Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin....

Like the hobbyist always tinkering on his old car, I'm constantly tinkering with my book.  A new insight or illustration to add; a better way to say something, a change in a word or order of paragraphs, etc.  

So, this morning I was tinkering with the "Final Words" section when notification of a personal blog post from a friend popped up on my phone.  She is actually Sandy's friend, but we are together getting to know her and her husband better.  In fact, we had them over for a cookout just last night.  I don't know much yet about their faith; but Sandy and I are praying for the occasion to speak more of it.

The notification of the blog post (about a Steve Miller Band song) arrived just as I finished working (again) on this paragraph in my book:  (It is the paragraph that was the subject of an earlier post.  See"God's perspective" below.  Clearly, God wanted to be involved in its writing!)

"The video (The Bema) is sobering to watch.  Now aware, for having read all the Scripture referenced in this book, of what is at stake, you will get a glimpse through this video of what it will be like to stand before Jesus – and all of God’s people – on that day.  You will see that it is true:  Nothing else matters but that Day and the effect it will have upon the eternity of days that follow it.  Watch the video, if you dare.  Don’t delay to put this important truth into practice!  Every tick of the clock takes us closer to that moment – the outcome of which lasts forever – when we stand before Christ."

Well, the song that was the subject of our friend's blog post - which, as I said, arrived just as I finished that paragraph - has the repeated line, “Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future.”  (Ironically for the Christian, the song is entitled, Fly Like an Eagle.)  So, I incorporated those words of the song into the paragraph, right before the "every tick of the clock" sentence.  It was perfect.

And I told our friend about the timeliness of her post and the way it helped make my point.  It is my prayer that it will be the opening for a discussion of deeper truths about God.  

Amazing, isn't it?  God is good.

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Joy!

My mom called again this morning, once again by the prompting of the Spirit.

“Do you ever pray for joy, Kevin?” she asked.

I had to confess that I seldom do.  I guess deep down I believe that, since joy is a fruit of the Spirit, God will give it to me when He wants.  Sometimes He does and sometimes He does.  It’s up to Him.

A few hours later, while on my way to the store, I thought about what mom had asked.  I felt the prompting of the Spirit to ask for joy; but I was reluctant.  I think something in me likes being grumpy at God.  He has allowed so much pain in my life….

Nevertheless, I asked God to give me joy.

Seconds later, a song came on the radio by “King and Country.”  I had heard an interview with the group a couple weeks ago.  They told of how they had sat down to discuss the album before making it.  “What do we want to be the central message of this album?” they asked themselves.  “Joy” was their answer.  This album would be about joy!  In fact, they titled the album “joy”!  (sic)

The song from that album that played was entitled “Let it Move”  I quote all of the lyrics below, but it ends with the words of the old song, “I need the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.  I need the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart to stay.”  I sat in the car until the end of the song, soaking in the joy that God had just bestowed up me, in response to my prayer.  Then, I walked (joyfully!) into the store.

But God wasn't done answering my prayer.  In the store, I struck up a conversation with an older man who simply loved to talk.  But he was so – you guessed it – joyful that I couldn’t help but listen.  I learned about his children, his eight siblings, his father (who was murdered when he Jim – that is his name – was eleven.  He told me about their family tobacco farm on which he had grown up and worked in eastern Kentucky.  He told me about the thirty-seven (37!) surgeries he has had.  “I’ve twice had my throat cut by a woman,” he said with a wink, pointing the surgery scares on his neck.

At one point, I felt the strong nudge by the Spirit to ask, “Are you a follower of Jesus?”  I had no particular reason to think he might be – except for his evident JOY!  “Oh, my yes!”  he said, without hesitation.  He told me all about the church he grew up in and about his baptism.  He went on and on.  We would still be talking, blocking other shoppers in the aisle, if I hadn’t had to move on.

The only thing I could think of as he talked was The Bema, which I reference in an earlier blog post.  (Watch it!)  Someday I will hear all about this man’s life and its impact on thousands and thousands of people.  What a joy he is!  He is going to be highly praised by God!

