A GOOD FAMILY IS A GREAT GIFT!

"Men, what must I do to be saved?"  And they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:30-31).

The last of our "kids" left this morning, leaving the lovely and gracious Helen and me alone in a quiet house.  In a way it is a relief because we have time to relax a bit.  But, it is also a little lonely because we, the thirteen of us, were altogether in this little house over the Christmas holidays; it was a great time! 

A couple of days ago I was in the bank, doing some end-of-the-year financing and my banker asked me if I had gotten everything I wanted for Christmas.  I replied, "Yes I did!  All of my children and grandchildren were home at the same time and they all like each other!"  So many families are troubled by jealousy, anger and conflict that they aren't even able to spend a short time together without fighting.  Helen and I are so blessed to have a good family!

There are no guarantees that children will turn out well and that they will make a good choice of mates, but, do not make the mistake of thinking that having a great family is just a matter of luck.  If mom's and dad's have faith in God's word and make a genuine effort to live their lives consistent with the teachings of the Bible, then most of the time children will follow in the footsteps of their parents.  Sometimes children will turn out better than their parents deserve.  Perhaps that is the case with my own children because there have been times when I was not the best example, so I am always thankful for how well my "household" is doing!

I do need to add that parents who say they believe the teachings of God's word, but live their lives in a different fashion generally produce a family that does what the parents do, not what they say.  Our true faith is always lived out in what we do.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

WOULD JESUS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?

And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

Jesus said this to the Pharisees, "Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,'" (Matthew 9:13).

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved (John 3:17).

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity.  If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well (Acts 15:28-29).

There are many more scriptures that could be cited which point out the most important elements of a Christian's relationship with God.  I do not believe that God is a legalist who takes delight in finding you guilty of some transgression of the law--that is what Satan does!  Satan is the accuser who wants to take as many to hell with him as he can.

It is highly unlikely, though not absolutely impossible, that Jesus was born on December 25th.  I think the traditional explanations for this date are probably correct.  The pagan celebration of the winter solstice, Saturnalia, was on this date so the early church leadership decided to celebrate Christ's birth on the same date* as an attempt to remind recent pagan converts that Christ's coming into the world was the real triumph of light over darkness. 

The celebration of Christ's birth was never commanded, but does that mean that it is wrong to observe it?  From John 10:22-23 we have pretty good evidence to show that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday of which there was no command from God to celebrate. Hanukkah was a holiday dedicated to the remembrance of God's supernatural provision of light for the Jewish people.  How much more so is Christmas a remembrance of God's supernatural provision of light for all mankind, "The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world" (John 1:9)?

Yes, there is some pagan residue that has been brought into the Christian celebration of Christmas, but from my understanding of the Scriptures, it is not so much as to be considered toxic.  I know that materialism is a problem, but Jesus did not condemn material extravagance completely.  Notice that in John 12:1-8 Mary, Martha's sister, anointed Jesus with perfume worth a year's wages.  Judas condemned the extravagance, saying the proceeds of the sale of the perfume could have been used to feed the poor.  But Jesus praised Mary for her thoughtfulness and generosity, saying she would always be remembered for it.

We will always have the Christmas holiday--it is a legal government approved holiday.  There is much about how Americans celebrate the holiday that is not good.  However, if Christians can use the holiday as an occasion to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and in deed, so be it.  I believe Jesus would approve of that.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

*Because of the difference between the Gregorian and the Julian calendars, the dates of Western, Orthodox and Armenian Christmases differ. When I was in the Holy Land, our tour guide told us that Armenian Christmas was celebrated on January 19th, the day I swam in the Dead Sea.  I believe he was mistaken on that since Armenian's celebrate Christmas on the 6th.  It appears that January 19th is the celebration of Jesus' baptism.

CHRISTMAS IS STILL ABOUT GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY!

And the angel said to them; "Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).

. . . and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

Some historians believe that Robert Green Ingersoll would have been president of the United States if it were not for his strong agnostic and atheistic views.  He was a strong orator and could present his views much more persuasively than either Lincoln or Douglas.  Ingersoll was raised in a devout Christian home, his father was a congregational minister, but with strong liberal and abolitionist views that kept him in trouble with his parishioners.  Ingersoll's father was eventually run out of the ministry because of his views, and, as a result, Ingersoll was embittered against Christianity.  In many cases it is true that the best argument against Christianity is the behavior of those who call themselves Christians.

In a short essay on Christmas, Ingersoll wrote: "Christianity did not come with tidings of great joy, but with a message of eternal grief.  It came with the threat of everlasting torture on its lips.  It meant war on earth and perdition here after."  One of the chief reasons atheists have a problem with God is the existence of hell.  They view hell as inconsistent with the existence of a loving God.  For me, the existence of hell is a necessary result of a loving God.  The shooting yesterday in Connecticut proves the necessity of perdition!  The existence of hell is not an effort to scare people into going straight, rather hell's existence is evidence of God's love and justice for those who are His own.

The good tidings of great joy heralded by the angels really were good tidings!  First, those good tidings mean that God keeps His promises.  The Old Testament reveals many, many prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  Second, those good tidings mean that there really is pardon for sin and a legitimate hope for eternal life--this life is not all there is.  A perfect life awaits us.

One of the sadist characteristics of agnostic/atheists is that they hopelessly grasp at straws.  Robert Owen, a well-known early 19th century agnostic converted to spiritualism in the vain hope of communicating with the dead.  Robert Ingersoll wrote these words in a eulogy of his brother Ebon, "Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities.  We strive in vain to look beyond the heights.  We cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry.  From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead there comes no word; but in the night of death hope sees a star and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing."

Good tidings of great joy represent not a vain hope, but a legitimate hope for life and eternity.  Merry Christmas!!!

Our Father's Love,
Tom

COMPUTING THE FUTURE

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven or the Son, but the Father only (Matthew 24:36).

What if we knew when the earth would run out of oil and natural gas?  What if we knew the day the dollar is going to crash?*  What if we knew the day when a super storm, like hurricane "Sandy" would strike?**  What if an act of war, like 9-11, was known before it happened?***  Would we be prepared?

The CIA is funding and helping to advance  technology that can accomplish the impossible, a reasonably accurate prediction of the future. By "reasonably accurate" I mean within a 90 percent probability.  From the limited reading I have done on the subject, it appears that this predictive technology is "super-computing" technology that draws conclusions from the mountains of information that are fed into it. Meteorological, political, social and demographic, economic, scientific, religious information, the amounts of which are almost beyond comprehension, are considered.  What would it do to the stock and commodity markets if it was known 2 to 3 days ahead of time what they were going to do?  I am sitting here wondering if the lottery could be predicted and what it would do to the lottery if it could?

A personal opinion of mine, it is nothing more than that, is that God will bring this world to an end when it has reached its logical conclusion.  When all possibilities have been considered and still there is entropy; sin, injustice, death, destruction.  Science, secularism and false religion will be leading humanity in circles, then Jesus will come.  Joy to the world!  Not only has the Lord come, He is coming again!  This Christmas season remember that God has purpose for His creation.  Jesus has come to save us and is coming again to take us HOME.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

* The dollar is going to crash--the character of our politicians guarantees it.

**The residents of New York and New Jersey did have a reasonably accurate prediction at least 3 days ahead of time.  Even with that lead time, how does one prepare for such a storm?

***The Obama administration takes us for a bunch of fools.  They had 3 months lead time on the attack in Benghazi and did nothing!  The problem was not what Susan Rice said, but what the president was doing when this occurred.  One doesn't have to be the sharpest knife in the drawer to know that radical Islam was going to do something on 9-11.  The real question to be considered is, was this simply incompetence or something worse on the part of Obama?

CHOCOLATE CHURCH (a communion meditation)

So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha.  There they crucified him . . . (John 19:17-18).

