Christ: The Solid Rock

Christ: The Solid Rock

As I glanced over some pictures I took of my grandson, I came across this one and was reminded of lyrcis to an old hymn...

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
 
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
 
His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
 
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;All other ground is sinking sand.

Okay, so those who know me well are probably thinking, "everything reminds you of a song." Yep, it does. But hey, that isn't a bad thing when it reminds me of the awesomeness of God. I know that trials may come, but I also know that I can cling tight to the solid rock, that firm foundation, and my faith will remain intact. Sometimes I may not "feel" His presence, but that doesn't mean He's not there. And that reminds me of another song...hehe..

I waited for You today
But You didn't show, no no
I needed You today
So where did You go
You told me to call,
Said You'd be there
And though I haven't seen You
Are you still there

I cried out with no reply
And I can't feel You by my side
So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here
And I'm never alone

And though I cannot see You
And I can't explain why
Such a deep, deep reassurance
You've placed in my life, oh
We cannot separate
Cause You're part of me
And though You're invisible
I'll trust the unseen

I cried out with no reply
And I can't feel You by my side
So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here

And I'm never alone

So there you have it. We may not always feel God's presence, but we can rest knowing that His Holy Spirit resides within us. And we can trust that no matter how the situations look, He will be there with us, a solid rock to lean on...He will never leave nor forsake us, and we can trust that.

Alzheimer's

What do you do when your loved one forgets significant events and people in their life? I am just now beginning the journey through Alzheimer's with my dad and I wonder how I am going to be able to handle it as the disease progresses. In June my dad's wife died. He doesn't remember. Every day he questions where she is or makes comments about her as if she is still living. Sometimes I try to just avoid commenting. It seems to be simpler if you don't have to tell him she's dead. But those times when he point blank asks me I feel I have to be truthful. So I tell him. And he grieves all over again. It's like it's the first time he's heard the news. Shortly after the death he would get so angry and ask why no one told him. The thing is, he was right there with her when she died. I've begun to add that part as soon as I tell him she died. I'll say, "You were right there with her daddy. You just forgot." His other thing is he claims the house he's living in is not his own. There's no use arguing with him about it. He won't believe you. We've just started assuring him that he's not going to be kicked out of the house. It seems to appease him at least momentarily.
My grandmother had Alzheimer's. I watched as she progressively grew worse and ended up bedridden and unable to even speak. My mother and aunt had to live with her up until her death. It took a toll on them physically and emotionally. I can't fathom me doing more for daddy than I already do. Is that wrong of me to think that way? My schedule is pretty full as is. And if you knew the whole story of my childhood and such you'd understand more why I feel this way. My son is always asking why I have to tend to my dad when he never did anything for me. It's a hard thing. My dad wasn't there for me growing up. He didn't offer any child support. We did without even the basic necessities of life. But still I loved him. And I would never want to hurt him. I would never want to abandon him in his hour of need. That's what my mama taught me. You help your family. And being a Christian, I feel it is my responsibility to help him and to forgive him.
A long time ago a friend advised me to express to daddy how I felt about what he did to us. I told him, "I can't hurt him the way he hurt me." I didn't want to tell him all that I had kept buried inside. The hurt, the anger, the suffering I endured as a result of his actions. I would never want to inflict that kind of pain on him. But it would be even worse if he didn't have any feelings about what I said...like if he didn't seem to care at all. So I kept my mouth closed. And now, I don't think he'd even understand if I told him.
Every day I pray that some of his memory will come back (he has other issues that contribute to the memory loss). If that could happen at least he might be able to enjoy his life for a while longer. I dread that day when he no longer remembers who his kids are. Oh if only a cure could be found....

Vote

http://www.ccfla.org/guides.php

http://www.cc.org/

I am not a fan of politics. I do however feel that it is my responsibility as a citizen of this great nation to vote. But I feel I need to be informed about the decisions I make. That is why I posted the sites for people to check out...the first one is for Florida, the second is the main site. Take a look. See what your candidates stand for or against, and then vote.

