Ups and Downs

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” I think we all know the feeling. Want and plenty ebb and flow through our times like the tides. That’s life. Like the old Sinatra song said, “You’re riding high in April, shot down in May.” We accept that as a part of life. Which is fine as far as it goes. However, Paul said accepting the ups and downs of life is just the beginning for Christians. We are not only to accept the ebb and flow of life, we are to find contentment by learning how to be full and how to have needs.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Struggling through hard times is admirable. Doing so without doubt, complaint or whimper is divine. Which calls on us to make a decision about our goals. Do you wish to be admired or like Christ? The same is true of riches, although there are passages in the Bible that lead me to believe that learning how to abound may be the more difficult of the two.

Everywhere and in all things---happens everyday. Are you learning as you go?

Blame Games

          There’s a great deal of blame being passed around the media, water coolers, and living room sofas. Democrats blame Republicans, Republicans blame Democrats, racists blame the President and everybody blames the Tea Party for the current financial fiasco in our country. Not to be left out, I’m going to add my two cents worth.

          You may ask what that has to do with musings on the gospel of Christ? I’m glad you asked.

The answer is: absolutely everything.

This blame game would not be happening if every one of us looked for the cause in the right place. We can find the real culprits for our country’s decline and debit by looking in the mirror. The person you see there is all for cutting spending—as long as it’s not his spending. He is all for spending more to help the poor---as long as it’s not more of his money being spent. He’s all for higher taxes as long as it is the “rich” being taxed. In biblical terms we are all about getting at our neighbor’s mote and ignoring our own beam.

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”

Christians hear this all the time from the world—and rightfully so, it is the truth. What the worldly wise men who spout these words don’t realize, or don’t want to know, is that they apply equally to all men. He who calls another person a liar is not hateful if, in fact, the other person refuses to tell the truth. He may be simply overlooking his is own propensity for error.

Most Christians I know believe America has been blessed by God. Be that as it may, America cannot borrow its way to prosperity. If that were possible, we’d have all been rich years ago. Our country must to stop.

Period.

We all know that. We may not practice it as we should, but we know it just the same. Outlay cannot exceed income indefinitely. Someday, probably not today, but someday, it will end in ruin. The longer it goes, the harder the crash will be and the more people it will hurt. As a nation and as individuals, we must stop spending money we don’t have. As government workers will tell you, the problem is that for every dollar not spent, somebody feels the pinch. No one wants to be that somebody.

I get it. I work with people everyday who want to their problems fixed without pain. If you’re not mature enough to know it, I’ll tell you, it’s not always possible. Motes and beams seldom come out painlessly. A shot of antibiotics hurts, but does it hurt as bad as gangrene? You tell me. Until every individual American is willing to put aside his wants and do what has to be done—we are all to blame and we will all go to ruin together. Phil Gramm called us a nation of whiners—he was being generous.

“And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!”

 “But wisdom is justified of all her children.”

One Way Street

          “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

          Christians are narrow minded, stubborn, elitists. They really have no choice in the matter. Christianity is an all or nothing religion. Christians worship a man who said He was the Son of God; not a son of God---the, as in the one and only, Son of God. He repeatedly told practitioners of the world’s greatest monotheistic faith that they were doing it the wrong way. He went on to tell them He was also the way. Again, He insisted His way was not a way to God, but the one and only way to God.

Then, He commanded those who believe Him to go tell the world. The world’s willingness to hear was never an issue. The world was condemned and He was the only means of salvation. Jesus told believers ahead of time to expect the world to hate and kill them. He said to go tell them anyway because all others claiming to be a way to God were thieves and robbers. If Jesus Christ was this narrow minded, how can His followers be less so?

          Christians, quit trying to soothe feelings in an attempt to accommodate the world. The world is passing away. It is not hate speech to advocate that the condemned be saved. Thank God for the brave souls who warned me to flee from wrath.

Supernatural

          A woman approached me while I was signing copies of my book Hatchlings. She scanned the cover and saw it contained fourteen tales of the supernatural.

          “I don’t believe in witches.” She said and walked away.

