Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Hand in Hand

This writing is dedicated to my children and grandchildren. You will understand more as you read.

Most of us who are adults, over twenty-five, have children. There are times when you hug them, hold them, feed them, rock them to sleep and change their diapers. I have written poems for both of my children as the words came to me as I was doing the “middle of the night feeding”. The poems were questions about who these little people were going to become. I wrote of how I would or could have an affect on their lives; but, most of all how they would show me who I really was. Could I love them enough to say “No”? I wanted them to be safe and I would do anything and everything to protect them. They needed to know at an early age, that dad was going to be there.

Now to the hand holding….

When my kids were four to eight or ten, when we would go to the grocery store or shopping, we would park the car, get them out of their seats and hold their hands. Or venture across the parking lot was the first adventure. They had been sitting and wanted to get out and run. It was always stated that, “When we go across the parking lot, we always hold hands.”

Why did we do that? Well, by being adults and older, we knew what might happen. We could see more, because their eyes were at bumper of fender height. We understood the dangers “out there”.

Their hands, by being smaller, could not grasp our hands. So the finger method was used. They held our index finger and we held their hand and sometimes wrist. I’m not sure what they remember about those kind of things, but it comes out when I see them hold their kid’s hands in the same manner.

I write that to say this….

Hand holding, from God’s perspective is much the same. We think we have a good hold on God’s hand. We love Him and trust Him and sometimes, hold on for dear life. If that last phrase sounds funny, that means, I’m getting old; it’s a phrase that comes from “way back”. What we don’t realize is that, God has a stronger grip on us than we have on Him. We have His finger, but He has our whole hand and sometimes wrist in His grasp. When things are good He will loosen Hid grip and let us run freely. When danger comes, He can “whip us around and move us to a place of safety”. He is “bigger” and can see more than we can. He knows and is able to sense danger better than we can. It becomes more obvious each day that He controls my life. And that, not in a negative way, He loves me so much He sometimes says, “No”.

Following the Shepherd,
Ron

Monday, November 23, 2009

This Thing Called Christmas


As I awake from sleep at 4:37 AM, my mind wanders to this thing we experience between Thanksgiving Day and New Years Day called Christmas. Sometimes I will hear “Christmas Carols” on the radio and think about the lyrics and whether they are telling an accurate story of what this season is all about.

The ones that talk about St. Nicholas or Santa Claus are an aspect of this season. But, why then don’t we call it St. Nicholas Day? How did the term St. Nicholas come to be and how did the term Christmas come to be? Which came first (the chicken or the egg?)?
Could you have a St. Nicholas Day without first having a Christ-mass day (it‘s not that I don‘t know how to spell, I‘m trying to get you to think “outside the box”)?

St Nicholas… if you type St. Nicholas into your web browser and click “go”, it will take you to all kinds of information on St. Nicholas. He was a real man who lived in the his adult years in A.D. 300’s and is reported to have died in A.D. 343. This should be your first clue as to “Who” came first. A.D. simply means, Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord. So… you have to have a Lord first. St. Nicholas lived in the area of Turkey on the south-west tip in an area called Myra. His life was dedicated to helping the poor, from the commandment that Jesus himself gave, “sell what you have and give to the poor”. Again, “Who” came first? The St. Nicholas celebration was held on December 6, to honor the death of St. Nicholas and help preserve the day of Christmas to focus on the Christ Child. St Nicholas’ life became legend and his mission became that of many, many people throughout the world. That is why St. Nicholas or Santa Claus is celebrated throughout the world. Much more can be said of St. Nicholas, but if you need that information, search it out for yourself.

Jesus Christ…again, if you type the name Jesus Christ into your web browser and click “go”, you will have a lot of information. He was a man who lived at a certain time in history. That time is what we now understand as the separation of B.C. and A.D., the actual date is uncertain, but his life is not. Jesus had many, many wonderful teachings such as, sell what you have and give it to the poor, turn the other cheek, honor your father and mother, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.

But… it was more than His life and teachings that make Him different from any other man. It was His death and resurrection that set Him apart from any other man or religious leader in all of history. To have death and resurrection, you must have a birth. Many, many religions follow the essence of Christianity without taking the person of Christianity.

The real teaching of Christmas is that Jesus was God who was born of a virgin, a miracle. That’s what we celebrate on December, 25th.
Amusements

Where does your mind go when you hear the word amusements? Is it the latest roller-coaster? Is it the amusement park you go to every summer? Is it the local movie complex? Is it the day you take off work to go golfing? Or is amusement to you that quiet day on the lake or river to go fishing? Or maybe it’s just being “left alone” with the remote to live vicariously through our favorite pro athlete. For women it may be, to live the in romance of a beautiful leading lady being wooed and enticed by a handsome leading man.

Amusement: 1. the condition of being amused; 2. something that amuses or entertains; 3. entertainment.

Then you go to the base word amuse and the definition is this… 1. to keep pleasantly and enjoyably occupied or interested; 2. to make laugh, smile etc. by being comical or humorous. 3. to engage or distract the attention of. Synonyms are… entertain, divert, beguile.

If you break down the word even more, from amuse to muse, the definition is, 1. to think deeply and at length; 2. to meditate.

Now, if you look at the prefix “a”, this is a negative prefix that means “not to”; thus, not to think or meditate.

My point is this… how much do we “amuse” ourselves, are we saturating our minds with “amusements” so that we don’t have to think? Have amusements become an addictive process that is called “normal”? Do we say, “I would rather be entertained than have to deal with reality”? Do we get our lifestyle and thinking from Hollywood or do we “muse” on reality? Do we spend more time thinking and reading about the latest gossip from Entertainment Tonight or the Tonight Show, or Late Night? Do you know more about Sarah Jessica Parker than you do about the Apostle Peter? Does this type of thinking, or lack of it, lead to indifference and apathy? The next portion is from my writing of The Spiritual Implications of the November 2008 Elections.

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier: 'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.' 'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.' 'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'

'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'. 'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. from dependence back into bondage.

So in the light of “amusements”… where are we in the process of life as we know it? If I don’t think, I don’t have to worry and if I don’t worry, someone else will take care of it for me. And if someone else will take care of it for me, they will take care of me! The “proverbial they”, will do it all. They is me and they is you!!! We will be responsible for taking care of those who only want to be “amused”.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Those who hunger and thirst for truth). After all, I’m just trying to get you to muse, to think

Following the Shepherd,
Ron

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Cost - Value – Worth

The title should conjure up a lot of thoughts. Isn’t what it costs, what it is worth? Isn’t its value reflected on the price tag? Why would I pay more than it’s worth?

I’m thinking about several ways to compare and analyze cost, value and worth. I manufacture a widget. The material for my widget costs me $50.00. To pay a person to manipulate that material into a finished produce costs me $50.00 per hour and it takes an hour to produce it, therefore the widget costs $100.00. Now, if I sell my widget for $100.00 I make no profit and I will soon be out of business. So, I mark it up 30% to make a profit of $30.00.
But wait, I have to pay for heat, electricity, water and a few other odds and ends, so I had better mark it up 50% and make $50.00. I almost lost my shirt on that one.

To the consumer, my widget costs $150.00 and that’s a great value. Some people around the world would pay twice that for the same product. Just so they could say, “I’ve got one”. But, I’m not a large enough company to go international. That would take a lot of money and a lot of talented people to produce my widget.

So, is my widget worth $300.00? To some, maybe yes, but to others it’s not.

I’m a car guy. I like to watch the Barrett-Jackson car auction. They showcase some of the most incredible automobiles in the world and they’re “for sale”. I have owned six Corvettes and when a Corvette comes on the block, my heart races. The early Corvettes 1952 through 1967 are my favorites. The original cost for a Corvette in those years was $3,000.00 to $6,000.00. At the Barrett-Jackson today, these cars sell for $30,000 to $200,000. That would be their value in my analogy. Now, what is their worth? To the person who just paid the money, their worth is just what he/she paid for it. Sometimes they think its worth is far more than what they paid. To me, they are not worth that much. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to own one again… but, there are things in this world that have much more worth to me than owning another Corvette. Seven would be a nice number and also a biblical number, which brings me to my point.

Biblical, scriptural and spiritual cost, value and worth are my main purpose for writing this paper.

What did it cost Adam and Eve for their disobedience in the Garden of Eden? Actually, it cost them everything. It cost them their home, their own personal relationship and their relationship with God. How would you rate the value and the worth of sin?

What did it cost Lot in his disobedience in the land of Sodom and Gomorra?
It cost him his wife. How would you rate the value and worth of sin?

What did it cost King David in his disobedience with Bathsheba? It cost him his son. How would you rate the value and worth of sin?

What about you? Are you willing to pass up the best to get a passing pleasure?

The cost of an item, as discussed above, depends on what the raw materials and labor cost, plus overhead. Your raw materials probably had a cost of $4.00 - $6.00, you know, dirt. But, you were fearfully and wonderfully made. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He knew you from the foundations of the earth.

