Walking through Current Events (3000 years ago)

I was reading in Proverbs 29 today and my, every verse seemed to have applications to today. I am not going to take all of my thoughts and notes and put them here, but here are some of the topics contained in the chapter.

• Righteous rulers vs. foolish rulers -- we are in an election year
• Wise vs. foolish living
• Integrity
• Consideration of the less fortunate
• Scorners in the community
• The impact and influence of the righteous in a community
• Talking too much
• Listening to bad info
• Unchecked behavior
• And so on and so on

Take some time to read this section of the Word of God and put your thoughts on paper, just make sure that those thoughts are rooted in the Word.

Walking through Dad's Day

It is Fathers' Day 2020 and it is indeed a unique time. So much happening in the world and so much changing. It is good to know that our Heavenly Father is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His love never changes and He loves me. Such a thought!

I have been blessed to have a wonderful dad and a wonderful dad-in-law. God has blessed me and I am so privileged. Two great men to look up to and wonderful examples to follow.

And, Fathers' Day 2020 is my dad's birthday. Two reasons for cake and ice cream.

Walking in Troubled Times

II Chronicles 7:14 -- If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

We are living in challenging times, for sure. Some of the issues being faced are unique, others have been around as long as man has been on the planet. Whether viruses, death, unruliness, or prejudice, they all have the same root: sin. Before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, all was perfect. God gave man the ability to make logical choices and decisions and Adam and Eve chose their own selfish way and not God's. For thousands of years now man has reaped the results of sin. "Back in the day" we heard so many messages based on II Chronicles 7:14. Some points and comments.

• If - It is not a given that prayer will happen. So often we allow the trivial to get in the way of the important.

• My people - Prayer is only effective when offered by the people of God. Simply talking to someone with whom there is no relationship is an exercise in futility. If we want to see God work, we need to be close and intimate with Him.

• Called by my name - All men are the creation of God, but not all are the children of God. God speaks of His family, of those who are His children. What differentiates the creation from the family? We become part of the family of God, one of His people, when we accept His invitation. I cannot make myself a part of His family, only He can do that.

• Shall humble themselves - O, that is a great challenge. We spend most of our time trying to get ahead and then God asks that we take a step back. When we accept and acknowledge our place and His place, our role in the whole scheme of things, we should see that we are insignificant and yet God still chooses to love us.

• Pray - Know God come to our role and our great need, to communicate with Him. Prayer should be bi-directional, we speak with God and wait for the Spirit to commune with us, particularly through the Word. We need to pray and pray...and pray.

• Seek my face - We need to do more than talk, we need to implore God. We need to nag and insistently speak with Him. We need to pray fervently. It should be like to toddler in the toy section; ask, ask, and ask.

• Turn from their wicked ways - We need to be willing to correct what we have done wrong, to fix what we have broken. It seems so often that we want to have God bless without any willingness on our part to change. We need to step up and strive for Christlikeness. We need to move from wickedness to righteousness.

• The will I hear from heaven - God has promised to hear and answer our prayers. Even when we do not see the answer, He is at work. When we meet His requirements (see above) He is bound by His word to respond.

• Forgive their sin - It is interesting that the first thing that God looks to "fix" is the sin problem. He is interested in us, our relationship with Him, even before the "land" problem. Unless the sin issue is addressed, we are simply delaying the inevitable. We need to address our sin and have it forgiven if we want our prayers to reach the ears of God.

• Heal their land - It is God and God alone who can solve the ills that plague our land. He is ready and willing to heal, but there are requirements that need to be met first. Solving the problems begins with His people, the church, need to do more than sit back and fuss about everyone else. We need to reach out to God and beseech Him to move among our nation. Man does not have the ability to fix what is broken, but he is a part of the process. When we obey the Word and seek the God of the Word, then and only then will we see healing happen.

Walking Through _______ Times

Well, we are slowly working back toward normal life. Finally church was able to resume with in-person "fellowship" today. Of course, ministries were limited, singing was limited, interaction was limited, etc. Over the next couple of weeks things should continue to move to normal. It was good, however, to be back in church. We we able to study online these past months, but to see our church family was good. Who knows, maybe soon we can even speak with them.

It is amazing to reflect on how good God is and how He continues to meet our needs, in spite of all that we face. Many people have had work removed or upended, but I have been working OT and lots of it each week. Some items are difficult to find at the store, but we have been able to get everything that we need.

We have been richly blessed. The same God who gave His Son to die in our place to provide a means of salvation cares for me and my family -- that is quite incredible. Not only does He care, but He involves Himself to see that we are safe and provided for. All of our needs are met and so many of our frivolous wants. Life is much like meals, it could be water and crackers or maybe beans and rice, but God has provided far more. Variety may be the spice of life, but spices add variety in life...and we have lots of spices. He cares for us, so let us care for Him.  It is easier to appreciate what He does than it is to appreciate who He is and yet it is who He is that is key. He cannot do anything outside of His character, that is He cannot do anything that violates who He is.

