Author: admin

I know this picture is a little hard to see. It’s hard to take pictures in the dark, but what I saw filled my heart so. As you might know, I love walking in the dark. The thing I love about walking in the dark is that it helps me to see clearly the Light. It makes me focus. It makes me aware. The world we live in is super bright with so many things that are supposed to help us see, supposed to illuminate us, but they don’t, they distract. Sometimes in order to see the Light we just have to walk in the dark.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

I’ve mentioned before we live at the foot of the mountain. And I’ve mentioned before, atop the mountain are several towers, three of which are lit with flashing lights. Their rhythmic flash of red grows in intensity. This flashing is to let folks know that there is a tower atop the mountain. It’s not a loud, blaring light, it’s a soft, silent sign of the tower. The flashing red lights are not as visible during the day, when the world is filled with screaming lights. You can only completely see the tower light, against the backdrop of dark.

There’s one spot on our drive that fills with water when it rains. It’s not exactly a pothole, it’s more of a dip and it tends to hold water at the slightest rain. Mud and leaves collect there making it a good mudpuddle. When I’m walking after a rain, I try to be conscious of the puddle for obvious reasons, I don’t want to walk through the puddle and get all slopped up and my feet wet. But as I’m looking out for the puddle, I notice something. The silent signal of the tower is reflecting in the puddle. I could see the light from the tower shining in the mud. I stood there for a few minutes just watching, watching the flashing tower and the light in the puddle’s silent promise. My heart fluttered.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

His assurance to us is His Light in our darkness. The reflection of our Strong Tower in the mudpuddles of life is so comforting. The Light nods to us, wraps his arms of love around us and says I’ve got you. The Light is His pledge that even in the puddles of life, He will still shine. He will not leave, change, or move away. His Light will continue to shine in our dark places — slowly, steadily, constantly, growing in intensity. The puddles won’t last forever, eventually those puddles dry up and the mud is washed away. Until then, look for the Light in the dark.

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord.  Psalm 150:6

In reading last week, I was reminded of this verse.  It’s a familiar verse, isn’t it?   The thing that brought me to my knees though was the statement the unknown writer made about the verse:

Imagine every single one of God’s creations praising Him for His goodness.

Ponder that for a minute.  What would it look like, what would it sound like, what would it smell like, what would it feel like if every living thing in heaven and on earth praised God for His goodness.  Here’s my vision of every living thing praising the Lord:

The trees of the fields and the mountains are stretching to heaven, swaying and bending low then rising high and tall their trunks to heaven again and again, their creaking shouts of praise to God. 

Imagine the leaves of the trees whirling through the air, lifted up, up, up and then gently drifting down only to be lifted up again.  Their rustling songs of praise and adoration. 

The flowers of the earth dancing on their stems, colors brilliant having been kissed by the sun.  Petals stirring in royal wave expressing their praise.  Their sweet-fragrance wafting on the air rising high as an incense of praise to our God.

Imagine the birds of the air swooping and sweeping in joyful chase and song, beaks pointed to glory offering hymns of praise to God that combine for a heavenly symphony. 

The fish in the sea gliding and dipping, the whales leaping in praise high above the surface, their powerful splash forcing droplets of water to meet the heavens like tears of joy. 

Think about the animals of the earth in obedient reverence lifting their praise.  Running, leaping and jumping in praise. Their praise-filled frolicking sweet to heaven’s eyes.

Picture the stars in the heavens sparkling and twinkling, glowing and shining bright in praise to our Lord.

Then think about every human being on this earth, faces turned upwards, hands lifted high reaching to touch heaven, knees humbling bowing before the King, bodies swaying in worship joining the praises of the angels in heaven singing Holy! Holy! Holy!

Now I want you to close your eyes and envision the trees, the fields, the mountains, the leaves, the birds, the fish, the animals of the earth, the stars in the sky, and all God’s children united with the angels in Heaven, with one anthem raised in adoration to the Most High God.

Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!  Praise the Lord!

