PRAYER THOUGHT FOR 2009

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words" (Romans 8:26).

"In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart" (John Bunyon).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

BLIND SPOTS

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

Blind spots; we all have them. Physically, there is a spot on the retina of each eye where the optic nerve is attached; there are no rods and cones on that spot so there is no sight in that place. Every person has a blind spot in each eye--that should make you want to look twice before you pull out into traffic.

Actually, a blind spot is any lack of self-awareness, it can be physical, psychological, social or spiritual. A blind spot can cause destruction, death and mayhem simply because one wasn't willing to look twice before pulling out into traffic; the psychological, social and spiritual consequences can be just as devastating if a blind spot is not acknowledged.

First, social and emotional blind spots can have a physical cause, for instance, a person with Aspberger's Syndrome lacks mirror neurons in his brain which enable him to read the emotions of another. It is, therefore, extremely difficult for him to have appropriate sensitivity in social situations because he cannot "see" and so life is much more difficult for him. A whole list of brain dysfunctions could be compiled that cause a lack of social and emotional awareness.

Unrecognized bias and prejudice also create blind spots. To make decisions simply on the basis of felt beliefs without examining them can be very dangerous and be the cause a lot of collateral pain.

Most people go around in a kind of hypnotic state open to the power of suggestion. When the conventional worldly wisdom makes a suggestion, we tend to hop on the bandwagon. When one refuses to consider that the conventional wisdom might be wrong then a huge blind spot is created. Just six months ago, who would have believed we would be dealing with such a bad economy as this? The conventional wisdom said otherwise! And, who would have thought that a guy running a ponzi scheme could cheat some very "smart" people out of fifty billion dollars? Anyone who questioned his "investment" scheme was thought to be stupid.

Now there are some people who will never admit to having a blind spot--narcissist and other self-absorbed people come to mind. But, for the rest of us, especially during this Festivus season (I couldn't resist), it is important to remember that we do have some places in our lives where there is a lack of awareness and need to ask for God's help to see them. The Lord may send a mean-spirited critic to help us see. Our worst critics can be our best friends if there is truth in their criticisms. The Lord has given us His Word, His Spirit, teachers, preachers, counselors and may be even a mean-spirited critic to help us see.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHAT TO KEEP & WHAT TO THROW AWAY 3

In an earlier post I related How Helen was going through all of the memorabilia stored in a bed room that we want to use when we have our family home for Christmas. One of the items Helen had sorted for the "Sacred Fire"* was a 1907 charcoal sketch of Abraham Lincoln with these words by Lincoln printed beneath the picture:

"I do the very best I know how--the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference." --Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln had a way of putting life into perspective. George Bush would especially benefit from these words, as would we all.

The picture is in poor condition, but I thought with appropriate cropping and matting it could be a great antique wall hanging again. Should I keep it or should I give it a dignified end?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*The "Sacred Fire" is a fire ring in our back yard dedicated to the burning of memorabilia not important enough to keep, but too dear just to be tossed in the dumpster. Also, worn-out flags, Bibles and Christian materials that are too far out of date to be useful find a dignified ending in the "Sacred Fire." We can then dispose of these things with a clear conscience.

MARRIAGE FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS?

"Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

When a lesbian couple was "married" by the authority of the state of Connecticut this fall, one of the partners said that being married felt different than a civil union.* This couple already had a civil union which officially legalized and recognized their relationship. It set me to questioning, "What is different about being married than having a civil union?" What are the practical differences? I can think of only one--faith. Marriage comes from the realm of faith. Marriage was established by God--not by the state. He established the boundaries for it. In the Bible there is never a provision for gay or lesbian marriage--unless, of course, a gay guy and a lesbian marry each other.

Marriage is a faith relationship. A civil union is not a faith relationship, rather it is a legal relationship established by the state. Though a civil union is legal it is not sanctioned by God. The push for same-sex marriage is a desperate attempt by gays and lesbians to receive God's blessing on their relationship.

Some gays and lesbians may argue that being "married" normalizes their relationship and that they would not be stigmatized if they were "married." In a civil union the state gives legal sanction to the relationship, what more is needed--the approval of God? If the state normalizes the relationship why should God's approval be necessary?

When the state "marries" same-sex couples it is becoming involved in God's business. The wall of separation of church and state has been violated by the state. Whatever the decree of the state, it will not change the Word of God. It will only be marriage in the sight of man, but not in the sight of God! The logical conclusion of the state becoming involved in matters of faith is to make criminals of those who believe the Bible.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*from my memory of a newscast when Connecticut's same-sex marriage law when into effect.

WHAT TO KEEP & WHAT TO THROW AWAY 2

". . . but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).



The psychological/emotional/spiritual house cleaning, which must be done periodically, is not an easy thing to do either. Not only are there old habits and addictions to be dealt with, but there are a lot of traumas to deal with too. How is it done?



Yesterday, I had some business that took me to Spirit Lake, Iowa. On the return trip I made a short excursion around to where my grandfather's cottage had been on west lake Okoboji. The cottage is gone now, replaced by a much larger house. A flood of memories came back to me as I looked out over the lake; almost all of them good. One memory of this lake is actually a dream. In the months following the deaths of my brother and my dad, I began to have a recurring dream of swimming out towards the middle of the bay--I was too far out to get back to our dock but too far away from the other shore to swim there either. I was drowning! I had that dream several times--enough times so that I talked to a psychologist professor friend of mine about it. He told me that I was having a normal grief experience. My psychologist friend, being a Christian, was affirming and assuring that, though we cannot get back to the familiar, happy and safe times of yesterday, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will take us to the far shore that is infinitely better. I haven't had that dream in a couple of years, but seeing the lake yesterday made me think of it.

Granted, there are issues that are not easy to let go of, so much so, in fact, that you might need some one to help you with them; do not be afraid to see a counselor. However, the rational hope we have in Christ helps us understand the relative value of all the other stuff we have in our psychological store room. Our hope helps us to sort them out and let all the junk go.

Grace&Peace;
Tom

I wanted to add this verse to the posting of yesterday because it is a verse that reinforces my argument that having hope in Christ helps us deal with the internal house keeping that we all need to do. "And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure" (I John 3:3).

WHAT TO KEEP & WHAT TO THROW AWAY

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways" (I Corinthians 13:11).

In our house my wife, the lovely and gracious Helen, and I have a bedroom that has served as a storeroom for years. It has been filled with memorabilia and things we "might use some day." Well, with the Christmas holidays approaching and the prospect of adult children and grandchildren filling the house, we need the space in the bedroom for sleeping. So, Helen has been busy for the last several weeks sorting through what to keep and what to throw away. It is an activity that I dare not do because my disposition is to throw a lot away that my wife and my children might want to keep.

