Monthly Archives: June 2011

Jun 28 2011

Do you love God with your mind?


The following three passages from Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very likely ones almost all Christians have heard read and talked about many times.

Matthew 22:37
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”.

Mark 12:30
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Luke 10:27
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul andwith all your strength and with all your mind”

If this were not enough, Paul continues teaching about the importance of how we think.

Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. and your neighbor as yourself”.

It is clear that you and I have a responsibility to think right about God and His affairs. Right along with the command to love God with our hearts and souls is the command to love Him with our minds.

This is especially important to know and be aware of for those of us who are living in 2011 America. Perhaps never before has there been so much competition for our attention. HD media assaults from every side. You cannot walk into a store or cafe or car dealership without a barrage of messages in print, sound, and HD TV. Most people who sit on park benches no longer enjoy the playfulness of a squirrel, or the joy of a child on a swing, but rather stare zombie like at text messages or some other distraction on the screen of a cell phone. The typical home has more than one TV on at any given time and family conversations, with no distractions, are only fond memories. People are forgetting how to have a conversation I fear.

When people we read about in the Bible got into trouble with God it was often a result of bad thinking. It was true of Peter and Jesus rebuked him sharply for not thinking right.

Matthew 16:23
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man.”

Thinking wrong thoughts and a failure to think about the right things is a dangerous way to live. Consider these passages.

Philippians 3:19
“Their end is destruction, and their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”

Romans 8:5
“For those who live according to the flesh set their mindson the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

One of the disciplines of being a Christian is correct thinking. I will readily admit it, this post has challenged my own heart and mind. How has my thinking been? How is yours? Are you thoughts mostly on business, sports, sex…? How much time do you and I, on purpose, meditate on God, his purposes and promises. In short, have we failed the test of loving God with our minds?

We must live our lives purposefully and with the self-control to master our thoughts. We don’t have an option if we would be all God means for us to be and if we are going to love Him they way he wants us to.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Change your thinking and you will be changed. God would never assign a task that is not possible for us to do. You and I can stop stinking thinking! And, we can think about God and his love, things that are beautiful and pure, and promises that are sure.

Royce

 

 

 

 

 

Jun 19 2011

Remembering Daddy


In the early morning hours of May 7, 1993 my father was promoted into the presence of Jesus. After being without him for over 14 years I still miss his voice on the phone, his stories, and his encouragement. And, on Father’s Day I especially miss him.

One of 13 children, dad grew up in the hills of Yancey County North Carolina in a pioneer world that I never experienced but only heard about from daddy, momma, grand parents and uncles and aunts. Life in the mountains was hard, the winters cold, the cupboard often bare, but a crop that seemed to flourish was character.

My father, (always called “Daddy” by my brother and  I, and most of the time by my mom) was the most honest man I have ever known. He was always truthful, always generous with the little he had, always a faithful husband, and he was always my hero.

We were not close during my childhood. My dad worked harder than any person I have ever known and he fished and hunted with the same intensity. Often, there was little time for me in those early years. By the time he seemed to want to have a relationship with me I had discovered fast cars, girls, and neon lights.

When I was in my mid 30’s I had been praying for and talking to daddy about Christ for almost a decade or so and seemingly to no avail. Finally, in a little country church on a Sunday night, my father made his peace with God and he was wonderfully converted to Christ.

From that day until his last day he was a faithful witness to the love and grace of God and my best friend. I experienced for the first time the love of my earthly father and it was consistent and wonderful. I watched as my dad bravely and expectantly faced a terminal illness with never an obvious fear or hint of uncertainty. He was well prepared to die and had made every provision possible so that mom would be well cared for.

By any standard by which you can measure the greatness of a man, my dad was the best. He was a tough as they get but as tender-hearted as any man I’ve known. His compassion for those who did not have a relationship with Christ was one of his most well-known traits. His last known conversation before he went on to be with the Lord was to plead with tears for his cousin to take Christ’s gift of forgiveness and salvation and to meet him in heaven. I was happy to learn that just a few months later that cousin was born again and was full of joy when he told me personally of Daddy telling him about Jesus.

I remember his wild sense of humor, one liners just rolled off his lips. I  remember that for mom’s birthdays and anniversaries that my rough cut mountain man daddy could buy the perfect fitting dress, shoes, and hand bag. I remember how he enjoyed giving neighbors fresh corn from his beautiful garden, but not before it was shucked and all the silks removed. I remember his delight when he told me about a stringer of rainbow trout he had caught with his own designed fly. And, I remember at the end of every conversation on the phone his words, “I love you son”.

Father’s day will never be the same without Daddy.

(I first wrote and published much of this on June 18, 2007. I missed him very much then, but now 4 years later I miss him even more. I am very glad for the good memories.)

Royce

 

Jun 19 2011

Saved, Safe, and Secure in Jesus


This morning’s email had this encouraging message from my friend Edward Fudge in his gracEmail. This is the 2nd in a series called “Pep Talk”. Here are his words unedited.

Jesus is high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, based on the character of his life. Because he lives forever, he saves forever. And so we are saved by Jesus and we are perfected forever–those whom he sanctified. We’re sanctified and we’re perfected forever because we are given to God on the basis of the perfect obedience of Jesus. If it depended on our human record, if it was up to our faithfulness to determine whether we were saved or not, then it would be a matter of God having to re-examine the record every day, or several times through the day, and saying “Well, you’re okay right now . . . Oops! sorry, you just slipped. Well, now you’re back in . . . Oops, you’re out again. Today was a good day . . . tomorrow could be better . . . but it could be worse.” There’s no certainty, there’s no assurance. There’s not much hope.

The sad thing is that a lot of people who think they’re Christians, who think they’re following Jesus Christ, who think they’ve learned the Gospel, live that kind of life of uncertainty. And at age 85, after a very long Christian life full of sacrifice, service, and good works, they come to their death bed and say, “Well, I hope I have done enough that I might squeeze in and be saved.” Folks, we don’t squeeze in. Jude says God will give you an abundant entrance–because it doesn’t depend on out little lives. If it depended on our ability and our record and our history we wouldn’t even squeeze in. God would just say: “There’s not even a close call. SCRAM! The other place with you!”

We will have an abundant entrance because we come on the basis of the life and the faithfulness and the obedience of Jesus Christ–all of which Jesus offered to the Father as the one sacrifice that can ever take away sins. Jesus did it right and he did it perfectly. Because he did it perfectly, he only needed to do it one time. And when he ha done it one time, God raised Jesus from the dead and made him priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. God is pleased with his life. He’s pleased with his priesthood. He’s pleased with his intercession. Because Jesus represents his people and because his obedience and his suffering were done by him in their name, God is also pleased with Jesus’ people. And Jesus lives forever and he saves forever and he intercedes forever and we can come to him–and to God through him–forever.

Any view of salvation that is less than what Edward says here I believe to be less than the gospel presented in Scripture. He expresses my view of Christ’s accomplishments precisely but he says it much better than I can.

You can sign up for gracEmail and access volumes of Edward Fudge’s teaching by visiting his site, EdwardFudge.com .  Happy Father’s Day!

Royce

Jun 15 2011

Growing older, a series of losses


I recently watched a video of John Piper, Tim Keller, and another guy who were talking about aging (all are now over 60 years of age) and plans they were making to pass their ministries to the next generation. Piper mentioned that his wife Noel had described aging as “A series of losses”.

When I first heard that description I at first balked, but upon reflection realized that I whole heartedly agree. At almost 66 years I know from experience some of those losses. Today I helped to unload a pallet of concrete mix (80 lb bags) onto a trailer at the hardware store where I work part-time. I was disappointed at how quickly I ran out of steam! After about 20 bags in 98 degree weather, I was temporarily exhausted. Yesterday I mowed two lawns and again was very tired after only two and a half hours.

As I mentioned in a recent post, my mind runs ahead of my body. I have all sorts of “want to” but my body often says “an’t happening”. I recently thought about a project I want to start and was all excited about getting on with it and suddenly my body said “Nap time Royce!” and so it was nap time.

The losses aging people have are both physical and mental and I believe one way to better cope with those losses is to just be honest about them. I have to work within the confines of my capabilities, however limited. That being said, I can still work circles around people many years my junior who are not motivated or are simply lazy. But, I can’t multitask as I once did when I ran a busy department for a car dealership and managed 30 employees. My memory is limited, my hearing is waning, and my patience is less available, to put it kindly.

Thankfully, we seasoned citizens have much to offer. Experience isn’t taught in universities or seminaries and wisdom it seems is mostly reserved for the people who have already made most of the mistakes humans are capable of. Don’t write a person off because they are chronologically challenged. I know and have known men who were very useful in their 80’s in their given professions. I know women who are as sharp as they get into their 90’s.

Growing older gracefully, and grace-filled is my goal. I can’t do as much but what I can do I can do well. We are often the brunt of cruel jokes and sometimes remarks meant to be innocent humor are not that to the older person who hears them. So respect me/us as we continue to rack up the losses until we gain the ultimate good, the face to face forever with our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Some losses I can’t control. And, some things I refuse to lose. I plan to exit (if cognitive) with love for others, with dignity, with honor, with loyalty, with faith, with pride, and with friendships and relationships that I cherish, most of which will outlast time.

Job 12:12

Royce