Semper Fidelis

Monday, November 27, 2023

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead.  This is the Good News I preach.  And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal.  But the word of God cannot be chained.  So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.  This is a trustworthy saying:  If we die with him, we will also live with him.  If we endure hardship, we will reign with him.  If we deny him, he will deny us.  If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.  

2 Timothy 2:8-13

United States Marines greet each other with the motto, Semper Fi, a shortened version of semper fidelis.[1]  The phrase means always faithful, and is indicative of the character of those who serve a higher guiding principle than self-interest.[2] 

Long before the assembling of U.S. fighting forces, the Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé, Timothy, an aspiring preacher of the Gospel, to encourage and admonish him to serve Christ’s Kingdom with an unswerving loyalty.  Paul described the resurrected Jesus as “faithful.”  Dying with Him, we are raised to newness of life by Him.  Enduring hardship, we will reign with him.  Denying Him, we will be judged by Him.  And, in His supreme compassion, when we are less than semper fi He is still faithful.  This could be summed-up in one short verse:

“I am the Lord, and I do not change.  Malachi 3:6a

By comparison, human beings can be remarkably un-loyal.  Our lives typically begin in one direction and, influenced by any of the seven deadly sins,[3] we change our employment, spouse, promises, gender, and a host of all other possibilities.  Despite the call to be faithful, human allegiance is usually sold to the highest bidder.  

I’m reminded of an elder statesman in the Southern Baptist tribe I met in 1981, Vance Havner, who said:  Faith that Fizzles at the Finish was Fickle from the First.  

It’s true!  Most mottos sound wonderful, even noble; most human attempts to live-up to those mottos have holes like Swiss cheese.

So what is the Rx for our Fickle Faith?

I’m glad you asked…and let me point us back to the Apostle’s opening line to Timothy: 

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead.  This is the Good News I preach.  2 Timothy 2:8

If there is anything that can keep us close to Jesus it is the resurrection of God’s perfect lamb, crucified for our sins, raised to conquer death and the grave.  In staying faithful to proclaim that, we also preach Good News to our own souls.

For You Today 

Find a way to proclaim His resurrection every day, in every circumstance, and, as many have said…always preach the Gospel…even use words if necessary.  What that means for each of us is:  nothing will help keep you faithful like engaging in the work of He Who is Semper Fi.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

For another post on this text read here:  Gospel Unchained

There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Today’s title Image from Pixabay.com  

Images without citation are in public domain or cited via weblinks.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[1] Wikipedia

[2] See Merriam-Webster Dictionary

[3]  pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger or wrath, and sloth – see The Seven Deadly Sins - LIst

Thanks - Living

Thanksgiving Day 

Thursday, November 23, 2023

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

At one time the English poet Rudyard Kipling's writings were so in demand that he was paid 10 shillings (about $1) per word for his efforts.  A group of students thought that was outrageous, and sent him a letter with 10 shillings enclosed.  They asked him (since his words were so expensive) to send them his best word.  He replied, of course, "Thanks!"  

In all of life and human existence our best word is "grace."  Today as we once again celebrate Thanksgiving, we could talk about the many ways God’s loving grace provides for our needs:

·       of food and a roof over our heads 

·       healing and miracles

·       family and friends

·       freedom

But the best word is still grace, and no scripture says it better than John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." 

I'm thankful for grace.

His grace is enough!

His grace is enough to forgive my sin, and make me clean.  That means I will not perish because I'm forgiven. 

A man was considering the purchase of a Rolls Royce.  He asked the dealer some questions about the luxury car, and all were answered, until the man asked how much horsepower the engine had.  The dealer didn't know, and since there was no manual for this hand-crafted vehicle, he sent a telegram to England for the answer, "How much horsepower does a Rolls have?"  Shortly a return message came; there was only one word:  "Enough!"  As much, and as bad as my sins are, Jesus' grace is enough to wash me white as snow.  

His grace is eternal. 

Eternal life is as much quality as quantity.  None of us would care to live forever if it meant the current human condition.  As a child it seemed that I would just go on forever.  I know better now.

·       Bodies wear out, and relationships falter. 

·       There is much suffering and pain in the human family. 

Anything that will last forever has to be the best.  I'm grateful that I will live forever and "for better!"  I have the greatest gift for which to be thankful.  

HOW SHALL I RESPOND?

We are taught from a very young age that, when someone gives you something, you say Thank You.  And, as we also find out, words can be cheapened if we do not back them up with actions that match those words.  To say “thank you” for all God has done is best said by living it out.  So I'm going to live thankfully!  For me, today and every day is "Thanks-living” Day!

For You Today 

I have no great homework assignment to lay on your shoulder today…only a prayer for your day, and your life, that you may find joy, peace, and eternal rest as you live thankfully in our Lord’s presence.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Today’s title Image from Pixabay.com  

Images without citation are in public domain or cited via weblinks.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

Thankful!

Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, 2022

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

Seven years ago on a rainy August morning, I awoke to find that our little dog Wellie’s hind legs had become paralyzed.  A few hours later I got the call from my brother Thom that our Dad had graduated to the Church Triumphant. 

When big things happen in your life, especially on the same day, you remember that day clearly, and with an intensity of emotion.  I don’t know how more oddly-connected two events could be – the death of my father joined in my memory to a dog’s health issue.  But there are some similarities.

There is pain

While our vet assured us our little fur-beast feels no pain, the look of bewilderment on his little face that morning, and the growing sense of loss was unmistakable.  Perhaps the harsh reality of seeing a little animal suffer helped prepare my heart for what was to come just moments later, when I would hear the words that Dad had passed.

There is also patience

My father was not a patient man.  He could get excited about the prospect of getting something accomplished in an intense way that was so focused, all else had to be put on-hold.  You could see it in his eyes, and it always meant you could get on board or you could stay behind! 

Sometimes it took great patience just to be around my Dad; navigating his energetic ways caused patience to develop in those who knew him well. 

Our little Wellie’s paralyzed legs have forced him to slow down.  I had to re-learn patience as I help him up and down stairs, and do the mundane tasks that were taken for granted before.

There is perseverance

Wellie is not a little dog to be denied!  When it is supper time he lets you know with that stare and incessant barking, right in your face!  He maintains his space, and will not be pushed aside.  

He still plays, loves and licks you on the ear lobe when you pick him up.  He knows the family routines and is always willing to lead the pack when it’s time to go, dragging his little back legs behind.  These are important issues to a dog.

My Dad also paid attention to the important things.  He loved my Mother and his sons fiercely and faithfully.  He loved and served God with whatever lot God placed in his hands.  Even in his nineties Dad could be seen in the halls of the local nursing homes limping along with his cane, visiting (as he called them), the old people, bringing the joke-of-the-day and a smile to each room.

My father was a man of perseverance, overcoming his depression-shortened education with a lifelong thirst for learning.  He would make the most of his annual vacation time by visiting historic sites in the United States. 

Perhaps what I will remember most is Dad’s integrity, a character strength which balanced-out his impatience and perseverance.  Somehow this ordinary man had an extraordinary impact on those with whom he shared this life. 

One story my Mother told me was how Dad worked his way up to be the foreman’s assistant at the aviation plant during World War II.  He supervised a dozen workers.  After the war the need for planes eased up, and with it came layoffs.  One day the boss came to him with the list of people Dad would have to give notice of termination.  One of those men had a large family, and had been a faithful employee for years.  My Father tried to reason with the boss that the man shouldn’t be on the list.  Another employee, a young girl had only recently been hired; it was only right that she be let go, because she was living with her parents, and the economic hardship would be less than someone with so many depending on his paycheck.  The boss refused; Mom said they later learned it was because the boss was pursuing her romantically.  When Dad found this out he refused to fire the man with the family.  The boss said:  you either put his name back on that list, or put your own on there in his place.  And that is exactly what he did!

At times I have been faced with ethical decisions, and it is my Dad’s integrity, placing faithful commitment to doing what’s right, above career, money or comfort, which helped build in me a moral compass based upon kingdom principles.  Whatever sense of character I possess, my Father was a Godly teacher who led me to the well. 

For You Today  

It’s been more than seven years, and the thankfulness for a man’s impact on a son is still growing.  Thanks,Dad!                                                                             

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

       A Gift in the Basket   and   The Passover Connection

This devotional memoir first appeared on Rocky Road Devotions entitled Thanks Dad! August 11, 2016 (updated this date)

Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Wait FOR and ON Each Other

 

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.  For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.  That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.  But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.  Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.  So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.                          1 Corinthians 11:27-33

As a pastor, I’ve served communion to many people. 

One of the things I’ve hated about the last two years of COVID-19, is missing that holy moment of looking into the eyes of the people who come to the table.  It was always an honor and high privilege to break the bread and place it into the hands of those who loved Christ, and humbly held out a hand to receive.

I belong to a group of fellow-pastors that meets monthly for fellowship and accountability.  We share ministry ideas, discuss current events in church life, and try hard to offer each other “support space”.  We don’t solve problems or leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Of course, we DO eat!  Invariably we share the loaf and cup as the finale to our meeting.  

We serve each other, face to face, uttering those treasured words, the body of Christ, given for you; the cup of Christ shed for your healing.  And it is certainly a healing moment for spiritual strength.  I have never left such a time without a sense of renewed spiritual energy and joy. 

For that reason (among many others) I am certain the enemy, that old slew-footed serpent, Lucifer, has relished COVID-19 social distancing.  It has not only crippled the intimate nature of fellowship around the table, but in some cases derailed many local churches from meeting together for worship.

