CHRISTIAN LIVING
THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO; WHY DON’T THEY DO IT?
Sometimes it takes days, months or longer to put two sets of conversations together to make one good one. One conversation that I have had many times as a Pastor - "Pastor, the doctor tells dad he has to eat better or he won’t gain strength. I remind dad of what the doctor says, but it just doesn’t do any good. He won’t listen to me and he is getting weaker."
The other conversation is one that I often have with other persons who have disabilities and rise above them. By the way, I like the word disability as long you don’t forget that I do have disabilities. It is important for me that you recognize my disabilities and are able to know when I need help and to see my abilities and let me go as far as I can with them. These conversations usually include statements such as, "I know that I need to follow a better diet of healthy foods, or get more or less sleep so that I have the strength to keep going. It is hard to do something that you don’t want to do, but I know that I have to, so I do it."
The point is that I have to make the first conversation as positive as the second one. If I visit with the dad in the first conversation, I have to say, "You know what you have to do; why don’t you do it?" We don’t understand why they won’t do what they know they should do. But wait a minute, maybe we should understand why they are not doing it. Do you hear the voice of God saying to you - "I have told you in so many ways and so many times what I want you to do. You know what you have to do. Why don’t you do it?"
God’s Peace. See You At The House.
12/22/06
On one of those five minute news bits on the radio, I heard a commentary of procrastination. Using the facts and figures from some research organization, he reported that many millions of dollars are lost each year because of procrastination. I assume that he is talking in the business world alone.
We know that procrastination costs in our personal life also. Did you ever put off getting a birthday or anniversary present for your spouse?
Then all of a sudden you remembered that this is the day. You rushed off to the store and bought what looked good, regardless of the cost. You spent more than you had planned, and that cost you. Have you ever had a $25.00 credit card bill that you set a side until later? When you get around to it, you realize that you are not going to meet the due date. Yes, that cost you as you receive a $29.00 or $35.00 late payment fee for your $25.00 payment.
I worked at the funeral home tonight. People were coming to grieve with the family of a man who had been in church Sunday, and his visitation was today (Friday) and the funeral is Saturday. I heard several of his friends say, I was going to see him this week, but I didn’t get there.
How do we deal with procrastination? A Pastor friend in Colorado answered this question by saying he practiced the "ART OF SELECT NEGLECT." When asked what he meant, he told us that he made a list of things that he wanted to do that day. This list included eating, recreation activities, social, and work. Then he went down the list and arranged them in importance. Then he SELECTED to do the things at the top of he list and NEGLECT those he could not get done.
Procrastination is a danger in our Spiritual Life also. How many times have you put off prayer, Bible Reading, volunteering to teach Sunday School, invite a neighbor to church and so forth? Where would these things fit on your SELECT NEGLECT list? We often recognize the sins of commission, but seldom give a thought about the sins of omission.
Yes, procrastination is costly. But think of the cost if your procrastination cost a child, a member of your family, a neighbor, or a friend the opportunity to know that Jesus really did die for him or her that they too might have Life Eternal.
The next time you catch your self procrastinating, stop and find a way that you can eliminate procrastinations one at a time.
God's peace. See You At The House.
01/13/07
In my morning Bible reading, I came to these words, "And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.’" Hebrews 1:7 (NKJV). As I read these words, I was immediately reminded of a real hero and strong example in my past, The Rev. Dr. Julius H. Bodensieck. In 1958, at the age of 64, he was my Wartburg Seminary New Testament Professor. He made this statement with great excitement one morning as he began to teach, "As I reviewed the Bible passages that we are going to study this morning, something new was revealed to me. It has always been there but I have never understood it before." I thought to myself, how can that be? Since then, and again this morning, as I read anew the first four chapters of Hebrews, the words I read held new meaning for me.
Dr. Bodensieck was "all fired up" to tell us of the new Truth from Scripture that was now his. It didn’t make any difference if any of us had found meaning in the passage before; the important thing was that Dr. Bodensieck wanted each of us to know that he had a new understanding, and he wanted each of us to remember that no matter how long we live, no matter how many times we read the Bible from cover to cover, there is always something new waiting to enrich and empower our lives.
