Death

This morning our Grandma passed away...................while we were at church...............listening to a teaching about heaven. I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know if she's there or not...........because I never asked her.

I claim to be a Christ follower and there are a lot of atheists who talk about their unbelief in God better than I talk about my belief.

Dictionary.com defines death as "the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism." And I couldn't DISagree more.

Christian rockers Petra recorded this song written by Bob Hartman over twenty years ago titled "Grave Robber" :

There's a step that we all have to take alone
An appointment we have with the great unknown
Like a vapor this life is just waiting to pass
Like the flowers that fade; like the withering grass
But life seems so long and death so complete
And the grave an impossible portion to cheat
But there's One who has been there and still lived to tell
There is One who has been through both heaven and hell
And the grave will come up empty handed that day
Jesus will come and steal us away

Where is the sting tell me where is the bite
When the grave robber comes like a thief in the night
Where is the victory where is the prize
When the grave robber comes and death finally dies

Many still mourn and many still weep
For those that they love who have fallen asleep
But we have this HOPE though our hearts may still ache
Just one shout from above and they all will awake
And in the reunion of joy we will see
Death will be swallowed in sweet victory
When the last enemy gone; from the dust will come a song
Those asleep will be awakened - Not one will be forsakened
He shall wipe away our tears - He will steal away our fears
There will be no sad tomorrow - There will be no pain or sorrow

This Jesus paid way too high a price for me to keep this HOPE to myself.

Hungry?

No need for me to write - just read this article

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/august/18.35.html

Truth from Fiction

I will read anything Khaled Hosseini writes. The Kite Runner was excellent. A Thousand Splendid Suns raises the bar. This book takes a little while but once it gets going it never stops. A novel, yet filled with the history of Afghanistan. A history of oppression of the country and of her people, especially women. A story of an unlikely friendship and deep sacrifice. Sometimes filled with a sense of hopelessness..............yet not.

When I read fiction I love watching for nuggets of truth. Here's one from this book that resonates with me:

"Of all the hardships a person has to face perhaps none is more punishing than the simple act of waiting."

I guess rocker Tom Petty was right: the waiting is the hardest part.

And yet in Isaiah 64:4 it says that God acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

What are YOU waiting for?

Agua

It means water in Spanish.

And this morning I showered with it and made coffee with it. Dishes were done with it and iced tea was made with it. When I walk to a faucet in my home water comes out, hot or cold at my bidding, whenever I want it. I put some in my dogs' water bowl. I probably even wasted some of it today.

But it is a precious commodity right now in many areas of Peru. It always is but right now, due to the earthquake, even more. I am not sure if the kids at Hogar de Ninos orphanage in Chilca, Peru have enough of it.

Or any of it.

They have no electricity so the well pump does not work. They will have to rely on the water truck coming to the neighborhood. I am praying that truck can make it through.

Peruvian Earthquake

Would you please pray for Alison, the girl in the picture with me to the right? She lives at Hogar de Ninos orphange in Chilca, Peru. This is about 50 miles from the epicenter of the 8.0 quake that struck last night. The orphanage has sustained some damage but is not too bad. The main issue the kids are dealing with right now is fear.

Fear from the aftershocks that are still shaking the ground. Fear that their building may fall down during the night. So tonight, and I don't know how many more nights, Alison, Thalia, Milagros, Liliana, Luz Mery, Betsabel, Merari, Felix, Erica, Jose, Cathy, Daniel, Brandon, Carlita, Jesus, Natalie will all sleep outside tonight. With a blanket and a pillow maybe. And it's winter in Peru. It doesn't snow there but the air is damp so it feels a lot colder than it is. I wish I could at least send them sleeping bags.

They have no electricity which means their well pump can not send up water. Pray for water deliveries to make it through to them somehow.

The Three Amigas

This past Sunday IN church I sat a couple of rows behind them. Tracy Preston, Joan Tomec and Karen Tabeling.

Saturday evening I saw the three of them at a fundraiser and they WERE the church. This event was for their friends daughter, who recently lost her husband in an auto accident. He had little life insurance.

So these three spent 6 plus hours working in the kitchen and serving dinner; preparing the food and dishing it out; cleaning up and putting away. And that pretty much took up their whole Saturday.

