Are You Pusillanimous?

Someone once asked the question whether Cross‑word Puzzle fans usually had a great vocabulary? The answer was that most puzzle fans increase their word power, but not their vocabulary. After all, how often every day do you use such words as "erudite", "Gaelic", or "matriculate"?

None‑the‑less, I'm all for it, and especially after my wife came home the other night pondering the word, "pusillanimous". We weren't even certain there was such a word, but sure enough, Webster said there was, and it meant "destitute of manly strength and firmness of mind; cowardly...evincing a want of courage", etc.

I got to thinking about the many times I had been "pusillanimous" and hadn't spoken out against things that were wrong, and the number of cowardly instances in my own life. I guess I'm not alone, because the world is filled with "pusillanimous" people like me.

And yet, I live with a Christian faith that should help me make right decisions, even if I have to stand alone to do so. Jesus didn't worry about being popular. He was concerned about being right! He left us with the power of his Holy Spirit, and this has enabled millions of Christians to suffer persecution, and go their lonely ways walking the "straight and narrow", rather than following the broad path that leads to destruction!

Psalm 27 gives me lots to think about in this matter. I'm not sure I've got a new word I plan to use very much, but I'm going to try not to be "pusillanimous". And I plan to take the Psalmist's advice to "wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord." (Ps. 27:14)

Do You "Know" Jesus?

On a trip to the Holy Land, I visited the country of the lowly carpenter. I sailed the Sea of Galilee. I walked "the Way of the Cross". I saw where Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. I looked into the tomb. I climbed to the Chapel of the Ascension.

But to "know" Jesus according to Philippians 3:10 is more than walking the pathways of Israel.

In Bethlehem, I purchased an olive wood carving. It was the head of Christ, circled by thorns. It was a beautiful piece of workmanship, and it showed the agony of his pain. I cringed as I thought of the cruelty of those who hung Jesus upon the cross.

Now, I come closer to "knowing" him, for Paul said that "knowing" him was to begin to share his sufferings, and even become like him in his death.

Most of the time, I have run away from sharing his sufferings. I don't want to see movies of the hunger of the world. I resist programs telling about the agonies of people. I change channels all too easily from stories of people in anguish. My Jesus feels the thorns again and again, in the suffering of his children, but I don't!

"Lord, how can I know the 'power of your resurrection or obtain the resurrection from the dead,' if I don't even now begin to care about your pain?"

Does Your Religion Bug You or Bless You?

For many people in today's world, their religion "bugs" them! Whenever they want a Sunday family picnic, the need to teach that Sunday School class of boys really "bugs" them. When they are tempted to take an over‑payment of change at the store, their religious scruples "bug" them until they are miserable. And then, how about those times when they are asked to give generously to the missionary fund, and all those other things they've been wanting so much seem to be saying, "Why give it to missions anyway? You could really use it here!"

But then again, there are those who find that their faith doesn't make them into a "sad‑sack" Christian. They're not fanatic tithers, but they have found the joy of tithing. They're not complaining...because they could never be happier. They've found the excitement of the faith, not the drudgery of it.

A missionary was once asked if he enjoyed his work, and his answer was, "Not really. I don't enjoy leaving home for years at a time, or casting my lot with people who will never challenge my intellectual abilities, but God help us, if we only do those things we 'want' to do. And yet", he continued, "I am very happy in my task."

My faith blesses me with sweet peace when I find myself trying to be on God's side. I don't have to cover up my actions. I don't have to apologize for seeking to do good. I never have to bite my tongue when I act in kindness rather than in revenge. I can hold my head high and not in shame for seeking first the things of the Kingdom.

If you have only allowed your faith to "bug" you, it is a severe liability. But if that faith gives you peaceful sleep, a clean conscience, friends who trust you at your word, and happiness in assuming your share of the world's responsibilities, then indeed it is worth all the treasures in the world.

Gold Medal Christians

There is an Olympic affair of the heart going on in our world, that matches any of the Olympic meets.

Day after day of testing on the farm front, at school, and in the business and labor worlds, is producing an astonishing array of records.

Here are Christians of every race and nation who have decided not to hate...who take abuse and do not retaliate...who are exposed to the same temptations as others to lift a little here, take a little there, but who are faithful to the commandments. Here are young people who have decided not to give in to the taunting suggestions: "everybody else is doing it"..."it will make you more popular!" Here are people just as tired from their week of labor as others, who still rise early on the Sabbath to get to Sunday School and church, because they feel a need for that extra dimension. They do not say, "Sorry, I can't make it, but I'll be with you in spirit". They know that "spirits" don't fill pews, and "spirits" don't pay bills, and "spirits" don't get the work of the Lord done either...especially when they are "vacant spirits".

Yes, you'd be surprised at the host of "gold‑medal" winners in God's Olympics. They don't get front‑page attention, but they get HIS attention. "Well done, good and faithful servants" are HIS words...and the flags fly, and the trumpets of heaven blow, and every angel above rejoices. There's nothing wrong with getting world‑wide attention and acclaim. But, personally I'd just as soon be a winner in an Olympic affair of the heart, with God as the Judge.

What's In A Name?

Names are important. They tell us who we are! Several years ago, our family discovered that Guither used to be Geuther, and that we have relatives in Germany we didn't know existed, by that name! Suddenly, we have a tie with our past, because we know our name!

