Sacred Scrawlings

Eternally Forgiven Life

2012-02-02T22:57:00.002-05:00

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

Romans 8:1

So who is your biggest enemy? What is your biggest obstacle in life? No doubt many of us will respond with a triumphant “Satan” or claim that “temptation” is what they struggle with most, but what if you just admit that your biggest downfall at times is you.

Take a moment and reflect on your perception of your own ability. We will often find that we are most critical of our own actions and misgivings. It is like we understand the principle of forgiveness when it comes to family and friends, but check forgiveness at the door to self-reflection.

Stop it!

Stop forgiving others while you condemn yourself!

The above-mentioned scripture states that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Are you in Christ? If the answer is no, then we need to have a different conversation, but if it yes, then you need to renew your mind.

A renewing of the mind is essential as we move forward in our God appointed lives. First and foremost you must remember it is not all about you. If it were then life would not be very exciting, now would it? It must first be all about God and your relationship with Him.

All good things come to those who trust in the Lord. This saying holds true each and every day of your life. In fact you have probably heard, read, or said those very words yourself. Well today I challenge you to start living them.

I feel like I need to tell you to go sit in front of a mirror, smile, and say “I am good enough, people like me, and praise God because yes I can do anything.” But that would be corny and slight similar to a television skit. Instead just live out your life trusting that God chose you and forgave you.

When I am in my pulpit and say “Salvation, not condemnation” I am speaking to all people, not just the ones outside of the four walls. It is time. Time to stand up and stop being your own worst enemy. The devil is already trying to tear you down; stop giving him a hand.

I will end with this. God loves you. He knew you in your mother’s womb. He knows the hairs on you head. He knows you better than you know yourself. And He chose you anyway. Stop condemning what God has forgiven and start walking in his precious gift, eternally forgiven life.

Give it All

2012-01-18T13:07:00.001-05:00

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6

In any given week I find myself traveling throughout much of Stark County and even up to Akron. During these drives I often pass by the local churches and read their signs. There are the standard “Jesus Saves”, then there are the inspirational, and some are even comical, but the one I crossed this week was subtly upsetting.

The sign I read this week read: “Make Jesus part of your 2012”. At first this does not seem like much of an issue. Right? But when you evaluate it further you will find that there is one word that is actually quite disturbing. That word is “part”. See I believe that this is the whole problem with the faith; we all just want Jesus to be a part.

Jesus did not come to Earth and save us from our sins just so He can be a part of our lives. Instead as believers, young and old, Christ is to be our whole life. Remember, in the scripture above, He has begun a good work in you and plans to see it into completion.

God is not some novelty that we pick up on Sunday, or if we are really religious on Wednesday as well. He is meant to be part of our life all the time. When Paul walked the Earth he did not put Jesus down when it was convenient, instead he picked up the cross that much more when it wasn’t. This is how Paul allowed Christ to complete a good work in him.

As we begin this year we each need to look at ourselves and find how we are going allow Christ to have all of us, so that we may have more of Him. They say that you can have too much of a good thing, well they are wrong. You cannot have too much Christ and I challenge you to try.

So in conclusion all I can say is press on for more. Don’t give up with where you are now, for you can always have more. We have yet to come to that time of completion and therefore there is always more to come. Don’t just give Jesus part of 2012, but give Jesus all of 2012.

Garment of Salvation

2012-01-11T12:00:00.002-05:00

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness”
Isaiah 61:10

Over the past few years as I have grown in my ministry and relationship with Christ there have been many questions that I have wrestled with. Often times these questions will sprout from curiosity in how my brothers and sisters in Christ relate to the world. Not so much as to what they abstain from, but how they testify and exhort the Word of God.

Anyone who has heard me preach will know that I firmly believe in “Salvation, not Condemnation.” The thought in this phrase is that all to often we attempt to judge or even clean a person up before we share the true glory of Christ. Over the years this has done nothing to advance the Kingdom. Instead it has made the faith into bigotry full of judgment, something Christ Himself taught against.

People often quote John 3:16, yet neglect to read the very next verse where it states that Jesus did not come to condemn but to save. It is true that there is a day of judgment, but that day has not yet come and WE are NOT the judge or even the jury. We have been told to do two things, love God and love others. How is our judgment accomplishing either of those tasks?

In reference to the quoted scripture at the top of this scrawling I want us to take note of the order of things. Isaiah reports that we are first clothed in garments of salvation and then covered in a robe of righteousness. This order is essential for us to understand.

We must first be saved before we can be righteous. Without salvation we cannot even begin to understand righteousness. A well-respected friend once said that the dictionary has very little to say about righteousness, and that is because man has very little to say about righteousness. (Terry, it would appear I listen to you as well). This statement could not be anymore true. The people of the world are incapable of being on or understanding the righteous path because righteousness does not reside in man, but in God.

In summary, what I am leading to is the old idea of “cleaning a person up” or attempting to get them to live a “right life” before they know Christ is fully illogical. Let us first get them to meet our Savior and then let Him wash them. After all did He not wash the feet of His disciples? Is He not willing to cleanse us as well? Let us today reflect on how we share our faith in hope of improving not only others, but ourselves.

Birthed Blessing

2011-12-28T12:28:00.002-05:00

“But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:20,21

Every time I read the portion of scripture that details the reaction of Joseph to the news of Mary’s pregnancy I cannot but feel a little inadequate as a man. I know that may seem a bit odd for me to say, but think about it. He has just become engaged to a woman and they had yet to know one another in the most intimate of ways. In today’s society I am sure this would pass by with little notice, but in ancient times this was cause for a woman to be stoned.

Joseph had to be swimming in anxiety. There were only two options. One: He defiled his betrothed before the actual wedding and his name would be tarnished as well as hers. Two: She engaged in sexual activity with another man and again defiled his name and Mary would now be executed. To make matters worse an angel came to him and told him that this child was of the Lord’s.

So instead of running away from this woman that was sure to bring him nothing but issues at the Temple, he trusted God. This makes me wonder if I can trust God in the same way? Do we have what it takes to just trust God and his ways, even when our world is telling us that we have committed a grave error?

There will be times in our lives when God will speak to us in such a way that we will want to run instead of receive. At times the ways of the Holy Spirit are foreign to us and we are incapable of fully understanding what it is that He desires. Regardless, we must open our hearts and trust God.

Today, during this Christmas season, I hope that we can all begin to trust God just a little bit more. After all, Joseph did and as a result he was able to share the rest of his life with his Savior. Doesn’t that sound like a gift you want? Do you desire to spend the rest of your days with your Savior? If so then just let go of cultural standards and begin to search for what God wants to conceive and birth in you.

Losing Christmas

2011-12-14T21:08:00.002-05:00

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7

I can remember as a small boy being full of so much anticipation and excitement for Christmas. Every year we would run down the stairs and look at all the gifts under the tree. It was as if the whole world dumped all their treasures on my living room floor. If you couldn’t tell I really loved Christmas.

Here is the crazy part. My Christmases were always very small. If I remember correctly there were only three gifts every year. We would get some crayons and a coloring book, some clothes, and then some inexpensive toy that I would always adore.

Now compare the first two paragraphs, they almost don’t seem to fit. Do they? Bottom line is that as a child I never knew what to expect, I only knew what I had always had. Sure, I had seen other friends that received mountains of gifts, but for some reason that never bothered me.

In this season of giving we have become so obsessed with who to buy for and how much to give that we have completely forgotten the “reason for the season”. Yes, I have heard the chants from coast to coast about not taking the Christ out of Christmas. How annoyed we get when someone says Happy Holidays or Merry Xmas. But in some ways those are not even the big issue.

Long before the current trend made annual media coverage the enemy lead us astray by getting us to focus on an abundance of unnecessary giving. The word says that the Lord wants a cheerful giver. How cheerful are you when you purchase and give some of your holiday gifts, oops I mean Christmas gifts.

Really, I desire that you take the time to think about this issue. It makes absolutely no sense, and is not biblical, to spend into debt or to fall behind in obligations just so you may give a half hearted gift that you did not want to give in the first place. It is time we stop allowing “the market” tell us what Christmas is about and remember it for ourselves.

Christmas is about remembering the greatest gift ever given. We in turn give presents in honor of that. So ask yourself, does that remote caddy you bought for Uncle Teddy really honor God? Or does it honor a secularly induced guilt you possess within you?

It is time to really remember Christmas. It is time to really put the Christ back into Christmas. It is time to stop listening to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Accepted by God

2011-11-17T22:14:00.001-05:00

“Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.”

Romans 14:18

Recently, as many of you may know, I completed a campaign for public office. During a period of 9 months I scoured the neighborhoods of our city looking to achieve the favor of the citizens. This great effort was sure to pay off with the victory that I desired. Then came Election Day.

For most of the day I was at peace and not concerned with the results that were to come that evening. Then as the evening closed I became more and more unsettled. Beginning to feel my mind racing and myself losing control I turned to the only thing I knew to do; I prayed. Yes, when I get all crazy inside I pray. I find that it is the only remedy to what troubles me.

