Bark Less – Wag More

 

For those
of you who are dog lovers like us in our household, you understand the meaning
of the title above. We have a little 13 year old dog (Chewy), that understands
what that is about. I honestly don't think she has ever met any person she
doesn't like. She gets so excited when anyone comes to the house that not just
her tail wags, but her whole backend wags. She can bark, but rarely does and
never at people, cats and squirrels however, are a different matter, at those
she will bark most excitedly.

I wish I
could have a personality more like hers, to bark less and wag more. But, I also
understand that sometime you have to identify the evil and speak out against it
(or them), to bark a little, or a lot.

Our
example in all things, Jesus Christ did that. He was loving and compassionate
to most, but when evil raised its head, he didn't hesitate to speak out and
call it, (or them), what it was; evil, sin, rebellion against God's clearly
stated commandants. He even took violent action at one time against those who
ignored the righteous instructions of God and brought sinful activities right
into the temple, where worship was suppose to take place.

Bark less;
wag more, what a difficult thing to do sometimes, yet that is part of the concept
of having the mind of Christ in us. Christ gave up his own right to demand
people bow down and worship him and gave mankind the option to refuse and
reject him. If we had been in his place we probably would have been barking
more and wagging less, but he didn't. If we had been in his place, we might
have called down fire and brimstone upon most of the known world who rejected
him, but he didn't. If we had been in his place, most likely we would have
rejected even ourselves and those like us, who try to serve God, but still have
secret sin and rebellion in our lives.

Jesus had
one purpose in his life, Luke 19:10 tells us: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save
the lost."  That was his
purpose and he did that with more wag and less bark.

Why didn't he bark more, or just destroy the
sinful world that rejected him? 2 Peter 3:9 explains it to us: "The
Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead
he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance."

Maybe we
should think a little more about God's desire for the world and the purpose he
has for us, which is to carry his message of love to the whole world. A little
more wagging and a little less barking may be what is needed.

Russ Lawson

The Adventure

I have had a small note, (which I read often), stuck to the
front of my computer for a good while. It is a quote from Helen Keller that
says, "Life is an adventure, or it is nothing". One definition of the
word "adventure" is: "an undertaking involving unknown
risks," another is: "and exciting or remarkable experience," and
if Helen Keller didn't understand what that meant, no one could. Both blind and
deaf, she overcame this challenge and with the help of others, turned her life
into "a remarkable experience," which has been an inspiration to so
many in our world.

My wife and I often talk about "the adventure" our
life has been. Granted our life decisions are not for everyone, what we choose
to do would not fit your life. However, having said that, it doesn't mean that
your life has not been or cannot be an adventure also. We may be different
physically and emotionally, but we each have the God given Spirit of Life and
as long as there is breath and life in us, our own personal adventure continues.

God's Word is filled with the records of people who have
chosen to live a life of adventure, undertaking the unknown risks, having
(sometimes) remarkable experiences. Isn't that what draws us to God, isn't that
what causes us to read with excitement the stories recorded in his word. How
many of you remember the stories first taught to you by your Bible School
teachers of Adam and Eve, of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Esau or of Noah
and his family in the Ark? What about the early disciples of Jesus as they left
their homes and followed him, then they spread out through the whole world
sharing his message.

But, that is not the role he has given to most of us and it
may seem like your life lacks adventure. To some God has given the role of
husband or wife, or teacher or factory worker, or Elder or Deacon, or
encourager or contributor. Your life may not seem particularly exciting or
adventurous, but our greatest adventure is the one in which we all share, we
who follow Jesus. It is the adventure that comes when this life is over, the
great transition of our physical death or our eternal life with our God in
Heaven.

For the time being, "The Adventure Continues,"
our life never lacks purpose (or being a remarkable experience), if we just
focus on being the best wherever God places us. The apostle Paul writes these
words to encourage some who may have felt cheated because they couldn't do what
others could. "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes
them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are
different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same
God at work". (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) I pray that you will see the
adventure in your life and find fulfillment in it, whatever it may be!

Singing to the Creation

Have you ever thought about how large a roll singing
plays in the world? We sing when we mourn, and we sing when we worship but most
of all we sing when we are happy. God intended it to be that way and shows us
by example how to rejoice and share our happiness.

Can you imagine the first morning Adam awoke in the
Garden of Eden and heard the birds singing? Can you imagine God walking through
the garden and humming to himself as he enjoys his creation? I must admit that
it is somewhat of a stretch of even my active imagination, but do you think HE
just might have?