So how is it that we know how to differentiate what to keep and what to throw away? It is not an easy question to answer because one person's junk is another person's treasure. Also, life transitions are not easy for some--throwing away a card or a paper is almost like throwing away a memory. Even if they are never accessed we know that they are safely stored in the storeroom somewhere for us to access should the need arise. We lose control of the past if we throw these things away. Incidentally, Helen is an archivist--she is a Creative Memories consultant in case any of you readers are in need of archival products. An orderly archiving of pictures and papers is a wonderful asset to a family's story and it can settle some family disagreements too. Back to the point of the paragraph, there is only so much space in the house, how do you know what to keep and what to throw away?

1. Is it pertinent to current legal, medical, employment and business matters?

2. Is it something that has a possible immediate use? (If it hasn't been used in the last year, probably it will not be used.)

3. Does it give an important insight into the development and disposition of children? By that I mean that important pictures, papers and records need to be kept.

4. All love letters should be kept so that children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren can understand their ancestors. In this digital age, letters written on paper with ink are going to be hard to come by!

5. Does it have material value so that it can be immediately sold or given away with a clear conscience? If "we could sell it on ebay" but never get around to it--throw it away!!!

6. Is it an important part of your spiritual journey?

7. Collections are not important to me--they are dust collectors and take up space. If a collection cannot be displayed or used them let it go.

When I started this post I intended that it be a metaphor for doing the psychological/emotional/spiritual house cleaning that we need to do now and then too. What in our past and in our minds and our hearts needs to be kept and what needs to be thrown away? I will pick it up there tomorrow.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

ONE WAY FAITH MAKES A DIFFERENCE

"What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith itself, if it has no works, is dead" (James 2:14-17).

As I was reading an Israeli news service this morning, Arutz-Sheva, a column by Jeff Jacoby* caught my eye. I want to share a blurb from that column because it demonstrates how faith in God is a blessing to the world.

"The Los Angeles Times reported last year on research showing that people without faith were less likely to help a poor or homeless person than religious believers. While both were equally likely to describe themselves as 'good citizens,' their charitable practices were strikingly different. Americans of no faith donated an annual average of two hundred dollars to charity; active-faith adults typically contributed fifteen hundred dollars. Even when church-based giving was subtracted from the mix, religious Americans donated twice as much to charity as the nonreligious."

The political liberals believe that taxes are a form of giving, and while legislating them for everyone else, will enact special privileges for themselves to avoid paying their fair share. While people of faith, after being over-taxed, will dig down and give more to those in need. See how faith and love make a difference?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*Jacoby is a columnist for the Boston Globe.

THE NEW BIRTH

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew'''(John 3:5-7).

I'm reading a book, for the second time, called, Encounters with Christ, by Mark Moore. It is in Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus that Dr. Moore makes the comment, "The reason we enter as new-borns is because nothing of our old life is relevant to the new . . . The truth is, unless we come humbled and barren, with empty hands and open hearts, then access to the kingdom is denied. There are no shortcuts, no alternate routes. All must pass the way of the cross."

Moore's comment is a great comment, but it set me to thinking, "Are you sure that nothing of the old is relevant to the new? It is true that nothing of the old life is relevant to the attainment of the new life, but in terms of performance, there is much in the old life that is relevant to the new life." Think about it: We are still saddled with the same genetic code; we still have to deal with the negative dynamics of traumatic life experiences; and we are still immersed in a flood of the world's influences. How are we to survive the new birth in view of all this?

We have a new identity--we are God's children now. "Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new is come" (II Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, we have a new standing, with new privileges and promises that were not available to us before.

In the new birth there is a new dynamic that is unleashed in our lives that is more powerful than the world, the flesh and the devil; the Spirit of God. "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (II Corinthians 3:18). If you are looking to our Heavenly Father for guidance and sustenance then you will survive the new birth and grow into a fine child of God. I can't wait for the great family reunion!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

FINDING THE TRUTH

"See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition . . . and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

The average U.S. girl has the opportunity to see 77,546 commercials by the time she is 12 years old.*

One hundred twenty seven million Americans visit WalMart each week, while only 68 million watch the networks evening news.** The one who reported that statistic makes it sound like a bad thing that so few watch the network evening news. However, I see it as a good thing because the main-stream media is so slanted toward liberalism. Any attempt at objectivity has been lost. This election cycle, the main-stream media was in bed with Obama. It is tough to find objective reporting these days, but it certainly does not come from the network's evening news. One probably gets a better perspective about reality at WalMart.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*The Foster Report.
** TFR

A TABLE GRACE

"God, when we don't have food to suit our taste, then please give us the taste to suit our food" (Eugene Morse, author of Exodus to a Hidden Valley). One of the Morse families main sources of food was atu pith. It required processing and didn't taste good but it was nutritious. This was the Morse family prayer for it.

The Morse family were missionaries in north Burma when the Communists took over the government. They were given expulsion orders. The family and about 2,000 Lisu tribal people made a westward trek to the Indian border, but were not allowed in, so, they made their home in a valley in the unsurveyed border area between India and Burma. It is an inspiring story that was published by Readers Digest in 1974. It is a story about God's provision, the value of freedom and simple Christian faith. If you can find the book, give it a read! It will increase your faith! I just finished it.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

ELECTION THOUGHTS

"Then the angel said to me, 'The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages" (Revelation 17:15).

Have you ever sat on the beach and watched the waves come into shore? Have you ever watched the tide come in or go out? A preacher friend of mine was wading in waist-deep water on a Florida beach. Who would have thought he could have been swept out into the ocean nearly a mile? Even though the waters look calm, the waters are alive with currents.

So it is with people. The most quiet people can have the strongest emotions within them. With people groups there are certainly ebbs and flows of emotions, values. There is never stasis!

We witnessed the ebb and flow of the American people in the election on Tuesday. To me it was personally disheartening to see the expansion of liberalism. In my view, it will destroy America, but if that is the change the American people want, so be it. The positive results of the election were: A black man was elected as president, and homosexual marriage was blocked in California. The courts will probably over-rule the will of the people on that issue, however.

Obama is my President. Conservatives will certainly treat him with much more respect than liberals treated President Bush. The liberals publicly called for Bush's assassination, and hurled every insult imaginable at him. Yet, in twenty years it will be recognized that Bush was one of our better presidents. In this financial crisis, brought on by Democrat congressional leadership in both houses, we are finding out that the economy of the United States is still the strongest in the world! (Note the strength of the dollar.) We have not had a terrorist attack on America since 911. Bush could have done much better, but if Obama does as well, we will be blessed.

