Category: Editorials

Past submissions to a private newspaper on a variety of topics.

Is it like stepping off the cliff?

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

Precipice

precipice

 

I’m afraid of heights.  There I said it.  For those who don’t have such issues, I applaud you, although I think you’re nuts.  I would not easily be led to the edge of this precipice, not for money, fame, or power.  Thrill seekers aside, my gut tells me most people feel as I do.  Just look how close that guy is to plunging head long into the abyss.  It makes my insides quiver just looking at the picture.

I love mountains, and climbing through natural mountain trails, reaching the summit and admiring the view.  Just not from the precipice of destruction.  It’s not my game.

There are folks who read these articles who are perched like a climber, looking over into the vast empty space below them, challenged to see the spiritual metaphor in this image.  For them, taking the spiritual plunge of faith is nothing short of stepping off the cliff.  It’s scary.  No, it’s frightening, because they have no context for what comes next.  If you’ve never stepped off a cliff, you have no context of what occurs during the fall.  Seekers of truth are those folks who have come right to the jumping off part, but have not stepped over the line of faith into salvation found in Jesus Christ alone.

For those people of faith who trust in Jesus with their whole being, it’s hard to understand the timidity of a person just not stepping out.  We’ve lost sight of just how hard it is for folks to let go of thinking they have control over their own lives, even when they don’t.  I’m fairly convinced for most men or women today, following Christ is no different than taking the plunge off the precipice of sanity.

Here’s the thing, at times faith is exactly that.  Hence the phrase, “Leap of Faith.”  Again, there are other things in life just as frightening, yet we take the plunge anyway.  It’s hard to say the words, “I love you,” when you don’t know for certain the person to whom you are speaking will return the sentiment verbally.  Driven by passion, or a longing to be loved, we speak the words anyway, and take the leap of faith.  It’s hard to say the words, “this is over.”  Knowing that the change which will come as a result of saying it out loud, may cause pain or sorrow for many people, yet you must say it, and you take the plunge off the precipice.

Coming to Christ, yielding to the authority of His Lordship over your entire life, being born again by the Holy Spirit of God, is like no other encounter in the human experience.  When you meet Jesus, when you say “yes” to His call on your life, it is a step of faith into the unknown for you.  There is no way to see the changes which will occur.  There will be consequences and more hard choices as you attempt to align your life with the will of God.  Yet, for those who have come, who have made this commitment, there is no greater joy than falling head-long into the arms of Jesus – the Savior.

If you are weighed down by the burdens of this world, if you are seeking truth, if you know there is more to this life but haven’t found it, then take the step of faith that leads to peace and joy in Jesus Christ.  Is it like stepping off the cliff?  For some yes.  For others no.  What will it be for you?  I don’t know.  Come anyway.  Step over the line of faith into Jesus, today.

 

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No Trepidation

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Daily Post: Qualm

trepidation

I’ve been out of town a couple of days, and missed writing my blog.  I’m back in the saddle again, so hang on to your hats for another wild and wooly ride into the unusual word associations of “As I was saying…”

This image is one simulating what occurs in our brains when we suffer fear, anxieties, or qualms regarding what “might” happen in our future.  The “what if” game is more prevalent in some folks than others, yet I believe we all suffer from this malady from time to time.  When circumstances look bleak, when our future seems insecure, the normal human response is to walk with trepidation through these dark places.  We sense something is out there, and we put an evil looking face on it, and sure, sometimes it is evil that wants to destroy us.  Other times however, when our minds are painting the picture of a wolf stalking us, waiting to attack and destroy us, the very thing we fear is not a wolf at all.  It is simply the unknown.

We can hem and haw all we want, but at some point we must come to accept there are some things beyond our control, and most of those are unseen, or unknowable.  At times we see giants, when really they are ants.  Other times we see lambs, and they really are wolves.  How do we cope in a world where the unknown and unseen seems so daunting?

I have no qualms in writing these words to you, because they are true.  God, the Creator of the Universe, is Sovereign Lord of all.  This simply means that just because you can’t see it or know it, doesn’t mean that it – whatever “it” is – has escaped God’s view.  God is never surprised.  The thing that most causes that anxious spirit within us, God has already seen and dealt with; it is now under His control.  This should produce peace in our hearts and minds, and when it doesn’t it is because we don’t believe God is in control.  To give lip service to this truth, and go through life full of fear, is a non sequitur.

Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the LORD forever, for in God the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

These verses, and hundreds like them, are to be taken literally.  They explain that to say you believe “God is in control”, and behave in opposition to this confession, makes no sense for the true believer.  Faith is having no qualms with trusting God absolutely in every major or minor detail of my life.  Faith is living with no trepidation of what might happen, because God is our Sovereign LORD, and He is in control.

 

 

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Irrefutable, Incontrovertible, and Irrevocable

Dr. J.D. Wilkins6 Comments

Daily Post:  Final

trust

When it was over, when all was said and done, when it was final, I actually graduated.  I graduated from High School (HD), College (BA), Business School (MBA), and Seminary (twice- M.Div, D.MIN).  It may sound impressive, but it’s really not.  Lots of people do it, and far better than me.  But I did it, and that’s final.

I never liked that word either, “final,” while I was getting all this education.  The final exam for me was a daunting, sometimes even harrowing experience.  I was an ok student after awhile, but I was never best in class.  So the struggle for me was to learn to trust that I could do it.  That I had studied enough, or retained enough, to allow some grader to see me as worthy of passing the class, or graduating for that matter.

There will come a day when the final exam will be for life.  I’ve clearly not been the best student of life either, yet my heart keeps telling me that in the end, I will have retained enough to graduate.  I’m not talking about retaining all this education, or the pittance of a portfolio that is my retirement.  I’m not talking about the school of hard knocks, or the new car.  Retaining these things is impossible, I’m not going to take these things with me into the “afterlife” some call Eternity.

But here’s the thing.  I will retain all that I know of God, and one day I will know Him better than I do today.  I believe with every fiber of my being, just like Job:

Job 19:25
As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.

There is one Irrefutable, Incontrovertible, and Irrevocable Truth, in which I place my trust:

John 10:27-30
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

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Jibber Jabber Jungle

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Daily Post:  Maze

Yoda

Listening to the yammering jibber jabber of Yoda’s backward-upside-down logic is much like wandering through a maze blindfolded.  Not much of it really makes sense to someone who has seen Star Wars, much less to the millions who haven’t.  Don’t get me wrong, I stood in the line for the first two of these movies, like many other sci-fi lovers.  That said, I’m not a die-hard fan of Yoda wisdom.  There they are in the jungle, and Yoda says to Luke Skywalker, “Try not.  Do, or do not. There is no try.”  Is this supposed to be some new thought process on success?  My junior high football coach, long before there was a Star Wars or Yoda, told me to get up off my butt and do it.  It wasn’t a matter of if I could or not.  I grew up on the wisdom of William Edward Hickson (1803-1870), credited with popularizing the following ditty:

‘Tis a lesson you should heed: Try, try, try again.
If at first you don’t succeed: Try, try, try again.

Yoda would have a field day with so much trying.  Yoda would call Hickson a loser, because in Yoda’s book there is no “trying” there is only “doing, or not doing.”  This summarizes what’s wrong with much of the world today.  We’ve lost our way in the maze of the jibber jabber jungle.  Here’s a few of the more popular Yoda quotes I found:

  • You must unlearn what you have learned
  • When you look at the dark side, careful you must be… for the dark side looks back.
  • If no mistake you have made, losing you are. A different game you should play.
  • Size matters not.  Look at me. Judge me by my size do you?
  • Fear is the path to the dark side.  Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

And on and on deeper into the jibber jabber jungle we could go, but again, like the mouse searching for the proverbial cheese wandering through the maze by his sensitive nose, our minds would only lead us to the inevitable truth… Star Wars is not the definitive wisdom by which one should lead their life.

The unfortunate thing is, many people in this ole world see the Man – Jesus – as a sort of front-runner of Yoda, and that’s all.  They see the Force as real, and the Bible as fiction.  They hear the heavy breathing anger of Darth Vader, rather than the all too real voice of Jesus crying out from the cross “It is finished!”  It’s all about what they can “do” rather than what Christ has already “done.”  Yoda is not the savior of the world, in truth, or in fiction.  There is only one Savior, His name is Jesus.

Jesus said some things that are hard to understand.  This was by design.  He did it on purpose.  He told the disciples ahead of time that He must “suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”  Then He turned around, looked at Peter, and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” [Mark 8:31-33]. He said things like, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” [Luke 6:35]  Many today think Jesus was a madman who just talked jibber jabber.

So again, it comes down to choice.  You must choose your own maze.   While certainly those who follow the wisdom of Yoda seem like mindless mice to me,  I too must seem as such to them.  If they are right, I’ve lost nothing.  If I am right, they have lost everything.  Which maze are you wandering in?

1 Corinthians 14:33
“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace…”

 

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The Rosy Beyond

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Daily Post:  Pink

pink

Is the grass really “greener” on the other side?  I know what you’re thinking.  This daily post is supposed to be about PINK, Dr. Wilkins, not green!  Well, it’s an expression right? Sometimes we’re concerned with things we don’t have, or items we think we need, but mostly just want, and it or they are over there somewhere, on the other side of some obstacle we can’t conquer.  Some synonyms of pink are:  prime, perfection, best, finest, greatest.  These are all things on the “other side” of something we must climb, cross, or dig through to reach.  But what if we were to quit obsessing about the rosy beyond, and focused on the here and the now of our lives, reaching out for different goals that might keep our life in the pink?

Each of the fourteen thoughts in the image above, work in synergy with the others to put the pink back into your life.  Imagine how your brain would react differently if every day you would just choose to “Think Positively,” or “Volunteer Freely.”  Fewer and fewer people today volunteer for anything, without asking first “What’s in it for me?”  If you get something out of it, it’s not free.  Wasn’t there a “Friends” episode about this?   What if we would see Bobby McFerrin’s song released in 1988 as more than just a Grammy Award Song of the Year, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”?

How many people reading this article would benefit from just once a day, putting aside everything you’re doing at some point, and just go outside and walk around the block?  I mean really guys, you’re not going to get a two-pack, much less a six-pack from just walking around the block.  But exercise something, even if it’s just your legs.  And speaking of exercising something, what about your mind?  “Read More” is an excellent one, because God gave you a brain for something other than watching soaps or sports.  You really don’t want me to even get started on “Eat Healthy,” right?

Ok, then, I’ll focus on just three of these topics which will help your life pink-up a bit.  First, “Build Faith.”  This can’t mean the secular kind of faith we already have, because that hasn’t really worked yet has it?  Think about it.  You already have faith that your car will start when you go get in it to travel to the grocery store.  You have faith in all those other drivers out there, that they know what they’re doing and won’t end your life in a head-on collision.  You have faith that the food you’re about to buy in the store, won’t kill you from some exotic bacteria.  We live by secular faith all our lives.  But I’m talking about building faith in something that is far more secure and faith-worthy.  Come to know the Creator of the universe personally, by stepping over the line of true faith, and give your heart, soul, mind and body to Jesus as your Savior.

