Military

Do Dollars and Cents Equal Good Sense?

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moneyThe year was 1976, the band was ABBA, and the song was Money Money Money. The song perpetuated the myth that all you have to do to be happy is to have a lot of money and accumulate many possessions.
The first stanza of the song says:

I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain’t it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That’s too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn’t have to work at all, I’d fool around and have a ball…

I’m not criticizing wealth, but I do not believe a hefty bank account guarantees happiness. Let me give you a contrast:

• If you are looking for a home, I hope you realize you cannot buy one. You can buy a house, but your family makes the home.
• If you get sick, you can buy the most expensive medicine in the world, but you still can’t buy health.
• You can buy the best seats at a sporting arena, but that does not mean you can purchase friendship.
• People invest a small fortune in a good bed, but the newly purchased mattress can’t guarantee a good night’s sleep.

Things or possessions will never replace relationships and wanting more will never be as satisfying as a fulfilling relationship with God.

I’ll wrap this up with three quotes that address the issue of wisdom, wealth, and good sense:

• Will Rogers: “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people that they don’t like.”
• Solomon: “How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold, and to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver (Proverbs 16:16).”
• Epictetus: “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

He-Man Principles

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Have you ever heard of Samson? How about Hercules or Arnold Schwarzenegger? Amazing strength, bulging biceps, and a powerful He-man” physique come to mind when I think of these men.

All three of these men are wimps in comparison to the God of Psalm 23. Pay attention to the four uses of the word “He in the verses below:
• He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
• He leads me beside the still waters.
• He restores my soul;
• He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake

Notice the position of God in the second and fourth points above: “He leads me.” He isn’t pushing you from behind, and He isn’t ridiculing from the sideline. He already sees what you’re seeking, and He already knows what you’re wondering. He is out in front and leading the way.

As I was thinking about these verses from Psalm 23, I remembered an old Gospel hymn called He Leadeth Me. I encourage you to listen to it by clicking here.

The ISM Prism

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prismThe answer to the question is Psalm 23. More often than not, when I ask a family what Scripture they would like read at the funeral of their loved one, they reply: “Psalms 23.”

While this Psalm is very poetic, it is much more than that—it is also jam-packed full of promises! The six verses of this Psalm is vivid imagery that presents God in the language of a caring and loving shepherd, and it offers hope to God’s struggling sheep in their darkest hours.

The first three words speak of God’s eternal presence: “The Lord is.” The word “is” is present tense. The verse does not say the Lord “was,” or the Lord “has been,” or “might possible be.” It tells us that the desire of God is to be your personal Shepherd at this exact moment and in every future second, minute, hour, and day of your life.

God is present now and with Him is the essence of His attributes. He is present with His empowering grace, abundant mercy, and His loving-kindness. He is present in His awesome greatness, His truth, and in His almighty strength.

Because sheep have a tendency wander off and get lost, He is also present to light the path you walk and to shine as a lamp to your feet. He is the ever-ready, ever present, power-packed God.

Whatever your task might be for today and whatever the trial may be, remember these three words: The Lord is. To really embrace the truth of this, drop the “the” and replace it with “my.” Say it now: “My Lord is.”

When you get a chance, put a smile on your Shepherd’s face, and shout it out: “My Lord is!” This “ism” is a beautiful prism that opens new possibilities to enhance your relationship with your Shepherd.

The Secret of Joy

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How would you feel if you were separated from your family and friends; punished for doing what is right; living your life to the best of your ability; and, thrown in jail? I’m not sure how I would react, but I do know what Paul did, He said we should “rejoice.”

Paul maintained an attitude of joy and contentment in a life that was often characterized by difficult circumstances.

In the midst of a difficult period in his life, Nehemiah reminded his followers that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Instead of taking a short-sighted view of life, Nehemiah challenged the people to see God’s presence, perceive His power, and to focus on His plan for their lives.

When things in your life are not going as you planned, remember that God has a timetable for you. Sometimes you may not understand the bumps in the road or the slow pace of the uncertainties, but God is still working, and He is executing His plan for the greatest good of all.

