have continued to work in various ways in this SE Asian country. They have provided a voice for the persecuted church there. They continue to advocate for those who have no platform from which to speak. God continues to provide amazing opportunities to serve. In recent months positive contacts have been established with individuals in government service. Recently a television station there featured an interview with our friend. I could continue.

All this spells one thing!  F-A-I-T-H-F-U-L-N-E-S-S. What a tribute to be able to say about a person that after 50 years of marriage he or she has been faithful in their service to their Lord!  I have a conviction that their work is not yet complete and that perhaps even greater ministry opportunities await them. This we simply entrust to the sovereign will and plan of God.

Scripture says that of a steward it is required that he be faithful. Our friends have been faithful for sure. They have several children who currently live abroad who are continuing in the pattern created by their parents. Thus their work will continue through their children even after their time on this earth is completed. I celebrate and rejoice.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you are serving”  (Colossians 3:23-24).

I share this with you today to encourage you to be faithful and to serve day by day in the spirit of Paul's admonition to the Colossian church. Perhaps like our friends, you are serving in a way or in a place where you receive little recognition from others. Do not let this discourage you.

Institutions or People?

By My Anonymous Friend

Recently we watched the movie, "Patch Adams" again. It is based on the true story of a medical student (played by Robin Williams) who rebelled against the institutional medical traditions and barely was able to graduate even though his grades were at or near the top of his class. Hunter "Patch" Adams'  basic frustration was that medicine did not treat patients as humans. He believed that quality of life should count for something as well. He founded a clinic named  the Gesundheit Institute in W. Virginia that treated people free of charge. In real life, at one point 1000 physicians were on a waiting list to serve in this facility. Its purpose is to revolutionize the medical industry by replacing greed and competition with generosity and compassion. In recent years it has expanded its scope to offer a variety of holistic kind of care as well.

This movie resonates strongly with me. In my view any institution must recognize the  danger of losing sight of its most important work – people!  Over time, tradition and ritual often bring about a change where instead of being a servant of the mission they become the mission itself. The administrative work of running an organization becomes all consuming. Organizations lose sight of serving people.

Another example concerns a life saving station established on the rocky ocean coast in New England. Its clear vision and purpose initially was to rescue persons suffering shipwreck in the turbulent waters in the area. After some years the life saving station became a club. Money was raised to buy more boats, the station center was enlarged and furnished more exquisitely. Every year, fewer and fewer people were actually rescued. However, more and more people were members of the life saving station club!

Canada once had two airlines competing with each other. One was the "institutional" airline. The other was private. Eventually the former bought out the latter. It could simply not compete because the playing field was not level. The "institutional" airline received more government favors and tax advantages. After the two merged I once asked an employee who had worked years for the now defunct airline about the differences between the two. "The answer is easy," he said. "One airline had in its mission statement the concept of serving people. The other saw itself as simply a mover of products!"

Jesus fought this trend during his earthly ministry. His chief antagonists – religious leaders, were much more concerned about rules and regulations than about the real needs of people. When the disciples of Jesus were hungry and ate some grain on a Sabbath, religious leaders were alarmed that a Sabbath regulation had been violated. Jesus pointed out that hunger was a higher priority than proper Sabbath observance. An adulterous woman dragged before Jesus so He could pronounce judgment on her, was given new hope while her accusers disappeared with embarrassment. Lepers, blind people, military leaders, Samaritans, tax collectors – all were friends of Jesus. He found time for them.

I have spent most of my adult life working with or in a bureaucracy or "institution". I was a pastor and a denominational executive. When I look back today I sometimes wonder how much I did that was of real value. How many lives did I truly impact for the better?  Today I honestly believe God has given me the opportunity to directly touch the lives of many more people. People who are hurting for a variety of reasons can approach me because I am a "safe" person to talk to. Often they approach me because they have no confidence in the "institutions" to help them deal with their pain. Some of this hurt has come from self-inflicted wounds or bad judgment. Some of this hurt has come from institutional bureaucracy and indifference. But it does not really matter. Hurt is hurt and pain is pain!  I am extremely thankful that by the grace of God I have been able to come alongside people like this. I wish I could do much more because the needs are enormous.

