Keep your eye on the Ball!

The cardinal rule of good hitting--baseball, golf, billiards--is of course, "keep your eye on the ball." 

That said, my mission as a follower of Christ--to proclaim the truth about God, His love for humankind, His provision for our redemption--does not require me to fear a culture filled with souls who "are like sheep without a shepherd."  It does NOT require me to win the so-called "culture war."

Jesus saw the crowds of distressed people and was "moved with compassion" all the way to the Cross where He crushed the power of sin, once-and-for-all.  God's Word makes it clear who the enemy is..."For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places"  Ephesians 6.12

God's Word tells me what it is I must do to engage these evil adversaries and prevail...

"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."  Ephesians 6.10-24

Note that this passage does not instruct Christ-followers to revile the sinner, legislate a solution that protects my family, leave the Union, or disengage from "life in the world--not of the world."  This is not a political war, not a culture war--it is a Spiritual battle that calls for weapons fashioned by God for taking down, taking back, strongholds.  Our weapons?  See...truth, righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, faith, salvation, God's Word, intercessory prayer, wisdom from God to speak the truth in love with boldness behaving as an Ambassador/Doulos (bond-servant) for the King.

When we allow ourselves to be drawn into a "culture-war" mentality, we lose; people yet to trust Christ and experience spiritual re-birth lose.  We allow the "the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness" to pick the time and place of the struggle; we lay the Armor of God aside--and we are impotent in the face of such evil. It's high time believers figure out "who and where" the enemy is and the rules-of-engagement; then take the fight to the enemy as per Paul's instruction in Ephesians 6.10-24.  Only then will we see the tide of evil begin to recede. 

We will not prevail in the long-term by building higher walls around the spiritual reservations we have fashioned our churches into,  by asking Focus of the Family to lobby our politicians, by finding conservative-too often shrill--politicians to write laws and pack the courts; cursing-the-darkness won't win the battle. 

Choose God.  Love people.  Know who the enemy is and "10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."  Ephesians 6.10   

Our battle is NOT against flesh and blood.  The stakes are infinity higher than a culture-war; eternity hangs in the balance for those yet to embrace Christ with effective faith.  

For the sake of the Kingdom, for those who have yet to claim their stake--through effective faith--in the Kingdom,  keep your eye on the ball.

Live it well...M6.8 bN

Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Time adds little perspective.
Death in a hostile place, a time not chosen.
Cities hard to pronounce; countries hard to find.
Cause, clarity clouded, confused; hard to recall.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin
Time dulls memory.
Pace pushes people on.
Space vacated, empty, gone.
Place dissolves, no trace; so it seems.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Time stands still; this I remember.
Their laughter, their scent.
First smile, first step, first word, first love.
A Friday night; life was simple.
The future, a certain dream, bullet proof, not.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Time release; tears flow freely.
Pride in lives well lived.
Grieving for lives given, invested and gone.
The loss, the pain; broken plans, broken hearts--shattered.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coastguardsmen, Airmen.
Duty, honor, country.
Last full measure, their devotion.
No greater love, their sacrifice.
In peace, now rest.
Whisper their names...and remember.



Life is fast.
Live it well...M6.8 bN

Real Love says NO.

"Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good."  Romans 12.9 NLT

As a follower of Jesus Messiah I am instructed to:
     1. Love others.
     2. Hate evil.
     3. Embrace good.

So then, not only is it possible, it is commanded of Christ-followers: love people without embracing their broken behavior, like Jesus does. 

Tolerance is NOT love. Love does not REQUIRE tolerance.

In-other-words, I CAN "love the sinner and hate the sin" and BE acting IN LOVE toward those whose behavior I cannot tolerate. I cannot hate broken people.

Love is non-negotiable. Tolerance is fraud.

Do. Love. Walk.
Live it well...M6.8 bN

What Joy!

Water flows, silk across rock.
Resounding concert of joy.
Linger, listen.  Do.

It comes, it goes.
Course of life it forms.
Reflect, rejoice. Love.

