Lest We Forget

The world is full of memorials, memorials for those who are dead. The Hispanic culture has a holiday dedicated to remembering dead loved ones. They call it Day of the Dead, Dia de Muertos. The idea is not only to honor dead loved ones, but to actually commune with them, to communicate with their spirits.

Many of the world’s religions revere and worship dead ancestors, believing that their spirits are still with us and can interact in our lives. This is more than just memorializing. This is now a form of worship and a form of spiritual divination, which is forbidden by the Word of God.

We need to be careful about our memorials, about who we are memorializing and why. We need to be careful that our memorials not become idolatry.

Satan would have our memorials become idolatry. He is always working to turn our worship away from God and towards something else... anything else.

But we like to remember loved ones, what they meant to us, what they did for us, how much we loved them, how thankful we are for their lives and what they meant to us, and this is good and appropriate. We mark the graves of loved ones with headstones, markers with all sorts of sentiments written on them. We plant flowers and tend gardens at the graves of our loved ones past. Some of us visit them regularly. There’s nothing wrong with that.

We have a national holiday dedicated to remembering our fallen heroes who died in wars. We call it Memorial Day. It’s Memorial Day Weekend. For those who are working or going to school it means a three day break. For many it will be spent on picnics, eating hot dogs… they’re always on sale on Memorial Day! Time spent with friends and family, maybe getting out of town for a camping trip.

Will we take time to remember our fallen heroes, I wonder? We’ll get back to that idea in a minute. First, let me give you a little history on the holiday that we call Memorial Day and now observe on the last Monday in May.

Our Memorial Day started after the civil war to honor those who fell in battle. There are varying accounts as to who originated the observance and where it was first observed. I did a little research on the origins of the national holiday that we now call Memorial Day. Here is what I found:

On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic - the organization for Union Civil War veterans - General John A. Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" should be observed nationwide and annually.^[16] It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; according to folklore, the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle.^[17] According to the White House, the May 30 date was chosen as the optimal date for flowers to be in bloom.^[18

Events were held in 183 cemeteries in 27 states in 1868, and 336 in 1869. The northern states quickly adopted the holiday; Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday in 1871 and by 1890, every northern state followed suit. The ceremonies were sponsored by the Women's Relief Corps, which had 100,000 members. By 1870, the remains of nearly 300,000 Union dead had been re-buried in 73 national cemeteries, located near the battlefields and therefore mostly in the South. The most famous are Gettysburg National Cemetery in Pennsylvania and Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington.

There is some evidence that General Logan adopted his Decoration Day from the pre-existing annual Confederate Memorial Day custom that had already been in place in the South since 1866.^[20]

 The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day", which was first used in 1882.^[32] It did not become common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967.^[33] On June 28, 1968, the Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend.^[34] The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.^[34] After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted Congress's change of date within a few years. - Wikipedia

So there you go, probably more than you wanted to know about the history of this holiday. Hopefully we will attend a parade or ceremony remembering those who have died defending freedom this weekend, or at least spend a few moments in thankful reflection remembering them… because that’s the point. That’s what it’s really about, isn’t it? Remembering those whom we loved, remembering those who died for us?

I visited France in June 2012. Among the places that we visited was the beautiful region of Normandy. The people of Normandy still remember the sacrifice of blood and of lives that was given by our young men in liberating them from the yoke of Nazi slavery.

Everywhere you go, in every little square in every village there are markers, plaques, memorials to those who fought and many who died there. Many of these local memorials are dedicated to a single soldier or platoon that died there in that particular village.

We visited Omaha Beach, where so many American and allied soldiers died on D-Day. We also visited the American cemetery at Colville Saint Laurent. The cemetery sits on the heights above the Normandy beaches. It is a beautiful place, a beautiful memorial garden where lie the remains of American soldiers that died liberating France. I wrote a piece about my experience there. You can read it here:

http://bigmike57-livinglarge.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html

It is altogether fitting to observe memorials of loved ones. It is more important, ever so more important, to observe memorials dedicated to God. The Word of God is full of memorials. God commands his people to remembrance… to remember him… to remember who he is and what he has done for us.

In Deuteronomy Moses prepares the children of Israel to enter the promised land that God would give to them. He delivers to them God’s commandments, among them are these words.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. - Deuteronomy 6:4-12

Lest we forget.

God instituted other memorial observances thru Moses so that the children of Israel would not forget what he had done for them… so they would not forget the wonders and miracles that he had accomplished in their deliverance from bondage in Egypt.

The feast of Passover called them to remember how they were passed over by the death angel. They marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb and so were passed over by the death angel, which killed the first born of every Egyptian.

The feast of Weeks, or Pentecost reminded God’s people of their liberation from Egypt and of thanksgiving for receiving the bounty of harvest in the Promised Land.

The feast of Rosh Hashanah or the festival of blowing trumpets celebrates the day of creation and points to the coming of the Lord’s Day when trumpets will sound at His return.

Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is a memorial to God’s forgiveness of sin and a day of repentance.

The festival of booths or tabernacles is a remembrance of the time spent wandering in the desert by the children of Israel where they sojourned under God’s wing.

