Are You A Rebel?

 

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.”  1 Corinthians 6:12

The last opinion you voiced, or the last sound bite you shared … was it helpful?  Increasingly, we are part of a society that is extreme in the attitudes of:

·        Me first

·        It’s my right to say what I want

·        My life or the life of anyone I care about hasn’t been negatively impacted by this, so I don’t consider this a valid issue

We look at the surface of issues and make decisions.  We hear the latest media report that fits neatly in our comfort zones, and we feel qualified to take a stance.  And because it is our right to tell everyone what we think, we do just that. When someone disagrees or is hurt (and there is always someone) we label them uninformed, unintelligent, uber-politically correct or someone that just doesn’t matter. 

As people of God, we need to do better than that.  Everything that is lawful, is not always helpful.  In other words, just because we can say some things doesn’t mean that we always should.  Our opinions that don’t positively affect eternity are not worth a tinker’s dam.  (No, I did not curse. If you have concerns, look the phrase up.)  Do you really think that the enemy of our souls doesn’t attempt to use everything available to him to cause division between us? 

 

As an example, I’ll use an issue that is being hotly debated right now….whether or not to fly the Confederate Flag.  Everyone has an opinion about it, but is your opinion helpful?  If not, the discussion should end here because according to scripture, we will have to account for our idle words at the judgment.  But if you have determined that your opinion is helpful, who does it help?  How does your specific opinion about whether to fly the flag of the Confederate States of America affect eternity? 

 

I believe that the preservation and display of the Confederate flag is important for factual documentation of United States history.  For that reason, it should be maintained.  However, the flying of that same flag indicates proud support for its related ideals.  So, when I see or hear those who proudly and boldly show support for flying the flag of the Confederate States of America, which no longer exists, I have to wonder what they mean by it. I don’t assume they are racist, but I admit that I wonder whether they are.  I know that when I show support for an ideal, it’s because I believe it to be worthwhile and right. When I show support for a person or team, it’s because I want them to win.  If they don’t win, my continued support indicates that I wish they had.  Is that the case with those showing support for the Confederate flag?

 

What if the Confederacy had won the American Civil War?  What if we, in the Unites States of America, were currently living with the results of that victory?  As an American of African descent, I’ve got to be honest and tell you that is a scary thought for me.  There were several issues surrounding the cause of the War Between the States, but the main issue was economics.  Not all southerners believed in the enslavement of Blacks, but many did.  Because of the institution of slavery, many profited from ventures that would have been likely to fail otherwise. Slavery was the norm and it afforded a way of life that many had become accustomed to; so accustomed, in fact, that many were willing to fight to preserve it.  You see, the Constitution guaranteed equal rights for all men, but at that time Blacks were not considered men or even human. We were considered animals, therefore, exempt from protections under the law.  We were property to be treated or mistreated, based on the whim of anyone deemed White.  If that were still the case, my life would bear no resemblance to how I live today.  I wouldn’t have had opportunities to obtain an education, or participate in my 30+ year aerospace career.  I wouldn’t be a tax paying, voting citizen.  I wouldn’t be living in a comfortable home in Ventura County, legally married to my handsome White husband, Pastor Arland, whom I am assisting in the launch of a multi-cultural Word of Faith church planned for the fall of this year. 

 

I realize that some see the Confederate Flag as a symbol of their Southern heritage.  I beg to differ because Southern and Confederate are not the same thing.  Except for the humidity, I LOVE the South, but the Confederacy, not so much.  My thoughts of the South are filled with beautiful scenery, southern hospitality, and wonderful time with family (Arland and his sister, Sharon, grew up in South Carolina and have many relatives there).  My thoughts of the Confederacy are filled with the horror of being considered an animal, with mistreatment and oppression because of the color of my skin being acceptable to society at large, and having no right to liberty.  The purpose of the Confederacy was to maintain the institution of slavery.  Revisionists may claim otherwise, but a quick perusal of the Ordinances of Secession for the 13 Confederate States will settle that issue:  http://www.civil-war.net/pages/ordinances_secession.asp.  My understanding of that purpose causes me concern as I see and hear those adamant about their right to fly the Confederate flag.  Supporting the ideals of the Confederacy sounds dangerously close to a desire to legally remove any rights Black Americans have as a human beings. 

 

As Christians, it is vitally important that we fully understand those things we claim to support.  In doing so we avoid bringing reproach on ourselves and the name of our Lord and Savior.   So many times, we embrace opinions of our peers or social circle without fully considering the ramifications.  It is easy, it is safe and it guarantees that we will have support.  But we are to do as 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.” 

 

So, with consideration of all said here, what do you think?  Do you feel that support for flying the flag of the Confederate States of America is helpful?  How do you think support or lack of support for the related ideals will affect your eternity?   I pray that the conclusion you reach is pleasing to God.  

