Our Victory

My friend is battling liver cancer.   For over a year he has taken chemotherapy treatments that are as bad as the disease.  He takes a series of treatments and periodically has tests to see how the cancer is responding to the treatments.  For over a year the results have been the same, no better and no worse.  This routine has been brutal physically and mentally.  Knowing he had a test coming up I called to check on him.   He shared with me that one way or another something was going to change this time.  And then he broadsided me.  He said he didn’t want to dampen our conversation but asked if I would honor him by attending his funeral.   For a moment I was speechless, caught off guard by this incredible request.   I finally responded “is that where you think this is going?”.  My friend without pause shared either way the test results came out he was content.  He was not afraid of dying and what mattered in life was crystal clear to him.

How many of us can say we are content and not afraid to die?  My friend has discovered some deep truths that I am in awe of.  This physical body we have and this physical world we live in are not where it’s at.  God provided perfection in the beginning yet we corrupted His perfection by our own choosing.  This world was originally intended by God to be our place of contentment and peace.  Death was not in the picture.  We ruined what He intended and death became our enemy with the bite of the apple.  We have been blinded ever since seeking what is no longer available in this body, this place, this life, and this ruined existence.  The resulting conflict is to fear a reality of life- that is death.   Despite our rebellion God has made a way to return to what He originally intended.  Through Christ an incredible, unbelievable reality for those who will accept it is offered free to us all.  Drink this in and accept this gift from our Father and Savior:

But Christ has truly been raised from the dead—the first one and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised.21 Death has come because of what one man did, but the rising from death also comes because of one man.22 In Adam all of us die. In the same way, in Christ all of us will be made alive again.23 But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life,24 and then the end will come. At that time Christ will destroy all rulers, authorities, and powers, and he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father.25 Christ must rule until he puts all enemies under his control.²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed will be death.(I Corinthians 15:20-26)

I was humbled and honored to have the conversation I did with my friend as he faces the reality of death.  Emboldened by scripture I came away with this very bold thought.  Until we no longer fear death we will not understand true life in God’s kingdom. 

Father, on this Easter Sunday may we understand that the resurrection of Jesus reconciles the seemingly irreconcilable fact that to live we must die.  Help us to embrace this victory over our greatest enemy.

Scotty Elston
Shallowater, Texas 

We are What We Believe

This past weekend, my 13 year old son’s select baseball team played in a tournament in Dallas.  Upon arriving at the field for the first game, my son opened his door and was told by his father to be careful and watchful of the car next to ours. Tyler jumped out and reached to grab his bag when his door pushed open wider, tapping (literally tapping, no scratch) the door of the car...the $60,000 car.  The owner who was sitting in his $60,000 car flew out in an absolute rage screaming profanity in the face of our son, words that his virgin ears had never heard.  The man continued to yell, out of control, about his $60,000 car, despite the calm urging of my 6 ft. 4 husband to not speak that way in front of our child. The man was later rebuked by the baseball commissioner and his team’s coaches for his behavior.  I was so proud of my husband for controlling himself (which was incredibly difficult) and setting a Christian example for our son.  It made a huge impact on our son--not only respect for his father, but he will be much more attentive when getting out of our vehicle in a parking lot. One last bit of information, without any spitefulness (almost) …my son’s team won the tournament.

All kidding aside, have you noticed that God, at some point in our lives, puts us next to another person whose personal habits irritate us? I strongly believe He does this to develop Christ-like character in us, particularly patience, and to help us change for the good of other people.  I think the most spiritual person is the one who accepts irritating things with patience, bearing with the other person in love, and keeping the peace.

Did your parents ever remind you to remember who you are in regards to your behavior? What we believe matters. We are what we believe.  In Ephesians 4, Paul reminds us that the very highest calling a human being can have is living up to our inheritance in Christ.  Verses 1-6 list character traits that give us direction in this calling: humility and gentleness, patience – bearing with one another in love, and striving to keep unity.  We all know that unity can be very difficult at times and possible only by the grace of God and the gift of the Holy Spirit which dwells in all believers.  It is this unity we immediately recognize when we meet a genuine Christian and it is by the gift of the Spirit that we can call on those traits when dealing with an irritating situation.

