Stop. Look. Listen.

 

12-28-2021

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. 

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city, this sacred haunt of the Most High. God lives here, the streets are safe: God at your service from the crack of dawn. Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but the Earth does anything he says - Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee.

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. 

(Psalm 46 - Eugene Peterson’s The Message)

We really love the way the late Eugene Peterson placed the Psalms into natural Hebraic language. It is earthy, simple, folksy. He “translates” as if it were not high English but rather everyday Hebrew.

Psalm 46:10 is a favorite Bible verse many people: “Be still and know that I am God.” Yet, the way Peterson surmises it brings a more literal understanding. Listen to it again (using Hebraic imagery) - “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

How many of us are worn out? How many of us are simply beat down physically, mentally, emotionally and yes, spiritually? Running here and there…completing one task only to have three more staring you in the face…plugging one hole only to have two more pop open. It is exhausting this thing called life. Compound that with health, financial and relational stress and it is often more than we can bear.

So, hear again Peterson’s call to step out of the traffic of life that surrounds us, causes us anxiety, and pushes us to our limits. Step out of the traffic that overwhelms, rushes us along, and causes us to miss the scenery around us…including glimpses of God.

“Take a long, loving look at me, your High God.” What a beautiful turn of phrase.

When was the last time you took a long, loving look at God? The infinite, transcendent, supernatural, divine, immeasurable and invisible Yahweh. How do you even see the Holy One of Israel? Is it possible for creation to see the Creator?

Without oversimplifying it, we stop running aimlessly in the “rat race” of life and look “above everything else.” God is above it all. Therefore, we must look above it all.

It is literally a change of perception.

Our attention to and awareness of our surroundings and circumstances are critical if we are to drop out of the craziness of life, and longingly gaze upon our King. The purposeful ability to concentrate and meditate on our Heavenly Father is something that just does not occur. It takes time, effort, sacrifice. You have to pull yourself out of the traffic and gaze.

None of us are certain as to what 2022 will hold. We don’t have a clue concerning tomorrow. But, as the old hymn reminds us: “But I know Who holds tomorrow and I know Who holds my hand.”

Some may argue, “Doesn’t the Bible say in Exodus that you cannot look upon God or you will die?” Well, yes, that is true…literally, that is. But, maybe we should understand this particular offering of Hebrew poetry as metaphorical. You know, such as “A mighty fortress is our God.”

If we apply the metaphorical understanding to looking upon God then we will realize Jesus’ message of “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

Stop. Look. Listen. (To borrow and reimagine an old saying.)

As we prepare to enter a new year let us not worry about promises or resolutions. Let us not focus on losing weight, making money, getting organized, or volunteering more at the food pantry. Those things are wonderful - but they are secondary. There is one thing needed. One thing that is primary: stop, be still, and gaze upon God...and maybe, just maybe you will hear his "still, small voice."

Might we suggest, as January 1 approaches, to take time to walk outside, or at least look out the window, and in the midst of the chaos gaze upward. Outward. Wise men and shepherds looked for the Christ child and both found him. Both gazed upon him. Let us take our cue from them and look above everything else to find him - the One who fights for us and protects us.

Stop. Look. Listen.

Steve and Missy

"You'll Go Down in His Story..."

 

12-21-2021

Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately. When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus. - Matthew 1:18-25 (NET Version)

It seems that over the centuries, when it comes to the birth narrative of Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph - his earthly father - simply has become a forgotten pawn in a story revolving around “more significant” characters. In other words, for most people, Joseph is just not that important. Just a figure in a nativity set.

We know very few facts concerning Joseph: yes, he was a carpenter (Matthew 13:55); he had other children (Matthew 13:55-56); he was a righteous man (Matthew 1:19-20); a receiver of visions (Matthew 1:20-23); and then, unceremoniously, at some point in time before Jesus becomes a grown man - Joseph dies. Nothing else is mentioned. He is, in a word, forgotten.

We can read between the lines though and see that Joseph was an example of integrity and also a man of strong beliefs. He sought to do what was right. When Mary came to him with the news of her pregnancy, he knew the child could not be his, but he did the right thing anyway.

Upon receiving a message/vision from God, Joseph stood by Mary and Jesus, and raised him as his own. We know that he passed on the carpentry trade to his son and raised Him in the Jewish traditions and spiritual observances as a faithful Jewish father surely would. And yet, he’s forgotten.

Now, before you think this is meant to be a rebuke of the Gospel writers abandoning Joseph’s story may we remind you that this was actually NOT Joseph’s story? And your story - when someone recounts it after you are gone - well, that’s not really your story either.

All of our stories - both those who believe and those who do not believe - are only part and parcel of a greater story…the greatest story. His story.

Every story found within the sacred text we call the Bible (which literally means a collection of books - ie; a collection of stories) revolves around the Christ…the Anointed One…the Promised One. Jesus.

In the midst of countless stories which flood our eyes and invade our minds there is one story which stands supreme. One story which precedes every other story. One story upon which all other stories are written. It is Jesus’ story but, praise God, we are all written into it.

Now, the world will most likely forget us…eventually - minus a few pictures that survive our going on. The next generation may recall a few things about us - they may even share that we were decent people! But, there is an even greater truth that perhaps we are all missing here.

People may forget us…but our Creator remembers us all. “The book of life,” also called “the scroll of life” or “book of remembrance,” contains the names of people who have received the gift of everlasting life, (Revelation 3:5; 20:12: Malachi 3:16). God writes those names down based on a person’s faith and the keeping of his commandments​ - (John 3:16; I John 5:3).

God has kept the face of each of his loyal servants in his heart. And, by writing their names down in a book, since “the founding of the world” (Revelation 17:8),Yahweh shows us that he is a loving God who “knows those who belong to him”​ (2 Timothy 2:19; I John 4:8).

Now, it is true that God said regarding disobedient people in ancient Israel: “Whoever has sinned against me, I shall wipe him out of my book,” (Exodus 32:33). But let us remind you that if we prove faithful, we will remain in “the scroll of life," (Revelation 20:12).

So, what does your story say about you? What does your story say about Him? And most importantly - what does His story say about you? During Christmas, take a moment to reflect on His story and how it has impacted you, your family, your life, and your future. You are not forgotten.

Not unlike Rudolph …”You’ll go down in His story…”

Steve and Missy

Ps - this is going to be the last snail mail newsletter we do for the great majority of you. From now on they will be available digitally for the most part. If we have your email please look for a link to be sent there each week…or on Facebook as we will continue to place the link there. Also, you can simply check out our blog: hearttoheartfromthehousewrights.blogspot.com. It has simply become too expensive to mail them all out each week. Thank you for your support and prayers of this ministry as we continue to share with you what God has laid upon our hearts…

"That's the Gift that Keeps on Giving, Clark"

12-15-2021

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” After listening to the king they left, and once again the star they saw when it rose led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back by another route to their own country. (Matthew 2:1-12)

There are so many wonderful stories that arise from the birth narratives found in the Gospels. One of our favorites is the tale of the wisemen from the East. Filled with an incredible supernatural event, an entire city being in an uproar, a lying, self-serving ruler and an unassuming family of three - what more could you want from a story?!

