Our God is an awesome God, is there any other like Him?
Our God is loving and caring about each one of us down to each sparrow. Our God wants us to come to Him and love Him. Our God does not demand of every human being on His earth to do this, because He has given us free will.
Our God does not come to heap vengenence on the unrighteous. By His standards we are all unrighteous. He sends His rain upon the righteous and unrighteous. Those of us that have chosen and have accepted His Son into our lives are touched by the sacrifice of the shed blood of Yeshua H'Meshiach, the shed blood of Jesus the Messiah and our sin is covered. We are the forgiven of Our God, for He knows our foilables. Those who have not accepted this sacrifice are living under the Law that He Gave to His prophets. They have chosen to be judged under the Law. They are absolutely God's People under the first Covenant. God loves us all. He never breaks His Covenant.
When we grieve, our God holds and comforts us. He fills us with His Holy Spirit and sends us the Peace that Passes All Understanding. When we are filled with joy, our God rejoices with us. He teaches us. He speaks to us. Our God wants us to chose to be His people.
Is there any other group on earth that has a God like this?
The God of Islam is to be feared. That God demands obedience. That God demands to be worshipped. There are over 1 billion worshippers of the Islamic faith. One tenth of them believe that if you are not Islamic you are an infidel and should be not be permitted to live unless you become Islamic. They do not mind murdering each other to acheive this end. When asked about false faiths, Jesus said you will know the tree by it's fruit. Within the factions of Islam both Sunni and S'hia are filled with history of violence, killing and hatred. Hundreds of years ago after the death of Mohammed the followers of Islam needed a figure head to follow. Mohammed left no provisions. Some followed Mohammed's father-in-law as Sunnis. Some followed Mohammed's nephew as Shi'ahites. Mohammed's nephew was assasinated. Some leaders of the Sunni branch were assasinated. For hundreds of years the Islamic faith has been plagued by war and violence as these two groups seemingly hate each other. As a Christian, I trust that my God will provide for me and those that I love. I trust in His will and judgement for He loves me. Does Allah bring love to his people? Do his people trust Allah to do his own will? I am not seeing that.
The gods of the Hindus are less violent. Yet these gods are but heathen images that were created by man and given legends. When the people are starving and go without, the sacred cows are fed and bathed in milk. Once again, you will know them by their fruit.
The Asian gods are much like the Hindus. Nothing more than mere idols created by man and endowed with man-made legends. The temples to these false dieties are overrun with monkeys and rats. Some worship ancestors, some worship phalluses. Jesus said you will know the tree by it's fruit.
Is there any other group on earth that has a God like ours? Be you Jew, Protestant or Catholic, Our God teaches us. Our God speaks to us. Our God wants us to chose to be His people. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Thursday, April 28, 2005
There's a Poodle Shaped Hole in My Heart Tonight
The phone rang at work 3 times in succession. I couldn't get off the call that I was taking. Linny's words on the voice mail were desparate. Patty, my poodle, had been hit by a car.
I raced home. We couldn't find where the neighbors had taken her. The next door neighbors were so nice. They picked up her lifeless body and rushed her to the veternarian. We finally got there and the doctor came in and apologized. Patty had died.
There is no consolation at this time. Patty was so special to my sweet wife. She was a companion and a protector. Before my wife would have a seizure, Patty would jump up in her lap and lay her body across Linny. Patty was my playmate, my friend and my bed partner. She was so smart. She could talk. She will never be replaced.
She is always in my heart to treasure. Patty, your Mommy and Daddy miss you so much.
May God bless your Poodle soul.
I raced home. We couldn't find where the neighbors had taken her. The next door neighbors were so nice. They picked up her lifeless body and rushed her to the veternarian. We finally got there and the doctor came in and apologized. Patty had died.
There is no consolation at this time. Patty was so special to my sweet wife. She was a companion and a protector. Before my wife would have a seizure, Patty would jump up in her lap and lay her body across Linny. Patty was my playmate, my friend and my bed partner. She was so smart. She could talk. She will never be replaced.
She is always in my heart to treasure. Patty, your Mommy and Daddy miss you so much.
May God bless your Poodle soul.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Happy Birthday Linny!!!
Linny 
Linny at 15
Today is my wife Linny's birthday. She is 53 years old. This means that I have known her for 39 years.
We started dating when she was a 14 year old tiny school girl with long red hair. We are still madly in love today. I could say so many wonderful things about the love of my life, but at this time I would like to mention a recent miracle that has happened to her. Maybe it will inspire someone else.