I had a little bit of a different plan today, but I came across something this morning that made me change course. Something I just had to chew on for a bit.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20

When I first read this verse, it seemed innocuous enough. It’s one of those verses that I would typically fly right over and head right into verse 21, without reflection, without a thought. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But as I read it, I kept getting hung up on

Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities…

Read that over a couple of times. Does that make sense to you? I’m sure you’re much quicker on the uptake than I am, but I got a little tripped up. When I think of God’s creation, everything He made, I think of things that I can see. You know, the sun, moon, stars, trees, flowers, grass, rain, clouds in the sky, everything that is good. In fact, the verse specifically references the earth and sky.

Here’s where I got tripped up — clearly see his invisible qualities. There are a couple of words in there that don’t correspond. See and invisible. They’re opposites, right? How can you see what’s invisible? Are these two words at odds? Can we truly see what is invisible? Yes! How is that? Because God has revealed what He is like in and through His creation!

Just take a minute and look at His creation. Think about it. Take a look at the sky, the movement of the clouds, and the colors of blue, pink, gray or black. Take a look at the sun. The energy it puts forth that lights our days, warms our earth. Look at a flower, the magnificent details of the stems, the bloom, the petals, the color, the smell. Then think about how many varieties of flowers there are and how each is intricately made. It boggles the mind. Then think about how grass (or in our case mostly weeds) push up through the dirt to blanket our yards and fields. Think about the falling leaves. Think about how some leaves change color and some don’t. Just think about that! Creation is truly incredible.

The most incredible thing about what we can see is that it reveals the invisible, what we cannot see! Nature shows us who God is. He is an all-powerful God — think about the sun. He is a God of supreme intelligence — think about the human body. He is a God who is intricately detailed — think of the petals of a flower. The “He is…” could go on and on.

What we can see makes it possible for us to clearly see his invisible qualities. His power. His might. His creativity. His attention to detail. His intelligence. His order. This list could go on and on too.

The point is that He shows us who He is every single second of every single day. He is constantly revealing himself to us. God is showing us what He is really like in and through his creation and we need to think about that.

It’s super hard to get deep within ourselves. It’s much easier to get deep within other people, isn’t it? It’s super easy to see what others should or shouldn’t be saying, doing or thinking, isn’t it? Those are just excuses for not looking at ourselves. God is revealing himself to each and every one of us, individually. He’s speaking to us, trying to get our attention. And if we are completely honest and we actually think about it for a minute or two instead of running full steam ahead (away), we will see Him. All we need do is to stop and think.

For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. Romans 1:19

God has revealed himself to us. It is instinctive. We aren’t lost because of what we cannot see. We’re lost because of what we can clearly see and refuse to believe. We must draw on our instincts.

So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Romans 1:20

We’ve heard a lot about PPE over the last few years. PPE=Personal Protective Equipment. Think mask and gloves. We’re all a little tired of hearing about PPE, those three little letters can trigger the dread-part of our brain. But, how very important they are. Not just during a pandemic, but also when you go to the dump. Yep, another trash post.

Remember my thoughts last week about the “landfill” or the “dump?” Well, I had one more…

When you travel the road back to the actual dumping grounds, to that deceptively beautiful dumping ground — remember, trash on trash on one-side and the beautiful three-state mountains on the other? Anyway, there is a requirement to drive back to that spot…every person in the vehicle must have PPE. Yep. You must have in your vehicle a hardhat, a neon vest, and protective eyewear for each person. Once on top, you must put them on before you exit your vehicle.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:10-18

So pop that hardhat of salvation on your head. It may seem wobbly, too tight, or too loose, but, go ahead and just ratchet that strap. We know who wins in the end, God wins! Although we may sometimes wonder how it will all happen, we are absolutely sure that God is the victor. This assurance of eventual deliverance keeps us from retreating or surrendering. We march into battle with our salvation completely protected.

Don’t forget your vest, the shield of faith. We are assured that Satan will point his fiery arrows right at the heart of every single believer. Wearing our vest, the shield of faith, will assure that every arrow meant for destruction will fall to the ground. The shield of faith is confidence in the Lord — confidence that he will protect us, no matter how many arrows come our way. When all hope seems lost, when destruction seems inevitable, when doubts swirl in our heads, when the ship looks to be going down, the shield of faith gives us the power to say that Satan is a liar and God is truth, and then saying: “I believe God.”

