Life More Abundantly

 “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:7, 9-10

Jesus said clearly that his sheep know his voice.  Who knows exactly why we are referred to as sheep throughout the scriptures, but one thing is certain. Sheep are not driven but led, and given our human nature to buck stern authority, this analogy comes very close to describing us.  “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”  This reference is continually quoted by preachers in their description of Satan.  And this description IS accurate of that sly ol’ fox.  But in view of Jesus’ constant rebuke of the temple and its spiritual degradation, most certainly He was talking here about the oppressive delusion the religious rulers and leaders of His day used to control people and retain power.  Sadly enough, people in positions of religious authority still employ such devilish schemes today.

 

Klepto – the act of stealing  [Strongs 2813]

Kleptes – an established lifestyle of stealing; thief  [Strongs 2812];

 

Kleptes  is the word Jesus used here.  After a lifestyle is established, it has to be supported.  The Pharisees and religious rulers supported their lifestyle by imposing laws on the people and keeping them in spiritual bondage.  That way of life had no freedom to it.  Jesus spoke of liberty and grace that covered sins.  He fulfilled the law’s requirement of blood sacrifice once and for all by giving His life on the cross.  “No more let sin and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.”  Joy To The World v.3

 

So, as far as the curse is found---and sin is spread pretty far and wide in this world---there IS a remedy.  There IS a cure.  The good news is that this gospel is for EVERYONE.  You do not have to have a theological degree to both understand and benefit from it.  God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son---not to one or a few---but to ALL.  And He gave this gift that whosoever would believe, may have this life.  That is not only life in the hereafter, that’s just the insurance policy. It is for life right here.  It is for life right now.  That is the gift of Christmas.



Echoes of Heaven

Being a mailman, I have people of many different stations in life cross my path.   I saw a blind man a couple of weeks ago.  I've known this man for years and we've talked on many occasions. But this time was a day when I'd already gone inside an apartment complex and just caught a glimpse of him through a window pane in the mailroom.  He was tapping along with his stick and I could see his line of travel was taking him directly to where my truck was parked. I thought to myself that he will tap the truck with his stick and then he will know to go around it. However, something totally unexpected happened.

When he got to where his stick was tapping about three feet from the truck, he stopped.  He then put the stick under his arm and began to feel for the truck with both hands.  Apparently, he heard the echo of the tap bouncing off of the object in front of him.  When he finally stretched out his arms and touched the vehicle, he began to walk all around it feeling every inch of it. Now, if you've seen a mail truck, you know that it is no ordinary passenger car. With its flat windows and protruding mirrors, it is clearly another vehicle altogether.   For another ten minutes, he proceeded to walk around the truck feeling and touching the mirrors and the odd angled shape trying to gain a clearer understanding of this new thing that was in front of him.

 Immediately, God dropped this into my spirit. We too, grope along knowing nothing but our world and the limited vision it offers. We have no clue how close heaven is to us. We have a finite understanding of the "here and now" and think that heaven is "a long time later." Perhaps when we die.  But, in times of crisis, or deep in the middle of some sleepless night, we hear a telltale 'echo' and for an instant we gain a sudden sense that there is something relating to our most recent difficulty that is just beyond our grasp of understanding. 

We need take the initiative of the blind man upon hearing this telltale 'echo' when it is suddenly in front of us.  The echo reflects just how close heaven is to us in moments of our deepest need.   When we hear these echos of heaven, we are filled with wonder, knowing not what we are in the presence of.  But in all likelihood, the constant investigation will bear out the result, perhaps even reveal to us unsearchable things we do not know.

Substanial Faith

I know what I hope for.  Dreaming and envisioning a tomorrow that is consistent with how my mind’s eyes sees it is a part of my human existence.  Not all of my dreams come to reality.  However, if I focus my energies and efforts to making my dreams a reality, they begin to take form [substance] and there begins to be more of a certainty [evidence] in my life of their existence.  This verse is a glimpse into the God-like faith we are to have and develop as creatures of His likeness. 

Wobbly Billboards

 

Every man likes for others to think highly of him. And whether he does it knowingly or unawares, he lives and advertises an image to his whole world. It becomes his calling card. It’s what others think about how he works, loves and plays.

 

At the beginning of the century, old warehouses and office buildings painted their billboards on a side wall. A wind that was strong enough to blow these billboards over had to be strong enough to topple the building itself.

 

Much frustration of the modern man comes from his attempt to prop up a wobbly billboard in a high wind. With no substance to hold up the image he is presenting, he stands little chance in the middle of the storm. A simple man builds, stone by stone, brick by brick, a life that is solid and reliable.

