PCP–HEAVEN’S TO BETSY! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?–Tuesday Thoughts, 11 March 2020

Our world is having a serious issue right now with PCP. I’m not talking about phencyclidine, an illegal narcotic also known as Angel Dust. An interesting side-note about phencyclidine–it was introduced as an anesthesia in the 1950s. It took them until 1965 to ban it as anesthesia because of it’s side-effects of hallucinations. If you were given phencyclidine as anesthesia before 1966, you may be entitled to compensation; call 800-shy-ster for more information.

No, the PCP that is quickly becoming the worst PANDEMIC yet is PANIC, CHAOS and PANDEMONIUM. I am not about to make light of the serious nature of the COVID-19. Nor am I making light of those who have COVID-19 and am not diminishing the grief of those who have lost someone close to them because of COVID-19. My comments today are directed to those who are promoting and spreading PCP–PANIC, CHAOS, PANDEMONIUM, which is proving to be more dangerous and damaging than COVID-19. In reviewing this before I posted it, both forms of PCP, the chemical form and emotional form, create hallucinations–things that simply are not real.

The money markets, stock markets, and supermarkets are all in free-dive hysteria. Context and proportion is essential to navigating life when things get a bit dicey. Currently, if China is releasing correct data now, less that .000002 percent of the population has COVID-19. The percentage for the rest of the world is less than .0000002 percent. This morning there are 647 cases in the U.S. The percentage is less than .0000002 percent. The odds of contracting COVID-19 are about the same as winning the big lottery. It is more likely that you will be struck by lightning that to get the COVID-19 virus. You don’t see people clearing shelves of water, sanitizer, and toilet paper.

Yet people, and news organizations, are making it sound like the plague of the dark ages is upon us again. They make it sound like people are dropping dead everywhere because of COVID-19. The Markets are in free-dive hysteria not because of what COVID-19 is doing to the world–but what it, now get this, what it MIGHT DO. And now get this–There’s a shortage of toilet paper because of this report that somewhere someone allegedly found the COVID-19 virus growing in toilet paper. I noticed one church posted on face book all the things they were doing extra, and changing some things–because of Panic, Chaos and Pandemonium has taken over HOW people think.

Gee Whiz, people, get a grip. I remember other so-called pandemics that created PCP. Don’t you remember H1N1, West Nile Virus, Swine Flu, Avian Flu, Legionnaires disease and SARS?

Here’s the Main Point: DON’T LET FEAR RUN YOUR LIFE! I’ve heard people complain about FEAR, yet they run towards it faster than someone running to the toilet who has intestinal issues. When FEAR rules one part of your life, it will take over and ruin the rest of your life. And the way, THE ONLY WAY to keep the Wolf of Fear away from the door is to become a follower and disciple of Jesus. When you make the choice to follow Jesus the Holy Spirit comes to live inside your heart. And here is what the Holy Spirit living in you does IN AND FOR you.

For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 (The Passion Translation)

The Greek word used for fear is “deilía“ and it means “timidity, fearfulness, cowardice”. If you are a follower of Jesus and you are fearful, you have made the choice to believe fear over believing the Holy Spirit. Someone reading this just thought, “Wait a minute preacher! There’s a lot of stuff out there that’s frightening. COVID-19 being one of them.” OK, granted there’s frightening stuff out there–but your reactions to that stuff is YOUR CHOICE! You choose PANIC, CHAOS AND PANDEMONIUM. Remember this song:

Since FEAR is a liar, what should you do? What can you do? Apply common sense:

1. Listen to and believe what the Holy Spirit tells you. He never lies and He’s told you that you don’t have The Spirit of timidity, fearfulness, or cowardice Simple enough. But if that’s not enough common sense for you, wait there’s more.
2. Wash your hands, using soap and water. It’s like a post I’ve seen a lot on Facebook: It’s 2020 and we are supposed to have flying cars but instead we’ve having to teach folks to wash their hands.
3. Use hand-sanitizer, and if the store shelves are empty, rubbing alcohol does the same, and it’s a lot cheaper.
4. If you have the sniffles, a cough, fever or body aches–STAY AT HOME. This applies to your spouse, children, grandchildren, cousins, aunts and uncles. And though your preacher loves to see you in church, she or he would rather you stay home until you are symptom free.
5. Go see your doctor at the first signs of any flu-like symptoms. Essential oils won’t help. Medicine will.