          What stuck with me is the popular assumption that the supernatural is evil; the exclusive realm of witches, warlocks, ghosts and demons. I admit those characters do creep into my stories on a regular basis. People are all too eager to accept that evil spirits and various monsters possess the ability to break through to our world from the supernatural. We’re not as ready to accept the idea of supernatural good or its ability to cross the same boundary. It’s sort of like the notion that a person who talks to God is a saint while a person who claims God talks back is a whack job. Maybe you’ve wondered why a person who believes in and feels the presence of ghosts and spirits is sensitive and open minded while a person who believes in and feels the Holy Ghost is a religious nut. If so, you’re not alone.

          The supernatural, by definition, includes all that is above and beyond the natural world. For good or evil, this includes the entire spirit world. To which Jesus said: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

           Christian worship is a meant to be a supernatural experience the object of which is to touch or be touched by God. To accomplish worship someone must reach across the boundary between the natural and the supernatural; the terrestrial and the celestial. In old time Pentecostal terms, for worship to happen there has to be a move of the spirit. Those who are born of God have the Spirit of God. Moreover, they have the living, spirit discerned, word of God to guide them into a celestial kingdom. Christ’s soldiers need not be limited to being all they can be. Through Christ they can be more than the sum of natural abilities; they can be supernatural. All it takes is vision.

          Jesus is Emmanuel. He is God with us; not for thirty-some years, but forever “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Christ’s statement was no theoretical catch phase; it is spiritual reality. He is as alive and present with His disciples as when He spoke those words. It is a case of believing is seeing.

          “People who believe in ghosts see evidence of their existence everywhere,” said a researcher from a leading university.

He went on to say that no matter how much looking he did at the same evidence---he couldn’t see it. He just didn’t believe evidence existed. If evidence of the supernatural slapped him in the face, he wouldn’t see it. He would insist there was a natural explanation. The same can be said for God. Believers see Him everywhere and doing all manner of things. Others don’t understand all the fuss; the Red Sea was ankle deep; Lazarus was catatonic or in a coma; when Jesus shared the loaves and fishes, so did all His hearers. Belief rules sight for Christian and non-Christian alike. The difference is that Christians suppress their beliefs and vision to get along with detractors while worldly wise men insist on their vision and criticize detractors as blind or worse. Christians need not convince the world of the reality of the supernatural. They only need to convince themselves of the literal truth in what they say.   

Every Christian must keep their eyes open to is the source of their salvation; never lose sight that salvation comes by grace. Though a Christian is saved for a hundred years, saved by grace will never change. Christian works are necessary to a healthy life and will glorify God. Good works testify to the reality of faith, but they will never save a soul. Christians work because they are saved; they are not saved because they do works. This milepost is the single most important sight on the Christian’s journey.

Moses was a mighty man of God. Nevertheless, the Bible says he was a meek man. This meekness came from forty years on the backside of the desert learning that he didn’t deserve all God had given him. In one moment of extreme frustration Moses let slip claim to share of ownership in his deeds. That moment cost him dearly; losing sight of God’s grace always does. Spiritual vision is necessary to spiritual life. Where there is no vision the people perish. A godly vision encompasses the point of origin. God sees the end from the beginning and so should His people. 

Neighbors

          I'm a bit off subject today, but hey, it happens. Authors often get their ideas for a story by asking, “What if.” Want to try it with me? Okay, what if you woke up to the sound of hammering and found strangers who had pitched a tent in your back and were busy building a house?

          Being a reasonable sort, you maintain your cool and saunter on over. These people are poor. Not only do they have no money they have no way to make any money. They’ve traveled a long way to reach your yard and have no way to get back where they came from. The lack basic necessities, but are going to try and start over from their new backyard homestead. They chose you house because their children need an education and there’s an excellent school in your neighborhood. Besides, they say, you have all this unused land and the taxes are paid on it. Why not share?

          You’re in no mood; you run them off, but the next morning they are back and working more feverishly than ever. You ask them to leave and they refuse—it’s so nice in your yard. Fed up you call the police. The police have bigger fish to fry so they say, “Be a nice guy and let them stay. After all they only want to share your success.”

