Grandma goes to court

Over the past few years I have begun to enjoy the sitcom "The Golden Girls" more and more. To me the Sophia Petrillo (the grandmother) is the real star of the show. She just says what is on her mind in a way that is a bit TOO STRAIGHTFORWARD. Funny thing is; a lot of older people are like that! And when I read the story above, I was reminded of her. All this also brings out another truth, which is found in the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 12:1-9 (WEB)
1) Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2) But there is nothing covered up, that will not be revealed, nor hidden, that will not be known.
3) Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
4) “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5) But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
6) “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.
7) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
8) “I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God;
9) but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
(Luke 12:1-9, WEB)

Society is changing. Years ago, there used to be a lot more interaction between neighbors, today the trend is to spend more and more time by yourself. BUT, you are never really alone; God is always there and HE knows more about you that any Grandma in court could ever know. Think about that the next time you even THINK OF DOING SOMETHING WRONG!!! And you thought the judge in the story was tough.....

Face it, a change is needed

I have always thought a lot of George Clooney. His irresistible charm came through loud and clear in the series "ER" and later in the "Oceans" movies. But this picture is less than wonderful. When he distorts his face like this it seems like a very, very unnatural thing for him to be doing. Yet, here it is, unflattering to the extreme. We all have our moments, some of them really good and some not-so-good. Yesterday, I read the following passage during my daily readings, so naturally it came to mind. Luke says:

Luke 22:48-62 (WEB)
48) But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49) When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”
50) A certain one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
51) But Jesus answered, “Let me at least do this”—and he touched his ear, and healed him.
52) Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
53) When I was with you in the temple daily, you didn’t stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
54) They seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed from a distance.
55) When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and had sat down together, Peter sat among them.
56) A certain servant girl saw him as he sat in the light, and looking intently at him, said, “This man also was with him.”
57) He denied Jesus, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him.”
58) After a little while someone else saw him, and said, “You also are one of them!” But Peter answered, “Man, I am not!”
59) After about one hour passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Truly this man also was with him, for he is a Galilean!”
60) But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.
61) The Lord turned, and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the Lord’s word, how he said to him, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”
62) He went out, and wept bitterly.
(Luke 22:48-62, WEB)

We do things we wish we hadn't, we say things we wish had never come across or lips, but what if we were told ahead of time and did something stupid anyway. Hard to swallow? You bet! But that is exactly what happened to Peter. To his credit, he turned his actions around and followed Christ to the end of his life. That is the great thing about the grace of God, as long as you are alive you can change, you can be better, you can turn your life around. And the best part of it is... you are not alone... God will help. As far as faces go, lets hope its not too cold where George Clooney is... his face might freeze like that! And that would really put a crimp in his monetary negotiations with the movie studios.

Overlap

I don't like this picture. Don't get me wrong; I know why Christ died and I do love DUNKIN' DONUTS, but the two should never be put together. Why? Because they have nothing to do with each other, that is why. In a way, though, I can see how it would be "funny". It does bring up a serious subject though; that of our ability to perceive and respond to the word of God. How do we understand it?

Matthew 13:1-23 (WEB)
1) On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.
2) Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.
3) He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.
4) As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.
5) Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.
6) When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.
7) Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.
8) Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
9) He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10) The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11) He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
12) For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.
13) Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand.
14) In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive:
15) for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and should turn again; and I would heal them.’
16) “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
17) For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.
18) “Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.
19) When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.
20) What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;
21) yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
22) What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
23) What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and brings forth, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”
(Matthew 13:1-23, WEB)

We are bombarded with an overflow of information each day. The television, radio, cell phones and internet all vie for our attention. Not only that, there are the normal functions of talking with others, driving, making purchases in stores, eating and many other such things that we do each day. When these overlap... watch out, something has got to give. Its no wonder there is a trend towards aloofness in our society; we are just too busy. Its time we started to slow down and when we do, the overlap will stop and life will be a little bit more clear. Why Christ died will be thought of by itsself and so will be Dunkin Donuts. Which is better for you.... the answer to that is a slam dunk... and I don't mean in your coffee, either.

birthday reflections

This is last years picture of me and my newest granddaughter. Both of us have lost weight since then, especially her. I have been thinking a lot about the both of us lately, especially with the arrival of my 61st birthday. For me, its easier to understand life if I compare opposites (like old and young). After some thought I decided to be happy today because it is my birthday and I want this to be a special day. Here is an example of how I would like to feel today.

Luke 1:5-20 (WEB)
5) There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6) They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7) But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
8) Now it happened, while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division,
9) according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10) The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11) An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12) Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13) But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14) You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.
15) For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
16) He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God.
17) He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
18) Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
19) The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
20) Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

The announcement of life is a wonderful thing! Sometimes shocking, sometimes distressing, but always a pleasure: life is never, ever, wrong! Most people don't have a clue as to what their offspring will be like, but they are happy anyway. Imagine the joy of Zacharias! As I thought of my life and the future of my grandchildren I jotted down these words (excuse my poor poetry)

Today's my birthday and I'm just fine,
lovin every minute of the passage of time.

