PROPHECY OF THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,

Tom

GOT IMMORTALITY?

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LOVE IS . . .

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHAT IS YOUR TREASURE?

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

DO ATHEISTS PRAY?

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

MARRIAGE THOUGHTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

MAKING PLANS?

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHATS WITH AMERICAN JEWS?

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,

Tom

THE BLESSING OF SELF-SACRIFICE

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THANK YOU, LORD, FOR MY FRIENDS

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

FRIENDSHIP

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LOVE IS . . .

Love is holding on, and love is letting go.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

A THOUGHT ABOUT TRANSFORMATION

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

SUFFERING NATURAL CONSEQUENCES IS IMPORTANT

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

HELP! I'M LOSING MY FAITH

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

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

ONE LIKE MOSES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. They both came out of Egypt.

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

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

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

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

*

Grace&Peace,

Tom

LOVE INVENTORY, part 2

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,

Tom

THE LOVE INVENTORY

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,

Tom

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

ADDENDUM TO THE BLESSINGS OF WORK

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

BREAKING NEWS

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE BLESSING OF WORK

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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE

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

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

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

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

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

*

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

*

Grace&Peace,

Tom

THE LIES WE BELIEVE ABOUT MARRIAGE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

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

CITY OF DAVID

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,

Tom

JESUS' BAPTISM IN THE PROPHETS?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,

Tom

MY TWO UNCLES: THE MALE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

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

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

BETHLEHEM IN PROPHECY

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,

Tom

WORD PICTURES OF TRUST

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

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

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE TIME IS FULFILLED

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

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

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

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

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

Grace&Peace,

Tom

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

ENTROPY HAPPENS

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Entropy is a scientific word. It defines the inevitable movement from order to disorder. It defines the movement of all matter and all energy as it moves toward a state of inert uniformity. It defines the loss of information in a transmitted message, and the inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or a society.

There is entropy in every human relationship. Every relationship will come apart unless something holds it together. It takes commitment. It takes love. It takes faith, and it takes energy! That means, husbands, that you need to give your marriage some extra attention--give your wife some flowers! And when she says, "Oh, flowers again," you might have to give her a new house. If all of that fails, you might try listening to her to find out what she is really saying. Listening is work. It takes effort, but it is the best gift we can give to our wives, or to anyone.

The good news about the entropy that is always present in a relationship is that it can be reversed, but it takes energy guided by Wisdom and Love to do it. That is what is meant by "redeeming the time." Redeeming has to do with buying. The Bible says we must invest our time and ourselves to renew relationships, and to make new ones, in these present evil and entropic days. As Christian people, we have a decision to make. Will we just let entropy happen? Or, will we embrace the One who can reverse entropy and walk with Him and be like Him? "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

SIMEON'S PRAYER

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel" (Words of the aged Simeon who wanted to see the Messiah before he died. Luke 2:29-32).

For me, one of the most inspiring moments of my tour in the Holy Land was the visit to the wailing wall. A military swearing-in ceremony was about to begin. Some young soldiers were flirting with the college women in our group. The atmosphere was such that one couldn't help but think of the huge amount of history connected with this place and the dramatic history that will yet happen in this place.

I am not going to do an unbroken series on prophecy, but through the remainder of the year I do plan to write about Biblical prophecy. I will hit some of the high spots, but I do not plan to be sensational. There is a lot of sensationalism and pseudo scholarship in the popular writings about prophecy. In the ebb and flow of human events there have been an abundance of predictors and date-setters who have ignored the Lord's words, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority" (Acts 1:7) and have gone on to make identifications and set dates that the grinding-wheels of time have ground to dust. When Isaac Newton predicted that the Lord would not return before 2060 his purpose was not to set a date, but to discourage the date-setters of the 17th century--they were an embarrassment.

During the time of Simeon, because of the prophecies of the Old Testament, there was a great deal of Messianic expectation. His request was to see the Messiah. God granted that request.

