Turn On The Light

Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness,and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

I knew of a young teenager traumatized by the death of a dear friend. Depression soon began. Her school work plummeted. Friendships were being ended. Soon she was waking up with a "presence" in the room. She recognized the 'ghost' of her friend. Something had to change.

Darkness had descended.

She and her mom visited a Christian counselor. He suggested two answers.

1. a consistent bed time with a Tylenol pm.
2. Turn the light on. Let her sleep with a small light on.

Three days after the lights were 'Turned on', changes were evident. Improved attitude. Friendships restored. Interested in school. And no 'presence' in the well-lit bedroom.

Her mother described it her daughter as "coming home."

She had been transferred from darkness to light.

When we commit ourselves to Christ and are baptized to have our sins removed, Jesus 'Turns on the Light.' By faith we can now:

• navigate life.
• see sin's reality.
• See the 'coffee table' on life's dark nights.

What changes should be noticed?

• Thank God for turning on the light -- his son (LINK TO KOHN 8:12)
• Reinstate right.
• Give up greediness.
• Cancel covetous cravings. Be satisfied with what you have.
• Strike strife. Work out the differences.
• Divert deceit. Tune-up transparency.
• Give up gossiping. Slay slander.
• Make humility happen. Arrest arrogance.
• Obey parents.
• Turn trustworthy.
• Love.
• Mold mercy.
• Do not approve of others sins.

Christmas Card Lessons

Hey!

You know I am not into mailing traditional Christmas cards, and more into email, blogs, and FaceBook. But I will share with you three ideas that belong in a Christmas card.

Jesus temporarily vacated heaven for me. I can think of two reasons why He left, but I can't figure out which was more important to Him. Was it more important to Him to be guided by His Dad's love for me? Or was it that He saw me as priceless? Either way, I win.

And I am thankful He sees you as priceless, too.

My second idea is how Jesus' life began in poverty and misery. Have you considered His unwed mother making the long trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem on a donkey, and not in a Lexus or a VW bug? There were no vacancies at the Ramada, La Quinta, or Motel 6. They made the drafty, cow-chip-filled barn behind the inn their home. When Jesus arrived, He was not wrapped in a new flannel blanket, but long pieces of cloth from ????? He was not laid in a fine, germ-free, frill-lined bassinet. Joseph and Mary placed Him in a feed trough with hay as a cushion. (Imagine how hard it was for Joseph to keep his donkey from eating Jesus' bed-stuffing.)

I understand starting out poor and unfortunate. Being born in '55 at a Catholic hospital, and immediately being put up for adoption may have meant I was the offspring of a teenage girl who had made a huge “mistake”. Now, I identify with Jesus. He still sympathizes with me today.

My third Christmas-card idea considers the gifts to His kingship, divinity, and His suffering. Regardless of how many wise men came, they gave three very expensive gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold was a vestige of Him being King. Frankincense is a costly fragrance used in worship of divinity. And myrrh was an antiseptic used in preservation of the deceased. Was this symbolic of His life?

Everything I ever received from my parents, the Lionel train, a white paper mustache, two parents who delighted over everything I did (well, at least in the early days), a Tonka truck, and the portable record player (that I wore out). There was the pine branch stuck in a bucket and covered with whipped Ivory Snow for “snow” that served as a Christmas Tree (Mom always had a very sensitive nose). But in that little house on Frazier Street, I lived like a young King.

He deserved it. He IS a king. I did not. I am not.

Aren't these three good reasons to like Christmas?

I do hope you, all your family, and all the readers of this blog will have a magnificent and joy-filled Christmas. Please, take time to remember what Christmas is really all about. It was not about getting presents. It is about Jesus being THEGIFT to you and me from God.

Be A Kid

Adults are inclined to think like adults. The adult thought pattern, with its complexities and biases, tends to produce practices not productive to God's plans.

Adults:

• are skeptical.
• shake their heads, watching 'heroes' fall into disgraceful living.
• see gray instead of black and white.
• sit and watch others.
• ignore differences for tolerance and political correctness.
• are cruel to people (of road rage?) and animals (ASPCA?).
• refuse to improve through learning new ideas, or declining to adopt good learning practices .
• want to be pleased.
• allow friendships to fade into oblivion.
• are ambivalent or apathetic.
• are greedy and selfish.
• tell personal tales and become isolated from current opportunities.
• want others to take over their jobs.
• are prideful of who their person and accomplishments. 
• lack affection 
• are rude and hateful.