God made and commanded all of these observances, all of these Memorial Days for his people in OT times.  As with all of the Old Testament, these memorials not only demonstrate God’s faithfulness and love for his people, they also point forwards in time to the coming of Christ.

The blood of the lamb in Passover.

The first fruits of Jesus resurrection on Pentecost.

Jesus Christ’s coming on the Lord’s Day, when the trumpets sound on Rosh Hashanah.

Christ’s death on the cross was the real Day of Atonement foreshadowed by Yom Kippur.

All of these were memorial days for the children of God in OT times and are memorial days for Christians today in Christ.

Today is Sunday. Today is a memorial day for the body of Christ. Every Sunday is Memorial Day for Christians… is it not? Because Jesus commanded us to remember him. Remember what he did for us. Remember how he loved us. Remember that he died for us.

How can we forget? But we do. Sometimes we do, when we get caught up in the wonders of the world, in the worries of the world. We forget. We forget that God is there, waiting… waiting for us to remember him.

God forgive us for forgetting Him. God forgive us for not remembering Him every day. God forgive us for not taking a part of Him with us wherever we go. God forgive us for not living our lives for Him, and in honor of Him. God forgive us for taking for granted our liberty, our freedom which we have because of Him. God forgive us.

Jesus said “remember me”. Don’t forget me. I’m going to go and die for you. I’m going to lay down my life for you.

I love you that much. Now you love one another, just like that.

Love one another, little children. In so doing, we are loving Christ! That’s a mystery, but it is true! The word of God proves this.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi… “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” That’s a pretty nice thing to say, isn’t it?

I thank God every time that I think of you. That’s love. That’s loving like Christ. The Apostle John wrote to the church, “We know love by this that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Then he said, “This is his commandment that we believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ, and love one another just as He commanded us.” 1 John 3

Remember to love. Remember him by loving one another. That’s our Memorial Day observance. That’s the Memorial Day custom of the church of Christ, to love one another. They will know we are Christians by our love. It’s supposed to show, isn’t it? It’s supposed to show when we are in Christ, when we are loving like Christ!

Let’s remember him today, by loving one another. Let’s obey Christ’s commandment… “Remember Me”. Remember me every day, in everything you that you do. Love me with all of your heart and all of your mind and all of your soul.

This is our memorial day, as Christians, as the body of Christ. Go and be a part of His church today, and remember him, because our Memorial Day is not just a day to remember someone who is dead. It’s a memorial to One who lives!

It is the only Memorial Day that remembers one who has died, and now lives again. It is a memorial day to remember the promise for us to live again after death. Jesus died for us. Then he defeated death for us. And he lives and reigns at the right hand of God!

Let’s remember, lest we forget.

 

Lest I forget Gethsemane.

Lest I forget thine agony.

Lest I forget Thy Love for me.

Lead me to Calvary.

 

The Song Bird

It's Mother's Day and so we remember all of the blessings that we have received from our loving moms today. One of the many blessings that I received from my mom was her wonderful capacity to focus all of her attention on her child and listen to all of the questions, concerns, fears, hurts, fantasies, and absurdities of a child's heart. She has always there to listen and to respond with care, compassion and a dose of good advice. My mother also taught me a very important skill, that is to listen not only with our ears, but with our hearts... listen for God. Thanks mom. I'm still trying to be a good listener, not easy for me though.

THE SONG BIRD

 

I once made a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, according to the custom of Christians across the ages. We saw many wonderful sights, straight from the pages of the Bible. We visited the Sea of Galilee, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jericho, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and many other places. I had so many wonderful experiences, that it would be difficult to describe them all to you.

Perhaps my most notable experience was strolling through the streets of the Arab quarter of Old Jerusalem. Given my stature, and girth, I was soon surrounded by young Palestinian children, running on ahead of me, shouting as they ran, American Goliath! American Goliath! Or maybe it was standing atop of Herod’s Dead Sea fortress at Masada, not noticing the glares and stares directed at me by machine gun-toting Israeli soldiers. I had inadvertently worn a blue and white-checkered headdress, which I had purchased from a street vendor. I did not realize, until told so by my Palestinian tour guide, that wearing the colors of an Arab in this national shrine of Israel, was considered an offense. This place is after all, a symbol of Israel’s survival and resistance to aggression. Never again, they swear, will Masada fall. Despite my cultural ignorance and ineptitude, the Lord protected me, a humble pilgrim on my journey. I met so many people, experienced many adventures, saw many sights worth seeing. We shared many wonderful moments with friends and family, which I will not recount for you here.

No, I will not bore you with a travelogue of my journey. I will let you make your own journeys. I would like, however, to tell you of an incredible event that I experienced there in that land. I would like to tell you of the time that I felt the Lord’s touch, first in a garden, and later again on a mountain.

Of all the holy sites that we were shown, all of the gilded shrines and altars, all of the dimly lit, incense laden churches, containing the bones of dead saints… of all of these places, the only place where I truly felt the presence of God, was at a place called The Garden Tomb. Gordon’s Calvary, as it is also known, is named for a British General, Charles Gordon, who made a great contribution to the world, through his campaigns in China, and in Sudan. He freed many from tyranny and slavery during his service to the British crown. He finally gave his life in that service, and for that cause. How appropriate it is, in my mind, that this place was “discovered” by him, and bears his name.