If you have never read it, may I (Steve) suggest you stop everything and pick up a copy of Ben Hur by Lewis Wallace. It recounts - with the greatest of imagination - the adventure of the Magi from the far Orient. Now, Wallace livens up his chronicle by telling us these men were three in number…from whence we even get their names: Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar. Their backgrounds? An Indian Hindu, a Greek and an Egyptian. Together, they follow a brilliant light on a journey which ultimately leads them to a home with a young couple who are watching over their toddler - and deliver the most incredible presents a child has ever received.

Yet, one of the most striking moments occurs at the end. Generally, the stories we love the most have a happy finale and conclusion. This one, however, ends with wide open inconclusivity. We don’t know what happened to the Magi other than they dropped off their gifts, had a vision and abruptly got up and went home a different way.

Read again the final sentence in the story: “After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back by another route to their own country.” They went back another route…a different way.

How often can we say that we were going one way and then realize we need to go in the complete opposite direction? (We know of a lot of people who say, “I don’t need a map! I know where I am going!”...mostly men).

But, we digress. We mean more than a simple geographical reroute.

We mean a spiritual redirection. We mean a 180 degree change.

Sure, the Magi left for each of their homes a different way or route. But, one might argue that they left for home taking different routes because they left the Receiver of their gifts with different hearts. They were not the only ones to give that incredible moment.

It is without doubt the Magi could not have met the Messiah, gave him treasures which had burdened them for a long time, and then left the same. No one who meets Jesus is ever the same. Even today, when individuals meet the only Son of God and realize who he is and believe on him - they leave that meeting a different person…and thus, start off in a different direction.

WHY did the Magi leave a different way? Foundationally, it started with God prodding their hearts. But it’s consummation did not happen until they laid their gifts at his feet. They had to give to him first, then receive from the Child, then leave a different way.

Give. Receive. Leave. Different.

It was the outrageous gift of God that caused the extravagant gift of the Magi.

Christmas is indeed a time of giving. That is why it is so important we remember the gift of God - His Son Jesus. And, the gifts of the Magi.

What is the gift you have to give to the King? You may be thinking along the lines of something monetary. However, is that really a gift fit for the King of kings?

Laying our “treasures” at the feet of the One who laid down his life for us is, as the Apostle Paul writes, “Our reasonable service.” Indeed, the treasures we give to him are not necessarily financial. Our gifts should include our time, effort, prayers, and volunteering.

Question - have you ever considered the Magi’s obedience to the vision, their sacrifice of leaving family and home to follow a celestial anomaly, the use of wisdom to understand the vision which would save the royal family…all of those are gifts as well? Certainly they are!

Most of us are unable to financially give extravagantly. Some of us can give the “widow’s mite.” ALL of us can give the greatest gift - the gift of ourselves.

This Advent season - as we memorialize our anticipation and preparation for the Messiah to come…as God gave of himself to us, let us give of ourselves to him and one another.

Someone this year is in need of you. Perhaps it is your spouse or children. Maybe it’s your parents or neighbor. Could it be a colleague at work or school? Possibly there is a stranger in your path that needs you. Give yourself. Give your heart. Give of your effort. Just give.

It was Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist and poet who once wrote, “The only gift is a portion of yourself.”

That is truly the “Gift that keeps on giving, Clark.”

Blessings and peace be yours,

Steve and Missy

"Is It Really the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?"

12-08-2021

    And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
    Suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people on whom His favor rests!”
    When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
    So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.   (Luke 2:8-20 New Living Translation)

Advent season is such a wonderful time of the year. For most of my (Steve) life I never really heard about Advent. There were no Advent candles, no Advent devotions, no Advent moments - that was for “high Church” folk and we were just good old down-home church people. I am certainly glad that God led me to Kentucky - Asbury Theological Seminary and “the prettiest little thing I had ever seen” (her name is Missy by the way…). And she led me to Camargo United Methodist Church - which has celebrated Advent for over two centuries. Thus, my introduction to Advent.

In a nutshell, Advent is simply the people of Jesus anticipating his appointed arrival to the earth. Strictly speaking, Jesus has already arrived, so we replay the nativity each year individually, as families and as a community of faith as a reminder of how amazing and supernatural Advent truly is.

It is a time of waiting. A time of anticipation. Just as when we were kids and couldn’t wait to unwrap our presents (or, like Missy, try and find them before they were wrapped so you could already know what you were getting) so it is that as adults we look back at the anticipation of Joseph and Mary as they, along with all of Israel, waited for the coming Messiah.

As a kid, we would hear the Christmas story and about how Mary was “expecting.” In the celebration of Advent we also hear people talk about living in “expectant waiting” and how all of this is seen as the “season of anticipation.

And what are we expecting? Anticipating? Hoping for?

The answer, of course, depends on who you ask. Our children and grandchildren are expecting something to tear into on Christmas Day. Some employees are expecting a day off. Retailers are expecting profits. Credit card companies are expecting interest. Us? We are expecting to gain a couple of pounds and play a lot of games.

Which brings me to a moment we had this week. Driving home from a doctor’s appointment we noticed an ambulance, police car and what looked like a social worker standing on the side of the road trying desperately to talk with a man who was obviously hurting mentally. He became quite demonstrative, yelled into the air - walking away from them and refused their help.

Cue the next day and there he was again. This time sitting down, yelling at cars as they drove by and drawing unrecognizable images on his large pad of paper. Aside from the obvious “What is going on with this person?” concern there is the nagging question of “What is this person expecting? What are they hoping for?”

The answer is, more than likely, something negative. For those who are homeless, unemployed, uninsured, struggling with a lack of food or clean water - Christmas is not something to have any positive expectations about. For people who have lost loved ones recently, who are experiencing relationship conflicts, who are looking at their empty bank account, who are amid a lengthy illness…their expectations are probably a whole lot different than most.

The question therefore is really this - is your hope, is your expectation positive or negative? Are you hoping or hopeless? Faithful or faithless? Joyful or joyless? Anticipating or apprehensive?

Everyone and everything is breathing with hope and anticipation. That’s what makes Advent so remarkable. Above all other times of the year - this is the time for positive hope and joyful anticipation.

We hope you are having a good day. We believe this holiday season will be filled with joy. We anticipate hearing good news from you when we next see you. We expect God to see you through.

Now, if we could just figure out how to clearly explain to elementary kids what Mary was “expecting.” Anybody have one of those old flannelgraph felt boards?

Missy and Steve

"I Think I Shall Never See a Poem as Lovely...as a Christmas Tree"

 

  11-30-2021  First Week in Advent 2021

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly. But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and embraced Mary as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus. - Matthew 1:18-25

Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For over two thousand years, people across the globe have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both sacred and secular. And although no one truly knows the date, (and boy, are the arguments and debates loud and abrasive!) Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

Popular traditions for Christmas include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, caroling to those who are homebound, attending church candle-light services, sharing meals with family and friends, Hallmark taking over TV, ringing the Salvation Army Bell and, of course, waiting for jolly old Saint Nick to leave some Old Spice for Dad, Bath and Body Works for Mom, and Legos and IPads for the kids - and that’s just in North America!

