I was channel surfing!

We choose to not have cable or satellite at our house so there are not 250 gazillion channels to find nothing to watch (you do that I know). I found a channel with a rerun of All in the Family. I stopped for a moment. I don’t know what the episode was titled or anything really. What was happening was Mike and Gloria had introduced some friends a couple to Archie and Edith. They were “hippies” bell bottom pants, long hair, barefoot etc. Archie’s favorite. They needed a place to stay the night but were not married. That did not set well with Archie. So, there is a discussion about morals and Mike asks if Archie is the authority. Archie replies no his authority comes from there and points across the room. Gloria replies, “The TV?” To which Archie responds, “No the good book sitting on the TV.” Archie then fusses at Edith for putting the Bible on the TV to which she responds “it kept falling off the refrigerator.” That is when I turned the channel.

I turned because I didn’t want to see the train wreck happen. It would be just too painful because it is all too often true.  Have you been in Archie’s position wanting to take the moral high ground because it is right but trying to prove it with a Bible you have no idea where it is and a life that is not quit as high as the high moral standing you spout? From there we often are left holding the bag so to speak. Children have a way of bringing our inconsistencies to light at the most in opportune time.

They are “calling it like they see it.” Now inconsistencies are found in each of our lives, it is true even for believers. We are in the process of being saved, transformed into the image of Christ and that WILL get done but it’s not finished yet. What to do?

If we refuse to admit that we are sinners, then we live in a world of illusion and truth becomes a stranger to us. But if we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable and straightforward—he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil. For if we take up the attitude “we have not sinned”, we flatly deny God’s diagnosis of our condition and cut ourselves off from what he has to say to us. 1 John 1:9-10 J.B. Phillips

Admit when your life does not parallel the moral plane that you are purporting. That does not make it any less true or valuable but our inconsistencies do diminish the authority which we speak not the Bible.  The inconsistencies do not negate the responsibility to speak. It does mean we will have to defend ourselves more and spend twice as much time living the Gospel in front of those we seek to influence. The inconsistencies reveal we are in need of grace.

Our living example is the loudest voice we have. It brings authority and respect to the declaration from our mouths. It may not bring conformity in the other party but it rings of truth lived in one life.  Faithfulness is the key to our salvation and the salvation of others.

It is only when we obey God’s laws that we can be quite sure that we really know him. The man who claims to know God but does not obey his laws is not only a liar but lives in self-delusion. In practice, the more a man learns to obey God’s laws the more truly and fully does he express his love for him. Obedience is the test of whether we really live “in God” or not. The life of a man who professes to be living in God must bear the stamp of Christ. 1 John 2:3-6 J.B. Phillips

Faithfulness helps us avoid train wrecks in which we are the engineer.  Christ is our first responder in the event of an accident. You see the grace we receive from Christ is the same others require from us. Our faithfulness to the Gospel reveals that grace.  

God is faithful how about you?   

In HIS Service and Yours,

 

BroG

Some weeks have themes!

The last two weeks have had a recurring theme.  There are a lot of things wrong in this world. Our media does a stellar job of pointing that out to us every minute of every day. With that information it is evident that things are bad and getting worse almost by the minute. Are we surprised?

Well, we shouldn’t be. The Bible speaks of days

³ For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. ⁴ They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 HCSB

It makes me wonder when folks will listen not to facts and evidence but rather accept and fact opinion and half truth. It happens all the time. Just read a few comment pages of a controversial news item, verdict or event. I must confess I get sucked into those comments. I know how it will end but I read anyway. I guess I am looking to “see” the train wreck even though I don’t like it.

In a society that values free speech many of us seem to have no tolerance for the exercise of free speech on the part of others. My right to speak my peace is their right as well in our political system. In those message boards name calling and illogical arguments are the rule rather than respectful free exchange of ideas. Passion seems to run ahead of thought, perspective and grace. It seems everything is personal (when it really is not). It is our world Paul spoke of while writing Timothy. We are to be different. The Gospel in us has made us different.  However, difference is not without hardship. Paul speaks of that in his words to Timothy his son in the ministry.

⁵ But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5 HCSB

Earlier Paul speaks of our task and demeanor fulfilling the task.

 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom: ² Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 HCSB

We have a command to be like John “a voice crying in the wilderness.” Our task is to continue even in a world that does not want to hear it or will hurl stones (verbal and literal) at us and our message. Why? Our hope has never been in political systems or ideologies. Our hope has never been in our ability to transform ourselves or others. Our hope has never been in our ability of faith to save ourselves and our world. Our hope for our own salvation and the salvation of this world has always been Jesus and his word.

John says “the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us.” The WORD is our hope. I can be discouraged, upset, outraged and I should be but my hope is not found here or in MY faith but in Christ. THAT has been the theme of the last few weeks my hope is in You LORD.

That brings me calm in chaos, peace for persecution and an anchor in the face of anger.

My hope is in YOU Lord.  Of course the next questions is why this theme? Oh my!        

In HIS Service and Yours,

BroG

A Georgia peach led me to this...

Last week I was in south Mississippi on vacation with my wife and parents. Our route of travel takes us across central Georgia (GA96) through Peach County. Unbelievable as it may seem, they actually grow peaches in Peach County along with pecans and various other crops. My mother loves fresh peaches. When I was a kid we would travel through Arkansas where they grow peaches and we would stop to buy fresh peaches at a stand beside the road. Those trips included a layover in Little Rock at a great Aunt’s home where upon arrival there would be a homemade peach cobbler in the oven and ice cream in the freezer. I am hungry now.

On GA96 just west of I-75 is Lane Packing Company and whenever we go that way with Mom we must stop. Just so you know this is not a road-side-stand. This is Georgia Agra-tourism at its finest. They have blueberries and blackberries, jams and jellies, pecans and pinafores, cantaloupe and candy not to mention a café, tours and so much more. Yes, we stopped and bought a peck of beautiful local peaches.

Moving ahead a few days in time, I was leaning over the sink as I cut into the first peach. I circled the peach with the knife and pulled it apart revealing the pit. I pried the pit from the peach flesh and took my first bite. It was almost completely ripe still a little firm in the center. It was good. While looking at the seed I though who could imagine this marvelous fruit from this ugly looking seed?

Seeds don’t resemble the finished product much less the next stage of growth in the plant. A peach seed looks nothing like a peach tree and until it bears fruit you have no inkling as to the delight that is to be a peach. Some might be tempted to toss the seed saying it won’t amount to be anything because they know nothing of peaches and peach trees.

Words are at the same moment omnipotent and impotent. They can build up and destroy an individual. It has much to do with the speaker and the listener. For some of us we have been devastated by the words of one that cut to the core of our identity and promise. Maybe our own words from a poor self image have devastated us repeatedly. Words have power when we let them.

Words are powerless as well. Consider the one who would cast the peach pit away as waste. In essence saying it would never amount to anything. The one speaking has no idea what they are talking about. They make pronouncements not on actual knowledge of the future but on their perception. So what’s a peach pit to do? What voice should it listen to? Let the peach seed become a peach.

Cast the pit to the ground, let it die covered by the spoil, by a miracle a new creation emerges breaking the surface of the grave of earth, let it grow into the tree as designed nurtured by the giver of life and water and soil and weather, let it blossom in the spring to bring beautiful fruit in the summer. Let the picked fruit sit for a few days on the counter to completely ripen and then enjoy.

The only voice that matters makes matter out of nothing the same voice takes nothing (us) and make us matter. That is the only voice that matters.

                               
he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 HCSB

In HIS Service and Yours,

BroG