Great controversy surrounds the sites, purported to be the places where events in the life of Jesus occurred. None is more controversial than the much-disputed location of his crucifixion and burial. Some say that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the one true holy site. Some say that it occurred on the Mount of Olives, others say it is here, at Gordon’s Calvary. It is not important to me, whether or not this is the place where they laid Jesus after his death; after all, he only stayed for three days. No, this place is important to me for a different reason. It is the place where I felt God’s touch.

We arrived there on a tour bus, as do thousands of pilgrims every year. We were escorted into the garden, and shown the tomb hewn from the rock. We viewed the promontory rock face on the hillside, eerily shaped like the face of a skull, and we remembered the Gospels description of Golgotha, “the place of the skull”.

 

The grounds of this place are beautifully maintained. It is a peaceful oasis, amidst the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem, lying just Northwest of the Damascus Gate. Arrangements had been made for our tour group to hold a private communion service, so we were escorted to a secluded area of the garden grounds.

As I sat and listened to scriptures being read, and the prayers of the elders, I reflected upon the beauty of this place. Suddenly, the world around me dimmed, as I heard the song of a single bird, joyously trilling his beautiful melody towards heaven. I can’t explain to you why this seemingly inconsequential event struck me with such force. I can only describe to you its effect on me. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stiffen, and goose bumps rising on my skin. My heart fluttered, and thumped in my chest. I knew, as surely as if I had been struck by lightning, that God was there with me. It was as if he had spoken my name aloud. I glanced around at the others. No one else had noticed. No one else had heard it. I was alone in the moment.

Now I am not a seeker of signs. I seek my God through prayer, and his counsel from his Word. Neither am I a person who believes much in the supernatural. I consider myself to be a fairly level headed, rational person. But I will tell you this. I felt God with me there in that garden. He made his presence known to me there. He spoke to me, with the song of that little bird.

I know what you are thinking. That’s sounds pretty fuzzy doesn’t it, maybe even a little nutty? Certainly, it would be difficult to prove such an event with hard, empirical evidence in a court of law.

“Mr. Smith, could you describe for the court, how you were able to identify this presence that you felt? How can you be so sure that it was God? Isn’t it possible, Mr. Smith, that what you actually experienced was a random series of events, which you construed to be of a spiritual nature, given your heightened emotional state? Isn’t it much more likely that it was a mere coincidence that caused that bird to begin singing at that moment? In fact, Mr. Smith isn’t it possible that it wasn’t really a bird singing at all? Isn’t it possible that you were listening to a soundtrack, which was being broadcast through hidden speakers, to enhance the spiritual mood at this so called, Garden Tomb attraction, which you were attending?”

 

It would be very difficult to prove indeed, but the story doesn’t end there.

We bid farewell to Israel and traveled to Europe, where our journey eventually culminated, high in the Bavarian Alps, at a village named Oberammergau. We were there to attend their world famous passion play. This play has occurred every ten years, with very few interruptions, since the 14^th century.

During the terrible Black Plague, which swept through Europe killing many millions of people, the townsfolk of this village called an urgent meeting. At this meeting they prayed to God to save them. They prayed that if he would spare their tiny village of this dread malady, they would commemorate the life, death, and resurrection of his son, with a passion play. According to the legend, not a single man, woman, or child from the village was lost to the plague. It was truly a Passover for the people of Oberammergau. The people of this village were spared by God, and in grateful obedience, they kept their promise. So began the tradition of the Passion Play of Oberammergau. The play is produced once, every ten years. It is produced completely, and exclusively by the residents of this village. It is a great honor to be selected for the cast of this production, and cast members spend years in preparation for their portrayal of their character.

An impressive theater has been constructed for this enterprise, surrounded by the natural wonder and beauty of the mountains. The amphitheater is covered by a roof, except for the stage, which is in the open air.

The play portrays the life of Christ, through several acts, each ending in a vignette, a living portrait. Each vignette creates a living picture, as if painted by a great master, depicting some Bible scene.

Dialogue for the passion play is in German, but is easily followed by reading from a printed version, in English, French, or Italian. This is truly an international event.

The day of the play arrived, bleak, damp, and gray. Clouds shrouded the mountains surrounding this nestled village. I considered staying in my room. I was suffering greatly from traveler’s misery. The cuisine from our last tour stop in Greece had done me in. It was probably the mousaka, or maybe it was the ouzo. Anyway, I wasn’t feeling very much like sitting through a six-hour play. My mother insisted that I go, and she pulled from her magic bag, a small bottle of pills. She told me to take one, and my trotting would cease. I looked at the tiny yellow pill in the palm of my hand. I thought to myself, “I’m a pretty big guy. I’d better take two.” Well, let me tell you, I didn’t need to worry about that function for a while. In fact, I didn’t need to worry about indoor plumbing for the rest of the trip!

The play was all that it was suppose to be, and more. It was truly a captivating experience. Even though it was many hours long, I found myself lost in time, as I was drawn into the story that was portrayed, so dramatically, with such pageantry, and surrounded by a setting of such natural beauty.