The value of an item is what its marketability is. How well will it sell? Who will pay the price you’re asking? You were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your bodies.

Worth is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t believe that any Corvette is worth the type of money paid for it. I think that everything in this world is highly over-rated and over priced… except the soul of a man.

The cost Jesus paid for your and my sin was total obedience. He willingly went to the cross to pay the penalty for the sin of the world, every person that had been born and would be born in this world. The value He placed on you was His blood, the sacrifice of One for the many. Your worth to Him is so great that, as it has been said, “If you were the only person in the world, Jesus would still have come and died for you”.

Value and worth are also associated with how many were made. The 1953 Corvette went into production and GM was so scared that they only produced 300 units (cars). It went over well, so the next year of the 1954 Corvette 3,639 units were produced. But at the end of the 1954 season they had 1,076 left over. So, in 1955 they wanted to continue the “True American Sports Car”, but only built 700. So therefore, the worth is based on the number made.

There is only one of you. There will never be another. Even if you are a twin or a sextuplet, Your DNA is totally different from that of any one else in the world. You are special. God looks at you and sees the beauty and potential He has designed for you and you alone. It cost Jesus everything He had to make you everything you could be. So you must be very valuable and a “Pearl of Great Price”. Your worth is beyond measure.

No other religious leader has laid down his life for his followers. Most of them ask you to lay down your life for them. Most ask you to give all you have, time, money and energy to them.

Jesus says, “Come to Me and I will give you rest”. He also says, “Take up your cross and follow Me”.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords left His Throne in heaven and came to this earth, became a man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, rose from the dead, went back to heaven and there intercedes on our behalf. Will you accept the gift He offers? You are of great worth!

Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew
The Gift

As we have just gotten through Christmas 2008 my mind goes to an observation of this dearly loved season. I’m not sure all appreciate it in the same fashion.

We spend a lot of time thinking about that special gift for each person which will fill their hearts with joy. For the little ones, that’s not hard to do. As the age goes higher it becomes more difficult. But, we get clues all year long about something the person wants and they never seem to find the time or have the money, even when it’s “on sale”. So, we file it away and when the time comes, hopefully when it’s on sale, we buy it for them and save it until Christmas to have the perfect gift.

We give it with great joy and pleasure, knowing that we have hit the mark with that one person. They receive it with joy and ask, “How did you know?” You remark, “Remember last Aug. you said you really wanted it, well I kept my eyes open for the sales and bought it for you in Oct.” You have a friend for life, or so you think.

As time passes, you never see the person use it, wear it, read it, or make any further comments about the gift. Was it really as important as the person made it out to be? Was it a “passing fancy”? You’re confused, but not sure how to ask the question in the right manner as not to lose a friend or hurt the relationship, but you are curious.

What happens to the gifts we give? Are they used, abused, or just forgotten about? It’s all up to the person who receives them. You see, we have good or even great intentions with our gift giving. All we want to do is share and inspire a bit of joy and happiness. But the receiver is the one who has the option to maintain the gift to its full potential. Clothes and shoes we like normally get worn out. All the while we wish we had bought a second pair to have when the original wear out. I can only give the gift I want to give a person and it’s up to them what happens after that. I can’t tell them to use this only on special occasions or just when the sun is out. I can’t tell them how to play with the new game.

Some people just seem to ruin a gift within a few short weeks if not days. And I can say nothing about it. When it leaves my hand it’s “all theirs”. It now longer belongs to me; I have no control over it. If I want to control it, I keep it for myself.

Sad, but true, the gifts we give don’t belong to us any more. We paid for it, we wrapped it, and we gave it. It is no longer ours.

I see people all around me who have been given a wonderful present and don’t really appreciate it. To them it wasn’t big enough, it wasn’t strong enough, it wasn’t fast enough, and it wasn’t shiny enough. They say, “I tried it and it didn’t work for me, so I will try something newer and bigger”.

That is what I’m seeing in the world today regarding Jesus. This wonderful Gift has been given and so many, too many, are saying, “I tried it and it didn’t work for me”. Some even say, “Oh, I love Jesus”, and live life without Him. People put Him on the shelf like an old book and dust it off every month or two, but don’t pick Him up and read Him. They abuse Him by not living in the manner which is pleasing to Him. They give “lip service” not “life service”. They pick and choose like going down a cafeteria line and picking out all the sweets and goodies, while skipping the meat and vegetables and salads.

With gift giving there is also gift receiving. One, you have to receive the gift. Someone can hold out a gift and offer it to you. But, until you take it in your hand and bring it into your possession it is not yours. Two, what you do with the gift is up to you. I can’t tell you how to appreciate it. I can’t tell you how to use it. I can hope and pray that the gift will be used properly and with great care and love. But ultimately, it’s up to you.

Which brings me to and end; one, what will you do with Jesus? And two, my next writing will be Cost, Value and Worth.

Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew

Friday, October 9, 2009

Give Us A King

First let me say that I’m an Old Testament guy. A lot of my life is based on the information, and “God Breathed” inspiration from the Prophets. As I tend to have an active imagination, one word will spark at thought which turn into a flood of thinking and you get the outcome.

My text is 1 Samuel 8:4-9 “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. But the thing was displeasing to Samuel… And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day I brought them out of Egypt even to this day – in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods – so they are doing to you also. Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the customs of a king who will reign over them”.

The essence of the warning was that the king would take their possessions and eventually their children. The king would take their harvest or livelihood for his own purposes…. The peoples response was … that’s ok we want a king.

The Pilgrims came to the New World to escape the control of a king (kingship, regardless of which king it was) who had taken over all the functions of society and controlled life for all people.

Our Founding Fathers saw the past and knew something different and better had to and could be done to make life worth living and give stability to a large group of people. Though not everyone agreed on everything, a solution was reached and the Constitution was established for the new America. And as they say… the rest is history. I don’t think the Founders would recognize the U. S. today, for several reasons. The Constitution was formed to keep the government out of the peoples business. Remember, they left Europe and England because of the suppression of the king (government). Yet, today April 2009, government is encroaching more and more upon the individual’s rights.

As the Israelite’s told Samuel, give us a king, have we not asked for what we want? All along, God was saying, “That’s not a good idea”. The American people were saying, “Give me, give me, give me”, and God said ok.
So… we live with the consequences.

Even though there were a few good kings in the southern kingdom of Judah, the people suffered the consequences of all the bad kings. Even though America has had good leaders and Presidents, we have and will continue to suffer the affects and bad decisions for bad leaders.

Who are you looking to for the essence of life? More properly, to whom are you looking for the essence of life? Who is more likely to tell you the truth about life? Is it not the Lord, God Almighty? He is the One who wants your all. In the text above, God references “out of Egypt”, some 800 – 1000 years after the event, does it even enter your mind, “Why would God reference something that happened ‘soooo long ago’”. They might be saying, “After all we are living in the modern age”.

Are we too saying, “We live in the 21st Century, what does something that happened (now) 2700 years ago have to do with us, we live in the modern age”. I have to inject this, Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun”. The basics are these, God is God and we are not; God is perfect in all His ways and we are separated from that perfection by sin (missing the mark of perfection, choosing our own way). Does that make sense in the context of 1 Samuel 8:4 – 9? Does that make sense in light of where we are as a people or as a country? We have grown up in and on our own ignorance about what is real and true. We have been lulled into a false sense of security about what “the king” can do for us that no one else can do. We have released our responsibilities for bearing one another’s burdens, be it physically, emotionally or spiritually, to the government, and they have taken it and are asking for more.

The question is, “Are we going to allow them to take it or are we going to humble ourselves and fall before the Lord, God Almighty and say, “Forgive us, we have sinned against You and You only”? “We don’t need a king, we need Father God, the Lord Jesus and the precious Holy Spirit to rule over us.


Your next question might be, “But, how do we do that, isn’t it too late”? It may be too late for the country, but not for the individual. In that, God will never turn away a truly repentant heart that says, “I blew it, I’m wrong, You’re right, forgive me”. Those leaders (kings) who choose to continue to go their own way will reap the rewards of their sowing. You’ve heard, “I keep digging but I can’t seem to dig myself out of this hole”. You’re right.

As we see in the rest of the Old Testament, those who said yes to God knew His blessings, but those who didn’t saw the consequences of their own decisions. Even in the New Testament the facts remain the same, grace to those who repent and consequences to those who went on in their own ways.

It’s time to repent; turn away form whatever is taking you away from God.
Repent for your own sin and then repent as a family. Next, repent as a local church body.

Following the Shepherd,
Ron
reskew@aol.com

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Sorry!!!

Sorry I haven't written lately. I've been working on my book, "On Eagles' Wings". It's a longer process than I expected. I hope to have it ready by Oct or Nov.

As for the watermark in the corner.... I was on a mens weekend, called a Discipleship Walk. Some may know this type of weekend as "The Great Banquet", "Walk to Emmaus", "Crisillo" or "De Colorus".

