How to live forever

This morning our oldest son dropped off our grand daughter on his way
to work. My wife takes her to school and later picks her up. We were fixing
breakfast and just chatted with him for a few moments. He mentioned that he was
tired today, so I gave him some herbs to give him a boost in energy. His mom
jokingly said, “The herbs dad gives us will help us stay healthy for many
years,” then she added, “He’s really trying to help us live forever.”

I thought about that and realized once again that I am married to a
very wise woman. Yes, I do deal with the physical side of life (herbs and
such), but I also deal more heavily with the spiritual side of life.

I love the old song we no longer hear, but has a great message. The words
say, “I’m going to live forever, I’m going to die no never…. Jesus died
on a cross for me and I’m going to live forever.”

Where do you put your emphasis in life? I know people who spend
thousands of dollars on exercise club memberships, exercise equipment, etc.
They spend hours and hours working out, some have special life coaches or
counselors they spend time with each week. They look good and feel good
physically, but spiritually they are lacking. They struggle to make it through
life and all that it throws at them, yet (for some), they don’t find what they
are looking for.

I will be the first to admit that some of the things with which people
struggle go beyond just a lack of spirituality. I know that there are some
genuine physical problems (illnesses, imbalances, etc.), that account for some
emotional problems. I realize that there are some situations over which you
have no control that bring stress and difficulties into your life, both
physically, emotionally and spiritually. It’s hard to hold on to the thought
offered in Romans 8:28 where Paul writes: “All things work
together for good for those who love the Lord.” I am preparing a class
on the book of Jonah right now, and one of the lessons I discovered is that God
can sometimes allow bad things to happen to get out attention.

There are two things we need to remember about life: (1) there is a
great physician who can help us in all aspects of our life. 1 Peter 5:7,
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”. (NIV)

(2) Our life does not truly consist of just the physical. Luke 12:4
tells us, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body,
and after that have nothing more that they can do”. (ESV)

Yes, the physical is important, that’s why I study and practice Herbal
medicine, but that’s not all there is to life. I want to live forever, so I
practice at the spiritual side of my life too. You only have one chance to get
it right, so how are you doing?

THE ORIGINAL TWITTER

Most of the younger generation believes that the idea
Tweeting came into being with them, those of us who have been around awhile
know differently. Tweeting is the idea of conveying a message with very few
letters or words. Our generation has been doing that for years and years.

It seems that we naturally have a thing for writing
encrypted (sometimes shortened) messages in the things we write. When I was in grade
school, my friends and I would make up "secret codes" and spend hours
writing (on paper) private messages to each other.

As we matured we outgrew simple codes and became more
sophisticated in the method and message… we discovered "Vanity License Plates"
or "Personalized License Plates" for our cars, trucks and
motorcycles. These vary in the United States from state to state, but normally
state a message using 5 – 7.5 letters. Other countries follow the same
practice, in the United Kingdom they are called, "prestige plate, private
number plate, cherished plate
or personalized registration".
These license plates sometimes carry special messages designed by the
purchaser, sometimes easy and sometimes difficult to decipher.

My wife and I keep
an eye out for these plates and try to discover or understand the message they
contain. For example we saw a bright lime green car this week on which the
plated said, "I NO RIT" or "I know, right!" We supposed it
was referring to the uniqueness of the color of the car. Then there was,
"MY1VET," "IMAJEDI," "DOES185,"
"PDOFF," "H20 WELL, and on of my favorites "AFORDY7,"
seen on a 1947 Ford.

I think you can get the idea that we are a
pretty clever bunch of beings, but did you realize that God beat us too it in
this area. Way back in Exodus
3:13-14 we read, "But Moses replied, "When I go to the Israelites
and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors sent me to you,' they will ask me,
'What is his name?' So what can I tell them? God said, "I am who I am. You
must tell them: 'The one who is called I AM has sent me to you.'"

There has been much speculation regarding the meaning of
this message. What does, "I AM" mean, is it a name or a description? I
believe it is a description trying to convey the power of the creator of the
universe. I like how Matthew Henry's commentary puts it. He says the message of
"I AM" is: "1. That he is self-existent: he has his being of
himself. 2. That he is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same,
yesterday, to-day, and forever." I like that description of the message,
it may not be exactly what God had in mind when he gave us the three letter
message, but then if we live according to his instructions in the rest of His
Book, we can find out in person someday, can't we?

BRINGER OF THE LIGHT

Have you ever met one of those people who as they say,
"lights up the room when they come in"? I hope you have, because I
have and it gives hope to life.

Where I work I have a friend named Anthony, he is one of
those people. It may not be a coincidence, but I find it interesting that he
works in the Lighting/ Electrical department. He helps bring light into
people's lives physically, but also spiritually. Anthony is a lover of God and
is not afraid to share his relationship with the father with others. He is one
of those folks I look for when I'm at work, because he makes work seem… well,
less like work, he brings a little light into my life, a little hope when I see
God working in him.

