Bah! Humbug...

   Each year for the past four years we have made it a point to watch 'Scrooge'; the 1970's version with Albert Finney. Charles Dickens' story put to theatre and film is a classic for any generation.  There's something about choosing life that resonates with almost everyone. There's something about that old miserly character Ebenezer Scrooge that just draws us back in time to a place in our own journey that few of us want to even admit.  Early in the story, Scrooge's use of the word humbug becomes a self expression of his own character.
   One of the story's most revealing humbug scenes that calls attention to our reticent tendencies is the engagement breakup scene. Scrooge goes back in time to a critical place where he forfeited the joy and intimacy of a marriage relationship from the idol of 'gain'. Most telling are the cries from Scrooge himself to the younger version of himself, begging "say something you fool, say something..." Not everyone suffers from this humbug of greed but there are other humbugs other than greed. You know yours, I know my own. When humbug is chosen, it's that thing that will draw us away from the people we love and cherish. The results of which are crushing on the spirit of Christmas in each of us, regardless of the month on the wall calendar.
   It's that active withholding of affection, love, praise, spiritual leadership, intimacy... that just causes us to descend into our personal Scrooge-like character. Certainly, it manifests itself in varied ways but mostly in our relationships... The person that humbug ultimately robs is ourself. There is no gain - only humbug!
   That powerful scene ends with Scrooge saying "spirit remove me from this place, I can bear it no more!'  It's that sentiment and insight that begins the process of our own repentance and healing. We each have a threshold of pain that is too much to bear.  It is that conscious choice that cries out to the Spirit of the Living God... 'dear God, remove me from this place!'  
   I want to encourage you to give yourself and your family and friends the greatest Christmas present ever - a heart full of love, appreciation, praise, affirmation, prayer, love, compassion, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control... Rid yourself of the chains of humbug, press into life like never before and choose to live again...

In Christ!

Perhaps

   "perhaps" - what an interesting word. Dissecting the word gives a little insight here. 'per' - rendered 'by or through' and 'haps' - 'chance or happenstance'. I found myself last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning a little bummed to the realization that nothing in our nation really changed; that is unfortunate! I allowed myself to even vote early this year, pray for the election and 'hope' for a good outcome. It took me a while to peel back the feelings I was having.
   I realize that certainly, not everyone felt the same way, but for me anyway, it was a mixture of things. I felt disgust that we will more than likely be looking at another 4 years of legislative gridlock. I felt disdain that we can't rid ourselves of the corruption that exists throughout the various levels of our government very easily. I felt glum that we've gone from a society based on self-responsibility to a culture of 'entitlements'. I felt overwhelmed that my children, grandchildren and their children will have to pay for the sins of the fathers. Then today happened.
   I was reading in Jeremiah 26:3 and the Lord starts with the word "perhaps". To be honest with you that intrigues me a little. You see Jeremiah prophesied during the decay, collapse and deportation of Israel. Israel was THE 'world power' during the 10th century BC but began its moral and cultural decay soon after the death of David's son Solomon. It took Israel 300 years to get to the point of being completely dismantled at the hands of the Babylonians. National and political collapses are nothing new and should come as no surprise to any of us - until it actually occurs - to us! Seeing that life and circumstances are flying by at warp-10, I doubt seriously it will take us 300 years to shrink into irrelevance unless Scotty runs short on dilythium crystals... So I think we may actually be in that short period of 'perhaps'!
   Interestingly enough, Jeremiah was told to go to church (Temple) to prophesy, not to the houses of government or the halls of justice... but to the people.  If "they" would "listen and return" - God "might relent" from what he was planning to do.  I am in no position to tell you what the Lord has planned for us as a nation - but it can't be good. Let's face it - our nation doesn't receive a 'get-out-of-hell-free card' for 40-million abortions performed, approving same-sex marriages, corruption to the highest levels of government, oppressing the poor, placing in servitude the entire lower and middle class of working families through $16T of debt, and legalizing recreational use of hallucinogens (Washington and Colorado states with marijuana)...
   In these moments of 'perhaps' let's take a little personal inventory together:

1. Where's your hope? (Government? Family? God? idols / gods?...)
2. What's your plan? (Random? Micro-management? Trust?)
3. Why the anxiety?  (Misplaced priorities? Bad stewardship? Broken homes?)

Personally, I wish we could enact a law that would require all politicians to wear powdered wigs, knickers and black square-toe shoes... but since we can't get that one passed - I will settle in on the providential mercy of God and the repentance of His people back to Him and 'perhaps the Lord...'

• In His wrath will remember mercy...
• In His judgment will extend grace...
• In His anger will give us more time...

In Christ?!