At the wailing wall one immediately notices the fervency of prayer by those who are there (I wonder what Obama prayed for?) and the prayer papers jammed into the wall. Most of them are for the Messiah to come, not recognizing that the Messiah has already come. My prayer is that they will recognize Jesus the Messiah and find salvation in Him. My prayer is also like Simeon's prayer in that I would like be alive to witness Jesus' second-coming. I was born in the closing days of 1947, the year of discovery of the dead-sea scrolls, very near the birth year of the modern state of Israel, 1948, both of which I consider to be evidence of Divine providence. Perhaps the generation that was born during that time will not pass away before the return of the Messiah comes to pass. We will see.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

SEEN ANY FAMILIAR HANDS LATELY?

"Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them,'Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe'" (John 20:24-25).

As we were closing our family reunion and saying our "good-byes" my cousin shared with me a comment that her 30-something-year-old daughters made about me. She said, "hold out your hands." So I did. Then she said, "look at them," which I did with a puzzled look on my face. She said, "My daughters noticed the resemblance of your hands to my dad's hands. The way they are freckled is the same and your fingers are the same. Wow! My cousin's dad, my uncle, has been dead for about 10 years. It is so interesting to me that these adult women, even after 10 years, would recognize the similarity of my hands to their grampa's hands. I knew my uncle Harold well. The only way he would have used those hands would have been in a loving and helping way. To me it is an honor to have hands that look like my uncle's.

Noticing hands--is that a female thing? I think so. I think this little story says something about the importance of dad's and grampa's in the lives of their little girls.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PS: I promise, I will write more about prophecy this week.

IN THE LIGHT OF PROPHECY

". . .no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions" (2 Peter 1:21-2:1).

I am not doing too well with my writing. Even this little blurb will be short because it has been a looong day. Helen and I have had the blessing of spending a lot of time with our grandchildren during the last couple of weeks, and now during this week we have two of them, Alex and Samantha all to our selves. On top of that, we are watching our grand dog, Barkley, a six-month old rat terrier. I, of course, have a farm to run and people to pastor so I should try to do some actual work once in a while. The Fredenberg reunion, my mom's side of the family, is this weekend. Helen and I have a lot to do to host that too. So it is a very busy time. My mind has been tired and numb--I just haven't felt like writing. I do want to write a little now to get you faithful readers set up for next week.

How do we know a thing to be true? The scientific method has reigned supreme in finding and verifying truth in the physical universe. The historical method is used to find the truth about the happenings of human events. One of the legitimate ways of knowing is Biblical revelation. Revelation is information that we could not know unless God revealed it. There are times when it appears that the Bible is at odds with science or with history. When that is the case, I stand with the Bible because neither the scientific method or the historical method have been perfect in the quest for truth.

One of the hallmarks of Biblical revelation is predictive prophecy. About 29 per cent of the Old Testament and 22 per cent of the New Testament is predictive prophecy. That is the subject I would like to discuss over the next 2-3 posts starting next week.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

BACK FROM VACATION

"To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).

I'm back, but not quite ready to start writing. My family and I have been on vacation. My mind is still there and that is death for my writing, but it was great for our family. We were all together at Rebecca's house in California. The grandchildren are growing so fast! That is why it is important for us all to be together at once. The kids need to understand the family, its beliefs, values, priorities and traditions so that they will be better able to know who they are as they build relationships with those outside of the family.

Hopefully, next week I will be writing something prophetic.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHAT TECHNIQUE?

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. . .'" (John 11:25,26).

"For the wise men of old, the cardinal problem of human life was how to conform the soul to objective reality, and the solution was wisdom, self-discipline, and virtue. For the modern mind, the cardinal problem is how to subdue reality to the wishes of man, and the solution is technique" (The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis).

