Flight Paths

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly, 2Pet 3:1-7.

Before we get to the meat of the matter, please notice the beginning of this little reminder Peter wrote.  He wanted us to remember “the commandment of our Lord and Savior through your apostles.”  Did you catch that?  A lot of people out there insist on red letter editions not so the words of Jesus will be obvious to them, but so they can ignore anything in black and white.  “Only the words of Jesus,” they say, are worth listening to.  The apostles and their teaching do not matter.

Oh yes we do, Peter says.  Where do you think you got those words of Jesus?  We reported them to you. We wrote them.  As Jesus Himself said (in red letters) “Teach them to observe all things I command you,” Matt 28:20.  If you ignore the words of the apostles you are ignoring the words of Jesus, whether they are red or purple or blue with pink polka dots.

And his words continue on to remind us that God will indeed destroy this world.  When?  That we are not told, but do not, Peter says, forget it.  Do not count God as unfaithful to His promise.  The people in the time of the flood didn’t believe either.  And they only had 120 years to wait.

But think of this:  the Jews had been waiting for thousands of years.  They waited through the times of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the growth of that family from one “only begotten son” to a clan of 70.  They waited through the slavery in Egypt, about 400 years.  They waited through the times of the Judges, another 350 or so.  They waited through the united and divided kingdoms, another 400 plus or minus.  Then they waited through a horrible destruction, captivity, and eventual restoration, about 300 more, and finally they waited through 400 years of absolute silence from God.

Yet the faithful were still looking when the Messiah came upon the scene.  Some seem to have given up, but the Josephs and Marys, the Zachariases and Elizabeths, the Simeons and Annas, the Salomes and Zebedees, there were enough still waiting, still believing, to form that first church on Pentecost.  And they found yet more.

We have been waiting about the same amount of time they did, and we have something more.  We have the examples of promises fulfilled, from the flood, to the Abrahamic promises, to the coming of the Messiah.  God kept all those promises and He will keep this last one. 

Our unbelieving society will tell you it’s just a myth, it won’t happen, if it does, it will be man’s doing and not God’s.  So go ahead and live your life as you please.  You are not accountable to a mythological being who doesn’t really exist anyway.  That is Satan talking.  He will use every ruse in the book and making you feel foolish for your faith is just one of them.  Don’t climb on the bandwagon with the rest of the world.  God has given us evidence.  Clear your mind and examine it. 

You can be among the faithful few who still looked, who still hoped, who still dreamed of the day when their Lord would come in power and glory.  They saw that Messiah come to earth, perform miracles, teach Divine truths as they had never been taught before, and rise from the dead.  Don’t give up hope, Peter says.  Remember all the times God kept His promises.  Remind yourself often.  It may be the most important rerun of a lesson you ever hear. 

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed, 2Pet 3:9-10.

Dene Ward

When I was a child, my piano teacher was a member of an organization, the benefits of which allowed her students to participate in several events, competitions, and joint recitals.  Fast forward twenty years and, as a piano and voice teacher myself, I rediscovered that organization and joined for the sake of my own students—and they ate it up.

The stated purpose of the organization is “furthering music education and fostering a musical environment in our communities through the sponsorship of musical events and by providing performing opportunities for our talented and deserving young people.”  In other words, it is a service organization in the area of music.  It’s all about the cultural welfare of the community and the patronage of young artists.

But as wonderful as that sounds, not every member “got it.”  As I became more and more involved at higher (district) and higher (state) levels, politics and self-aggrandizement reared their ugly heads.  Let me give you an example. 

In their goal to spread music in the communities, local groups were encouraged to present programs open to the public in several areas: opera, dance, American composers, women composers, and several others.  As motivation a plaque was awarded to the group who had done the best in each category based upon written reports sent to State Chairmen, complete with printed programs, photographs, and news items.

One year I was one of those chairmen.  I received a dozen reports of outstanding programs all across the state in the opera category.  Truly every group deserved recognition for their efforts.  In fact, I could have easily made a case for the smallest group, and a rural one at that, because for their lack of resources both monetary and talent, their creativity in making opera palatable to a less cultured area of the state had been astounding.  But of course, it was not quite up to the big city group who had staged a full opera nor another urban organization who had managed to coax nationally acclaimed Met stars to appear.

