Christian Faces the Dragon

It could have been a picture of times past, or times future. A memory of events long ago, or a premonition of times to come. It could have been. But it wasn't. It was today. It was real.

Christian could see the Dragon.

He was never far. Always hovering, searching, seeking to devour. Eyes gazing this way and that, scales pulsing a deep, dark red. Sinewy legs with sharp talons poised, ready to pounce and snare the helpless prey below. His mouth was ever open and from it came the sweetest, most tantalizing sound Christian had ever heard.

A song of death. But few knew it for what it was.

The sound was so . . . mesmerizing. Like the cooing of an innocent babe, or melody of the sweetest ballad of love. Hidden whispers soothed the heart, promising the desires of the soul. The Dragon was the master of his game. Deceit. Lies. Death.

But the World couldn't see. They couldn't see him for who he was. They didn't know his song was a lie. They were desperate, and he knew it. In their desperation, he promised to give them what they wanted.

Christian had danced that dance before. He'd heard the song of the Beast, been drawn to the alluring sound. He'd embraced the sweet melody, believed the promises too rich to be false, too empty to be true. Yes, he'd faced the Dragon. And he'd seen.

Even now, though he knew Truth, Satan's song came to him. Pleading, demanding, threatening, promising. All lies, but oh so tempting! Masquerading as truth, seeming so right and feeling so good! That voice, the words of the Serpent, led to destruction, but they certainly sounded like heaven.

Christian turned away. He'd seen the Dragon before, knew his games. Today was not the day of Battle. But he knew.
One day . . . One day soon . . .

A God Who Hears Prayers

Christian knew who he prayed to. The Truth. The Source. The One. God. He knew God had the ability, the power, the authority to answer prayer. He knew God could do anything. But there was one question he struggled with.

Did God want to?

He knew God could, but that didn't mean God would. Why would He? Why would God want to bother diverting His divine attention to Christian's simple, even insignificant, prayer? Surely the Creator had better things to do.

Christian felt almost guilty asking such a simple thing of God. His prayer, while vitally important to him, was really nothing in the grand scheme of the World. Even as he poured out his soul on the altar of prayer, he felt unworthy. Who was he to ask something so small of God? There were wars, famines, disasters out there. God-sized problems. Did God really have time to hear his simple request?

He could only hope.

And hope he did. With hope and faith, he lifted his heart. With clumsy words, more emotion than coherent thought, he asked God for help. It wasn't easy, admitting he needed help. Christian was proud, independent. God had made him that way. But
this . . . this was beyond him. This was something only God could do.

So he prayed.

And God listened.

He couldn't say how he knew, but he did. Something within
him . . . changed. He supposed some would call it peace, though he wasn't quite sure. But whatever it was, it told him that God had heard him. That He cared. It mattered. He mattered.

Christian didn't know how God would answer, but that was OK. God would take care of him. What gave him assurance was not that he would get what he asked for, but that God had listened.

And that meant everything to a man of simple faith.




 

Keeping Life in Perspective

Perspective: a view of things (as objects or events) in their true relationship or relative importance. 

That's one definition of perspective, taken from Webster's New American Dictionary.  Another way to say the same thing is, how important is something?

I have a real, paper and ink copy of Webster's on my desk. I value the feel of paper pages. On the other hand, I also use Google and other online search engines extensively. I prefer to read the Bible on paper, but I have multiple electronic copies. Both are important. Both are part of my perspective.

Some things, though, are mutually exclusive.

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24). That's one example, and there are many others. We chose God or the world. Good or evil. Jesus or damnation.

And really, those are the simple (though not always easy) choices to make. They are clearly stated in the Bible, and if that holy book is part of your perspective, the choice is obvious.

Sometimes our perspective can get distorted.

Like the picture above. We know what we see doesn't make sense. But yet, there it is. Those buildings are leaning. I see it that way, so it must be true, right?

Of course not. It's a trick of a camera lens, or a computer program. The buildings are real, but they don't look like that. It's a distortion. 

The same thing happens in life. We sometimes view the events of our lives through a lens that distorts reality. Your job may seem to be the most important thing in the world, but it's not. That problem may seem insurmountable, but it isn't. God may seem far away, but He's not. Those are distortions.

How do we keep a true perspective?

Sometimes it's not easy. Life jumps out at us, screaming for our attention. One day the world feels as though it is going to eat us alive, the next we have the bull by the horns. Sometimes we feel miniscule and insignificant, other times ten feet tall and bullet proof.

It's all a matter of balance. The reality is some things are more important than others. God. Family. Friends. We each have our own lists.

Want to keep things in perspective? Make a list of what really matters and view the world through those lenses only.

You might find that life becomes much clearer.

  

Truth and Illiusion. Do You Know the Difference?

Christian knew he was different.