True belief in Christ can never be separate from Christ-like behavior.  What God requires is not easy and it is not natural, but the love of Christ gives us courage, strength, and traits to model.

Carla Henson
Tuscola, Texas

Glorify the Father

The Christian calendar denotes this week as Holy week, recognizing the last few days of Jesus life on this earth. Let’s follow Jesus on a day at the beginning of the week. The focus scripture is John 12:20-50. I believe any day spent with Jesus was a big day. On this day, Jesus shares with the crowd that the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

He shares a story regarding a grain of wheat.  He tells them, if one grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, in so doing, it will bear much fruit.  He shares that His soul is troubled, but for this purpose he has come to this hour.  He says, “Father glorify your name!”, and a voice came out of heaven saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”  The crowd gathered there witnessed the voice, some saying it sounded like thunder and others said an angel spoke to Jesus.  Jesus himself said, “The voice is for your sake, not mine.”

He warned them that the time for judgment was upon the world and the prince of the world would be driven out.  He told them he had not come to judge the world, but to save it. He let them know his words were sent from the Father.  He spoke just as the Father told him. These spoken words will judge the one who rejects him at the last day.

Some believed and confessed Jesus as the Son of God, the light of the world. By confessing belief in Jesus, they also confessed belief in the one who sent Him. Many, even rulers, did believe but were afraid to confess for their fear of being thrown out of the synagogue.  They loved the approval of man more than the approval of God.  Learn from their mistake and do not let fear of any kind keep you from confessing that Jesus is the Son of God.

God sent Jesus into the world to grant us eternal life! Believe in him, confess Him, and obey Him this Holy Week and for the rest of your life.

Dear Father, Thank you so much for sending your precious Son into this world to redeem us. The love it took for you to do such a thing is indescribable. I acknowledge this gift you gave as your one and only Son and redeemer of the world. In His name, Amen

Terry Smith
Stephenville, TX

The Hunter Games

Do you have a competitive spirit? 

I was raised in a family that enjoyed spirited competition.  We were taught to do our best.  Go hard.  Leave it all on the court, or the field, or wherever the challenge was to be engaged but make sure you did it within the rules.  We didn’t win every time.  Not by a long shot.  When the challenge was over, life resumed.  Competition had its place.  And, I think that’s a good way to put it.  It had its “place.”  At the end of the day, people were still people.  There were other things that mattered in life more than first, second and third.  Medals and ribbons were nice.  They meant something, but not every thing. 

 

I saw a story the other day about an early Easter egg hunt for preschool age kids in a small town in Colorado.  Because of the behavior of the parents, “future hunts” had to be canceled.  I believe they called it “aggressive parental involvement.”  When the hunt started, parents hopped the fence and motivated their children to hurry to as many eggs as possible.  They provided their children with a parental GPS for locating eggs!  Within a few minutes the hunt was over.  Many of the children found an egg or two.  Some didn’t get a single egg!  But some children achieved a full basket.  You can't help but wonder what "thought seedlings" are manifesting in an experience like this one.  Certainly, it is only "one" egg hunt and not near enough to argue for a full blown philosophy of life.  But, the expereince itself and the herd mentality that went along with it suggest there is something there that should get our attention.  Fast forward this reality show into the future.  I wonder what the middle school and high school years will look like if this “behavior” continues?  What happens when those same parents can’t cross over into the arena of live competition? What happens when their child doesn’t come in first, second or third?  What happens when they don’t make the team, win the position or get the accolade?   Will they have the tools of thought and heart that will be needed to help them sort through the emotional and psychological challenges that often come with such real life experiences?  Self-image, relational skills and a host of other things will hang in the balance, too.