At the weekend of the awards I could not make the trip five hours south.  My husband had been shot in the line of duty and besides caring for him, I was also fending off the media and arranging appointments with doctors and lawyers and counselors.  So I sent my choice of winner and a letter of explanation for my absence.

At nearly ten o’clock that evening I received a phone call from a member of one of the big city groups.  At first I thought, “How sweet.  Yes, it’s late, but she has just heard about our ordeal and is calling to check on us.”  But no, that was the last thing on her mind, if it was at all.  These were the first words out of her mouth:

“I called to ask why we didn’t win the plaque this year.”

Clearly this woman did not share the same goals as this organization.  To her it was about acclaim, about winning prizes, about being number one among her brothers and sisters.  And just as clearly, other people’s problems, no matter how dire, did not matter to her one bit.

I hope that little story makes you shake your head in disgust, and after you have done that, ask yourself these questions:

Why am I a Christian?

Do I serve others?

Do I do things for the church I assemble with, serving in whatever capacity is needed?

And more to the point:

Have I ever been miffed because MY name wasn’t mentioned?

Have I ever stopped speaking to someone who did not thank me as I thought I deserved?

Have I ever stopped visiting or calling or helping someone who didn’t return the favor?

Maybe we all need to remember the example the Lord set, not just that one night in the upper room washing even Judas’s feet, or even those hours on the cross, but every morning he opened his eyes on this earth among people who hated him, ridiculed him, assaulted him, tried to kill him, and eventually did.  And we need to remember why he did it.  It certainly wasn’t for a plaque!

This organization he set up, the one he called “mine” (Matt 16:18) has a purpose that has nothing to do with my glory.  It is the greatest purpose of any group anywhere—the salvation of mankind, no matter what it takes from me in terms of service or sacrifice. 

Yes, if we are faithful we will receive a prize.  But if the prize is the only reason we are doing it, then the prize is the very thing we will not receive.

So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory. 2Tim 2:10

Dene Ward

 I remember sitting at my desk in first grade looking at my middle finger and wondering what that bump was.  I did not see well, of course, so all I could tell was that it stuck out and seemed to be hard and tough.  My mother told me when I asked, that I had developed a callus from the constant writing and coloring we did at school.  “That way your finger won’t hurt from the pencil rubbing on it over and over.”  It seemed a pretty nifty idea to me, at age 6, that God had arranged it so I could go to school and do my work without hurting myself.  Plenty of other things hurt in my world of poor vision and the resulting clumsiness and rejection from my peers, so here was one thing that did not.  Very nice!

 As I grew older I found other calluses, things I would not have noticed except for that brief conversation with my mother.  Calluses on the backs of my heels and calluses on the side of my big toe made it comfortable to wear shoes, for example.  I even remember waiting for calluses to form with a new pair of shoes that rubbed me in a new way, usually wearing a Band-Aid until that happened.  Overall, my impression was that calluses were a good thing.

 (I feel a need to clarify that I am not speaking of the adjective callous—which means someone who cares nothing for others, who is actively insensitive to their needs.)

 Now that I am old but not necessarily wise, I am more and more certain that God intends us to grow calluses on our hearts in at least one area—that is our dealings with one another.  Dealings with God are a different thing—we must maintain a soft and penitent heart constantly when we approach God, but with one another, the majority of passages tell me that a few good calluses will help us maintain the unity that God demands.  Look at these passages with me:

  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things 1Cor13:7.  If I love my brother I will assume the best about what he does or says, not jump to the worst possible conclusions. 

  Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins 1Pet 4:8.  Peter cannot possibly be talking about actual sins—nowhere in the Bible is condoning sin acceptable to God.  This must be a metaphor for the way we treat those little annoyances we all have (even if we don’t want to believe it of ourselves) and must deal with in our relationships.  Overlook those things, Peter says, if you really love one another.  In other words, grow a callus there.

   Take care then HOW you hear...Luke8:18.  Some of us hear with automatic judgment already formed in our hearts.  How do I know?  Because I would not have received the same thing said by my best friend in such a negative way.  I would have automatically excused her because she has so much on her plate right now, or she must be tired, or maybe she doesn’t feel well today, or—  Jesus reminds us that it is our choice how we hear a person’s words, even one we don’t much like.  Choice, we ask?  Yes, and this passage proves it.

