CHRISTMAS IS NOT ABOUT GIFTS...IT'S ALL ABOUT CHRIST!

CHRISTMAS IS NOT ABOUT GIFTS…IT’S ALL ABOUT CHRIST!

Since this is the first day of what has become a COMMERCIALIZED CHRISTMAS in America, a.k.a. BLACK FRIDAY, I thought it would be wise to reprint an article I read yesterday by Miles Patrick Yohnke.  Here goes:

Recently, as I was cycling to my destination I passed a park along the way.  As I went by, I heard a male voice.  An old man was training his young dog.  With a clear, strong, yet tender voice, he taught his dog to sit and the dog did as he was commanded.  With his leash on, they walked a few steps and repeated the process.  He praised his dog and I could see that the dog was very happy.

The man was teaching the dog that it could be more.  He taught the dog focus, discipline, and structure.  What really struck me was that this took time.  AND HE TOOK THE TIME.

As I continued along my journey I reflected on what I had witnessed.  Thinking how that man in the park took quality time.  He was there.  He was getting the most out of that dog.  How fortunate that dog really was.

How often do we take the time to teach our own children?  We constantly hear echoes of, “I’m so busy, I feel like I’m always running, I’m so stressed.”

Our modern world is inundated with marketing and advertising that has one goal, and one goal only.  And that is to make a product so attractive that the consumer feels an obsession to possess it in order to feel special, fulfilled or popular.  Children and teens need to understand the powerful attraction that marketing can create.  They must learn to differentiate between what one truly needs and what one wants.

And we must teach the children well.  We need to teach them that advertising exists so that people or big corporations can make money.  Because of that, advertisers use powerful methods to convince consumers to buy products.  We must teach our children how media corporations need paid advertising to stay on the air or to continue publishing.  We need to show them how advertising convinces people to want something, even if they don’t really need it.  We should discuss this when our families are confronted by powerful and attractive advertising, whether on television and radio, in newspapers and magazines, or on billboards.

We should discuss how advertising tries to make you feel better about yourself if you own a certain product or convince you that other people will like you better or think you’re “cool.”

We should explain that shopping should seldom be seen as a fun pastime, but rather something people should do to buy items that they truly need.  Carefully explain the difference between need and want.

Help your children observe how many times a day your family is exposed to advertising.  For example, there are ads on the sides of buses, in arenas, on radio and television, on billboards, etc.  Teach them to understand when a television or radio station tells you to tweet them or post to their Facebook site, that they are only doing so to create traffic hits to their own website that will increase their revenue.  Show our youth that advertising tries to create an image of what a person should (or should not) look like, even though this image quite often does not reflect reality.

Here is the alarming thing: Do parents really know the difference between needs and wants?  And, if so, do we love enough to speak truth to our children (and to ourselves) even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular.  Parents and grandparents, we must refuse to retreat to that old mindset of “I’m so busy, I feel like I’m always running, I’m so stressed.”  And we need to forge genuine connections with our offspring, our real life legacy.

These days, most married couples both work full-time.  Perhaps, as an indirect result, divorce rates have soared to all-time highs and tag-team parenting has become the order of the day.  Parents feel overwhelmed.  And, frankly, much of this is centered on how to pay their rent or mortgage, or for the miscellaneous stuff in their homes, or for their vehicles, their clothes, their vacations, their holidays, and on and on.  For the most part, we no longer understand the core values of life or the real meaning of life.

Ask yourself this question today: Do I actually need to keep up with the Joneses?  Or am I acting as a child on Black Friday, merely wearing an adult face?

WOW…thank you Miles Patrick Yohnke!  You have given us something to think and pray about.  Don’t get me wrong, sisters and brothers, I love Christmas just as much as anyone, and I, too, am thrilled with the opportunity to give and to receive gifts.  But as we enter this Advent Season, let us make a solemn pledge in 2014, and let’s stay true to it:  WE WILL KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

WHY I AM THANKFUL

WHY I AM THANKFUL

It’s Thanksgiving Day in the USA!

