The Musings of a Father...

As I was concluding my study of Corinthians, I was honestly struggling with anything that could be applicable. Chapter 11 is difficult. I LOVE chapter 12, and chapter 13 is your normal Pauline closing. Just as I was finishing the last few verses of the final chapter, my son runs over to "give daddy kisses." I chuckled and continued -- notice verse 12 -- "Greet one another with a holy kiss." I smiled and began to think about that simple sentence.

"Greet" -- means to draw to oneself or to receive joyfully. Our children do that to us daily because they love us unconditionally. They want to be with us. They want to know that we are there. Every night, my son and I have a routine. I'll read him a Bible story and pray. Then, he will "read" a Bible story to me and pray. I will lay down with him for 2 songs and then leave. As I am heading out the door, he will beckon me: "Daddy, stay here. Come back, daddy." Oh that we had such a desire for our relationship with our Heavenly Father!! Yet, we so quickly turn away from Him because our love and desire is conditionally based. I have a great deal to learn from my son.

"One another" -- means one another, but there is an interesting connotation here: mutually and respectfully. In other words, we are to reach out to everyone with respect; and if that is granted to us, we should reciprocate. Tonight, the kids were playing on the floor with my wife when the boy waltzed over to his mom and said: "Mommy, read with me." Her response, with a huge smile: "How can anyone say no to that?" Unfortunately, we do. Someone is reaching out to us but we turn them away for a myriad of reasons. My son does not know a stranger, which is good and bad. His friendliness will serve him well, and I need to follow that example by extending cordiality to everyone I encounter.

"With" -- we all know and understand that this is a preposition. Great, but how does that apply here? The term denotes position and use of the parts surrounding. Huh? Okay, what we have is a word that joins reaching out with a kiss (the part that follows); yet, underneath that piece is a relationship. Relationships that are based upon trust and comfort result in times of peace. Children and parents demonstrate that beautifully. When a bad thunderstorm rolled through several weeks ago, my son wanted one thing -- me. Why? He is comfortable with me around. The wind was howling and rain/hail beating on the windows, but he went to sleep in my arms -- a perfect picture of rest. That is how we need to be as the turbulent times arise in our world. Go to God and then go to sleep knowing that He will take care of you through it all.

"A holy" -- yep, this word is an interesting one. It is only found twice in the New Testament and it NEVER refers to individuals -- always things. The reference is to reverence or that should be esteemed. It is based upon "character springing from its relations, nearer or remoter, from God." Again, we see the same implication as the preposition: a mutual relationship with mutual motives and mutual esteem. That, in a sense, is true love between individuals in that they choose one another and take steps to maintain that character.

"Kiss" -- all the teenagers are anxiously awaiting this one so that they can say they have a Scriptural mandate to kiss the opposite sex. Unfortunately, this is not the mandate they seek. The term references a fraternal affection as a sign of welcoming or well-wishes on a departure. Go back to the initial example of my son wanting to give "daddy kisses." Why? Because he just wanted to. He wanted to show that I was welcome in his world. When I leave, his kisses are to say: "come back soon, daddy, so we can play." Do we treat others in a way that shows them they are welcome in our lives??

Whew! Who knew that children had so much to teach us from one little verse???

Christian Credibility...

I am now wrapping up a leadership class called "Credibility" and it is based upon the book by Kouzes and Posner of the same name. The crux of this book can be summed in 3 key points: (1) constituents want leaders that are trustworthy, (2) credibility can only be earned through hard work, and (3) trustworthiness and credibility are created as words match deeds. This has been a thought-provoking read for me, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the much studying over the 33 pages of notes in preparation for the concluding test (please go back and reread the last sentence attempting to detect the abundant sarcasm).

After putting my son down for bedtime, I read my Bible and Paul, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reiterated that very lesson. In verse 5, we see the central thesis of this section in that Christians are to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." Stop and think about that for a moment -- EVERY mental perception that comes to us during the day must be taken by force, chained, and led away to obey Christ. The strength of that language reveals just how difficult the struggle we face in our daily lives.

This is harsh; however, verse 4 shows us that our weapons to do this are "mighty in God." The Greek word mighty is "dynatos," which, of course, is where we get our modern term dynamite. The deeper implication is a presence of strength in the soul to endure long, difficult battles. Remember, a Christian's strength rests not in himself but in the One to which they turn for saving grace -- Jesus Christ. So, only by Christ can we command that EVERY thought coming into our minds be those that are well pleasing to Him.

This underlying truth is vital to understand the remainder of the chapter, whereby Paul explains the basis of his authority. He implicates others that are gossiping by challenging his authority, but he does so by not denying their truthfulness. He readily admits that his physical presence is not commanding and that his speaking ability lacks polish (verse 10). Paul, then brilliantly, turns their argument against them (and this is my paraphrase): "Yep, I am not much of a speaker, but here my clearly in that what I have said in letters while away from you will be restated again when in person with you." In other words, he was credible because his words and his deeds matched.