 We are members of the Lord’s body, the church that was planned by God before the foundation of the world, (Eph 3:10,11).  Our mission is the  only thing that really matters.  Not my feelings, not my opinions, not my preferences.  If I allow any of those things to stop that mission, or deter it in any way, I have made me, myself, and I more important than God.  Being “sensitive” is no excuse.  God expects us to grow enough calluses on our hearts so that we can withstand the friction of our closeness with one another and do HIS work.  Look at those passages again.  When I don’t do those things, I am not loving as God expects me to—as God COMMANDS me to. 

 We all know people who make a career out of getting their feelings hurt.  Just imagine where we would all be if Jesus were as hypersensitive as some of us.  Don’t let your sensitive feelings turn you out of Heaven on the last day.

 ...The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult  Prov12:16.

Dene Ward

 Many American home cooks have a copy of Fannie Farmer’s cookbook. Her publishers insisted that she pay for the first printing of 3000 copies because they were so certain they would lose money on it.  The joke was on them, however, because the cookbook is still being revised, revamped, and reprinted over a hundred years later.

 Fannie was both a student and teacher at the Boston Cooking School, but went on to found her own school on this day in 1902.  The New York Times credits her with inventing the modern recipe, and being the first cook to insist on precise measurements.  No more of this “pinch,” “heaping spoonful” or “enough salt to float an egg.”  A teaspoon was a certain size, the same size every time, and it took three of them to make a tablespoon and 16 of those tablespoons to make a cup—and so on.  What would we have done without Fannie?  I recall a cooking magazine I used to get where, on the last page in the bottom corner, was printed, “In last month’s recipe for (whatever), 2 teaspoons should have been 2 tablespoons.”  That might not sound like much to noncooks, but one is three times more than the other!  If it were salt, you had better believe it would make a difference.

 God has standards too.  What else is that list of commandments we so often have our children memorize but the standard of moral behavior God expects of His people? If there is no standard, why did God say three times in Exodus that Moses needed to follow the pattern he had been shown (Ex 25:40; 26:30; 27:8) for building the tabernacle?  And why, oh why, does Paul talk about teaching the same things in every church? 

  That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.1Cor4:17

  Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.1Cor7:17 

 God has a standard, a pattern, whether in the church or in our lives, and He expects us to live by it and teach exactly the same standard everywhere to everyone. 

 When I was a child, in times when most people cared to know what God did and did not want, a brother held a debate with a famous denominational preacher.  The brother talked about living according to the law of Christ.  The opposing preacher could hardly wait his turn and was on his feet objecting.  “We live under a system of grace. There is no such thing as the law of Christ!”  Our brother calmly turned to Gal 6:2 and read aloud, “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 

 Just as that gentleman did not want there to be any sort of work we needed to do (especially one in particular), many today do not want to face any accountability to a church and its elders, or any responsibility to their brothers and sisters.  Worse than that, they expect God to allow them to worship and serve Him the way they want to rather than the way He wants them to.  Yet, again and again, God has shown us that there is a standard; there is a law we must follow, and making changes to suit ourselves instead of Him, will ruin the results for us in a far worse way than mis-measuring the ingredients in a recipe.

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son  2John1:9

Dene Ward

We went a long time before we finally gave in and bought a cell phone.  It was an expense we did not need, and an aggravation we did not want.  I am not the servant of my phone and will not allow it to have me running at its beck and call!  But finally the phone companies took down most of the phone booths I had used when there was an emergency or I just needed to make some unexpected last minute arrangements.  I had to have a phone for those things. 

It still isn’t the cure for everything, especially where I lived then.  While we may have been the only people in the state of Florida to actually use a cell phone for emergencies only, when I need to use it, I really need to use it.  Then it becomes more than a little aggravating to get only one or two bars or worse, the big red X—no service.  Wherever that tower was, it was to the southwest of us, and I have spent a lot of time wandering around in my southern field trying to turn that red X into at least three bars so I will hear more than static and be less likely dropped. 

Once I was meandering with such rapt attention on that tiny little screen that when I finally got my three bars and stood stock still so I wouldn’t lose them, I found myself jumping around a moment later, covered in fire ants.  The only place I could get reception was in an ant bed!