It goes without saying that, for believers, each and every day provides new opportunities to maximize the gratitude attitude.  Nevertheless, it is a good thing that a national holiday is set aside to show appreciation to our God, family and friends.  Please pardon the numerous “I’s” as I reference the reasons for having a heart that is filled with appreciation:

I am a believer in Christ, with all rights and responsibilities thereto pertaining.

I have a phenomenal family.

I have an awesome and loving wife that Heaven ordered for me.

I have bright, talented and caring children.

I have twelve wonderful grandchildren and two adorable great-grandchildren.

I have a few truly special friends.

I am not hospitalized.

I am not homeless.

I am a cancer survivor.

I don’t look like what I’ve been through.

I have pleasant memories from each stage of life.

I have clear thinking faculties.

I enjoy life, with frequent smiles and laughter.

I have more than enough food.

I have traveled extensively and grown in the process.

I have been actively engaged in ministry for 47 years.

I am a Kingdom-minded servant of God.

I served with my wife as resident missionaries in South Africa.

I live with minimum stress and sleep well at night.

I rise each morning with enthusiasm, eager to explore and expand my journey.

I am free – politically, intellectually, emotionally, morally and spiritually.

I love, and I am loved.

I forgive, and I am forgiven.

I often sense the presence and power of God.

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop right here.  Would you kindly share one reason why YOU are THANKFUL?

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

LIFE IN THE SON - Part V

LIFE IN THE SON - Part V

As stated multiple times in this series, it is mission critical to recognize, reverence and receive JESUS CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE.  FOR WHOEVER TAKES THE SON…GETS EVERYTHING! 

I John 5:11-12   And this is the record…that GOD hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in HIS SON.  He that hath THE SON hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Ephesians 4:13-15   Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love may GROW UP INTO HIM in all things, which is the head, even CHRIST.

Consider this.  SIN always results in SEPARATION ISSUES, which invariably breeds SEPARATION ANXIETIES. (Isaiah 59:2)  When Adam sinned and started dying…the very first thing he did was to try to find something to patch-up his problem.  But you can’t save a DYING MAN with a covering of DYING LEAVES! (Genesis 3:7)  Adam applied a leaf poultice to a terminal condition.   But you can’t ‘TREAT’ death; it’s a bit late for that!

Nevertheless, tune in to see the HOPE that is always resident in the Word:

Romans 8:28-29   And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Despite our origins, we are PREDESTINED FOR LIFE, and that more abundantly! (John 10:10)  The scriptures inform us that GOD “has chosen us IN HIM before the foundation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:4)  For example, as God created Adam, He blew into him His BREATH (the PNEUMA of life) and man became a living soul.  To wit, it was neither the DAY that God made Adam, nor the WAY that God shaped Adam, that made Adam “ADAM!”  Adam become a living soul when (and only when) DIVINE BREATH was exhaled into the nostrils of Adam.   So if Adam came into being because of what came forth OUT-OF-GOD, simple logic dictates that (before Adam was IN EARTH) Adam was (first of all) IN GOD!  It seems that God had been “waiting to exhale,” if you will, and at the moment of creation God blew the very essence of Himself into a clay-case-construction called a body.  That is, God deposited the very essence of Adam…the GOD BREATH (the PNEUMA of life) into the lifeless dust of the earth.  No wonder Paul declared “we have this treasure in earthen vessels.”  Nevertheless, ever since the Creator blew the Spirit INSIDE-of-Himself into the dust OUTSIDE-of-Himself, humankind has been unquestionably incomplete.  Since we discovered that we are OUTSIDE-of-GOD, we have been trying to get back to our first estate, INSIDE-of-GOD. 