Linny became disabled in 1995 with a neurological condition that caused her to have a Horner's Syndrome (ptosis, myosis & anhydrosis) and unbearable right sided head pain. This disease eventually led to other medical problems. From February until May of that year, she was undiagnosed until she saw Dr. John Kelly. Dr. Kelly, a neurologist from the Northern Kentucky area, pronounced her as having a disease called Raeder's Paratrigeminal Neuralgia. In his oppinion it would slowly dissapate and be gone within a few months. She continued to see Dr. Kelly over the next 9 and a half years with the same symptoms. She also developed "seizures" and spinal pain. All this was treated primarily with a seizure medication called Depokote and a narcotic called Oxycontin and a myriad of other drugs. Linny would spend more time asleep than awake. It was almost like she was in a comatose state. Even with the medication, the pain spread through her body.
During early 2004 her ability to walk was rapidly becoming more impaired even with the help of her rolling walker. During a visit to Dr. Kelly, he told her that she had gone toxic on Depokote and began to titer her off of that medicine. Her gait became more stable after that. She had developed numbness in her mouth and face. Dr. Caldwell,one of her primary doctors, noted that another drug that she was taking Levadopa caused that adverse side effect. By no longer taking that drug her feeling returned.
Withdrawing from the Depokote that she had taken for many years caused her to have terrible side effects. She slept nearly all the time now and she hallucinated. I hated to leave her alone, but I had to work. It took over a month before she was off of Depokote. She then started taking another anti-seizure medicine that was said to have less severe side effects. However by now, Linny became upset and angry that she had been put through this trauma of withdrawal. She felt victimized. She was determined to be free of dependency on any medication.
For at least eight years she had taken Oxycontin for the severe pain in her face. She had tried some other less potent drugs, but nothing relieved the pain. Because of the publicity of Oxycontin abuse, all medical providers, doctors and pharmacies, were under the scruntiny of the government. By 2004 Dr. Kelly cut Linny down to no more than 30 milagrams a day. When she asked him, "what about days when I am unable to bear the pain?", his reply was, "Linny, just tough it out."
In September 2004 she became fed up with Doctors, medicine and her life as an invalid. She went toxic on all the medications and slipped into what is known as a liver coma or hepatic coma. She remained in bed in our darkened bedroom for the next 10 weeks and slipped in and out of consciousness. She asked God to free her from the Oxycontin dependency and she told Him that she could not go through another episode similar to those experienced during the withdrawal from Depokote. In a clear voice God said, "Do you believe that I can free you?" She answered, "Yes Lord." So the Lord told her to dump her Oxycontin prescription down the sink and run hot water to make sure the pills were not stuck in the drain pipe. She obeyed. As always God honored her obedience. He healed her.
For three weeks Linny said nothing to me about this. I would ask if she had taken her medicine or needed a refill fro the pharmacy and she said that she did not. She then told me about this. The next week she called her primary doctor, Gigi Tcheng and asked her how long it would take to be certain a person was no longer addicted to Oxycontin. Dr. Tcheng said that the person should be hospitalized and it may take no less than a month, probably more to determine that they no longer had any desire for the drug. When she told Dr. Tcheng that God had immediately healed her, the doctor started to cry.
The Lord has done His miraculous work in my wife. She has never expressed a desire to take Oxycontin again. In fact this past winter, she developed Walking Pneumonia and refused to take any cough medication that had a narcotic base. I praise God for this and I praise Him for bringing this wonderful woman into my life.
Linny still experiences health problems, however she and I are trusting that God will take care of us as He always has in the past.
The above pictures reflect my wife at our grandson's recent Baptism. The last is a picture that I took of Linny when she was 15 years old and I was 16. We were spending a day at Campbell County park.
Linny at 15
Today is my wife Linny's birthday. She is 53 years old. This means that I have known her for 39 years.
We started dating when she was a 14 year old tiny school girl with long red hair. We are still madly in love today. I could say so many wonderful things about the love of my life, but at this time I would like to mention a recent miracle that has happened to her. Maybe it will inspire someone else.
Linny became disabled in 1995 with a neurological condition that caused her to have a Horner's Syndrome (ptosis, myosis & anhydrosis) and unbearable right sided head pain. This disease eventually led to other medical problems. From February until May of that year, she was undiagnosed until she saw Dr. John Kelly. Dr. Kelly, a neurologist from the Northern Kentucky area, pronounced her as having a disease called Raeder's Paratrigeminal Neuralgia. In his oppinion it would slowly dissapate and be gone within a few months. She continued to see Dr. Kelly over the next 9 and a half years with the same symptoms. She also developed "seizures" and spinal pain. All this was treated primarily with a seizure medication called Depokote and a narcotic called Oxycontin and a myriad of other drugs. Linny would spend more time asleep than awake. It was almost like she was in a comatose state. Even with the medication, the pain spread through her body.