If you think yourself a follower of Jesus, having the Holy Spirit living inside your heart–AND insist that sterile face masks be issued with the bulletins by the greeters, if you insist that the church janitor sign a notarized document that the restrooms are so clean that a surgeon could operate in there, if you are afraid to take Holy Communion and that the servers wear sterile gloves, masks and gowns, putting the garb on in front of God and everybody else (same attire for those who take up the offering), then you have either forgotten what the Holy Spirit is giving us–or you never were a real follower of Jesus. And that’s the way I see it!

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Why Lent?–Tuesday Thoughts 25 February 2020

Today is Fat Tuesday. No, I’m not making fun of someone’s weight. Go to New Orleans today, or go to where Mardi Gras really started, Mobile, Alabama and you will see what I mean. It’s the last day for indulgences before the Season of Lent begins. I guess it’s because I’m making preparations for our Ash Wednesday Service that has prompted this edition of Tuesday Thoughts.

Some folks are not familiar with or even know about Lent. The only Lent they know about is the Lint in their belly button or dryer. Yet Lent (spelled with an e and not an i) is the oldest tradition observed in the Church. Long before the Church recognized and celebrated the Incarnation, they recognized this Season of Lent. For the uninformed, Lent is a period of 40 days beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Morning when followers of Jesus are challenged to give up something–we call that Fasting. But there’s more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, right? Well, you don’t count Sundays because Sunday is to be a day of Feasting not Fasting.

There are those who consider this “too much Roman Catholic” for a good Protestant boy or girl. Others think that it is too formal or too high-church for a real believer. Well, I observe Lent and I’m not considered high-church. Good grief, I have a pony tail, beard and ride a loud motorcycle. The third highest compliment I’ve ever been given is that I don’t look like a preacher. What was the second and the highest compliment? I’ll save those for a later post. Back to Lent.

Lent is taking a journey with Jesus as He draws closer and closer to True Purpose for becoming human. His True Purpose was giving up His Eternal Nature and become one of us–the Creator became a creature. And in that act, taking it all the way to The Cross to die for all of us. So, for the next 40 days, starting tomorrow, we are challenged to walk with Jesus in light of His Sacrifice for us. He Gave Up Everything For Me, so why shouldn’t I give up something for Him?

But if I’m going to give up something for Lent, and then pick it back up AFTER Easter, have I really given up something in order “pick up my cross daily and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23) ? Not really; I’ve just left it on a shelf so that I can resume it after Easter. So I’ve got to go deeper and find those things I need to give up permanently. And today I will be doing just that–looking through all my “indulgences”, those things that prevents the image of Jesus from being clearly seen in me, and give at least one of them up permanently.

Wait, I just heard someone say, “Lent isn’t Biblical. Where does it say I should remember something that happened so long ago?” It does seem, that with the upheaval in the Southern Baptist Convention, that the Bible Thumping Fundamentalists are coming out of the woodwork. So allow me to set the record straight that God DOES WANT us to Remember. In Exodus, God commanded His people to remember their deliverance each year. It’s called Passover. Each of their other 6 Feasts were observed to remember what God had done for them.

I just heard my skeptic say, “Well, that’s the Old Testament! You won’t find that in the New Testament!” Oh, really grasshopper? How about Luke 22:19–And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” And how about Bro. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26–

²³ For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread ²⁴ and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” ²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

No, God does’t need the Season of Lent; but we sure do! Lent is our reminder that following Jesus isn’t about Sunday Church. It’s about following the example of Jesus to Surrender and give up everything that we like and want in order to fulfill God’s desires for us. I will be reflecting all day about what I need to give up in order for the fullness of Christ to live in me. How about you?

What About Colossians 3:5?–Tuesday Thoughts 18 February 2020

(Graphic from istockphoto.com)

This morning I was thinking about something I was reading from a book and from the Bible. It started with Paul’s thoughts in Colossians chapter 3 verse 5–“So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.” (emphasis mine) The other was what an author wrote in a book I’m reading:

I have inquired before many church and parachurch groups regarding their plan for putting to death or mortifying “whatever belongs to your earthly nature” or flesh. I have never once had a positive response to this question. Indeed, mortifying of putting things to death doesn’t seem to be the kind of thing today’s Christians would be caught doing. Yet there it stands, at the center of the New Testament teachings.