Far too often, Christians cannot make that same assertion. Yes, we are human; but we have Divine power that can be accessed. We are guilty of saying one thing in church and living a completely different life on Monday through Saturday. Why are we guilty of this? Because we are choosing NOT to bring EVERY thought into the captivity of Christ. Here that clearly -- WE are making this choice.

Maturity is admitting and accepting personal responsibility for the part I play in an issue. By "growing up" spiritually and living like God intended, we grow our Christian credibility on a daily basis. If we are not teaching others through our words and our lives, then we lack Christian credibility....

Thoughts about Thanksgiving....

I have witnessed a rather interesting adjustment in my life-time. As a child, I remember distinct phases from October through January: Halloween (a minor blip on the radar) with Thanksgiving and Christmas (major blips) followed by New Year's (somewhere between minor and major). Now, we have two distinct phases: Halloween, which has grown in significance through advertising, and "the holidays," which really are centered along the 25th of December and 1st of January.

I am not going into a bemoaning of Halloween and whether Christians should or should not participate; however, I will talk about the one holiday that is largely forgotten -- Thanksgiving. When this word is mentioned, do you know what the most popular associations are named? I will rank them in order that I have discovered: turkey, football, black Friday, and family. How in the world is family the last of the top four? That shows just how much we have forgotten about this holiday that will arrive in less than a week.

The original feast was about sharing what you had willingly with someone else. It was a celebration of the harvest and survival that could occur during the approaching winter. It was an opportunity to reflect upon the blessings of the year EVEN THOUGH that year contained many hardships. It was a time of personal journey through the past as you considered how little of the year remained.

Now, Thanksgiving is a time to eat, watch some football, spend time with family, get off of work, and get ready for the Christmas shopping. We have allowed this season to disappear and the root of that allowance is greed 0 it may not be our own greed but that of corporations as they seek to entice us to purchase their goods to give to others.

You may be wondering where this came from? Well, II Corinthians 9:15 is a short verse, only 8 words, but they are packed with power -- "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." As the season of Thanksgiving comes upon us, let us ponder the true meaning of Christmas -- the birth of Jesus Christ. We need to be thankful all throughout the year for this birth, but we should really start those thoughts now.

Without this baby, we have no opportunity for eternity with God. Without this baby, we have to fear death. Without this baby, we have no power to live because temptations are unconquerable. Without this baby, we have no example to follow. Without this baby, we have no hope!

Behind this baby, though, is the gift of the Father. He did not have to provide anything for us, but He chose to do so. God gave out of His "generosity" not out of "obligation" (II Corinthians 9:5). As we enter the season of Thanks, stop and really think through all the blessings you have been given. Further, follow His example and choose to give to others out of your generosity not obligation. After all, God loves a cheerful giver.

Happy Thanksgiving....

A Smart Phone and a Stupid Priorities....

I will readily admit that I am very stingy with my money; however, as my wife will tell you, I have my moments of really spending money. Those times do not come very often, but when they do, I tend to get some expensive stuff. Lately, I've been checking out smart phones so that we can switch our provider to get a better deal -- price wise -- with a new company. Well, tonight, I got a call from a friend who is facing some rather odd circumstances.

I've spent a good bit of time on research and pricing the phone I have identified, and, boy, it will be a good phone. Yet, why is that my priority? I've not put up a journal here lately because I've been "too busy." Really? Too busy? Granted, I have pulled some late nights and will have a LONG day tomorrow, but being too busy was not the issue at all. It was stupid priorities that need to be balanced.

As I was pondering that and getting ready to put the kids down, I knocked my Bible over and it opened to an underlined verse -- I Corinthians 5:15 "and He died for all that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him to died for them and rose again." Yeah, Lord, I get the message.

For those that have placed their faith in Christ, we cannot live for ourselves. Our lives are to be devoted to serving Him and fulfilling the purposes that He has for us. In other words, we look for opportunities to minister to others in word or deed. The problem, as I have personally evidenced, is that we do not look for those opportunities under the guise of being "too busy." We have all the time that we need, but we make choices to neglect certain things.

Why should we live for Him instead of ourselves? Isn't it my life after all? No, no it is not. The key to understanding this piece are the last 3 words of the verse -- "and rose again." We have life in Christ because He conquered death. He paid the price for the sin of all mankind on the cross -- He died -- but He provided new life because He conquered death -- He resurrected. For me to live with the right priorities, I need to forsake the old things and put on righteousness (v 21).

Smart phones and "stuff" are cool and lots of fun; however, they cannot be the priority of our lives. If so, we are not living as we should because we are not living for Him. We are challenges to clean up our lives and perfect "holiness in the fear of God" (I Corinthians 7:1). Sometimes the most innocent of calls or personal clumsiness can be used to challenge a personal perspective. He does work in mysterious ways, but are you looking??