On a more positive note, I believe the church has found something exists that needed to surface…determination, perseverance – that intangible spiritual toughness that takes-on the challenges God’s enemy throws in our pathway.  It is that nearly undefinable quality of spiritual fortitude, a reserve called-forth in response to the Spirit’s bidding which says, we’re going to serve Him, no matter what!

The church of the roaring, troubled 20’s reminds me of Job, sitting in the ashes of grieving, covered with boils, ridiculed by most everyone who knew him, being questioned as to why God was punishing him, and why he would even consider continuing to breathe.  Job’s answer was a resounding stone-faced glare of steel:

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:                              Job 13:15

For You Today

There are two reminders for each of us in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian believers, as well as Job’s faithful response to his critics:

     1.    We need to wait FOR each other…don’t forget that the body moves together, or it comes apart.

     2.  We need to wait ON each other…the strength I need is something you exhibit and share with me…and, that which keeps you going does not entirely come from within you...thou and I share the same pulse when we consider:  one loaf, one body.  Life is in the blood, brother!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title & other images:  Russell Brownworth (own work)   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©    

The Danger of Swimming Upstream

 

Monday, January 18, 2021

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers.  How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness?  How can light live with darkness?  What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil?  How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?  And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols?  For we are the temple of the living God.  As God said:  “I will live in them and walk among them.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.  Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.  And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.  2 Corinthians 6:14-18

If there is any species on earth that could tell you about how tough it is to swim upstream, against the current, just ask some salmon; they’re born, live for two or three years at home in their river, then go on a two, to three-year journey in the oceans.  If they make it that far they develop the urge to go back home.  The complete round-trip may be 6,000 miles, capped off by an upstream final push against strong rushing waters to do one of two things, spawn and die, or get eaten by a bear.  Life can be tough! 

Salmon live and reproduce on the strength of sheer numbers.  Those that do make it past the bears spawn so many offspring the expectation of their continuation as a species is understandable.  At times I wonder if the continuation of the church (as we know it) is as certain as salmon.  Unlike the resolve of salmon, willing to swim upstream, against the current, and in the face of waiting bears, the church seems to have little of that fortitude to press-on to glory, even if it means getting eaten in the process.  The common denominator in the church these days is of self-preservation and fitting-in with the world’s ways – not “otherliness” which is a rarely used word, meaning “holy” or “separate”.  That’s a God-word, hagios in Greek, the condition of being “other” or set-aside from the norm…for God’s purposes, which is far different from being worldly or common.

Almost a decade ago I wrote in a Rocky Road Devotion about being separate, hagios, or holy…the state of swimming upstream, against the tide of popular culture:

Being separate isn’t about being self-sufficient, go-it-alone, John Wayne tough; anything but!  Separation is more about living a life consistent with Christian values, so you don’t have to “go it alone”.  Life lived in-Christ is a life that often turns its back on the most popular thoughts and activities this world offers.[1]

The call of Jesus for His bride, the church, to be hagios, holy, or separated from worldliness, is not a call to judge others, but to get our own house in order.  It is to follow the inner call/guidance of God’s Spirit, much the way salmon follow that inner-directive to swim towards home. 

Our call, as disciples of Jesus Christ, is upward, holy, hagios…to be separately-guided by God’s Word and Spirit.  To do otherwise would be like light and darkness settling down together to coexist. 

For You Today

Seasons change, conditions, presidents, economy, entertainment…all of it comes and goes.  The call of Christ remains…follow me!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

GO TO VIDEO

[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

For other posts on this text see Separate and Emptying the Church      

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[1] From an older Rocky Road post “Separate”

 

On Point

 

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:1-2

It happened again Saturday.  We were self-quarantining, so the much-dreaded putting-away of Christmas decorations was on the table.  Stuff had to be dragged up the ladder to be stored in the attic above the garage, so to get said ladder a small truckload of junk in front of the ladder had to be relocated.  Then, one noticed the car was in the way, so it had to be moved out.  Which revealed several yard tools that had never been returned to the garden shed.  While carrying those out of the garage I noticed the leaves covering the front yard, including the driveway.  So I dropped the tools off in the garden shed and returned with rake, blower, and leaf bags.  Putting away Christmas too early can be hazardous to your day of rest!

It was then the realization light bulb turned on; I was like a hound, tracking a bear, but changed directions when a deer scent crossed the path.  And then changed again when a cat's trail crossed the deer's...and changed one more time when he got a whiff of the mouse the cat had been hunting.  I was like a hound tracking a bear and wound up chasing a mouse.   It dawned on me that, somewhere in the long blue and red chain of my family's DNA, the bloodline must include hound.  That seems to be the only explanation for the way I start out to put away Christmas stuff and wind-up with forty million leaves in bags.   

