Five Lessons From Jail

June 28, 2013 at 5:49 pm (Spirituality)
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Editors Note: Have been very busy at Jail and VBS this week. Sorry for the absence of Blogs. The good news is I slowly worked on this through the week.  Mark 🙂

Lessons from Jail

He can teach you

He can teach you

I am a firm believer that we can and should learn from everybody. We can also learn in any situation or environment. Going to Summit County jail 3-4 days a week has taught me a lot. There are parallels between life inside and outside the bars. Here are five things I have learned.

BREAKING POINTS

Some people never have known Christ. Others are aware but have drifted away from the Lord. If we want to get to know and be a servant of our Lord we need to change. My friend is often says to change we need to be in enough pain. We will all experience pain in our lives. Loss of job, death of a loved one, financial burdens, divorce and depression all leave people with plenty of hurt.

Jail is a place of pain. The clunk of the door lock makes you feel caged. We all screw-up but jail gives you all day to think about it. Want to talk to your family? Just wait in line as forty guys share a couple of phone requiring a prepaid card. Want to choose your food? Not happening. Men talk and think about a different life without the hurt. Often once they are released the pain fades and old ways return. But there are guys who don’t return. Just like the guys in jail, God can use our pain for good…if we are willing to let him.

WE ALL SIN

When is the last time you sinned? For me it is in the last hour. Romans 3:23 reminds us, “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” The difference between being in jail or at home is whether you violated man made rules and laws. Sometimes the difference is simply whether we are caught or not. Odds of being caught drunk driving. About 1/2000. Those who sin drunk driving? 2000/2000.

One of the odd things about jail is a lot of the guys are guilty, but not with what they have been charged. One man I saw in jail let a homeless mom and child temporarily move in with him. He started sleeping with the woman. A week later he asked her to leave. She then called the cops and accused him of hitting her. I believe he didn’t hit her. But I also reminded him if he hadn’t let her stay in a sinful way in his house she wouldn’t have been around to accuse him of domestic violence. The wart that surfaces isn’t always the core of our sin. We need to reflect back to see where we made poor choice rather than debating the endpoint.

THIRST FOR CHRIST

When you do reach your breaking point and want to change you do it with zeal. Incarcerated men become living examples of this. In Summit County jail hard financial times sometimes leads to a shortage of deputies. During those times men often end up locked in their cells all day long. If they get lucky they may get out of their cells for a half hour. God’s influence is made clear…the men meet, pray and have Bible studies for the half hour. The men also will talk through their air vents to lift each other’s spirits talking about God. How many of us “make time” to be with God? I do every morning, but if I have a spare moment I often use it on silly things. I wish I had the fervor of the men in jail.

PATIENCE CAN BE LEARNED

jail 2Paul says we need patience. In Galatians 5:22 he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Do you honk your horn if the car in front of you doesn’t start moving quickly enough after the light changes? Do you swap lines when checking out at the grocery store? The other lane is moving faster, isn’t it? At least until we get in it! Every step in when you were teaching your kids how to do something because they “just weren’t getting it”? The reality is we don’t have patience to let them learn.

In jail, patience is fruit of the Holy Spirit you better learn quickly. If you have a pre-trial hearing and your lawyer is late, it will be rescheduled in 6-8 weeks.  It may easily take 6-12 months to get to trial. Want to get a pair of reading glasses or socks? The request (kite) may take 1-2 weeks to be processed and delivered. And trust me everyone is doing their job. Want a visit? Fill out your request at least two days in advance. The visit times are from 8-11am and 1-3pm, Monday through Friday. It is up to you to inform your family member of the visit time. If your family member is not 15 minutes early the visit will need to be rescheduled.  All of the rules in the courts and jail serve a needed purpose, it just tries your patience. And it is a virtue the men have proved can be learned. And if they can learn patience, can’t we?

 

GOD THE RESTORER

God can restore you, will you let him?

God can restore you, will you let him?

Sometimes we fall hard. Deaths, divorce, financial difficulties, and/or depression can place us in a cavern that is hard to get out of. We can’t see the way out. Oftentimes we don’t even have the energy to look for an exit. We may not even realize we need to change. And when we do, often try without God’s help. Ephesian 6: 10-11 tells us otherwise: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Restoration can be so far away.