Don't know what's going to happen in the coming year,
but, hey, its OK as long as I'm here.

Each day is a victory as time presses on,
and I will rejoice and not be forlorn.

Because God has loved me and I know this is true,
for I have learned to live each day anew.

So, if you are listening, I just wanted to say,
YOU are my blessing, my friends far away.

Be happy, rejoice, in each day with me
for God alone gives true victory.

God's time

Time has changed. I remember when I was young, there was morning, lunch, nap-time, supper and bedtime. Then along came grade school with its regimentation. High School and college had their own sense of time. Over the past decade or two, time seems to have became faster and faster; the days and years seem to just fly by. And then there are the timepieces. Mickey mouse watches and BIG clocks with huge hands. Today, you see binary clocks, future clocks, atomic clocks, celestial ones and so many it would take a couple of pages just to list them all. Now, this isn't a bad thing; its good that things change, it keeps you thinking. But, I wonder, will it ever come to a head? I don't know, but as you step back and look at our society, things are forming patterns of change. For me, I think we are living in the last generation before the return of the Christ, but hey, I have been wrong before. I even voted for Richard M. Nixon (twice). The good news is: God is never wrong; his time is always the right time. Ephesians chapter one seems good to mention at this point, so read on....

Eph 1:1-14 (WEB)
1) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ;
4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;
5) having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
6) to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,
7) in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
8) which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9) making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
10) to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him;
11) in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will;
12) to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
13) in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14) who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.

The Hebrew Bible is not without a plan. God has been working with his created beings since the foundation of the world. Ultimately, he chose the people we know as the Jews and from them one very special man to lead ALL THE REST OF THE WORLD TO GOD! Understanding this is like looking at the watch in the picture. First you see the vague outline of the times (the outside of the watch, indicating the hours) and then as you understand more and more you gradually come to the point of being able to read the fine print (at the center of the watch, the seconds). God's time is his time and not ours. We know when Jesus came and went, but when he will come again, well, that is one very good question. Maybe the watch will tell me, I just wish I had the Japanese manual.

a "new" dawn

I wonder, How many sunrises have I seen? Probably more than most because for a number of years I worked the overnight shift and I always made sure to schedule my break at first-light. So, sunrises are quite special to me; something that I always look forward to seeing. This one is different, as you look down as well as up when you see the sun. Interesting! A new perspective on a "common" occurrence. Somehow, I thought of Zacharias, who had been left without speech after his encounter with an angel in the temple. How ordinary it is for us to talk, but if for some reason you can't for awhile, then your first words flow in joyous tumult. Listen (that is, read) to what he has to say.

Luke 1:67-80 (WEB)
67) His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68) “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for his people;
69) and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
70) (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old),
71) salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;
72) to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,
73) the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father,
74) to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
75) In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76) And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
77) to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
78) because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,
79) to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80) The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Zacharias' son John was to be a great prophet and naturally this made Zacharias overjoyed, but he also put things in perspective by realizing that John was just to be a herald of the one to come. A herald of the dawn of a new age, one where God-in-the-flesh was to teach in person the way to true peace. It was if all mankind had suddenly been raised a little higher; to the very top of the world to see to see a new dawn and view it through the eyes of heaven itself.

pot luck?

When I took my lunch break yesterday, I accidentally turned on "wheel of fortune". The show was a special one with a Chicago theme, but I noticed the stars: Pat Sajak looked the same, but Vanna White looked quite different to me. Isn't it funny how some people change quickly, while others seem to stay the same for a long, long time. This picture of a birthday cake caused me to think about life and ask the question: Are our lives really like this cake; do we really just get "pot luck"? Then I remembered a couple passages from the Bible that set me straight in a hurry.

Prov 20:24 (WEB)
24) A man’s steps are from Yahweh; how then can man understand his way?

Rom 8:28-39 (WEB)
28) We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
29) For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30) Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.
31) What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32) He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?
33) Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies.
34) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36) Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37) No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God has always and will always work in the lives of us all. Those who do their best to follow him obviously get special attention. I know this because of the effort God made in providing a "new covenant" through Jesus; a new way to God. We may seem to have a "pot luck" life and the cake is cute and all, but make no mistake, God is there and working through your life to fulfill his will. We all enjoy the pleasant aspects of life, but even those of lesser enjoyment or unhappiness can be wonderful if we understand that God can use even those things. So, even "lose a turn" and "bankrupt" can be a blessing. I know this is true, but I still would feel a little strange if someone gave me a piece of either one of them on my birthday.