MORE SILLYNESS

For your entertainment, I am sharing with you this letter to the editor that was rejected by a newspaper because its genre is not appropriate for the opinion page.

Recently, I was thinking about the benefits of daylight savings time: energy conservation and greater productivity. What a payoff for simple mind-game! So I was thinking, "Is there another mind-game that would have even more benefits?" Yes there is! It is the 10-day week. Think about it. The 10-day week would increase productivity by having at least one less weekend per month. We all know that with a half billion dollar shortfall of revenue for governor Culver's budget, more productivity would be greatly appreciated.

Education would benefit from the 10-day week. Those young "skulls-full-of-mush" would have at least one less weekend to be distracted by Big Entertainment, whose excesses suck the brains and finances out of our kids. The kids would then have more time in school. Teachers would become more productive too, actually earning their extravagant salaries. Iowa might again lead the nation in education.

Most important of all, the 10-day week would advance secularism in the state. There is nothing in nature that requires a 7-day week. A 7-day week is simply a matter of the Judaic-Christian Faith being forced on the masses. Isn't there supposed to be separation of church and state? With the 10-day week there would be at least one less weekend a month for people to be indoctrinated with faith.

Iowa State found that the use of a long-discredited religious institution can advance secularism even faster than the 10-day week. Those encrusted scholars utilized the Inquisition to make the university safe from spirituality. Now even an Isaac Newton cannot get tenure at Iowa State. Though the Inquisition goes a little too far, the 10-day week will do just fine!

The biggest problem I can see with the 10-day week is what do we name the next three days?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GLOBAL WARMING WATCH ADDENDUM

At the risk of over-doing the global warming thing, early this week I talked to a farmer who had just returned from Hawaii. He said that it snowed there, and that while the weather was very pleasant by mid-western standards, the natives were wearing parkas. While in Israel and Jordan, the guides all told us that they were having unusually colder weather than normal.

Here in Sutherland, IA on March 8th it is +5F with a windchill of -11F. I hope those robins are okay. But the climatologists tell us that this is what happens when you have global warming. I hate to think what it will be like here when the planet really warms up. Okay, Okay, I won't write about it again.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GLOBAL WARMING WATCH

March 7, 2008: Temp. -9 F; Windchill, -27 F.

Global warming does this, the colder it is the worse global warming is. Those poor polar bears in the arctic are really, really suffering from a heat wave!!

GOD PROVIDES FOR THE BIRDS

As is my daily custom, I stop at my mother's house to check on her well-being. We sit at the table at which I spent countless hours studying, as a boy and have coffee. The table sits next to the window. Through it I have a great view of the front yard, the lake and the hills behind it. It was while we were having coffee that about a dozen robins came flying in and landed on the lawn. It is time for the robins to come, but we still have snow on the ground and the windchill today is about 0 F and it is March 5th!

Usually the robins come during the very last days of February so they are late this year. But the winter has been colder and longer this year, which is what the climatologists say is the result of global warming. Of course, they are the same people who forecast a milder and shorter winter last fall. That is one of the reasons I am not concerned about global warming. The forecasters have a tough-time doing the 3-day weather forecast right, let alone, what the weather will be like in 3 months.

Take care of the robins, Lord, we could have a lot of winter yet!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THINKING ABOUT YOU, HUSKER RED

The windchill this morning was -5F. I was taking my faithful wonderdog, Obediah, on his twice daily walk. As I was walking I was thinking random thoughts, one of them being that Isaac Newton's favorite color was crimson. "Crimson-Newton, Crimson-Newton--do you suppose that is what the 'N' on the Nebraska football helmets stands for is Newton?" I thought. Then I thought, "Husker Red would really enjoy knowing this." Crimson and creme are the Nebraska colors. In Isaac Newton's later years his room decor was predominately crimson.

It's funny what a -5 windchill does to one's mind, but at least HR, I was thinking about you. (For those of you who do not know, HR is a devoted reader of Silver Bullets.)

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHAT ENDURES

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.'" (Luke 2:8-12).

The picture shows a tall hill/mountain in the background. That is the Herodian. It was a fortress that Herod the Great built for a quick escape, should that be necessary. It is located about seven miles from Jerusalem. The picture was taken from the shepherds fields near Bethlehem. What a study in contrasts! Herod was a great builder and built some marvelous things--the cost of which meant nothing to him. He just taxed everyone more. He built at least two great fortresses for his own proctection. But, you know what? He died anyway. He that seeks to save his life will loose it!

Jesus was born in the most humble circumstances, and those to whom the angel appeared with the good news of great joy were some of the most humble people. Yet is was Jesus who changed the world while Herods great buildings lie in ruins.

It is not wrong to have money and the things money can buy, but we need to check up once in a while and make sure we have what money cannot buy.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

HANDSOME MAN

"Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buldings of the temple, but he answered them, 'You see all these, do you not? Truly I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down. As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?'" (Matthew 24:1-3).

I just wanted to do a short blurb with a picture to show you that I was actually in the Holy Land. My son, Paul, helped me this morning. We were able to get the pictures out of the camera and onto the computor. Of the pictures that have appeared in this blog, I didn't actually take any of them, but I found them else where on the net, but I have very similar pictures on my own camera. So I wanted you all to see that I was actually in the Holy Land with one of my very own pictures. The picture you see was taken from the top of the Mount of Olives looking across the Kidron Valley to the old temple site and the golden Dome of the Rock. What Jesus prophesied about the temple really did happen, which means the other prophecies of Scripture will come about too. Are you ready?

Grace&Peace,

Tom

SIGNS OF THE TIMES PICTURE

These are just a few of the many, many thousands of prayer requests that have been wedged in the the cracks and crevices of the Western Wall of the temple.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

"He answered them, 'When it is evening, you say, "It will be fair weather; for the sky is red." And in the morning, "It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening." You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times'" (Matthew 16:2-3).

In Israel, like in every other country, there are extreme conservatives to extreme liberals. The extreme conservatives want to destroy the Dome of the Rock so that the literal Temple can be rebuilt there. The extreme liberals want to "give away the store." They do not believe that the nation of Israel is even necessary in the Middle East for the Jewish people to maintain their identity. But a theme that is common to all Jews, conservative, liberal or atheist alike is their sense to be a light to the world. Is that the Jew gene that God implanted in them?

If I were looking for a general sign of the times, the return of the Jewish people to their homeland, and becoming a viable nation, stands out to me to be one of them. It was against all odds that should have happened, and yet it was predicted by the Old Testament prophets. So, to me, it stands as a general sign of the times. Jesus wants us to be aware of what is happening around us and to evaluate what those happenings mean. Jesus was healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out demons, but the people of his day seemed unaware that the Kingdom of God had come upon them. The modern nation of Israel and I are the same age, 60. I take some pride in that. Against all odds, the nation came into existence again according to the prophets, doesn't that seem to indicate that God is on the move again? I just happen to think that the rebirth of Israel is one of those general signs, like the storm clouds, that we need to make sure we are ready to meet our Lord and Savior face to face.