We must put on our eye shields. We must keep our eyes on the Lord at all times. Look directly into the Lord’s eyes — don’t blink. We need to sink our eyes into the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. No matter what we go through, the Word of God speaks to it. It offers counsel, compassion, guidance, and hope.

God gives us all the protection that we need. We must see that there is a “ring of truth” about our walk with the Lord, that our lives are right (righteous) with God and walk with one another, that we seek to make peace wherever we go, that we lift up that shield of faith together to quench the flaming darts of the evil one, that we protect our minds from fears and anxieties that easily assail, and that we use God’s word to good effect in the power of the Spirit. Remember it was by the repeated sword thrusts of God’s word that Jesus overcame his adversary in the wilderness. David Watson

The Personal Protective Equipment given to us by God does us absolutely no good, if we don’t put it on. But when we do, we will still be targeted by Satan, but no matter what comes our way, we know that the Lord is fighting our battle and He always wins.

Around our joint we tend to accumulate trash. You too? Seems like we constantly have feed bags from the barn, old dog beds of the Worst/Best, old cracked planters, kinked-up garden hoses, mud-laden outdoor rugs, even an old crib that was held together with bungie cords. In fact, we still find buried treasures in bags on our property (I’m told that’s how they used to get rid of trash in the olden days?).

Now we “repurpose” as much as we can, we consider ourselves earth-friendly people, but sometimes, we just got trash. So, a couple of times a year we load up the truck, tie it down, and travel slowly to the dump — oh wait, that’s not the “acceptable” term — we travel to waste management — we travel to the landfill (like that sounds so much better). Nowadays we people can even make a dump sound less harsh and more appealing, can’t we.

Anyway, we did just that thing last week. Loaded all our junk up and went to the dump. We went on free dump day, however, it wasn’t free for us because our junk wasn’t considered a certain kind of trash? No matter, it was still trash that needed disposed of.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the “landfill” but quite frankly, it is an engineering marvel. Whoever came up with it was pretty genius. Just think about that, someone created a way for us to get rid of all our trash. Hmmm.

When you get to the dump you drive onto a scale and you’re weighed, vehicle and trash. You are then directed where to dump your trash, based upon the contents. Smaller trucks and cars are directed about 100 yards away to throw their trash into a gigantic dumpster, easy peasy. But trash trucks, dump trucks, construction trucks, trucks with the big stuff, even trucks our size are directed to move on down the road.

After hanging a left, we started ascending a dirt road. It’s a pretty steep climb up a dirt road. I grabbed the armrest a time or two. But once you get to the top, it’s like being on top of the world. You can see as far as Maryland and Pennsylvania right from the dump in Hedgesville. The view is breathtaking…

…and so is the smell. It’s a jolt to be reminded that you’re at the dump and despite the spectacular view far off, you’re standing on trash.

After coming back to the reality of why we’re there, we start trash tossing It’s a wild kind of thing. We stand in the back of the truck and just toss our trash out onto the ground along with everyone else who’s traveled the steep hill to get rid of their trash. A gigantic front-end loader kind of thingy just keeps rolling back and forth over the trash we just threw out compacting and crushing it to smithereens. Our trash is no longer recognizable, it is obliterated, as if it never existed. We then sweep out the truck bed to make sure nothing is left behind, we get into our truck, and we descend the trash mound.

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us His ways

so that we may walk in His paths. Isaiah 2:3

When we reach the ground there’s this sign:

When you drive through the truck wash, hoses power wash the trucks to clean them and remove any yuckiness left behind and any mud from the journey.

We again drive onto the scale and we obviously weighed significantly less. We’d unloaded our burden. We had gotten rid of our trash.

Are you having some of the same thoughts I did?

I thought about my heart-trash, aka sin, the stuff I need to get rid of. I can’t even load all of it into my “truck” because I don’t yet recognize that attitude, or those words, or that tone, are actually trash.

I thought about how I let my trash build up to the point that it is sometimes overwhelming and takes a good while to toss it out.