Does Jesus desire these traits in his family? I think not.

Once the adult disciples were thing like adults, They tried to control the crowd like an adult. Parents and grandparents wanted their children to see Jesus, maybe to touch Him or shake His hand. They were being rebuked by adult-thinking disciples.

Jesus rarely got upset, but the adult behavior of His disciples, preventing children from approaching Him, was not good. He became indignant. Jesus was very displeased with His adult acting students.

He claimed a moment for teaching them the characteristics He wants in His church. It was not what they expected. He said God's kingdom is made up "of such AS these." He added, "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God LIKE A CHILD will not enter it at all."

To be a part of Is kingdom, I must struggle to exhibit child-like qualities. I must:

• believe what I read about Jesus.
• appreciate love, kindness, and affection.
• return love, kindness, and affection.
• try to please Jesus through obedience.
• be humble like a child.
• be efficient learners of Jesus, God, the Bible, etc.
• accept responsibilities as they are offered.
• be understanding and responsive to the hurts and needs of others.
• talk about what I am doing (such as TheStruggle and preaching), and share my experiences.
• be aware of the differences in people.
• willing to give more to others.
• be active in His Kingdom.
• be enthusiastic about my relationship with Jesus, and sharing the hope.
• discern between good and bad, eliminating gray areas.
• strenthen the ties with my friends.
• emulate my hero, Jesus.

Will you be my friend and join me in reverting back to a better life?
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When I Grow Up...

Yes, you have heard me ramble about some tricks in commercials, and how producers control your thinking. But not all commercials are sinister. One by an investment firm begins with individuals, at work, saying, “When I grow up, I want to….” One hopes to repair old houses. Another will work with children.

As a Christian, I have recently discovered three areas where 'growing up' would be useful. See if you need these same three.


I need to grow up, mature, in my RELATIONSHIPS. Jesus spoke with authority in Matt 5:43-48. He reminded the people on the mountain what they had always heard – to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Then, with godly authority, He said, “But I say to you, … Love your enemies.” He added pray for the persecutor.


I need to practice loving those not lovable, and being persistently prayerful for the persecutor. How? The same way Jesus loved me when I was His enemy, a sinner (Rom 5:8 ). He loved sacrificially. He loved firmly, demanding the best from his disciples. He loved, taught, and prayed for those Pharisees and Sadducees, in spite of the unending death schemes.


Tell me this. When should I start growing up in my relationships?


I need to grow up, mature, in my DISCIPLESHIP.

Paul informed the Ephesians (4:11-14) of the responsibility members have to each other. Members should actively mature other Christians. Maturing disciples are found serving other members of the body (church). They continue until the entire group is “no longer infants,” tossed around by everyone’s religious opinions and tricks.

How do I become a mature disciple? Using the same method I used to mature as a teacher. While at Henderson State University learning to be a biology teacher, I was constantly told, “you will not thoroughly learn your subject, until you try to teach it.” They could not have been more truthful! It was after my second attempt to teach a cells that I began to understand cells. Now, the basics make sense to me and are easy to explain.

I will not mature as a disciple until I start serving fellow Christians. It takes me more than one attempt (I never get anything right the first time.) After I have taught other Christians, after I have visited dying Christians, after I have sit with them in the bleak days after a family loss, after I have humbly corrected their life-errors, after I have spent my life for them will my discipleship mature.


Tell me, when should I begin maturing my discipleship?

When I grow up, I will mature my FOCUS.

The Apostle Paul demonstrated his singular focus. It is in Phil 3:12-15. He had ONE goal in mind. To achieve his goal, he put aside his past as a persecutor, and strained (NIV) toward the goal of obtaining the resurrection from the dead.

Have you watched a lion tamer? He takes three things into the cage: a pistol, a whip, and, most importantly, a stool. Holding the stool by the seat, he points the legs toward the lion. The multiple legs distract the lion. The lion cannot decided which one he will attack. Lions are dangerous when focused, but when distracted, they are no threat.

Is the devil entering our cage with a stool? Has he learned distracted Christians are no danger to him? Let’s see. Tomorrow you get up early, fix breakfast while getting dressed. Then there is work. Then pee-wee ball practice. Then supper fixed. Then persuading kids to do their homework, while you do laundry. Get your teenager to stop texting long enough to answer your questions, find out tomorrow’s schedule, and tell everyone it is time for bed. Finally, you have time to get on Facebook and update your status ("I am drained.") and see what others have done. A quick look at your email. And sometime, somehow, you were taken by how Abney was stalked by a man on NCIS.