Linger, listen
Reflect, rejoice. Walk.

New Every morning--His mercies.

Do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly with God. 
What joy!




Life is fast.
Live it well...M6.8 bN

Just sing!

 Spring is off to a very slow start, even for Northern Indiana. 

April has been dominated by a blustery chill producing intermittent snow flurries, sleet and almost freezing rain that cuts right through each layer I so carefully fit over this 65 year-old well-worn frame I call home (on this side of eternity.)

Yet each morning begins with a concert performed on cue by the "yard birds" vocalizing--a concert of joy to the human ear. I thought it was curious given the wind, snow, sleet, rain and biting cold we have endured waiting for our weather to catch up to the calendar. But there they were, intent on doing what birds do. They sang, I groused.

Their internal calendar told the birds "it's Spring." They sing with confidence because they know, intuitively, that regardless of what the weather may be like today, it's Spring, and it's going to feel like Spring sooner than later.

It occurred to me this morning, off to another blustery start, as I listened to them sing outside my window, I can do that too. I know my life is "hidden with Christ in God," and even though it may not feel like that today, it will, sooner than later.

Colossians 3.2-4 "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."

He put a glorious new song in my heart.  Just sing. 

Life is fast.

Live it well...M6.8 bN

Above the Law.

Anger and hate are easy because they are intuitive to our human nature.

Empowered by God, we can do better "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."  Galatians 5.22, 23

No law; Statutory, Constitutional or Sharia can stand against these compelling virtues. They are a starting place, pointing us to the truth about the Universe we can see, but not fully experience; the world we can experience, but not fully understand and ourselves--with hearts so desperately sick, who can know them.

Need help? Let's talk. Message me.


Life is fast.
Live it well...bN M6.8

We will RISE!

Several years ago I received a note from a good friend..."my dad's cancer is progressing. His time here is probably down to days..." When I read those words I was transported back to the last time I was with his dad. I was saddened by this news, concerned for the grief this final act of life would introduce to my friend and his family...and not.

My friend's father did lose his life; but not once was he in danger of losing his hope: the certain promise that he, as a believer in Jesus Christ, would finally be transported into the presence of His Lord and Savior, there to enjoy life as HE designed it to be.

Life is hard, then we die.  Death is of course a very present reality for all of us--the older we get, the more acutely aware we become of our mortality.  We will all lose our lives, but we need not lose our hope.

Praise God for the hope we have in Christ, and the healing death brings for those who have embraced Christ through effective saving faith.  For these death need not be something to be feared; it is a gracious provision that carries us back into a "face to face" real-time relationship with God. Without death, we would be eternal beings, like Lucifer and the legion of angels which were cast out of heaven because of their rebellion...eternally separated from God, without hope of redemption.

Death became the modality that God uses to foil Satan's attempt to co-opt God's crowning creative act, humankind.  So then, death is the definitive "check-mate" and demonstrates God's mastery; always steps ahead of evil and the chaos of sin. Genesis 3 describes the event that initiated the rebellion of Adam and Eve to sin and it's necessary result, death; it's also here that we learn that death is part of God's bigger plan for hope and the redemption of humankind.

The rest, is history, 1 John 4.9,10...

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son 

into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 

10  This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us 

and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."

We know that love is a four letter word, spelled H-O-P-E; more importantly, we know that death simply marks the first day of the rest of our lives, 2 Corinthians 4.16-18...

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet 

inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary 

troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 

18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, 

Every Sunday it's our privilege to gather with others in our community of faith and there, to go Vertical in our worship of God Almighty, the Creator, Sustainer of the universe; the Lover of humankind.  His glory fills that place we gather in and He inhabits the praise of His people.  In those moments I am frequently reminded of friends and family who have preceded me in death...and are in His literal presence even as we are gathered in that crowded room; no more heart-failure, COPD, cancer, diabetes, stroke, dementia, arthritis, infirmity, organ failure--no disease, no broken hearts, no flaw, no pain, no suffering, no regret.  Joy unspeakable. Blessed hope.  

