Flander's Field

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Grab the Lifeline

Imagine, if you will, that you are a passenger on the ill-fated Titanic.  The ship was a masterpiece of engineering design, a craft so mighty that it was dubbed unsinkable.  I watched a program on it once, and was amazed at the lengths the designers went to, to insure that the huge vessel would stay afloat, even in the face of a disaster.  As you board the ship, you feel secure trusting what man has accomplished in this iron-clad giant.  Fast forward to the iceberg.  Now imagine that there are no lifeboats, every man, woman and child is on their own.  Barring a miracle, all will perish, no doubt about it.

Unbelievably an old, but sturdy boat appears out of the mist and the captain, himself,  begins throwing out lifelines.  There are enough for every passenger.  You would think that all the lines would be grabbed, but surprisingly, no.  Some of the folks don’t like the looks of the old boat, others fear that the captain could turn out to be a pirate.  Maybe they think that by treading water they can reach safety on their own.  The ones who do take hold, wait for the captain to pull them in, out of the freezing water, and sure death, to life.

Now you might find this rendition far-fetched, but I use it to illustrate my point for today.  We may never leave terra firma, but just as surely as those folks were facing their demise, so is every single human being on the face of the earth.  Yes, we are all going to die, physically, but what I‘m referring to is the spiritual death.  God, like the captain of that small ship, has thrown lifelines out, one for each of us.  Those who trust and believe, grab on, and will be drawn into the safe haven of salvation. Sadly, many will go under, choosing to forsake his invitation, trusting in themselves, and their own strength rather than His.  The reasons they give are similar to those drowning.  In addition they don’t want to feel indebted, or have to follow his strict rules. Maybe they just think the whole lifeline thing is an elaborate ruse.

Don’t think you are exempt, we’re all aboard the same “sinking ship” of sin, but your line is waiting for you.  God will never force you to take it, only you can make that saving decision.  Have you latched on?  Great, now let him continue to draw you in.  Are you still floundering around,  confident that you can reach the shore on your own?  Good luck with that!  Jesus himself reminds us that no one can save themselves.  Don’t pass that lifeline by, take hold and live, eternally!  "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44

What Do You Have to Lose?

What do you have to lose?  Has anybody ever tried to get you to try something new by asking you that question?  I’m sure they have, numerous times.  There have been situations in my life when I’ve acted on the query and gained.  Maybe it was a new, and improved. way of doing something, or perhaps it was an introduction to a food or idea.  Other times it was chalked up as a loss, like the time my friend Sue Ann talked me into leaving school without permission. Trying new things is what life is all about, but we have to weigh the outcome, before venturing into unknown territories.

The Apostle Paul was a guy who had it all, according to the Bible.  Wealthy, intelligent, a “godly”, law abiding Pharisee, and a Jew with Roman citizenship. What more could a person of that age ask for?  We know now that what he was lacking was a saving faith in Christ.  If there was ever anyone less likely to become a Christian, it was Paul.  If someone had posed this question to him, his answer would have been, “Everything!”

How about you?  Have you made a personal decision to follow Jesus?  If your answer is yes, what have you lost?  If you said nothing, you might want to check your spiritual connection.  When we step out in faith, the first thing we lose is our condemning sin, Christ paid for it.  We also leave behind the “old person”, the one who was holding tightly to the material world and its attractive, but sin-filled ways. Paul, after his miraculous conversion, tells us this. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,…”  Philippians 3:7-9.

 Paul had a lot to lose, in the eyes of the world, but he calls everything in his life, before Christ, rubbish, garbage!  It isn’t easy to leave behind what if familiar, but as we hear from this mighty man of God, that there is everything to gain, and no loss.  Perhaps you haven’t made that personal decision yet, or maybe you call yourself a Christian, but your little fist still has a tight hold on earthly stuff. Either way, I ask you today, “what do you have to lose?”.


                                  

The Good Old Days

The lament of older folks, the ranks of whom I’ve now joined, is, “I wish we could go back to the ‘good old days‘”.  Depending on your age, and condition of your mind, that time period can range from as far back as the 1920s, to10 minutes ago!  Some of us get all sentimental when we hear a Beatle’s song, while my parents do the same for a Benny Goodman tune.  Regardless, the point I want to make today is, there is a bygone era that we as Christians should be longing for, no matter our age.

 The  2nd book of Acts gives us a brief, but accurate description of this period.  “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:41-47.