Hmmmm??? Distracted?


Christians lose their focus. Our focus should be in changing our family and society. We lose our focus of showing the power of Jesus to friends. What happened? Those all-consuming activities in life.

Again, tell me. When will I set my focus on the author and finisher of my faith (Heb 12:2)?

Better Ideas?

(Writer’s Note: Better Ideas will reach it’s impact unless you have read the first three posts in this serices. Please take a few minutes to read Abortion; then Mom And Dad Are Going To Kill Me, and I’m Not Ready To Be A Parent. Thank you.)

I want you to review a principle of God. I believe a governing principle for society’s junctures, including abortion, must be love. But, what is love?

‘Love’ ranges from liking a brand of toothpaste to an erotic sexual experience. Love, as we will use in this post (and hopefully throughout life), will refer to the type of love that seeks only the best for the other person.

This is “agape,” the Greek noun for the loftiest love. When Jesus died on the cross for man’s sins, He demonstrated what was best for us – “agapao” (the verb form). Yes, Jesus loved men when he healed their paralysis, cured their leprosy, or resurrected the dead, as in the case of Jairus. But in laying down His “life for his friends,” He exhibited the greatest love.

Sturdy Christian love treats others as they themselves would demand to be treated. The 'Golden Rule'  is found in Matt 7:12. Jesus affirms the consummate law is to love God supremely. The second is closely connected – love your neighbor (others) as you love yourself.

This sacrificial love solves many abortion issues (my opinion).

If you love yourself, will you put your soul in danger of eternal hell? The loving God is also just. He is all-powerful and all-knowing.

If love is established as our life-guide, will we do what is best for the child? Or will self dominate? Here is what might result:

1. Become a planned adoption mother. Use trustworthy adoption agencies to communicate with families wanting children. Maybe a family would help with medical expenses as you ‘grow’ their child. Is this an 'accidental' surrogate mom?
2. In a case of rape, complete the pregnancy. At birth, have him/her placed for adoption.
3. If pregnancy is outside a legitimate marriage, briefly visit a relative in a distant town. Complete the pregnancy and put him/her up for adoption. Then return home from an 'extended vacation' with Auntie M.
4. As pregnancy length increases, the chances the mother or father will keep the child grow. Attitudes change with time and a supportive family. Why put the child up for adoption if he/she is loved?

I do not advocate marriage between the 'accidental' parents. Marriages based on an 'accident' fail often. Suddenly, there is a single-parent raising an infant.

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What ‘Better Ideas’ can you add? I know what I have is introductory, not exhaustive. Please share with others your additions.

If you have not do, please read the first three posts in this series.

Abortion

Mom And Dad Are Going To Kill Me

I’m Not Ready To Be A Parent.

The final installment will be posted soon.

Christmas

Christmas can be confusing unless we keep focused. The holiday of modern America is far too much focused on merchandising and gift giving of the THINGS, which God wants de-emphasized. The cliche is correct: Jesus is the reason for the season. And although I do not think Jesus was born on December 25th (the shepherds were watching flocks feeding on GREEN grass.), any time of year we can focus on Jesus is good.

Jesus Came 

Jesus came to this world as was foretold he would. Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and he told us where Jesus would be born. It was Isaiah who told us of the virgin birth, a miracle by all standards.

What He Left To Come
Jesus left perfect unity with His Father. When he took on the life of a mortal, he offers eternal life. He left the prestigious position of being at God's right hand, a position he would regain after His ascension. And he forfeited his glory he had with the Father. (JOHN 17:1-5).

The Reason He Came and What That Meant
Why should he give up so much? The simplest reason is the most profound: He loves you and me. This love brought him from heaven. This love caused him to heal and cure the impossible. This love compelled him to teach us how to please God even when other people are opposed. His love prompted him to show us how we can have a hope of being with him and his Father.

But all these facets of His love do not compare with the ultimate act of love. He himself said the greatest love is one that dies the substitute death for a friend. He died in my place to appease God's wrath (ROM 1:18; 3:23) and buy me back (ransom me) from Satan. 

On December 25 it is alright to remember Jesus in a Bethlehem barn wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a feed trough. But please, go one step more. Remember: The manger was just the beginning step in a life dedicated to saving you from sin.