Some years back, our son called and told us about their new baby! He has a beautiful name...Joshua Paul. Suddenly, we were reminded of the Old Testament Joshua, strong leader of Israel...the same root name from which the name Jesus comes! And then, another good name, Paul...great Christian missionary and apostle who in one short life‑time, spread the Christian faith almost all the way around the Mediterranean.

Those names may be a heavy burden to place on the shoulders of a tiny 9 lb. 11 oz. child...but, who can under‑estimate the value of having a "good name"?

Tom, Slim, Maude, or Hattie are names, and they stand for people who have value and worth. But how infinitely more beautiful are those names when they are linked with the name of Jesus. "Carol...she walked with Jesus". "Frank...he walked with, and was faithful to the Lord". Put the name of Jesus after your name, and see what a difference just a name can make!

Fire When Ready!

Paul reminds us that there are spiritual gifts and that love is one of them. "Make love your aim" he said in I Cor. 14:1, "and earnestly desire the Spiritual gifts..."

How can we strive for love, when it is a gift? Can we set out on a day's journey to find it? Can we plan a program of activity whereby we can earn love? Is it a reward for good living?

If love is given, then perhaps some people are blessed with it, and others never receive it! If love is a gift...then will some divine Santa Claus bestow it upon me some day? How uninteresting!

Is not love a part of creation? We were made with it in side! Everyone has it...but many deny it! Some reject it...act as though it weren't so!

But for the person who aims his life at Christ, seeks to know the fullness of Christian grace and forgiveness, then love blossoms forth like the plum tree in Spring, like the ears of corn in Summer, and like the pears in the Fall.

"Make love your aim", Paul said. I say: "Good hunting! Take careful aim. Fire, when ready!"

Can You "Break Out"?

Where is the real person? Are we what we appear to be, or is there a hidden person hiding inside? Michaelangelo, the great artist of past centuries, has created many marvelous sculptures. In several of them, he has carved a portion of the human body seeming to be struggling to break out of the marble in which it is trapped: a hand, arm, or leg, or whole portion of the body, or a face. And the rest seems to be straining to come forth.

Sometimes I see people looking like that. They are struggling to break out of that which traps them: their jobs, their backgrounds, their cultures. Some do it beautifully. Others just look like they are trapped forever! They are unable to relax, to smile, to love life.

Like the statue, I cannot liberate myself. I need the hand of another. Love is the key that opens the door to the hidden you...the love of another, and especially the love of a Heavenly Father. Our Savior Jesus Christ has unbound us, released us. What was an arm, a face, a torso, striving to be released, now becomes a whole person gloriously free.

A beautiful verse from First Peter reads:

"Let not yours be the outward adorning with
braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing
of robes, but let it be the hidden person of the
heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."
(I Peter 3:3,4)

Some persons have their hidden selves tied up in knots of fear, bottled‑up anger, resentment. Those who have been released by love have an inward freedom that is 1st‑cousin to inward beauty. Don't be surprised. You just might win a beauty contest! Because, when Christ sets you free...you're a real beauty!

We Have a "Lift"

A world traveler once told of a sign that he saw in front of a hotel in Hamburg, Germany that said simply, "Wir haben ein lift". It meant that the hotel had an elevator!

This is the kind of sign that Christian churches should place alongside the road. We ought to be telling the world that passes by:

"We have a lift for those of you who are in the depth of despair."
"We have a lift for you who have lost hope."
"We have a lift for those who think the world is doomed to frustration."

On Saturday evening, March 27, 1976, the population clock ticked off the fact that we had 4 billion people on the surface of this planet. Whereas, it took until the 1800's to get the 1st billion people, from 3 to 4 billion took only 15 years and we are now running well over 5 billion. It takes a lot to "lift" that many people. But the power of the Gospel, and the resurrection glory of Jesus Christ is that elevator that gives the lift to all who will enter through its doors.

An old church hymn carries these beautiful words: "Love lifted me...Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, Love lifted me." (Howard Smith) Get yourself a "lift" You may be only one person in the midst of 5 1/2 billion. But you are that one person for whom God sent His son for the salvation of the world.

God has lifted us. Through His great love, He has lifted us! Through Jesus' death upon the cross, He has lifted us! By His mighty resurrection from the dead, He has lifted us! Lift your eyes to Him. He is forever reaching down to give a lift to all who call upon Him.

Get Rid Of The Thistles

When I was a kid, my father said he would pay me a penny for every two thistles I dug out of the pasture. I thought those purple flowers were sort of pretty, but he reminded me that they ruined the pasture, and were bad for the horses we had grazing there.

Pretty things are not always good! I discovered quickly how unpleasant those purple flowers were when I tried to pick them up and put them in my basket for counting. And the roots!...those roots went deep!

So also, we need to be reminded that some of the most attractive commercials are designed to sell us things that are destructive to our health. I recently saw a slick, full‑color magazine, designed for the sole purpose of exploiting the "merits" of cocaine, and every drug that the drug‑pushers can pander. It's hard to believe that such a magazine could be on the market.

The same thing could be said about the porno‑magazines, exploiting sex as a cheap, degrading thing, rather than the beautiful thing God made it to be.

God made the thistles and they are not bad. My Dad just didn't want them in his pasture. God made his world, and nothing of itself is bad. It's just the way we use things that makes them destructive. I am reminded of what George Washington Carver, a famous black scientist said about tobacco. "There's nothing wrong with it", he said, "but I believe if God had intended for me to make a smoke‑stack of my nose, he would have turned it up the other way."

