HERE I RAISE MY EBENEZER

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and called its name Ebenezer, for he said, "Hitherto the Lord has helped us." So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel (I Samuel 7:12-13).

The last Monday in May is Memorial Day, a holiday that was originally intended to honor the memory of those who have served in the United States military and have died. Though that is still the primary purpose of Memorial Day, it has become a holiday in which we honor the memory of all of our deceased loved ones.

This weekend I helped my elderly mother place flowers at the graves of about a dozen family members, one of them being Ebenezer Bunce, my great, great grand father. Ebenezer was a pastor in the United Brethren Church. Ebenezer's name brought home to me the significance of what we were doing--remembering, honoring and being thankful. Ebenezer means, stone of God's help. It was a monument intended to help the Israelites remember how God helped them! Every monument in the cemetery is an Ebenezer. Who would I be without Ebenezer Bunce? Who would I be without the influence of my Dad? What kind of a country would we have were it not for the ultimate sacrifice of those who have died for it in military service? What kind of country would we have were it not for those whose lives were salt and light as they served Jesus Christ? God used every one of them. Their grave stones are Ebenezers!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

BEWARE OF THE FACTOIDS*

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20).

Though it has always been true, in the age of the Internet it is even more true, beware of the factoids! I read in a column by Wesley Pruden that the term "factoid" was coined and defined by Norman Mailer, so if that is not a fact do not blame me. A "factoid" is something that , "looks like a fact, could be a fact, but in fact is not a fact."

Of course, politicians are the ones who make the most use of factoids, but so do scientists, sociologists, lawyers, teachers, preachers, counselors, etc.. Factoids are used to make the wrong look right and black look white. Facts are used to reveal and teach the truth. My dad often warned me, "Figures don't lie, but liars sure can figure." So it is always wise for a person to check the "facts" because they might be factoids!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*Revised from an earlier post.

THE SAFETY OF RISK TAKING*

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people" (Luke 5:10).

What is your top prayer request? Is it "God, keep us safe" or "Watch over us and protect us" or "Keep my life rolling smoothly"?

God is good, but He is also dangerous and He calls those who follow Him into danger. It is one of life's great paradoxes that following the Lord into great danger is the safest place you can be.

Perhaps one of our top prayer requests should be, "Father, help me to take risks for Jesus."

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*Revised from a previous post.

I BELIEVE . . . *

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

The first time I remember hearing the song, I Believe, was on the Lawrence Welk television program way back in the 1950's. The lyrics go something like this:

I believe for every drop of rain that falls, A flower grows . . .

I believe that somewhere in the darkest night, A candle glows . . .

Though those are only the first two lines, it is an inspirational song to me and it still reminds me that when things appear to be hopeless, God is still there. Out of the floods and out of the darkness He will bring beauty and light!

Allied soldiers found in an abandoned house, shortly following World War II, similar words scrawled on a wall; probably written by a holocaust victim:

I believe in the sun, even when it does not shine. I believe in love, even when it is not shown. I believe in God, even when He is silent.

When it seems as if God is silent, He is still working--working for the good of those who love Him. When it seems that evil is unstoppable, do not give up the faith for with out faith in God all hope is lost!!!

And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*Revised from an earlier post.

PROBLEM SOLVING 2

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being . . . (Psalms 51:6a).

Not everyone who comes to a counselor with a problem wants a solution. There is a payoff in having the problem and the counselee simply desires confirmation that the problem does not have a solution. Actually, there are many problems that do not have a clear solution, but there are courses of action that are clearly better than others in managing the problem. Simply wallowing in the woe-is-me victim status is the payoff for those who do not want to change. They receive sympathy and pity from the well-meaning people-helper--that is the payoff. So they remain stuck in their problems.

Job, of the Bible, was a true victim. He suffered at the hand of satan quite a string of tragedies. There are relatively few Job's. There are many people who seem to have a never-ending run of bad luck which prevents them from accomplishment, "The car broke down so I couldn't make it to the job interview," or "I have sent out ten resumes, but no one answers" kind of thing. And so they see themselves as victims of life's unlucky lottery. Of course, the truth is that by taking responsibility one can develop his organizational and communication skills that would prevent these kinds of things from happening.