Of
course the example for us all is Jesus Christ, our God; our Brother; our friend
and our support. I love the description that the Apostle John gives of Jesus in
the book of John. In John 1:1-5 we
read, "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything
through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to
everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
(NLT)

There
is our example, the true bringer of the light! We sometimes sing a hymn that
says, "Oh to be like thee, blessed redeemer," but I wonder if we
really understand the full impact of those words, of what he was and what he
did. John goes on and says, "The One who is the true light, who gives
light to everyone, was coming into the world. 
He came into the very world He created, but the world didn't recognize
Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him." (John 1: 9-11)

You
see what this says is that if you try to live as a Christian and bring light to
others; don't expect them to always thank you. They rejected Jesus, they will
often reject you.

I don't know about you, but I pray that I can be a little
more like Anthony to those around me, but even more I pray that I can let the
light of Christ be seen in me. There is no such thing as a secret Christian,
you either are or you aren’t. Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world… like a city
on a hilltop that cannot be hidden."

When is the last time someone was glad to see you
coming? Could it be you need to let the light of Jesus be seen more in your
life?

Wow, That's Embarrassing!

 

When is the last time you messed up? Maybe it was something
big, maybe was just a little something, but we all mess up in life from time to
time, don't we?

This week, I was talking with a couple of people at work and
that night I started thinking about the conversation. The next day I went to
each of them and said, "I want to apologize, I said something negative and
I shouldn't have."Each of them said, "That's OK, we didn't think
anything about it." That little incident cost me nothing, reminded me of
the value of watching what I said and let others know that as a Christian I
have certain values.

In the gospel record of Christ's arrest before his
crucifixion we read of his disciple Peter's actions. You are probable aware of
how he denied even know Jesus, not once, but three times. How would you like to
be remembered for that?

In
John 21 Jesus comes to the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee about a
week after his death, burial and resurrection. He serves them breakfast and has
one of his more famous discussions with Peter. He asks Peter, "Do
you love me," not just once, but three times. Now think about the
situation. He was sitting there around the fire having breakfast with all of
the other disciples. Each of those men knew that Peter had denied Jesus.

What
was worse is that just a week before this we have the following conversation
recorded for EVERYONE to see and remember: "Peter declared, "Even if
everyone else deserts You, I will never desert you." Jesus replied,
"I tell you the truth, Peter; this very night, before the rooster crows,
you will deny three times that you even know Me "No!" Peter insisted.
"Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You!" And all the
other disciples vowed the same." (Matthew 26:33-35)

Wow,
how embarrassing would that be now as he is sitting there with Jesus at
breakfast! Jesus. In the end Peter couldn't bear it, he just bows his head,
heart broken, and says, "Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the
question a third time. He said, "Lord, You know everything. You know that
I love You." Jesus said, "Then feed My sheep." Jesus was saying,
"then live like you mean it, like you really, really love me!"
(John 21:17)

You
see, that is what Jesus is asking of us every day. He knows we are going to
mess us, but we need to own up to it even if it is embarrassing, ask for
forgiveness and then get on with serving God. It maybe some little thing or it
could be some big thing… it doesn't matter. Make it right no matter how
embarrassing and get on with living like 
you really love God. The apostle John, who saw all of this take place,
wrote in 1John 1:8-9, "If we
claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the
truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". Maybe it is
time to stop being embarrassed and start making things right with God and your
fellow men.

The Cane

This past week was a bit of a struggle for me. I had a problem with my
back, my sciatic nerve to be exact, which affected my leg also. Because of this
problem for several days I used a cane to walk with, it supported me and kept
me stable as I walked. Most of the time this cane sits in the back of a closet,
but it's great to have it when you need it.

Our son, Kirk is often seen carrying a cane. He has at times had to
use it for the same reasons as have I, but most of the time he carries it for a
different reason. He teaches Martial Arts and one of the forms he practices is
called “Bartitsu,” which is called a “Mixed Martial Arts Form.” Basically Bartitsu
is a form of martial arts that uses a cane as a defensive weapon.

I know it may seem strange to be writing about a cane, but I’m
mentioning this because of a comment by a member of our church family, Gary. Recently
he said, “Some folks say, ‘your religion is a cane (or a crutch) to get you
through life when you can’t cope,’ and they are right, but that’s not a bad
thing, it’s the way it is suppose to be.”

I hadn’t thought of it in that context before, but he is exactly
right. We who are Christians have something that those who are not Christians don’t
have. We have a hope, a faith, a belief in someone greater than any problem we
can face on earth. While dealing with my back injury there were a couple of
times that my cane kept me from falling when my leg gave out. It supported me
and did exactly what a cane is supposed to do. Our cane (or our crutch), is
Christ and His church and it is doing exactly what it is suppose to be doing;
helping and supporting us, keeping us from, falling. Hebrews 4:15 tells
us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are,
yet he did not sin.” Christ understands and supports us, holds us up
when we are about to fall, “IF” we hold tight to him as our cane and our
support.