I do not specifically recall where I read this statistic, but if memory serves me correctly, Americans eat enough chocolate each year to average out to 12 pounds of chocolate per person.  That is a lot of chocolate!  Now I personally know a couple of people who do not like chocolate.  First, it is amazing that one could not like chocolate!  How could that be?  Second,  I think I make up for what those two people do not eat!  Why do I like chocolate?  First, it tastes good--and it is kind of good for you as well.  There are few things better a dark chocolate kiss with a cup of strong black coffee.  Not only does it taste delicious, all those anti-oxidants are helping your body stay healthy.  Second, chocolate makes one feel better.  If your mood is down, have a piece of chocolate.  Immediately life will seem a little brighter.  Not only that, Dove chocolates wrap their chocolates in wrappers with heart-warming sayings that enhance the experience.

The reason I bring all this up about chocolate is that we have come to expect our experience in church to be like eating chocolate, to taste good, to feel good, and be comfortable, listening to heart-warming sayings.  We have to understand that dealing with sin and sinners is not a neat, comfortable or even sanitary process.  Crucifixion was a horrible torture.  Tears, sweat, blood and prayers were shed for us.  Violence and injustice took a life given to us in love so that we could be pardoned and forgiven.  God did not insulate himself from the horrible pain of purchasing salvation!  If there are tears shed as one comes to know God and his Son Jesus Christ.  If there is loud weeping as one surrenders their life to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so be it!  If there are tears of remorse as one confesses his sin before taking communion, so be it!  The Church is a hospital for sinners where the struggle of life and death are real, where the battle against satan is real.

Church is about life & death, blood and tears, change and loss, hope and love.  It is a battleground where victories are won.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

ASKING FOR HELP WITHOUT ASKING

And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him or knows him . . . (John 14:16-17).

I was looking around in my library, trying to break writer's block, when I stumbled on this quotation from Dr. William Glasser's book, "Control Theory".  I thought it worth repeating.  Notice that Glasser uses "depressing" rather than depression.  We think that depression is a illness that happens to us, and in a few cases, it is.  However, Glasser's use of "depressing" is an attempt to communicate that, for the vast majority of cases, depression is something we do.

Depressing, painful as it is, is the most powerful way that human beings have found to ask for help without begging.  Many of us have become so skilled at the "art" of depressing that we are able to depress just enough to get help without asking--to choose to depress more would be to suffer needlessly.
  
Depressing, therefore, allows us to plead for help and at the same time maintain our self-esteem by denying that we need it.

Often, the help we need and the help we want are two different things.  Our heavenly Father has supplied us with a counselor who will walk with us and strengthen us to face the challenges of this life.  He wants you to ask. 

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

EUCHARIST MEANS THANKSGIVING (A Communion Meditation)

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night which he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks , he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me."  In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood.   Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me"  (I Corinthians 11:23-25 emphasis mine).

Eucharist is not usually associated with the Lord's Supper, but it should be one of the most often used titles of the memorial by which we remember the greatest sacrifice made on our behalf. In the original language Eucharist means thanksgiving.  In this scripture the verb for of Eucharist is used revealing to us that Jesus had an attitude of gratitude throughout the most difficult of his times on this earth.  Jesus knew well that the time of his humiliation, torture and death was very near and yet he gave thanks as he instituted this memorial.  Since Jesus is our example, it is obvious that we too should be thankful even when we are facing the most difficult times of our lives.

What benefits Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection have given us ought to inspire us to praise and thanksgiving!  These benefits were poured out on both sides of the cross, both before and after, and therefore, these words from Psalms 103: 1-5 are appropriate:  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Call the Lord's Supper, Eucharist, because not only does it mean thanksgiving, but because of what Jesus has done for us, there is so much for which to give thanks!

Our Father's Love,
Tom

A TRUTH ABOUT ECONOMICS

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? (Matthew 6:30).

This is not an original thought of mine,* but I think it is worth repeating given the financial peril that our country faces.  In times of stress and corruption these sayings hold true:

Those close to the kitchen get the food.

Those close to the bank get the money.

The farther one is from the kitchen, the less likely he is to get good food.  And the farther one is from the central bank, the less likely one is to get good money because it becomes worth less the farther it is distributed.

In these times, as children of the King, it is good to know that we will be taken care of in any case.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

*From a financial newsletter I read.  Perhaps these thoughts are not self-explanatory as there are some complexities involved, nevertheless, they are worth pondering. 

RELATIONSHIPS TAKE A LOT OF ORDINARY TIME

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven . . . a time for love, and a time to hate (Ecclesiastes 3:1&8).

Perhaps I should have included all eight verses of Ecclesiastes chapter three because they all have to do with the times of our lives on this earth--I was just too lazy to write them all out. 

For the last 40 years in popular psychology there has been this notion that quality time is all that is required to have a relationship.  But to have quality moments with a person, a lot of ordinary time is required.  The notion of "quality time" is a symptom of the narcissism of the age, we text message so that we do not have to waste time talking on the phone, we do speed dating so that we do not waste time with the wrong people, etc.  The idea that "hell is other people" is truly the philosophy of my generation and, as a result, the bitterness of the political divide and that divorce is rampant should not surprise us.

How do husbands and wives learn to trust each other?  How do children learn to trust their parents?  It takes time to know the true values of the other in real life.  It is in the everyday conversations, watching each other as we respond to different situations, that we learn each other's language and the values they hold most dear.  It takes a lot of ordinary moments in order to have quality time.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

HOW DID YOU HELP?

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and all in the region who were two years and under . . . (Matthew 2:16).

The election did not turn out as many of us hoped and just as many who were disappointed are still searching for reasons why conservatives could not defeat a failed and ineffective administration.  I am not going to pretend to have the answers, but I do know that three million Republicans sat on their hands and did not vote at all.  I'm sure that there was at least another million conservative independents who did not show up at the polls either.  I'm sure they could all give an answer, but the question is, how did they help?

If the Republicans would have been elected our tax dollars would not support planned parenthood, the biggest abortion provider.  It may be that some babies would have been spared death if our tax money weren't providing for abortion on demand.  How did the non voters help them?  Three million plus votes in the right places would have gone a long way to tipping the election towards conservatism.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

GOVERNANCE IS A MESSY BUSINESS, BUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY

When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass sprout from the earth (II Samuel 23:3-4).

These verses in the King James Version were some of the lyrics to the song by Randal Thompson called, "The Last Words of David," a song which the select Northwest Iowa Chorus, of which I was a member, sang in concert more than forty years ago.  It was that song that led me to select the above text in the Revised Standard Version as the basis for my comments.

The election is finally here.  I would like to say that the campaigning will finally be over, but these days campaigning goes on for the full term.  Is there a perfect candidate?  No, but I do believe some are better that others.  In any case, when it comes to voting for a candidate, one votes for the lesser of two evils.  As James 2:10 reminds us, For whoever keeps the whole law, but has failed in one point has become guilty of all of it.  All of us are guilty.  The lesser of two evils is still evil, but providing the best governance possible for American citizens is the responsibility that God has placed on the shoulders of every voting-age citizen.

Romans 13:1 tells us, Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  In the case of the United States of America, the governing authority instituted by God is the Constitution.  The Constitution expects the participation of the citizens of the USA in its governance.  God has not directly placed Obama in the presidency of the United States, it was people, acting as citizens under the constitution, that placed him there.  The character of the president is a reflection of the character of the citizens of the United States.  God has His finger in the authorship and the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.*  Our selection of the officials of governance are a reflection of our national character.

Actually, it is difficult for a citizen not to participate in government.  Some may say, "Don't blame me. I didn't vote."  However, the apathetic non vote is a vote for the most incompetent candidate, enabling him/her to gain office and bring hardship to the nation.  Not voting can also be an act of passive aggression, but it is pretty hard to quantify what the passivity means so little value can be drawn from it.  If one wants to have a voice, voting, and persuading as many others as possible to vote in the same way, is one of the ways to make it heard.

In America, God expects you to vote.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

*The Constitution reflects the Christian values of its authors, the vast majority of them being Christian.  Thus, the Constitution rules in the fear of God and is the rule of law.  Those government officials who shred the Constitution, who make unConstitutional law, are not legitimate officials, they have violated their oath to protect and defend the Constitution.  It is our duty as American citizens to use every legal means to remove them from office.

MORE ON HOLY SPIRIT

And take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication (Ephesians 6:17-18).