How often do we see a flame of fire in ministers today? Remember that the word minister includes more than just Pastors--it includes all who seek to share God’s Love with others, and I am sure that includes YOU. Remember that there are three kinds of fires and fiery people. First there is the fire that is close to going out. There is a little glow but not enough to give light or warmth, not enough to draw people near.
Second there is the fire that blazes away, flames shooting high and every which way. The sap in the wood pops and from time to time there seem to be small eruptions within the flame. People can’t get near it. The flames are too hot and they go every which way without warning. The roar of the fire is almost too loud to hear anyone speak. Right in between these two is the fire that is just warm enough to bring people near; flames going just high enough to give light and warmth. It is inviting, welcoming, and warming.
WHERE IS THE FIRE among your friends and mine and among the Pastors we see on TV or in our local Church? When I want to hear a sermon or a Bible Study, I don’t want it to be from someone that is jumping, yelling, shouting, waving their arms, and telling me what they know.....they will scare me away. I don’t want someone who seems to be almost afraid to tell me that God loves me... if they are that afraid to tell me, can it really be true? I WANT someone who will draw me to them with flames of love, compassion, and care, regardless who I am. Then a glowing fire will warm my heart with the words that Jesus wants me to hear, even if sometimes those words are NO. The wild, raging fires of HATE are destroying so many and so much today.
The ebbing flames of fires of indifference allow the fires of HATE to grow even stronger.
The fires of LOVE that God has given to us through the Holy Spirit are the ONLY HOPE for the world today. It is this fire and ONLY this fire that can draw people to the "Peace that passes all human understanding."
WHERE IS THE FIRE? IS IT IN YOU?
God’s Peace. See You At The House.
01/17/07
Cleaning house is usually a love or hate kind of a thing to do. Some people love to clean house and spend hours seeking to make everything just right. Others give what they call a lick and a promise, meaning they will do as little as possible and promise to do better next time. The exception to this is when they have invited company and, therefore, the house needs to look nice.
What about the cleaning of our hearts? Some say they did that at Baptism. Some say they do that when they receive the Sacraments. Some say they do it when they pray the Lord’s Prayer. Some say that there are many years yet before they have to worry about it because they are young.
If we pray daily, we are inviting God into our lives. Isn’t this a good time to use the cleansing power that God has for us? No matter hard we might try to scrub and cleanse, only the Blood of Christ can wash away those sins.
"I lay my sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all, and frees us from the accursèd load;
I bring my guilt to Jesus, to wash my crimson stains
White in His blood most precious, till not a stain remains."
I LAY MY SINS ON JESUS from Cyberhymnal.org
God’s Peace. See You At The House
01/22/07
Here in our part of the nation we know that winter weather can bring hazardous driving conditions. We are all aware of what the blinding and drifting snow can do to make a car go off course. We have had that sinking feeling of loss of control when we drive into rutted ice. Nothing can compare to all of a sudden coming on a patch of BLACK ICE. You don’t see it ahead, you are just there and no matter what you might think, you cannot make the car go where you want it to go. Often where it wants to go is one of three places, into the back end of another car, into a ditch or into the oncoming traffic. As the car begins to slide, you might think to yourself, I should have known that there might be BLACK ICE, I should have been more careful.
BLACK ICE isn’t the only thing up ahead that we know is there but we can’t see. Satan has his own brand of BLACK ICE that he throws in front of us. It is sometimes in the form of a person saying to us, "Try this, it won’t hurt you" or "Come on, do it, nobody will ever know" or "Why not do it, it won’t hurt anybody" or maybe "It is nobody’s business but yours." And the next thing you know, you are sliding into all kinds of trouble and saying to yourself, "I should have known not to do that."
This winter, drive with care and WATCH OUT FOR BLACK ICE! Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall, as you go through life, WATCH OUT FOR SATAN’S BLACK ICE!
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
01/24/07
Here in Northwest Ohio we have a lot of cloudy days during this time of year. Sometimes there will also be showers or rain or snow, but many times just clouds, clouds, and more clouds. Then all of a sudden, the clouds will part and the sun will shine, touching the earth with warming rays. For some reason you just feel a little better. Then the clouds return and the cycle repeats itself. You plod through the cloudy days with the hope that maybe today or tomorrow THE SUN WILL SHINE.
To me this is just another way that God has chosen to teach us an important truth. Think abut the times you have said something hurtful to someone or about someone, and then later it bothered you. Think about the times that you might have lied to someone to cover up an error in good judgment that you had made. Think about the time ... well you know from your own life the things that you have worried about or felt bad about. Aren't these worries and doubts just like the clouds? Dark and gloomy, blotting out joy and happiness.
Even though the feelings may be the same under the clouds of weather and the clouds of life, there is a major difference in the outcome. No matter who we are, no matter what we believe, no matter what we have done, eventually -- without any responsibility on our part -- the clouds of weather will part and THE SUN WILL SHINE. On the other hand if we do not take action, the clouds of sin and doubt will not go away. No, it is not that we have the power to make those clouds, caused by sin, to go away. It is that we have the invitation from God to cast our cares upon Him. It is Jesus and only Jesus, through His Death on the Cross, who can forgive us of those sins and wipe away those clouds. For Jesus has said, "I am the Light of the World."
When the weather clouds depress us, relax, be patient for THE SUN WILL SHINE.
When the clouds of sin and guilt are heavy and burdensome, place them at the Feet of Jesus and your burden will be lifted as THE SON SHINES upon you. The SUN will bring light for a day; the SON will bring light for Eternity.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
01/26/07
In the second of my recent series of Devotions on the 2nd Epistle of John there was a reference made to the deceiver who comes to your door.
John says that if the deceiver comes to your door, turn the deceiver away. We don’t think about this today, but maybe we should. Many have wondered about the religious group that often comes to the door representing a faith that does not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, True Man and True God. As you read stories of the Amish people you encounter the practice of SHUNNING. In this context SHUNNING does not refer to those who do not accept Jesus as their Lord. It refers to those who have abandoned the Amish practices of faith and life to join the call of the world. When they SHUN someone, from that point on they act as if that person is dead and no longer exists. I think you understand that the Amish, a people of strong faith, are not the ones I refer to as coming to our doors today.
My question is, after reading 2nd John and related passages, is SHUNNING a practice that God would have us use today? Is it right for us to patronize a business where the people who receive the major profits, do not accept Jesus as Lord? Is it right for us to vote for one who does not place our Lord in the center of personal life? Today, more and more non-Christians are entering the field of big business ownership; is it right to support them? If the words that John wrote were true when he wrote them, aren’t they also true today? Would the cause of Christ be advanced and the inroads of non-Christians in our life be set back if we listened to God’s Word as God inspired John to write it, and resumed the practice of SHUNNING? Some would throw up their arms and raise their voices in shouting Discrimination, Discrimination. Remember, "My ways are not your ways, says the Lord."
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
02/06/07
Yesterday I mentioned the pending ice, snow, sleet and rain storm forecast
for us in Northwest Ohio. It wasn’t as bad as expected. At my home, the
snow did not arrive. The ice did, but not severe. By ten this morning, all
of the roads were drivable with caution. As a result I made my regular
morning drive to town.
I can recall many times when God has asked me to do something and I tried
to back off because I knew that it was going to be hard, something I
really did not want to do. Maybe you have experienced this as well.
There is a story about two men who were neighbors. I don’t know if it is
true or not. Every Sunday morning the two neighbors would go out to their
cars at the same time. Jim would be dressed for Church and Joe would be
ready for the Golf Course. They always said hello and visited for a few
minutes as good friends do. Jim’s family would come out, get in the car,
and they would drive to church while Joe would drive to the golf course.
One Sunday Jim’s Pastor preached about inviting people who do not go to
church. The Pastor said that all of the members knew someone who did not
go to church and that it would be God’s will that the members invited
them.
Jim could not think of anyone to invite so he soon forgot about the
sermon. Several months later the Pastor again preached about inviting the
unchurched. This time Jim thought about Joe.
Jim struggled with the idea. Should I invite him or not? He plays golf
every Sunday; he wouldn’t give that up. I don’t want to lose a friend if I
offend him by inviting him to church. Jim argued with himself for a couple
of months, always coming up with negative thoughts and never anything
positive. Finally the day came when Jim could not put it off any longer,
as it was bothering him too much.
Jim was nervous when he went out the door that Sunday Morning. Joe came
out the door and said hello as he approached Jim. Jim hesitated, then
said, "Joe. I have been wanting to ask you this for a long time. Would you
go to church with me some Sunday?" Jim felt very nervous but Joe quickly
replied, "Sure, Jim. How about next Sunday? I’ll tell the guys I won’t be
at the Course next week." Jim said, "Joe, thank you. It will be great to
have you go with us next Sunday. Joe replied, "That’s okay Jim. You know I
have invited you to golf with me many Sunday Mornings but you always said
that you had to go to church. I always expected you to ask me to go to
church with you, but you didn't. It didn’t bother me. I decided that since
golf was important enough and enjoyable to me that I wanted to share the
experience with you, it only made sense that you did not invite me because
church was not important enough or enjoyable enough for you to feel like
sharing the experience with me." Jim thought to himself, "That wasn’t as
bad as I expected."
This is an example of something God might want you to do. You can develop
a similar story using something that you do that God might want you to
stop doing. You can find that again it will not be as bad as you expected.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
02/26/07
GOOD DRIVING PAYS OFF - THE PARKING LOT
Once again, an observation from the Mall Parking Lot: I was again bothered by something I saw, as there was nearly an accident. As I thought about it, I realized that what I was upset about was something that I often do myself.
I parked this morning, and settled in to drink my coffee and take time to
think and reflect. The only people at the Mall were the regular morning
walkers and the employees arriving to prepare for the day of business. The
people had parked in such a way that none of the parking aisles were
filled and there were many spaces between parked cars. As I watched, the
majority of the drivers drove the proper way up and down the aisles,
obeying the one way directions.
Not all of the drivers drove properly as they chose to drive across the
parking lot instead of up and down the aisles. They would dart between
parked cars, cross the aisle and then turn a little to dart between the
next cars until they found the perfect parking place. My guess is that by
darting between parked cars instead of driving in the proper lanes, the
driver might have saved anywhere between one and three seconds.
So, how does good driving pay off here? There were vans parked where the
darting car went through, and the driver did not see the car driving in
the proper lane. The driver of the darting car did not see the little
child because the parked cars shielded the child from view. The driver of
the darting car did not see the law enforcement officer who was watching.
The good driver who drove in the proper driving lanes would not have
caused the driver of the car to slam on his brakes, become nervous and
angry, and that is a good payoff. The little child would not have been
nearly hit and would not have been in tears out of fear, and that’s a good
payoff. You would not have received a ticket for reckless driving, and
that’s a good payoff.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
02/27/07
I have always been surprised at how much I can learn if I just stop and think about actions, words, events, and even dates on the calendar. Every time March 4 would be on a Sunday, my sermon theme would be MARCH FORTH.
It might be MARCH FORTH to bring the message of salvation to those in foreign lands and to those who have not heard the Gospel. This would emphasize World Missions.
It might be MARCH FORTH to bring comfort to the sick and those nearing
death; to bring cheer to those who are lonely, those with disabilities,
and those who are hungry and homeless. This would emphasize a Ministry of
Mercy and Care.
It might be to MARCH FORTH to bring the good news of the Gospel to those
who are captive to sin. This may be to those in prison, to those in gangs,
to those who sell and use drugs, to those who lead two lives -- one on
Sunday Morning and another the other 6 ½ days of each week -- and to those
who lead good lives but have never sought the Blessings of Living in
Christ. This would emphasize Evangelism.
It might be to MARCH FORTH to ?????. There are many other choices. It is
for you to decide. On this March 4th, what will be your goal as you MARCH
FORTH?
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
03/04/07
Here in Northwest Ohio a major highway is being changed from 2 lanes to 4
lanes. The construction began in 2006, and it will be several years before
the work is finished. The media has given this project the name of The
Fort to Port Highway as it runs from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Toledo, Ohio,
a port city on Lake Erie.
On road maps of Ohio and Indiana this road is designated as Highway 24.
When area people talk about this road, they call it a KILLER highway, a
road almost too dangerous for drivers. All you hear is that there is so
much traffic that the road causes accidents or that the road is
responsible for a very high number of fatalities each year. In the news,
it has recently been reported that a major portion of this construction
may be postponed because of projected shortfalls in tax revenue for the
State of Ohio. Cries of protest are being heard, and people are rushing to
Columbus to testify and to lobby for the continuation of funding for this
deadly highway.
Highway 24 is not a deadly highway, it is just a highway. There is not a
road any place that can cause accidents that produce fatalities and
injuries. Weather conditions can cause them because of ice, snow, fog and
other causes of poor visibility or slippery road surfaces, but only if
drivers are careless enough to drive under those conditions. Most
accidents are caused by speed (sometimes also by going too slow), passing
without care, following too close, driving under the influence of alcohol,
drugs, cell phones, food, or anything that takes the driver's attention
from the road, driving when too tired, and the list could go on and on. An
extremely high percentage of accidents are caused by the driver. Yes, a
few are caused by mechanical failure or a tire that suddenly goes flat. I
will also admit that on rare occasions the road is at fault if a bridge
collapses, a sink hole appears, or the pavement buckles, as it does under
certain weather conditions
.
A highway is just a highway; it is the driver of a vehicle that can be
turned into a deadly weapon who is the potential killer. I admit that I
have made driving errors, that I have broken traffic laws, and that I must
do a better job of driving. If all drivers would take this life saving
task seriously, what a wonderful thing it would be.
We would save lives.
People would not be injured and vehicles not damaged.
Car and Medical Insurance rates would drop.
Many of the new and bigger highways would not have to be built.
Tax money spent on these roads could go far in improving education and medical care.
Last--but probably most important--we would be faithful to God’s Commandment of Thou Shalt Not Kill.
A HIGHWAY IS JUST A HIGHWAY. Let’s do our part to keep it that way.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
A COMMENT RECEIVED:
Bob and I travel Rt. 24 often since our
daughter and her husband and our son-in-law all graduated from Ball State
University and now our daughter and her husband live in Muncie. Bob and I
have mentioned often that it isn't the roads fault there are so many
accidents - it is the people driving cars and trucks. We just have to be
careful and alert when we drive.
C.C.
03/07/07
THEY SAVED ST. JAMES, NEBRASKA
In the March 4 - 10 issue of American Profile there was a story of a Community that was fading away. In 2000, when the local Catholic Parish closed, the only establishment left in the village of St. James, Nebraska was a tavern. The highway maps no long indicated that St. James existed. This has happened to many small towns and villages. Was it some day to become a ghost town as has happened in most other cases?
It could have, but it didn’t. A small group of women met with the idea of
saving the community. What they did was remarkable. The former Catholic
School was still in good shape as it had been maintained by people in the
community and used for receptions, meetings and other gatherings. By using
the school, they formed the St. James Marketplace. Vendors come with their
home made items and home grown products. People come from miles around to
buy what the people of St. James love to produce. They even use the
auditorium for cultural events and provide a glimpse of history in another
classroom.
It was a fantastic story to read. I would encourage you to go to
americanprofile.com and read
the article which can be at
http://www.americanprofile.com/article/20948.html. Curt Arens wrote
the article and I thank him for helping us to see that we may be only a
few, the odds may be against us, BUT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Oh, yes,
St. James in now back on the Nebraska Highway maps.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
03/13/07
From: Curt
Date: March 26, 2007 9:58:55 AM EDT
To: <ron@ramblingsfromron.com>
Subject: THEY SAVED ST. JAMES, NEBRASKA
Thank you for writing about the ladies of St. James, Nebraska and their efforts to save St. James, Nebraska. I know them personally and enjoyed writing about them very much for American Profile. What they have done is inspiring to say the least and they are good, generous and faith-filled ladies, who love their community, families and farms. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. St. James, by the way, is located about 40 miles west of Sioux City, Iowa along Highway 12 in northern Cedar County, Nebraska. It is a lovely place, located near the Missouri River valley. It is one of God's great places and once you've seen it, you know why they have fought so hard to keep it.
Take care and I enjoyed your comments.
Curt Arens
Here in Northwest Ohio the temperature climbed above 70. It was a tempting
day. People were tempted to look for summer clothes. People were tempted
to get the weeds out of the garden beds with the hope of an early
planting. People were tempted to think about turning the furnace off. It
was a tempting day. Then came the evening weather forecast. "Colder and
rain tomorrow with possible snow flurries later in the week" said the
weather person. The temptations wilted, hopes were dashed, and all faith
was lost in the groundhog who predicted an early Spring.
Life is like that. Temptations spring up all around us. Buy this product,
your life will be easier. Buy this lottery ticket and your worries will be
over. Let us cash your check five days before you get it and ease your
financial problems for today. Buy today with no interest for 3 years.
Temptations all around us; they look so good. But then reality sets in
Maybe the product really was not that good. You did not win the lottery,
and you could have used that money. You sure could use the money that it
cost to get the check cashed early. And what did it cost you if you missed
a payment on that three year old piece of furniture that you
purchased at no interest for three years? These temptations came crashing
down just like the groundhog's forecast in many years.
It was a tempting day when Satan tempted Jesus in the Wilderness. This
time the tempter failed and the tempted won. It was a tempting day today
and each tomorrow will be a tempting day. Will the tempter win or will you
win? If you give your life to Christ and follow Him, there is no question.
You will win, not because of you, but because Jesus has won for you.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
03/15/07
I sometimes wish I would have kept track of how many e-mails I have
received that request I send them on to a certain number of people. I read
all of them and find some to be excellent, some average and some that
really don’t say much. I never send any of them on. If there is something
that I think really would benefit a certain friend, I cut and paste and
send it mentioning that a friend sent it to me.
The ones that really bother me are those that promise good things
happening if you send the message on. Many of these make reference to
Christianity. At the end of the document there is often a phrase - "If you
send this to everyone in your address book within two hours (The time
varies) you will receive a surprise blessing." I even remember one that
suggested something bad would happen if you did not.
The promise of a blessing or a threat for forwarding or not forwarding an
e-mail CANNOT be pleasing to God. To do so is to violate the Commandment,
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. It is only God who grants
blessings or passes judgment, not us.
May I ask your help? The next time you receive a message that asks you to
forward it to others please do one of two things.
1. If you think the message can be helpful to people in their daily
Christian Life, delete the part about sending it to others and then send
it on.
2. If the message does not have any value, then delete it even if it was
sent to you by a good friend.
If you want a challenge, send a message of hope and encouragement that
comes from your heart. Don’t know what to write? Take a look at the
RAMBLING THOUGHT for March 18 & 19 for a suggestion.
Take a moment to send someone a note today even if it is just to say that
Jesus Loves them. If someone sends you an e-mail to forward, DON’T SEND IT
ON.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
03/20/07
I was in the mall parking lot drinking my coffee and observing whatever I
might see. Yesterday morning I saw a rolling coffee cup lid, and as I
watched it, I soon saw a faith lesson.
I don’t know where the lid came from. I assume that someone dropped the
lid on the ground and then the wind lifted it. It landed on the parking
lot surface in just the right way that it started rolling toward where I
was parked. When it came past me, it was moving at a good speed, every so
often bouncing, landing and continuing on. A car came by and just missed
the lid, and the lid kept on going. I watched as the lid seemed to lean
quite a bit, but it always straightened and never did fall. Then, without
warning, the lid--going full speed--fell into a pothole, never to roll
again.
This reminded me of people without God. Such people do not know God’s Love
and cannot turn to Him for direction in life. They just keep going, almost
falling, but not quite. They seem to escape being caught for their wrong
doings, much as the lid escaped the wheel of the car. Then someday,
because they have not heeded the warnings or listened to the Call from
God, they also will come face to face with a pothole from which there is
no escape.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
03/22/07