As Christian people, our citizenship is in heaven; there is our hope. Utopia will not be found on earth! There will always be ebbs, flows and even stormy seas when it seems that all is lost, but the Christian's hope is in the one who cannot be shaken, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I think one of the lessons that Christians should learn from this election is the futility of pushing Christian values on the non Christian through political power. Christian values are accepted by hearts that have surrendered to Jesus Christ. Not everyone who calls himself a Christian is one if they only have accepted Jesus as Savior, but never surrendered to Him as Lord.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PROPHECIES OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION

The top picture is the inside of the Garden Tomb, the nontraditional site of the tomb of Jesus. The nontraditional site meets the description requirements of the New Testament, but does not have tradition on its side. The middle picture is of the exterior of the Garden Tomb. The picture on the bottom is of the traditional site of the tomb of Jesus inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The reason tradition carries so much weight is that in the second century, the emperor, Hadrian, destroyed all the significant places in the life of Christ where Christians were worshipping. In their place he built pagan worship places. By doing this he effectively marked these Christian sites for future generations. In the fourth century, Constantine sent his mother, Helena, to the Holy Land to identify these Christian sites. She tore down the pagan worship centers that marked the holy places and built churches over them. So, the chances are good that the traditional sites are truly the right sites even though they do not look like it. Could the traditional sites be in error? It is possible. The vast Roman army that surrounded and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70 could have destroyed enough of the evidence of the sites to confuse returning Christians. My personal belief is that the latter view. I do not believe our Heavenly Father wants us to reverence sites on earth. That is idolatry. He is to be the center of our lives!

*

"For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow your Holy One to undergo decay" (Psalms 16:10). This prophecy of Christ's resurrection is quoted by Peter in the first gospel sermon on Pentecost in Acts 2:27).

"After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up; that we may live before him" (Hosea 6:2). This scripture was alluded to by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:4. These are only two of several Old Testament prophecies of Christ's resurrection.

*

The Christian faith stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The risen Christ is the cornerstone of all that Christians believe. If Christ has not risen, Christianity falls apart. If he has risen, God's word is true. If Christ has risen then God will have the last word--you won't!! If you are not in Christ, you have not defense.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

WHAT DOES A CONSERVATIVE LOOK LIKE?

"Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21).

There are 3 characteristics of a conservative. Actually, conservatives are very thoughtful and loving people. Sometimes, in working with addicts and the undisciplined, love has to be tough. Tough love, compassion, validates the worth of a person, but pity invalidates a person's worth by implying that a person is incapable of helping themselves. Only the government can help is the implication. The love of the conservative is compassionate, it is not pity.

1. The first characteristic of a conservative is traditional values--Judaeo-Christian values upon which our country was founded. As people of faith, the values gained from a rational study of the Bible form our world view.

2. Limited government is the 2nd characteristic belief of the conservative. Government is a necessary evil. It is power. I have a Romanian friend that lived under communism. She told me the police could enter any one's home at anytime for any cause--what a terrifying way to live! The global-warming people want to save the planet by limiting meat consumption to 4 three ounce servings per week per person. How will they enforce that? The food police in your home at any time? Humm. Over 40 years ago, senator Fulbright from Arkansas said that the Constitution was outmoded. Politicians love power and they would like nothing better than to get rid of it. They have found a way, in the last 40 years to invalidate the Constitution--by packing the court with liberal judges who then legislate from the bench. The intention of the Constitution was to harness the power of government for the welfare of the people and for their protection. When the people of the United States have to fear the government then it is the government that has to be reigned in.

3. Market economy. Much has been said about the lack of regulation being the cause of the current financial crisis. Granted, there has to be regulation because corruption, sin, is to be found in the free market just as corruption is found in government. The government overseers, in this case, congressman and senators, were just as corrupt as the over-paid CEO's! Our problems did not result from a free market but from corrupt regulators! It is amazing to me that the free people of the United States want to turn over the health-care system to the same bunch who gave us the financial crisis! There will always be scarcity and hardship when government manages an economy. In the UK there are long waiting lists for people who need specialized treatment;it is not uncommon for one to die waiting for treatment. Now the government there says they have a right not to treat those who do not exercise or eat a healthy diet. That is also why medical tourism is the fastest growing kind of tourism. One will have to go to a third-world country for treatment!

Traditional values, limited government and market economy--do you believe in those? If you do, vote for someone who supports these values. When most people find out what conservatism actually is, they have found themselves to be more conservative than they thought they were.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

IDENTITY MATTERS TO THE ADDICT

". . . I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:23-25a).

If you have read the gospels at all, one of the obvious points that has to prick your heart is what a great love Jesus had for sinners and those in difficult circumstances. You also had to notice what disdain he had for the self-righteous and those more interested in preserving religious tradition than in being compassionate to those in desperate conditions, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in" (Matthew 23:13).

Those of us in Christian leadership in the Lord's Church should tremble at these words! Are we more interested in what people can do for our church rather than what our church can do for people?

I'm saying all this because there are a huge number of people out in the general population that are struggling with addictions. Jesus loves them! We need to love them too, in a healthy way like Jesus did. The first step in dealing with an addict is to bring him to Jesus Christ. Admittedly, a person can fake this step and it will be worthless to them. However, one of the reasons this is necessary is that it provides another identity to the addict. He is no longer an addict. He is a Christian struggling with an addiction. The change in identity makes a difference! One of the characteristics of an addict is one of shame--"I'm no good!" or "What a wretched man I am!". The message of the cross is that God loves you now matter what addiction you have--He wants you to be one of His own!

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

"SILVER BULLETS" ENDORSES JOHN McCAIN

"For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same" (Romans 13:3).

COMMENT: Our forefathers recognized that when a person has to fear for doing good then the governing authorities have lost their legitimacy.

Silver Bullets is proud to give Senator John McCain its endorsement for President of the United States. In the military, John McCain served our country with heroism, dignity and principal.
In the political arena he has indeed been a maverick, bucking his own party. There has been much in his political past that I have strongly disagreed with him, yet he is a known quantity and he is cooperative. His is an experienced leader who is trust-worthy.

The same cannot be said for Barack Obama. We really know very little about him. We know more about Sarah Palin and Joe the plumber than we know about Obama. Obama releases none of his records. We do not even know that he is truly a citizen of the United States. We do know that a significant number of his friends hate America. Even though Obama has said nothing in his debates that is scary, what are we supposed to conclude? All we have is rhetoric. I know enough psychology to know that rhetoric is not a sufficient foundation for a relationship--it is not what you say, it is what you actually do that matters. About that we know very little. Obama really could be the "Manchurian Candidate!"

