Month: June 2021

As I’ve mentioned before, my physical exercise these days consists of struggling to get from one room to another on my walker. It is enough exertion to increase my heart rate and have me panting for a minute or two, but doesn’t seem to be enough to burn off all of the calories I consume; even eating just two meals a day. I’ve come a long way from that skinny kid trying to bulk up by lifting weights my freshman year of high school. Fortunately, I read somewhere that the best exercise to strengthen heart muscles is by lifting someone else’s spirit. Now that is an exercise I can still do and I love to work out in that way. It is also a very important part of living a healthy Christian life.

For several years now, I’ve had caregivers come to my home on weekdays to help me with chores I can no longer do. They are paid by the VA and by the State through Catholic Charities. I am blessed by the fact that their efforts allow me to stay comfortably in my own home. Many of them have been Christians, with whom I can openly share my blog and my spiritual journey. Others have been non-believers with a heart for serving others. I have lovingly exposed them to my Christian life and planted a few seeds of faith that I hope will take root. In either case, I have made a conscious effort to make them feel better when they leave my home than when they arrive. I do this by maintaining a pleasant, caring atmosphere and by showing them my sincere appreciation for everything they do for me. As a result, I am still in close contact with some of them who no longer work for the agency. In a real sense, I feel I am also a care giver because I do care about each of them.

This is nothing new for me. Since I have been walking the Christian journey, I have tried to encourage and lift the spirit of everyone I meet, even total strangers. Dale Carnegie has said, “You may forget the kind words you have spoken, but they may be remembered by the recipient for the rest of their life.” As Christians, I believe there are people who remember their brief encounter with us with fondness, even though they don’t even know our name.

The most rewarding spirit lifting occurs when we interact with Christian friends or family members. The men I meet on Saturday morning for breakfast have all expressed that they feel much better after being together and so do I. There are also wonderful Christian women who God has placed in my life. We will make a quick call to each other “just to see how things are going” and an hour and a half later we are still sharing. No matter what either of us is going through before the call, we always find something to laugh about together and I always feel much better when we finally say goodbye and I know they feel the same. That is what true Christian fellowship is all about; lifting each other up with encouragement and prayer. That is what it looks like when we follow Jesus’ teaching to love God with all that is in us and then love our neighbors. Care giving is a means of sharing our love and we will always get back more than we give.

Some people think being reborn spiritually, as Jesus described it to Nicodemus in the third chapter of John’s gospel, is simply what allows us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven when we die. While that is very true, there is a whole lot more than that involved with God’s mercy and grace. That rebirth is the beginning of a new life and a very special journey here on earth. I have been on that journey for 67 years now and it isn’t over yet.

Has my journey always been on Easy Street; with level terrain and pleasant scenery? Of course not! I have had mountain top experiences, but not without a grueling climb first. There have been obstacles and pot holes along the way and some brief detours. There have even been some storms and dark valleys to pass through. But my Lord has been with me every inch of the way. He guards my steps and keeps me safe through it all. My journey is physical, mental and spiritual. As my physical body becomes older and weaker, I lean on Him as I make my way from room to room on my walker and as a result I also lean more on Him mentally and spiritually. My mind and spirit actually are becoming stronger. God has prepared me and equipped me for this journey and given me missions to accomplish in His name along the way. He closes doors that distract me and opens doors for me that no man can close.

God doesn’t prevent us from passing through some very rough and dangerous territory, but like Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6:16-23) and the three young Hebrew men in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19-27), He goes through them with us and brings us out unharmed on the other side. He understands whatever we go through because His journey took him up that hill called Golgotha to painfully die on a cross for us. I want to be honest about the Christian journey so I know I’ve made it seem kind of scary so far, but let me share with you the joy that I’ve experienced no matter where my journey has taken me. I recently read a quote by Greg Anderson. “Focus on the journey not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” Our destination is glorious to be sure, but there is so much joy in serving God; responding to His promptings; and working toward completing the mission He has given us.

Every Christian has a unique journey, but each of them brings glory and honor to God and involves sharing the love, mercy and grace we have received from God with those around us. There is no competition or comparing of journeys, because each one is a tile that fits perfectly together to form God’s great mosaic – the big picture – His family portrait of all of His children busy serving Him.  

My Christian brother or sister, as you read this I want you to look back on how far you have come on your journey since you began your new life; joyfully continue on today’s leg of your journey; and then look ahead with great anticipation to travelling with Him the rest of the way.

“When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened.” I’ve seen that quote attributed to several famous people, but whoever said it first, it is so true. When God answers our prayer, He often closes one door and opens another. If we concentrate too much on the closed door, it is obvious God is protecting us from whatever is drawing us inside that door. An open door is an invitation, but we need to be sure it is God who is inviting us to enter. They say opportunity knocks on our door, but so does temptation. How can we be confident about how to proceed? Do we open the door every time we hear a knock? Do we walk through every door that opens for us? Do we try to pry open the closed doors we encounter? Where do we find the direction we need?