God
tells us through Isaiah 49:13:
"Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into
singing, O mountains: for the Lord has comforted his people, and will have
mercy upon his afflicted."

Our son Kirk shared this little incident that happened
with our granddaughter Allison last week: "So I have picked up my 7 year
old daughter Allison and we are driving home. She is singing happily to herself
when she suddenly decides to talk about her future employment and career
options. She says to me, "I do like singing. But I also really like
science! I guess I could sing to the creatures I create." Apparently I am
the proud father of a budding mad scientist! "

If the mind of a child can imagine that, why not the mind
of God? There is a scripture we primarily read at Christmas time, but I want you to think
of it in a different way. What's the scripture? Luke 2:1-14: "And
the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the
babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

I believe God was happy and rejoicing as the heavenly
host sang to His creation sharing his Joy. That's why the angels sang. 

So how often do you sing, maybe not to "your
creation," but sing because you rejoice or are just happy? James counsels
us: "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy?
Let them sing songs of praise." (James 5:13) Maybe a better
question might be, are you happy in your life or with your relationship to your
creator? If you are, then sing, it's what God intended.

Sometimes you get a pit

Have you ever been enjoying a nice piece of cherry pie
and suddenly come across a cherry pit (seed)? I have, on several occasions in
my life. Pits are unexpected and sometimes painful; at the very least they are
a nuisance.

Life sometimes is that way also isn't it? That’s why
we have the saying in America, "Isn’t that just the pits?" You
know what I am talking about I’m sure. You are expecting a good day and along
comes a pit. Your life is fairly untroubled and an illness or accident pops up.
You are doing well at work and then you get the word your job is ending. Your
church life is going pretty well, and the preacher announces that he is
retiring. "Isn't that just the pits?"

I wish that we could find a way to make our lives always
fun, always joyful, always feeling good, but that just isn't the way life is,
is it? Often it seems we have the wrong idea that our relationship with Christ
is suppose to make bad things stop. That idea is strengthened by what we do,
say and sing to one another. I have always enjoyed singing the song Blue Skies
and Rainbows.

In case you don't know the words here they are: (1)
"Blue skies and
rainbows and sunbeams from heaven. Are what I
can see when My Lord is living in me. (2) Green grass and flowers, all blooming
in springtime, is works of the Master I live for each day. (3) Tall mountains,
green valleys, the beauty that surrounds me. All make me aware of the One Who
made it all. Chorus: Jesus is well and alive today; He makes His home in my
heart. Never more will I be all alone since He promised me that we never would
part."

That song proclaims how wonderful our life will be if
we only have Jesus in it and it is 100% right if you are just talking about
spiritual things. However the physical side of life keeps intervening with that
perfect life doesn't it? How is it that the apostle Paul could write, "I
have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" referring
to all of his physical challenges? (Philippians
4:11) In verse 13 he writes,
"I can do all this through him (Christ) who gives me strength."

Paul accepted the fact that bad things sometimes
happen in our lives, but he wasn't living his life according to what happened
to him physically. His hope and his ability to cope, was based upon what was
going to happen after he left this physical world.

Yes, sometimes you get "a pit" in life when
you were expecting to enjoy the cherry. Some folks give up or even get mad at
God because bad things happen. They seem to say, "When I became a
Christian I was only suppose to receive good things!" They will, but of
course God has promised good things in the spirit and that is what they really
struggle with.

So, can we still sing "Blue skies and rainbows
are what I see when my lord is living in me"? Yes, of course we can if we
understand what the promise is really about. Our promise is of a time to come
when there will be no more tears, no more death, no more suffering (Revelation
21:4). That's what Christians really live for, so if you are not, why not start
now? Your "pit" is coming, how are you going to deal with it?

It's all about the weather!

It seems that at almost any time of the year, the first
topic of conversation is the weather. In fact if any conversation every lags,
just ask about the weather to get it going again. Is it going to rain, it is
going to snow, how much snow is there going to be, is there going to be fog or
ice? Sometimes an optimistic person will ask, "Is it going to be sunny
today?," which leads to the question of how hot it might get.

I saw an interesting sign the other day that really got my interest.
It said, "TODAY'S FORCAST: GOD REIGNS AND THE SON SHINES". I mean,
think of the truth of that statement. Our weather is so unpredictable, so
changeable, it can change in a matter of minutes, but God is the one constant
in our universe.

I love what James has to say about God in regard to this in James 1:17. He tells us, "Every
good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows ". (NIV)

Our lives are full of shadows aren’t they? Loss of loved
ones, loss of jobs, economies which crumble, prices which climb, our ability to
pay for daily necessities, age sneaking up on us, abuses, betrayals, health
issues, and the list could go on an on. Shadows come and shadows go, but God is
constant, "he never changes or casts a shifting shadow".