In jail this is magnified. Everyone is in a dark place. The presence of evil is thick in the air. There is no way out- or at least it appears. But a cool thing happens to some. They catch somebody reading a Bible. Maybe the sign up for the weekly Bible Study just to get out of their cell for a bit. But there is a flicker of light, a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately it doesn’t happen to most, but it does happen. I get to talk to some of these men weekly. Our journey last often for three to six months. It always ends with guys going somewhere, often to prison. But they leave changed. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation.” And these men are. And they did it in tough conditons with the devil taunting them at every turn. Do we need to be a new creation? If so, the change in these men gives hope that shines brilliantly in God’s light.

God Bless,

Mark

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Lessons from Noah

May 30, 2013 at 12:55 am (Spirituality)
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Editor’s Note: Sorry for the lack of Blogs lately, I have been working on another project (can you say b-o-o-k?). I will try to do better. Mark.

Reading: Genesis Chapters 6-8

I will admit that I like to make my opinion known. I will do what I am told to do, but either to myself or others I express my thoughts. This takes me to a well know story in the Bible. Noah and the ark.

That's a big boat!

That’s a big boat!

Imagine if God came to you as he did to Noah. He tells you that Man is corrupt and He is going to kill everyone but your family. Would you have something to say to God? Would you ask the Lord if there was another way? And then God tells you to build a “little” boat, giving you directions. I would have said “Lord, seriously?” I would be overwhelmed with the task. Then you get told to bring animals of every sort on the boat. Wouldn’t you be wondering where you’d get them? Would you be wondering which ones would be wanting to eat you (Lions and tigers and bears oh my!)?

Noah did respond to God. Not in words. Genesis 6:22 records Noah’s actions: “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” Are we like Noah? None of us has mastered obedience completely. And it permeates into our lives. We bitch about what a boss asks us to do. We ignore our spouse’s requests until a battle something as simple as washing dishes. And then there’s God, whose commands are perfect and always on time. Yet we too often turn way from his words as well.

Noah sits in the ark for over ten months. Finally the waters start to recede. He sends a raven out. It flies aimlessly till the lands of earth dry. Never returning to Noah. I would have been moved to use some bad words (very bad words) by then. Not Noah. He sends out a dove- it comes back. The swell of the animal waste is everywhere. But Noah demonstrates patience. The same patience that it takes to build a big old ark and load it with animals. He waits a week to send out another dove. It comes back with an olive leaf. Noah waits another week and sends it out again- the bird never returns.

Patience please.

Patience please.

I am not a “Noah.” I can be patient at times. But when I think it is time for a change in tactics watch out. I am always the dude who touches the tacky paint. I always check the oven at 50 minutes when the brownie recipe says 1 hour (Not that I would ever eat sweets Dr. King). If we are following God’s plan we follow his plan. We don’t get to change directions when we want. You can sense Noah sent the birds when God wanted. Many of us would have ran out of birds before the water was even receding. If we do that we never get to see how God’s way turns out.

Noah takes the top off the boat. The Bible says the earth was dried. But Noah waits some more- almost two months more. Can you imagine the looks he must have gotten from his family? He probably even got dirty looks from the animals. But only one thing move Noah off the boat- God’s word: “Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.””

We need to listen for God’s word. Trials do come to an end; but not when we want them to be over. God will decide when enough is enough. He is never early and never late. But we are. That’s why it is so important to listen to his instructions. And if we don’t listen we might never get off the boat. The spouse who gets divorced is alone and in pain. But God will bring them out of the suffering when it is time. It took years to adjust to the loss of my son, God smacked me with a two by four to get me to listen. And then he brought me back. I pray that you are a better listener than I.

noah3Finally Noah did something that we can often forget. He had the trial of building a boat and living in it for over a year. But he came out of the ark thanking God: “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”  And then God made a covenant with man. But Noah thank the Lord before that blessing was ever given.

We too thank you today Lord for blessing to come. We thank you for trials that make us stronger. And for you guiding voice for which we are forever grateful Father. Amen.

