No Degrees of Seperation

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Mark

There is a trivia game based on the idea that any individual involved in the Hollywood film industry can be linked through their roles to actor, Kevin Bacon, in six steps.

I was pondering this the other day and wondered if it would work for me, even though  I have never worked in the film industry.  Suddenly, a light bulb went on.

I remembered that I have met a man, whom my sister had informed me, raised a special breed of quail.  The movie production wanted to feature this breed of quail in a particular scene of the movie, “The River Wild.”  When a porton of the movie was being filmed in Southern Oregon on the Rogue River, my sister’s friend was summoned to bring his quail to be filmed during a scene in the film.  There, he met (you guessed it) Kevin Bacon, thus making me two degrees in relationship from the actor.

This, of course, does not make me me special.  However, everyone enjoys telling stories about how they are somehow connected to someone famous.

I want to use this entry to talk about being connected to someone famous that counts in eternity.  His name is Jesus Christ, the Lord of all!

Christ is known in scripture as the Great King and the Son of the Highest.  He is the most important person in the world - even in all of the cosmos – for He is the One who formed a connection between man and God through His sacrifical death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead, so that ”whosoever will” might be forgiven of their sins and united with God the Father through redemption.

Many people would like to have a connection with a star!  Jesus Christ is known as “the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16).

If you have this relationship, you can know that you have a direct relationship with this star that is closer than any other relationship any person can have with anyone.  Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14: 19, 20).  As one theologian has said, “He is so close, He is not even near.”

If you do not have this relationship with Christ, you can have it now.  Just believe in your heart that Christ is who the Bible says He is – that He is the God of the universe and that He has come to die and be resurrected for your sins.  Confess your sins to Him and accept His work for you, and He will come into your heart and make you a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17).

For in Christ, there are NO degrees of separation.

Categories: God's Love | Tags: , , , , II Corinthians 5:17, , John 14:20, , , , , , revelation 2:16, , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Sex is Really For.

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Mark

It was a terse conversation.  One of the men at a Bible study I led was almost red-faced as he proclaimed, “And of course, the MAIN reason for sex is procreation… and THAT IS IT!”

Being a fairly young pastor, I didn’t challenge him, because I didn’t have my footing worked out properly on the issue.  However, something in what this gentleman was saying didn’t seem to ring true.

To some degree, it sounded logical. And it flew in the face of our culture’s “free love” philosophy that was held over from the sixties and seems to remain today. But, once again, there was something that seemed flat about this statement.

Older and wiser, I have now worked through my philosophy regarding why God invented sex. It seems that most conservative scholars and Christians will latch onto the verse, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28) as the primary reason for God granting sexual relations to the human race.

However, there is a deeper reason, as mentioned in Genesis 2:24… “ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

It is important to realize that without a sexual union, a marriage was not considered to have happened in Old Testament times.  The fathers of the bride and groom (and please excuse me for this delicate information) would enter the bridal chamber after the bride and groom’s first night in order to inspect the bed sheet to see if there was evidence of the hymen being broken. If there wasn’t, a marriage was not considered to have taken place.

My supposition is that the primary reason for sex in a marriage is not for procreation… it is so that a man and woman may become one with each other.

Children are a byproduct of that loving relationship. But the main reason for sex in marriage is oneness – so that the two may become one.

Casual sex, adultery and fornication were never in God’s plan.  Sex was for the purpose of uniting two bodies, two lives and two hearts with a deeply intimate act that represented a “coming together” of sorts.

This is almost laughable in our culture of debauchery and debasement.

It is becoming known that, because it’s economically inconvenient to marry in our current economy, many couples are putting marriage way off in the future… but having sex now because the urges are too hard for them to ignore.

This is unfortunate because these couples are missing out on a significant and special blessing – a guilt-free relationship in marriage.

One pastor has said that Christian couples should be having the best sex on the planet… primarily because it is guilt free if they have maintained a relationship of honor before God prior to and during marriage.

Can a couple or an individual find wholeness in a relationship if there has been unfaithfulness or unwholesomeness? Yes. It is best to avoid the pitfalls and traumas of infidelity or unwholesomeness.