The Great Omission by Dallas Willard (emphasis mine)

Today people are promoting the idea that God is love; certainly better than the old “God is a strict judge waiting to catch you doing something wrong so He can punish you.” God IS love; no argument from me here. But there is a growing number of people in the Western Church who have twisted this truth. They are saying and teaching “God is love and all we have to do is love God and love others. The way you love others is to accept them the way they are and not ask or expect them to change.”

Great googley moogley, geez Louise, Mother Francis, Judas priest, heaven’s to Betsy, What The What? And many are quick to point out how the theological progressives are pushing this agenda; and they are pushing it. Suddenly nothing matters that ought to matter. Right now I’m hearing some of the more conservative crowd shouting, “Amen! Preach it brother, preach it! We need more sermons on sin!” But…

What about YOU? Yes, YOU the reader! What are YOU doing to put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you? That’s part of the nature of sin–it lurks. The definition of lurking is “remaining hidden so as to wait in ambush”. If we, as followers of Jesus want to mortify things like the new sexual ethics (this is only one example) then we need to first mortify the earthly things inside of us.

“What earthly things?” you ask. OK, remember you asked! Things like feeling you are morally superior to others. Quickness to think the worst about someone rather than getting to know their story. Thinking your sin isn’t as bad as their sin. Compromising your values and integrity because it’s easier. Pew sitting every Sunday. Helping only those who are worthy of your help. Thinking that following Jesus is meant to be easy and comfortable. Thinking your views about the Bible are always right. Using the Bible as a baseball bat. Remember what Jesus said: “⁴ How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”

So, please excuse me. I’ve got some mortifying to do of the earthly things still lurking in me. Maybe you could do the same?

You’re NOT You When–Tuesday Thoughts 11 February 2020

The other day I was thinking about something that, well is missing in our culture. OK, I know, I know there’s a lot missing in today’s culture. So I will be specific–there is a lack of maturity. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines maturity as “he quality or state of being mature“. OK, so what mature? One of the definitions given is: “of or relating to a condition of full development“. EUREKA! THAT’S IT!

Full development as a whole person. But like the description of some nations, many are underdeveloped. They remind me of this Commercial:

Many people today just aren’t themselves because they have failed to mature. To reach full development as a whole person, we need to turn to something more than the culture of today offers. The views and values of this current culture has only promoted and provided a level of immaturity rarely seen in the history of humanity. And many need more than a Snicker’s Bar.

I’m reminded of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 3:18–“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” Maturity happens as we align our heart, mind, and purpose to the will and desires of God. Problem is people are too often absorbed and focused on their will and desires. The result of self-absorption is a pettiness and narrow-mindedness that has made people feel and act like they are miserable. Worse than this, they believe they are miserable. Event worst, they ARE miserable.

But to change this environment, we need to get back to Paul’s words. We need to allow The Holy Spirit to change us more and more to become like Jesus. Maturity happens as our hearts, minds and actions reflect Jesus rather than the world. You can’t be yourself, if you are like the world. You are made for something better. You’re not you when you’re not hungry for Jesus. Not even a Snickers Bar can help.

(I just added this one because I love Don Rickles.)

Winning The Trifecta–Tuesday Thoughts 4 February 2020

No, this isn’t about betting and gambling. It’s about a much ignored principle that is necessary to follow Jesus. The principle is: MATURITY! To be more exact, becoming Mature as a follower of Jesus. The lack of encouraging and teaching about Maturity is glaringly absent across the board of theological thought. Both evangelicals and progressives are failing miserably in understanding Maturity. I feel like the writer of Hebrews felt in these words:

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,  instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Hebrews 6:1-2 (NIV)

And I know that for many seasons of my life, I have come up short in arena of Maturity. But lately I have gone back to being a Disciple rather than a Pastor and Teacher. It has been a neglected journey far too often; but now, consider me simply a “student” sharing a report with the rest of the class of what I am discovering about this process of Maturity.

