General Posts, etc.

Evil is Real

/ Bob

A Dream Ended on a Mountain Road: The Cyclists and the ISIS Militants (NY Times)

This is a story of an amazing journey that ended so tragically. This couple lived life adventurously and found great comfort in the people who generously offered home and transportation and dry clothes when they so desperately needed them However, there is something that Mr. Austin wrote that strikes deeply at my heart. He said, “Evil is a make-believe concept we’ve invented to deal with the complexities of fellow humans holding values and beliefs and perspectives different than our own” He wrote of times when they had been mistreated along the way, but he never came to understand that evil is real. We should all learn a lesson from the lives of these two adventurers. Evil is real and so are the fruits of the Spirit of God – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. In James 1:20 we read that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Martin Luther Kind, Jr. exapnded on that verse when he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Evil is real, but it cannot be eradicated by evil acts and hateful retributions. Only love can do that and specifically, the love of Christ.

Evil is real and those of you who know the truth of Jesus Christ must “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:10-18) You must love because “love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) “Hatred stirs up strife but love covers all sins.” (Proverbs 10:12) “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (1Peter 3:9) There’s no better way to combat the real and present evil in this world that with the love of Christ.

So go forth – explore the world – but go forth in the truth of Christ, knowing that evil is real and moreover that God’s love is superior. Amor vincit Omnia.

All the smart and/or cool people agree:

/ Bob

A guest blog from my wife

All the smart and/or cool people agree:

“The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows, and the crimes of humanity, all lie in the one word ‘love’. It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life.”
~ Lydia M. Child

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
~1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
~ 1 Peter 4:8

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
~ Helen Keller

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
~ African Proverb

“Unity does not mean sameness. It means oneness of purpose.”
~ Priscilla Shirer

“United we stand; divided we fall.”
~ Aesop

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
~ Ephesians 4:2-3

“The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
~ Rudyard Kipling

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!”
~ Psalm 133:1

“It is easier to love humanity as a whole than to love one’s neighbor.”
~ Eric Hoffer

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”
~ Albert Einstein

“A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.”
~ Proverbs 16:28

“We’re all in this together.”
~ High School Musical

I’m not smart or cool, but I’m digging deep to find seeds of encouragement that will inspire us to find common ground, inspiring us to get it together before we go so far into division that we can no longer see we are a family of mankind. As most of you, I have many friends on far opposite ends of the political spectrum and I love them. My heart breaks because I know we are not going to be able to make a difference in our lifetime if we keep wasting so much time bickering and losing our minds. Let’s talk. Let’s listen even more. But let’s not forget that we only get so many days on this big blue ball and I hope we can spend those 24 hour gifts loving and understanding and leaving this temporary home a better place.

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
~ Ephesians 5:16

He Has Been, He Is, and He Will Always Be Faithful

/ Bob
God is faithful!  The same God Who brought you to this place in your life is the same God Who will be faithful in your future.
Reflect today on how God has brought you through the storms of life.  Reflect on His presence when you walked through the valley of the shad0w of death.  Reflect on the times when you were able to put one foot in front of the other – not because you had the strength to carry on but because His strength sustained you and empowered you to put one foot in front of the other and continue moving forward.  Reflect on those times and rejoice – He has been, He is, and He will always be faithful.
Now reflect on the times of joy in your life – the times when you were laughing with friends; the time you first held your child in your arms; the times when you gazed into the beauty of a sunset or marveled at the glow of a rainbow.  Reflect on those times and rejoice – He has been, He is, and He will always be faithful.
He is Jehovah – He is God.
He is Jehovah Jireh – the God Who provides.
He is Jehovah Rapha – the God Who heals.
He is Jehovah Roi – the God Who shepherds.
He is Jehovah Shalom – the God Who is our peace.
He is Jehovah Shammah – the God is always present.
God is faithful!  The same God Who brought you to this place in your life is the same God Who will be faithful in your future.