Ambition and competition are good things I think.  Left to themselves they turn us into an unfeeling, obsessed with production, get-ahead-at all-cost culture.  We lose touch with what is noble and right in ourselves and life in general.  People can easily become tools we use for our own ends or obstacles that need to be conquered or removed.  And, as much as I wish I could say this applies to secular folk, I can’t.  Christians are in this arena as much as anybody.  Been to a soccer game lately…for little kids?  Watched any little league baseball?  Ever listened to somebody blow off steam about the politics that came to bear on a school competition for children that had more parents involved than children?  You know what I’m talking about. 

Paul reminded Christian slaves about the outlook they should possess as those who served in less than desirable circumstances.  In a truly “dog-eat-dog” world, Paul says:

Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. – Colossians 3:22-23 (The Message)

We need Christians in the mix of things.  We need to do our best in whatever and wherever we choose to be involved.  We need to instill this in our children.  I don’t think the gospel is anti-ambition.  However, it does tell us to temper ambition with noble principles that keep ambition “between the bar ditches” to borrow a Texas expression.  That kind of excellence is a rare thing indeed.  Our culture needs to see it.  They need to see us model it in our schools, in games of skill, from the sidelines, in the stands, on Face book and in the coffee shop.  It is another way to let people know what the Word says about excellence through our lives. We work (and play) heartily but, we do it for the Lord.  

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas

Laying Down Our Palm Branches

Are you “into” getting autographs?  

I recently read an article in which a reporter told his story about interviewing celebrities, athletes, artists, and business moguls. Of particular interest were their perspectives on the public and especially, people wanting autographs.  Each person recounted how flattering it was to be asked for their autograph. However, all agreed that it is sometimes annoying to get repeatedly interrupted during a meal, while shopping or on an outing with family for a few whisks of ink.  One celebrity asked, “What does our autograph mean?”  He continued, “I don’t take it very seriously, because I’m skeptical about the public’s intent.  My signature is nothing more than a novelty.  A conversation piece among friends.  Who we are as people is rarely given any consideration.” 

The Christian calendar marks today as Palm Sunday (John 12:12-19).  It is the day that signals the final week of Jesus’ life before he dies by crucifixion outside Jerusalem on Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. And, it anticipates his resurrection on the following Sunday (Easter).  The accuracy of the Christian calendar notwithstanding today is the day Jesus road into Jerusalem on a colt surrounded by chanting celebrants who anticipated the arrival of David’s kingdom.  It is traditionally referred to as the “Triumphal Entry.”  But, be careful of that description.  The title presents us with something very different from the reality of the experience itself.  The reporter’s article comes to mind again. 

The day Jesus road into Jerusalem, the air was thick with ideas about God’s purposes and how they would unfold.  The truth was something else altogether.  Shouts of “God save us” (Hosanna) meant one thing to the people but something completely different to Jesus, the lamb who would take away the sin of the world. Many people followed Jesus because they had been present when Lazarus was raised from the dead.  Triumph was in the air!  But, what did triumph really mean?  Who was Jesus…really?  Powerful personality? Legendary figure?  The one who will make the Jewish nation great again?  Rome’s destroyer?  Our champion?  It all depended on who you asked that day.  Euphoria has many faces.  Some of the same voices that shouted "Hosana" on Sunday would side with a mob that shouted "crucify him!" only five short days later.

As we travel this week and think about laying our palm branches before the Lord, palm branches of confession, praise, hope, ministry and righteousness, what do we really know about him?  As we speak about church, kingdom and such, what fills our minds as we think about being God’s people today…Jesus’ people?  Do our palm branches announce “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" as we understand him or do they welcome him out of a true understanding of his power, majesty and mission for the healing of the nations?  Does our "hosanna" have room for a discipleship shape by kingdom as he defines it?  The first perspective makes this week our version of triumph wrappd in naivete.  The second one invites us to conform to the implications of his ministry, cross and resurrection.  

The four gospels do not record Jesus giving an autograph.  But, they all record him saying, “Come follow me.”  What might that look like for you and me this week?

O Lord, as we lay our hearts before you this week in humble reflection may the praise it gives birth to come from a true understanding of who you are and what we are called to be as your servants.  Amen.

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas