Say It

I am older than I might like to admit.  Past the big-four-oh. Some days the "oh" is louder than others. 

I am a "grown man."  By most definitions.  Unless I am acting like a kid.  A Daddy has to at times.

I am a Christ follower, husband, father, & pastor.  I am blessed beyond my imagination.

Yet when a dear brother I respect wrote to me, "I am proud of you!," my heart leapt.

Words are powerful, Friends.

Words can injure.  Or cure.

Words can hinder.  Or encourage.

If you have a blessing to offer, then write it.

Share it.

Say it.

The Christ Following Citizen

The celebration of Independence Day weekend, the Fourth of July, has us tuned to what it means to be an American.  The Bible, as with all things, gives us guidance.

In Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus & Peter are challenged to pay the Jewish Temple tax.  This raises questions. Shouldn't Jesus, as a rabbi, be exempt?  More so shouldn't Jesus, as God's Son, be exempt?  Wouldn't his followers be exempt as well?  Yet Jesus leads Peter to the conclusion that Christ & his followers should obey earthly authorities with willingness & care not to offend.

The immorality or corruption of the governmental authority does not matter.

The obedience & service of the Christ follower as a citizen does matter.

Further Scriptures provide thorough guidelines for the attitude, understanding, & obedience of Christ followers desirous of being God honoring citizens.

As Christ following citizens:

1. We recognize our primary citizenship (1 Perter 2:9).  This is not only our new belonging as citizens in God's Eternal Kingdom, but our new being in Christ, & provides foundation for all that follows.
2. We are recipients of God's mercy (1 Peter 2:10).  We are Kingdom citizens because of God's mercy.  The living out of His mercy should be a hallmark of the Christ following life.
3. We live for the sake of others (1 Peter 2:11-12).  As citizens first of an eternal Kingdom, we must live such exemplary lives that others easily recognize the difference & glorify God because of us.
4. We obey authorities for the sake of Jesus (1 Peter 2:13-14).  More importantly than for others is that our submission to authorities is for our Lord's sake.
5. We must not offend authorities (Matthew 17:27).  As Heavenly citizens first, we obey not only the letter of the law of earthly authorities, but with a joyful attitude as well.
6. We pay taxes to the authority due (Matthew 22:21).  As beneficiaries of all our earthly governments provide, we must also participate in their support.
7. We submit to authorities (Romans 13:1-2).  God Himself has ordained the governing authorities of this earth, & we must not rebel lest we bring His judgment upon ourselves.
8. We obey authorities willingly (Romans 13:5).  Our good conscience as citizens of God's Kingdom, not the possibility of punishment here, should motivate us to obedience.
9. We pay taxes as God requires (Romans 13:6-7).  Since God has established earthly authorities as His servants, we must support them in their work.

Christ followers should be exemplary citizens.  That's our bottom line.  That is how Scripture guides.

May God bless us as citizens of His Eternal Kingdom.

May God bless the earthly nation of our citizenship.

By a Shirt

I was wearing my church monogrammed white polo shirt yesterday.  Southview Baptist Church.  Growing in... Love.  Thats my church.  Our tag line - I love what it says & means - could not be scaled to fit the monogram.  The tag line is our purpose statement: Growing in God's Life Changing Love.

So there I was going about my day.  Minding my own business.  Living life.  Cognizant of my need to grow in God's life changing love.  Really, I was.

When I was tempted.  Sorely tempted to sin.  Oh, doesn't the Devil know your buttons & how to push them?

Yet I thought, "I'm wearing my church shirt.  I can't give in to that sin.  Folks will know."  And, thanks to a monogram, I was saved from sin.  By a shirt.

What saves you from sinning?

Would the shirt you wear or the words you say keep you from falling to a given temptation?  

Have you considered that God knows everything no matter how well you think it's hidden?

How much grace does God have for you in spite of - because of - your sins?

Are you confident that Jesus has eternally saved you from your sins?  If not, will you contact me?

My Bag

I have a bag.  My bag.  It is, officially, a monogrammed - because my wife is nice like that - Land's End Square Rigger Attache.  Functional with just the right type of interior pockets.  Comfortable with soft handles, a wide shoulder strap, a big zipper & oversized zipper pulls.  Durable with heavy cotton canvas construction.  Faded with years of service.  Raggedy with... There.  I said it.

My bag doesn't just look worn out anymore.  It is worn out.  In my hand are some thick cotton threads.  And, as you can see, the threads aren't part of the handle anymore.  These poor threads are now unattached.  They came off.  My bag is starting to fall apart.  My bag is beginning to wear out.  My bag is becoming raggedy.

Forlorn from thread removal, I conducted an inspection of the entire bag.  Sadly, I must report that handle issues are not alone.  The big zipper is failing on the lower left corner.  There are holes wearing through the canvas at multiple spots on all four - or is that eight - corners.  And, as you can see, it just looks worn out too.

This is beginning of the end for my trusty old black - now brownish - bag.  Some day, maybe sooner than I'd like, it will be retired.  Maybe even trashed.  The zipper will completely fail.  One of the many small holes will catch & tear.  And you know the story: the repair will cost more than a new bag & there you have it.

Does my bag have you thinking about yourself?  Someone you know?  Something you own?  Some activity you do?  Asking the same questions & thinking the same thoughts that accompany about the beginning of the end?  And what about your acceptance of what you see in front of you?  Faded, worn, thread-bare?

When is it time to hold on?  When is it time to move on?

God, give us discernment to know.  Give us courage to act.

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Isaiah 55:6

Uphill Downhill

We live up the hill.  One of the highest spots in Lincoln.  In hillier than you'd think Eastern Nebraska

That's caused me to think: For every hill you go down there is one to go up.

Recently my Dadometer indicated the oldest needed some time alone & it was the perfect evening for a bike ride.

Tearing out ahead of me he shouted, "I'm gonna beat you, Daddy." Here & there around the neighborhood streets we went.  Then we left the pavement behind.  Downhill into the tree farm on dirt paths we plunged.  My boy was loving it.  "Wooo-oo-oo-ooo," he exalted in bumpy path vibrato.

Turning uphill I led reminding him we could enjoy the view from the top.  Yet halfway up I heard it.  Words indistinguishable.  Tone clear.  Complaining about the hill.  My boy stopped.

Back downhill we went.  His smile returned.  We pedaled toward another adventurous off-road spot.  His tone changed exuberant.  He hollered, "This is fun!"  Reaching the creek bottom, we rested a bit in the cool.

Then uphill we went.  And, again, his tone changed.  I began to instruct: it is harder going uphill; we shift gears; keep pedaling; accept slower forward progress; but we keep going; we get there.

When we reached to top of Captain Underpants Hill - yes, thats the name my kids have given a statue on a hill nearby our home - we stopped again.  This time we needed a little lesson.  Son & Father both had something to learn.

"Buddy you were having so much fun a few minutes ago.  What changed?"

"The hill.  I don't like the hill."

"I know it's hard to go up hills, but you made it up.  You're here."

"Yeah."

"You gotta go uphill before you can go downhill, Buddy.  Life is like that."

In a split second I'm thinking to myself, "Remember this the next time you are struggling with something, Mister Daddy Man.  If you are gonna enjoy the downhill, you gotta work the uphill."

Life doesn't come equipped with ski lifts.  Elevators or escalators either.  Life does take plenty of work.