Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23
When I was younger, I worked in an electrical transformer plant for several years. I was spurred to recall my time in that facility last night while attending our Pastor’s class on the promises available to new believers, and the vivid recollection was brought to the forefront of my memory by the Holy Spirit—possibly to prove a valid point to someone who thought he held all the requisite answers to live a so-called Spirit-filled life. Turns out I’ve missed the mark; and have done so for quite a long time. That the Spirit moved upon me in a class set aside for new believers is further proof that things work differently in the Kingdom of G_d, and a reminder to never take the guidance of His Spirit for granted.
In that transformer plant was an elderly black woman; getting close to the age of retirement and a veteran of building transformers for going nigh on thirty-five years. She had started the job when the plant was newly built in the late 1960’s; the era of Dylan and the Beatles—of Vietnam and Apollo. During her many years in the plant she had worked on every stage of transformer manufacturing, from winding coils and baking cores, throughout the tedious process of assembly and sub-assembly, and was finally spending the last few years of her career in the areas of inspection and quality control. If you asked her a question about how the transformer followed the assembly line from bare metal to finished product, she could tell you in intricate detail each and every step of the process down to which tap went to which paddock, or which size bolt or fastener was used in which place on every hinge. She was a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge on all things transformer related, and an asset to her employers in every sense of the word.
One fine day, the wise men on the management team decided that in order to increase quality and performance, it would be a good idea to begin classes every week or so on transformers and how they function once they were installed out in the field. Looking back today, I would have bet the farm the elderly lady could have taught the class with her abounding knowledge gained via her many years in the facility. Flash-forward to the beginning class, however, and this is where the Holy Spirit brought the earlier golden nugget to my attention. In the classroom on that very first afternoon, we were inundated with technical jargon and proficient expoundment on Ohm’s electrical laws and Kirchhoff’s theories on coils for an educationally-packed hour or so. Finally, the time came for questions from the class. With a puzzled look on her face, speaking in a low tone she incredulously asked, “You mean electricity goes into these things?”
Although her knowledge was sound, her experience more so than anyone else’s employed in that plant; she had never made the connection in her mind of what the primary purpose of a transformer was actually all about.
But don’t be too hard on her, and I for one will definitely not stand in judgment, because people that live in glass houses should not be the first to throw misguided stones at each other. You see, I’ve found myself (with a still, small voice to remind me) in the same predicament in Spiritual matters. I study the Bible, but a little deeper than most folks. I look for those things on the highways and byways of the less travelled references. I know the intricacies of the Sons of G_d in Genesis 6, the reasoning behind the story of Abigail in the saga of David, the truth of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man, among many other things one could conceivably study in the Word of G_d. I’ve dissected the first three chapters of Romans, and I’ve stood dumbfounded by John’s proclamations both in his gospel and in his letters. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the divine manuscripts encasing our King James Version, I’ve studied the lion’s share of it with serious aplomb and (bragging a bit) not a little added skill thrown in to the mix. (KJV is not the only translation either—I’ve lately found myself using the ancient Douay-Rheims version to enhance my study.)
But somewhere along the way I’ve missed something. Although secure in my salvation, and comfortably sincere in my knowledge of the Truth as recorded in G_d’s Word, I seem to have overlooked the electricity that flows through each and every one of the lines of black and red recorded therein. It’s not enough to know the words and hide them away in your memory for random access as the situation calls for it. Instead, I am admonished to ‘keep’ the words by Jesus Himself in the original passage I began this column with. I have not always done that, I’ll confess—at least not in the manner that would justify exactly what Jesus was talking about here. Many times I’ve been quick to judge, and even faster to condemn. I’ve stretched the truth on more than one occasion. (OK, I’ve been known to flat out destroy the truth from time to time.) I’ve been less than careful when it comes to loving others, or at least accepting them—not just in my head but with my heart. Often times I’ve been the conductor of a sounding brass band, as Paul would have stated it, with more than a few tinkling cymbals thrown in for good measure. Although I’ve meticulously studied the Word, I have not always lived the Word.
It’s not just the admonishment to keep His Word that has been inspired in me by this verse, either. The charge from Jesus comes with a promise: A promise that both He and the Father will abide in me should I do so.
In the meantime, the breakers are closed, the circuits are energized, and the electricity is flowing. It’s what His design has been meant to be all along—from the ‘in the beginning’ of Genesis to the final verses of Revelation.
The Wish List
Another year, another birthday.
Birthdays are good for you, though—healthy in fact. According to well-researched statistics, those of us who have the most birthdays actually live the longest. Who knew?