Second, “Love Always.”  The apostle Paul said that “Love” will never fail.  He said that there are three things which will last forever, Faith, Hope, and Love, but the greatest of these is LOVE.  One way to change the way we think is to practice saying the words, “I like THINGS, but I love People.”  This one small change in our vocabulary and thinking will revolutionize our lives, turning it rosy pink!

Third, “Live Forever.”  Some people don’t want to do this.  In spite of current media advertising promotions, some of the aged in our country who are suffering the ill effects of aging are just ready to give it all up already.  So, I’m pretty sure from a secular viewpoint when you and I reach this point, we may not want to stay here either.  So this “Live Forever” idea must mean something else as well.  Of course it does!  We are already created eternal beings.  We were designed to know the Creator, live out a life-long process of getting to KNOW Him, then when it is “our-time” go to live with Him forever.  The Rosy Beyond is not climbing Everest here, it is not maxing out our portfolios, it is not owning things, toys, or lots of money.  The Rosy Beyond is what awaits us when we live our lives in the Pink, while we can.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

 

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Perusing in Pursuit

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Daily Post Pursue

pursue

I have always liked the hunt, like a hound following the scent.  Or like a detective working to take in all the facts, then assimilating the strands of information into a whole image, ultimately revealing some hidden or little known truth.  I pursue the English language in search of new expressions or meanings which are secondary rather than primary to the readers first and obvious thought about a word.  Using this method, writing becomes more challenging for me, and for you – the reader, because it demands that we get past the preconceived ideas that our language is one dimensional, or can only mean one thing.

For example, take the word “well.” It can me something “well” done, whether a behavior, or an over-cooked steak.  Well can mean a hole from which water, oil, or gas are obtained.  The hole could be maxed out at which time it becomes a dry well, like that over-cooked steak.  Well can be an expression on its own. “Well, I didn’t see that one coming!”, or just “Well!”  Fun stuff huh?  Context, and usage, are determined by the speaker/writer; but interpretation must come from the hearer/reader.  For those who use English as a second, third, or fourth language the nuances of interpretation are somewhat difficult at times.

Language and communication were designed by God to allow the human creature to interact within our species in meaningful and intelligent ways.  These tools also allow for the human creature to interact with the Creator using language He instituted for this purpose.  God’s Spirit pursued men whose hearts were tuned to His heart, and spoke to them in ways that resulted in a written record of what God wants us to know.  Not just know on a cursory level or having read it once, or listened to it being read just once.  The Bible has been given to us for the purpose of enhancing our relationship with the Creator of the universe.

When we peruse the Bible, flipping here and yon to re-read our favorite verses over and over, perseverating the same knowledge, like singing a song over and over until you sing it in your sleep, we miss the point of the whole.  There is so much more than Romans 8:28, which most people I know use interpretively incorrectly anyway.  There is so much more than Philippians 4:13 and the concept of “doing” things for God.  It’s not about what I can do for Him, it’s about what He wants to do in me that is unimaginable to me without submitting to His Lordship in my life.  Perusing is not the same as pursuing.

Yet, it is a good place to start.  Perusing the Bible for a story you’ve never heard, now that is a good pursuit.  Do you know the etymology of the words of Jesus in John 12:32, or John 3:14?  Hint, it’s an Old Testament story which some may have heard, but never seen the connection.  This is a good pursuit.  God find it, and see what God says to you through your pursuit.

In Daniel 3, there is a great story about Daniel’s friends arrested because they wouldn’t bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol in worship.  They get thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, yet come out not even smelling like smoke or fire.  It makes for a great Sunday School lesson, but have you found the New Testament link in this narrative?  Who is that fourth person in Daniel 3:25, and what if any application can I make from this story to my life today?  This is a good pursuit.

One last example.  I know people who read the same book, or watch the same movie, once a year because it is their favorite.  There’s nothing wrong with this, I seem to watch the same Christmas movies over and over because I like them.  But, here’s the thing.  I don’t know anyone who watches the same movie even once a month, much less once a week, or every day of their lives, do you?  I don’t know anyone who, once they’ve read the last page of their favorite novel, puts the book down and reads the same exact book over and over every day.

When we peruse the Bible, reading only those parts that have special meaning for us, we limit God’s ability to teach us all that He desires us to learn.  My challenge to you today is to pursue all that God has in His word for you.  Try just one month of getting outside the box of your favorite Bible verses, and dive deep into the parts you seldom read, to see if God may say something new and exciting to you today!

 

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Short-term Parking

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Temporary

short term

Contrary to the warning on all these yellow post-its, we do forget.  We forget where we put our keys.  We forget someone’s birthday, or worse the anniversary.  We forget where we park, we forget to send a thank-you note.  For some, forgetfulness is worse than others.  Those people who have perfect eidetic memories, like Sheldon Cooper on “Big Bang Theory,” drive me nuts.  I’m much more like my uncle Wylie who is known for his one-liners.  One of his favorites, and mine too, was “I’d forget my head if it wasn’t attached.”

I’m officially a senior adult by many standards today, so why do I still feel like I did in my 30’s?  I know my age, I haven’t forgotten how old I am.  I have all my faculties, and I remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday.  I know what year it is, and who is President.   However, it’s like my brain has areas where the stuff that goes in…  is like short-term parking.  It’s there only for a little while, and “poof”, it’s gone.  You too may be aware of the frustrations and disparities which derive from not remembering things you are supposed to recall instantly.  Instead of Sheldon, at times I relate more to Dori, and her short-term memory problem.

For hundreds of years, the history of people groups was passed down verbally from generation to generation.  Like in the 1985 film, the third installment in the Mad Max series called Beyond Thunderdome,  Savannah Nix does the “tallin.”  After all are gathered around she begins the verbal history which must be remembered.  She begins, “This you know: the years travel fast, and time after time I done the tell. But this ain’t onebody’s tell. It’s the tell of us all, and you’ve gotta listen and to ‘member, ’cause what you hears today you gotta tell the newborn tomorrow. I’s lookin’ behind us now into history back...”

Where are you going with all the forgetfulness and story telling, Dr. Wilkins?  I’m so glad you asked.  There is something that stirred in me when I saw this word for the Daily Post.  I was reminded of something easily forgotten.  I wish to remind you of it as well.  For those who read this blog everyday, and read yesterday’s post “Rancorous Relationships,” today I didn’t forget that all this is very TEMPORARY.  Everything in this life is but a blink.  This is not a permanent dwelling place.  This is not my final destination, it is just short-term parking.

Neither the pangs and trials of this life, nor the death that awaits me (if Christ doesn’t call us all home first), will cause my spirit to reside on this planet one minute longer than God deems necessary.  My destination is secure.  My Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, has ascended to His throne in heaven to prepare a place, a room, a permanent dwelling space for ME!!!! So whatever crazy or minor inconveniences I might suffer while parking here temporarily, is insignificant in the larger view of eternity.  I refuse to be bogged down more than one single day (yesterday for instance), by the temporary nature of things related to this planet, and my daily life here.

Don’t forget!  Don’t forget!  Burn this image of all these post-it notes into the center of your being.  Don’t forget… this is a temporary dwelling place.  But the one which awaits us is so glorious as to be impossible to describe.  John did His best, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and the direct dictation of Jesus in the Book of Revelation.  However beautiful these images are, they are a glimpse at best.  Read for yourself about a new heaven, a new earth, a new Jerusalem, the River of Life, and the Tree of Life, in Revelation 21-22.  And whatever you do, don’t forget what Jesus promises:

Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!!

Rancorous Relationships

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Daily Post:   Bitter

bitter

It tastes like the tart, acidic, bite of lemon.  That moment when you realize the majority of people in your life don’t understand, can’t understand, wouldn’t fathom the depth of pain that caused your actions, even if you explained it to them.  Even for the most transparent of people, there are parts of us that stay hidden, unveiled to no one. When these shadow driven areas determine our actions, there is almost always collateral damage.  The resulting attitudes of those around us become jaundiced or sullen, resentful or bitter, and they lash out in anger at us for hurting them in some way.  Collateral damage.

Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.  Rancorous relationships abound in the world today, because people hurt each other.  Everyone has a thought process that seems rational to them at times, which if shared generally even with their closest friends might seem to the friend as madness.  If the thought process takes form, and becomes activated in behavior, the friend can sometimes be the one who reacts like a terrorist ready to tear your head off.  Or worse, become the one who starts the rumors that ruins your reputation among others that don’t know you well.  Is any of this ringing anyone else’s bell out there?

Imagine being Jewish in the first century city of Antioch, and hearing the narrative about Jesus for the first time.  It’s a story so bold, and so brilliant you’re intrigued, but know that you can’t act like it, for fear of offending your friends and family.  After all, you’re like one big family as Jews, and the Roman government is enemy enough.  You don’t want your own people to turn on you.  But you become convinced of the action you must take, to surrender to the truth of Jesus as Lord and Messiah.  You know the moment that this comes out you will be like the others of “The Way” and you will become an outcast.  Your parents will disown you and treat you as though you have died.  The man you work for will fire you, and treat you as dead.  Your brothers and sisters will ignore you and pretend they don’t see you on the street.  Your life as you know it will be over, dead.

But you choose Jesus anyway.

What results?

You are dead, but alive.

Just like Jesus.

The bitter actions of the people in your life, who don’t understand you choices, do not determine whether the choice was right or wrong, good or bad, God does.  Their harsh rumors and speculations of how you’ve gone mad, cannot determine your next steps.

Be careful in interpreting my words here.  I’m not bitter.  I’m pragmatic.  I get that 90% of the people around me don’t understand my actions, or the reasons for my actions.  My attempts at transparency can only go so far.  That said, I’ve learned the hard way, that the very people who ought to be loving, forgiving, kind and accepting, are the ones who lash out bitterly in retribution, on a vengeful vendetta to judge and destroy those who they deem “unworthy” of grace (me).  The church can be very unforgiving, and unloving, for those who need grace most.

I’m really struggling here to make sense of how bitter feelings wreck a church, and destroy people’s lives within the fellowship of believers.  It really is this simple:  either we believe Paul was writing with the authority of the Holy Spirit… or we should quit calling ourselves Christians and join the country club instead of giving our money to churches.  Here’s what Paul says about it.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ – God forgave you.

The picture above is the epitome of this verse.

Grow up.

 

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Exposé of Truth

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Exposed

expose

Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Demi Moore were cast as Marines involved in a dramatic courtroom thriller in 1992 called “A Few Good Men.”  One scene stands out, used over the last 25 years in various ways as an example of what happens when someone tries to expose the truth.  Col. Jessup (Nicholson) screams (in this picture above) at Lt. Kaffee (Cruise) from the witness stand, “You can’t handle the truth!!!”