During early 2004 her ability to walk was rapidly becoming more impaired even with the help of her rolling walker. During a visit to Dr. Kelly, he told her that she had gone toxic on Depokote and began to titer her off of that medicine. Her gait became more stable after that. She had developed numbness in her mouth and face. Dr. Caldwell,one of her primary doctors, noted that another drug that she was taking Levadopa caused that adverse side effect. By no longer taking that drug her feeling returned.
Withdrawing from the Depokote that she had taken for many years caused her to have terrible side effects. She slept nearly all the time now and she hallucinated. I hated to leave her alone, but I had to work. It took over a month before she was off of Depokote. She then started taking another anti-seizure medicine that was said to have less severe side effects. However by now, Linny became upset and angry that she had been put through this trauma of withdrawal. She felt victimized. She was determined to be free of dependency on any medication.
For at least eight years she had taken Oxycontin for the severe pain in her face. She had tried some other less potent drugs, but nothing relieved the pain. Because of the publicity of Oxycontin abuse, all medical providers, doctors and pharmacies, were under the scruntiny of the government. By 2004 Dr. Kelly cut Linny down to no more than 30 milagrams a day. When she asked him, "what about days when I am unable to bear the pain?", his reply was, "Linny, just tough it out."
In September 2004 she became fed up with Doctors, medicine and her life as an invalid. She went toxic on all the medications and slipped into what is known as a liver coma or hepatic coma. She remained in bed in our darkened bedroom for the next 10 weeks and slipped in and out of consciousness. She asked God to free her from the Oxycontin dependency and she told Him that she could not go through another episode similar to those experienced during the withdrawal from Depokote. In a clear voice God said, "Do you believe that I can free you?" She answered, "Yes Lord." So the Lord told her to dump her Oxycontin prescription down the sink and run hot water to make sure the pills were not stuck in the drain pipe. She obeyed. As always God honored her obedience. He healed her.
For three weeks Linny said nothing to me about this. I would ask if she had taken her medicine or needed a refill fro the pharmacy and she said that she did not. She then told me about this. The next week she called her primary doctor, Gigi Tcheng and asked her how long it would take to be certain a person was no longer addicted to Oxycontin. Dr. Tcheng said that the person should be hospitalized and it may take no less than a month, probably more to determine that they no longer had any desire for the drug. When she told Dr. Tcheng that God had immediately healed her, the doctor started to cry.
The Lord has done His miraculous work in my wife. She has never expressed a desire to take Oxycontin again. In fact this past winter, she developed Walking Pneumonia and refused to take any cough medication that had a narcotic base. I praise God for this and I praise Him for bringing this wonderful woman into my life.
Linny still experiences health problems, however she and I are trusting that God will take care of us as He always has in the past.
The above pictures reflect my wife at our grandson's recent Baptism. The last is a picture that I took of Linny when she was 15 years old and I was 16. We were spending a day at Campbell County park.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Brother Jim
Jim Bankowski and Friends
Jim Bankowski arrived in Cincinnati wearing some patched bib overalls that were more patches than overalls. He had a beat up guitar case that held an old Martin D-18 that he played in odd tunings. Jim sang in a distinctive baritone voice during an era when everyone was trying to be a tenor. The wonderful songs he wrote and sang spoke about his love for Jesus and for God the Father.
Jim arrived on a street in Norwood Ohio from out of nowhere. Joanne Slayback, her daughters and I picked him up and headed back to the Slayback's home. Jim filled up on Joanne's homemade vegetable soup. This was providencial since Jim was a vegetarian. Later that evening he sang and played at our little coffeehouse in the Episcopal church basement. Afterward we took Jim to the street where we found him and he disappeared into the night.
Jim's family was from Cincinnati. He never spoke much about them except to say that he was raised in the Catholic Church. Jim moved to a room at the Friars Club in Clifton. I think he was working at some sort of menial job to pay the rent. All he ate was peanut butter and jelly, which I guess is good vegetarian food.