Psoriasis and Priorities

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is non-contagious, according to Wikipedia. It produces extra skin (thicker) with red blotches, white-scales or both. 

Those suffering from this disease, are certain to tire of the problems associated with it. But how valuable is the cure for a disease that returns?

Much earlier in my life I made simple commercials for a low-power television station. Now I view commercials with a caustic eye, critical of how they control viewer thought processes to reach their desired end. Either the producers are incredibly brilliant, we (viewers) are extremely dull-minded, or we are amazingly stupid. 

Take for example the advertisements of pharmaceutical companies. You are told the astounding results of their medication while showing you pictures of people without any disease living life to the fullest with large smiles of contentment. Producers want you to think their product will make everything wonderful again, regardless of whether we have just had a heart attach, or have death-causing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Fortunately, the government requires them to tell you the negative side effects. This is more difficult for producers to overcome. But they do very well by using either our inattentiveness or our stupidity. The legal requirements are quickly met while continuing the barrage of images of 'cured' people with happy families in 2-second scenes of recreation. 

Were you listening or watching?

One drug that begins with the letter "S" is used to treat psoriasis. The producer creates thoughts of their drug giving perfect, beautiful skin. Quickly you are told the side effect could lead to death. 

Lead to death??? Friends, did he just say you could DIE if you that use their product??

How valuable is nice skin? Is dieing an acceptable cost to having pretty skin?? Will your skin look good as people file past your coffin??

WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES???

Ok. We have a problem, and it is NOT our stupidity.

One problem is our dullness or inattentiveness. Jesus quoted Isaiah as saying the Jews were dull-hearted, not listening, and with closed eyes. The Apostle Paul told Christians from a Jewish background their dullness was limiting what he could teach them. 

The second (and MOST IMPORTANT) problem is losing track of what is important. Search for His kingdom and what is right. Re-establishing relationships with offending(-ed) brothers BEFORE attempting worship. Correcting self before correcting others. Loving God supremely. Being ready and willing to give.

An answer to our priority problems should begin with focusing on things above and not on things down here (COL 3:1-2).

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What commercials have you seen that change your thinking? 

What experiences have you had at re-establishing priorities?

Please rate this blog, or kindly write a short comment or answer.

Parts or Production

For the past month I have been a fire-watching night guard at a sawmill. I walk four to eight miles each shift. I patrol the grounds and buildings looking for fires and security breaches.

In the process I see, besides sawdust everywhere, machinery, pneumatic/hydraulic equipment, chains designed to move logs, chains designed to remove waste products, control booths, and industry-specific hand tools. Ready for use are front-end loaders, large unloaders designed to handle tons of logs at a single bite, and forklifts. There are some items I am around that I am not permitted to write about. And it is almost inconceivable the number of piles of hardwood logs mounded 15-20 feet high all under spraying water. 

Up till recently this was what I thought a sawmill was. I could see all the parts, and stacks of product. It felt cold, static, and lifeless. But not now.

What is the difference? The sawmill came to life. I saw what happens when trained people use all that stuff. I saw rough, butt-cut logs go in. I saw useful crossties, planks, 'fuel', and woodchips come out. I saw how each part of the big place works together to make desirable products.

So where is "The Struggle" in all this? 

Each of us should read the Bible daily. We read about all the 'parts' in the church. We note elders, preachers, and members with many different skills. We see how financial contributions should be used. We memorize the 'great commission', 'Be-attitudes', Jesus' example of prayer, the steps of salvation, and various love passages. We might use our imaginations and pretend to be in the crowd on that sadistic Friday, the wondrous day of Pentecost, or agonizingly watch Stephen being stoned. Yes, we know all the parts.

But is that how it is meant to be? Is there something is missing? Could it be Spirit-led disciples? Could it be passionate, prayer-filled preachers proclaiming Jesus, hope, grace, love and duties? Is it elders leading by example instead of 'administrating'? Is life breathed into a dead congregation when ALL members use their skills, whatever they are? What happens when deacons report the results of joyous and generous contributions? What life-producing changes occur when we halt memorizing, and initiate the practice of soul winning, attitude changes, praying, and loving the people Jesus loved?  Is it advisable to quit limiting the gospel to our imaginations and pretentions? 

It just might be that we have a 'log yard' of egocentric people, grasping after the wind, that can be changed into productive, useful individuals if we, the trained disciples, use our Spirit-endowed skills.

Now do you see your personal struggle? I do.