God Bless,

Mark

 

 

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Patience and Broken Toes

April 4, 2013 at 3:51 pm (Spirituality)
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

Have you been stuck behind this truck?

Have you been stuck behind this truck?

I had mentioned my broken toe in a previous blog. I commented on how when I compare my toe to Christ dying on the cross I have no room to complain. But I am going to complain. It’s been 8 days since a broke my toe. It still hurts. The doc said I could where shoes as soon as I tolerated them. But it still hurts too much to walk in shoes. I have a walking boot but its difficulty to get on and off. I just want the broken toe better.

I prayed to the Lord this morning for my toe to heal. I know the Lord listens to all our prayers. Yet as I attempted to put on my shoe teeth shattering pain told me there’d be no toe miracle today. Am I asking too much? It’s only a toe God.

Isn’t amazing how impatient we become? I assume I’m not the only one who wants a “toe fixed”. We get impatient over little things. A car that actually doesn’t run the yellow light. The lady who is searching for change in her elephant sized purse at the checkout line. Have you tried doing homework with a high school aged kid lately? Do you have a co-worker, friend, or family member who takes forever to tell a 30 second story? Impatience surrounds us everywhere.

Paul writes about the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22. Patience is one of them. Why is this fruit so hard to develop? One reason is that we over look our blessings. When I broke my toe I slipped two steps above the wall of the landing. Yet I managed to stay upright and not hit that wall. I broke a toe but didn’t fracture my neck. Thank you for that blessing Lord. Are you grateful for that high school kid that exasperates you to do homework with? A child in our lives is one of God’s great blessings.

Lessons we can learn from others????

Lessons we can learn from others????

We also forget that times of patience are times of learning and restoration. The guys I see at jail have a big stop sign in front of them. They can either choose to be frustrated or use adverse circumstances to their benefit. Jail takes them out of the environment that got them in trouble. It gives them a unique opportunity to focus on God.

Patience also requires us to realize it isn’t all about us. I remember a couple of World War II vets telling me their stories when I was a family doc. Their stories took time- a commodity in short supply. But to listen help healed them. They still had nightmares 50 years after the war. I was the first person they ever talked to about the war. To be God’s child it can’t be about us. To be God’s child means we serve. Patience is part of that.

Those wrinkles hide a thousand stories.

Those wrinkles hide a thousand stories.

My toe does hurt today. It will heal and the pain and inconvenience will pass. Traffic lights will change colors. The lady will find the quarter in her purse (And who knows men, maybe someday we will need something out of the elephant purse!). Our kids will graduate and we will mourn the loss of sitting at the table with them. I wish my grandparents were still alive to tell me those 10 minute stories, no matter how many times I heard them. The reality is things will happen the way they do whether we are patient or not. So today Lord I ask for the gift of patience so I can appreciate life and be a better servant. Amen.

God Bless,

Mark

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Words from the Cross: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?

March 27, 2013 at 10:25 pm (Spirituality)
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“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?‘ which is translated, ’My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ “(Mark 15:34)

WARNING: THIS BLOG CONTAINS A PICTURE THAT IS VERY HARD TO LOOK AT.

I broke my left big toe this morning. Would you believe I slipped going down carpeted sets in my own home?  I split my toe bone into two pieces. It hurts worse than the cervical fusion I had done on my neck. I know it’s not a hug deal, but in fifty years I have endured a lot of things that should have hurt badly. None of them ever got to me- my toe is.

My Toe!!!

My Toe!!!

I limped into Bible study at the jail today. The subject was the crucifixion of Jesus. He was sleep deprived, flogged, beaten, wore a crown of thorns. Then he had spikes driven into his hands and feet as he was crucified. To take a breath Jesus had to push up with his spiked feet to get air in.  All of a sudden I felt embarassed, my toe wasn’t an issue anymore.

There are times when we reach our limits. Even Jesus did on the cross. As he was dying on the cross he spoke:” ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?‘ which is translated, ’My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ “(Mark 15:34). Words that bring tears to my eyes when I think about Christ’s sacrifice. We need to remember Jesus went to the cross as a man…feeling pain just as we do.