Finally, the scene of the crucifixion was portrayed. Jesus, hanging upon the cross, issued his cry of anguish, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” There was not a sound to be heard in the amphitheater. At that moment, a shaft of pale sunlight broke through the clouds, and was cast upon the stage. That’s when I heard it. That same songbird that I had heard at the Garden Tomb, I heard it again! It was the same song. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck becoming stiff, and the goose bumps on my arms rising, just like in the garden. I had felt his touch again, just like in the garden. How could I hear the same bird now, thousands of miles away?

Now I don’t know much about birds. I am not familiar with the migration patterns of songbirds. Could a certain songbird migrate from the deserts of Israel to the Bavarian Alps in a matter of days? I suppose it’s possible, but not likely. Maybe it was a coincidence, but I don’t think so. No, I believe that God wanted me to know that he was there with me. I like to think that he was honoring my journey, my pilgrimage, by reaching out to me, and caressing me. Only God knows why he reached out to me. Only God knows why he sent this little bird on an errand, first to a desert garden, and then into a mountain valley to carry a message to me, gently whispering, through the song of this little bird. I don’t know why, but I thank him for it.

I don’t know why he sent his only son into the world on his errand of tender mercy. But he did. Neither do I know why he loves me, especially me. But he does, I know that he does. I will accept his will in this matter, and in all other matters.

I believe that God is with us always, but hidden from us. Sometimes, I think he slips down, close by, and whispers to us, very softly, like a father would steal a precious moment with his sleeping child, brushing a wisp of hair away from the face, lightly caressing the cheek, before slipping silently away in the darkness, leaving behind only his fragrance. I believe that my Father caressed my cheek that day in the garden, and on the mountain.

I believe that God sends us messages, according to his will, and in his own way. Don’t be surprised if God caresses your cheek with his gentle touch some day. Listen for him, watch for him. His touch is gentle, his fragrance sweet. I will also listen for his call, and wait for his touch, but whether in the garden, or on the mountain, I will never hear a songbird in the same way.

POSTSCRIPT:

I later learned from my mother, that she also heard the songbird in the garden, and on the mountain. She recognized the significance of this event, and concluded as I have, that it was a gift from God, for a mother and her child.

So I dedicate this story to my mother, who heard the songbird, and who taught me how to listen, not just with my ears, but also with my heart.

 

 

                                                                                                M. J. Smith

                                                                                                March 14, 2005

 

 

The Songbird

 

I sat alone in a garden,

On a misty morning of glistening dew.

Not a breath of wind stirred,

Not a voice was heard,

The world was silent, subdued.

Suddenly the stillness was broken,

By a joyful, melodious song!

A songbird was singing his greeting,

To the world, and the sky, and the dawn.

 

A question I bore, along with my wonder.

To whom does the songbird sing?

If my hearing, per chance did not hear him,

To whose ear would this joy, he bring?

If he were to sing, with no one near him,

Then whom would this song be for?

 

Who listens to this minstrel,

As he beckons to the empty wood?

Is this needless beauty wasted?

Or is there some purpose, some good,

Which drives this feathered messenger,

To deliver his greeting each morn.

What master does he serve?

As his clarion call is born.

 

He is heedless of the acts of men.

Proclaiming his message above the din.

Only for the moment halting his song,

Persistent, continuing after the throng,

Has died, and all again is silent.

Then  begins his solo anew.

To whom is this glory directed?

If not to God, then who?

 

It is God for whom the bird sings.

No audience of man required.

But he shares this wonder with us,

That we might be inspired.

 

So thank God for the little songbird,

Who each day does his duty,

Thank God for His creation,

Filled with such delicate beauty.

                                                            MJS 3/10/05

 

 

Chocolate Gravy

My Life Group (Chandler Christian Church) has just finished up a 12 week bible study on the book of Acts. The series was titled, "Unleashed - Acts That Changed The World". The theme  of being unleashed for Christ was taken from Acts 8:4, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went". We learned how important it is to share our story with others.... our stories of God's power in our lives; and how important it is to share The Story... the story of Christ and his death, burial and resurrection. We practiced these principles by sharing our own stories with one another in our Life Group. I shared this story (Chocolate Gravy). It is not a story that I have told to many others, but I am going to put my money where my mouth is in being unleashed for Christ, and share it with the world. So here it is.

CHOCOLATE GRAVY

 



Have you ever eaten chocolate gravy? Maybe you have never even heard of chocolate gravy, much less tasted it! I hadn’t either before I married my wife. Her family is from Texas and Oklahoma. Apparently, chocolate gravy is a peculiar regional delicacy, known only to that part of the country. Chocolate gravy is served warm, over biscuits, with a pat of butter on top. It’s really a thin chocolate pudding, but because it is traditionally served on biscuits, it is called chocolate gravy. Whenever my wife’s aunt Carol came to visit, she would always make chocolate gravy for the whole family. I can still see Carol and Dean (Donna’s mom, Claudean), fussing in the kitchen, while Donna’s dad sits at the counter, giving them all kinds of unwanted advice, the kids waiting patiently in the other room for the feast to begin. If Donna’s grandmother (Mrs. Owen) made the biscuits, they were a treat all by themselves. If you have never had the opportunity to enjoy chocolate gravy and biscuits, my advice to you is to find some sweet elderly lady from Texas or Oklahoma, and ask her please, if she would make you some. You will be richly rewarded with this ultimate comfort food.