There are many things that are pretty, and "delightful to the eyes", but unlike Eve in the Garden of Eden, we must be more perceptive, more discerning.

"Walk circumspectly"...live carefully with others, because life is holy...don't be fooled by lying words or pretty faces. Things are not always what they seem to be. In I Peter 3:10‑12 we read:

"Whoever would love life and see good days,
must keep his tongue from evil and keep his
lips from deceitful speech. He must turn
rom evil and do good; he must seek peace
and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are
on the righteous and his ears are attentive
to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is
against those who do evil."

According to the amazing computer records, this Blog apparently has readers from Romania, India, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation, as well as many, many places in the U.S.A. and all over the world. I wish I could identify with each person, but cannot. However your comments are possible and I will reply. Click it...write it...publish. Have a great day!

Don't Be A Fool!

What fools we mortals be!" The newspapers report our foolishness day after day. We are fools to think we can lie and steal and not take the consequences. We are fools to think we can prepare for war and not get involved. We are fools to believe that we can hate our neighbors, and ever expect to live with them...and of course, we cannot live without them!

Jesus Christ talked about love and forgiveness, and turning the other cheek. It seemed like foolishness to many. But when we see the results of living without Jesus Christ, there is not much question as to who the real fools are!

Many years ago, a certain king kept a jester in his house, as great men did in those days, for their amusement. This king gave a staff to his jester and charged him to keep it until he met a greater fool than himself...and if he met one to deliver it to him.

Not many years after, the king fell sick. His jester came to see him. He found his king seriously ill, and asked him, "And whither wilt thou go?" "On a long journey", said the king. "And when will you return...within a month?" "No". "What then...never?" "Never", said the king. "And what provision hast thou made for the journey?" "None at all", answered the king. "Art thou going forever", said the jester, "and hast made no provision before thy departure? Here then take my staff. You seem to be a greater fool than I, because I am not guilty of any such folly as that. For earthly journeys you make elaborate preparations, but none for the eternal journey?"

"What fools we mortals be"...to think that we have done all that is necessary: when we have earned a living, but have not prepared for LIFE.

There Is Good News Today!

What a thrilling phrase, but tell us, "Is there really good news?" "Yes. It is the good news about MANKIND."

The Christian Church is here to affirm that whereas, much of the world considers the human creature to be of little value, there is a God who considers us to be of infinite worth!

Many folks have apparently convinced themselves that people can never be good, that we will always resort to brutality, and bloodshed and lust. And yet we remember the prayer of St. Augustine, "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee."

The message of the Bible is this: that mankind, evil as he or she is, can be redeemed! Human nature is sinful, but it can be transformed! Human experience reveals that we are creatures of passion, selfishness, and sin. But by the grace of God, we can be changed! The Bible says it well, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow." (Isaiah 1:18)

This is the very good news about mankind. Though we be creatures subject to sin, we are of all creation, the chosen children of God! Think about that good news for today, and rejoice!

There Is A "Saving Way"!

Jesus said, "I am the Way"...what did He mean? Is there a way that works and a way that does not work? And if so, what are those ways?

What are we looking for in life? Isn't it for a way of life that works? It has been said that some people are like blind men searching in a dark room for a black cat, that isn't there! Is this the kind of futile search we are in? Is the "Way", some kind of mysterious chemistry equation that people will someday find in the laboratories? No, but we do believe that the "Way" of God is written into the very nature of the universe. And if we search in the right places, we shall find it.

In chemistry, H2O means water. 2 parts of hydrogen and 1 part of oxygen will produce water. You can fight with that formula, you can rebel against it, you can try to twist it into something else, but eventually you have to surrender to it. H2O is the "way" of water.

There is also a "way" to fly an airplane, and there is a "not‑the‑way". Pilots must be obedient to this "way" or they will crash. The pilots and the scientists did not invent these laws...they discovered them. There apparently is a "way‑to‑fly" that is built into the universe.

So, what about the way we live? Can we do what we please, and live? Is it merely by chance that we are happy or sad, or good or bad? Can you do anything and get away with it? The answer is a resounding "No"!

Jesus came into the world to "read" the great mysteries of God...to interpret the hieroglyphics of life for us. There was a "Way" that was written into the very foundation of the world. And Jesus could "read" it! We could not do so. We were lost! But, we are not lost anymore. We have been saved! Jesus has saved us, because He has shown us the "Way": the way to love, the way to forgive, the way to die, the way to hope for the future, and the way of peace among people.

One of the great philosophers once said, "two things strike me with awe: the starry heavens above and the moral law within." You see, there is a moral law within us, just as there are physical laws about us. We cannot live by chance. To do so is to be lost! But praise God, Jesus has found us. When we learn to walk in His way, then we have been found. There is no other way. His is the only "way" that works!

Is Anyone Up There?

Is life tough? Yes, it is! Am I alone? No, you aren't! Is the world going to pieces? At times, it would seem that way. Is there anyone who can help me? Yes! "God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in time of trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

The Psalmist said it, but at times the questions plague my mind: Is anyone up there? Must I wait for fate, for chance? Is there a design? Is there anyone who cares? Could God hear me if I called? Would He answer? Would He deliver me from my distresses? Is God dead? These are the questions that plague my soul!