I’m pondering that thought as I celebrate the beginning of the last year of my fortieth decade. And although it seems to be just another day at work to me this morning, I figure I’ll up the ante and create a birthday ‘wish list’ anyway. I know the old adage of wishes and horses, etc. and I’m experienced enough by now to comprehend said adage, but why not be simply un-jaded long enough to give it one more whirl?
I wish for my wife to recover her health. That’s the best place to start. Face it, things haven’t been the same over the last few months and she needs some relief from all of the many things that ail her. Besides, she is younger than me by six years or so, so that wish should be a gimme. Yes, we’ll start there. Here’s to you, sweetheart, I’ll spend my first birthday wish on you!
Despite the perceived chutzpah on her part, here’s wishing for my youngest daughter to not only do good on the test she asked me to pray for her about this morning, but to have a successful continuation for the rest of the semester in her nursing studies. This needle and blood-pressure cup is hoisted in an erstwhile toast to you, puddin’.
I wish for my oldest daughter and son-in-law to finally get some sleep in the near future. New babies can put a damper on the requisite nocturnal rest cycle, but she is healthy and precious—well worth the efforts because you will miss those all-nighters once she is grown and gone. Trust me on this one.
Some calmness for my oldest son, his sweet wife, and a grand-daughter that has truly become “Paw-Paw’s heart”. A lot will happen in the upcoming year; from jobs and graduation to the addition of a new baby. Enjoy the stress—thrive in it, if you will. Always remember that prayer still opens all doors whether it is answered in the manner you want it to be or not. And it never ceases to amaze me how that truly works.
A computer that does not crash when you download thirty-seven on-line games would probably make my youngest son happy. Well, that… and an LSU victory over Alabama next week. But I cannot ask for the latter wish, son, because seriously—I’m pulling for ‘Bama in this one. My birthday, my wish. But we’ll see what we can do about those computer issues.
Health for my mom—and roses that look as good as mine. OK, I’m kidding. Your Rio Samba won this year. And a final ‘stay-at-home-and-do-only-those-things-you-actually-want-to-do retirement’ for dad. You deserve it, Bum. You’ve been much too busy for far too long. It’s time to place added emphasis on enjoying the old ‘fruits of your labors’ thing by this point.
Health and peace for my mother-in-law, and an unending stream of Gospel singings for my father-in-law. Yeah. That’s the ticket. BTW – I’m doing my best to take care of your daughter, Nan. Yet if things don’t get better soon, your services will over-ride what we are currently getting from the medical industry.
A new dog for Hunter. ‘Nuff said.
I could go on all day here, folks. No probs.
“But what do you want, Shannon? What is your wish for yourself on your birthday?”
“Seriously, a fulfillment of any of these wishes would be far more than merely enough for me.”
“No, really.”
“Hmm.”
I think I’ll go with the Psalmist for $100 on this one, Alex.
Birthdays always seem to stir my heart to the truths that are written within G_d’s Word: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Every day is precious and should be made to count—not just on birthdays. My personal wish is to remember and count often throughout the coming year. If I can manage to do just that, I’ll be fine when 50 glides in over my horizon.
Birthdays are good for you, though—healthy in fact. According to well-researched statistics, those of us who have the most birthdays actually live the longest. Who knew?
I’m pondering that thought as I celebrate the beginning of the last year of my fortieth decade. And although it seems to be just another day at work to me this morning, I figure I’ll up the ante and create a birthday ‘wish list’ anyway. I know the old adage of wishes and horses, etc. and I’m experienced enough by now to comprehend said adage, but why not be simply un-jaded long enough to give it one more whirl?
I wish for my wife to recover her health. That’s the best place to start. Face it, things haven’t been the same over the last few months and she needs some relief from all of the many things that ail her. Besides, she is younger than me by six years or so, so that wish should be a gimme. Yes, we’ll start there. Here’s to you, sweetheart, I’ll spend my first birthday wish on you!
Despite the perceived chutzpah on her part, here’s wishing for my youngest daughter to not only do good on the test she asked me to pray for her about this morning, but to have a successful continuation for the rest of the semester in her nursing studies. This needle and blood-pressure cup is hoisted in an erstwhile toast to you, puddin’.
I wish for my oldest daughter and son-in-law to finally get some sleep in the near future. New babies can put a damper on the requisite nocturnal rest cycle, but she is healthy and precious—well worth the efforts because you will miss those all-nighters once she is grown and gone. Trust me on this one.
Some calmness for my oldest son, his sweet wife, and a grand-daughter that has truly become “Paw-Paw’s heart”. A lot will happen in the upcoming year; from jobs and graduation to the addition of a new baby. Enjoy the stress—thrive in it, if you will. Always remember that prayer still opens all doors whether it is answered in the manner you want it to be or not. And it never ceases to amaze me how that truly works.