And so we look at the title. How do you fill in the blank to describe the times that we have been in recently? And this does not even address recent social turmoil. Regardless of what we face, God is STILL in control. He has not taken a vacation recently nor is He on a leave of absence. He is still the creator and sustainer of the universe -- the entire universe. Earth at large and my life specifically are nothing for Him, but I am everything to Him. What can separate us from the love of God? Nothing.

Walking While Going Nowhere

This isolation/insulation is for the birds. No, wait. I see birds out flying around, though I guess most that I see are indeed at least six feet apart as they practice social distancing. I really dislike that term, by the way.

As different states and some specific locales begin to "re-open," it is interesting to see how they are entering and moving through the process. More interesting has been the way in which the Constitution has been set aside. It may have been in the name of public safety, but when the "law of the land" can be ignored for any reason a terrible precedent has been set. Who will get to decide when the guidelines that govern our society will next be ignored or rejected? We are but a significant natural disaster or another pandemic from martial law. Some are serious, but many are missed forecasts; think swine flu, bird flu, hurricane forecasts that miss by hundreds of miles or significant mph. The Land of the Free is far less so today that it was three months ago. Even after re-opening, we my have a hard time getting back to where we were at that time, let alone getting back the freedoms that have been lost over the past years.

Well, today is Mother's Day 2020 and a unique day it is. If your mother lives some distance away, then a phone call or video chat would be normal today. If your mother lives reasonably close, then time spent together might be the norm, but for many it will not happen today. That said, a "thank you" is still very possible and quite appreciated. Take a moment and express your gratitude to Mom; she did more than make PB&J sandwiches. In my case, God has richly blessed with mom who loves him dearly and seeks to serve Him each day. She humbly helps her family and friends whenever she can, but most importantly she prays for her friends and family. I am grateful for the mom that God gave me and I am thankful to her for the example she has set over these years. Thanks Mom.

Walking to the Empty Tomb

Well, it is another week of Coronavirus Closures. We have been out of church for a month now and it is still as odd a feeling as it was week 1. In spite of the closures, we have been able through the benefits of modern technology to worship "with" our church. Most odd of all was today, Easter Sunday, as we watched the video of the message. Easter Sunday is usually a highlight of the entire year, as we have very special music and perhaps a cantata. Attendance is usually quite high. The message is powerful. It is indeed a service to look forward to. Today, attendance was low -- 5. We had special music -- via video. The message was indeed powerful. Most/best of all, the tomb (as it has been for almost 2000 years) was still empty.

The truth is that Easter is not about church, as important as church is. Easter is not about special music, as moving as it may be. It is not about see friends and guests at church, though that is indeed a blessing. It is not even about the message itself. Easter is all about the truth of the resurrection. Through the resurrection we have the promise/guarantee of new life in Christ, a life that is eternal. 

The Weight of the Cross

The Power of the Cross

There Rose a Lamb

Resurrection Hymn

I was able to watch a couple of wonderful messages this morning about the resurrection. We seldom take time to reflect on the great truths of the resurrection and all that is made available to us through the resurrection. With the Coronavirus Closures, there is not much more that we can do, so let's pause and consider all that Christ has given us through the resurrection.

Walking through Unique Times

Okay, so this has gone from "different" to "like nothing we have ever experienced" fairly quickly. A LOT of small and medium-sized churches are getting into the world of video, whether live-streamed or recorded and uploaded. It does open up the opportunity to minister during these challenging times, but it is just not the same. One of the most wonderful parts of the body of Christ is the privilege of fellowship.We can utilize the various social media platforms to communicate with others, but it is just not the same. Eventually, this to shall pass and we will have the ability to gather together with our church family. Let us not take that time and that opportunity for granted, but rather let us take full advantage of all that the church has to offer.

During this downtime, what have we done to improve ourselves or our position. One of my projects that has been pushed off indefinitely (until now) is dubbing VHS tapes onto DVD. I have numerous  VHS tapes of school programs training sessions, ball games, and the such that are only taking up space on a shelf or in a box and so it is time to convert them and do some spring cleaning. There are other types of cleaning that need done, but my job continues even in this unique time, so I need projects that do not necessarily need direct attention. And then there are the regularly scheduled maintenance visits for the house -- HVAC system, pests and vermin, etc. How are such appointments kept when social distancing is demanded? Some of the visits can be made, but others are indefinitely postponed. Even those that are kept as scheduled are accomplished differently than they used to be.

And then there is the (faux) racing. Many of the major racing series are still racing, howbeit utilizing digital means combined with fancy computers, steering  wheels, and pedals. It is intriguing, but not quite the same a the genuine event. I suppose it is better than the alternative -- no racing of any form whatsoever.

And yet, Romans 8 makes it clear that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. He has loved us, He does love us, and He will love us...COVID-19 or not.