If someone comes to apply for a job, but is not willing to fill in all the information, would you hire him? I wouldn't! It is that simple.

One last difference between the two that is a core issue with me, and it is big enough in itself to determine my vote; McCain is pro-life and Obama is pro-abortion even through late-term, partial-birth abortion. This is not just a political issue, this is a moral issue and how one stands on this issue is a pretty good indicator of what one thinks of people in general; whether they are a blessing or a burden.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION 2

"You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered" (I Peter 3:7)

"and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ" (Ephesians 5:21).

"Wives be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:22).

I doubt that submission would be such an emotional issue in the Christian home if Christian husbands were perfect, but, sadly, they are not. Generally, they are no better than the women they are married to, and no worse either. The honored place they have in the home, and in the church is by Divine direction, not because of innate superiority! The only reason that a woman would be regarded as being weaker is because she does not have the privilege that God has given to men. If this seems to be arbitrary and not fair, talk to God about it.

Because of the privilege God has given to men, they have a greater responsibility to honor their wives. How are wives to be honored? Several answers can be given, but I just want to mention understanding. One of the most important gifts that we can give to any one, and especially our wives, is that of truly listening with the intent of understanding her. She is not to be dismissed as an "air head," but is to be understood, validated and, of course, loved. The thoughts of a woman are not less valid, nor are the thoughts of a man more valid; validity does not depend on gender, rather, it depends on truth.

In the Christian church, submission is to be mutual with the members of the body submitting to each other in the love of Christ; we wouldn't expect it to be any less so in the Christian home. However, when the time comes to act, then the husband has to carry the load, acting in what he believes to be in the best interest of Christ, his wife and his children.

In the church, I believe that women can serve in any position that a man serves, with one exception, not in the position of elder-pastor-bishop. Again, this is by Divine direction. These are interchangeable terms in the New Testament for the same service. A woman can be an evangelist if she is under the supervision of the elder-pastor-bishops.

To a mother, the protection of her children is of paramount importance. During times of personal abuse or the abuse of children then all the talk of submission is over. Personal safety and the safety of the children comes first. In the cases of abuse, prolonged infidelity or addictions, the vows have been violated. Submitting , in these situations, would increase the danger and it does not honor God to stay in those situations!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION

". . . yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you" (Genesis 3:16 b). Dr. Hagan, my Old Testament professor in seminary, indicated this verse as the beginning of the battle of the sexes. The same word, translated "desire," is used in Genesis 4:7 indicating a consuming desire. The use in 3:16 indicates that the woman wants what the husband has, leadership.

"For it was Adam who was first created and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" (I Timothy 2:13,14).

The consequences of the sin in Eden are severe, and, to us, they do not seem to be fair. Physical death is one that falls upon us all. The order of leadership in the home and the church is another. Why is it that God wants men to be leaders? Is it because they are smarter and more capable? No. Men and women do tend to see the world differently, but that is for complimenting each other; it does not mean that one is innately superior to the other. The apostle Paul says that men should be leaders for two reasons: 1. The order of creation; 2. Because it was Eve who was deceived; in-other-words, because of the fall. These are theological reasons, and therefore, the order of leadership is a matter of faith. Women of faith take this matter seriously while women of the world do not; it just seems to be a natural dynamic for women to desire everything that a man has.

Tomorrow, I will write about how submission works in the Christian home.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PROPHECY OF THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

The top picture is of an olive tree in Gethsemane that could be old enough to have witnessed Jesus' final surrender to the will of the Father. If it could talk, what a story it could tell!

The second picture is on the via dolorosa, the way of sorrows. It is not a great picture, but it shows what it must have been like for our Lord Jesus, carying His cross through the narrow, crowded street. How difficult it would have been for Him, but how easy to be spit upon and cursed.

The third picture is the non-traditional site of the crucifixion of Christ. Visually, it appears to be a more accurate site than the traditional site of the cross below. The Roman's practice was to crucify people in well-traveled places so that the local population would be intimidated. Both pictures meet the requirements of a probable location of the Crucifixion of Jesus. The second picture is of the courtyard outside the church of the holy sepulchre; it has tradition on its side, but the first picture looks more authentic.

"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10).

There are several Scripture texts I could have used to show that the passion of the Christ was prophesied hundreds of years before the Christ child was born, but I chose this one because it is not so well-known. In John 19:37, John cites this text as being fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. One of the reasons I chose this prophecy of the Messiah is because the text makes it clear that the author of the text (God) is the one hanging on the cross and the one who is pierced. The text is about God in the flesh, loving us so much as to die for our sins! What a gracious God we serve!

Grace&Peace,

Tom

GOT IMMORTALITY?

". . . our Savior Jesus Christ, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (II Timothy 1:10).

"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon" (From a compilation of sayings collected by Dan Leininger).

Obviously, if eternal life is simply life without end, heaven isn't such a great place to anticipate. Eternal life is the life of the Eternal One--the only One who is truly immortal. Heaven will be an eternal life of love, creativity, peace, perfect fellowship, gratitude and rejoicing. While on this earth, eternal life--immortality, is also manifested by faith and hope. When it seems as if life is impossible, the one with immortality clings to the only hope there is--Jesus Christ. Now that is truly audacious!

Through these difficult times, keep your hope in Christ for He is the only real hope there is! I want to see you in Heaven!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LOVE IS . . .

"Love is . . . kind . . ." (I Corinthians 13:4).

"Kind looks, kind words, kind acts, and warm handshakes--these are secondary means of grace when men are in trouble and are fighting their unseen battles." --John Hall

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHAT IS YOUR TREASURE?

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:34).

Being raised in a church-going family, I have heard many sermons, over the course of my life, about money and giving. Inevitably, the sermon always gets around to this verse, the interpretation of which goes like this: "If you give your money to the church then your heart will follow it. Your heart will be in heaven because you gave your money, which is your treasure, and where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I have always believed that this to be, at the very least, isogesis, if not an outright, "flat-out" corruption of what the text means.

It is always good to have confirmation from a scholar. As I was reading this morning from Mark Moore's Encounters With Christ, his final statement about this text was this, "If Jesus is not our only treasure, then our inheritance is in jeopardy."

Grace&Peace,
Tom

DO ATHEISTS PRAY?

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . .'" (Genesis 1:26).

There was a bold headline in the October 4th Sioux City Journal that said, "Praying to whom? Study shows majority of American 'atheists' pray." The article that followed cited studies by Baylor University and by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. These studies revealed that the majority of atheists in America are inclined to pray, and one third of them pray often.