Allow me to me break it down like this: Anyone can hang AROUND God, or speak OF God, or offer praises TO God, or even preach ABOUT God, but no one can truly UNDERSTAND God or TRUST God or LOVE God…until one resides IN God!  The Apostle John declares that you cannot get INSIDE-the-Father any other way than THROUGH THE ENTRY DOOR, Jesus Christ.  That’s what Jesus was getting at when he said “I am the WAY, the truth and the life.”  I am the WAY TO GOD.  I am the TRUTH ABOUT GOD.  I am the LIFE OFGOD!  You simply CANNOT get to The FATHER, unless and until you (faith-fully) pass THROUGH THE PORTAL OF HIS SON!

Are you listening with your spirit?   God had you in mind long before Mom and Pop met and made each other glad!   Just in case you want to know the real deal about who Wayne Manning Bass really is – I am NOT (exclusively) the son of Joseph Edison Bass and Mary Watts Bass.  In an ultimate sense, in the eternal sense, I am a son of GOD!  For long before my father, Joseph, or my mother, Mary, appeared on the scene of human history, GOD had created and fellowshipped with Wayne in the halls of eternity!  If that is difficult for you to wrap your mind around, allow me to prove it in the Word.  God to Jeremiah:  “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)  I KNEW YOU long before you were INSIDE your mother’s womb!  And the way I knew you before you were INSIDE your mother’s womb is simply this: Before you were at Mom’s side, you were at MY side!  You came THROUGH your mother, but you didn’t come FROM your mother!   Here’s a Rhema Word for someone: “STOP focusing on who your mother WAS or what your mother DID!”  Your mother was convenient to your destiny…but not absolutely necessary.  Your mother simply produced a BODY for a SPIRIT that had already been with GOD.  Wow!

It is important that you understand this since, when viewed in this manner, the facts and circumstances of your nativity become irrelevant or meaningless!   Let me lay a life-liberating truth on you: It doesn’t really matter HOW you CAME or WHERE you CAME FROM!  What matters is HOW you are COMING OUT!  Therefore, your birth status, your social situation, your heredity, your looks, your wealth, your health, (or lack thereof), mean absolutely NOTHING in the PLANS and PURPOSES of GOD!   Listen up sister…listen up brother…you are not a victim of your DNA…because you are much more than your genes…you are much more than looks, your lips, your kinky hair or your crooked teeth.  YOU are a SPIRITUAL BEING who only LIVES IN A BODY.  YOU are a CHILD OF GOD!  So…WHOEVER I am…WHATEVER I am…HOWEVER I am…WHEREVER I am…I can “boldly approach the throne of grace.”  I am cordially invited TO COME TO THE FATHER…THROUGH THE SON!   FOR THERE IS LIFE IN THE SON!

NEVER FORGET: WHOEVER TAKES THE SON…GETS EVERYTHING! 

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

LIFE IN THE SON - Part IV

LIFE IN THE SON - Part IV

Think seriously about this, for it is mission critical that we recognize, reverence and receive JESUS CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE.  Why?  Because whoever takes THE SON…GETS EVERYTHING! 

I John 5:11-12

And this is the record…that GOD hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in HIS SON.  He that hath THE SON hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Ephesians 4:13-15

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love may GROW UP INTO HIM in all things, which is the head, even CHRIST.

What is the contemporary dilemma of the institutional church, contrasted with the predicament of those who fully embrace the standards of the world?  Consider this.  Most UN-believers are unfulfilled [they harbor lost and empty feelings] because they long for the Christ-Word to be poured into their souls.  On the other hand, many believers also appear to be unfulfilled.  But in our case, it is not the empty feeling that is derived from being so full of the world.  It is a bloated feeling that we have; because, although we are so full of the Word, we somehow fail to empty ourselves into this generation!  We are pregnant with so much purpose and so much destiny; but instead of giving birth, we go through an endless gestation period, and relatively few spiritual babies are being birthed!  That’s why WE BELIEVERS sometimes feel listless or restless and out-of-sorts!  Are you ready for this?