 But cell towers do not matter when you need the Lord.  Whenever His children need Him, he is just a word or a thought away.  You don’t even have to dial, and you certainly don’t have to wander around outside in the heat or cold or rain trying to get a signal.  “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,” James tells us (4:8).  Indeed when I looked up the word in a concordance, I discovered that the only reason God is ever “far” from us is because we have gone far from Him (Isa 29:13; 33:13;  46:12; etc.).

 The next time you pull out that little monstrosity, remind yourself how blessed you really are.  You have a Father in Heaven who will answer your call no matter how many bars your spirit has left within you.  He will hear you, even if you only have strength left to whisper.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need, Heb 4:16.

Dene Ward

I started jogging and working out when I was 29.  By the time I was 30 I jogged 30 miles a week.  Oh, to have all that energy again!  I still work out, but several surgeries, medication side effects, psoriatic arthritis, and bad vision make it impossible to do what I used to—not to mention age, which will tell on even the healthiest of us.

Some days, usually Mondays when I have had a couple days off the elliptical machine, I do well, finishing my chosen program two or three minutes ahead of schedule.  Other days I just plod on through until the programmed timer goes off and I notice that I was a quarter mile short of my programmed distance.  But I got it done.  I sweated and I panted and my muscles burned for the allotted amount of time.  Mission accomplished.  Maybe I will live an extra day because of it.

Some Sundays I have no trouble at all keeping my mind on the worship. I am full of spiritual pep and vitality.  I sing with gusto and listen attentively to the classes, prayers and sermons, even making connections I never had before, priming myself for more study when I get home.  Other Sundays it’s all I can do to just be there.  My mind is as lethargic as my body.  I hear, but I don’t really comprehend.  When I leave I wonder if it did me any good at all.  Surely God is upset with my poor showing that day.

Is He?  If the day was difficult, but I made it anyway; if it was a struggle to worship “with the spirit and the understanding;” if the “all” I had to give was very little, was my service to God a failure?  I don’t think so.  We have no trouble understanding the concept of the widow’s mite in a literal way.  She gave all she had that day, and Jesus praised her for it.  Some days the spiritual mite is smaller than others.  If I give it all, why isn’t that what God expects of me?  Won’t God be pleased that I still tried as hard as I could with far less available than usual?  If God goes by effort, I worked harder that day than on any day when it was easy, didn’t I?

And if this sort of thing worries you, if you find yourself thinking you have failed because you weren’t at your spiritual peak, then you have certainly shown the heart of flesh that God told His people He wanted from them.  You didn’t feel like it, but you still obeyed God’s instructions in your service.  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, Ezek 11:19-2.  Obedience in spite of it all—that’s the heart of flesh.  A hard heart can shout amen and sing the rafters off the roof in the middle of blatant disobedience.  God made it clear which He prefers.

By the end of an exercise week I am really dragging.  My legs feel like lead and my lungs seem starved of oxygen.  But I still go at it and get it done.  It still does my body the good I intended.  If you are dragging at the end of some spiritual interval, a time that might have started out with all the vitality you could have wanted but gradually wore down, just keep on plugging.  The energy will return and you will be back where you want to be.  It does not mean that you are not where God wants you to be.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint, Isa 40:28-31.

Dene Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Joanne Beckley.

I thought to take a closer look at the first chapter of the Bible. Why? Because I listened to a Bible class on the book of Genesis and it opened my eyes to a number of words from this chapter that I had not considered despite all my years of reading this book! So, here are my notes taken from (https://www.charlestownroad.org/category/classes/genesis-how-it-begins/).

The book of Genesis is attributed to Moses and is thought to have been written during the same time period as the book of Deuteronomy, before entering the Promised Land. As we need to be reminded of whom we belong to, so did the Israelites. Both they and we have the knowledge of one eternal being.  Through His words and by our faith we trust in Him. One God and His creation. Genesis is indeed a key book to our faith. Look at how this book answers a number of questions:

1. Genesis introduces us to God, self-existing, his nature, maker of good, and the fact that He is not us, although we are unique, made in His image.

2. We find answers to our questions of life–where did we come from, why are we here, why do people have pain and why do we die?

