The other night my wife, our eldest daughter DeAnna and our youngest daughter Rebecca and I traveled over to the Twin Cities to attend a Human Life Alliance dinner. This is the second one we've attended as our dear friends, Brent and Julie Niccum are sponsors and heavily involved in this life saving and life altering ministry. If you haven't figured it out yet, HLA is an organization that devotes all it's time and resources to one of the most polarizing and divisive subjects in America today, abortion. Through a lot of volunteer effort, tireless and dedicated staff, endless fundraising and training brave souls who often face scorn and persecution for standing in the gap, they have reached over 177 million people with their message of hope and life! They have saved countless young girls and women from the heartache of abortion and the psychological and collateral damage it causes to their lives. But most of all, they have saved thousands of innocent children who had no voice, no protector and no hope. They do this all out of love and compassion for their fellow human beings. These heroes don't get paid millions of dollars and nor are they adored by millions of people. They simply stand for Christ, in the belief that life is precious and God given. It is He who ordains it, creates it and establishes the priceless worth of His children. Therefore, we are to steward those lives and cherish them as our own.
I am well aware that this is not a subject people want to talk about often, but the tragedy of nearly 50 million babies aborted since the supreme court ruling on Roe Vs Wade in 1973 is beyond shocking. That is a rate of nearly 3,000 per day or to put it into perspective, it's like living through 9/11 every day of your life! You can check these statistics at the National Right To Life website or fact check them yourself. By the way, I am not speaking as one who does not empathize with those who have gone through this painful ordeal. Nor am I unsympathetic or judgmental. Quite the contrary, I am moved to tears and have great compassion for those mothers, fathers and most of all children who have paid for their mistakes with lifetimes of anguish or lost their lives . As the father of five beautiful children I can tell you that the thought of not having one of these gifts from God is beyond my comprehension. My wife and I have been blessed many times over with our family and thank God every day no matter what the circumstances have been for these children of ours. I am sure that I speak for many of you parents as well. Children complete our lives. They are the hope of our future and God's legacy to our time here. How can we be doing this? How does this happen each day and what damage have we or continue to be doing to our world. We have systematically allowed the degradation, sanitizing and liberalizing of our values and morals in this country to the point of tragic consequence. Look around you and our country, government, schools, churches, media, and overall society all reflect a growing apathy for our constitution it's laws and meanings and Loving Creator. What was once reprehensible in this country is now considered progressive or socially conducive to a more tolerant lifestyle. What amazes me is what we will tolerate nowadays as normal and acceptable behavior. Folks, we are paying a heavy price for this tragic mistake. Oh, I know that secular scientists and humanists will give you data all day long about running out of resources, food and the means to take care of our species. How we are reducing our quality of life by placing unsustainable burdens on our societies for the care of all these potentially unwanted or unintended children. How they would be better off not being born then being born into their circumstances. The list of rationale can go on and on. But let me ask you this? What if your mom and dad were of the same mindset as these people. What if they only thought of themselves or were influenced to think in that manner? Would you be here? Would you have had your life, opportunities or families of your own? Better yet if the secular geniuses are so smart they should realize in their haste to endorse this infanticide they are destroying their own mandates of self preservation. Maybe we have already missed the cure for cancer or the next great statesman or the inventor of new fuels or great theologian or teacher. I guess we'll never know how blessed we could have been but God knows. He sees, He weeps, He laments. But He takes them home and loves them when we didn't. This is not about a person's right to choose, God already gave us that when He bestowed free will upon us. This is about the gift of life, designed of the Highest Order for the most noble of purposes. In our Declaration of Independence it states that we're endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. They are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that the word life means quite literally the ability to have one first.
Psalm 139 13:14
13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Misplaced, Displaced or Replaced, Aren't They All the Same?
I have this bad habit of immediately forgetting where I set my keys, phone or wallet when I am running around trying to get ready to go somewhere. I don't know if this is an unfortunate part of the aging process or a case of just being too hurried. Either way, I end up searching for minutes at a time, mumbling to myself and accusing my family members of heinous acts of mischief. My wife would be just shaking her head as if to both sympathize with my plight, as she has suffered from the same malady, and to enjoy the fact that it isn't her for once. Usually, I would get myself quite aggravated and at whom I don't know. But wouldn't you know it, there they would be in exactly the same place I had left them. So why is that place always the last one you check? One of life's cruel ironies I guess. This exercise in futility has caused me to wonder what God must think of us as we often run around aimlessly chasing the trivial aspects of our lives expending tremendous effort, as if our very function and existence depended upon them. Now, we do need our keys, wallets and phones, but that's not my point.
