Another Pine Box

Maybe I am beginning to grasp the grief Jesus felt. Maybe.

The charter plane landed. Me and 25 others, flags unfurled, formed a semi-circle of commendation to an already-aching family. The door opened. A lieutenant and a Sargent came down a short ladder. Immediately, a color guard made another pine box stable.

Cringing, the family crossed the runway. Assistance was given the thin, fragile grandmotherly woman. Some made strides to the casket. Others, distressed, had no longing to draw near, having been schooled in grief.

I am acquainted with a family member. She is inconsiderate, oblivious, and a throw-everything-to-the-wind soul. The family towed her to the pine box. Grief took charge. The wails were prolonged, perpetual, and, piercing.

The chaplain prayed. More tears and additional mourning flowed. A family member prayed. “Lord,” he said, “You tell us this is to be a happy day. All I am praying for is the strength to endure this adversity.”

The family turns to leave. The one I know is drug away. She struggled with them, loudly wailing. Family members restrained her.

I remembered Paul's words to the Thessalonians. “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorry as others who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). He was preparing believers for the inevitable pain.

Jesus knew the pain. He cared. “Now as he drew near, He saw the city and wept over it...” (Luke 19:41). John records Jesus' emotions when He visited Mary and Martha, Lazarus' family. “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.”  (John13:33). Later John added, “Jesus wept.” (John 13:35).

Today, I think I suffered a sadness like Jesus did.

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Have you had a similar experience? Would you share it in the comment section?

Pity the Poor

Financially, I felt like a June bug hitting a car glass at 60 mph---not much left. Three of us attending college, four others at home, and only my wife's salary.

I was blessed to preach Sunday's, and teach a Wednesday night class, at Aldridge Road in Percy, Arkansas.

One Sunday night, after locking up the building, I plopped into my high-mileage Chevy S-10 pickup for the tiring, 78-miles home. What is this? A brown paper sack of groceries? The unsigned note spoke of someone thinking I could use them. They were right!

The next time the church met I thanked the mystery person(s).

About six weeks later, I found $50 extra dollars for my electric bill. Again, I thanked the congregation for the generous, anonymous soul(s).

I suspected a few members, but none ever suffered financially.

So, Proverbs 19:17 is true. "He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given." Someone at Aldridge Road had pity on this poor man. And God made sure no one suffered.

Matthew 6:3-4, "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."

Shortly, we will enter the season of giving. I challenge you to test God. Find one person or family in financial distress. Give them something useful without them knowing you helped. Then, watch God give you something as repayment. If He keeps His word, what worry do you have?

Triumphant Entry

Many of the famous Bible stories can be reviewed with few words. They still refresh us and our faith, plus remind us of how much we are loved.

Here is a short version.

A never-ridden colt

"The Lord needs it."

Garments on road

Branches in road

Hosanna in the highest

BLESSED IS THE KING

"Rebuke your disciples"

"Stones will cry out"

Wept over city

"If you only knew"

Enemies surround

Not one stone on another

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How many details did you remember? Check yourself. Read the complete story. Click all four links below.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Why Bad to Worse

Ever experience someone who could not stop being bad? People reason with them, but they will not listen. Nothing works.

Why will they not change? Today, I grasped an answer.

It is in Proverbs 17:4. "An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue."

Evil people do not follow watchful, loving men or women who recognize the inevitable consequences and endeavor to provoke change.

Instead, self-destructing humans, bent on being bad, solely pay attention to others voicing agitation, discord, depression, and grief. Like zombies, blundering along, they follow the directives of the discontented driving to desecration and disaster. (Is this selective hearing?)

When do people become selective for evil? Where is the proverbial 'point of no return'?

What does God do with the selectively evil? Two answers are:

• Hebrews 10:26-27 "26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries."
• Romans 1:28-32 "28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."

Are you listening to God himself, solidly on good ground, gaining His grace, taking His advice, and struggling to imitate Him?

Polyurethane and Sin

This morning I needed to put a coat of polyurethane on a custom cabinet and a new door. Easy job, right?

Grabbed an old rag and wiped everything. Done. No problems. Pick up a stir stick. Open can. Stir gently. Done. No problem. Pour polyurethane into used margarine bowl. Take brush and apply a coat to everything. Clean the brush and bowl. Done. No problems.

Later, I was puzzling over why it was difficult to read. What is this? Teeny-winnie specs of polyurethane on my glasses? Dried, hardened, and tough to remove.

Is this how sin works?

We live near sin and sinful people. We can not evade. We get a little splatter here and a small dribble there. We do not bothered because it is so itsy-bitsy. We are ok, we think. But after duplicate experiences, we find a multilayer coating that is dried, hardened, and tough to remove.

The Point of this struggle?

1 Cor 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." If we are frequently around people who curse, we pick up the bad habit. If we sit with those telling crude jokes, we start telling them too. Do not talk with gossips.