On the cross Christ felt abandon.  Even God wasn’t speaking to Jesus.  We all feel this way at times. Jail is certainly one of those places.  Divorce, death of family members, financial problems and other choices can make us feel abandon as well. Jesus shows us that in our weakest moments it is OK to question God. Questioning God shows faith. You have to believe in someone to ask questions. But even when Jesus asks the questions, it may not be time to here an answer. But God is listening.

Jesus showed humility to the Lord as He asks the question.  He called God “Father”- a title of respect. Even in our toughest moments we will need to respect the sovereignty of our Lord. We seek wisdom and consul from God- not our own solution.  We must respect God’s way, which is always the right way. It is not time dependent. God’s vision is perfect- he sees all possibilities and picks the correct one. Do we have the patience, humility and obdeience to wait and listen to that choice?

Sorry I complained about my toe Jesus.

Sorry I complained about my toe Jesus.

Even though Jesus may not understand why God “abandoned” him he doesn’t lose faith.  God is there even when we can’t see him.  Jesus remains obedient and faithful to God.  I have read about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (after the Last Supper) many times. God doesn’t answer when Jesus asks if he has to bear the cup of sin. It took me many times reading the story to zero in on a single verse in Luke 22:43, “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.” God never answers but the angel is proof he was there.  Jesus still continued to pray to God in the garden. Will we do the same?

As Jesus asked on the cross the answers were there. God was there. Jesus felt abandoned at that moment. God was there. In our worse moments God is there. If we keep our faith in those times things will always work out- in God’s time. Oh, and the picture that was difficult to look at was Christ on the cross, not my toe.

God Bless,

Mark

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Love the Jesus Way- It Takes Two

November 2, 2012 at 5:46 pm (Spirituality)
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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4

Love involves a number greater than one!

Patience and kindness. Absence of envy, boasting and pride. What do all of these words have in common? Hint- any number greater than 1.

True love involves a relationship with someone. You can’t do it on your own. Jesus taught, demonstrated and pleaded for us to have these relationships with others. He shared most of his important moments with others. The transfiguration took place in the presence of Peter, John and James. When Christ prayed to God in the Garden of Gethsemane he brought the same trio. Will we share our most precious moments and difficult moments with others? Or will we prefer to go it alone?

The choice of words Paul uses to demonstrate love also have something in common with Christ- they mirror the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.” This isn’t accidental. When Christ rose to heaven he knew we still needed His presence. That is why the Holy Spirit was left with us. And love was so precious to Christ that is what the Holy Spirit is full of. And we are free to fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit, thus filling ourselves with love.

The words Paul uses for the fruit of the Holy Spirit and to describe love also have something else in common. The words require ourselves to subjugate ourselves to those we love. To have patience requires us to value the other person’s words and actions above our own. We have to want to listen to our spouse’s day at work. We have to bait the hook for our kids a dozen times before our own hits the water. Jesus had the patience to heal a woman who had bled for a dozen years while he was on his way to save Jarius’ daughter. Would you?

Kindness? Do you wait to open the door for a stranger who is slowly approaching? Will you do the same if it is raining? Will you play with the two year old in the church lobby? You know the kid who wants a second of anyone’s attention as many folks walk past him protecting their time and energy. Or are you the person who volunteers 20 hours a week but can’t come home and take care of your family. Jesus didn’t care who you were-leper, theft, rich man, poor man, family or friends. He showed this kindness to everyone.

Envy, such an ugly word. Boasting– not much better. But how about if we turn things upside down and inside out. What if we boast about others? That once again subjugates our self to others. Can you even imagine being at work and saying, “Fred really deserved that raise, he works so hard?” We pick on others to elevate ourselves. But what if we looked for the good in someone and bragged about it?  And have you tried to brag about someone and be envious at the same time?  I find the combo impossible. In Matthew 20:16 Jesus said “So the last shall be first, and the first last.” That is a statement of love- love the Jesus way.

Pride. More specifically self-pride. But when we are proud of ourselves our feelings and emotions get in the way of logic, wisdom and most important, God’s word. If we are too proud to get off a point in an argument we don’t listen. That invariably leads to others shutting off to you as well. And Jesus talked volumes about not only hearing but actually listening. Love also requires flexibility, the ability to change. None of this happens when we are too proud.