Whatever one thinks of the validity of these studies, I do know that when life comes crashing down on atheists, they are willing to pray. I had an interesting marital counseling situation in which one of the spouses was a Christian and the other an atheist. During A counseling session it is always my policy to ask permission to pray together. When I asked permission for prayer with this couple, I expected a rejection. To my surprise, the permission was granted whole-heartedly. When life seems to be coming apart, even an atheist is willing to reach out to God.

Augustine said that 'God has made us for Himself and our souls cannot rest until they rest in Him.' I think these studies and my experience support the validity of Augustine's observation.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called . . . For he looked forward to a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:8a & 10).

This is not an exact quote, but I heard it from the pulpit of First Christian Church in Lawrence, Kansas, as Helen and I worshipped there yesterday, 'When our memories of past accomplishments are larger than our dreams and plans for the future, we have begun to die.'

Grace&Peace,
Tom

MARRIAGE THOUGHTS

"Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

I am officiating a wedding this weekend. Some thoughts have been rolling around in my head about what needs to be said:

1. Leaving home is required of both husband and wife. This means a change in relationship to parents. Now the relationship to parents has to be subordinate to the marriage relationship. In many cases the bonds to parents are still very strong, but they cannot be allowed to undermine the marriage relationship. Make sure you have truly left home! "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought like a child and I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways" (I Corinthians 13:11).

2. Marriage is a Divine institution. Thus, it is a matter of faith, and is a statement of our faith in God. Being a Divine institution, marriage is what God says it is, not what any executive, legislator or court says it is. By the power invested in me by God and recognized by the state, I pronounce you husband and wife.

3. The seeds of destruction are found in every relationship. Even if a couple has all of Neil Clark Warren's 29 dimensions of compatibility there is not a guarantee of a successful marriage. Those seeds of destruction must be weeded out when they begin to sprout and grow. How can these weeds be recognized? By understanding what love is and what love isn't: "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in the wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. . ." (I Corinthians 13:4-8a). Weed out the things that are not consistent with love!

These thoughts are not posted in the order what the ceremony will be, but I believe them important enough to be included in the ceremony

Grace&Peace,
Tom

MAKING PLANS?

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

"Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that'" (James 4:15).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHATS WITH AMERICAN JEWS?

My two favorite female politicians: Tzipi Livni, soon to be Israeli PM, and Sarah Palin, soon to be United States VP.

"How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!" (Psalm 137:4-6).

The perky Katie Couric, CBS News anchorette, asked Sarah Palin again about not second-guessing Israel if Israel chooses to attack Iran. Sarah answered, but she could have done better. This would have been my answer:

"Israel is a country 50 miles wide and 300 miles long. Sixty percent of it is desert. Out of this they also want to carve out a home land for the Palestinian people. There are enemies on every side. The leader of Iran sees this time as the Apocalypse. Mutual Assured Destruction means nothing to him. Death in Holy War means going to heaven. Israel is too small to make a mistake because a mistake would mean its destruction! That is why we cannot second guess their efforts to secure their nation! "

It is interesting that the American Jewish Committee polled the Jews of America and found that only 3% of them were concerned about Israel--they were more concerned about the economy and health care (Jerusalem Post).

Grace&Peace,

Tom

THE BLESSING OF SELF-SACRIFICE

"...How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" (Romans 10:15).

My home church has a program for kids each Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 8. We start with play time for an hour. Then we have supper at 6:30. Then from 7 to 8 we have class time. Many of the children do not have good home structure, so we spend a considerable amount of time teaching them life skills. Our aim is also to teach them the Bible, the basis for faith and life skills.

I am so proud of our church people! Last night we had 75 kids, ages 3 through high school. We have 19 adults who volunteer their time, money and their willingness to deal with the stress of loving and teaching these kids. Of course, all of our helpers and teachers are blessed immeasurably--the hugs from the kids and the satisfaction of seeing changed-lives are such a treasure! If you are not involved in helping another, start now. You will be truly blessed!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THANK YOU, LORD, FOR MY FRIENDS

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

"Thank You, Lord, for those who befriend me, who give me gentle nudges, engaging eyes, listening ears, and warm hands. Who remind me that at the fiber of Your Essence, You are revealed as a God of gentle nudges, engaging eyes, listening ears, and warm hands. Amen (A prayer by Virgil M. Fry).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

FRIENDSHIP

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship, it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him" (Ralph Waldo Emerson/ Virgil M. Fry).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LOVE IS . . .

Love is holding on, and love is letting go.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

A THOUGHT ABOUT TRANSFORMATION

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed" (Carl Jung).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

SUFFERING NATURAL CONSEQUENCES IS IMPORTANT

"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools" (Herbert Spencer/Walter Williams).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

HELP! I'M LOSING MY FAITH

"I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).


I am beginning a sermon series called, "Answers to Tough Questions." I have invited the members of my congregation to submit questions about matters of faith, life, discipleship, theology, ethics, love, marriage, family and college football--just kidding. I do not want to leave honest questions unanswered, from a biblical perspective.


First question: "How to answer some one when they tell you they are loosing their faith?"

These thoughts are just coming out of my mind as I begin to tackle this question. Serious structure will come later.

1. No one has perfect faith and it is natural for doubts to creep into the minds of even the most devout saints from time to time. This is true when life is going well.

2. When some one confesses that they are losing their faith, it could be that there is a lot more going on than just the confession. The loss of faith could well be a symptom of a past trauma, a heavy stress load, unresolved grief and anger. For the last 50 years of her life, Mother Teresa felt spiritually abandoned and cut off from God. She felt no Presence. She felt alone. That seems to be the common experience of those who work in difficult and traumatic situations. The Lord Jesus Christ himself cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The Psalmist questioned with tears, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" Within the pages of scripture these honest expressions of human emotional questioning are allowed. God understands! This honest portrayal of emotion, questioning and doubt by the most devout in the Bible is one of the reasons I believe that it is the Word of God. This questioning of faith is a common human experience. It is also why Christians need each other for prayer and support. In some situations there are no words that can be shared that will solve the problem, only Christian love that is shown will make the difference--that is why Christian fellowship is a necessity! **

3. Many are unbelievers because to be a believer means that they would have to change and they refuse to do that; "Israel has a chance to live, but is too foolish to take it--like a child about to be born, who refuses to come out of the womb" (Hosea 13:13 TEV). For this kind of person, a reasonable teaching of the truth of the Bible is what is required. "Faith comes by hearing, and what is heard by the preaching of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

Knowing the situation of the person who confesses they are losing their faith is the first step in answering him. In any case, he is a person who must be loved and prayed for.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

**I think it is important to add John 6:29 to this discussion: "Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'" We often under estimate how hard this work of belief is. If you read the context of this verse you will see that many who had followed Jesus because He could give them free food were now leaving Him. Doing God's work means believing in Jesus through extremely difficult times--times when believing doesn't seem to make sense.