I’m not sharing “Steps To Maturity”–steps rarely work. But Principles work in every situation. I am praying this nearly every day. And the days I forget to pray these principles…let’s just say it shows in my spiritual life. I call this principle The Maturity Trifecta! Remember, this isn’t a 3 steps to Maturity, but an attitude and desire of the WHOLE PERSON. Here is the process and principles that each of us needs to begin each day with, and all day long.

1. Lord, help me keep my heart pure.
2. Lord, help me keep my mind focused on YOU.
3. Lord, help me keep my actions holy.

Face it, our hearts, left to itself, is tainted. We become selfish and even mean when our heart is neglected. Only The Holy Spirit can help keep our hearts pure. And our minds? Dear Lord in Heaven, without HIS help our thinking becomes twisted and vile; after all, it’s where Satan attacks us. And our actions must be holy. Holiness isn’t defined primarily by what we DON’T DO, and there’s a lot we shouldn’t do. Holiness is also what WE DO, it’s found in our actions. You can’t see what’s in my heart. You can’t see what’s in my mind (there are times you should be thankful for that!). But you can see my actions and hear my words.

So, pray! Every day and all day long, pray The Maturity Trifecta! Application of this Principle will lead you towards Maturity In Christ and God’s Kingdom will invade this world. Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!

What If All You Know Is All You Know? Tuesday Thoughts 28 January 2020

I know I’m a little late today. . .OK, a whole lot late. But it’s still Tuesday and I do have some thoughts. Here’s what I’ve been thinking about: What If All You Know Is All You Know? No, I’m not venturing into the dark side of intellectual pursuit, otherwise known as Philosophy. I’m serious about this. This may appear to some as an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum. Hang tight! How you think about what you think you know will either ground you for life–or set you on the greatest of all adventures.

There are two ways of thinking; others may disagree with me but it’s OK for them to be wrong. There is Circular Thinking and there is what I would call Seeking Wisdom Thinking. Educators, psychologists, and most of all philosophers, would tell us there’s more than 2 ways of thinking. They probably could come up with some other ways of thinking but ultimately they are but expressions of one of these patterns.

People who think in Circular Patterns are driven by a set of facts and values that have already been established for them. They take what they see as factual and reliable to think, form opinions and plan their life by what they know. I call it a Circular Pattern because everything they know is inside that circle. If an idea, belief or opinion comes at them outside that circle, it’s immediately rejected. For Circular Pattern Thinkers are going in circles with their lives and wonder why they are’t getting anywhere.

They limit themselves to a limited source of knowledge. All they know is all they know; and they never look beyond themselves. Thus, their life and dreams are limited. The problem with Circular Patterns is that there is not enough information–nor will there ever be enough information to make anyone more than just ORDINARY.

The other pattern is the Seeking Wisdom Pattern. People here are not confined to set sources of knowledge. These are the No-Limit kind of thinkers. No, they are not those who “think outside the box”. We have tons of people outside the box who are outside the box, but still ordinary. Wisdom Seekers will never be content with average. No, they want to soar and excel in life. They know that Wisdom comes from beyond what someone knows. Wisdom that lasts and causes us to soar in life has one source–and that is God.

Here’s the thing about Wisdom. It is not limited to what we think. Truth is, it often contradicts what we think. Sometimes it does not make logical sense and contradicts the world view. And it’s this world view that has caused much of the mess we are in. Knowledge is found in books and people’s stories and comes from a very limited perspective. Wisdom only comes out of Eternity, out of the heart and mind of God.

Remember what James wrote in James 1:5–“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” Average comes out of knowledge. But greatness–that, my friends, only comes out of Wisdom.

And here’s my conclusion–If All You Know Is What You Know, You Don’t Know Enough–And You’re Operating Without Wisdom.

One more word about Wisdom–this one from this guy named Solomon:

⁶ Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
    Love her, and she will guard you.
⁷ Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
    And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

Proverbs 4:6-7

You Believe WHAT About God? Tuesday Thoughts 21 January 2020

I thought this Tuesday Thoughts edition was going to take a while to figure out what to write. I was wrong. It comes out of something that happened last week: 4 year old Wyatt Spann died from cancer. And this reminded me of something that happened a few years ago–the death of another young child, Noah Crowe, from cancer. It’s not “MY” feelings about these tragedies, but the things “some” people say. To be more specific: What some who call themselves ‘Christians’ say to broken and grieving hearts. It’s not only at funeral homes where they speak these abominations, but being active in disaster response, I’ve heard some of the same poor, DEPLORABLE theology.