These characteristics of love are also as contagious as negative characteristics can be. That is the nature of relationships. The dad who is patient raises a son who is patient. The patron who is kind at the cash register leaves a whisper that flows through the cashier and on to others through the day. Love really can spread.

So can we engage in loving spiritual relationships full of patience and kindness? Can we rid ourselves of envy, boasting, and pride? Well Jesus certainly did. And if we never completely get there, we can pray and hope to get closer.

Jesus, thank you for the blessing of being in my life. Let me have a fraction of the patience you show in us. Let my heart be so filled with kindness there is room for nothing else. Let me envy nothing, for I already have everything in you. Let me only boast of your love my Lord and Savior, for it is perfect. And humble me before you, letting my pride crumble into grains of sand. Thank you for your awesomeness. Amen.

 

God Bless,

Mark

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Noah’s Long Journey

October 3, 2012 at 6:33 pm (Uncategorized)
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Is this where we want to be?

Editor’s Note: The story of Noah is contained in Genesis 6-9. I highly suggest reading it before you read the blog.

We recently talked about the story of Noah at jail Bible study. Like many of you, I knew the story from childhood. The words in the Bible haven’t change for thousands of years. But if our spirituality is growing our interpretation of God’s word will as well. And as I re-read the story indeed it had.

Fast forward the 120 years it took Noah to build the Ark. Fast forward through Noah’s obedience and perseverance. Is a story worthy of its own narrative, but that is a story for another day.

“The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

“And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.”

Can she hear God?

TOTAL OBEDIENCE.

Noah did what God did when God said to. Noah didn’t say “God do I really need to bring rats, skunks, and snakes on this journey?” Noah didn’t say do we really need 7 pairs of cows? That’s a lot of poop to scoop!” He didn’t ask God, “We have been working on this boat for one and twenty years. Can we take a short vacation before you flood the earth?” God’s plans are hard, and sometimes bigger than we can wrap ourselves around. But they are still God’s plans.

A mother is addicted to crack. The sperm donor left long ago. She isn’t doing well and neglects her two year old. But she is afraid to get help… She might lose her kid. God sees she has already lost everything but HIM. Will she get help when she hears the Lord’s gentle whisper (or a 2X4 for that matter!) The earth was filled with evil all around Noah, yet he had the courage to follow God’s path to get away from it.

Waiting…waiting…waiting

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING GOD?

Noah was 600 years old when he got locked in the boat. Zookeeper to the animals- someone had to stop the lions from eating the gazelles. Head of the family- Locked in the same “house” as his family. No stepping outside for a break. The rains stop- 40 days later as God had told Noah. There is just one problem. You are floating around on a world covered with water. Hey God, you didn’t tell Noah when that would end.

A man sits in jail waiting for his trial. He has been incarcerated for six months just waiting. He goes to court. A clerk forgot to bring the paperwork. He gets told that another update hearing will be in a month. No trial date, no progress…just check back in a month. Month after month Noah sat in the Ark, with no idea when things would end. We have to have patience to wait, ever when it doesn’t seem fair.

Nothing is “fair” in a custody battle

SERIOUSLY GOD, I’VE HAD ENOUGH!

“…on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.” Noah must think the journey has to be winding up. At seven months he gets stuck on a mountaintop. It gets worse, just when Noah thinks it has to get better. He sits stuck in the same spot for three months. He can see the mountain tops. He sends out a raven as a scout…no luck. Then he sends out a dove, it comes back without anything. Will the land ever dry up?

A dad fights to see his kids. He got screwed in the custody battle over his kids. He isn’t allowed to see them. He fights for two years. He is finally granted visitation. But the visitation is supervised at child services for one hour a week only. He just wants to sit and hug his kids at home. But will that ever happen? I wonder if Noah had that same sense of discouragement about someday returning home. Noah had been on the water almost a year.

ARE WE THERE YET?

“He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.”

Noah finally finds out that the doves had found land after a year on the boat. The water dries up and Noah takes the covering off the boat. And he waits. He can see the land but God is silent. It’s not time yet. Noah waits on God.