However, God’s promise to all who have fallen in this regard is found in Isaiah 1:18: ”‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”

God can restore anyone who comes to Him who wants to have purity in their lives. It’s best to avoid the pitfalls of inappropriate sexual behavior. However, there is no one who can’ t be redeemed from a life of promiscuity and carnality.

If you are someone who has given something precious away with regard to your sexuality, no matter how often or how deeply, there is hope and cleansing. God wants to give you the grace to be restored and redeemed in every sense possible.

He is waiting patiently for you to do this.  Call on Him now.

Categories: Sex | Tags: act, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Genesis 1:28, Genesis 2:24, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Being Like God

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Mark

I am close to a situation where some elderly people are involved. They are at the point where they are not making good decisions and are frustrating the ones who love them.

They will not listen to health advice that is being offered to them that will, most likely, extend their lives if it is heeded.  In dealing with projects, they add steps that make the working out of the project way more laborious and time consuming.  In short, they are frustrating their loved ones who care about them.

I was  pondering the “whys” of this.  Why are the family members having to be put through such frustration at this time?

Then I realized, this must be how all of God’s children seem to God. We make poor choices and decisions that put us in peril and frustrate His plans for our lives. We often cause confusion in ours and everyone’s lives around us. We are stubborn and set in our ways.  God wants to lead us higher, but we balk, fumble and falter.

Could it be that when we are around individuals who stress us out, God is giving us a little peek into what it is like for Him with regard to us? He puts up with far more agony than we do with those in our lives who cause us frustration.

Perhaps this should make us a little more patient with those whom we struggle and have conflict with.  This reminds me of this verse:

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).

God wants us all to be patient with one another, to forgive one another and to love one another as well. The test of our love isn’t when we show favor toward those who are perfect toward us. It is when we show favor toward the trying, the unlovely and the frustrating.

That is when we come into that place where we are “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4).  Just think… today, you could be like God to someone who is the most trying individual on the planet.

Categories: Growth | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , II Peter 3:9, James 1:4, , , | Leave a comment

Faithfulness

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Mark

Any read through the Gospels tells us that the Apostles, and those around Jesus, didn’t have clue one about His mission. We may now look back and see that Christ’s mission was to die in our place and be resurrected in order to give us eternal life.

Breaking that down, what that means is that the very God of the universe, who created the vastness of space and every minute detail of life on our planet, somehow entered human history in order to sacrifice Himself on our behalf so that we might have a chance at sharing eternity with Him.

Without that sacrifice, He would have been obliged to wiped the canvas clean and start over.

But God is not like that. The Bible tells us that when God finished all of His work, He declared it to be good.  VERY good, in fact (Genesis 1:31).

God saw man’s failure and sin from the beginning and yet, decided that His creation would not be a “do-over.”

And so, His plan from the beginning was redemption.  Christ is the “Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

It is clear that the disciples “just didn’t get it” while Jesus was among them. Their idea was that Jesus (the Messiah) had come to set up his reign upon the earth at the very time of His appearing – right up until the very end.  You can imagine the deep sorrow and the questions they had after His death and before His resurrection.

You and I are not so unlike those disciples, even though we have full understanding of the resurrection, ascension and reign of Christ in our lives.

When I was younger, I wanted to be in the “exact center of God’s will” at all times. And then I’d (as my dad used to say) “flub up.”

Is it possible to be in God’s will at all times?

I prefer to think of my walk with Christ as “following” Him. When you follow someone, you don’t exactly put your foot in every one of their footsteps.  You might meander and take a little more time to examine something than they did, fall back in line and keep going.

That is how it used to be when I was a child and would take walks with my dad. I might not match his every step, but we would always end our trip in the same place.

Does this leave room for what some used to call “sloppy agape”? In other words, not being concerned about details in our walk with God?

It is important to regularly observe God’s commandments. However, it is also possible to become like the Pharisees whom Jesus chastised by saying, “You strain at a gnat and swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24). We must realize that there is grace in our walk with God. Not just harsh, cold commandments.

Jesus’ further chastisement of the Pharisees included a rebuke that they “…tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders” (Matthew 23:4).

