It's Wonderful!

 There is an oldies radio station that I usually listen to which plays music from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, with an occasional song from the 60’s thrown into the air. When I am driving down the road, I can go back in time, remembering those times, and sing along with those words. The other morning, I had to back my car out of the driveway so my wife could leave. Just a few seconds after I started the car, an old Elvis Presley song came on, “The Wonder of You”.

If you have never heard it before, or your memory of the words has gotten dim, here is the first verse:

    When no one else can understand me

    When everything I do is wrong

    You give me hope and consolation

    You give me strength to carry on.

    And you’re always there to lend a hand

    In everything I do

    That’s the wonder

    The wonder of you

While the song is obviously a love song of course, especially considering who sang it, just take the time to listen to the whole song. (YouTube, of course) This first verse is a very powerful declaration of our faith in God. It admits to him that sometimes we are less than perfect (by human standards), that sometimes we really screw things up. Even when we do that, he is still there; he lends a hand and helps us when we stumble, when we fall.

We, each of us, has a friend, someone who is there for us in good times and bad. On those rare occasions, this may be someone who has been there for decades, come what may. Other times, we have a great friend, but with the passing of time, distance, and circumstances, we drift apart. Given that you know yourself best, it may be difficult to know there is an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God who loves us anyway, regardless of what we do, how we live. He even loves those who don’t know him or who deny him. I’m sure there are times when you wonder how he can love you. I know I do. How it must humble us to have someone love us and want to be a part of our lives. God does.

Whether we are faithful followers or one of the prodigals, he is there to give a helping hand whenever we need it. He is there, his hand is out, just waiting for you to reach out and grab it, our wonderful God. Why not make it so in everything you do?

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.

Shout!

In 1959, the musical group, The Isley Brothers, released a song which has never stopped being a hit. That song is “Shout!”. It has been recorded by several artists since then and it is almost impossible to go to a dance featuring rock music without hearing it and dancing to it at least once. Here are the first few lines:

You know you make me want to (Shout)

Kick my heels up and (Shout)

Throw my hands up and (Shout)

Throw my head back and (Shout)

Come on now (Shout)

That is probably the way your soul felt when you first found God, the first time you let Jesus into your life. You were full of celebration, of joy, full of life. Maybe you are very demonstrative, very vocal and couldn’t wait to tell everyone what you found. Or, maybe you are quiet, internal, and felt the thrill of discovery fill you up like a cup filled to the brink of running over.

The knowledge and love of God, of his son, Jesus, may make you want to share it. I’m not talking about standing on some street corner, buttonholing every passerby, to tell them your story. Such a thing would be counterproductive in the extreme. (Just think how you would feel if you were the accostee!) Instead, be God’s instrument and let him guide you to those who need to hear what you have to say. Let him do the choosing, you do the telling. In this way, you can serve him, leading others to what you have found, what you have made a part of your life.

Psalm 100:1-5 starts put this way:

“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.” (NKJV)

Let the way you live your life be your shout. Let the joy of your love for God, for his son, be integrated into what you do, what you are, so that it attracts those whom he wants you to bring his way.

Homecoming

Back during the last Christmas season, every time I turned on the radio I was treated to an unending stream of Christmas songs. Whenever I walked into a store, it was the same thing, Christmas music from the ceiling speakers. While there was a lot of variety, I could count on hearing Gene Autry spin the tale about Rudolph and listen to Bing Crosby sing about his memories and longing for a White Christmas. Among all of the selections, I could count on hearing those two at least once per day, and often more.

Now, I like Gene Autry. He made a lot of low budget western movies and a TV series back in the 1950’s. As for Bing, he had a very long and successful music career. However, after a while, I maxed out on Gene, Bing, the Chipmunks, and all of the other Christmas fare and went searching for something else.

One of the places I went was to YouTube. I have gone there quite often when I was trying to do something or fix something, like the time I replaced the headlights on my wife’s car, repaired the leaf blower and figured out why the refrigerator was leaking water. There is also a lot of music and music videos out there, too. This time I went looking for different Christmas music and I found some. What I stumbled across was the United States Navy Band Christmas Concert 2018. If you have never listened to them before, check them out because they are absolutely top drawer professionals. Besides the main band, there is a country music band and a couple of choirs. Great music!. Anyway, interspersed between some of the songs were videos of sailors and marines with recorded Christmas greeting for the family and friends back home. Then there were videos of homecomings, when the deployed members returned home after a deployment and were reunited with their families. As expected, there were spouses and kids running to their sailors. One video was of a daddy who walked into his daughter’s classroom and she was stunned! - and then leaped into his arms. Joyous reunions among the joyous songs.

Joy-filled reunions. There is the bible story we all know about the prodigal son who finally came home and his father running down the road to welcome him back home. There was also the story of the lost sheep and how the shepherd rejoiced and celebrated when he found it.