An officer out of uniform, rode by a group of soldiers, struggling under the load of a very heavy burden. "Why don't you help?" he asked, of a soldier standing by. "Sir, I am the Corporal", came the reply. "Forgive me, said the officer, and he got out of his car and helped. Afterwards, he said to the surprised Corporal, "Corporal, whenever you have a job to do, and need some help, send for your Commander‑in‑chief!"

Jesus, our Commander‑in‑chief, has come! He took upon himself the form of a servant. He humbled himself, and came down. And you and I are the richer, because this is so. For He who stripped himself to become poor, has clothed us now with the garments of His peace. Why should I fear, when God is near? Who should fret, when we have this confidence?

Paul said, "Have no anxiety about anything, but in every thing by prayer and with supplication, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding, will fill your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Phil. 4:6,7)

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Do Not Trespass

A good many years ago, I visited Lion Safari Country near W. Palm Beach, Florida. It is an area where the visitors are caged, not the animals! You are caged within your car! You drive through miles and miles of jungle‑like countryside, with wild beasts of all sizes and descriptions. These wild beasts come within a few feet of your closed windows as you drive by.

There are a few basic rules here: No convertibles. Windows and doors must be kept tightly closed at all times while you are there. Any violation of these rules suggests a tragic ending. A sign at the main entrance suggests grimly, "Trespassers will be eaten!"

So it is that in all of life around us, we discover: "Trespassers will be eaten!" We are eaten up by violation of certain basic rules. Life has real built‑in requirements, and he who disregards them is as foolish as a careless camper in Lion Safari Country.

Certain laws have been built into the grain of the universe by a very wise Creator. Laws such as: "I am my brother's keeper". (Gen. 4:9) Or laws such as: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt. 22:37‑39) Or laws such as" "He who knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)

Why is it that so many people are coming to the dead‑ends of life? Why are so many being eaten up by their own selfish greed? The goals of their life are leading them to a blank wall. Why is it that so many are going in the wrong direction? Their energies seem to be pitted against God's rules of life rather than for them.

To hit the bull's eye of God's purposes for each one of us is no easy task. But it is never accomplished by neglecting the basic rules of courtesy, and good will, and love, and forgiveness. These are the high goals of the high road to heaven, and require our best obedience to them today and always.

As Long As You're Not Dead

In a recent T.V. movie, a woman coming out of surgery was told by her friend, "Honey, it's O.K. now...you're out of danger!" To which the patient replied, "How can I be out of danger if I'm not dead?"

It's a point well taken, that as long as we're still alive, we are still in danger. But that's a negative way of putting a very positive truth, namely that life would not be life if it did not have some hazards, some problems, some tough times. These are the things that make life worth living: the struggle and the agony...because after the agony comes the ecstacy!

A wise old college professor once pointed out that the happiest moments of his life came after he had gone through and completed a difficult assignment. The Olympic participants endure the agony of months and years of grueling practice and disciplined agony to produce the beauty of a champion.

There is no promise of roses in this life, but there is a promise of a Heavenly Father who will make it all worth while someday. As long as we're not dead, we're in danger, but at least we're alive, with all of its possibilities for good and for God.

Look to this day, for though it has its questions, it also has glorious answers. Jesus has given them to us in the New Testament, and all we need to do is take his answers with us throughout the day.

Serendipity!

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "Which words sound nice? Which words do I like the best?" Let me try out a few: Lollipop...tickle...lickety‑split. Or here is a beautiful Jewish word, "Shalom". It means almost anything you want it to mean: "Hello", "Good‑bye," "I love you", "Farewell". It depends upon how you say it! Or how about this word...Serendipity?

Is this a new word to you? Horace Walpole coined it. It came from an old Persian fairy tale, "The Three Princes of Serendip". Every time the three princes took a trip, by coincidence, along the way, they found the most profitable, and enjoyable "extra" benefits!

For example, here are a few samples out of history: Columbus set out to find a new route to Asia. Serendipity! He found America instead! Edison set out to discover the electric light. Serendipity! He discovered the phonograph in the process. Pasteur was trying to find a process for keeping wine sweet. Serendipity! He came upon the process of pasteurization. Serendipity! What a delightful word!

Jesus suggested the very same idea, when he said, "He who finds his life loses it. But he who sets out to lose his life...Serendipity!...lo, and behold, he finds it!" Or again, Jesus suggested that if we seek one important thing, we would also find a whole world of other delightful things too. He said: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things (the ones we're looking for), "will be added unto you as well." (Matt. 6:33)

Ask most people what they are looking for, and their answer is: happiness, security, peace of mind. But one does not find these things by making them a direct campaign. I do not find happiness, by setting out to find happiness! No...Serendipity! Happiness is the joyous by‑product of doing something else like doing the will of God, for example.

It is in the sweet act of giving perfume to another, that some is bound to get on you. It is in the act of giving happiness to someone else, that we find it for ourselves.

Try it! Try seeking first the will of God. Try seeking out the happiness of someone else. Lo and behold, there is a "serendipity!"

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Poise and Power

A noted business man discovered that when things got very busy, his solution was not in frantic work, but in quiet meditation. He set aside two periods during the day, and faithfully spent two minutes of quiet meditation in each.