What are your thoughts here?  Are you spending your time truly touching the lives of people?  Are you mired in organization and details to the point where you simply do not have much time for people?  At the end of your life will you be able to say confidently that your life meaningfully intersected with the lives of others?

Thoughts on Samson

By My Anonymous Friend

I am planning to do some character studies on various biblical women and men. Let me share with you today a bit about what I have been thinking regarding Samson.

If you grew up in the church you will remember that Samson was a man of great strength who killed a lion, tied the tails of hundreds of foxes together and attached torches to them to burn down enemy crops, and who lost his life by tearing down pillars of a pagan building taking with him to their death several thousand Philistine revelers. You may also have learned that Samson fared poorly in the romance department but that part is often not discussed as much.

Samson was a study in contradictions! Amazingly, more information and detail is given about his life in the Scriptures than is given any other of the judges who ruled Israel.  It should make any Bible student curious. As with so many Bible characters, there is something to admire about Samson's life and there is also much to abhor. God set him apart to begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.  It is curious why the word "begin" is used in this context.  I will let that tantalizing thought slide by and allow you to pursue it for yourself if you wish.

So on the one hand, Samson was set apart by God for an important purpose. At numerous times in his life, the Spirit of God began to stir in him and God came upon him in power. Yet also during his life, Samson was impetuous, hot tempered, stubborn and rebellious. He violated his Nazarite vow on more than one occasion. He was obsessed with pagan women.  When he saw one, he was determined to get her for a wife. Although his parents earnestly pleaded with him to find a nice Jewish girl, Samson refused to listen.

In today's language we could say that Samson did not handle women well.  He also seemed not to learn from his mistakes and repeated his bad choices. He teased and sported with his wives but in the end always succumbed to their persistent "nagging." I find it somewhat amusing that Scripture says Samson felt Delilah's nagging was so severe that he was tired to death of it (Judges 16:16). One translation renders it "annoyed to death."

A few of the contradictions that struck me as interesting about Samson are:

1.  He accused the Philistines of "plowing with his heifer" to obtain the answer to the riddle he posed to them. For one thing this is a strange and not so flattering way to describe his bride.  For another could it not be said that Samson was the one who really made the mistake to plow with someone's heifer in that he refused to stay with his own people and chose instead a girl from the pagan Philistines to marry?

2.  The greatest contradiction or irony is that at the end of Samson's life when he was blinded, he finally was able to see things clearly and fulfill the purpose of his life to "begin the deliverance of Israel from Philistine domination.”

While there are many speculations and applications we might make about the entirety of Samson's life, to me his story is a story of the grace, mercy and sovereignty of God. I do not know exactly how to reconcile all the contradictions in Samson's life. To be truthful I am not always able to reconcile the contradictions in my own life either. Somehow woven through the trials and failures of the human race, God works out His sovereign plans. I cannot understand it always. But it is how God works.  In the end Samson is listed among the other faith heroes in Hebrews 11. Amazing grace indeed!!!!

The Resurrection and the Growth of Christianity

 

By My Anonymous Friend

Why are dogs named Caesar or Nero?   And why do we name our children Peter, Thomas, James, John, and Mary?

Today is Resurrection Sunday. I have tried to give special thought to the significance of this entire week, sometimes known as Holy Week or Passion Week. Last Sunday we reminded ourselves of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem Jesus experienced. Throughout the week I thought of what happened to Jesus after that great and ironic entry. There was a trial and the humiliation of it. There was the agony in Gethsemane where what was about to come to Jesus was so overwhelming to Him. On Friday we attended a very meaningful service here which really brought home to me the horror of crucifixion, the darkness and the despair that characterized that day. All this served to prepare my spirit for today. What an incredible contrast to Friday!!  Scripture says when the disciples first heard that the tomb was empty they considered it nonsense. Who can blame them?  Peter however, the ever impetuous man that he was, ran to the tomb to see for himself. And yes, indeed it was empty!  I would love to know what that day was like for eyewitnesses.