Any how... we had severe storms all through the night and coming back from breakfast, someones sweat shirt was on the step of the building. I picked it up to hang it up to let the water run out of it. This image was left by the sweat shirt. Jesus was there protecting us from the storm.

Not everyone is protected all the time. Some die of cancer or car wercks, while others live through the event. This life is crazy, but Jesus is always there, even through the storms.

Thanks for following along,
Ron

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel

In the Book of Genesis, in the Bible, in chapter 11, we are told that the world was of one language and the same words. The people came together, because they were so wise and intelligent they decided to make bricks and build a tower that would reach the heavens. I think this means something similar to “Jack and the Beanstalk”. That is, to be able tto reach the heavens and step off onto another level and become gods.

At this point God saw the intent of their hearts and stopped the abomination. He did this by confusing the languages or creating a multitude of different languages. If people couldn’t communicate then they could not assume that they were god or reach to become god.

Are we, in the twenty-first century, reaching for the heavens, to become god’s? In that, I mean, the communication level of today’s society is becoming so strong and so easy, that we can communicate around the world in an instant. This makes us feel strong and important, almost like god’s.

I’m not saying that communication and technology are bad, but let’s stop and think about it. We had the telephone and telegraph which connected the east coast to the west coast.
Then radio and television brought us closer to one another. Then came he computer and the internet. With satellites orbiting around the earth, we developed the cell phone. A cell phone can now do more than the first computers.

In the cell phones, you have internet access for your emails. Now you can blog, facebook, text, twitter and who knows what else. This technology makes people feel important and powerful, and sometimes they just act stupid. College students’ text answers to tests to the next class. Probably even junior high students do the same. Integrity is a thing of the past.

This brings me back to the Tower of Babel. With the ability to communicate around the world, and the language barrier is being broken down more and more each day, does that bother you or scare you? Something that God did for a purpose, man is undoing. Does it bother you that the people who do not recognize God and reverence God are the ones who are trying to more and more control you and make you feel that you need them to feel safe and secure?

Think about it!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

You – Topia

It’s a new generation and new words are popping up on the horizon every day. Even though it is not in Webster’s Dictionary yet, I feel that at the next printing it will be. Believe it or not it is not a hip new culture word yet, it popped into my brain a week ago. So… when you hear it being used in the future, you can say, “You heard it here first”.

So what is the thinking process behind this writing, you say? The time of man, I say.

Every youthful generation has had its share of the pie, but the youthful generation of 2005 – 2009 has seemingly gobbled up more of the pie.

When I was graduating from high school, our class was going to go out and change the world. We knew we were smarter than the previous graduating classes and could see the future and knew what to do with it and for it. And off to college we went. Some became lawyers, some doctors, some teachers, and a few never got past year one, because they were partiers, yet the dream lived on. Those who completed college and went on to Master Degrees and PhD’s, continued the quest for utopia, the quest for self gratification and a sense of fulfillment. Most of us had enough common sense and good upbringing to realize that there was a thing in life called balance. But, in our quest for this utopia, we left behind our families, our wives and our children.
We were on a mission to have more than our parents, we were tired of hearing the phrase, “I’m sorry son/daughter, we just can’t afford it right now”.

[“Back in the day”… there were no Credit Cards. If, and I repeat if you had credit at a store, you paid it in full at the end of the week and only bought what you could pay cash for. It didn’t make any difference whether you were “rich or poor”, you always paid cash you lived on “what you had”.]

Back to the future…. As this generation grew up and wanted more, they could never define, “How much was enough”. The phrase was, “Just a little more”. If you made $20,000 maybe $50,000 would be enough. Of course when you got to $50,000, that didn’t seem to be enough, so then it was $75,000.


“You need a bigger car”, no problem, pay it off in three years. Bob and Judy just moved to a bigger house, we need to have one too. Now you salary isn’t large enough to keep up so you need $125,000 to make ends meet. Steve and Sarah went to Hawaii on vacation. We only get to go to Florida this year, but next year we’ll go to Hawaii.

Where does it stop? It doesn’t… for most people. That is why utopia will never be reached. You are bound to the past by debt, which is robbing your future.

Were we really going to change the world when we graduated from high school or college? Or was the world going to change us? The answer is obvious; we were changed by the world. We got “caught up” in the vortex of “Have it your way”, “Have it all”, “Have it now”.

Back to the future, again…. Therefore, because all that I have said, this generation is “caught up” in the You – Topia Generation. Those who are of the age from 18 to 35 or even maybe 40 years old, have the mindset of, you promised me, you owe it to me, now hand it over. No one is responsible for his own way in life. “I’m stuck here because you didn’t give me something I needed”. “I’m stuck here because you won’t give me a raise”. Even though the person has never put forth any effort to “work at the job” and try to improve himself/herself.

You – Topia: It’s all about me. It is no longer about we or us. It is no longer about how I can help you, so we can improve the product to make more profit, to improve the company, to sell more products, to be able to hire more people, to get a raise. It’s more truly stated, “I am here for the duration, you need to pay me more money every year and not bug me about how much work I do or don’t do”. And boy, are you lucky to have me!

Another aspect of this generation is that they think history started when they were born. And those of us who have lived a little longer are just “old fashion”. “You – Topians” have yet to figure out that is was us/we, the old guys/gals who brought the past into the future through blood, sweat and tears. They have yet to realize that, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. They have yet to realize that freedom is never cheap just because it is free. But they are about to loose their freedoms and don’t even realize it. Freedom is never cheap, just because it’s free.

What did that credit card do for you? Did it give you the freedom you thought it would? Probably not, so you got another credit card because the old one didn’t have a high enough credit limit on it. And now you’re still not satisfied. How much is enough? Do you continually want more? Can you live within your financial budget? Or do you ask, “What’s a budget”? At this point, can you even “get out of debt”? Are you so “in hock” that the interest rate keeps you even on the principle when you make a payment? How do you stop the madness? Are you having fun yet? Have you found utopia, or have you found “you – topia”?

Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk,
Ron
reskew@aol.com

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Oath of Office
February, 12th, 2009

Watching the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States, I was truly amazed at the nearly 250 years of the ease of transition from one President to the next. That can only come from a free society and the rule of law, not to mention the grace of God.

The “Founding Fathers” of this country, after long and hard discussion, came to the conclusion that man could not be trusted to govern for himself. So a Constitution was developed to guide, defend and protect the transition of power, so that no “man” could move beyond what it dictated. So, when a President is duly elected, he has to take the oath of the “Office of the President of the United States”.

Each president recites the following oath, in accordance with Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

I may do further research into the “faithfully execute” clause and insert it later.

For now I am more concerned with the next phrase, “and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”.

If you were to do a “man on the street” interview, and ask the question, “What do you know about the Constitution of the United States”? Most would probably answer, “Not much”. Because we know little about the Constitution, we were never taught much about it in high school or college.

If you pursued a degree in law, you would have studied law, leaning toward the area in which you were interested, criminal, divorce, medical, etc.

Constitutional Law is something that most Attorney’s shy away from. That is the area in which “even angels, fear to tread”. That area is the top of the ladder kind of stuff. That’s the stuff for the “Supreme’s” and District Court Judges.

As in any field of study, the more you study the more you know and the more you know the more you advance in your field. Even to the point that you are able to teach others and guide them to truth in said area. Would you expect a person with a BA or BS in Art, and there’s nothing wrong with having a degree in Art, trying to teach a college level biology course? Would you want someone removing you gall bladder if their degree was in business? Some things just seem to make sense while others don’t.

In light of this thinking and the topic at hand, the oath of office, would you not think that if someone swears to uphold the Constitution, they should know something about it… more that the average person? Would you not think that a person who swears an oath would have read it at least once? “But Ron”, you say “That’s a very long and complicated document. It would take days to read it and months, if not years, to understand it”.

Exactly my point…. It has become a very complicated and in some cases a convoluted document. Not to mention the laws that have been molded by a radical Supreme Court. My understanding as to “law making” is that a law starts in the House of Representatives and is discussed and passed there. It then goes to the Senate, where the Senators have a chance to edit and revise it. After the revisions, it goes back to the House for final approval, before going to the President for his signature (or VETO) and then it becomes the law of the land. But the Supreme Court has “interpreted some laws to fit the needs of radical liberal groups and therefore creating a whole new law, thus, by-passing the House and Senate. I am prepared to start reading the original writings of the Constitution and see just what the Founding Fathers had to say in regards to the beginnings of our nation.

That one “Bill” should be sent forward to become law, but in the twentieth century, it became fashionable to bunch several bills together for a single vote. Then “special projects” were added for personal interest and the original “Bill” was so desperately needed that a lot of trash became law also.

Is there an “Oath of Office” for Christians? Who get to write it? Is there a “body of men” that can add or subtract from it to fit their “special needs”?
Who gets the final vote for passage of the oath?