The quote from Lewis reminded me of the years when I was teaching as an adjunct professor at Nebraska Christian College. For grading, I placed a high value on questions that the students asked and one of the most common questions asked by female students (I do not recall male students asking the question with very much frequency) was, "What technique works best when . . .?" I should have done more to help them understand their own need to be controlling! Counseling is more than bringing short-term changes of behavior, but it involves changing a life. Sometimes, life-changing can make things worse rather than better in the short term, but the long-term changes are the ones that matter. Short-term changes may result from manipulation, but long-term changes result from being introduced to Reality.

I am going to take a 2-week vacation from posting--I just wanted to warn you faithful readers so that you wouldn't worry about me.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

DELIVER US FROM EVIL 2

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8).

Satan resides in many places, sabotaging much of the good that is being done. One of those places is our institutions of higher learning, where Satan is thought not to exist.

"Fifteen of the thirty most trusted advisers to Adolf Hitler held doctorate degrees. Some of them were medical doctors. These white collar criminals conducted a reign of terror exceeded only by those of Stalin and Mao. [I think I need to add that the murderous leaders of radical Islam are doctors and engineers. They are the masterminds. They recruit the poor and the ignorant to do their bidding.]

"The American psychologist appointed to examine accused Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials said that the Nazi inmates had one thing in common -- 'all lacked empathy.' They did not feel the suffering of their victims. They were devoid of compassion. Such a state is the precursor of cruelty and is the essence of the satanic spirit. lucifer (I refuse to capitalize his name) is the destroyer precisely because he is incapable of love, devoid of compassion. Christ is the Savior precisely because He is love. The Holy Spirit is a counter presence to apollyon in the world because the Holy Spirit is love. He stirs us to the deepest empathy. He builds, nurtures, and protects, rather than destroys. Empathy may be the most powerful healing reality in any therapist."

Education is a good thing, but when the Spirit is not present the evil one turns the educated one into a clever devil. Love, joy peace, gentleness goodness, patience, faithfulness and self-control indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit. If these are not present then it is quite possible that satan is involved--beware!!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

DELIVER US FROM EVIL

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13).

I have been reading a booklet by one of my seminary professors, who is also a friend and brother in Christ, Dr. Bruce Parmenter. The title of it is The Holy Spirit: Primary Change Agent in Pastoral Care and Counseling and in all Psychotherapy. This post, and the next one, will be quotes from his booklet on the subject of evil.

Evil is much more than the absence of good -- it is not explained by the absence of education, "enlightenment," good nutrition, clean air, and nurturing love for every child -- for evil is present when all of the above grace human culture. The most evil acts in history occurred in recent times in the twentieth century with humankind presumably in its most advanced stage, when technology, medicine, psychology and philosophy had reached never before dreamed of sophistication. But that same twentieth century was also the culmination of a period of severe secularization, beginning with the so-called "Enlightenment," about four hundred years ago. Darwinian evolutionism gave a strong boost to the notion that the origin and process of life could be explained in naturalistic terms. God was no longer required for the explanation of anything. The intellectual universe in the academy and therefore in general culture became naturalistic, reductionistic, and non-transcendent. Matter reigned over spirit. The only spirit admitted to discussion was the spirit of man. "Holy Spirit" became an anachronism.

Tom's comment: evil has its greatest opportunity when it is not believed to exist and when destructive, irresponsible and criminal behavior are only sicknesses and disorders.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

STEELE'S REPENTENCE INVENTORY (The top 10 indications that one might need to change)

"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. . ." (Acts 17:30-31).

10. If you never pass a mirror you do not like.

9. If you think the "see-food diet" is the best.

8. If you use Master Card to pay Visa, and vice versa.

7. If you, after looking at the family tree, see that you are the sap running through it.

6. If you discover that one of the songs your wife is planning to use at your funeral service is,
"I Guess He'd Rather be in Colorado."

5. If you have ever been stopped by a patrolman and he didn't have enough tickets in his
book to cover all the violations.

4. If you have ever been picked out of a police lineup.

3. If your mother has said to you, "May be you shouldn't come home for Christmas next year."

2. If you have ever been invited to join a small group of family and friends, and one of them said
to you, "We are having this intervention because. . ."