Many people see money as the solution to life's problems--even many churches do, what a shame. Certainly, money is power, but money cannot solve a non money problem. Money cannot solve a spiritual problem and money cannot solve a character problem. The real problem behind most of our external problems is spiritual. We do not trust God, We do not want to obey God, and we do not want to accept responsibility. We would rather be victims because victims are not responsible.

. . . therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart (Psalm 51:6b).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PROBLEM SOLVING*

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6).

One of the counselor's undeniable truths of life is: There is no pain-free or cost-free way of dealing with a problem. Much of the time people expect the counselor to find an easy-does-it cure or a win-win solution, but this is an unrealistic expectation of the counselor. The only pain-free cure is a miracle. I do believe in miracles, but one of the characteristics of miracles is that they are rare, so one should expect to deal with pain when doing problem solving!!!

The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian is not to make life pain-free, but it is to encourage fruit production (Galatians 5:22-24) and sometimes it takes a little cutting and pruning to accomplish that (John 15:2). So, the cost of problem solving is pain, but the growth that will result will be worth the pain. Your counselor, the Spirit of God, will walk along side of you, encouraging you and strengthening you as you deal appropriately with problems.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*Revised from an earlier post.

SWEAT EQUITY*

Train yourself in godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (I Timothy 4:7b-8).

According to Iowa State University research, exercising elderly mice boosts their immunity systems so that they are more like young mice. For people it seems to be true as well. Many of the diseases that afflict those in old age are simply caused by weakening immune systems. Exercise enough to sweat every day; that will help keep you young.

I am sure that Paul the Apostle would agree that bodily training has value if it helps us to serve the Lord on this earth a little better for a little longer. That, I think, it does. Do not, however, let up on the godliness training to spend more time on the bodily training!!! Conditioning the "heart" is way more important than conditioning the body!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*Revised from an earlier post in Silver Bullets.

GRIEF IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE*

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows . . . (Isaiah 53:3-4).

At a workshop I attended on grief and loss, one of the points the presenting psychologist made was, "Loss is anytime life is different from how I wanted or expected it to be." If that is true then in every counseling situation the counselor has to deal with grief. With every problem comes the realization that life doesn't match the picture of life we have in our heads. Our "should-be" world has been lost.

It is a fallen world in which we live, so our dreams of a perfect world, on this earth, will never be realized. As a result, we will always struggle with grief in this life. Grief is not a bad thing--it is an emotional response to the loss of something important or someone who was dear and loved. A person who doesn't grieve is a person who does not care, a person who does not love. What kind of person is that? Nevertheless, even though grief does not ever really go away, it cannot dominate our lives because life does not stop. Grief must be managed because we still have a life to live! Because of Christ, we can find meaning and hope in our grief, . . . that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again . . . (I Thessalonians 4:13-14). It is in Jesus that grief finds its resolution because His resurrection gives us a legitimate hope for a reunion with loved ones; hope for a perfect world in which we will live and the perfect presence of the One who created all things.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

*Revised from an earlier post.

IT'S A GREAT DAY! IT'S TAX DAY!

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad . . . (Romans 13:1-3).

God has ordained that there be civil government. Civil government is God's instrument to provide order in society. As a result, government officials are entitled to respect and obedience. It goes without saying that government cannot exist if it does not have money; salaries must be paid, office buildings must be built and maintained, equipment and weapons must be purchased, etc. to meet the needs of an orderly society. So, sadly, taxes must be paid; freedom is not free; every one should pay some tax.

Naturally, there is disagreement about what the government should do, how it should work and what the values should be that guide it. One value that has to guide government is that of goodness. If a government does evil and those who do good and stand for what is good are punished then government looses its legitimacy. Government that is a terror to good conduct has lost its legitimacy.

What are the light that guide our government as to what is good or evil? The Bible; Judeo-Christian principles provided the values from which our government has traditionally governed. The Declaration of Independence and, especially, the Constitution are the primary lights. In the case of every American citizen, the Constitution is the governing authority instituted by God. God has not instituted governing officials who took an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution and yet govern arbitrarily.

When Americans allow the lights that guide us to go out, what will become of America? Will we follow lesser lights to our destruction?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

MORE EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins (I Corinthians 15:17).