As I wrestled with God (sometimes that is what my prayers are; I hope I am not alone) about this uneasiness He spoke to me and brought me peace.

God asked me why I was anxious (I love His rhetorical questions). I answered that I was hoping to win. He then asked what winning meant (again with the rhetoric). Simply put, winning means the people of my city accepted what I had to offer. He then continued by impressing upon me how I was seeking acceptance of man and had forgotten that I had already received acceptance from my God. EUREKA!

My whole struggle that evening had nothing to do with winning, but everything to do with acceptance. How many of us have fallen into that same hole? It is that great big hole in which we seek man’s acceptance.

Paul writes in the book of Romans that when we serve Christ we are fully accepted by God and therefore approved by men. Think about that for a minute.

While we go around seeking the acceptance of man, doing whatever we can to achieve it, the answer is actually with God. When we leave our desire to be “socially acceptable” at the door and instead embrace our service to God we will achieve what we were seeking for.

On that last day of my campaign I learned the most important lesson of all; only the acceptance of my Savior is needed. He gave me immediate peace that day and I was able to spend the rest of the day relaxed and enjoying the time with family and friends. I was able to know God, and know that He approves of me.

You know what made it even better? I won! That is right I won the election. But then again that is not a surprise. After all the scripture reads that we are “acceptable to God and approved by men.” The victory was certain to come; it was merely His anointing and blessing that followed me wherever I was to go. Today, God wants you to take with you this same lesson. Go in peace, God approves of you, and after all that is all that matters.

Celebrate

2011-11-10T23:40:00.001-05:00

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”^[1]

Sometimes as Christians we experience life that is not always the most welcoming. In popular media we may be portrayed as bigots or nonintellectual. To many our faith has become an archaic way of life and to others there has been an all out assault launched against us.

It has come to the point in which it seems that near daily the headlines scream with lawsuits and court decision that outlaw the public acknowledgement of Christ. With every passing year it becomes more and more difficult to find Him in our community.

Churches have become run down buildings that the secular world now uses has ultra hip housing or as museums. The morals we represent are lauded as the principles of generations long lost. The need for salvation is no longer understood, primarily due to the idea that most do not even know what they need to be saved from.

All of this is mounting to attacks on everything Christian; everything Christ like. Jesus warned us of this day. He told us that because the world hated Him that they would also hate us. It is only natural, really.

We, as the faithful, represent a life that many have lost. There is a certain amount of innocence in our acknowledgment of the truth. As we draw nearer to God, He reveals more of the world to us. In turn this knowledge guards us from diving into the darkness and exposing our spirit to the wickedness and emptiness that the world embraces.

I tell you all this today to expose one more truth. The world hates Jesus and by association us, because He possess their greatest desire. He possesses a blessing that fills the gap. He is the answer to all their questions. They, however, refuse to accept Him because they have come to love that gap, that darkness, and struggle in letting it go.

So let us celebrate our freedom. Let us celebrate our Savior. The world may hate us and attack us, and be removing us from their lives, but we are the ones that still possess the answer. Is this arrogant? Possibly, but GOD would have it no other way.

Celebrate loudly and proudly and in this way share your love affair with Christ. If they choose to hate you, then so be it. If they choose to embrace you, then welcome your new brother or sister into the family and celebrate just that much louder. Therefore let us all come together today and celebrate our persecution as a symbol of our freedom

^[1] The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001 (Jn 15:18–19). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Dewdrops

2011-11-03T21:32:00.001-04:00

“And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. And it was so.And GOD saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Genesis 1:30,31

It has often been commented that at times I can make too much of a dewdrop. Whenever I teach on thanksgiving I like to stress the importance of thanking GOD for each and every thing. This then typically leads to me exaggerating the beauty of dew and thanking GOD for this tiniest of provision. Undoubtedly there is at least one who chuckles and comments on the dew prayer.

But let us stop for one moment. Dew has a purpose. At some point in the circle of life there is a creature that depends on it. In turn that creature is depended on by another, and so on and so on. This continuation along the circle will eventually lead to us. Therefore in a round about way we depend on dew. True, it may not be essential, but we do stand to benefit.

I suppose at this point you are wondering what I am getting at. It is quite simple really. We depend on more than we know. Now this time I really want you to stop. Now think. How many things on any given day do you depend on but take for granted? Now take that number and double it, because I am sure there is a multitude of items and blessings that you do not notice yet you rely upon.

For example do you ever thank GOD for the wind? Without wind we would not experience many atmospheric changes that allow our world to support life. Yet the only time it gets any playtime in our busy heads is when we complain of its nuisance.

We as people live in such a small box. We go around day to day not realizing how many blessings GOD has laid out before us. At the beginning of all time he arranged everything. Everything you see, every action that occurs, He set in motion. Yet we take them all for granted.

In the opening scripture GOD makes two declarations. First He declares that all of these creations are for us. WOW. He created all of this for us. So that we may enjoy them and be happy. So we may know Him through His creation and embrace Him for His provision. All He desires is our love, and for it He created things that man has only begun to understand.

Secondly, He declared that it all was very good. GOD thinks you are good. This is possibly the single greatest message you can take away from this writing or any other for that matter. GOD thinks you are very good, not just good, but very good.

So is it really funny that I thank GOD for dew, or is it just a way to become a little more humble in His awesomeness. What little things have gone unnoticed in your life that you could thank GOD for today? After all He created it just for you, because He finds you to be very good.

Belief, Unbelief

2011-10-25T22:14:00.001-04:00

“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:24

All to often today we hear people who speak of how sold out they are for Jesus. The initial response for many of us may be an envy like state where we desire to be as sold out as this other person. We then begin to wander down this winding road of doubt and unbelief.

For centuries we have been taught that doubt is improper and that anyone who truly loves the Lord should never experience a hint of this devil called doubt. However, it seems that no matter how hard we attempt to oppress it, most of us still experience it.

I desire to set you free today and tell you that sometimes I have doubt. I doubt that I truly believe in God. I doubt that my faith is strong enough to carry on. I doubt my calling. I doubt my vision. I doubt just about everything, but I don’t doubt God. Did you catch that? I don’t doubt God.

That is the tricky thing with doubt. Many of us have not taken the time to differentiate between the things we doubt. It is one thing to doubt our faith and it is another thing to doubt God’s ability. When I pray I believe, it is in the time after that I may doubt. However, my doubt is always inward and never upward.

That is pretty powerful in and of itself. If we only doubt inward, then we are only truly doubting ourselves. When we doubt upward then we doubt God. There is a difference.

In the story depicted above in the scripture we see that, even in the days of Jesus, there was a difference between the beliefs. This scripture indicates that you can believe and disbelieve all at the same time! We learn that it is perfectly all right to love and have faith in God, but doubt your own ability to do so.

I know that much of this seems odd. You are probably wondering how you can both believe and disbelieve at the same time. But think about it. When you struggle with doubt do you ever doubt what God can do? Most likely not.

My focus is not trying to have more faith of God’s ability, but to increase my faith in believing He can do so. It is a weird thing I know, and words are escaping me on how to completely sum it up. Maybe you need to find the words for your self. I find that I understand this thing of differentiating doubt, but am unable to speak it. Much in the way as I am able to understand the presence of the Holy Spirit, but am unable to explain it. Sometimes God is just unexplainable.

In conclusion, I will say that I pray none of you loses faith. It is okay to struggle with doubt time and again, we all pretty much do. Just remember to never doubt God’s ability, after all he doesn’t, and even more importantly God has never doubted you.

Remembering Nora

2011-10-12T21:09:00.001-04:00

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart^[1]”

In many ways this past week was quite difficult for me. I had been struggling with flu like symptoms where I was just completely drained of all energy. To go along with this illness there was plenty of work to be done. With multiple papers to write and hectic days at work I was not certain that I could accomplish everything that was on my plate. Then something happened fully unexpected.

I had received a phone call that a woman I had met a few months back had just passed away. Her name was Nora. In having only met with her once I was not certain I knew much about her. From what she had told me she helped build this very church along with her children by selling fried pies to the workmen as they went to lunch. This was quite an intriguing story.

After visiting with her for a short while I had learned that she was a fiery woman of that old time faith that we rarely see anymore. She told me of what an abomination it was to see women going to church in pants and men should always wear their suits (I was quite thankful that I was in a suit that day). She fully believed in the power of the blood and just knew God would heal her through and through. Some would say that never did come to fruition, others (as would I) would disagree.

In meeting with her children in preparation for services I learned yet another level of Nora. They described a loving, caring, and devoted woman. They told me of a mom, not a mother. To some there may be no difference in these titles, but to those who have experienced it know better.

The difference is that anyone can be a mother, but it takes love, care, and devotion to be a mom. Nora cared not for this world and the possessions around her, but she cared greatly for her people, and we were all her people.

The Word teaches us to love one another greatly, for love covers a multitude of sin. Well, I believe that Nora covered a couple multitudes herself, and now as she sits with Jesus attempts to cover some more.