Pastor Paul

The Devil's Claw

  'The Devil's Claw' - the name alone strikes intrigue. Actually the 'Devil's Claw' is classified as a 'noxious weed' and native to the Americas. It's technical name is 'Ibicella Lutea'. It often grows along the road sides and can be more commonly found around watering tanks for animals. It's a devilish looking weed when the flowers and green leafs have fallen and it is broken off. The horn-shaped tentacles look menacing as they protrude from the seed pod which opens up when stepped on. The seeds often find their way into the ground or onto the hooves and heads of sheep; very often causing serious injury and eventually death by starvation. During the blooming season they have either purple or yellow flowers and appear harmless enough but it's odious scent does not attract the average person. The 'Devil's Claw' is not exclusive to weeds however...

  The Devil's Claw is also known by other names:

• "hurt"... as in 'ouch'
• "rejection"... as in 'really!?'
• "neglect"... as in 'only if...'

These attach to the hearts and minds of humanity. They irritate, dig in beneath the skin, eventually infect, and even spread seeds where others get hurt. Eventually, if left untreated, people starve themselves within relationship, or cause serious infection, pain, starvation and eventually the death of the relationships we would under normal conditions hold most dear. 

  Painstaking care is required in their removal. It seems to me that it's easier to identify the nature and even the source of these 'Claws' but much more difficult in removing them once af-fected or in-fected. This is where I believe the Shepherd is most needed. We need Him to sit with us and help us deal with each seed from the claw. He's a tender Physician really; never pushing the seed in deeper or twisting it around, only helping remove their ef-fects, covering over and healing us from these painful events and words. Our Shepherd also uses others to help us with this process. Our spouse, family or friends in our church often play that critical role in making us better. 

  This weekend one such person who has helped me and many others will be here in LA speaking to our church and community. Dr. Doug Weiss has been very instrumental in helping me identify some of these 'seeds' and provide me a path forward in my own life-journey. I hope you'll join us this weekend as we work toward authentic intimacy in our relationships. 

  In the meantime, if you discover a weed that has a purple or yellow flower on it which doesn't smell particularly too good, it may very well be a  'Devil's Claw'. Avoiding them, your life and the lives of your family and friends will be better for it. Also, if those seeds have found a way into your life or relationships, determine to no longer go it alone or avoiding the necessary remedy... there's help and hope available...

In Christ!

Brown Paper Bags

You never know what is going to show up at church! This happened to me a number of years ago back in Oklahoma; inside that brown paper bag were some very private videos...

Coal Count, Oklahoma is largely a 'Democratic' voting county; though in the 2008 election voted 'Republican'. The church I led there was largely reflective of the county in terms of political preferences. In the mid '90's you will recall that President Clinton was entangled in a moral and political mess over Monica Lewinsky by lying to Congress. During that time it was a very difficult subject to talk about publicly and even personally because of the political tensions. As I do now, I tried to center any political commentary around morals and ethics; so the subject was difficult to avoid... until one Sunday.

Roy and Peggy were in their 80's at the time and were very gentle and caring souls. They were faithful to the church and their Sunday School classes. 'Ole Roy', as I called him was always faithful to the Chuck Wagon (local diner) where we discussed cows, hay, rain and chances of rain and occasionally politics. In comparison to the geezers at the table, I was but a young pup... so I didn't say much. I never new until one Sunday where 'Ole Roy' stood politically.

The service had ended and Roy and Peggy had hung back from leaving in order to talk with me. Sister Peggy looked both ways and then whispered lightly and handed me a brown paper bag. She asked me to keep it secret and not open it till I got home. When I got home I opened the bag and there were a couple of VHS tapes on the Clinton administration and the Lewinsky scandal. You'd thought the way they were acting the brown bag had porn or crack in it... but I understood their intentions!

Regardless where you stand politically, I think we can all find agreement when it comes to moral issues. I find the 'brown paper bag' interesting. The issue is much deeper than political preferences. Think of your heart as a 'brown paper bag' for a moment. What are you hiding?  What are you trying to hide from the Holy Spirit? What role is shame currently playing in your faith and life? Critical to our spiritual and relational health is living life without having to have a 'brown paper bag'.

I have to laugh sometimes when I see a brown paper bag show up at church. I think of Ole Roy and Peggy, but I also think of how I need to live out a transparent life...

In Christ!