I’ve written before about the famous painting of Jesus standing at the door and knocking. It represents the most important knock on our heart’s door described by Jesus in Revelation 3:20. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” The door in the painting has no handle or knob on the outside. We must open the door of our heart and let Jesus in. Once we have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His spirit remains in our heart to give us the direction we need.

The closer we pay attention to God’s Spirit within us, the clearer we see what needs to be done and how God is making it possible for us by opening doors and placing people and provisions in our path to help us. I cannot count the number of times I look up and say, “I know that was you, Lord. Thank you!”

One of those times happened very recently when I received an email announcing the 60^th anniversary reunion of my high school class graduation. I replied that I would love to be there but my physical limitations will not allow me to travel. In that reply, I mentioned my blog. My former classmate responded about a book she has written about her spiritual journey. That began a very fulfilling exchange of experiences. She sent me a copy of her book; then she read and subscribed to my blog and shared it with others. I immediately read her book, The Sand Dollar Cross. I am sharing it with others and I highly recommend it as a personal account of God’s calling and what happens when we accept His mission. What are the odds that two classmates who were never friends in school would find so much in common sixty years later? Only God can arrange such a meeting and I thank Him for it.   

God not only opens doors of opportunity for us, but He provides us with the direction and help we need to be successful so we can give Him all of the praise and credit. Each of us has a journey that is as unique as we are, but every one of them is powerful when shared with others. People can disagree with your “belief”, but they cannot argue with your experience.

For hundreds of years people traveled in vehicles that automatically avoided collisions. If a person was too tired to drive, they could simply say, “Let’s go home” and their vehicle would take them safely home while they slept. Then, in the name of progress, we replaced horses with combustion engines and travel became much more dangerous.

Whenever I think about the part good works play in the Christian life, I can almost hear my grandmother saying, “Don’t put the cart before the horse.” Here’s a brief explanation for those who’ve never seen a horse-drawn vehicle. In order for the cart to move, the horse must be hooked up in front pulling it. If the horse is tied to the back of the cart, it is going nowhere. St. Augustine wrote about good works, “Grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.”  We can’t earn mercy and grace with good works, but when we accept mercy and grace as a gift from God, good works will be a result.

Imagine with me for a moment that our life is the cart; the Holy Spirit within us is the horse (our source of power) and the forward movement of the cart represents our love and good works. Before we experience spiritual rebirth and receive the Holy Spirit within us, the only way our life can move forward is when we strain to push it slowly forward ourselves. We may think we are making progress, doing good works and earning God’s approval as a result, but that is not God’s plan for us. The scariest words in the Bible are directed at those who thought they could earn eternal life through their own efforts and good works. “I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” (Matthew 7:23) No, we must have the power of the Holy Spirit within us first in order to do good works that are pleasing to God. He must know us as His own.

Sadly, some people who profess faith still don’t have things in the right order. James writes, “How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” and “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” (James 2:20&26) Those people either have not received new birth and the Holy Spirit, or they have tried to tie Him to the back of their cart and their cart is not moving.

The Holy Spirit is our guide to keep us on the road God wants us to travel. He can’t do that unless we hitch our cart to Him and let Him power and direct our life. He knows the way to our eternal home even when we are too tired to get there on our own. Let’s keep the horse before our cart and move forward confidently; loving and doing good works for those we encounter along the way.

There may be better analogies of our Christian life, but this one reminds me of my loving Christian grandmother, so I’ll stick with it.

One of my favorite quotes from Theodore Roosevelt is, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” That statement has deep meaning when applied to our Christian life and testimony.

Between the ages of 14 and 18, I thought I knew everything that was worth knowing and I was not hesitant to share my knowledge with anyone who would listen. I could quote the great people of that time as well as philosophers and wise men and women of the past. Fortunately, when I began to date Carol, that older woman (by 13 months) with a Mona Lisa smile, and shared all of my knowledge with her, she listened quietly and saw that beyond all of it was the love and caring Spirit from God, which she shared. Some people say “opposites attract”. While it was true Carol was shy and I was bold, we were not opposites. We simply had different strengths and together we were stronger than we could ever have been on our own.  By the time she died six years ago, ten months after our 50^th wedding anniversary, the list of things I don’t know had grown long. It continues to grow each day, but God’s love and caring Spirit within me has grown stronger and I’ve developed lasting relationships as a result. People do need to know that you care.

