This House is Not My Home

We are in our new house and for Thanksgiving we had 13 people for dinner. This was my first-time baking with a convection oven, setting up tables and chairs in an unfamiliar space, and deciding the best direction to go through the buffet line. Similar to staying in a motel and living out of a suitcase, I can’t automatically do something without stopping to think about what I’m doing, what I need in order to do it and where did I put the things needed to do it with. While I’m enjoying the house, for me it is not yet home. I can relate to the lyrics to the old hymn, “This world is not my home I’m just a passing through…”

Thanksgiving

Jesus instructed the disciples to take away the stone from the tomb of Lazarus. “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me” (John 11:41-42 NIV). Believers have much to be thankful for, not the least of which is the fact that through Jesus Christ the Father always hears us.

All in the Name of Jesus

As our house was being built, I was taken aback by how often those in the trades (plumbers, framers, electricians, etc.) made excuses for their own short comings by blaming others. The electrician blamed the plumber when his electrical box needed to be relocated. When the carpet wasn’t stretched correctly the carpet layer blamed the electrician for poor lighting. When the texture failed to cover the seams in the sheet-rock the painter was blamed. Some of these workers were believers, yet they too pointed the finger at others to cover up for their own inferior work and mistakes. Paul said, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17 NIV).

I Have Sinned

There are more than a few prodigals in my family tree and in the Parable of the Lost Son I relate better to the older son than I do to the prodigal. I suppose my angst comes from the fact the all the prodigals I’ve ever known want to return to the family unit unchanged, unrepentant and unappreciative. It’s easy to rejoice with the lost son who repented and said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21 NIV). Many of us fail to understand the value and necessity of repentance. Luke said, “So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4 NIV).

Landscape

We’ve hired a landscaper to put in the yard around our new house and I hope the sod will be installed early this week so that I won’t have to deal with a lot of dirt or mud when we have company for Thanksgiving. My daughter, son-in-law and their dog Charlie will be staying with us and it just occurred to me that there is not a blade of grass, shrub or tree around my house where Charlie can leave his mark. From a dog’s perspective the yard, as it is now, must look like a desolate wilderness. I have to admit there are times when I too look at the spiritual landscape around me and it seems there is no place to leave the mark of a Christian.

Hear, Retain and Produce

In the Parable of the Sower, a farmer went out to sow seed and some seed fell along the path, some fell on rock, some fell among thorns and other seed fell on good soil. Jesus explained the “seed” is the Word of God, leaving some of us to think about being selective with where we sow seed. But the Lord never said to stop scattering seed even if it lands on the path, the rocks and among thorns. Jesus said, “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15 NIV).

Genealogy

  As I read the genealogy of Jesus, recorded in Matthew and Luke, I wonder what my own genealogy might look like. Gail the daughter of Vivian, the daughter of Belle, the daughter of…

  Thankfully, as a believer in Christ the only genealogy I need to know is, Gail, a sister of Jesus and a daughter of God. Jesus said, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matt 12:48-50 NIV).

Growing Where You are Planted

We hired a landscaper who explained the installation of the sprinkler system, the topsoil he’ll use before putting down sod and how he plants shrubs. We expected him to say the shrubs would be planted in good fertilized soil, but no. He said, “If you put good soil around the plants they might grow faster, but when the roots reach the poor soil they go into shock. Plants establish themselves better when planted in the same dirt they will grow in.” As a mature believer I can look back and see that I grew stronger and more confident in faith simply because I had to grow where God planted me. Paul said, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor 3:6-9 NIV).

Witness Intimidation

During the ongoing presidential impeachment hearings Marie Yovanovitch, the US Ukrainian Ambassador who was relieved of her post, said her feelings were hurt and she was intimidated when she was criticized by President Trump. It irritates me when women play the gender card in order to garner sympathy. Seriously, I can’t imagine any man in the same situation saying Trump hurt their feelings. On the religious landscape, believers too are not immune from crying foul by claiming hurt feelings. However, Jesus put things in perspective when he described the age we live in, “But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life” (Luke 21:12-19 NIV).

Conversion

Some people of faith are cautious and even skeptical that rapper Kanye West has converted to Christianity. Kanye is in good company. Who could have guessed that Johnny Cash and Saul of Tarsus would not only accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, but then accept their mission and calling to bring others to Christ? Paul said, “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed” (1 Cor 15:9-11 NIV).

Emotional Blackmail

I have an adverse reaction to any Facebook post that says, “Can I get a share? I bet no one will share. How many will share this?” In my mind this is no different than a pastor saying, “Can I get an Amen? Let me hear a Praise the Lord. Give me a Hallelujah.” Paul said, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:8-9 NIV).  People will put into practice those things they themselves deem praiseworthy and excellent.