Metal Shavings

   It was in the fall of 1979. I had purchased a 1975 Chevy Blazer (4WD) with a 350, 4-barrel carb engine. Now at 17 you have this desire to trick the thing out with a potent 5M watt stereo system and some cool lights placed on the bumper for when you go mudding. It's at that point the story begins.
   I broke out my father's drill and 3/4" drill bit and went to work on the bumper to install the lights. I worked at it for over an hour getting the holes drilled. Feeling like a man's man with power tools in my hand, laying on the ground with the drill above me, grime, muck, dirt, ball cap tilted a little sideways, no safety glasses on, while flexing my then 145lb. frame... unaware that as I was drilling, tiny pieces of metal shavings were collecting on my face and into my eyes.
   I clearly realize now that I broke 4 of the 5 LANL safety initiatives, the most egregious being that I am admitting to it... but we all need a little grace to go around. Right? Right?!
   About three hours later I began to experience an odd burning in my eyes. I looked into the mirror through the watery image in front of me wondering what had happened. Praise God for moms, because when I asked her she told me to get to the eye doctor immediately. In one of those rare moments when you actually do what your parents suggest, I got into the car with her and went. The doctor examined my eyes and found metal shavings in both. His assistant cleaned them out, mom paid for the doctor visit and off we went back home. Lesson learned... kind of...
  Today, I'm very glad the ophthamologist I went to had good eyesight himself. Because see if the physician himself had metal shavings in his own eye the size of a steel girder, how could he ever take the metal shavings out of my own? Isn't that the point of what Jesus was saying about having a critical eye? As we go through life, I do believe it's vital to keep an eye on our own stuff before we attempt to even think of performing acute examinations on everyone else's stuff. (And yes, that's me in the picture above whose hair is as orange as the paint job... don't start hating on me because there's less of it and a differing color now...)
  I'm very thankful for the doctor who kept his eyesight in order. I'm thankful for my mother's direction and her payment to the doctor on my behalf. I'm thankful for the Great Physician whose holiness is beyond compare. I'm thankful for His Son's payment for my misdeeds. I'm thankful He is helping me get the steel girder out of my own eye. I'm thankful for the in[sight] He's provided me for living out my life...  In Christ!

The Dirty Wedding Dress

Last October I had the privilege of going back to Oklahoma to marry the daughter of some very close friends. I had told her that if she ever got married, I would agree to do her wedding. I had baptized Crystal when she was about ten years old; so this was another very special occasion in her life in which I got to share. Everything really went well... except I noticed one simple flaw during the ceremony...

During the lighting of the unity candle, the train of Crystal's wedding dress was flipped over on one corner and there, underneath the train was what looked like a child's tennis shoe print. It was at that point I thought to myself during the song... "Wow, that's like the church (bride of Christ)! Why is my focus on that right now amidst all the beauty and ceremony of this sacred event?"  I think that is a most relevant question today in the church.

Why the focus on the dirty wedding dress? I could have paused the ceremony and brought attention to the obvious infraction. I could have made that a point of offense. I could have questioned her privately. I could have gotten onto the bridesmaid (who wasn't wearing tennis shoes...)  I could have refused to serve out my function as the wedding official because there was a 'flaw'. I could have let that one thing ruin my relationship with Crystal, her new husband and his family, her family and friends. There are many things I could choose to do - all focusing on the dirty wedding dress.

The obvious choice in the matter was to look into the faces of this wonderful couple, who love the Lord, love each other and were making a commitment to live out their lives in blissful love... and to share the moments together. For all the footprints, flaws, broken dreams and promises, differing passions, tastes and passions; we have a choice - celebrate the bride of Christ, whom Jesus is the groom of, having given his life for - or denigrate the bride by focusing all of our attention on the perceived flaws, mistakes, misgivings, our hurt feelings, disappointments, unmet expectations...

In a way, I wish I had never seen that faint footprint on the train of Crystal's dress. But you know... that footprint in no way takes away from the glory of that momentous occasion we shared. In a way, I wish there were no stains on the dress of the bride of Christ - but there are. Only my choice is this - to celebrate the momentous celebration of worship of our Savior who has chosen us as His bride to love, to redeem, to have, to hold, to protect, to serve and to provide for... in good times and bad, adversity and prosperity, sickness and health... till death do us unite in His presence - forever.

I invite you today to join me in celebrating the joyous wedding engagement and fast approaching wedding by encouraging one another - especially as we see the day approaching of the groom's return and while we are at it, while the bride doesn't notice - lean down and wipe away that dirty foot print... let's not trample on the bride...

In Christ.

Bad Dog!!!

Maximus Decimas Maridius

  "Bad Dog!!! Shame!!! Guilt!!! Sin!!! Condemnation!!!" Those words are often heard around our house in reference to Maximus (family dog). I say them so much now, that he thinks they are terms of endearment; which causes him to roll over onto his back, wag his tale and wait for me to rub his stomach. But when I add a pointed finger, deepen my voice and change my countenance... he knows the difference. At that he rolls back over onto his feet and heads for the doggie door.
  Now before you start feeling sorry for Maximus - don't!  Do NOT allow that long wet nose, long ears and boyish charm fool you. He has eaten almost everything and anything in sight that he deems worth enough to hear those words come from my mouth - "Bad Dog!!!..." He even ate the cover to a copy of "A Call to Die"... Either he didn't like the book or someone coated it with bacon grease...
  It's all in the finger isn't it? It's those sharp words, pointed finger, angry countenance that melts our hearts and sends us into fight or flight mode.

