Pondering things

June 16, 2008

May 3, '08	Today was a very good day.  North Georgia had some rain.  Thank you, Lord.  To all who come this way, please pray for the souls in Zimbabwe.  Pray for their safety.  Pray for justice. ============= What does it mean to be a "Christian".  Recorded in Revelations 3:16, the Lord says (paraphrasing) because you are Lukewarm, I will vomit you out.  To be a Christian is to "sit at His feet" as a disciple, devoted to His teaching, His way.  A disciple will study and learn the way of his Master, and yet, how many read the Word of God, much less study it, frequently and diligently.  Our study must be focused on determining what God is saying to us, rather than attempting to justify our traditions, or what we think we already know, or what someone has told us the Bible says.  Remember that calling ourselves a "Christian" doesn't make us one... our heart, our actions, our devotion make that determination. So, what do you think?   Read Matthew 7:21, and ponder these things.
May 5, '08	Beautiful weather... quite pleasant. ============= I've wondered how anyone can contemplate the natural world and envision the possibility that there is no intelligent Creator.  The first prerequisite is believing that God exists, and while He expects us to live by faith (Romans 1:17), He doesn't expect or want a blind faith that He is. (Acts 14:17)  We look around and see how nature interacts with itself so completely, we consider the feat of the creation of life and the consiousness of mankind, the awesome marvels of the human body, and so many things where the only logical conclusion is that "where there's a design, there is a designer".  Honest, intelligent reasoning declares that all this didn't just happen by accident.  More faith is required to believe that there is no God, than that He is, because the singular evidence that He does not exist is a preconception found only within human imagination. Psalms 8:3-9  Think about it.
May 7, '08	One of the most difficult things in life is to remain mindful that all things here are temporal.  Our priorities get caught up in work and family and just generally "living life" with all its complexities and problems... and we end up "putting down roots"... putting our priority in carnal things rather than spiritual things.  Life on earth is a matter of brevity, but the soul lives on forever.  Ignoring spiritual matters will leave us unprepared for the existance we all face beyond this life.  If we have not served our Master in this life, if we have not loved God here, if we have not sought Him while there is time, if these things have not been our priority, how do we expect to spend an eternity with Him in those "mansions prepared".  Heaven isn't the only place that God has prepared... and we choose.
May 12, '08	We are all imperfect, as evidenced by "all have sinned" (Romans 3:23).  That doesn't mean we are required to sin, or that sin isn't by our own choice, or that our sins are the result of someone else's misdeeds (Ezekiel 18:19-21).  What it does mean is that we each must bear the responsibility for doing wrong in the sight of God and separating ourself from Him.  But, God, in His marvelous, infinite love has provided a means to remove the separation, repair that broken relationship, and allow us to be reunited with Him.  That "means" is Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One.  There is no other way. (John 14:6)  If we ignore His plea to accept the salvation He offers, then our only expectation is to suffer the awful consequences that are beyond our comprehension. (Luke 17:26-30; Revelations 21:8)  God is love, and the evidence of that love is that He provides us the Way.  His Way came to us through the giving of the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, to live as an example and then to die for us.  We are His creation, so who are we to decide that His love will not allow punishing those who despise Him... and we despise Him when we follow our own path instead of His Way. (Hebrews 10:28-31; Proverbs 14:12)  The destiny we chose awaits us.
May 14, '08	To "accept Jesus" is more than saying "I believe".  We must begin by considering our situation.  After a thorough and honest assessment, we are confronted with the understanding that we live in sin, and our sins are our own fault.  It is then we begin to realize that we are convicted of those sins, because they are a product of our own self-will, and opposed to God's.  Our sins had compromised the pure relationship we had with God in the innocence of our youth, and in such a state, we now stand condemned, and separated from Him.  It is with fear and dread we face the consequences, for we know of the coming eternal pain of separation and damnation.  Further, we reach the horrible conclusion that we are hopeless and helpless to extricate ourselves from the situation into which we've put ourselves.  When we learn of Jesus and the love of God, and His desire that "none should perish", we become rightly convinced that He is our only hope for salvation from the awful eternity we deserve.  We study and contemplate the cost of leaving our old life to become a follower of Jesus.  Then, it becomes obvious to us we must turn from our sinful ways, and be converted to Jesus to become a disciple of His, if we are to be saved from the dread of eternity. To be a disciple, we must confirm our faith and our trust in Him by being openly obedient to His commands.  Having become a true and obedient disciple, our conscience can be clear from the pain and regret of our past sins. We now carry the name "Christian", and continue to be faithful to His Way, to "grow in the nurture and admonition of our Lord".  Our life is refocused to concentrate on His Word and on Spiritual matters, and to remain faithful and righteous and pure in all things. This will condition our heart and manner of life to love God above all else, and avoid the things that tempt us.  In doing so, we confound Satan, who once happily numbered us among his disciples. Our joys can be filled in knowing that no matter what befalls us in life, we are "more than conquerors" because we have overcome.  Likewise, we learn to be content with such as we have in life.  And, as a faithful disciple, a child of God, we are consoled by the thought that if we should stray and stumble, our Savior will help us up, accept our sincere repentance, and shelter us once again... and we look forward to an eternity of peace and indescribable joys in Heaven with our God and Savior.   (Matthew 1:1 - Revelations 22:21)
May 17, '08	Of all the Bible, perhaps the best-known, most-often quoted scripture is John 3:16.  This tells of the unfathomable love of God for mankind, and is the basis of our love for Him.  This is the "good news" of which the angels sang at the birth of Jesus.  It is truly one of the "cornerstone" passages of the New Testament... indeed, of the entire Bible.  As with ANY document, to comprehend a passage of scripture, to realize its full intent, and to better understanding the message, we consider also the context of the passage.  To fully understand the thought God is presenting to us, we need to continue reading from verse 16 through verse 21. (Remember that the original message given by God wasn't divided by chapters and verses, so we need to read God's message without regard to the man-made divisions added later.)  So, reading the entire message beginning at verse 16, we see that God has an immense love for mankind.  That great love is demonstrated by the Son of God coming to live in this world with us, and then die for our sins.  The passage further tells us that Jesus in the "light come into the world".  Continuing to read, not only must we believe on HIm, but we must apply that faith by "doing the truth".  We also find those works must be real (manifest), and they must be done according to God's will and for His purpose (not our own).  It is imperative that we study God's Word to determine more about that faith, and the nature of the things we must do, to become a convert of Christ and gain the everlasting life made available to all of mankind through Him.   (John 3:15-21;  Matthew 7:21;  James 2:18; Titus 1:15-16)
May 19, '08	The following was sent to me by Fred Bradshaw, an old highschool classmate... well, actually, I shouldn't call Fred "old"... we're obviously the same age.........   :-)  Anyway, it made me chuckle, so here it is exactly as Fred sent it.    An elderly woman had just returned home from an evening of church services when she was startled by an intruder. She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables and yelled "Stop!  Acts 2:38." (Repent and be Baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven.) The burglar stopped in his tracks.  The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, "Why did you just stand there?  All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you." "Scripture?", replied the burglar. "She said she had an Ax and Two .38's!"
May 27, '08	Zimbabwe... remember Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe map Zimbabwe Today Zimbabwe Journalists This is Zimbabwe    If you wish to contribute to the great needs in Zimbabwe, to help relieve the suffering, here is a web site that can assist you.  Zim-Care, Inc. is a non-profit, tax exempt charity set up by a friend who travels there often.  100% of the moneys donated go to buy and transport food, pay hospital bills, and support native preachers to carry the Gospel message to so many who accept the Good News so willingly.  No overhead is taken either here or there.  You will be hard-pressed to find a charity through which 100% of the donations are used to help those for whom the help is intended.  We are so blessed in this country, far beyond our needs... they just need a little food and medical care.  Please help.  (Be aware that due to the political situation in Zimbabwe, it is necessary that no mention is made on the web site regarding the brutality of the Mugabe government.  To do so would endanger those associated with Zim-Care, Inc. when they travel into Zimbabwe.)
June 16, '08	Hot and muggy this afternoon. Why is it we want to do "great things" for God, and yet, we fail daily at those things He's asked us to do that are so easily done.  Is it that we wish to impress God, or impress friends, or impress ourselves?  Peter declared that he would die with Jesus, and yet, all Jesus wanted was for Peter to not deny him.  Jesus, speaking the God the Father, said "Thy will be done".  That's all God asks of us... to do His will rather than our own.  Jesus said, "My burden is light", and so it is... if we put aside our own will and desires, and follow Him.  It doesn't take money to serve God... but it does take giving up our own will, and doing those small things He asks of us.