Dabble with sin, and you will get it on you.

Jesus Goes Back To School

Growing up, Jesus received the basics: Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmatic. And we know He developed into the greatest teacher ever. So how did he get from a 12-year-old boy leaning to read and write to THE authoritative teacher?

Old Testament teachers used object lessons. Did Jesus learned object lessons from Jeremiah, and create his own pattern?

Jeremiah used object lessons common to living. Did Jesus read Jeremiah's preaching God's message of Judeans building "broken cisterns" (2:13). Did His teachers use Jeremiah's speech of God's people being as faithful as a "treacherous wife", (3:20) or the "lion coming from the thicket" illustration? (4:7) I am certain He heard of Jeremiah's yoke. (ch 27-28).

While young, He recognized the value of object lessons.

See the sixth-grade Jesus, fresh from his scholar-astounding trip to Jerusalem with His parents? He has:

• all his school supplies
• a determination to teach like Jeremiah.

He removes a single page from his 150-count, 75-cent, lose leaf pack Joseph had bought Him. He selects and sharpens a pencil and writes the teacher a note thanking Him for his work. He drew a cross, gave it to a good friend and said "Someday I will die for you." 

Jesus retrieved His big trapizoid-shaped erasers, showed it to His neighbor, and said, "My real father uses something like his on sins (Heb 9:22). But sometimes He uses this stuff too, showing off His bottle of White Out. "David and Isaiah talked it, but didn't know what it was called (Ps 51:7; Isa 1:18)

In art class, He drew some bees on His paper and cut them out. Next, He wrote "BEE a brother's keeper" on posterboard. He got out his brand new 2-pack of Elmer's Glue Sticks. He glued the bees on the poster. A classmate heard "You use glue to hold two papers together, just like "Bee"-ing a brother's keeper bonds Jews together." (Rom 12:18; Col 3:14)

Jesus used his new pens and pencils to write messages to everyone. He told a boy "Things like these helped Moses write the Law. Today,you can write a note to your mom saying, "Thank you for being good to me."

Jesus took out his new 24-count box of Crayons. He drew a pretty rainbow, wrote "God Keeps His Promises" underneath, and put it on the teacher's desk. "I can use crayons to tell of God's faithfulness," He told His teacher. (Gen 9:16)

The final bell rang. Kids ran out the door. But not Jesus. He was not finished using his school supplies. He opened His hot-pink colored Post-it Pad, wrote "God loves you so much!!" on 12 notes. He stuck one on each classmates desk as a reminder.

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Jesus used common, everyday things to teach His message. ANYTHING could be used. He used various soils to teach about people's determination. He used mustard seeds, coins, feeding pigs, leaven, hidden treasure and a pearl of great price, a lost sheep, 10 girls, large sums of money, blind people , a lamp, and many more.

THE POINT: ANYTHING can be used to start a conversation about God, Christ, or spiritual matters.

If you have started a religious discussion using a thing, would you share it in the comment section?

Rich Men Can't Go To Heaven

"That's NOT what I said!!"

"But dad, that's what I thought you said."

"Son, I was describing the chances of rich people if they want to go to heaven. Do you remember Uncle Jimmy describing how difficult it is for them to make it?"

"I'm not sure. Was there something about a needle and a camel?"

"You almost remember. Uncle Jimmy told us what Jesus said. 'It is easier for a camel to get through the opening in a sewing needle than for a rich man to get to heaven.' Do you remember how Uncle Jimmy and the other apostles were surprised? They thought if a man was rich meant he was extra-special to God, and certainly was heaven-bound. Jesus told Uncle Jimmy that men can't get it done, but with God's help everything is possible."

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Exchanges like this remind this struggling soul of how strenuous staying right is.

A verse not seen in the conversation was Jesus saying, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:24)

I've always envisioned myself as poor, but counting of my blessings indicates I am very rich. My abundance is magnified as I balance my home with those in third-world countries.

It is easy to let things  control us. Your riding mower has a flat, so you spend two hours going to Walmart or Sears for a repair, but buy a tire instead. There is a lengthy traffic delay on your way home. Once back home you discover you left your Android Smartphone back at the store. Another trip to the town, find your phone, check the time, rush to the cleaners, and back home. Once inside, you must recharge the phone. Soon you open the freezer, dig for the tv dinner, and toss it in the microwave. POP! SNAP! Smoke is boiling from the microwave. Put the TV dinner back in the freezer, back to Walmart, buy another microwave, and return home again. Oh, no. This one has the wrong kind of electrical plug. "Wally World", here we come.....

Is the owner in control? No. His things dictate his deeds.

What godly objective was achieved? Does it count that you tamed your temper and resisted uttering ugliness? 

When things control

• Jesus is not in control. 
• He is no longer Lord. 
• My chances of heaven dwindle.
• I do not be complete His work. Sound like a "good and faithful servant"? (Luke 19:17)