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer for joy, Lord!


Lyrics of "Let it Move" by King and Country.

Lately, I've been reading, watching the nightly news
Don't seem to find the rhythm, just wanna sing the blues
Feels like a song that never stops

Gotta get that fire, fire, back in my bones
Before my heart, heart, turns into stone
So somebody please pass the megaphone
I'll shout it on the count of three
One, two, three

Oh, hear my prayer tonight, I'm singing to the sky
Give me strength to raise my voice, let me testify
Oh, hear my prayer tonight, 'cause this is do or die
The time has come to make a choice

And I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move you, let it move you
Yeah, I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you

Yeah-eh, back when I was young, my eyes were full of life
But now that I am older, I live at the speed of light
Feels like the cycle never stops
Feels like it's never gonna

Gotta get that fire, fire, back in my bones
Before my heart, heart, turns into stone
So somebody please pass the megaphone
I'll shout it on the count of three
One, two, three

Oh, hear my prayer tonight, I'm singing to the sky
Give me strength to raise my voice, let me testify
Oh, hear my prayer tonight, 'cause this is do or die
The time has come to make a choice

And I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Yeah, I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of night
Oh, with You by my side, I'm stepping into the light
I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you

I need that joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay
I need that joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay

And I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Oh, I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of night
Oh, with You by my side, I'm stepping into the light
I choose joy
Go let it move you, go let it move you, go let it move you

I need that joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay
I need that joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay

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God's perspective

"Watch the video, The Bema, if you dare.  Don’t delay to put this important truth into practice!  Every tick of the clock takes us closer to that moment – the outcome of which lasts forever – when we stand before Christ."

Just as I finished working on the above paragraph from my book, God Rewards, a picture popped up on the T.V. screen in front of my desk.  It was one of the images that Google cycles randomly on their Chromecast device.  I saw it and said to myself, “No!  Is that…?”   Sure enough, written in small letters at the bottom of the screen was, “Kauai, Hawaii.”  The image, taken from a satellite, is of the final mile or so of a switch-backing road, which in the photo from space looks like a snake.  At the bottom of the image was a body of water.

Sandy and I had been on that very road just a few months ago.  It is the long, winding and uphill drive through Waimea Canyon.  It would be a difficult trek without a car!  It takes you past some of Earth’s most stunning views; but it is at the end of the road that your breath is taken away.  There, from a height of a mile, you look down to the vast and blue Pacific Ocean, a mere couple of miles away.  It is easily the most beautiful vista I have ever seen.  My photo doesn't do it justice.

I can hardly believe that God literally flashed that picture before my eyes at this particular moment!  It perfectly captures what my heart wants for followers of Jesus:  A heavenly perspective of what lies ahead, at the end of the difficult and winding road of life.  For now we can only have that perspective from afar, as from a satellite.  Someday, however, faithful followers of Jesus will experience being there on the heights, surveying with wonder and amazement His great and beautiful work in our lives.

Lord, "open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions."  Psalm 118:18 (NLT)


(Update:  Another amazing "coincidence" happened regarding this paragraph a few days later. See above post, "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'... )


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Everything

Mom called this morning with a self-described word from the Lord.

She told me a story, some parts of which I had heard before but some of which was new to me.

Early in my parent’s marriage, mom’s brother, Mel and his family went to Thailand as missionaries.  The left without the support of the Apostolic Christian Church  (AC) of which they were a part in Francesville, Indiana.  Nevertheless, my mom and dad, along with some others in their A.C. congretation in Cissna Park, Illinois, asked the church elders if the congregation would lend financial support to a Vacation Bible School program that uncle Mel and aunt Arlene (a former member of the Cissna Park church and Dad’s first cousin) were planning to hold in Thailand.

When the elders said, "No", Mom and Dad went to speak with the head elder, who happened to be dad’s uncle Ezra.  My mom stayed mostly silent during that meeting; but dad and uncle Ezra locked horns.  It was not pleasant. 