          Now, what if these people were from Detroit? Do you cave let them stay?

          If you answered no; I want to ask why it is any different if they come from Nogales, Juarez or Nuevo Laredo. Isn’t it trespassing no matter where you come from or what language you do it in?

          If you answered yes; there are millions of illegal immigrants who want your phone number. 

God's Eye View

          “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Romans 4:17.

          Paul, writing here about the relationship between God and Abraham, has been explaining how Abraham, by faith, became the father of the faithful. But, he also has something to say about the personality of God. God quickens (brings to life) the dead and he speaks of things that don’t yet exist as if they already existed. For example, when there was no light God said, “Light be,” and there was light. When God says something---it happens.

          Often times when God speaks, things happen very quickly; as in the case of light. However, that is not always the case. God’s promise to make Abraham the father of many nations took generations to come about. Peter warned his readers, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” God is not subject to time in the way we are and His promises are not dependent on our schedule. God will do what He says He will do and it’s not for us to know the times and the seasons. While time may not be important here, the order of things is of absolute importance. First, God says it; then it happens. Sounds simple and it is.

          Now, let’s apply that simple principle. A person surrenders his life to Christ in sincere repentance. God says that person is born again. That is, he has been granted a new life; the slate of sin has been wiped clean. But the change is more fundamental than that. The new man is declared to be righteous, faithful, and the very image of Jesus Christ. This declaration doesn’t come from the church, a minister, or the man himself. It comes from God and the angels in heaven rejoice over the new born. Okay, got it—God said it. What comes next?

          As you may have guessed, it happens. Some new births are quite dramatic in effect; others not so much. However, it doesn’t take a self-proclaimed non-judgmental judge to see there may be a big difference between what God says about a Christian and the way that Christian sometimes behaves. Sin is sin and no one, no matter what church he goes to, gets a free pass. But before anyone decides to shout “hypocrite,” consider the promise of God. Like the old song says, “I’m just an old lump of coal, but I’m going to be a diamond someday.” I’m not trusting in my strength of will, my faith, or my good looks to make that happen. God will make it happen because He said He would. God “calleth those things which be not as though they were” and that includes Christians. Don’t judge the end product yet. If you really want to test a person’s Christianity, judge it by persistence. If they’ll only hang on to God by faith, that person will be a saint one day.   

          

The Long Drop

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

No strings or binding ties in relationships is nothing new. People have felt that way throughout history. That philosophy has never been more true than when it comes to a relationship with God. The profession, “I’m spiritual, but not religious” is nothing but a modern repetition of the age old desire to be free from any claims God may make on our lives. People are willing to concede God’s existence as long as it doesn’t interfere with what they want to do. The whole idea of being bound by rules or duty is abhorrent to human thinking. We are rebels at heart and proud of it. But here’s the thing about bands and cords; there are times when you need them.

Several years ago the boys and I went to a scouting camporee. On the final day we climbed climbed into the mountains to go rappelling. I thought it would be great fun for the boys, but I had no intention of going over any cliffs on a rope. Earle Acree, the leader of the expedition, put on all the safety garb and went running over a sixty foot drop to show us all how fun it was.

Reaching the bottom, he called up for all to hear, “Now, Jack will show you how easy it is.”

Two hundred eyes suddenly looked to me for inspiration and assurance. I had fallen into a carefully laid trap. I was a leader; a man among boys; I could do this. I quickly looked for a way out, but to no avail. I was strapped into a harness and crowned with a helmet. With gloves on my trembling hands, I peered over the edge and wondered anew what kind of fool could think this was a good idea. Was I really one of the idiots that came up with this idea?

“Turn around,” Earle called up.

At least I wouldn’t see the bottom racing up to shatter my bones. Sometimes in life there’s no time for prayer beyond a desperate, “God help me.” I positioned myself on the brink.

“Now, walk backwards over the edge,” came the instructions from below.