Or does it work like this? A Commanding Officer has ten men lined up in front of him. He tells them that he has a very dangerous mission and needs three men to volunteer for it. An amazing thing happens, seven men step backwards.

It’s all backwards from the way we think. When God calls, how many step backwards? Thus leaving the job at hand left to a “few good men” instead of “all the Kings men”. And as in the movie Braveheart, will you fight for the heart of your King?

So, let’s go back to the oath itself.

Who writes it? To my way of thinking, God writes it. Is it similar to the Presidential oath of office?

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of Christian (President of the United States), and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Bible, its contents, its concepts, its teachings, One God revealed in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, my Lord Jesus, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His death on the cross, His burial, His resurrection, and His return to earth in the future, (Constitution of the United States)."

Who gets to vote on it? Actually, none, God said it… that settles it. But in “real life” we all get to vote on how we participate in the execution of it. Like I said above, it seems that too many are taking a step backwards instead of moving forward into the most incredible life that God has planned for us.

Matthew 28:19 says, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel, making disciples and baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.

In the Gospel of John Chapters 15 – 17, Jesus gives a volume of instructions to His disciples. Starting with “Abide in Me and I will abide in You”. The first aspect and most critical of carrying out our oath of office is abiding. That takes place when we humble ourselves and daily, minute by minute, place ourselves under the authority of Jesus.

Then He tells us that He knows we cannot do it on our own, so He is sending us the Holy Spirit to live in us to help us making those decisions that are pleasing to Him.

Jesus then says, “I glorified You (Father), having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do”. So where are we in our mission that Jesus has given us to do on this earth?

The word “Christian” actually means “little Christ’s”. The question has been ask, “If you were to stand before a Judge in a Court Room, would there be enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian”?

Do I know how to defend my faith in Jesus? Do I know enough to know that I don’t know very much and I need to keep studying? Do I need to read that last question again? Do I know when to say, “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’ll find out and get back with you”. There are basics and there are tangents. A lot of people know about Jesus, but they don’t know Jesus. Do you understand the difference? Many religions talk about Jesus as being a good man, even a great man. Some say He was a prophet. Some say He was the third reincarnation of “Hoopta-halla-bahsradah” (not a real person, just want to get your attention). But what is the truth?

Can you rationally explain the virgin birth? Can you rationally explain the substitutionary death on the cross? Can you rationally explain the resurrection?

These are the kind of questions that come from the phrase, “I will faithfully execute the office of Christian”.

Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew

Monday, May 25, 2009


Who “invented” the TV dinner?

Several individuals developed the TV dinner.
Like many creations, the story of the development of the TV dinner is not straightforward. Many people and companies played a role in the development of the concept of a complete meal that needed only to be reheated before eating. The invention of the TV dinner has been attributed to at least three different sources, primarily Gerry Thomas, the Swanson Brothers, and Maxson Food Systems, Inc.

Maxson Food Systems, Inc. manufactured the earliest complete frozen meal in 1945. Maxson manufactured “Strato-Plates” – complete meals that were reheated on the plane for military and civilian airplane passengers. The meals consisted of a basic three-part equation of meat, vegetable and potato, each housed in its own separate compartment on a plastic plate. However, due to financial reasons and the death of their founder, Maxson frozen meals never went to the retail market. Some feel that Maxson’s product does not qualify as a true TV dinner, since it was consumed on an airplane rather than in the consumer’s home.

Following in the footsteps of Maxson Foods Systems was Jack Fisher's FridgiDinners. In the late 1940's FridgiDinners sold frozen dinners to bars and taverns. Frozen dinners did not take off, however, until the Bernstein brothers came on the scene.

In 1949, Albert and Meyer Bernstein organized Frozen Dinners, Inc., which packaged frozen dinners on aluminum trays with three compartments. They sold them under the One-Eyed Eskimo label, and only to markets in the Pittsburgh area. By 1950, the company had produced over 400,000 frozen dinners. Demand continuted to grow, and in 1952 the Bernstein brothers formed the Quaker State Food Corporation. They expanded distribution to markets east of the Mississippi. By 1954, Quaker State Foods had produced and sold over 2,500,000 frozen dinners!
The concept really took hold in 1954 when Swanson’s frozen meals appeared. Swanson was a well-known brand that consumers recognized, and Swanson launched a massive advertising campaign for their product. They also coined the phrase TV Dinner, which helped to transform their frozen meals into a cultural icon.

But this is where different stories begin to emerge. Until recently, the most widely credited individual inventor of the TV dinner was Gerry Thomas, a salesman for C.A. Swanson & Son in 1953. For example, the American Frozen Food Institute honored him in their "Frozen Food Hall of Fame" as the inventor of the TV dinner. However, his role as the inventor is now being disputed.

Conversely, Betty Cronin, a bacteriologist who was also working for the Swanson brothers at that time, asserts that it was the Swanson brothers themselves, Gilbert and Clarke Swanson, who came up with the concept of the TV dinner, while their marketing and advertising teams developed the name and design of the product. Cronin also worked on the project, taking on the technical challenge of composing a dinner in which all the ingredients took the same amount of time to cook, also called synchronization.

So who really invented the TV dinner? It depends on your definition. One thing is for sure, though: the first company to use the name and successfully market the TV Dinner was Swanson.

My Text

Weren’t T.V. Dinners great? As a kid I had my fair share of them. The Chicken was good, but I liked the Salisbury Steak. The veggies and mashed potato’s were OK, but the desserts were tasty and not enough of it.

BUT… they were nothing like “mom’s cookin’ ”. Her fried Chicken was “to die for” as they say today. I’m not sure if you could call it “Salisbury Steak, but when she pounded out the Round Steak and threw in salt and pepper and some other spices, of course known only by her, it was mighty tasty. With potatoes and carrots it was quite a meal.

Mom knew us and wetted our taste buds from early childhood. She knew what was good for us, because she knew us best. She knew how to get us through illnesses, without going to the doctor. She had those “home remedies” that were handed down from her mother and her mother-in-law, and back and back and back. The chicken soup, the tea and crackers were part of the regimen for wellness, if you were sick.

No, we didn’t have steak or chicken every night. We had beans with cornbread and beans with beans, we weren’t rich. Mom had taken a job in a factory, and dad came back from war. As a child, and not knowing all the “family factors”, I guess we needed the dual income. You see, my dad was a drunk, he did not want to be called an “alcoholic” because he said, “Alcoholic’s had to go to meetings and drunks didn’t”. So, he drank up a large part of his income and mom had to work to finish paying the other bills and feed us kids.

Thus enters the T.V. Dinner…. They were quick and easy. Out of the freezer and into the oven and within 15 minutes you had the full meal. It also became popular to watch the evening news while eating these dinners. There was no conversation because adults wanted to hear what was going on around the world, and of course the kids had to be quiet. T.V. dinners were only part of the families decline. And as they say on T.V, “Stay tuned for “Part Two of Our Mystery Series”.


T.V. Dinners Part Two

Please let me say right up front, that I do not blame the decline and fall of the family unit on T.V. Dinners. There are many, many factors that attribute to the issue and I will only discuss a few.

The break down of the family is the man’s fault. He has not taken his rightful place as head and leader of the family and led them to Christ. It is the woman’s fault in not supporting and encouraging the husband to do so. It was Adam’s fault for not setting the guidelines more clearly with Eve. It is Eve’s fault for not listening to her husband.

Ephesians Chapter 4 verses 11-16 : And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers. For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

It’s the apostles, it’s the prophets, it’s the evangelists, and it’s the pastors and teachers who are at fault for the demise and downfall of the family. It’s the dad’s and mom’s fault for the downfall of the family. In essence, it’s the church that has been directly responsible for the breakdown of the family. You see, the church is “the people”. The church is not the building; it is where the church (people) meets. But it is the responsibility of the people to “make things work”.

How do we know what we are to do? We ourselves are ultimately responsible for knowing Him, Jesus. It is the role of the pastor-teacher to help us grow and understand, so that we can “feed ourselves”, so that we can feed others, so they can grow and feed others, etc, etc, etc.

How does all of this connect, T.V. Dinners and the body of Christ? It’s simple to a somewhat warped mind like mine.

In the past few decades, I’ve seen a trend taking place all over the United States. It has intensified in the past few years. That being, some churches having success in an area of church functioning and prayer has gone into it for their church. What do we need and how do we go about it. Some might call it a “business model”, plan the work and work the plan. Then another church will hear of it and bring that model to their church. It seems to be working for them and they tell a friend or a sister church to use it also, etc, etc, etc, thus the T.V. Dinner. I’ll just warm it up and serve it, “It’s just like momma use to make”. Or was it?

The problem I see with this is, the Pastor is not truly in touch with his people. The Lord is my Shepherd…. As a Shepherd, He knows His sheep and calls them by name. He binds up their wounds and anoints them with oil. He will sometimes carry them on His shoulders to keep them close and learn to know His voice and His smell, so when around other shepherds they will not stray. The real shepherd will not serve you a T.V. Dinner, something that another has taught his flock, he will teach you “according to the proper working of each individual part”. The real shepherd will not care about what is going on across town or across the country because he knows his sheep and what they need.