Which as you’ve guessed by now, is sad but true for many people today.  The truth is that Trump had to learn the hard way just how difficult a job it is to be President.  The truth is that Hillary was so in her head, out of touch with real people with real jobs, that she thought she had the election in the bag.  She’s still in denial about why she lost out on her life dream.  She can’t handle the truth.

The sad fact exposed in the news everyday,  is that more and more people around the globe are being sucked into the destructive patterns of Satan’s deceit.  World religions gain in popularity while Christianity continues to decline and face persecution around the globe, in ways we can’t even imagine in this country.  The rise of ecumenicalism is the demise of evangelical influence in the tiny towns of the plains, the villages in the mountains, and city to city, from coast to coast.  It’s Sunday, and folks will be gathering for worship.  But what will they hear from the pulpit?

Many will hear 10 minute homilies, written to address some social ill.  Many will hear a 45 minute diatribe with material that repeats every 15 minutes.  Many will hear what may sound like the truth, but really is a deceptively cunning twist and perversion of what God’s word really says.  And in those few congregations where there is still a pastor who believes in the inerrancy of God’s Word, folks will hear the truth.  They will hear exactly what God wants them to hear.  But the question remains, “Can they handle it?”

Better still, what will they do with it?

The truth of God’s word is not just some comfortable blanket you wrap yourself in when you’re feeling cold and isolated by the world.  It is not just a fan you turn on to blow when the heat of the world’s hate becomes too much to handle.  The truth of God’s word is a SWORD.  More often than not when we read it, and listen to it, and understand it’s talking to me personally, we are so struck by what we read, the word’s of the movie seem true… you can’t handle the truth!

By now, if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I have a favorite verse, and I use it often.  It is most fitting to use again as a superior example of what I’m writing today.  There is a singular statement that defines Jesus as God, in a way that no other religious deity or leader has ever stated.  It comes from God’s Word, written by the apostle John, inspired by the Holy Spirit.  This makes it truth.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him (Thomas),
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Millions in this world today deny this truth.  Millions in this world are vehemently crying out about the exclusiveness of this verse, in a world who’s current buzzword is inclusiveness.  That’s the heart of the ecumenical movement.  They say, “Oh, we’ll all get to heaven; we just take different routes, enter through different doors.”  However, this simply doesn’t match what God’s word says.  They can’t handle the truth.  There is only one door, only one gate, … and only one WAY.

This is my “Exposé of Truth” – John 14:6.

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Splendidly Superior in Every Way

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Daily Post: Better

better than you imagined

This is quite a quaint little saying isn’t it?  The retrospective view is often much clearer than the clarity of the now, or the dark mirror which is the future.  We’re told to examine our failures and discover our weaknesses so that in the future we can harness that knowledge and succeed where failure once reigned supreme.  People who put phrases like these, on pictures like these, are really just trying to help… because they are the proverbial “glass-is-half-full” characters God, created to keep the rest of us “downers” in line.

Here is another image that got my goat this morning:

better than you

Who’s the moron who gets up in the morning and goes to a conference and puts “Better than YOU!” on his/her name tag?  You don’t know me.  You don’t know anything about me.  And the fact that your arrogance is showing, like the endearing pictures of the crazy people who hang out at Walmart all hours of the night in revealing clothing, is just wrong.  Take it down a notch already.  When did it become a competition?  When did I have to measure up to your standards?  Who declared you “judge of the world” that you could even compare yourself to me?  Of course you’re better if the standard in your mind is you, but it isn’t for me.  Get over it already.

I could hardly get my head around this one:

def of love

Seriously, what does this even mean.  [pause]… I’m a right brained creature who gets the whole concept of creative passion fueled by the vivid imaginations of love, yearning, and peace.  But really, “continual interrogation?”  Sounds as if someone’s being held captive in an undisclosed “black ops” site, and won’t survive unless they surrender to love.  There’s no logic here.  There’s no construct of reality here.

Therefore, what we see in these images: … the very idea of “better” … is subjective regarding most things in this ole world today.  Since the subjectivity lies in the heart, mind, and eye of the person observing, experiencing, or “interrogating”(?), “better” is a constructive concept of measuring or quantifying how an individual feels about the thing itself.  Did you know it doesn’t have to be this way?

There is a book in the Bible called Hebrews.  It was written to a Jewish congregation of Christians who were struggling with the concept of abandoning their Jewish traditions and practices, and adopting new practices of worship through Christ.  The author of Hebrews is unknown to us, in spite of what well-meaning theologians today might dogmatically say.  However, there is a recurring theme throughout the whole text of the Book.  It is a clear definition and understanding of “better.”  I could verbally go through all the scripture references for you here, but one chart from Charles Swindoll will do “better.”

58-Hebrews

Want a clear definition of “better?”

Look to Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, Creator, Redeemer, Deliverer, Sustainer … of all that is.

 

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I have set before you…

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Daily Post:  Lifestyle

lifestyle

The way in which a person, or group of persons lives is a simple definition of lifestyle.  Usually the connotation implies a set of choices an individual makes resulting in a specific pursued set of life goals.  Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, with host Robin Leach, and Shari Belafonte, ran as an American TV show broadcast from 1984-1995.  As given us in the title, the show allowed us inside the lifestyles of the uber-wealthy, taking us to glamorous resorts and opulent homes.  The viewer like tourists on a guided tour listened as Leach gave insight into what real money could buy.  Since most people don’t have this kind of wealth, while entertaining at times, the show had no redeeming value which would improve the viewers lifestyle at all.  Being envious doesn’t count.

“Be all you can be…” was the recruiting slogan of the United States Army from 1980 to 2001.  Running during commercial breaks for M*A*S*H and CBS Evening New with Dan Rather this slogan really worked.  It inspired a nation of young people to become their best by entering into military service, the commercial ended with “… in the ARMY!”  According to Miyoko Hikiji, a decorated U.S. Army and Iowa National Guard Veteran, author and mother, describing her deployment with the 2133rd Transportation Company she tells her story in an article titled, “All I Could Be.”  The Army, for Hikiji, was a lifestyle choice she wouldn’t change for anything.

If asked, what do you think most answer to the following question.  “Would you rather have Life and prosperity, or Death and adversity?”  I’m convinced when put this way, 99.99% would say life and prosperity, but only because I know some bohemians out there who just like to be opposite for the heck of it.  Most people I know would never knowingly choose adversity when prosperity would be just as easily gained.  I know some people who might choose death over life to end their own sense of being cursed, fighting disease, or so depressed they feel their is no hope left, but these folks are deluded by their circumstances into believing death will bring relief.  What if it doesn’t?

What if the choice between life or death, prosperity or adversity, is more of a Soul-life choice, than a material lifestyle choice?  What if most of humanity has missed the fact that life is not made up of material pleasures, or possessions?  What if true life consists of knowing the Creator of all things, and having Him bless you with His Lordship?  What if true death is dying without ever having established a relationship with the Creator, and knowingly choosing to stay disconnected from Him?  The same choice that God gave the Hebrew people, He gives to us today.  The Old and New Testaments say the same thing, just worded a little differently.

Here’s the Old Testament version:  Deuteronomy 30:15-20

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.  

But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

The blessing and the curse… God said, “you choose.”

Here’s the New Testament version:  John 3:16-21

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Light and darkness… the blessing and the curse … it’s the same thing, and Jesus said, “you choose.”  It’s a lifestyle choice.  It’s made in taking a step of faith.  Moving from an unbelieving heart to one which believes in the claims of the Son of God.

It’s not about material wealth, happiness, comfort, privilege, or entitlement.  It’s about soul-lifestyle. So…

I have set before you today … a choice.  Choose wisely.

 

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People Panicking Perpetuates Pandemonium

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Panicked

pandemonium

A panic attack is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) as:

… an abrupt and discrete experience of intense fear or acute discomfort, accompanied by symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling, and worries about going crazy, losing control or dying.

Did you know that 8-10 percent of the population has panic attacks, or that in 5% it becomes a disorder, occurring without any obvious stimulus, making the attacks even more terrifying?  In these cases it isn’t just a rush of anxiety, like most of us might experience from time to time.  No, these patients describe it as the most frightening event they have ever experienced.  Research has discovered leads to what causes a person’s first panic attack, as well as some clues about how to avoid an attack in the first place.  The simplified version is that panic attacks often result…

…when our normal “fight or flight” response to imminent threats—including increased heart rate and rapid breathing—is triggered by “false alarms,” situations in which real danger is absent.

The good news for those who suffer this chronic disorder is, first, all panic attacks are triggered by known events, even though the person may not be aware of those events. Knowing this can often reduce the anxiety stemming from a sense of unpredictability.  Second, though it is affirming to learn the attack is caused as a misfire of the fight-or-flight response when there actually is no danger.

In a culture spawning “fake” news, political corruption, excesses and entitlements, it’s little wonder that we all don’t run into the ocean, screaming in a wild panic.  I’m sure that we could learn quite a bit from a shepherd boy, if we only would.  Just because things look dangerous, or complicated, or “glass-half-empty,” (or completely empty), doesn’t mean God sees it this way.  If only we could see the world, ourselves, and our situations through God’s eyes, I believe it would make a huge difference in our lives.  Maybe we wouldn’t become panicked quite so much.

The key to David’s life was his ability to not see things as they are, but to view them as God sees them.  Enter Goliath, a huge 9 ft. tall giant of a man, hardened by war, trained in battle.  He wears armor plated garments, has both spear and sword, and a shield to ward off enemy attacks.  He bellows at the top of his lungs, the wild ravings of the blood-thirsty heathen that he is.  And every time he does so, to a man in the camp of Israel, they are trembling in a crazed panic.

Along comes David bringing food to his brothers in the army of God.  Upon hearing Goliath’s threats and railings, David’s response is not flight, it is fight.  It’s not an imagined danger, it is very real.  It is tangible.  It is death with a face on it.  Yet, David’s instant response to the Israelite men trembling in panic was:

1 Samuel 17:26
Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?”

I can almost hear it in David’s voice.  The overwhelming confidence that God will not stand for His people to be challenged in this way without retribution.  God will not allow for the heathen to cast dispersions and heresies about Him without punishment.  David is clearly not panicked.  (1 Samuel 17)  How did God use David’s confidence to demonstrate His own sovereign control, authority, and covenant presence?  Watch.  After using his trusty slingshot to nail the giant with a stone from the river…

1 Samuel 17:51
Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.  When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

Now it’s the Philistine army’s response to be panicked, and well they should.

So, here’s the thing.  The thing, event or circumstance that frightens you most right now, whether cancer, relationship struggles, financial difficulties, or emotional strains to difficult even to talk about; hear me… God is still in control.  The authority of His word still stands.  His covenant presence with you is designed to annihilate the panic that so easily sets in to destroy us.  Here are God’s simple words to avoid becoming panicked:

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world.

 

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No One, Not One, None

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Daily Post:  None

none

Everyone is welcome in our home.  We make no judgments on who they are, or where they’ve been, or what they’ve done.  Someone comes to the door, knocks and has the time, we invite them in.  It’s Texas hospitality, it’s the way I was raised.  Perhaps there is a PollyAnna naivety to allow someone entrance to my home without knowing them very well.  But there you go, you can’t take that West Texas cordiality out of the boy, no matter how hard this ole world tries.