Let’s get back to the dogs we name Caesar and Nero now. Historians estimate that by roughly AD 40 there might have been around 5,000 followers of Jesus in the Roman Empire. However, by AD 350 it is estimated there were about 33,000,000. What accounts for such fantastic growth?  I would suggest the resurrection had everything to do with the growth of Christianity. The Roman Empire declined over the years while Christianity flourished. That is why I suppose we name our dogs Caesar or Nero! (This idea is not unique with me. I heard it in a sermon this morning). The explosive growth of Christianity is one reason why Scripture speaks of the power of the resurrection. It transforms. It is the basis and foundation of our faith. It provides hope!  It is the basis for preaching. I have long believed that if a pastor cannot preach at Easter time, he cannot preach at all. The resurrection is the single most significant event in the entire history of the world.

So I wish you a very meaningful celebration of Resurrection Sunday. May you experience a renewed sense of hope and life itself today.

God is So Good

By My Anonymous Friend

“God is so good, God is so good!  God is so good!  He's so good to me!”

No doubt many who read this will recognize the words above as from a little chorus we sometimes sing. I have been thinking about this idea and wish to share with you a few reasons why we can say, "God is so good!"  There are many of course, but I want to share two from Ephesians 1:7-9.

1. We have redemption through His blood, and forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

I know you know this already but please take note of one word used here. It is the word "lavished." Other words used in English Bibles are words like showered, poured out, or abounded. We have had a huge amount of rain in the area where we are presently. Creeks and rivers are overflowing, and the ground is saturated from all the rain that has fallen. That is how God "rains" His grace on us. However, we should not conclude that this is arbitrary or that it simply gushes out from God in an emotional kind of outburst. It is rather based on wisdom and understanding. God skillfully arranged or carefully formed just how He would pour out His grace on us.

I hesitate to add this by way of explanation, but it seems a contrast to "wisdom and understanding" is what sometimes is called worship today. I attended a service this morning at a church that is becoming increasingly well-known worldwide as a promoter of the supernatural. The speaker told story after story of alleged miraculous healings and resurrection experiences. The audience  jumped up in delight and applauded with great enthusiasm. But as I listened carefully to what was said, I felt strongly that not all of the "stories" were factual. This did not seem to concern the audience, or at least a majority of those present. I strongly hesitate to write about  brothers and sisters in this way, but I just did not think "wisdom and understanding" were much in evidence. God does not gush out grace in an emotional frenzy. He gushes it all right, but it is still measured and marvelously arranged.

2. He made known to us the mystery of His will. 

I heard a sermon this past week that motivated me to think further on this concept. God self-discloses. Humans who are deceptive or dishonest hide things. Politicians who do not want citizens to know the full extent of laws they enact, do them at times when media coverage is likely to be less. They try to pass such laws quickly, before the details are known. God is so opposite. He does not hide. He reveals the mystery of His will so it no longer is a mystery and He does so at His good pleasure. God delights to make known His plans. God is transparent and is delighted to be so.

This is where my mind has been for the past few days, and I share these thoughts with you in the hopes that you will conclude more than ever, that "God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me!"

Valentines Day

By My Anonymous Friend

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I am always intrigued how such special occasions and traditions get started. Was it Hallmark trying to find still another special day to sell cards? Or was it florists and candy makers marketing their particular products? How unromantic you say!!

Most people will say that Valentine's Day originated with St. Valentine. But which one? There are two for sure and likely a third early church leader named Valentine. The first two lived and died in the 3rd Century and the third St. Valentine is believed to have been martyred in Africa. None of them had any relationship with things romantic whatsoever. According to legend, one of the Valentines violated the edict of the Roman emperor that soldiers remain single and married many of them secretly. That may seem at least somewhat romantic. Another legend that has evolved is that Valentine, on the night before his execution, wrote a letter to the daughter of his jailer and signed it "From your Valentine!" There is no factual basis for this legend however, but it sounds romantic enough. In 1382 Chaucer wrote a poem which begins, "For this was sent on Valentine's Day." It is the first linking of things romantic with Valentine. Other parts of the poem however suggest that it was written several months after February 14. We will never know and it does not really matter. In the early 1800's printers began creating Valentine cards, and so the tradition has evolved to this day. It is estimated that in the US close to 200,000,000 Valentine cards are sent each year. In 2010 about 15 million e-cards were sent via the internet. In some cultures the traditions of Valentine’s Day run strongly against the political or religious ideologies of its leaders. For example in Iran today, any printing and distribution of any items promoting the holiday are banned. Those who violate this law will be legally dealt with!