There’s enough fault and guilt to go around. Just concentrate on you own. T.V. Dinner, anyone?

Following the Shepherd,
Ron
reskewsquad@blogspot.com

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

2 Chronicles 7:11-14

Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the King’s palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayers, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My Name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land”.

The context of this passage is that David wanted to build a building, a house, for God. The Israelites were no longer roaming in the desert and yet God was “still dwelling in a tent”, while David lived in a great palace. David had brought the Ark of the Covenant back from Kiriath-jearim. So David started gathering material from all across the region. God told David, he was a man of war and could not build Him a building. Solomon wanted to honor his father’s wishes to build a house for God.

One thing struck me as I re-read the passage. God had already selected this place for Himself. Then it was to be a place of “sacrifice”. In the dedication, Solomon had offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep for all the people. That’s quite a sacrifice.

Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross; One, for all. So you might think or have heard that it is no longer necessary to make a sacrifice. Then why are we told in the New Testament, offer up a sacrifice of praise?

Now, to the main body of the text. If My people… who are called by My Name…. In the Old Testament God’s people were the Jews. In God’s economy in the New Testament, those who have ask Jesus to forgive their sin and looked to Him as Savior, “are God’s people”. So this Old Testament passage can apply to the New Testament believer. And because that is so, we must pay close attention to it.

The next phrase is, “will humble themselves”. Humble means: absence of pride, meek, modest. In the context, it means knowing one’s position before God.

Then God tells us to “pray”. What do we pray about? In the previous chapters, God has been reviewing the Jew’s “shortcomings”, their sins,
and is in essence saying, “Don’t do that”. He’s reminding them that they have just offered up a sacrifice of 142,000 animals and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, i.e. Jesus blood on the cross. Pray daily for the forgiveness of sin. Pray to walk closer to the Lord. Pray for others so that they may do the same.

“And seek My face”. Do you pray for your wants and needs and then hang up the phone? Or do you truly seek God’s face? Seek His will? Seek His mind?

This is where most people go on to God’s response… “Then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land”.

Let’s take this one from the top. “And seek my face and “turn from their wicked ways”… “Then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land”.

Turn from whose wicked ways? God’s people are to turn. God’s people are the problem. Yes, God is angry with the wickedness of the worldly people but, He is more upset and angry with those people who say that God is the Father and Jesus is His only Son and then go on their merry way and live as they please.

Those of you who “name the Name of Jesus” as Savior and Lord, you are the ones whom God is asking to turn from “your wicked ways”. If you think you are OK, then you’re not looking at God enough. The more you know Him, the more you see yourself, and it ain’t pretty.

Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God that you present yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable and spiritual service of worship.

Walk with God,
Ron
reskewsquad@blogspot.com

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Open My Eyes Lord

Music has always been a part of my life. I don’t just listen, I think. Two songs of my past hold the key, “Open the eyes of my heart Lord”; and “Open my eyes Lord”.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord, Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You.

“Open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him and say that I love Him”.

Are we even looking to see Jesus better? Are we seeing, knowing and growing into the image of Christ? Are we seeing and sensing the unseen world that is as real as what we see?

My text for this message is 2 Kings 6. Elisha had been given the “mantel” of the Prophet of Elijah. As per usual, Israel was at war, this time it was Syria. Elisha had prophesied against the King of Syria, the King didn’t like it. The King was going to attack Israel and the Prophet. Great fear had overtaken most of Israel. But, Elisha, the man of God, knew his God.

2 Kings 6:15-17 Now when the servant of the man of God (Elisha) had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas my master! What shall we do?” So Elisha answered him and said, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them”. Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see”. And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (Bold for emphasis).

Have you ever asked the Lord to open your eyes in this manner? Have you even thought of such a question? Is your “vision” limited to only what your physical eyes see? Have you ever had a dream, so real, that you knew God was speaking to you? Are you comfortable going to church on Sunday and as you leave thinking, “I’ve done my duty this week”? Do you go to church and as you walk through the doors a magic wand scans you and you put on that “happy face” that says I’m doing fine, no problems here? When in reality, your life is falling apart. And when you leave, that wand scans you again and now you can go back to the way things were.

My questions are a part of a reality check and seeing what is true about life on this planet. Do you ever pray, “Open the eyes of my heart Lord”? Do you ever pray, “Let me see Jesus”?

Do you, as Elisha, see beyond the physical world into the spiritual world? Remember, only one third of the angels fell and follow Lucifer, Satan, the Devil. So, that leaves two thirds that are servants of the Most High God. I am not talking about angels, per say, or in specifics in this writing. My message is for you and what you see and or what you are looking for. Do you see the world as it really is or do you see it as you want it to be? Polly Anna or Rose Colored Glasses will not show you reality. Knowing Jesus, studying the Bible, and having someone to bounce your thoughts off of will help.

Do you “see” what I’m saying? Do you think christianly? I write and few respond. A fellow traveler asked me just yesterday, “Are your writings changing the lives of those to whom you send them.”? I had to tell him, “I don’t know”. Do I make sense? Do you “blow me off as a nut”? Does anything I say touch your heart? Does anything I say, change your way or challenge your way of thinking?

Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord!

Following the Shepherd,
Ron
reskew@aol.com

Saturday, May 16, 2009

On Eagle’s Wings

Isaiah 40:28-30 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable, He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

As I have written this passage, I sit and think; “What more can I say”? Of course the answer is, “Nothing”. This is God’s word; it stands alone and speaks for itself. But… with that word written on my heart, I must unwrap and un-package the nuances of it.

First of all, do we understand that God is the Creator? We and this world are not just “random chance” happenings. We were created in His image, to worship Him and for His purposes. Do we understand that He does not grow weary or tired? On the other hand, I grow weary and tired because I am not God. Yet, He gives strength to the weary… me. The “normal male” has strength and vigor, yet because of the limitations of that manhood, he will become both weary and tired. That’s why we have to sleep, that’s why we have to eat. God does not do either and we loose our strength, we stumble.

We have just had a Mini-Marathon (13.1 miles) in Indianapolis, Indiana, setting off the month of May and the Indianapolis 500 Race. Though people train for the event some will stumble because of lack nutrition or lack of water. Others may stumble because of unevenness of the road.

On our spiritual journey, we will also stumble and grow weary. There will be something in the road that will make us detour or make us slow down or take us off our pace. Then we will have to refocus and get our pace back in order to continue our race. Maybe we stubbed our toe and will continue the race, but in pain. We may grow weary because we see others going around us, bettering their position. We may grow weary because we have not trained well enough. Maybe the weather is hotter than we would like and the heat is taking energy and nutrition out of us faster than we expected.

That’s where the second part starts. Yet those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. There will be times in your spiritual journey when you need to wait. And for most that have been running well, you will have difficulty. The phrase will be on your tongue over and over again, “But I… but I… but I”. But I was doing so well… but I was doing Your will… but I thought….

Maybe you stumbled; maybe you didn’t take in proper nutrition, God’s Word. May it wasn’t even something “you did”. But, it is a time to refocus, rethink, reconnect and recommit. And for sure, it is a time to wait upon the Lord.

Because He wants you to “mount up on wings like eagles”, and that brings me to part three. What does that mean? Back to my nature stories; most of the time when you see nature stories about eagles, you see them perched on a branch of a tall tree or soaring in the sky. Sometimes you see them swooping down on a lake to catch a fish and then fly off somewhere to eat their dinner.

When they are sitting in a tree or their nest, what are they waiting for? Or, for what are they waiting? I think God has created them with a sense that few other birds have. I think that is a sense of “being”; knowing who they are, knowing why they were created and knowing their purpose. That may be a stretch for some to grasp, because we are told that animals don’t sense of feel or think, they just have instincts. But I think there is a lot we don’t know. They don’t have big ears sticking up on the sides of their heads, yet I’m sure they have ears. To spot a fish swimming in a lake from a hundred feet in the air and then maintain that vision until it has the fish in its talon’s, is also an amazing fete. Waiting on a branch of a large tree is for the air current to be right. A few flaps of the wings and the eagle can soar for hours. Why? Because he waited for the wind to be right, then the natural design of the wings will carry aloft a large bird.

Another aspect of the eagle’s wings is that at a point in their development, the feathers will regenerate. At this point, the eagle can not fly. The old feathers fall out and the new ones grow in, but they are not fully developed or mature. So the eagle has to wait.

Does this bird think highly of itself for all the great and wonderful things it can accomplish? No. As one of God’s creatures it simple does what it is designed to do. It is designed to make people look and wonder, to look and wonder… what makes this bird so majestic? What makes this bird so regal? And conversely, what about the sparrow, seemingly one of God’s simple birds, what makes it so special? They both point us to Him, both are mentioned in scripture and God takes care of them both. God uses both in His great plan.