Christmas traditions around the world are diverse, quirky and some are pretty awesome. Being one of the most celebrated holidays in the world, our modern Christmas is a product of hundreds of years of both secular and religious traditions from around the globe, many of them centered on the winter solstice, the Yule log and wool mittens. Across God’s creation people rejoice in the holidays by imbibing eggnog, Candy Cane cocktails, Glogg, and Bombardino.

Yet, in the midst of the diversity of Christmas celebrations, the one thing that keeps this holy day in the hearts and minds of creation is the thread of commonality. That is, there are things the world shares in common as it celebrates the birth of Christ. Why? So that, no matter how you say it - Sweden: ‘God Jul!’, Finland: ‘Hyvää Joulua!’, Norway: ‘Gledelig Jul!’, Germany: ‘Froehliche Weihnachten!’, Mexico: ‘Feliz Navidad!’, England: 'Happy Christmas!’, France: ‘Joyeux Noël!’, Italy: ‘Buon Natale!’, Ukraine: ‘Srozhdestvom Kristovym!’, Greece: ‘Kala Christouyenna!’ - it really means you want others to have a “Merry Christmas!”

So...what is one of the common Christmas traditions across the world?

Let’s look at Christmas trees! They may be tiny or large. Flocked or plain. Fake or real. Balsam Hill or Dollar Tree. It doesn’t matter - we just love trees.

Way before the birth of Christ Jesus, plants and trees that are evergreen had a special meaning for people who lived in very cold places and endured long, harsh winters. Just as many people today decorate their homes during the holiday season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, (mostly fake ones now! With fake snow!) people back then hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. Many cultures believed that evergreens would keep away witches, evil beings, ghosts, etc. “There'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of the Christmases long, long ago…”

Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a feast called Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, their god of agriculture. To mark the occasion, they decorated with evergreen boughs. The Druids, part of Celtic history, decorated with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The Vikings thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition Christians now know. Back in the 16th century Christians brought evergreen trees into their homes and decorated them in preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus. Most historians believe that Martin Luther was the first to officially add lighted candles to a tree. The story is told that while walking home one cold, winter evening, he was overwhelmed by the sight of the stars shining through the evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he placed a tree in the main room of their home and filled its branches with lighted candles. Froehliche Weihnachten!

It should not be lost on us that as we - those who believe in and follow Jesus of Nazareth as the one and only Son of God - put up our Christmas trees the green reminds us of eternal life. It also takes on a higher understanding when we think of Jesus - whose birth we are celebrating - as the “root of Jesse.” He was eventually “hung upon a tree.” And, in the end, those who have placed their faith in the “root of Jesse” who was “hung upon a tree” will “have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates." 

So, put up those Christmas trees! Or, if you already have (you know who you are!) take another glimpse of it. Trim it! Flock it! Look at its lights! And, all the while, give thanks to the One Who has made it possible - the One who first created the tree. Give thanks to His Son Who grafts us into the family tree of God. Give thanks to the One Who gave himself freely to be hung upon a tree for the forgiveness of our sins. Give thanks for the tree of life which will feed us for all eternity.

As Joyce Kilmer once wrote in her poem, “Trees”, "I think that I shall never see
a poem lovely as a tree."

Well, we guess we will “leaf” you to it. Merry Christmas! Happy holidays! Or, as they say in Russia: счастливого Рождества!

Missy and Steve

If You Give Anything Please Give Thanks

11-23-2021

Psalm 100

Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with joy! Enter his presence with joyful singing! Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give him thanks! Praise his name! For the Lord is good. His loyal love endures, and he is faithful through all generations.

Ephesians 5: 18c-21

...be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Thanksgiving Day, more often than not, gets overshadowed by Christmas in store aisles, porch decorations, radio stations, and people’s priorities. Ironically, I (Steve) am listening to old-time Christmas radio while preparing this reminder that thankfulness must be, should always be, a priority of the community of faith.

We feel safe in saying not many recall the origins of our nation's day of giving thanks. Do you remember why we celebrate the final Thursday in November every year?

Extremely short version: In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast, inviting the colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. The feast lasted three days!

Fast forward to 1789. George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation, calling all Americans to express their gratitude to Almighty God for the joyous ending to the war for independence and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Still not a national holiday, in 1827, magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale - “Mary Had a Little Lamb” ring a bell? - launched a campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. For almost 40 years she wrote numerous editorials and sent thousands of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians, earning her the nickname the “Mother of Thanksgiving.”

Proving persistence pays off, Abraham Lincoln finally heeded her request in 1863. At the height of the Civil War, in a presidential proclamation, Lincoln sought for America to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.”

He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November 1863...

And that is where we find ourselves almost 160 years later. Now that the history lesson is finished, what does Thanksgiving, with its place in our nation’s history and culture, actually have to do with you and I - believers in God and followers of His Son, Jesus the Christ?

Well, for lack of a better word, everything! And following in the footsteps of the mother of Thanksgiving, Sarah Josepha Hale, let us - like a journalist - dive into the pertinent questions that will guide us in our investigation into the relevance of giving thanks as a community of faith.

I Chronicles 16 gives us the clues to follow to reach our destination. As a result of the Ark being placed in the midst of the people David gives the command for the people to enjoy a time of feasting and celebration. So, they brought the Ark of the Covenant of God in and feasted, celebrated, and gave thanks. And, that our friends, is truly the first Thanksgiving. Therefore, let us return there and see what we can see, learn what we can learn, and emulate what we can in order to be a faithful community that gives thanks.

Who? Who is worthy of our thanks?
I Chronicles 16:8-10 - Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD.

When? When is it necessary to give thanks?
I Chronicles 16:11&23b - Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him...Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

What? What are we to be thankful for?
I Chronicles 16:12-15 - Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given, you children of his servant Israel, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the LORD our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. Remember his covenant forever—the commitment he made to a thousand generations.

Where? Where do we give thanks?
I Chronicles 16:19-20&23a - He said this when you were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan. They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another…Let the whole earth sing to the LORD!

Why? Why do we give thanks?
I Chronicles 16:28-36 - O nations of the world, recognize the LORD, recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong. Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, “The LORD reigns!” Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you.” Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the LORD.

Happy Thanksgiving! And, “Amen!”

Missy and Steve

Pitchforks or Prayer - One Has Got to Go...

11-16-2021

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command...

John 15:9-13 (NLT)

It has become a rallying cry among Americans that should not be. It has even been heard on the lips of those professing to love Jesus and follow him. It is something that is said proudly, loudly and with jovial anger (if there is such a thing).

“Let’s go, Brandon!”

Unless you have not been watching TV or listening to the radio, or just staying off of social media - you have undoubtedly heard this phrase over the last few weeks.