The writer of Proverbs in the Old Testament said, "Drink from your own cistern, drink fresh water out of your own well." (5:15) He had discovered that deep down within everyone of us, there is a reservoir of helpfulness which comes directly from God. We do not have to go anywhere, or do anything, but to send our roots down deeply into this reservoir of poise and power.

Frantic distraction is not the answer to the turmoil inside. Rather, we need to learn to take the time for quietness and contemplation. From these, we shall find help unknown and un-tested before.

The Psalmist said: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." Indeed, he continued, "He hath put a new song in my mouth." (Ps. 40:1,3)

If we are to survive the forces that direct themselves upon us from all sides, we must find the poise that comes from power, and the power that comes from poise. They will not be found in human‑kind, but in God. They will not be found by dashing madly after them, but in waiting patiently for them.

It was Edward Markham who one time said, "At the heart of the cyclone tearing the sky is a place of central calm. The cyclone derives its power from a calm center. So does a person. Power is generated in and derived from quietness."

Strength is a strange quality. Sometimes the strongest person does not have it, while the crippled and weak, possess it in abundance. Power is a spiritual quality. It does not depend upon muscles, but upon obedience...obedience to spiritual laws!

The prophet of old was right when he said that we need not rely upon cavalry, for our charge would be turned to flight; nor can we trust to swift horses, for our pursuers will be swifter than we. Our help is in the Lord, and if we wait upon the Lord, He shall renew our strength. "This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith." (I John 5:4) It is not the manipulation of worldly controls, but it is in the exposure of the soul to God in such a way, that He can communicate power through us.

Someone once spelled out for us, the way to poise and power:

Every morning lean thine arm awhile
Upon the windowsill of heaven
And gaze upon Thy Lord.
Then, with the vision in thy heart,
Turn strong to meet the day.
May the Lord bless us this day and always,

Please Don't Let Me Get Old!

Julia Ward Howe once wrote: "Do not fear age, the sugar of life is at the bottom of the cup." But always we seem to believe that it must be in someone else's cup! "What can I do", I complain, "I'm getting too old!"

But we forget, that Verdi wrote an opera at the age of 80 and Goethe finished writing "Faust" at that same age. Oliver Wendell Holmes was still writing brilliant opinions at 90. Louis Pasteur was past 60 when he began his studies that led to a cure for rabies. A lovely woman doctor near our Chicago church was still going strong at the age of 89. She flew up to Canada every Summer to fish and hunt elk.

But by that same token, some people are old at the age of 30. They look old, they act old, and they give you the impression that life has passed them by, and they never took a shot at it. Of course, there are also those Methuselahs, who live to be 969, and might just as well never have tried. They leave no record of ever singing the praises of a morning sunrise, or ever set much of an example to their children or grandchildren. They just take the record in birthdays, and nothing else. Why do such people have to live at all?

Which really brings us to the conclusion, that life is not so much years, as it is values. What really counts is not how long you live, but how you live...not whether you achieve a thousand inventions, but whether you achieve a beautiful spirit. Some people do more living in 30 years than others do in a hundred.

I'd like to be 20 again, but I'm really 80. I could wish for the moon, but this is who I really am. Let's face it, God doesn't desert us at the age of 80. It's a marvelous blooming world out there, and this just might be my time to "bloom". There is still "sugar in the cup".

One Bang Christians!

An interesting item came out of the l9th Century regarding dramatic productions. An edict in Europe banned the giving of plays, except in certain theaters. What it amounted to was a theatrical monopoly.

But the bright boys of the theater got past this little problem. The edict applied to plays, but not to musicals. So, in many places, at the beginning of the play, one of the theater staff would give a few loud bangs on the piano...which made it into a musical, and then the play continued.

There is a certain parallel we can observe today. In our communities, we observe many "l bang" people. For example, there are the "l bang" patriots, who stand reverently when the national anthem is played, or face the flag at the Service Club luncheon, or manage to sing l stanza of America. But after sounding that "l bang", they are not so hot about the tougher aspects of citizenship.

And then, there are the "l bang" marriages, where sometimes the only real musical note was the first "I will", or a box of candy once a year. So many marriages dwindle down to a "tired friendship".

And so also, there are the "Mother's Day bangers"...the one carnation a year variety. But one carnation a year does not make a symphony of love for Mother.

And then at Christmas and Easter, there are the "two‑banger" Church‑goers. But a "thank you" to Almighty God once or twice a year, does not turn the play of life into an aria of praise!

One pastor in his church newsletter, expressed his joy and pride "that members had braved the rain" to attend services the week before.

What a picture enters our mind: earnest Christians on one of the holy days of the Church, dared the raindrops, some even lifted umbrellas, and resolutely walked to the garage, climbed into their cars, and came to church. Surely such valor deserves a medal. Who says the race is running down, with lads and lasses like that!

Truly such sacrifice reminds us of those who..."conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, receivedpromises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fires, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, and put foreign armies to flight." (Heb. 22:33,34)

Perhaps we need a roll call of modern Christian heroes: here is Saint Joan, who came to church once every 3 months, on good Sundays, and stayed through to the benediction...what devotion! And here is Saint Franklin Smith, who may not have quenched any raging fires, but who increased his pledge to the church from $10 to $12 per Sunday, and was fittingly rewarded by another deduction from income tax...of such is the Kingdom of Heaven!

As the Psalmist has said, "Lord, help us to sing a new song unto Thee". It's better than banging around with a pretense of religion, rather than the real thing.