The Last Supper – Not an End, but a Beginning

/ Bob

The-Lords-Supper

As we reflect on the events of Holy Week – the last week of Christ’s earthly ministry – our thoughts often turn to the Last Supper.  In 1951 Fritz Eischenberg presented his visual representation of that event.  I just saw it for the first time.  Immediately it caused me to consider who those first disciples were – who it was that was gathered for that sacred meal.  In turn my thoughts turned to who would be present if that meal were to take place today.  Who would Jesus choose today to be His closest followers.  They would no doubt be from every  group you can imagine – rich and poor, outcasts and average folks, young and old.

At my next mental turn I saw myself at the table.   I could have been one of those who shared in that intimate moment.  As my mind rapidly flashed through the possible sights and sounds I came all too quickly to the image of Jesus standing to leave.  And leaving that table was only the beginning of His leaving.  We are singing now as we all prepare to walk out that door into a new world – a frightening world without the physical presence of our Lord.  And yet He said, “Lo, I am with you always – even to the end of the age.”

The time has come for us to rise up from the table and go out into the world with the saving message of Jesus Christ.  For too long we have kept the holy word of hope, peace and salvation locked up in the inner chambers of our hearts – that sacred upper room.  For too long we have been sitting at the table.  Reflect on the intimacy of Maundy Thursday,  grieve the death of our Lord on Good Friday, rest on the Sabbath of the tomb, and then Rise Again on Resurrection Sunday to go forth in celebration that Christ is risen, death has died, and hope is offered to all people.  Hallelujah!  He is risen – He is risen indeed!

A Little Humiliation Wouldn’t Hurt

/ Bob

Just over 150 years ago our nation was embroiled in a harrowing Civil War. Two years into the conflict there had already been over 500,000 casualties – over 500,000 dead and wounded with the promise of hundreds of thousands more. Congress urged President Lincoln to call the nation to prayer, to seek God’s grace in the face of such devastation. He signed a proclamation declaring that April 30, 1863 would be a day of prayer, fasting and humiliation – a day in which he asked all Americans to humbly call on God in repentance and acknowledgement of God’s provision.

Today our nation is embroiled in a different Civil War – different but no less harrowing. Instead of North vs South it is Rich vs Poor, Black vs White, Democrat vs Republican and even Religion vs Religion. And the list goes on and on – Rural vs Urban, White Collar vs Blue Collar, Old vs Young.  Isn’t it obvious that, in the midst of the American Civil War that is raging around us, we must join with our forefathers of 150 years ago and fall on our faces before a Holy God – recognizing His holiness and our depravity – and, in that humility, fast and pray for His restoration of our Union.

No political solution will do. While courts can hear our arguments, they cannot hear our prayers. While politicians can promise an end to crime and violence there is no presidential candidate who can stop the evil one or forgive our sin. No congressional body or government program or regulatory agency can heal our land. And no political movement, march, or hashtag campaign can produce an end to our collective ills.  God and God alone has the power to restore us and that restoration will not be known as American Exceptionalism.  It will be known around the world as the Exceptional Work of God.  We’ve tried to fix things on our own.  Maybe now we can go to the One who made us a nation and ask Him to repair what He established in the first place.

My View from the Back Porch

/ Bob

Ever since we started the renovations at our place in the country, it has always been a treat to go sit on the back porch and soak in the beauty of the Texas countryside.  I can sit out there in the morning and listen to the birds awakening with the dawn and then enjoy the croaking of what must be ten thousand frogs and crickets in the evening.  It is peaceful, quiet, and still – the way I long for my heart to be in the midst of the chaos of  life.  And it is in those quiet moments – when I am “still and know that He is God” – that God speaks to me and calms the storm within.  That is what I want to share with you in these posts.  I want to share my view from the back porch.

Some of my posts will reflect a few of the things I have learned in my journey through life.  Some will simply be statements of what I see in our culture and how we as Christians should respond.   I teach a Bible study class each week to an extremely eclectic group of adults and some of the posts and videos I share will be taken from those lessons.  I have no delusions of profundity but rather I hope to cause you to think, to laugh, to ponder anew your  life as Christ would have you live it.

Furthermore, I hope this will be a conversation and not just a monologue.  I would love to hear your thoughts, hopes, fears and anything else you would feel comfortable sharing with me.  It’s wonderful to relax here on the back porch enjoying the view, so pour yourself some coffee (or the beverage of your choosing) and let’s talk.