I’ve knocked on a few doors in my life, where I discovered I was not welcome.  When cable television first came to Amarillo, Texas, I was a college student and worked part time going door-to-door attempting to convince people how good it would be for them.  It was an interesting, and at the same time very depressing, lesson on how some people treat people they don’t know at the doorway of their home.  I was cussed, shouted at, and told to leave or they would call the cops.  I also made some sales to folks who took pity on a college student just trying to pay for school.  Others were genuinely pleased that I had come by, because they were looking forward to cable TV.  Sometimes I felt like an alien on the planet.  Other times I was grateful for the hospitality shown to me.

God taught the ancient Hebrew people a lesson about how to treat strangers in Leviticus 19:33-34:

When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.  The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.

This seems pretty straightforward  in both meaning and intention.  It’s about remembering that they were aliens and strangers in the land of Egypt, and it wasn’t pretty how they were treated there.

In a very real sense, Israel never learned this lesson.  In the first century, when someone who seemed strange to them arrived on the scene, they treated Him with disdain.  As He began to teach and preach the Kingdom of God, they bowed their backs instead of bowing their hearts before Him.  When the right time came, they determined He was a blasphemer, and deserved nothing but death.  Regardless of which side of the debate they came down on, none of them understood what was really happening, or the role they were playing, in completing the will of God on earth.

At one time Jesus told His closest followers, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9)  How can someone be a passageway?  How could Jesus be a door?  The Aramaic Bible in Plain English translates this same verse this way:  “I AM THE LIVING GOD, The Gate; if anyone will enter by me, he shall live and shall go in and out and shall find pasture.”  I love it when we find ways to discover what the original languages actually say and mean.

This verse helps us understand a simple truth about “NONE.”

On the night of his arrest, earlier while sitting around the table at Passover, Jesus was explaining events about to occur in the very near future.  He was leaving them.  He was going to die.  He would send them a Comforter.  His Spirit would lead them from then on.  He was going away to prepare places for all of them to come join Him in residence.  They understood none of it.  Then He said:

John 14:6
I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

People have trouble with the dogma of this statement.  Around the world, ecumenical leaders cry out, railing against the exclusivity of this statement.  “Surely there are more ways to God than just through this ego-maniac Jesus,” they say.  And that’s the crux of the matter right?  Each individual human has to determine for themselves regarding the words Jesus spoke of Himself.  It sounds audacious.  It sounds like the ravings of a lunatic.  It sounds like self-aggrandizing nonsense.  But is it true?  What if it’s true?  Then what?

If it’s true, then two words become critical to our understanding.  “No ONE” is all-inclusive regarding humanity.  Every single person must determine on their own to believe in “the way, the truth, and the life” of Jesus.  Otherwise, they are excluded from the Father’s grace.  The antonym for none is “all.”  The ecumenical movement wants us to believe that “all” will be saved ultimately, that it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe something.  But this is not the teaching of the Bible.  No one, not one, none, will come to the Father, but through Jesus, the Gate, the Door of salvation.

None.

 

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Lord of the Manor, King of the Ages

Dr. J.D. Wilkins1 Comment

Control

knight-templar

There was an excellent British Comedy which aired on BBC1 from 1979-1981, which I thought was a hoot-n-a-holler.  Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles were paired well, she the sad widow who has to leave Grantleigh Manor where her family has lived forever, and he the new owner of the estate.  Of course they end up falling for each other, but the dialogue, and antics along the way are hysterical, and worth a watch.  It’s called, “To the Manor Born.”

The “lord of the manor” is a title originating out of the feudalism of the Medieval Middle Ages.  Established in England by the Normans after the Battle of Hastings.  All the land of England was claimed by William the Conqueror, to be distributed among the Normans as reward for fighting in the battle.  These estates of land, a fief, were known as Manors.  The lord of the manor owed allegiance to the King, as well as his immediate superior.

Today in America we don’t use the term Lords and Ladies, as they do still in England.  Unless of course it is tongue in cheek.  I may in fact be lord of the manor in my home, but I owe allegiance to the King of the Ages for blessing me in this way.  There are in fact three attributes of God’s nature and character, which define Him as Sovereign Lord.  These attributes are:  control, authority, and covenant presence.  At the bottom of this article I will provide a link which gives a brief Biblical introduction to “Lordship Salvation,” the first lesson in a series of Bible studies I’m putting together.

So, here’s the thing.  Today Satan thinks he’s lord of the manor.  He thinks he has power and control over the earth.  He thinks he has the authority to ruin our lives and rob our joy.  He wants us to think he is like God and present all the time.  However, none of these thoughts of his are true.  While Scripture may call him “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), this only means he has limited power, and for a limited timespan.  While Satan may think he can accuse us in front of God at will, or do anything to us to destroy our lives, Satan can only act or do as allowed by God, his authority is limited.  And while this destroyer wants us to believe he is ever present with us, the fact is he can’t be.  If he is in China, he can’t be in Texas with me.  If he is in Washington (where I think he spends most of his time these days), then he can’t be in Israel, Iraq, or Iran.  Satan is not omnipresent, he must send his own emissaries (fallen angels who follow him), to do his bidding.

The reality of this story is that it has a finite end.  The end of human history, the capture and incarceration of Satan and his followers, and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth are all described in the last Book of the Bible – Revelation.  From Genesis to Revelation, Jesus is pictured, prophesied, and portrayed to be Lord of the Manor (earth) and King of the Ages.  No entity, human or supernatural, will usurp this Lordship.

To read more in a bible study format click: First lesson.

 

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Mathétés

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Apprentice

apprentice

In March this year, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his first season of “Celebrity Apprentice” would also be he last. “Even if asked (to do it again) I would decline,” he told Empire Magazine.  Apparently, according to Mr. Olympia (7 times), the divisive political climate of the country was responsible for people not wanting to participate, be a sponsor, or even watch the show.  This season the show finished last in its time slot among the four broadcast networks.  Since it was my first year to ever watch the show, I had no context for whether it was as good, better, or worse than previous years.  At times I thought it was ok, other times what it pointed out clearly… how difficult leading a group of men, women, or both mixed together, really is.  The Governator talked a lot on the show about how difficult life had been for him, and what he had accomplished since immigrating to America in 1968.  He has done well, and is a model of hard work and discipline.  His accolades aside, most of his reward is self-taught, or pure self-motivation combined with extreme self-discipline.

An apprentice is one who learns from a master, having agreed to put their life on hold to become accomplished in the master’s skill.  I’m not sure this moniker fits either the show or the man called, “Mr. Chairman.”

By the time Jesus arrived in the hills of Judea, announced by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God, He had become a Master Teacher, Rabboni.  Is this because He went to Rabbi school?  No.  Is this because He had been tutored by the famous Gamaliel, as Paul had?  No.  Why then?  Who did He apprentice with?  At one point Jesus turned to His own apprentices and said…

John 15:15
No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Even by the time Jesus was moving from childhood to adulthood (age 13 in Hebrew culture), He confounded the elders in Jerusalem with His wisdom.  On the return trip to Nazareth, His parents thought he was in another part of the caravan when they left the Feast of Passover.  When they couldn’t find Him they returned to the city to find Him…

Luke 2:46
Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.  And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.  When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way?  Behold Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”  And He said to the, “Why is it that you were looking for Me?  Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

For the next 15-20 years Jesus apprenticed as a carpenter, learning His earthly-father’s business.  All the while listening and learning (humanly) to what His heavenly Father was teaching.  In every instruction, in every foundational principle, in every human thought, Jesus perfectly aligned His will, with the Father’s will, and became the perfect apprentice.  When the apprenticeship was completed, He became Rabboni, which means my great teacher, or Master.  The word is found only twice in the Bible, Mark 10:51; and John 20:16.

Jesus called 12 men to be His own apprentices, or disciples.  The Greek word for disciple is “Mathétés”  (math-ay-tes’).  The short definition is:  learner, disciple, pupil.  The Disciples were to be the ones who learned all that Jesus wanted mankind to know about Himself, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit to come later.  He wanted the message of grace and forgiveness, the story of salvation, to be told by those who witnessed the Truth first hand.  This great privilege was also extended to the Apostle Paul, who was first an apprentice of all things Hebrew, and later an apprentice of Jesus in the wilderness of Arabia (Galatians 1:11-24).

Today, we too share the opportunity to apprentice with Jesus.  Learning from His Holy Spirit everything we need… to live, and breathe, and bring glory to God through our life.  It requires Herculean effort at times just to stay focused.  It requires Governator self-discipline to put our own desires, agendas, and goals second to His.  The life of an apprentice is not easy, but the rewards are outstanding.  We will never become Jesus, so our best hope is to become such a good imitator of the Master, that the Father smiles down on us and calls us His own.  “Now that’s My son!  Now that’s My daughter!”

What a joy it is to be an apprentice.

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Narratives and Notes

Dr. J.D. Wilkins3 Comments

Yarn

tapestry

Telling a good story is really a work of art. Taking a thread here, weaving into it a thread from over there, over and over repeating the process, and pretty soon, you have a good yarn.  Whether humorous or sad, true or fiction, real or not, the making of the narrative is complex.  Like any work of art, the reader (or listener) determines the value of the story being told.  I’m a sucker for a good tale, saga or anecdote.  My uncle Wylie used to tell some of the biggest “cock-and-bull” stories I’ve ever heard.  I laughed until my sides hurt, and my mouth wouldn’t quit grinning.  His long rambling mannerisms and sayin’s are part of my favorite childhood memories.

I also like reading a good work of fiction from time to time. My two favorite fiction authors are Jeffrey Deaver (Lincoln Rhyme novels), and J. A. Jance (J.P. Beaumont novels) each writing crime stories, but each very distinctly different in their writing styles.  A close third for me would be Lee Child, and his hero, the misfit ex-military cop, Jack Reacher.  All these books have served me well, for countless hours of decompression from a busy and hectic world, filled with work, and the stuff of life.  For a good getaway any of these are fun options.

From a spiritual standpoint, there is one book that has affected and effected my life in a substantial way for many years.  Written by Dr. M. R. De Haan, The Chemistry of the Bood is an excellent read, which atheists or agnostics would most certainly call a “yarn.”  Dr. De Haan describes the correlation between Scripture and science.  In a wonderful exposition of the Bible, where he explains quite well, the mysteries of Jesus being fully divine, while at the same time being fully human.  Because the “life” as he points out, is in the blood.  Other chapters in the book include, “The Chemistry of Tears, The Chemistry of the Bible, The Chemistry of Man,” and other important truths.

Some of the stories included in the Bible also fall into that category of “yarn” for those who don’t believe it as the Word of God.  A 9 foot tall hardened warrior giant, brought down by a stone, cast from a shepherd boy’s sling, come on!  The creation of the world in 6 days, come on!  The birth of a baby from a virgin, come on!  One man’s death covering the sins of all mankind, come on!  The same man planning to return to earth, because he was resurrected, and went back to heaven; but now he’s coming again, come on!  Then he is going to judge us for not believing any of these yarns, come on!

