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.

"I Can't Remember..."

When I was fresh out of college I worked full time as a preacher. It frustrated me to no end when middle-aged and older Christians would tell me "I can't remember scriptures as well as I could when I was younger." I accepted their statements as true.

Now that I have reached middle-age I have observed something about remembering scriptures: USE THEM OR LOSE THEM.

I know, that is no great new revelation. And what it implies about these Christians is not new either.

People don't forget what they use. Teachers USE eye-reading skills looking for the unforgettable "I-don't-get-it" look. Timber cruisers don't forget how to calculate board feet in standing trees. Knitters don't forget their basic patterns. Anyone USING their skills do not forget the fundamentals.

What does that tell us about Christians who forget fundamental passages? Does it imply they are not active? Are they USING soul-saving passages like John 3:16; 15:14; Matt 10:32; Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30; Mark 16:15-16? Are they teaching how to stay free from sin using Rom 6:1-12; 12:1-2; Col 3:5-10? What scriptures do they USE, or make reference to, when someone has died (1 Thess 4:13-18, 2 Tim 4:6-8--my fav)? Are they answering the question "Why does God allow the good to suffer?" with memorized scriptures or stories (from Job)?

I also have noted over these few years how those same people were variations of hard-packed soil, shallow soil, or thorny soil. Nor have these individual tried to keep things fresh in their minds, as you, my faithful readers have. (I frequently thank God for you, whoever you are, wherever you live.)

So as a blog writer, should I concentrate on teaching the fundamentals again or should I, outside this medium, find ways to help Christians to get busy? 

Please tell me your opinion in the comments section.

"You want ME to do WHAT???"

He might have said, "You want me to do what???" But he didn't. He felt he was just an ordinary man, but one working hard to dedicate himself to Jesus. No, he didn't live it perfectly. He made ordinary mistakes that any follower might make. He used ordinary language, not like an orator. He lived in an ordinary Jewish home, not like those upper-crust Pharisees in Jerusalem. His home was plain and adequate, not large with plenty of servants. He was just an ordinary man.

But this particular ordinary man had been asked by the Lord to do what most would think as crazy, if not insane. His God-directed mission was to go to the world's most potent persecutor, the Disciple-Killer. He was to talk to this legally-empowered, follower-destroyer about his inability to see and his need to immersed to have his sins forgiven. And the persecutor knew more Bible than he did. An extra ordinary missions given to an ordinary man.

I can just see this ordinary follower approaching the dwelling of the persecutor. I see him hesitate just a moment, before his knocked on the door. I am sure he swallowed twice and took a deep breath. Then he did what God had told him.

Without hesitation, intensely, anxiously, almost hurriedly, the persecutor listens to the words. The persecutor jumps up and tells everyone to "Hurry up! We are going to the river right now!" He follows every instruction of the ordinary man.

The ordinary man can hardly believe what is happening. He is in the river. He baptizing the repentant persecutor. He hears himself say, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost for the remission of your sins." All he was doing was what God said,  "Go,...". A simple man following simple orders.

I am sure he didn't know all the 'softening up' God had done with this tormentor. He didn't know the awkwardness the persecutor felt. He did not know the pleading prayers the oppressor whispered. The persecutor's fasting may not have been obvious to this simple, ordinary man. The ordinary man had heard a simple message from his Lord, and did it. Now, this little plain man felt like a dragon slayer.

It is then I remember a passage from the Book of Acts about how Jewish priests became followers.

I know an ordinary man in Missouri I'll call 'Steve'. He is about as ordinary as they come. He looks after the animals that provide his income. He lives in his wife's grandparents home. He drives small cars and big trucks. He wears blue-jeans and a cowboy hat often. He is just an ordinary man.

But this ordinary man visits with his friends about Jesus. It doesn't matter to him if they are leaders in the Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal churches. He doesn't know if God has been 'softening them up' or not. He talks with them about their souls. He doesn't see himself as a dragon-slayer. I'm certain he seems himself as an ordinary follower who heard his master say, "Go....".

Do you feel religious leaders are too staunch and unchangeable for you, an ordinary follower, to attempt to study with them? Do you feel they know more Bible than you do? Are they unreachable? Or are you afraid? Do you pretend to not hear the Almighty One saying, "Go,..."???
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Grandpa Joe

Justin looked at his last text before sending it. "Grandpa Joe is visiting & telling stories. Love it!" It looked good. He hit the 'send' button.

It's an understatement to say Justin loves his Grandpa Joe. And the stories Grandpa Joe tells are one-of-a-kind. He never lies. You know it is true by the twinkle in the old man's eye.

Last night Grandpa Joe talked about being a fan of The Man. He, and several others, enjoyed traveling with The Man everywhere. He did everything with Him and His 'official' support team.

Justin was trying to text his friend about the story Grandpa told last night. Grandpa Joe said he had been hanging around this hippie-looking guy named John for a while, and really liked what John was doing. Then The Man came by, talked to John, and John gave him his now-famous washing. John started talking about how The Man was more important. "So I became The Man Fan," Grandpa Joe said.

The Man was so different. "I loved everything he said and did, " Grandpa said, adding, "It was exciting to be at the beginning of a new 'superstar.'"

"He talked about chasing The Man for three years," Justin typed, checked and sent.

Then Justin wondered if he should text anything about the next story Grandpa told. How can anyone, even The Man, feed so many with so little? Justin fought to believe it. But Grandpa did have that convincing twinkle in his eye again. It had to be the truth.  "Grandpa said The Man feed a whole town with just a basket of food," he spelled one letter at a time. Check. Send.

Then Grandpa Joe told the story of when he was nearly chosen to be a replacement on The Man's support team. One of the support team, sometimes called 'Jud' for short, had turned The Man over to some powerful politicians, or religious freaks, or something. Jud's actions got The Man in trouble. Jud committed suicide.

Justin pecked "1 of The Man's helpers got Him n trouble. Helper killed himself." Check. Send.

Justin thought of what Grandpa said next. "A couple of weeks later a bunch of us was hanging around when Pete proposed me and Matt as replacements. They talked to The Man's father and rolled the dice. Matt was picked, " Grandpa said, adding with laughter, "Almost!"

Justin's fingers couldn't move fast enough. "Grandpa almost picked as replacement." Check. Send.

This Bible-based fictitious story asks us to decide if the stories about The Man are real. For me it depends on who is telling the story. The closest men surrounding The Man didn't lie back then. How do I know? Many of them died for what they said. Who would die for a lie?

Hey, just for fun, in the comment box type Grandpa Joe's full name. You can find help here.

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