Ticket to Heaven

I grew up in a small Baptist church. I had this view that when I became a Christian that it came with this all important "ticket to heaven". As long as I sat quietly and didn't get too dirty then someone would be by later to take me in. My Christian life was a waiting room.

It felt selfish. “If you don’t mess up, you get a reward.” Yet I was being told from the pulpit that even if I was thinking the wrong thing then I was messing up. It all seemed impossible. If I think something then it is the same as doing it? Do you realize what goes on in this head? How could I just sit and try to not to think and try not to do? Is that really what God wants?

So I did what it seems a lot of good Christian young people do when it comes time to start their own life. I quit. I never got involved with a church after going away to college. I didn't loose faith in God, I just didn't feel like there was anyway I could measure up to the church criteria.

So I became that "C&E Christian" - the one that shows up on Christmas & Easter and tries to be a "good person" the rest of the time. I mean after all I already had my ticket, right? Just check back in now and then to see if anything had changed. Nope, still seems the same rules apply. Those C&E sermons told me as long as I had a ticket the rest of the sermon was about those that didn't. My job was to try to stay awake and if everyone cooperated we would all be released in time for lunch.

When I begin to attend church on a more full time basis a few years ago, the light was slowly turned on for me. Christianity is not something to tie us down but to release us into what we were created for. It is not about what we shouldn't do but instead what we have the potential to do. As I begin to listen to Godly men and women, I learned God’s desire for me was more then having faith in a trip to Heaven. Yes Jesus came to die for me but his life was not one of simply waiting for the cross. His life was active – daily spending time with God the Father then going to where the people were and ministering to their needs.

To be honest, not sure what I am trying to say with this post but I feel like there must be other people out there stuck in that waiting room. If you are, I hope this blog helps but most importantly I pray you find wise Christian friends who are able to speak truth into your life. Don't just wait. Don't fear the failure. Go live the life God gave you specifically to live.

Be Ye Perfect

Recently completed “Mere Christianity” a classic by C.S. Lewis. His writing still rattles around in my brain about a verse that has rattled around in my heart even longer.

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48.

Lewis’ words took me to task.

I find a good many people have been bothered by what I said about Our Lord’s words, ‘Be ye perfect’. Some people seem to think this means ‘Unless you are perfect, I will not help you.’; and as we cannot be perfect, our position is hopeless. But I do not think He did mean that. I think He meant ‘The only help I will give is help to become perfect. You may want something less: but I will give you nothing less.’

That is why He warned people to ‘count the cost’ before becoming Christians. ‘Make no mistake,’ He says, ‘if you let me I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest until you are literally perfect – until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less.’

An yet this Helper who will be satisfied with nothing less than absolute perfection, will also be delighted with the first feeble, stumbling effort you make to do the simplest duty. Every father is pleased at the baby’s first attempt to walk yet no father would be satisfied with anything less than a firm, free, manly walk in a grown-up son.

You must realize from the outset that the goal towards which He is beginning to guide you is absolute perfection; and no power in the whole universe, except you yourself, can prevent Him from taking you to that goal.

An Undecided Decides

Finally they can subtract one from the undecided voter column. Even though I no longer sit on the fence, this election has been a struggle for me. In previous elections my ballot could literally be marked months in advance. My mind was made up when my party’s delegates reached the magic number. There was little left to the process other then worrying that the villain on the other side might win.

However, this year stirred my own internal debate which caused a reexamination of a number of things. As a result I will vote differently then all of those other elections. I will vote outside my party for president for the first time. I will vote differently then my wife, friends, family, people at work and the rest of ‘my circle’.

When you live inside a world that looks and acts and thinks like you then you are sure we all makes sense. Everyone agrees. This is where we are going and this is how we should get there. However, over the past couple of years I have been exposed in a real way to life outside “my circle”. When you step outside those walls and learn that your reality is not everyone’s reality all of sudden things are not as absolute as they were when your rules kept things orderly.

It was extremely hard to open up my convictions and look at them from another point of view. I want to be clear; this is not a change of my convictions but a reevaluation of my response to them. That is what has been so hard to work through. I always thought the other side had the wrong conviction. But the more I have listened to the candidates (not the hype around them) this time, I found they all are able to identify the problems but it is more about a difference in our response to them.

Am I changing parties? No.
Do I feel the other side has all the right answers? Absolutely not.
Do I agree with all the candidate’s plans? Nope.