Glasses Shopping..All About Choices

My goal yesterday was to find a new pair of glasses. Simple enough task, right? Wrong. As I picked through the bunch, finding a few that suited my style, I had a sales person come over asking to see my prescription. She then informed me that my selections wouldn't work for the prescription I had. Now how did I know that there would be some glitch if I found anything I liked? Anyway, I stood there picking up each pair I had chosen as a possibility, only to have her shake her head with almost every single pair. The ones I liked least might work...mght work? So she began bringing me selections she knew would work. Blah, blah, ho hum, and more blah. I'm thinking..."I wanted modern, not my grandma's glasses." "Have you tried plastic?" she asked. Well, sure I have. My first pair of glasses were plastic. And I'm not totally opposed to plastic. It's just that the colors usually don't work well with my skin tone. She brings me a tan pair. BLAH! Me and tan just don't work well together. Black? Nope....too dark. Tortoise shell? Eww...not for me.  Wire frames next. John Lennon style? Nope...been there, done that....back in the 80's. Aviator? Nope...another been there, done that. I had this horrible thought that I might end up coming out of there with big bug eye glasses like someone talked me into way back in the day....the ones I couldn't see how I looked in while shopping and ended up hating for the next year. Finally, I found a pair I liked okay and went to make the purchase, hoping to have them in an hour. Ha! No hour wait for you, missy! Well, that's how it sounded in my ear. My prescription is a special order case. Even if I didn't have the progressive lens issue, there's the issue of my one eye that would need a special lens. "Okay, so how long?" I ask.  "Oh, only about two weeks." Only? Geez. So moving on she begins to explain progressive lenses to me since I've never worn them before. I kind of knew all of the information she told me, but she had pictures. She had drawings. And then she had to explain all of the additional options. Whew! By the time I actually got around to making the decisions, I had spent 2 hours in there. 2 hours and still no glasses.  Yeah, they are on order. But now I'm wondering if I'm having second thoughts. Nah! I'm not going through that again. It's all been done now.

As I reflected on my day I was reminded of all the choices we have to make in life every day. Some choices are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things (like picking glasses), while others have some serious implications in our lives and especially in our spiritual life. Accepting Jesus as Savior or rejecting Him is the biggest choice we must make. While some may think that they can put off making a choice, they have actually made a choice...a choice to reject Him. By rejecting Him, they are doomed to spend their eternal life in hell. That's some serious stuff there. I really don't know why people always assume they can make some death bed confession of faith but continue to live a life without Christ in the meantime. Do they not understand that they may not get a chance to repent if they wait? Do they think they are immortal? I probably thought that way once upon a time. But I think the older you get the more you can see that people don't always have an instant left to say some prayer of repentance. So this is a decision people need to make while there is still time to make it.
Another issue that is of importance are the friends we choose. I am a person who is pretty selective about friendships. Most of the ones I have are people I've known for years. While some don't believe the way I do about God, all of them are aware of my beliefs. I don't try to hide it. Anyway, I was thinking about high school days. Back then (yeah, it's been a long time) I longed to be in with the popular crowd, the cool crowd. But for the most part, they were the drug users and drinkers. And as uncool as it made me, I refused to be a part of that. I knew all too well the suffering that comes from such activities. I stood my ground for the most part....and, as you can assume, I wasn't really accepted into that group. Looking back, I'd say it was a good thing. Here we are years later and many of those friends are addicts. Many have spent time in jail or are currently in jail. Most of them have had failed relationships. And I ask myself, "How cool are they now?" Their rejection hurt for a moment, but in the long run I am a better person because I stood for what I believed and refused to be swayed by peer pressure.

Every day we are faced with temptations. In those times we have a choice to make. At times, the desire to sin is so great and it seems that we can't bear it, but God's Word assures us that we won't be tempted beyond what we can bear, and He makes a way of escape. The thing is, we have to want to escape. I'd say that what we are thinking on can control what we eventually do. If you are rehearsing a sin in your mind, then chances are you'll soon commit it. Years ago I had a young man tell me he was going to remain pure until marriage. Soon after, I discovered that he was looking at pornography. I let him know that if he continued doing that, there would be no way he could keep that vow he had made to remain pure. When you look on something too long, it gets into your heart, and once there, it will manifest in your life. Sadly, that turned out to be the case in his life just as I had suspected it would.

As we read the Word of God there are many instructions for how a Christian should live. It is up to us to choose whether we will be obedient to God's commands or live according to our flesh. It is my prayer that when I come to the end of my life I will have made the right choices.

Please Pray for Ezra

A friend of mine recently sent me an urgent prayer request, along with a website to read up on the whole story. My heart was deeply touched as I sat and read the blog posts, crying for this child, these parents. I cannot begin to tell the story in such a way as to give you a clear understanding of the severity of this situation so I am imploring you to visit the website...when you do, I am certain you will feel the same ache in your heart that I feel, and be inlcined to pray without anyone even having to ask...

http://www.thematthewsstory/

A Little Fluff Never Hurt Anybody...or Did It?