In order to live the Christian life to its fullest, we need to know God’s word; not just from memory, but understand its application for us. The more we study, not just read, God’s word the Holy Spirit will show us how it applies to us and prompt us to put it into action in our life. The miracle of scripture is that you and I will find exactly what we each need. But there are universal applications that apply to all Christians and the most important of all is to love God with everything we have and love others around us, even those who aren’t lovable. After all, God loved us before we were lovable.   

Caring is simply love in action. At this stage of my life I’m not looking for romantic love, I’ve had that experience, but there is a very long list of men and women I love and care about deeply and I make sure they all know it. I think that is why they actually care about the things I do know and write about in my blog.

Do your friends and family members care how much you know, because they know how much you care?

I recently saw a list of evangelists and mega church preachers along with their net worth. Billy Graham was listed at $25 million at the time of his death. The article was obviously aimed at smearing them for getting rich from the donations to their church or association. Billy Graham was my childhood inspiration and I was a little surprised by that figure. When the Billy Graham Evangelical Association was formed in 1950 Billy was drawing a salary of $15,000 per year. An article in a Texas publication listed his annual salary in 1973 at $39,000, but mentioned that he gave away $600,000 that same year. I’m sure that was possible because of royalties from book sales (not donations). Billy wrote 33 books and his wife Ruth wrote at least five best sellers. The home, in North Carolina, where Billy and Ruth Graham raised their children and resided until their death, has four bedrooms and two baths; hardly an extravagant lifestyle. Billy Graham is a child of God who literally led millions of others to faith in Jesus Christ. His net worth in heaven is beyond measure compared to whatever he left behind down here.   Net worth can be deceiving. Thomas Edison once said, “Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.” By that criteria, how can you and I measure our true net worth?

We certainly can’t rely on society’s rating system using our possessions, influence and usefulness. Society is like a store display case with all of the price tags switched. Those things that are fleeting are highly valued and those things of lasting importance are discounted. People like me, who are retired and/or disabled and unable to work and pay tax, are devalued as a negative drag on society. Society also devalues unborn babies as expendable inconveniences requiring burdensome responsibility and expense; who can be discarded through abortion. No, true net worth won’t ever be found there.

How about our own assessment of our net worth? Paul warns, “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” (Romans 12:3) When we look at ourselves in a mirror, our image and worth are clouded and even distorted by our over-confidence or insecurity; our victories or loses; our current joy or pain. No, we will always value ourselves either too high or too low. So how can we determine our true net worth?

Paul points to the answer at the end of the verse I quoted and Jesus teaches us, “Yes, a person is foolish to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Luke 12:21) True net worth begins with our relationship with God. What does God think we are worth? The simple answer to that question is found in the familiar words of John 3:16. We are so valuable to God that He sent His Son to die on a cross, paying the price of our sins and giving us the gift of eternal life. All we have to do is accept and open that gift with a repentant and grateful heart. Is it possible to increase our net worth in God’s sight? God values our love, worship and obedience. When we obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit within us to love, encourage and help others around us, our net worth will grow accordingly.

I’ve been writing this blog twice a week for nearly four and a half years now. My objective from the beginning has been to show a true view of the Christian life. There are a lot of false stereotypes of Christians, so much so that some Christians refer to themselves as Believers instead. I fell into that trap for a short time, but I have gone back to being a Christian because I am proud of the One in whom I believe. I have spent most of my adult life fighting against stereotypes. As I have written before, ALL stereotypes are false. No two people are alike, much less an entire group of people. Stereotypes are built on opinion (usually the opinion of others) and not on reality. Whether the stereotyped group is religious, racial, political or something else, get to know ten people from that group and you will see the stereotype doesn’t fit all of them much less that entire group. The reason I say ten is that if you only get to know one of them you might think that person is just an exception to the rule, but all of the others (that you don’t know) still fit the stereotype.

Before looking at Christian stereotypes, I want to point out that not all people who claim to be Christians are spiritually born again. They think that attending church regularly or even joining a church qualifies them to take on the title of Christian. Those people are usually the ones who are used to prove the stereotypes. A friend shared a very negative post on Face Book about evangelical Christians. I respectfully commented that I have been an evangelical Christian for 67 years and my experience doesn’t match that definition. He knows me personally, so I think I am still the “exception to the rule” in his mind.

Many stereotypes of Christians have to do with a judgmental attitude toward sin and sinful lifestyles, equating it with hatred of the sinners. Jesus loves sinners, including us when we were still in sin, but He never condones sin. That is the true attitude of born again followers of Jesus. Jesus is quoted several times in scripture telling someone to “Go and sin no more!” The idea that you must accept their sinful lifestyle in order to love someone is patently untrue.

Another stereotype of Christians is that we want to force other people to believe as we do. Every born again Christian knows that it is a personal relationship with God and a decision that must be made by the individual. God has given us free will and no one can be forced to accept God’s gift of salvation. We share our faith and our story with others praying that they will make the right decision, but we can’t twist their arm or force them to believe.

Yet another Christian stereotype is that Christians are elitists who think their religion is the only way to heaven. Is it possible to be a humble elitist? Every born again Christian I know is very humble. We know that it is not our works or words that will get us to heaven, but God’s mercy and grace make the way for us. We follow Jesus because He is the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6) Jesus is who He claims to be and it is humble faith in Him that will get us to heaven one day not religion.    

Never let a bad experience with one or two people create a stereotype in your mind. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Don’t lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean. If a few drops are dirty, it doesn’t mean the ocean is dirty.”

I just heard this song for the first time, but I know it won’t be the last and I want to share the words with you. “If anyone ever felt as though his sin was deeper than grace would go, I have! If anyone ever thought his prayer was a waste of time, cause no one cares, I have! If anyone believes that he’s gone too far, then my friend I have been right where you are. You’re not alone. No, you’re not alone. I have good news to share with you; what you’re feeling now is far from true. So keep hanging on; cause if there is one who loves beyond the sad mistakes that we’ve all done, He does! If there’s a soul who understands and longs to heal the hurts we have, He does! Jesus does! He walked the road to Calvary. He suffered pain and agony, because He knew there’d come a day when you would need to call His name. If there is one who wants to be the one and only friend you need, He does! If anyone has a right to say thank you, Lord, for another day, I do! If anyone has a reason to sing a song when gray skies hide the blue, that’s me! If anyone can stand and testify you can count on me and I’ll tell you why; He set me free! Oh yes He set me free! When the guilt and shame from my own sin sought to rob me of the joy He gives, He reminded me! Cause if there’s one who loves beyond the sad mistakes that we’ve all done, He does! If there is a soul who understands and longs to heal the hurts we have, He does! Jesus does!”

That song describes my relationship with Jesus so well that it’s as if the writer has been reading my mail my entire life. Although everyone’s story is different, there are some things we have in common as we begin a new life as a child of God. We all experience that helpless, hopeless feeling in the pit in which our sins and mistakes have left us and we all doubt that anything or anyone can help us out of our situation. Then we encounter Jesus and He does what no one else can. He releases us from our guilt; the charges are dropped and we are set free. Gratitude and joy replace our guilt and shame. We are truly born again. Without that beginning there is no Christian life to live. We must always remember the miracle of new birth that began it all for us, as we live that life with Him.

I want to leave you with the words of another song. “I stood in the courtroom the judge turned my way. ‘It looks like you’re guilty now what do you say?’ I spoke up, ‘Your honor I have no defense.’ But that was when mercy walked in. Mercy walked in and pleaded my case; called to the stand God’s saving grace. The blood was presented that covered my sin; forgiven when mercy walked in. I stood there and wondered, ‘How could this be that someone so guilty had just been set free?’ My chains were broken; I felt born again the moment that mercy walked in.”   

Do you have a nickname? If not, you may have a nickname you call a friend or family member. In my introduction about this blog I explain that to everyone except the government and my mother when I was in trouble, I am Jim. Mine is a common nickname. Some of my friends answer to it too, so when we call each other we identify ourselves as “the other Jim”.  Some within the tight circle of Jesus’ twelve disciples also had nicknames. The sons of Zebedee, James and John, were nicknamed the Sons of Thunder. Jesus gave Andrew’s brother, Simon, the nickname of Peter (Greek for rock) making him the original Rocky. The disciple I’m writing about today was nicknamed the Twin.

Interestingly, that nickname for Thomas is mentioned several times in the Gospel of John, but it is not mentioned by Matthew, Mark or Luke when they list Thomas as one of the twelve. It may have been a nickname only that Son of Thunder gave him. At any rate, I suspect John was close friends with Thomas because he specifically quotes him in his Gospel account. The first time is when the disciples were warning Jesus about the danger of going to raise Lazarus, where the Jewish leaders were plotting to kill him. Thomas boldly stated, “Let’s go too – and die with Jesus.” (John 11:16) Later, when Jesus was preparing the twelve for his leaving them, Thomas questioned, “No, we don’t know, Lord. We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

Here is the most familiar passage of scripture about Thomas. “One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin) was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.’ Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’ ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.’”  (John 20:24-29)

Those of us reading John’s Gospel have given Thomas a new nickname. The Twin has become Doubting Thomas. He is forever identified by his skepticism. It has been said that if Thomas lived in the United States today, he would most certainly be from Missouri; the “show me” state. I have mentioned before that Thomas’ doubts prompted Jesus to bless you and me, because we believe in His resurrection without yet seeing Him. Through His Holy Spirit within us God will instantly turn our doubt into belief; all we have to do is pay close attention.