The chant “Let’s go, Brandon” started by accident at a NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

While interviewing race winner Brandon Brown, NBC reporter Kelli Stavast misinterpreted (willingly or not is up to debate) chants of “F*** Joe Biden” as “Let’s go, Brandon”.

The “F*** Joe Biden” chants have become a popular slogan chanted at sporting events, concerts, and political rallies. But, to make it more family-friendly (AKA - so we are not cussing in front of our children) people are now simply screaming, “Let’s go, Brandon!”

Yet, nothing could have prepared us for what has happened at different houses of worship recently. Mark Burns, a “pastor” and GOP candidate for Congress, spoke at a ReAwaken America rally Friday, which was being held at John Hagee’s church in San Antonio, Texas. There, he riled up the crowd as it chanted “Let’s go, Brandon.” Yes, in a church. With a guest “pastor” leading. Thank God it was not a worship service...

The ReAwaken America event was organized and hosted by Clay Clark who has been gathering people together in churches around the country this year. Friday’s event wasn’t the first time Burns had encouraged the “Let’s go, Brandon” chant.

In October, he spoke at pastor Greg Locke’s church in Tennessee where he played to the crowd as it chanted the phrase. In the wake of that event, Locke (who was actually there) chastised his congregation AFTERWARDS for chanting the phrase in his church, saying that while he completely agrees with the sentiment, chanting something like that in church is “an embarrassment to the body” of Christ.

Might we say, it’s an embarrassment to the Body of Christ that he agrees with the sentiment.

Nowhere - we repeat - nowhere in the Holy Scriptures (where we affirm: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness” - II Timothy 3:16) does God allow for his people to speak derogatively against another. As a matter of fact, Jesus said: “‘But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be subject to the fire of Gehenna." (Matthew 5:22)

If my people...who are called by My Name...humble themselves…and pray...

In relation to what is occurring within our country - and all over the globe - God’s question is not, “Are you railing and screaming against people and things you don’t like?” Rather, it is, “Are you reading the signs of your time as signs asking you to repent and be converted?” What really counts is our willingness to let the immense sufferings of our brothers and sisters free us from all arrogance and from all judgments and condemnations and give us a heart as gentle and humble as the heart of Jesus. (Henri Nouwen)

A heart as gentle and humble as the heart of Jesus. That’s what we should all be striving for. Yearning for. Working towards. In a culture screaming “Let’s go, Brandon!” we should be the complete opposite - “Let’s pray for one another!” As Paul urges anyone who follows Jesus: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone - for kings and all those in authority - so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior…” - I Timothy 2:1-3.

Now, if you will excuse us, we need to remember to love as Jesus has loved us and go pray for you. Will you pray for us?

Missy and Steve

"Ground Beef and Gas - Does God Care?"

11-09-2021

Then the LORD said to Elijah, “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.” So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.” But she said, “I swear by the LORD your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.” But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!’” So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah. 

 (I Kings 17:8-16)

Many people are becoming more and more aware and worried about our economic future. There is already the unfortunate rise of “shrink-flation” where we are getting less but it is costing more. According to the Wall Street Journal: “Supermarkets say shoppers are buying more store-brand meat products and trading down from beef to less-expensive alternatives such as chicken or pork, after prices for products such as rib-eye climbed about 40% from a year ago...Some consumers are replacing boneless chicken breast with cheaper bone-in chicken, retailers said…”Everybody is trying to find something that fits within their wallet.” (Consumers Trade Rib-eye for Ground Beef as Grocery Prices Rise - Wall Street Journal Report 11/07/2021)

With all of us already dealing with the fastest price increases in decades, another major issue is just on the horizon: a widely expected increase in winter heating bills. Energy prices have soared and natural gas, used to heat almost half of U.S. households, has almost doubled in price since this time last year. That’s not to even mention fuel for our vehicles.

That’s not a lot of good news. Especially with the holidays already here. What does it all mean for the community of faith? People are going to need our help more than ever. We are going to need one another more than ever.

In our text from I Kings we read one of the more intriguing stories from the Old Testament. Here are a few things to take from it and how they apply to the current, and unfortunately, dire financial situation we find ourselves in.

One, God called Elijah...to go. God is still calling us today and He is calling us to go. None of us has been created to simply live to ourselves. We are called from focusing on ourselves and our situations to go to others and meet their needs. Go. Hear the need. See the need. Understand the need. Meet the need.

Two, God had someone in place to take care of Elijah. Elijah was released from worrying about himself as God had already prepared - in his wisdom - for the very person Elijah was to stay with to actually take care of his needs! In God’s providence and knowledge he knew how everything would play out and had prepared accordingly. Still, there was one thing necessary to set it all in motion...

Three, Elijah’s obedience. The prophet’s willingness to do exactly as God commanded is the one part of the equation that released God’s blessing. It’s simple mathematics actually: A + B = C. You take any portion of that equation away and there is no correct answer. It is impossible.

And such it is with God’s promise to his children to care for them. God promises to love us...and we, in response, should love him and one another. God cares for you. You care for us. God cares for us. We care for you. It’s that simple.

And it’s necessary. Especially in times such as these. There may be shortages of gas, heat, food, water, toilet paper, etc. But, let it never be said that there is a shortage of love. Especially among the children of God.

How completely dependent upon God we are for the common, everyday, necessary things of life! And yet we are prone to forget the truth that we need one another as well. Depend upon God and depend upon God’s people. Let us not forget that.

Were we to travel back in time and take an inventory of this poor widow's resources, how short it would be! A little meal in a barrel and a little in a bowl. Were we to walk around her cottage, we would find nothing of substance in it. There is little doubt her furniture had all been sold before her last desperate resolution was taken...eat and die.

The story of the widow of Zarephath is an illustration of the process that every day goes on in many homes: the selling of goods to the pawn shop to buy some food for the week, precious objects and heirlooms sold to pay for housing, searching for change to purchase diapers...sometimes the very necessities of life are given up by parents so their children will have clothes to keep them warm as winter inches closer.

Yes, sometimes these sad situations are the result of mindless spending, bad money decisions, or just plain rotten luck. But too often they are the sad results of generational poverty, unexpected medical emergencies, loss of income, drugs and other unforeseen family issues.

How critical it is for us to remember God desires to supply us “our daily bread.” After all - everything in the earth is his and at his disposal including “two fish and five loaves of bread.” All for the care of his children. Elijah was supplied by the ravens and a poor widow...how will God provide for us this week? How will we provide for one another?

PS - as we finish this tonight...our car broke down on Missy on the way to the Bible study she leads. It’s sitting on a side street. Tomorrow we will try to get it fixed. We trust God has already worked that out and we pray that whatever you are facing God will work that out as well. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way...”

Missy and Steve

Broken Hearts and Suffering: Evidence for God

11-03-2021

I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time...the LORD will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. 

Psalm 34:1-3;17-19; 22 (New Living Translation)

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirit is crushed...