Books have been written on the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What I present here is not new, but is often over-looked evidence that adds weight to the testimony of the Bible.

1. The bodily resurrection of Christ from the grave is the foundation stone of the Christian faith; if Christ did not rise from the dead, none of it is true. Every time the gospel was preached to the Greeks, the resurrection was spoken of as evidence of the truth of the gospel. Yet, because of the religious and philosophical back-ground of the Greeks, resurrection of a body was not a good thing. To them, the body was not good, it was evil. The tendency of the Greeks would have been to disbelieve it or to change it to something more acceptable; there was no advantage to speak of resurrection to them.

2. It was the women who find the empty tomb and meet the risen Christ first. Given the preference of that culture, this is evidence of the truth of the story. If the story were a made-up one it would have been one of the male apostles, Peter or John, who first met the risen Christ to give more gravitas to the story. But, no, it was the lowly women, perhaps the most lowly one, Mary Magdalene, who had the honor of first seeing the risen Christ. When the resurrection story was told to the males, 'it seemed an idle tale to them.'

These bits of evidence simply add more weight to the already thoroughly documented resurrection event of Jesus Christ. It is because of this event that we have a legitimate hope of entering the eternal country whose builder and maker is God!

Grace&Peace,

Tom

The empty tomb in the garden about 100 meters from the place of crucifixion.

CRUCIFIXION DAY

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last (Luke 23:44-46).

Jesus was crucified at about noon on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. There are those who argue that the day of Jesus' crucifixion was Wednesday. Others say, Thursday, but tradition says, "Friday." There will always be arguments about the day of the week because the Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar. As a result, today there are even disagreements about how one calculates the dates for the Easter season. But, there is no disagreement that Jesus was crucified on the 14th day of Nisan, the beginning of the Passover celebration.

The 14th of Nisan was the day God prescribed for the Jews to reenact the events of the Passover. One can read about the institution of the Passover holiday in Exodus 12. Jesus is the real Passover Lamb! He died at about three in the afternoon, the time when it was allowed for the beginning of the sacrificing of the Passover lambs. What the day of the week was is not nearly so important as the fact that He went to the cross for you and for me. Love is the reason for this season because it was His love for God the Father, His love for you and me that held Him on that cross, He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed (I Peter 2:24).

In Jesus Christ is the healing of the relationship of God and man; the curtain of the temple was torn in two. The Passover Lamb was slain that we might have exodus from sin to a life of righteousness. All this because of Crucifixion Day! Have you applied the blood of the Passover Lamb to your life?

Grace&Peace,

Tom

The picture is of a likely place for the crucifixion near the garden tomb.

TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew21:9).

Save us, we beseech thee, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech thee, give us success! Blessed be he who enters in the name of the Lord (Psalms 118: 25-26).

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass (Zechariah 9:9).

A book could be written about this one event in our Lord's life. There are so many events in the history of Israel that are at play in the minds of those who are meeting Jesus. The Davidic covenant in which God promised that Israel would always have a king of the line of David, was one of them. Another major event in the history of Israel that was influencing the people was the celebration of the liberation of the nation of Israel under the Maccabees. Then there were the miracles of Jesus himself. He fed the multitudes, healed the sick and raised the dead--especially Lazarus. Jesus had to be the one who fulfilled the prophets!

Prophecy its self is a major factor in what happened in the triumphal entry. One of the characteristics of the Jews that made them different from all others is that they had a linear view of history, not a circular view. They believed that history had direction because God was in control of it. They believe history had purpose, that it was not just never-ending cycles. Therefore, the prophets could prophesy because God was in control of the future. Because of the prophets, there was a great deal of expectation for the appearance of the promised Messiah immediately before Jesus' birth, during his life, and for a time after his life on this earth. Jesus' life on this earth fit the description of the prophet's Messiah and so he was welcomed in triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

In less than a week's time the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah because he did not fit their expectations of what a messiah should be. Knowing that it leads to this question, What are your expectations of the Messiah? How do they measure up against the truth of God's Word? Has Jesus had a triumphal entry into your life?

Grace&Peace,

Tom

The picture is of the Golden Gate where Jesus would have entered Jerusalem.

WORSHIP

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1).