Grace&Peace
Tom

CAPERNAUM SYNAGOGUE & OLIVE MILL AND PRESS

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him..." (Matthew 3:13).

1-21-08 was our last full day in the Holy Land, and what a day it was! We left Tiberius by 8 a.m. driving north by the ruins of Magdala, Mary's home town (Mary Magdalene). We were driving to the valley of the winds and the doves. Jesus would have walked through this valley when he traveled from Nazareth to Galilee. The wind was blowing and it was very chilly!

We went to the Mount of the Beattitudes. Of course, a church has been built on the site where it is thought Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount. Interestingly, the church was built in 1939 by Mussolini. It is octagon in shape and the window are long, narrow and horizontal conforming to "pill-box" specifications. Do you suppose Mussolini was planning something other than worship?

We stopped at Nof Ginnosar to visit a museum in which an ancient boat was displayed. This boat would have been floating on Galilee during the time of Christ. One of the things that is interesting about this boat is that it had 10 different kinds of wood in it. Mostly it was oak and pine, but repairs were made with any kind of wood that could be found. With so many vast armies marching through the land, and so many wars fought there, the "land flowing with milk and honey" was stripped bare of trees. There was a time in the 19th century when there wasn't a boat floating on Galilee because there was no wood.

We took about an hour for a boat excursion on Galilee. For those who have gone to the Holy Land and were disappointed that Galilee was so small--I don't understand you. It is plenty large enough to have the severe storms and large catches of fish that the New Testament describes.

We had a short visit to Capernaum and saw the synagogue where Jesus taught. A short distance away was Peter's mother-in-laws house where Jesus healed her.

Then on to where the Jordan River exits Galilee. It was there that some of our group were baptized. Sprinkling with Jordan water is no better than being immersed in any other water (I promise, I didn't cause a problem).

Our last stop for the day was another city of the Decapolis that Jesus could well have been in, and it was a prosperous, sophisticated city, Beit Shean. It ruins were just like Jerash and Caesarea.

It took 2 hours to recross the border to Jordan. It was 9 p.m. when we arrived back at the Regency Palace Hotel in Amman. Supper was late but it was good. We were all tired, but we had a 10 a.m. flight to catch so it would be a short night.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

OUR JOURNEY NORTH FROM JERUSALEM

"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God" (Acts 10:1-2).

Actually, Caesarea was the capital of palestine during the time of Christ. It was built by Herod the Great, and no expense was spared in making it a first-class city of luxury and administration. None of the Romans wanted to live in Jerusalem where it was hot and there was more tumult to deal with. Caesarea was a beautiful place to live on the Mediterranian coast, and the climate was much better too. The top picture is of the aquaduct which brought fresh water to Caesarea--the Romans were masters at moving water.

The ruins at Caesarea were similar to those at Jerash, though not as well preserved. Caesarea had all the amenities that were expected of any sophisticated Roman city. There was a theater, amphi-theater, a hippodrome, colliseum and baths. Herod built a harbor there using very modern construction techniques which included the use of hydraulic cement.

The lower picture includes some of Tiberius, on the shore of Galilee, and if you look carefully, the snow-capped Mount Herman can be seen. Tiberius is another beautiful city in Northern Israel. It was a beautiful view from my 7th floor room.

On 1-20-08 I was up at 5:00 packing my bags and setting them out so that we could all be gone by 7:00. Our first stop was at Caesarea on the Mediterranian coast. It would have been a beautiful place to live, and would still be a beautiful place to live.

From Caesarea it was on to Megiddo. Megiddo is an important place in Israel's history, and according to Revelation, the last battle in history will take place there. From Megiddo, Nazareth can be seen--it could have been that as a boy, Jesus might have played in its ruins. If you have ever read James Michener's The Source you need to know that the excavations at Megiddo were used as a model for his writing.

Next we went to Nazareth, which is now a city of more that 65,000. We saw the cliff over which the people of his home town were going to throw Jesus. Had they been successful, Jesus would have died there, but it was not his time.

In Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into non-alchoholic wine (don't argue) at the wedding celebration, the married couples in our group renewed their wedding vows. It was also in that rustic little town that we saw a tricked-out BMW coup with fancy wheels. It seemed out of place.

Finally we arrived, as usual, after dark in Tiberias, where we spent the night at the Royal Plaza Hotel.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

WONDERS IN THE DESERT WILDERNESS

"The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD'S anointed" (I Samuel 24:6).

The top picture is of the fortress Herod the Great built on the desert mountain top called Masada. Herod spared no expense in the building of it. Its accomodations were luxurious in every respect. There were pools for swiming and for bathing. The bathing pools were heated. Just getting water to the pools required hot and cold running slaves.

During the Jewish rebellion beginning in AD 66, Masada became the last holdout of Jewish resistance. The Romans would not tolerate even the symbolic resistance that was the last hold out at Masada, so they brought their war-machines there. As can be seen in the picture, a huge ramp was constructed by the Romans to push their tower and battering ram up. The Jews ended up committing suicide rather that to be crucified or sold into slavery.

The second picture is a picture taken in the same desolate, desert wilderness. This is a picture of the engedi where David and his men hid out from King Saul. Saul went into the cave where David and his men were hiding to relieve himself. David could have killed Saul but he had great respect for Saul because he was the LORD'S anointed. It is a reminder to me as to how I am to treat every Christian because they are all the LORD'S annointed.

The picture of the engedi is a wonder because it is so dry and desolate--it is truely an oasis in the desert!

We were off early again on the morning of January 19 because we wanted to be the first to reach Masada before the other tourists arrived. We weren't quite the first ones to arrive, so the first gondola to the top would not haul all of us at once. Each one holds about 80 people. So about 20 of the younger folks in our group decided to hike the trail to the top. I would have done it too, but I had an ill-fitting shoe that eventually caused me to lose a toe nail--my foot was really hurting. Our college kids made it to the top okay, but they were really tired the rest of the day.

In the Holy Land 3 Christmases are celebrated, the last one being the Armenian Christmas on the 19th. What we did to celebrate was to go swim in the Dead Sea. It was cool that day, like swimming in Iowa's lake Okaboji on Memorial Day--but very enjoyable. The Dead Sea is loaded with bromide, a major tranquilizing ingredient, so after a half an hour swim one starts to feel really good. You cannot sink in the Dead Sea! It is like floating on an air matress, but do not get any water in your eye!

From the Dead Sea we went back to see Jericho in the day light--it did not improve my opinion of the place from seeing it at night. The Palestinians are in charge of this site--they do not do as good as the Israeli's at presenting an archeological site. If the Israeli's weren't there I believe that there would not be very much archeological work actually done. The Muslims do not appear to be very interested in archeological truth.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE GARDEN TOMB

The lower picture is an alternative site to the crucifiction of Jesus the Christ. It fits the requirements of being outside the city walls and being on a well-traveled road. It was also a place that the Jews would have used for executions. They would throw a person over a cliff and even if that killed him, they would throw rocks at him.