Luke, the author of Acts, was a medical doctor, and a Greek.  He was a thorough and concise man who made it his goal to portray the early church and the events surrounding it clearly.  Heck, I’ve written longer texts than that, but none that are so illuminating.  Think about this passage for a moment.  Now, honestly tell me when is the last time you participated in a church like that, if indeed ever?   Don’t feel alone, I’d say most believers today are completely unaware of what the church is supposed to be like.  Let’s look inside those ancient windows, shall we?

 First of all this was a learning church. They knew how vital it was to know and follow the teachings of Jesus.  Everyday they would look forward to getting together and  learning.  Not mere rote memorization, but equipping themselves with the Word. We should all feel that same way, counting the day as a loss if we don’t learn something new about our amazing God.

It was a church of fellowship.  I don’t mean sitting around gabbing over coffee and donuts, but true togetherness, like a band of brothers.  You know how wonderful it is to be with people who have a passion for the hobby you enjoy.  It’s never a drudgery to talk and share about something we love.

It was a praying church.  These early Christians knew the perils that they faced couldn’t be met head on in their own strength.  They always went to God, before they went out to the world.

It was a reverent church.  That doesn’t mean they sat quietly, fearfully doing nothing.  The word actually translates into Awe.  Imagine that you are seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time.  The grandeur of it takes your breath away, leaving you in awe.  This was what they experienced daily, the absolute Awe of God and his world.

It was a church where things happened.  Remember, this scripture was written after the Day of Pentecost, and all the believers were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Healings, miracles and all sorts of life-changing events happened all the time.

It was a sharing church.  Those who didn’t have enough were provided for by those who did.  This is not to say they didn’t work, work was expected, this was not merely a place to get free handouts.

It was a worshiping church.  People didn’t go through the motions of a worship service, they desired to be there, and their love for God flowed freely in authentic worship.

It was a happy church.  Unlike many folks today who are happiest when church is over, these folks couldn’t wait to get together, and as we see they did it often…gladly!  The Greek word kalos describes these people best.  It means goodness, but more than superficial goodness, but something that is so delightful, so winsome, that it attracts others to it.  Real Christianity is a lovely thing, and as we read, the church was growing rapidly because people were drawn to its loveliness.

OK, come away from the window, and look into the church you attend.  What do you see?  Or more importantly, what don’t you see.  It is my prayer that each and everyone of us can experience this ancient thing, in a contemporary way.  There’s no need to reinvent the “wheel”, God has left us the example. Ask God to show you how to reconnect, and He will.  Without these life-giving qualities in place, I fear the Christian church will not survive another generation.  We can’t let that happen, join with me in bringing back the Good Old Days!

Recognizing the Voice of Jesus

With the advent of cell phones and caller ID, we usually know who’s trying to get in touch with us.  If they are on our list of contacts, their name pops up where the device rings.  In the olden days, when I was a kid, you had to listen carefully to the person on the other end of the wire.  In some cases you knew the identity immediately, because it was someone whose voice you knew very well, others needed to announce themselves.  

The reading in the gospel of John proves that point clearly.   Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.  She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.  “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”  She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 

 “Mary!” Jesus said.  She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

The resurrection story isn’t new, and sometimes hearing it for the umpteenth time can dull us to its significance.  Not so this year, God desired to show me a subtle, but life altering portion in this tale.  In the verses that preceded these, Mary had found the tomb empty, returned to the frightened disciples and told them what she had seen, or in this case, not seen.  A few ran to the garden to confirm her story, but hastily headed home.  Mary stayed, weeping and mourning, until someone she was unfamiliar with appeared.  In her grief, she explained to him what had happened, but she still didn’t recognize him until he spoke her name. “Mary!” Jesus said.  At that moment, she knew exactly who it was.  It would be difficult to imagine a more tender, and joyful scene, in all literature. The friend she knew and loved was alive, and had spoken her name. 

In an attempt to modernize this account, imagine that Jesus is trying to reach you on your phone.  Does his name/picture appear?  Is he one of your close contacts, or a friend on Facebook?  If the number doesn’t register with you, do you ignore it, or assign it one of the responses that your device provides?  Responses like: I’m on the other line; I’m driving; I’m in a meeting or any of the other built in options.  The question to be answered is, do you, like Mary, know his voice so intimately that he needs no introduction?  I believe that throughout our lives, Jesus is calling our name, but do we recognize him, or do we let it go to voicemail?  Give it some serious thought, and prayer.  He is calling, listen, know him and respond!

Window Shopping

When we were kids, my mom used to give us an imaginary $100, and tell us to go window-shopping.  I must have been an easy-to-please kid, because I always thought that was a fun activity.  I still like to browse, it’s a harmless, free pastime, and I come home with a full wallet.  