1. THIS ONE IS COMPLETELY SERIOUS--If you do not believe that you need to. God will not
work with the one who refuses to repent or change his way of thinking.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

STEELE'S DEPRESSION INVENTORY (for adults)

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18).

In the first of my "Getting a Life" series I promised I would write later about the importance of measuring gratitude on my depression inventory. Typically, there are 21 symptom-attitude categories that are measured in a depression inventory: 1) mood; 2) pessimism; 3) sense of failure; 4) lack of satisfaction; 5) guilty feeling; 6) sense of punishment; 7) self-dislike; 8) self accusations; 9) suicidal wishes; 10) crying spells; 11) irritability; 12) social withdrawal; 13) indecisiveness; 14)distortion of body image; 15) work inhibition; 16) sleep disturbance; 17) fatigability; 18) loss of appetite; 19) weight loss; 20) somatic preoccupation; and 21) loss of libido (Beck/Beamesderfer Depression Inventory).

Though I do not have a great deal of research to back me up, I do believe that gratitude assessment should be included as a separate category in the depression inventory because gratitude is a characteristic of a psychologically healthy human adult. It is probably more important to measure gratitude as an independent category than loss of libido since there is a great amount of variation of libido among both men and women and the presence of gratitude is expected in every case of a psychologically healthy human adult. A lack of gratitude may indicate something other than depression, but it is certainly symptomatic of it.

I found a couple of interesting articles that tend to support my contention. One is an abstract found on the National Association of School Psychologists site, http://www.naspondine.org/publications/spf/issue2_1frohabstract.aspx The abstract of some research done on elementary students said that the daily counting of blessings for a two-week period of time resulted in improved school satisfaction as well as improved social and emotional functioning. This was true at retest 3 weeks later.

Another is found at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/064/gratitude.html One of the gratitude factors discussed in this article is the impact gratitude has on physical health. The person with gratitude will live longer and be healthier in the process than those with low levels of gratitude. Gratitude is more important to one's health than the nutritional value of the food one eats! A prayer of thanksgiving for a crust of bread makes it more nutritious than a banquet eaten without prayer.

I believe it is essential to assess gratitude as an independent category by asking questions that deal with the frequency of the feelings of thanksgiving and the perception of the motive behind the good things that happen. The answers to these support the depression inventory in the indication of the presence of depression and the degree of depression.

In any case, gratitude is an essential component of a healthy life!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE

"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the LAKE that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death"(Revelation 21:8).

It's great! Celtics over the Lakers in game 1 of the NBA finals! Celtics/Lakers, a great traditional rivalry. Just when we were worried about global warming, high gas prices, Islamic jihad and high taxes, we are brought back to reality. God is still on the throne, the Celtics are still playing the Lakers for the championship and the warning of Revelation 21:8 is still true. Being that kind of "Laker" is rather painful, to say the least.

Go Celtics!!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GETTING A LIFE 6: THE GRACE FACTOR

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

One can't "get a life" without grace. Literally, every breath one takes is a gift of grace because, ". . . He Himself gives to all peoples life and breath and all things" (Acts 17:25 b). The very fact that we are physically alive is a grace-gift from God. And because of His love for all people, God has offered a special gift to all who will receive it through faith, salvation in Jesus Christ.

Many things might come to mind when you think of salvation, one of them surely is heaven and being safe there. But that is the only part of salvation that is safe. One doesn't have to die to begin to experience salvation--it begins with the presence of The Holy Spirit in our lives (Acts 2:38). One of the universal doctrines of Christendom is the presence of The Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. Being saved may make us think of safety, but God is not safe--He is dangerous. The Spirit in our lives will work little by little to make us whole (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The journey to "wholeness" can be adventurous, dangerous and painful, but it is also a joyful experience when it is understood with the mind of faith. One of the commands of Scripture is, "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). It is dangerous to "pour cold water" on His work in our lives!!!

