Back Against the Wall

I have been teaching at church about the predictions in the Bible about the end times.
It has been very interesting and challenging.  God ultimately holds the fate of our times
and of civilization in His hands.  And He has given us indicators about how things will
go down and some markers for when.
I teach a literal understanding and interpretation of Scripture and this makes a difference in
what I believe about how things will wind down for civilization.
One of the incredible narratives contained in the Bible has to do with many nations gathering their military forces
to go against Israel for the purpose of annhilating her.
What purpose might God have for allowing such a series of events to take place against a nation that
He calls His Chosen people?
His purpose is to cause the people of Israel to repent (change their minds) of their unbelief and recognize their
Messiah-their true God and Savior.  He will one day cause their back to be up against an absolutely inpenetrable wall, and this will effect the recognition-and ultimately-worship of their true Messiah.

I have thought at many times in my ministry about why things are allowed which seem to be so inconvenient, hard-won, or seemingly counterproductive.  In ministry, why does God allow relatively simple things like car troubles and financial woes that make your time and effort more laborious, to occur?  In life and ministry, why does God allow circumstances and people to grind the best kind of progress to a halt? 
The answer is the same for these questions as it is for why Israel will one day find her back up against the wall.
God is interested in people acknowledging Him.  He wants people to realize that He wants a relationship with them and gave His Son to see that happen.  He wants to get Christians' attention so they'll stop following their own paths and follow Him.  He wants folks to come to see the ineffectiveness of traditional solutions and look up to Him and all that He offers.
It isn't accurate to say that God then is some kind of indiscriminate control freak who MUST have His way
and will wreak havoc in people's lives to get it.  The exact opposite is true.  God is allowing things to occur in our lives with the express purpose of rearranging our lives to be lived to the max.  The problem is that the "max" is defined differently with us than it is with God.
It is hard to navigate through difficulty.  But there IS a benefit and blessing to having my back against the wall.  I can emerge a more complete person if I let God have His way.
 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Rom. 5:3-5
pscott

Remembering Scott Courbron

I run in the path of your commands,

for you have set my heart free. 

Ps. 119:32

Scott Courbron was a pastor friend of mine who recently passed away.

He was one of those people who had a knack (genuine heart of Christ's love)

for relating to people who needed a friend in one way or another.

His funeral was filled with people to whom he had reached out and befriended

and who were filled with joy at the chance to relate how that effort had

brought them direction, help, and comfort.  It was a dramatic forum of faith.

My ministry experience had been cross-cultural and I have lived overseas.

In pastoral work, sometimes people who need your help aren't always able

to just receive advice or a financial helping-hand and move on.  They need consistent

guidance and encouragement because the life they have led before Change still wants very much to lead them. I was able to learn from Scott about how much a little bit of time spent (he spent lots) with those who are struggling can be so encouraging.

I became familiar with court appearances and jail; with some of the struggles with

which drug-addicted people have to contend.

Scott's heart had been set free as he followed Christ's commands for life and ministry.

One of the central ways that a freed heart manifests itself is in its ability to love.

If we have allowed Christ's sacrifice for us to become a real part of our daily lives, we

can expect to love others and certain things more than ourselves and the things of this

passing world. 

That kind of love was on display in the life of Scott Courbron.  His heart had been set free by Christ.  

Does how you roll have to do with Christ's commands?  It is the only right recipe for

living a life that will make a difference in others and is made possible by having a heart that has been set free!

pscott

Internal Melody

Recently, our 6-year old daughter Emma  has started playing the violin.  I guess she had seen her teacher playing one, and ever since, she has been passionate about her "glass" instrument.  She started walking around with a metal hanger and a bic pen, announcing that she was playing the violin!  I guess a lot of kids have imaginary friends, and so this is just a little bit different-it's an imaginary instrument!

Eph. 5:19 talks about how Christians should be communicating with each other:  With Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  We are to be singing too.  And then the inside attitude that we are to possess is mentioned.  We are to be "making melody with our hearts to the Lord".

What if the song playing inside our heart was one of sweet music, a silent melody that issued from happy Christlike joy and gratitude? You know, the music of a heart that isn't hung up on negative things and bitter feelings?

That would be incredible, sweet, and so refreshing.  And it would prompt big smiles and joyous comments, just like it has with Emma.  It would end up a great silent symphony of harmony among Christians!

Accented Path

I took some time last week to go to the local lookout spot.  It's a little cliff called Barry's Ledge, and the trail to it winds through the typical Maine woods kinda beauty and corkscrews around to the top which is maybe 7 or 8 hundred feet high.  Toward the top in a stand of Hemlocks, was a beautiful red Maple being struck by the afternoon light.  What a contrast and what a reminder of why I love the Maine woods-especially in Fall.  On the brown trail were occasional red leaves that gave a great contrast to the pine needle blanketed trail. 

God showed me in that moment of hiking and photographing that the trail of life was much like the one before me. 

The red leaves reminded me of how at intervals Christ's blood can make the trail before me one of victory, assurance, and rest.  Victory because when I am tempted in some way, remembering Christ's sacrifice causes me to contemplate the love that made that happen.  Assurance because in times of doubt and downheartedness, I remember that Christ's sacrifice placed me in the heavenlies and gave me a pure heart.  And rest, because when I am unable to be all that I should be, I am forgiven; my sins separated from me as East is from West.

I am going to travel most effectively on the journey when I contemplate the wonderful contrasts on the path provided me by Christ and His shed blood.  He travels with me.

Psalm 139:3 " You scrutinize my path and my lying down,  and are intimately aquainted with all my ways..."
pScott

America won't run over Dunkin'

I feel it is my civic duty to point out that workers that are trying to bring better roads to Maine and the nation must be protected.  Driving in Lewiston, Maine the other day, I noticed someone walking down a busy street near a road-construction zone carrying a box of Dunkin Donut Munchkins. There was no sidewalk and she was walking the wrong way, too.   I also noticed that people were more than polite to give her a wide berth and didn't indulge in any sub-standard driving.  In fact, I noticed drivers being extra careful to avoid running over a pedestrian in their rush to get to Dunkin' Donuts. Ah-I mean-work.
Since America supposedly runs on Dunkin', I propose doing something for our  many road-construction people faithfully holding up traffic all over this great land. 

The most basic improvement necessary is the replacement of orange construction cones with a simple box of donuts. 

After all, people carelessly brush and sometimes even run over on purpose those conical clones.  No one in their right mind would run over a box of cream-filled, glazed, and chocolate donuts.  Unless of course, they were eating a cream-filled donut and that free-fall filling came squirting out onto their lap-or holy cruller-their Blackberry! 
This measure would not only cut down on the sky-rocketing cost of cones, but ensure that our road-construction comrades would be safer.
The other measure is one of simple scare tactics.  I believe that an appropriate message-and by that I mean one that will frighten the fruit filling out of people-will be all that is necessary to curb dangerous driving around these public servants.
I propose outfitting every worker with orange shirts that have white lettering on the front and back that says:

IF YOU SO MUCH AS CREATE AN UNREASONABLE BREEZE AROUND ME YOU WILL BE BANNED FOR LIFE FROM DUNKIN DONUTS IN ALL 50 STATES AND IN EVERY COUNTRY THAT HAS THEM

I believe the extensive lettering required to do this would be more than worth it when it comes to preserving the life of our fellow-Americans.

To glaze over these two common-sense ideas would be a slam dunk for the powdered sugar-induced decay that has set in on our driving habits in these sensitive zones.

This concept strikes me as especially necessary in Massachusetts.  Not only is there construction in the Boston area 365 days a year, 24 hours a day for approximately 378 years now, but there is a Dunkin' Donuts every 425 feet.  Couple this knowledge with the caffeine and cakey consistency of their driving habits, and well, potential havoc awaits.  I have it on good (my own) authority that several workers have been hit by inattentive drivers as they went about their business.  Maybe that's where the idea for Boston Creme came from...
I will be dutifully submitting my ideas to the legislative branch of this great country.  After I go get a vanilla cream-filled donut.
pScott

His love...right on time

The last couple of days have been a little tough.  It's been more of the lessons in being the committed minister that God wants me to be.  I have been learning that some dreams will have to be given up.  Some interests that I never thought would wane have done just that.  And ultimately, God gives rewards that are tied to finding delights in life that are based on Him.  At my son's soccer game, the semi-pro (that would be me!) has the amateur photo equipment that doesn't compare with the guy just down from me.  I can't buy pro gear right now; and maybe I'll never afford it.  Then there's my vehicle that eats gas, the snowmobile or simple boat I might like to have (every guy has a toy, right?), the subwoofer for the serious music lover (also me): The flexibillity to enjoy some of life's simple amenities has lately seemed out of reach.  It has felt like a dream that may never become reality.  Then God reminded me that A; He grants the Desires that are Divinely Delightful (Ps.37:4), and 2; He truly does want to bless me!  And what better way than to enable me to be a more effective minister for Him!  A friend called and said that he would be buying a video projector for me to use in my teaching and the church's ministries!  Four months ago, I told church leadership this was the number one thing to be praying for!  It isn't just the most basic type either, it is the model that can project even in semi-bright rooms!  Awesome.  God is amazing and He is for us. He is for me!  Be encouraged to delight yourself in the Lord! pscott