In my "stack of stuff" I found the remnants of a post by S.M. Hutchens that is eloquent in its expression of the presence and working of Holy Spirit.  It coincides with my thinking, so I wanted to share the following paragraph with my faithful readers:

But I am more confident now that the Holy Spirit, while mysterious, infinitely subtle, and often counter-intuitive is for all that no fool.  The gabbling of enthusiasts is not his favored means of communication, nor is he a private gentleman.  If he has a message for one who speaks for him, it meets what he has already placed in many of his own, and agrees.  He is a friend of reason because he invented it, a friend of counsel, because he is eternally in counsel himself (some would even say, and not without reason, that he is Counsel), and a friend to the wisdom of age and experience, for he is the one who has given it, presumably for use toward his ends.  (The presence of these virtues in the church virtually eclipses, I believe, the need for much of what is commonly regarded as charismatic gift.  Since they are themselves part of the concrete and enduring telos of the Spirit's work, there is good reason to suspect that the overuse and overvaluation of charismata--which may indeed be from God--is also, in whatever age and in whatever church they appear, a sign of spiritual infantilism.)

Throughout church history, there have been many who felt, and thus were convinced, that the Spirit was speaking to them when the Spirit was saying nothing, they were victims of their own delusions.  Hutchens' words are sound teaching that agrees with the teaching of the Bible.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

ASSUMING THE HOLY SPIRIT IS AT WORK

This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.  What are you, O great mountain?  Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" (Zechariah 4:6-7).

There is one assumption that Christians always must have, The Holy Spirit is always working, strengthening and helping His people to live their lives for the Lord and to accomplish the tasks and bear the burdens that are before them.  In the context of the above text, God had given governor Zerubbabel the job of rebuilding the temple in 535BCE.  The rebuilding was completed in 516BCE.  The job took twenty years of back-breaking effort, fighting enemies from within and without.  I'm sure there were times when Zerubbabel thought, "God, I didn't think it would be this hard--you made it sound so easy--the mountain was going to flatten itself before me."  Zerubbabel had limited resources, little money, limited labor and expertise, and battles to fight, yet, the temple was finished because God was working with Zerubbabel and his people. Zerubbabel could look back and say with out a doubt, "With out God's help we couldn't have built it!"

Because of God's provision of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of every Christian, we can always assume the Holy Spirit is working in every situation of our life.  It does not mean that life will go smoothly or that we can be slackers in preparation and in every-day hard work, but it does mean He is working with us to help us deal with the situations we face.  Just like we assume that our heart is going to make the next beat, or we will be able to take the next breath, so we can assume that Holy Spirit is ministering in our lives.  And, when our lives are over, we will be able to look back and say, "It wasn't by human effort, but by His Spirit!"

Our Father's Love,
Tom

JUST DO IT AGAIN

Who ever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin (James 4:17).

A couple of posts ago, I wrote, Just Do It, borrowing a marketing slogan from Nike.  Borrowing the same slogan, I want to share a few words about procrastination.  Often the benefits of responsible behavior and hard work are not immediate, they may come days, weeks, months or even years later.  The benefit of procrastination is immediate, one is freed from the burden of doing a job "right this minute."  The problem with the immediate gratification of procrastination is the delayed penalty; the added stress, the extra work and the unreliable reputation one gains as a result.

In view of all that, why would one sabotage himself like this?  It would seem that the penalty so out weighs the reward that it isn't worth it.  Procrastination is a way of dealing with stress, but the problem is that, in the long run, procrastination adds to one's stress.  The best way of dealing with procrastination is to just get started doing your job, turn off the distractions and plunge in.  Do one job at a time.  It feels good to be responsible.  Deal with stress in a responsible way through a relationship with Jesus Christ, exercise, proper diet, a hobby and social relationships.

Now, on to my next job.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

IT HELPS TO KNOW HOW IT ENDS

. . . I heard a voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men.  He will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;  he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:3-4).

The Iowa Hawkeyes had a bye week on their football schedule last week, so when I saw they were replaying the 2009 game with Michigan State on the Big Ten Network, I had to watch.  The Hawks were ahead by 3 with just a couple minutes to go.  Then, suddenly Michigan State started moving the ball and they scored a touch down and an extra point to put them 4 ahead of Iowa and leaving less time on the clock than I thought was possible for the Hawkeyes to score a touch down for the win.  But I saw the game in 2009 and I knew that Iowa won it, so I was relaxed as I watched the final seconds unfold.  On the very last play with 2 seconds to go, Iowa quarterback, Ricky Stanzi passed to Marvin Mcnutt in the end zone for the touchdown.  Iowa won!!! When one knows the outcome, it sure cuts down on the stress!

In Christ, we know the outcome of our lives, we win!!!  That does not mean we will not go through some very difficult times, but it does remove a lot of anger, fear, anxiety and grief!  Our hope is not wishful thinking, it is based on the best fact of history, Jesus Christ has risen.  We know how it ends, so relax, it's going to be alright!

Our Father's Love,
Tom

P.S. Iowa faces Michigan State again today--I do not know how this one will turn out, so I am a little anxious.  Pray that the Lord smiles on the Hawkeyes today.

CHRISTIANITY IS A LIFE-TIME EDUCATION

Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalms 119:105).

The lovely and gracious Helen and I were having supper with friends when the topic of what we are reading came up.  I was asked what I was reading and I sputtered and stuttered a little before I answered and my answer was not very good either.  It seems as if I am always reading.  Between the 4 farm journals and the 2 professional counseling and pastoral journals and the newspapers, I really do very little reading just for fun--my recreational reading is about the Iowa Hawkeyes and Fords.

While I think I read a lot, my reading priorities can use some tweaking.  One of my reading priorities that will never change is Bible reading.  I read from the Bible every day.  I do not cover a lot of ground in one day because I like to meditate over what I have read.  I read from the Bible in an organized fashion--it is not haphazard.  Currently, I am in Luke's gospel.  One thing every serious Bible reader will tell you is that, even though they have read the Bible many times, they are always learning from it.  An advanced degree in Bible does not mean that one knows all about the Bible and theology; it only means his education has only begun.  Christianity is truly a life-time education.  Let the Bible be first in your reading priorities.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

IF LIFE MATTERS

If life matters to you, vote Romney/Ryan.  If you live in the 4th congressional district in Iowa, and life matters to you, vote Steve King.

Any office holder who is willing to take an unborn life is also willing to take everything you have.  Make no mistake about it, the credibility of a candidate is determined by the Life issue.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

JUST DO IT

Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.  Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road ( Luke 10:3-4).

I have been reading through Luke's gospel.  When I read these verses I thought of my dad.  The commission the Lord gave to the Seventy was basically my dad's philosophy of life.  Most of the time we do not even make an attempt because we do not have enough money, talent or ability.  We do not want to make a fool of ourselves by attempting to do the impossible.  My dad's philosophy was, "if you want to do a thing, then do it."

In the larger text of Luke 10:1-7, the Lord lists the essentials that it takes to do any job to which one is called; I believe these essentials are still needed today.

1. Faith.  The Lord called his disciples to do an impossible task.  What made the task impossible was they were instructed to take nothing with them.  They had to trust the Lord to make provision for them each moment of every day.  Christian's are not materialists, they do not see money as the solution to every problem.  Even though money is the practical necessity of everyday life on this earth, the disciples were instructed to look to the Lord to make provision for them and it is no less true today.

2. A partner, one whom can absolutely be trusted no matter what; the Lord sent them out two by two.   Being sent out as "lambs in the midst of wolves" is a stressful life.  Knowing that someone with skin on "has your back," understands the mission and is committed to the mission, relieves the stress and brings encouragement.

3.  Prayer, asking God to bless our personal labors to accomplish the mission and asking God for more laborers to join in the mission and see it through.  Everyone should be involved in a mission that will fail if God does not help, whether it is a spiritual enterprise or a business enterprise, it does not matter.

The lesson here is to not allow an apparent lack of something keep you from trying.  We have a great God who will sustain you as you labor to accomplish the mission to which you were called.  When the lovely and gracious, Helen, and I, returned to the family farm to raise our children here, we had nothing.  We did make a commitment to do any honorable work, even if it was lowly, to make that happen.  Back in the "80's" farming was not good and was certainly not easy.  My tax preparer recommended that I quit farming--I was working for almost nothing.  But with the Lord providing, and the help of a faithful wife, we did it.  Life is good--and it is getting gooder.