Companies spend millions of dollars either producing products or publishing information to help keep us from misplacing, displacing or needlessly replacing our possessions. So off we go enthusiastically and buy them. In doing so we breathe a collective sigh of relief in falsely believing that we now have ensured ourselves of having everything placed in perfect order. That is off course until the next time we are running around cursing our children for losing our car keys or hiding our cell phones. Alas, at least perception is reality I guess. But this is not the case with the more weighty matters of life.
As human beings we often put our Creator on a shelf. Conveniently moving Him out of the way only to make room for ourselves and our priorities. Jesus is pushed aside for the more important aspects of our daily lives. We don't have time for Him, His advice, His simple blessing or words of encouragement or most importantly His love. Instead, we go from at first misplacing Him in our lives because other things or people distract us from Him. To then displacing Him from our hearts because He takes too much effort to seek and know and we don't have time to wait for Him. To finally replacing Him, with other temporal solutions and selfish notions of knowledge and wisdom that ultimately fail us. It's often then and only then that we run around acting as if our world is crashing in on ourselves blaming everything and everybody else as we look for our Keys. Unlike our possessions Jesus is always in the same place. You can find Him every time you look. He's never gone anywhere! As a matter of fact He's always where you look no matter where you're at. I know of nothing in my life that satisfies me more than knowing that my Lord Jesus who created me and loves me will never lose me. He has you and me in perfect order. So slow down, take some time and invest in your relationship with Him. You'll be amazed how often your Keys are right where you set them!
Revelations 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Companies spend millions of dollars either producing products or publishing information to help keep us from misplacing, displacing or needlessly replacing our possessions. So off we go enthusiastically and buy them. In doing so we breathe a collective sigh of relief in falsely believing that we now have ensured ourselves of having everything placed in perfect order. That is off course until the next time we are running around cursing our children for losing our car keys or hiding our cell phones. Alas, at least perception is reality I guess. But this is not the case with the more weighty matters of life.
As human beings we often put our Creator on a shelf. Conveniently moving Him out of the way only to make room for ourselves and our priorities. Jesus is pushed aside for the more important aspects of our daily lives. We don't have time for Him, His advice, His simple blessing or words of encouragement or most importantly His love. Instead, we go from at first misplacing Him in our lives because other things or people distract us from Him. To then displacing Him from our hearts because He takes too much effort to seek and know and we don't have time to wait for Him. To finally replacing Him, with other temporal solutions and selfish notions of knowledge and wisdom that ultimately fail us. It's often then and only then that we run around acting as if our world is crashing in on ourselves blaming everything and everybody else as we look for our Keys. Unlike our possessions Jesus is always in the same place. You can find Him every time you look. He's never gone anywhere! As a matter of fact He's always where you look no matter where you're at. I know of nothing in my life that satisfies me more than knowing that my Lord Jesus who created me and loves me will never lose me. He has you and me in perfect order. So slow down, take some time and invest in your relationship with Him. You'll be amazed how often your Keys are right where you set them!
Revelations 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
When Autumn Leaves Fall.
As I was walking over to our daughter's house yesterday afternoon, I couldn't help but take in the colors, sights and sounds of my favorite time of year. Between the brilliant palette of oranges, burgundies and yellows on the many stately maples and oaks lining the street were the squirrels and chipmunks running helter skelter with cheeks full of seeds and nuts to store in their winter hideaways. A flock of geese perfectly aligned and flying in harmony soared southward overhead. I could hear the raking of leaves and even smell the odor of burning piles. It seemed like the whole neighborhood was one big symphony of activity. It was almost as if neighbors, furry friends and birds were carrying out a divine set of orders all choreographed with a Distinct Stamp of synchronicity and purpose. I was especially struck by the many displays of mums, pumpkins, gourds and cornstalks on the front porches of charming old homes. Each one carefully decorated as if they're awaiting the approval of a select panel of judges. The only thing missing was the smell of pumpkin and apple pies baking. Wow, what heaven! But before I go get all Norman Rockwell painting on you, I was especially struck by one particular sight. As I was walking along I noticed a particular little pumpkin all by itself. The house was older and a bit disheveled looking with paint peeling off the porch and a yard that needed some tlc. Nonetheless, here was this pumpkin sitting on top of a porch post by itself. What's so unusual about that you say? Well nothing at first glance. But it was then my spiritual eyes took over.
