Ramblings and Reflections

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck . . . It may not be a duck.
My wife and I were driving down a back road in New Hampshire, enjoying the scenery. That’s when we saw it–A swan swimming in a small pond.
“Get a picture, get a picture,” I hollered as I pulled to the curb. Sure enough, the graceful, long-necked bird floated on the water as if it didn’t have a care in the world.
So majestic. So beautiful.
Bushes and trees hampered our line of sight so I moved the car forward and back, angling for the best shots, shouting orders to my wife as she clicked pictures with her phone’s camera.
When all was said and done, we drove away, feeling almost reverent that we’d been privy to such a beautiful scene.
About four days later we ventured down the same road. What were the chances we’d spot our swan again? I didn’t think too good, but low and behold, there it was! What good fortune! Almost a God given miracle!
Three days later we drove by again . . . There it was . . . Still the same spot. As a matter of fact . . . it’s head and neck were angled the same exact way.
Hmmm . . . Something is fishy here.
Uh-huh. My powers of observation are so keen, it only took me three sightings to figure this out. Columbo’s got nothing on me.
Well a couple of weeks later (with three more drive-bys) I came to the conclusion that it was a plastic swan. Or to make myself feel like less of a dolt, let’s call it a Simulated Likeness of an Actual Swan. Hey, the more fancy the term the more money you can charge for the product.
I’d been duped. No. It was probably my wife who’d been duped. Yes! That’s it. Now that I look back, I originally pulled over at her bequest. Kind of like how Eve fooled Adam.
I’m sticking with that story!
So, my friends, beware of plastic swans, or even Simulated Likeness of Actual Swans.
It’s a good lesson in many avenues of life. Even in the spiritual. In Matthew 7:15, the Bible says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
This is a problem the church has had since its inception–Plastic Swans, pretending to be the real thing. Or to be more precise, false prophets pretending to be the real thing, leading people astray.
That’s why John gave some sound advice.
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Don’t fall into the trap of pulling to the side of the road and snapping pictures of fakes. Test others’ beliefs by the divine Word of God.

“I’m having a heart attack. Help Me!”

Those words ended it all. Not my life. Just the “discussion”.
I’d taken a part-time, third shift security guard job. This entailed sitting all night, all alone, at the main entry desk to a five story office building, making sure no one broke in.
Frankly, I wasn’t too good at it. I remember one evening a note had been left by building management. “Keep an eye on the parking lot. Someone stole the security camera last night. If you see anything out of the ordinary, please investigate.”

Right. That wasn’t going to happen. Hey, put yourself in my place. Armed only with my questionable good looks, I wasn’t venturing out of the relative safety of the building into a dark and creepy parking lot occupied by who knows what, to investigate something out of the ordinary. Out of the ordinary??? If I see something out of the ordinary, I’ll call the police.

Anyways, back to my heart attack.

It was my very first night on the job. Another guard was there, waiting to train me.
A warning bell rang in my head. The counter he sat behind was lined with literature and pamphlets from a well known cult. You may think that’s an outdated word- Cult. You say, “Who are you to judge someone else’s beliefs? All religions are the same.”
Uh-huh.
After running through some preliminary instructions, the guard (we’ll call him Bob) turned to me. “Jeremiah. What do you think is the solution to all the unrest in the world today?”
I understood what he was doing, using this leading question to initiate a conversation about spiritual things.

Without blinking an eye, I answered, “The only solution to today’s troubles is Jesus Christ.”
His eyebrow rose slightly. “So you believe in Jesus, but did you know…” He then explained where my Christianity had it all wrong, and his way had it right.
Bob’s beliefs were different than mine. Though mentioning Jesus Christ and grace, his definitions were not biblical. They were a “works oriented” way to heaven.
He went on and on, explaining how his leaders had the right interpretation of scripture, and trying to poke holes in my beliefs.
After two hours of arguing back and forth, it dawned on me- Forget arguing theology. Let’s talk where the rubber meets the road.
I leaned against the counter and clutched my chest. “Bob, I’m having a heart attack. Help me! I’ll be dead in three minutes. If I accept your beliefs can you give me assurance I’ll be in heaven when I die?”
After an awkward moment, he shook his head.
“That,” I said, “is the difference between your religion and my Jesus. I have that wonderful assurance.”
He considered. Did what I say sink in? I don’t know. After that night, I never saw Bob again. Don’t get the wrong impression. He didn’t die or anything. He’d simply left the company.

