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Saturday, December 5, 2009

How much is it worth?

Many things that someone holds dear to their heart in this life is based upon belief in a value system, how much is it worth? The worth of something can be based on several factors, but none of it is pertinent unless it is believed and perceived by the masses to be of worth. The hardest thing to sell sometimes is that which everyone views as "free." If something is "free," does it have value? Think about that for a moment, and we will come back to this thought later.
If someone were to give you a biscuit, you might say "Thank You" if you were hungry. If you were not hungry, or if it appeared to be "flawed" in some way, many a person would say "No Thanks!"
What creates "value" in a thing, in a person, in a service, or in anything?
How much is a song worth? There are many types of songs: there are short songs, long songs, songs that bring hope, songs that bring tears, songs of laughter, songs without words, National Songs, spiritual songs, and many more. What gives a song value? If God almighty, the creator of Heaven and Earth were to give you a song - would it have value? Most would agree that such a song would be "priceless!" If someone were to give you one of Michael Jackson's or Elvis Presley's top selling songs, would it have value? Sometimes value is perceived by the author, by the one who's name appears on it.
If I were to paint a picture and give it to you, would it have value? Not much, unless you loved me. On the other hand, if I gave you a painting by Picasso or Rembrandt it would have much value. Why? It would bring a "top dollar" price because the the painter is no longer living, it is agreed upon by the masses that it has much worth due to the "name" that appears at the bottom of the painting, it has been signed by the author.
If something has no value, where does it end being? It usually winds up in the trash pile. On the other hand, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Why? It is always a good thing to ask questions. Why is that? Who thought of "signing" a painting? Who creates value in an object? Who determines the value of an object? Sometimes learning or being "educated" about a thing will increase the value. If you were in an art gallery and you never heard of the painter, it could be that the value was "not that much" in your eyes. But let's say for argument's sake, let's say you asked the owner of the gallery the price of a painting, it looks like "trash" in your eyes, it is so simple that a child or an elephant could do it - but then the curator says that the picture is worth $1,ooo,ooo,ooo.00 dollars. What????? Why???? You don't get it??? You ask this curator, "what makes this so valuble?" He says "The name at the bottom!" You look down and see "Picasso" - now you understand. Now its value has increased in your eyes.
How much is a person worth? Year after year, human lives are destroyed. Why? How much is a human being worth? Well, if value is determined by "costs" - how much does a person bring on the open market? If a person is determined by a "name" - what determines their value, especially if they are "unknown"? In America, babies are "aborted" or thrown in the trash by the millions, because they are viewed as "trash" by the masses. Are the masses right? During World War II, Jews were slaughtered in the millions by Hitler. They were determined to be "worthless" in His eyes. During the slavery days in America, black people were given value, but much less than the "white folk" - Why? Who made that determination?
If I were to give you a trumpet, an old trumpet, and it was not very pretty - how much would you give me for it? One might say, "I need more information!" OK, this instrument was crafted by a very good trumpet designer, and the company was well known in its day, but the company no longer exists. How much is it worth now? Let's say it belonged to a famous musician, but he's been long dead. How much is it worth now? The information would still be sketchy. and probably not enough to pay the big bucks. Let's say the Trumpet was once owned and played by a man named Louis Armstrong, does the value increase? Let's say his name was engraved on the bell, "Made expressly for Louis Armstrong" - would that increase the value. I'd say so.
Who's name is on you? One day we will all appear before God. Those whose names are written in the lambs book of life will go to Heaven, those without His name will go to hell or to the "Lake of Fire." I would say that having His name engraved on your forehead would be "priceless!" What does priceless mean?

