Out Of The Dark Side

Were you around in 1977? That is the year we were introduced to Luke, Leia, Han, Obi Wan, and Darth Vader. That was the year “Star Wars” was released and a series of movies was born. I was living in the Philippines at the time, courtesy of the Navy, and hoped I would get to see it before it was gone from the theaters. When I returned to the U.S. in July 1978, it was in the dollar movie theaters. Like all good dramas, it had to have an awesome villain and Darth Vader was definitely it. While we watched Obi Wan teach Luke about the force, we also saw Vader using it, but as the Dark Side. It was the classic case of the taking a powerful good and turning it into something evil. Of course, in the third movie, we saw the Force conquer the Dark Side. Hooray for the good guys!

At the beginning of timeless time, God created his angels, in different ranks and duties. Sadly, one of his archangels took God’s gift and turned it into the Dark Side. As we all know, God created Hell and cast Satan and all of his followers into that everlasting fire, the fire that never quenches, never dies.

The power that Satan has is much more powerful than that which seduced Anakin Skywalker into becoming Darth Vader, even given that one really exists and the other is the work of a writer’s imagination. Satan’s power is not all-powerful, of course, but it is so widely varied that we often do not see it, his temptations, until we have fallen under his spell, into his trap. His wiles are many, his descriptions clever and sophisticated, frequently disguised as something good. We have all fallen for his tricks at one time or another, and many times after that. Could God step in at that point and tell us that what we are doing is wrong and to reverse our course? Of course, he could. He actually did that once, by sending his son, Jesus Christ, to walk among us and teach us. The one thing God did not do, and will not do, is take away our free will, our right to choose which path on which our feet trod. Just as Satan cannot force you to sin, it is your choice, so also can God not force you to reject it. It is always your right to choose. God gave that gift to you. It is part of your spiritual DNA. Yes, God may use other people or circumstances to try to guide us in the correct direction; he just cannot force us to do so.

We have all been told that we sin seven times per day. What we are not told is how many times we have rejected those sins. Now, I’m not saying you should keep a notepad handy and keep score. Every fall is a failure and every rejection is a victory. One of God’s other gifts to us is the number of times he forgives, for that number is limitless. How great is that in that he forgives our sins and cheers our victories without limit. That is a real win-win situation.

How about you? Hove you fallen into the Dark Side of Satan’s wiles? Are you still there or are you struggling to get out? Then look for the light and crawl, run, fight your way there. Focus on the bible passage, John 8:12, when Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (NIV). Are you instead being victorious and patting yourself on the back? That is wonderful, but don’t forget that pride is one of the big sins on the list.

If you are walking in darkness, then you now know how to get to the light. Why not start now?

Count On Me

There’s a song written by Bruno Mars, Phillip Lawrence, and Ari Leving, and recorded by Mars, called “Count On Me.” There are a few different versions with minor deviations in the first verse, but the one I heard first was sung by The Sea Chanters, which is the vocal group that is part of the U.S. Navy Band. It is out there on YouTube, along with several hours of music performed by the band.
The first line of the chorus is this:

          “You can count on me like one-two-three
             I’ll be there”

If we look at the song as if God and we are having a conversation, how would we look at it? Now, on first glance it is easy to assume that this is God talking to us, promising us. But, if you look at the next line, you might come to a different conclusion:

           “And I know when I need it
             I can count on you like four-three-two
            And you’ll be there
             ‘Cause that’s friends are s’posed to do, oh yeah.”

Now the critical question is which part of the two parts of the chorus is you talking to God and which is you listening to what God has to say to you? How about both?

In good times and bad, and even in between, there is God’s promise to us to be there when we need him and there when we don’t think we do. Yes, he is always there for us, of course. Sometimes we may feel we can do whatever it is on our own. For some reason, it usually doesn’t turn out quite the way we envisioned it. God is always there for us, helping even though we don’t think we need it. We must not try to cut him out by trying to go it alone. That is God’s message in the first line of the chorus.

But don’t we also have a part to play in that line? Certainly our role to play is to let God know he can count on us to do his work, follow his teaching, obey the rules he gave to us thousands of years ago. Whether we do so by becoming one of his ministers and spreading his word to others or by just living the way he wants us to live, to show by example how he is an integral part of our lives, it is our role to play.

The second line of the chorus is our declaration of faith. We are saying that we believe he is there for us at all times and in all ways, that we can always count on him to be forever in our lives.

That line of the chorus is also God’s statement of having faith in us to live our lives according to his desires, as spelled out in the book he gave to us. Knowing that he counts on us is not a burden, but rather a source of joy in knowing we are doing his work, furthering his desires to bring everyone to him.

So, yes, we do what is needed for each other, are there for each other, give out of love what we each can give, and know without doubt we are both loved in return.

You Can't Be Fired (But You Can Quit!)

You’re Fired! Perhaps you have been on the receiving end of that announcement, or maybe you were the one who said it to someone else. Before he became president, Donald Trump had a TV show called “The Apprentice”. The contestants all competed for a single position in the Trump organization at the end of the season. Each week, he would review the accomplishments of them for that week and would eliminate one by saying, “You’re fired!”. I worked for a company once that was bought out by a smaller company and, of course, the new owners told us that they were not planning any layoffs, that we would all keep our jobs. Then they started downsizing. When the VP I worked for was let go, I knew my time was coming and, sure enough, the next day they packed up the things that were in my cube and escorted me out the door. In a sense, those of us who were let go had the last laugh because a year later they went out of business, fired by their customers who took their business elsewhere.

How about our position with God, and his son, Jesus Christ? As believers and followers of his teachings and commandments, can we be fired and lose the opportunity to get our promised reward of an eternity with God? None of us are perfect and we all violate his rules again and again, we all sin. What if God got fed up with you and decided to fire you, strip you of your heavenly reward? Fortunately, we know from the bible that there is no limit to God’s forgiveness. When we sin, it is a matter of asking for that forgiveness. If you confess your sins, repent for them, and ask for that forgiveness, then God will pardon you for it. But you have to ask.

How about those people who reject God, reject Jesus Christ? Those who sin against God and do not repent? Do not seek his mercy? What happens to them? Some people believe that God sends those people to hell. Many years ago, I attended a weekend retreat and renewal of faith. One of the speakers said God does not send people to hell, they choose to go there of their own free will! God will do everything he can, in any way he can, to convince them to change and spend eternity with him. Sadly, some people still continue down the wrong path to a different eternity.

Which gets to the second part of the title, the part that says you can always quit. I am sure you have seen that dramatic moment in a movie where the star says, “You can’t fire me, I quit!”. Well, I have already shown that God will not fire you, no matter what you have done, as long as you ask for or are willing to receive, his forgiveness. So, how do you quit? Simple. Just turn your back on him, reject his ways and plans for you, and refuse to accept him into your life. Even after seeing and knowing what he has for you, some people still quit, stop being believers, and go the other way for timeless time.

So, how about you? Maybe you are the stellar employee, or maybe you just feel you are barely hanging on to your faith and belief. God has a plan for you, regardless of which end of the scale you find yourself. You can still get that final paycheck, that final reward for your good and faithful service.

Or you can quit.

It’s your choice.