It wasn't his appearance. He looked just like everyone else. And he certainly didn't stand out because of his job, wealth, intelligence, or anything else the World admired. His was a common job, and he was neither rich nor poor. He was not stupid, but he wasn't brilliant, either. Something else made him stand out.

He could see.

Now, that may sound strange to some. I mean, what's so unusual about being able to see, right? 

Maybe that's the way it is in your world, but not Christian's. You see, in his World, most of the people around him are blind.

Now don't get me wrong, they had sight. But they couldn't see. They were able to navigate the World around them, to view and recognize their surroundings. They saw that which was alluring, attractive, lust worthy. They saw the World, but they didn't realize it wasn't real. Not really.

But Christian did.

Christian saw what wasn't. And though he saw, he struggled to understand. Or perhaps believe. It all looked real, and yet he knew it was not. Many struggled to believe what they saw was reality. His battle was different. He struggled to believe everything around him was an illusion. But it was.

He knew what was real was not what he could see, but what he couldn't. It wasn't the World which was real. That was nothing but smoke and mirrors. Reality was something hidden, something just out of sight. Reality was Truth, and though he knew Truth existed, he knew just as well that he would never see Him. At least, not in this life.

At that, that ability to know he was surrounded by an unreality, was what set Christian apart.

Christian Realizes Normal Days are Training Days

Christian remained where he was longer than needed. He had offered his prayers, his thanks, his needs. He had his usual time with the Truth, now it was time to get up and get started. But for some reason, he didn't.

The question of yesterday continued to bother him. Where did he fit in? In that World out there, how was he supposed to act? Was he supposed to jump up every morning full of life and vigor, never tired, never sad, never bored? Should he burst through his front door and break into song, praising Truth for all to hear? They thought he was Crazy, so was he supposed to act that way?

Some days he did feel that way. Some days he was faced with the choice of speaking Truth and being a Crazy, or staying silent and appearing Normal. He actually liked those days, because then at least he knew he was different. And being different didn't bother him. What bothered him were the days when he was Normal. Because he wasn't sure if was supposed to be Normal. Ever.

But what if he was?

A seed planted remained silent for a time before bursting to life. A runner monotonously trained for weeks, months, even years before running a race. Warriors trained long, boring hours before battle. Could any of those be a message of Truth for him? Could it be that a Normal day was simple a training, a preparation for when the trials and temptations did come?

Maybe. Just maybe.

Christian rose, considering the possibility. It was truth, he decided. A word from the Source. Some day were for fighting, but most were for training. Some days were for growing, preparing him to bloom. It made sense!

Encouraged, Christian put himself together to face another day. He was a Follower. Whatever came, whether this day was Crazy or Normal, he would walk in the Words of Truth.

Crazy Followers, Lost Normals. Christian Tries to Find His Place.

It was simply another day. Neither one to remember, nor one to forget. It was, in all, a most remarkably unremarkable day. Looking back, Christian was not even sure where the hours went. What had he done? What did he have to show for dragging himself out of bed this morning? He had to wonder . . .

Was this all there was to life?

He was a Follower. Where was the glitz, the glamor, the glory?  Where were the trumpets, the trials, the temptations? Where was the excitement? Followers were not supposed to have ho-hum days, were they? They were supposed to be filled with the Spirit, shining brightly like the sun, right? Ho-hum was for the Lost.

In this place where he lived, known as The World, lived two types of people: The Followers, of which he was one, and everyone else. Everyone else referred to themselves as Normal, while The Followers referred to them as Lost. In turn, the Lost referred to the Followers as Crazies. Followers-Crazies. Normals-Lost. Just another day in The World.

Christian wondered, as he sometimes did, where he was supposed to fit in.

If he was a Crazy, then shouldn't he feel differently? Because he sure didn't today. Today felt an awfully lot like a Normal day. Today he blended in with the masses, did his thing, and went back home. Was that right? Should he have done something differently? What had he missed?

Sighing, he settled himself in bed.

Maybe tomorrow would be different. Maybe tomorrow he would feel more like a Follower.

Or maybe, just maybe, he wasn't supposed to feel any differently at all.

Why Are You Holding On To The Past?

What is past is past.

You cannot change it. You can neither undo nor redo what has already been done. There is no going back. You have influence over today. You can affect what happens tomorrow. Yesterday is beyond your grasp.

You cannot live in the past. You are not there. No matter how hard you try, living in the past is a fantasy, a fairytale, a nightmare. It is not real. You were there, but you are no longer. Today is real. Tomorrow is coming. Yesterday will never be again.

Why can you not let go?

The past holds a mysterious power, trying to hold us in her grasp. Sometimes her grip is icy and cold, sucking the life from your soul as she holds you back. Sometimes her embrace is warm and cozy, like a warm blanket in the chill of evening, promising comfort and care.