A computer that does not crash when you download thirty-seven on-line games would probably make my youngest son happy. Well, that… and an LSU victory over Alabama next week. But I cannot ask for the latter wish, son, because seriously—I’m pulling for ‘Bama in this one. My birthday, my wish. But we’ll see what we can do about those computer issues.
Health for my mom—and roses that look as good as mine. OK, I’m kidding. Your Rio Samba won this year. And a final ‘stay-at-home-and-do-only-those-things-you-actually-want-to-do retirement’ for dad. You deserve it, Bum. You’ve been much too busy for far too long. It’s time to place added emphasis on enjoying the old ‘fruits of your labors’ thing by this point.
Health and peace for my mother-in-law, and an unending stream of Gospel singings for my father-in-law. Yeah. That’s the ticket. BTW – I’m doing my best to take care of your daughter, Nan. Yet if things don’t get better soon, your services will over-ride what we are currently getting from the medical industry.
A new dog for Hunter. ‘Nuff said.
I could go on all day here, folks. No probs.
“But what do you want, Shannon? What is your wish for yourself on your birthday?”
“Seriously, a fulfillment of any of these wishes would be far more than merely enough for me.”
“No, really.”
“Hmm.”
I think I’ll go with the Psalmist for $100 on this one, Alex.
Birthdays always seem to stir my heart to the truths that are written within G_d’s Word: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Every day is precious and should be made to count—not just on birthdays. My personal wish is to remember and count often throughout the coming year. If I can manage to do just that, I’ll be fine when 50 glides in over my horizon.
Fatherly Resemblance
Young Adult Sunday School Class - August 14, 2011
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. I John 3:1
There’s a baby shower being planned for this weekend even as I write this; my oldest daughter will deliver a daughter of her own in a month or so. It’s a blessed time in both her and her husband’s lives, and I’m not going to fret one tiny bit over the addition of another grandchild to my progeny. Judging by my first granddaughter through my oldest son, they are pretty special—a whole new experience to one who felt he knew all there was to know about children in general. These tiny creatures have a precious side effect of capturing your heart. They really do.
Witnessing the births of my own children, and many nieces and nephews along the way, the question that always seems to arise in those beautiful moments is who do they look like? Do they have their mother’s eyes and lips? Do they favor their father? As they grow up and character and personality traits come into play, it’s often asked who do they take after? Did the apple fall far from the tree? Are they in fact a chip off the old block? In more than a few subtle ways, I’ve noticed Parker is truly a female clone of my son, but I’m not going to go into any details here. Sorry Scott, but she truly is you made all over again… and I mean that in a good way.
This week we’ll be looking into the multi-layered depths of the 3rd Chapter of the Book of First John. There are many paths we can study in this chapter, and I’m not sure which road we’ll travel, yet all of the routes are laid out before us and are viable options to both learn and grow from. Most importantly, each verse we personally analyze will enable us to walk closer with the One who loved us first.
The first verse of the chapter opens with a bold statement from John, and I truly believe he was smiling through tear-filled eyes as he wrote it down. Behold! Is there any love greater than this? That we unrighteous and doomed sinners can literally become the sons of G_d due to the Heavenly Father’s love for us? Ponder that verse before class—it’s a deep one! We’ll look into the verses that follow and take a gander at how we are supposed to act and who we are supposed to emulate in our own lives. John lays out a wonderful pattern for us to follow here: although on the outward appearance of our carnal bodies we may look no different than others, there is something within us that makes us the very opposite of those who live in the world. At least it should be that way.
Reminds me of a story I read the other day about the famous Greek philosopher named Socrates. It seems one day as he was teaching his pupils, into the class walked a great physiognomist. This is a fancy term for what we would know today as a profiler, you know—someone who can tell you all you need to know about a person by simply studying their features. Obviously, because of his credentials, the students in Socrates philosophy class wanted a demonstration of his talent and skills, so they asked him for a quick, on-the-spot profile of their teacher. After a careful observation of the philosopher, the profiler pronounced him as “the most gluttonous, drunken, brutal, and libidinous old man that he had ever met." The class, who really respected Socrates and knew that he was none of these things took offence and began to insult the profiler, deriding him for his poor judgment of their much-beloved leader.