ONE LIKE MOSES

The top picture was taken from a boat on Galilee. It was here that Jesus calmed the storm (See Mark 4:35-41).

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The middle picture is of a Byzantine era mosaic in a church built on the traditional site of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes, at Tabgah, where Jesus fed the five thousand (See John chapter 6).

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The bottom picture is of a stone jar like those used by Jesus in his first miracle, the turning of water into wine (See John 2:1-12). This picture was taken in a chapel in the town of Cana. The married couples in our group renewed their marriage vows there--there were no first-timers.

*

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from you countrymen, you shall listen to him" (Deuteronomy 18:15).

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"Moses said, ' The Lord you God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you'" (Acts 3:22).

*

Fourteen hundred years before Christ, Moses prophesied that God would raise up a prophet like himself. In the apostle Peter's second sermon, he says that Jesus Christ is the one like Moses. Being like Moses was one of the necessary qualifications of the Messiah that people were looking for (John 1:45). There are about many similarities between Jesus and Moses; I will list only a few.

1. They were both born under difficult circumstances in which their lives were in danger.

2. They both came out of Egypt.

3. They both enjoyed intimate communication with God (Deuteronomy 34:10 & John 1:18).

4. Moses was the mediator between God and His people. Jesus is the great mediator between God and His own (Hebrews 4:14-16).

5. Moses delivered Israel from slavery. Jesus is the great deliverer from sin.

6. Both Moses and Jesus were miracle workers to credential their authority. Moses parted the waters of the Red Sea; Jesus calmed the storms on Galilee. Moses brought manna from heaven; Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fishes to feed the multitudes. Moses turned the waters of Egypt to blood; Jesus turned the water to wine at a wedding feast in Cana. Truly, Jesus Christ is the only one who fulfills the prophecy of Moses. So, as Moses said, we must listen to Jesus!

*

Grace&Peace,

Tom

LOVE INVENTORY, part 2

A self-assessment guide for meditating on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. . ."

1. I kick and slam doors when I am angry.
2. I give the "silent-treatment" to those with whom I am angry for more than 6 hours.
3. There are some people who have hurt me too much to forgive.
4. I feel a twinge of delight and some self-satisfaction when I hear of the failures and difficulties of others.
5. I treat others according to how I feel at the moment.
6. Our country is "going to hell in a hand basket." There is nothing I can do.
7. I am more courteous to strangers than I am to my own family.
8. I have a pleasure, habit, hobby or addiction that I pay for at the expense of others.
9. I avoid cooperation because I do not want others to benefit.
10. I believe others succeed because they have special privileges and benefits.
11. I look for ways in which I can help others.
12. I have sufficient income to help meet the needs of those who depend on me.
13. I am honest even if it hurts another.
14. I am a good listener.
15. I am always trying to become a better person.
16. I am a persistent person in spite of great obstacles.
17. I am an encourager.
18. I criticize because it makes others better.
19. I must protect those whom I love from the natural consequences of their actions.
20. I am a suspicious person.

In light of 1 Corinthians 13, how would you respond to each of these statements? Are there any changes you need to make?

Grace&Peace,

Tom

THE LOVE INVENTORY

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. . ." (I Corinthians 13:4-8a).

In the assessment and diagnostic phase of a counseling relationship, the counselor has to arrive at an accurate understanding of the client. Different kinds of assessment tools are used to accomplish this. One of them is the "Love Inventory" that comes directly from the Bible; fifteen different love indicators are listed in this inventory by which the presence or absence of love can be recognized.

1. Patience with people. It is important to be patient with circumstances, but even more so with people. According to Barclay, the word that is translated "patient" here always has to do with patience with people in the New Testament.
2. Kindness. It is slow to anger, rather it returns a kind spirit.
3. No envy or jealousy. One who loves is not made unhappy by the good fortune of another.
4. Does not brag, not boasting of superiority over another.
5. Love is not proud or arrogant so that humble service is beneath his dignity. One who loves is always willing to serve.
6. Love is not rude, says the New International version. Love is always courteous and charismatic.
7. Love is not self-seeking or selfish, insisting on his own rights and privileges. Thus, love recognizes his responsibilities and is willing to sacrifice for others.
8. Love does not fly into a rage! Lovers work on anger management.
9. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Relationships cannot heal if the past cannot be put away.*
10. Love does not delight in the failure of anyone, but it does rejoice in the truth of Love's triumphs.
11. Love is not overcome, bearing up through any situation, protecting those in need.
12. Love is not suspicious. It brings out the best in people when they are trusted.*
13. Love never loses hope. People who love are people with positive attitudes even in the face of overwhelming odds against them.
14. Love always perseveres, patiently enduring very difficult times.
15. Love never fails, that means that it is eternal--it doesn't come and go.

It is humbling for me to take the Bible's love inventory and become aware of how much growing I have yet to do in love. I hope it helped you too!

Grace&Peace,

Tom

*By necessity, empathy and compassion fit in here. Empathy risks coming into understanding distance to show compassion. It is necessary that a person be understood so that they can be helped in the way that is best for everyone. It is completely irresponsible to take the word of an addict or criminal at face value--it will not help him or those close to him. Empathy involves having a true understanding so that the best possible solution can be worked out.

ADDENDUM TO THE BLESSINGS OF WORK

I found this quote about work which I thought would be a good addendum to my post, "The Blessing of Work," "Work organizes life. It gives structure and discipline to life" (President Bill Clinton). I do think President Clinton was right. If we have no work, we have no deadlines; we have no responsibilities. As a result, we end up wasting our lives away, accomplishing little. So, if you are dissatisfied with your accomplishments, maybe it is because you do not have enough work to do.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

BREAKING NEWS

John McCain hit a home run today with his choice of Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as his choice for his vice-president running mate. Not only is she a "babe," making the Republican ticket the best-looking one by far, but she is decisive and sure of her values. She is pro-life! She will certainly make this campaign a lot more fun and interesting.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE BLESSING OF WORK

". . .cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. . .In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread" (Genesis 3:17&19).

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest labor with his hands, so that he may have something to give to those in need" (Ephesians 4:28).

"For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: 'If any one will not work, let him not eat'" (2 Thessalonians 3:10).


