Adopted

God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

Galatians 4:5 

 

I don't like the photos and advertisements with all the sad animals who have been neglected, abused, and abandoned.  I just don't.  They break my heart and I just want to adopt them all!  If I could, there would never be another abused, neglected, or abandoned dog ever because they would have a home with me.  I don't believe my Sweet Bride would be so willing, but I want to adopt them all. 

 

God is the same way with us. He wants to adopt us all as His children.  Yet He also knows that not all of us want to be adopted by Him.  Some of us choose not to become His child.  Some believe getting adopted means lots of rules and regulations, (grace and forgiveness aren't considered).  Some believe God is a hard taskmaster who just wants to punish us and make us miserable.

 

Fact is, that's exactly what the Pit Dweller wants us to believe.  God is not harsh.  God is the epitome of love and caring, that doesn't mean our life here will be smooth and easy, but when we leave this life, we will live as perfect children of the Most High King!  

How Could I Forget You?

¹⁴ Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us;
    the Lord has forgotten us.”

¹⁵ “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
    Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible,
    I would not forget you!
¹⁶ See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
    Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.

Isaiah 49:14-16 

I am convinced that God placed animals on this Earth to teach us.  For example, Elephants...I like elephants!  A baby elephant weighs, at birth, 200+ pounds and is already 3 feet tall.....right out of the shoot.  The Mom carried this baby for 22 months and only gives birth once every two to four years.  The mother elephant will fiercely protect her child, but will also discipline her child without hesitation.  The love of the mother is evident in the fact she is in her child's life until that child is old enough to be self sufficient. She doesn't try to be her calf's friend or buddy, she takes her motherhood VERY seriously.

Now...in today's passage, Israelites are saying that God has forgotten them.  Guess what?  God never forgets us!  EVER!  Even when we tell Him that we don't want to be around Him any longer, He's still there.  God asks the question, can a mother forget her nursing child?  Think about this, do you think a mother elephant can forget her 200+ pound infant? 

God has written their names on the palms of His hands.  Why is that significant?  Have you ever written something on your palm?  You see it every time your hand is in eyesight so you can't forget.  I've seen Deputies do this a lot!  They write things on their hands so they don't forget and it's always in their eyesight.

God's love and caring is something we can not get away from.  True, He will allow certain things to occur in our lives that make us question whether or not God still loves us.  Truth be told, there is no way God can ever forget us because we are His! 

Be Thankful For The Small Things

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17 

Think about life for a moment.  Not the broad vision of LIFE, rather the small parts of life we often take for granted.  Like what?  How about breathing?  If you think breathing is no big thing, try not breathing and see how long before your mind is screaming "You're Right!"

You see, life is not made up of grand gestures.  Life is made up of small actions of gratitude and love.  Think about it: someone holds the door for you (they didn't HAVE to, but chose to do that small act for you), how about someone smiling and saying "hello" to you (Again, they didn't HAVE to, but chose to do that small act for you), someone lets you in line ahead of them (Again, they didn't HAVE to, but chose to do that small act for you), someone reminds you that you are appreciated (Again, they didn't HAVE to, but chose to do that small act for you).

It is the small acts of love and caring that make the biggest impacts.  Why?  A grand gesture is a "One And Done" event  (Take your certificate, medal, watch, check, and have a nice life).  Small acts build upon each other over time, and become ingrained in us to the point that we begin to share them with others whether we realize it or not.

If we are grateful for the small things in life, we will live a life of gratitude and contentment.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do ALL for the glory of God!"

What's That You Say?

Read the words of the Scripture carefully.  We use a LOT of words throughout the day, don't we?  Some of us love to talk and some prefer to listen more than talk, but we all use a LOT of words.  

 

Have you ever given thought to the words we use? Do we use our words to tear down another so we can "look good"?  Do we use our words to build our own reputations up, whether they are true or not?  Or do we use our words to truthfully build up others?  Do we used our words to truly encourage others?

 

Here's an honest slap in the face that I have felt: "What's in your heart will be expressed by your words!" Let's take it a step further: When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment; Jesus' response was "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and the second is like unto it in that you should love others as you love yourselves."  Therefore, should we not use the same words with others that we would want used on us?  Speak words of encouragement.  Speak words of love.  Speak words of comfort.  Speak words of healing.  Speak words of caring. 

Ummm....Yeah....Don't Care!

 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Philippians 2:4 

 

Have you ever heard someone telling you about something that's been on their mind and you are fighting very hard to not yawn in their face because your own mind is saying, "I have my own truckload of life that I have to deal with, so why should I care about their problems? I just don't care!"?  Yep....I'm Guilty, but I'm learning.

 

I talk with people all the time.  And some of the things I'm told are awful, and the most distressing part of such conversations is that I don't always have the resources to help.  But I will listen to them, I will make inquiries to see what's available to help.  But I'm learning more and more that, while I must care for myself, I also need to care for others.

 

The excuse I have heard over and over (and have used), "I don't want to get involved!"  Then it hit me like a plane load of rocks!  If I am unwilling to help others, then why would anyone else be willing to help me?  Yes, every decision we make has consequences (good or bad) and we have to live with those consequences, but each of us has the capacity to celebrate with the person who has good consequences AND we have the capacity to help those who have to live with the bad consequences.  

 

Here's the point: Life can be an extremely harsh teacher.  So we much look to our classmates to make the lessons not so bad or twice as good.

 

"As shared joy is twice as bright; a shared burden is half as heavy." 

Just Let Them Be? Are You Mad?

This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you.

John 15:12 

When you think of a parent showing love to their child, what comes to mind?  Is it giving them lots of gifts?  Perhaps it's letting them do whatever they want, when they want, to whom they want?  After all, children are adorable and would NEVER do anything that could construed as "wrong".....  If this is how you perceive showing love, you're completely miss the point of Jesus' words.

When a parent truly loves their child, they will teach that child!  They will teach their child that their actions have consequences...good or bad consequences, but every thought and action will result in some sort of consequences.

Remember the Israelites when they left Egypt heading toward the promised land?  God truly loved and loves His children.  What happened when the Israelites decided they knew the best way to do things instead of following God's direction?  God let them wander around the desert until the sinful generation had died (and that generation included Moses).

Remember King David, The Beloved of God? What did God do when David decided he wanted to take another man's wife (Bathsheba)?  Did God tell David, "That's okay.  You take who you want.  As long as it makes you happy, it's okay with me"?  If that's your answer, then perhaps you need to read the Bible story again.  God loved David enough to make him the ruler over Israel, but God also loved David enough to HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE!

You see, if we truly love someone we must love them enough to comfort them, as well as, correct them gently (or more harshly if the lesson is not learned).  

Let's look at this another way...let's say you want to lose weight (and I'm NOT saying that you do, just that you WANT to), what helps you more: your friends letting you do what you want, eat what you want, and not offering any motivation OR your friends holding you accountable by going to the gym WITH you, eating better WITH you, and encouraging you?

You see, giving someone everything they want so they don't have to do anything for themselves is NOT showing love.  Letting someone do whatever they want without any accountability or consequence is not love.  Love is teaching and guiding and encouraging and caring.  Jesus even reminds us in John 14:15: "IF you love Me, you will keep My commandments."  True love is never passive or inactive!  True love builds us up whether we like it or not.

Being In Control Begins With YOU!

God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

1 Timothy 1:7 

 

I can't say that I'm smart or wise, but I do have a Principle.  It's called the "HEHOO Principle" and I fail quite often in its practice.  It goes like this: "HEHOO can harsh your mellow owns you!"  And guess what?  It's true!

 

Think about the person who said something about you that you didn't like.  You steamed over it, pondered it, and relived it over and over and over.  Well...that person OWNS you because they are controlling your thoughts and you attitudes!  And here's the sad truth of it all, we are VERY quick to let other people own us!

 

Here's a nugget of wisdom I heard many years ago: "You cannot control what others say or do. You can only control YOUR reaction to them."   Want to stop people from owning you?  Then consciously decide that their words and actions are their problem for which they will eventually have to answer.  

 

People are going to say and do things we don't like.  That's a given.  But since we KNOW that they will, it becomes OUR responsibility to begin training ourselves to deal with it properly, and this is where I struggle too.  Instead of a knee jerk, sharp tongued response, I should respond with kindness and courtesy.  Even if that means distancing myself from that person and being only professional and courteous should we have to interact with each other.

 

God gives us that strength but it's up to us to exercise it and use it.  Like any muscle, if it is not exercised it will be useless and weak. 

God Don't Play!

I'm going to start by ticking some of you off, but I ask that you grit your teeth (grind them if needed) and read all the way through before calling forth the Fork & Pitchfork Brigade.

I am not a respecter of titles.  Don't care what you are called, how many degrees you have, how much education you claim, how many letters of the alphabet you have after your name, who you know, who you claim to know, what kind of clothes you have, what kind of car you drive, how much money you have, what kind of watch you wear, where you live, what your personal politics are.....I don't care!  

I don't care what color your hair is this week.  I don't care what color your skin is.  I don't care if you are tall or short or portly or thin.  

Why?  Because all of these are EXTERNALS and are not who you truly are in God's eyes!  We can easily be impressed and influenced by externals.  And we can be fooled by externals as well!

Keep this in mind: "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

God see who we truly are and loves us anyway!  Want to be truly respected? Be respectful, Be true and Be Respectable!

Think about this too: Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that GOD SHOWS NO FAVORITISM. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right." Acts 10:34-35.  

So why do we focus so much on the irrelevant externals instead of being real, honest, true, and respectful to each other?

You see, you can fool me, but I don't count.  The one who does count is God and you can't fool Him because He doesn't show favoritism!  He loves me just as much as He loves you!

We're Pretty Amazing!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Psalm 139:13-14

We really are pretty amazing.  I have often wondered what kind of mind it took to design us in such a way that each bit has a function, yet some bits we can function without and some bits we can't function without.  We can function without a spleen.  We can function without a gallbladder.  We can function without an appendix.  But the heart? Nope, we've got to have one in order to function.  Lungs? Got to have at least one.  We have been intricately designed and it amazes me just how intricately designed we are.

Look at the ship in the photo.  It has been carved out of jade.  Will is sail? Probably not, but sailing is not the purpose for this ship.  This delicately intricate carving in jade's purpose is to be seen and appreciated.  Believe it or not, we all have a purpose, and we may not realize what our purpose is supposed to be for quite some time.

When I was in school, I was socially awkward, shy, quiet, bashful, and any of the other Seven Dwarves you can think of or imagine. For all intents and purposes, I thought my only purpose in life was to be miserable so others wouldn't have to be.  But I was wrong!  It took a LOT of years to understand that, aside from making me the Big Sexy Padre, my purpose was to minister to people in unorthodox ways; to love people who didn't think they were lovable; to encourage people because I know what discouragement feels like.  God made me in such an intricate way that I am His multi-purpose tool!  

And so are YOU!  Think about this...every single experience you have had was for a purpose (whether you understood it, understand it, or believe it).  Because of YOUR experiences you can reach out to people most of us cannot.  You can be a source of help and encouragement that most of us can't.  But you are the one who has to decide what to do with what you have endured.  

Make your legacy be a positive example! 

Pete's VERY Bad Day!

So they arrested Jesus and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

Luke 22:54-56

Pete was not having a good day.  His best friend had just been arrested and hauled off to bond court, and the rest of his friends had disappeared like a burp in a tornado.  Pete followed the guards to the bond court building but waited outside.  Some of the guards decided to warm themselves with a little fire and Pete joined them.  Then some girl started yapping about how Pete was one of the Accused's buddies!  

Pete had a choice to make and neither option was going to go well for him.  He could admit to being part of the Accused's gang and face the same consequences or he could deny everything and lose all face with those he counted on so closely.  What would you have done? 

Pete was NOT having a good day.  The choice he made was the choice he had been told he would make (and the choice he adamantly declared he would NEVER make).  And because of Pete's decision, his best friend was killed and his other friends went back to their lives.  But Pete knew.

But here's the part we tend to forget. Pete had gone back to his fishing career with his partners and while they were pulling up empty nets for the umpteenth time Jesus called out to them and told them to try the other side.  When they did, they had so many fish that Pete's boat started to sink and they had to call another boat to come help.  Eventually, Pete figured out that the man giving them advice was his best friend, Jesus, so Pete jumped out of the boat and swam back to shore where he found Jesus cooking fish for breakfast.

Jesus also had a choice at this point.  He could tell Peter to what a freaking idiot he was for denying Him and tell Pete EXACTLY what he should do to himself (and the boat he rowed in on), or Jesus could tell Peter what Peter needed at that point....another chance.  Jesus reminded Peter that he was still loved by Jesus and that he was forgiven.  Because of Jesus' decision to give Peter a second chance, Peter was instrumental in building the ministry that became the church.

Let me ask you something...ever made a decision your regretted?  Me too.  LOTS of them.  Ever been given a second chance?  Yes.  Now for the hard questions: Have you even had someone make a bad decision that hurt you deeply?  I have.  Have you ever offered them a second chance? 

Decisions Decisions!

 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

John 8:1-5

     Decisions!  We face them every day.  Some are easy to make (Coffee before speaking for me please). And some are not so simple (Bacon wrapped salad or salad wrapped bacon?).  But have you ever had a decision to make that, no matter what you decided, someone was going to be ticked off at you either way?

     In today's passage, a woman has been brought to Jesus who was caught in the very act of adultery.  Adultery, in Jesus' time, was punishable by death!  Jesus taught grace, love and mercy.  And this woman has been brought to Jesus, by the religious leaders, and put in front of Jesus for a decision.  Jesus was teaching a crowd of people about God's love, mercy, forgiveness and grace, and now He has to make a decision that is going to make Him EXTREMELY unpopular with either the "Church Folk" who brought the woman or the people He had been teaching.  Jesus had been put in a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situation.

     What about us?  Do we have decisions to make that are "damned if you do and damned if you don't"?  Let's face it, you can't make EVERYBODY happy. And let's also understand, you will discover who your TRUE friends are in such situations because they will stand by you even if they disagree with your decision.

     Meanwhile back at the ranch, Jesus has a decision to make.  If he decides that the "Church Folk" are correct, then His teaching about love, mercy, grace and forgiveness will be seen as a pack of lies and no one will want to listen to Him ever again.  On the other hand, if He decides to go the route of mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness, the "Church Folk" will take umbrage and tell the Romans that Jesus should be killed because He was inciting the common folk to go against the church.  What to do, what to do?

     But Jesus took Door #3 and told the "Church Folk" if their way was so good, then they needed to be the ones to STEP UP and prove it!  Were the "Church Folk" right?  Technically, yes!  According to the Law of Moses, having been caught IN THE ACT of adultery, the woman should have been killed (and so should the man she was with).  But the reality is this, none of the "Church Folk" were willing to step up and hurl the first rock.  They liked Jesus even less after this, but they preferred to be cowardly and make a lot of noise rather than step up and prove their ideologies.

   And this same struggle continues. So we have a decision to make (damned if you do and damned if you don't): Will you cut and run?  Will you step up and prove your ideology?  Or will you just make a lot of noise for attention and so people will think your noise makes a difference?  

Let's Talk For A Moment

Always be joyful. 
Never stop praying. 
Be thankful in all circumstances, 
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Let's talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the room, shall we?  When we tell someone that we are praying for them, do we or are we just saying we will OR are we saying it because it's been so long since you actually talked with God that you have forgotten who He is?

Let's start at the top...Paul tells us to be "Joyful."  There is a HUGE difference between being "joyful" and being "happy" and we seem to have them confused.  You see "JOYFUL" is a conscious decision that we make because of, or even in spite of, our circumstances, predicaments, situations, or feelings.  On the other hand "Happy" is momentary, fleeting, situational, and is a feeling which is subject to change at a moment's notice.  Hmmmm......

Next Paul reminds us to "Never stop praying."  This does not mean you quit your job, wander off to some monastic facility in the mountains and live the rest of your life as a hermit talking only to God.  Let's say your best friend calls; you answer the phone without looking at the caller ID; how do you know it's your best friend? Because you know the voice!  And how did they become your best friend? Because you invested yourself into each other's lives, learning to trust each other and keep no secrets from each other...you can talk about anything and everything.  Hmmmm.... When we develop that kind of relationship with God, you have the best possible best friend EVER!  Have I achieved that status? No, but I'm still talking to Him and we have lots of conversations about....well, YOU!

Finally, Paul reminds us to "Be Thankful In ALL Circumstances."  Here's a little tidbit for the mind to chew on today: Circumstances change! Gratitude for who God is doesn't! We make the choice many times every single day: Either we determine to maintain our attitude of gratitude OR we let our circumstances decide for us if we are going to be grateful or ticked off.  

There's a lot going on in these few brief words of today's passage.  Talking with God and developing that relationship that is beyond description should cause us to be eternally grateful REGARDLESS of our circumstances.  But the 800 pound gorilla in the room is this: What will you decide and when are you going to start?

Sing In Harmony? Have Your Heart Me Sing?

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

~Romans 15:5-7

I like to sing....but only in the car when I am alone and the windows are up.  I like to sing Joe Walton's "Rocky Mountain Way" or "Seven Bridges Road" by the Eagles or "Holiday Road" from the movie 'Vacation'.  And there's a reason I am alone in the car and the windows are up, and it's because I sing very badly.

Have you ever heard a group sing and none of them were singing the same song?  I will be honest, one Sunday morning my bride and I were attending services and there was a lovely young lady seated behind us who was a true delight to talk to, but singing was not among her gifts.  But she would make her joyful noise loudly and with all the gusto her spirit had been filled with. 

Now consider this: Each of us is a part in God's harmony called "creation."  And if we aren't helping join the harmony we are destroying the harmony!  We destroy this harmony with our attitudes, anger, hatred, disrespect of others, and believing that we are the only ones who matter.  But look at what the Apostle Paul says: "ACCEPT each other just as Christ accepted you!"  So it's not about you!  It's about the fact that God has accepted and welcomed you through Christ!  So how can we do differently and call ourselves  Believers?

And just so you know, the Apostle Paul was not the ghastly white six foot Adonis depicted in the stained glass windows.  Paul was Turkish (being from Tarsus) and was considered small (5' - 5'2") even for his time.  Paul was also stooped and almost blind due to his occupation as a tentmaker (very intensely delicate and tedious work).  Would you accept such a person?  Or are looks the only standard of acceptance used?

Teach Your Children Well!

 Always remember these commands I give you today. Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 

~Deuteronomy 6:6-7

When I was a child, I remember wanting to sit at the adult table at family gatherings.  Their stories always fascinated me and I learned quite a bit just from listening.  It was in listening to these stories that I learned that my Grampa's father abandoned the family when Grampa was in second grade and, as a result, Grampa had to leave school to go to work.  And I learned that he was a "coal monkey" on the locomotives.  Life was hard during the Depression.  As I get older, I like to think I have learned a few things along the way and can share nuggets of wisdom with those coming after me.  

How do we learn if no one will teach?  How can we know if no one tells us?  How can we become wise if we don't listen to the wise?

Here's the point: Your legacy that you will leave on this earth will be what you have invested in others.  Will you teach love or will you teach hate?  Will you teach caring or indifference?

One of the most amazing songs I have heard is a Jimmy Buffet song called, "The Captain and the Kid."  Listen closely to the lyrics and you will hear the tale of an old grizzled Captain teaching a young boy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtxmgBYlrTs

For the record, I want my legacy to be that, while my name may not be remembered, the investment in the lives who listened and learned were forever changed for the good.  THAT is a great return on the investment. 

What's In A Title?

 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart,

 but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” 

(By saying this, he declared that every 

kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you.  
For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, 
deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.  
All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
~Matthew 7:18-23

People love to be treated special, don't we?  We LOVE it when we are given deference; when doors not normally open for others are opened for us.  I remember when I was interviewing for a position with an organization where many of its members had political clout, and the first question asked me was "And just who do you know?"  I eventually got the job even though I didn't know anyone with the right clout, and then I got to deal with a whole new pool of "Don't You Know Who I Am?" clods.

One of my seminary professors had a wall full of degrees (5 Doctorates earned...not honorary and 7 Masters Degrees), so you can imagine the intimidation of having to meet with him as a lowly seminary student hoping to achieve my first Master's Degree.  I was nervous and called him Doctor and Reverend and Bishop... He looked at me sternly and said, "Stop! You are trying to impress me and you are failing, so STOP!"  I asked him sheepishly what I should call him.  Imagine my surprise and relief when he smiled and said, "Call me George.  It's the name on my birth certificate."

Think about this, how many times do we encounter people who insist on being called by their titles instead of their names, as if titles make them better than human.  That same professor reminded our class that "All the degrees and titles in God's universe will not save you from being human! Learn to be humble; to get into the dirt and wipe the filth from those you have been called to minister to; listen to the soul in agony of loss pouring out their hurt to you.  Never lose who God birthed you to be in the forest of titles and degrees!  Matter of fact, I have never found in Scripture where Jesus had a degree yet we seek to example this carpenter from Nazareth."

Arrogance gives Christians a very bad name!  Let's learn to humility and genuine caring.