About 300 feet from this site is a garden which contained a tomb that had only been used once, never to be used again (top picture). This site certainly looks more appropriate that the other site, but the evidence isn't as strong. In either case, Jesus Christ has risen, giving us a reasonable hope that our best days are yet ahead of us!

Our itinerary for 1-18-08 wasn't quite as demanding as the previous day, yet it took all day and it was dark by the time we returned to our hotel. We went to the location of king David's palace--it is just south of the location where Solomon would build the temple. I took a picture from the approximate place where David would have looked to see Bathsheba, but alas, there was no beautiful woman bathing on a roof top!

Next, we toured a part of king Hezekia's water-tunnel and went to where it emptied out into the upper pool of Siloam. It was on this part of the tour that we walked by the foundation of the tower spoken of in Luke 13 that fell and killed 18 people, "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:4,5).

We also stopped at the house of Caiaphas, and walked the very steps that Jesus would have walked as he went to appear before Caiaphas.

The last place we visited that day was the garden tomb. Our group closed that day, Friday, by celebrating the Lord's Supper together in the tiny chapel in the garden. On each day of our tour there has been a time when our group worshipped and prayed together.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

CHURCH OF THE EMPTY TOMB

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples. . .'" (Matthew 28: 5-7).

1-17-08

The top picture is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Tradition says that the tomb of Jesus is inside the church. I think the location is probably correct, but it certainly doesn't look like it. But the emperer, Hadrian, marked the spot in the second century by building a pagan temple over it, thus Christians would always know where it was. Then in the 4th century, Helena, the mother of Constantine directed that a church should be built there. Tomorrow I will have a picture of another site that actually looks like what the site should look like, but the evidence isn't as strong. All of the truth of Christian doctrine depends on the resurrection of Jesus (I Corinthians 15:17). I think a more appropriate name would be Church of the Empty Tomb.

The other picture is of the Western (Wailing) Wall. This is a place of worship and national ceremoney. The atmosphere was electric when our group was there. They were preparing for a military swearing in ceremoney. With the orthodox Jews crowded at the wall and the plaza filled with military personnel and their families, there was just an indescribable feeling in the air--like God was about to do something.

This was another long day for us that ended long after dark. We went to the Antonia Fortress, we saw the games the Roman soldiers carved in the pavement. We followed the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrows. When we walked the Via Dolorosa it was very crowded with people. The streets are narrow and there are many corners to turn and street vendors to deal with, so it is easy to get lost and/or your pocket picked. So Dr. Harris, or group leader, asked me, and another man in our group, to bring up the rear and make sure we all stayed together. At one point in this walk, while I was trying to keep our group together, a Palastinian shop keeper thought I was moving too slowly. He yelled at me, "Move on American!" I didn't know if he was speaking to me so I looked at him. He said, "Yes, you! Move on American!" "We hate Americans here!" So, on the day we went to Bethlehem, one Palestinian shop keeper told our group, "God Bless America!" and we spent lots of money. On this day a Palestinians says, "We hate Americans here!" He didn't get any of our money and will make it more difficult for all Palestinians!

We spent the last part of our day at the southern wall excavations of the temple, Robinson's arch and the teaching steps where the apostles taught. It was lighted in the darkness. We could hear the military ceremoneys. It was inspiring to know that it was here that our Spiritual history was made.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

ONE THING I KNOW

1-17-08

"One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). The blind man in John 9 was healed when Jesus made mud from some dirt and his spit and put it on the blind man's eyes. Then Jesus told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, the ruins of which you see in the picture. The scholars assured us the pool was only a metaphore that John used, then, lo and behold, it was actually discovered. One thing I know, the scholars and scientists are not always right! The steps are the north and east steps that gradually ease entrance into the pool.

We saw both the pool of Bethesda (John 5) and the pool of Siloam. These pools were important to these healing miracles of Jesus.

It is just a short entry today. I need to take my computer in for some work; it will be 2 or 3 days before I will be able to post again.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

GETHSEMANE

"Going a little farther, he fell on his face to the ground and prayed, 'My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will'" (Matthew 26:39).

1-16-08

By this time in the tour I was beginning to suffer from information overload because it takes a little time for me to put all this in perspective--I'm still doing it. I think it will take another trip or two to do it.

On this day we would go to Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity, the shepherd's field, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Chapel of Ascension, from where it is believed that Jesus spoke his last words before he ascended into heaven, promising that in like manner he would return. We look forward with joy to the time when that promise is kept.

One of the matters about which I have mixed emotions is the churches that have been built in each of these locations. They are, for the most part, beautiful, but they seem to be a corruption of the simple story of Jesus, even though they tell the story of church history in the area and of world political history (more on that at a later time).

All of the locations which we visited on that day were no further than 5 miles from the temple site. Of course, the terrain is rugged and covering those 5 miles would have been very difficult.

When we went to Bethlehem our Israeli tour guide, Lilian, had to get off the bus because Bethlehem is controlled by the Palestinian Authority. So a Christian Palestinian got on the bus when we crossed over--he became our guide to his place of business. It was there I bought a hand-carved olive wood nativity for Helen and a few other things for family back home. That Christian palestinian did very well that day; he had the market cornered!

I am not one to venerate places or things. I do like to know the history of a place or a thing, however. There were many pilgrims that day who were venerating the places and things we saw. I would be lying if I said that walking in the land where the Bible was lived out didn't make me feel like worshipping. Still, the most important part of walking where Jesus walked is not in going to the Holy Land. It is in yeilding ourselves to the Father's will, just as Jesus did in Gethsemane. It is trusting God. It is loving as Jesus did and obeying as Jesus did. That is really walking where Jesus walked.

In Gethsemane there is an old, old olive tree about which is said that it was alive in Jesus' time (it isn't the one in the picture). While our group was praying in Gethsemane together, I was thinking, oh that this tree could talk. What a story it could tell.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

QUMRAN

Some caves in the area.

"John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. . ." (Matthew 3:4).

1-15-08 p.m.

After leaving Jerash our bus headed to Mount Nebo, "Pisgah's lofty height," from where Moses was allowed to view the promised land, but he was not allowed to enter in. In these modern days it is so hazey that it is difficult to see much of Israel from there (See Deuteronomy 34).

We only spent a short time at Nebo and then it was on to the border crossing into Israel. The border crossing took about 90 minutes. What was interesting to me was that on the Jordanian side of the border I had no phone service, but immediately on the Israeli side I had service. I had talked to Verizon about my trip to Israel, saying nothing about Jordan, so they only gave me service in Israel. Interesting that even radio signals obey the border.