I thought about ascending the dirt road and how it can be really messy sometimes, we’re sometimes covered in mud by the time we actually let loose our grip on our sin.

I thought about how clean we are when we descend the mountain, how we’ve been washed by the Blood of the Lamb.

I marveled at how the Most High Engineer created a way for me to get rid of the trash in my life!

I thought about how when I toss that trash, my sin, out of the bed of the truck, that it is erased, blotted out, and it is destroyed, forever, and never thought of again!

I thought about the spectacular, clear, endless view that awaits if I’m willing to get rid of the trash that is piling up and stinking up my life.

My My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!

The Holy Spirit heightened my senses at the dump. Isn’t that awesome?!?! Who’d a thought the dump could be so thought-provoking?

It’s harvest time, you all know by now, it’s my very favorite time of year. I love the sky, the smell, the sights, the colors. So, a couple of weeks ago when we were on our way to our weekly hotspot, we noticed these trees.

What do you see when you look at this tree? Of course, yummy, juicy, good ness. But think a little beyond your belly — I know, I struggle with that too! Let’s think about it a little deeper though. Take just a second and really look at that tree. Look at the apples. Look at the number of apples. Look at the color of the apples. Look at the leaves. Look at the tree structure. Look at the bounty. Imagine the smell, the crisp crunch and the sweetness.

The goal of Persisting in the Presence of God is to get us to see God in every single part of our lives. His presence is all around us, but sometimes we’re so busied-up that we don’t see Him. Hmmm. Sometimes we’re caught in the life-whirl created by the evil one whose sole goal is to keep us from seeing God.

However, if we persist in seeking and recognizing God, even in the most ordinary, mundane things — an apple tree, God will be glorified, and that’s our sole purpose for being here on this earth — to glorify God.

With that in mind, what thoughts about God do you have when you see that tree? Jot them down and reflect on them today.

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. John 1:16

So I’ve been thinking about the word “Holy.” We’ve been praising and worshiping a lot lately, and I’ve noted particularly, just how many worship songs speak to the “Holiness” of God. Well, duh, you say, but it’s not always a given that praise songs necessarily are about the character of God. Sometimes they talk more about the “I” than the “He.”

This recent opportunity for more worship has caused me to meditate on the “Holiness” of God. When I stopped to think about it, I just couldn’t put my finger on a good understanding, or definition of “Holy.” It is kind of important since God the Father and Jesus the Son say often throughout The Word – “Be holy, for I am Holy.” If God says He is it, and then calls me to be it, I’d better be checking into it.

I’m going to share some of the things I’ve learned about the Holiness of God and what that requires of me (us). For you see, in order for me to be holy, I have to understand His Holiness.

Vine’s Bible Dictionary says – Holy is defined as separation to God and Holiness is defined as the resultant state, the conduct befitting those so separated.

Think of it this way: God is Holy, He is set apart from everything that is not God. So, in order for me to be Holy, I must be set apart from everything that is not God. What is “everything that is not God?” Just that. Everything that is not good. God’s Holiness is the absolute absence of evil, wickedness — let’s just cut to the chase and call it what it is, sin. God is Holy, which means He cannot abide with or tolerate sin. And because He is Holy, He won’t. Because God is Holy, everything He does is Holy.

I love how Habakkuk 1:13 puts it: “You are perfectly just in this.” The King James Version makes it much more clear: “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.”

God is Holy — this prevents Him from looking upon evil (sin) — God and evil (sin) cannot coexist. His eyes are so pure He cannot look on injustice, iniquity, wickedness, wrongdoing, sin. He doesn’t just dislike sin, He says in Zechariah 8:17 “I hate all these things…” Yikes! Hate is an extraordinarily harsh word, and that’s the word God uses to describe His feelings toward sin.

So, God’s character is Holy and that means His actions are consistent with His character. In other words, because God is Holy, everything He does is Holy. And, wild as it may sound, that is His standard for us. Because God is Holy and we are His children, everything we do should be Holy (pure, without sin).