"They all worked until they died. That after all is the final test of the degree of interest in one's work. Professor Hans Virchow once said to me while I was laboring with an exasperating lymph-vessal injection: 'He who has never shed tears over his work does not know what it is to try'" (Dr. Arthur E. Hertzler speaking of his professors in medical school in Berlin, Germany. Hertzler practiced medicine on the Kansas frontier in the 19th and early 20th centuries.).

"A friend once found De Condoyle the great anthropologist hard at work late at night. This friend remarked that he must love his science to be working so late--the professor was then eighty years of age. 'No,' replied the old scientist; 'it is not love of science that drives me. It is to drown my grief'"(Dr. Arthur E. Hetzler).


The necessity of work is reality. The nobility of work is determined by the attitude that is brought to it. Indeed, many work harder at avoiding work than actually doing the tasks that are required of them to do because the tasks are unpleasant and disagreeable to them. I have seen active people busily avoiding the real work that needed to be done. It should be noted that work did not become toilsome and tedious until sin entered the world. It is our sinful attitudes that contribute the most to making our work seem unpleasant. Certainly, painful physical conditions play their part in all this, but they can be battled through if one views her work as a high-calling.
And, even very lowly work is a high-calling if it is done for the Lord. There is no honest work that is demeaning!

Every human being has three needs which must be met or he or she will have problems. These needs are: to love, to be loved and to do something worthwhile. That there is a considerable amount of over-lap between loving and doing something worthwhile is admitted, but try living life without doing something worthwhile and you set yourself up for a major loss of self-esteem and the addition of some diagnosable mental health disorder. People feel better about themselves if they do honest labor; they are not only blessing themselves, but those around them too.

One of the blessings of work is that it is a distraction from heart-ache and grief. Grief never goes away until we make it to heaven and Jesus wipes every tear from our eyes. But, four things help us to bear our grief on this earth: our Faith, the fellowship of our friends and family, our tears and our work. Sweating-hard work offers a respite from the gnawing pain of grief and loss. Too much time alone in introspection increases the pain, making it much harder to bear.

So, thank God that you have work to do and get to it!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE

*

The top picture is of the cliff that the people of Nazareth attempted to throw Jesus over when he said things that angered them. The bottom picture is one that was taken in old Nazareth. The present Nazareth is a city of about 65,000 people. In first century it was too insignificant to make Josephus' list of Galilean towns.

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"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him" (Isaiah 11:1-2a).

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"Therefore he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, 'He will be called a Nazarene" (Matthew 2:23).

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"'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor'. . . Then he began to say to them, 'Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'" (Luke 4:18,19&21).

*

Matthew has been ridiculed because there is no mention of Nazareth in the Old Testament. So, how could Jesus fulfill a prophecy that was never prophesied? The name Nazareth is derived from the Hebrew root netser which means shoot. An insignificant shoot that grows out of dry ground, out of an old dead stump. The history of the town of Nazareth was like that. Archaeologists have found continuous occupation there from 900 to 600 BCE, then a break of about 300 years, and then reoccupation beginning about 300 BCE. The line of the "Davidic" kings was like that too. It seemed that the linage of the Davidic kings ended in the Babylonian captivity; it was an old dead stump! But out of "old-dead stumps" shoots can grow and Jesus was that shoot and to make sure the name was identified with him, he was raised in "Shootsville," Nazareth. Nazareth was so insignificant that is was said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" The inscription placed above Jesus' head on the cross read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (John 19:19). Jesus was an unlikely king, arising from a dead stump, and out of an unlikely town. The term "Nazarene" was a term of ridicule and was applied to all who gave allegiance to the "shoot."

*

It seems to be a theological truth that God specializes in using impossible situations and the most unlikely people to bring about His purposes. That means there is hope for you and me! We are "Nazarenes!"

*

Grace&Peace,

Tom

THE LIES WE BELIEVE ABOUT MARRIAGE

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

In honor of 38 years of marriage to my wife, the lovely and gracious Helen, I am writing about the lies we believe about marriage.* In our humanity, we have all believed at least one, if not all, of them.

1. The purpose of marriage is our personal happiness. In our culture, personal happiness trumps everything else on the list for determining worth; "If it doesn't make me happy, it isn't worth it." But the purpose of marriage is not for our personal happiness, it is for oneness. Oneness is getting past your own egotism. Marriage is the opposite of self-centered conceit, you can't even have a true friendship without getting past your narcissism, rather, it is giving up of your self to the other. Thus, there are sacrifices, disappointments and heartaches that are inevitably involved with oneness; without them oneness cannot be achieved. The great reward for oneness is to be able to look back on many years of life working and playing with an unfailing friend and finding joy in a life shared together. The memories of conquering difficulties, finding forgiveness in failures, investing in children and keeping the Faith all bring a abiding sense of joy and gratitude.

2. Love is what holds a marriage together. One of the questions I ask a couple when they first come for premarital counseling, "Why do you want to get married?" Almost always, they will answer, "Because we love each other." Well, as doctor Laura often says, "Love isn't enough." The truth is that love will wax and wane in a marriage. At times it will seem as if it is absent altogether. If a couple vows to stay together as long as love shall last, they really have vowed nothing; marriage has become as disposable as paper plates used at the reception. Actually, romantic love is an emotion and is tied to how we are thinking of the marriage. What we are thinking about the marriage frequently changes.

Marriage is a faith commitment, a commitment made before God. Marriage is not just a commitment made to each other, it is one made to God, who is the author of marriage. It is a relationship in which the most mature kind of love can grow, "Love is patient, love is kind . . ." (I Corinthians 13:4).

3. The goal of marriage is fulfillment of the individual. How could single people ever find fulfillment if marriage is the necessary way to find it? There are singles out there who have fulfilling lives; I know several. Rather, the successful marriage requires an abandonment so complete that we give up ourselves to the other. That is what is involved in making a covenant with another. It isn't merely a contract between equals, but a treaty of surrender of two sovereigns to each other.

At one time or another, I believed every one of those lies and our marriage suffered for it. I'm glad that God gave me an understanding and forgiving wife!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*These thoughts are adapted from an article in "Christian Counseling Today" by James Mcmahon and Michael Mcmanus.

CITY OF DAVID

"It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful . . ." (2 Samuel 11:2).

I took this picture while standing on what would have been the roof of David's residence at the time of this incident in the text, looking toward the likely location of Bathsheba's place of bathing. My opinion is that Bathsheba knew what she was doing; I do not view her as the innocent victim in this. Both David and Bathsheba sinned, but David was the king; he had to take responsibility for his failure.

