Social Death vs. Literal Death

I have read several blogs about the current ordeal between The Robertson Family and A&E. The arguments about gay rights, homosexuality, freedom of speech and religion. Whether or not Phil is hateful, racist, ignorant or old fashioned. There is a deeper and more powerful message behind all of this besides the argument to "bring back Phil" or "boycott A&E." This blog isn't going to be about Phil and his family or what they do and don't stand for. They make it well known about their beliefs. As the old saying goes, "there's bigger fish to fry."

Romans 1:16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.


People have been denying Christ since Christ has been around. It's no secret that Peter denied Him three times in one night, just to save his own britches. There is a story (not sure of it's authenticity but it's a good one nevertheless) of a Pentecostal minister that walked into his church one Sunday morning, pulled out a pistol and said "I'm killing every Christian in here." They beat the doors down getting out, and he looked down at the 3 that stayed and proclaimed "Now we can have church."

There's another account of a young North Korean Christian boy who was told to denounce his Christianity and proclaim the Emperor as his savior. He was shot twice in the stomach and bled to death on the sidewalk, still calling out the name of Jesus.

When I was a student at Louisiana Teen Challenge, one of the staff members, Reverend  Derek "Brother D" Handy, preached a message called "The Stephens of Today." I will never forget this message and it is a sermon that has been tattooed on my heart. He talked about Stephen, while being stoned for his beliefs, still cried out to God to forgive the ones that were killing him. Stephen died a literal death for his Savior. He had the love of Jesus in his heart, even with his last breath.

In the light of recent events, particularly the incident with Phil Robertson, it has me thinking about Brother D's sermon and how many of us wouldn't be willing to die a social death, much less a literal one. In this day and age, we can post a statement or a picture on social media, and if an insufficient amount of people "like" it, then we automatically get offended. If someone posts a generic rant or rave, we automatically think they are talking about us personally.

How many times do we have an AWESOME opportunity to witness to someone, but keep our mouth shut because we are afraid of what they will say or think. Have we ever been in the grocery store or walking on a busy street and The Lord puts someone on your heart to go and pray for? It's like He shines a spotlight on them, but yet we do nothing, scared of rejection.

Matthew 10:33

English Standard Version (ESV)

³³ but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.



The passage above is from Jesus Himself. If we deny Him on Earth, He will remember that when we stand before Him. My hat goes off to Phil Robertson and his family for not being afraid of the social death. It is example for all of us to follow.


But as I sit here typing I can't help but wonder how many of us would be willing to take two bullets in the belly for Jesus? Get smashed by stones and still beg for the life of the people stoning us, stay in the church when there is a gunman threatening our lives? It really puts Romans 1:16 and Matthew 10:33 in perspective. God Bless all of you, for our fight has just begun.

Mr. Pace, Martin Luther and the Wiggles

Halloween. It's the one night of the year that our suburban neighborhood turns into Grand Central Station for a bunch of kids that I have never seen before. They come in by the van loads, obviously imported from the apartment buildings, trailer parks and countryside. There will be four-wheelers and other ATV's pulling trailers full of kids. Deputies will be in full force. Traffic will be at a stand-still. Unknown parents will be laughing and joking as they sip their "coffee" from the back of a truck, creating a cache point for their children's candy. A good time will be had by all... except us.

This year my family has decided to opt-out of the main stream Halloween festivities. We attended a Fall Festival at our church last night. It had the traditional theme with costumes, candy, etc., but in a more organized environment that includes games and Christian music. Our youth group ran the concession stand as a fund-raiser, and there was also a cake walk. One of Mom's sitters has two children, and they came with us and both won cakes!

As many of you read in a previous blog, my sons are obsessed with The Wiggles. We listen to them in the van, they are all over the DVR, and they often wake up in the middle of the night requesting them. So it was only natural for us to dress up as the "Fantabulous Four" for the Fall Fest. It was a hit.

October 31st will forever have a special place in my heart, and for several reasons. On this day one year ago a great man went to be with the Lord. My father, Martin, lost a long fight with heart problems. It is only fitting that he went like that, for he had one of the biggest hearts of any man I know. That man went through A LOT: physically, spiritually, emotionally. He adopted and raised three children out of love, held several careers and gave the Air Force 33 years of service. He was married to my mom for 45 years and was  always an amazing provider, doing whatever was necessary for his family. His presence is missed by all who knew him, especially me. I miss you, Daddy.

My birthday is July 31st. Subtract 9 months from that and you'll see another reason why I have a connection to this date.

And on this day in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the All Saints Church in Germany, ultimately leading to the Protestant Revolution. His act of standing up to the Catholic Church sparked changes that resonate throughout the world to this day. He recaptured the biblical view of the priesthood of all believers, showing all people that their work had purpose and dignity because in it they can serve their Creator. Amen M.L.

I hope everyone is safe tonight. We have some pretty major storms moving through the South with threats of wind, rain and hail. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on the caravans of mini-vans and ATV's that will still be roaming the suburbs, knocking on doors and legally pan-handling, being more diligent than the Postal Service while making their rounds. Godspeed.

Favor with God and Home Depot

Recently I took a trip to my local Home Depot to pick up lumber to make a couple of bunkie boards. I know you're probably wondering what bunkie boards are. My wife had to explain it to me. They are supports that go underneath the mattress of a child's bed to give the bed extra strength. They should support all the jumping, climbing and other activities that a child will do on his "playbed." You can get these boards online or at a retailer for anywhere between $70 and $400, depending on size, material etc.

 

After doing some research on these things, we find out that they are mostly just plywood with some felt stapled to it to make it look good. The kind of plywood that you can get for 20 bucks a sheet at the lumber yard. So we decided to build our own and save a few dollars. That's where my Home Depot story begins to unfold:

What you see in the picture above is the "Contractor Entrance" at the store. I have been to Home Depot a hundred times and always entered through the normal entrance for common folks. However on this day, I justified parking in the contractor lot because I was actually picking up some lumber. I was just going to file in there like I knew what I was doing. So I get my big orange lumber cart and head of into the corridors of sweet smelling lumber, brushing shoulders with general contractors, plumbers, drywall experts and handymen. Thank goodness the sheets of plywood were pre-cut to the measurements I needed. It would have blown my cover if I had to ask for a tape measure.

Upon checkout is where things got interesting. Now I'm not saying that they aren't friendly to the average Joe, but if the staff think that you're "one of them" then you get some favor. The exchange with something like this:

Lady in orange apron: "Good morning, sir, will you be paying with your Home Depot Pro Card today?"
Me: "No ma'am, not today." (What I did there was I insinuated that I had one, I was just choosing not to use it today.)
Lady in apron: "I see there is a corner on that plywood that is a little damaged. I'm going to go ahead and knock off 5 bucks." 
Me: "Well thank you. I guess that's what you call 'cutting corners.'" Ha ha. We shared a laugh together. Our relationship is growing.
Apron lady: "Are you going to need someone to help you take these out to your work truck?"  My cover once again could be comprised. The back of my pick up is full of empty apple juice cartons and duck decoys not extension ladders and paint buckets.
Me: "Oh no ma'am. I can handle this little bit." I paid the nice lady and was about to head out when she stops me.
Apron: "I see that you don't have a lanyard for your sunglasses. How about a complimentary one."
Me: "Well bless your heart."

After getting $5 off my board, an offer to have a man carry my wood for me, and a free eyeglasses holder, I was feeling good. But wait. There's more. While trying to fit my two Pieces of future bunkie board through the double sliding doors, I realized that they wouldn't fit sideways. I was beginning to cause a traffic jam of real pros that were trying to get out the door to do some real work with real deadlines.

Out of nowhere appears yet another orange aproned employee. He pushes a button on the wall and the doors opened another 5 feet on each side, allowing me, my bunkie boards and all the folks behind me to pass through with ease. I was informed that "only the contractor doors do that." Sweet.

In all actuality, I probably wasn't shown much favor at all. I'm sure they do that for anyone who comes on that side of the store. But for a little while it felt good to be catered to, if even in my imagination.

It got me thinking of the favor that God shows us on a daily basis. I am a parking lot greeter at church. Last Sunday I asked a lady how she was doing. She replied "Good by man and highly favored by God." Amen sister. Her comment reminded me of Proverbs 3: 3-4 "Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation."

God does us favors all the time. It's just difficult sometimes to see between the lines and realize that He's doing it. We as humans always want to try and take credit for things instead of giving the credit to God. "I worked so hard for that," or "I deserve that." We don't deserve anything but an eternity in hell. But through God's grace and favor and the blood of Christ, we have the opportunity at eternity. We all do.

So the special treatment that I thought I was getting at Home Depot probably wasn't special at all. It's what they do for everyone. Just like God. You don't have to be a "contractor" to get the special favor from God. That is what is so amazing to me about His unfailing love. It is available to anyone who will come over and get it.

Faithfulness and Beggar Lice

Hackelia virginiana, commonly known as Beggar's Lice, is a biennial plant native to Eastern North America. It has simple, rough leaves and ribbed green stems.

The flowers are small and white, bourne in mid-late summer. The seeds are burrs, and are very sticky. Often the entire plant will come out of the ground if the seeds catch on clothing or fur, so it is generally considered a pest plant.

If anyone has ever had contact with this plant, you'll know it. The little green or brown seed-like burrs will stick to clothes, equipment, leg hair, whatever they can. And you can't brush them off. You have to pull them off one at a time.

Recently I had an encounter with God and Beggar Lice at the same time. A lesson was learned and a blog topic was born. I am a backpacker. An amateur mountaineer and hiker. I love putting on my pack and climbing stuff. I was forced to do it when I was in the Infantry and swore I would never do it again upon discharge. 20 years later here I am doing it for fun and exercise.

One of my favorite places to hike is the Vicksburg National Military Park. There's something about trekking over the grounds where thousands of men died that makes my pack seem a little lighter. It's quiet, serene and the grounds are well kept.

Several weeks back I was about half way through six mile hike and I heard thunder off in the distance. I have an old A.L.I.C.E pack. In it I keep cast iron for weight and I use blankets and pillows for girth and to balance the load. The pack isn't waterproof and all I could think of at the moment was how much heavier it would be if it were water-logged.

I picked up my pace a little and kept my eyes on the clouds. The wind started to pick up considerably and the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. When that happens,you know it's about to storm. There was no shelter between my position and my truck so there I was...trying to beat the storm back to the parking lot.

As the thunder got closer and the clouds darker, I figured now was a good time to pray.
"Lord, I'm not asking you to not make it rain, I'm not asking you to postpone it. What I am asking is that you give this back and these legs of mine the strength to make it back to the truck before you allow the bottom to fall out. Lord, if this pack gets soaked I may have to ditch it and come back later. It will be to heavy for me to carry."

An amazing thing happened. My legs felt renewed, the wind shifted to my back and I was moving at a good pace  towards safety. I had asked God for something specific and he was answering. I felt like Forrest Gump when he busted out of those shackles on his legs. I was filled with a confidence that I would make to my vehicle before the storm hit.

 I came to a short cut. I could look across a field and see my truck sitting there, the ominous clouds above it. I had never taken this route before because it also meant crossing 4 lanes of heavy traffic on foot. I was faced with a decision to do one of two things. I could:

1) Having just prayed for strength and having my prayers answered, I could keep my faith in God and stay on the designated path that was marked. It was a safe way to get to my truck, but it would take longer to get there, meaning I might end up getting wet. Or....

2) I could cut across this "innocent" field, brave 4 lanes of rush hour traffic with a 70lb pack, and maybe make it to my truck in time.

I took my eyes off Him and struck out on my own. I actually had to hop a fence to cross the field, and just a few feet in I realized I had made a bad mistake. I had Beggar Lice stuck to me from my shoes to my chest. And I mean a bunch. By the time I was halfway to my truck, you couldn't tell what color shorts or shoes I had on. I emerged from the woods looking like The Swamp Thing. I'm surprised I didn't cause a wreck as I was crossing the road. I had to undress in the parking lot because I was literally sticking to myself. It was horrible. I ended up having to throw my clothes away and cut the burrs out of my leg hair. And to prove God has a sense of humor, it didn't even rain. The storm blew over.

This reminded me of the story of Peter walking across the water to meet Jesus. 

²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
²⁸ And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:22-33.

I took my eyes off Him. No, I didn't sink in the ocean, but I did get covered in Beggar Lice. I thought that I had found an easier way to do things instead of staying on the course that I knew would be the best bet. How often in life do we do that. We always try and take short cuts instead of just toughing it out. God has all of us, myself included on a specific course for our lives. When we try and put self over God, it won't work! We must keep our faith in Him and TRUST that our prayers are being answered. Or we may just get covered in Beggar Lice.

"Old Testament Krav Maga"

Recently Braxton has requested the story of King David as his preferred night-night story. Braxton loves stories of kings and queens. In his own little world, Ma-maw is the patriarch, I am the king, Shannon is the queen and he is the "David." Greyson is just Greyson, bless his heart. We all rule over Ridgewood Street and Chico and Lucky are our only subjects. This is a shot of  B and I patrolling our kingdom. We were also collecting bait to catch fish to feed the Royal Family.

Shannon gets a kick out of how I tell Bible stories. When I tell the story of David and Goliath, I try to make it a little more modern sounding than it was in 1 Samuel. I try to make it where people can relate. I call this "Old Testament Krav Maga."

"This is how it all went down. The Israelites (the good guys)  were at war with the Philistines (the bad guys.) The Philistines had one certain soldier that was a big boy. I mean this dude was huge. They called him Goliath. Even today when you hear the word Goliath, you think of something big.

Not only did Goliath have a big frame, but he also had the big ego to go with it. Every day he would come out and taunt the Jews. He was so sure of himself that he made the deal that if one man killed him, then the Philistines would become the slaves of the Israelites. He did this daily for forty days.

Now our boy David was a shepherd. That means he tended sheep. Not the most glorious job back then but an important one nonetheless. He had heard there was a battle going on and decided to go down and check on his brothers. He was prepared to see his people whip up on some Philistine tail. But when he got down to Elah, he saw just the opposite. (just a side note about David... this fellow is anointed. God has big plans for David and this kid is chock full of the Holy Spirit.) So when David heard G-baby come out and give his daily threats to the Israelites, he took personal offense to it. He said one of my favorite lines in the whole Bible. Allow me to quote David; "Who is THIS uncircumcised Philistine who DARES defy the army of the Living God? Don't lose heart over this dude anymore! I will go and kill him. When a lion or a bear tries to attack my sheep, I take him out. When the wild animals turn on me, I grab them by the hair and handle my business. This Goliath defies MY God and I will neutralize this threat with extreme prejudice."

They tried to put armor on David but he didn't want it. He didn't need it. He got five stones from a stream and his trusty sling and moved out. When Big Boy saw him coming, he got mad. He was offended that a young man was coming at him with just a few rocks and a sling. Goliath had some heavy metal in his arsenal. But David not only had his usual side arm, he was also packing the ultimate Weapon of Mass Destruction....

    ⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD ALMIGHTY, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47.


Krav Maga /krɑːv məˈɡɑː/ (Hebrew: קרב מגע‎ [ˈkʁav maˈɡa], lit. "contact combat") is a tactical martial system developed in Israel that consists of a wide combination of techniques. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and extremely efficient and brutal counter attacks.
Krav Maga encourages students to avoid confrontation. If this is impossible or unsafe, it promotes finishing a fight as quickly as possible. Attacks are aimed at the most vulnerable parts of the body, and training is not limited to techniques that avoid severe injury.
Students learn to defend against all variety of attacks and are taught to counter in the quickest and most efficient way. (thank you wikipedia.)

What David did next was awesome. He ran to Goliath, whipped a rock from his sling and knocked Big 'Un down. He then took Goliath's own sword and cut the giants head off. Talk about Israeli Special Forces. He took out the enemy in a matter of seconds. David just took hand to hand combat to a whole new level. Israeli Krav Maga in the Old Testament.

 
All the odds were against David. He was small, he was armor-less, and under armed. But he had something that Goliath didn't. God had his back and he knew it. He entered the battlefield knowing that God would take care of him. If only I had the faith of David.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with trying to do everything right. I want my kingdom to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. It's hard for me to keep the faith that David had when I'm facing my Goliaths. It's easy to run and hide like the Israelites did in the face of a major threat. There is a Chris Tomlin song that is being played to death on Christian radio right now, but I love it. "Whom Shall I Fear." I wonder if David had a psalm like that in his head as he was facing the giant?



"I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side"

So when I tell my children this amazing story of good vs. evil and the power of having faith in God, I always get goosebumps. It was one of my favorite stories when I was a child, and apparently it's one of my boys favorites now. The older I get, the more God reveals to me in this truly incredible account of history. I want my children to know that people may fail them, they will probably have their heart broken a time or two and they will definitely encounter fear at sometime in their lives, but the God of angel armies is always by their side.
 

"Never Say Never"

If I had a nickel for every time I said that I would "never" do something, and then did it, I wouldn't be writing this blog right now. I'd be paying someone to write it for me.

 I said that I would NEVER lace up my boots for less than $25 an hour (yes, I thought I was that good.) I now live on a faith based income and God has provided all my needs.
 I said that I would NEVER drive a mini-van. That is now the main mode of transportation for my family. That sweet ride has DVD, power everything, an auxiliary plug for our phones and music devices, a sunroof and leather seats. Many a time I've had all the windows down blasting some guitar music too loud for someone my age to do. You see that sweet ride in the picture? I got one.

  I said I would NEVER be that dad that showed up at school 30 minutes early, just so I could be first in line to get the boys. That's right. I beat out all the soccer moms and grandmas and the first thing all those kids see when they pile out the door is Braxton and Greyson's dad sitting there in all of my camouflage wearing, whiskered up glory. My boys aren't something that I have to do during the day, they are what I do during the day. 
I said I would NEVER raise my hands in church, or pray out loud in front of other people. Now I feel like that is the only way to truly worship. For years a wall of pride stood between me and a happy, healthy and personal relationship with God. All the people that I was trying to impress or not impress or fit in with etc. aren't going to get me in heaven or keep me out of hell. That's between me and God.

So all this talk of me saying "never" and then eating my words had me thinking about what the Word of God says on the subject. If God says He is never going to do something then well, you can take that to the bank. In all the thousands of years since Creation, he has never backslid, been wrong, or let anyone down. Why would He ruin His stellar reputation now?

According to one search, the word "never" appears in 83 verses in 71 chapters of the Bible. The two that stand out the most to me are on both ends of the spectrum. Deuteronomy 31:8 says " It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will NEVER leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." What an amazing statement. If God says it, He means it. That's just what He does. On the other hand, if we choose to reject His love and do not do the will of the Father, Jesus Himself says in Matthew 7:23 "But I will reply, 'I NEVER knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.'"

The word "never" is an absolute word. There's no way that we as humans can use it and know absolutely that we will never do something. The Bible is also a book of absolutes. It's the most absolute thing that we have in this world, having stood the test of time for thousands of years. We should never say never, but God can!

"Like a Boss"

Ever heard the old saying "too many chiefs and not enough Indians?" That seems to be the common thought among everyone in our house, including myself. Shannon and I brought our family into my parent's home around four months ago, after Mom's health declined and she needed full time care. Dad used to always say "two families don't belong under the same roof." I concur, Pops, but technically we are all kin. Sometimes things are good, sometimes not so good. I like to THINK that I am the head of the household, but yet it's not my house. It's mom's and she is quick to let us know that. Shannon is bringing home the bacon these days so she has a great deal of pull and rightfully so. Braxton (the almost 3 yr old) is in charge of entertainment. He loves the Wiggles.

 We have had them on two televisions at the same time AND playing on the DVD player in the van. I can play more Wiggles songs on my guitar than I can worship songs. All singing in the house/car has to be ok'd by him. The other day I was singing the family an awesome "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star/Older Women are Beautiful Lovers" medley and he shut me down. In a commanding voice he says, "THAT'S ENOUGH, DADDY!" Like a boss.

Greyson on the other hand just kind of goes with the flow. His older brother loves him but does things to get on his nerves, and he handles that pretty good. He sleeps in his "big boy" bed every night. He eats good. All is well with him UNTIL something doesn't go his way. To say he throws a fit is an understatement. The child will arch his back until the back of his head touches his ankles. Then he just falls out. Kick, scream, spit, cry, you name it. He shuts the whole house down. Like a boss.

A few weeks ago I watched an episode of "Undercover Boss." The CEO of an international luxury hotel chain disguised himself as a maintenance man and infiltrated the working class stiffs. He saw what was going on behind the scenes and in the end rewarded those who were doing a good job. Our Heavenly Father does the same to us. How do I know that? It's in the Bible.

Hebrews 13:1-2 says "Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some have unwittingly entertained angels." Wow. Kind of like a Heavenly quality control. Talk about an undercover boss!! Our reward for living for Christ and striving to be Christlike is eternal life with Him.

No matter how much WE try and rule the roost or run the show, he needs to be the boss, not us. I know in my life, everything that I have tried to do on my own seemed to fall apart, sometimes quick and sometimes painfully slow. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." And He will do it, too. Like a boss.