The Old Man in the Back of the Sanctuary

After more than 74 years in this world I am still learning how to live in it and not of it. It is all about my relationships with and reactions to those around me. Scripture is very clear about our loving relationships with other Christians, but we must also deal with people every day who don’t have the love of Jesus Christ in their hearts. Paul writes “Live wisely among those who are not believers and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6) Jude tells us, “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God.” (Titus 2:11-12)

The common thread in those two scriptures is wisdom. Wisdom is more than accumulating facts and knowledge. One of my favorite examples of the difference is: “Knowledge is when you know that a tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable. Wisdom is not putting one in your fruit salad.” Solomon knew that true wisdom only comes from God and he asked God to grant it to him. As Christian believers, we are so blessed to have the wisdom of God in us in the form of His Holy Spirit. All we have to do is pay close attention to His instruction.

There is good and evil in this world in which we live. Wisdom allows us to identify each and then react accordingly. How will we be affected by our environment and circumstances here on earth? The same boiling water that softens the potato also hardens the egg. It is what we are made of, our character that determines how we will be affected by our surroundings. As we grow in the Christian faith, our character becomes more and more like that of Christ.

In this world we are encouraged and strengthened by the love and fellowship of other Christians. We are called to interact with those who are seeking and draw them to God by our example and our testimony. We will also encounter evil in this world and that is when our “fight or flight” instincts kick in. The word of God and His Holy Spirit equip us to fight against evil, but there are times when evil temptations try to grip us and we must flee like Joseph fleeing Potiphar’s wife. In the words of that Kenny Rogers song, we must “know when to walk away and know when to run”. There have been times in my life when I have fled from evil and times when I have stood my ground and fought evil. In both cases the Holy Spirit has given me the wisdom to know what to do and the strength to do it.

The good news is this world is not our final destination. We are only passing through.

 

 

Looking around today at our cold, secular society it is hard to believe that just sixty years ago faith in Jesus Christ was considered mainstream and respected. In 1957, when I was 14, there was a great revival with the power of the Holy Spirit spreading like a wildfire throughout our nation. That year the number one song on both the pop and country music stations was, “The Three Bells” by the Browns. Here is the YouTube link to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkbj56bnYs  as you listen to the words, try to imagine that song receiving one play on a pop or even a country station today. That song has emotional meaning for me not just because of my first name, but because I was 20 when I married my love and now only the third bell lies ahead for me. (That last bell tolled for Jim Ed Brown last year.) Our society has come a long way since 1957, but in the wrong direction.

Don’t get me wrong, our society was far from perfect back then. The enemy was stirring up racial hatred and fear in an effort to divide and segregate us. But the revival of faith strongly challenged that evil. Don’t let anyone tell you that the civil rights movement was political or secular and limited to the black community. That movement came about as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men and women of all races. I know because my heart was one of those affected.

I want to share with you two of my personal experiences from that era of racial unrest. The first was in the fall of 1961. I was in training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. One Friday evening I was in downtown Biloxi and saw the lights of a football stadium in the distance. I walked toward those lights and began to hear the cheering crowd of what appeared to be a high school football game. An older black gentleman asked me if I was from the base and when I said that I was he told me I was in the wrong part of town and I should get back to the base for my own safety. He said, “You have nothing to fear from us, but if the police catch you in this part of town you’ll be in big trouble.” I still remember that gentleman fondly as my guardian angel.

The second experience took place seven months later and nearly eight thousand miles from Biloxi, when I began my tour of duty on Okinawa. I was assigned as analyst on the second shift working with the current analyst who was due to rotate back to the States in a few weeks. Ernest Lawrence, Jr. was a young black airman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He seemed surprised when I pulled my chair up close to him and paid attention to everything he shared with me about the job. Sometimes things got slow on the night shift so we would drink coffee and share our personal experiences. As a result, we became good friends. On more than one occasion we would continue our conversation in the mess hall while grabbing some breakfast before retiring. At times I received vile comments and even threats for simply sitting with Ernie and talking with him, but they were people whose opinion meant nothing to me and they were too cowardly to make good on the threats. Schools were being integrated and Ernie’s dream was to attend LSU. We lost track of each other but I sometimes wonder if Ernie ever made it to LSU. He was bright and articulate so if he did I know he was successful.

Now for the good news: another great revival is coming to our nation as God works in the hearts of men and women. I can feel it and it is just as powerful as it was back then. It will break through the walls of our churches with the power of the Holy Spirit and overflow into every aspect of our society. I may not live to see it come to full fruition, but you young believers have the glorious opportunity to take part in it and see the power of the Holy Spirit heal our nation’s wounds once again.

When I was a boy I used to hear the phrase “God only knows” a lot. It was used whenever someone did not know the answer to a question but did not want to appear dumb so they passed that hot potato to God. I believe the origin of that phrase might be found in the 37^th chapter of Ezekiel, where God showed Ezekiel a valley filled with separated and dry bones scattered all around then asked him, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” In his youth, Ezekiel might have answered, “Of course not, Lord.” But after having seen God’s power in action he knew that anything is possible if God wills it, so his honest answer was, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know the answer to that.” God then answered His own question by showing Ezekiel how to call those bones back together and back to life. They were again covered with flesh and skin forming a large army of living people.

God knows all; past, present and future. When He asks us a question He isn’t looking for information. He is focusing our attention so we can learn and understand some of that which He knows. We simply need to admit, like Ezekiel, that we don’t have the answer and then pay close attention to our Father’s explanation like the eager and obedient children that we are.

In this world of relativity and situational ethics, the enemy would love to convince us there are no absolute answers; either all answers are equally valid or no one really has the answer. That is what happens when we rely entirely on human wisdom and knowledge. As Christian believers we have access to the source of all knowledge and it isn’t Google. God is the source of the entire universe and He knows the absolute truths on which we can rely with complete confidence. Just as God has established the physical laws of nature that are scientifically proven to be universal and absolute, He has established spiritual laws that are also universal and absolute. Jesus did not say that he is one of the many ways to God. He said, “I am the way. the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) There is no “wiggle room” in that statement. It is absolute and leaves no alternative or doubt. Either Jesus was a delusional man or He is who He claims to be; the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world through His death and resurrection. There is no indication whatsoever of a single delusional tendency, but the miracles Jesus performed validate His claim.

How can anyone reject the Gospel of love, mercy, grace and eternal life? God only knows.

 

 

When we study and memorize God’s word without a teacher to provide understanding we cannot fully digest its meaning or its relevance in our life.  I have been told from my youth that “experience is the best teacher”.  It is true that with experience as my teacher the lessons I learn are unforgettable, but they are usually the most painful.  Experience is mostly trial and error and that doesn’t really give us understanding.  Pete Seeger put it this way, “Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.” There must be a gentler teacher than experience.

There is!  I John 2:27 reminds us, “But you have received the Holy Spirit and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know and what he teaches is true – it is not a lie.  So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” I love the drawing that shows Linus from the Peanuts cartoon holding a Bible and saying, “There is no better teacher than the Holy Spirit and no better text than God’s word.”    It isn’t enough to memorize the 23^rd Psalm; we must get to know the Shepherd personally.  Our personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit will open up the scriptures to our understanding and much, much more.

Warning!  With understanding comes added responsibility.  Once we know God’s will we must act on it.  “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (James 4:17)  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit not only provides understanding but gives us the desire and the strength to act on what we have learned. (See Philippians 2:13)

Some of you may have seen a video that went viral on Face Book last year with more than 22 million views.   It is a woman sitting in her car with tears streaming down her cheeks telling about her encounter with the Holy Spirit.  She stopped at the super market to pick up a few things for work and saw a homeless man on a bench trying to keep warm.  As she entered the door she heard God’s still small voice within her say, “He likes bananas.” So she bought some bananas, found some high protein foods to go in his backpack for later then headed to the deli to buy him some fried chicken, but God told her no chicken just food for later. She pleaded that he really needs something hot to eat but the Holy Spirit told her “I didn’t tell you to buy chicken.”  So she followed His promptings, checked out and handed him a bag containing her purchases for his backpack.  As he thanked her a woman behind her said, “This must be your lucky day. I bought you some fried chicken.”

As Christmas approaches we find it easy to tell others that God sent His son into the world.  John 3:16 helps us explain Jesus’ mission to provide eternal life to all who believe by dying in our place and then rising from the tomb.  But have you ever had trouble explaining to others the working of the Holy Spirit within you?  All we really need to do is listen for and follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit; become the answer to someone’s prayer by providing exactly what they need and then share that personal experience. There is no better way to understand and explain how the Holy Spirit teaches, guides and prompts us to action.

We have just celebrated a day of Thanksgiving in our nation. Giving thanks is scriptural and should come naturally for us as obedient children of God, for we know whom we need to thank for every good thing in our life. The Psalms are filled with gratitude and praise to God for His unfailing love, mercy, grace and for the majestic scope of His creation including us. Appreciation needs to be expressed. Feeling grateful to God or to another person and not expressing it to them is like wrapping a gift and never giving it.

My pastor has pointed out that Thanksgiving Day might be the most Christian holiday in the US. Our secular society has hijacked Easter with chocolate bunnies and colored eggs and hijacked Christmas with Santa, pine trees and commercialism. I read recently that a priest has stated that Christmas has lost its meaning as a Christian celebration and he suggests renaming the commemoration of Jesus’ birth to something with more spiritual meaning. I strongly resist that move as a form of spiritual retreat. We have already given up more than enough territory to the enemy.

Our secular society has assigned so many negative connotations to the term “Christian” that many now call themselves “Believer” instead. Until recently I was one of them, but I now believe it is time for us to proclaim God’s power in our life. Christian will again mean Christ-like if we unashamedly take on that title and then live it out in our life. (1 Peter 4:16) Christmas will again become a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ if that is the center of our holiday activities. Easter will again become a celebration at the entrance of an empty tomb if we make the miracle of spiritual rebirth the focus of that holiday instead of the rebirth of nature. Once we reclaim the celebrations of the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ and proudly bear His name, every day will be Thanksgiving Day.

This Thanksgiving Day I reviewed all of the things for which I am thankful. I found that I am most thankful for the Lamb’s Book of Life in which my name is written in the blood of my Savior. As I get older, I have become more aware of and thankful for those little miracles that occur in my life every day. Each painful step I take is guided and protected by my heavenly Father. Each relationship I have is a precious blessing to be cherished. Gratitude is the antidote for sadness, depression and discouragement. It is impossible for me to feel those things while counting and recounting my blessings.

I am personally thankful for you as you read this blog post. God bless you not just this holiday season, but every day of your life.

We humans are naturally curious beings.  A young child takes apart the toy to see what makes it work only to discover that it no longer works now that it is in pieces.  As adults our curiosity can produce more positive results.  Virtually every discovery or invention has been a result of someone’s curiosity.  However, even as adults curiosity can get us into trouble.  We have all heard the warning, “Curiosity killed the cat.”  The original version of that adage was, “Care (worry) killed the cat.” Now we are curious as to why that adage was revised and who did it, things that remain a mystery.

Reporters used to be taught to use the five W’s (who, what, when, where and why) to flesh out their stories.  It seems like the only question reporters ask these days is, “How will this story advance my career and personal agenda?”

Questions seem to come to our mind and cross our lips quite naturally.  Like Paul Harvey we are always in search of “the rest of the story”.  So is it any wonder that when we begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ we have a lot of questions for Him?  After all He took part in creating the universe; surely He has the answers to all of our questions.  He does.  But our finite minds may have trouble understanding His infinite answers.

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night for some answers. (John 3:1-21) Like many of us he had problems wrapping his mind around what Jesus was telling him.  You can almost hear the frustration in Jesus’ voice as He said, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?  I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.  But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”  Even though he didn’t seem to fully grasp everything Jesus told him, Nicodemus put his faith in Him.  Later, he publicly defended Jesus (John 7:50-51) and after the crucifixion he showed his love for Jesus by bringing 75 pounds of expensive spices for Jesus’ burial. (John 19:39-40)

The disciples were constantly asking Jesus questions and then they would ask each other “What do you think He meant by that?”  They put their faith in Jesus even though they didn’t fully understand.  When He rose from the dead their minds were opened and then they knew exactly what He meant.  Isn’t that what we must do?  Put our faith in Jesus in spite of our inability to understand until that time when His answers make perfect sense to us.

Bringing our questions to Jesus is a good thing.  I think the problem is that we often ask the wrong questions.  We are so concerned with why something has happened or is happening when we should be asking, “What do I need to do in response?” or “How can I use this for good in my life?” Jesus will give us clear answers to those questions and then bless our obedience.

 

I had to replace my lost driver’s license this week. The nearest DMV to my home is in the courthouse of a neighboring city. It was a very short drive but I found that the nearest handicap parking spot was still almost a block from the door and the building sits uphill from the parking lot. It was a fearful sight, but I whispered the same brief prayer I always pray when I prepare to stand and walk anywhere, “Lord, walk with me and help me make it.” Then I began the climb one painful step at a time. As always He answered my prayer and I found some chairs just inside the door as I collapsed in one of them to rest my legs and catch my breath. Then I walked down the long hallway to the DMV. The workers there were very accommodating providing a chair while I gave them my information. When they found out I am a veteran they even waived the fee for the duplicate license. I then retraced my steps to the chair by the door and a few minutes later began the trek back down to the car one painful step at a time.

I’m sharing this experience with you because it reminded me that my entire life has been one long marathon that I have accomplished thus far one (sometimes painful) step at a time. It gave me encouragement and confidence to know that I can still do the seemingly impossible as long as I concentrate on each step and not on the challenging situation. Life, especially life as a believer, requires endurance and patience. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” (Hebrew 10:36)

How do we gain the endurance we need? Paul writes, “We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials for we know that they help us develop endurance.” (Romans 5:3) James also writes, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

God never gives up on us. The key is for us not to give up on God or on ourselves. Josh Billings once wrote, “Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.” If we stick to the love of God through Jesus Christ, it will take us safely to our eternal destination one weary step at a time.

I have received three traffic tickets over the many years I have been driving (along with a few warnings). The tickets were for three different violations but they all had something in common.  The first one happened when I was sitting at a red light in the right lane with my right turn signal on. The driver behind me began blowing his horn at me so I looked to make sure no one was coming and pulled around the corner with his car following very closely behind. A police car came out of nowhere and pulled both of us over. The officer told me that I was just fine until I pulled around the corner in spite of that “no right turn on red” sign. The second ticket took place when I was in the left turn lane. The light was green and the car in front of me had pulled into the intersection waiting for oncoming traffic to clear so he could complete his left turn. He began his turn so I pulled up to take his place, but then he suddenly stopped to allow a speeding car to fly through the intersection as the light turned red. He completed his turn leaving me in the middle of the intersection with a red light. I made my turn as a police car hit his light behind me and gave me a ticket for running a red light.  The third ticket was for speeding on an interstate highway when I was concentrating on traffic without keeping an eye on my speedometer. The common factor of these tickets is that in each case I paid more attention to the actions of other people than to what I should have been doing myself. I reacted to someone’s complaint; I assumed what someone else was going to do and I fell into the “everyone else is doing it” trap. If we aren’t careful, being influenced by others can not only cause us to break man’s law, but it can cause us to break God’s law as well.

God warns us, ““Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” (Exodus 23:2) But even in the mundane act of driving in traffic we are tempted to forget that warning and join the crowd. For the sake of our own safety and the safety of others, we do need to be aware of what drivers and pedestrians are doing, while following traffic laws (doing what is right) ourselves.

God created each of us uniquely with our individual DNA, our personal reaction to our environment and the free will to do right or wrong. As a result any comparison with other people is always false and misleading. Reacting to someone else’s words and actions by following their lead can get us into deep trouble sometimes. God, on the other hand, is without fault and is the same yesterday; today and forever so following His lead through His word and the prompting of the Holy Spirit will always guide us to do what is right. We are in the world but we are not called to be of the world.

Please don’t misunderstand. Our relationships with other people are an important part of life. We just need to put our relationships in the right order.  Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) When we concentrate first on how much God loves us and on our love for Him, then we can love others without allowing them to lead us astray.

 

Everyone seems to be searching for proof of something. When pulled over by a policeman while driving we are asked for proof of identification and driving privilege, proof of ownership and proof of insurance. In court, prosecutors present proof of guilt while defense attorneys provide proof of innocence. When we hear any gossip or accusation our first response should be, “Where is the proof?” I lost my wallet recently and suddenly I had no way to prove my identity. I had no proof of my driving privilege, no card to present to my doctor to prove I have health insurance and no bank card to present for proof of my ability to pay for something. It opened my eyes to just how often we present proof without even realizing it.

Some things are harder to prove than others. It is much more difficult to prove a negative assertion than it is to prove a positive assertion. Next time someone asks you for proof that God exists, ask them for proof that He does not exist. Their response will be more difficult than yours because even if there were an absence of proof of His existence that would still not prove He doesn’t exist; it would only prove evidence could not be found. Of course in that instance there is plenty of proof available for us to present, if they are open to the truth.

When you profess to be a Christian believer have you ever had someone ask you to prove it? Even if you have never actually heard that dare, you can be sure someone is thinking it. So what proof can we present? John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” (Matthew 3:8) Jesus said, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35) Paul wrote, “We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us and by our sincere love.” (2 Corinthians 6:6) It has been said many times that the most effective sermons are not preached from a pulpit but lived. Our lives and our love should provide all of the proof that is needed that we are God’s children through Jesus Christ.

 

 

Proverbs 16:31 tells us, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.”   So why is hair dye such a huge industry?  Could it be that youth has become an idol being worshipped in our nation today?  Instead of honoring and embracing old age we do everything in our power to avoid or delay it.  Like Ponce de Leon, everyone seems to be searching for a fountain of youth. That search for youth has no age limit. I remember last year when the oldest woman in the U.S. turned 114. In spite of her birth records she swore she was only 105.  Distain for aging and the elderly has not always been so prevalent. There is an old English proverb, “The older the fiddle the sweeter the tune,” and poems compare people with fine wine getting better with age. In other parts of the world the elderly are still revered because they have so much experience and wisdom to share.

There are challenges that come with age. When someone says, “Age is just a number,” chances are pretty good that they haven’t turned 70. Those numbers begin taking a toll on even the healthiest bodies.  At 74, my mind and spirit have remained young and active but I find myself limited by this old body.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not complaining.  I could not even imagine the horror of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.  To be alive and have no memory of my life or those I love would cause unbearable confusion and torment.  I not only cherish my memories I love to share them with others.

My love of storytelling comes from my grandfather on my mother’s side of the family.  I have fond memories of sitting on the carpet at his feet as he shared stories of his life with one hand stroking his dog and a cigar in the other one. My parents’ eyes would roll as they listened to the same stories for the hundredth time, but there was always magic in each of them for me, even the familiar ones.  He was a retired electrical engineer and my favorite story was about the life sized Santa he built.  With the flick of a switch inside the front door the right hand with sleigh bells in it would wave, the head would slowly move and a recording would boom, “Ho. Ho. Ho. Merry Christmas!” My cousins and I used to listen for a car approaching on their country road and activate it as they drove by.  He told how one of his former coworkers drove by and then spread the word at work the next day, “George Musgrave has lost his mind. He was out on his front porch dressed like Santa and waving at everyone driving by.”  I laughed at that story but I also understood his sense of pride that his creation was so lifelike.

I love the stories God tells us in the Old Testament about His creation and His interaction with it; stories of good and evil, victory and defeat, joy and sadness, love and hate, obedience and disobedience.  In the Gospels we read the stories Jesus loved to tell to illustrate his Father’s love for us and His desire for our love, worship and obedience in return. The New Testament is filled with firsthand experiences shared by those who first believed including their wise warnings and encouragements.

We miss so much in our prayer life when we leave God’s presence too soon without listening to everything He wants to tell us.  Instead, let us sit at His feet and beg, “Father, tell me another story.”