This week I (Steve) am going to do something I rarely, if ever, do. I am going to rehash a previous work. Actually, it comes from a funeral I was honored to be a part of this morning. Due to time constraints I felt it was necessary to cut quite a bit out of the message I shared with those gathered and I wanted to take what was there and expand on it a bit. Why? Missy and I feel it is a very important message/reminder to those of us who are not doing so well right now - mentally and emotionally.

Ann Voskamp, in her profound and brutally honest book The Broken Way describes what it was like to endure enormous personal pain and loss...only to have her feelings and suffering trivialized from the pulpit and by other people in the church. “I wanted to stand up and howl,” she writes: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...I wanted to stand up and beg: ‘When the church isn’t for the suffering and broken, then the church isn’t for Christ. Because Jesus, with His pierced side, is always on the side of the broken.'”

We don’t elaborate enough on particular points of scripture. This is often by design (we don’t want to discuss the issue) or by default (nobody wants to hear about it). One of those oft neglected truths of the New Testament is the fact that the authors fundamentally believed that Jesus purposefully moved into the lives of those who were affected with grief. Look at Mary and Martha and how he went to them during the loss of their beloved brother Lazarus.

Not only that but one can easily see that the Jesus of the Bible always went to where the suffering was. He never shied away from seeking out those who were crushed by life and rejected by society. Indeed, the wound in His side, the imprint of thorns on his brow, the piercings in his hands all prove that Jesus is always on the side of the suffering, the wounded, the broken.

If you are struggling today let me assure you that Jesus is on your side.

So many people today are encountering moments - even seasons - of mental anguish, physical struggle and emotional turmoil. Sure, some of it is a direct consequence of personal behavior and bad decision-making. Yet, even that should not be an excuse to ridicule or belittle someone who is fighting to stay afloat.

Most of the time, however, those who are agonizing over even simple daily tasks, are not to blame for their current situation. Life happens. Things happen. People happen. It isn’t always pretty, clean or easy to deal with.

Although we do not know exactly what is happening in your life right now, one thing Missy and I agree upon is this: we cannot begin to fathom the pain, the loss, the grief you are encountering right now. Nor you, ours. We can only be there for one another...

Yet, there is something to be said about embracing the pain, the loss and the grief of our lives. It is a sad truth that we mostly spend our time attempting to run away from difficult situations. We try to smooth over the rough, ugly and painful moments of our lives. We even try to hide what we are going through - lying to the world and ourselves, “I’m doing great!”

It can be especially bitter for those who are followers of Jesus who have been told all their lives - by other “Christians” no less - to “Keep a stiff upper lip;” “Don’t let others see you cry;” “Real men don’t cry,” or even, “If you just had more faith you would be able to handle all of this.” Lies. All lies. And, remember, God hates lies.

A secret most Christians do not want you to know is that suffering is an integral part of all our lives. We speak of the joy of Jesus so much (and rightfully so!) we neglect - to our own demise - the comfort of the only One Who truly understands what we are going through. Remember, “Jesus wept.”

And Jesus is weeping with you today. He is weeping for you; what you are going through; what you have lost; what you must deal with.

Not only that, Jesus is in your very midst through the gift of His Holy Spirit. Simultaneously, he is at the right hand of the Father - even now- interceding on your behalf...asking the Father to comfort His children...right where you are.

Euegene Peterson, writing in the foreword of Alan Nelson’s reassuring book, Embracing Brokenness: How God Refines Us Through Life’s Disappointments, confirms a powerful truth I wish to share with you today: “Suffering is not evidence of God’s absence, but of God’s presence, and it is in our experience of being broken that God does his surest and most characteristic salvation work. There is a way to accept, embrace, and deal with suffering that results in a better life, not a worse one, and more of the experience of God, not less. God is working out his salvation in our lives the way he has always worked it out—at the place of brokenness, at the cross of Jesus, and at the very place where we take up our cross.”

You may be broken and suffering, but that is the exact place you can meet Jesus. It is the very place where God’s love and comfort, hope and healing, will reveal themselves to be true and dependable.

How do we know this to be true? It was at the cross of Jesus that the love of all loves, the hope of all hope was given without remorse or regret. To a lost and dying world, to a planet filled with pain and suffering, the God of all creation sent His one and only Son to show He alone can empathize and carry us through. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirit is crushed.”

Our hope and prayer is that Jesus would comfort, console and encompass you this day and everyday. May God grant you His strength to endure, His grace to overcome, His peace to continue living. May our heavenly Father fill each of us with His Spirit that we may walk as children of peace, as a people of faith, proclaiming to all who will listen, “...let all who are helpless take heart...the LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.”

Rewording Bill Withers’ classic song, “Lean on God when you’re not strong…”

Prayer: The Key to Unlocking our Prisons

10-27-2021

“But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” - Acts 12:5-11

That first verse is critical in the history of the church. This singular event put the fellowship of Jesus into motion - Peter was placed in prison and the church began to pray. Peter was taken away from his family and friends. His family and friends rallied on his behalf.

In a stunning turn, however, over the centuries it seems that when one of our own (within the confines of the body of Christ) gets into trouble, makes a mistake, crosses a line, or even like Peter is wrongfully judged, we either run away from their presence or make pat statements like “We will be praying for you.” But, do we really?

It goes without saying that prayer is important. As someone has said, “Prayer is the key that unlocks Divinity.” We are not sure if that’s biblically correct, but nonetheless, we should be turning to our Creator a whole lot more than we do.

Praying for one another should - for followers of Jesus - come as easy as your next breath. And not just in bad times - although especially when there is literally nothing else we can do - but rather ALL THE TIME.

Not many people have a prayer list anymore. I (Steve) regrettably admit I do not have a personal one. I use the church one and add to it as necessary but I have failed to generate my own personal list. That needs to be rectified quickly. Why? There are a lot of “Simon Peters” who are “imprisoned” by life.

I think we can assume that if we were to individually create our own personal prayer lists that we would readily recognize some correlating information with one another's lists:

Those who are sick and hurting
Some who are inundated by a multitude of problems
The future of those we love
God filling us with His Spirit
People suffering the consequences of their sin
Our own sin
A hope for a healthy and joyous holiday season
A need for the saving power of Jesus in the lives of the people we know
A clearer understanding of what the Bible really says about the issues of today
Answers to questions and worries we keep to ourselves

In his book, All Things Are Possible Through Prayer, Charles L. Allen wrote of a man he knew who went through a nightly ritual of inserting his keys into one of his shoes before going to bed. When he arose the next morning to face another day, the last item he routinely reached for after getting dressed was the shoe containing those keys. Taking them out of his shoe, he would hold them in his hand while offering this simple, heartfelt prayer:

“Lord, this day I will come to certain doors that are locked but I shall use these keys to open those doors. And may I remember this day that there is a key to every situation, a solution to every problem. May I never surrender to one of life’s locked doors. Instead, may I use the keys on the key ring of prayer until I find the right key and the door will be opened.”