  I've found that there are three types of what is clinically called BDS (Bad Dog Syndrome) we face each and every day.  There is the Squinted Eye Type where someone projects there own junk on you and you feel the unjust condemnation from them. This causes a tremendous amount of angst and eventually distance in that relationship. This is probably best illustrated in Job's friends accusing statements. Another Type is the Closed Eyes Type where something happens and you find yourself closing your eyes hoping it all ends soon but it doesn't. It's not yours or anyone else's stuff... it's just life coming against you. The problem gets more complicated when we begin looking for a cause and too often our old sinful nature helps us out by accusing us. Throw in an ounce of the Devil and a teaspoon of bad memories and you find yourself heading for the doggie door in search for refuge - alone and hurting.
  The final type is Red-Eye Type which is real. It's where we've done it and begun to face the consequence for our choices. This is where the Holy Spirit allows the Laws written on our hearts to stand in opposition to us and guilt covers us over. We weep, sleeplessness sets in, thoughts swirl, guilt rises until our eyes seep with bloody tears over our sin. It's here where I think God does some of His greatest work in and through us.
  Instead of rolling over to run for the doggie door from His presence, we remain there in that moment  - looking up, seeking His touch of forgiveness. He promises us "For I will not accuse you forever, and I will not always be angry; for the spirit would grow weak before Me, even the breath of man, which I have made." (Isaiah 57:16)
  Regardless of the type of BDS you are suffering from, we serve a Savior who took the world's junk on Himself on the cross. We can rest in that as he gives us that reassuring touch on our hearts. So take your stuff, get rid of your stuff, reject other's stuff projected on you... roll over and let the Lord rub your stomach and listen as He calls you by your name...

In Christ.

Greener Pastures

  I love when someone speaks Scripture over me as a blessing!  Recently, my good friend Kent, blessed me with the 23rd Psalm. At the conclusion of our conversation, I went on a majestic journey which involved, of all things - sheep, hundreds of sheep grazing in a high mountain valley meadow. 

  When I first encountered the sheep I came across the 'shepherds' in their tent asleep and the sheep scattered all across the fields. I thought to myself... "what do these shepherds do anyway, how hard could that be? - on some days I wouldn't mind doing that kind of work..." I drove about two-hundred yards and the thought went through my mind "hey, hold on, that is what I do for a living!"  While I didn't turn around to go back and ask forgiveness for my prideful contempt, I did give that some thought as I drove through these hundreds of sheep grazing. 

  Let's see... those shepherds have to really train and take care of the sheep dogs on guard.  The shepherds inoculate the sheep against disease.  They tolerate and attempt to guide those few 'black sheep' in the flock.  They shoot the wolves with their .357 Rossi Ranch Hand and on some days probably just assume their bullet stray hitting one of the... (no we can't go there). But one of the greatest things they do is to lead their sheep to green pastures for grazing. However, one thing the shepherd cannot do for the sheep is to make it eat. Regardless of its age, sex or wool color... the sheep must eat and drink on its own. The shepherd can only do His part in guiding and protecting the sheep.  The sheep can become sick all on their own by not eating or drinking or allowing itself to unknowingly graze into a dangerous position. That's the dilemma of the shepherd isn't it? Hmmm... so when someone say's "I'm not being fed", hey, that's a personal admission not an indictment on the shepherd, the other sheep, or the owners of the sheep... they own THAT!

  Now, I wish I had gotten out and laid down in that grassy valley because see, even the as a spiritual shepherd over a flock of spiritual sheep (but what seems at times like cats), I myself, more often now days, sense a need for those same green pastures. It's there as I wait, graze, rest and reflect on Christ Jesus my Shepherd... I lose my sense of dread over walking through the valley of the shadow of unanswered email, calls to be made, meetings to plan and attend and deadlines to meet for the weekend services... It's there I find renewal and a cool drink of water from the still waters from the River of Life. As my Shepherd comes close, with hesitation, I lower my head anticipating His loving words in my ear to comfort me... Fear flees, as I walk beside Him down the paths behind Him and at other times beside Him. His loving faithfulness simultaneously guides and follows me all the way home. As my day draws to an end, I rest in His house, forever changed, forever lifted up, forever secure, forever in His Presence. 

  If you have a word for another sheep today, speak it, tell it, email it, text it, voice it... it can make their day and and bring the greatest joy to them in their valley. If you need a word spoken over you, consider the 23rd Psalm... it's a Psalm most read at the graveside but really it's a Psalm for the sheep who are alive...

In Christ!

Pastor Paul