So, do we just float through our Christian walk every day seeking to do “the best we can”? No, we search look for marching orders from God each day like Jesus did (Mark 1:35). However, we don’t wallow in self pity or moan and groan if we realize that we missed the bull’s eye on a point or two. We repent, ask forgiveness and go on seeking the Lord. It’s really that simple.

One of our problems is that we have a difficult time accepting forgiveness from God.  We can ask forgiveness from him and wind up asking forgiveness for the same thing again in 30 seconds… sometimes, over and over.

We ask forgiveness and accept it in the same moment. God did not intend to make this hard at all.

So, faithfulness is very simple. It includes, rising each day and asking for direction – staying in God’s word and following its instruction – and asking for cleansing when it’s needed.

If you’re a follower of Christ and have been under a heavy burden of guilt because you feel you are unfaithful… stop. Please take a moment to talk to God about this, repent and ask forgiveness, and then, walk forward in the joy and glee that God wants you to have in your relationship to Him.

Categories: Faithfulness | Tags: , , , , , , , , , Genesis 1:31, , , , Mark 1:35, Matthew 23:24, , , , , Revelation 13:8, , , , , | Leave a comment

Tell Me Prayer Doesn’t Work

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Mark

I had a falling out with someone about 15 years ago. I really examined myself to see if I was clean and free in the incident. As far as I could see, I had not fostered any ill will from the individual, but was apprised by a third party that they had become hardened and blamed me for it.

I felt they were being childish and if they needed to reconcile, I was willing to talk it over for them, but felt that to pursue it would cause more confusion in the situation. So I decided to let it ride.

Three weeks ago, this person was on my mind.  I began praying about it. I prayed, “Lord, if there needs to be some reconciliation with Ben (not his real name), I’m ready to deal with it. I’ll just trust you to bring this person into my life again, if that’s the case.”

My little band (I play in a small combo that plays oldies at coffee shops and parties) was scheduled to play at a birthday party last night.  I don’t know the person very well who the party was for.  It’s in a city quite a ways away from where I live.

At the beginning of the party, who should walk it? The individual I’ve been describing.

It took him awhile to recognize who I was.  When he did, he was very pleasant.

We talked afterwards.  I discovered that it was his ex-wife (he is now divorced from the woman he was married to at the time this disagreement took place) who spread the rumor that he was dissatisfied with me. He had evidently never had any bitter feelings toward me.

There are two things this episode from my life shows…

One, that you should never take a third party’s information seriously; i.e., don’t listen to gossip. Go to the source.

Two, God is at work in our lives. My question is – was it the chicken or the egg?

In other words, did I just happen to think of praying about my relationship with this individual, or did God put him on my heart? I’m thinking that God put him on my heart and prompted me to pray about the situation in advance.

In any case, God was clearly at work in the situation.

What is it that God is about? He’s about reconciliation.

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (II Corinthians 5:18, 19).

Is there anyone in your life that you need to be reconciled with? Now is a good time to start praying about it. You’ll never know what will happen. In my case, I was reacquainted with a good friend.

Categories: Forgiveness | Tags: , , , , , , , , , II Corinthians 5:18, , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Signs in the Sky

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Mark

Are the times ramping up toward the season of our world known as the end times?

Consider some of this scenario…

The majority of nations, if not all, are in debt. This is a scary scenario because the Bible predicts that the world economy will, at some point in the future, fail and an entire world economy will arise under the leadership of  a single human known as the Antichrist (I Thessalonians 2:3-5).

But that is not what I want to talk about in this blog.  What I want to talk about is that, in the last times, there will be “signs in the sky” (Matthew 24:30).

The book of Revelation speaks of a “star” that will fall into the sea called, “Wormwood.”

“And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon a third of the rivers, and upon the springs of water; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and a third of the waters became Bitter; and many people had died of the waters, because they were made bitter” (Revelation 8:10, 11).

Some have interpreted this to be an angel (fallen angel, perhaps?). Others have interpreted it to be the nuclear meltdown at the old Soviet city of Chernobyl (the name in Russian means, ironically, “Wormwood”) It has polluted the waters that have run into the sea and caused cancer in many individuals.