We hope you paid attention to the situation found in Acts 12 from above. Just a couple of things to remember: One, Peter apparently only saw one end to his predicament - his death. “Peter finally came to his senses. ‘It’s really true!’ he said. ‘The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!’” Peter was not ignorant of his situation nor was he in denial. He figured it was the end.

Secondly, the followers of Jesus (who loved Peter) saw another end to his predicament - God intervening. “The church prayed very earnestly for him.” This was not a quick, ejaculatory prayer. This was a time of prayer. This was a people who gave their time and effort to prayer. All for someone who saw only his undeniable demise.

Can you think of someone in that same type of situation today? Someone you love and are concerned for - a person who is caught in a prison from which they see no hope and no escape. When we speak of prisons we trust you understand we are speaking metaphorically and literally. Most of us will never be behind iron bars but we all have been imprisoned in life by our decisions, lack of decisions, behavior, attitude, resentment, anger, and unforgiveness...not to mention health, relationships or finances.

During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened,” (Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10). What prisons do you need to pray about today - in your life and the life of someone else?

Indeed, the Bible tells us in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death." Sometimes - maybe even now - some of us see death as the only escape from the prison we have found ourselves in. 

But may we remind you that there is a group of people who are believing life for you? People who truly love you. 

And, we are praying for you. We are praying for God to move in your life and in your circumstances: your today; your tomorrow. And who knows, perhaps today will be the day that, like Peter, you will walk out of your prison and exclaim, “It’s really true! The Lord has saved me from the world and what life had planned to do to me!”


Here’s to you and your soon release…


Steve and Missy

Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Immortality and You

10-20-2021

“The Father and I are one,” - John 10:30

“Though he was God, (Jesus) did not think of equality with God as something to cling to,” 

- Philippians  2:6.

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily..” Colossians 2:9.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth,“ John 1:1;14.

J. Oswald Chambers stated: “If Jesus is not God, then there is no Christianity, and we who worship Him are nothing more than idolaters...If He is not God, He is not even good.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on Christ’s divinity: “If Jesus Christ is not the true God, how could he help us? If he is not true man, how could he help us?” C.S. Lewis, author of Mere Christianity, wrote, “Either Jesus is the Son of God or a madman or worse. But His being a great teacher? He’s not left that open to us.”

One of the unquestionable truths of the Bible is that Jesus is both God and human. Divine and flesh. It’s a very tough issue to discuss coherently and a much more difficult truth to comprehend...at least for us.

Now, why are we revisiting these statements regarding the validity of Christ’s divinity? Because, we are going to talk about AI (artificial intelligence) this week! Stop rolling your eyes…

Last week we looked at the (intended?) negative consequences of social media - especially in regards to the next generation. At the end of the newsletter we teased a possible look into AI. Well, here you go.

First, let’s look at the three forms of AI. Eban Escott, a writer for Codebots says this: “There are 3 types of artificial intelligence(AI): narrow or weak AI, general or strong AI, and artificial superintelligence. We have currently only achieved narrow AI. He continues: “As machine learning capabilities continue to evolve, and scientists get closer to achieving general AI, theories and speculations regarding the future of AI are circulating.”

There are two main theories: “One theory is based on fear of a dystopian future, where super intelligent killer robots take over the world, either wiping out the human race or enslaving all of humanity, as depicted in many science fiction narratives. The other theory predicts a more optimistic future, where humans and bots work together, humans using artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance their life experience.” https://codebots.com/artificial-intelligence/the-3-types-of-ai-is-the-third-even-possible.

The highlighted sentence above speaks volumes. In his book Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari - via humor, science, history and philosophy - speaks to the heart of the matter when it comes to AI and the desire of those who are proponents of said technology. His work examines possible futures of Homo sapiens. His premise is that during the 21st century, humanity is likely to make a significant attempt to gain happiness, immortality, and God-like powers. 

Why? According to Harari, technological developments have threatened the continued ability of humans to give meaning to their lives. Therefore, as AI grows Harari sees the possibility of the replacement of humankind with the "super-man", or "homo Deus" (Latin for human-God) endowed with abilities such as eternal life.” We will let you re-read the above paragraph a couple of times to contemplate it.

How does society create a symbiotic relationship between flawed humanity and AI through which human happiness and fulfillment is the goal? Harari argues that humanism, a form of religion that worships humankind instead of a god, is the vehicle to use. Its desire to put humankind and its desires as a top priority in the world, will be the only way to do it. Selfie anyone? FYI - humanists believe that ethics and values are derived internally within each individual, rather than from an external source. Cue John Lennon’s song, Imagine.

During the 21st century, Harari believes humanism may push society to search for immortality, happiness, and power. Their search will lead them to artificial intelligence and themselves as the ultimate answer in creating their own happiness and joy, fulfillment and realization. We become gods.

Now, go back and reread the verses at the beginning of this installment. In our faith, only Jesus is equal to God. Only Jesus is God. The Son and Father are one. Yet, in Yahweh’s wisdom (humans would call it foolish) God invites us to join Him in a relationship where we become one with the Son and the Father...through the Spirit of God. This process has nothing to do with us. Jesus stated in John 14:6 -“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Hey, medical operations are almost miraculous nowadays. Prosthetics are incredible. Planes can fly themselves. Text messages can cross the globe instantly. We can see a dear one’s face from across the miles in a matter of seconds. Facebook Live allows us to stream our worship services to those who don’t feel comfortable being with other people.

But, and this is a big but (he-he), technology and science, philosophy and human wisdom, cannot lead one to Divinity. AI may change the stoplight to green but it cannot change your life. AI may drive and park your car but it cannot forgive and restore. As Billy Graham preached: “Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, and the story of His life, death, and resurrection is the only Good News the world will ever hear.”

Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to go and read more about Dimitry Itskov, the founder of the 2045 Initiative. His organization is working with a network of scientists to develop 'cybernetic immortality' within the next few decades...the goal which is to download their brains into robots...and live eternally.

Mind blown,


Steve and Missy

Falsebook and Instahurt - Blowing the Whistle on Manipulators of our Children

 

10-12-2021

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” - Matthew 18:1-6

And they were bringing children to him so that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. - Mark 10:13-16

If there is one subject that gets people riled up - or at least it should - it is how society & culture manipulate and groom our children. Recently, we heard the truth many have been shouting about for years. Online activities and social media can be harmful - even deadly - to our kids.

Multiple news outlets released information last week from a Facebook whistleblower who told Congress that the social media company and its products harm children and fuel hate and misinformation in the U.S. If that were not enough she also stated Facebook leaders refuse to make changes because of a desire to put "astronomical profits before people."

Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist, testified to the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection. She shared: "I believe Facebook’s products harm children, stoke division, and weaken our democracy...The company’s leadership knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer but won’t make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people."

This information was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in a series of stories, called "The Facebook Files," which (not shockingly) revealed a giant tech company focused on growth and its own interests rather than the public good. Haugen offered tens of thousands of pages of internal research documents she secretly copied before leaving her job in Facebook’s civic integrity unit. Civic integrity unit? Not so much it seems...