Well, there it is my friends.  The Bible is full of narratives and notes, but for any of them to have an impact in your life, you must believe they are true.  You must decide that you will live as though your life depended on them being true.  You can’t just read the Bible for the entertainment value of a good story.  You can’t just pick and choose the stories you like.  It’s an all-or-nothing proposition.

Isaiah 55:11
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

God’s word is like a giant tapestry, weaving together the greatest story ever told, by the Master Weaver of thought and communication.  In fact, there is another great read which was important in my Doctoral studies at Seminary.  Written by Ravi Zacharias, The Grand Weaver describes how every dimension of our lives – from the happy to the tragic to the mundane – is part of a beautiful and purposeful design in which no thread is wrongly woven into its perfect place.

It’s more than a good yarn.

 

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Eau de Extravagance

Dr. J.D. Wilkins1 Comment

Perfume

nose

One of my memories from the 70’s is the powerful impression of colognes.  Here are a few of the 15 flowery perfumes women of this era donned on their persons.  Rive Gauche, Aliage, Diorella, Charlie, Ciara, Tatiana, Cinnabar, and Enjoli.  I always wondered about the intrigue of each scent and what drew a woman to one or another of these fragrances.  For me, and this is just a personal preference you understand, I found some of them odious either from scent, or quantity used in the heavy handed applications.  Don’t get me wrong, I never complained at the time, I was in my late teens and twenties, and just being close enough to smell them was heaven for me.

For all the women out there reading this article, I realize men were just as offensive in both categories.  Here are a few of the top men’s colognes from the same time period.  Brut, Jaguar, Jovan’s, Sean, Ginseng, Old Spice Musk, Aramis, Hi Karate, and Musk by English Leather, were the most popular where I lived.  I knew guys from those days who thought putting on a splash of Brut was the equivalent of taking a shower.  Guess again.  The application of the liquid, in a generous and enthusiastic manner, did not otherwise hide something that should have been taken care of previously.

In a general sense, the consensus seems to be that we should blame the Egyptians for all this nonsense.  They used these concoctions in everything from religious ceremonies and burial preparations, to every day wear.  Some say certain scents demarcated social status, which is evident in Persian history.  One perfume factory was unearthed by archaeologists in Cyprus, dating back to 2,000 BC, which produced coriander, laurel, myrtle, rosemary, and lavender.

It’s fascinating to me to see how this word “perfume” applies across cultures and time.  Perfumes and the use of them are clearing seen in both Old and New Testaments in The Bible.  Here are a few words of wisdom about perfumes from the wisest man who ever lived.

Proverbs 27:9
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.

Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

Did you read that one and say, “How strange!”?  Was Solomon just off his game when he came up with this one?  Why would God inspire Solomon to say such a thing?

There is a great story in the New Testament which can make sense out of Solomon’s words if we allow.  It’s two days before Passover, so that makes it Tuesday the week of this Feast and celebration.  Jesus was in Bethany because his best friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived there.  (For context read John 11, about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.)  He is actually staying in the home of Simon the leper, when a woman came with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume.  Watch what happens…

Matthew 26:7
… and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table…

His disciples were appalled, perhaps Judas (John 26:14-15) cried out the loudest, that this was such an extravagant waste of money.  Even then, perfume was a valuable commodity.  Image as the sweet smell of perfume wafted through the house.  It began on His hair, but there was so much perfume that it ran down and into his beard, further down His throat onto his chest, and soaked the clothes Jesus was wearing.  All this just days before His body would stink from sweat, and blood, and death.

What an extravagant show of love!  From a believer to the Savior… from the Savior to us. Now back to Solomon and his wack-a-doodle statement in Ecclesiastes 7:1.

A good name is better than a good ointment… ointments can act as a balm or salve, easing pain, but seldom act as a cure.  In the NAME of Jesus we are not just eased from the pain of sin and death, but we are cured.

… the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth … For Jesus His death accomplished what His birth began, salvation for humanity, He said “It is finished!”  For us, upon our death we see the Master, if indeed we are IN HIM by faith.  It makes Solomon’s words true, for Jesus, and for us.

Eau de Extravagance… the blood of Christ, shed for me.

 

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Tuckered vs. Knackered

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Daily Post: Knackered

knackered

My uncle Wylie had two pet “sayin’s” for when he was tired.  He’d say, “I feel like I been rode hard and put up wet.”  Or he’d say, “I’m plumb knackered.”  Now as a kid, I thought this was funny, but only because I didn’t know what knackered meant.  Turns out it means the same thing my momma would say, “I’m plumb tuckered out.”  Basically this is the word version of the war for independence.  “Knackered” is the British version, “tuckered” is the North American version of the same concept:  being just too tired to move, or exhausted.

You ever have days like that?  I still do.  I used to get up early and start buzzing around, drinking that morning brew to get the juices flowing and the synapsis firing.  After getting prepped with fuel, washed with soap, and driving through the war zone that is commuter travel, I’d work more hours than I care to think.  I’d wonder as I got back in my worn out auto, if I had the strength and resolve to actually make it back through the jungle to my home, where a hot meal and warm bed waited for me.  I’d often look like the kid in this picture; just plumb knackered.  Then things changed and my commute was about 30 yards from my bedroom to my office, and at the end of some days, I’d still look like the kid in the picture.  Now things have changed again, and I’m semi-retired, and yep, you guessed it, I still look like the kid in the picture.  It happens.

The kid in the picture is doing exactly what the Creator designed our bodies to do, when they’ve played hard or worked hard, at the end of the day, we need sleep.  It’s part of the mystery that is the human body.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, here’s a list of how much sleep is recommended for each age group:

  • Newborns (0-3 months): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)
  • Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)
  • Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)
  • Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)
  • School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)
  • Teenagers (14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)
  • Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
  • Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours
  • Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)

I guess I’m grateful some foundation took the time to research all this, and give us this valuable information, but my thought is, that we are born with this knowledge, because it’s programmed into our DNA.  Our “circadian rhythm,” the natural sleep/wake cycle, God Himself programmed into us, with His own breath of life:

Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Some will argue, there’s nothing in the Bible about sleep cycles, or Adam and Eve sleeping in the garden!  Well, how about that, you’re right.  However, there is a great deal of sleeping going on in the Bible, and it points to God’s design.  I’ll give you just one verse here, then you go get your Bible and check out all the others.  David’s morning prayer, declaring his trust in God, includes this statement:

Psalm 3:5
I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.

David became knackered with being chased by his son Absalom, and “tired to the bone,” he stopped to get some sleep.  He trusted God to protect him during this sleep, and give him the strength to do it all again the next day.  We’re wired this way.  And sleep works this way, when we put our trust in God.

Are you knackered?  Maybe what you need is a good night’s sleep.

 

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The Mantle Was Still Warm

Dr. J.D. Wilkins1 Comment

Blanket

mantle

One of the things I remember vividly about my grandmother was all the quilts around her house.  When we would go to visit, it was like going on an adventure.  My Granny’s house had nooks and crannies, and rooms that took hours to explore.  It was a hodgepodge of interconnected spaces with one overwhelming characteristic on winter nights… it was cold.  Hence all the quilts in every room with a bed or sitting area.  We stayed warm by snuggling down into the bed, covering up with those mantles of love, sleeping blissfully, peacefully, until we heard the bacon frying in the morning.

Today, the A/C in my home works very well.  The walls and roof, properly insulated, keep out the drastic changes in the weather, whether hot or cold.  I still like it on the cool side, so we keep the thermostat set lower than most folks.  This allows me to relive my childhood and keep a blanket on my bed year round.  Today I woke up to the cool breeze, produced by the ceiling fan, on my face.  Yet, I was all snuggly and warm, because of the two blankets, one light, one heavier that stays on my bed.  Today, now writing this story, I look back fondly on those childhood memories of staying over at Granny’s.

A mantle, or blanket, can carry such strong memories, and have significant meaning for some folks.  There is one particular story in the Bible which has this effect for those who have ever been in leadership.  For Pastors, Teachers, Worship or Sunday School leaders, there is a certain burden of responsibility that is carried like a mantle on your shoulders every time you’re exercising your gifts and calling, to serve God. At times it weighs heavy there, other times you barely notice its presence.

Elijah was God’s prophet.  He stood in the gap between God and Israel, and Israel and Ahab, and his wife Jezebel (a priestess of the pagan god Baal).  Baal was the Canaanite god who controlled rain, thunder, lightning and dew.  In a great standoff, challenging this pagan god, Elijah does spiritual battle with 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.  Two altars are built, the prophets of Baal go first, Elijah second, to see whose god was really God.

Two oxen are slaughtered and put on top of the altars, and by noon the prophets of Baal began cutting themselves in panic, because their god hadn’t shown up yet.  As evening approaches, Elijah orders his altar saturated with 4 barrels of water.  When Elijah prays for God to demonstrate His LORDSHIP for all to see, suddenly fire falls from heaven.  The fire consumes the water, the wood, the sacrificed oxen, and the stones of the altar itself.

At this point Elijah demands the death of the 450 false prophets of Baal.  He prays for rain and the rain comes, ending the famine which plagued the countryside.  Jezebel the priestess is livid at the death of her prophets, so she threatens to kill Elijah.  This is where it gets interesting.  Elijah flees, ending up in a cave in Horeb, where God speaks to him asking, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  The mantle of leadership was weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Then God tells Elijah:  [1 Kings 19:11-14]

So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

God would continue to use Elijah for years, and in the process raise up another younger prophet to take his place.  If you’ve stayed with me this long, watch how this particular story ends.

1 Kings 19:19
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.

The mantle.  It represented God’s calling, to be the next prophet.  It wasn’t something Elisha was seeking.  It wasn’t something he asked for.  It was placed upon him, while the mantle still warm from Elijah’s back.  God was still using Elijah to stand in the gap, but soon the mantle, and the responsibility to be God’s prophet would be fully given to Elisha.

I’m wondering as I write these words, what God has placed in your life as your mantle.  Some are given leadership roles, others are given ministry roles that are never seen.  The mantle (calling) of the Old Testament is very much like Spiritual Gifts in the New Testament.  In the Old Testament God often used one person (prophet) to speak and lead the people.  In the New Testament age (the church) God uses every person filled with the Holy Spirit at salvation, to minister to each other, and the unsaved people around them.

What is the mantle (spiritual gift) God has placed on your shoulders?  Are you weary at times, of serving God in this way?  If so, listen to the words God said to Moses, Elijah, and every other person before you, who stood in the gap for God:

1 Chronicles 22:13
Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.

I say to you today, be the servant of the LORD while the mantle is still warm around you.