The analogy is this; our waiting is for the purpose of the Spirit of God to be the One who lifts us up. The word for spirit is wind. When God’s Spirit lifts us, we will not struggle, but soar on His wings, His wind. But… we must wait. The analogy may goes like this; You have been do exactly what the Lord has been asking, and now for no apparent reason, you find yourself, as it were, sitting with nothing to do. You wait, you pray, you read, you study, yet nothing happens. Has the Lord forgotten me? Am I being punished? Am I done? The last thing us humans want to do is wait… but we must. We must wait for His Spirit to uplift us and energize us.

Following the Shepherd,
Ron
May 6, 2009

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Elvis Has Left The Building

The phrase, “Elvis has left the building” was two fold in nature.

One reason was for his safety. If you are old enough to remember how popular Elvis was, then you will recall the fans (girls and women) swooning at his concerts. Then you saw the film footage about how he was guarded and could barely make it to the “limo” with all his clothes on.

I think the second reason was that those “loving fans” would want him to continue to sing and perform all night. He would do “curtain call” after “curtain call”, after “curtain call”. So the promoters had to come up with something that would let those loving fans know it was time to go home.

I guess, that’s what it’s like to be a star, everyone wanting a piece of you. There is no time for you. You can’t go out into the public without being mobbed. You can’t have a peaceful dinner with friends without being mauled by someone or several someone’s, wanting your autograph. You can never be yourself; you always have to be that person everyone expects you to be. I see actors, male and female, in movies and think they are “that type of person”. Then I see them being interviewed by a reporter or a talk show host and they come across as a jerk. In many ways, I think it would be a sad life, and that is why so many stars become addicts. That is not where I’m going with this writing.

If you have received other writings from me, you know I am going somewhere with this… don’t you? Should I drag out the suspense longer or get right to my point?

OK… OK… I’ll get to my point….

Do we hold up our Pastors and our worship leaders to the realms of “Rock Stars”? Do we continue to applaud for “one more song”? Do we put our pastors on a pedestal as someone above the norm? I know they should the men of integrity and intelligence, but I mean in a rock star fashion? I think not. Do we clamor for one more point in his sermon? Do we applaud him at the end of his message? Or are we giving thanks for a message delivered by God Himself?


Now, to the point of all points for this writing.

An analogy: Elvis has left the building.
The Holy Spirit has left the building.

The question has been asked for decades, If the Holy Spirit were to leave your gathering, would you know it?

Just because we feel good after being together for a couple of hours, how is that different from going to a basketball or football game and yelling and screaming for three or four hours?

How do you know you have met with God? Do you tell yourself, “I can’t wait to get back next week to feel good again”? Do you have to come back to get another “high”, just to make it through the next week? Does feeling good mean the Holy Spirit was there?

Have you ever asked a person why they attend a certain church? Have you ever asked a person who goes to church, what the Pastor is teaching? Have you ever asked a person what type of music they have? Can “said” person tell you more about the music than the Pastor’s sermon?

How would you measure that person’s ability to sense the Holy Spirit in themselves or the local church?

The Holy Spirit is a co-equal part of the Trinity. We hear sermons on the Father in many forms and fashions. We are always being directed to Jesus via the Sermon on the Mount, or at Christmas or Easter, but what about the Holy Spirit? Has He left the building? Has He left your building, your body, your life?

In John chapters 16 and 17, Jesus tells us that He is going to send us a Comforter, One just like Him. He will lead us into truth, righteousness and judgment to come. How’s your relationship with the Holy spirit?

Grace and Peace to you in the power of the Holy Spirit,
Ron

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Court of the Honorable Judge of the

Here and Now, the Here and After, and the
Hear say, of Hear say, of Hear say of Heresy.
Is now in Session, all rise!!!
(The Judge walks in)

Court is now in session, you may be seated.

During this session we will determine the future of several people.
Each story has its own unique challenges, so you will need to pay close
attention to the details, in order that you may render a sound judgment to
each case. You will need to evaluate even the smallest details.

We have three people in various stages of life, who think they have been
“misunderstood”, or don’t understand why they are in the position they are
in. Before we get started, it behooves me to help you better understand the term and the concept of Compassion.

From Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Fifth Edition, compassion is defined
this way: Sorrow or pity excited by the distress or misfortune of another;
sympathy, mercy.

Looking further we see that it is a compound word, signifying that more can
be learned.

Com: A prefix from the Latin preposition cum signifying with or together; in conjunction with.

Passion: An enduring inflicted pain, tortures or the like; the suffering of Christ.

When we think of “passion” we usually think of a good feeling or a deep
interest or even love. These don’t appear until the sixth definition.

“THEREFORE”, the conclusion we must come to, in rendering our
judgments today, is that, compassion is a togetherness with a person who is
going through deep pain.

Let’s look at the first case!

A man in his late 30’s early 40’s, he has become an investment broker and
Has been making a very nice living, for 10-15 years. He has had a few problems with some of his clients, but has managed to work them out. He has assured them that “their money is safe with him”.

He send statements out on a regular basis informing the clients of the
progress of their accounts. Along with the statements and “pie charts”
indicating the investment analysis of each portion of their portfolio.
Then… one of his clients dies, unexpectedly. The clients widow decides she
needs some cash out of the in the investments to pay for the funeral and other related medical expenses. The young man is trapped! There is no money, there are no investments, there are no funds with which to pay the woman, or any other client for that matter. He is caught “red
handed”, and that is why he is in my court today. The decision is yours, “Oh men of the Jury”. Does he deserve compassion or not? Guilty or not guilty? Write down your answer.

Our next case is a young woman.

As a little girl she would play with her dolls and have those “make believe”
tea parties with special invited guests, which only she could see. She had been daddy’s little girl” and could wrap him around her finger. By her early teens she has grown out of playing with dolls. Now her fancy had turned to boys. By the time she was 16, she had started drinking and had thoughts of using other drugs to get a better high. Now she’s 30, looking like she’s 50. Drugs have taken their toll and to support her drug habit, she’s turned to prostitution. Last week she was arrested for prostitution and possession of drugs. She sits in jail right now awaiting her sentencing. What is your verdict, guilty or not guilty? Does she deserve compassion? Write down your answer.

Our final case before us today is a little boy

He has no real crime, but we are unsure as to what to do with him. He comes from a lower middle class family where the father is an alcoholic and sometimes violent. His mother works to help provide for the for the families financial needs. So there is no one home after school to watch the little boy. There are also two older siblings.

What would be your recommendations for the court? Foster care or leave
him in the home? Render your verdict, compassion or no, leave him in the home or send him into the “foster care” system.

You may be saying to yourself, what do these stories have to do with
compassion? God looks down from heaven every day and sees this same kind of stuff going on.

What were your emotions doing as you heard these stories? Did you reflect on your own lives or the lives of your children? Did your life parallel any of these stories?

The Bible tells us that, “there is nothing hidden from God”.

In Jonah 4:2, it says, “You (God) are gracious and compassionate, slow to
anger and abounding in loving kindness”.

In Matthew 9: 36 it says, “And seeing the multitudes He (Jesus) felt
compassion for them, because they were distressed and cast down like sheep
without a Shepherd”.

Remember our definition of compassion?

Com- with

Passion- affliction and torture

In the book of Genesis, God shows his patience, long suffering and
compassion, over and over and over.

Adam and Eve: If you eat the forbidden fruit you shall surely die.
They ate it and immediately they died spiritually and eventually they died
physically. If they would have eaten form the tree of life in that condition they would have lived forever condemned, forever separated form God.
God had compassion on them sacrificing an animal to cover their nakedness
And removing them from the garden so they couldn’t eat from the tree of
Life was a very compassionate thing to do.

Noah and the Ark: God waited 120 years for Noah to get the ark built and
then, only saved 8 people and animals and birds by pairs. Clean animals in
7’s and unclean in 2’s. The people had time to repent and the Lord would have had compassion on them.

Moses and the children of Israel: Wandering in the desert for 40 years. God
could have killed them all on the first day, but he chose compassion,
remember… affliction and torture with…. God chose to suffer along with His people

What was Jesus response to His people? At one point the looked out over Jerusalem and said, “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, and he wept”.

Compassion!!!

Jerusalem had been suffering under the Romans for many, many years.
Jesus knew their pain, He knew their sorrows.

Now we are learning about Compassion. Who in your life needs your compassion? Who needs you to enter into their pain and suffering?

What really happened to these three people?

Let’s start with the Broker who bilked many people out of their investments and savings. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail and required to sell his assets and repay his clients. While in jail, he heard about Jesus and His saving grace and His compassion for mankind, resulting in his salvation.

The young woman had just taken a large hit of her favorite drug and went into convulsions while in the back of the police car. She was rushed to the hospital where the ER team pumped her stomach and gave her an anti- serum. Before she passed out she cried out, “God, don’t let me die”. He heard that cry and if you would see her in church today you would never expect that her past was what it was.