Jim is a guy loves the Lord, writes and sings great songs, a guy that everyone who knew him loved him. Yet some thugs beat him nearly to death and robbed him for the ever present Martin guitar that he carried around. Jim's head trauma was so severe that he couldn't talk and he lost his ability to play guitar. It took him over a year to recover. Someone gave him a cheap Yamaha guitar to play. Afterwards whenever he played in public he borrowed someone's Martin.
After Jim recovered he decided to make a record. That is an LP album. For anyone who doesn't remember, an album is much like a big black CD, only it does not have digital data on it and gets easily scratched. He recruited the members of the church that many of us attended to provide his background music. Kent Odor, Sharon Wilson and I sang the backup vocals that I had arranged. That was a very cool couple of days.
My wife and I left that Church and moved to Middletown Ohio. I hadn't heard much from Jim until I received a phone call at my home in Middletown. Jim's brother-in-law and sister owned a popular restaurant in town and Jim said that he was going to be working there for the summer. He had enrolled in Oral Roberts University and wanted to visit with us during his time in town. There were some nights that he would crash at our house. One night he showed us slides of a mission trip that he had made to China, India and the Philippines. He had taken that old Yamaha guitar with him on him mission trip and gave it to some boy in the Philippines that he befriended.
The last time I saw him was at a Jesus House Reunion many years ago. Jim was one of the most dedicated believers that I had ever met. I know that God continues to bless him.
(look closely at the picture. There is a sharp-looking, clean shaven stud standing to Jim's left. Guess who that is?)
Jim Bankowski arrived in Cincinnati wearing some patched bib overalls that were more patches than overalls. He had a beat up guitar case that held an old Martin D-18 that he played in odd tunings. Jim sang in a distinctive baritone voice during an era when everyone was trying to be a tenor. The wonderful songs he wrote and sang spoke about his love for Jesus and for God the Father.
Jim arrived on a street in Norwood Ohio from out of nowhere. Joanne Slayback, her daughters and I picked him up and headed back to the Slayback's home. Jim filled up on Joanne's homemade vegetable soup. This was providencial since Jim was a vegetarian. Later that evening he sang and played at our little coffeehouse in the Episcopal church basement. Afterward we took Jim to the street where we found him and he disappeared into the night.
Jim's family was from Cincinnati. He never spoke much about them except to say that he was raised in the Catholic Church. Jim moved to a room at the Friars Club in Clifton. I think he was working at some sort of menial job to pay the rent. All he ate was peanut butter and jelly, which I guess is good vegetarian food.
Jim is a guy loves the Lord, writes and sings great songs, a guy that everyone who knew him loved him. Yet some thugs beat him nearly to death and robbed him for the ever present Martin guitar that he carried around. Jim's head trauma was so severe that he couldn't talk and he lost his ability to play guitar. It took him over a year to recover. Someone gave him a cheap Yamaha guitar to play. Afterwards whenever he played in public he borrowed someone's Martin.
After Jim recovered he decided to make a record. That is an LP album. For anyone who doesn't remember, an album is much like a big black CD, only it does not have digital data on it and gets easily scratched. He recruited the members of the church that many of us attended to provide his background music. Kent Odor, Sharon Wilson and I sang the backup vocals that I had arranged. That was a very cool couple of days.
My wife and I left that Church and moved to Middletown Ohio. I hadn't heard much from Jim until I received a phone call at my home in Middletown. Jim's brother-in-law and sister owned a popular restaurant in town and Jim said that he was going to be working there for the summer. He had enrolled in Oral Roberts University and wanted to visit with us during his time in town. There were some nights that he would crash at our house. One night he showed us slides of a mission trip that he had made to China, India and the Philippines. He had taken that old Yamaha guitar with him on him mission trip and gave it to some boy in the Philippines that he befriended.
The last time I saw him was at a Jesus House Reunion many years ago. Jim was one of the most dedicated believers that I had ever met. I know that God continues to bless him.
(look closely at the picture. There is a sharp-looking, clean shaven stud standing to Jim's left. Guess who that is?)
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Radical Conjoined Quintuplet Surgery
This is not for the squimish or faint of heart.
But if you dare witness the marvels of modern surgical precision...
Then click here:Modern Surgical Advances
But if you dare witness the marvels of modern surgical precision...
Then click here:
Friday, April 15, 2005
THE APOCALYPSE - A Christian Movie
I found this in the Horror Movie section of Blockbuster. I guess the young'un that puts the movies away thought that this may be a tad scary. I guess it could be.