 

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Genesis, Patriarchs, and Eternity Past

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

Daily Post:  Roots

chicken and egg

Which came first the chicken or the egg?  It’s really a question about causality.  And this particular question can make your head spin.  Riddle’s are like that.  Luna Lovegood (the dotty witch from Harry Potter) when asked a riddle replied, “A circle has no beginning.”  The famous chicken/egg debate is circular riddle from any perspective.  In an article from MNN (Mother Nature Network), written in early 2013, Melissa Breyer answers the question by pointing to a video that for most atheist and agnostics works well.  It’s interesting, informative, scientific, visually engaging, and totally ignores the root of the problem.  Breyer alludes to the problem in her article.  The causality dilemma is really only a riddle, or problem, for those who don’t already know the answer.  The Genesis creation story solves the riddle with clarity, giving us the root or causation answer.  This answer is unsatisfactory for anyone who does not know God.  God created animals, not eggs.

Genesis 1:24-25
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so.  God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

It’s the same question really as, “What came first, the Patriarchs or the Nation?”  Even in our wonderful USA culture we have originators who held the roots of an idea for freedom of religious expression.  We were not a nation at the time, yet became a nation when men chose to follow the Creator, rather than men,  The king didn’t like it, but there you go.  It was the egg (idea of religious freedom) that produced the chicken (the Republic), not the other way around.

Israel was not a Nation before God said to Abram, way back in Ur…
Genesis 12:1-3
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;  And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
The root of this nation is Abram, when God changed his name to Abraham.

So we have to go back even further into Eternity Past and ask the question, “Who came first, God or Satan?”  Have God and Satan always just coexisted?  Are they equals, like two sides of the force in Star Wars?  Science fiction leaps in at this point and cries “yes!”  Only those who know the truth can answer this riddle, and the answer is no.  Satan, was Lucifer, one of God’s archangels who rebelled against God’s LORDSHIP.   He is pure evil, he is out to destroy God’s creation and rob God’s glory.

The ULTIMATE riddle is one that comes out of this understanding of causation.  The question is, “Why did God create a CREATURE (satan) who would ultimately attempt to rob God of this glory, and allow satan to corrupt mankind, allow satan to attempt to destroy the planet, or even exist in the first place?”  You see, that is a good question.  The reason it is so good is that while I have a theory about the answer, it is unprovable until the Creator answers it in person.

I’m going to ask Him one day, just so I can know if I’m right or not.

 

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Gray Bird

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DailyPost:  Gray

gray

We were on the very back of the ship, the first ship I’d ever been on, mesmerized by the thoughts of what lay ahead.  Walking around while waiting to disembark, I snapped one photo after another just trying to take it all in, attempting to preserve some of the magic of the first day.  I walked right up to this bird sitting on the rail.  It was as if this seagull was saying, “Ok, fool, here I am, take the picture already.”  The camera couldn’t have been more than two feet away, and the bird never moved a muscle, or in this case a feather.  With the overcast skies, the clarity of this image is one of my favorites from our trip.  The many shades of gray in this bird caused me to think of the wonder of creation.

The hues and shadows contrasted by that orange beak were incredible.  Along with this image are hundreds of others from our trip, each unique in its own way, yet all capturing the glory of God’s creative power.  I’ve never really thought of gray as a beautiful color, but this image changed my mind.  Beautiful or not, I realize these birds have a bad reputation.  Often they are referred to as “flying rats with wings.”  They are perceived as dirty, diseased creatures which invade homes, nest inside, and scavenge for food.   Whether true or not, they are also known as “thieves.”  Probably more from the movie “Finding Nemo” than any other reason, since they are portrayed as dumb birds, incapable of nothing more than the word “mine” as they chase anything and everything they see as food.  But they don’t just steal the chips from your plate, they also will take bits of fish from feeding whales, hence the thief perception.

When seagulls act in these ways, they are only behaving (if we can call it that) in the way God designed them to act in their DNA.  If they are scavengers, then God created them with this instinct, and regardless of how we feel about it, in this way they bring glory to God.  So this made me think, “do I bring as much glory to God in living out my design, as this seagull does in his?”

Perhaps at times we completely miss the fact that we are here not by accident but by design, with intention, and purpose.  The challenge becomes to know what our purpose is, and what God’s intention was in creating and designing us this way.  Consider David’s response:

Psalm 139:14
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it well.

Psalm 103:22
Bless the LORD, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion;  bless the LORD, O my soul!

So if I glean anything at all from the seagull within context of David’s observations, like the seagull, I too am a glorious creature of God’s own design.  And, I am to give thanks, praise Him, and bless Him, deep in my soul.

In the gray hues of the seagull, as well as the gray hues of my existence, we both are to glorify God in all that we do.  One does it by instinct, the other by choice and will.  We need to remember who we are, and act accordingly.

 

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The Sound of Time

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

Daily Post: Zip

time marches on

It marches on.  This indefinite existence of past, present and future events, all collectively assimilated into and regarded as a whole life.  Time waits for no one.  It’s so easy to say, “I’m leaving in a couple of hours to go play golf, then run by the store to pick up a brisket to put on the smoker.”  When the reality is, we actually have no control over anything in that statement except to say that is “the plan.”  We might intend these things, make schedules, keep calendars, even prearrange as best we can, but the future is yet unknown.  It arrives to quickly.  It arrives suddenly, in a zip, like the sound of a bullet whizzing by your ear, before you even know it has been fired in your direction.

We measure time.  The watch on our arm, or in our pocket, clicks along the smallest of units we can comprehend and the seconds turn into minutes.  Try to hold your breath for just one full minute and your lungs will tell you exactly how long that really is.  Try to smile for one full minute and the muscles required for the action will enlighten you as to how long sixty seconds really is.  Try to gain back the minute you just used to read the last few sentences, and you understand the limitations of  your existence.  It is impossible to go back.  So as not to waste our time, we plan, we calendar, and we ignore the fact that we are really not in control.

Your children are born, they grow up, they move away, they have children, and time has sped through years and years, but it still seems like your children are children.  It marches on.

You get your first job, get promoted, change companies, get a new territory, change companies, and time has sped through years and years… it marches on.

What is the sound of time?

Kisses in the dark.  Laughter in the park.
The wind in the night.  A scream from a fright.
The first born coo.  An elephant blast at the zoo.
That mockingbird.  The mooing cattle heard.
A grandchild’s cry.  A grandfather’s sigh.
The soft tearful wail, when time has prevailed.

The apostle Peter helps us with a single thought regarding the zippiness of time.

2 Peter 3:8
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 

People like to quote this verse to demonstrate the timelessness of God, that He is present tense all the time.  In God’s time continuum 1 day = 1,000 years; and 1,000 years = 1 day.  Do you see any logic in this statement?  It reads the same backwards and forwards.  These are not two separate thoughts, but one thought expressed two ways.  So in God’s world 1 day is 1,000 of our years.  Or 1,000 of God’s years is 1 day of our existence.  Which is it?  How could we possibly know?  I believe the expression is to help us get the idea that our time zips by, while God is the same… yesterday, today, and forever.  Because the context of this statement is about Jesus coming again to conclude human history.

If we understand these concepts, if we commit to their truth, it releases in us the importance of not wasting our days, hours, minutes, and seconds… with unimportant matters.  It turns our hearts toward the now.  Living this moment to its fullest.  Being alive, knowing we’re alive, and living in a way that brings God glory.

What is the sound of time?

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

When we hear the shout, and hear the trumpet blast from the archangel of God, then we will know that TIME has just begun!

 

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The Zealous Nature

Dr. J.D. Wilkins1 Comment

Avid

fairway

Have you ever known someone so exuberant, so passionately fanatical about something it made you feel apathetic or indifferent in comparison, even though you both were saying the same thing?  I’m always annoyed by those guys who can quote baseball or football statistics from 15 years ago, like it was front page news.  Who cares who hit .323 and is headed for the Hall of Fame as a 3rd baseman? Avid people do, apparently.

I really like playing golf.  In fact I probably would be called “avid” by people who don’t like golf.  However, as avid as I might be about the sport, and while I do have opinions which I tend to be passionate about regarding the game, I’m not zealous about it.  Well, let me think about that again.  Maybe I am.

Some of the synonyms for zealous include: devout, dedicated, hard-core, enthusiastic, card-carrying, intense, and fierce.  So, does being a card-carrying member of the USGA (United States Golf Association) make me zealous?  Does talking about the sport to anyone who’ll listen make me zealous?  Does joining a Senior Men’s Golf Association to play golf every Tuesday morning at 8:00am make me zealous.  Ok, I’m zealous.  But I’m not a Zealot.  I’m an avid golfer.

A Zealot is a fanatical partisan, but more specifically a religious zealot.  When applied to a specific group a Zealot was a member of a fanatical sect of Jews in Judea during the first century A.D., which opposed the Roman domination of Palestine so much they regularly planned assassinations of key Roman leaders in the middle east.  Today we would call them Terrorists.  The Zealots were the most radical of rebels within Israel, finally making a stand against Rome at a great fortress called Masada.  Here some 1,000 Zealots fought for a time, and when it became apparent the Roman army was going to overtake them, committed suicide rather than be captured alive.  Zealot came to mean someone who is passionately dedicated to some cause.  They weren’t just avid in joining the opposition to Roman rule, they were zealously called Zealots.  It rings of “give me liberty or give me death!”

The apostle Paul was zealous, yet not a Zealot in this political sense.  Paul was so passionate about convincing everyone he came into contact with, that Jesus was the Living Christ, that his whole existence was devoted to this cause.  Paul ate the job, talked the job, walked the job, slept the job.  Paul was the job.  If the job is “making disciples” like Jesus commanded us all to do (Matthew 28:19-20).  Paul’s overwhelming commitment to the task, makes me look like an amateur playing against the professionals.  Paul’s eloquence about Jesus makes my puny little articles seem like kindergarten text.

Even though my life-long goal has been to speak, teach, preach, and now write in such a way that people come to know God better, and entrust their lives to Jesus, compared to Paul, I seem like just an average avid “fan” of God, rather than a “fully-devoted follower of Christ.”  I hear in Paul’s words a message of encouragement to keep trying though.  Paul really doesn’t want me, or you, or anyone to compare ourselves to him.  He wants us all to use what we have, do what we can, and leave the results up to God’s own Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.  To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.  I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

There are very few people today who can live the zealous lifestyle of the apostle Paul, making their life-focus the gospel of Jesus, becoming all things to all men, so that by some means God will save some.  Yet, God doesn’t call us to be Paul.  God calls me to be me.  God calls you to be you.  And in this calling, God wants to use you to bring Him glory, experience His grace, and do whatever is necessary so that He can win some, save some, around you.

My desire is to become as zealous about speaking out for Christ, as I am about discussing golf.

What about you?

 

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The Stuff of Fellowship

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

Harmony

harmony

There is a certain balance, or symmetry, in the coordinated efforts of an orchestra and chorale, being lead by a brilliant conductor, producing the mellifluous tones of the original composer’s intent.  Whether the classical works of Beethoven, Brahms, and Mozart, to the musings and arrangements by Ray Chew and his new band on Dancing With The Stars, the tight harmonies produced along with the familiar melodies touch us somewhere deep within.  This alone makes the human being distinctly different from all other creatures on our planet.