As a pastor I meet many people day to day and deal with marriage and death and birth at any given moment. At times it can seem to run together, but not Nora. In one meeting with her I fell in love, not because of who she was, but because of whom she served. Therefore in memory of an old time Kentucky saint can we should all try to love a little more not because of who we are, but because of whom we serve.

^[1] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Pe 1:22). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

One God, One Master

2011-10-03T18:33:00.002-04:00

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Matthew 6:24

The other day I was reading in the Old Testament where Hilkiah, a priest during the reign of Josiah, was assisting in the cleaning out of the temple and discovered a tome of great wealth. What he found buried under the material wealth of the king was the Book of the Law as given to the Israelite nation by Moses. This sacred book had been lost many years, just as Israel had been lost during that same time.

Stop and think about this scenario for one moment. The king Josiah had commissioned the workmen and the priests to clean out the temple. The wealth of the nation had become so great that it was literally stored in the house of God. As time had passed the people began to forget who it was that blessed them in the first place. As time had passed people began to stop looking to the Lord and began to look toward the riches. As a result the Book of the Law became buried and lost.

In our own lives we often find ourselves in a similar situation. When we are down on our luck and have hardly anything to offer the world, or at least that is what we tell ourselves, we begin to turn to God with a renewed fervency. As we pray, fast, and study harder we begin to see God move. Favor is poured onto us and there begins windfalls of blessings.

As this favor grows and our lives improve we begin this state of contentment. Our prayers become less frequent, our fasting turns into gluttony, and our study becomes short recollections of what we once read. In short we lose our sacred devotion to the riches we gained in the world.

Now honestly look at yourself. Are you currently or have you in the past ever-allowed God to be buried and hidden by the wealth of this world? I am certain that nearly everyone will honestly answer yes. It is just who we are. Admit it! Don’t deny yourself the healing of admitting your weakness.

If we continue on this path of honest reflection we see that it really makes sense. We need to fail at successfully serving God through our own doing, so that we may better understand what it means to serve God throughGod's doing. After all, if we could serve God and not need His intercession to keep us upright then what was the point of Jesus? Jesus is what allows us to continue to find our sacred devotion, our Book of the Law, under the wealth of this world. Without Him we would be eternally lost and buried by the world.

Jesus taught in the Book of Matthew that we couldn’t serve two masters. Many have taught that this was in reference to only money, but it can be for all things. Anything that gets in the way of the service of God can in some ways be your master, whether this is a mound of gold in the temple or an activity that takes time away from devotion.

We must do everything we can to serve God with our entire mind, all of our body, and all of our soul. It cannot be allowed for something to get in the way. Therefore I challenge you today to find that mound of gold in your heart that has buried the God in your life and set Him free. Watch what happens when the windows of Heaven open upon you. Just never lose focus, never lose God.

Burning, not Consummed

2011-09-26T22:17:00.003-04:00

“And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.”

Exodus 3:2

Are you on fire for God? I mean really burning. So much Spirit and power coursing through your veins that you are literally bursting with the light of the Lord.

Or have you ever been to a worship service and left just completely drained?

Often when we are filled with God’s love and Spirit we find that we become quite exhausted afterward. We put so much of ourselves into that moment that our physical body is fully sapped of energy. Essentially we have drained ourselves of everything. Sounds a lot like giving it all to God, doesn’t it?

True worship and celebration of God’s power and love is exactly that; giving it all. It is tiring. It is exhausting. It is draining. But it is not consuming. In the end we are still here and we still have a mission to fulfill.

Notice the bush in the story of Moses. Did you catch how the angel of the Lord was a flame of fire and that it was in the midst of a bush? The bush was not the angel, but instead the bush was merely the vessel in which the angel resided. Also take notice that the bush was not consumed. After the angel left and the experience of that moment with Moses had passed, the bush went back to being a bush. An anointed bush, but a bush nonetheless.

As we worship and celebrate God we experience a very similar occurrence. We too are filled up as a vessel of the Lord. The Holy Spirit resides in us and moves in the ways that the Lord desires. It is like a fire in our bellies that drives us to accomplish unthinkable tasks. We are able to love better, understand more, perform acts of amazement, and simply worship God continuously. However, when the Spirit departs you are still just you.

Sounds a bit depressing I know, but that is the point. Everyday we must strive to have more of God poured into us. Maybe not the level we receive at the altar that can leave us drained afterwards, but enough of His Spirit to keep us energized and fulfilled. I desire enough of His Spirit so that we do not forget whom we serve and so that others will see His presence upon us.

I know some people say they want to be consumed by God, but I have to wonder if that is what they really mean, and if that is what God desires. Think about it for a moment. To be consumed means to no longer be you. How could God want that?

God loves you for you! He created you and has a plan for you. If He consumes you continuously then of what use can you be? Instead lets invite God to inhabit us; to reside in us. To trickle drops of Himself into us when we need it most, but still let us move forward and accomplish His mission. Let us be consumed in the altar, but burning in the streets.

Little by Little

2011-09-21T18:22:00.003-04:00

²²The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you.”

Deut 7:22

Have you ever had a day that was so troublesome, so difficult, that it literally felt like the whole world was coming against you? It didn’t matter where you were or what you accomplished, it just felt as if there was far too much to handle. You are not alone. We all have had a moment where we thought we would break. (Otherwise this essay is pointless and I am completely alone in this worry)

You know the best part about all that stress is that you didn’t break. You are still here. You made it! God is so good! In the scripture above it is written that God will clear the nations before you. What a great promise that is. To know that even if the whole world is against you God is still for you. Not only is He for you, but also He is willing to fight off the nations “little by little”. So why do we even bother doing anything at all? I mean if God is going to clear the nations, the pressure and the stress, then why do I have to do anything?

That is an interesting point; however, pay close attention to the very next sentence where it says “you may not make an end at once”. Did you catch that? It says “you”. This implies that we will have to do something. I know; I just took all the ease out of it and put the stress right back on your shoulders. The world is collapsing again and there is no answer in sight. But is that what I really just said? Or is there another answer?

Our walk with God is at times slow and tedious. We do not always see where we are heading, instead we just trod along, and that is just fine. God is still God.

Stop! Think about what you just read. God is still God.

It does not matter how slow and tedious our walk is, He is still God and we will be just fine. While He will not fight all the fights for us, He does clear the way.

The passage above that we have referenced leads to that end. God is willing to clear away the nations, but we have to be willing to walk along and “make an end of them.” Whatever your stressors in life are God is willing to ease the burden, but you still must be willing to face them yourself and defeat it in your own way. The greatest power of God is to empower you. To not just prove how mighty He is, but to show how strong you can be.

That is right, you are strong. “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.” (Eph. 4:13) Memorize this verse. Absorb this verse. Live this verse. It may only happen “little by little” otherwise the “wild beasts grow to numerous”, but it will happen. Take courage. You are not alone, God is walking right there with you. He has seen the path you take and is ready to strengthen you. All you have to do is call out His name and have faith that God is still God.

Preparing to Bloom

2011-09-12T21:38:00.002-04:00

^“30And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.”

2 Kings 19:30

What does it mean to take root downward? How do we bear fruit upward? And why is it that Judah is said to do this? To answer these questions completely would take a book in and of itself, however, for today’s purposes I will try to sum it up in a couple paragraphs.

Judah was the southern kingdom of Israel after the great division of the nation. I suppose you could call this the first church split. Funny thing isn’t it. That after thousands of years human kind has not changed one bit. Judah was in possession of the holy city Jerusalem and their kings were of the line of David, yet they still did not understand God. Nonetheless, it was their remnant that was to “take root downward” and “bear fruit upward” for whatever that is worth.

To understand this whole downward upward thing it will be helpful to look at the structure of a plant, after all it does seem to be what the author is describing. When examining plants, lets say a flower, most people understand that they first have to be well planted and firmly in place before the flower will bloom. After the plant has established itself then it will receive the nutrients it needs (water and light) and will able to begin to bloom. So there you have it. The whole downward upward problem is solved. Did you miss it?

As Christians we are just like that flower. We are desperate for a place to bloom; a place where we can humble our egos and seek God through prayer; a place to dig deeper. As this humbling digging transition occurs in us we eventually tap into that stream of God, that living water that He promised the Samaritan woman at the well. And once we are tapped in we begin to soak up the light of the world, we begin to soak up Jesus. It is in this process that we are saved. In plants it is known as photosynthesis, but in man it is known as salvation. When we are saved we “bear fruit upward” as we praise God for all the blessings He has given us.

Remember Judah? That place I wrote about at first. Would you believe that in some ways we are just like Judah? Sure there is no capital holy city anymore, but the line of David still exists. It exists in us. We have that same spirit flowing through us to this very day. With that in mind I have to wonder are we properly taking root and bearing fruit, or do we believe it to be someone else’s duty.

Spoiler Alert: Judah was overtaken. I guess their root was not quite strong enough. Is ours? Will we be overtaken as well? I pray not. Today as we sit and meditate on the things of God take a minute to think of how you can dig deeper and praise more in an attempt to “take root downward” and “bear fruit upward”.