So much for the unexciting historical background of Valentines's Day. The concept of expressing love to those dearest to us is a very good one obviously and it is good to have one day set aside when particular attention is devoted to it. Hopefully, it is not the only day we say "I love you" to those nearest and dearest to us.

Love is defined by some as a chemical addiction whose greatest goal is reproduction. Indeed a myriad of chemical reactions take place in the brain when the subject of love comes up. I suppose this is why we say we have or do not have "chemistry" with another person. It is an amazing and miraculous part of how the Creator designed humanity. Were it not so academic and unromantic I would go into more detail, but I have already set too much of an academic tone in this email.

Love is a basic component in all interpersonal relationships. It is one of the most common themes in the arts. Philosophically and theologically speaking, love is the highest human virtue. It can express a fondness for certain things as in "I love sports!." It can also refer to passion and romantic and sexual love. Theologically love is the basis and foundation for all being. It is the highest description we can ascribe to God. Such diversity of meaning and application makes love hard to explain with distinction. We do know that love is essential to life. George Sand said it this way: “There is only happiness in life, to love and be loved.”

I agree. I wish to pay tribute today to the person I love most on this earth-- my wife. (-----) and I first met on April 16, 1967. I remember the location and time as if it were yesterday (well almost like yesterday). Our first date took place on April 30. She says it was my persistence that won her over. Persist I did. On that April Sunday when we first met, I told a friend that I had just met my wife. He reads these emails and can verify that statement I made then. We were engaged to be married on Dec. 31, 1967 but since we were students at Moody Bible Institute and the school was not fond of students marrying, we waited, and waited, and waited for what seemed like an eternity. On August 16, 1969, our wedding day finally came. Now, almost 42 years later, the anxieties of waiting are more of a distant memory. We have lived in various places, traveled to many destinations, seen four wonderful children come into our family, experienced many joys and sorrows too, but always we have journeyed together. We do so now as we live as "empty nesters." I sometimes think that (-----) has been part of roughly 67% of every experience I have had in my entire life from birth to today.

This past week I attended a college basketball game which honored its seniors. The parents or friends of these athletes joined them on the court and were showered with flowers and plaques and other gifts. As so often happens nowadays, the parents of athletes have been divorced and remarried. Often the mother is introduced with a name different from that of the father. Sometimes only one parent is present because the other has begun a new life elsewhere. It is awkward sometimes and I always wince in my spirit at such occasions. I am very happy to say that my children's parents BOTH have the same name and are together after all these years. Thanks (-----) for being my Valentine for all these years!

I hope you have a very special Valentine too and I hope he or she knows what a special Valentine you are to each other. If you do not have such a person today and some who read this do not, I hope you will find one soon! Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.

Christmas Greetings from My Anonymous Friend

For me Christmas memories involve many things. Cold, snowy weather, church and school programs, special food, candy and cookies, family gatherings, gifts, and of course, music. I was raised in a German home so we learned the carols in both English and German. I find myself still able to recall the words to songs we sang 50 years ago. I also remember that George F. Handel's Messiah was a big part of Christmas for us. We sometimes found a church or community group somewhere that was performing it and we would attend.

I also remember that every Christmas morning the Queen of England gave a Christmas greeting to her subjects and later some radio station would always play Messiah by Handel in its entirety. In my college days I had the privilege of being part of a huge oratorio chorus and symphony orchestra that performed Messiah in Chicago. I have this magnificent music in long playing records, CD, and now in my I-pod. Today it is difficult to find any group performing this oratorio and I am grieved that the Hallelujah chorus has been cheapened as it is used sometimes in commercials and other flippant settings. But not always!! I hope your computer has the ability to download this short clip. It is incredibly inspiring and takes place "spontaneously" in a Canadian mall. I have been sent this same video by several people this season and in case you have not seen it yet, here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE If you copy and paste it into your search engine it should open up. It worked as I tried it just now.