My advice?  If God has called you to the mission and you have these three essentials, just do it!

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

GETTING HEAVEN INTO YOU

And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

Salvation is an intriguing subject.  As a child and young person, I had the assumption that it was all about getting to Heaven.  I've grown out of that, though getting to Heaven is the destination of salvation and I am looking forward to the time of arrival there.

 To liberals, salvation is the social gospel, making Heaven on earth through political means.  Certainly, one's relationship with Christ will change how he will view and how he will treat other people, but charity cannot be imposed through political power.  Charity in a society has to come from the heart or freedom is lost and tyranny rules.  Forced charity brings death, not life; read the history of communism in the 20th century.

I believe that salvation is primarily about getting Heaven into you, and less about you getting to Heaven.  Certainly, Heaven on earth is not a possibility except within the company of Christians.  Getting Heaven into you is the mission of Holy Spirit as he works in a life surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Sometimes it seems as if His work is agonizingly slow.  Sometimes we wonder why it seems as if there is so little change and so little production, but rest assured, getting Heaven into you is happening if you are surrendered to Jesus! 

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 (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Our Father's Love,
Tom

SHAME: A COVER UP

So when the woman saw the fruit was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also give some to her husband, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.  And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:6-8).

Shame is a complex subject. In fact, some scholars will not even agree with my definition, which is based in Webster's dictionary definition.  Shame is a painful emotion characterized by feeling guilty, incompetent, blameworthy, indecent or worthless.  Adam and Eve felt guilty.

The manifestations of shame in a person's life are another reason that shame is a complex subject.  But, the basic manifestation of shame is covering up.  In German and in Latin, the root of the entomology of shame means, to hide or to cover.  That is an exact description of what Adam and Eve did in the attempt to deal with their shame.  Humanity has not changed much since creation; we still do bazaar things to deal with our feelings of shame.  We declare sin not to be sin, and still feel worthless.  We cover ourselves with designer clothing, all kinds of makeup, jewelery and tattoos all to show we are not worthless and to assuage our feelings of guilt.  Our narcissism and arrogance are other defense mechanisms used to mask our feelings of guilt.

I want to suggest some designer clothing that really does cover up shame: . . . for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).  Being sons of the King, we are clothed with the finest designer clothing there is because we are clothed with Jesus Christ.  Our worth and our pardon are established in the clothing of Jesus Christ because only he can cover our shame.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

CLASS WARFARE IS MARXIST JARGON

You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's (Exodus 20:17).

One of the reasons that communism is so anti Christian is because it is founded on values that contradict the instruction of God.  Communists are materialists, meaning that man does live by bread alone; God says otherwise.  Each person is to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and, as a result, his need, for love, food, clothing, shelter and something worthwhile to do, will be met.

Marxism promotes class warfare, God promotes a classless society, meaning that all are to be treated equally under the law.  The Bible says that showing favoritism to anyone is a sin.  Bribes are evil and sinful because equal treatment under the law is denied.  Communists make the claim of having a classless society, but it is government and party officials who live like kings while the rest of the population lives in relative poverty compared to free peoples.

America has been the most classless society in world history.  This has been true because our country has been founded on a Biblical world view.  As we have traded a Christian consensus for a secular one, marxist concepts and vocabulary have crept into the national discussion.  I object to the term "class" when it is used to describe an apparent strata of society.  The middle class is not a permanent class, nor should we want it to be.  We are free people who, because of our choices and our circumstances will flourish or fail economically.  I object to the term, "masses."  To me it implies that the free people of the United States are now the government's herd of cattle, incapable of supporting themselves without the government "feed wagon" filling the public "trough." 

Marxist vocabulary destroys human dignity and quenches the human spirit.  Let us refuse to use it.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

I DIDN'T GET WHAT I DESERVED

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God . . . (2 Peter 3:10-11).

For the past several years I have had an unblemished driving record, meaning there have been no speeding tickets or traffic violations on any sort, and no accidents.  So, I am still amazed that, last week, I was stopped twice for speeding.  On Tuesday, I had taken my mother to the doctor, I was driving her car which I do not drive very much, and we were on our way home when a highway patrolman stopped me for going 14 miles per hour over the speed limit.  I explained to him that I had taken my 92 year old mother to the doctor and that I was driving her car, of which I was unfamiliar.  It must have touched his heart because he only gave me a warning; I was not fined.

Thursday, I had to take my minivan to the mechanic's shop for repair.  I was running a little late so I was driving a "wee bit" fast.  Another highway patrolman stopped me for going 9 miles per hour over the speed limit.  I knew he was going to stop me before he turned on his flashing lights, so I just pulled over on the shoulder of the road.  He thanked me for pulling over immediately and for being buckled in.  Then he asked for my drivers license, registration and proof of insurance.  I do not drive this vehicle very much either, so, I couldn't remember if all of my documentation was there.  After rummaging around, I not very organized, I found my registration and my insurance card that had recently expired--I had forgotten to put the new one in.  I was apologetic to the officer about the speed and the insurance.  It must have touched his heart too because he only gave me a warning for the speed and the insurance.

I told my stories to an employee of the mechanic's shop to explain why I was late.  I have known this man for many years and have not known him to be a spiritual man, so his response surprised me.  He didn't say, "I was lucky," he said, "Tom, I do not know if you are a praying man, but if you are, you ought to thank the Good Lord."  My reply to him was, "I am, and I will."  I have.

My point in telling this story is that I did not get what I deserved.  According to the laws of the state of Iowa, I deserved several hundred dollars in fines.  I didn't get them because of the graciousness of the officers.  The Bible says that Divine judgement is coming; it is certain!  The warning has been given.  It is only through faith in the Lordship and Saviorship of Jesus Christ that we will not get what we deserve.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY UNFAITHFULNESS

He who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself.  Wounds and dishonor will he get, and his disgrace will not be wiped away (Proverbs 6:32-33).

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all" (Proverbs 31:28-29).

I recently received the news that a young wife, whom I know, walked away from her husband and children.  It set me to thinking about how many times this has happened in my ministry experience.  Though conventional wisdom gives men get the credit for being the most unfaithful to their wives and children, my ministry and counseling experience does not validate it.  I can honestly say that for every man who has abdicated his responsibilities as a husband and a father for another woman, there has been a woman who abdicated her responsibilities as a wife and a mother for another man--if not more so.

A mother's love requires character, strength and dignity.  Mother's-Day sermons have long extolled the natural love of a mother for her children, but the truth is that mothers can abandon their children as easily as men; women are just as depraved as men.  Being a good wife and mother begins with faith in God, trusting Him, that His way is good, and trusting Him for the strength and courage that her marriage and family demands.  Reading all of Proverbs 31:10-31 is a good place to begin.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

*The rate of infidelity in the work place is very high, about 47% according to some sources.  The natural boundaries between men and women these days are few, so it is a matter of faith, character and prayer that keeps one faithful in the work place. 

THE SLIDE TO PERDITION

You shall not give any of your children to devote them by fire to molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord (Leviticus 18:21).

One of the gods specifically named by God that was not to be worshipped was molech; though it is a proper name, I refuse to capitalize it.  It was believed by the pagans of ancient times that, if a family's first-born was sacrificed to molech, the nation and the family would have peace and prosperity.  The image of molech was a hollow metal man in which a fire was built.  When the "god" was red-hot the baby would be placed on its firery arms and be burned to death, surrounded by dancing worshippers.

I'm not an Old Testament prophet, but sometimes I certainly would like to be.  God, through the prophets, pronounced judgment, justice, death, and captivity on His people because of their infidelity to Him when they worshipped molech and the other gods.  Are we any better, aborting our most innocent in the name of personal peace and prosperity? 

Not only are we killing the defenseless, but there is general corruption that is spread through every level of society.  The very rich are able to take advantage of every loop-hole and insider-trading opportunity, stealing from every tax-payer and share-holder.  The middle class values of self reliance and personal responsibility are rejected for the entitlement mentality and declining labor-force participation.  Our welfare system has incentivized people not to marry, for children to be born out of wedlock and has created a class of people whose purpose in life is to get the most from the public trough for the least.  Cases of public employee pension padding are rampant.  This kind of society cannot be sustained economically and will inevitably collapse.