After crossing the border Qumran was our destination. It was here that the Essenes lived 2,000 years ago. The Essenes were a very conservative group of Jewish men who were dedicated to preservation of the Scriptures. They were very concerned with the accuracy of the transmission as well as the preservation of them. The Holy Land was a land of dynamic tension. In its history vast armies of great civilizations past through it, destroying many things. The Essenes wanted to make sure Scripture was preserved so they made copies and sealed them in clay jars and hid them in the numerous caves of the area. These would become the Dead-Sea Scrolls that would reveal the accuracy of Old Testament Scripture. Thank God for the dedication of these men--though it has recently been discovered that there were a few women in their ranks.

It has been thought that John the baptizer was one of their number. It is possible that he was as he carried on his ministry in the same wilderness. Perhaps he did pop in for a visit, but the Scripture does not tell us that he was. Certainly, John was a conservative! Our guide tried to tell us that the honey that John ate was date honey. In ancient times any thick sweet liquid was called honey. I remain unconvinced. What John ate was wild honey. If it is processed it is not wild.

It was twilite. We drove to Jericho, arriving after dark--it was disappointing after dark, but it was not much better seeing it in the day-light a few days later. We saw the tell, but really there is nothing much of historical value there. I think the builders of ancient Jericho used inferior contruction materials (mud-brick) so it just sort of melted away.

From there we arrived at the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem at about 8:00 p.m. It had been a long day.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

JERASH, A CITY OF THE DECAPOLIS

"When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes; two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. . ." (Matthew 8:28)

1-15-08

The text is about Gadara, another city of the Decapolis. It was in that region that Jesus healed the gadarene-demoniacs. I wanted to point out that Jesus performed a miracle in a similarly sized and sophisticated community as Jaresh. Jaresh was a city of Roman design and culture; a city of about 30,000 people. A couple of things impressed me about Jaresh that I found to be true in other Roman ruins as well. Unless the geography forced otherwise, the streets were laid out true north/south and east/west. The stones in the streets were laid in a diagonal pattern so that a wheel would not impact it full-force. The Romans also put in an expansion strip in the streets every 20 feet.

The other matter that impressed me about Jaresh was their theater. It is one of the ways that we know that Jaresh was a community of about 30,000 for the theater had seats for 3,000. This is another example of excellent Roman engineering. Each of our group had an opportunity to stand at the echo center of the theater and speak. No matter where anyone was positioned in the theater, the speaker could be heard. When I had the opportunity to speak from the echo center, it was just like someone put a microphone in my hand and I was speaking through a good PA system. If I stepped one step in any direction, the amplification was gone. Virtually all of us asked, "Why can't we build this way today?"

The 15th began at 5 a.m. because we were to leave Jordan and cross over into Israel. It meant packing all of our baggage into the bus. We packed, ate breakfast and were on the road by 7:30.

After Jaresh, the day was only half over. I will tell you about that tomorrow.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

PETRA PICTURE

This is a picture of the most recognizable ediface in Petra.

PETRA

"Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down declares the Lord" (Obediah verse 4).

1-14-08

Actually, the book of Obediah was written to the Edomites, not the Nabateans who literally carved the city of Petra out of the rocks. But there was a sense in which those who inhabited this area of southwest Jordon thought themselves invincible. After the Edomites were destroyed, the Nabateans moved in and built their civilization. By controlling the trade routes they became very wealthy and powerful, developing a civilization that would last nearly 400 years.

The drive to Petra was 3 1/2 hours. During that time we passed landscape similar to Nevada's; it was extremely barren. Jordan is not an oil-producing state and it gets very little rain. In terms of population, it is about equal to the size of Israel, a little better than 5,000,000. The primary sources of income are phosphate mining and tourism, though there is some agriculture. We saw some greenhouse/nursery operations and some chicken ranches.

What makes Jordan such an important state in the middle east is its leadership. The royal family is highly regarded because their leadership is stable and sound. Jordan is an important dynamic for stability in the region. Any foreign aid we send them is well deserved. Jordan is predominantly Sunni; they are less rigid and easier to get along with.

This day the temperature was in the high 30's and low 40's. As we hiked the 2 1/2 miles into Petra I was glad that I had packed a fairly warm jacket. The city of Petra is a necropolis, a city of the dead. Many of the dwellings carved out of the rock were actually tombs. After the Nabateans left, the Bedouin's used them for dwellings.

Petra was our only site that day. We were there for about 4 hours. By the time we returned to the hotel it was nearly 7 p.m..

The Nabateans had a secure income, secure water and a secure dwelling place, yet when a civilization does not walk in God's ways, it is not secure.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED

"Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. . ." (John 14:1).

It wouldn't have taken much to talk me out of going to the Holy Land. Flying is not one of my favorite things to do. I knew no one else on the tour, and then there is also the question of safety while on the tour. But I had a purpose for wanting to go and resolved to see it through regardless of my anxieties. Once I started on my way to Sioux Falls Regional Airport, I was okay. I experienced anxiety only twice during the trip. Old city Jerusalem is a maze of narrow, crowed streets. I didn't think I would ever get out if I was lost in there, though I think I could handle it now after being in there a couple of times. The other time was when we were taking off on the flight home. The 747 was covered with snow even after a deicing. Even the little Jordanian stewardess, who apparently was a Christian, crossed herself on that very slow lift off. Even in those times, my anxiety was not a problem as I trusted being in God's hands, what ever His purpose may be. What ever a person may do, he cannot escape risk, our times are in God's hands.

We left Sioux Falls at 1:00p.m. on the 12th and arrived in Amman, Jordan at 4:20 on the 13th. We lost 8 hours, crossing 8 time zones. It is almost 6,000 miles from JFK in New York to Amman--not stop. We flew Royal Jordanian Airlines. While on the plane, they served us very well. We couldn't have asked for better service.

It was about a 45 min. drive from the airport to Regency Palace Hotel. The accommodations were excellent and the food is excellent too. There is something for every taste, though it is a thoroughly Mediterranean/Mideast diet. It is good, but after a couple of weeks and American Burger and fries will be a banquet.

Amman is a modern busy city. The four-lane highways are clogged with traffic. The culture is very contemporary. They have about every major American chain from McDonald's, Toys R Us, to a Cadillac-Hummer dealership. Their equivalent to MTV is decidedly Arabic in flavor.

I had talked to Verizon about enabling my phone so that I could use it in Israel. They set me up for that. I had assumed that I would be able to use it in Jordan too--I was wrong. I'll tell you more about that later.

We had to be up at 6:00 a.m. for the 3 1/2 hr. drive to Petra, so I didn't stay up late. We put in long days on this tour! We were not slackers.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

AN INTERNATIONAL LAND

"They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them as priests and a levites, says the Lord" (Isaiah 66:20-21).

One of the thoughts that struck me early on was that the Holy Land is an international land. During Jesus' early life and ministry in Galilee he would have seen, and perhaps, talked to the caravans that travel the road to the sea--the via maris. These caravans came from as far as India and China carrying silks and spices.

Following the fall of the Ottoman empire after WWI, about every country with a state church built a church building in Jerusalem. Each country battled to build the tallest church, I believe the Germans built the tallest. Each of these countries still maintains a presence there.