There is another kind of window-shopping that is not so innocuous, and can wind up costing a hefty price.  I’m talking about looking into areas outside of what is good for us as Christians.  Let’s be honest, we all have peeked into those “shops” at one time or another.  Perhaps as a married person it was a playful flirtation.  Maybe you were lured into gambling your rent money away.  How about watching TV programs which grab our attention by flaunting immorality, or movies that use profane or vulgar language?  Addictions to pornography, heroin and other drugs have reached epidemic levels, and it all starts with a quick, harmless look in the window. 

Just because you call yourself a Christian doesn’t mean you’re immune, in fact many  “window shoppers” are believers.  They justify their actions by saying it’s only looking, and then they put the blame on God for giving them free will.  Paul understood this dilemma, and spoke from a personal perspective when he said this.  “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”  Romans 7:15.  Yes, the fact remains that we, along with the great evangelist, are easily tempted creatures.  Do the names Adam and Eve ring a bell?  Why did God make us like that?  It would have been a whole lot easier if he had just programmed us to stay away from sin, without any effort on our parts.  “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:17.  Verse after verse warns us to,  “Stay away from every kind of evil (even the appearance of evil).” 1 Thessalonians 5:22. 

Wow, even the appearance of evil is to be avoided.  So what is a weak-willed human being to do?  First, and foremost, be sure of what God considers evil.  Second, stay away from it!  Easy-peasy, right?  Well, we all know it’s anything but easy. I suggest pairing yourself up with another believer who will act as an accountability partner.  Just make sure it’s someone who isn’t afraid to call you out if he/she catches you at the shop window, and be prepared to do the same for them.  Other than that keep yourself from tempting situations by studying, praying, and keeping in fellowship!  Remember, the only one God ever “led into temptation” was Jesus, and he assures us that he will provide an escape if we happen to cave in.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, and not the junk the shops of the world offer. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”  Hebrews 12:2

Good (?) Friday

You’ve all heard the word oxymoron before.  By definition it means two words that seem to be in direct opposition to each other.  Jumbo Shrimp or Military Intelligence are a couple of examples.  How about Good Friday?  I don’t know about you, but as a Christian those two are the most oxymoronic pairing I can think of. In fact not every Christian society calls this day “good”.  The Germans, among others, refer to it as Dark Friday instead.

 I’m aware of all the good that came out of that horrific day, but those 24 hours were anything but good.  Imagine that you are there, following Jesus through the mockery of his trial, flinching as each merciless lash of the whip flays his flesh.  Close at his heels, you can feel the spittle on your own face, as the King of Kings is spat upon.  The endless road to the cross is filled with hurled abuses, both physical and verbal until you arrive at Golgotha, the place of the skull. Grief and fear tighten your throat muscles, as hot tears begin to flow.  Jesus lays down the rough wooden cross, readying himself for the crucifixion, the cruelest form of torture the Romans could devise.  At this point, most mortal men would have already been dead, but Jesus is no mere mortal. Worst of all, he carries upon him the accumulated sins of the centuries.  Sins of the past, the present and the future, yes, yours and mine, he willingly takes the punishment for.  The excruciating physical pain that he must have felt is horrible to even think about, but the emotional torment brought on by that load of sin was unbearable.  Soon he is tied unto the splintery beams, his feet and wrists pierced with heavy spikes, then the cross is raised into position.  In agony he calls out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  For 3 long hours he hangs there, alone, or so it seems.  

For many unbelievers this is the crux (no pun intended) of their unbelief.  How could a loving God do that to his own son, they rightly ask.  What kind of parent would willingly inflict this heinous act on their own precious child?  Lest we forget, this is God on the cross, suffering, and bleeding, for you and me, as our perfect lamb of sacrifice. He wasn’t dragged to the cross against his will, no, he went freely. It is theorized that over 2.5 million Jews were in Jerusalem for the Passover that year, and over 250,000 lambs were sacrificed, but only one, the Lamb of God’s death fulfilled the righteous requirement.  No other sacrifice would ever be necessary; the debt we owed was paid in full, by his shed blood.

 Yes, it was a dark day indeed, when you look at it from the human perspective, but our salvation could not have been secured in any other way. Now that is good, even if the day itself is Bad. So I guess you can say, the end justified the means.  I don’t pretend to understand it all, but one day I will.  Today I am content, and awe struck, once again, as I recall the passion of Good Friday, and the unmerited grace that God offers to all who believe.  

 “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5