Being aware of the presence and work of The Holy Spirit in our lives as a grace-gift helps us to understand the significance of each day as we experience it--there are no days with out meaning. Each day is another day that God uses to make you a little more like Christ.

When you have God you have a life!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GETTING A LIFE 5: EXPECT, AND EMBRACE, PAIN

"Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (James 1:2-3).

Change doesn't come without challenge or pain. We would all like it to be painless, but the reality is that it is not. So, expect challenge and expect pain, but learn to view it as constructive. It is part of building a new and better life. It hurts, but it is good hurt. Early mornings, late nights, sore muscles, fatigued bodies, fatigued brains, rejection slips and rejection, diet restriction and loneliness are some of the good hurts that one has to endure on the way to getting a life, but in the long-run they are a blessing!!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GETTING A LIFE 4: A COMPELLING VISION

"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10).

There are two factors necessary for change: 1) A strong dissatisfaction with where you are now; 2) A compelling vision for the future. Without these you will always continue to be as you are. For Abraham, about whom the text was written, both of these factors came about because he believed God--because of his faith. On this earth, Abraham never found the city. Perhaps it might be that on this earth our vision for the future will never be realized, nevertheless, the sin is in not venturing, not trying. Our vision might have to be adjusted to reality--the city of God will never be seen on this fallen earth. That being said, it is also true that as a result of his vision, Abraham still had a wonderful and fulfilled life, becoming the father of those who have faith. In Heaven his vision is realized!

Living a rich life means that there is an old life that has to be walked away from! Even with a compelling vision, there will be misgivings about doing it! Do you suppose that Abraham had some misgivings about walking away from his life in Ur? I'm sure he did, but that is part of the territory--that is part of the price of leaving. It is a normal part of the human experience. One shouldn't view these misgivings as a sign of making a big mistake. Having misgivings is only a characteristic of the loss experience one has as a result of making a change.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GETTING A LIFE 3: BE WILLING TO TAKE A RISK

"Who (Jesus) gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (emphasis mine) people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14 KJV).

Having a life means the willingness to take a risk--the risk to do good. Jesus strongly teaches that the unwillingness to take a risk is wickedness (See the parable of the talents in Matthew 25). Life is an adventure. As human beings, unless God specially gifts us, we cannot know the future--we cannot know the outcome. One of the characteristics of God's people that makes their lives different is that they are willing to embrace risk-taking, the risk-taking done for Him.
But of one outcome that they can be absolutely sure is that God will bless the risk taken for Him.

Risk-taking is not recklessness. Recklessness is thoughtlessness, as when one exposes himself to danger without thinking it through. The Godly risk-taker has thought it through and has come to the conclusion, "It is worth the risk." Former Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, once said, "In crises, the most daring course is often the safest." That was one of his guiding principles of foreign policy--it is a good principle for life too.

To be a "peculiar" person-- a different person--be willing to take the risk to do good things.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GETTING A LIFE 2: OVERCOMING FEAR

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (II Timothy 1:7).

"What will people think if I fail?" "What will people think if I change?" These are questions that haunt us all from time to time. The fear of public humiliation has great power to keep us inert, to keep us from moving toward making the changes we need to make. We need to remember that failure is an essential part of growth. I have great respect for those who are willing to take a risk and perhaps fail because that sets them apart as people of courage; as people who are willing to grow. When we do something we are afraid to do we grow stronger as a result.

It is an inescapable truth that there will always be those who will be critical of the positive changes. If there are people close to you who are critical of positive changes you have made in your life, you have to ask yourself the question, "is it good to have these people in my life?"

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GETTING A LIFE: GRATITUDE

". . .always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20).

The first step to getting a life is to thank God for the one you already have. None of us asked to be born but here we are. We have been handed the gift of life. What will we do with it? Life is a great adventure. Each of us is born into different circumstances. We each have different capabilities. All of this diversity is a means to a rich and colorful culture if we acknowledge the One who gave us life, thanking Him by living lives of love, faith, joy and responsibility.