3. The beginning establishes a chain of authority.

4. The love of God lays the ground work for the scheme of redemption.

5. Marriage is defined.

6. We learn about choices, responsibilities and consequences.

7. This book shakes many of the preconceived ideas that we have heard/learned and prove not to be true.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The heavens and the earth were created from nothing. From this point of beginning God made all that we know around us today. Note “us” in verse 26 as is evident in verses one and two–God, His Spirit, His Son. The apostle John began his writing from an understanding of this same beginning, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...” John 1:1-3. The apostle Paul wrote, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all thing have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” Col 1:16-17.

Genesis chapter 1

Life came from life, matter is not eternal, and matter is good.

There are several theories about “day” in this chapter, but one cannot ignore the repetition and conclusion: “there was evening and there was morning, one day”. What was made was not a gradual process, nor an increase of development and intelligence. God created the heavens and the earth young and they look old.

Day 1 - Light called day, separated from darkness called night.

Day 2 - Made the expanse (atmosphere) which separated waters above from waters below.

Day 3 - Separated waters named seas from land named earth–one land, no separation of continents. On the same day vegetation made in fully developed form.

Day 4 - Two great lights and stars placed in the expanse of the heavens and light already reaching earth (Some believe created from day one and the lights reaching earth on this day?).

Day 5 - Birds and fish, fully formed, not developed as evolution claims. As also with animals, God set boundaries, cannot change chromosomes, as in male/female, and not across bird-animal.

Day 6 - Made animals and created man on the same day fully formed. This includes dinosaurs, no prehistoric animals! Note that all the animals, including man ate vegetation and no meat. No death until chapter three.

Man was made in God’s image, male and female in His likeness. All creation was made for his benefit. Man was not of “caveman” mentality but a responsible farmer, capable of speech and reasoning ability - in God’s image. “So it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit...The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven” 1 Cor 15:45-47.

Conclusions we can draw from this first chapter:

1. The world came into being instantly by the act of God and not by natural means.

2. The complex and the simple were made at the same time.

3. The earth and the universe are the same age.

4. Creation was precise and accurate.

5. There is no such thing as prehistoric.

6. God is eternal–He is always “prime”, of first importance, the one and only.

7. Man was created distinct from the animal world and answerable to his Creator.

8. Death was not a part of the created world.

9. God is the force, designer, maker of all.

10. The world, including man, began mature and advanced.

I hope you have found this enlightening and interesting.

Joanne Beckley

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward. 

 I grew up watching John Wayne movies and reading Louis L’Amour novels.  We lived in a rural area, grew most of our food,, and heated the house with a wood stove, cutting wood whenever any was available throughout the year. So I was steeped in the American culture of self-sufficiency.  Real men handled their own problems.  Or, as L’Amour put it, “A man forks his own broncs.”  If you have a wild horse that needs breaking, you do it yourself; you don’t farm it out.  Another gem that comes from several L’Amour novels, and this is more of a paraphrase than a quote, “A man alone is stronger.  He knows he must do all by himself and so he does.  A man with companions begins to depend.  When his companions fail him, he is lost.”  This idea of being self-sufficient and self-sustaining is very American.  In many ways it has been a good thing for our country.  With no king or feudal lord the early colonists and, later, settlers had to depend upon themselves to determine the direction of their lives.  They had to provide for their own sustenance, fight their own battles and build their own homes.  That self-sufficiency carried the European settlers all the way across the continent in a conquest almost unique in history.  It wasn’t the army that “won the west”.  It was the individual settler, one farm, one ranch at a time. 

  And yet, that same self-sufficiency can be problematic when it doesn’t allow a person to ask for help when he needs it.  “I can handle it myself!” has caused a lot of problems, from broken marriages to various addictions to financial disasters to mental health breakdowns.  It is usually because a person’s self-image won’t allow him (and yes, this does tend to be a male problem) to admit he can’t handle a problem on his own.  Wait a minute!  Self-sufficiency, self-sustaining, self-image, “I can handle it myself!”  What is the focus of all these phrases?  Self!  And yet, what does Jesus say about that?  ““If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  (Luke 9:23)  Denial of self is fundamental to Christianity.