My purpose for this post is to share a link to a website that my friend from Israel sent to me. It is simply fantastic! It is the closest thing to being in the City of David, in Jerusalem, with out actually being there. Here it is, http://www.cityofdavid.org.il/ It is the best presentation of old Jerusalem on a website that I have seen. If you are interested in archeology and history you will certainly enjoy this site!

Grace&Peace,

Tom

JESUS' BAPTISM IN THE PROPHETS?

". . . He said to me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You'" (Psalms 2:7).

"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering . . ." (Daniel 9:27).

The pictures are of the area in the Jordan River, immediately south of Galilee, where baptisms can be done. It was cold the day my group was there. Consequently, we didn't get one of the older women completely immersed because she began to hyperventilate. We didn't want her to have a heart attack. In the picture, one of the younger women was completely immersed.

The other picture is from the same area, but of the scriptures that are posted there in different languages. This one is in Pidgin--it made me laugh.

None of the prophets specifically speaks of Jesus' baptism, however, Jesus' baptism marks the public statement from God himself that Jesus is His beloved son (Matthew 3:17). And,

many Bible scholars understand the beginning of the 70th week in Daniel 9:27 to be Jesus' baptism. The middle of the week to be his death burial and resurrection and the end of the week to be the stoning of Stephan, which occurred three and a half years later. Some scholars put the destruction of the temple, which would occur some 36 years later, as the end of the 70th week.

There is no doubt that his baptism did mark the beginning of Jesus' three and a half year ministry and it was the point in time when God announces publicly that Jesus is His Son.

One of the things we know for sure about Daniel's prophecy is that we are in the last days!

Grace&Peace,

Tom

MY TWO UNCLES: THE MALE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK

"Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated"* (Deuteronomy 34:7).

Women know that they have a biological clock. By the time they are in their 30's the bio ticking gets louder and louder. There is a lot of psychology connected with the feminine biological clock.

But, is there a male biological clock? Yes, but what guy is checking the time? Guys assume that they will always make sperm so, what is the hurry? What is important for guys to know is that, from a fertility and health perspective, having children is for the young. The biological material is just better. After 35 deterioration is beginning to set in. Men 40 and over are nearly 6 times more likely to have offspring with autism than men younger than 30.** By age 60, 85% of sperm is clinically abnormal. Increased age in the father increases the risk of schizophrenia in the children.

I have 2 uncles in my family history, one on my dad's side and one on my mother's side. Both of these uncles did not marry until they were 40 years old. One uncle fathered 4 children who grew up to be responsible, well-functioning adults. The other uncle fathered 3 children, 2 of them grew up to be good citizens, Christians and parents. The oldest child of the second uncle developed normally. He was a good student and was dedicated as a Christian too. During his college years he developed schizophrenia. This mental illness led to his tragic death and was the cause of a great deal of anguish for the family too.

Would this have happened had my second uncle fathered children earlier in life? We cannot know for sure, but if there is a question about the timing of having children, put the odds in your favor and do it sooner rather than later.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*James Michener said in "The Source" that the verse meant that Moses was good in bed at 120 years old. I doubt that he took any supplements either, but then all his food was organic.

**Statistics came from an article in "Psychology Today" called "A Man's Shelf Life," by Mark Teich. I had read similar statistics in other publications on this subject so it seemed like they were credible.

BETHLEHEM IN PROPHECY

"Now you are walled around with a wall . . ." (Micah 5:1). Part of the security wall that Israel has erected near Bethlehem to discourage terrorism. That the wall has created economic hardship for Palestinians is true. However, Israel did not put up the wall to hurt Palestinians, but for self defense. If the Palestinian culture cannot produce enough positive peer pressure to stop the terrorism, then the wall has to exist.

"But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days" (Micah 5:2). This scripture is quoted again in Matthew chapter 2 when the wisemen from the east who had followed the star inquired of Herod where the King of the Jews had been born.

"But some asked, 'Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said the the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?'" (John 7:41-42).

One of the great evidences for the inspiration and credibility of scripture is fulfilled prophecy. Micah prophesied of the birth place of the Messiah about 700 years before Christ. The Messiah was expected. Serious students of scripture knew where he would be born; they could not, however, accept the humbleness of his birth and life. The main door to the Church of the Nativity is so short that even a short person has to bend over to get in. That is why it is called the "Door of Humility."(The Church of the Nativity is the traditional site of the birth of Jesus Christ.) The humbleness of the birth, the life and the death of Jesus was not what a Messiah should be, from the Jewish perspective, and that is why he was rejected by the Jews of his day.

Jesus was rejected as Messiah because he did not fit the preconceived notions of what a Messiah should be. Our prayer should always be, "Father God, help us to see Jesus as he is, not as we want him to be."

Grace&Peace,

Tom

WORD PICTURES OF TRUST

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).

"One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time" (Andre Gide).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE TIME IS FULFILLED

Ruins at Qumran and some of the cliffs where caves were found that contained the Dead Sea Scrolls.

"Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for you people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy" (Daniel 9:24).

The Essenes lived at Qumran from, roughly, 200 B.C. until after the time of Christ. The Essenes were a strict, conservative sect of the Jews who understood one of their purposes was the preservation of Scripture and some other ancient writings. That is how the Dead-Sea Scrolls came into being. Scriptures were copied and then sealed in clay jars and hidden in caves. It is because of their work that the integrity of Old Testament Scripture has been immensely strengthened. The Dead-Sea Scrolls contain fragments of every Old Testament book but Esther. The most popular Old Testament book for the Essenes was the book of Daniel. More fragments of it were found than any other. It is because of the Dead-Sea Scrolls that we know that Daniel was written when the author said it was, early, and not when the liberals said it was, late.

Because of the work of the Essenes, we know that the reason for the huge amount of Messianic expectation during the time of Christ was not the result of the occupation of the Holy Land by Roman forces, but the result of many Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, particularly those of the prophet Daniel. Daniel's "70 Weeks" prophecy was datable. The scholars of 2,000 years ago could count. They knew that their time fell within the time frame of Daniel's prophecy. They knew their time was the time to expect the Messiah. It is for this reason that there were quite a few people like Simeon and Anna who waited in the Temple night and day worshipping and watching for the Lord's Messiah (Luke 2:25-38). And, it was for this same reason that our Lord Jesus came saying, "The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:14-15).

God has not been so definite about the timing of the second coming of the Messiah as He was about the timing of the first coming. At any moment we could be called to stand before the Lord. Are you ready?

Grace&Peace,

Tom

p.s. I do believe that there are some very general signs of the Lord Jesus' second coming. I will talk about them, the Lord willing, in the future.