Not all we call worship is worship. There are instances when people seem to be worshipping but no worship is occurring at all. Arriving at true worship is a little like baking a cake; all the ingredients must be included if it is going to be good.

The most important ingredient in good worship is truth. Worship that is rooted in myth and superstition, even though it is given with great reverence, emotion and sincerity, is not pleasing to God.

Though sincerity cannot stand alone as the validating quality of worship, it must accompany truth if worship is to be pleasing to God. Worship that honors God with the lips while the heart is far from Him is hypocrisy.

A healthy amount of service must be stirred in with sincerity and truth to have genuine worship. Simply being obedient to God's will because of one's faith in Him is worship at its best.

Of course, love is the frosting on the cake, enhancing all the ingredients so that they "taste" better. Can there be any worshipping the God who is love without love?

Changing the baby's diapers is worship because God wants us to care for our children. Doing a good job on the job is worship because it is God's will that His people do good work, as well as to earn money to with which to support our families and the less fortunate. Worship is also gathering with God's people to praise Him and His Son, Jesus--this must not be neglected anymore than the other forms of worship.

Worship is not confined to one hour on one day a week, but it is a whole life lived in humble obedience to God.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE SOURCE OF HOPE

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).

A little more than twenty years ago, the news media reported on a wellness study that researched the wellness of 16,936 Harvard alumni. At the time I wrote a devotional about it. One of the statistics resulting from the study was so astounding that I wanted to confirm it before I wrote about it again. So, I "gooogled" "16,936 Harvard alumni" and found the study in The New Wellness Encyclopedia, by the editors of the University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Letter. It confirmed what I had reported many years ago.

The wellness study of 16,936 Harvard alumni revealed that moderate exercise significantly lengthens the span of life. But this quote is the real shocker! Their mortality rates from every major cause were generally half that of most white males--except for suicides, where their rate was 50% higher. Wow! Does that shatter conventional wisdom or what! Health, wealth and a superior education should result in a life of satisfaction and contentment, right?!?

Education does play a significant role in helping a person to cope with the stresses of life, but a hopeless education isn't nearly as significant! A life without purpose is a life without hope. When a person is told that he is an accident, simply the result of time plus chance, then what is the purpose? A life without purpose is a life without hope. God is the source of purpose and hope. It is not an accident that one of the characteristics common to survivors is faith in God.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

A LESSON FROM MY LOADER

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).

When I was still in the cattle business, my loader tractor ran about four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year. There were two little cap screws on the hydraulic controls that regularly worked themselves loose no matter how tight I tightened them. The cumulative effect of hours of vibration is what loosened those screws. When I would put my hand on the controls it didn't seem like the vibration was severe enough to loosen those cap screws, but it was. The shock of each vibration seemed to be minute, but enough of them can loosen, fatigue and break almost anything.

Life is like that. It is not the big shocks that do us in, it is the cumulative effect of all the little ones. Then when the big shockers come along, our lives fall apart because we haven't kept our "screws tight," so to speak. The unchristian philosophies and values that are promoted through the entertainment industry, the personality conflicts, the gossip, the inconveniences, etc., are vibrations that loosen the "nuts, bolts and screws" of our lives.

How do we keep our lives properly maintained so that they hold together? Have faith in Jesus Christ. Develop a circle of Christian brothers and sisters to support you in the faith. Pray and study the Bible on a regular basis. Worship with the body of Christ. Be involved in Christian service--helping others in the name of Jesus. All of these are indispensable to your life-maintenance schedule.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

. . . now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he as appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:30,31).

On May 19, 1780, night fell on New England at ten in the morning and continued for five hours. The birds went to roost, the noon meal had to be eaten by candlelight, and no reading or writing could be done except by candlelight. No, this was not an eclipse; the moon was in the wrong phase.

I think the most interesting part of the whole story is the human response to the "unnatural" phenomena. Church buildings became a gathering place for many to seek a last-minute pardon from God. Many others crowded into the taverns to escape reality. But the most healthy response was uttered by House member Abraham Davenport when the Connecticut Legislature came to the panicky conclusion that it was Judgment Day: The Day of Judgment is coming or it is not. If it is not, there is no occasion for alarm. If it is I wish to be found in the line of my duty . . .