Eph. 4:20-24 “ But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Out with the old, in with the new.  Hanging on to the old self, the old ways of life, is not how we learned Christ, is it?  Paul doubles down in Colossians:

Col. 2:20a  “If with Christ you died. . .” 

Col. 3:1a  “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above . . .”

Col. 3:5  “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”We died with Christ, were raised with Christ, and therefore put to death the old man of sin.  This is what it is to be a disciple of Christ.  Holding on to self just isn’t a part of it.  If you needed any other consideration, how about. . .

Gal. 2:20  “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”

Paul says he has changed so completely that it is like he is not even in control of his body anymore.  Christ is living in him, making sure of Paul’s actions.  How can self-image or even a self-contained dignity exist within these passages?  If sins are winning far too often, confess and ask for prayers and support.  If the weight we carry is to heavy, ask for help in bearing that burden.

Matt. 10:34-39  “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.  Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

We usually take verse 39 in isolation as we speak of losing our lives for the Lord, but what life is it that we lose for Him?  The context clearly shows it is the family, which would include family ideals.  Some of these are good, e.g. “I’m a Ward, and Wards don’t lie therefore, I won’t lie.”  Others are not so good, e.g. “I’m a Ward, and Wards don’t bother others with their problems.”  In following Christ, we must give up our pride of self and our pride of earthly family connections and anything else that keeps us from being humble enough to ask for help.  In fact, the better statement, “I am a Ward and Wards don’t lie,” should even become “I am a Christian, and Christians don’t lie.”

Finally, please notice that Christ asked for help when He needed it. 

Matt. 26:36-38  “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’  And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’”

When Jesus was sad and scared and ready to weep, when the weight of the upcoming events was just too much to handle alone, Jesus asked His friends to be with Him as He prayed.  Paul did similarly:

2 Tim. 4:9-13  “Do your best to come to me soon.  For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.  Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.  When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”

Paul is alone as his life comes to a close.  His friends are all on missionary trips except Demas, who abandoned him.  Despite Luke’s presence, and despite his great confession of faith in the preceding verses, Paul is feeling alone and reaches out to Timothy for companionship in a tough time.  If the unstoppable Paul, the Christian Terminator reached out for assistance when he needed it, if Our Lord and Savior admitted the crushing weight He was carrying and asked for support, who am I to feel to dignified to ask for help?

 Please, if you are struggling with sin, are fighting sadness and depression, and/or the various pressures of this world are beginning to crush you, reach out to your local congregation.  I pretty much guarantee there is someone there who has gone through much the same situations as you and who would love to help.  Even if there is no shared experience, you will find brothers and sisters who love you and want to help you in anyway they can.  Please, please, reach out and allow us to follow those oft disobeyed commands. 

Lucas Ward

I certainly do not mean to be judgmental, but when people actually say it out loud, when they write it on Facebook posts, isn’t it a matter of “by your words you will be condemned” (Matt 12:37)?

Listen to the things people say about why they worship where they worship, or what makes that place appealing to them.

“I love the singing there.”

“The preacher is so easy for me to listen to.”

“I feel so good when I leave.”

“Everyone is so friendly and loving to me.”

“They came to visit me while I was in the hospital.”

Okay, so maybe a few of them are not terrible reasons, but do you see a common denominator in them all?  It’s all about me and how I feel.

Why is it you never hear things like this?

“I go because my God expects me to be a part of a group worship and accountable to a group of brethren and godly elders.” 

“I go so I can provoke others to love and good works as the Bible says.”

“I go to study God’s Word and this group actually studies the Bible instead of some synod’s pamphlet.”

“The sermons often step on my toes, but I want to be challenged to improve as a disciple of Christ.”

Can you see a completely different center of attention in those?  In fact, if the second list can be said to center on the object of our worship, what does that say about the object of worship in the first list?

I hear items from the first list often, but from the second seldom, if ever.  So here is my question:  If a person cannot find any items from the first list in a church, does that excuse him from the assembled worship in his area?  Of course not.

So why do we act like we are sacrificing something if the only place available has a preacher with poor speaking ability, no one who can carry a tune, and isn’t particularly outgoing?  If that is my idea of sacrificing for my Lord, I’d better hope our country never builds a modern Coliseum. 