Either that or, deep inside my psyche, my soul just can't let go of Christmas.   

Hunting-hound-unable-to-resist-multi-tasking-change-of-directions-syndrome is not limited to the tracking habits of canines (or, for that matter, preachers cleaning out the garage).  On a higher plane it is also a malady that afflicts followers of Jesus as we pursue our mission of seeking first the kingdom[1].  We start off to confess sin, live holy lives, and bring glory to God, aspiring to what Paul wrote to the church family in Rome.  He encouraged them to let God renew our minds, transforming us into a mighty witness for God’s way.  But we get distracted by minutiae which sidetracks us like a confused hound.  It may be criticism thrown our way, or a church power struggle.  But, more likely, it is just our natural fear causing us to resist the bending of our will to God's ways.  However it happens, we get off course, and the sad end-result is a child of God, bound for the kingdom, turning aside from the narrow path, winding-up staring at the mouse hole of this world's trinkets.  

Paul's admonition in Romans 12:1-2 becomes an all-important course-correction, reminding us of Jesus' words to not just set a priority of seeking God’s kingdom, but to keep on track.  Jesus taught that to his disciples; He said keep on seeking, keep on asking, keep on knocking[2].

For You Today

Hunting greater things requires staying on the path to which God has led us.  And doing that requires resisting other tempting distractions. 

So, if you’re like me, with hound in the DNA, stay on-point, following the greater path; let the leaves rest in peace and hang on to Christmas.  You’ve got a more important mission than watching mouseholes.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

GO TO VIDEO

[1] Title Image: Courtesy  Pixabay.com

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

For other posts on this text see The Great Divide - AND SO - Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3   

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[1] See Matthew 6:33

[2] See Matthew 7:7

 

Keeping the Lights On

 

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

“Watch out!  Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life.  Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap.  For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.  Keep alert at all times.  And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”  Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.  The crowds gathered at the Temple early each morning to hear him.  Luke 21:34-38

Like it or not we all have a dance with issues of darkness.  As a small child I did not want to turn off the lights; darkness frightened me.  (Things do go “bump” in the night, you know).  As an adult the table turned, and I cannot get to sleep if there’s a light on.  But that presents other problems, such as getting up in the middle of that darkness, thinking you’ll have no problem getting through the darkness.  After all, you’ve done it a thousand times, and you know where to walk; but this time you discover someone moved that chair.  (Rather, your bare foot finds out for you).

On a spiritual plane Jesus taught the principle of keeping the lights on.  This entire chapter of Luke’s Gospel has Jesus’ teaching of the end of days and the coming judgment.  To be caught in the darkness of carousing, drunkenness, and all the worries of this life (and aren’t there many?), is to be unprepared for the Advent, the next coming of our Lord.  The word of Jesus’ message is alert, and the Lord taught us how to do that. 

There are three moving parts to keeping the spiritual lights on.

1.   Pray

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

This is Paul the Apostle’s advice to a church family he loved very much.  The worries of life are no match for prayer.  There is no mistaking the fact that praying is a trust issue.  To pray is (in the language of the Scriptures) to bind oneself to the care of another.  We bind ourselves to God’s will as we bow before Him…praying.

2.   Keep Praying

Never stop praying.  1 Thessalonians 5:17

Paul told another loved group of disciples at Thessalonica that a little “now I lay me down to sleep” praying will not suffice in spiritual warfare.  You’ll just wind up sleeping in the darkness.  To never stop praying means just that; keep yourself in prayer mode day-in and day-out.  Be (as Paul told Timothy about his preaching) always at it, in favorable circumstances or not.  Make prayer an ongoing conversation with your Heavenly Father.

3.   Pray with Other Believers

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  Hebrews 10:25

Ours is not a solitary faith.  It is true that we are individually responsible for our choices…those which lead to good or evil.  But we are never to imagine we are to depend only on ourselves to muddle through.  My single most annoying flaw (most annoying to me, and to my Heavenly Father) is failing to enlist or involve others in my struggles.  And that is exactly what Paul writes to his fellow Jewish believers in this passage, that we cannot afford to experiment with “aloneness” when we are involved in Kingdom of God; it’s a group project!

I’m not sure God’s people grasp that nearly as much as the world does.  The diversity mania mantra is Stronger Together.  That is coopted from God’s Word to enforce a forced unity in people who resist change.  Taking it back to the holy meaning of praying with other believers, we must keep on gathering, because there is vital encouragement to be found in our worship.  Times of giving, building, testifying, and bowing before God in prayer and praise bring the kind of strength Jesus exemplified for us. 

For You Today

So…will you be a go-it-alone Christian?  Or does God’s Word now challenge you to engage with others, praying, never-ceasing, always engaging?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

GO TO VIDEO

Title image, Pixabay.com and    W   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

For other posts on this topic see:  On Guard and Wisdom from Above