In Jerusalem there are more tour buses than in Branson, Missouri and each of them is loaded with tourists from many countries. We saw tour groups from Korea, Japan, China and India to name a few. All of them may not have been Christians or Jews, but they all came to see what happened in the Holy Land. It occurred to me that if a person was so motivated to become a tour guide, many seeds of the gospel could be planted without being offensive. The location itself tells the story.

I have the deepest respect for tour bus drivers. They drive those big buses around the narrow streets of Jerusalem without getting a scratch. They maneuver them through seemingly impossible tight spots. I had thought the best drivers were Iowa farmers, but after being in Jerusalem I have changed my mind. If you need a great driver, get a Jerusalem tour bus driver!

Grace&Peace
Tom

THE CHOSEN

"For many are called but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14).

Most of the people who read this blog know that I have been in the the Holy Land during the last couple of weeks, arriving home on the 23rd. I went to the Holy Land with a group from Sioux Falls Seminary. I usually audit a January term class every year at the seminary in the areas of psychology, counseling, marriage and family. This year I saw the offering of an educational Holy Land tour and decided to do that. It was only by the grace of God that I made the trip because I registered at the last possible minute of the last possible day. In fact the one who did the registrations at the seminary for this trip did not think I would be able to go. I tell you all this because on the last day of our tour, the tour guide told us, 'Not everyone who says they want to go comes to the Holy Land. I believe that those who come are chosen.' I'm not sure I agree, yet in my case it certainly seems to be true that the Lord wanted me on this tour.

I had some personal reasons for wanting to go. One was simply to have a greater understanding of the Scriptures so that I could better teach, preach and counsel. We alter our environments, but our environments alter us too. How did the environment of Bible times shape the lives of those who lived in the land of the Bible? Our tour guide told us a story about one tour group that he led that went to the desert where Masada is located. One of the leaders of that group used the bus riding time to preach to his people; he was a Baptist preacher. He condemned the Hebrew people for so quickly falling away from the Lord when they were making their journey to the promised land. He condemned them for their grumbling and complaining. Then the air conditioning on the bus broke down. It was the Baptist preacher that started grumbling and complaining first. Traveling in that desert without food and water would make one wonder if Moses had led them to the desert to die--the environment shaped the people. Experiencing the environment of the area goes a long way towards understanding.

Over the next couple of weeks I will try to share more thoughts about why I was chosen.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

POLITICS AND MENTAL HEALTH

A good friend of mine sent me the results of some Gallup research that I wanted to share with you. Republicans report much better mental health than those of other political persuasions--independents or democrats (http://wwwgallup.com/poll/102943/Republicans-Report-Much-Better-Mental-Health-Than-Others.aspx). It is a very significant difference too--check it out.

I know that independents and democrats have their own theories as to why republicans report much better mental health: republicans are deluded; they think they are exceptional--everyone is out of step but them; etc.

However, I happen to think that the Republicans are, for the most part, Christians. Independents and Democrats would have a much more secular world view. They have a low view of human kind and a high view of secular government and science as the solutions to the world's problems--the chief one being global warming. Liberals are in a constant state of fear and anxiety. Every issue becomes a crisis to them. A little faith can do a lot to increase mental health, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PROPER GROWTH

"But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love" (Ephesians 4:15,16).

I receive a farm journal called FEEDSTUFFS. It deals with the availability of feedstuffs for agribusiness. As I was reading early this morning I read this blurb that was interesting and possibly could make for a good sermon illustration. This blurb is taken from an article written by Dr. M.W. Orth who is associate professor of skeletal biology with the department of animal science at Michigan State University.

"With the advances made in genetics, certain livestock species have attained some impressive growth rates. To try to give some perspective, if a week-old, 10 lb. baby boy grew at the rate of a market pig, he would weigh about 467 lb. at 24 weeks of age. If the same baby grew at the rate of a turkey, he could weigh as much as 1320 lb. at 22 weeks of age. That is more than four times the size of Shaquille O'Neal. In addition, his body composition would likely compare to that of a middle linebacker."

If our children grew that fast we would want to make sure they were properly disciplined early because they could get out of control very quickly!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

REPLY TO BL

BL asked a question that reflects the popular psychology of our time, 'If the marriage is unhappy, isn't that harmful to the kids too?' There is just enough truth in that line of thinking to make it seem that a marriage must be a happy marriage or the children will be damaged. The research does not reflect this. Both boys and girls desperately need their dads for proper development. One huge dynamic of dysfunctional behavior in children and young adults is the lack of Dad's involvement in their lives--just having dad there is important.

Jesus said that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of men's hearts. Indeed, divorce does serve a remedial function. There are marriages that are dysfunctional enough that they put the children and one of the spouses in danger. Affairs, addictions and abuse, the triple A's, are adulterous, being violations of the vows and endangering the family! Even these things do not require divorce in the short term--separation works better for short-term unfaithfulness. But, if any of the triple A's persist over the longer term, then divorce is an acceptable remedy for the sake of the family. The triple A's are so dysfunctional that the children will be damaged if the marriage continues!

But, by far, most marriages end because one, or both, of the spouses is not happy. Children from homes where the marriages are simply "not happy" get along much better, as a whole, than children from divorced parents. It is the right thing to do to stay together for the sake of the children. Personal happiness is not the number one concern here--the children are. Raising the kids until they are 19 is not a life-sentence in "prison"--only a 19+ year one. Then, of course, grandchildren are quite likely on the way. It is right to stay together for the grandchildren too; they need grampa and gramma together. By that time grampa and gramma might have just learned how to be happy in their marriage.

If parents who are not happy in their marriages can, at the very least, learn to be polite to each other in the home, the children will be OK.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

DIVORCE DAMAGES KIDS

"He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse" (Malachi 4:6).

Did you know that only about a third of the kids whose parents are divorcing only get as much as a 10 minute explanation about what is happening and why it is happening. Some just get a single sentence, like "Daddy's gone." How confusing and terrifying that is to a child!! Kids end up paying the price financially, academically, socially, psychologically, emotionally, physically and spiritually. About 60% of kids apparently make it through their parent's divorce OK, but I remember having a 40 year old, and apparently successful, woman in my office who was still agonizing over her parents divorce 25 years ago. Then there are the 40% who require treatment.

The prophet Malachi implies that God will curse the land where parents put their own happiness ahead of the well being of their children and when the children are allowed to rule their parents. Are we there yet?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

Are 29 Dimensions of Compatibility Sufficient?

I have written previously about eHarmony.com's 29 dimensions of compatibility. Being compatible is a good thing--Neil Clark Warren has done a good thing with eHarmony.com. Did you know that there are more than 30,000 marriages a year that result from eHarmony? In about 3 years there should be enough data to do some meaningful research on eHarmony marriages.

I said all that to reaffirm to my vast reading audience that I am not against eHarmony. However, I am going to share a blurb from Christian Counseling Today, by Joshua D. Straub, M.A..

