Passing Through

               “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” As certainly as we came into this life; we shall pass from it again. What profit is there in life seeing that it must end? If that were the whole story—there is no point in anything but to eat, drink and be merry. However, there is more to life than this world. Our life here is like a vapor. We walk the valley of life only long enough to decide the existence and justness of God. Once this matter is settled and we have given our judgment, it is God’s turn to judge.

               “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

               Christ doesn’t appear to us the second time as a suffering savior. The second time we shall see Him as He is. Judgment Day is not a far off, post-Apocalypse, meeting in the air. Judgment Day comes the moment our hearts beat no more. At that moment our fate is sealed. There will be a day when men stand before God to give an account of their life. This is not the judgment. It is our last word before sentence is carried out.

               Today, while you are working out your eternity, remember this question.

               “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Baby Lies

            My wife is a great one for admiring babies. She’ll walk across a crowded restaurant or down a crowded aisle to fawn over one. I understand; she can’t help it. Babies evoke a visceral reaction in most women. Babies are cute, cuddly and most of the time they smell good too. As long as they belong to someone else, what’s not to like?

            But, step back far enough to let a little rational thought in and the misconception is shattered. Take it from me, that chubby, pink bundle is trouble. It will learn to lie as soon as it can talk. It will steal as soon as it is mobile enough to get away with it. It will cheat as quickly as it learns the rules. Tarry too long changing a diaper and it will urinate on you. Put it down in a group of its own kind; it will scratch, bite and pinch everyone around.

            Don’t be deceived cuteness is only a disguise; within beats a heart of evil. Well did David say: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Man is a natural born liar, rebel and cheat. If one tells you he was born gay, a kleptomaniac, or a murderer, believe him; it may be the only truth to come from his mouth. Yet, there is help for Man.

            “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

            If you were born bad (and you were)---be born again!

History Revisited

I hear a great many people complain that the nation's political system is too polarized. They say that as if Congress existed in a vacuum rather than as a reflection of the electorate. If the middle-of-the-road is hard to find, it's because the right and the left are on completely different highways.

The Conservative Flyer leaves Union Station at 0800 traveling south at 45mph on track 9. The Liberal Express pulls out of the same station 15 minutes later going west at 65mph on track 7. At what time will both trains arrive at the Tropic of Capricorn? The answer is: the same time a consensus is reached on debts and spending.

The truth is Americans have very different ideas about where the country is and where it ought to be going. Those differences are nearing the point of being irreconcilable. It has happened before. The question is, what happens this time?

A peaceful, no-fault divorce is the contemporary thing to do. But, is liberal America open minded enough to "let the erring sisters depart in peace?" I doubt it. If they were they wouldn't think of representing themselves as the 99%. Conservatives are not simply the unconverted. We are the opposition. We are committed to our vision for the country.

Jefferson was speaking of human nature not spouting political theory when he wrote:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Will history repeat itself? Time will tell.

Built Rock Solid

            “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.”

Thus began debate about the authority of God and the veracity His word. Despite the rather bad outcome for Eve, her descendants continue to question God’s word. Man’s desire to be like God, exercising supreme authority, has not been abated by banishment from Eden or the lingering consequences of rebellion. War, famine, pestilence and death are the price we pay to avoid surrendering our autonomy. The notion of God with loving concern for, and absolute authority over, every situation in life is abhorrent to the cursed nature of Man. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

The practical truth is that every man operates under a shared code of conduct derived from a source beyond himself; his governments and his instincts. Our ability to bend and break that code does not diminish its existence or its demands upon the human heart and mind. We know, “Thou shalt not steal.” We demand our fellow Man obey it. Yet, all the while, we find excuses to break it ourselves or come up with explanations as to why it doesn’t apply to our particular circumstance. If we choose to dig honestly and deep, we will discover that this inherent code of behavior is the product of our Creator. It is the word of God; passed to us in His likeness; fastened to us by His Curse; and revived in due season by His Spirit.

God has revealed Himself to Man by conscious, by law and by spirit. For the most part, Man remains unmoved; choosing instead to worship himself and the gods he can create. Rousseau was right, free-born man is everywhere in chains. But they are shackles of his making, forged of self-will and secured by a spirit of rebellion. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are…” God’s word is not hidden, neither is it unknown.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” 

Upside Down

            I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. The true number is somewhere between my wife’s estimate and those I’ll cop to. But, for the life of me, I can’t recall a single one from which the government bailed me out. This only goes to show you, that despite my girth, I’m not too big to fail.

             I’m learning that nowadays if you owe more on your house than it’s worth; your not to blame. I mean, how’s an ordinary Joe supposed to know $600,000 is too much for a unique fixer-upper? What are we realtors? Not to worry, Uncle Sam is riding to the rescue. He’ll help you refinance that white elephant. That way you can make the same mistake, but at a lower interest rate.

            I’m not without sympathy for these people. The same thing happens to me every time I buy a new car and drive it off the lot. The last SUV I bought cost more than my house. I doubt anyone in Washington cares that the payments hurt or that I owe more than it’s worth. Serves me right for being a rich one-percenter. 

A Little Distance

            God’s gift of grace is all sufficient for salvation. Man needs to add nothing. But salvation is not static; it produces action in the man who receives it. Man’s behavior subsequent to salvation is the best evidence of the work God has done.

Likewise, God completely sanctifies believers by grace. At the same time God says, “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves…”            Those whom God has sanctified distance themselves from the world and draw near to God. God is the cause—our transformation is the effect.

Once invited in, God forever impacts our lives sending ripples throughout every part of our being. God will alter our thoughts, our desires and our actions. He will change the places we go; the clothes we wear; and the company we keep. Those who seek anything less will eventually go back to a more comfortable life. On the day of Pentecost, Peter told the crowd outside the upper room: “Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” It’s still good advise.

Questions Without Answers

There are mysteries in life to which we would all like answers. We are certain that this knowledge would make us better men; help us live happier lives; and rest easier at night. In the information age, knowledge is power; or so we're told. We want answers, but never really stop to consider the consequences. Absolute knowledge, like absolute power, would corrupt absolutely.

Jesus told His disciples that He would be killed and rise again three days later. He kept His promise. He was, indeed, the Messiah. They felt sure that the Kingdom of God could not be far behind.
"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"
"And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."

They didn't have a handle on their present. The future and its rewards were on their minds. Knowledge of God's timetable would have robbed their hearts of excitement and their lives of purpose. The reward they imagined would have become nothing more than a distant mirage.

There are some things God keeps to Himself. He does so, not to punish us or to appear mysterious, but to give us a life worth living. Jesus' answer was not what the disciples wanted to hear. It probably didn't make them happy. They had abandoned everything to follow Him only to have their hopes crushed; their hearts dark inside; and standing empty-handed on a hillside--or so they thought.

Ten days later everything changed.

Yesterday I attended the funeral of my infant great-nephew, Cameron Wade Wolfe. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. An added blessing is to those whose trust allows them to accept there is knowledge best left in God's hands.