In the Garden of Eden, God came looking for Adam – not because God did not know where Adam was – but because ADAM did not know where ADAM was!  And what is our current state of affairs?  Today, a large number of men and women are LOST, both outside and inside the church!  When GOD cried out, “Adam, where art thou?”…He did not mean which BUSH are you hiding behind?  Quite the contrary.  He meant…there IS a PLACE BY ME that at one time you occupied…and now I am painfully aware that you have departed from MY PRESENCE.  Only in My Presence is fullness of joy.  Only at My right hand are pleasures forevermore!

After Satan launched those same primal temptations against THE SECOND ADAM, JESUS CHRIST, the Bible says “he [Satan] departed for a season,” which simply means he went away for a while, but he came back.   He returned – to attempt again – to tempt again.  That old boy just won’t quit, will he?  Consider this: If Satan was bodacious enough to come again to tempt JESUS CHRIST, don’t you think (after the fall), that he came again to Adam in an attempt to tempt him again and to solidify his HOLD over him?  I can imagine the KIND of things Satan must have been trying to speak into Adam’s life,even after his fall from grace:  “I told you God was lying!  He said the DAY that you eat of the tree you would die.  Yeah, you and Eve are lookin' pretty good for ‘dead folks!’  You’re 800-years-plus now – and you ain’t dead yet!  And if God lied about that, how can you believe what He says about anything else?   That old ungrateful Creator!  You and your old lady work your fingers to the bone…pruning His trees… picking His fruit…work-work-work…and do you mean to tell me that GOD-JUST-THREW-YOU-OUT…just like that?   After all you’ve done for God - you mean God dissed you like that?”

Ephesians 2:1 says: “And you hath He quickened [made alive] who were dead in trespasses and sins.”  We were not physically present in our fore-parents’ day.  But when Adam fell, WE WERE VERY MUCH ALIVE - LIVING [INSIDE] THE FIRST ADAM.  Indeed, we were TRAPPED-IN-ADAM; and as such, we were partakers of his fallen nature.  That’s why the Bible says that MAN is born IN sin…not born TO sin…but born IN sin! (Psalm 51:5)  That is, when God told Adam “The day that you eat of the tree, you shall die,” God was simultaneously speaking to ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS THAT WERE LOCKED-UP-INSIDE-ADAM.  Yes, Adam, the day that you decide to eat of the tree…you are dead…but THANK GOD FOR CALVARY!  Thank God for THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, without which there is no remission of sin! (Matthew 26:28)  Do you know what THE CROSS OF CALVARY actually means?  Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, freed us from the curse that we were LIVING under (and DYING under).  And because of His shed blood, “IN HIM WE LIVE, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)  Henceforth, we are alive, liberated and we are covenant “PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE.” (II Peter 1:4)  You better believe it!   You and I are WINNER-BELIEVERS and our victory is assured!

Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

LIFE IN THE SON - Part III

LIFE IN THE SON - Part III

It is mission critical that we recognize, reverence and receive JESUS CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE.  Why?  Because whoever takes THE SON…GETS EVERYTHING! 

Prayerfully ponder the following scripture passages:

I John 5:11-12  And this is the record…that GOD hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in HIS SON.  He that hath THE SON hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Ephesians 4:13-15  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love may GROW UP INTO HIM in all things, which is the head, even CHRIST.

To enhance our understanding of our covenant connection with the person and work of Jesus Christ, let’s take a closer look at our fore-parent, ADAM.  First of all, please be reminded that GOD is never surprised by whatever GOD CREATES!  So God was not blindsided or shocked by Adam’s sin; and God is never surprised by our sins!  Believe it or not, God made Adam with full knowledge that Adam would eventually mess up!  Because the intent-of-creation (what The Designer originally had in mind) was NOT the first Adam, but the second Adam, JESUS CHRIST!  Indeed, this is a mystery, but I contend that God created man with full and free will.  All will agree with that; some may disagree with this: In God’s permissive will, He allowed man to descend down the ladder-of-sin, which gave GOD a reason to become like MAN, so that MAN could have a season to become like GOD!   Ponder this prayerfully.  God was neither shocked nor surprised by Adam’s sin.

On the 6th day of creation, all the stuff-of-the-universe was complete.  And God said “That’s good!”  But, there was nothing in creation that LOOKED-LIKE-GOD!  Let me explain this way.  As much as you love and emotionally connect with your pet, you are not actually the same being as Lassie or Rex!  Therefore, as close as you are to Fido, in the final analysis, (relationship-wise) your pet cannot provide ALL of the emotional fulfillment that might be attained in a relationship with another human being.  No matter how intelligent your cat seems to be, you can never derive full conversation!  Admittedly, you can talk to Caesar, but however you interpret his purring and mewling, Caesar is incapable of full communication with you.  Your pet might sense your emotional state, but s/he cannot completely commiserate with you, simply because s/he cannot understand the details or nuances of your darkest hour.  Ultimately, you will need something more human (someone more like you) with which to connect and commune!  [Editor’s Note to Pet Owners: Please understand the ‘spirit’ of my discourse because I know that you truly ADORE your pets!]  J

Since all truth is parallel, first I have presented natural truth; now we may more readily discern spiritual truth.  On the 6th day of creation, notwithstanding the infinite variety of flora and fauna that were present in the universe, THE CREATOR needed something more!  I submit to you that GOD created US from the same mindset and love that we experience emotionally at the birth of our children.  Mothers and fathers, we know those feelings quite well.  There is an indescribable pride and joy in your first gaze upon the face of baby Brian or cuddly Cindy.  Indeed, you see someTHING-of-YOURSELF laying in that bassinet.

ON THE SIXTH DAY, GOD BREATHED SOMETHING OF HIMSELF INTO ADAM.  Think about that.  It is a both a natural and spiritual truism that you cannot place your lips on something without that something becoming part of you, and without you becoming part of that something.  Now hear this: Be careful who you kiss!  J

On a more serious note, despite the fact that Adam was created from dust and brought to life by the very breath or PNEUMA of God, he soon fell from God’s grace, headlong into sin and shame.  And GOD had to provide an efficacious remedy because man could not possibly save himself.  To wit, the gospel of John records the miracle of KENOSIS, i.e. that God poured out of Himself, the Eternal Word, into Jesus Christ, the Living Word. (John 1:14)  That’s what I call PHASE ONE of the salvation plan.  In PHASE TWO, Jesus embraces a substitutionary death on our behalf, and as recorded in John 20:22, Jesus “BREATHED on them [us], and said unto them [us], Receive the Holy Spirit.”  That is, Jesus Christ pours out HIMSELF, THE LOGOS (the Living Word) into US, and we are baptized into the body of christ.  In PHASE THREE, which is “The Great Commission,” recorded in Matthew 28:19-20, christ declares our obligation (after we receive Jesus Christ, the Living Word) to pour out a deposit of ourselves (i.e., christ IN US, “the hope of glory” into unbelievers everywhere. (Colossians 1:27)  WOW…what all-wise, sovereign and mighty God we serve!

Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

LIFE IN THE SON - Part II

LIFE IN THE SON - Part II

It is mission critical that we recognize and receive JESUS CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE.  Because whoever gets THE SON…GETS EVERYTHING! 

I John 5:11-12 offers clear affirmation:  And this is the record…that GOD hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in HIS SON.  He that hath THE SON hath LIFE; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Ephesians 4:13-15 should be the end-goal of every believer:  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love may GROW UP INTO HIM in all things, which is the head, even CHRIST.

Let’s take an honest look in the mirror for a moment, shall we?  Do you know why the majority of us do not live well-balanced, productive and joyous lives?  Because most of us seek to discover happiness by plugging into sources of happiness that are NOT real.  Most of the sources of happiness we seek are mere illusions, dim and distant shadows of what THE CREATOR originally intended and designed for us.

Key Question: Haven’t we learned yet that the possessions, the pride, or even the people we are tempted to center our lives around are transient images, mirages and substitutions for true happiness?  Yes, all of us are indeed THIRSTY for something (and we ought to be) while traversing this sometimes barren desert called life.  And, at times, we THINK we have spotted some thirst-quenching oasis that is overflowing with life-giving water, but when we actually change course and travel there, we discover one more dusty, dead and dry place.  Does this ring familiar or resonate with any of your life experiences?

                                                                                                             

Sisters and brothers, do you want to know what JESUS has to say about this?  The Master teaches that we can indeed achieve true and lasting fulfillment…genuine happiness…lasting peace…limitless joy…but it is not of this world.  Yes, we may find it IN this world…but it is not OF this world!  That’s why the Bible says “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world,” because what we are searching for is not really IN this world…it is IN JESUS!  (I John 2:15)  Perhaps you have seen the old television commercial that promotes Prego spaghetti sauce.  The commercial simply says this about Prego: “IT’S IN THERE!”  According to them, everything you need to create a delicious spaghetti sauce is inside the Prego jar.  That’s what I say about JESUS.  Whatever you seek, whatever answers you need, just remember: IT’S IN THERE!  YOUR FUTURE is already present and absolutely possible via your sure covenant connection and intimate sibling relationship with THE SON, JESUS CHRIST! 

How so?  The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is our ELDER BROTHER.  That is, Jesus Christ is the ELDER BROTHER of EVERY BELIEVER.

Romans 8:16-17 offers affirmation: “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST.”

All right, let’s think this through.  We believers are HEIRS of GOD, The Father, and JOINT-HEIRS with GOD, The Son.  As you know, a father is the benefactor of an estate and a son (not gender specific here) is typically the beneficiary or heir of an estate.  So, since believers are JOINT-HEIRS with THE SON, we receive through THE SON all that The Father WILLS TO US and WILLS FOR US.  And, since JESUS CHRIST, THE SON, came BEFORE US …does it not follow logically that JESUS CHRIST is our ELDER BROTHER?   

Consider this.  Every parent knows how important to get the first child walking along a righteous, respectable and orderly path.  If the first child is respectful and right…the children born afterwards have a MODEL to emulate and duplicate.  First natural truth, then spiritual.  According to Romans 8:29, Jesus Christ is “the FIRSTBORN…among many brethren.”  Our ultimate goal, according to Ephesians 4:15, is that we believers will become just like our elder brother.  That is, we seek to “grow up into him in all things…which is the head, even CHRIST.” 

So during my prayer time, I gaze over at JESUS (with a spiritual eye) and whisper to Him: “When I grow up…I want to be just like YOU!” 

Because, as the scriptures mandate, I am striving diligently every day…TO GROW UP INTO HIM…i.e., TO BE JUST LIKE HIM when I grow up!   Every person on the planet should have that same spiritual aspiration.

Stay tuned…because there is more to come on Monday.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

LIFE IN THE SON - Part I

LIFE IN THE SON - Part I

It is mission critical that we recognize and receive JESUS CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE.  One of my favorite stories tells us why, in a very eloquent and memorable manner:

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art.  They owned many rare and precious paintings, from Rafael to Picasso.  Often during the evening hours, they would sit together to admire and discuss those magnificent art treasures.

When the Vietnam War broke out, the son was drafted into the U.S. Army.  He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier.  When the father was notified, he grieved deeply and inconsolably for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door.  A young man stood in the doorway holding a large package in his hands.  He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life.  He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart.  He died instantly.  So often, he talked about you, and your love for art.”

The young man held out his package, wrapped in plain brown paper.  “I know this isn’t much.  I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would want you to have this.”

The father opened the package.  It was a beautiful portrait of his son, which had been painted by the young soldier standing at his door.  He stared in awe at the way this soldier had captured the spirit and personality of his son in the painting.  The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears.  He thanked the young man repeatedly and offered to pay him for the portrait.

“No sir, I could never repay what you son did for me.  He saved my life.  It’s a gift.”

The father immediately hung his son’s portrait over the mantle.  Every time visitors came to his home, he took them to see the portrait of his son before showing any of the other great works he had collected.