Friday, December 4, 2009

Oh how the years go by

I remember when I was young and life seemed to pass by so slowly. Now at 52, it seems to be running at a whirlwind pace. You turn around and you and all your friends are turning old and grey. This life is a vapor, a brief mist, a puff of smoke - and it is gone. Life is short so make the most of it. Make every minute count!
Time - I often hear people say that they do not have time for this or that, but a person "makes time" for what or who is important to them. Do you spend time with your kids? Do you tell your wife you love her? Do you spend time with God? What really matters to you? Do you want money? Do you want fame? Do you want children? What do you Worship?
Two birds fly over the same desert, one finds a sweet flower to suck on, but the other one finds dead meat. One bird is a Hummingbird, the other is a Vulture. You get out of life the things that you are looking for, it is a matter of perspective. (From Leroy Hoopman's book "Beauty Care for the Tongue")
What do you want? Sometimes that is not an easy thing to decide. There are so many choices, but one must choose. Indecision is not an option, it too is a choice. "You win or lose by the way you choose." I came up with a saying that I think is noteworthy. "Never look to man for things that only God can give to you." (Michael G. Montague) There are some things that no man can bring, no decision will led to, no dream will awaken unto, but God is able to perform and bring to completion. Sometimes it is not in what you do, but in who you are - in your character.
Sometimes life is like a bucket, you only get out of it what you put into it. Sometimes other people put junk and crud in our bucket or basket that we do not want, and it does not go away by itself. Someone, usually the "self" or "God" has to take it out. We have our part in this life, but there are some tyhings that no matter how hard we try, they will just not leave us alone. Some "ugly"things keep popping up like the "Joker" in tinker box.
A friend of mine once said to me "As you slide down the banister of life, may you get a splinter in your career." It wasn' all that it was cracked up to be, but I have found that one often finds that "splinter" in an awkward place. There is always a "but" that negates the previous joys, the previous life, but God. He makes the difference. Sometimes one cannot simply "lift themselves up by their bootstraps." Sometimes when things are bad, we just have to accept things as they are, because one cannot change it, it doesn't go away, and it just is what it is - a horror. Sometimes our perspective of that "horror" has to change. Change is not always for the better, but things change. Life is like a flowing stream, you cannot stand in one place for very long because life keeps moving. "Time is flowing like a river - to the sea, to the sea...." (Alan Parsons Project)
In Christ Jesus we live and move and have our being. He is worthy to be Praised! He makes life worth living. He is the source of all comfort, Hope, Joy, Peace, and Rest. May God be Praised, both now and forevermore!

Where is your heart?

One day we will all stand before a Holy God. That is something that I stand in"awe" of when I think about it. God will not say "Did you do good things?" He will say, "Did you know love?" "Did you get to know my Son?" Many will say "We did this for God!" "Look at what we did: We healed the sick, raised the dead, gave lots of money to the church!!!", and God will say, "I'm sorry, I don't know you!"
It is important that we know God, but it is more important that HE knows us. You might say, "He already knows everything - He knows me!" Does He have a Relationship with you? Do you talk to Him? Do you ever ask Him what He thinks? Do you seek His face? Do you spend time in His Word? Do you love Him? Do you obey Him?
When we stand before a Holy God, what will He say? Will we find approval in His sight? Will He accept us as we are, no more no less?
If we want to get to Heaven, it is NOT automatic. One must follow His directions. Number one, you MUST believe. God said it, that settles it - whether you believe it or not. God does not need your approval, nor mine, nor that of anyone else. He is God. He is Sovereign! Faith In Christ involves more than "works". Faith in God requires our ALL. I once heard someone say that "He will be LORD of all, or HE will not be Lord at all." It is His way or the highway, and that road you do NOT want to take!!!
God never forces us to follow Him, He is a gentleman. "Whosoever will may come." The Bible tells us that "God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17) God does not condemn us, we usually do enough of that ourselves, or others do it for us. Once there was a woman caught in the "act" of adultery. The Religious people, the Priests and the Rabbis, the Pharisees and the Sadduccees came to see what Jesus would do. They were testing Him, it had very little to do with the woman. It had to do with His knowledge of the Word of God. You see, according to the "LAW" - she was to be stoned. However, there was more to this story. According to the Law, both the man and the woman were to be brought before their accusers. They brought only the woman. Jesus stooped down and wrote in the sand. What did He write? You tell me. It had an effect and an impact. Then He said, "You who are without sin cast the first stone!" They each began to walk away from the eldest to the youngest. Then Jesus said to her, "Go and sin no more!" We need to follow this example. The same God who saves us from sin is able to keep us from sinning. Do we sin because we are sinners? Or are we sinners because we sin? That is worthy of some thought. There is an answer. "And you shall seek me and you shall find me, when you search for me with all of your heart." "Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither has entered into the heart of any man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him." Our Father loves us. We have received the "spirit of adoption" if we know Him, and we cry out "ABBA!" - Daddy God!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