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 1 Cor.13:11

Anyone who has children knows all too well that a child's way of thinking about things is far different than an adult's way of thinking. As I was going through some old pictures I came across this one of my two grandsons eating their cotton candy. It got me thinking about how many people out there are going around from church to church looking for the latest and greatest "fluff" preacher. Well, that's not what they'd tell you. That was kind of my own spin on it. What I am referring to is people going to hear preachers who will tell them what they want to hear. No stepping on their toes kind of preaching. And don't dare say anything that doesn't make them feel good. Give them a sweet gooey message and life is all good. I've known people like that over the years. And they don't only do this with preachers, they do it when picking friends. I've had friends ask for my opinion on things and then cringe when I spoke what the word of God said. I was thinking, "Hey don't kill the messenger. I only spoke what God's Word said on the subject." But they were looking for a pat on the back, a condoning of their sin. I once wrote a song called "Don't Compromise" that touched on this. Here's the first verses and chorus:

Your friends may come to you

Seeking your counsel

They're lost and confused

They don't know just what to do

Well, let me give you

A little word of warning

They may just take your words

And spit them right back at you

Cause they don't really want to hear

What you've got to say

They only want you to agree

With their sinful ways

They're looking for a pat on the back,

Someone who'll say

What they're doing just isn't half bad,

In fact it's quite okay

But don't compromise

What you know to be true

Just speak the word

And let the word do the talking for you

Don't let them try to talk you into thinking their way

Just say the words you know

That God would have you say

And don't compromise

Going back to the picture...the cotton candy reminds me that kids would eat junk food all day long if you let them. It doesn't matter that it's not good for them as long as it tastes good to them. But what they don't realize is, this can make them sick. Sometimes the sickness comes pretty quickly because of too much junk food intake at one time. But there is a lack of nutrition that will also effect them in the long term if they continue on this path. This is even more detrimental to their overall health. That goes right along with what I was saying about wanting to hear only good things, things that are pleasing to the ear. If you don't receive the full counsel of God, then you will be lacking. There will be a deficiency. There has to be a balance of nutrition.

I don't deny that God gives good things to His children, but He also disciplines them when necessary. If He didn't, then you would have to wonder if that was truly love. Parents can understand this. If we never disciplined our children then they would turn out to be spoiled brats who always demanded things to be their way. They would live a life thinking "it's all about me." And that kind of thinking is contrary to God's Word.  We teach our children things like not to cross the street when cars are coming, to check the depth of water before diving, to not play with fire, etc. But it is equally important to teach them to put others above self, to serve rather than be served, to not cheat, not lie, and other things found in God's Word. That way they can grow into the adults God would have them be. And it's important for adults to learn these lessons as well. They aren't just for kids to learn. As a new believer there may be things in your life that aren't exactly how God would want them, but over the years, as you study and meditate His truths, there should be a change. There should be growth. If there isn't then something is wrong.

So, with all of that being said, let me encourage you to seek more than just a feel good message. Seek God's truths fully even if it might hurt just a bit going down. Correction is not a pleasant thing, but it will definitely produce a better person.



Without Excuse

Have you ever noticed that whenever you see people in beach pictures they always look to be having a good time even if they are covered by a ton of sand or wallowing in the salty ocean, waves crashing against them, knocking them under? It's not often you see someone who doesn't look happy or peaceful. On occasion I've seen the contemplative sort. But even they look to be pretty tranquil. I recall times when I've went to the beach and just listened to the sound of the waves crashing to shore, gulls cawing, smelling the salty air, praying for a balmy breeze to cool me down a bit...as I gazed out onto the horizon it suddenly seemed that all of life's cares were just washed away. No worries here. There was a tranquility about the ocean; a calmness that seemed to soothe the soul. God's presence just seems to be so obvious whenever I am out in nature like that. It's so big...so beautiful. And I can't even imagine it just popping into existence, as some would think. 

Many times people ask, "Would God send someone to hell who had never heard the gospel message?" In years past I might have asked that very question. It doesn't really seem like a fair deal to condemn someone who didn't have the chance to know God. But in Romans 1:20 it says: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Now, I'm no Bible scholar but this reminds me of what I was just speaking about....how something so big, so vast could never have just popped into existence. It would require a much greater power...a Creator. Psalms 19:1 tells us: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." This tells me that if a man can believe that there is a Creator of the earth around him, and he seeks to know that Creator, then God will surely make a way to reveal the gospel to him. We are told that if we seek Him, we will find Him. That would seem to include those who may have no knowledge of who He is, just a knowing that there has to be a Creator.

For those who question God's existence, go outside and take a look at the world around you. Not just a glimpse of things, but take a deep look at the complexities of this world. It takes as much faith to believe that this world was created from nothing as it does to believe it was created by God. And if evolution were true, why has it stopped? If man truly did come from an ape, why then hasn't he evolved into something new? And what about all the details of the human body? The way things all work together is an amazing thing. Do you actually believe it just happened by some explosive circumstance?

Until next time...

~jan~