In a different application a spiritual cane is also that which is used
to protect us and fight against Satan, (The gates of hell shall not prevail
against the church, Matthew 16:18). That shows an aggressive approach to
fighting Satan… so our cane, our crutch is useful in that way also. There are
times that we as Christians must take a stand against Satan and Sin!

So, my conclusion to all of this is that yes, Christ and his church
are my cane, my crutch, and I’m proud of it, because I know my weakness, I know
how easily I can fall. Maybe you need to become more involved in the use of
this cane to lift up yourself and others.  Each of us have a choice; we can leave Christ
leaning in the back of the closet or take him out and make him a real part of
our lives. Could it be that you need to learn to lean on Christ and his Church
a little more than you do?

Is 49% enough?

DID
YOU KNOW...Any cheese which is labeled as "processed cheese" is
really only 49% cheese (even thought it is labeled as “Real Cheese”. The other
51% is coloring, binders, preservatives, and stabilizers. So… does that make processed
cheese “real” cheese or only a “cheese like” product. How close to “the real
thing,” does something need to be before it is considered… well… real?

DID
YOU KNOW... that there are no regulations regarding the labeling of Honey? A
product can have as little as 1% honey (the rest corn syrup), and still be
labeled as 100% honey. How much honey does it need to be real honey.

DID
YOU KNOW… that many who claim to be Christians, don’t read their bible
regularly, don’t attend the worship periods of the church, don’t share their
faith with others, don’t fellowship with other Christians, often don’t live
their lives as if Christ lived within them, yet are still labeled as
“Christians”. How much much of God’s directions or commands do you need to keep
to still be considered a “real” Christian?

John
wrote in 1 John 2:3-4, “We
know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I
know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in
that person.” So… how
much does it take to be a real Christian according to God’s Word? It seems to
me that God is saying that it takes (at least trying to give), 100% of our lives to him.

Is
49% of the real thing enough? Well, that’s one of the reasons we don’t buy
“processed cheese,” I want the “real” thing. Do you think that God will be
satisfied with 49% of your life?

A Come to Jesus Meeting

It
may be strange to think of it, but when we say the phrase, “Come to Jesus” it
has a different meaning to some than it did just a few years ago.

For
example, you may hear someone speak of a "Come To Jesus Meeting". In
our American culture this describes a time when a polite ultimatum is given,
generally followed by a less polite ultimatum, then a threat or final option.
If you are a parent this may mean that “your meeting” is followed by a parental
spanking or some other form of punishment. If you are an adult, something more
sever may be the result of “your meeting”.

The
phrase may be used in this way: “Son, this is your only opt ion and if you do
not want to do this, then you can come here and we will have a "come to
Jesus meeting". In other words, there will be consequences to your
decision not to comply with the request.

In
reality that meaning has not changed from the original has it? Jesus came to
call all men unto him, right? For what purpose? To initiate a change in their
lives an actions and to ultimately save them from their sins. He never
threatens, but does point out the consequences for someones “failure to comply”.
The refusal to give our hearts to him, to love him enough to do what he asks
has t he consequences of eternal separation from God.

We
tend to categorize sins (the refusal to obey God’s directions) as either big
sins or little sins, but in reality they all bear the same consequences don’t
they? A good example of this is found in Revelation
21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall
have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the
second death.”

A
modern translation puts it this way: “But cowards, unbelievers, the
corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol
worshipers, and all liars, their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
This is the second death.”

What
is the second death? It is an eternal separation from God, the source of life,
which by definition is a spiritual death. If you want to understand a true
“come to Jesus meeting,” that is it. Sin of any kind is still sin and our
failure to comply with God’s request brings about the ultimate consequences,
eternal death.

How
about you, is it time for you “come to Jesus meeting?”

The
phrase may be used in this way: “Son, this is your only opt ion and if you do
not want to do this, then you can come here and we will have a "come to
Jesus meeting". In other words, there will be consequences to your
decision not to comply with the request.

In
reality that meaning has not changed from the original has it? Jesus came to
call all men unto him, right? For what purpose? To initiate a change in their
lives an actions and to ultimately save them from their sins. He never
threatens, but does point out the consequences for someones “failure to comply”.
The refusal to give our hearts to him, to love him enough to do what he asks
has t he consequences of eternal separation from God.

We
tend to categorize sins (the refusal to obey God’s directions) as either big
sins or little sins, but in reality they all bear the same consequences don’t
they? A good example of this is found in Revelation
21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall
have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the
second death.”

A
modern translation puts it this way: “But cowards, unbelievers, the
corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol
worshipers, and all liars, their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
This is the second death.”

What
is the second death? It is an eternal separation from God, the source of life,
which by definition is a spiritual death. If you want to understand a true
“come to Jesus meeting,” that is it. Sin of any kind is still sin and our
failure to comply with God’s request brings about the ultimate consequences,
eternal death.

How
about you, is it time for you “come to Jesus meeting?”