The Trouble with Parents

Do you ever wish your Parents would just leave you alone? Does your Parents ever really bug you? The Bible says to "Honor your Parents." What does that mean? We have lost a lot of understanding in America. How do we "honor" someone? The word "Honor" means "to speak well of," a person of superior standing, a good name, etc... When we honor someone, we show them respect, even when we don't "feel like it." One may get angry with one of higher rank and yet still show respect. As a child I honored my parents by obeying them, by following their lead, by paying attention. by saying "Yes Ma'am and No Ma'am" or "Yes Sir! and No Sir!" I showed them respect by taking my hat off when I came into the house. Did I do this automatically? Of course not, they taught me. They taught me sometimes out of anger, sometimes out of love, sometimes with Prayer, but all of the time by example. With children, I am convinced that "more is caught, than taught!"
Sometimes we do not appreciate what we have until it is gone, or in the case of Parents - until they are gone. When Parents die, it leaves a big "hole" in your heart. I wish I could say "I'm sorry!" or give them one more "Big Hug" - but I can't. They are gone, but not forgotten. They are gone - but I will see them again on the other side.
My parents were very good Parents, but like most Parents - they made mistakes, like we ALL do! I've had my share, but my Parents did the best they could, and then some. I wish that I could say the same. They left a lot of "good stuff" in me though, and they taught me what matters the most. They did not send me to church, they took me to church. My Dad hated large crowds and hated being around boisterous crowds and smoking, but He came to see me at football games when I was the Drum Major of my High School Band. Mom was the best cook, and she would always listen. She was good at "prodding me" in the right direction. If you are young and you can't stand your parents - Welcome to the club! BUT, say to them "Mom and Dad - regardless, I love you!" Then do what they tell you to do. It will NOT kill you, even though some times it may "feel" like it. One thing that I have learned about emotions, You cannot trust them. Honor is best portrayed by Obedience. Be a doer and not just a hearer! Doers get rewards, Hearers suffer from their own stubbornness. When you come against the authority over your head (Parents, Bosses, Pastors, Teachers, etc...), you only hurt yourself. When you are older, you will be glad that you "honored" your parents, it will be a crown of life to you. Many rewards come with honoring your parents, and God promises long life to those who do. One Day it will all be worth it! God is watching!!!