How will it be for you when the promised judgment really does come?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

P.S. It is said that the explanation for this phenomena was massive forest fires in Canada that the smoke blotted out the sun. Perhaps so, but it seems very unlikely that would happen so early in the year in eastern Canada.

THE POWER OF ONE

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news! (Romans 10:15b).

Today is St. Patrick's day--I hope you have your green on!

The dates of Patrick's birth and death are not known with certainty, but they fall roughly between 385 and 461. Patrick was taken as a slave, while still a boy, to Ireland. He managed to escape and return to his home land, but he felt the call of God to return to Ireland with the gospel. He was about forty years old when he did actually return. Patrick was not particularly talented as a teacher or a preacher, but the impact of the good news on Ireland was not lost. Almost single-handedly, Patrick brought literacy and Faith to a nation. Hopefully, the Irish will not throw away their most important heritage!

See what one person can do?!?

Grace&Peace,
Tom

TRY A DIFFERENT ROAD

. . . ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls (Jeremiah 6:16).

It was in Mrs. Skinner's English class at Sutherland High School that I first remember being introduced to the works of Robert Frost. The message of The Road Not Taken has stayed with me these many years since I first read the poem; it has played a significant role in my decision-making. Of course, the message is that we should take the less-traveled ways during the course of our lives because we will have rewards that most people will not experience.

Less-traveled roads are not the quickest, easiest or safest roads to travel, but they do have the freshest air, the prettiest scenery, and a slower pace to enjoy it all. Naturally, less-traveled roads are probably the oldest roads. They were used less and less as corners were cut and easier ways were found to reach one's destination.

During this journey through life, we must pause occasionally to consider what we are missing by following the masses on the easy roads. What have we missed by taking the well-traveled, and consequently, smoggy road of self-indulgence rather than breathing the fresh air of true love? What beautiful view have we missed by traveling the well-worn road of materialism rather than the scenic road of faith? How much stress do we carry by traveling the crowded freeway of ambition rather than the serene route of service to God?

And I--I took the road less traveled by, and that made all the difference.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

IN HONOR OF MARCH MADDNESS: JOHN WOODEN'S PHILOSOPHY

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones (Proverbs 14:30).

I have a great deal of respect for coaches because the result of their philosophy of life is brought to life and tested in the public arena of competition in each game. One such coach, who is arguably the greatest coach in the history of the game of basketball, is John Wooden. He coached the UCLA Bruins to ten NCAA championships. I will never forget something he said in a television interview many years ago. His thought was basically this: One of the most common mistakes coaches make is emphasizing what they do not have in terms of talent, size and speed, rather than what they do have. Wooden pointed out that when a coach is wishful for what he doesn't have, and can't do anything about, he fails to develop fully what he does have.

Not only do coaches make this mistake, almost everybody else makes it too!! So many lament their lack of money, power, talent, good-looks, etc. that they fail to develop what they do have. As a result, they lose. One cannot do anything about what he doesn't have. Develop what you have! Play the hand you have been dealt!

The first thing that anyone can develop is a relationship to God. It has been offered to all in Jesus Christ! This not only will transform your life, it will give you possessions that can never be taken away!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

DILIGENCE

The hand of the diligent will rule . . . (Proverbs 12:24).

Hayden Fry, the winningest football coach in Hawkeye history, would use this expression to communicate diligence, "We're stickin' to our knittin'." My banker calls it, "scratchin'." Webster calls it "constant, careful effort." However you phrase it, diligence is necessary for a successful, meaningful existence.

Diligence implies a plan. Life can be very frustrating and depressing if one does not have a goal and a plan by which he can reach it. Taking God's will into account, make a goal and make a plan to reach it within a year's time. Planning is the first step to winning!

Diligence means working your plan carefully. Haphazard efforts rarely bring success or personal satisfaction into our lives.

Diligence also means perseverance. Any goal which is worthwhile will cost you something to achieve it. That's life; it even costs God something to achieve His plans. Don't give up too quickly; give your plan a chance to work!

It is noteworthy that this text does not promise success to the righteous or to those who are evil, but to the diligent. That is why those who are righteous must be ever vigilant and diligent or else evil will rule!

Grace&Peace,
Tom