Below are some of the DESPICABLE, VILE, LOATHSOME AND WRETCHED things some people believe, and Dear Lord In Heaven, say to people in the worst moment of their lives:

• God needed them more than you. Really? God actually needs something to exist? I always believed He was self-sufficient.
• God wanted another angel in heaven. Again, really? If God wanted another angel all He has to do is create another one.
• He was just saving them from the future heartaches they would face. Bejeezus, folks! This is so asinine I’m not even going to comment on it!
• It was the will of God! Good Lord, in Heaven. Does your ‘god’ (notice the use of lowercase) will and plan for parents to lose their child? Do you really think God wills suffering and heartache? If you do, you have given your heart to a cruel god (again, lowercase)!

Honestly? I don’t fully understand why children have to suffer, even die from cancer or a million and one causes. And speaking of being honest, I shout out in anger and frustration at God when it happens. I was angry when little Noah died. I am angry that Wyatt died. And in this moment I’m praying for another infant, little McCoy who is suffering from liver failure. Truthfully, I’m frustrated that God hasn’t yet healed McCoy.

I don’t understand or pretend to know why such things happen. I have some thoughts; maybe another Tuesday I’ll share them. But right now, in this moment, here is the single thread I’m holding onto: God Did Not Will Or Cause These Tragic Deaths! God was not behind it, but He Is In Front Of The Aftermath And With Us In Our Pains And Griefs!

And in this morning’s frustration, God who is out front and ahead of us gave me a Scripture that refutes the above-mentioned Despicable Theology: “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10 NLT)

I always thought that phrase “be still” literally meant “don’t move”. But that’s not what the Hebrew word “raphah“ means. It means “to let drop, abandon“. Can’t you see? You and I don’t give God His identity. We don’t define God. Even though many try, defining God and His Ways are way above our pay grade. And when you feel the need to explain God to people facing these types of situations, my counsel to you is DON’T DO IT! If you really want to help them, try crying with them.

EVEN THERE IN THAT PLACE–Tuesday Thoughts 14 January 2020

My Tuesday Thoughts on what to write this morning were running wild–wild as a trio of adolescents on a 3 day binge on candy kind of sugar rush. When my thinking gets like this, I have to really force myself to stop thinking–so that I can listen. Now I have it–it’s Psalm 139 and three words from that Psalm–YOU ARE THERE!

Who’s there? God, of course. Most of us like to consider ourselves Masters Of Camouflage. Like an Army sniper in the field, we think we can hide and no one see us–or see what’s going on inside us. But regardless of how or even where we hide, Even There God finds us. When God asked Adam and Eve, “Hey, guys! Where are y’all?”, He knew where they were.

It wasn’t a question of confusion; it was a question of trust. God was asking Adam and Eve, “Do you still trust me, trust my love and that I am still good even though you did what you did?” Smack dab in the middle of their self-imposed mess, they did trust God. And in this Psalm David seems to be reflecting on his life. He’s known up and downs. He’s been faithful to God and been a rebel against God. He’s hidden in caves from King Saul, and he’s tried hiding from the King of Kings.

And what he could do with Saul, successfully hide, he never could do with God. He found out what Adam and Eve discovered–in the middle of our messes–Even There God Is Present. And in His Presence, He is still trustworthy, He is still loving us, and most of all, He is still GOOD! For the life of me, I cannot figure out why some people think God is out looking for people just to punish them. And if this day you are trying to hide from God because you “think” He’s mad at you, or that He doesn’t want you–Think Again! In your fear, confusion or despair–Even there in that place He is present and He is still Good And Loving On You.

And it’s just not in the places where we try to run and hide from God, but it’s true also in the places where circumstances and consequences have placed us. Problems at work. A “we no longer need your services” moment. Chemo or radiation therapy. A disintegrating family. A nursing home. A funeral home. Even in church.

