Thanksgiving

I've noticed as I walk through the stores these days, that Thanksgiving seems to get overlooked more and more. After the ever-increasing-in-popularity-with-grownups Halloween passes, the hype starts for a secularly stolen Christmas holiday. I'm not here to complain about the all encompassing "Happy Holidays" versus "Merry Christmas" (that's for a later blog), but about the disappearance of Thanksgiving. These days, Thanksgiving is the trigger for the shopping season, starting with Black Friday.

I've got a couple of theories about this, but that's all they are, really.

First, aside from the grocery stores, with turkeys, and stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pies, and everything else that goes into a Thanksgiving Feast, there really aren't any good "tie ins" for the other retailers. I mean, when was the last time you saw anyone put up cardboard turkey decorations, or horns of plenty, or Pilgrim heads? So, there just doesn't seem to be a financial incentive for the retailers to pump this holiday up or hype it with their advertising dollars.

That leads to a related point: Is what we find important in our culture directly related to the advertising budgets of these same retailers? Do they influence us that much? It seems they can make, or break, just about everything. Think of some of the "non-holidays" that have their own greeting cards now. When you walk into a store during any "season" and see all of the advertising and sales and themes (Valentine's, Halloween, 4th of July, even Back to School), doesn't it make that season seem more important?

The biggest problem, I think, is the increasing irrelevance of God to most people's lives. More and more, God is not seen as the source through whom all blessings flow. That's the government's job! More programs - welfare, nationalized insurance, homeowner assistance - the list goes on; the government can do it! Or, YOU are the one to get it done! You were born with some talents, so you were hired to do a job. You work hard and are reliable, so your employer gives you a paycheck. You've saved and are able to afford your home, that Holiday feast, and all the gifts. You've been able to do all these things because you worked hard to make them happen. It's been by the sweat of your brow and your diligence. If that is the case, why would you think to give thanks to Him, you've done all the heavy lifting?

Well, let's start at the very beginning. Who decided that you would be born, or born healthy, or born with any ability at all? Who decided that everyday you woke up that you would be able to draw breath? Or walk? Or think clearly? Who decided that you would continue to be employed in an economic downturn? Who decided that the finances you've so carefully set aside for the holidays weren't erased by some unforeseen tragedy? It's not like it's never happened to anyone before. All of these things are completely out of your control. You could no more decide yourself that you'll wake up tomorrow than you can control the weather! However, there is One who can!

Yes, there is One who is in control and He's the One to whom we should be thankful. He makes the lame walk, the mute talk and the blind to see. He controls nations and their economies and their plans. Nothing happens outside of His knowledge and influence. He does not sleep and He does not take vacations; He's always at the helm. He's bigger than our economy. He's bigger than you. He knows the outcomes and the plans He has for you and I. For that, I can honestly say, "I'm thankful."

So, this Thanksgiving, let's look beyond our little world and give "Thanks" to the One who really makes it all possible - God! The Creator, and Sustainer, of the universe! He truly is the Giver of all good gifts!

"Thank You, God, for all the blessings you've poured out into my life! You've given health and wealth, family and friends, joy, peace of mind and contentment. You've given blessings I've not even been aware of: protection from disease and accident and more. There have been events that You've delayed (that irritated me at the time) for my benefit, and it wasn't until later that I saw the reason (I'm sorry for complaining at the time). Thank You, Lord, for working all things for my good, even the things I've tried to mess up. Help me to never take any of the blessings You've sent my way for granted and to always turn them back to you in the form of praise. You are an awesome God, friend and Savior, and again, I say, 'Thank You!' Amen!"

Pet Peeves

Pet peeves. Everyone has at least one, maybe two. And, by the attitude displayed by some people, it would seem that everything is a pet peeve. You’ve got to love those folks.

I too have one thing that really bothers me. Well, two really. One is, people going the “wrong” way down the lanes in a parking lot. I mean, seriously, the parking spaces are angled a certain way on purpose. On top of that, there are usually arrows at the entrance to the lanes that indicate direction of travel! It’s really not that difficult folks! Ah, but that one is not really germane to this article.

A much more serious peeve, are Christians who take the Bible stories from Genesis as “myth” or as allegories illustrating Biblical, or moral, truths. To these Christians, the stories can’t be literal history. There is a real danger in doing that. Before we go there, however, let’s take a look at what Scripture says on the issue.

2Timothy 3:16 says that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Titus 1:2 states flatly, and other passages indicate the same truth, God cannot lie. If all of Scripture is literally God’s Word, and He cannot lie, it stands to reason that the entire Bible is true and won’t contradict itself. In fact, He often references one part of His Word to defend another part. If the referenced section is untrue and unreliable, the whole point being defended or explained is invalid. Worse, it makes God a liar!

Well, what are some examples? I’ll look at two dealing with Noah, his Ark, and the flood, and on dealing with the first humans, Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 7, God’s Word says that a man named Noah built an Ark to escape a coming judgment in the form of a world-wide, catastrophic flood. It’s easy to see in this passage, based on the details given, such as Noah’s age, what and how much he is to take on the ark, time durations, details of the flood, etc., that this is not an allegory. It’s interesting that at least three different writers in the New Testament refer back to this story in Genesis as an illustration.

The following passage from the book of Matthew, it’s important to note, is a direct quote from Jesus. Jesus, being fully God, would share the same attributes as the Father; specifically for this article, the verse from Titus stating that God cannot lie. Jesus, comparing the coming judgment on the world, refers back to the judgment of Noah’s time in Matthew 24:37, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Jesus’ word choice, as well as the authoritative tone and statement of fact, “As in the days of Noah”, indicates that this was literal history and not just some myth.

In 2Peter 3:5-6, the Apostle Peter refers back to Noah. Peter states flatly, “For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.” If this wasn’t fact, what would it matter if people “forgot” the events? If they were just a nice story, they wouldn’t really matter in the first place. If this was an allegory or myth, would Peter state them as facts? That would be akin to me making a reference to some long ago event and beginning by saying, “When Hercules roamed the earth …” or “In the days of Paul Bunyan …” Automatically, credibility would be destroyed.

Finally, the writer of Hebrews 11 includes Noah and the flood events in a long list of other Biblical characters. Now, if Noah was not a true, historical person, and the flood was not a true historical event, no one in the list can be considered a true, historical person and none of the events listed can be considered true, historical events. Conversely, if any one of the other events or people is accepted as true and historical, all of them would have to be considered that way.

Our last example, this one pertaining to Adam and Eve, can be found in Genesis 2. God makes references to “the” man he had created, refers to this same man by name, Adam, creates “a” woman for “the” man, and refers to them as “the” man and his wife. All of these references are singular. In other words, it does not say God created “men” and “women,” or “husbands” and their “wives.” As the story continues in chapter 3, we continue to see references to “the” woman and her husband. Verse7 says that the eyes of “both” of them were opened. I could keep going, but the idea is obvious that there were two literal people, one man and one woman, in the Garden of Eden. Why that is important is related to what happens in verse 6 of chapter 3. In this verse, both man and woman rebel against God by eating from the tree they were forbidden by God to eat of.

Let’s forward to the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 5:19, “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.” Now, if Adam was not a real person, Paul’s words are untrue and completely undo the one man/one Man correlation. Again, it also makes God a liar if, after telling us Adam was a real man and Paul using Adam’s fall to show why Jesus’ obedience was necessary, it turns out the story of Adam and Eve is untrue.

So what are the dire consequences of not being able to take God at His word?
The first is obvious. If you can’t ever tell when God is telling the truth and when He is lying, why would you believe any of it? The complete authority of His ordinances, commands, admonitions, doctrines, etc., are completely undermined. If the reason we were trying to live moral lives is a fraud, why should we try to live moral lives? Why should we obey any authority, if there is no reason for that authority to exist in the first place? What does it say to the unbelieving world if Jesus’ own followers don’t believe that the words he spoke are true and accurate?

All of that, and all of the other conclusions you can reach, pale in comparison to the ultimate conclusion. Many of the miracles in Scripture are just that – supernatural miracles. They can’t be explained by human means. The virgin birth is a good example. Science says it can’t happen in humans. God says it did happen. Who will you believe? The same goes for those raised from the dead throughout scripture. That goes for Jesus’ own death, burial and resurrection. If we can’t trust God to tell the truth here, on this fundamental truth, than the Apostle Paul is correct and our faith is empty and futile; sadly, we would still be in our sins and have no hope of ever being, one day, with our Father in Heaven.

I don’t know about you, but I choose to believe that the Author of life and the Creator of the universe can get His facts straight and is a dependable witness!

Of Mary & Martha and Choosing Wisely

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38 - 42

I love walking through the woods on our hikes these days. This time of year it's so quiet and peaceful out on the trails. The leaves have changed color and are beginning to fall. The leaves make for a soft rustling sound as you walk through them and add some color to the ground. Through the bare trees, you can see quite far back into the woods and pick out the squirrels and chipmunks playing in the leaves. You can see (occasionally) grouse on the downed logs and, theoretically (because we typically don't, to our disappointment), deer and bears. You can hear the sound of the rivers and the falls for good distances because of the stillness. It's absolutely peaceful and easy to worship God in the peacefulness.

Meanwhile, those same leaves that make the hikes up in the Shenandoah National Park so stress relieving and meaningful are also piling up in my front and back yards. They are a relentless assault on my yard requiring more time and effort than I really want to give. But, I have to. Left unraked, bagged or burned, they completely overwhelm my poor yard. They call for attention, and for awhile, mock my efforts to stay on top of them. For the last few weeks of October and first few weeks of November, those leaves crave my attention!

The leaves remind me of all the "pressing" needs of my life. You have them, too. The things that really need attention NOW! It's easy to get lost in the busy-ness and let it take complete control of our time. But, as the story of Mary and Martha reminds us, and as my weekly hikes remind me, it is absolutely necessary to not let busy-ness rule our lives. There is no substitute to being alone with God and just taking time to be still and know He is God.

Every week, I have to decide to take time out, put things aside, and go out into God's Great OutDoors. I mean, do I really have time to go hiking when things are piling up (literally) around me? Like Mary (Mary has chosen that good part), we have to make that choice. There are so many things to do, many of them "good" in their own right, but they are not the "main" thing. Our time with Jesus is irreplaceable. That time, the part where Scripture says "one thing is needed," is like the air we breathe and the food and water we consume. It is life to our souls. Jesus Himself says that He is the Source of Living Water (John 4:14) and Bread of Life (John 6:35). Looked at that way, I really don't have time not to! As with any relationship, the more attention you pay it and the more work you put into it, the closer and stronger it will be.

This week, do yourself a favor, choose to - - - SLOW DOWN! Choose to spend time with your Maker. Choose to seek the One Who gives life - and joy - and peace. In abundance (John 10:10) and beyond all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

If you need some help getting there, you're more than welcome to join us out in "creation." Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." There is NO better place to find, and meet with, God than in the place where His glory is declared and His handiwork is on display. It's soooo easy to worship Him when you are in the midst of Him. Romans 1:20 says, "His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead." Amen! I couldn't agree more. And you will too if you join us. Come Meet Your Maker with a Great OutDoor Endeavor!