One of the hallmarks of a healthy life is gratitude, and one of the common characteristics of a troubled and unhealthy life is complaining and grumbling. On "Steele's Depression Inventory*," the lack of gratitude is given a significant value. On God's Judgement Inventory, complaining and grumbling have significant value too, being characteristics of wickedness (See Jude 15-16.).

Sometimes we find ourselves in difficult circumstances--painful circumstances. Complaining about them isn't going to solve them. Rather, acknowledging that our difficult circumstance might be just the spur we need to move us to making the changes we need to make. When our pain spurs us to take initiative we are taking the first step to getting a life. Therefore, we can be thankful.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*In a future article I will publish "Steele's Depression Inventory."

lOGOTHERAPY

"Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).

One of my psychological heroes is Victor Frankl. Frankl was a Nazi concentration camp survivor. As a result of his experiences in the camps, he wrote a book called Man's Search For Meaning. It ought to be required reading for everyone in a leadership position. Here is a quote from it:

"As a professor in two fields, neurology and psychiatry, I am full aware of the extent to which man is subject to biological, psychological and sociological conditions. but in addition to being a professor in two fields I am a survivor of four camps--concentration camps, that is--and as such I also bear witness to the unexpected extent to which man is capable of defying and braving even the worst conditions conceivable . . . Man is not fully conditioned and determined but rather determines himself whether he gives in to conditions or stands up to them. In other words, man is ultimately self -determining."

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE WAY TO ABUNDANCE

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

One of my resolutions for the year was to post more often in Silver Bullets. Some times that is challenging when life is busy as it is right now. Though rain has slowed us considerably, we are in the middle of planting season, and there is much spring work to be done. This last week I also spoke to the local Methodist women about Israeli/Palestinian relations. It is strange that one trip to the Holy Land confers on one "expert" status, which I am not, but they asked me to shed some light and balance on their study topic.

As a result of my busyness I have resorted to using some quotes as I am using today. It is much like another I have used recently, but it is worth repeating.

"When I have learned to love God more than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. In so far as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God, and instead of God, I shall be moving towards that state in which I do not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased." --C.S. Lewis

Grace&Peace,
Tom

GOT PAIN?

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." --C.S. Lewis

Grace&Peace,
Tom

NEED A FRIEND?

"There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy" (Proverbs 27:6).

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

I'm taking the word of PSYCHOLOGY TODAY for this statistic, "Since 1985 the number of Americans who say they have no one to talk to has doubled." It is hard to believe with all the folks one sees jabbering on their phones while driving!! That statistic may not be as ominous as it sounds because there are more people living in America now. Still it does show an increase. The freedom we have to indulge our own personal preferences also tends to isolate us. For example, if I do not like what Helen is watching on TV, I can go to a different TV and watch.

So how can one make a friend?

1. Smile!!! Be approachable.

2. Do not isolate!!! Be approachable.

3. Be involved in a Bible study with others, or take a class.

4. Sign up for a tour and have an adventure with others.

5. Try a new perspective on people you already know.

Friends do not pop out of the thin air. Making a friend does require some effort, but it is definitely worth the effort. As the Proverb writer said, 'A friend who is near is better than a brother who is far away.'

Always remember, too, that Jesus is your best friend!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

FINDING YOURSELF (your identity and personality)

"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39).

Jesus repeated this teaching several times in the gospels; it must be important. Becoming a real self is a requirement to being a psychologically and emotionally healthy person. The key to becoming a real self is not to be so self-absorbed so that every pleasure has to be experienced, or to become introspective to the point of being self-possessed, but rather, to surrender to Jesus. Jesus is the one who gives a new dignity to "other people." Jesus is the one who gives us a new definition of love. Jesus is the one who leads us to look outward rather than inward to become a real self.

The first requirement for becoming a real self is to have a relationship with the Creator. The second requirement is to have a relationship with other people. If these relationships are kept in their proper order, then becoming a real self is a forgone conclusion.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING

"Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).