And before you judge Ms. Haugen as someone just trying to get attention, note that she has a degree in computer engineering and a master’s degree in business from Harvard. Prior to working for Facebook in 2019 she worked for 15 years at companies including Google and Pinterest. She has, as they say, “Skin in the game.”

The research leaked by Haugen showed that for some teens devoted (insert the term addicted here) to Instagram the peer pressure generated by the visually focused app led to mental health and body-image problems, and in some cases, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

And Facebook did nothing. Their brief statement in response to Haugen’s testimony, was to simply say the company doesn’t agree with "her characterization of many issues." Wow.

And, then, surprisingly - not surprisingly? - Facebook and Instagram went black this past week for almost a whole day. Coincidence? We think not.

Why should we focus on this? Because our children “are a heritage from the LORD,” Psalm 1217:3. The church is losing children/teens/young adults by the boatload and it’s like we do not care. Studies show 85% of people between the ages of 18-35 leave the church and never return. Rather than protecting, building them up and preparing them for the world, the church has allowed the world to step in, step on, and drag young people down it’s selfish and sin-filled path to eternal separation from God. The worst part of it? We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Yes, the blame lies squarely on us. Not Facebook. Not Instagram. Not Tik-Tok. Not Snapchat. We are the guilty ones for the next generation’s fall. Just as money, alcohol, tobacco, TV, rock and roll and the internet are not to be blamed for society’s downfall - rather it is the abusers of these “things” that are at fault. Time to look in the mirror.

So, what is the answer? Let’s summarize the words of Jesus from above: “Make sure you focus on children and youth and young adults. Let them come to me. Don’t force them...they will come. And, whatever you do, DO NOT mislead or hurt them. If you do...well, it won’t be good for you. These kids are most precious to me. Be like them. Don’t make fun of them. Join them in coming to me - taste and see that the LORD is good.”

As a final word, social media outlets and the internet have (ironically) kept the family of God moving forward when we were not allowed to be with one another. And don’t get us started on the amount of Bible study material available at the click of a button! Amazing! God has given us these options so that the “gates of hell will not prevail against” his people.

That said, let us not allow these “options” to take the place of you and I in the lives and futures of generations to come. Be involved and use the tools God has provided to make certain the church of Jesus Christ is reaching out to the “least of these” and to “Give thanks to the LORD, calling on his name; making known among the nations what he has done,” Psalm 105:1

Next week? Maybe a word or two about artificial intelligence…

Steve and Missy

It Wasn't Me!

10-05-2021

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light - Mark 4:22

After having heard it all, this is the conclusion: Fear God, and keep his commands, because this applies to everyone. God will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every secret thing, whether it is good or bad - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

    This week saw a surprise report released which shed light on some rather “dark” deeds. The data was obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in Washington DC, which has been working with more than 140 media organizations on its biggest ever global investigation. Dubbed “The Pandora Papers,” it documents information that points to world leaders, billionaires and other community-minded leaders who made billions - all while in public office - by sorting their finances through offshore companies. Of course, all those involved have denied wrongdoing. It’s that age-old defense of deny, deny, deny.

    Included in the investigative results are Russian President Vladimir Putin and Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, who are among some 35 current and former leaders linked to the files. Both Putin and Al-Hussein have issued statements saying they have done nothing wrong and that there is nothing for them to hide. Reportedly, some of the leaked documents show the Jordanian leader alone secretly spent more than $100,000,000 on establishing a property empire in the UK and US since he took power in Jordan in 1999.

    Have you ever thought you could get away with something? Come on, be honest. We all have. Shoot, I (Steve) get away with working only one hour a week. At least that’s what my father-in-law says…and maybe some from the church now that I think about it.

    Ever since we have been little we all have been looking to deny doing anything wrong or at the very least try to blame someone else for our faults and shortcomings. After all, none of us like being brutally honest when we have failed. None of us like to admit we are wrong. Nobody wants to take the blame. No one wants to confess they have sinned.

    The opening scriptures above reveal to us one of the more intriguing - if not horrifying - truths in life: the fact that nothing is truly ever hidden; that everything will be revealed. If not now - later. It’s the fundamental reason so many “bad” things are done in the dark of night when no light can shine on the evil deed. It’s also why people instinctively try to cover up their mistakes - we like to hide what we don’t want others to see. “Just don’t get caught!”

    But, we all get caught. Eventually. The good news, however, is that God does not leave us to our own demise. He doesn’t abandon us when we make mistakes. He doesn’t give up on us even when we give up on ourselves. As the apostle John relates: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” I John 1:9.

    No, God does not want us to hide (ask Adam and Eve when you get the chance). Yes, God does want us to bring our mistakes to the light (ask King David after you talk to Adam and Eve). The wonderful thing about God - who is the only rightful Judge - is that he does not want to judge us. He wants to redeem us. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance." God is patient with us. What a wonderful and hopefull thought!

    BUT...and this is a BIG BUT...don’t neglect what Peter tells us immediately following those words: “...the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare…” Judgment is coming. And it is final. There is literally no hope when God’s judgment upon sin is executed.

    Which is why we urge you - and ourselves - to be in a constant state of repentance. We are not excusing or making light of sin - as a matter of fact, we are wanting all of us to take it more seriously. Furthermore, repentance is the only way to deal with sin. It is the only way to bring “light into the darkness” and the “darkness cannot overcome it.”

    What if there was an investigative unit who was looking into your life. What would they find? What would you hope and pray they would not find? We may not be billionaires or world leaders, but like them we have all “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We must, “Therefore confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power to prevail," James 5:16.

    Prussian king Frederick the Great was touring a Berlin prison. The prisoners fell on their knees before him to proclaim their innocence-except for one man, who remained silent. Frederick called to him, "Why are you here?" "Armed robbery, Your Majesty," was the reply. "And are you guilty?" "Yes indeed, Your Majesty, I deserve my punishment." Frederick then summoned the jailer and ordered him, "Release this guilty wretch at once. I will not have him kept in this prison where he will corrupt all the fine innocent people who occupy it."

    Guilty? Confession is good for the soul...now and later.

Steve and Missy

I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down Here Somewhere

 

If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. - John 15:10-12.

A song of ascents. When the LORD restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers. Then our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. Then it was said among the nations, The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy! - Psalm 126:1-3

According to Reuters News Service reporter Ciara Lee, “Toymaker Lego doubled its earnings over the first six months of the year as customers flocked to its reopened stores to buy Star Wars building sets and flower bouquets made from its colourful plastic bricks.”

The main protagonists in this increased volume in sales? Adults. Part of the increase is due to the Fox TV series: Lego Masters. Yes, there is a popular, fun and entertaining television series about people building incredible scenes simply out of “bricks” - hip lingo for Lego pieces.

Before you discard the first two paragraphs and look at it as silly - “People should grow up and act like adults!” - might we remind you that Jesus came to bring us joy? JOY! Laughter! Happiness! Yes, Christians should be invaded and overwhelmed by JOY!