The laws of God cannot be violated with impunity, over the long term, without reaping the natural consequences of our behavior.  We have worshipped the gods of pleasure, personal peace and prosperity and will reap poverty, sorrow, and perhaps, slavery.  I know these are not encouraging words, but I do believe the momentum of our slide to Perdition cannot be stopped apart from an act of God.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

THE WATCHMAN

So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel . . . (Ezekiel 33:7).

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes, and takes any one of them; that man is taken in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand (33:6).

And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him (Hebrews 9:27-28).

It is certainly a Biblical principle that those who know of danger are required to warn those who are ignorant of it.  After the warning has been given, it is for each individual to decide what he will do with the warning; whether to heed it or disregard it.  If the warning is disregarded, at the very least, the blood of the warned will not be required of the watchman.

A Christian does not need to be an expert on the "end times" to know that judgement is certainly coming--it begins at our personal death.  One of the reasons the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news is that it is only through Him that we will find commendation rather than condemnation in judgement and escape eternal destruction.

One of the responsibilities of each Christian is to be a watchman.  Christians tend to talk so much of God's love that they do not speak much of God's justice.  We know, of course, that there is no love if there is no justice and justice requires judgment. 

Are you being faithful as a watchman?  When we were vacationing in Keystone, South Dakota, some Christians had placed on a billboard a verse from the prophet Amos, PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD (4:12). Many people were seeing it--I wonder how many were heeding it and making preparations.  Perhaps you could do something like the Christians of Keystone.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

SUCK IT UP!

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:12-13).

There are times in this life when things do not go right, and one does not feel good.  When that is happening to you, just suck it up and just do it--do the right thing.  Stop whining, complaining and blaming and do the right thing.  The Hebrew Christians were being persecuted and the author of Hebrews had to remind them of their responsibility to remain faithful.  Sometimes we need to be reminded too, so suck it up!

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

HOME FROM VACATION

The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.  And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat (Mark 6:30-31).

Every year Helen and I attempt to have a family vacation, but with busy and conflicting schedules, only son Tom and his family, wife Suzi, grandson, Alex and granddaughter, Samantha could go with us.  We rented a cabin near Terry Peak, in the Black Hills, for our "home base" during the week; the temperatures are much more mild at 7,000 feet. 

Though we have vacationed in the Black Hills of South Dakota several times, it is always inspiring to see the great stone faces. They certainly cause one to reflect on the values upon which our great country is founded.  We also visited the Black Hills of Wyoming, they are not all in South Dakota, and drove on to see the Devil's Tower.  The geological formations in the Black Hills area are inspiring too, turning one's mind to God's providence as He formed, and is forming, the earth.

Any thoughtful tourist cannot escape the unjust treatment of the Native Americans because the white man wanted their lands and the gold.  Reminders are everywhere.  That being said, I do not know how it could have been different.  When one culture invades another, there will be injustice and people will die--that is the sad verdict of history.  Greed and lawlessness always seem to overcome the rule of law--at least until the Lord returns.  As a result of being in the Black Hills, I bought a book called KILLING CUSTER, by James Welch.  It is a history of Custer's last stand, the battle of the Little Bighorn and the fate of the plains Indians.  I am about midway through the reading of the book.

It was a great vacation.  Long hikes and good conversation are good for the body and soul.  Seeing sights and visiting attractions are tough on the budget, but even the Lord thought that it is good to get away for a while.  I hope you can have a good vacation too.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

USE THE BIBLE REDEMPTIVELY, NOT LEGALISTICALLY

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.  Indeed, God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).

These are some of the most well-known Scripture verses in the Bible, and arguably, could be the most profound, though the message is easily understood.  The God of the Bible is not a god who rejoices in the condemnation of anyone.  He is not a legalist looking for the tiniest infraction of the law so that someone can be condemned to eternal punishment.  Rather, God's purpose is to free us, to heal us, to pardon us, to forgive us.  This he has done through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the ministry of Holy Spirit.

If John 3:16-17 indicates why Jesus came, shouldn't it follow that this is the way Scripture should be used as we minister to people?  It is not our purpose to condemn people with Scripture, but to bring them to health and wholeness.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

TURNING ON, PLUGGING INTO, TAPPING INTO OR FLIPPING THE SWITCH TO TURN ON THE HOLY SPIRIT

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . . (Acts 1:8).

Now when Simon say that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the Apostles hands, he offered them money . . . (Acts 8: 18).

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).

This last week, the lovely and gracious Helen and I had occasion to go to the Christian bookstore in Sioux City.  While browsing the book shelves, I read a book title, "How to Tap into the Power of the Holy Spirit."  I have read that phrase and heard it by radio and TV evangelists so much that it made me want to throw up.  The book lost all credibility with me just in the title!

The Christian sensationalist preachers and teachers want you to believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is available on command.  They are the modern-day simonists who seek to profit from the Holy Spirit's power by implying that the right technique will connect you to Holy Spirit's power--turn on the right switch and Holy Spirit's power is yours.  Peter would tell them just as he told Simon, Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for you heart is not right before God (Acts 8: 20-21).

The promise of God in his word is that when a person comes to faith in Christ and is baptized (Acts 2:38), not only would that person's sins be forgiven, but he would receive Holy Spirit as an indwelling presence.  This presence of the Spirit needs no tapping into or turning on.  It is simply a matter of relationship with God.  If we are in Christ, we can expect Holy Spirit to be working in our lives changing us to become more and more like Christ.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

IS CHURCH A SAFE PLACE?

Come to me all who labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light  (Matthew 11:28-30).

The lovely and gracious Helen and I spent last week at Christian Service camp as dorm parents to 5th and 6th grade, 11 and 12 year old, girls and boys.  It is our short-term mission that we do each year.  The boys come from all different kinds of homes, some from highly functioning Christian homes to homes where there is abuse, addictions and divorce.  So, our last night of the week, one of the boys came to me, telling me that he wished camp was not nearly over because, he said, "I feel safe here."  As we talked together, abuse at home was not indicated.  But, this set me to thinking about church being a safe place.  Providing a safe place for change is essential as people make themselves vulnerable to the life-changing power of God through Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit.

God is not safe, He is dangerous, calling us to do things that we had never imagined ourselves doing.  Loving our enemies,  selling our fortunes and following Jesus, going to far-away lands to take the gospel, serving as a medical missionary, apologizing to a bitter foe, teaching 5th and 6th graders, etc.  Talk about danger and adventure!  Being a Christian is both safe and dangerous.  Are you ready for the challenge?

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

AUTUMN LIGHT

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

Summer has only just begun and yet I am already writing about autumn.  What triggered my thinking about autumn was when I was scouting my crops I was imagining what they would look like when September comes.  September and October are the most beautiful months of the year.  The maturity of the crops, the changing of colors, but to me, the quality of the sunlight changes too, the sunlight is more golden.  That has to do with the tilt of the earth towards the sun, I suppose, but it seems to me that autumn light has a quality that is not duplicated by any other season of the year.  Autumn light is the most beautiful light.

Then my thoughts turned to the seasons of life.  I am past the mid-point of my life expectancy, being officially a senior citizen, I am in the "autumn" of my life.  The light of our world is filtered through past experiences and relationships that tend to add color to that light.  The light of the seniors world can be harsh and bitter or it can be golden and peaceful, it depends on the eyes.  The eyes of faith make all the difference in how one sees the light: "The eye is the lamp of the body.  So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness" (Matthew 6:22,23).

Through what kind of eyes are you viewing the world?  Faith in Christ, or belief in something else?  Don't miss the autumn light.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

YOU CANNOT DRAW ON RESOURCES YOU DO NOT HAVE

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be mad know to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

In the May/June issue of Psychology Today, in an interview with psychologist, David Schnarch, writer Pamela Weintraub reports:  And when you become your own person within a relationship, you leave room for someone else to do the same.  Instead of depending on a partner to help you manage your own feelings and maintain your equilibrium, you are free to be with your partner.  "You can offer your partner a hand instead of just your needs."  Schnarch goes on to emphasize, You have to learn to sooth your own discomfort, regulate your own emotions, and pursue your own goals. To stop being a drain on your partner and to handle problems on your own.