We will rise, thanks be to God.  Stand-firm.  It's a GRACE day. 

Life is fast.

Live it well...M6.8 bN

Help!

Celebrated my year #65, yesterday, 45 shared with Laura as my L(w)ife companion. In this photo, about one-month into our dating relationship, Laura was 15, I'd just turned 16. I remember that day like it happened yesterday.

Reflecting on life at 65, I am reminded, again, about the plaintive message in the Beatles tune "Help." It occurred to me...what a tremendous insight that song had into what happens to us as we move into the final third of our lives--but seen through the eyes of those five young men. Hence the plaintive nature of the song.

In fact, from this side of the time continuum I realize that life today is filled with tradeoffs. While I can't "do it all" anymore, the tenderness I experience as Laura, our kids and friends "stand in the gaps" is profound.

The FabFive had it figured out in 1969, they just didn't realize the light at the end of the tunnel was a train, coming to pick them up and carry them into a new chapter; Life is certainly different, it's definitely sweeter.  The challenge remains the same, "...do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God."  Do. Love. Walk.  Micah 6.8

Leaning into my weakness, only to discover God's strength is transformational; the humility that comes with interdependence is liberating.  My life, hidden with Christ, in God. This is the constant that will NEVER change.  Thanks be to God for our blessed hope.  

Life is fast.
Live it well...M6.8 bN

Why?

Please, tell me...

Why is the express line, not very "express?" Why is over-night delivery always 2nd day? Why do yellow lights make people see red? Why is urgent rarely important?

Why do we expect politicians to lie to us, and then get upset when they do? Why do we complain about the quality and direction of government, then refuse to vote? Why do we ask government to lower our taxes then complain when they reduce our services? Why is "public-service" so oppressive?

Why do we make vows we don't really intend to honor? Why do we "honor" people we often don't respect? Why are love and heartbreak two sides of the same coin? Why do we swear on a book we don't revere?

Why are educators accountable, but parents aren't? Why do we need a license to marry, but not to parent? Why can a 15 year old get an abortion, but not a divers license? Why do we mandate an education for "students" who won't try, don't care and refuse to cooperate? Why do so many parents think they can do a better job teaching, than our teachers, but make so little effort at educating their children?

Why do we feel sympathy for those with great need and outrage for those with great privilege? Why is the Humane Society only about animals? Why do we pretend everyone should be treated the same way, when we know that's not the way life really works? Why do we act like everyone is born with the same set of genes, when we know that's just not true? Why are criminals victims and victims criminalized? Why is "Affordable Health Care" so unaffordable?

Why does the right to privacy trump the right to life? Why is "profile" a dirty concept when, if applied appropriately, it can save innocent life? Why does our Constitution work harder for criminals than for good citizens? Why are some lives more valuable that others? Why is justice such a fleeting virtue? Why is it that the smarter we are, the dumber we get? Why has the information highway produced so much uncertainty?

"35...Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."   Matthew 9.35,36

Confused, helpless; lacking direction, weary, burdened?

Find rest...

"28 ...Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'”   Matthew 11.28-30

He...will give us rest.

Life is fast.

Live it well...M6.8 bN

DON'T wait for it.

Tomorrow we get a teaser.

Temps are projected to hit the mid-60's. Who knew 60* something  could feel so deliciously warm, so "right."

We haven't been set free from the clutches of "Old Man Winter," but we can see the day looming fast on the snow framed horizon. Spring is just 4 weeks away--March 21, 2018..liberation day in Northern Indiana.

We just "wait for it." Now, much sooner than later, it will happen.

Life is like this too, isn't it. We wait. It happens; life, happens. If we aren't attentive to this cycle-of-reality we wake up one day and realize, life passed us by while we waited.

That's why now is important. It's really all we have. It's all we need. Now.

"Now" gives us time to live fully in this moment...with certainty, confidence; live now with no regrets. Ah, but tomorrow, tomorrow will be a better day--but what if tomorrow never comes?

Don't wait for it. Life is fast.

Live it well...M6.8 bN