My beloved Tribe, the United Methodist Church, is in utter chaos; or so it seems to many of us. But even there, God is Present. God Is Faithful. God Is Loving Us. God Has A Plan. And God is still GOOD! What I’m saying is this: Wherever you are–whether it’s the result of you poor choices or whether it’s the result of forces beyond your control–Even There God Is Present. Even there He is still Faithful to you. Even there He still Loves you. Even there He is still GOOD. Even there, He will lead you out and back to where you belong!

Love God with all your heart. Love others the way HE loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!

Don’t Argue With An Idiot–Tuesday Thoughts

This morning I was thinking about 2 things: Wisdom and Idiots (Proverbs calls them a fool). What prompted these seemingly contradictory things was the controversies in Washington D.C. and in the United Methodist Church. So I turned to a book that has much to say about both–Proverbs, and here is what I found:

We no more give honors to fools than pray for snow in summer or rain during harvest.

Proverbs 26:1 (The Message)

In the book The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews, the second decision needed to be made is this: I will seek wisdom. Here’s a quote that is really speaking to me this morning:

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

“The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews

Yet when I look at our government and my Spiritual Tribe, I see no such seeking for wisdom. What I see and hear are fools, idiots spewing their venom of “I’m right, you’re wrong” perspective. And what “I” want to do is argue with them, showing them where they are wrong! But after the argument I remember this quote supposedly from Mark Twain:

So, today I choose wisdom. Arguing with idiots and fools is just like Solomon said in our Proverb this morning–it’s like praying for snow in the summer; ain’t gonna happen unless you live near one of poles or in high altitudes. It doesn’t make sense. Or like praying for rain during the harvest season–it’s counter intuitive, standing in the way of what you want to achieve.

In the midst of so many fools, take a different route–a “wiser” response. Seek wisdom for yourself. An idiot will not seek nor see wisdom for themselves. But you–rise above the strife of lunacy. Wisdom will help keep you calm, steady and strong. Seek wisdom from God and His Sacred Word. Seek wisdom from those who seek their wisdom from God. Arguing with idiots won’t change anything. Seeking wisdom transforms you–and that wisdom will rise above the dust created by lunacy. Remember, idiots are empowered by our arguing. Seek wisdom, and the idiot becomes impotent.

And love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!

TUESDAY THOUGHTS-24 DECEMBER 2019

It Should Only Take A Couple Of Hours–But 6 Hours Later

Yesterday, while on our Holy Hiatus with family near Bartow, Florida I had an experience. . .and another Tuesday Thought. They wanted a digital TV antenna installed and asked me if I would install it so they could disconnect completely from cable TV. I thought it would be in my wheel house though I had never attempted such a feat. “After all,” I thought, “how hard can that be? Cable are already there; just put up that antenna and rearrange a few cables and viola! Project completed.” That was my first mistake–thinking!

So I began this “2 Hour” project. Four hours later, no signal or channels. In addition they lost their internet; something they didn’t want! Got the internet problem fixed, but still no signal or channels! Oh, I forgot to mention I hit my head on a floor beam crawling under the house–twice! That beam didn’t move a fraction of a millimeter. And making several trips, crawling on my knees, (did I mention hitting my head twice on the same beam?) isn’t good on these 63 year old knees, legs, shoulder, and back!

It was time for a break. Yes, I had looked at the limited printed instructions, such as they were, and even tried YouTube. As I sat there looking one more time at the instructions (and you say men don’t read instructions), I noticed something in the schematic drawing and I had an Epiphany Moment! Crawled under the house for the umpteenth time. Redirected a few cables, moved a couple of components and 7 Hours Later, I became a certified digital antenna installer.

What’s the lesson in all this? Well you need to know my attitude and perspective through this swamp. There was a time, not all that long ago, when my attitude would have been nothing but frustration, agitation and aggravation. Not so yesterday. I’m not bragging. . .but I was cool, calm and pleasant to be around. What is making this profound difference in this flawed Kingdom Pastor?

I’ve been spending more time with 2 of my mentors, Max Lucado and Andy Andrews. These famous people don’t know me from Adam’s house cat (I didn’t even know Adam had a house cat). But they are my mentors. Here’s how they have been mentoring me in 2 different ways. First, Andy has been helping me with Perspective and I am living with a different Perspective because I am NOT allowing my circumstances be THE determining factor for how I see my life.