Hmmm…but we are sinners you say — true that! There is only One who is pure and without sin, Our Pure and Spotless Lamb, but He calls us to be like Him. But, we cannot be sinless. Again, true that! In his book The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges talks about three types of Holiness: Positional Holiness – where we’re set apart to God at the time of conversion. Practical Holiness – daily growing more and more like Christ. Perfect/Complete Holiness – when in Heaven we will be forever free from sin. Hallelujah!

If Jesus Christ is our Savior, we are to pursue Practical Holiness, becoming more and more like Christ every day. Positional we already have and Perfect we will have in Heaven.

In pursuing Practical Holiness we must ask ourselves the questions – am I the same person doing the same things I was doing yesterday, last week, last year, five years ago? Same thoughts? Same attitudes? Same sin? Am I changed? Not, am I perfect, because I cannot be. But, am I growing daily to be more and more like Christ? What are my attitudes, what are my thoughts, what are my sins? If we don’t see continual changes in our lives, we must reexamine our relationship with God.

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

But, if we abide with Him, abide in His Word, abide in sweet communion with Him, we will be on the journey to see God everyday in our earthly lives. If we don’t, we simply won’t.

We would see Jesus, in the early morning,
still as of old he calleth, “Follow me!”
Let us arise, all meaner service scorning;
Lord, we are thine, we give ourselves to thee.

As most of you know, I love this time of year. One of the best things about this time of year is the sky. To me, the dark seems darker, but the lighter seems lighter, all at the same time. I love looking at the sky, the clouds, and especially the stars. Even though I can’t reach them, touch them, or even fully comprehend them, there’s something about the stars that is humbling to me. Something about them puts me in my place. Something about them emphasizes to me the Magnitude of the One and the minimumtude of the me. We could all use some minimumtude at one time or another.

But as I sit in the darkness and look at the sky today, I stand amazed in His presence. Thank you God, for the reminder of Your Holy Magnitude as I gaze at the stars I can see, and all those that exist that I cannot see. Thank you Father for reminding me of Your Holy Magnitude as I gaze at my life here on earth, all those ways you’re working that I can see, and all those ways you’re working that I cannot see.

Repost – Cone Nebula – November 2022

Tony pointed out to me this week this amazing act of God. Do you see the work of His hand? Gaze at it for a minute and take it in.

What is it you ask? It’s a star making machine! Yep. The Cone Nebula is a “pillar-like cloud of cold, star-forming molecular gas and dust” according to NASA. It’s a star machine in the Heavens — it’s where stars come from! How cool is that?

Not to get into the weeds too far, this image was taken by a (VLT) a very large telescope (yes, that’s the technical name of the equipment – duh), located in the Atacama Desert in Chile. The VLT is operated by the European Southern Observatory. They say this Cone Nebula is located fairly close to us, about 2,500 light-years away from earth. A light year is the distance a light travels in one year, nearly six trillion miles. So, six trillion times 2,500, who knows, you do the math. Anyway, they call that “relatively” close to our home towns. What in the world!?!? Actually, it’s out of this world…

Check out the video below from the ESO. It’s wild!

When I watch that I think of the word miracle. What is a miracle? An extraordinary event taken as a sign of the supernatural power of God. An event that requires the supernatural power of God to be accomplished. Each star made, each shining star released at the top of this nebula is a miracle. God of wonders…

As I’m star gazing that video, I find myself humming the song my 4 year old great-nephew Declan was humming this weekend, Million Little Miracles by Maverick City. Every single star produced by that Cone Nebula is a miracle. A gracious act of our Creator God. Hallelujah!

All my life, I’ve been carried by grace
Don’t ask me how ’cause I can’t explain
It’s nothing short of a miracle I’m here

I’ve got some blessings that I don’t deserve
I’ve got some scars, but that’s how you learn
It’s nothing short of a miracle I’m here

I think it over and it doesn’t add up
I know it comes from above

I’ve got miracles on miracles
A million little miracles
Miracles on miracles
Count your miracles
One, two, three, four, I can’t even count ’em all

Just like the star machine, we are miracles on miracles, we’ve got miracles on miracles, and just like the stars in the Heavens, one, two, three, four, we can’t even count ’em all. The miracles we are, the miracles we have, the miracles we see…when we stop to think about it, it is a little hard to wrap our brains around, right?