My childhood, while not overly privileged, or uncommon, was nonetheless quite idyllic. I never really wanted for anything, and in so many respects, I suffered none of the misfortunes of my friends, such as broken homes from divorce, domestic violence, or discord. But as I grew into manhood, my expectations for happiness in my life began to wane. I despaired that I would not measure up to expectations, both my own, and those of my family. By the time that I was in my mid twenties, I also began to doubt whether God was very concerned about me, or that perhaps he wasn’t there at all. I never enjoyed dating very much. I liked girls well enough, but I didn’t enjoy the games and charades involved in dating. I also began to think that I would probably never find someone to love and someone to love me back.

My grandmother died in August of 1981. She was the first loved one that I lost to the enemy… death. It was a difficult time for me. I had failed repeatedly in college, my own fault, and no one else’s. I had worked in a series of unfulfilling jobs, and I didn’t see my prospects being very bright for the future. I had a real maturity problem, and was mired in a serious pity party. What I am describing is a failure of my faith. I had begun to deny every lesson that I had been taught in Sunday school, about trusting God, and believing that he knows our needs, and is faithful to provide for us. I suffered this failure of faith alone, and in silence. I still went to church. I still sang the hymns, and helped out when asked to serve in any way. In fact, I had been appointed as a deacon. Here I was, appointed to serve the church, and to minister to the needs of the flock, and my faith was drying up inside of me like a cornhusk. I realize now that there are many in the church like I was then. Sitting in church, mouthing the words of prayers and hymns of praise, while inside, their souls are a barren wasteland, a desert of spiritual desolation. How easy it is for us to hide our spiritual poverty from one another, but not from God. He is there. We can’t see him. He has not allowed us to. But he is there. I know. I know he is there, because he answered my desperate prayer.

I sat in my bedroom one night, and I handled an old .38 revolver, and I wondered if I would not be better off just being dead.  Finally, I did the thing that I should have done all along, the thing that I knew that I should do, but because of pride, and spiritual immaturity, the one thing that I had failed to do. I got down on my knees beside my bed, like I use to do each night when I was a little child, and I prayed. I prayed like a child prays, with simple urgency. I asked God to help me. I prayed for him to find a place for me in this world. I prayed for him to send someone to help me find my place in what had up to now, been a very lonely place.

A month later, my whole world changed. I met the girl who is now my wife.  I knew the moment that I met her that she was the girl that I had been waiting for. I knew it as sure as I knew that the sun would come up again the next morning. I knew that God had sent her to find me, and to love me, and to save me. She stood there in front of me, a young beautiful woman, looking back at me with a rather doubtful expression. It was a strange moment. I knew, but she didn’t. I’m pretty sure that she didn’t know about God’s plans, or mine. It took a few days of desperate courting, and charming, and cajoling, for her to warm up to me, but I was sure of it from the start. I was looking at the angel that God had given to me. I was willing to do whatever was necessary to bring God’s plan, and mine, to fruition. I have often asked her if it was love at first sight for her. She answers with a good-natured deference, but I know the truth. I had to win her. God might have brought us together, but it was still up to me to win her, and win her I did. For me there was no doubt. I saw my future as clearly as a person sees a vast and distant vista after he climbs to the top of a mountain and gazes into the lands beyond. All I had to do was go forth into this new land and plant my flag, and claim it for my own, like Joshua and the children of Israel headed for the Promised Land.

I have learned to trust God finally. I have learned to wait on him. I have been tempered and tried, and refined by fire and water, hot and cold, agony and ecstasy. Some might argue about the refined part, but the process continues. I am changed, made and re-made into what God would have me be, or at least, what I have allowed him to make of me. Imagine what we could be if we could just yield to his will completely in our lives! Our resistance to his will is the only limiting factor in our lives. I still resist. I still stumble and fall along the way. I still get impatient, and mad, when I don’t get my way, like an impetuous child. But I will never deny my God again. I will never turn away from him again, and I know that he will never turn away from me.

I never expected to have as much joy and happiness as God has given to me. I didn’t expect it, because I failed to trust him. He has surprised and amazed me with the abundance of his generosity. We should not be surprised when God answers our prayers. We should not be surprised when he keeps his promises. But we are. We ask for a little, and he blows us away, with abundance, and joy, and wealth beyond measure. He heaps it upon us, “My Cup Runneth Over”. Imagine what we would receive if we asked for a lot! (Mark 11:23, Matthew 7:7-8)

If I die tomorrow, I have lived richer, and have received blessings ten times more than I could ever have imagined. Every day that I awake, and greet another day is like being in the bonus round. Paul said, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). Someday, I am sure that I will be ready to give up this body, and this life, and gain what awaits me in heaven, but for now, every day is like chocolate gravy, sweet and rich, an unexpected delight. And despite the burdens and trials that I face in this world, I’m ready for another helping every day. Life is an indescribable delight, a rare delicacy. Don’t despair, just Trust God and taste it. Life is good. God makes it so.