But Socrates raised his hand and stopped them, smiling, and said that the renowned profiler was correct by strictly using science in an observational manner, but that he (Socrates) had “conquered those visible traits of my body by utilizing my philosophy.” This is pretty good, coming from a man who had never heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When others look at us, what do they see? Better yet, who do they see? John uses a ‘take no prisoners’ approach in this chapter, reminding us that as Christians we should strive to control the sinful nature that is ever-present in our lives, refuse to budge when it comes to temptation, and most importantly—through our love for each other in the church—we should do our best to display the same personality and spiritual traits that Jesus exhibited while He walked on the earth. That’s a tall order, and one we can never accomplish on our own. We need Christ in our lives in all that we do for this to happen.
But in so doing, together we can make ‘The Chapel’ a place to go for so much more than just a weekly meeting. It can be a haven for strength and support, and a source of knowledge; all of which will enable us to achieve a noticeably closer resemblance to our very own Heavenly Father.
Other Things To Check Out Before Class:
1. Compare John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16. Is it just me, or is there a correlation between these verses? Hmm.
2. This is an example of how church members (and leaders) should not act. (Click on "This")
There’s a baby shower being planned for this weekend even as I write this; my oldest daughter will deliver a daughter of her own in a month or so. It’s a blessed time in both her and her husband’s lives, and I’m not going to fret one tiny bit over the addition of another grandchild to my progeny. Judging by my first granddaughter through my oldest son, they are pretty special—a whole new experience to one who felt he knew all there was to know about children in general. These tiny creatures have a precious side effect of capturing your heart. They really do.
Witnessing the births of my own children, and many nieces and nephews along the way, the question that always seems to arise in those beautiful moments is who do they look like? Do they have their mother’s eyes and lips? Do they favor their father? As they grow up and character and personality traits come into play, it’s often asked who do they take after? Did the apple fall far from the tree? Are they in fact a chip off the old block? In more than a few subtle ways, I’ve noticed Parker is truly a female clone of my son, but I’m not going to go into any details here. Sorry Scott, but she truly is you made all over again… and I mean that in a good way.
This week we’ll be looking into the multi-layered depths of the 3rd Chapter of the Book of First John. There are many paths we can study in this chapter, and I’m not sure which road we’ll travel, yet all of the routes are laid out before us and are viable options to both learn and grow from. Most importantly, each verse we personally analyze will enable us to walk closer with the One who loved us first.
The first verse of the chapter opens with a bold statement from John, and I truly believe he was smiling through tear-filled eyes as he wrote it down. Behold! Is there any love greater than this? That we unrighteous and doomed sinners can literally become the sons of G_d due to the Heavenly Father’s love for us? Ponder that verse before class—it’s a deep one! We’ll look into the verses that follow and take a gander at how we are supposed to act and who we are supposed to emulate in our own lives. John lays out a wonderful pattern for us to follow here: although on the outward appearance of our carnal bodies we may look no different than others, there is something within us that makes us the very opposite of those who live in the world. At least it should be that way.
Reminds me of a story I read the other day about the famous Greek philosopher named Socrates. It seems one day as he was teaching his pupils, into the class walked a great physiognomist. This is a fancy term for what we would know today as a profiler, you know—someone who can tell you all you need to know about a person by simply studying their features. Obviously, because of his credentials, the students in Socrates philosophy class wanted a demonstration of his talent and skills, so they asked him for a quick, on-the-spot profile of their teacher. After a careful observation of the philosopher, the profiler pronounced him as “the most gluttonous, drunken, brutal, and libidinous old man that he had ever met." The class, who really respected Socrates and knew that he was none of these things took offence and began to insult the profiler, deriding him for his poor judgment of their much-beloved leader.
But Socrates raised his hand and stopped them, smiling, and said that the renowned profiler was correct by strictly using science in an observational manner, but that he (Socrates) had “conquered those visible traits of my body by utilizing my philosophy.” This is pretty good, coming from a man who had never heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When others look at us, what do they see? Better yet, who do they see? John uses a ‘take no prisoners’ approach in this chapter, reminding us that as Christians we should strive to control the sinful nature that is ever-present in our lives, refuse to budge when it comes to temptation, and most importantly—through our love for each other in the church—we should do our best to display the same personality and spiritual traits that Jesus exhibited while He walked on the earth. That’s a tall order, and one we can never accomplish on our own. We need Christ in our lives in all that we do for this to happen.
But in so doing, together we can make ‘The Chapel’ a place to go for so much more than just a weekly meeting. It can be a haven for strength and support, and a source of knowledge; all of which will enable us to achieve a noticeably closer resemblance to our very own Heavenly Father.
Other Things To Check Out Before Class:
1. Compare John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16. Is it just me, or is there a correlation between these verses? Hmm.
2. This is an example of how church members (and leaders) should not act. (Click on "This")
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