Or, could this be an astrological reference?

Interestingly, there is a newly discovered asteroid that is on what appears to be somewhat of a collision-course with Earth. You may read about it here.

To sum up the information in this article, DA14 may miss us, but it may hit us directly.  We don’t know enough about it yet. We are still calculating.

T’he thing that is apparent today, is that there is a sense among many praying, practicing Christians, that we are moving closer toward the times that precede the end of our current era, known as the “age of grace”; a time when it is possible for all the peoples of the earth to have a direct relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

This is a time of the ingathering of souls to the Lord.

At some point, however, the earth will begin to go through a period of shaking and judgement. Why? For the rejection of God’s Son and deeper immersement into sin.

In many ways, we are watching an immense deepening of sin in our times -pornography, prostitution, child sex trafficking, child soldier enslavement, abortion, and on and on.

Here is an amazing video that was taken over the Dome of the Rock, the Islamic Temple in Jerusalem. This is where the Temple of God stood before the Romans tore it down shortly after Christ’s death and resurrection in the first century – the most significant piece of ground on earth…

I realize this post is rambling a bit, but my point is, I believe we are entering a time when we will begin to see more signs of this nature in the heavens… things appearing that we cannot explain, except that eternity is beckoning to break into our world.

It is a somber time.  A time when we must begin to prepare for the return of the Lord as we never have before.

The stakes are higher in these days than before. The return of Christ is becoming increasingly more imminent. I believe we are perched on the verge of a time when the people of our generation shall “…look upon Him whom they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10).

My hope is that, if you have not accepted Christ as your savior, you will open your heart to Him, as, I believe, the hoof beats of the white horse he will be riding at His return will be reverberating in the not to distant future.

Please listen to this wonderful song by Earthsuit, speaking about Christ’s return.

Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , I Thessalonians 2:3, , , Matthew 24:30, , , , Revelation 8:10, , , , , , Zechariah 12:10 | Leave a comment

Roe Versus Wade: Is the Time to Act Against it Now?

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Mark

I have expressed concern on political forums about the issue of abortion, only to be shouted down that it is a women’s issue and men shouldn’t have an opinion on it. However, I believe that abortion is not only a women’s issue. It is an issue our entire country should take to heart.

Those who would argue with me most likely would not consider that God judges nations for their iniquity, or that God even cares about the unborn.

I believe He does, in fact, judge nations who abort babies.  I am certain that He cares about the plight of the unborn as well.

The prime verse that speaks to the idea of life at conception is found in Psalm 139, verses 13 through 18:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, 
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.”

Advocates of abortion on demand will say that the Bible is not relevant to discussions about Roe vs. Wade. However, I simply disagree.

It is interesting that the Bible does not say much about life in the womb, but in the place it does, it pulls out all the stops and declares that God’s act of creation is indeed involved in conception. A fetus is not merely a lump of tissue. It is life and personhood that is being formed through God’s creative hand.

Abortion on demand advocates are in a very precarious position at the moment… In Alabama, the State Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the viability of an unborn child. To put it in terms of Doctor Suess, “A person’s a person no matter how small.” You may read about it here.

Will this overturn Abortion on demand in the United States? My prayer is that it will.  However, you can depend that many millions of dollars will be spent to thwart the overthrow of abortion on demand. The rhetoric will scream loud about a “woman’s right to choose” and tout other supposedly sensitive slogans.

One thing is certain… our nation has been suffering judgement from God for the slaughter of innocent, unborn life. Our economic structure and national security have weakened immensely since Roe v. Wade became law in 1973. Let us hope that this horrid high court decision is struck down soon.

As Proverbs 14:34 declares, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”

As you consider my words, please listen to this wonderful song by Christian singer, Phil Keaggy, and my your heart be touched by it.

Categories: Abortion | Tags: , , , , , , , , , judges, , Phil Keaggy, , Psalm 139, , , , | 1 Comment

Feeding on Garbage

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Mark

Several years ago, I worked in a factory that prepared food. They paid us a little bit less because they provided lunch for us from the food that we prepared.