I wish to write a little about Handel today. I have long marvelled at his incredible ability to write an entire oratorio that is almost verbatim from King James Bible selections. Messiah has three parts and Handel brilliantly captures the messages of Christ's advent and birth, then His passion and resurrection, and finally prophetic words about His second coming. It is majestic. Words cannot describe the inspiration millions of people have received over the years as they have listened to the words and the beautiful music.

Handel (1685-1759) was born in Germany and lived in several countries before becoming a British citizen in 1726. I have seen his burial place in Westminster Abbey in London. Handel's father did not want his son to pursue a career in music and preferred he should study law instead. However, the young Handel somehow got a clavichord into the attic of his family home where he would sneak away at night to practice. Over the years Handel wrote many operas, cantatas, oratorios, and concertos. Messiah was written in only twenty-four days and it is said that Handel hardly slept during this time. He was a stickler for excellence and often tore up scores he wrote until they were exactly as he wanted them to be. In 1742 his oratorio was first performed in Dublin.

One of the traditions of Messiah is that when the strains of the Hallelujah chorus begin, the audience rises to its feet. This tradition began with King George II. When a monarch stands, everyone in the audience does too! Was King George II recognizing a greater Monarch than himself? Or was he just moved by the music? We do not know for sure but I would like to believe the former to be the case.

I find it fascinating what other great composers and musicians thought of Handel. Mozart, who was just a young lad when Handel died, said, "Handel understands effect better than any of us. When he chooses he strikes like a thunder bolt!" That describes how I feel when I hear that first "Hallelujah!" Beethoven who was born eleven years after Handel died, wrote, "Handel was the master of us all, the greatest composer who ever lived. I would uncover my head and kneel before his tomb!" As they say, it takes one to know one!! This is quite a compliment.

There is a story about Handel I like very much because it expresses my own inability to describe the majesty and inspiration of Messiah. One day his assistant shouted in futility to get Handel's attention. He finally entered the room where Handel was and asked, "What is the matter?" Handel looked up with tears in his eyes. In his hand he held the score of the Hallelujah chorus. Handel said, "I thought I saw the face of God!" ...

... Today, there are storms in Europe affecting air travel in Paris and London. Here in California there is heavy rain with snow in the elevations. There are also other storms in our world. Great suffering and anguish, incredible uncertainties and anxiety about economies and terror wars. In all of this we pause to remember the Messiah! He came as God in the flesh as a little baby. This is what we are celebrating! He had a timetable to be born in Bethlehem and He has a timetable and a plan for each of us individually and for this world!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Simeon

By My Anonymous Friend

This week I read on a Facebook posting where someone has determined that the return of Christ will take place in May of 2011. I am not sure what the basis is for that date exactly but I believe such statements are nonsense and directly contradict what Scripture teaches. No man knows the day or the hour. An event took place when Jesus was born that bears some similarity however to date setting. It is part of the Christmas story but probably not well known. Let me expand on it for you today.

Simeon was a righteous and devout man in Jerusalem who longed for the "consolation of Israel". This is a reference to the comfort and hope Messiah would bring to His people at His coming. It is also called the redemption of Jerusalem. Simeon had been told somehow by the Holy Spirit that he would live to see this day. When he beheld the infant Jesus he somehow knew that He was the fulfilment of this long awaited promise.

One theory is that Simeon was one of the translators of the Septuagint. This was a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek completed sometime in the third century BC at Alexandria, Egypt. When Simeon came to Isaiah 7:14 which records that a virgin will conceive a bear a Son, he was filled with questions and doubts. This did not seem possible. An angel revealed to Simeon that he should translate this verse as written and that it would miraculously come to pass. Furthermore, he would live to see it happen! One problem with this theory is that Simeon would have been several hundred years old when Christ was born. I remind you that it is a theory.

What is sure is that Simeon had a profound faith and confidence that he would live to see the birth of the Messiah. How did he know that Jesus was the fulfilment of the Isaiah prophecy? I do not know the answer except that Scripture says the Holy Spirit revealed this to him. I simply leave it there. It is fascinating.