The man had been in AA 6 months. He had been told to be sober for a year before dating. But he met this really nice lady at AA who always dated the wrong guys. They dated. Two weeks later they were both drunk in a bar. Noah waited because God hadn’t said it was time to go. We will often think we are ready for more than we are able to handle. That’s reason enough to wait on God.

me

NOW ARRIVING…

“Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.” Noah left the boat when God told him. How did God reward Noah’s patience? His family was fruitful and multiplied. The animals repopulated the earth. And most importantly, we all got a rainbow from God as a sign of a covenant never to flood the earth again.

It had been 4+ years since he(me) had been out of jail. He had stayed in the Word over that time.  He went to church, Bible study, and volunteered in several ministries. Things often proceeded at a snail’s pace as he re-established his life. But he kept waiting. And things came, s-l-o-w-l-y. Better understanding of the Bible…and a better place to live. More peace…Then Social Security Disability. Growing Spirituality…. and transportation.  A lighted path to follow…and a part-time job. All these things happened at God’s pace (4 years)- not his. Patience and obedience were required. Some things he still thinks his ready for but waits on. And the land gets dryer all the time- in God’s time. Amen.

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Tidbits

December 1, 2011 at 12:19 am (Spirituality, Uncategorized)
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Unfortunately, I’ve not paid due diligence to my Blog for a couple of weeks.  During this time my mind has had bunches of blog topics coursing through it.  Here are a few:

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”    Friday our church kids will be ringing the Salvation Army bell for a couple hours.  I know they will be excited to get to do this to help others.  The amazing thing, most of them have very little themselves.

Romans 15:4-5 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.”  I got my driver’s license about 5 months ago.  I am amazed at how much we are all in a hurry and frustrated with each other.  Do you remember the last time you didn’t get to your destination?  When the last time you took a bus instead of driving?   Late for the airport?  A missionary in India visits a friend of mine here in Akron has reason to complain, yet he doesn’t. The missionary has about a twenty mile walk, then a six hour drive on something resembling a cross between a zoo and a bus, then a puddle jumper flight to a “real” airport.  Akron Canton airport is accessible to me in a twenty minute car trip or a 45 minute bus ride.  Do we really have all that much to complain about in getting from point A to B?

Hebrews 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.” This is the time of the year for courtship and love.  Try and remember some of us don’t have that.  Trust me it can be difficult seeing others who have someone.  So if you get a chance, keep that in mind as your single friends journey through the holiday season.

Colossians 3:20-24 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” I spent an hour earlier this week looking at Christmas lights with my 14 year old.  What a blessing to even get a teenage daughter in the car with you, let alone have fun.  I hope you have the same blessings with your kids.  And if they are little, suck up all you can of them while you can.

Proverbs 17:28 “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”  Had the pleasure of having my phone, TV and internet shut off at my house today.  I think God was trying to remind me how pleasant silence can be.  Well silence at least on days when the princess isn’t here.  I also think that is why I enjoy walks in the early morning with my dog… the silence in the air means I haven’t said anything foolish at the moment.

God Bless,

Mark

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Prosperity

July 29, 2011 at 5:13 pm (docmark's philosophy, Spirituality)
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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.    Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV


Ask , and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?  Matthew 7:7-11 NKJV

 

Do you have one in your backyard?

Love God with all your heart, be a faithful and obedient servant to Christ and he will provide, right?  But what do you do when he does give you plentiful gifts?  I have spent most of the last four years waiting on prosperity.  I was humble, patient, and grateful during that time.  For me, those things came easily.  But about 10 months ago things changed, God started to move me spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially forward at a very rapid pace.  All of that success, not so easy for me.

Ever dream of winning the Powerball lottery?  70% of the winners lose all of their money within a few years.  12% actually go bankrupt.  60% of NBA players are broke within five years of retirement.  Fallen mega-church leaders make the news on a regular basis.  So why do we have such a difficult time when God bestows gifts on us?

