Month: September 2018

By definition, a wanderer is a person who travels aimlessly. Not a good thing if you have no direction in your life. In my opinion, it will only lead to a dead end. I believe we must have some purpose that drives us down the road of life. If guided by faith, the purpose will be revealed through our good actions.

Dion DiMucci released a song in 1968 called the “Wanderer” Verse 1 reads, “Oh well, I’m the type of guy who will never settle down where pretty girls are, well you know that I’m around. I kiss ’em and I love ’em cause to me they’re all the same. I hug ’em and I squeeze ’em; they don’t even know my name.” Refrain reads, “They call me the wanderer. Yeah, the wanderer, I roam around, around, around.”

It was a great hit in the 60’s and still going strong now. I bet some of you who just read these lyrics are now playing the tune in your head. Right? It is all well and good to produce a hit with a beat, but the words tell a different story. The “MeToo” movement in these days may very well say perhaps this song provided encouragement to many a young man to follow the innuendoes suggested. Now, I am just saying, the song could have been one of many influences in a young guys road to maturity. Hopefully, most of us guys during that time considered the beat, enjoyed the music, but kept on a course to maturity. However, some wanderers never turn back from a dead end existence.

James 5:19 tells us that if any of us wander from the truth, we are a sinner on the wrong path. But, if any of us turn back a wanderer, we will save them from death and will bring about forgiveness of many of our sins. I admit and so should you that I am a sinner. Admission is the first step in our recovery and turning back to the truth. I believe in having fun, dancing to the tunes (left feet and all), enjoying life but also believe we need to guard ourselves from becoming a wanderer.

Mark 9:50 says salt is good but if it looses its saltiness then that is not so good so maintain salt among yourselves and keep peace with each other.

T

By definition, a series disagreement or argument is a conflict. We are incompatible with one another. I believe in our current state of political discourse, we are in conflict at a level of absurdity. If the a person says the sky is blue then the another may say no it is overcast and going to rain somewhere. True but maybe not here and today. Someone is always going to want to rain on your parade. But, do we succumb to the negative press about ourselves or about what we believe as the truth? There is a source of conflict like there is a source of wisdom. Where do you get your conflict and where do you obtain your wisdom? This is a complicated question. Last week I wrote about meanings of Shrew, Rudder and Tongue. The later as in the Taming of the Tongue to not speak cursing. Instead, speak blessing. Where is the fun in talking blessing when many of us thrive on making statements or claims that only cause discourse and conflict. Why can’t we get along? I believe it comes down to where we get our strength. When we see stories of people in crises from a major weather event on TV, it is not just a story on the news. It becomes a 24 hour, 7 day a week repeat of the event and the aftermath. We watch and feel blessed that it did not happen to us. Some of us act with donations, some act with pity, some just watch and ask why government is not doing more. Likewise, when an event happens in the political arena, some act to say this is ridiculous while others say crucify him or her. Unfortunately, our source of conflict and wisdom comes from an inanimate box in the corner of our house called a TV or a hand held device rapidly replacing our brains. Too hard? Maybe, but where do we get our source of conflict?

James 3 starting at verse 13, questions our wisdom and where it comes from. Are our actions good with a humble lifestyle or do we have bitter jealously and selfish ambition in our heart? This is not the source of wisdom from above but comes from the earth, natural and demonic. (V 15). If our wisdom is pure, peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good actions, fair, genuine and we sow our seeds of justice by our peaceful acts, then that wisdom comes from above earthly influence. (V 17,18)

What is the source of conflict among you? (James 4:1) Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. (V 7,8)

T

 

How many of you know that a Shrew is a small mouse like mammal with a long pointed snout and tiny eyes? How many of you relate the word Shrew with a bad-tempered or aggressively assertive woman? Now, that is a sexist definition if I every heard one! Good ole Shakespeare wrote a whole comedy play called the “The Taming of the Shrew”. Not PC now or maybe even back then. But that is another subject. Let me stay on the word Shrew and specifically the meaning of a small mouse like mammal. If we stick to just this definition, the word most likely would stay as a boring definition. But now the word was expanded way back in 1590 or so by Shakespeare to have a totally different meaning. Replace the word Shrew with Tongue. “Taming of the Tongue” may be a great play if we can find a play write to take on the project.

Like Shrew, Tongue has a very simple definition that is boring unless you are a doctor of the tongue. The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth that manipulates food and is used in the act of swallowing. Now, that is about as exciting as a small mouse like mammal! What is the point? Like shrew was used to stereotype one gender, tongue is used like a flame of fire. How did that happen?