I liked the article and would recommend its reading, nevertheless, as a Bowenist*, Dr. Schnarch should understand that learning to sooth one's own discomforts is almost impossible.  I know that skills can be taught, but when stress levels increase, people will return to their old selves.  One cannot draw on resources he does not have.  That is the problem with a lot of approaches to therapy, people are asked to draw on resources they do not have.  Purpose and meaning cannot be drawn out of thin air.  Soothing one's own anxieties demands resources that one cannot generate within himself when stress becomes unbearable.

Generally, psychologists do not regard faith as being a legitimate approach to therapy, but trusting in God has helped many, many people deal with difficult marriages, anxiety, depression and addictions.  God is the source of the resources needed to sooth your own feelings and maintain your equilibrium so that you can be the kind of marriage partner who can help your spouse grow and your marriage flourish.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

*I respect Dr. Bowen's work, but as an atheist, ultimately, he does leave those with a lot of undifferentiated ego mass without any real resources to deal with their problems.  Bowen does, for me, provide a good lense through which to diagnose and even to design treatment, but there has to be a resource from which strength is drawn, otherwise during periods of high stress a person will revert to his original condition.

MARRIAGE REQUIRES ONE TO BECOME AN ADULT

To the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.  If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him . . . But if the unbelieving partner desires to separate, let it be so; in such case the brother or sister is not bound.  For God has called us to peace(I Corinthians 7: 12-15).

A book could be written about these verses, but this is only a devotional, so I will only make one point: Marriage does require a person to become an adult. If a marriage is to succeed and flourish, each partner has to grow and mature.  Successful people are not static, staying the same throughout their lives.  It is inevitable that one of the partners will make the decision to grow.  When one spouse hears the call of God to become an adult, the other spouse is faced with these choices: 1) to become an adult, too, 2) to live with it, facing the possibility of becoming an adult, him/her self, or 3) to sabotage the growth by threatening to leave, or some other means of causing trouble in the family relationship.  The best way to help a marriage partner is not to surrender to the trouble, but to continue on the path of growing in faith, knowledge and personal responsibility.  If a spouse refuses to come along, not much else can be done to help him or her to mature and he or she will continue to live as a child in a world that desperately needs adults.

Our Father's Love,
Tom 

PUNISHING YOURSELF FOR YOUR OWN SINS? (A Communion Meditation)

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:7-9).

I was randomly searching for a communion meditation thought when I found a blurb from an old issue of Psychology Today.  The question was asked, "Does guilt cause people to punish themselves?"  There definitely is a correlation between the emotion of guilt and cutting/self mutilation, binge eating, self-sabotage and even suicide.

Brock Bastian, a psychologist at the university of Queensland, used this test to research the question, Does guilt cause people to punish themselves?  Dr. Bastian asked people if they had done something bad that made them feel guilty.  He asked them to write about it.  He asked each participant, if they felt guilty or not, to put their arm in ice water as long as they could stand it.  Then they could pull their arm out. 

This little test revealed that: 1) Those who felt guilty kept their arms in the ice water longer; 2) These same people rated the experience more painful, and 3) This experience of punishing one's self reduced the guilty person's perception of guilt.

What does this mean for communion?  There is no self-punishment that can pay for our sins.  Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us.  All the Lord requires is that sinful behavior be recognized and confessed, and it is forgiven; guilt is taken away.  Do not think that because one has suffered because of his sinful behavior he is less guilty.

The Lord's Table is the family table for Christians to gather around, confessing their sins.  They know that their guilt is taken away because of the ultimate gift of God in the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

*The book of I John was written to Christians; non Christians were not the primary audience.

PONYSHO

Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea (Exodus 15:18).

I went and did it.  I've always wanted to have a Mustang convertible with a V8 engine and some sweet sounding pipes, and it was like the Lord wanted me to have it too.  I had noticed this car before, sitting on a used car dealers lot, but I could never justify spending the money to buy a big-boy toy to play with.  I was returning from Helen's parent's house in Kansas, driving home alone. Driving through Lyndon, Kansas, I noticed that the Mustang convertible was still on the lot--a definite sign from God.  Still, I never would have stopped to check it out if I would have had a passenger--another sign.  I still drove past the used car lot, but I had this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach that I would regret not stopping to check it out--a third sign.  So, I turned around and went back.  The price on the care was about $1500 less than I expected--a 4th sign?  So with all these signs, who was I to say "no" to the Lord?  So, I bought the car, although I do not have it at home yet.

As a final note, the lovely and gracious Helen is OK with it, but I think it tested her a little.  And really, I was just teasing about all the signs from the Lord--but I think He might be OK with it too.  If I can make it work I will put up a picture of a Mustang exactly like the one I bought--I hope this doesn't turn out to be just another pony show.

Our Father's Blessings,

Tom

IN SORROW, CHRISTIANS HAVE HOPE

But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again . . . (I Thessalonians 4:13-14a).

The lovely and gracious Helen's dad passed away this morning.  Charles Huff's death is a great loss to the Tom Steele family.  Of course, Helen's dad had a great deal to do with Helen being the kind of woman I would want to be my wife and the mother of our children.  That fact alone made him an important man to me.  He was a very important grandfather role model and mentor to our children.  His influence was an important dynamic in the formation and function of our family; we will grieve his loss for quite sometime.

What I want each reader to understand is that in our family we believe that we have not seen the last of Charles Huff!  If one has ever touched a corpse, to possess a hope that the dead person will ever be seen alive again is quite audacious, to say the least.  Yet, based on the history of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that is exactly what we believe.  Death is only sleep when Jesus Christ is around.  The Christian does not have to say, "Goodbye" to Charles, only, "So long, see you later."

Our Father's Love,
Tom

NEED A TOUCH?

When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."  And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." and immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Matthew 8:1-3).

This is only one of several times when Jesus touched the one whom he was healing.  We know from the Biblical record that touching was not essential to the healing process.  At Jesus' word, one could be healed even if he was not present, so it is easy to assume that physical touching was not necessary for physical healing.  So why did Jesus touch the leper when he healed him?

According to the law of Moses, a leper was to identify himself as a leper so that non lepers could keep their distance.  Leprosy was a communicable disease, so, as a result, a leper had to be quarantined from the healthy population.  This man with leprosy had probably not experienced very much compassionate human touching in his life and perhaps that is why Jesus included touching in the healing process.

I have never considered myself as a "touchy, feely" guy, and yet when Helen's (my lovely and gracious wife) and my schedules become extremely busy and there is not much touching time, I find myself becoming irritable for no apparent reason.  Touching is communication.  Proper touching is validation, saying, "You are important to me," or "I love you."

Christians are called to be like their master.  We should not be afraid to give a hug, a handshake or a pat on the back as we witness about the love of God and His Son, Jesus the Christ in our lives.  Do you need a touch?

Our Father's Love,
Tom

BE CAREFUL OF GENERICS

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you . . . (Hosea 4:6).

I always like to have a Scripture text with the blurbs that I write.  In this case it might be a little lame, but still, if we do not know something that is very important, we can really suffer because we did not know! 

This morning I was reading and article written by a child psychiatrist, Glen Havens, about child mental health and medications.  It was a very informative article, but one of the things that stood out to me was this: By Federal Drug Administration regulation, Generic compounds only have to be 70% as effective as the name brand to hit the market.  There can be significant variability in therapeutic benefit. I assume that this applies to all generic medications and not just psychotropics.  So, make sure you ask questions, and ask them again, and read labels so that you know what is the best decision to make in choosing between name brands and generics.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

CHRISTIANS GIVING TO THE LORD WHAT HE DOESN'T ASK FOR AND NOT GIVING TO HIM WHAT HE DOES ASK

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in reremembrance of me."  In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (I Corinthians 11:23-26).

As much as Helen and I enjoyed our trip to Kansas on Easter weekend, we left disappointed even though we were blessed by our visit.  The reason we were disappointed was the fact that we did not receive communion.  I thought it would be a certainty that communion would be offered in the Abbyville Community Church, but it was not.  They did do some special things for Easter, and there was a gospel message, but there was no communion.