First, I my case, I probably didn’t prepare myself as well as I could of for God’s Grace.  A lot of us who pray ask for his gifts and blessings.  How many of us ask for the wisdom to manage gifts before they even arrive?  The wise person realizes they should to manage their wealth no matter how big the sum of their bank account.  A small sized gift can be used wisely for great power.  But that requires preparation so that we know what to do with even a speck of God’s grace when it arrives.  It is a practice that should occur constantly, an expectation from God.

Second, we need to differentiate what the gift is and how to use it.  I always chuckle when I hear an athlete thank God for a victory.  Does God truly care who wins the World Series?  The gift from God was the athletic talent, not the score after the game.  Now that is not to say God doesn’t care about our gifts- but he cares much more what we do with them.  That same athlete can use his fame to talk about the importance of God in his life- to evangelize if you will.  A carpenter can use his gift from God to build a scene for a play at church.  A good dad can use part of his time to mentor fatherless kids.  Have the ability to teach?  I’m sure there are opportunities in Bible studies and Sunday school.

Third, we have to remember that the devil follows prosperity.  When you’re doing well, the adversary knows.  He will subtly enter our lives and affect our thinking.  Never is there a better time for prayer.  Never is there a better time to go to church regularly.  Prosperity is a great time to ask God for his full armor.  Ephesians 6:10-20 is a great place to read daily in those times. That passage reminds us about who has strength against the adversary- and it isn’t us.  Success is an important time to have friends at our Bible studies tell us when we are off course.  Prosperity is a great time to do a spiritual self-inventory, seeing exactly how we are using our gifts, and keeping the devil at bay. 

Lastly, do we need to accept all of God’s gifts?  I feel like I can’t use them all well.  But who said I had to accept them all in the first place?  God is more concerned with quality than quantity in the management of our gifts.  It really is OK to say “God I’m overwhelmed right now, can I put this gift on the shelf for a while?”  “God, I need someone else to take care of that for a bit” is an answer he can handle.  The Lord knows we can’t do everything, only we are stuck in the fallacy of our omnipotence. 

So I’ll continue to work my good habits.  I’ll thank God for prosperity in my prayers.  I’ll read the Bible daily; it is full of answers and inspiration.  I’ll go to Bible study, where honesty reigns.  And I’ll go to church, where I can express my gratitude to God.  May your day be full of God’s grace, and may you bask in it as you serve Him.

God Bless,

Mark

 

 

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Laying Bricks

May 26, 2011 at 4:24 pm (docmark's philosophy, Spirituality)
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“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest, [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good — not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and  My burden is light and easy to be borne” (Matthew 11:28-30, Amplified).

 

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. Colossians 1:3-6 NIV

The recent tornado that struck Joplin wreaked havoc on many.  It is an example of bad things happening to good people.  No rational for whom the storm hit.  It wasn’t the first deadly tornado of the year.  In the United States alone we average 25 deadly tornados a year.  By the time of the Joplin storm, we had already passed 50 storms this year.  Tragedies’ leave people overwhelmed, hopeless, and beaten down.  Tragedies that happen every day.  Fires don’t announce their arrival.  Cancers happen without regard to age or previous health.  Innocent lives by gang violence.  Parts of the world where the color of your skin can get you killed.  Religious intolerance that is hard to understand in a country where we freely express ourselves.  Other tragedies may not take lives but peoples’ heart and passion.  Divorce.  A child hooked on drugs.  Lost jobs.  Home foreclosures and bankruptcy.  Family members in jail.

So how do you go on when life is this bad?  My premise is that we must maintain faith through these trials.  Faith leads to peace in one’s heart, closeness to God.  With faith we can have hope.  With hope we can have joy.  So how do we keep faith?  The story of a pastor in Joplin may shed life on answers.  This pastor, like many, served ministry with another full time vocation.  He was a brick layer.  Over 30 years ago he built the church brick by brick.  Isn’t that how faith starts.  We don’t automatically follow the way of Christ, it is a practice effort that result over time.  Bricks need to be laid one by one, there are no shortcuts.  But with time and effort, the bricks do get transformed into something bigger and better.  In this case a church.  Faith doesn’t exist in isolation either.  Someone made the bricks for the bricklayer.  The walls do not complete a church, it need floors, plumbing, electric, etc.  Others helped in those tasks.  All of those helping were part of a ministry building the church.  And is the church really anything but walls without a congregation occupying it? 