Love Better, Love Harder

2011-09-05T21:10:00.002-04:00

^“13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

How great is our love? Do we even understand what it means to love? Can we truly love as God loves us? These are questions that have plagued me in the past, and I have a feeling I am not alone. In our pilgrimage from the cross to Kingdom gates we experience life. In life we must not only love, but be loved. Right there is the key.

In understanding how to love we must first understand what it means to be loved. We, as Christians and non-Christians alike, must learn to abandon the notion that we must love harder and better than all others. Instead we must learn to receive love the best we can. In return we will find that we are able to love harder and better than we ever thought possible. Now stop. Think. Digest.

In the game of love you can only provide what you know. If you have never known what it means to be loved how can you possibly ever love someone else? It could be said that there is a correlational relationship between how you experience love and how you provide it. One can love only to the extent to which they have been loved.

Look around you. Think of the people you know who have horrible relationships. Now think of their life past and what level of love they have received. I would theorize that in most cases these people come from broken homes, or homes that failed to adequately provide a loving base. But there is hope. All it takes is a little love and all can change.

In a wedding that I recently officiated there was a bride who only knew the love of abandonment and a groom that only knew the firm hand of a drunken father. Neither had a strong base for love, which would seemly blow my theory out of the water, especially since their love is greater than many others I have seen. That is until you investigate and find that the groom had a woman that interrupted his life and gave him the greatest gift; unconditional and fully vested love. She was his support. She was his example. Through this love the groom learned to love and passed it on to his bride to be. Now they are a happily married couple with a future.

But what if a person does not have that loving saint coming from left field to teach them love? Does that mean they are incapable of love? No. Christ says, “Greater love has no one than this.” He then indirectly states that in laying down His life He does it for His friends. We are friends of God! As such He gave His greatest love; a love that we now can model. He gave His life, and now we can give ours.

God is love! If you are ready to learn how to love better and harder than ever before then all you must do is turn to the heavens. In receiving Christ we receive the greatest love. With that reception we then can learn to love better and harder.

Moments

2011-03-25T12:20:00.001-04:00

Days are nothing more than the building blocks of a life wasted. Years become the great expanse of time in which we record the nothing that occurred. During these blank meaningless measures we have moments… moments are what we live for.

I am the guy that must plan out his entire life. If there is a moment that is unplanned I feel lost and fall into a sedentary state. Most of my plans are written down, and then written again for good measure. Constantly paranoid that I may neglect to follow the route that I have designed. I am sure if given the opportunity I would develop a flow chart of my morning routine and hang it in the bathroom (the wife has assured me this is unacceptable). Nonetheless, this is me and to my detriment the very reason I have neglected Sacred Scrawlings for so long.

In my world I have scheduled time to be a husband, a father, a pastor, a student, a candidate for public office, a board member, and an employee, but I have not scheduled time to be a writer. As is evident by what has made it into my calendar (thank you Blackberry for assisting me with that) I wear many hats and love them all, however, the writers hat I deeply miss.

Writing is but one passion that I have; it is but one passion I seem to ignore. I have often said that God led me to write my first novel, and has been leading me to write more, yet I write not. Has this happened to you? Why do we ignore some things that make us so happy, yet focus on others that make us miserable?

Today I began listening to Over the Rhine (a band from Ohio that is a must listen) and the writing bug hit me hard. In this moment I cannot think of anything else but returning to my art of expression. My soul is at peace and the calm is overwhelming. The fingers that have been scribbling plans now simply desire to scrawl thoughts. The plan doesn’t seem to matter, for it has been consumed by the moment.

In the end, days and years do not matter, they are only measures that pass us by; it is the moments that are precious. It is the moments that are a gift from God for us to hang on to. When the days and years get to hard to bear, it will be the moments that carry you through. So, today, at this moment stop and dare to have one that means something, one that wisps through those building blocks and great expanses of time, one that you savor and keep just for you.

Panera and God

2010-07-29T11:12:00.003-04:00

A few days back, Saturday to be exact, I was drawn into the kind of discussion we are all told not to speak in, yet all desire to do so. That is correct we were discussing religion, politics, and social/moral values. I guess we got bored with talking about the weather and the merit of a salad for dinner. Overall, I have to say the conversation went very well. Myself and the person in whom I was speaking with disagreed on nearly every point, except that we often did agree that we disagreed.

From this conversation, though, much was learned. In the specific area of religion we found a hidden truth that lies in all people’s life. We found the point in which a decision has to be made, a decision that can change the course of your pilgrimage through life.

We were speaking specifically of the infallible nature of the Bible. I, seeing the Bible as the “God breathed word” and my antagonist (man I love calling her that) seeing it in not such a light. Her position was that the Bible may have been mistranslated or may contain potential errors. This, however, did not negate her spirituality, but instead caused her to explore other areas that she felt may contain spiritual truth.

This is an age old argument as to whether or not the Bible is wholly true or partly false. It is also one that we did not resolve in that small chain café in which we ate. Instead we came to a point of separation that was only the width of a hair.

In some point in our respective lives we both came to the point of taking an honest look at this sacred Christian text. I found the truth in the words and quickly dove into the faith and found no errors, believing God wholly and singularly.

My female counter part in Saturday’s discussion took another route. When she investigated the Bible and weighed it for its worth she found that she could not believe every last word to be fully accurate and therefore branched off to continue in her search of truth. This is the hair width that I mentioned.

At some time we both came to the same point of decision, and we both went in different directions. In the end you both believe in every last word of the Bible and therefore receive Christ, or you find potential fault with any given scripture and are unable to receive Christ. To those who believe that you can have Christ and have fault in the Bible I would say that you are gravely mistaken.

If even one line, one word, is proven to be a lie then every single aspect of the Bible comes into question. The fact that god created the Earth would be something to doubt. The fact that Christ died for us becomes doubtful. The fact that Christ will return again is something of legend. We either believe it all or we believe none.

It is an all or nothing approach. You cannot have a little bit of the truth. Christ tells us to be hot or to be cold, but to be lukewarm is to be spit from His mouth. From my perspective my friend has missed the boat, but I thank her nonetheless for helping push this vital aspect even further into my spiritual mold. I pray that she, as well as other, will one day choose to be hot instead of cold.

God and Government

2010-07-10T18:17:00.008-04:00

Over the years I have become more and more concerned with the trend of removing any form of Christianity from our public places. People have gone through great efforts to form organizations that battle to have God, particularly our Christian God, removed from all areas of government, public service, or public property. In some cases we have even seen private property rights attacked in the name of this issue. The charge of these organizations, primarily non-profit in structure, is that there should be a complete absence of God in all public affairs; essentially we should become spiritually sterile. To this mindset I must fully disagree.

I find that Larry Schweikart, author of A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’ Great Discovery to the War on Terror explained it well when he wrote, “separation of church and state meant freedom to worship, not from worship.” Often it is neglected that in early America the question of God’s existence was not as prevalent as it is in today’s collegiate circles and that the colonists were simply stating that government was not to dictate to the people what their worship was to contain. This train of thought developing at a time in which the people were living in British colonies under British rule that had a particular British church.

Our country was developed under the primary principle of liberty, or freedom. The forefathers did not desire to control the personal choices of any one man or any group of men. In stating that there was to be a separation of church and state they believed they were protecting the inalienable right of liberty. However, in the two centuries since the drafting of our great Declaration we have seen an oppressive counter to religion come forth. In the name of supposed religious freedom opponents of Christianity have instead imposed anti-religious oppression.

These anti-religion groups have spread their oppressive ways by taking legal action in communities in which only a minority desires their services. Any group that walks into a community and thrusts its thoughts and beliefs on that community is stripping the people of their liberty. Wherever a community exists that has a majority that stands in agreement to the worship or acknowledgement of a particular faith system, then that community has the right to represent it in their public spaces and forums. If in this community a small portion of the citizens lies in opposition of the majority, then the minority has the right to petition their neighbors, but they have no right to force an alteration of policy.

In conclusion I will say that I fully agree with the philosophy of separation of church and state, however, I do not believe that the separation should be of such a nature that will cause others to be alienated. We live in a nation of democracy that has as its underlying principle that we decide policy at the polls. When we apply that principle we are compelled in the best interest of liberty to let those communities that choose democratically to promote a Christian faith system to do so and those who choose to remain neutral to also do as they choose. By this course of action we will move closer to the liberty most desire.

As a side note I wish to add that in 2 Corinthians 3:17 it reads, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” It would do us well to remember this scripture as we move forward and to meditate on this as we seek counsel as to how we are to resolve the issue at hand.

Vacation

2010-06-28T18:59:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to take a moment to check in and let any who may be curious that all is well. My wife and I just celebrated the birth of our first boy child. He has been named in the family tradition leaving him to be the fifth generation to bare the exact same name.

Watching the miracle of life being thrust into your home is quite a mind awakening experience and has given cause to much meditation of my part. In many ways it would be suitable to believe that I would gather an entire scrawling on my thoughts and emotions of the ordeal, however, for now I desire to remain silent. Some areas of thought and emotion are meant for the family and there it will stay.