Services were over in Abbyville early enough so that we could go to another church where friends of our worship.  They were having a rousing testimony time, but there was no communion.  It is interesting to me that we are willing to give to the Lord what He hasn't ask for, and we do not give to Him what He has specifically asked for.  He hasn't asked us to celebrate Easter--every Lord's day is to be "Easter" to the Christian--but we do not celebrate the Lord's Supper, which He has specifically asked us to celebrate.  The Lord never asked us to go and lead people to repeat the "Sinner's Prayer," but He has specifically asked us to go and baptize sinners into Jesus Christ.  It is twisted theology that has led to all of this, and I do not know how the Lord is going to deal with it in judgment, but we need to ask ourselves once in a while, "Am I giving to God something He has not asked for in place of something that He has asked?"

Celebrating communion is a Good Friday through Easter message like no other, and certainly, a testimony like no other.  Without communion we left Abbyville a little empty.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

MORE ALIKE THAN DIFFERENT

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (I Corinthians 10:13).

Human beings are more alike than they are different.  Granted, there are almost infinite variations from person to person.  It has been said that there are no two snowflakes that are alike, so it is that there are no two people exactly alike.  Still, human beings are more alike than they are different.  That is why those who work in health care can devise treatment protocols that can bring therapy and healing to the human body.

In the areas of mental health and spiritual health it is no less true, we are more alike than we are different.  One of the dynamics of counseling with which the counselor almost always has to deal is the thinking on the part of the one being counseled is, "My case is different.  You might have helped others, but my situation is so different, you will never be able to help me."  But, the truth is, there is a sameness to our problems; they can be remedied if one is willing to accept the therapy.

We are people of flesh who live in the world.  Satan attacks us through the desires and needs of the flesh: food, sex, social relationships being some of the strongest avenues of attack.  Satan also attacks us through the philosophies of the world: pleasure, power, beauty and wealth being the most salient avenues.  Because we are more alike than different, we are all vulnerable to satan's attacks on us through one, or more, means of attack.

The way of escape begins before the attacks come.  Being close to God or Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ, is the best way to thwart Satan's schemes from the very beginning.  In any case, trust this: God will not allow you to be tempted beyond which you are able to stand.  Stand firm, you will make it!  And never forget I John 1:9.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

A THOUSAND MILE DRIVE DOWN MEMORY LANE

Thus says the Lord; "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls" ( Jeremiah 6:16).

Helen and I drove to Kansas for the Easter break.  It was good to take care of business at Helen's parents and to get a clearer understanding of their life situation.  Being elderly people, their children need check on them fairly frequently.  We attended "Good Friday" services at the New Strawn Christian Church and renewed some old acquaintances there.  We spent Saturday cleaning and organizing around Dad & Mom's house and bid them farewell.

We were up and going at 5:30 Sunday Morning, driving from Burlington, Kansas to Abbyville, Kansas, arriving in time for morning worship.  Abbyville is the location of my first church when I started in the Christian ministry.  Though that was about 40 years ago, we still have dear friends there, one of them celebrating her 90th birthday.  She doesn't look a day over 70.  We spent the day visiting with our dear brothers and sisters in Christ, but by 6:00 p.m. we needed to begin the trip home to Iowa so I could make it to an appointment with the doctor on Monday.  We did a lot of driving and visiting in a short time, but it was a blessing to us.

When we commit our lives to serving the Lord and walking in His way, there will be hardship and difficulty, but looking back, the way is good.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

THE DRAWING POWER OF GOD'S LOVE

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).

. . . "and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."  He said this to show by what death he was to die (John 12:32-33).

What is traditionally called Easter is the season when attention is drawn to the historical events that are the foundation of the Christian faith, the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  If these events are not true, there is no faith, no hope and no love in the world.  That statement may sound extreme, but it simply means that if these events are not historical there is no God.  Faith is reduced to ritual. Hope is reduced to wishful thinking.  Love is reduced to altruism.  And, we are still in our sins.

The power that draws people to God is not some mystical irresistible tractor beam focused on a few whom God has arbitrarily chosen, but it is the power of love extended to all who will receive it.  If the good news of God's love will not move the human heart to surrender to Him, nothing else will.  Have a blessed Easter season.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

BELIEFS DETERMINE ACTIONS

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 3:27).

Josh McDowell wrote an article in Christian Counseling Today called, "What Teens Believe."  He shared some of his research on the beliefs of teens who lack a basic biblical belief system.  I do not vouch for the accuracy of his research except to say that it sounds reasonable to me and that is why I'm sharing it with you.

Teens who lack a biblical belief system are:
1. 36% more likely to lie to a friend;
2. 48% more likely to cheat on an examination;
3. 200% more likely to steal;
4. 200% more likely to physically hurt someone;
5. 300% more likely to use illegal drugs;
6. 600% more likely to attempt suicide.

What someone thinks and believes does have consequences!

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

GOOD RELIGION

If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man's religion is vain.  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (James 1:26-27).

Religion that makes you feel good without being good is not any good.*

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

*A barb borrowed from Sword and Staff.

I RECEIVED A NICE COMPLIMENT, OR THE GOOD ABOUT GRAY HAIR

A hoary head (gray hair) is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life (Proverbs 16:31).

Every Monday, the Hy Vee super market in our area gives senior citizens a discount on what ever they buy, a senior citizen being anyone over 55.  As I was checking out this last Monday, the checker asked if I was a "senior."  I replied, "yes I am," I'm 64, "but thank you for asking."  The checker didn't intend to compliment me on my youthful good looks, she was just doing her job, but it certainly made me feel good, knowing that she felt like she needed to ask--it made my day.

I do not have gray hair yet.  As recently as the early 20th century the average life expectancy was only about 50 years.  That someone would live until their hair was gray was somewhat unusual.  The best way to live to the age a gray hair was to live a clean and righteous life.  Perhaps I will make it to "gray hair" and I hope you do too.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

WHAT WAY ARE YOU GOING?

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off an evil odor; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.  A wise man's heart inclines him toward the right, but a fool's heart toward the left (Ecclesiastes 10:1-2).

The way of the Lord is on the right.  The way of man veers to the left.  The way of the Lord is personal responsibility for one's behavior.  The way of man is for society to accept responsibility for personal irresponsible behavior.  Certainly, it is a sign of a decaying society when it is demanded of the government, and church related institutions, that they pay the birth-control expenses of single women.  On this earth, there is no end to foolishness. 

Though the contraceptive issue is a cheap campaign ploy of the democrats in an attempt to say the Republicans have declared war on women, it does reveal the depths of depravity to which our culture is headed.  How much lower can it descend?  Let me think, we already kill babies in an attempt to solve our social problems, now free contraceptives.  Free drugs to keep each one happy while the economy sinks into oblivion?  I believe there is a strong connection of the general abandonment of personal responsibility to a sinking economy.  The costs of supporting personal irresponsibility are too enormous to overcome.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

THE NECESSITY OF FORGIVENESS

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses (Mark 11:25).

Some of the goals of marriage counseling are to improve communication, to increase understanding in each spouse, and to build conflict resolution skills.  While being successful in accomplishing these goals in marriage counseling is a good thing, nevertheless, healing will never be complete unless there is forgiveness.

When Jesus taught about forgiveness, he tended to frame it in financial terms, Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" he taught us to pray.  People are familiar with finance so it makes forgiveness a little more easy to understand when Jesus pictures forgiveness this way.  When a debt is forgiven, the note is put through the paper shredder; there is no longer a legal basis to hold the debtor accountable for his debt.  Though the debt might not be forgotten, it cannot be brought up again.

That two sinful people can be united in marriage and not hurt one another is nearly impossible and that is why forgiveness is so necessary.  Most of the time the hurts are minor, sometimes they are major, but always they will be sources of anger and conflict unless they are forgiven.  Forgiveness is a core value of being a Christian; to forgive is to love like God loves in Jesus Christ.

One of the hindrances to effective prayer is when forgiveness is withheld even when it is asked for.  God will not hear our prayers if we are not willing to forgive the one who has hurt us.