The little boy is writing this to you. From the time of that incident in my life God has shown compassion over and over again. Life was never easy with an alcoholic father and a mean one at that, but God’s grace and compassion went beyond the tears and abuse to heal, even to the point of forgiving my father.

What does this compassion look like? It looks like the nail pierced hands on the Cross. Jesus was so interested in you and me that He gave Himself up to death, even death on the Cross. He took upon Himself the sufferings of mankind, with suffering, to release your suffering. You need to ask Him to take them. You have to call upon the Name of the Lord, Jesus. Then turn away from what has controlled for so long. Turn and Follow the Shepherd. No matter where you’ve been or what you have done, God’s grace, mercy and compassion will wash it all away. You can become a new person in Him. Look at me.

Ron Eskew
reskew@aol.com

Monday, May 4, 2009

Detox

Detox is a short form of detoxify, which means… to remove a poison from.

We hear it used in the context of people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol when they are attempting to quit. In more serious cases, we hear of “withdrawal” associated with that event.

Detox is a process where the person will want to stop the addiction and possibly go into a treatment center to be helped and monitored during the withdrawal. They will be in the process of ridding their bodies and minds of the toxin or poison.

Health guru’s have now looked at the “normal” human and their “normal” life styles and said that “normal” people need to detox every now and then. They are saying that in everyday life the body takes in toxins that are poisonous and need to be removed. The lungs and smoking are main targets, and I don’t need to talk to you about that because you are bombarded with ads to quit and the “whys”. Their next target is the colon. I must say that I agree with them… most of the time. They are even developing products that will help you do this very thing.

Of course, most of you know that I am going somewhere with this topic. So, here it is….

If the body needs detoxifying, do you think the soul and spirit need detoxifying? My answer is a resounding, “yes”. Then you may ask, “How do I do that”? And I say, “I think it would look something like this….”

There are things we call spiritual disciplines, prayer, fasting, meditation, solitude and worship. The Bible tells us, “when you pray” (not if you pray), and then goes on to tell us a facet of prayer and what it means to us in our walk with the Lord. In the same manner the Bible says, “when you fast, don’t put on a long face”; or for meditation, “when you meditate”,
Psalm 119 is replete with the word meditate of meditation. Now to the “how do I do it’s”.

I look at it like this…. Basic fasting is for the purpose of detoxifying the body for spiritual purposes. A person would go without food for a period of time in order to focus on God. For those on medication, check with your doctor for recommendations. Most might do a one day fast, while some can only do a one meal fast. Start somewhere and work up the next time. Drinking water, a lot of water, will flush the system of toxins, usually one or two gallons a day. A one day fast will help, but two to three days will accomplish more. Again, check with your doctor if you have certain medical problems and are on medications. When you feel the urge to eat, it is time to pray more and focus on the Lord even stronger. Some may need to do it on a day when you can be alone, not at work; while others will be able to work and fast. But remember that the purpose is for spiritual reasons; you want to hear from God.

Another aspect of detoxifying is a hot bath or shower, as hot as you can stand it. The hot water opens your pores and allows the bodily toxins to be released. As you bathe or shower, this is the time for prayer and meditation, asking God to “open your pores and open your eyes to Him”; take away the toxins that are hindering you in your life. Pour out your heart to Him, tell Him “where it hurts”. Remember, He weeps with those who weep. I won’t make a list for you that’s between you and the Lord. Stay as long as it takes for what the Lord wants to do. Pour out your heart to Him, let Him cleanse you, let Him wash you, let Him purify you. End with a cold shower, this closes the pores. Spiritually, it “seals the deal”. It says, Yes Lord!

Love to all,
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
May 2, 2009

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Swimming Upstream

Saturday morning at about 7:00 a. m., a group of men meet in an old barn to discuss poetry, past history and current events. These men range in age from mid twenties to mid sixties. It’s like the “Dead Poet’s Society”. What do you believe? What has spurned your thinking this week? How’s your life going?

This meeting has been taking place every Saturday for seven or eight years. The group’s size has varied from near fifty to only four. It’s not always the same group of guys. There is normally a core of about five or six and the rest vary to an average of now ten guys. No, it’s not a secret society; it’s a group of guys from the church I attend. We discuss the Bible and other current books in light of today’s thinking in order to challenge each other to “keep the faith” and “walk the walk”. This writing comes as the result of Saturday, April 25, 2009.

I want you to think about that often seen animal adventure scene where the salmon are swimming and fighting to get “upstream” to lay their eggs. Think of the one particular scene where they are trying to jump the dam. You see the salmon jump and fall back, jump and fall back, jump and fall back. It seems like an eternity before one salmon makes it over the top of the dam to continue his journey to the spawning ground. You keep watching and you find yourself silently encouraging them to keep going, you’ll make it. Once over the top the struggle doesn’t end. The current of the river is just as strong above the dam as below. Can you imagine the determination and energy it takes to continually work at jumping the dam until you make it over the top; just to find out the struggle is not over?

In light of my Christian faith and current events of the day, I see the struggle to fight the fight of and for the faith and continue to swim against the stream.
Society and government are so different than when I was a boy that the tenacity of the journey is increasingly more difficult. What does it take in today’s society that makes you continue to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord Jesus? Do you know what you believe about the Bible, about God, about Jesus? What is your “worldview”? What set of “rules and guidelines” do you use to fashion and guide your life? Or do those rules and beliefs change as society changes it perspective? This leads me back to a previous writing about “Lines and Dots”. If you have not received that writing, let me know and I will send it along.

Now back to swimming upstream. If you have asked Jesus to be your Savior, you’ve finally “jumped the dam” but, your journey and struggle is not over. The current is still flowing “down stream” and you still have to exert energy and effort to continue your journey, to fulfill you mission. You see… the salmon when he gets past the dam in on a mission to get further up stream to lay its eggs in a more calm part of the river. And as most of you know… the calm part of and river is where the water is deep.

Here’s where the discussion yesterday went deep. How much effort did the salmon have to exert to swing “upstream”? It’s efforts had to be more than the current was flowing “downstream”. How much more? Would it be fifty percent more than the current flowing downstream? Could it just be twenty-five percent against the current? Could the salmon get by with just one fifth effort of the downstream force?

What about your (and my) Christian life? As we see the forces of society flowing in the wrong direction, against God’s laws, how hard do we have to swim upstream? It’s even sad to think that we’ve gotten to this point that we have to swim at all. If you swim at fifty percent you will be going upstream, but at a very slow rate. If you only swim at the twenty-five percent rate it will take you longer to get where you want to be. My thinking is that if you are swimming and less than twenty-five percent, soon you will only be maintaining your position in the river, you will not be moving “upstream”. And as society grows more cynical and devious you won’t even be able to maintain your place in the river. That means you will be pointed in the right direction, but you will be moving downstream. You will be loosing ground.

What is God’s will and God’s plan for your life? Is it just struggling to maintain or does He want you to succeed in your mission? I think He wants you to fight the fight and overcome the dams in your life and to swim as hard as you can to make a difference in your own life and in the life of others. I think He wants you and me in the spawning ground, in the deep places with Him. Do you have a group of people who are discussing the deep questions of life and the Bible? Others who struggle with you and for you to help you over the dams in your life?

Following the Shepherd,
Ron

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Road

These are a few phrases that many have uttered over the years, some will be familiar and some may not, depending upon how old you are.

“The road less traveled”, “On the road again”, “The long and winding road”, “King of the road”. And I’m sure you may have made up a few of your own.

As I have had opportunity to travel the country, I have often said, “I should stop there some day and look around”. I keep driving by places of interest saying those same words, or just wondering when I will have time to stop and look around.

Some of my thoughts and writings will overlap from time to time, so please bear with me. A classic Country song was titled, “The Class of ‘57”. It was done by the Statler Brothers and the basis of the song was that when we graduated high school, we thought we had arrived and the world had been waiting for us to arrive. But as time went on things just seemed to be the “same old same old”. Friends were married and divorced, the guy who was voted most likely to succeed got hooked on drugs, some worked in the factory, some became bank vice-presidents. And others seemed to have a very “ordinary life”. A few, if any, became famous for one thing or another, but for the most part, life kind of swallowed us up, we became middle class.

Let me say, there’s nothing wrong with being middle class. But, also let me say or ask, “What happened to those dreams”? Did stuff get in the way? Did we get hooked on something that stole our lives away? Did we get hurt by someone that changed our way of thinking? Did we get hardened by this cruel viciousness of life?

Don’t you wish you could have a “do over” a “mulligan” (for you golfers), like I described in Playing Games, “at the end it all goes back in the box”. The next time you play, you start out at even and build your way up. All the players have the same amount and the even opportunities to “roll the dice”, “shuffle the deck and deal the cards”, and “spin the spinner to advance”. Like the “box games”, there are rules to follow and believe me, some play by the rules more than others. They will read you the rules every 15 minutes, while others will try to break the rules every 15 minutes.