Joy is a beautiful word. Yet, what does it mean? In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is שִׂמְחָה - simchah. It is translated as the following: delight, exceeding joy, festival, gladness, happiness, joy, mirth, pleasure, rejoice, rejoicing. In the New Testament, the Greek term is χαρά - chara. It means: extend favor, lean towards, be favorably disposed – properly speaking it refers to being aware of/recognizing God's grace, favor; joy.

Joy is a foundational gift of the Lord for his people. What do we mean by that? Joy is not based on how you feel nor is it dependent upon the situation you find yourself in. Joy is a gift to be received, utilized and employed in your life. There is enough complaining, criticizing, griping and grumbling in the world already! AND IT SHOULD NEVER BE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST!

Remember what happened in Numbers 11? If not, allow us to refresh your memory. After all the miracles the children of Israel had seen God do in Egypt, including the parting of the Red Sea so that they could walk through on dry land and then swallow their enemies whole, they still complained so bitterly that God heard a constant rumbling from their encampment in the wilderness. Probably not what their Savior wanted to hear by the way…nor does ours.

The Isrealites complained about food and water. When they had manna from heaven, they complained they had no meat. They grumbled and rebelled against Moses’ leadership. Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ siblings, complained about Zipporah, Moses’ wife. The people even complained about God’s judgment that resulted from their complaints! Sound familiar?

There was a conference at a Presbyterian church. People were given helium filled balloons and told to release them during the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. When it was over 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased. (Bruce Larson, Luke, p. 43.) That is the epitome of what is at the heart of so many Christians. No joy. And that, our friends, is sad.

Since Jesus came to bring us joy and to complete our joy, we should take a closer look at that gift. Perhaps you are encountering rough waters presently. Maybe your life is not what you hoped it would be. The case may be that everything in your life is topsy-turvy and everyone seems to have abandoned you. But remember - that is one point of view. Yours.

Dr. R.B. Ouellette tells of a Russian countess who believed in Jesus as her Saviour and was open about her testimony. The Tsar was displeased and threw her into prison. After 24 hours with the lowest level of Russian society, in the most miserable conditions imaginable, he ordered her brought into his presence. He smiled sardonically and said, “Well, are you ready now to renounce your silly faith and come back to the pleasures of the court?”

To his surprise, the countess smiled serenely and said, “I have known more real joy and more real happiness in one day in prison with Jesus than I have known in a lifetime in the courts of the Tsar.” Where you are at or how you feel never dictate the presence or absence of joy.

Where does your joy come from? Or, rather, for some, what is the cause of your lack of joy? And, no, you cannot blame others. If Jesus gave you his joy then no one - and we repeat - no one is able to take it away. The only person who can take it away is the person who received it. You. Blame solely rests upon the recipient who rather than unwrapping and enjoying this free gift, complains about the wrapping paper, all the tape around it, the size of the box, and then tosses it aside to find another present more to their liking. Only you can reject or receive the Lord’s joy.

God’s word reminds us that “The joy of the Lord is your strength,” Nehemiah 8:10. If you are feeling weak, helpless, hopeless, discouraged, sorrowful, or miserable, might we offer a three letter word to lift you up, fill you with hope, to cheer and comfort you? JOY!

A final thought from the prophet Zephaniah, where one of our favorite verses in scripture found in chapter 3 says: “Cheer up...! Don’t be afraid! For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” If that doesn’t fill you with joy, nothing will! Now, go take some Legos from your kids, have some fun and build something.

Steve and Missy

09/28/2021

Texas, Twinkies and Caring for Strangers

 

09-21-2021

Deuteronomy 10: 19 - You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Leviticus 19:34 - The alien who resides with you shall be as a citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Matthew 25:40 - ...as you did it to one of the least of my brethren you did it to me.

Hebrews 13: 1 - Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Matthew 25: 35 - I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

Romans 12:13 - Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

    In recent news we have sadly witnessed the gut-wrenching views of what is occurring down in Del Rio, Texas. Thousands of migrants - mainly from Haiti - have made their way to a bridge/overpass and have begun camping out there.

    The great majority are not running past the Border Patrol agents but rather are hunkering down, cutting up tall wild plants and making thatch huts to keep from suffering under the oppressive 100 degree weather. Little to no fresh water is available. The port-a-potties are overflowing and the smell is nauseating. People who have diabetes and heart conditions are in grave danger.

    “You turn the corner, and then you start to see up here, right, this sea of people just going in two directions,” said Jon Anfinsen, the National Border Patrol Council’s president of the Del Rio region. “You walk through here, and it really feels like another country.”

    Now, we are not here to argue pro or con on immigration. We are not here to debate public policy. We are not here to reflect on a nation’s responsibility (or lack thereof) in regards to foreign peoples seeking sanctuary. We leave that to the politically erudite.

    What we are here to look at is the responsibility of the believer in God when it comes to caring for the stranger. And scripture is not ambiguous when it comes to that.

    Our texts from above - just a very select few - remind us (command us) to love the stranger. We are to welcome them and treat them as if they are citizens of our land. In other words, even as we were strangers and were welcomed by the Native Americans when we first came to the New Country, so we are to welcome and help the new migrants who come to our shores for freedom and a new life.

    It is Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 that should give us the most pause. Whatever we do for someone else we have done for him. Those are sobering words. Have you ever considered something nice you did for someone else to be just the same as if you had done it for Jesus? Maybe some of us have. Or, at the very least, we have kept his commandment to love one another.

    More to the point, however, is the antithesis to the positive understanding of Jesus’ statement. To put it another way: When we do something bad to another person it’s just as if we had done it to Jesus. Ouch. Let that sink in for a few minutes.

    We are not certain as to what the answer is to the border crisis - if there truly is an answer. One yells, “Send them all back!” Another cries, “Let them all in!”

    Right now there are more than 14,000 human beings located beneath a bridge in hot Val Verde county in Southwest Texas: Women. Children. Elderly. Strong young men. Hopeful young women. Each person who shows up is given a ticket - much like you would be given to ride something at the County Fair. Randomly throughout the day, an agent will call 50 ticket numbers. The ticket-holders can board a white coach bus to a federal processing facility. That’s it. Nothing else.

    And who knows what is next. All we can do is welcome the strangers in our lives as Christ welcomed us into his kingdom. Look after one another. Be kind. Love.

    I’m (Steve) reminded of a moment in July when they were redoing our street. There were about seven people sitting on our sidewalk in the heat of the day. Male, female, red, yellow, black, white and brown. The fresh asphalt was steaming. The sweat was pouring. We didn’t know these people from “Adam’s house cat.” Missy marches right into the house, loads my arms with cold water and Twinkies (DO NOT TOUCH MY TWINKIES!) and sends me out to a group of strangers, sitting on my sidewalk, leaning on my lawn - and give them the water and Twinkies.

    Needless to say, they were more than glad to take the offerings from my hands. Smiles were shared. Thank you’s were uttered several times. And the stranger was cared for.

    Who’s gonna get your Twinkies today?

   Steve and Missy