Second, Max gave me (actually it was to all those who read his daily devotions) a challenge: To pray the Lord’s Prayer for 4 minutes for 24 days. Here’s how Max breaks down this prayer challenge:

• Father, Daddy, You are good. Spend a few moments praising Him for who He is, not what He does.
• I need help! Heal me.
• They need help! Heal them!
• Thank you, Daddy.

Now, these 2 things may not help you. But here’s the Thought: You And I Need Mentors Who Will Give Us Wisdom! To have wisdom, you must SEEK wisdom (thank Andy Andrews for this priceless gem). But not just any Wisdom; the Wisdom of The Ages, Wisdom that only comes from God. You need mentors who Seek Wisdom For Themselves. They can be people you know well, barely know, or as in my case, people who don’t know you.

If you won’t read or listen to Andy or Max, find someone who speaks into your heart and minds. But remember, make sure they are people who Seek Wisdom For Themselves. You need to spend dedicated time with your mentors. Maybe not hours, maybe 15 minutes, maybe just 3 minutes. But do it every day. Wisdom gives you the perspective to handle what should be a two hour project but turns into a seven hour project and remain a person that others like to be around.

And should you doubt this Process, remember these words from Paul:

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

God’s work does it’s best in those who are willing to make the commitment to Seek Wisdom! I have been constantly seeking wisdom, so I never lost the Right Perspective when nothing was working right. And because of my persistence, the project was successfully completed.

Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM…by SEEKING PERSPECTIVE AND WISDOM–THE RIGHT KIND!

The Not-At-All-Patience Of Job!

OK, I’m ready for the blast from the fundamentalists, churchians, tenured pew sitters and all those others who “think they know the Bible but only know what they’ve been told”. Have you ever believed something to be true, but it’s not really true? Case in point: Have you heard about The Patience Of Job? Many say, “Job teaches us HOW to be patient.”

Granted, chapters 1 and 2 can be seen as Job being patient, but as the late Paul Harvey would say, “Now, for the rest of the story.” To keep this from being extra long, I’ll just give you some examples:

• Chapter 3–He wishes he had been a stillborn infant, better yet, not even born.
• Chapter 6–It’s all God’s fault!
• Chapter 7–He has a death wish, and after he dies, God won’t know where he is, in essence, God will soon forget about him.
• Chapter 9–God doesn’t care if I’m guilty or innocent
• Chapter 10–God made me and now He wants to crush me.
• There’s more–read it for yourself!

I honestly can’t see how anyone can tell me, “You need to have the patience of Job!” My response will always be:

Now if all you fundamentalists, churchians, tenured pew sitters and all those others who “think they know the Bible but only know what they’ve been told” are fuming at me but still reading–maybe you will like this next part: Job Doesn’t Teach Us About Patience, But He Teaches Us Much About Faithfulness. Hear me out please!

Job is depressed, discouraged, and angry at God. Yet with all that depression, discouragement and anger at God–He cries out TO and FOR God. I mean, if you thought someone intentionally hurt you, would you turn to them to help heal those wounds? I didn’t think you would. Yet Job turns to the ONE He thought caused all of his suffering. So. . .what’s the great lesson Job does teach us?

Glad you asked that last question. Job teaches us the value and power of faithfulness. In Philip Yancey’s book Where Is God When It Hurts? gives the best definition of faithfulness I’ve ever heard. Faithfulness is crying out to God when everything inside you tells you to let go! Job had every logical reason possible to just let go and walk away from God. But he didn’t! Why? I think it was because somehow, Job still trusted God. He didn’t understand what was happening to him; he just thought he saw God was the cause behind it all. Yet Job somehow knew that if he was ever to be made whole again, it would happen in the presence of God.

Oh, one other thing. Job wanted to face God in a One-On-One Challenge. And when finally did show up–it was a challenge Job found out he didn’t really want. The one question God posed to Job that changed his song was this: “Are you God?” Job had some issues, but he brought every one of them to God. And though Job’s thinking was stinking, God healed and restored Job.

Job teaches me (and hopefully you, too) that I can be really honest in how I feel with God. If Job hadn’t brought his honest feelings to God, he would have continued to believe those feelings were truth, even though they weren’t. Don’t be patient like Job–Be Faithful Like Job!

Then you can love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And then all the glory will go to HIM!