I end with stating that I will come back with a storm of scrawlings soon enough and that I must thank God for this miracle.

"God and Liberty"

2010-06-10T10:08:00.005-04:00

In a recent reading of "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" by Walter Isaacson I was overwhelmed with the length of knowledge to be had. In particular was the retelling of an incident that occurred between Voltaire and Franklin. The following is drawn from Isaacson’s account.

In 1778 Benjamin Franklin made a trip to see a dying Voltaire in hopes of receiving a blessing for his 7 year old grandson Benny Bache. Franklin, being the practical man he was, desired the blessing of a man that meant so much to the Enlightenment world. Voltaire complied and simply consecrated the boy with, “God and Liberty.”

This scene alone would have produced a scrawling from this author; however, it was the response of then Massachusetts governor Thomas Hutchinson that invoked my inner wheels of thought. When news of this benediction made its way back to the governor he responded to the scene by stating, “difficult to say which of those words had been most used to bad purposes.”

This casual response from the governor to a dying man’s most basic blessing captures a spirit that has haunted civilization for centuries. Nearly every war that has ever been thought worthy of the fight has been in the name of either God or liberty. Many corrupt methods in business and government find their justification, wrongly so, in either God or liberty.

The reason I find these two words used in this manner so provocative is due to their nature being of a moralistically good bent, not the corrupted, violent bent that man has spun. God is a term used to represent a divine being that governs the world through his providence. Liberty, on the other hand, does not necessarily depend on a supernatural being, but does depend on an unnatural state for all adherents to live in.

Of the world religions that are in popular practice today a majority contain tenets of love and individual freedoms. They will preach of assertive, not aggressive, methods of the advancement of their beliefs. A call to assist the less fortunate and to sacrifice for the benefit of others becomes a common thread.

In liberty the rules are quite simple: no man shall impede the advancement of another. Adherents to this philosophy, which is the primary philosophy in the U.S., fully believe that we should only take action against others when the others have taken unjustifiable action on their neighbor. Essentially do no harm to anyone when no harm has been done.

In conclusion, I wish I could go into more detail but the words are becoming too great in number. It is time that we as a people realize a struggle that was discovered by Voltaire, recognized by Hutchinson, and revisited today. Our personal interests in a relationship with God compounded with our need for individual liberties should never become the source of our corrupted actions. We are, at the heart of all things, a corruptible people that act in ways that offend our neighbor. When such action occurs understand this is the natural state in which we exist, not the superior state in which we strive. God and liberty lie counter to us, yet through divine providence we are able to achieve both.

To: Pastor Duane

2010-06-01T11:09:00.003-04:00

The following story is adapted from a story as told by Benjamin Franklin who probably adapted it from someone else.

One day there was a man and his boy who were indebted to their master. Without fail they would go out and do as the master pleased as often as they were able. Daily they would be full of joy, for their master was good. In all his goodness the master declared that the man and his boy should travel to the next town over and help spread his good practices. Before they left they were given a gift to assist in their pilgrimage, this gift was a donkey so that it may carry their burden.

The man and his boy quickly set off in the early morning hours with father in the position of honor and respect by riding upon the back of their pack animal. It was not long on the road before a few passersby came to criticize the two, stating that the father was fairly inconsiderate by making his son walk the way to where they were heading. The man not wanting to offend any quickly came down off his gift and allowed his son to ride while he walked alongside.

They went on in this fashion for a short time before anyone else crossed their path. Then they came upon an intersection where there were many people. At this point many of the confused individuals who spent all their days at intersections began to call out to the boy. They would say, “How dare you young boy make your old father walk, you should be whipped,” or “Look at that dreadful character of a boy making his poor father keep pace by foot.” Fully complexed the father and boy looked at each other and the boy leapt from the donkey.

Standing next to the donkey they both thought long and hard and decided the only thing to do would be to both ride the gift from their master. The boy helped his father back on and the man helped his son. With both upon the back of their animal of burden they set forth once again.

It was not long before their next encounter, and once again it was none to kind to them. A man crossed them and was quite rude about it all. He complained of them both riding the donkey, stating that it was unfair to the animal. He made such a ruckus that before long there were a few in the crowd all saying the same thing.

Again, the man and the boy were not sure what to do so they both came down off the donkey and began to walk. They knew it was not much further now to the next town and decided it may be best to simply walk instead of harming their master’s name by using his gift for their needs.

With the destination in sight they thought they had finally done right when, suddenly, the master crossed their path. He looked upon the man and the boy and became quickly disappointed by neither of them using his gift. Calling both of them by his side he told them to turn back to whence they came, for they would not be allowed to enter this new town. When asked why, the master answered, "I gave you a gift to use; it was a gift just for you given by me. You were to use it along your way, instead you cast it aside. This gift that was given should have been used properly; instead you listened to the men on the road and stopped receiving what I had given. Only a man that has and uses my gift may enter my new town. You have but you do not use, therefore you must go back.”

The man and his boy turned back, leaving their donkey at the point in which they last met the master, and walked towards whence they came. To this day it is uncertain that they ever made it back to that town, but it is certain that their gift can still be found exactly where they left it: along the pilgrimage road.

This is entitled “To: Pastor Duane” in recognition of his always using his gifts and not altering because of critics. Pastor, you will be allowed into the new town and your gift will be found in the hearts of those you have TOUCHed and not sitting alongside the road.

Beyond the Times

2010-05-17T10:46:00.004-04:00

“The Church always seems to be behind the times, when it is really beyond the times; it is waiting till the last fad shall have seen its last summer.” G.K. Chesterton

In this passage from “The Ball and The Cross” G.K. Chesterton expresses an ideal that rings true to this day. In my walk in ministry and in guiding others to the path of righteousness I have often heard the lament that the church is no longer relevant. It is believed by many that the tradition and the ways of Christianity simply do not fit in today’s age.

There seems to be a misconception in this thought process. We look at Calvary from a wrong perspective. One cannot begin at the point in which they stand and look backward to the cross. Instead, one must look out from the cross to the point in which they now stand. It is from this position that we can see that not only is Christ still relevant, but He has increased in necessity with every passing summer.

Christ, however, is not always the church. Notice the little “c” in that last statement. There are many churches that teach Christ, but due to false teaching will never be part of the Church (big “C”). As this trend grows alongside the fad of immoral attitudes in the people, saved and lost alike, we begin to notice that the sacrifice made on the cross is even more necessary than before. The more sin, acts that oppose God, there are, the more need there is for His perfect intervention.

The Church was created through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. It was created for a time like ours, a time like our forefathers, and a time like our future generations. Regardless of what fad we follow in our time, or summer if you will, Christ and His Church will always be with us and beyond us. It was certainly created for a time just like today.

Mowing through the Storm

2010-05-10T14:14:00.004-04:00

Today’s topic is one of a mundane variety: mowing the lawn. Just this past weekend, Saturday to be exact, I was in quite the mowing predicament. Winds were blowing fiercely through the region, spats of rain were coming and going, and the temperature was a bit to cool to entice anyone outdoors. With all of this occurring at once I sat in my cozy living room putting off the task at hand.

As the dinner hour was upon me I looked at the weather forecast for the next week, starting Monday since I would not mow on a Sunday, and saw that rain was to be anticipated nearly all week. This put me to the realization that it did not matter when I mowed; there would be inclement weather regardless.

So, I rushed to the shed and began my task. Cold, wet (though it was not raining, it was my tears that moistened me), and I want to say tired but that would not be truthful. The mowing was actually pretty easy going, that is until I had to refuel.

After my short pause I doggedly go back at it, when to my surprise (not really) it began to rain. My first thought was to run inside and put off the rest of my lawn until another day. That lasted all of a few seconds. I quickly decided to forge on and at least finish the front section (I couldn’t have my neighbors mock me for my half mowed lawn). As I 'mowed' through the storm something awesome occurred.

The torrential storm , that barely left a puddle, raged for mere minutes before the rain stopped and the sun broke through. I few minutes later I became warm and wanted to remove my jacket. It was like a whole new day. Needless to say, the lawn was finished that day.

In reflection of this usually mundane task I had a revelation. Life in many ways is like mowing your lawn. The storms are coming, and many times you are in one at the time, but you cannot put off the labor of your day. The storms will always be with us, but the fruit can only occur when we push through.

Our Lord promised us that life would not be easy. He promised us that living for the world would get us nowhere. He also promised us that the riches of heaven are awaiting us. So, today let me leave you with this. It does not matter how bad of a storm you see or feel there is always a ‘son’ filled sky on the other side.

Quotes of Freedom

2010-04-21T10:36:00.004-04:00

Here are just a few quotes that I have lying around. Thought it would be useful to dispense of them and let others gain whatever wisdom they seem to impart.

"It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write. " – Sinclair Lewis

"I wonder how many people I've looked at all my life and never seen." – John Steinbeck

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." - C.S. Lewis

"The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government." – Thomas Paine

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it." – Thomas Paine

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." – Benjamin Franklin

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." – Benjamin Franklin

"A man is as free as he chooses to make himself, never an atom freer." - George MacDonald

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." – Charles Dickens

Then of courese my own self-induglent reference.

