Waxing on Hope

As usual in a Presedential Election Year, the rhetoric of the campaign comes continuously from the surviving candidates for the highest office in the land. And as usual, the great machine of media will largely decide the outcome of the November election. The media slant and spin is subtle sometimes but grows increasingly obvious during such a campaign. Just today I simultaneously compared two major news outlets and the top story (complete with picture) on each website homepage. Foxnews.com ran a picture of Obama in Muslim garb from an '06 trip to Somalia and article with it, while at the same time msnbc.com ran a picture and article about the Academy Awards Show last night. At the time of this posting I could not even find the Obama story on msnbc.com. I did notice another interesting Obama story on the msnbc homepage. From the Associated Press, CHICAGO: "In his first major public address since a cancer crisis, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said that presidential candidate Barack Obama is the 'hope of the entire world' that the U.S. will change for the better."
Ever wonder just where America is headed? I will avoid endorsing a candidate or claiming a party affiliation rather. I endorse Jesus Christ! My affiliation is with Him! I confess Jesus as Lord! He is my hope! But what about the President? This country will get exactly what we want...it may just be way more than we bargained for.
The majority of the United States wants a leader that will bring peace, economic stability and "change for the better" or "change we can believe in" or just "change." Better...for my bank account, my job, my future, my children...a better world...yes, I think that is a reasonable request from the President! Rather ridiculous isn't it? How ridiculous have we become?
Scripture says "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord," and our nation has turned from the Lord. Our rebellion is obvious and we are reaping what we have sown. We have desired a Godless society and that is exactly what we have, complete with the sense of hopelessness a Godless existence brings.
I pray that the Lord will lead His own in the path of His commandments,that we would delight in Him. That our hearts would be inclined to His testimonies, and not to selfish gain! He is the God of our Salvation! He is the hope of the entire world!
Who are you hoping in? Putting your faith in? Obama? McCain? Huckabee? Hilary?
Wake up America! There is quickly coming a Day when all leaders...presidents...kings and princes...past and present...all men from every tribe and nation of all time will stand before the Greatest of All Time...the One Who was, Who is, and Who is to come! The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End! Jesus Christ is His name! He is the Hope of the world! The Savior! The Soon Coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Jesus is the only name under heaven given by which men might be saved! He is your only hope! Trust Him today! America repent! America repent! Repent before it is too late!!!
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
And if you are trusting Christ today, lift up your heads! Your redemption is near!
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5)
Put not your trust in princes,in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,whose hope is in the Lord his God,who made heaven and earth,the sea, and all that is in them,who keeps faith forever
(Psalm 146:3-6)

Waxing on Dusty Dreams

I got home this afternoon and looked up to see part of the shingles on my roof just blowing back like a tarp or something. I didn't realize the wind had been that strong today. I also had a piece of siding peeled back on the other side of my house. Stuff like that used to really get my blood pressure up but not that much anymore (I take medication). I was able to snap the siding back in and nail down the shingles...nothing like these poor people in the above picture. It got me to thinking though and kind of drove home a thought I had this weekend.
Becky and I went away for the weekend and drove past some pretty incredible homes...and I was impressed by a few of them but I kept thinking...dust, just dust. Oh, not that I would not mind residing in some of that dust but it is still just dust. It just does not matter in the big scheme of things. When Jesus was on this earth, He could have lived ANYWHERE He wanted and He chose nowhere. Once when a man said that he would follow Christ anywhere, the Lord wanted him to know that He was homeless....Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)

Jesus just did not seem concerned with the things that occupy most of our time. When He stood before Pilate, His very life on the line, He said "My Kingdom is not of this world."

Nice homes are tempting but even if they withstand all the strong winds of a lifetime, they are temporary dwellings at best. Scripture says that everything we see will pass away, but the word of God and those who believe and do the will of the Father will live forever in a place far beyond any earthly home, mansion or castle.

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:11-13)

Waxing on Small Faith in A Huge God

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

I finally went to Leeland's (Leelandonline.com) website to preview their new CD, which sounds pretty cool after the first listen...but before I listened to the music, I tuned in to Jack Mooring talking about Matthew 13 and the parable of the mustard seed...tiny little objects that grow into trees. Kind of reminded me that instead of waiting for our faith to grow before we act, Jesus really tells us to act on our tiny faith. Our faith is in the size and power of our God, not the size and power of our faith...For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Thanks for reminding me to check out Leeland today Jordyn! Oh yeah, we went to hear Jason and Kristy Burton in concert last night...pretty spankin' ! Really enjoyed the music...check Jason out if you have not heard him with his new bride. She plays violin and sings, quite well!

Waxing on Perfection

Leading up to the Super Bowl, the sports world and beyond was very interested in the idea of a "Perfect Season" for the New England Patriots. Many rooted for the Patriots simply because perfection intrigues us. Others just wanted New England to succeed in their quest so we would no longer have to hear about the 1972 Miami Dolphins, but alas, the Dolphins legacy lives on...yet unrivaled in the 21st Century. Perfection...how elusive...how desirable... what a thought!

There has only been one perfect Person...almost everyone admits that...but here is one that will freak you out...Jesus said to His disciples... "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Think you will make it? To perfection? Did Jesus mean performance? Adherence to rules? Following the Ten Commandments? Never violating God's laws?

Well, if we could do that, Jesus would not have died on the Cross for us...and it is in that death that Jesus showed what His idea of perfection is. His death paid the price for my sins.When Jesus said, be perfect He was talking about love. He was saying that He wants us to love like He did. Read the words before "Be perfect":

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48)

So this about love? Yes, God's love...His love that He demonstrated to you and I through the death of Christ on the Cross...He loved us when we were His enemies. God did that...and in doing so He conquered death, hell and the grave. Christ's command for perfection is about love...we are His ambassadors and how can we do that without loving others...even our enemies?

“How does love conquer? By asking not how the enemy treated her but only how Jesus treated her. The love for our enemies takes us along the way of the cross and into fellowship with the Crucified. The more we are driven along this road, the more certain is the victory of love over the enemy’s hatred. For then it is not the disciple’s own love, but the love of Jesus Christ alone, who for the sake of His enemies went to the cross and prayed for them as He hung there.”-Dietrich Bonhoeffer (hanged by the Nazis in April,1945)

Waxing on Almost Perfect

Eli Manning beats Tom Brady??? I have to admit I never thought the Giants would end the Patriot's perfect season.
Strahan always believed...one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. N.Y. Giants 17, New England Patriots 14. I would feel bad for the Patriots but hey...I am a Raiders fan....I still remember the "tuck rule" game...maybe next year for a perfect season Pats!

Waxing on Being Game

Becky, Jordyn and I are headed down to North Carolina to lead praise and worship for a "Wild Game" night at Corinth Baptist Church. I don't know if this means we get to eat some squirrel or if it is connected to the Super Bowl tomorrow...oh well, we will enjoy it whatever!

Speaking of the Super Bowl....are you fired up? I do get excited about the Super Bowl! NFL football is great but the season is just too short. Well, anyway...off to N.C. Hungry anybody?See you tomorrow morning at Community Christian Fellowship....if you are game!