I hope that there is a kitchen in heaven. I can’t imagine a home without a kitchen. I hope Aunt Carol, and Dean are stirring a pan of chocolate gravy for me when I get there. I hope they let Mrs. Owen make the biscuits. There won’t be any heart disease in heaven.  Pass the butter!

Waiting On God

Waiting

I have a problem with patience. It’s not my strong suit. I hate waiting in lines. I hate waiting on anything. I’m sometimes guilty of finishing people’s sentence when they are slow talkers. Patience is definitely not my thing. Nor does my patience seem to improve with age, in fact quite the opposite. The older I get, the more I struggle with waiting. The Lord still has some refining to do on me in that area. I’m no better at waiting on the Lord than I am anything else. His word is quite clear on this subject. He instructs us over and over to wait on him, to be patient and wait on his answers and his solutions. The Psalms are full of his instruction. Psalms 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord...” plain and simple. In Psalms 130: 6 the psalmist says he waits for the Lord, “more than the watchman for the morning”.  Psalms 147:11 says the Lord favors those who, “… wait for His lovingkindness”. God expects us to wait. He expects us to be patient. He will reward us if we are faithful and faith includes waiting for him… waiting for him to answer or to act in our lives. Isaiah 40 proclaims the coming of the Messiah (Holy One, vs.25) and ends with these words of comfort, “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary”.

That’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it? We want God to answer when we call, and he did. He sent his son to save us. The world waited for the coming of the Messiah, and in the fullness of time, God sent him. He sent him when the time was right, when everything was set. When all of the other pieces of the puzzle were in place, then he placed the missing piece and revealed his Son, Jesus the Christ.

 I’ve been reading the Christmas story again in scripture. I love to read it again and again and look for new layers of wisdom as God tells me the story, as a father tells a child an old favorite story. In Luke 1 we read the story of the birth of John the Baptist, who would announce the coming of Christ. Luke tells us that his father and mother were righteous and faithful to God (vs. 6). His name was Zacharias and he was a Levite. She was also from the tribe of Levi and was from the lineage of Aaron (vs. 5). Luke tells us the story of God’s revelation to Zacharias. While he was performing his duties in the temple, burning incense, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that God had heard his prayers, and he would have a son. Now Zacharias was  old, as was his wife Elizabeth. They were well beyond the normal age for bearing children (vs. 7). How long do you suppose it had been since Zacharias had prayed for a son? If you were a man, who was married and wished to have children, you would of course pray for children, if you were a man of God. How long and how often would you pray for this… every day? How many years would you pray? I’m sure that both Zacharias and Elizabeth had prayed many hundreds of times, maybe thousands of times for many years, but now they are old, and they no longer expect to have children. They must have assumed that God didn’t want them to have children. Perhaps he was punishing them for some failure or sin in their lives. I’m fairly certain that this idea had been suggested and discussed by their friends, family and neighbors, perhaps behind their backs, perhaps to their faces. Being barren and childless would have carried with it a stigma in the society that they lived in. There was disgrace associated with being childless according to Luke (1:25), and I think we can assume that both Zacharias and Elizabeth had stopped waiting on the Lord to hear that prayer. They had given up on God in that respect, and even though they remained faithful, they no longer expected God to answer that prayer. So what a shock and surprise it must have been when God announced to them that He  had heard their prayers, prayers long forgotten, but not forgotten by God. He had answered their prayers in his own good time, when the time was right, and now they would be parents. Not only would they be parents, but their son would be a prophet, and the prophet who would announce the coming of the Messiah, in the spirit of Elijah (vs. 17).

We can’t really blame poor Zacharias for his failure of belief, for which he was temporarily struck dumb by Gabriel (vs. 20). Haven’t we done the same thing? Haven’t we doubted God? Now, I realize that angels probably haven’t made any announcements to you lately, nor have they visited me. But we are still guilty of giving up on God at times. Not only have we stopped praying, like Zacharias, sometimes we have even forgotten what it was that we had prayed for. But God does not forget. Nothing slips his mind. He hears our prayers, and he will answer them, in his own good time, in the fullness of time, when the time is right.

What are you praying for these days? What did you use to pray for? What did you pray for when you were young, and life was full of promise, and everything seemed possible? What did you pray for then, but you don’t now? Now that you are old, and maybe a little disappointed in the way that things turned out. Maybe you never met that Mr./Ms. Wonderful. Maybe you didn’t make it to the pros. Maybe you didn’t earn your first million before you were thirty. Maybe you haven’t earned your first million at all, and it doesn’t look likely, unless that lottery ticket pays out. Have you given up on God? Did your particular wish get lost in the shuffle? Did God forget? Worse yet, maybe he just doesn’t care.

Please, please don’t give up on God. Just you wait. He cares. He cared enough to send his Son to save us. “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…”- Galatians 4:4. “”And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth”- John 1:14. He doesn’t forget, even if we do. He remembers every prayer that we have ever prayed, and he keeps them all. He wants us to have every good thing that we need. He will not fail us or forget us or accidently leave us behind, or leave us out. He can make anything happen that he wants to happen, and he wants good things to happen for us.