"May I assert, however, this requires humility. . . an attitude of the heart. The famous love passage in 1 Corinthians 13 describes love as patient and kind. It is not envious, proud, rude, self-seeking, or easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, trusts, hopes perseveres, and rejoices with truth. This passage exemplifies the attitude of the heart necessary for the marital relationship to be healthy and satisfying.

"Although similarity may be a factor in marital success, it is only one of the many that must be understood and respected by researchers and clinicians alike. And for the eHarmony couple now living out that good marriage, they must be wary of assuming that compatibility alone will carry them through the troubled times inevitable in any marital relationship..

"We know that marital satisfaction is a function of at least two significant variables: compatibility and the attitude of the heart. Especially a man or woman after God's own heart."

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I wrote a letter to the editor of the Sioux City Journal in response to a column written by Leonard Pitts Jr. titled by the Journal, "Looking for Some Answers From God." Pitts' column was in response to the revelation that for the last 50 years of her life, Mother Teresa felt spiritually abandoned and cut off from God. She felt no Presence. She felt alone. Pitts' column is a conversation with God. Pitts humorously asks God at one point, Do you have any idea how much easier you make it for atheists when you act like this?" It was a good column!

My response was this: I thoroughly enjoyed reading Leonard Pitts', Looking for Some Answers From God." The feeling of being abandoned by God that Mother Teresa felt is a common experience of being human. Those who work in tragic and difficult situations, as she did, almost uniformly have the same experience and those who are grieving experience it too. Several prominent Biblical figures, including Jesus Christ himself, experienced it, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" he said in his last moments. The Psalmist cried out, How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" Within the pages of scripture these honest expressions of anger toward God are allowed. This emotional honesty is one of the reasons I believe the Bible to be the "real deal."

Since what Mother Teresa experienced is pretty much the normal human experience, atheists are left with a couple of problems, why is there any faith in God at all? And, why would this God be thought of as being loving and caring?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

A HISTORY LESSON

"Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come" (I Corinthians 10:11).

I was just reading an op-ed piece by Paul Greenburg in which he makes a great quote for all of us to remember.

"For there will always be those who think of the past as only something to out grow, not to learn from."

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LABOR DAY 2007 GRATITUDE

Oh Lord!,

I thank you that you did not make me a Michigan fan! Amen!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

VOICES SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

". . . his sheep follow him because they know his voice" (John 10:4).

What does the Good Shepherd's voice sound like?

You can tell a lot about a person simply by listening to the sound of their voice. From the quality of a person's voice a one can estimate height, weight and age as accurately as from viewing a photo--an have a very good estimation of physical attractiveness too.

Physically attractive people tend to have more attractive voices, so when you are working on your body image do not forget your voice image. To get an idea of what you sound like to others, audio record, better yet, video record yourself. Attractive voices are variable from dynamic to soft and even monotone if needed, depending on the situation at hand. Authoritative, assertive voices drop in pitch. The voices of intimidated people tend to rise in pitch.

The voice of the Good Shepherd is the voice of authority. The voice of the Good Shepherd is the voice of truth. The voice of the Good Shepherd is the voice of love and tenderness. His voice has the full range of expression. What is your voice like?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

Today is the 37th anniversary of the marriage of Thomas E. Steele to Helen M. Steele. I posted this so that you could, in the words of my friend Zach, 'cheer us on.' I mumble and grumble a lot, but the truth be told, most of the best things in my life I owe to Helen--really the God who made provision that we should be together. Helen is probably the only woman in the world who could deal with me, the rest of them would have said, "I'm outta here" a long time ago.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

DISCIPLINE UNDER THE NEW COVENANT

"But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like. I warn you , as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:18-24).

Probably the most salient reason why church folks want to be under the law is the fear of lawlessness if there is no law. But, are our people in the churches or the culture at large following the law any way? No! The reason they are not has nothing to do with the lack of10 commandment preaching. It has everything to do with bringing folks to Christ with unchanged hearts. They continue to be creatures of the culture at large first concerned with matters of the flesh rather than matters of the Spirit.

Living by the law of love seems to be too "loosy goosy" for a lot of folks; they want something with more structure. The problem is that they disregard the structure anyway. The new covenant is not with out law and structure. None of the old covenant is in force except what Jesus and the apostles brought into the new covenant. An this is the law that has always been in force, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all you soul and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself'"(Matthew 22:36-39). Or, as Paul stated about love for neighbor, he said, "Bear one an other's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

Living by the law of love is living by the Spirit. That is a little too subjective for a lot of folks since we can all make the claim that love had something to do with our actions. So when discipline under the new covenant has to be done--and it does even though discipline is seldom, if ever, done any more in the churches, Paul shows us what is of the flesh and what is of the Spirit. If there are personal problems or church problems, those who are mature need to ask, "Where is this problem coming from? The Spirit or the flesh?" Let those who are involved answer. After reading this text the answer should be self evident. Those who love the Lord will ask forgiveness. They may need some help with skill development, but they are teachable. Those who only have excuses and blame are unworkable. These are the ones who still live by the flesh and there is little hope for them.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LIVING UNDER THE NEW COVENANT

In the last few weeks I have managed to alienate most of the people around me. I thought I would write this and finish the job of alienating every one. A week ago I preached a sermon called, The Law of Moses and Salvation. Afterwards a couple of leaders from the congregation came to me disagreeing with what I said. They contended that the Law is still in force--it has not been done away. I again cited to them the words of Paul in Galatians 5:4 "....you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." Anyone who trusts in his own good works for salvation has fallen from grace. We might live very good lives, but as James said, "For who ever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all" (James 2:10). That is why every one of us needs a savior! We all stand guilty before God! In Revelation 21:8 there are some frightening words, "But for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." With out Jesus, that is what we all are--we are guilty! Hell is our destination! Law keeping cannot save us! "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did; sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin. He condemned sin in the flesh so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:3-4).

Jesus did not come into the world to slap a new patch on an old system or to pour new wine into old containers--it just would not work! (Matthew 9:16-17). The problem with the Law was that it could not change hearts! As God said through Jeremiah about His people, "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked each one in the stubbornness of his evil heart. . ." (11:8). God says about humanity in general, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). So, a heart change is necessary! That could only happen with a new covenant--all new.

God is after our hearts and the way that He gets them is through the great expression of His love. He created us because He loves us. He redeemed us through the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ because He loves us. If His love does not draw us, nothing will. If His love does not motivate us to serve Him, nothing will, even the threat of hell. As Paul said, "For the love of Christ controls us...he died for all so that they who live might no longer liver for themselves but for Him who died on their behalf" (II Corinthians 5:14-15).

Christians serve God from their hearts. If they serve under threat of Divine punishment then their service is of law rather than grace and is of no credit to them. God wants willing service from our hearts. Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:23, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers." Worshipping God in spirit has to do with our spirit--it is from our heart. True worship comes from the heart! Paul says something similar about giving our offerings, "Each must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (IICorinthians 9:7). We are not under the law to be held accountable for tithing--God wants us to give generously from the heart!

Living under the new covenant is wonderful--we have freedom and infinite pardon. We enter it because of God's love for us and we respond in faith to it. We enter it something like marriage, because we respond to God's love in Jesus and we love Him. We trust in Him. We make a commitment to Him in that our flesh no longer has the first claim on our lives, but God does. And both God and us sign the covenant agreement in the blood of Jesus in Christian baptism (I Peter 3:21).

Grace&Peace;
Tom

GOD'S POLITICS

How quickly a month passes! I'm sorry it has been so long since my last post--I have had a lot on my plate that has occupied my mind. Even this post is short, but one that I found amusing and wanted to pass along to you.

"A wise man's heart inclines him toward the right, but a fool's heart toward the left" (Ecclesiastes 10:2).

Enough said.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

UNAPPRECIATED SATIRE

I have been thinking about the 29 dimensions of compatibility that eharmony.com uses to match up people into couples. If the NAA is not included, a potential couple does not stand a chance of making is. Anyone who is really familiar with personality testing knows that if the NAA is not factored in, the validity of the testing is open to serious question because, as the late, great Steve McQueen said, "Racing is life." According to Iowa State University psychological testing, the NASCAR ATTITUDES ASSESSMENT is not religious, nor in any way "spiritual" and therefore can be used as a personality inventory for the football program. All new recruits will be evaluated on the basis of their NAA score. That is how important and valid the NAA is in determining compatibility.

All NAA questions have four possible answers. Circle the one that best fits your feeling: 1. Strongly agree; 2. Agree; 3. Somewhat agree; 4. Will leave and go home to mother.

Sample questions:

1. I would love to spend my honeymoon at Bristol, Tennessee for a NASCAR race.

2. I wear a Matt Kenseth Dewalt-powertools jacket and tie for formal wear.

3. I think of down-field blocking as just another form of bump-drafting.

4. I think of marriage as a 500 mile race.

The NAA is to be administered by professionals only! Conclusions drawn by anyone else could cause a couple to crash and burn. Anyone in need of premarital counseling needs to take the NAA.

One's mind can wander while mowing the yard, especially when it is a large yard like the one at My Father's House. After listening to many radio ads for Eharmony.com about the 29 dimensions of compatibility I thought, "I wonder if they left one out--the NAA" It is true that relationships work better if there is personality compatibility, but 29 dimensions of compatibility does not a soul-mate make. This is sacred ground that cannot be fully understood by social science, but only by the Spirit. I wonder what the divorce rate is for the matches of Eharmony.com?

Then there is Iowa State University. The football coach there wants to have a chaplain for the football team. The University has been anti Christian lately, denying tenure to professor Gonzales, a highly respected professor in physics and astronomy because he wrote a book, The Privileged Plant. That book is a testimony to his belief in intelligent design. The same gang of professors out to deny tenure to professor Gonzales want to deny chaplaincy for the football program on the grounds of separation of church and state. The thing is, chaplaincy is a respected institution in our country from the very beginning. If the framers of the constitution believed that separation of church and state denied a chaplaincy, there would have been no chaplains from the very beginning--so was the reasoning of Justice Warren Burger in affirming the validity of chaplaincy.

Iowa State will never have a generally successful athletic program as long as a gang of professors circulating petitions is allowed to make decisions for the administration.

These were some of the thoughts that were behind that bit of mild satire--though I doubt that anyone was really interested.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PORNOGRAPHY DESTROYS LOVE

"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. . ." (I Corinthians 13:4-8a).

"A ChristiaNet.com and Second Glance Ministries poll found 20% of Christian women (vs 50% of Christian men) are addicted to pornography. Sixty percent of women respondents admitted to significant struggles with lust, 40% admitted being involved in sexual sin in the past year, and 20% of church-going female participants struggled with viewing pornography." (Foster Report, Christian Counseling Connection).

These are astounding numbers, even if the research is flawed, which I think it is, half those numbers are huge. How do they define addiction? How do they define lust? How large is the sample? These are some of the questions that need to be asked. There are those who do ask the question, what is the harm in pornography? It is harmful because it is addictive, needing more and greater stimulation to receive the same "high." Thus it leads to all kinds of perversity, physically abusive and even homicidal results.

The biggest problem with pornography is it teaches that another person has no value except what they can do for me, completely contradicting the teaching of the Scriptures. The Bible says that each person has value, not because of what they can produce, but because God created them and Jesus died for them.

God created us as sexual beings. Sex is good, but it is of the flesh. The flesh does not come first--the Spirit does! Keep it in that order and you will have the best sex--I promise!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

Our Irrational Beliefs

"The word of the Lord came to me again:'What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die'" (Ezekiel 18:1-4).

I know, I have used that text many times. It is almost a proof text for me, but it is a very important text in the Scripture because it emphasizes our personal responsibility to God. We blame our sinfulness on "original sin," how our mothers treated us or because our fathers were not involved in our lives or because of some other trauma that we experienced. I know these kinds of things do have some power, but they are not determiners of our behavior!

The Scripture says that the just shall live by faith, meaning faith in Christ. In reality, everyone lives by faith, but most of the time our beliefs are irrational. The reason the past has power over our lives is because of how we think about it. The reason present problems cause depression and anxiety is because of what we believe about them.

I've said all this to lead up to this quote by Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational-Emotive-behavioral therapy, who, himself, suffers with the irrational belief in atheism, which I want to share with you: "The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny." I think he and God agree.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PRAYER

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:11-13).

We have had quite a lot happening around our place lately, and it looks like it will be that way for much of the summer. Soooo, my postings will probably be a little more infrequent, and/or a little more borrowed. This posting is like that. I found the following quotes about prayer in Christian Counseling Today by Harold Koenig M.D. that I wanted to share with you all.

"I have seen prayer active in the lives of many patients in my clinical practice, so I don't need scientific proof of this. In the early days of my work as a family physician, I would often ask patients, 'What enables you to cope with the stress of your medical illness? What keeps you going, despite these difficult circumstances?' Patients would so often tell me that it was prayer."

"I have also had patients tell me how prayer for them or a loved one changed the course of an illness and doctors could not explain it. Even more often though, patients report to me that prayer changes how they view their illness or the situations they are in."

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE FAMILY TABLE

"And when it was evening he came with the twelve. And as they were at the table eating, Jesus said. . . ." (Mark 14:17,18).

The some of the greatest memories are those surrounding the family table. I was cleaning the house, preparing for the arrival of a former minister and his wife. [Our church is celebrating its 125th anniversary. As part of the celebration, former ministers and "Timothy's" have been invited to speak the first Sunday of each month during the year. Helen and I are hosting this month, June.] As I changed the table cloth I remembered that this table is one that our guests would have gathered around, and eaten from, many years ago because this is the only table I remember being in my childhood home during their ministry with us. Returning to the farm in 1980, Helen and I inherited the table and raised our own children around it.