Then you have the “rules for the road”. You drive on this side and I drive on the other. Red is for stop and green is for go. Speed limits vary as to location, city, suburbia, country, highway or interstate, but rules are rules no matter where you find them.

So why do we get so uptight about the thoughts of absolutes? Jump off any 20 story building in normal clothing and you go down, it’s called gravity. If you stay out in the sun too long, you get sun burned. The North Pole is always cold and near the equator is always hot. Even though medicine is not an exact science, doctors use the accuracy of technology and what has worked to diagnose patients and treat them. Remember Bill Cosby’s, “Why Is There Air”, air is an absolute. If you mix the molecules in any other form, you don’t have air. I could give pages and pages of things you would agree with that they have to be constant or absolute for your life to continue to exist, so I say there are absolutes.

Then why is it so hard to admit to spiritual absolutes? You say, “All religions lead to God”. There is a religion that states, “You can have more than one wife”. The Bible says, “One man, one woman until death”. Which is right? One religion says, “You need to stop, face their holy land, and pray three times a day”. The Bible says, “(of God) I hear your inner most thoughts”. Which is right? Most religions say that Jesus was a good man or even a prophet; others say He was an angel. The Bible says, “You are My Son, My Only Son”, again speaking from God’s perspective. Which is right?

My text is John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father (GOD) but through Me”. Sounds pretty narrow doesn’t it? Sounds almost absolute, doesn’t it?

Matthew 7:13, 14 Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter it. For the gate is small, and the road is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

This Matthew passage goes along with my writing called “Lines and Dots”, if you didn’t receive it let me know and I will send it along. If all roads lead to God why do so many reject Jesus’ statement? In essence they are saying that all roads lead to God, except Jesus. Did you know that Jesus is the most controversial person in all of history? As you saw in Matthew, the road is narrow that leads to life, and few are they who find it.
There will be scores more of people in hell than will be in heaven, maybe 100 to one, or even more.

Remember the phrase, “Well, everyone is doing it”! And the response was, “Well, if everyone jumped off a cliff, would you jump too”? That’s what it will be like in making a decision not to explore the claims of Jesus more seriously for yourself.

Believe it or not you are on a spiritual journey; that too is an absolute. I’m going back to music again; a song entitled Sacred Journey by the group First Call goes like this:

Wide awake at three a. m., when I hear the whistle blow,
Watchin’ all the cars go by, where does everybody go?
Every road, every stream, You are there my Lord.
Heavens mystery, how You are here with me,
On this sacred journey.

Open the gates of your heart (on this sacred journey)
Let the light into the dark (on this sacred journey)
He’ll meet you right where you are.

Spillin’ thoughts across the page, morning sun is sneakin’ in,
Say a little prayer for me, as another day begins,

Strength to strength life goes on, room to room, dark till dawn
You are there my Lord, Heavens mystery,
How You are here with me, on this sacred journey.

The message is in the words, the passion is in the music.

Are you awake in the middle of the night? He may be calling you to search for Him. Do you wonder about all the cars (people) rushing here and there, why some drive so fast and reckless. He is here, do you see Him? Every sunrise, every step of life, He is waiting for you to call His Name, Heaven’s Mystery. One step and you can be on a “Sacred Journey”.

Recommended reading:

More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell… small book, easy read, told as a story.

Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell… Full text book and reference book

The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel… medium read

And of course the Bible… start with Genesis and read Chapter 1 then go to the New Testament and read the Gospel of John Chapter 1. Go back to Genesis and read Chapters 1,2,3 and then go back to the gospel of John and read Chapters 1,2,3. Finish the Gospel of John and then start the Gospel of Matthew. Please read at you own timing and speed even if it is one chapter a day. Remember to always ask God to reveal Himself to you.

Maybe you should pull off the road you are on and at the next rest stop and get refreshed. Another familiar phrase is, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”.

If you need more help or encouragement, email me.

Thanks for letting me bend your ear,
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
reskew@aol.com

April 6th 2009
Lines and Dots
December 4th, 2008


And when I looked, I saw a stage where four men stood. There were three canvases, two men stood before one canvas and the other two men had a canvas of their own.

The man on the left, with a single canvas, was drawing vertical lines. Most were straight lines of varying widths, but a few were curved or squiggly.

The man on the right with a single canvas was drawing, what seemed to be random dots and each dot had a number beside it.

The two men in the middle stood before the same canvas. This canvas was displayed by lines and rows of dots from edge to edge and top to bottom.

Nothing seemed to make sense. There was no artistic beauty or value to any of the canvases, white canvas with black lines or dots on them. I pondered the canvases for what seemed to be hours. As the men stood before their canvases they seemed to be waiting for further instructions. My pondering brought me to a dead end.

Finally, I asked the man who stood before the canvas with the lines on it, “Sir, does your canvas have a purpose? I’m sorry but I just don’t understand your picture.”

He said, “Lines are being drawn around the earth. Some lines are wide and some narrow, some are wavy and some are slightly curved or bent.”

“Sir”, I continued, “but why are the lines different?”

The man said, “Do you see the line in the middle?”

“I can see a line in the middle that is very narrow and is actually hard to see because it is so thin”.

“That thin line is God’s standard; it is His way and His truth. The other lines around on the left and on the right are man’s “ways” his “truths”. Some lines are wide and some are narrow, those are how man has chosen to live and the laws he has set for himself. Even though they are straight, they are very broad compared to God’s. The curved lines are the abominations against God’s law. The sharper the curves the more radical man has become.

As I looked at the canvas again I saw more of the reality of what the man was saying.

I then asked the other single man standing before his canvas, “Sir, what does your canvas mean, it is so random. It doesn’t seem to make sense like the one with the lines?”

As he began to speak he began to connect the dots. “My canvas has a picture on it. Each dot has a number by it and when you start at one and connect that dot to the dot which had the number two by it and then three and then four, by the time you have connected all the dots and returned to the number one dot, you have a complete picture.”

He continued to connect the dots and as he did, I began to see some things that looked familiar. When he had finished, it was a magnificent line picture which needed no color to enhance its beauty.

At that same time the two men, before on canvas of vertical dots and horizontal dots, began to connect the dots on their canvas. Each in turn would connect one dot to another on the vertical or horizontal axis. This process went on for hours and then something happened. One of the men boxed in a square and put his initial in the square, “J”. That set off a random set of connections and as the boxes were completed a “J” was put in the box.
What I now recognized as, the opponent in this game began to make his boxed connections, was the one with the most boxes, win’s the game.

As if my thoughts were being read by the man, who had marked the “J” in his box, he turned and gave me a stern look and without words, I sensed within myself, his words, “This is no “game”.

I had thought I was having a dream and it seemed to be like “The Price Is Right” and I had three doors to open and I could choose one of them. Only I was standing before three canvases, each profound and each prophetic. Then I realized that the two men before the lines and picture dots were angels. Then I realized the one man before the canvas who were connecting the dots and marking with a “J” was Jesus. The other man was marking with an “S” was Satan.
Then I truly understood that this was no “game”.

The war is on, lines are being drawn, the dots are being connected, and the souls of men are in the offing. Are you following the thin line of God’s way and God’s truth, or are you trying to bend the line to fit your life or lifestyle?
Are you broadening the line to make yourself feel better?

The man, standing before the canvas, connecting the dots with numbers was connecting in coordination with the men connecting the squares. As the J was initialed, the man would connect dots with a marker of a brilliant, shinning gold. When the man initialing with the S connected the squares, the man would connect dots with a black marker.

The world is being divided and has always been divided by good and evil. Jesus is calling out a people for Himself. At the same time Satan is blinding the eyes of many, many people, unfortunately, too many.

The black connected dots are those who seek power or money, or both. They seek to control people through terror, through intimidation, even through giving them money. A few will control the many.

The golden connections are those who have found hope and peace in Jesus. Their connections are just as important as the others. They will need to use their connections to move through the years known as “end times”. As the “dark side” controls more and more and life and religion, mainly the Jewish and Christian faiths, the “church will need to go underground and take care of each other. The worship will be closed and quiet. The mainline churches will continue to have services, under the control of the government. Meaning, you can say this and you can’t say that, “alas” Germany 1930’s.

As Francis Schaeffer said, “How should we then live?” What will be our course of living in the years to come? How will we prepare ourselves and those the Lord entrusts to us?


If an angel were to connect the dots of your life would we see a beautiful picture that needed no color to enhance its beauty?

Your life can be a beautiful picture when you begin to live God’s way and live God’s truth. All you have to do is say something like this, “God, if You are there and You can make me into a beautiful picture, go ahead and do it. I’m tired of my life the way it is, take it and make it into Your beautiful picture.

Following the Shepherd,
Your Friend in Christ,
Ron Eskew
reskew@aol.com