The first title used for a congregation of believers in the first century was “church.”  It actually comes from a Greek word: ἐκκλησία  (ekklésia) pronounced (ek-klay-see’-ah).  The first appearance of this word is found in Matthew 16:18, based on Peter’s profession that Jesus is “The Christ (anointed One, Messiah), the Son of the Living God!”

Jesus response was:
“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

This verse has lots of great teaching material but the word today is “harmony,” so where is this idea seen in what Jesus proclaimed?  Easy; those who truly know Jesus, and follow Him as Lord, they will allow Him to lead, and they will follow Him, which build’s the church that belongs to Jesus.  Each person working in harmony with the others, like the image Paul gave us, like a body following the lead of the head in all matters.  A hand doesn’t act independently of the foot, or the intestines of the eyes, because all engage in their own part as the head leads.  Every part of the body works in unison to achieve the great glory God deserves for our human presence on earth.  Which brings us to another word, which to me more clearly states “how” we function as a body.

1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Fellowship is really the “how” of a church identity.  When the conductor (Jesus) directs and leads the orchestra and chorale (members), each faithfully providing their contribution in work according to the composer’s (God’s) design and will; what happens is the most pleasing, peaceful, participation that it can only be described as Fellowship.

This word used in scripture comes from a Greek word: κοινωνία (koinónia) pronounced (koy-nohn-ee’-ah).  In Greek it means:  participation, communion, fellowship, but more literally PARTNERSHIP.  We are partners together with each other to follow Christ as our leader, to build His church.  Too many individual believers, and way too many pastors or teachers have fallen under the spell of believing it is “their” church.  But it’s not.  The Church belongs to Jesus.  We are privileged to be alive inside this body of believers, and to participate in God’s glory.  But the church is not ours… it is His.

Having had the great joy of singing with world-class voices, on stage in front of thousands, accompanied by a world-class orchestra, lead by a brilliant conductor, I never once thought of it as “my chorale”, or “my symphony”, or my “stage.”  I remember feeling so insignificant it brought tears to my eyes just realizing I was really there.  These memories still live and breathe within me, touching me to the core of my being.

Next time you join in a congregational gathering (fellowship) for worship, ask yourself, “Am I in harmony with what God wants to have happen in this place today?  Am I a willing participant?  What do I have to offer that would demonstrate I’m willing to bring God great glory today?”  These thoughts, from every member, bring harmony in the worship of our Creator, Savior, and Lord.

 

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Of Skewers, Pitons, and Stakes

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

Spike

spike

Life today is so interesting.  Combine technology with the English language and you find a myriad of meaning in just one word:  Spike.  I did a simple Google search on “spike,” then clicked on “images,” and found hundreds of pictures beyond the one above I screen-captured.  My favorite definition of “spike” was #2 under “noun” which reads: “a sharp increase in the magnitude or concentration of something. (i.e. the oil price spike)  The Google definition search went into great detail with how spike can be used as a noun, a verb, along with its origin, and specific allusions to sports usages.  Gotta love the English language.

A spike might be a skewer, used to make my famous steak kabobs on a sunny spring afternoon.  A spike might also be piton; a peg driven into a rock or crack in the rock to support a mountain climber or rope.  Different from a skewer, or a piton, a spike might also be a stake the mountain climber uses to secure his tent on the side of the mountain.  All three things could just as easily be called a spike.  A rose by any other name, right?

I can’t image how folks from other countries, who learn English as a second or third language, make any sense out of how complex our communication becomes just by using words which all mean the same thing, but have different “monikers” to distinguish them within the group.  I’m not sure I’m smart enough, and it’s the only language I speak.  Unless of course you count “Texan,” then I’m fluent in both.  Here’s a brief sample:

  • “y’all” is “you all”
  • “howdy” is “hello”
  • anyone who lives North of the Mason Dixon Line is a “Northerner”
  • a “looker” is an “attractive woman”
  • to do something “fast” is “right quick”
  • “dinner” is “supper”
  • a “tank” is a “pond”
  • “big hat. no money” means “all talk, no money”
  • “eat up” means to “overtake something”
  • any type of “soda” is a “coke”
  • “tuckered out” means “exhausted”
  • “over yonder” means “over there”

Sometimes the words people use in church are just as confusing as the Texas slang examples above, because many of the things said, come right out of the Bible, but paraphrased a bit.

Examples:
Are you washed in the blood?
You been sanctified?
Are you born again?
Do you have the Holy Spirit in you?

None of these sentences would anyone use in the normal context of human existence, except that someone found expressions in Bible terms, then attempted to turn them into catch phrases that sound religious.

To the church the Apostle Peter wrote: 1 Peter 1:2
“… according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”

Jesus was attempting to explain a spiritual truth to Nicodemus when He said, John 3:3
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

See, I’ve only used 2 verses of the 31,102 verses in the Bible, (23,145 OT + 7,957 NT).  Yet, in just these, I’ve found 2 verses to support all four of the questions in the example.  For those who think they understand the Bible and all its many facets of knowledge, they have been skewered by their own ego, living in the delusion of such a belief.

Not only that, but the Texas slang above is pretty much fixed, or stable.  You can go to any part of Texas and those words are almost always the same.  But to have context for Biblical understanding requires understanding the language of the document (whether Hebrew or Greek), comprehension of the culture and age of time it was written, but most importantly, a relationship with Whom the document is about, God.

Like a stake through the heart, like a piton into the side of the hardest rock on earth, the Bible has the ability to skewer our minds with truth.  It reveals.  It convicts.  It enlightens.  It empowers.  Yet the revelation, conviction, enlightenment, and power come only to those who know the Author.  Not Moses, John, David, Peter, or Paul… no.  These benefits of the Word only come to those who truly know Jesus.

The apostle John is the only Gospel author who doesn’t discuss or diagram the birth of Jesus on earth, instead focusing on His pre-birth position in heaven.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Spike (truth) with which God impales the world today is His WORD – Jesus.

John 14:6
I am the way, the truth, and the life; and no one comes to the Father but through me.

It’s really this simple:  Know Jesus? Know the Word!

 

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Just Fry It?

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Fry

salmon in airfryer

One Texas tradition I’ve always enjoyed is fried foods.  It may just be a southern thing to some folks, but being a born and bred Texan, I’m like a lot of others with this background who just feel nobody “fries” stuff like a Texan.  The State Fair of Texas is always a big crowd pleaser for their contest promotion of crazy and new concoctions of fried foods.  Here are the eight finalists who competed for the awards of Best Taste and Most Creative on August 28th at last years State Fair:

  • Deep Fried Bacon Burger Dog Sliders on a Stick
  • Down Home Chicken Pot Pie Pocket (with ham’n cheese dip)
  • Fried Jell-O
  • Deep Fried Pulled Pork “Funyun” Dings
  • State Fair Cookie Fries
  • Southern Fried Chicken & Duplin’s
  • Caribbean Pineapple Korn-A-Copia
  • Injectable Great Balls of BBQ

Best Taste went to Ruth Hauntz for Fried Jell-O, and most creative to Isaac Rousso for State Fair Cookie Fries.

My enthusiasm for fried food notwithstanding, I didn’t try any of these fried food inventions this year, and the simple reason is… I didn’t go to the State Fair.

This past year I’ve been on a wandering mission to find myself, and the next phase of my life, and where God will send me to spread His Word.  I know that statement may be out of left field, but it applies to the topic, I promise, just stay with me.

Part of being a believer in Christ, and a part of the family of God, is believing the whole Bible, not just the favorite parts we like to read, or quote.  Sometimes believers get bogged down reading the Old Testament, where God gives the Hebrew people all these laws which we don’t understand today.  There have been a good many books written about food, and dietary restrictions given to the Hebrew people in the Old Testament.  “Kashrut” comes from Kaf-Shin-Reish, meaning fit, proper or correct.  You may be more familiar with “Kosher.”   One common misconception is, there is no such thing as “kosher-style” food, because kosher is not a style of cooking.  Chinese food can be kosher if it is prepared in accordance with Jewish law.  Yet, here’s the thing, the short answer as to why Jews observe these laws is:  because the Torah says to.  God didn’t give explanations as to why these rule came into existence for Israel.  They are just the law.

This is why Jesus would say, when the Pharisees attacked Him because He and His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands…

Mark 7:14-15
After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:  there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.

Is Jesus negating thousands of years of Hebrew Law, and going against the commandment of God here?  NO!!!  Jesus is only explaining what I said a few minutes ago, that Kashrut is about obedience.  But oh be careful here!  Stubborn compliance born out of legalism can be just as displeasing to God as not following those laws in the first place.  Jesus says, obedience is a HEART issue.

Which brings me to my wandering mission.  This year I’ve learned to cook in a way that allows me to have “fried food” flavor, but without all the grease and harmful things that come with deep fried foods.  I discovered the “Air-Fryer.”   There are many versions of this now available both retail and on-line.  I purchased mine through Amazon.com.  It may sound odd, but I discovered this year that I can have fried meals quicker, with less mess, while not sacrificing taste in the process!  And… it can help me fulfill a great scripture as I cook:

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

“Do your work heartily…”  is about being obedient in a way that pleases God, honors God, and brings glory to God.  When I cook, I want to be healthy, wise, and eat well.  The image above is a great Salmon recipe, that I cooked in my Air-Fryer!  How amazing is that?  I’m delivering Fried Chicken wings, Baked Potatoes, French Fries, and a host of other foods… all without the grease of deep frying.

Have I given up Chicken Fried Steak at Cotton Patch Restaurant?  Nope.  I’m not perfect.

 

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Just for Giggles

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

Chuckle

so funny

I have to be honest.  The minion movies are some of my favorite kid flicks for all time.  Somehow they just tickle my funny bone, and I giggle, chortle, titter, tee-hee, snicker, and guffaw throughout the whole movie.  When I laugh like this I feel better afterward.  When I chuckle and giggle for an hour and a half, I come out the other side feeling refreshed and alive, and my burdens seem a little lighter.  Intended or not by the film makers, I know this is God’s design.

The wisest man to ever live said,

There is an appointed time for everything.
And there is a time for every event under heaven…
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance…
[Ecclesiastes 3:1-4]

The Creator of the Universe once appeared in human flesh as the Son of God.  When He taught the people he said,

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh…
[Luke 6:20-21]

When King David was a little anxious of his enemies, he remembered the God he served with these words,

They return at evening, they howl like a dog, and go around the city.
Behold they belch forth with their mouth; swords are in their lips, for they say, “Who hears?”
But YOU, O LORD, laugh at them; YOU scoff at all the nations.
[Psalm 59:6-8]

One more, from King David, helping us trust in the LORD,

The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at him with his teeth.
The LORD laughs at him, for HE sees his day coming.
[Psalm 37:12-13]

What do we glean from just these verses?  The Creator laughs at us when we fret over things which He controls, and we do not.  The Creator also created us to be able to laugh like He laughs, so we can get over our fears and anxieties.  The Creator has given us His word that He is in control, that He has the authority, and that He is ever-present with us.  What’s not to laugh?