While speaking about Moses, Chuck Swindoll once said: When you trust the Lord to give you the next step, when you wait in humility upon Him, He will open the doors or close them, and you’ll get to rest and relax until He says ‘Go.” This was a guiding principle of Paul, and it is why he rejoiced even while in prison.

And, this is the secret of joy.

An Unchangeable Fact

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I love God’s creation and the beauty of His handiwork that we call nature. I’ve lived in Kansas, Texas, and Colorado, and I’ve visited many other states. Each of these places has a uniqueness to its beauty.

On a recent drive through the Flint Hills, it occurred to me that I cannot change the grassiness of the grass, the cloudiness of the clouds, nor the wetness of water. I’m powerless to do so.

The same is true of God’s love for me. There is nothing I can do to change it. He doesn’t love me because I’m lovely—He loves me because “God is love (I John 4:16).”

J.B. Phillips offers an interesting translation of John’s words: “God is love, and the man whose life is lived in love does, in fact, live in God, and God does, in fact, live in him. So our love for him grows more and more, filling us with complete confidence for the day when he shall judge all men—for we realize that our life in this world is actually his life lived in us. Love contains no fear—indeed fully-developed love expels every particle of fear, for fear always contains some of the torture of feeling guilty. This means that the man who lives in fear has not yet had his love perfected. Yes, we love him because he first loved us (I John 4:16-19).”

Everything in your life can go wrong, but God will still love you. Your car may break down, you may lose your job, and your dog might bite you love, but God is still full of compassion and His love remains.

It is an unchangeable fact: God is love, and He loves you!

Is It Well With Your Soul?

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When I went to bed last night, the words of a song were on my mind. Since I was still thinking of this song when I woke up this morning, I thought I would share them with you:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

While you might know these words, you may not know the story behind them. They are the result of six words that were written by Horatio Spafford (1828-1888), who was a successful realtor and lawyer in Chicago. At the height of his success, Horatio and his wife Anna suffered several tragic losses. The first of these was the death of their young son, and shortly thereafter, most of Spafford’s real estate holdings were destroyed during the Chicago fire of 1871.

Two years later Spafford decided to take his family to Europe. Due to some last minute business, he was detained, so he sent his family ahead of him. A couple of days later, he was notified that his family’s ship had been in a collision, and his four daughters had drowned.

Spafford took the next boat to England so he could comfort his grieving wife. As he sailed across the Atlantic, he wrote six words: “When sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul.”

A few years later, a songwriter named Phillip Bliss, took those six words and wrote the now famous hymn, It Is Well With My Soul. The song captured the essence of Spafford’s calm in the storm—the peace of God that attended his soul.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of this when he said: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You (26:3).”
Even though he had suffered the untimely death of his children, and his financial empire had been burned, his faith was not shaken—Spafford’s mind stayed on God; peace prevailed; and, it was well with his soul.

An Empowering Principle

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4us“If” is an interesting word, and it is often used in a sense of “iffy-ness,” but this is not the case in Romans 8:31: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Paul was declaring a truth about a certain and definite relationship the believer has with God. Exchange “if” with “since” and you get a fuller meaning of what Paul is saying—Since God is for us . . .

The presence of God (B4Us) is an empowering faith principle of Scripture, and it was the motivating factor seen in the lives of those who “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life. And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth. 39 And these all were commended for their faith (Hebrews 11:33-39).

I encourage you to make B4Us the center of your attention—write it on a notepad, scribble it on a mirror, affix it to your refrigerator door, and print it on the palm of your hand. Live the truth of this empowering principle: If God B4Us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).”

The truth is this: God B4Us means God is 4U!

To the Estate of . . .

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????????????????????????????????????????I made a phone call last week, and yesterday, I received a letter that was a response to that conversation. When I opened the envelope, I found a check for $72.72 payable to the Estate of E. Saferite. It was a refund for the unused portion of Mom’s Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance.

The Free Dictionary defines the word “estate” as, “The whole of one’s possessions, especially all the property and debts left by one at death.” In Mom’s case, this is and is not accurate.