Sometimes serving God is not a lot of fun.  Sometimes it isn’t very exciting.  Sometimes it is a lot of work with little appreciation.  Sometimes we will be ignored.  Sometimes we will be criticized.  Sometimes we will be the object of scorn and sometimes these things will come at the hands of our own brethren.  If I can’t take a boring sermon and off-key singing, what makes me think I can handle real persecution? 

If I would be ashamed for my first century martyred brethren to hear my griping about the church, why do I think it is acceptable for anyone to hear it?  Does it glorify God?  Does it magnify His church and His people?  No, I imagine it sends everyone else running from instead of running to “the pillar and ground of the truth,” the church for which “he gave himself up,” the manifestation of His “manifold wisdom” (1 Tim 3:15; Eph 5:25; 3:10).

And if somehow we could call it some sort of trial or persecution to worship with a group that is not exactly the ideal, what would the proper attitude be?  Certainly not griping about it, but rather “rejoicing that we are counted worthy to suffer,” (Acts 5:41).  Why, maybe we should actually go out and look for those places to worship! 

And if I did choose one of those places to hang my hat, would it really become any better with someone like me in it?  Make no mistake.  It isn’t about whether the kingdom of God, specifically the one I attend, is worthy of me and my commendation, it’s about whether I can ever be worthy of it.

For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory, 1Thess 2:11-12.

Dene Ward

 I’m sitting in my camo-mesh lounge chair in front of a campfire, the flame whirling up in a mini-tornado, the smoke wafting down the hillside away from the tent site.  The sun peeks through the leaf canopy dappling the brown, red, orange, and yellow foliage-strewn ground just enough to moderate the cool air into [long] shirtsleeve weather.  Pieces of crystal blue sky show here and there, grayed occasionally by a patch of camp smoke.  The titmice nag at us from the saplings and bushes at the foot of tall pines, hickory, beeches, and red oak, while a woodpecker alternates his door-knock pecking and his manic laugh.

 The campsite could not have been laid out any better.  A long back-in approach left us plenty of room to unpack boxes, coolers, and suitcases, and still have room to stack firewood and set up tents on a perfect length tent site, something not always easy to find for a 16 x 10 tent.  The table fit nicely inside the screen and the fire ring is far enough from both the tents to avoid sparks.

 The park itself is beautiful, lakes, valleys, mountain tops to hike—no hike longer than three to four hours, some appreciably shorter.  The bathhouses are clean with plenty of hot water and strong sprays from large showerheads.  The campsites afford as much or as little privacy as one wants—take your pick.  It is quiet and peaceful, yet only ten minutes from grocery, gas, and pharmacy.

 We’ve been here six days now—perfect park, perfect campsite, perfect weather.  We haven’t even had our customary day of rain, nor even an overcast morning.  So this is not the trip to test our mettle as campers.  It’s all been way too perfect.  But you know what?  We won’t have many stories to tell from this trip.  Oh wait!  Our forty year old electric blanket did give out on us the first—the coldest—night.  And don’t you see?  That’s the story we’ll be telling—and that’s when we found out we were seasoned campers.  We shrugged our shoulders and snuggled a little closer together in the double sleeping bag.

 Peter tells us that God will test our mettle as His servants.  Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in manifold trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perishes though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet 1:6-7.

 Too often, instead of passing the test, we use it as an excuse.  We say, “I know I didn’t do well, but after all, I was dealing with such difficult circumstances.”  Instead of growing and getting better and stronger, we blow up as usual and then apologize yet again.  If we were really improving, the apologies would become less frequent, and one day, perhaps, unnecessary.  That’s what God expects of us.

 He doesn’t look down and say, “Well, I know they can handle this trial.”  Why should He bother sending it?  Instead, the test comes and after we pass He looks down, as He did on Mt Moriah and says, “Now I know.”

 And it’s those tests that give us the experience to help others and the strength to endure more.  God never promised us perfect lives here on this sin-cursed world.  He did not promise you fame and fortune (no matter what Joel Osteen says).  He did not promise perfect health, perfect families, or even perfect brethren.  What He did promise is a perfect reward after we successfully navigate what amounts to, in the perspective of Eternity, a moment or two of imperfection.

 But only if you have the mettle.

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God, Acts 14:21-22.

Dene Ward