James 3:1 tells us that many of us should not consider being a teacher because may judge more strictly. This is a challenge as I have been a teacher and a little bit of knowledge can go to our heads to make us a bit condescending to who may be on the learning curve. Being a teacher is an admirable profession, but like most professions, empathy for our audience is needed. Empathy is a small thing to possess, but without it, I believe we are like a ship without a rudder. A ship would soon be lost without the rudder. (James 3:4-5) But what about that tongue? Is it just a small organ used to facilitate the digestive system in our bodies. According to James 3:6, the tongue is a small flame of fire set on fire by the flames of hell. Verse 7 continues to advise us the we can tame all manner of creatures but not the tongue. Wow! The tongue is only an organ so how can it be so unruly? Do we shower blessing or cursing? Maybe, the answer is what is in our hearts.

T

An assertion that something is a fact without evidence, which causes dispute or doubt. That is the definition of claim. One person claims the other person is wrong or right, depending on that one person’s point of view. Perhaps, the truth is somewhere, but the opposing claims tend to shadow any trust we may have for one another. I get fed up listening to claims from politicians but even more fed up with the media sponsored celebrities who are used to sway voter opinion. In my opinion, it is hard to trust anything anyone claims anymore.

Three years ago I witnessed an agonizing loss of a church member. I saw first hand family members hit with pure reality. At first, claims from medical experts were simple medical challenges that could be treated with medication. Then I saw how, in a few weeks, reality revealed an untreatable disease that took the life of the loved one. The loved one has joined other heavenly hosts that help us along our life’s journey to the ultimate truth.

We all have a role to play in disseminating truth. Claims are no good without facts to back up those claims. Claims without facts are like trains without tracks. They are heavy and get a lot of attention, but go no where. The media will cover the story and many claims will prevail according to which group is supporting their ratings. Eventually, the story gets replaced by some other claim. We all have challenges in life. Do we listen to the claims or do we determine the facts. If we here a claim, before we reach a judgement on the merits of someone’s claim, take the time to get more facts before acting. Whether the claim is a health condition that should have been taken care of immediately, instead of self diagnosis, or some other claim that causes us to act irrational. Let us get in the real game and not get caught in smoke and mirrors. (Note: Some situations will be beyond our control as was the case with my dear friend. In those occasions, put all of your trust in the Divinity.)

James 2:14 says, “claiming to have faith can’t save anyone”. Verse 17 says, “faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity”. How do you show your faith? Do we make bold statements designed to impress our friends, but not substantiated by good works? Do you demonstrate your faith by your actions that produce miracles guided by the Holy Spirit? Faith is an action word. Claiming to have faith is a statement not founded on facts. All of us are in the game of life together. Use your God given talents to be less a claimer and more a doer of the truth.

T

Thirteen years ago many of us were fighting to survive after horrendous natural events called “Katrina” and “Rita”. Hurricanes that will live in our memories forever. What armor could we put on to defend ourselves then and what can we use now to fight the battles within our selves? Can you imagine putting on this heavy armor to defend flaming arrows, slashing swords, flying rocks, etc.? It would be hard to put on this armor let alone fight in it. St Michaels Mount was defended by such guardsmen back in older times. Perhaps, instead of putting up a gallant fight, the stature was enough to intimidate anyone who tried to breach the castle walls. I suppose in earlier times, intimidation was one of the weapons used to ward off evil attempts to take over another’s possessions. The tidal island where St Michaels Mount was erected was a civil parish of the Christian Church and never intended to be a fortress but as most things even now, it seems, someone is always after what someone else possesses. Fighting against human enemies seems to be a matter of reality so I suppose armor like displayed at St Michaels Mount serves as a reminder that  us humans are subject to violence by our very nature to preserve our selves and our earthly possessions. But, what if we put on a more efficient set of armor? This armor will defend us from self righteousness and possessiveness as well as other challenges in our lives? Perhaps, the challenge is recovery from natural disasters like hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, etc. What if we put on an armor that will defend us from forces of cosmic darkness and spiritual powers of evil.

“Therefore, pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything possible, to still stand.” (Ephesians 6:13) The scripture continues to say to put on the belt of truth, breastplate of justice, shoes to spread good news of peace, shield of faith to ward off flaming arrows, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit which is God’s word. Perhaps, wearing this armor will be more effective not only for the principalities of evil but our own battles within.

T