Without even waiting the mental command, my feet shuffled back a few inches. My toes tried to dig into the rock that my heels abandoned. I went over the edge.

“No, lean back away from the rock and walk down it.”

This was insanity. My terror fueled instinct to cling to the rock was evident from below. Earle stepped in to help.

“Let go of the rope,” he said. “I won’t let you fall.”

This sounded impossible, but hanging in midair five stories up, sometimes you’re willing to try the impossible. I let go---slowly.

Nothing happened.

I was still alive! I was still hanging from a cliff, but I was alive. Better yet, I hadn’t moved an inch.

“As long as I have a hold of the rope that is tied to you; you won’t fall,” Earle said with complete confidence. “Walk on down.”

Fear gone and a strange sense of thrill setting in, I walked down the cliff. Once I realized that the one I was tied to kept me safe, I could do what before seemed impossible.

This story came back to me in full force this week with the passing of my daughter-in-law, Paula. Death is an impossible drop into an unknown abyss. What becomes of us when we step over the edge depends on who have tied ourselves to in life. We all have an appointment with death, but few choose the time. Who holds the rope for you?

The heathen rage over the bonds of God and His people imagine they can live free of His cords. The scripture says,“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” But whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

  

Christ Crucified

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

Years ago Pentecostal preachers wore this verse like a badge of honor boasting that what they preached came for God and not a seminary classroom. Experience with their college prepared peers lead them to presume that education and spiritual prowess were mutually exclusive. This conclusion is simply untrue. While it is true that education is not a prerequisite to spiritual power or understanding, it is equally true that it is not a hinderance.

Paul was educated and a spiritual powerhouse. His message to the Corinthians is not a slam against eloquence or education. It certainly is not an endorsement of ignorance. It is, rather, a statement about the unique person who is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ and Him crucified is a religious message like no other. This simple message is the linchpin of the Gospel and separates Christianity from all the other major religions. However, the message has power only when the two elements are joined together. Christ and Him crucified, taken separately, are exactly as those outside see them. They are a nice story that makes people feels good. Together, they are the power of God for the salvation of all mankind.

Jesus, without the crucifixion, was a teacher of moral truth and, as such, He is no different from Muhammad, Buddha or Confucius. The moral law of God has never been hidden. Men of all sorts and various times have lecture on morality and truth accurately. The world is right when they say that nothing Jesus taught about morality and truth was unique. He definitely wasn’t telling the Jews anything they didn’t know.

The concept of “love thy neighbor as thyself” can be found in a number of sources before Christ---before Moses for that matter. That doesn’t diminish its truth, but it makes it clear that if Christ came only to teach it was unnecessary and Christianity is unnecessary.

Jesus, without the crucifixion, was a prophet who lead people to God. Rarely has the world lacked for prophets. Muhammad's claim to fame is that he was the only prophet to ever tell it like it is. As a rule, that is the case for prophets outside of the Judeo-Christian tradition; they all claim some new or better revelation. Jesus boasted no such primacy. He pointed His listeners to the long line of Hebrew prophets and said-- “he that has an ear, let him hear.”

Jesus, without the crucifixion, was a miracle worker. There are those who scoff at this idea insisting on a logical explanation or saying Jesus manipulated circumstances for His benefit. Even as a fervent heathen, I never believed that. But, for argument’s sake, let’s suppose it’s true. Suppose all those miracles were nothing more than a power placebo. The fact is, Jesus fed the multitude and the next day they were hungry all over again. He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind and raised the dead. However, the woman with the issue of blood, Bartimaeus and Lazarus are all dead. The miracle stories are inspiring, but miracles don’t last. Except in a literary sense, their power disappears with the objects involved. If Jesus came only to do miracles--they are over and what use are they to us today?

For all the teaching, prophecy, and miracles there is a fundamental difference between Jesus and Moses, Muhammad, Buddha, et al. This is where the idea of Christ crucified comes into play. Christ, unlike the others, did not claim to speak for God. Jesus said He was God come in the flesh. Now, we may disagree with someone who claims to speak for God, but we dismiss out of hand the person who says he is God. No one who heard Jesus seems to dismiss Him.