"The belief that intelligence equals omniscience is a true sign of ignorance" - E.W. Lewis

Washington is Burning

2010-04-14T10:28:00.003-04:00

It has been nearly 200 years since the near forgotten War of 1812 (an odd name considering it lasted three years). This was the first war since independence was won and as such was the first test for a fledgling nation. The British enemy was far superior in weaponry and veteran service among its men, yet the Americans were not fully defeated. One would be hard pressed to say the Americans won this skirmish, but we can certainly proclaim that we were not conquered as could have been the result.

There is one specific battle that I wish to venture into today; the day the Brits walked on Washington D.C. It was this assault by the Brits that could have changed much of today’s history. At the time the Secretary of Defense did not believe that England would attack the Capital and therefore left few resources for its defense. Instead he believed they would hone in on Baltimore leaving the young capital city at peace. After all Baltimore was a major commercial site and Washington D.C. was little more than a governing city.

Regardless of the contemporary speculations the British did strike Washington D.C. first and were met with little opposition (possibly 500 troops to their thousands). Quickly the British marched into the capital while good old Dolly Madison fled at the last moment with the nation’s beloved first president in portrait under arm and many other citizens full of fear.

Their first stop was the Capitol building where they held a mock congress and voted to burn the city. Then, with the Capitol in flame, they progressed toward the White House and ate the President’s dinner that was still on the table. With much cheer and spirit (or spirits) they then turned the blaze on the President’s home.

One would think this was the end of what was destined to be great. With Washington D.C. taken there was little hope for America. The Brits once again had a stronghold. However, there was a stronger power at play that night and He had a greater plan.

Sometime in the early morning hours the party was harshly interrupted with a great gale wind that swelled into a hurricane quite quickly. Without fair warning, what was a party of the ages quickly became a panic of the century. The winds became so intense that men were holding onto one another as to not be blown away. In the background the flames continued to burn.

Then, without any regard to the life, a tornado touched down in the center of town and ripped and roared through the badly beaten city laying waste to whatever dared remain. The British soldiers were frightened and certainly were praying to whatever God they knew.

As daylight broke the storms subsided and not a single British soldier remained. I can only imagine the prayers of thanks that were being murmured from street to street by the residents of the burned capital. I can only imagine the joy they felt. It is truly inspiring to look back on this day in history and become humbled by a single act of divine interference.

“’Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit’ declares the Lord Almighty.” What a powerful piece of scripture that completely captures the emotion of what happened back in 1814. So often today we try with all of our might and power to make things happen in our life, when instead, we should be allowing the Spirit to open the doors of our progress. It is time we stop watching our city (our lives) burn to ash, and begin to be whisked away by the power of the Lord

Government Housing for All

2010-04-07T10:47:00.002-04:00

Recently, less than six months, I became a home owner, or so I thought. When my wife and I began the adventure of home ownership we thought we were fulfilling the American Dream, a dream that was quickly dismantled. After only this short time of “ownership” I am left with a nagging question of who really owns my property.

At first glance most people will acknowledge that the bank is the actual owner of any mortgaged home, and for me that would be absolutely correct, however, I have taken this question a step further. What if the property was paid in full? What if there was no bank or other lender that could lay claim to the land? Would I then “own” the land?

The answer to this question is an astounding no. I do believe that most people may have an idea of where I am heading with this post already. In speaking with others about this topic many have quickly concluded that the government owns the land through the process of eminent domain. Again this is correct, however, from what little knowledge I have a citizen may legally fight against a claim of eminent domain.

The facet of property ownership that I am digging for is not one that many have mentioned.The facet in question is property tax.

Plain and simple, by paying property tax we are essentially acknowledging that the land that we live on, or think we “own” is not ours. If it was your home and lot that you had full rights to with all privileges of ownership no other entity would be able to profit or gain income from said parcel. In many parts of America that is not the case.

By allowing the government to tax your land you give up your ownership rights in many ways, primarily the right of sole possessor of land. If you doubt this premise maybe you should try not paying your property tax and see how long it is before the land is taken from you. Sure, it may take quite a lengthy bit of time before this extreme action is enacted, but it may and can still be taken.

I will conclude with a quote by Benjamin Franklin, “there is scarce a king in a hundred who would not, if he could, follow the example of Pharaoh, get first all the people’s money, then all their lands and then make them and their children servants forever.” While I will agree that we obviously do not have a king and that we are not at a point of tyranny as of yet, the bricks to that road are quiet when laid and nearly undetectable when walked upon. If we continue to allow the leaders of our country to tax us and our possessions as they see fit we will eventually lack the funds they require. Once the treasury runs dry the land will be sure to follow and we will become indentured servants even more so than we are today.

DISCLAIMER: I wanted to add this note that states that the agencies who receive this funding are not to blame and are not the problem. Many school districts, mental health programs, and courts receive their funding in this manner and are well worth every cent they receive, however, I desire that we would utilize an alternative taxation method in order to fund these much needed services.

Men of America (and the women too)

2010-03-29T11:53:00.006-04:00

Let us turn back the hands of time today and look at America, and society for that matter, some 150 years ago. I know you may be wondering why I would want to do such a thing, but then again why do I do most of the things that I do. (Man that was a lot of ‘do’ in that sentence, hopefully the whole post isn't full of do.)

In the days of our great-great grandparents, or not so great in some cases, there was a certain aspect of life that was just simpler. Do you ever recall hearing of them having to deal with many of the same issues that we have today. Sure there was unemployment and the housing of a family could become a stressor, but today’s society seems to moan much louder.

In the days gone by a man used to take the care of his family into his own hands, not cry to his city officials about his short falls. The family would move to find work, or the family would work the land (if they had any), but seldom did they expect a social agency to care for their needs. In those days people flocked to our great nation for the opportunity to work and be their own person. Currently, to our great misfortune, our nation does not breed that same fervor and the flock comes for a different reason.

The answer as to why this occured is lengthier than what I can provide today, however, I contend that one key reason is the absent father/husband. When one takes a casual glance in today’s society you are more likely to find a single mother struggling to survive than you are to find a responsibly, married, man that is breaking his back for his family. Now, I understand that there were many injustices committed in yesteryear and our current system alleviates much of them, but which injustice is bigger: today’s absent father or yesterday’s overworked man?

Simply put: I am asking that America stop looking for the assistance of government agencies and to begin standing on their own two feet. America was great in the days that men took care of their family and women (hopefully I am not castrated for this) took care of their men. Unfortunately the moral standard for society has become so liberal that the hope for a return to what was once great can only be concluded as being lost.

Women, your cowboy is never coming home; not because all men are bad, but because there is no home being made. Men, your lady is not yours any longer; not because women have begun to wear pants, but because we have forgotten how to love them. America, our greatness may never return; not because America is not great, but because America has forgotten what it stands for.

A Natural God

2010-03-15T14:09:00.004-04:00

What is natural? I know this may seem to be a fairly simple question, yet I see a potential issue with our contemporary understanding of the word. I find that there is sufficient cause to believe that what we call natural is not natural at all.

Imagine, if you would please, that you were the proud owner of a vivarium. In this created world you placed a couple frogs and fish. Everything was made to your specification. Then one day the frog looked towards you and postulated that the world in which it lived was natural, and that you in fact were supernatural.

At this point I do suppose that if this indeed happened you would be wondering if you inadvertently (or not so inadvertently, I do not judge) licked the fore mentioned frog. However, for this argument let us suppose that this was a regular occurrence and you have no cause for concern.

If this statement was in fact made to you by the frog I would think that you would find it quite a ridiculous comment for a creature to make. After all, you created the entire world in which it lives and for the sake of argument I will even say that you had the power to create the creature. In this example I find it difficult to believe that the created creature could ever postulate that the creator was not of natural existence, yet this is exactly how we view God; we view Him as if He is more than natural.

In Christianity it is put forth that in the beginning God created all things and we now live in that creation as a created. If this is truly the case then how can we ever possibly call out to God that He is supernatural? Does it not make more sense to understand that the state God exists in is the natural state of the universe and that what we live in is some altered, almost artificial in essence, state.

Now I know some etymologist may at this point be conjuring up the definition of "natural" and point out that the definition of "natural" does not reference initial state (or original form). It simply means something that was developed by nature and to what nature is would be another question entirely. To this point I would agree, however, it is the connotation that causes issue.

I contend that the use of natural in today’s societies brings with it a connotation of unchanged or original form. This connotation has essentially altered the understanding of the word and therefore transformed our idea of what is an initial state and what is an altered state. I suppose to the evolutionist this makes no difference, but to the creationist this will be the crux of their understanding.

In conclusion, I do not wish to prolong this scrawling and will summarize. The intention was to simply display that we do not live in a world that is natural in relation to the existence of God. It is God in all His glory that is natural. When God created us He created an unnatural world for us to live in, but gave us a piece of His natural spirit so that we may always know Him. In this sense our natural spirit is at odds with our unnatural flesh. Therefore, we must daily take up our cross and crucify our unnatural fleshy encasement.