Do you believe all religions are the same? All roads lead to heaven?
I assure you, you are wrong!
Real Christianity is all about God’s grace. Not works. Which would you rather depend on for your eternity? Your good works or God’s love? I’ll hold on to love every time.

I’ll never know if what I said had any effect on Bob, but I’ll give you the same scenario. Maybe it can make a difference in your life.

I’m having a heart attack. In three minutes I’ll be dead. If I accept your beliefs can you give me assurance I’ll be in heaven when I die?”

Think about it. What do you believe? I urge you to consider the wonderful love and grace of our God. He gave His Son, who died on the cross, taking the guilt and punishment for our sin on Himself! It doesn’t depend on my good works, because I ain’t too good. Frankly, neither are you!
Let me quote just one verse for you. Maybe you’ve heard or seen it before, but take a fresh look at the words.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God’s love. Not by good works. That’s my blessed assurance.

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God is love.

Almost everyone believes this. The question is, what does it mean? Does it mean  humans can do anything they want, live any way they want, and God is okay with it?

“Hey, He’s love! That means He doesn’t judge. He accepts me just as I am.”

Though it is the title of an old hymn, God does not accept me, “Just as I am.” We are ALL sinners. Though He loves us, He does not love our sin. That’s the reason Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross. He paid the price for our guilt. THAT’S GOD’S LOVE!

Beyond this, yes, God is love. That’s why He sets boundaries for us. Rules. Right and Wrong. We can’t just live life OUR way and figure He’s fine with it.

Imagine this- A six year old child walks up to his parents and says, “Mother, father. Me and my friends are going to play on the freeway. Since you love me, you won’t stop me.” He gives a longing look out the window towards the four lane superhighway where the cars are zipping by at 80 miles per hour. “I was meant to do this,” he says. “I can feel it in my bones. This is who I am. Others play in their backyards and playgrounds. Not me!”

His father pats him on the head as his mother wipes a tear of pride from her eye.

“Yes, sweetheart,” his dad says. “We understand. Since we love you, we won’t stop you. Go ahead. Do what you feel is right.”

The child skips off, happily.

Ten minutes later, his mutilated body is brought back by his friends.

Mom says, “At least he lived his life the way he felt was right.”

Absurd, isn’t it? If a child wants to play in the freeway, mom and dad say, “NO!” If he persists, they punish him, lock him in his room; anything to stop him from making such a crazy mistake.

Don’t they love him? Yes! That’s why they put restrictions on him. They know better. No matter how much the child thinks he knows, they know better. No matter how right it feels, they know better. They are the adults. Kids don’t have their brains screwed in all the way yet. That’s why God gave them mom and dad.

Guess what? We don’t have our brains screwed in all the way, either. And many people, because of their upbringing, because of their environment, have a warped view of right and wrong. That’s where God comes in. Since he loves us, He sets rules. Not only does he love us, he created us, HE KNOWS BEST!

God loves us. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Please note that one part of the verse- “lean not on your own understanding.” Our understanding is limited, clouded, maybe even warped. You can’t always depend on it. You need God’s guidance.

Yes! God is love. But because He loves, He has told us how to live. If we follow Him, we find ultimate happiness. If we set our own rules, we’re in for a world of hurt.

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Are you angry with anyone? Holding a grudge?

Wow! That’s so human of you. One thing I can say for sure, It’s definitely not divine. That’s the great thing about God. He’s not in the grudge business. He gives second chances. As a matter of fact, He gives third and fourth chances, too! One of my favorite Bible stories is Jonah. If you don’t know it and don’t have a Bible handy for a quick read, let me share the short version.

-God called Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh, a wicked city. 

-Jonah didn’t want to go, and ran away (by ship). 

-God sent a storm. 

-Jonah got thrown overboard and swallowed by a big fish.

-He repented. 

-The fish spit him out. 

-He preached at Nineveh. 

-They repented of their sin.

-Jonah got mad that God didn’t destroy Nineveh.

-He sat outside the city, and waited for God to change His mind and do the “right” thing (which meant bringing destruction on the city).

Let’s stop right there for a second, because these few lines contain our BIG lesson!

God Gives Second Chances

He gave Jonah a second chance. When Jonah ran away, the storm and fish were God’s call back. What? Being thrown overboard during a storm and swallowed by a fish is a second chance??? Sure! Have you ever considered God disciplines you for your own good; a chance to turn back and repent? God disciplines those He loves. He’s saying, “No, that’s wrong. Turn back to me.”

Also, God gave Nineveh a second chance. He sent Jonah to preach repentance and the people listened.

You know what? God even gave Jonah a third chance. When the silly prophet sat outside the city, waiting for destruction to come, God caused a vine to grow over him, to offer him shade. Jonah liked this. Then God sent a bug to eat the vine, and Jonah was left in the sun, angry.

Here’s what the Bible says happened next.

Jonah 4:9-11. Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”          And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”    But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

Boy, Jonah was a whiner! Yet God tried to explain why He gives second and third and fourth chances. To paraphrase what God said-  “I created these people. I love them. These people are lost. Shouldn’t I have pity on them and call them back?”

The Christian’s God does not change. He still offers second chances. Your sin (wrong doing) causes a rift between you and Him. God is always calling you back. He is always willing to forgive.

So, how about it? Is there some sin separating you from God? He is a God of second chances, a God of forgiveness! Turn to Him.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Recently, I’ve been chastised for some of my Facebook posts. Knowing I want to publish books, a friend’s advice was meant to stop me from sounding too angry. I wouldn’t want to alienate future readers, now would I?

Creepers! It’s sooooooo difficult. There are so many things to react to. So many people who need to be straightened out. On top of that, anyone who doesn’t agree with the flavor of the day is labeled a hater! I could tell you a thing or two . . .

Whoops. I was doing it again, wasn’t I?

But, please let me explain why I do the things I do. It isn’t hate.

If it helps you to not think of me as being angry or bitter, think about rainbows and unicorns while reading this. Here’s some pictures to help.

Here’s my main concern-

We’ve developed Spiritual Amnesia.

It’s like one evening the vast majority of Americans went to bed and something happened. An evil fairy clonked them all on the head or they fell out of bed, cracking that part of their brain that stores their God-memories. Now when making life decisions, it’s all- “What I want is what I want!” or “I have a right!” People don’t care what God says anymore. His opinion doesn’t seem to matter.

Oh no! Spiritual Amnesia has kicked in.

There’s stories of this happening in the Bible. One is about King Josiah. Some Temple remodeling going on, and they found these scrolls– the Word of God– which had been lost.

How in the world do you lose the Word of God? I don’t know, but somehow, they managed. Somehow, we’ve managed.

On reading the scrolls, the first thing King Josiah did was rip his clothing. This was a sign of repentance. He realized he and the nation had turned from the Lord. Spiritual Amnesia. After rediscovering God, King Josiah led a reformation.

How about you? In the issues cropping up in our society, how do you decide what is right and what is wrong? Do you seek God’s way or your own?

We need to get over our spiritual amnesia. There is a God! He is not make believe like the Easter Bunny; not the product of man’s mind that we can change whenever we want.

He is God, the creator of all that is. God, whose Son died for your sins on the Cross. God who is being very patient with us, but that patience will not last forever.

Like amnesia victims, hopefully, one day people who’ve forgotten God will wake up and say, “Hold on! I remember!”

Meanwhile, those who do not suffer from this malady must stand for God’s way even if they are called haters or some other foolish term.

Let me tell you, I pray for friends and family members who are living outside the will of the Lord, who have spiritual amnesia. It’s not hate. It is a deep loving concern.

I hope the unicorn and rainbow helped. But I suggest the following verses may help more than silly pictures.

2 Timothy 3:12-15 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.