I’ve read scholars who claim Paul was the one who turned Christians to the idea that Jesus was divine. Paul did preach the divinity of Jesus, but it wasn’t an original thought. In fact Paul spent a good deal of time trying to stamp out the notion that Jesus was anything but a man---and a misguided one at that.

Jesus told the Jews that He was the one and only God come in the flesh. He said He came of His own volition for a specific purpose. He didn’t come to teach, prophecy or do miracles. He came to do what no man could do. Moreover, He came to do something He, as God, wouldn’t ordinarily do. Jesus came to die and be resurrected.

The purpose of the crucifixion is reconciliation. God, in the person of Jesus Christ, became a man to reconcile Man to God. Because of sin, no man born of Adam’s seed, was able to reach beyond sin and death to make the kind peace with God that the blood of animal sacrifices could never make. The integrity of God’s word demanded that sin be recompensed with death and so all men die. However, in Christ and Him crucified, a sinless man, with the power to lay down His life and take it up again, died and returned to life anew.

Christ, like Adam whose image He adopted, is able to share His new life with all who are born in Him by faith. From Christ and His crucifixion emerge new men with a new life at peace with God. This rebirth and new life is Christianity there is no study or words needed beyond this. Paul didn’t go to Corinth to dazzle them with his education or his oratory. There was plenty of that in Corinth already. He came with the simple message of Christ and Him crucified--the power of God unto salvation.

Scraping Bottom

          “So he arose and went to Zarephath.  And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”

This story from 1 Kings is very familiar to me. I’ve read it many times. I’ve heard it preached from the perspective of both the prophet and the widow. Just the other day I got a new insight on this scripture. I was led by the Spirit to think from the perspective of the barrel. I was in one of those melancholy moods that come over me from time to time. I know there are people who never lament over the rocky road life chooses, but I’m not one of them. That day, my particular shortcomings were center stage among the woes on my mind. Yet, despite my oblivious flaws, everyone wanted something from me. I was empty. No one seemed to care; the requests kept coming and disasters kept springing up. I had nothing more to give—or so I thought.

That’s when the Spirit brought this story to mind along with the startling revelation that I was that meal barrel. It seems that, unnoticed by me, there was a small measure of meal stuck to the bottom of the barrel. I was reminded,  “the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD…” The sun came out. The birds began to sing and the curly headed boy beside me found comfort by holding my ear. I can’t say I was full, but I knew the little I had been given was enough and that it would never fail to sustain me and mine through any drought.

Only One Pair of Shoes

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

There is no more tragic character than the being who is expert in that which he has never lived. Lucifer studied God and was convinced he could be a living deity of equal skill. Though a third of the angels applauded him, Lucifer lost his exalted position in heaven.

Adam decided God was a liar. Adam believed that he could attain divinity by defying God. Adam lost paradise and access to everlasting life in fellowship with God. He became a cursed creature destined to be reduced to dust.

And so it goes---for there is nothing new under the sun.

There is no end of people who neither live Christianity nor have an open ear to it’s teachings. That is their choice; no godly person denies them that freedom. Yet it rankles the conscious of the worldly wise that others choose to embrace Christianity. They profess to have honestly studied religion, and from that study, possess the knowledge of what it takes to be Godlike. It seems no one understands God and holiness like those who deny the power of both. None seems able to understand Christianity as those who denounce it and refuse to experience it. (Strange that these same people are such advocates of experimental knowledge.) Paul warned Timothy those who are wise in their own eyes are “Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”

“Who can understand his errors?  cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

The Sound of Falling Trees

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? The question is not as silly as you may think; neither is the answer. That’s because the question is really asking: is man the center of all reality? Can anything not certified by the human senses be real?

There comes a point in every life when we must answer this question with eternal finality. If reality exists only in the years of this life and within the realm of six senses, it is nothing but a pointless exercise in bio-electrochemical futility. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow, we die! What else is there for those people who are the center of the universe? We die and all reality crumbles into blackness.