The Word of God

Why read the Bible? The Bible is called the Word of God, I wonder why? Let's suppose that there is a God and He wanted to communicate with His creation, How would He do it? Many Fathers would write a letter to their sons and daughters. Nowadays we would create a video. Before the internet, people wrote letters to one another. If you were a Father in a foreign land and you wanted to communicate your love to a son or daughter, you would write a letter to your children. God loves us so He wrote us a letter called the B-I-B-L-E.
Still, why read it? Watch out!, it might bite you!!! Why does this book create so much "tension" around some people? Many people are against the Bible, and they've never even read it. Why not? I dare you to read it. Religion and religious people hung Jesus on the cross. People who were supposed to "know" God - slapped Jesus, spat on Him, cursed Him, and cried out "crucify Him! Crucify Him!!!" The Word of God is like a fountain that gives life. It is a light that pushes out the darkness, it sweeps away the crud, it is a refreshing spring, and it is the best "Education" that one will ever receive. Why? The Bible says that God is love. It does NOT say He knows love, or that He shows love, but that HE is love. His very essence is love. Jesus was the Word of God in physical form - in the flesh! The Word of God produces life and light (illumination) to those who read it and follow it. The precepts of the Bible are sometimes difficult to follow, and that is where the trouble begins. Our flesh "hates it!" It goes against human nature to follow Christ and His teachings. The Father and the Son are ONE! One Lord, One faith, and One baptism. The Word of God is One, many books but they are all united around God. The Word is a lamp for your feet and a light for your path. HE (the Living Word) must increase and we must decrease. Jesus is the ONLY way to get into Heaven. I didn't write it, HE did. I believe that Jesus was not only a man, but He was and is the Son of God. He reigns from Heaven. "In Him we live and move and have our being."

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

This same Jesus

Who was this man called Jesus? Jesus is Greek and He was a Hebrew so why the Greek name? In Hebrew His name is Yeshua Ha'Messhiach, or Jesus the Messiah, or Jesus Christ. It is possible that He would have gone by Jesus since many Hellenistic Jews spoke to one another in fluent Greek. I am not a seminary graduate, nor do I have a degree in the Bible, but I do love Jesus. To the Christian, to the one who loves His God, many questions have to be asked about Jesus. Jesus was either a nut, or He was exactly who He said He was, that being the Son of the Living God.
I believe Jesus was exactly who He said He was, no more - no less! His claims are backed up by historical fact. The Messiah was to be born in Nazareth according to the old testament, the tanach. Nazareth means "branch," and it was prophesied many years before His birth that He (the Messiah) would be born in Bethlehem, the City of David.
One day, we will all stand before this Messiah who died for us. He was the "lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." That is what John the Baptist said of Jesus, and the Jews knew exactly what he meant. During the Passover, the lamb was brought inside the home. For a week, the children and family would become "attached" to this creature. This cute little lamb would be "crucified" on Friday, His blood to be shed for their sin. This was foretelling the lamb of God we call "Christ." After a while, they wouldn't allow themselves to get too close to the animal because they knew what was coming - death. Jesus, or Yeshua the Messiah, died as the perfect lamb of God so that we might have eternal life.
Everyone practically knows John 3:16 which says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting or eternal life." The next verse shows us the heart of Jesus and the Father. John 3:17 says that "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world "through Him" might be saved. We do not get right and then come to God, we come to God just as we are and He cleans us up. The Good Shepherd does everything for His sheep. All they do is to follow Him, they listen to His voice.
Consider Jesus, or Yeshua today. Noone, not even Mother, Father, Sister or Brother can compare to the love that we can find only in His loving arms. He desires to embrace you, to hold you, to provide for you, and to demonstrate His love to you in unimaginable ways. God is faithful. His Word says that "if you draw near to God, He will draw near to you." It even goes further to say that if we will Praise Him and Worship Him in spirit (Love) and in Truth (according to His Word), the Father "seeks such to Worship Him." God finds us when we praise His Holy name. On the cross His name was written, Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews. In Hebrew it reads Yeshua HaNetzeret V'mlech HaYehudim. By taking the first letter of each of these words we get YHVH, the tetragrammaton of Yahweh - The Most High God. The ineffable name of God. Jesus was and still is the Messiah, the anointed one. He reigns from Heaven or Zion with grace, mercy, peace and love. Cry out! Cry out! Cry out to Him. He alone can save you. Going to church does not make anyone a Christian, no more than going to MacDonald's makes one a hamburger (per Keith Green). The Bible says, "And you shall seek me (God) and you shall find me, when you search for me with all of your heart." Consider your ways! Consider the love of Jesus and cry out to Him before it is too late. In the words of the old song, "Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me. And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, Oh Lamb of God - I come. I come.