I suppose if this table were sold at an auction that it would bring very little. The legs have an ornate design, but the top is somewhat of an embarrassment to look at, and that is why it stays covered with a table cloth. Yet, that table tells the story of the Steele family history in a way no written word can tell. So, it will live on in our home until the day of my passing comes. Perhaps it will find its way to an auction where it will be sold for a "song." Who would want a table with a linoleum top? The top is a testimony to my mother's thrifty practicality--it is great for cutting up meat or processing vegetables. There is a burn mark in that linoleum table top from the time in 1953 during a terrible storm and the electricity was out that my sisters tried to make some light by starting a fire in a pan, my parents being occupied by livestock.

It is around this table that we started every meal with prayer, asking God's blessing on what we were about to eat. Food is always more filling and nourishing when it is eaten with gratitude and God's blessing, and with six hungry children, food needed all the blessing it could get. Dad always ended his prayers at that table with, "Bless this food to its intenda juice." I pondered for a long time what intenda juice was until I came home from college one time and heard, "intended use." The lessons about prayer that I learned from dad around that table I have tried to teach and model for my own children and grandchildren around that same old table.

I remember a lot of good times, important discussions, fellowship with dear friends and ministers. I bought my first life insurance policy at that old table. There were has been anger shown there, tears shed there, belly laughs laughed there, games played there and a lot of food and drinks spilled there. This is all normal stuff for raising a family and having friends. The rungs show the wear of all the big and little feet that have been there.

Helen has never complained about keeping that old dining-room table around. I suppose that is partly because she has a lot of history with that table too, and because she is like my mom, a practical woman who can use a sturdy table with a linoleum top, as well as being able to put up with my "quirkiness." Someday that table will probably sell at an auction for very little, but the memories, of which it bears the marks, are priceless!

Go now. Find a good sturdy dining-room table that you can make some good family memories around and make them. A good family table will always remind you of the really important things.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

COMMUNICATION PATTERNS IN MARRIAGE

"A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike; to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in his right hand" (Proverbs 27:15-16).

The most complimentary writing about a woman is found in Proverbs 31--she definitely was not a contentious woman. Scattered throughout Proverbs are references to the contentious woman. This proves that in whatever culture in whatever period of time human nature has not changed very much.

Communication patterns are at the center of the success of a marriage. One of the things premarital counselors should evaluate are the communication patterns of the engaged couple because it is communication patterns that are pretty reliable predictors of the success of the marriage. Negative patterns are far more predictive than positive ones. It takes 5 to 20 positive comments to equal the power of 1 negative comment. Sometimes with a nagging and critical spouse in marriage counseling it is hard to find a positive comment. It is hard for a marriage to survive a contentious woman----or man. Predicting the success of a marriage is almost as simple as doing the math. If there are at least 5 positives to 1 negative comment in their communication, they will probably do OK. If there is less than that, there will be trouble.

Here are some negative communication patterns that are extremely destructive to a marriage:
1) Withdrawal--men are most guilty of this. Working late, hobbies and activities which become excuses for not being with spouse. All of this busyness says something, thus it is communication.

2) Escalation--raising of voice or anything that raises the temperature--slamming a door.

3) Invalidation--name calling, rolling eyeballs, heavy breathing, the silent treatment(this could be the worst).

4) Negative interpretation--when even a spouse's positives become a negative if the motive is believed to be negative. The spouse can do nothing right. When communication is in this mode the marriage will not turn around unless there is a miraculous change in perspective!

Check out your communication patterns! Are you a contentious woman----or man?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

INVITING MORE TROUBLE

"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first" (Luke 11:24-30).

Problem solving is complex. Apparent solutions can simply lead to more problems. It has long been my belief that changes can be made in a person's life, in a business, in a church or an institution, but unless the necessary changes are made, all other changes are meaningless. According to the cited Scripture text, they can be worse than meaningless, they can actually invite more trouble. One can change addresses, jobs, bosses and spouses, but if the personal changes are not made that need to be made, it is opening up the door to something worse. It isn't enough to rid one's life of a demon. One has to fill his life with something to take the demon's place. The something that takes the demon's place has to be the right stuff. The Greek word translated, "put in order" literally means to decorate, adorn." That decoration was done from the set of values that got the man in trouble the first time; what needed to be changed was not changed. As a result the demon returned with seven other demons. And the man was worse off than before.

When the values of the world (kosmeo, to decorate or adorn) are the values that order our lives, then we invite more trouble into our lives. It is such a sad thing that Christians and churches look to the world for their standards of success and worth. Actually, it is hard not to do since we are surrounded by the world. Nevertheless, it is by faith that we look at God's standards of morality, success, achievement, value and personal worth and use them to order our lives.

In focusing on solutions for our problems it is absolutely necessary that we understand the road that led us to the problems we have and change directions. That is repentance. The failing to do this is inviting more trouble into our lives.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

BACKWARDS BILL---LIVES WAY UP ON BACKWARDS HILL

Conan O'Brien reported this little news blurb: "The Washington Post reports that Sen. Hillary Clinton is trying to win the Democratic nomination by reaching out to women. After hearing this, Bill Clinton said, 'Oh sure, when she does it, it's OK.'"

Blessings,
Tom

SHOW YOURSELF A MAN

"When David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, 'I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and SHOW YOURSELF A MAN, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses . . ." (I Kings 2 :1-3).

It is Friday and I need to have a sermon on Sunday. My mind is a little barren right now so I needed some inspiration as to where to start with a sermon. Perhaps "googling" is not the best place to start, but that is what I did. I "googled" Sunday Sermons. What I found were some sermons by Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday was a professional baseball player from 1883-1891, making $5,000 a year. During that time Billy became a Christian and became convicted to become a preacher of the gospel. He then made $75 a month. During the 40 some years of his ministry it is estimated that 300,000 people came to believe in Jesus.

The title "Show Yourself a Man" was interesting to me. In his sermon he talks about biblical manhood. It's a great sermon and it is really one for both genders. Being a man isn't about having a pair of "big-ones," but it is about having courage enough to walk in God's ways. Sampson was a man full of testosterone but small in self-control.

I'm not going to do Sunday's sermon as written, but it is a good place to start.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LIFE IS HOW YOU LOOK AT IT

"We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Alex and his grampa were wrestling on the family room floor. After a short time, grampa got Alex pinned on the floor. Grampa was laughing out loud when he said to Alex, "I've got you down now." Alex giggled as he replied, "No, grampa, I've got you up."

Alex did have his grampa "up." He was receiving his grand father's full attention. He could look at his situation in a completely different way because he knew that he was loved. We are loved by our Heavenly Father so we are able to look at the events of our lives in a completely different way too. Christians should not look on the dark side of things even though there are many dark things happening. It is my natural tendency to look at life through "dark glasses;" I have to work at being optimistic. A little lesson from a child reminds me that life is a whole lot better if we have love and faith enough to look at it in a different way. Quoting again from Romans, "'For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No! In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us!" (Romans 8:36-37).

Grace&Peace,
Tom