Unfortunately, the father died a few months later.  There was a great auction of his paintings.  Many influential people gathered, excited about the opportunity to purchase some of the great paintings for their collections.  On the platform, center stage, stood the portrait of the deceased man’s heroic son.

The auctioneer pounded his gavel.  “This evening, we start our bidding with the picture of the son.  Who will bid for this portrait?”  Absolute silence prevailed.  After a few moments, a voice from the back of the room shouted, “We came to see the famous paintings.  Just skip over this one.”

But the auctioneer persisted, “Will someone bid for this painting?  Who will start the bidding?  $100?  $200?”  Another voice, more angry this time, boomed out: “No one wants to buy this painting.  We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandt’s, and the Picasso’s.  Get on with the real bidding!”

But still the auctioneer continued.  “The son!  The son!  Who will take the son?”

Finally, a meek voice spoke from the rear of the room.  It was the longtime gardener of the deceased father and son.  “I’ll pay ten dollars for this painting.”  And being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

“We have ten dollars.  Who will bid twenty?”  Someone else had grown tired and inpatient.  “Give it to him for ten dollars, and let’s get on with it!”  The crowd had become agitated.  They didn’t want the picture of the son.  They were seeking the more worthy investments for their collections.  So the auctioneer pounded his gavel and announced “Going one, going twice, sold for ten dollars!”

One man seated down front remarked, “Now we can get on with the REAL collection!”

But the auctioneer laid down his gavel.  “I am sorry,” he announced, “but the auction is over.”  Someone shouted in shocked disbelief, “What about the other paintings?”  The auctioneer explained, “When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will that could not be revealed until now.  You see, only the painting of THE SON would actually be auctioned.  It had been arranged by THE FATHER that whoever bought the painting of THE SON would inherit his entire estate, including the priceless paintings.  The man who takes THE SON…gets everything!”

What an awesome story!

OUR FATHER freely gave HIS SON, approximately two millennia past, to die on a cruel cross.  Much like the auctioneer, His message for all of us today is: “THE SON, THE SON…WHO WILL TAKE THE SON?”  Because whoever takes THE SON…gets everything!  Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A WOMAN AND WIFE LIKE NO OTHER!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A WOMAN AND WIFE LIKE NO OTHER!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my exceptionally wonderful wife, BELINDA!
You truly exemplify three-dimensional beauty, Belinda, in body, mind and spirit. Daily, you fill my life with so much joy and laughter and love, while inspiring me to live and function at my very best. I simply adore your awesome sense of humor, your unconditional compassion and empathy for others, the unique way you view our world and its many possibilities, your willingness to try new things while remembering and honoring the old, your ever-present, glowing, contagious smile and the way you contribute so freely and so generously to our family, without hesitation and without complaint.

Belinda, you are the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman, clothed with amazing strength and dignity, speaking with unmatched wisdom, watching faithfully over your household, working diligently with your hands, causing your husband to feel and be respected. “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” (Proverbs 31:29)

There can be no doubt: I married ‘UP’ when I joined in covenant with you.

Happy birthday, Belinda, and may your coming year be literally saturated with peace, prosperity, health, happiness, laughter and love. Please know that I love you, now and always, with all my heart.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

IT IS WELL

IT IS WELL

One of my favorite hymns is entitled “It is Well with My Soul,” written in 1873 by Horatio G. Spafford.   I thought it would be somewhat inspirational to ‘sing’ it along with you this morning.  Take courage, sisters and brothers, your current circumstances notwithstanding.  YOU are who GOD says you are, not others, not your conditions, not your circumstances, not your bank accounts, and certainly not your aches, pains, trials, or troubles.  So prayerfully reflect and that reality, and sing these powerful, scripturally-based lyrics along with me:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain
It is well…it is well…

With my soul…with my soul…
It is well…it is well…with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel!  Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain
It is well…it is well…

With my soul…with my soul…
It is well…it is well…with my soul.

II Corinthians 1:3-4 (NKJV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

May the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit surround and sustain you, now and evermore.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!