I’ve done this all my life, and I’ve been ridiculed, mocked, or judged for this simple response to the pressures of life.  When something bad happened, when I’ve gotten bad news, when someone abandoned me, when some enemy came at me strong, my first reaction often was an almost silent chuckle.  Some people, and rightly so, would call this a defense mechanism.  In defining my action this way, they suggest I’m weak.  However, I believe with all my heart that this reaction is a gift to me for my faith in the Creator.  For I have an overwhelming assurance that nothing can come at me from heaven or earth that will ever separate me from Jesus my Savior, God my Father, or the Holy Spirit my comforter.  [Romans 8]  The silent chuckle is my great defense, because in that moment I am reminded who loves me the most.

I believe this truth so strongly that when faced with pain, loss, frustration, or temptation, I can just chuckle, and know My God will deliver me from this too.  When I look into the eyes of my enemy.  I’m more like Kevin, the minion above, … “You are so funny!”

 

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Through a Glass Darkly

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Opaque

iron age mirrorIron Age mirror   Copyright: Wessex Archaeology
Archaeologists look back in time and help us discover life-like conditions of days gone by.  Stone, pottery and glass hold up pretty well over the centuries.  However, if something was metal, only gold comes out of the ground in pretty much the same condition as when it was buried.  Copper and iron will corrode or completely disappear because of acids in the soil.  Same thing with bone, which keeps well in alkaline soil, but is eaten up in clays or sands which are acidic.  Wood, leather, or other textiles may only be found in waterlogged soil, which reduces decay.  On the other hand if something has been burned, the charred or burned sections may preserve well.  For example a 1,000 year old Anglo-Saxon bread roll was found in Suffolk, in the old remains of a burned house.
Looking backward through the earth’s treasure chest, we can glimpse into the past, before there was YouTube and Instagram.  We don’t have the privilege of the digitalized version of life, instead we get the dark opaque view with little detail beyond the artifact itself.  Which is a great metaphor for life itself.
We hang pictures on our walls to remind us of relationships, places, events, or days now long gone, which we want to memorialize in some way.  With each passing day, the person, place or event grows dimmer in our minds, becoming more and more opaque, the image in the picture becoming just a reminder of the past.  In many ways much like the Iron Age mirror seen above, it gives tangible proof that I lived in those moments.
As human beings we are bound by this present moment.  Memorabilia from our past helps us have context for who we are, and how we got here, and for many people that is enough.  Others however, want to know more.  Many people want to look into the future and see things that we are not capable of seeing either.  We do not have a magic mirror like Belle in Beauty and the Beast where we can ask to see someone or something distant from us.  We long to know, will I be happy?  Will I be successful?  Will I marry?  Will I have children?  How many?  Will I live a long time?  Is there anything else after all this?  We can’t know any of these answers, except in the present – as we live them.
When the Apostle Paul wanted the church in Corinth to understand the importance of Love as the dominant force of life, he wrote about how love acts in real time – the now.  One catching phrase that I remember from my childhood was, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.  now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known.”  (1 Corinthians 13:12 – KJV)  The opaque nature of human existence is seen so clearly in these words.  I cannot know my future.  Except to know, that if I am in Christ Jesus, when I do see Him face to face, I will know things, I will be aware of things, that are beyond my view or perspective today.  This will be because I’m no longer bound in my preset present tense limitations humanly.
Will I know everything?  Not hardly, I’m not God.  But I will know more than I do today.
In the same way archaeologists help us look backward, prophets help us look forward.  And we end up with just about the same amount of information forward as we do backward.  What we know of the future is that Jesus is coming again.  We know what this will look like, at least from a description standpoint, even if we don’t know the details of when or how.  Scripture says He will come in the clouds.
We know that when He comes the earth’s shape and function will change, that He will be sovereign King of the planet for a time, and that judgment will be the end of human history after that.  We know that after the judgment, God creates (or re-creates) earth and heaven into what His original design called for, and there we will live eternally as God’s family.  In this place there is no war, no death, no starvation, no political upheaval, nothing but the perfect and complete will of God – resulting in peace and love forever.
Like to know where you find all this stuff?  Click here.
Just because we live opaque lives in the sense of looking backward or forward, does not mean we can’t live the vibrant and brilliantly shining life of love right now – in this moment.  We remember the good times, and block out the bad.  We look forward to the happy, bright future, not the tragedies that may come.  We have a hope and a future, because of Jesus.  Live for today, and quit trying to look through that dark glass for happiness.  It will come, soon enough.
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Shock Factor

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Jolt

jolt

It’s Monday.  To me it’s just another day of the week.  For many it’s the start of another work week after a weekend of decompression.  For those going back to work, Monday creates a noise in their souls,  like gears grinding against each other, as a giant clock once again gongs every hour, for eight, ten or twelve grueling hours.  I get out of bed, walk 30 feet to the coffee pot, hit the switch; walk another 30 feet to my office, and raise the blinds.  I sit at my desk and touch the keyboard and my computer is jolted back to life.  I check my email, check the news, flop around FaceBook for a few minutes, all the while listening for  the sound I long to hear … the beep… beep… beep… that my coffee is finally ready!  This beep jolts me to my feet as I almost run to the caffeine.  Monday… or every other day of the week… this is my normal routine.  I’m not really awake until I’ve experienced the shock factor of my morning brew.

I read an interesting article this morning about alternatives to coffee that offer you a morning jolt.  Matcha is a powdered Japanese green tea. Licorice tea is an herbal tea made from licorice root.  Wheatgrass is suggested as a natural energy booster.  Chaga Mushroom tea, traditionally used as a Chinese medicine.  And finally, Yerba Mate which apparently is very popular in parts of South America.  To read the article and benefits of each drink click here.

Here’s the thing.  None of these options sound good to me, and even the details in the article don’t really jolt me into attempting to find in them an alternative to my morning coffee.  I like my coffee.  I add a little sweetener, but I’m not a cream or fancy coffee guy.  What works, just works, and I don’t really like messing with it.  At times I’m shocked I’ve become so set in my ways.  But it happens.

The first day of the week, in the Jewish culture of the 1st century, that day was Sunday.  What the Jewish Sanhedrin didn’t know… because they were all probably still sleeping at the time… was that they were in for a big jolt of reality.  It would really help if we could watch a live video feed as word of the empty tomb of Jesus spread throughout the city.  First to the Jewish community, then to the Roman cohort who took place in the crucifixion on Friday.  These folks were going to have a really bad first day of the week.  They would need something stronger than a caffeine jolt to get them through it.

The shock factor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is still compelling.  The facts of it are hotly debated even in religious seminaries across the world today.  The suggestion that it is a myth fabricated by the disciples to carry on the legacy of Jesus, is often adopted by those who find this explanation more palatable than the shocking truth that jolts them to the core of their existence.  Coffee doesn’t cut it for them either.

The shock factor of the angels, waiting on the women who came early to this tomb to tend the body of Jesus, jolts us into that cross over realm between our reality and God’s spiritual realm and the kingdom of heaven.  We have trouble comprehending the disciples reactions when Jesus appears to them, arrives in their company, when they know they locked the door after every one arrived.  Like a heavy jolt of shock therapy, the narrative opens the eyes of any seeker to see the total picture.  The story of Jesus includes: being born by a virgin, living 30 years as a carpenter’s son, and learning that trade, ministering for three years, being crucified on a Roman cross, being buried in a borrowed tomb, and three days later… reclaiming His life to demonstrate His power over death.  This narrative is electrifying!

No coffee in the world can shock you like this.  No matcha, licorice, wheatgrass, chaga mushroom, or yerba mate tea will do the trick either.  The jolt that comes from seeing the Divine acts of God intervening in human history, is like none other in the world.

But if you think this is shocking… God has reserved in His plan of redemption, another coming advent from the Son of God.  One day, Jesus is coming again.

The world is not ready for the jolt of reality this second coming will bring.

Are you?

 

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Higher Ground

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Climbing

higher ground

For just the basics in mountain climbing gear you need the right mountaineering boots that have spikes, front points, and crampon straps.  Other gear includes: the right pants with leggings, ice ax, ice screw, hammer ax, clock, piton-carrier, mountaineering shovel, carabiners, climbing harness, rope, parka, hood, knapsack, and a helmet, with a helmet lamp.  This list makes me tired.  People who climb mountains are a rare breed, the few of the few.  People who climb the world’s highest mountains, represent an even smaller pool of the few who climb mountains in general.  Those who reach the summit of the world’s tallest mountains are the rarest of this rare breed.

I can say with some assurance, there is a hill where One man stood alone, and of His own free will, He rose to higher heights than any other climber has ever been on this earth.  This Man stood, while nailed to a Roman cross of crucifixion.  This Man died in the process, and was then buried in a nearby borrowed tomb.  This Man ascended from His deathbed three days later, and climbed out of that tomb alive again!!!  When He left this planet, THIS MAN rose to His rightful place in the heavens.

The man in the mountain climbing picture above has climbed to the peak, and was rewarded with a view that only the few will ever witness.  Perhaps he nearly sacrificed his own life to attain this height.  I don’t know what hardship he faced, how long it took, or if there were others with him.  I don’t know his name, his relationship with the people in his life.  I don’t know if he is rich or poor, educated highly or simply, political or not.  The only thing I know of this man, is that he climbed that mountain.  It is what I see.

Some people only see Jesus on the cross.  This is a mistake.  It’s easier perhaps for them to accept a historical narrative of a real man, Jewish in origin from the tiny village of Nazareth, who stirred up trouble in Jerusalem around 33 A.D. and was put to death for His actions. Then they can say when asked, “sure, Jesus was a real person.”  But this doesn’t tell the whole story does it?  It’s much harder to accept other parts of this narrative as fact.  The parts of the story which come after the death of Jesus are critical in the total package.  For without the resurrection and the ascension, the crucial element of Jesus having power over death and hell, is lost.  He died to pay our sin debt.  But if it gets paid, then Jesus never is resurrected, the debt is not cancelled as soon as it is paid.  And we still bear this burden.  Don’t take my word for it.  Listen to the Apostle Paul…

1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.  Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

The empty tomb stands as the ultimate symbol of the ability of Jesus to keep His promises.  In John 10:17-18 Jesus says, “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.  No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

The empty tomb, if we take the time to focus our attention there more than one day a year, gives us the confident assurance that Christ will make good on all His promises!  And that includes…

John 14:1-3
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Revelation 22:12-13
Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

These promises give me the power to climb out of bed everyday.  These promises allow me to not just see Jesus on the cross, but to see Him climbing out of the tomb, ascending back to the Father, and ONE DAY… coming to take me to live with Him forever.  I don’t need a lot of mountain climbing gear to scale the heights of this planet.  I have faith that takes me to the far reaches of the universe!  I have Jesus.

Happy Easter!  He is Risen!

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