Freeing the Beast

2010-03-08T11:43:00.005-05:00

Recently I have taken up the exercise of running. At one point, five years and thirty pounds ago, I would run two miles daily. These daily runs at the time were a thing of magic and I often looked forward to them throughout the day.

Over the weekend I changed gears in my running routine, if you call one week of participation a routine, and took the jog outside in lieu of the gym. It was this jog in my neighborhood, nowhere near two miles by the way; that I realized what I had been missing this past half a decade.

There is something so natural and basic that emerges in the person who is exerting themselves by running/jogging. It is as if the world slips away and you are able to become just what you were meant to be: a living, breathing, adapting creature.

All too often we humans muck everything up with our complicated way of doing things. What we need to do is just step back and remember that we are all just here for a season and we need to enjoy the world in which we live.

We need to experience the sun shining on our face and the moon cooling the air. We need to find shade under a tree and allow the grasses to tickle our feet. We need to feel the adrenaline of an exerted body and the peace from the rest that comes after. We need to stop and remember that none of it matters as much as we think it does.

Today I challenge you to go run, maybe not in the physical, but at least in the spiritual. Let your spirit run before you and experience the world in which you live in a new way. Experience it in the way that you have forgotten.

Relief in "Relief"

2010-03-03T09:48:00.005-05:00

As a modern day Christian I, along with many others, find that in some ways our faith has been disconnected with reality. It is as if the belief in a supernatural being that created all things is considered science fiction in a world that proclaims to be science fact. This schism in the human psyche presents us with a sort of alien effect in the world in which we live.

To compound this issue we also find that in many of the religious institutions of the world we are just as foreign. It is as if when we go to congregate with other Christians everyone wears a mask of what they believe they should be. Many churches today create this pseudo-peace type existence that our mind utterly rejects as authentic. (Quite possibly the reason conversions are down across the nation.)

So what we have is a person, such as myself, that fully believes in God (with reasonable doubt of course) and fully believes there is no place for them. The world rejects the person's premise of a Creator, and the church rejects the person's need to not only be relevant, but real. I do not believe this is what Christ had planned.

With all this considered I arrive to my point of this entry. I recently read my first issue of Relief. Relief is a Christian literary journal that treats the cause of our faith with a very open eyed, honest, and transparent perspective. They seem to understand that the corporate church environment has become just as alien to us as the world in which we live. As you read their published works you become engrossed with the theme of real world hurt married with supernatural comfort. It is this marriage that appeals to the genuine faith we all strive for.

In closing I simply thank the people over at Relief for their hard work and their vision. The goal of this publication as stated on their website is, "to pursue a complete picture of Christ and life –- real, gritty, painful, wonderful, this-side-of-heaven life." To this they have been successful. May I also recommend that all my readers take the time to look over their site (http://www.reliefjournal.com/) and even consider a subscription.

The Viaduct Run

2010-02-22T11:41:00.005-05:00

When I was a small boy, maybe around the age of six, I had much difficulty walking (to this day I still walk into an occasional wall, but in my defense they do tend to jump out at me). My mother always told me that I was pigeon toed, which, to a six year old, was like being a circus freak.

Also at around this same time I was active in swimming lessons and many times during the day while my mother was at work my sitter would have to take me to the class. One morning as we crossed over the bridge or, as all the locals call it, the Viaduct something dreadful occurred. About mid way through the adventure the babysitter asked if there were sharks in the river and if I could swim. To both I answered yes. Quickly, or least I remember it that way (remember I was slow and pigeon toed), she hoisted me over the railing of the viaduct and dangled me by my pigeon feet directly above the river.

As you can probably tell both incidents were quite traumatic. After all I was a circus freak with some sort of bird feet that was soon to become the next meal for a dirty river shark. From that day forward I would never cross the bridge by foot, pigeoned or not.

Then on one unexpected afternoon some time later I experienced a miracle in my life. My family was downtown for some reason that I cannot remember and we were heading home. As we approached the fatal bridge there was a small convenient store that my father wanted to stop in. I, seeing the opportunity for more Garbage Pail Kids, decided to go in with him.

Mother was with us that day, but had been arguing with father and decided to walk on without us. As I left the store and realized what my mother had done I became very distraught and searched for her. Within moments I spotted her on the other side of the bridge. Without thought in mind, and yes regardless of what people say this is an unusual condition for me to be in, I began to run.

One would think that a small six your old boy running for his mother was a beautiful thing, right? No, not quite.

Just imagine a young boy running over a bridge crying out to his mother. Now imagine that small boy wearing the typical brightly colored short length shorts of the 80’s. Continue with this thought and place upon the boy’s feet a pair of cheap cowboy boots. (The cowboy boots were worn because I was convinced they helped with my pigeon feet.) I can sense that there is no need to elaborate any further due to you probably being well into a chuckle at this point as you imagine this little boy running over a bridge in such a horrific outfit.

Upon reaching my mother I was swept up into a loving embrace and comfort ran through my childish frame. She then brought my attention to the fact that I had just crossed the Viaduct all by myself. I was absolutely amazed and from that day forward I crossed the bridge with confidence.

I tell you this tale so that you may better understand the passage that states “whatever is true, what is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think of these things.” (Philippians 4:8) When I was a child I focused on all the potential pitfalls and struggles in life instead of something that was pure, like the love of a mother. Today as you go on with your life think not of what bad could come, but of what glory waits and you too may find yourself comforted by a loving embrace.

Moral Decline

2010-02-11T14:02:00.007-05:00

Recently I was asked by a professor as an assignment (as if they ask for any other reason) to take a poll of five of my peers. This poll was to consist of them reading over 34 character strengths (finding five peers who could read did prove a little difficult) and picking five that they felt were necessary for a good elected official to possess. The results were quite intriguing.

With strengths like Communication, Commander, and Woo (the ability to win people over) there was quite a bit to consider. However, there was one strength that was only scored a couple times (yes I realize this is forty per cent, but be patient). That strength was Belief.

This trait is defined as someone who believes in doing the right thing. In retrospect it would appear that this is actually the most essential trait of them all. With my curiosity piqued I questioned those who did not score this trait as to why they felt it was not essential. Their answers, in my mind, could not be more horrid. What they responded with was, “I really do not care what they do when they go home at night.

The mindset displayed by these individuals gave evidence (though this population is way below acceptable standards) that people are beginning to care less about who they vote for. Do we honestly believe that if a man is immoral at night he will be moral during the day?

With corruption rampant in our government and the moral fabric of our country being whisked away by television one would think it was time to take charge. We need to look towards our past and utilize the rules of our grandparents as a yardstick to measure ourselves. Yes, I understand that the ways of yesteryear are outdated, but are not the moral standings needed just as much?

In conclusion I suppose I am trying to say that I feel as if our moral threads are degrading in every way and before long we will live in an anything goes society. It will be in this society that we will truly acknowledge the faults of the preceding generations. I present to all people that it is our duty to be morally minded and that we must hold all leaders to a higher moral standing than we may even hold ourselves. After all a man that leads me into the ditch of my own hand is no leader at all.

Word Confusion

2010-02-04T11:07:00.007-05:00

Today I stumbled upon a fun list at http://www.dictionary.com/ and thought I would have some fun. From this list of confusing words I have selected a few and made sentences utilizing the set identified. So just sit back and relax, for today's post is intended for leisure. (Note: If you feel the need to criticize the grammar or anything of that nature, that is fine but remember I do have a twice removed uncle who once trained with a man that bought coffee from the same barrista as Chuck Norris. I'm just sayin'.)

1. Though Mr. Carter was affluent, he never was effluent in order to become influent.

2. I do suppose it wouldn’t be a grave solecism to support the philosophy of solipsism.

3. I am nearly certain that this uncharted island is unchartered.

4. For ease of use you should attach that strap to your attaché.

5. It is completely intolerable that you can be so intolerant.

6. The musician has concluded that the timbre of this timber is quite unique.

7. Her eloquent speech adds to her air of elegance.

8. Can you believe how difficult it is to give my pastorale a true pastoral feel?

9. You really should catch that ewe that is chomping on our yew.

10. A person of high class must always cast aside the caste structures of society.

United States of Rome

2010-02-01T10:55:00.005-05:00

It was written by Edward Gibbon in his account of the fall of Rome: “Toward the end of the Roman Empire, all religions were regarded by the people as equally true, by the philosophers as equally false, and by the politicians as equally useful.” Having read this statement I find that I am thrust into a whirlwind of modern day similarity.

Currently, in America we have a social atmosphere that allows, and even endorses, that there are many paths to God. This is not at all unlike that of the Romans many centuries ago. It is this attitude that causes the erosion of conviction and opens the door to the other two issues to follow.

In the society we now live philosophers do not hold as much of a grasp as once held. Insteadwe see their position being held in the discipline of science. Where we once speculated, we now presume to know. It is this knowledge that gives rise to a belief that God is no longer necessary.