Both are a trap, a snare, a quagmire of uselessness and despair. If you accept her warm embrace, if you allow her to hold you in her icy grip, where will you go? Don't you see? The past is past. She has no future. And if you stay with her, neither do you.

There is a better way.

Yes, it happened. Whatever it was. Good or bad. Constructive or devastating. What is in the past was. But now it's over. The past does not hold the keys to either your fame nor your shame. Those lie in the hands of Today, and her sister, Tomorrow. Those keys belong to God.

Exist in today, live for the future. Remember the past, but do not dwell there. Remember what was so that you can repeat the good, and avoid making the same mistakes. But do not remain there. Let it go.

Your future is before you, not in the shadows of the footsteps you have left behind.

Sunday: First Day of the Week, or Last Day of the Weekend?

Look closely.

Notice anything odd about this calendar? Yeah, a couple things; for me, at least. First of all, the days are vertical, not horizontal. And then, look at the order. Where is Sunday?

That made me think. What day of the week is Sunday? First, or last?

What the world says.

To me, this is obvious. In practice, the world says Monday is the first day of the week, and Sunday the last day of the weekend. To the world, Sunday is the last (and for many the only) day away from the grind of work, school, whatever. Sunday evening, then, signals the end of the weekend and Monday the beginning of the work week.

The calendar above has done away with tradition and gone practical. That's not always bad. It depends on what traditions are being scrapped.

So why have our calendars traditionally listed Sunday as the first day of the week, when in practice the world sees it as the last?

What the Bible says.

This is not a Biblical review of the history of the Sabbath. Let it suffice to say that after creating everything in six days, God rested on the seventh. We call that seventh, or last day of the week, Saturday. That is the traditional Jewish Sabbath.

Sunday, then, is the first day of the week. Sunday is also the day Christ rose from the grave. He was crucified on Friday, and rose on day three (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). That is why Sunday is sometimes called The Lord's Day, as in Revelation 1:10.

Sunday, the first day of the week, is also when the early Church gathered to worship and break bread together (Acts 20:7), and to collect offerings (I Corinthians 16:2). What we today call going to church.

So what?

Does it matter if we consider Sunday the first day of the week or the last? I believe it does.

How do you define your life? Are you defined by your work, your school, your Monday to Friday obligations? Or are you defined by your beliefs, your convictions, your God? I know what I want to define my life, and that's why it is important to me to recognize that Sunday starts the week, instead of ending it.

I think it matters. I want to start every week right. For me, that means starting the week with God (not that we shouldn't be spending time every day with God).

And besides . . . When you realize Monday is the second day of the week, getting up tomorrow morning won't be quite so hard!

God bless you all. Have a great Sunday afternoon, the first day of the week!

Remembering My Dad

I lost my Dad 6 years ago today. I miss him. A lot.

I miss his wisdom. He knew how to do so many things, how to fix problems and make things work. He was a true jack of all trades, growing up on a farm, hot-rodding cars, working maintenance in a factory. When he didn't know what made something tick, he learned. That was invaluable to me growing up, and is still today.

I miss his friendship. We hunted, fished, cut firewood, played cards (pitch was our game).  We worked together on cars, the house, toys, projects, gizmos and gadgets--everything! We were volunteer firemen together. As I grew older, I realized how close we were. And it was just when I started to really appreciate him that it all came tumbling down.

I miss his advice. I never wanted it for a long time. Then, as it happens, the older I got, the smarter he got. Or so it seemed. I don't know how, but after I was out on my own for a while, he sure seemed to know a lot more than when I was at home. Funny how that is.

I miss all that we were not able to do. He was sick for a long time before we lost him. He saw his grandchildren, but never really got to play with them. I miss the fishing trips I never got to take with him and my son. I miss the soccer games he never got to see. I miss him never reading a book that I wrote.

I don't have any regrets. We did all we could with the time we had. Was it perfect? No. Life never is. Were there hard times, bad memories, hurts? Yes. Always. Do I want to be like him? In a lot of ways, yes. He was a good man. I learned the kind of man I wanted to be, from what he was, and what he wasn't. He knew his faults, told me not to repeat them. I try.

Today I remember. My Dad, my mentor, my friend.

I'll see him again, when my day comes. Until then, I'll remember the time we had.

Faith and Trust: Are They One and The Same?

I have faith that God can, but I don't always trust that He will.

I really wish I could say this is a quote from someone else. But it's not. This is something I said. This morning. In church, even.

So my question is, are faith and trust the same thing?

What the Bible says.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

The second part, certain of what we do not see, is not my struggle. I know enough to know that I don't know much. There are many things I do not understand, or cannot see, but I am certain of them. I am certain I have a soul, though neither I nor anyone else (apart from God) can see it. I believe in the Trinity. I cannot see these things, but I am certain of them.