Read the review. I found it to be a nice story line. The Apostle John, in this movie, is a prisoner that is enslaved by the Roman captors to work as a scribe. Only a select few on the Patmos prison island know of his real identity as the one remaining Apostle. And those few assist him in secreting out his epistles and visions to the Churches. If he is found out, Caesar has decreed that he be put to death.
This is the last in a series of Biblical films that were made in Italy to be shown on US TV. Abraham and Joseph were acceptable to American audiences. Some of us even knew these stories. Unfortunately those media aristocracy that chose what we may watch must have deemed this final installment too...uh... fantastic for the average American viewers. We couldn't possibly cope with the fact that there will be this ethereal place where God's judgment is carried out. After all, we are only conditioned to understand Hobbits, Wookies, Harry Potter, Darth Vader, the Force, flying Ninjas and the Wicked Witch of the West. The final judgment is...well just too final for American advertisers to put their money behind.
Since it was an Italian film, wouldn't you know there would be a very attractive raven haired Christian girl. Richard Harris plays John. The stories end is somewhat of a surprise. Probably not at all what actually happened. But hey this is Hollywood or in this case, Spaghettiwood. As Japanese Opera must have it's standardized format, so does American film media. And we viewers demand a happy ending with our popcorn.
What really touches this film off for me is the treatment that this film gives to John's visions. As many times as I've read through Revelations, I've never been able to envision in my big round noggin' the picture that John's words paint. This film makes it very real and does an excellent job of showing us that vision. The Lampstands, the Scroll with Seven Seals, The Horsemen, the Whore, the Wedding Feast of the Bride and Groom are all excellently depicted.
I give it two thumbpicks up.
AMF Videos - The Apocalypse
Read the review. I found it to be a nice story line. The Apostle John, in this movie, is a prisoner that is enslaved by the Roman captors to work as a scribe. Only a select few on the Patmos prison island know of his real identity as the one remaining Apostle. And those few assist him in secreting out his epistles and visions to the Churches. If he is found out, Caesar has decreed that he be put to death.
This is the last in a series of Biblical films that were made in Italy to be shown on US TV. Abraham and Joseph were acceptable to American audiences. Some of us even knew these stories. Unfortunately those media aristocracy that chose what we may watch must have deemed this final installment too...uh... fantastic for the average American viewers. We couldn't possibly cope with the fact that there will be this ethereal place where God's judgment is carried out. After all, we are only conditioned to understand Hobbits, Wookies, Harry Potter, Darth Vader, the Force, flying Ninjas and the Wicked Witch of the West. The final judgment is...well just too final for American advertisers to put their money behind.
Since it was an Italian film, wouldn't you know there would be a very attractive raven haired Christian girl. Richard Harris plays John. The stories end is somewhat of a surprise. Probably not at all what actually happened. But hey this is Hollywood or in this case, Spaghettiwood. As Japanese Opera must have it's standardized format, so does American film media. And we viewers demand a happy ending with our popcorn.
What really touches this film off for me is the treatment that this film gives to John's visions. As many times as I've read through Revelations, I've never been able to envision in my big round noggin' the picture that John's words paint. This film makes it very real and does an excellent job of showing us that vision. The Lampstands, the Scroll with Seven Seals, The Horsemen, the Whore, the Wedding Feast of the Bride and Groom are all excellently depicted.
I give it two thumbpicks up.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Your First Love
Revelation 2
1. "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
2. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
3. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
My wife asked me if I thought that we had lost our first love (for the Lord). We've been Born Again Christians since 1970. Without hesitation I said No.
I've talked in this blog about The Jesus Movement and written down my thoughts and the words of some songs that I sang from back in the day. I don't know what we would do or would have become if we did not have the Hand of God guiding us, touching our lives and teaching us. However my wife and I have moved on and grown.
The Jesus Movement was a great time to start being a Christian. It was an easy time to start being a Christian because Jesus was popular. We had Jesus jewelry, shirts, recordings. It seemed like a new version of the Bible came out once a month. We had The Living Bible, Good News for Modern Man, The Street Version Bible, The Cotton Patch Gospels, the NASV, the NRSV, the NIV. I can think of at least four songs about Jesus received regular radio air play on top 40 stations. They weren't Christian songs exactly, but they mentioned Jesus. We had new Bible teachers coming out from everywhere and each had their own followers. We had our own bands and popular singers. We had our own radio stations. And we were infant Christians living off the love that we felt for Him and existing on the energy with which His Holy Spirit empowered us. But we were babies. Back then could walk up to someone and start talking about Jesus without being called a lunatic, a rightwing conservative windbag or an infidel. In fact people listened and dialogued with us. (That's Jesus Freak speak for "they conversed with us") We knew very little about God's Word but we were hungry. We would soak up Bible studies and Bible teachings and then go off like little tape recorders and play back every word we heard to other Christians that would share the same teachings. Our hearts were in the right place. Our heads??? Well that was a different story. Speaking for myself, I was not exactly thinking before I engaged my mouth. I was hearing the Word and learning by rote, but I was not savoring the Word. But I was having a great time.