You've Got The Wrong God, Buddy

Bad theology is at the heart of much of the trouble within today's Church. We literally do not worship the same God!

When I was in Seminary, I did not enjoy the study of theology, because it seemed so difficult and complex. And frankly, much of it is, and our thousands of different doctrines within our hundreds of different churches, is proof of that.

But basic, down‑to‑earth theology, is something we must get right. Theology really means, "the logic of God", and many of us are going to the very same Bible and using the wrong "logic of God".

If I persist in believing that 2 + 2 = 5, and if I am convinced that a crooked line is the shortest distance between two points, then I am bound to come up with a different answer to a problem than you will. And frankly, many of our churches are using that 2 + 2 = 5 formula for God, and they are coming up with the wrong answers, because they are using the wrong measurements.

Jesus Christ must be the yardstick used for our understanding of God. For Jesus said, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father...I and my Father are one." And John in his gospel says that "the WORD (of God) became flesh and dwelt among us". And he is talking about Jesus Christ.

Therefore, if your god is too small, or if your god is vicious and inconsistent, you are really not looking at the God of the Bible at all, but at some foreign deity.

And so, let us come to our Bible with a new understanding of basic theology. Jesus Christ gave us the best picture of God there is. And since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then let us recognize that if there are portions of the Bible that suggest a God who is not like what Jesus told us, then we need to check it out against God's spiritual yardstick.

God has not changed through the centuries, but our human understanding of God has changed through the years. The Bible is that marvelous record of holy men and women of old, struggling to know and to understand what God is like. Little by little, they learned, and in "the fullness of time, Jesus came", and gave us the complete picture.

The Bible is sometimes a wilderness of confusion. But thank God, through Jesus Christ, I can find my way through, and find the truth.

God Worked A Miracle

Sometimes I look at my world, and it seems drab and depressing. And then, there are times when there is color everywhere, and my eyes behold a world of excitement and marvelous beauty. God works a miracle, and it is not just because some times the world is more beautiful than at others, but because there are times when my heart is open and times when it is not.

As the New Testament is read, we hear the disciples saying, "it is a miracle"..."behold, a miracle!" God has never changed His miracle‑working work in our world. But it is only the heart of faith that sees it.

Do you see any miracles working in your community? Are folks asking for more Bible studies? Are some people reaching out to share their faith? Here and there, are there Christians who begin to care that pews are bare and people are absent from the Lord's House? Are some beginning to get serious about their own attendance? Praise the Lord! God is still working a miracle in our town! The miracles are there for us to feel. The only question remains, "Are we open to receive and accept them in faith?"

With Anticipation

Have you seen the T.V. commercial with the boy waiting for the catsup to come out of the bottle...and then a choral group sings, "an‑ti‑ci‑pa‑tion...an‑ti‑ci‑pa‑tion"?

I really can't get very excited about catsup. But I do share the excitement of waiting for that something "special" to happen. And that is the way I feel about worship services at our church.

Since the Holy Spirit is always there, wouldn't it be great if all congregations everywhere could be literally "turned‑ around", or "flipped over", or "on fire"? What if we all felt the power of God so marvelously in our lives, that every church task and every service of worship would begin to feel like a spiritual pilgrimage for the "Holy Grail"?

Hebrews 11:1 indicates that "faith" is a special kind of "anti‑ci‑pation." It is "an assurance of things hoped for, and a conviction of things not seen." In other words, we have every reason to believe that something marvelous is going to happen...is bound to happen, because we are trusting in God to help make it happen! That is faith!

A Trust

The secret of great living" says Charles Clayton Morrison, "is the consciousness that I am being trusted...therefore I must be trustworthy."

These words suggest that each of us has been given a trust by our friends and our associates, and we must live up to it. But, it also suggests that God has given to every one of us treasures of heart, and health, and wealth, and talent. When we wise up to the fact that everything we have and own, and are, has been given to us, that we own nothing and that we owe everything, then we have found the secret of great living.

I am a steward of the Eternal God. I hold all that I have on God's behalf. I am simply a care‑taker of it, dispensing it on the Lord's behalf.

This is what the Christian means when he or she sings, "All to Jesus, I surrender. I surrender all." We are God's body, God's mouth‑piece, God's hands and feet, God's accountant. We owe God everything. We give God a portion of what has been given to us, to continue the work while we are alive. We sing for the Lord, we work for the Lord, we witness for God, we give through the Lord's Church. Someday, we are to return all that we have in that final Trust Account.

This is great living! To waste our substance in riotous living, and selfish pursuit, is to throw it down a rat hole. To invest our time, our talent, and our tithes in Kingdom enterprises, is the only answer to inflation. It is ours forever, with "interest" from the Master‑Holder.

I am being trusted, therefore, I must be trustworthy. My future is at stake!

Why Go Limping?

Church members have had a way of claiming to be a part of something big, and then acting as though it were nothing! As though the love of God were nothing! As though Christ's death upon the cross were nothing! As though his blessings were nothing. As though the milky way and the universe with all its wonderful starry hosts were nothing! As though the gift of life from a Creator God who is also our Heavenly Father were nothing.

Why do we go on calling ourselves Christians and acting like atheists? Where do we stand? Why do we join the church and then stay home? Why do we throw out our chests and say with pride, "Oh, but I'm a Christian!" and then act like a heathen?