Nov. 8, 2008	The election is over, and America got what they asked for.  It bothers me less that Obama is pro-abortion and pro-homosexuality, than that a large majority of Americans either supports those stands, or doesn't care.  It's true that his opponent is living in adultery, which is also sinful, and I felt I had little choice in the election.  It also bothers me that people would vote based on a person's skin color, but if the numbers I've seen are accurate, it would be difficult to deny that happened. But, since God is in control, the future of this nation will not depend on the President, but on the devotion of the Christians within the nation.  I think of it much like Abraham bargining with God over the fate of Sodom... if ten righteous people could have been found, God agreed not to destroy the cities.  My hope is that enough faithful people will be found in our nation that God will allow it to continue. So, it is up to us as individuals to hold fast to God's Word, and devote our life to serving Him and worshiping Him only in the ways He has directed.  We can not be as those of old who "did what was right in their own eyes".  They worshipped Him as they decided was best, and in doing so, they forsook Him.  We must put away creed books and the doctrines of men, study diligently God's Word, and apply those things to how we live and worship.  Our ideals must not be our guide, but everything in our life must be to the glorifying of Jehovah in the ways He's specified... not how we determine it should be. How I live and how I devote myself to God could be a determining factor as to the fate of our nation.  Please join with me to pray for mercy, and praise Him in life... and save our country from destruction.
March 22, 2009	Jeff Harward, Christian and dearest friend, passed away suddenly March 8, 2009, at the age of 60.   Jeff was such a unique fellow. Not that we aren’t all unique, but he was special. From the very first time I walked into an assembly of the Lanier congregation, until the last time we spoke, I was always impressed with him… as a man’s man, a true friend, a dedicated teacher, a devout Christian.   Of course, there was the prankster who delighted people with his own brand of personality and humor. The stories of his escapades are many. With few exceptions, life seemed to be fun for Jeff. He allowed himself to enjoy the things that were fun.   He really cared for his friends. Such a sincere caring. Jeff could laugh and joke and banter with his quick wit, and so enjoy the association, but he could also be blunt and direct with those same people when he felt it was to their benefit.   As well, his family remained a part of himself. His love for Star, for Aaron and Zane, and for Carla and Lauren, as well as his grandchildren, was so abiding. He so obviously loved Star as he would love himself… more, I believe. Never ashamed of his ability to care so deeply and so emotionally, he easily displayed those feelings for all to see.   Jeff had such a unique style of teaching, both in classes and from the pulpit. He was a studious man who delved into the deeper things, and could so completely express the thoughts to which his studies lead him. He was helped by a vast vocabulary, and the ability to express complex thoughts in understandable ways. So many call themselves “preacher”, when their message is little but drivel, but Jeff, though short in statue, stood far above them with the messages he was determined to convey. He never settled for the “top view”, but would dig into a topic of study and mine every molecule of understanding that God had meant for us. His lessons could make his hearers think… to consider the ideas he presented. He managed to bring out perspectives that few had ever considered to provide explanations to complex questions… and, at other times, make us realize that some things considered so simple could have far deeper ramifications. Many was the time when I was at first puzzled by a thought he cast before us, but upon later study and consideration I’d come to understand his point and view, and realize he had offered a facet that was undeniably Truth. Jeff presented his lessons with such love and passion, so intent to teach and admonish and provoke.   Jeff’s public prayers were so poignant… not engaging in commentary, or addressing the hearts of those in attendence, but so obviously speaking only to God, in all sincerity and humility.   Above all else, Jeff’s motivation for his life, his teachings, his worship was so obviously a love for God that was beyond measure. He trusted God completely, and used every bit of his ability for the cause of Christ, holding nothing in reserve.   Much of my being so troubled by his departure was my expectation of having Jeff around for quite awhile longer, so I can only imagine the difficulties his passing has on his family. I’d never even considered that Jeff might leave before me. (In fact, he didn’t know it yet, but he was to conduct my own memorial service when my time came.) We’d briefly talked about a trip to Alaska together, and perhaps traveling to Africa next year. I knew Star would kill me, but after Jeff and I spoke briefly on the phone the afternoon before his departure, as I drove along I determined to make him a deal he couldn’t refuse for my motorcycle when I returned from my trip to South Carolina. And, there were a lot of cups of coffee to drink over discussions… so many things to talk about. I always looked forward to those. I needed them. I’ll miss them.     Few, if any, can match the Jeff Harward I knew and came so quickly to love so dearly.  I've written these things not to put Jeff on a pedestal, but merely to state honest observations about the man.  Jeff was truly special,  and in spite of missing him, the rememberences and the thought that I'll see him again soon brings an instant smile. "So long, bud... see ya soon."