If you think of the definition jut in the context of finances, it is a pretty good definition. If, however, you think of it in terms of the “whole of one’s possessions” it is sadly lacking.

The definition does not take into consider Mom’s possessions in Christ. Notice how Peter describes these: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (I Peter 1:3-5).”

Our possessions are an inheritance that is:
• Imperishable
• Undefiled (It can’t be soiled or stained”
• Unfading (It won’t wear out and its resources can’t be exhausted))
• Reserved in heaven for every believer

This inheritance is the result of God’s “great mercy” through which “He gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Do you see the importance of the resurrection? The “new birth” or salvation is associated with the mercy of God and the “living hope” we have in Jesus.

What was the time period between the death of Jesus and His resurrection? Most people answer it was three days. Isn’t a day 24 hours? Doesn’t 3 X 24 = 72?

Remember that check I received in the mail? It was for $72.72. Mom’s estate or “the whole of her possessions” are much more than 72 bucks—it’s everything that Jesus has to offer!

Bumps and Bruises

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imagesLife for some people seems to be rather easy. Others, however, feel as though life is an existence that is full of bumps and bruises.

How about you? Can you identify with some of these feelings or questions?

• Have you had an encounter with someone who is as mean as a junk yard dog and you’re hoping someone has your back?
• Is fear the dominant emotion in your life and the one that controls you?
• Do you feel like you are in over your head and about to drown?
• Are there some detrimental currents that are overwhelming you and dragging you off course?
• Have the circumstances of your life burnt you one too many times and you want to quit?
• Do you feel unloved, unwanted, and unneeded?

If you can identify with any of the questions above, you might find some comfort in the verses below:

Now, this is what the Lord says, the one who created you . . .“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I am with you; when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your deliverer (Isaiah 43:1-3).

Instead of looking at life through the lens of your bumps and bruises, I encourage you to understand it through the context of the verses above.

A Promise Kept

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I-PromiseYesterday I kept a commitment I made to my mother in 2009. Mom and I were sitting on her deck enjoying our coffee, and the discussion turned to end-of-life issues. As we talked, Mom said that when the time came, she wanted me to speak at her funeral.

I kept that promise yesterday, and I used Proverbs 3:1-2 as my text: “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.”

I summarized Mom’s “teaching” in 10 lessons:

• #1: Justice should be swift and there is benefit to impending doom. Mom believed in executing judgment and then let me squirm with the words: “And when your dad gets home you’re telling him what you’ve done.
• #2: The cure for sowing wild oats is to pull weeds. There were fewer weeds in our lawn than any other place in town. The price of misdeeds was to uproot unwanted weeds.
• #3: The remedy for poor speech is a bar of soap. My mouth was washed out with soap so many times, I could tell you what brand it was just by the taste.
• #4: Be thrifty. Solomon said that we should, “Consider the ways of the ant and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” With 8 kids, Mom couldn’t afford to be frivolous, so she would study the weekly ads and then stock the food pantry with whatever was on sale.
• #5: Splurge once in a while. Birthdays were special because Mom indulged you by cooking whatever you wanted to eat.
• #6: Be timely. Ecclesiastes 8:6 tell us that, “A wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, because for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly.” There were times each one of the kids in the family experienced an increase in their misery index because they arrived home one minute after curfew.
• #7: Clean your plate. I never understood why I was supposed to clean my plate, but I wasn’t permitted to lick my ice cream bowl.
• #8: Eat a little bit each time and you’ll learn to like it. Some of Mom’s kids never learned to choke-down slimy green vegetables.
• #9: Life isn’t fair. Mom had more than her share of trials and sorrows, but she believed that when hard times come your way you should trust God, huddle with your family, lean on your friends, and pull yourself up by your boot straps and keep on keeping on.
• #10: Love. In I Corinthians 13 we’re told that, “Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Regardless of what I did, Mom’s love for me never wavered.

My siblings and I were blessed with a wonderful mother, and we thank God for her love and the lessons she shared with us.