As you are dealing with the latest crisis in your life, your
shadow, wouldn't it be nice to feel safe for a change, wouldn't it be nice to
be able to deal with the shadows? Could it just be time to look at your
relationship with God and start to put a light in your life?

I read a funny little saying the other day that said,
"If they don't want you to snack at night, why did they put a light in the
refrigerator?" In the same way, if God didn't want to light your life, why
did the creator of all light make it known to us that he is the light? Maybe
it's time you reconnect to "the Father of light" in your world. He
never promised to take away the shadows, but he will give us light to deal with
them as they come and go from our life. Why? Because, GOD REIGNS AND THE SON
SHINES.

SMALL ANNOYANCES

I
don't know about you, but I don't automatically think of scripture with every
event in my life. However the other day, as it does on occasion, it happened
that a scripture popped into my mind, in an unusual place.

The
occasion was when my wife and I were having lunch at our favorite Chinese
Restaurant. With the meal we received the standard "Fortune Cookie".
You know that little cookie with the small piece of paper inside with your
supposed future or life lessons described, usually in vague terms. Mine read,
"Put up with small annoyances to
gain great results".

The
scripture that immediately sprang to mind was 1 Peter 1:6-7, where Peter encourages us with these words:
"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may
have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the
proven genuineness of your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes
even though refined by fire, may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus
Christ is revealed". (NIV)

The
human side of me says, "I love God and I don't need a test or a trial to
prove it". God says however, "Yes, you do!" Personally I don't
like the trials in my life. I just want my life to flow along smoothly without
any bumps in the road. I like it that way, but it's been rare where there has
been a period of time in my life that has been without some kind of trial which
tests the strength of my faith.

Another
scripture that comes to mind is Hebrews 12:11-12 where the writer
reminds us that: "No discipline is enjoyable while it is
happening, it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of
right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with
your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees".  (NLT)

Personally,
I'm looking forward to more "peaceful harvest of right living". God
expects us to show continual growth in our spiritual lives. That's why the
testing? To strengthen our reliance upon God for our help. To grow to a point
spiritually that we can say with the apostle Paul, "I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)

So,
putting up with small annoyances is only one way our faith is tested, because
they can easily turn in to big problems. When they do, how do deal with that
"refining" of your faith? Isaiah put it this way in Isaiah 26:4, "Trust in the LORD forever, for
the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal".

So
how are you doing? Personally, I'm still struggling and still growing and still
learning to "trust in the Lord
forever", because he is "the rock eternal." 

ADJUSTABLE TRUTHS

Truth is sometimes a hard thing to find, isn't it?
I don't know if our time in this world is any worse than other times or not,
but truth seems to be cherished less than when I was younger. Truth seems more
"adjustable" if you will. If you want to change a little thing here
or there to make whatever is being said more palatable, more believable that's
acceptable. If you words can make you seem more important, more accomplished, and
then embellish all you want.  

This little story illustrates this point. It seems
that two ardent fishermen met on their vacation and began swapping stories
about the different places they had fished, the kind of tackle used, the best
bait, and finally about some of the fish they had caught. One of them told of a
vicious battle he once had with a 300-pound salmon. The other man listened
attentively. He frankly admitted he had never caught anything quite that big.
However, he told about the time his hook snagged a lantern from the depths of a
lake. The lantern carried a tag proving it was lost back in 1912. But the
strangest thing of all was the fact that it was a waterproof lantern and the
light was still lit.

For a long time the first man said nothing. Then he
took one long deep breath. "I'll tell you what I'll do," he said
slowly. "I'll take 200 pounds off my fish, if you'll put out the light in
your lantern."

The writer
of Ecclesiastes 5:2 tells us: "Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven
and you are on earth, so let your words be few."

While Solomon tells us in Proverbs 23:23: "Buy
the truth and do not sell it… ". In other words the truth has
value; don't give it up for something that will cheapen your life.

I wonder how our story would have to change to put out our
light? I'm sure you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5:16. He said:  "…
let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven."

Words
have meaning, words have consequences. Some of those consequences are seen in
God's words recorded in Revelation
21:7-8. "Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God
and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the
murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters
and all liars; they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This
is the second death."

Isn't
it strange, we tend to categorize sin as big or little, serious or not so
serious, but God says they all have the same ending whether it is those who are
sexually immoral or liars. Do you use an adjustable scale on truth? Maybe you
should rethink that approach.