If however, as your spirit tells you, there is more to life and reality than this and we are not the big picture, then what is?  A being so powerful that he could create the universe with his words, surely would not be interested in the likes of us. What interaction could we possibly offer?

The answer is love.

For forty years love has awakened beside me and walked through each day with me. Love returns to me in my children, their children and their children’s children. Love scratches at my bedside every morning and roots its cold nose under my hand. To love and be loved; we are created for no other purpose.

Love begins and ends with God. God is love. “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

There's A Moon Out Tonight

The Arbuckle’s crowd began to thin out just after midnight, even the casino traffic was light; nothing unusual for Thursday night. Tomorrow would be a different story though not everyone in the bar would live to see it. Waylon and Willie extolled the virtues of a good hearted woman from speakers mounted high in the corners, but  failed to coax the bar’s patrons from their seats. The brave souls still hanging on were huddled in tight little groups of two or three. The lone exception was a short, square shaped man wearing a black leather jacket over a loose fitting cotton shirt and faded jeans of the same color. His worn boots were better fitted for combat than a night on the town. His dark hair was beginning to thin on top and streaks of gray showed at his temples and in the thick moustache he wore. A sweating bottle of Bud sat untouched on the bar in front of him. He was more interested in the three people sitting at the table near the door. The objects of his attention, a woman and two men, were oblivious to his focus on them.

The newly reconstructed Arbuckle Hotel and Casino opened a month ago to great fanfare. For the most part the customers were still locals, but with Memorial Day only a week away tourists were beginning to turn up. The bar was a muted oasis separated from the bright lights, harsh bells and buzzers in the casino by thick opaque glass. When the music in the bar faded, only the faint mechanical echo of the slots nearest the bar called to those within. The bar was typical casino modern; stark lines, black leather and polished nickel booths on red carpet. Stylized animals in traditional colors looking down from the walls reminded customers of the casino’s native heritage. A light blue fog of cigarette smoke hung a foot below the ceiling only slightly disturbed by the shining ceiling fans. The yeasty smell of stale and spilled beer had already worked its way into the walls and carpet.

At last call blue suited security men made their hourly walk through offering friendly waves to those still drinking. A few of the locals offered waves in return. Weapons and badges sparked the thirst of the man at the bar. He turned to his beer with bowed head. His interest lasted as long as it took security to make their way through the bar. His eyes wandered back to the trio near the door. He knew who they were. The couple, in their late twenties, called themselves Tom and Jen Waite. Their younger companion was Jon Frye. All of which was a lie, but one needed to be called something besides “Hey you” and one name fit about as well as any other. If anyone cared to inquire, and the man at the bar had, they were in Arbuckle to buy horses. Why in the midst of a drought and the declining value of hay burners anyone would be buying horses was as much a mystery as where they got their money in the first place. No one at the bar was the least bit curious about any of this. The only thing people really noticed was that they were an attractive group.

The woman’s coal black hair moulded itself around a thin face with a sharp, straight nose, high cheeks and full lips. She wore a sleeveless, green and lavender print, chiffon dress that draped seductively over her smooth, cinnamon skin. Even in flats, she was as tall as her companions. The men appeared to be brothers no more than a couple of years apart. They shared a thick shock of black hair that mirrored the color of their deep set eyes and a strong, square jaw. The elder of the two wore a simple white polo stretched over a muscular frame and twill khakis. The younger wore a gray and clay plaid Ariat whose long sleeves weren’t quite enough to cover all the ink he sported. Creased denim jeans someone took care to iron hung over his alligator boots. He wore a gold stud in the shape of a dog in each ear. Conversation lapsed at the table following the last call. Moments later, Tom and Jen headed back to the casino. Jon, determined to close out the Arbuckle, ordered another drink.

Security returned at one fifty nine. They were firm, but polite, the bar was closed. Everyone was invited to enjoy the casino and come back again tomorrow. The man in black left the bar alone. The rest of the customers crowded their way back into the casino.

The spring air outside hinted at the birth of morning frost. Tufts of silver clouds scudded across the dark southwestern sky. Vernon Parker, the man in black, searched the sky. The moon was lurking somewhere behind the thin cloud cover. Vern watched his sigh linger in the air; turned left and walked toward the park. His hotel, The Springs, was almost a half mile away along surface streets. It was half that distance through the park. Vern crossed the parking lot weaving through the scattered cars. He waited on the curb for a blue Honda headed west on Central. A soft breeze coaxed his coat closer. He pulled the zipper a little higher. Vern shrugged off the cold, smiled to himself and stepped into the street.

Two blocks south the buildings along Pine Street opened up to manicured lawn backed by a tall wrought iron fence broken by a huge travertine arch. Big Springs State Park was spelled out across the arch in matching black iron. The arch was lit by a pair of up lights set into pedestals. The park beyond the gate was dark; the tall oaks black silhouettes on a deep violet sky. Vern paused at the gate to light a cigarette and check his watch. He was being followed. The moon broke from behind the clouds turning the path  through the park into a pale thread running into the dark mass of trees. The gentle splash of an artesian fountain to his right was the only sound Vern could hear. He checked the sidewalk behind him. No one there. Vern started down the path.

Thirty yards ahead, oak and elm spread a canopy over the path. Moonlight worked its way through the leaves at broken intervals. The gravel crunching underfoot kept Vern on the path. The path round a bend and his footsteps picked up an echo. Vern froze listening; straining to hear a repeat of the echo. His eyes strained and searched the surrounding dark. Something moved. Leaves rustled just left of the path. A soft step; coming closer. Vern heart pounded in his ears. His mouth went dry. Despite the chill air, sweat broke out on his forehead and ran down his back. Something moved again, louder this time and closer. Vern crouched in the shadow of an oak and tried to slow his breathing. A twig cracked sending Vern’s heart into his throat. A loud snort broke the stillness. The attacker abandoned all pretense of stealth and charged. An involuntary yelp escaped Vern’s lips. He bolted. A dozen steps told him that he was never going to outrun whoever was coming, but fear had him. Running was no good. Vern spun to face his attacker. His feet tangled and he fell---hard.

A deer burst onto the path from the cover of a clump of undergrowth cedars. The doe paused to watch Vern crabbing frantically trying to get away. Sensing no threat from the figure on the ground, the deer slowly walked into the trees. Vern began to breathe again; in great gulps at first, but then, slowly a normal rhythm returned. He was shaking with adrenaline induced waves of nausea, but he was alive. Vern lay back onto the path staring up at the moon and hoping it would pass quickly. When it did, he began to giggle.

“That was goooood, real good, Vern,” he said. “What a hunter you are.”

Leaves stirred along the path; a twig cracked in the wake of the deer.

“Oh, no you don’t, not again,” Vern told the dark.

A low growl answered. That was no deer. Vern scrambled to his feet and vainly yanking at his coat. Eyeshine, red and menacing glowed from the trees. The guttural growl came again as ten feet away a black shadow stepped onto the path. Moonlight shifted, slanting through the trees and the shadow became six feet of black fur covered teeth and claws. Wolf and human; both and neither; it crept closer on misshapen legs. The foul scent of decaying flesh wafted from its open jaws. Five feet; a  long hand reached for him; clenched and open, clenched and opened. Three feet; Vern’s arm tangled in his coat. Jaws and hands opened wide. Vern’s eyes squeezed tight. The world exploded.    

Amazing Grace

It’s amazing that people whom we strive hard to serve treat us with contempt while God embraces us for the smallest effort. That’s grace for you. It’s not that God doesn't care about how we serve Him. But God accepts the fact that we make mistakes; we get distracted or we’re just plain slow to catch on. God doesn't excuse failure without consequences, nor is He indifferent to it. God recognizes weakness exists side by side with sincerity and works to turn that weakness into strength. God is not as willing as men to throw people away. In fact, He continues to invest in people long after they have cast Him away. He sends the rain on both the just and the unjust because He’s willing to bless without regard to the return on His investment.

Grace is not dependent on works, that is, it is not earned and cannot be earned. You don’t have to do x, y, and z to find favor with God. It’s only necessary to receive it by faith. Amazing. Jesus told His disciples, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” There’s no requirement for the recipient to prove himself worthy. Grace gives without regard to merit. “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”                                                                                          Paul of Tarsus

A Christian should be of the mind that his thinking and opinions will run contrary to those of society in general. Moreover, he needs grace to accept this with joy. His successful life will not necessarily look like success to his neighbors. This should come as no surprise since we are using a different yardstick.

There is no inherent wrong in recognition, fame or riches. It is not a sin to be physically attractive or talented. These things can be a stumbling block, but they are not wrong or undesirable in and of themselves. The real harm in the world’s vision of success lies in the fact that attainment is the end of greatness--the supreme measure of personal worth and success. No matter what you tell yourself, the desire to be wealthy or famous is simply to satisfy the self; there is no other purpose. But we need not be as high-minded as that. It is not money, but the love of money that is the root of all evil. It is as easy to be a poor sinner as a rich one.

Insistence on your right to respectful treatment, kindness and fairness can bedevil as easily as uncontrolled avarice. Whenever the object is self-satisfaction and defense of image, (as God told Cain) sin lieth at the door.” If Christ suffered outrage upon His person with silence and forgiveness, can Christians do less? If you curse a cashier or waitress, have you elevated your worth; have you put them in their place (below you)? I think not and what have we done to our soul in the bargain?

It is the soul of a man that endures. Whether we are rich or poor, it is what we do with what we have that matters. Godliness and the grace to accept God’s plan for our life with contentment and trust we not only give us peace within, but will last an eternity. A godly man builds other men. By lifting them up, he is lifted. A line in one of my favorite songs says, “Heaven waits and the angels are applauding the man who lives his life by faith.” What have we greater than the angels; yet they applaud with joy over one sinner who comes to God.

Are you thankful for what God has given or are you worrying over that one tree He has said “no” to? The scripture says He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness--can you be content with that?

Growing Grace

“Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”  

----St Peter

Peter, leaving his discussion of the world’s end, left for his readers an unfailing recipe for life---grow in grace. Here’s the thing, grace is the unmerited favor of God. The scripture says, “for by grace are ye saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. Therefore, we receive salvation as an act of grace. That is, salvation is not earned by practicing certain behaviors or by believing certain doctrines or going to a certain church. Grace is a gift given by God to men who did nothing to earn it. If grace is a gift from God, then don’t we simply possess the amount of grace God gave? But, if we can’t grow grace, why would the Holy Spirit tell us to grow in grace?
Let’s tackle the first question. The answer is relatively simple. We possess the measure of grace that God has given to us as an individual. “According as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” This measure of faith is the grace that will lead each Christian to his rightful place in the body of Christ. We can do less, but we cannot no more than God gives us grace to do. Paul, plagued by an unspecified thorn in the flesh, prayed for relief. The answer to Paul’s prayers was, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Evidently the measure of grace God gave Paul was enough for his situation, no more was coming even though Paul thought it might be necessary.

We cannot get, nor do we need more grace. The scripture urges us to grow in grace because we need to understand and appreciate the magnitude of the gift we have already been given. To grow in grace is to spend our life discovering that God’s grace really is sufficient. His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, including grace for every situation. But, let’s face facts, many times we are anything but gracious. Growing in grace is learning to tap into His grace in every situation. This is especially true in difficult times.

It’s easy to blame our lack of graciousness on stress, fatigue, or other people’s behavior. The truth is we have done nothing but turn our back on God’s invitation to grow in grace. I realize that little gem of truth doesn’t make it any easier to be gracious to obnoxious people. Who ever said being godly was easy? An equally hard truth is that practice makes perfect. Meaning that God wants us to be gracious and will send us as many tests as it takes for us to achieve it. The upside (yes, there is an upside) is that knowing this is half the battle. Practice grace. Bless when you’d rather curse; help when you’d rather watch a fool flounder; pray for those you’d rather have as prey. In other words treat people like you’d like to be treated--say, haven’t we all heard that somewhere before?