Because of expiration dates, there was often food thrown in the garbage.

There was a man who worked there who, even though food was provided for us at lunch time, would be caught eating out of the trash.

My question is, when there was plenty of food that was provided for us every day, why would someone fish something out of the trash and eat it (not taking into consideration, George Costanza)?

Most of us turn up our nose at such behavior.  However, there are many of us who feed on garbage every day.  Maybe we won’t pluck a doughnut out of the waste bin, but we let the wrong things enter our minds.

Sometimes, we might entertain thoughts of plotting revenge against individuals whom we perceive to have wronged us.  Or perhaps, we indulge in porn.

Maybe we’re sloppy in our work habits because we don’t feel that we’re paid enough.  Or perhaps we daydream about a better future, but do nothing to go about creating it.

Sometimes, we might chase fantasies rather than realistic goals and pursuits. Maybe we spend time harping against people we have relationships with, putting them down and never confronting them appropriately about our grievances.

I think that some of these things might rate as feeding on garbage. Not physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

This lengthy quote from the book of Romans shows Paul the Apostle’s prescription for dealing with allowing our minds and hearts to feed on garbage:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba,Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:1-17).

Without Christ, it is difficult to impossible to manage our thinking.  WITH Christ, it is possible… but ONLY if we submit our hearts and minds to Him on a daily, sometimes hourly, and even moment by moment basis.

Stay out of the Jerry Springer mentality.  Don’t muse like a bottom feeder. Focus on ideals and goals that are higher than these things. Things that are worthy of the Lord and His goodness to all mankind. Don’t eat garbage!

Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Romans 8, , , , , , | 2 Comments

In Mourning for Chris

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Mark

A friend of both my daughters took his life today. They had not had a lot of interaction with him for some time, but felt a kinship with him in Christ.

He posted a note on his Facebook page saying that he was sorry, but he couldn’t deal with the pain anymore.  The only thing he knew to do was to try to move closer to Jesus. Unfortunately, his way of doing this was to take his own life.

Our family is saddened by his action. Loss is always painful, no matter how close or distant you are to someone. Circumstances such as these seem to make it even more painful because the individual left this world by his own hand.

One wonders what type of pain would cause someone to take their own life? What could be so agonizing that they would want to leave this world?

Other questions include how the family and loved ones who are left behind feel? How will they cope? Will they be able to find resolution and peace?

The Bible is very silent on the matter of suicide. There are only a few suicides that the Bible mentions. One is that of King Saul.  We’re not even sure that Saul intended to commit suicide because we’re told that he “fell on his own sword” (I Samuel 31:4). That could either mean that he intended to fall on it, or that he accidentally fell on it and wounded himself. In either case, a soldier from the opposing army saw that Saul was wounded and Saul asked him to put an end to his life.

The other suicide the Bible mentions is when Judas, in anguish for having betrayed Jesus, hung himself (Matthew 27:5).

We are not told what happens to a person in eternity when they take their own life. There are no specific prohibitions against it.

We know that, ultimately, God holds the power of life and death. And yet, we realize that God is immensely merciful.

I cannot personally condemn someone who commits such and act. I also cannot comprehend the type of emotional pain they must feel that would drive them to end their own earthly existence.

I can only hope that God will have mercy on them in the hereafter, and that we will see them when we go to be with Christ in glory.

My main concern is with the living and those who are feeling intense emotional pain. If you are reading this and are in this type of pain, please reach out to  someone.  Don’t keep your pain a secret. Tell someone… hopefully, a clergy person or professional who knows how to speak to your pain and can help to guide you to an answer.

There are some very important things to consider… The first is that life is precious. The second is that life is a gift.

But the most important thing to consider is that, “God is love” (John 4:8). The Ultimate Being in the universe loves you just as you are… and cares about your pain. I Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Please remember… God cares for you. He cares deeply for you.

Categories: cares, Suicide | Tags: 1 Peter 5:7, , , , , , , , , , I Samuel 31:4, , John 4:8, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Short Testimony by Dolly

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Mark

Dolly Parton talks about her Christian faith.

Categories: Music, Testimony | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment