One

In Ephesians 4.4-6, Paul describes the several factors that hold a group of believers together; they are all one:

  • One body
  • One Spirit
  • One hope that belongs to your call
  • One Lord
  • One faith
  • One baptism
  • One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

If all are one, why do churches split?  Why are there so many denominations?  Often there is disagreement over the details of the One Faith.  The ESV says “One faith refers to the doctrinal truths Christians commonly confess.” So the Apostles’ Creed is a starting point that would bring many together. Beyond those central truths, issues such as baptism, women’s roles, church discipline, the authority of scripture, and the proper administration of the Lord’s Supper cause divisions.

It is good to know what you believe.  It is good to listen to others to understand what they believe.  It is okay to disagree.  It is good to apply what Paul says earlier in Ephesians 4 – “walk with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Toast?

There was an elderly couple who in their old age noticed that they were getting a lot more forgetful, so they decided to go to the doctor. The doctor told them that they should start writing things down so they don’t forget.

They went home and the old lady told her husband to get her a bowl of ice cream. “You might want to write it down,” she said. The husband said, “No, I can remember that you want a bowl of ice cream.”

She then told her husband she wanted a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream. “Write it down,” she told him, and again he said, “No, no, I can remember: you want a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream.”

Then the old lady said she wants a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top. “Write it down,” she told her husband and again he said, “No, I got it. You want a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top.”

So he goes to get the ice cream and spends an unusually long time in the kitchen, over 30 minutes. He comes out to his wife and hands her a plate of eggs and bacon. The old wife stares at the plate for a moment, then looks at her husband and asks, “Where’s the toast?”

 

Elders Praying

I know that prayer works. Not always with the answer I desire, but I know that God hears and is indeed working all things together for my good. I recall two major prayer events that changed my life; there have been many more, but these are the two that cry out for attention because the results have been powerfully long-lasting. One was personal and affected my work. The other was on a Sunday evening in 1982 when the elders came to pray at my Sparrow Hospital bedside.

Two weeks’ prior, I started getting weaker and weaker and was diagnosed with Guillian-Barré Syndrome, a neurological disorder that presents with ascending paralysis. The treatment for Guillian-Barré is called “expectant therapy”- they expect you are going to get better eventually and they want to keep you alive until you do. I had been on a ventilator that was doing my breathing for me, since Friday afternoon. The machine’s setting was initially too strong and had caused a lung to collapse; I had pneumonia; and my breathing was difficult. The doctors decided they would do a tracheostomy on Monday morning, placing the ventilator tube in my throat to provide oxygen better.

Having the elders get together to pray for a sick person, as commanded in James 5, was a fairly new thing at our church.  I was actually one of the elders at the time and did not have much experience as the prayee OR the prayer. Our friend Glen encouraged Diane to ask the elders to pray, and they arrived shortly after eight o’clock, just as visitors’ hours were ending.

I don’t remember what they prayed. I think there was some laying on of hands and maybe making the sign of the cross on my forehead with oil. The amazing thing was that God chose to work in a dramatically positive way that night. After prayer, the elders commented that I had an ashen look when they arrived, but was pink when they left. The next morning the pulmonary specialist looked at the new x-ray and saw enough improvement to call off the tracheostomy. It was another month in the hospital and five months off work, but the improvement began with the elders’ prayer.

The medical staff exercised expectant therapy. The elders exercised expectant prayers. I thank and praise God regularly for his healing and comforting mercy he exercises for his people.

Cool Number Dates – 7/26/15-8/1/15

Once again, no cool number dates this week.

There is however, a cool medical date.

It turns out that I take injections, which are supposed to occur every other evening.  As the weeks and months slid by, it was much too hard to remember whether I had a shot last night or not.  The solution – inject on even-numbered days – 2,4,6,8, etc.

This method is close enough to “every other day” and has a positive mental side effect.  On months (January, March, May, July, August, October, and December) that have 31 days, I get an extra day off!  So no injection for two days in a row this week – July 31 and August 1.

Leap years are a bonus, since February has 29 days.  2016 will be special!

Tech Support

Most Computer problems are caused by a loose nut between the chair and the keyboard

Anyone who thinks the customer is always right never worked in tech support

I found your problem.  You need a user upgrade.

Document my code?  Why do you think they call it “code”?

How Did You Learn to Fight?

Early in the morning, the day after the battle with Amalek.

“Ebenezer, how did you learn to fight so well? You were great in the battle!”

“Well, Bartholomew, I had help from this man – Ravi. He taught me everything I know about swords and shields and knives.”

“Ravi? Greetings. I have not seen you around the camp. What tribe are you with?”

“Good to meet you, Bartholomew.  I am not an Israelite. I escaped from Egypt at the same time Moses led the people out; I am originally from Tarshish but have traveled and lived in many places.”

“And where did you learn to fight?”