But that first part . . . being sure of what we hope for . . . that's my weakness. As I said this morning, I have faith that God can, but I don't always trust that He will.

Don't get me wrong.

I am not saying I question my faith. I am saved through the grace and mercy of God through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. I am secure in my salvation. Of this I am certain.

I struggle when it comes to everyday things. I know God can. I know He has the power, the knowledge, the authority. All things are within His abilities. But will He? And, more to the point of my insecurities, why would he?

Because He cares. Because He loves.

Yes, I know. This is the answer. I know it, I just have trouble accepting it. He is so big, why would He care about me?

I know, I know . . . I am His child. I am a co-heir with Christ. He cares because He loves me as Father. I know these things.
But . . .

And therein lies the rub.

The ubiquitous, awful but. Sometimes I get stuck on but. But why? But how? But when? But. But. But.

My but is sometimes my anchor (snicker, snicker). The but has to go!

Faith is trust, and trust is faith.

I see it. I know it. I will embrace it. No buts about it!

How about you?

Faith and trust. Tell me your stories. I'd love to hear them. 

Shackled by Sin

 

 Have you ever seen someone try to walk with their feet tied together by a short piece of rope or chain? It's a very effective method of controlling how far, and how fast, someone can move. That's why prisoners have shackles on their legs. They have no chance of going anywhere with any speed. If they try, they will fall down.

Shackles are effective because they restrict movement. You can function, just not very well.

Sin does this very thing in our lives.

When you have something in your life that goes against the will of God, that is sin. Whether it is hate, greed, immorality--it doesn't matter. It's sin. And it is holding you back.

When you are bound by sin, you cannot function as God intends. Whenever you try to do anything, that sin is going to get in the way.

Here's an example. Let's say a man is addicted to pornography. What happens when that man tries to have a relationship with his wife? His sin gets in the way. He cannot move freely within that relationship. He is shackled. By sin.

What's the answer?

Jesus Christ.

That is the one and only answer to this problem. If you want to be free from the shackles holding you back, confess your sin to God. Understand that only Jesus can take that sin away from you. Ask for forgiveness. Make up your mind to change your ways, then do it.

God offers freedom. Take it.

You'll be amazed at how it feels.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

 

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

What treasure?

What treasure is this? It is the light of the knowledge of God. Read 2 Corinthians 4:6. See it? The light of the knowledge of the glory God in the face of Jesus Christ. Knowing God through Jesus Christ. That is the treasure.

Jars of clay?

Yep. Our bodies. From dust we came, and to dust we will return. Then to be risen in glory with our Lord Jesus Christ (I Thessalonians 4:16, 17). We are but jars of clay, but we are filled with a priceless treasure.

All-surpassing power.

Get that? All-surpassing power. This treasure, the knowledge of the glory of God, surpasses, overcomes, and reigns supreme over all. Nothing is greater than the treasure we have within us. No strife, no trial. No worldly glory or honor. Nothing.

What will you do with it?

Within you resides the greatest treasure ever known. Within our frail jars of clay exists the greatest power in creation.

How will you use it today?

Jesus is Coming. Do not be Afraid

In Mark chapter 6, the disciples were terrified when Jesus appeared out of the storm, walking on water. They did not recognize Him, because they did not yet believe in Him for all He was.

In the parallel passage in Matthew 14, Peter says, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water."

Jesus held out His hand, and Peter walked on water. Until he looked at the waves crashing around him. When he took his eyes off Jesus, he started to sink.

Sometimes, when Jesus appears out of the storms of our lives, we don't recognize Him either. And when we do, and He calls to us, we walk on top of the frothy waves--until we take our eyes off Him.

Understand how this story ended. Jesus pulled Peter from the depths. He climbed into the boat with the rest of the disciples, and the storm became calm.

Recognize Jesus in the storm. He is coming to you. When He climbs into your boat, the storm will be calm.

Take courage.

It is Him.

Do not be afraid.

Our God is a God Who Saves

Psalm 68:19, 20

     Praise be to the Lord,
       to God our Savior,
     who daily bears our burdens.
     Our God is a God who saves;
       from the Sovereign Lord
       comes escape from death.

Who daily bears our burdens.

Do you believe that? He bears our burdens. He carries our load. He does what we cannot do on our own. Daily.

Jesus died on the cross for your sins. But He does not stop there. He is with you, wherever you are. Offering to take that load off your back, and put it on His. Every. Single. Day.

Will you let Him?

Our God is a God who saves.

He saves. He saves our souls for eternity. And He saves us from this daily life. Those two verses above go together. We are saved once from our sins through faith in Jesus Christ. But He saves us from the pits of this world whenever we may fall.

He is there to pick you up, to carry you along.

Will you let Him?