We Are All Important

 People think that introverts are shy. We are not shy at all. In fact we can talk to people, including strangers easily. So what is an introvert then? An introvert is someone who can thrive without an excess of external stimulation. We do not need to be the center of attention. We do not have to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral.

Tonight I went to support our Halloween outreach and fall festival. It became busier as the night wore on. Lots of people, families and children of all ages. Very loud environment with the music playing. Lots of cute, and not so cute, costumes. And by 9pm I had had all I needed to feel satisfied. I did my part by being there. This was not about me and what I like. It was about those who came to participate.

Introverts are not uncomfortable in crowds. But we do not need crowds to feel stimulated. Introverts need people, but in smaller doses than some others need people. Introverts make a good second fiddle.

We all are the same in some ways, and we all are unique in some ways. If we were all the same how boring that would be. But we are all needed and we are all important and we are all a part of God's grand adventure as the body of Christ, the local church.

My Struggle With Halloween.

 I do not know why, but since my wife died Halloween has been the hardest national holiday for me to handle. In the first few years after Kathy's death I used to get in my car and drive around Prescott for hours. Just driving. Maybe stopping now and then. Until finally I would drive home and go to sleep.

For years no parents took their kids out on Halloween night like in olden times. And we ended up with candy and no one to give it too. This was sad for us, but good news for me. 

Our church does a Halloween night outreach with booths and games and a play. This give me a reason not to be home alone on Halloween night.

No other holiday bothers me like Halloween does. I do not know why. But I have a plan that keeps me away from home on this creepy night. 

Victory Over the Roaring Lion

 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1Pet.5:8

I always thought of this verse to mean that the devil is on the prowl, looking for our unguarded moments or our sinful dalliances, to pounce on us to gobble us up so to speak. I looked at him as a mugger who robs us and beats us up and leaves us for dead. Like the gangsters and thugs who want what we have and who take advantage of us when we are somewhere we ought not to be.

Pastor tonight said that the devil is out and about looking for a weak believer to entice them to sin and rebel against God. Like Eve in the Garden.

We are called in the text to be sober and to be vigilant. The word sober means what you think it means. Do no be drunk on alcohol. Be a sipping saint and do not be surprised when you find a roaring lion in your house. The word vigilant means to be watchful. Do not get taken by surprise. Be aware of your surroundings. Be aware of triggers that send you over the edge. The devil is a master at deception, making himself into an angel of light to appear god-like.

The final word is that we cannot do this on our own. We need the Lord's help every day. We do our part, and God will do His part.

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7

Funerals or Memorial Services: The Same Thing?

 I went to a memorial service this morning for a brother who has died. A good man, and family man, a hard working man, a Marine, and a Christian man. He leaves behind a large family and many friends.

We call it a memorial service, not a funeral. When you attend a funeral it is a somber affair. There are family and friends there. There is a short service. But it is not a joyous time at all. A memorial service is for those left behind when someone dies. I wonder if they think that keeping the service focused on Heaven will make it easier for the family. I think that it does not matter what we call it, these services are sad times when we remember the death of a loved one.

I wonder if Pentecostals do not know how to grieve or how to mourn. We want to be happy and joyful all of the time. The joy of the Lord is our strength. They are in Heaven with Christ. We are saved, why should we be sad?

But we are sad. We lost someone dear to us. We lost someone that we thought that we could not live without. We are sad, we are angry, We are shocked, we are confused. We are everything but joyful.

I would rather have a funeral where people can cry as they reminisce. Weeping may endure for a while, but joy will return in time. In the mean time, let those who loved them grieve and mourn for them for a while. Stop trying to make a sad time happy.

Lord, help this family. They lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a friend. No one will ever take his place in their lives.

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

James and Paul

 All of the first wave of converts in Acts were Jews. All of the original apostles were Jews. It is no wonder then that the New Testament writings by James and Peter and John sound more Jewish than Christian.

Theologians point out to us that there was no small dispute between James, the brother of Jesus and the pastor in Jerusalem, and Paul. Paul goes to great lengths explaining and expounding on the doctrine of salvation by grace alone.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Eph.2:8-9

James challenges this doctrine teaching that salvation is by works.

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" James 2:11

James out lines the works that faith inspires and promotes. But doing good works alone is the Law, not grace.

If it were not for Paul, we would not be saved today. Paul took the Gospel out from under the covering of the Law and made it available to all people, everywhere. God used Paul to make the Gospel good news for the world, not just a wing of Judaism.

Did you know that those who put together the New Testament to make the Bible almost did not include James? But it's there and it is useful for doctrine and instruction. We use the whole Bible because it is all God's words to us about Christ.

The new is in the old concealed, the old is in the new revealed.

Is Your Belly Your God?

"whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-who set their minds on earthly things." Phil.3:19

We live in a society where diet, exercise, nutrition, and healthy eating are big business.  I wonder if we are guilty of making our appetites our god? By focusing on diet and nutrition are we setting our minds on earthly things?

When you have to think about food all of the time, or when you have to think about nutrition all of the time, is that making you happy? Or is that making you feel stressed? Do you think that you are better because you think that you eat better?

Show me where you spend your time, your talent, and your money, and I will show you who your god is. It is the Lord Jesus, or your belly?

Life is a Marathon

 Here's a quick note. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Show me someone who sprints fast at the start, and I will show you someone who runs out of gas about halfway through the race. 

In the beginning of the Christian life everything is new and everything is exciting. You cruise along enjoying all that God has for you. But as the years roll on, we find that often we spend our time yearning for those good old days. We find that we have spent a lot of spiritual energy to get where we are, and find it hard to refill those spiritual gas tanks.

You need to make it to the end of your life looking forward. You need to find both the will and the stamina to keep on going. God never ages or changes, but we do both.

Nothing in life is exactly the same at the end as it was at the beginning. We change physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Some things get better with age, and some things just get old.

If you feel empty and if you feel like life is over, find a way to connect with the Lord. Find something that you can do. Life must be lived to the end. Even if you walk the last mile home, you need to get there.