The walls of this Joplin church started to crack about 10 years ago.  The bricklaying pastor repaired and rebuilt the walls.  Faith is like that, a continuing process.  Without putting in the continuing time and effort, even the strongest faith can fail.  The pastor’s walls (excuse me, God’s walls) stood through the recent Joplin tornado.  The roof and inside of the church did not.  But the congregations’ foundation is still present, not in the brick walls, but in the LORD.  We have the opportunity every day to build our faith.  The story reminds me to do those things that fortify our faith every day.  Studying the Bible daily.  Conducting my daily life to glorify God, not just celebrating the Lord on Sundays.  Hanging out with friends that are role models for a Christian life.  I have found that Bible study with that group of friends also makes me more accountable for my actions.  All of these things build my faith.  My faith gives me hope.  Once we have hope, peace comes.  Peace, even in the most difficult of times.  Peace because we can leave our worries and problems in God’s hand.  God bless the bricklaying Joplin pastor and his congregation.  And thanks for the reminder about building walls of faith.

God Bless,

Mark

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Doubting Mark

May 20, 2011 at 7:35 pm (Spirituality)
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Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:  “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.  Job 38:1-3

 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”   Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  John 20:26-29

Doubting Thomas

I question things.  I like answers.  There is a reason for everything.  So just tell me.  Three + years ago I tried to end my life.  When I woke up, on a ventilator I was angry.  Worse, I was angry at God.  Why?  My life was miserable, I was sick and I didn’t want to be around anymore.  So why a compassionate, loving God want to keep me around, miserable, still wanting to die?  I wanted answers and I wanted them now.  The disciple Thomas was a little this way.  He needed answers from Jesus.  He needed proof.  Remember he was the disciple that needed to touch Christ’s wounds.  Thomas did believe, he did have faith, he just had questions.

Thomas questioned the Lord.  So did I.  And it has taken me a couple of years to realize that it is a testament of faith to question God.  You have to believe in someone to question them.  Questioning God does not mean that one has abandoned their faith.  Job questions God for 37 chapters in the Bible without an answer.  But Job believes, and he keeps questioning.  He never doubts God’s supremacy.  Neither did Thomas.  Never have I. 

Unlike Job or Thomas we don’t get to have direct conversations with the Lord while we are on earth.  I think that may be a good thing.  We have been blessed with a presence that Job and Thomas never had- the Holy Spirit.  This gives us guidance just for the asking.  It is a gift we should avail ourselves of frequently.   Even when we don’t get the answers we want or need, the Holy Spirit is still there.  And this lets us feel closer to God; and makes it a little easier when we don’t have answers.

Doubting Mark

We also have to be patient waiting for God’s answers.  Thomas saw Jesus a week after he asked for proof.  Job asked his questions in every conceivable fashion possible, he even discussed them in with his friends.  I didn’t get my answer for three years.  But the answers do come sometimes.  We have to be ready for answers that do come.  Sometimes they will come quietly, a whisper in the breeze.  Sometimes it won’t be the answer we want to hear.  God told Job that God can do what God wants, and that God will ask the questions.  Jesus told Thomas real faith doesn’t require proof.  I wasn’t ready for an answer at the time I questioned God.  The answer I hear now was the same one God had at the time I asked the question.

And I guess that does leave the question “What are the answers?”  The answers are a testimony to God understanding our place in His world.  They will be given to us if God so desires.  They will be true.  They are not designed to make us happy or content, but spiritually aware and mature.   They are answers that will bring us closer to God, and make us better persons, if only we listen. 

So what did God tell me 3 years ago?  I believe he wanted me to know that he wasn’t done with me yet.  I believe God was telling me to get up off of my selfish a*s and stop having a pity party.  I believe he was telling me I could still be a servant here on earth, sharing a servant’s love with family, friends, and strangers.  And finally, I think God wants me to keep listening- we can’t absorb all of God’s infinite wisdom, so the answers will keep trickling in.  And thank you Lord, for keeping me around long enough to hear some of the answers.

God Bless,

Mark

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