 Luke 1 has another very important lesson to teach us on this subject. The angel Gabriel also appears to Mary, and tells her that she will conceive (miraculously) and give birth to a child, and her child will be the Messiah (vs. 28-35). Gabriel then informs Mary that even her cousin Elizabeth is pregnant (vs. 36). Her cousin Elizabeth, who was too old to have a baby, was also going to have a baby because of God’s power, and then God (thru Gabriel) tells Mary something very, very important. He says, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (vs. 37). Nothing is impossible with God! Mary needed to hear those words, and so do we. God is good and faithful and he loves us and he doesn’t forget and he can do anything. Nothing is impossible with God. We need to write those words on our hearts. We need to get up every day and say them to ourselves and to those around us, because they are true, and we need to live our lives like we believe that they are true.

 We need to know him (thru his Word and Spirit). We need to follow him (thru his Son). We need to obey him. We need to trust him, and finally, the hardest part… at least for me, we need to wait for him. We need to wait for him in our lives and in our faith and in our prayers.

He’s waiting for us too… imagine that! God is waiting for you and for me. He’s standing close by, waiting. The words of the old hymn tell us this.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

You see, God has given us a choice. He wants us to choose him. He wants us to choose to love him and obey him. He won’t act in our lives unless we first choose him. If we don’t want him to be in our lives, then he won’t force it. He will allow us to be on our own. But the invitation stands, as long as we live and breath, God is waiting and watching for us.

The bible tells us that God is waiting for us too. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door; I will come into him, and will dine with him, and he with me”.

The bible says, in Zechariah 10:8, “I will whistle for them to gather them together, For I have redeemed them”. Like a shepherd whistles for his sheep in the darkness. He’s calling us. He’s waiting for you and for me, to answer his call. He wants to be with us. He wants to know us. He came a long way to find us in the darkness. We don’t have to wait anymore. We just have to open the door. We just have to answer his call. He’s waiting.

Intersections

I believe that you can make a good case for the following proposition: God uses people in his plans and purposes. If this proposition is true, then we should be prepared for whatever God would have us do, and whatever he has planned for us.

 

I believe that he brings certain people together at certain times, in certain places, and he works through them. Now I don’t mean that these events are necessarily world-shaking events, but neither do I think that we are in a very good position to judge the significance of these events when they occur. We should treat every intersection, every chance meeting, every seemingly mundane event as if it is an opportunity, because it is. Every time we are brought together with other people, every time we meet a stranger, every time we meet a friend, or loved one, we have an opportunity to affect them for good. We have an opportunity to fill a need, to encourage, to lend, to love. We have an opportunity for God to work through us, if we will let him.

 

 It sort of boggles the mind to think of all of the billions of people in the world, milling about, bumping into each other, and heedlessly going about their business like a bunch of ants. But we are not ants. We are created in his image. He is seeking our participation in his purpose, and in his will. He is not in time, as we are. We live in a linear reality. If you think about it, all of our analogies about life involve moving forward along a straight line. Life is like a road, or a train. We are constantly moving forward; looking back at the past, and trying to peer forward into the future, and always stuck right in the middle, in the present, in the moment. But God sees it all at once, the whole parade of human history. He knows where we are headed, even if we don’t. He knows we are going to stub our toe on the dresser, in the dark, next Thursday. He knew it a millennium before we were born.

 

 God works his will in the world in three dimensions: people, place, and time. He creates a time, in a place, with a group of people that he has brought together, to accomplish some work, or to move his purpose in a certain direction, or sometimes…just for pleasure, just for fun! Who says God is not concerned with pleasure and with fun? Who says that pleasure and fun are not legitimate reasons for God’s concern, and are not important in God’s creation?

 

I call this convergence of people, time, and place, an Intersection. Can you think of any intersections in your life? Can you think of any such convergence of certain people, in a certain place, at a certain time, coming together, according to God’s purpose? The Bible is full of examples of these intersections. Human history in general is full of these intersections, but the purest examples of intersections that come to my mind are the family, and the church.

 

Who doesn’t believe that God had a hand in bringing them together with their true love? I know this in my own heart, as well as I know anything. There is no doubt in my mind, that God answered my prayers, and the prayers of my wife. In the fullness of time, when we were both prepared for it, he brought us together. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to imply that we are not capable of steering the wrong way at these intersections. God allows us to exert our own wills, in all matters of the world. So his purpose is not always served when an intersection occurs. Often a wreck occurs instead! God could make us do his will, of course. But he doesn’t. He allows us to choose, and sometimes our choices negate his will and purpose, often resulting in unrequited love, or wars, or other similar human tragedies.

 

The church is a perfect example of an intersection, if ever there was one. What a wonder and a joy it is to watch God bring people together, in a place of his choosing, at a time of his choosing, knowing that the seeds have been planted for the harvest of the gospel to grow! What a powerful force is the will of God, when people all work and pray in harmony to achieve it! And what a fragile force is the will of man, when we take our eyes off the cross and begin to seek our own.

 

What an opportunity we have when God brings us to an intersection! What an exciting thing it is, to realize the potential for affecting the lives of others for Christ. What an honor and a privilege it is to be an instrument in the hand of God, in the building of his Kingdom.