Simeon was overwhelmed with delight and thanksgiving when he realized that the Messiah had finally come. He responded with praises that are known as the Nunc Diimittis which are still an important part of worship in liturgical traditions. These words of Simeon are recorded in Luke 2:29-32.

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.

Simeon then continued by speaking a blessing and a prophecy to Mary.

This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.

Please consider several fascinating aspects to this story.

1. How did Simeon know that this baby was finally the One he and others were longing to see?

2. Note that Simeon says that the salvation the Messiah would provide would be for ALL people.

3. Note that Simeon predicted the sufferings of Jesus which both He and His mother Mary would experience.

4. Simeon predicted the division and controversy Jesus would bring. I find it fascinating that to this day, it is relatively acceptable to speak of God in generic terms. However to refer to Jesus specifically brings out howls of protests and controversy. He is indeed a controversial and divisive figure.

Interesting points to ponder at this time of year.

Jesus came to offer....... what??

By My Anonymous Friend

We are into the Advent season and I have been trying to look at the birth of Jesus in new and meaningful ways. I ask myself and here I ask you as well,

Jesus came to offer....... what??

I know most who read this know the answer but let's think together for a moment and perhaps "the reason for the Season" as the saying goes, will take on new meaning for you.

What might Jesus have come to offer?

1. He could have come as a philosopher. By doing so He could have introduced new ideas and concepts for intellectuals and others who cared, to ponder. Perhaps He might have been an innovative philosopher to introduce philosophies that no one ever had thought of before.

2. He could have come as a political reformer. Surely the people of His day longed for political renewal and an overthrow of a repressive Roman regime. Some actually believed (or perhaps just hoped) that indeed Jesus would usher in a new political system. This hope reached its peak on what we now refer to as Palm Sunday. How dreadfully disappointed these folks must have been later that week when Jesus was crucified and it became clear the Roman yoke was not about to be overthrown.

3. He could have come as a scientist or researcher. Perhaps He could have found a cure for the ravaging diseases of His day. In our day cancer would come to mind. How noble it would have been for Jesus to come to usher in an end to disease and suffering.

4. He could have come as a consultant or life coach. He could have written books and lectured on how to achieve personal goals, how to be a better leader, and how to live a happy and profitable life.

5. There are other possibilities: therapist, social worker, engineer,--- add your own list.

All the above would have had degrees of merit. The world would have been a better place if Jesus had come in any of the scenarios I have described. And, in a sense He was some of the things I listed.

However, had Jesus come only in the capacities mentioned above, it would have been like applying band-aids to the human condition. Humanity needed more than new philosophies or political reform. What was needed was more radical and profound.

Now recall the words of what we call the Benedictus in Luke 1 and the words of the angels to the shepherds in Luke 2. It is clear from these and other references that Jesus had a unique mission that transcended any suggestions I have made above. He came to be a Savior! Why? Because humanity needed saving. Pretty simple. Yet very, very profound.

Some years ago I was called a savior! It is true. I was in an airport waiting to fly to my home. The flight was greatly overbooked and the airline personnel were desperately seeking passengers who might be willing to give up their seats. After I was assured that a flight an hour later had room for me and that I would be rewarded financially for giving my seat up, I volunteered. The person at the check in counter was overwhelmed with gratitude. He said to me with passion,

"Thank you! Thank you! May I call you Jesus?"

I assumed he used that term because I had been a "savior" of sorts so I replied, "No, not really! I know Jesus personally and I do not think I qualify to bear His name!"

That led to an interesting discussion as you can imagine.

My point is that when we use the word "Savior" with regard to Jesus, the meaning is enormous. I have the ability to "save" an airline a measure of embarrassment for selling more seats than the plane has on board, but in no way whatsoever can I or anyone else be the kind of Savior Jesus was and is.

He saves people from their sins! Only a perfect sacrifice (lamb) can make this kind of saving efficacious. Jesus fit the bill perfectly.

So, my hope is that somehow the well worn and familiar words and expressions of Christmas will take on new meanings to you this year.

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord!" (Luke 2:10-11).