“I was trained in martial arts in the Eastern countries on the far side of Ur. It has been my pleasure to help many of the Hebrews who have shown some desire and skill.”

“Well, we sure are glad that you were available. The only skills we learned in Egypt were straw gathering and brick making. I am amazed that we were able to defeat those Amalekites.”

“It was indeed a wonder. I had scouted the people from Amalek before the conflict. They are skilled and experienced fighters; I knew they would be a good test for me, and I feared for the safety of my students, like Ebenezer here, who are still learning. But the fighting turned out to be the strangest I have ever witnessed. Have you heard any of the stories about what Moses and Joshua were doing?”

“The people I talked to said it was Hur and Aaron who were with Moses, not Joshua.”

“That’s right, Bart. Joshua was the one who contacted Ravi and me to join his fighters, and he led us into the battle.”

“Anyway, Moses was holding some staff thingy over his head. The story tellers are saying we were winning when he held up the spear, but whenever he let it down, the enemy prevailed. He needed Aaron and Hur to hold his arms up; then we were able to rout them. That sounds kind of crazy to me. I think it was you strong fighters who won the day.”

“It was really crazy out there. I am very thankful to make it out alive. Good to see you , Bart. Maybe we can connect at the party they are throwing for Moses’ father-in-law. ”

 

Later that day

“Ebenezer, did you feel like our mighty warriors won the battle yesterday?”

“Not really, Ravi. I certainly didn’t feel ‘mighty;’ I was actually a bit dazed after that first blow to the helmet. Thanks for saving me when I fell down.”

“You are welcome. I am proud of the way you continued the combat even when injured.

“I did not want to say anything in front of your friend Bartholomew because he did not seem to hold a high opinion of what Moses was doing. But I could see a very marked difference in the flow of the battle, especially late in the day. It wasn’t so much that we were a lot better, but the Amalekites seemed to be distracted; they were easy to push over, almost like they had given up.”

“I don’t know anything about battles; that was the first one I was ever in. But now that you mention it, it did seem a lot easier as the day wore on. What are you thinking?”

“I do not know this God of yours, but I respect Moses as a good and fair leader. Maybe it is true that Moses is really the one who won the battle.”

“Moses would never say that. He gives all the credit to God who gives him wisdom and instructions. I kind of think he is right; God IS mighty and powerful. After seeing the miracles he did in Egypt, it is easy to see that the battle result could be God’s doing. Remember how the Egyptian soldiers were all drowned back when we didn’t have any army at all? That must have been the God in the fiery pillar who did them in. If he whacked those Egyptians, he could deal with some Amalekites.”

“You think it was God, and not Moses? Maybe Moses is a god?”

“No, it was God. I’m sure of it.”

“Could be. I will have to learn more about your strange ways. In my travels, everyone else has many gods, each of whom has charge over a portion of our lives – harvests or storms or battles or fertility.”

“We believe there is only one God.”

“We? Seems like your friend Bartholomew doesn’t agree.”

“Yeah. I don’t get it. Some believe and some don’t, even after all the miracles we have witnessed.”

“Hmmm.”

Fear and Love?

One of the posting Categories on this blog is “Fear and Awe.” The original title was “Kept Promises” but it was quickly evident there is more awesomeness in our God than the holy fact that he keeps all his promises. A couple of ideas surfaced recently that made the title “Fear and Love” potentially more descriptive than “Fear and Awe.”

First, verses from the Psalms jumped out showing love and fear as combined characteristics of God, and man’s response to him. Psalm 85.9-10: “Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. ” And Psalm 86.15: “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

Second, the Westminster Shorter Catechism question and answer number 1, with twelve proof texts of support, ranging from Isaiah and the Psalms to Luke; Philippians; and Revelation, picked up the glory idea in the psalms. It is very clear that God is all about fun, love, and enjoyment:

Q: What is the chief end of man?

A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

There are other ways to say it: Truth and Love, Justice and Mercy, Righteousness and Forgiveness. No matter the phrases, it is good to be reminded that the one who is able to cast into hell (Luke 12.4-7) is also the one whose mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3.23).

On the other hand, there is already a Category “Gospel Messages .” It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the difference, just like God’s attributes meld perfectly together. The gospel side also shows multiple sides to the “good news,” as some news is not so good for unbelievers. “Fear and Love” is an interesting possibility, but we will leave “Fear and Awe” alone for now.

Hot Air Mess

Two executives are traveling in a hot-air balloon and suddenly realize that they’re lost. They shout down to a guy in the meadow, “Where are we?”

The guy thinks for a bit and then replies, “You’re in a hot-air balloon.”

The balloonist says, “What you told me is technically correct, but it’s no use to anyone.”

The man below says “You must be in management.”

“I am” replies the balloonist, “but how did you know?”

“Well,” says the man, “you don’t know where you are, or where you’re going, but you expect me to be able to help. You’re in the same position you were before we met, but now it’s my fault.”