The writer of I Kings had something to say about this. He quoted Elijah talking to his people gathered at Mt. Carmel: "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." (I Kings 18:21)

Is it time to begin to say where we stand? Are we weak‑ kneed? Do we equivocate? Does it say something to us about church attendance? Does it say something about basic honesty, about integrity in our daily lives? The Christian is always called upon to "give witness" to his faith. What is your wit ness? Does it say the word loud and clear, or does it come through with a limp?

Are You Guilty?

If we were brought into court, and accused of being Christians, would there be enough evidence to convict us? What in your life or activity, would link you with the crime of loving God?

We have watched enough T.V. police stories to know how it all proceeds...If there was a stake‑out on us: would we be ob served eating and drinking a ceremonial meal called the Lord's Supper? Would wire‑taps have picked up our voices saying a meal‑time grace? Would anyone have seen us reading subversive literature known as the New Testament? Would the D.A. be able to prove that we had tracked into the homes of the poor, or that we had identified with people who were oppressed, or tried to lift the burden of being black?

But what about other factual evidence? Does our checkbook state a clear case of involvement with the ministry of Jesus? Are there any books of the faith in our home library? Have we been seen going regularly to that Christian gathering known as Church? Would the attorneys draw to the attention of the jurors that we had been guilty of certain forms of behavior...such as forgiving a person who had offended us...or, loving someone who had treated us unfairly? The case is building up...the prosecutor gets to his feet and offers his final summation..."This person," he says, "even walks like a Christian...whether he is driving his car, or riding up an elevator...He has an infectious sparkle to his life."

The facts are in...the verdict comes through: "This person is guilty of Christianity in the first degree!" Guilty!...Hallelujah!

Isn't it great to see many who are guilty as charged: filling their pockets with unexpected love, guilty of modesty, guilty of caring about others, guilty of loving people rather than hating. Some people just can't keep their connection with Jesus Christ a secret. They're guilty!...Praise God!

Oh, to be with that Divine Warden, who has the Keys of Life. May he lock us up in his eternal love, forever!

Noah Was Prepared For Rain, Are You?

The following is a test: "How many animals did Moses take with him into the ark?" You flunked it, if you said "2", because Moses didn't take any...Noah did!

Old jokes like that never seem to die, but a lot of people do, because they remain deaf to God's plea to be prepared.

There is a book called "The Devil's Dictionary" with wit and witticism that is not always the kindest. But for the word "deluge" or "flood", the definition is given: "A notable 1st experiment in baptism which washed away the sins and the sinners of the world."

Noah lived at a time when people were careless about their lives, but Noah knew when to come in out of the rain when it was time. The story of the flood in the Bible is trying to teach us that we have a God who cares, and a God who saves. God has made provision for His people. Punishment for our moral bankruptcy is there, but salvation is there too. Things may get awfully bad, but there is also a rainbow. There is Hope. Don't ever give it up!

A world in revolt against God brings retribution. As the morals and decency of a nation or a people disintegrate, there comes a point when something has to break. For about so long, the forces of decency upon the earth are able to hold out, and then the floods come.

The wars and the brutality of our world are like a horrible nightmare, and the wash and welter of it may prevail not only "a hundred and fifty days" as in the times of Noah, but through dragging decades in which the aftermath of evil still spreads its slime of bitterness and suffering.

The ancient story is a parable of terrible reality. Whenever man begins to live as though God did not exist; whenever people take truth and bend and twist it to their own convenience, then the tides of cause and effect begin to build up. Perhaps we shall need an ark very soon!

With all of its imperfections, sometimes we wonder whether the Church (not any one Church, but the Holy Universal Church) is today's "ark" for mankind. Sometimes "the stink within, is worse than the storm without", but still the Church exists for people here and there who still believe in righteousness, and who long for the Kingdom of God upon earth, and actively work for its fulfillment.

There are clouds upon the horizon, and there is rain a‑comin'...it is the flood of moral retribution which has been held back thus far. Enter the ark, then, not as saints, but as sinners who are humble enough to be ashamed. The Church of Jesus Christ is the saving remnant. Will we be sensible enough and obedient enough to get in?

Blackballed With Balloons

We saw a birthday celebration yesterday at a local business. One of the employees had reached 40. Signs here and there read, "Over the hill". And all around were balloons: red, yellow, blue, and here and there black ones!

Why black? Through the years, we have never associated black with joy or celebration. Perhaps if we were of the black race, we would do so..."black is beautiful". Yes it is!

Although I love the daylight, and the colors of the day, sometimes I love even more the quiet beauty of the night. How peaceful, how quiet, how beautiful when you realize that only then can the stars come out.

Maybe 40 isn't "over the hill", but sometimes people who are getting older begin to wonder whether life holds much for them up ahead. Sometimes the eyes begin to dim...the hearing gets dis tant, and the health falters and fails. But, in truth, only when some of the noise and confusion of the chaotic world around us begins to slow down, and maybe even go away...only then do we begin to discover that night is but the wonderful prelude to another day.

Only then do we begin to see that God is preparing us, in the quiet times of retirement, for a Special Day...a Day so bright and glorious, so marvelously different than the one in which we have been living for three score years and ten, that truly "black is beautiful", and the night is not the end of anything, except the beginning of something uniquely new.

The apostle Paul had his complaints too. And in Romans 5:3ff, he says we may even be able to "rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts."

I'm a sucker for "hope". And I can't help believing that God hasn't "blackballed" us, but that He beautifully rewards us with all the colors of the rainbow, along with a certain amount of darkness, in preparation for an eternity with Him.

Casually Yours

Many years ago, Hitler said something that was very true. Just because he was an evil man, does not mean that sometimes bad persons do not say something good. Even a clock that is stopped gives the right time twice every day. Hitler in his "Mein Kampf" once wrote, that the revolution that he was preparing, could be stopped only by those who brought against it, "an explosive idea". And Hitler was right! Because there is an explosive idea that puts a stop to the kind of thing that Hitlers and dictators try to do. It is the explosive idea of Christ and Christ's teachings.

Christians have a bombshell! Jesus Christ explodes hatred, wars, immorality, fear, and the evils that prevail upon this world. The apostle Paul would never agree that two plus two could ever ‘equal 5. It has to be 4. And so it is with belief. It has to be the right answer. It has to be the explosive love of Jesus Christ. In Romans l0:8, Paul says "For the secret is very near you, in your own heart, in your own mouth! It is the secret of faith, which is the burden of our preaching." (Phillips translation)

In a ladies Dept. store, a coat was listed for sale under the name, "Casually yours". Perhaps that fits people of our day. The advertisement said, "This coat captures beautifully that fine air of informal unconcern."

Is this what is wrong with us? We have too much of that "fine air of informal unconcern." The sin of casualness...care less casualness...that's the nail that crucifies the Christ again and again. A Christian must never be "casually yours", but always "devotedly yours", or "enthusiastically yours."

The secret of our salvation is "belief". And belief must move us to commitment, and commitment must shove us always to do a little more, give more, care a lot more, and let the love show! It's not the "casual" thing to do.

The Hilarity of The Gospel

Do you recall the hell‑fire and damnation preaching, the "Amen" shouting, the "saw‑dust trail" of past decades in the church? Or surely you have heard about it? Although we may not wish to return to them, at times we have become so formal in the life of the church, so staid and sour, that we no longer act or sound like Christians. There was something marvelously relaxed and joyous about the life of our Lord as he walked this earth. It is something we wish we might duplicate.

In the book of Acts, we read that the early disciples proclaimed the risen Christ with such hilarious joy and exuberance, that they were accused of being addicted to wine. Peter said, "No, it was too early in the day for that." This was not alcoholism, but the heady wine of the Spirit. It was that which caused men to see visions, and dream dreams.

Diedrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian, executed on the Nazi gallows, defined "hilaritas", the Latin word, as a certain confidence in your work; as a certain boldness and defiance of the world and of popular opinion; and as a certain steadfastness that what we do, benefits the world.

The Christian works with a kind of assurance of freedom. We are not under Law, but under Love. The burden of the Law was like shackles of steel. The fruit of Love is exhilaration, joy, peace, and freedom.

The early Christians learned the cost of freedom, but they would not be shackled again. They could be persecuted, burned at the stake, but they would sing as they burned. They could be thrown to the lions, but they went rejoicing.

With our small sacrifices today, have we forgotten the Gospel with its joy, with its Good News? Call me a fool, if you want, for Christ's sake, but I don't care. I have Jesus. Accuse me of indulging, if you will, but the only intoxicant I have been drinking is the wine of the Spirit. I have filled my cup with the sacrament of Life, and I am hilariously happy with the Savior!

Love Is Not Optional

When you buy a car, you first get a price that is very basic. It may seem like a lot, but the salesman convinces you it is a bargain. Then you talk about the extras: the air conditioning, the sun‑roof, the CD player, the computer analyzer, etc. It may seem very difficult, but it is possible to refuse the extras, and still get the car.

In the Christian life, some people want the superficial extras, but think they can get along without the basic equipment. They can take the sacrament, they can attend church, have their names on the rolls, come to the church suppers and even sing in the choir. They are sold on the extras, but just as a car is not a car without wheels, so the Christian is not a Christian without love. Love is not optional!

The epistle‑writer says: "If any one says, 'I love God' and hates his brother, he is a liar." (I Jn. 4:20). We thought maybe this basic equipment could wait. We know we are supposed to love our neighbors, but at the moment, we just can't do it. So, we'd like the optional equipment first, and maybe some day get around to the basics. It doesn't work. It's no soap! It isn't good logic, and it isn't good Christianity.

I have no alternative. I may not agree with my neighbors. I may not like my neighbors, but nonetheless I must love them. Love is not optional. And this comes at times, as a terrifying reality. It moves me out of the theoretical into the realm of the actual.

The story of hate down through the centuries has been a grim one. Hatred is not just an absence of love, it is a violation of the law of love. Just as holding your breath is a violation of the law of breathing, so hatred is a violation of the law of loving. The effects are deadly!

There is a cross that stands at the center of our faith. And the epistle‑writer says: "Herein is love,...that God loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins." He then concludes, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (I John 4:l0,ll)

If I am a Christian, I have no choice. My job is not to change my neighbor, or even to agree with him in everything. My job is simply to love him. I may not learn to like the garlic he eats, or enjoy the music to which he listens. I may not like the way he combs his hair, or the cut of his clothes, but I must love him as I love myself...to want for him, what I want for myself...to guarantee for him every freedom which I wish to guarantee for myself.

Sometimes this drives me to distraction, but the automobile of faith won't move without it.