As far as politicians are concerned; I am not fully certain that the problem of usury among them has ever truly been eradicated. While there are many good men of political industry, there are twice as many corrupt. Nonetheless, in modern America we too see the issue of men in power using religion to advance their agenda.

What was written of Rome now seems to be true in America. In a nation whose forefathers utilized the lessons and dynamics brought forth by the Romans it only seems fit that we fall on the same sword. It is often said that we should understand history lest we repeat it. Well, it would seem that even with the knowledge that history has taught we are destined to repeat their triumphs and failures to the point of our own destruction.

In conclusion, the central premise presented revolved around religion. It is apparent that the belief in God is essential to society’s united effort of progress and success. When this nation first began the majority was united and greatness occurred. Now we see a separation of efforts and therefore a decline of strength. I cannot help but believe that if only we would return to our own history and repeat the success of being one nation, indivisible, under God; that we could become the America that we all believe ourselves to be.

The World of Facebook Validation

2010-01-25T19:17:00.006-05:00

Yes, that is correct. Apparently we have entered the world of Facebook Validation. This is a world not all that unlike our own. There is quite a bit of diversity and there is always something (but many times nothing) going on. So why don’t you join me on a short trip to the wonderful world of Facebook Validation.

On this simple little world there are millions of people, the strangest people you have ever met indeed. Whenever you look upon the natives they seem to be exposing their tongue, or wearing some horrible sweater, and sometimes they are in some odd contortionist pose that is fully alien to all who gaze upon them. Yes indeed this world is quite strange.

While here you learn more than you ever desired about the inhabitants. For instance, one resident recently informed us of their need to go study (but really they prefer to procrastinate.) Another resident just blurted out that they really had to use the restroom (and the funny thing is; I actually was curious about that.) The topper, though, is the one that just validated their relationship by posting their lovers name in their relationship status (how disgustingly sweet!) As you can tell this is a very 'open' territory and few people are holding back their thoughts.

It was recently explained to me, though I still don’t quite understand the logic, that "[I]t ain't official if it ain't on Facebook." Apparently in the world of Facebook Validation everything that is important to the residents must be shared in an open forum or it just didn't happen. It is as if the whole world has spiraled into this existence where their actions must be approved of by all other residents.

Fortunately, I have the luxury of not living in this world, though I am not fully free from its grasp. I, for one, still believe in the individual and that sometimes the unpopular decision is the right decision. In many ways this society has forgotten how to keep the mystery of self sacred, and instead has placed all their cards on the table with what are essentially strangers. Where is the romance in that?

I am glad that I only visit this world occasionally (though my current visit is getting quite lengthy) and I can leave whenever necessary. Some people (oh, how I pray) have become lost in this world and currently we are sending rescue teams to call them back. So far we have rescued a total of -8 people. That is right we lost our entire maiden team. To that we are not concerned; for we are sure our next team of 12 will prevail.

A final note for all of you lost in the world of Facebook Validation: we are on our way, just hang in there. For now I leave you, but please hurry with the teams for I write this from behind enemy lines and your link to me can be found in my status as I await you validation.

My Dog, My God?

2010-01-22T08:36:00.008-05:00

Recently I finished reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (who is my long lost English uncle, though the family disowned him for heavenly debauchery some years ago) and there were many intriguing points that caught my interest. One in particular was the meaning of the word "my". It is stunning how such a simple word can so quickly paralyze my "my" thought as I realize the horror of my "my" misunderstanding.

C.S. Lewis contends (well maybe not contends because Screwtape states it as fact) that we as people have neglected to realize the dual meaning of the word "my". This little word does in fact have two distinct connotations.

First, you can use this inconsequential pronoun to show possession; such as found in its use with the phrase: "My dog."

Secondly, you can use this word to show relation; such as is found in the phrase: "My God."

The problem that was revealed is that we have forgotten how to use the word in a relation context. Over time we have begun to feel that we not only own our dog, but we also own God. Clearly it is evident where the problem begins.

As I leave you to ponder how you have used this two letter word I want to point towards one final telling phrase. In the Old Testament God tells the people time and time again that His will is to “[I will] be their God, and they will be my people.” Given the nature of God I want to add to Lewis’ contention by stating that in this popular quote of encouragement God intended both bodies to be in the relational context. He does not desire to own us, nor does he desire to be owned. He simply desires to have a relational existence with his beloved creation.

God in School

2010-01-20T08:36:00.008-05:00

How does one define ‘public’? When we interact in our community through the ‘public’ institutions what guidelines should there be and which ones are appropriate? These are just a couple of the questions that have been troubling me today, and they both originate from a news article that I read this morning.

A local high school has recently come under attack because they give recognition to God in their mission statement and even go as far as saying they value this sentiment in their students. I, personally, support this recognition that is held by the school district. However, a group out of Madison, WI known as Freedom from Religion Foundation has taken issue with it and has collected three complaints to give to the school board in order to strong arm the district into rewording their mission statement.

Now here comes my issue. As a ‘public’ school their actions and values should be dictated to them by two groups: the local community and the government bodies that preside over them.

1. Local Community: this group of people can easily be defined as the tax base, those who pay into the school district. Of this group of people it appears that most are in favor of leaving the mission statement alone, after all only three complaints have been lodged. One would think that when it comes to the local community’s belief there would need to be a much larger group of people involved in the complaint.

2. Government Bodies: a school district is directly controlled by the bodies of government over them (specifically the state) and therefore should reflect the values held by that government. With that said I wish to point out that in Ohio, where all of this is happening, the state motto is “With God, all things are possible.” It is obvious to me that Ohio has established a precedent that the belief in God is acceptable. Not only does this apply to Ohio, but the motto of the United States of America is “In God We Trust.” This leads me to believe that this school district has only extended the belief system, and model of standards, that has been established by their governing bodies.

In conclusion, I again have to ask, what is ‘public’? According to the actions of these protestors who lay in the minority it would seem that ‘public’ means to serve the interests of small groups. On that matter I disagree. Any institution that is in the public sector must follow two basic rules. First they must listen to their constituents and second they must follow the standards that have been put in place by their government. To both of these points the above mentioned school district has followed and therefore should be allowed to continue on with their currently stated mission until conditions change.

Let there be Light: Shining light on change

2010-01-12T19:32:00.026-05:00

"'In the beginning God said 'let there be light.'"
What a popular quote this has become. There are many popular variations that can be heard on any given day in today's vernacular. I recall a time when I was a bit younger when I would enter a room, flip the switch for the light, and call out, 'and God said let there be light.' (Yes, I was that annoying kid that needed hit when I was younger, and according to my wife I still am.)

However, the intention is not to discuss the relevance of this scripture in relation to creation of the world, but instead we will be looking into the creation of a new you. At some point in every person's life there has to be that moment of change, that moment of a light turning on. That light turned on for me when I left to go and be a soldier in the Army.

The wedding bells were still dancing in my head, or at least the recorded version of the bells was, the day that I kissed my young wife goodbye. The two of us had been united as one for not even a month when we first departed ways. Her tangled mass of curls draping over her sullen face did little to hide the tears that raced over her slightly sloping cheek. Gently I caressed my thumb just under her eye and swept away the brackish water as I gently whispered my devotion and love to my one and only girl. She offered a forced smile, our lips met one last time, and I turned to enter the recruiter's office. I made it through the first four weeks of basic training before I completely cracked.

When I left to join the military I was a very selfish man and cared little for other people, but when I came home I was an on fire agent of God. It was when I was taken away from those who I loved that God was finally able to breakthrough. I had been separated, made open to the world around me, broken to the point of desperation, and then received the light that made all things possible. It is these principles to changing your life with the aid of God that made me a new man.

-Be Set Apart
-Be Open
-Become Broken
-Receive the Light

Be set Apart: You must allow yourself to be taken away from the situations in your life that cause the most harm. There is no way to transact change if you are unwilling to move. For every action there is an equal or greater reaction. If there is no action then there is no reaction.

Be Open: After you remove yourself from the harmful situation, then you must become open to the realm of possibility. Remember that God created you for something, no matter how crazy it may be. A dream is nothing more than a vision of your future.

Become Broken: Now that you have taken action and allowed yourself to dream it is time to be broken. When I say broken I mean it is time to realize your shortcomings and the wrongs of your past. This is VERY painful, but well worth it. We all have those proverbial skeletons and in order to accurately cast your vision you must let them free. Remember: The only way to be repaired is to first be broken.

Receive the Light: By now you will be a big ball of confusion, good that is just where you should be. On one hand you feel free because of your vision and removal from the situation. On the other hand the broken state has humbled you. It is only in this humbled state that you can peer through the darkness into the light and see the road meant for you. In darkness we can only dream, but in light we can actually achieve.

"In the beginning God said, 'let there be light.'" It is this command by God that changed the world and today I reference it to point out that God is saying the same about you. It is the desire of God to be part of your life, He wants to be the change. We, as people, can only go so far, but with God (the light) we can accomplish amazing feats. Let there be light in your life and you too can experience the change you need.