Like I said in a previous post about songs. I have found it not only important to just learn the text, but to learn the history and culture of the writer and determine the big picture. In 1970 Jesus Freak America we imagined Jesus as one of us. He was a tall white guy with a beard wearing sandals and a robe. Just like the artist Richard Hook painted Him. So we all had beards and wore sandals. No robes.
As you grow older, you grow in knowledge and grace. Saving the world is no longer important. You can leave that to God now. He'll do a better job anyway. What is important is your God, your family and your livelihood. But you still want to learn more and more about the One Who loves you. At least that is the way that my wife and I feel.
Matthew 13
3. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9. He who has ears, let him hear."
I have seen leaders fall never to rise again. I have seen those that were truly blessed that are now wallowing in the curses that they have heaped upon themselves. I have recognized that we all are human. Some have grown, some have sprouted and planted other seeds, some have been called home as good and faithful servants and some have rejected the Pearl of great price that they were given.
Matthew 22:36-40
36. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
37. Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
38. This is the first and greatest commandment.
39. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.'
40. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
As long as you love the Lord and are called to grow and grow, as long as you hang on to what you were first given and do so out of devotion and love, then you have not lost your first love.
1. "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
2. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
3. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
My wife asked me if I thought that we had lost our first love (for the Lord). We've been Born Again Christians since 1970. Without hesitation I said No.
I've talked in this blog about The Jesus Movement and written down my thoughts and the words of some songs that I sang from back in the day. I don't know what we would do or would have become if we did not have the Hand of God guiding us, touching our lives and teaching us. However my wife and I have moved on and grown.
The Jesus Movement was a great time to start being a Christian. It was an easy time to start being a Christian because Jesus was popular. We had Jesus jewelry, shirts, recordings. It seemed like a new version of the Bible came out once a month. We had The Living Bible, Good News for Modern Man, The Street Version Bible, The Cotton Patch Gospels, the NASV, the NRSV, the NIV. I can think of at least four songs about Jesus received regular radio air play on top 40 stations. They weren't Christian songs exactly, but they mentioned Jesus. We had new Bible teachers coming out from everywhere and each had their own followers. We had our own bands and popular singers. We had our own radio stations. And we were infant Christians living off the love that we felt for Him and existing on the energy with which His Holy Spirit empowered us. But we were babies. Back then could walk up to someone and start talking about Jesus without being called a lunatic, a rightwing conservative windbag or an infidel. In fact people listened and dialogued with us. (That's Jesus Freak speak for "they conversed with us") We knew very little about God's Word but we were hungry. We would soak up Bible studies and Bible teachings and then go off like little tape recorders and play back every word we heard to other Christians that would share the same teachings. Our hearts were in the right place. Our heads??? Well that was a different story. Speaking for myself, I was not exactly thinking before I engaged my mouth. I was hearing the Word and learning by rote, but I was not savoring the Word. But I was having a great time.
Like I said in a previous post about songs. I have found it not only important to just learn the text, but to learn the history and culture of the writer and determine the big picture. In 1970 Jesus Freak America we imagined Jesus as one of us. He was a tall white guy with a beard wearing sandals and a robe. Just like the artist Richard Hook painted Him. So we all had beards and wore sandals. No robes.
As you grow older, you grow in knowledge and grace. Saving the world is no longer important. You can leave that to God now. He'll do a better job anyway. What is important is your God, your family and your livelihood. But you still want to learn more and more about the One Who loves you. At least that is the way that my wife and I feel.
Matthew 13
3. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9. He who has ears, let him hear."
I have seen leaders fall never to rise again. I have seen those that were truly blessed that are now wallowing in the curses that they have heaped upon themselves. I have recognized that we all are human. Some have grown, some have sprouted and planted other seeds, some have been called home as good and faithful servants and some have rejected the Pearl of great price that they were given.
Matthew 22:36-40
36. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
37. Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
38. This is the first and greatest commandment.
39. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.'
40. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
As long as you love the Lord and are called to grow and grow, as long as you hang on to what you were first given and do so out of devotion and love, then you have not lost your first love.
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