Thanks, ladies, for your example of moving from DOING church to BEING church.

Nothing x 3

A couple of years ago, inspired by the book Halftime by Bob Buford, I wrote my own epitaph. I'm not really sure I want to be buried. I'd rather be cremated. I don't want my family and friends to visit a grave...........because I'm not there.

But if I was buried here's what I would want on my headstone:

NOTHING x 3
- to prove
- to lose
- left undone

Nothing to prove.........because I don't.

Nothing to lose.......because whether I live or whether I die, either way I win.

Nothing left undone........this was inspired by Joshua 11: 15 "As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he LEFT NOTHING UNDONE of all that the Lord commanded Moses." ( emphasis mine ) Can you imagine that being said about you? That you left nothing undone!

Anyone out there write their epitaph? I'd love to hear it.

More thought on a camel and the needle eye

First of all I hesitate quoting almost any scripture out of context. Yet I seem to do it a lot. I really think the camel through the eye of the needle thing must be viewed in context with all of Mark 10: 17-31. This story of the rich young man is also told by Matthew in 19: 16-30 and by Luke in 18: 18-30.

I especially like Mark's version because he is the only one to note "Jesus looked at him and loved him."

So does this story mean that most rich people are not getting into heaven?

You betcha!

Just kidding. Here is what I think is going on in this story. This rich young man has a lot of earthly possessions and he wants eternal life too. Maybe he thinks all his stuff can go with him.

Anyway, he goes to Jesus and makes the big ask. And notice how Jesus first asks the asker a question ( Jesus does this a lot to people ). "Why do you call me good? Jesus tells this man no one is good except God alone. It's as if Jesus knew the dialog about keeping the commandments and this guys claim to have kept them was coming. ( Umm..........he did ).

I think it's pretty neat how Jesus basically warns this guy not to claim to be good. But the guy totally misses it. He claims to have kept since boyhood all the commandments.

Jesus obviously could have challenged the guy on this. Jesus could have produced a seriously long list of all the times this guy DID NOT keep these commandments. With dates and times and places duly noted. Instead Jesus tells him to sell it all, give it away, and follow Him.

And I wish this story had a better ending for this rich young man. I wish the next thing this story talked about was the impact this guys money had on the world. Instead it says this man "went away sad, because he had great wealth." Well I bet Jesus went away sad too.

This is key to the story because it precedes Jesus talking to his disciples about how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. And Jesus then makes the camel through the eye of the needle comment. Not because this rich guy couldn't get in. But because this guy valued his wealth more than God. And this young man got to a point in his life where God challenged him on what mattered most.

So as we learned in the last post from the global rich list:

Bad News: You and I are rich

Worse News: I still have not found any teeny,tiny camels.

Good News: Jesus did not say the gate to his kingdom was closed. He said it was narrow.

I wonder what's beyond those gates.

Global Rich List

So, how rich are you? Compared to the world I mean. Go to http://www.globalrichlist.com/ to find out. Simply type in your annual income and then come back to this blog. No really, go do it before you read any further.

Notice the percentage and the spot on the graph line. Pretty amazing, no?

Now just for kicks do it again and type in your dream salary. No really, go do it before you read any further.

The results don't move you up much in either percentage or on the graph, compared to the world, does it?

So when the world talks about rich, affluent North Americans........they are talking about me. And if you live in the United States and are currently employed........they are talking about you. Based on the numbers you just ran this is not my opinion. This is fact.

So what does a Jesus follower do with these words of his:

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." - Mark 10: 25

Bad news: You and I are rich.

Worse news: I have been unable to find any teeny, tiny REAL camels.

Feeling uncomfortable? Check back for more info on this in the coming days.

In Side Out

I thought the roses I brought back for my wife Chris from Ecuador were looking pretty ragged. The other day I was sitting outside and she brought them all out. I assumed to throw them away.

And I watched as she sat down and began to peel away the brown petals to reveal beautiful pink ones. They were vibrant and looked just like new.

And I wonder if that is how God views us. I hope He sees beyond the exterior to something good inside.

Not because our nature is good. But the good in there because we are made in His image.