We talk about the power of positive thinking. Making the decision to think positively about life, about the good things of life and even looking on the positive side of negative events can have a powerful effect on your moods. Indeed, any way we choose to think can have a powerful effect on our moods. In fact, some authorities believe that the negative thinking and pessimism that characterizes depression actually causes it.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

INTIMACY

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces" (Matthew 7:6).

What is intimate is what is inmost or private. An intimate relationship is when one can share what is most inmost or most private with another without fear. Safety is an essential requisite for intimacy. To become vulnerable and share one's inner most thoughts, feelings and dreams with another without them being trampled on and disrespected is essential to intimacy. The surrendering of one's self to a sexual relationship in love, only to have the other view it as a conquest or a business transaction is exactly one of the meanings of these words of Jesus.

Understanding is another requisite for intimacy. One of the killers of intimacy is criticism. Why should one of the spouses share his/her share inner most thoughts and feelings with the other who is constantly critical. As a result, the spouses grow apart, though they live in the same house and sleep in the same bed. Granted, one's inmost thoughts, feelings and dreams may be dysfunctional and unrealistic, but they must be understood. Doing this takes effort, making time to listen and understand. Most of the time, intimacy wanes in a marriage because there are too many things to do, making a living and living up to our responsibilities, we think we already understand. One of the biggest reasons for affairs is the search for intimacy.

Intimacy is a real need. It is the need to love and be loved for who we are. There are many who try to fill this need by throwing their inmost selves out there to be ravaged by "pigs" and "dogs" only to have their needs unmet and to become course and hard themselves. Be careful who you give yourself to.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

FIRST THINGS FIRST FOR GREAT SEX

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be yours as well" (Matthew 6:33).

C.S. Lewis said that when 'first things are put first, second things will increase as well.' It is interesting that Sigmund Freud believed that the sex drive was the primary drive of humanity. He is the father of modern sexual promiscuity yet his own sex life was very impoverished. Really, that is the case with the majority of sexual libertines. Not only do they have to deal with the physical diseases that accompany promiscuity, but they come to the place where they are unable to be emotionally intimate. They become lonely, seeing others as sex objects rather than as people. But, when first things are first and God's boundaries are honored, then sex becomes something really good. Rather than having impoverished sex lives, the sex resulting from a truly intimate marriage is rich. Admittedly, the are married couples who lack intimacy and thus their sex lives are impoverished too, but the truth is that when a couple respects God's boundaries and makes emotional intimacy primary in their relationship then their sexual relationship will be rich too.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WORSHIPPING THE SEX GOD

"Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you: sexual immorality. . .which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5).

Watching an ad about a drug that treats genital herpes prompted me to write this. The drug inhibits the transmission of the herpes virus to a partner, but does not prohibit it. The same can be said of the use of condoms and vaccinations to deterr the HPV and the development of cirvical cancer. Those who are dealing with HIV gulp dozens of expensive pill to deter the advancement of a disease that will eventually claim their lives years before their otherwise normal life-expectancy. The ads imply, like the cigarette ads of old, that if you use these things life will be even more blissful because one "can have his cake and eat it too." One can engage in promiscuous sex and not suffer the consequences. Of course the reality is that it is no fun to have to deal with sexually transmitted disease. And condoms and vaccinations only deter, but do not prevent, the diseases a problems that accompany sexual promiscuity. The sex god is a demanding god! He will get his offerings!

The sex-drive is a powerful thing. It is a wonderful gift from God! However, when it is given a priority that is higher than the boundaries that God intended to contain it, sex becomes a god, an idol. It is a free country. I am proposing no new laws. You can choose the god whom you will worship, but you will not worship the sex god without giving him his offering--which will be your life. We only need to enforce the pornography laws we already have, the reason being that pornography predisposes boys to sex addiction. What a load our society imposes on our boys!

Grace&Peace,
Tom