But sometimes it is not about what makes me comfortable. Sometimes it is not about what agenda I can profit from. Sometimes you just have to look at those you have to choose from and decide which one you are willing to follow. Sometimes it is just about leadership. Leadership is so desperately lacking in this country. So today I will respond differently then I have in the past. I will cast my vote for a different agenda and hopefully a leader that will lead this country.

It came down to one thing, what power does a president really have except the power he can obtain through persuasion.

Please earnestly pray for our country and vote today.

Small Enough

The story goes...

After dinner Theodore Roosevelt would step outside the White House to enjoy a cigar with his best friend, William Beebe, the famous naturalist. The two men would look up at the sky, when their eyes had focused on the tiny patch of light near the constellation of Pegasus, Roosevelt would say in prayerful tones, “That is the spiral galaxy of Andromeda. It is as large as our Milky Way. It is one of 100 million galaxies. It consists of 100 billion suns, each larger than our sun.” Then Roosevelt would say, “Now, I think we’re small enough. Let’s go to bed.”

I get so caught up in my tiny piece of the world. My minute sphere of influence consumes my focus. This little slice of the universe so overwhelms me.

It is good to stop and take in the vastness of the universe and how little it is focused on me. It continues to plod along without consideration of my problem de jour or even what happens on this tiny little speck of a planet. Only a God of infinite proportions could place us in something so eminence and unmeasurable.

Yet, within all of the spinning, revolving, wobbling, twinkling, rotating, burning and exploding, I am not lost but found. This great big all powerful God reaches out of the dark infinite and found this insignificant and touched it. Transformed it. Only by grasping my smallness can I begin to step into true worship.

Now, I think we’re small enough. Let’s go to bed.

A Lesson From George

As we head into another week of financial questions. I offer this wisdom from a different George...

"Can't you understand what's happening here? Don't you see what's happening? Potter isn't selling. Potter's buying! And why? Because we're panicky and he's not. That's why. He's pickin' up some bargain. Now, we-we can get through this thing all right. We've, we've got to stick together, though. We've got to have faith in each other." - George Bailey

One More Thought on Paths

A quote to follow up yesterday's post...

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." - Frank A Clark

Ancient Paths

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16



When not sure which way to go? Why do I seek my own way when there are ancient paths to follow?

There is no need for multi-lane super highways. These are narrow trails each well worn & built up by godly men and women over generations. Passageways that may be slow to follow but speed is not always in God’s plan as much as mine. Not the most direct routes but they pass amazing views of Gods work along the way.

There are no signs to mark the entrance because we are told to ask the way. He wants to walk along with us. Show the way I was created to follow.

God does not call one to blaze new trails as often as I may think.

Lord, show me the ancient and good paths you have laid out. Then remind me when I stray from them.

Bailout or Rascue it all Stinks

Okay the bill has passed congress. Call it Bailout or Rescue, it all still stinks. A guarantee of financial disaster or rush head long into something that no one wants to do. No time to think. No time to discuss. I never trust the guy that says you have to make a financial choice right now or the deal goes away.

So this means somewhere the tax dollars of a guy who just lost his house will end up going to save the bank that foreclosed on him. Does that really make sense? Only in America, because we are talking Wall Street and Washington and sense was never required in either place.

You see, to me, all of this is a little like a dog who was sniffing around the yard one day and ends up with a big piece of crap on his nose. He really has two choices; either walk around with the crap on his nose or lick his nose.

Folks, it is time for us to lick our nose.

Making Time

"Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!" - Og Mandino

I let it happen too often. Everything on my schedule gets pushed end to end. There are no gaps, no time to breath. The day is all set then here comes that thing I really should be doing. However, because I am so over committed, it goes by without notice? Responsibilities are important but if there is no time to talk to my child or give a neighbor a hand or spend a few moments in prayer when a friend asks, perhaps there is something on my responsibly list that shouldn't be there.

Random Thoughts

• The only person I should be better then is the person I was yesterday.

• Always saying I am busy but if I had more time, would I just be busier?

• I don't know my neighbors very well.

• Take one day off and play golf alone. Walk it and enjoy God.

• Life is a little like poker. The cards are determined but how we play them is our choice.

• The size of this universe is amazing but even so the realization it didn't know that I existed was disappointing.

• The adults when I was a kid looked like they had it together far more then the adults I know today?

• What ever happened to the Information Superhighway? Are we on it? I didn't see the signs.

• When I am out of step with God, I know who moved.

• Getting stuff only increases my wanting stuff.