Sometimes we also lose our way, we get separated from God for whatever reason. We go our own way and end up in a place and set of circumstances which keep us away. God will always welcome us back when we return, when we see where and how we are, and turn back to him. He is always there, waiting with open arms, welcoming us back with great joy. Sometimes he will send a messenger to try to point us in the right direction. It may be a family member, friend, a minister, or even a stranger we just “accidently” run into one day. Sometimes it may even be a movie, TV program or a book that catches our attention. Whatever it takes, in whatever form, God is waiting for us and he wants us to return to him. And then there is that final welcoming, when we leave this life behind and join him for eternity.

How about you? Hopefully, you are one of those who have followed him throughout your life and know you will be welcomed home. If, on the other hand, you are one of the lost sheep, then you need to stop and hear the call and return to his earthly home, whether a church or elsewhere, so you can be ready for that final welcoming. Take a look at yourself and see where you are, and fit yourself into his plans. You can do it. Happy Homecoming!

Think It, Be It!

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (NKJV)

A more modern version of that quote is, “You are what you think you are.” You have an incredibly
powerful tool at your fingertips, figuratively speaking. Actually, it is located between your ears. It is
your brain; it houses your mind, that very complex three-pound tool that runs your body and your life.  Once upon a time, it was a known “fact” that no one could run a mile faster than four minutes. A man named Roger Bannister didn’t believe it and on May 6, 1954, he ran the first sub-four minute mile.  History books and record books are full of stories of people who did not agree with a popular belief, either about themselves as individuals or as part of a group. In the last few years there have been two movies about the Tuskegee Airmen, the group of African-American fighter pilots in World War II who, as the 332nd Fighter Group, amassed a tremendous record. They proved beyond any doubts that an official Army study which stated African-Americans did not have the brain power, physical ability and aggressiveness to become fighter pilots was completely wrong. They saw themselves differently and proved it in the skies over Europe.

That power that God gave us to control our own life, our destiny, is one of His greatest gifts to us. He
has given us the ability to change our lives, our behavior, in such a way that it benefits us, our family,
and God. It also has the unbridled ability to do just the opposite. Our thoughts can raise us up above
the expectations of anyone else, or they can sink us to the lowest depths. Our lives, within the
limitations of our physical bodies, can accomplish almost anything we can imagine.

So, who is in control of the way we act, speak, or think? We are. No one can control us except God, and He has given us the free will to choose. We choose. One more time: WE choose. It is a natural
tendency to blame someone else for our poor behavior. How many times have you told someone, “You make me SO ANGRY!”? Really? Just how did they do that? Did they take over the control of your mind?  For you Star Trek fans, did someone do the Vulcan Mind Meld and force their thoughts into your mind and control you? Nope. It didn’t happen. Someone else may have done something or said something you didn’t like, but you made a choice to get angry, even to the point of physical violence. There was a comedian many years ago whose catch-phrase was, “The devil made me do it.” Not even the devil has that much power. He can tempt you and you can follow that path, but it is still your decision.

We also make a choice to be happy. There is so much focus on the negative aspects of choice that this
needs to be said as well. Life’s events are neutral. How we react to them is the choice we make. When we engage in certain activities, see certain people, observe something or someone, we choose our reaction. When we judge that as something good, we choose to be happy. It may not be a conscious choice; it may be a matter of acting or thinking or feeling that we have done before and now repeat.

All too often, a relationship starts out smoothly. Whether it is with a spouse, child, parent, friend, or
work associate. What happens when one of them starts to have a problem with the other? What may
happen is that a choice is made to cause damage to the relationship, one that should not be made. Or, a choice may be made to work on it, to not allow damage to happen. One person CHOOSES to take that path. Any relationship is tough by anyone’s definition and making it a successful one is not for the fainthearted.How do you see yourself in your relationships? Do you see yourself as being strong in it, willing to be a partner, to compromise when necessary, to help and support and defend? Or, do you see yourself as having one foot out the door, as being willing to “try” to make the relationship a success, but in reality ready to quit at the first difficulty, to cause relationship-ending damage? As the Proverb above says, the way you see yourself, the way you see your part in any relationship, is how it is going to be, because that is the way that you are going to make it be.

No one likes to take the blame for their own actions or words. We all like to blame someone else for our failures and, conversely, take the credit for our successes. Like the student who takes the credit for the top grade and then blames the teacher for the poor one, we are the sum of our choices in this life and the product of how we see ourselves. We are also responsible for where we spend the next life. If you choose to follow the guidance that God has given to all of us, then you will get to be one of those who spend eternity with Him. If you choose to ignore His guidance, then you have chosen to spend eternity someplace else, in a place that is infinitely unpleasant.

Think about what you choose to be. Do you see yourself as one who chooses to believe in God, to
follow him and his son, Jesus Christ, to allow the Holy Spirit enter into your life? Or, do you see yourself as one who denies all of that? The scripture quote at the top is not just some catch phrase, it is an absolute truth.

Life and the afterlife are all within your control. You get to choose. It is how you see yourself that will determine your ultimate destination. So, what is your vision?