My understanding of Christian forgiveness is that it is not unconditional; there must be a change of mind which leads the offender to ask for forgiveness.  Sometimes there a pathological abusers out there who take advantage of forgiveness as a means of continuing the abuse and we must be wise in that regard.  Generally, asking for forgiveness implies a desire to change.  According to First John 1:9, forgiveness is conditioned on the offender recognizing that his behavior is sinful and, as a result, asks for forgiveness.

God loves each person; Jesus died on the cross for all!  The sins of every person are paid for in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ--while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).  God stands willing to forgive anyone who recognizes their sin and embraces Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Apart from that, they stand unforgiven.  Likewise, we must be so ready to forgive that forgiveness is a foregone conclusion if one asks for it.

Our Father's Blessings and Love,
Tom

THE ACTIVITY OF SALVATION: BELIEVING IN DR. CHRIST

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.  Then they said to him (Jesus), "What must we do to be doing the works of God?"  Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent" (John 6: 27-29).

As I wrote in the Passivity of Salvation, salvation is something that only God can do to us--we cannot save our selves and make our selves whole!  The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ for our sins is the only price that can be payed.  The ministry of Holy Spirit is the only power that can make us whole.

It is only a coincidence that the doctor who is the doctor in charge of treating my sickness literally has the surname, Christ.  It adds a nice touch to this devotional does it not?  Dr. Christ is in charge of the treatment, but if I do not believe in him, can he heal me? 

I do not show or feel any signs of the disease I have.  It was only by an annual physical that it was discovered.  I could say, "I'm doing okay, I do not need Dr. Christ."  But I have seen what this disease does to men, so I do not want to take the risk.  As a result, believing in Dr. Christ, I am willing to sign the consent form for treatment, follow his instructions, show up at the hospital at the appointed times for treatment.  If the treatment is successful, I will be extremely thankful to Dr. Christ, even though I will pay him very well, because I could not have healed myself!  If I did not believe in Dr. Christ, I would do none of those things.

If one truly believes in Jesus Christ, all that follows is a foregone conclusion.  The activity of salvation is believing in Dr. Christ.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

QUICK TRIP TO CALIFORNIA

(The Lord) who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (Psalms 103:5).

We (Helen and I) just returned home from our annual President's Day holiday week-end trip to the great state of California to visit our grandchildren, Faith, Deacon and Parker and their wonderful parents, Rebecca and Kirk.  The weather was sunny and warm, a nice break from Iowa.  It was nice to see green grass and the almond trees blossoming!  The honey bees were out doing their job of spreading pollen around.

The state of California is truly the state of fruits & nuts.  The church my son-in-law serves is building an out door baptistry.  Since baptism is by immersion there has to be enough water to immerse a person under water.  The local officials couldn't decide if this would be a pond or a pool.  They finally decided that it would be a pool and, as a result, the church must post a "No Life Guard on Duty" sign on the baptistry.

It is a good thing to be connected to the family.  For children to be connected to the extended family gives them a source of meaning, purpose and self-esteem during their growing-years.  It is a blessing to grand parents too, keeping them young.  I think God intended to renew the strength of grand parents through their grand children.

The flights were uneventful this year, thank God, but those airplane seats are the most uncomfortable place to park one's "keester" since the steel tractor seat.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

THOUGHTS BEFORE I WENT UNDER: THE PASSIVITY OF SALVATION

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 (2 Corinthians 3:18).

You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ . . . (I Peter 1:18,19a).

When I was on the operating table waiting to be sedated, yesterday, I was thinking about the journey of physical healing I was beginning.  In purely human terms, the healing is coming from the doctor, nurses and hospital staff.  They provide the facility, expertise, medication and care needed for me to get well.  In my case, the doctor was doing a procedure on me that will make me well.  What would I be doing?  Nothing, (I had already signed the consent forms) except letting the doctor and staff work on me.  Then I thought, "Isn't that how salvation is, allowing the Divine healer to do his work in my life?" What is necessary for me to do is to sign the consent forms for treatment (Christian baptism) and to let go of the futile ways of the past.

I will have more to write about this in a following post.  For now, remember that Dr. God wants to heal your life if you will allow Him.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

AMERICAN PICKERS: A COMMUNION MEDITATION

You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ like a lamb without blemish or spot (I Peter 1:18-19).

One of the programs I enjoy watching on television is American Pickers--it's on the History Channel.  The "pickers" are Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, who are from Iowa, incidentally, and they travel the United States looking for junk that is really treasure.  So, as they drive their van, they are looking for places that have lots of junk.  Finding one, they will ask the owner if they can look through their junk.  If they find some junk that is really a treasure, they will make an offer to buy that object for a certain amount of money, knowing they can re-sell that object for more money and make a profit on it. 

Mike & Frank are funny to watch, but their program reminds me of one of the basic principles taught in economics 101: An item is only worth what a buyer will pay for it.  Mike & Frank will not buy an object on which they cannot make a profit.  If the seller wants too much money for an item, then they simply move on. 

The point I want to make here is that God has established the value of every human being here by what He has paid for them.  God did not cheap out here, trying to redeem us, buy our salvation, with mere gold and silver, but He bought us with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, His Son.  God's motive is not the profit motive; the reason God is so extravagant in the payment price is that He loves us as much as His very own Son who was sacrificed on the cross for you and me.

Our Father's Love
Tom

NARCISSISM: SELF-ESTEEM GONE TO SEED

For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think . . . (Romans 12:3).

Whether it is an over emphasis on self-esteem, or a misunderstanding of how to deal with low self-esteem, it certainly seems like we are raising more and more narcissistic and self-centered people.  Personal peace, happiness and prosperity are our chief values.  We tend to be, in our culture, more "I" centered than "we" centered.  Even among so-called low self-esteem people there are many times when they think, "rules are for other people, they do not apply to me."  As a result, there is a lot of out-of-control behavior by low self-esteem people.  Yes, low self-esteem people can be narcissistic.

What this means is that low self-esteem people are not always low self-esteem people.  It just means that, more often than not, they seem to be low self-esteem.  Low self-esteem is situation specific, it is not a constant.  At work one may act with great confidence and competence while in her social life she might be a blushing, stumbling "wall flower."  One of the tasks of the low self-esteemers is to identify the competencies they have and the beliefs they have that enable them to act in self-accepting ways, and try to strengthen them and expand them.

The opposite of low self-esteem is not self-centeredness, or narcissism, it is being comfortable with one's self and becoming what God created us to be.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIRMATION BIAS

. . . and you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).

There are no truly objective researchers.  Any researcher who has set forth a hypothesis tends to favor evidence that confirms his hypothesis.  That is the definition of confirmation bias.  Not only is confirmation bias a problem for researchers, it is a problem for ordinary people too.  If a person has come to the conclusion that he or she is worthless and has little to offer in terms of beauty, talent, intellect or finance, then that person only selects evidence that supports his conclusion.  If one is told he is ugly, stupid, fat, clumsy and will not amount to anything enough, he will believe it. 

In many cases, people with low self-esteem cannot be reasoned out of it.  There's an old counselor story about a man, "John," who came to the counselor believing he was dead.  The counselor reasoned with the man for most of the session, but then he finally used this argument when he asked the client, "John, do dead men bleed?" John replied, "no."  So, the counselor gave John a needle and asked him to prick his finger.  John did as the counselor asked and blood came from his finger.  Then the counselor said, "See, John, you are alive because dead men do not bleed."  Then John said, "Well what do you know, dead men do bleed!"

In dealing with depression and low self-esteem, this phenomena of confirmation bias is not easily dealt with, but the solution is always the truth.  Dr. Chris Thurman wrote a book called, The Lies We Believe.  It would be worthwhile reading for anyone dealing with depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.  Daily we are surrounded with messages about self-worth that are lies.  The antidote to that is bathing in the truth every day.  How do your beliefs and values line up with the sound teachings of the Bible?  Low self-esteem does not cause false beliefs, rather, the lies we choose to believe cause low self-esteem.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

*There is an emotional component to low self-esteem that makes it so difficult to remedy.  One additional facet of treatment is to fellowship with those who live the truth--those with healthy self-esteem.