 

                                                                 

 

 

 

A Continual Feast

“He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.”  Proverbs 15:15(b)

 What does that even mean?  And a feast of what?

It means that when you make a conscious decision to be cheerful, and firmly resolve that is how you will live, you will look at life differently.  You will look at difficulties with a confidence that there is a solution to every situation.  Your capacity to care about others will increase.  The likelihood of getting your feathers ruffled will decrease.  You will have a continual feast of less stress and more joy.  And I don’t know about you, but that is the kind of feast I can get excited about. 

The more time I spend in God’s word, the more I understand practical application of it.  That was not always the case.  I grew up in a church, knew the Bible stories, memorized & recited my assigned weekly scripture verses.  To me, the Bible was some nebulous group of words that had no particular value except that I had been taught that reading it was the right thing to do.  But one day, I decided that I’d had enough of playing church.  I was determined to find out if God was real or not, and whether reading a Bible would make a difference in my life. 

I wasn’t sure how I was going to do that, but I remembered a passage of scripture that gave me a starting place. It was Hebrews 6:11 which says, “For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  I decided that I would purposefully seek God, with the fact of His existence as my default AND I would be diligent in my seeking.  In other words, I made the decision to seek a relationship with God, believing that he exists, being attentive and persistent in my attempt to get to know Him.  That meant I had to put in some time in prayer and in reading His word.  It’s like when you decide you are going to have any kind of relationship, it will only blossom if you spend time with the object of your interest. 

I did it and it changed me.  I came to realize that the Bible is not a regular book that I could just read and instantly understand.  It is a spiritual book that can only be understood with the default mindset that God exists, and that my determination and persistence would be rewarded.  Of course, it did not make me a perfect person.  It did give me a standard by which to live, and treat people, and made me easier to get along with.  Just think, all of you who have ever been in contact with me have benefitted from that decision. 

AND I have been rewarded with a continual feast of less stress and more joy.  Things that are less than wonderful still happen in my life, just as they happen in everyone’s life.  But now, I see things through the joy in my life and I don’t let the bad things define me.  I walk through whatever comes, knowing that I can trust God to get me through it because I have sought and established a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  I can have good days, be joyful in my disposition and hopefully, I can be an encouragement to someone else who could use a good feast too.

 

 

 

The Case for Agua Frescas

For the 4^th of July, a group of about a dozen of us went to my brother, Steve’s house in Valencia.  He had barbequed some meaty beef ribs, some chicken sausages, and baked a homemade 7-Up cake; sister-in-law brought some tasty bread; cousin brought fresh corn on the cob and German chocolate cake; girlfriend brought pasta salad and a sweet potato pie; I took strawberry lemonade, ranch beans, cucumber-roma tomato-red onion-olive salad, potato salad, and a watermelon.

Pastor Arland said a prayer thanking God for our freedom, for privileges we enjoy as Americans and for the food we were about to devour.  He finished blessing the food and we dug in.  We all had a very good time eating.  In addition we told jokes, told childhood stories about one another, picked on each other in general, watched the aerial view of America on the Smithsonian channel on Steve’s big screen and played board games.  After all the festivities were over we divvied up the left overs and prepared to leave.  Even though whoever wanted to take food did so, Steve got stuck with a lot of food. 

As we were leaving I realized that we had not cut the watermelon.  When it is hot out, few things beat a piece of cold, sweet watermelon.  It was warm out in Steve’s area, but I thought it would be too messy to cut the melon and take some home.  So we left the whole thing there.  A few days later, Steve says to me, “Where did you get that watermelon?  It was the best one I had in a long time.”  Of course my first thought was that I should have taken some of that melon with me.  My second thought was that I would just go back to the market where I had gotten the 1^st watermelon to get another.  The problem is that I don’t know how to pick out a watermelon.  So I did what I saw some other people do – slap the melon and listen for a hollow sound.  I don’t know what that means, but I did it.  I found a melon that sounded significantly more hollow than the others and bought it. 

I got home with the melon, took it in the house.  Shortly thereafter Pastor Arland walked in from his office saying, it would be nice if we had some watermelon.  I smiled widely and said, “We do, Honey.  Look!”  I pointed at the big family size melon I had gotten.  We decided to have some that evening. 

After dinner, Arland turned on a baseball game and I began to carve up the melon.  I find it easier to cut the whole thing up and put it in a plastic container, just get all the messiness out of the way at once.  I piled some of the beautiful fruit on a plate to give my waiting husband, but decided to taste it first.  I did and was sorely disappointed.  The melon was not sweet.  It was like chewing water.  Of course, Arland had to test it himself to make sure I wasn’t just having an off taste-bud day.  His face confirmed my assessment.  There we were with a plate plus a gallon container full of tasteless watermelon.  What is one to do?

AGUA FRESCAS!!!  I filled the blender with watermelon ¾ of the way, ice the rest of the way, added water to reach a quarter of the height of the blender pitcher and added a touch of stevia.  The result was a cold and refreshing concoction that we poured in tall glasses and drank with straws….which took us from disappointment to delight in minutes.

Psalm 16:3 says that God’s delight is in those on this earth who choose to live for Him.  We are not perfect, but as with the tasteless watermelon, when we choose to add a bit of sweetness – godliness to our lives, we become delightful to Him.  Delightful to God!  How cool is that!  Honestly, I can’t think of anything I’d rather be.  

 

 

No One Wanted to Read About This

I do my BLOG on blogspot.com – a site that happens to keep statistics on the readership of individual posts.  I took a look and realized that my lowest readership was on the post “Who is Missing In Action?” of May 22.  I wondered why no one wanted to read about that.  I headed over to re-read it.  Then I realized that, the content couldn’t have been the problem.  If no one read it, they wouldn’t know what the content is.  So, it had to be the title.  What about that title would prevent people from reading that post?

 

“Who is Missing In Action?”  Does it bring to mind images of trudging through muddy jungles to find and rescue possibly wounded troops?  I hope so.  Do you have a problem with getting your feet wet?  I hope not.  Life can be messy work, and sometimes people need help. Sometimes, the person needing help is you.  In that case, what do you hope will happen?  When I’m hurt or need help, I hope someone will find it in their heart to show up for me.  Are you willing to get in the trenches and extend a hand to someone in need?

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”   This is from the New King James Version of the Bible, but maybe The Message version will drive the point home.  “All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”

 

My take on this verse is that:

·        God is a God of comfort

·        He is in that business and He wants us to be in that business too

·        He comforts us because He loves us, AND

·        He wants us to be able to comfort others

·        He wants us to comfort others in all kinds of situations

o   not just the ones we approve of or the one we feel they didn’t bring on themselves…..any trouble

 So, take a moment.  Who comes to your mind that is MIA, someone who may have withdrawn because they are going through a hard time?  Who may have a physical aliment that prevents them from doing all they need to do?  If someone came to mind, let me encourage you to prayerfully consider how you can make a difference in their life.  You may be surprised at the result of your display of love and caring. 

Remember, our Heavenly Father is the God of comfort and He already prepared you to be in the family business.   

For or Against?

I don’t know about you, but I want to be known by what I’m for, rather than what I’m against.  I love that saying, but I cannot take credit for it.  I read it on Facebook.  Then at last night’s Bible Study, Pastor Arland was sharing about the culture of Living Well Church that will be launched in September of this year.  He said his intent is for Living Well Church to be known by what we are for rather than we are against.  If you have ever read the church vision statement, you know what we are for.  We are for Jesus Christ and we are for people.  “We love without condition to form lasting relationships tailored to unleash limitless potential in Christ.”

We are for people.  It means that we love people -- all kinds of people.  It does not mean that we love only people who are just like us.  Of course we do love people who are like us, but we also love people who don’t look, think, or believe like us.  Contrary to popular opinion, it is possible to love someone that you don’t agree with.  Have you ever disagreed with something that your child wanted to do?  It didn’t mean that you didn’t love the child, it simply meant you didn’t agree that what they were interested in doing or having was the best thing for them.  A side-effect of loving someone is wanting the best for them. 

We live in a society that seems to be polarized on every issue of life.  One believes X and feels that if others don’t agree, they are hateful and bigoted.   Another believes Y and feels that if others don’t agree, they are unintelligent or uninformed.  And yet another believes Z and feels that if others don’t agree, they are just going to hell.  We need to take the time to see people as individuals….each one of us are someone’s son or daughter, someone’s mother or father.  We are all individuals that are so loved by God, that He sacrificed His best for us.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him will have everlasting life.”   John 3:16   

God gave His Son to die for the sins of people in the world.  Yep, I said it.  The “S” word – SIN.  I said it because the Bible said it.  People can get all wrapped around the axle when someone uses that word, not understanding what sin really is.  Sin is separation from God.  If the route you’ve decided to take is take is different from the one God designed for you, it is sin.  It doesn’t mean that you are necessarily wicked and evil, though you could be.   It means that you have chosen to separate yourself from the things of God.  This is not to point the finger at anyone because one way or another, we’ve all done it at some point….we’ve all fallen short.  But why would it make God any difference how you live your life?  It makes a difference to Him because He loves you and wants the very best for you. 

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

You’ve got to know that only someone who cares about you would say that.  You are loved.  God truly is for you, He is not against you.