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

The Apostle Paul knew a little about miracles, didn’t he? He was a miracle. He lived a miracle. He was even given the power from God to perform miracles. But when Paul thought on God’s mysterious plan revealed, the millions upon millions upon millions of little miracles, all he could do was fall to his knees and worship the God of Miracles. Shouldn’t we do the same?

As I was putting my chickens in last night — I’m down to two — I thought about how they’ve really not changed over the years. Even with only two left, they still fuss and squawk at each other. When I put them in last night I gave them a little talkin’ to on how they need to be nice to each other because they’re all they’ve got. I told them they shouldn’t peck at each other, they shouldn’t cackle at each other, or bump each other around. They shouldn’t steal each other’s food or edge each other out of this bug or that. I also told them, most of all, they needed to watch how they spoke to each other — it’s not always the peep that is peeped, but it’s sometimes the tone of the peep, and the loudness of the peep, and the attitude with which the peep is peeped that matters. The below log was first published in 2018. I needed another reminder in 2020 (election year…hmmm) and I need another reminder today.

WHEN DID IT GET OKAY?

You might have heard about my girls – my chicks – there are seven of them.  I love those stinkin things.  We do a lot of chicken watching at our house.  During the day they run amuck – they cover every inch of our 12, every day, and where they go, they go all together.  They’re flockers.  They stick together unless someone’s sitting anest.

During the day they wander and at night they’re cooped up – it’s one of those two story jobs.  Settling in for the night is a process, which doesn’t voluntarily begin before darkish.  When dusk hits they instinctively head for their coop.   Settling in for the night is a process for them.  They take turns going in and out before the doors close.  They run in and think about roosting then they run out for one last bite.  In.  Out.  Bite to eat.  Drink.  Hop up.  Hop down.  Jostling.   They chase each other and squeeze each other out, jockeying for the best roost position.  If one tries to go up the ladder before another thinks they should, they get a peck or two on the head.  Maybe even a pluck.  Ouch Georgie Girl!  Poor Ethel is always the last to ascend she’s most often pushed, pecked and bullied.  It’s a tough crowd.

After finally ascending to the coop, the jockeying for position is not yet over.  They move, they ruffle, they peck, they squawk.  It’s constant.  I try to intervene, to restore calm, but I’m reminded that it’s what chickens do.  They’re animals – fowl, technically.  They have a pecking order. 

One thing I’ve noticed is that we, me, I, have chicken-tendencies.  We, me, are not so different from them, really.  We do the same sometimes.  I know I do.

After watching the news the other day, I started thinking how very similar we are to my girls.  We treat each other the same way my girls treat each other, and it’s permissible and acceptable.  I wondered to myself – when did it get okay?  When did it get okay to be mean?  Push.  When did it get okay to call people names?  Squawk.  When did it get okay to degrade other people?  Bump.  When did it get okay to mistreat others?  Peck.  When did it get okay to speak our minds without care for others’ tender hearts?  Pluck.  When did it get okay to say what we want, regardless of the cost to someone else?  Scar.  When did it get okay to bully?  Jostle.  When did it get okay?

Clearly, my chickens have not heard about the Greatest Commandment.  Sometimes I act like I’ve not heard it either.

The most important commandment is this:  Hear, O Israel! 

The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,

All your mind, and all your strength.

and your neighbor as yourself.

Mark 12:29-31

According to Jesus, this is the most important commandment.  Notice He gives us a few directions before we are to love each other.  His directions are just that – listed in order of importance.  First, he gets our attention.  Then He identifies Himself.  Next, He tells us exactly what we must do.  He says:

Listen up folks!

I am the only God!

You must love Me with absolutely everything you have – heart, soul, mind, strength,

Only when you do that can you love your neighbor as you should. (Beth’s paraphrase)

Only by putting God first in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds, with all the strength that we have, can we love others as we should.  He knew we would struggle with love because we are human, that’s why he gave us the directions – He’s shown us how to work this love thing.

God did not tell us to love our neighbors if we want to, if they love us first, if they’re loveable.  He said love your neighbor as yourself.  Do we do that?  Do we love each other as we love ourselves – maybe.  Maybe that’s our problem.