 

We can prepare for these intersections. We can prepare ourselves by praying for God to use us, by praying for his will to be done in our lives. We can prepare ourselves by studying his Word, to be used as a beacon, a lamp for those that we meet at that intersection. We can prepare ourselves by acquiring a loving heart, a God seeking heart, a need seeking heart, a serving heart. We can prepare ourselves by seeking his will, and watching for the next intersection. It’s up ahead, just around the next bend. Who will you meet there? Jesus will be there, and you. God only knows who else will be there, and only God knows where it will lead, or what you will be called to do. Prepare yourself.

 

 

                                                                                                M.J. Smith

                                                                                               

My Home Town

Well, it's Christmas Day. We have finally tied up all of the packages with bows and finished the baking and all of the other making and it's time to settle down and just look and listen, maybe read the paper, call some friends and family in far away places, watch the kids or grand kids playing with their new toys, maybe have one more piece of that fudge or fruit-cake.

What a crazy ride it is every year, just getting to this day, and then it is all over, and we put away the ornaments and take down the lights and forget about the baby Jesus until next year. I hope that's not the case with you. I hope that you will keep Jesus in your life through the winter and spring and through summer and fall. I hope that you will follow him all the way down the dusty road... through the Judean hills into Galilee and back again to Judea and then finally up to Jerusalem for Passover and out there to that lonely hill called Golgotha. I hope you will wait for him outside of that borrowed tomb and rejoice in his Resurrection! You can follow him through God's Word. If you read a few chapters every day you can read through the whole bible in a year. You can follow him in the Holy Spirit if you will believe in him and be obedient in christian baptism.You can follow him through Faith and fellowship with the body of Christ. You can follow him all of the way home, if you just choose to stay with him and follow him wherever he leads you, because if you follow him, he will lead you home... to the only true home that we have.

I wrote this poem one day after reading another poem, a much greater poem by a much greater poet. My humble poem was inspired by G.K. Chesterton's "House Of Christmas" (You can read his wonderful poem on my 12/9/12 post on this same blog). Christmas is about going home isn't it? Christmas isn't very joyful without home and hearth and loved ones near. Christmas is about being home. Ultimately, that's what this whole life that we live is about... finding a home. Chesterton says it so well:

To an open house in the evening,

Home shall all men come,

To an older place than Eden,

And a taller town than Rome.

To the end of the way of the wandering star,

To the things that cannot be and that are,

To the place where God was homeless,

And all men are at home.

 

The trick is figuring out how to get home again... how to find our way back home, to our "home town". The answer of course is simple, just follow Jesus. Simple, but not so easy... huh? Merry Chrstmas, y'all. Here's hoping and praying you find your way home thru the darkness. You're gonna need a light.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. - Isaiah 9:2

 

MY HOME TOWN

 

In my hometown nobody’s homeless.

There’s rooms galore, everybody’s got jobs.

No orphans, no lonely, no mobs.

 

In my hometown no one goes hungry.

There’s feasts everyday, and sweets a plenty.

Nobody is in pain and nobody lies.

Nobody is bewildered and nobody cries.

 

There are no cops, cause there’s no robbers.

There’s no regulators, cause there’s no need.

Everyone lives in harmony,

No hatred, no lawsuits, no greed.

 

I aint never been there. I aint never seen it.

But I know there’s a place for me there.

My future is won, see I know the boss’s son.

His Word and his promise I bear.

 

Sounds pretty good, now don’t it?

Why don’t you come along?

I’ve got his word on it,

And he’ll never steer you wrong.

 

Don’t waste your time looking for it,

Because it’s a place beyond time and space.

It’s on a distant shore, in another land,

A place of majesty, grand.

 

There’s just one way to get there,

And it’s a long hard journey.

You can’t buy a ticket,

Nor can you work your way,

And even if you sold all you had,

The fare’s too much to pay.

 

The road is narrow and steep,

Rocky and rough, thru mists dark and deep.

A rough wooden cross marks the way.

It shows us the toll’s been paid.

There is no win without cost,

Our victory’s won thru his sacrifice made.

 

And we are to follow and bear our own crosses,

Planting them where we are told.

Helping our fellow along the way,

The weary, the young, and the old.

 

The fork to the left looks easier, straighter.

The fork to the right, less dangerous, lighter.

But keep to the narrow way,

Enter friend by the straight gate,

And you will win your prize one day.

 

One day, over a rise, beyond the last hill,

Steeples and spires in a golden vale,

And we will arrive at the gates of pearl,

Trumpets will blow, and banners unfurl,

Angels parading, legions of millions,

Creatures of wonder, heavenly minions,

Announcing our coming to the Lord’s host.

Where the meek rule, and the least are most.

Burdens will be lifted, backs unbending,

All weariness, pain and fear, ending.

And we will be clothed in robes of white,

Crowns will be placed,

Radiant, shining, cleansed in light.

 

And we will live by a glassy sea.

And God will wipe away our tears.

Eternal rapture it will be.

Forever in his presence near.

Together, forever, you and I.

Beyond the rainbows,

Beyond the sky,

Lies my hometown.

 

 

 

MJS

1/16/09