The request for money was only the immediate issue over which they disagreed.  Mom and Dad, along with others, were increasingly discontent with what they saw in the attitudes, actions and rules of the wider Apostolic Christian Church denomination, which consisted of several dozen congregations.  For example, Uncle Mel was excommunicated for having shared communion with Christians outside of that church (a no-no) while preparing for the mission field at Bible school.  (Another no-no.)

This was hard for my dad.  His 12 living siblings were all members of the Apostolic Christian Church.  His dad and grandpa where still alive and active in that church.  He had just had an argument with his uncle!  Yet, at the same time, he was becoming increasing uncomfortable with the pride, the exclusivity and many of the doctrinal teaching of the church.

So, feeling angry that he was stuck between his family and his convictions, he lashed out at mom after the meeting.  He blamed her for the problem. After all, it was his wife’s brother who had started all this.  It was Mom and Mom’s family that had started this “schism”.  Indeed, many of mom’s siblings had already left the Church.  It was mom who had urged Dad to confront the wrongs.

In his anger, Dad was harsh in his words to Mom, that night and in the days to follow.  Mom felt terrible.  She felt all alone and totally worthless.

That is when the Lord suddenly asked her, with words as if spoken to her physical ears, “Are you willing to do anything for me?”

She said, “Yes.”

The next day, Dad continued venting his anger to Mom.  The Lord then upped the ante for her, “Are you willing to give up even your husband, Cal?” 

When mom heard that question, she feared that the Lord might be preparing to take Dad’s life.  She was terrified.  But God reminded her of the verse in Luke 14:26, “"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple.”

Once again, Mom said, “Yes. Even Cal.”  Mom had completely yielded to the will of the Father.

Well, my Dad lived to the age of 94.  By then he had become one of the strongest Christians you will ever meet.  Mom and Dad have been richly blessed in many, many ways.  There were many tough trials in their lives after the events just described; but all of them “worked for their good” as they increasingly yielded their lives to God. 

I cannot wait to see what God has to say to them at the Bema, the Judgement Seat of Christ, before which we will all someday stand!  I have no doubt that they have affected the lives of thousands of people.

God has been faithful to my Mom’s obedience.  He will be for you, too, reader.  You will reap a harvest of reward for giving your all to Christ. 

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The Bema

July 17, 2018

Yesterday morning I was awakened by the nurse.  "It's done.  You can go home now."

"What did you find?"  I asked, hoping that the sleep study had found nothing.

"Well, I can't say.  The doctor will have to look at the results.  But you will be back."

"Back?  Why?"

"Because we will have to calibrate the machine on you."

What the nurse was avoiding telling me was that I have sleep apnea.

The news worked on me all day.  But, it wasn't just the news I'd heard that morning that bothered me.  It was everything: all the physical and emotional pain I've experienced for much of my life.  I was tired of being tired.  I was tired of the pain. I was discouraged about our son's stuggles and about other emotional disappointments about which no one knows.  I was tired of the struggle.  I became profoundly sad.  

I went to bed hoping I'd wake up feeling better.  I didn't.

Then, as I sat on my porch swing this morning drinking my morning coffee, I remembered something someone - a new acquaintance, a committed follower of Jesus - told me about just yesterday afternoon.  He told me of something he had watched.  It is called The Bema, based on the book by that title by Tim Stevenson.  So, I watched it.  

It reminded me of what is truly important; things I already knew but, in my self-pity, I didn't want to think about.  It put this life back into perspective.  It reminded me that this life has a point.  How I respond to life's struggles and pain will matter to me - for all of eternity.  

Thank you, Jesus.  Thank you.

Please, please, click here to watch The Bema.  It will encourage you just as it encouraged me.

You will be blessed, too.

Do you know someone who is suffering physical or emotional pain who would be encouraged by this blog? Then please send them the link by clicking the envelope below, where you can also share it on Twitter and Facebook.