Somebody had carved this little pumpkin awhile back. What was once a smiling jack-o-lantern fresh, bright orange and alive was now moldy, rotting and falling in on itself. The smile was collapsing, the eyes had sunken in and it looked like it was vainly struggling to hold on to what little life it had. No big deal as I had seen a lot of rotting pumpkins before. But I couldn't get the image out of my head. And no, it's not because I have all the Halloween horror movie dvds either. But rather that fall is not only a time of unequaled splendor and beauty but also a time of preparation and harvest. With winters cold almost lifeless grip soon to come to our northwoods, it was a reminder to me that we all have seasons in our own lives. Yes, my friends, we are like that pumpkin. We too come from a seed lovingly created by our Father, perfectly designed and entrusted to our earthly parents. We are planted inside our mother's womb to grow and are born soon after. We are fed, nurtured, taught and loved. The pumpkin seed is planted in good soil. Watered, fed and given sunlight. It too sprouts forth with new life, and grows. Just as the years pass from our childhood through the teen years and into adulthood, so grows the pumpkin from sprout to plant to a young green gourd into a bright orange sphere that fulfills it's God ordained potential of nutrition and bounty. In God's perfect plan for all His creation we are designed to reach our potential too. To live out the fullness of our days and use the appointed season's of our lives to bring forth our ample bounty in goodness, grace, love, mercy and just as importantly in passing along His message of hope and salvation to others. For we will soon be that pumpkin, old and decaying physically. But unlike the pumpkin's candle which will burn out, we have an eternal light. One that shines in us for all of our days and through all the seasons of life and into forever. There remains in us a beautiful spirit of hope and vibrant life no matter what we look like on the outside! We can help bring others into the joyous harvest that is a right relationship with Jesus Christ right up until we pass from this world. So unlike our little pumpkin whose' purpose is defined and who's life is limited ours is not. Mark you season's well and be sure not miss your time of harvesting. Because it's not the pumpkin that will sit before the Lord on His porch giving an account someday!
Somebody had carved this little pumpkin awhile back. What was once a smiling jack-o-lantern fresh, bright orange and alive was now moldy, rotting and falling in on itself. The smile was collapsing, the eyes had sunken in and it looked like it was vainly struggling to hold on to what little life it had. No big deal as I had seen a lot of rotting pumpkins before. But I couldn't get the image out of my head. And no, it's not because I have all the Halloween horror movie dvds either. But rather that fall is not only a time of unequaled splendor and beauty but also a time of preparation and harvest. With winters cold almost lifeless grip soon to come to our northwoods, it was a reminder to me that we all have seasons in our own lives. Yes, my friends, we are like that pumpkin. We too come from a seed lovingly created by our Father, perfectly designed and entrusted to our earthly parents. We are planted inside our mother's womb to grow and are born soon after. We are fed, nurtured, taught and loved. The pumpkin seed is planted in good soil. Watered, fed and given sunlight. It too sprouts forth with new life, and grows. Just as the years pass from our childhood through the teen years and into adulthood, so grows the pumpkin from sprout to plant to a young green gourd into a bright orange sphere that fulfills it's God ordained potential of nutrition and bounty. In God's perfect plan for all His creation we are designed to reach our potential too. To live out the fullness of our days and use the appointed season's of our lives to bring forth our ample bounty in goodness, grace, love, mercy and just as importantly in passing along His message of hope and salvation to others. For we will soon be that pumpkin, old and decaying physically. But unlike the pumpkin's candle which will burn out, we have an eternal light. One that shines in us for all of our days and through all the seasons of life and into forever. There remains in us a beautiful spirit of hope and vibrant life no matter what we look like on the outside! We can help bring others into the joyous harvest that is a right relationship with Jesus Christ right up until we pass from this world. So unlike our little pumpkin whose' purpose is defined and who's life is limited ours is not. Mark you season's well and be sure not miss your time of harvesting. Because it's not the pumpkin that will sit before the Lord on His porch giving an account someday!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-22
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; .Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Change the Heart, You Change the Mind!
Recently, Melissa, our youngest daughter Rebecca and myself were at a court sentencing hearing for some dear friend's son who had been in jail on some very serious charges and was now facing his judgment day. He would know his fate and receive the punishment for the consequences of his young foolish actions. On his own behalf he admitted his guilt and bypassed what would have been an emotional trial for the community he victimized. Because of the nature of his crimes, burglary, vandalism and arson to a church, the community was a bit divided to say the least. There were those who wanted vindication and the full letter of the law applied to this young man and his accomplice. After all this church had been a pillar of this small community for over 100 years. Whole families through their generations had worshiped there and now felt profound loss, violation and a sense of desecration. But there were those folks who had attended the church who had forgiven him and wanted to see him restored to his full potential in God's eyes. In other words punish him justly yes, but do not cause irreparable harm to him by a long prison sentence. I was asked to speak on his behalf before the sentencing by his parents. After all, Luke had stayed with our family for awhile when he was having some trouble at home. We took him in as one of our own and although it wasn't easy at times, I could see in this troubled young man a bit of myself in bygone days. I looked at him as my father looked at me when I was having problems in my life. Part frustrated, part angry and disappointed but mostly a father who was very concerned and caring. I was objective in my dealings with him but wanted to help him as my parents did for me.