Paul tells us living in the Spirit – heart, soul, mind, strength – produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  We can pretty much tell if we’re living in the Spirit or living in the world by the fruits we produce.   Will they know I’m a Christian by my love?  By my words?  By my deeds?  By my eyes?  By my life?  The fruits are not to be practiced occasionally, they are to be how we live our life.  They are to be practiced consistently.  What a wonderful world it would be if we all immersed ourselves in the fruits.

We peck.  We bump.  We shove.  We squawk.  We pluck.  We scar.  We jostle.  We act like animals.  We act fowl.  That’s the truth.  Ugh!  We need a Cross check.  We are sinners living in a fallen world but that doesn’t excuse our actions.  Because we are His we are to be of the world and not in the world. When did it get okay to peck, bump, shove, squawk, pluck, scar, or jostle each other?  It didn’t.  It never did.  It’s just not okay.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him.  I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me.  For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.  As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.   I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!  Philippians 3:8-11

This scripture was referenced in a book I was reading recently.  Seen it a million times.  Today it stopped me in my tracks.  You know me.  I have this running dialogue in my head.  Some of you do too.  Maybe one of the reasons it stopped me in my tracks is because the author asked if this passage described me (you) and if that’s how other folks would describe me (you).  Wham!  Right upside the head.  I fall to my knees.

Piece-by-piece.  Bit-by-bit.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. 

Wow, complete surrender.  Surrender of thoughts.  Surrender of lifestyle.  Surrender of things, even good, but ungodly.  Is that true for me?  In the verses before, Paul laid out his life, a mini-autobiography.  You see, Paul was quite the man before he met Jesus on that road.  He was living the good life.  He was the ultimate Jew – from the tribe of Benjamin.  His tribe, along with the tribe of Judah (who came from there?) were the only tribes that returned to Israel following the exile.  One of the “it” tribes.  Paul was a Pharisee, a learned man, highly esteemed, highly revered.  He knew the law inside and out, moreover, he lived the law – to the strictest letter – to a T.  Paul was the real deal.  So, when Paul’s life did an about face, complete surrender, and he made the claims that “everything else is worthless,” he’s saying that his knowledge, his power, his position, his life, were nothing compared to knowing Christ – priceless.  Remember that commercial?  What’s in your heart? 

What does complete surrender look like to me, to you?  Am I willing to chuck everything I have so that “I may have Christ and become one with him.”?  That’s a toughy isn’t it?  Let’s go around back – what am I willing to chuck?  Am I willing to toss out anything that keeps me from becoming “one with him”?  You see, we do get to pick and choose what we will and will not take to the dump.  He gives us free will.  Here’s the thing though, until we lay it all down, not just the things we’d like to get rid of, we will not be “one with him.”  Some things in our lives and our hearts are easy to toss on the heap, some things not so easy.  What’s in your heart?  What do we need to kick to the curb? 

I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me.  For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Paul’s transformation revealed to him that he simply couldn’t be good enough.  He couldn’t count on himself, by following all the rules, towing the line, doing the right things at the right time.  No matter what Paul did, or what we do, we simply cannot be good enough to inherit the kingdom.  There is not one thing we can do – Christ has already done it.  God used His only Son to make us right with Him.  Believing on the Son, faith in the Son, is the only way.  Even rule followers cannot enter the kingdom without faith, not even Paul, not even us. 

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  John 1:12

As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.   I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!

Paul trusted Christ, he had faith in Christ, and as a result he was reborn.  Paul experienced the resurrection power of knowing Christ and his life was transformed.  The things Paul previously thought were important were no longer important.  I feel certain that before his transformation, Paul used the same absolutes we use.  I will forever be a Pharisee.  I will always follow the law.  I will never follow this Jesus.   But, Paul surrendered and look what happened – just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of God the Father, he was living a new life, a life that will be resurrected from the dead to live for all eternity. Remember, Paul thought he had it all before.  After meeting Jesus, he knew he had it all.  So, what are we hanging on to that is worthless compared to Christ?  What do we need to discard, take to the dump, get rid of, throw out?