 

1 Corinthians 3:11

Legacy

Last week we buried my grandfather. He was ninety-four. During those years he did a lot of living. He raised a family and saw his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren be born. Some might say he lived a good long life. We, his family, remembered and celebrated his life during a service on Wednesday. We laughed and cried and told stories to commemorate his life. We came together as a family and said goodbye to our Papaw one last time. Two days later, we were saying goodbye to Landon McIntyre, a twenty-four-year-old young man who happened to be very dear and close to my family, as well. A sudden heart-attack took this young man's life in his prime, leaving behind a grieving fiancee', crushed family and bewildered friends. The week made for a stark contrast and much reflection on this strange and often confusing convention we call life.

Watching the old and the young taken from this life in such indiscriminate fashion left me searching for answers. My usual nature to apply some philosophical viewpoint to the situation was silenced. No words came last week. At times my thoughts would try to organize and wrap the circumstance in nice rhetoric.  Then my head would shake as I realized the sheer foolishness of trying to put in words  something I scarcely understood. 

An old man died.  A young man died.  That was all I could say for sure.  Each left his legacy and mark on his world for however long he was given to do so.  The people close around would see no more the physical actions and words that had come to define these two men.  That time was over.  Remembered now is what was done.  Forever etched now into the psyche of those that knew them is the kindness rendered and words spoken.   Nothing can be added.  Nothing can be deleted.  The legacy is cast.

The difference you make in your world, however great or small, begins each day when you wake up and breath in.  What you do with your day writes your legacy for your family and friends to live with forever.  If today was your last, what would it be?  The possibility and potential that could be, must be.  There is no time for little things.  There is no pet peeve.  Pet is short for petty.  Love your family.  Go the extra mile for a friend.  Champion the cause of the down-trodden you may have only met this morning.  At the end of each day, you should be able to look in the mirror and genuinely be proud of the way it turned out as much as it concerned you, your words and your actions. 

No more “as good as” and no more “better than.”  My life is its own mark.  No need to compare it with others.  Whether my next breath is my last or one of many more, I will treat it as if it were to mark me for eternity.  Because, in actuality, it does. 

Whitney

We were sitting in a restaurant last night with some friends when the breaking news popped up on my iPhone.  "Whitney Houston dead at 48."  My initial reaction was disbelief.  Then I began to recount the endless stories in the news about the abuse, the drugs and the saddening spiral she had slowly descended in the last few years.  It was just a matter of time, I'd always told myself.  But this morning I can't stop thinking about her talent and sheer anointing that held so much more promise and longevity. 

Anyone knows that such a gift does not come along everyday.  Some long for, even beg for the gift and spend a lifetime pursuing it.  Whitney had it and God gave it.  Honed and shaped in church while singing in the choir, this girl was destined for greatness and, as it turned out, achieved it for a brief time.    I watched "The Preacher's Wife" again just this past Christmas and hung on every note she sang.  I have never been moved by any artist like I have been moved by her.  And it wasn't just the notes she sang.  Many have come behind her since and matched her note for note.  No, it was the anointing that was with her since the church choir days that set her apart and made people listen. 

Although I would have loved to hear Whitney's later career had she remained clean, I will remember her sweetness and gifted delivery of a song.  We all have been given gifts.  Some never find their's.  Whitney did and we'll be forever grateful. 

Songwriting

 

I sat today in my study editing demos I have recorded over the past six months. One song was written as recently as two months ago. Another I used to sing around in churches almost twenty years ago. As a songwriter, nothing is more fulfilling than finally getting all of the ingredients poured into a song---really poured in so that it has legs and begins to take on a life of its own. I now have these little children running around, like I have never seen them before---with many more of them scrawled in secret code on various charts in my study.

With a complete and independent CD release so close I can smell it, I began thinking today about the elements that have bound most of my writing together in one cohesive collection. My early Christian home, church life, teachers and mentors all served to play a part in everything I write about. Even my vocation in life, as well as, years spent directing music and choirs serve as a backdrop to many of my songs.

These are songs of a simple man. I have never wanted much more than to be a good husband and father and make a comfortable living for my family. I just wanted to see my children grow into adulthood with a sense of purpose built on the foundation of a loving home. I get the greatest enjoyment out of grabbing a lawn chair and watching the sunset on my back porch---or maybe even a walk with my dog. Simple.

I look forward to releasing these demos as a complete CD this year. They have all been recorded on my days off in my study. Nothing musically profound about that. To the very trained ear, the amateur mixing and engineering may emerge. But to the sincere listener of lyric, a familiar, yet simple man will come into view. Not a man looking to hock music or make a reputation for himself. Just a reflection of another man I came to know once.