You see it's when we apply just punishment with adequate mercy, a bit of grace and a whole lot of love and support that we generally see goodness come forth in people. I am not discounting Luke's actions. After all, he chose his path and must face the repercussions of that choice. Just as I had to do when I caused great distress to my parents. But that's the perfect wisdom of our awesome God! He put my family in this young man's life for the purpose of working out His good plan for Luke. He knew the lessons I had learned and would use me and my family to help Luke at this precarious time. We were ultimately not a preventive measure for his indiscretion and lawlessness. But rather a pillar of support, love and to witness for Jesus Christ's sake at such a time as when he would need it desperately. As so many had already judged him and fallen away. Now I am not trying to pat myself on the back here. God does the work, we are just vessels for His ordained purposes. We love Luke just as my parent's loved me when but a few did. Just as Jesus stood by the side of the adulteress women when the mob wanted to stone her. He told the mob, "He among you who is without sin, cast the first stone." One by one they dropped their stones and walked away. Jesus asked her, "Woman where are your accusers?" They all left and He said. "No one condemns you and neither do I. Go and sin no more." Jesus knew that if this woman had conviction for what she had done then that conviction itself was the judgment for her actions. By forgiving her He did not excuse her but gave her mercy and told her not to do it again. I do realize that this approach does not work unless a heart is willing. Then and only then can the mind can see the destruction and realize the hurt it caused.
Prisons are necessary. We live in a fallen and depraved world. People commit horrific offenses against other people and property all the time. The law is necessary to act as a very serious deterrent to the commission of those crimes or final judgment upon those actions. Either way it's not God who abandoned Luke. It was Luke who abandoned God. God is in the prisons doing great work in a mostly hopeless environment. But He is also there to help prevent you from getting to that prison. He worked through my mom and dad when I deserved punishment but got mercy mixed in. The judge ultimately stayed a long prison sentence and showed just mercy. Luke has a long hard road ahead with years of restrictions, probation and community service. But God's now doing good work in Luke as he serves out the rest of His jail sentence and has given his heart to the Lord. Praise Him! The bible says that one soul saved causes all of heaven to rejoice! We all await Luke's release and are eager to see God's plan for his life come to fruition. Jesus proved to the woman and the world that what was relevant to a person's life back then is still relevant today. His plan is still perfect. For God knows that the changed heart alone is the key to a sound and righteous mind.
John 8:7-11
7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
You see it's when we apply just punishment with adequate mercy, a bit of grace and a whole lot of love and support that we generally see goodness come forth in people. I am not discounting Luke's actions. After all, he chose his path and must face the repercussions of that choice. Just as I had to do when I caused great distress to my parents. But that's the perfect wisdom of our awesome God! He put my family in this young man's life for the purpose of working out His good plan for Luke. He knew the lessons I had learned and would use me and my family to help Luke at this precarious time. We were ultimately not a preventive measure for his indiscretion and lawlessness. But rather a pillar of support, love and to witness for Jesus Christ's sake at such a time as when he would need it desperately. As so many had already judged him and fallen away. Now I am not trying to pat myself on the back here. God does the work, we are just vessels for His ordained purposes. We love Luke just as my parent's loved me when but a few did. Just as Jesus stood by the side of the adulteress women when the mob wanted to stone her. He told the mob, "He among you who is without sin, cast the first stone." One by one they dropped their stones and walked away. Jesus asked her, "Woman where are your accusers?" They all left and He said. "No one condemns you and neither do I. Go and sin no more." Jesus knew that if this woman had conviction for what she had done then that conviction itself was the judgment for her actions. By forgiving her He did not excuse her but gave her mercy and told her not to do it again. I do realize that this approach does not work unless a heart is willing. Then and only then can the mind can see the destruction and realize the hurt it caused.
Prisons are necessary. We live in a fallen and depraved world. People commit horrific offenses against other people and property all the time. The law is necessary to act as a very serious deterrent to the commission of those crimes or final judgment upon those actions. Either way it's not God who abandoned Luke. It was Luke who abandoned God. God is in the prisons doing great work in a mostly hopeless environment. But He is also there to help prevent you from getting to that prison. He worked through my mom and dad when I deserved punishment but got mercy mixed in. The judge ultimately stayed a long prison sentence and showed just mercy. Luke has a long hard road ahead with years of restrictions, probation and community service. But God's now doing good work in Luke as he serves out the rest of His jail sentence and has given his heart to the Lord. Praise Him! The bible says that one soul saved causes all of heaven to rejoice! We all await Luke's release and are eager to see God's plan for his life come to fruition. Jesus proved to the woman and the world that what was relevant to a person's life back then is still relevant today. His plan is still perfect. For God knows that the changed heart alone is the key to a sound and righteous mind.
John 8:7-11
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