Firsthand Account

Many believers today do not look to the Bible for Christian education, but rather they rely on the pastor, Sunday school teacher, or Bible study leader to parcel out the Word to them. Both Luke and John stated their purpose for writing their books. Luke said, “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4 NIV). John said, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31 NIV). The importance of reading the firsthand account of Luke and John for ourselves cannot be understated.

Your Prayer Has Been Heard

Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were both well along in years, had no children because Elizabeth was barren. Zachariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God when an angel of the Lord appeared to him. “When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John” (Luke 1:12-13 NIV). I constantly bombard God with prayers and in the back of my mind I know He hears those prayers. However, I’m trying to imagine a messenger of God affirming, “…your prayer has been heard.”

Serving the Same God

As a Veteran, I appreciate the honor and recognition of yesterday’s Veterans Day celebrations. While there is healthy competition amongst all the branches of service (go Navy!), each branch of the military has a different strength, and they serve with a different focus and purpose of mission…but they all serve the United States of America. On the religious landscape, I can’t help but wonder if we have forgotten that we do not serve a denomination, but we serve God. Paul said, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Cor 12: 4-6 NIV).

Identifying Gossip

My friend will sometimes reference a situation that took place in the church, Sunday school or the women’s Bible study. However, in retelling the situation she doesn’t want to name-names. I’m not sure why she withholds names, but I suspect she feels if she reveals the person’s name others might consider it gossiping…a fear held by many women. Just as a point of observation, I’ve yet to hear a Christian man worry about being labeled a gossip. Proverbs helps us clarify and identify gossip, “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret” (Proverbs 11:13 NIV). “A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends” (Proverbs 16:28 NIV). “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 18:8 NIV).

Perfect and Flawless

The Democrats are up-in-arms about a telephone conversation President Trump had with Ukraine. The President insists he has done nothing wrong or illegal, and that the conversation was a “perfect telephone call”. Many politicians and media outlets disagree; however, what they fail to understand is that in the world of Trump it was a perfect conversation. I see a similar situation between the secular and the religious worlds. An atheist rejects God’s ways and his word, but the psalmist said, “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him” (Psalms 18:30 NIV).

Gatekeeper

My gym attendance is consistent. Seven days a week I arrive at the same time each morning and, unless it is occupied, I always use the same treadmill. The treadmill is situated in a traffic area that leads to the cubicles for backpacks and jackets, so it’s not unusual for me to speak, or to make eye contact with many of the gym members coming and going. A few days ago, a woman in her late 60’s, who is somewhat sporadic in attendance, greeted me. She said, “You make a great gatekeeper!”  In the Old Testament gatekeepers were assigned to their positions of trust by David, “They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the Tent… They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning.” (1 Chron 9:23,27 NIV). I enjoy greeting fellow gym members in the mornings, but I certainly I don’t want to be the gatekeeper who is in charge of opening the gym at 4:00 a.m.

Faith Can Be Seen

We don’t have to tell Jesus about ourselves because He already knows each of us intimately…our motives, hearts, thoughts, and our faith. Four men carried their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed, but the size of the crowd made it impossible for them to reach the Lord. The men then dug a hole through the roof and lowered the mat that the paralyzed man was lying on. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven”” (Mark 2:5 NIV). Jesus knows our faith, but He also wants to see that faith in action.

The Promised Land

We received a couple of inches of snow and a few days later I discovered what I can only describe as mini crop-circles in the still-to-be-landscaped backyard. The tracks, approximately 6 feet in diameter, were in a tight circle; too small and wide for a bicycle track, and absent of any footprints. The next day the elementary-age boys across the street appeared at the backdoor with their remote-controlled trucks and ask permission to pile what snow they could find on the three-foot mounds of dirt to make a slide for their snow boards. I can see why the boys are attracted to our desolate dirt lot because their own home is surrounded with a boring driveway, sidewalk, grass and shrubs. I’m reminded of Moses, who prepared the Israelites to enter the promised land, but because he had been disobedient, God would not allow him to enter the with the Israelites. Moses, who desperately wanted to go into the promised land, pleaded with the Lord, but the Lord was angry, “That is enough,” the LORD said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” (Deut 3:26b–28 NIV).

Letting Go

I’m struggling to redecorate my new house. The color schemes and furnishing for the old house just don’t go with the new house. While the old art work reflects my tastes of the past, it does not reflect who I am today…yet I love who I once was and I’m having a hard time letting go of that image. Similar to becoming a Christian, there is conflict and struggle with letting go of the old-self. Paul said, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:16-17 NIV)!

Door of Opportunity

Yesterday, at 4:00 p.m. on Halloween, a young man about 13 or 14 years-old knocked on the door and said, “Trick or Treat”. He was alone, not in costume and carried only a backpack. By all appearances he was simply on his way home from school and Halloween became an opportunity to go door-to-door and ask for an after school snack. After handing him some mini candy bars and closing the door I chuckled at his ingenuity. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matt 7:7-8 NIV).