30 Minutes and 2 Screaming Children...

Okay, so let me describe to you how EVERY Sunday night goes for our family. We get within 5 feet of our car to come home from church, and the baby girl begins her screaming. I'm not talking about whimpering or pouting, I mean eardrum busting, toenail pulling, absolute yelling at the top of her lungs. That continues for 30 minutes as we navigate country roads and deer to come home. She doesn't pause to take a breath at all, and we can clearly see that she has a powerful set of lungs on her. Then, when arriving at home, we have to fight the battle of getting them changed, bathed, and in bed while trying to unwind ourselves and prepare for the beginning of the work week. Sunday nights are not so restful for us....

Tonight was no different regarding the girl; however, the boy was completely out of the ordinary. He did not have a good nap this afternoon and played hard, which, of course, led him to whine the whole way home. Because he got to see grandma at church, we was calling out to see her because she, obviously, could make things better (if you need to, go back and reread that last statement for the blatant sarcasm contained in it). Not getting his way, he decided to formulate a confederation with his sister and began to cry as well. Again, bear in mind that this ride is 30 minutes with 2 screaming children; so there is no talking among the adults and the radio cannot drown them out either.

In all honesty, I have no earthly idea why this is taking place or how to even eradicate it. The screaming just gets all over me and there is no escaping it within the tight confines of the small SUV. Apparently, the Lord really has a lesson that He wants me to learn because we endure this EVERY Sunday night!!

I, in trying to get ready for bed and following my "no Bible no bed" rule, grabbed my NKVJ and flipped it open to 2 Corinthians 1. I was quickly reading some verses, just to "satisfy" the daily routine instead of truly digging for truth, when I stopped and started reading again. I knew that I was not here to really gain truth; so in restarting, verse 2 caused me to pause: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Grace? I get that. Peace? That word needed some examination. Using Strong's Concordance of the New Testament and Thayer's Lexicon, a light bulb began to flash. Our modern world talks of peace and means and absence of war or a time of harmony with everyone. While that is the foundational element of peace, there is something else that is missing -- harmony between nations comes when they are content with their circumstances. Order exists because each side is prosperous and secure. Others may have more, but a balance between wants and needs has been attained. The balance is created by personal choice either due to significant military strength in the other nation or happiness with the current circumstances.

The concept of peace, when applied to Christianity, invokes a rather unique picture. We have nothing to fear from God because His grace has brought us into the family. Peace, as an acronym, could be: Presenting Evidence About Christ's Excellence. Let me explain -- when the "hell and high-water" of life hits us, we get the opportunity (yes, I did say opportunity) to showcase the excellence of Christ. Instead of fussing and fuming about our circumstances, we can sit calmly and acknowledge the control of Christ. Because He is more glorious than anything on this earth, the loss of a car due to a wreck really does not matter. In fact, it is a chance for us to share the gospel with the persons involved or, at the very least, the law enforcement official investigating.

In the car with those screaming kids, I need to be more like my wife who can "tune out" the screaming. I don't know how she does it, but, then again, I do. She is with the kids all day long and has become "immune" to this screaming. We, as Christians, need to follow that example. We need to be with Christ so much that these bumps in the road can be tuned out because our focus is exclusively on Jesus.

Presenting Evidence About Christ's Excellence! To do so, you must know Him through a dependent relationship. Yeah, looks like the kids are going to keep screaming so that I am reminded of that fact EVERY week....

Is This Love that I'm Feeling?

Growing up in the 80s, I was a child of the big hair bands. I would slip into my brother's room to listen to his records or delight to ride with him in the car to hear this "strange" music. While I cannot remember the name of the group or the name of the song, a hit had a line that matches the title of this blog -- "Is this love that I'm feeling?" As we turn to the last chapter of I Corinthians, this question looms large.

I Corinthians 16:14 says: "let all that you do be done in love." That's a pretty strong statement - ALL that you do. Honestly, I fail with that dictate because I do not do everything out of love. In fact, I do some things just to spite people; and that reaction is not "Christian" because it, in no way, is the example that Jesus established for us.

Love, in this verse, is the Greek word agape. It references good will, benevolence, or affection. The word is based upon a term that can be utilized for people or things. When the intent is for people, the implication is a welcoming or entertaining spirit in that the action undertaken is totally for the benefit of the other person. In referencing things, the underlying assumption is being contented with the "thing."

Think of that in your daily life. Are you contented with the current possessions that you have or the status of your life? If not, then you are not doing things in love. What about others? Do you take steps to be welcoming to others and entertain them at personal cost of your time, efforts, or desires? If not, then you are not doing all things in love.

The initial word of the verse "let" is something you would not expect. It means to come upon the stage of men appearing in public. In other words, we become actors with a specific part to play, and that part is to do everything in love. The key here is to remember that acting is a choice -- you typically have to "try out" for the part. If we are called Christians, then we can say with David in Psalms 34:8 - we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. We have "tried out" and been given the part.

How well do you obey this dictate? Do you love every person and every thing that comes into your life? If not,you, like I, need to change your heart and allow the love of God to permeate every facet of the life....