Wednesday, April 21, 2010

What If – What Is

Only one letter is different in the title, but that one letter will describe a world of difference.

Last night I was talking to a friend, which may shock some of you that I have a friend, at Bible Study. Yes I study the Bible, it is not a book that occupies a space on the table or sits on a shelf somewhere. Any way, I had shared part of my life’s story about how I came to know Jesus as my personal Savior. The story included the fact that I had been married for two and a half years in the late ‘60’s, that’s the 1960’s not the 1860’s, I old, but not that old. I came to know the Lord in 1974 and shortly after that the Lord revealed to me my shortcomings in the marriage. I told the Lord, “She is somewhere in California and I don’t know where. Have her call me in the next week and I will ask forgiveness for my faults in the marriage.

I must insert here that she left me while I was at “Summer Camp” in the National Guard, for two weeks. I came home and she told me she wanted a separation. This action turned into her living with another man for several months and then she moved to California with him. When she left for California, I filed for a divorce. And the rest is history.

Back to my story…. I told the Lord, “Have her call me within the next week and I will ask for her forgiveness”. She called two days later. I had moved two or three times in those eight or ten years, so you have to know, “It’s a God thing”. I did what I said I would do and asked her forgiveness and she told me it was all her fault and it was OK. I went back to my mistakes and faults and asked again for her forgiveness. She accepted it request and started to cry and said she had to go. That was in the spring of 1975.

I did some Bible study about a year and a half later, on the topic of marriage and divorce, which would have been in late 1976. Let me first say that God hates divorce. It is a ripping and tearing of the flesh of the two that have become one. The scar is always there and the wound is very deep, even if they are not Christians in the true Biblical sense; and more-so in the true Christian marriage. My marriage to that woman was before I was a Christian, but the scar was deep and the nerves were pulsing.

She called me in, I think 1978, and was back in Indy and asked if I could go to her father’s funeral with her. I told her no, because I had remarried in July of 1977. The phone call was very short after that.

This is where the “What if” comes into play. In 1987 or so, she called me and told me she had finally gotten this “Jesus thing”, and had asked Jesus to be her Savior. My mind began to play the “what if” game. What would have happened if I had waited for her to come to know the Lord? Would God have been more please if we were to remarry and start life together again? I had to stop myself from playing that game. There are no “what if’s” in God’s economy. I couldn’t let it happen then and I can’t live my life today, “playing that game”. I would not have the great kids I have or the great in-laws and
out-laws I have. Not to mention the wonderful G’kids I have. Life would have been totally different. And I don’t think I could live with that.

That brings me to “What Is”…. When I did my study on marriage and divorce, I took that information and made life decisions based on God’s Bible. I did not make decisions on how I felt that day. My feelings change based on several influences and I would probably make some bad decisions if I did not “run it past God’s guidelines”, the Bible.

I must now look at and live my life according to His word and the leading of His Holy Spirit. There are no “What If’s” in the Bible. There is an abundance of “What Is”. So, “What is” in your life? Are you playing the game and falling for the temptations of what might be? There are always answers if you are willing to look for them. Then you have to have the courage to live by them.

I have been studying the Bible for nearly to 36 years, I am not a Biblical Scholar, but a serious student of the Bible. If you have question about your life and things that don’t seem to be right, drop me an email, reskew@aol.com title it “Life Questions”, some of your emails might go to spam, so I need to know I need to answer it.

Following the Shepherd,
Ron
reskewsquad.blogspot.com

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Truth About Relatives


There is a new “reality” show on T.V. now, 2010. I don’t know what the name is, but some of the stars are Lisa Kudro, Spike Lee, and Brook Shield. I have not watched it; I only have seen the “trailers” and advertisements for it. But, these people look for their relatives from decades and centuries past and see how they have come from a long line of kings and queens. If I’m wrong, someone please let me know. I doubt if any of these stars will find a scoundrel in their family tree.

If I were to say to you, “How many of you are related to “Jack the Ripper?” would you raise your hand? What about Gingis Kahn? What about Mao? Even if you are not oriental, could your search bring you to a point in history to show you are related. I have heard of many family tree searches that lead to kings and queens and people of prominence being found by the person doing the search. None tell you that you come from a long line of “gypsies, tramps and thieves”.

And there are some that tell you, “Your first ancestors were apes”. It is that evolutionary strand that runs through all of us. Darwin told his followers that, “If my theories are found to be wrong in the future, discount all that I have said or thought”. And many have, but some kept the myth, the lie, alive for their own purposes. But, no one from that “camp” tells you that about Darwin. Yes, apes have a similar DNA and the word “similar” is the key. The term for a “word studier” escapes me at the present, it begins with and “e”. The word similar does not mean “the same” or “identical”. It more describes things that are closely related, and that seems to be related to our topic. There are distinct differences and not interchangeable in DNA structure. No, I’m not a scientist, but I play one on T.V. You don’t have to be a scientist to think logical about many issues outside your expertise.

Example: The space scientists are looking for water on Mars or one of the other planets they have landed and “planet exploration devise”, a robot. Because they know water is a key to maintaining life, as we know it. My thinking is this: What does it take to make water? You need some H’s and some 2’s and some O’s, then these elements have to be connected in the right form or fashion. The scientist can’t make the connection in the laboratory, so why does he think he can make the connection in space? Oh yes, one other thing. When we do send a man in space what does he take with him? He has to take some H’s, some 2’s and some O’s. He has to take along water and oxygen. If there’s no oxygen there can be no water. Does that make sense?

That’s the type of thing I am talking about when it comes to relatives. If you look back you will find some really bad people in your past. It may not take but a few generations. If your last name is James, are you related to Jesse James? If two people have the same last name are they related? If one is of Caucasian descent and the other is of African or Asian descent? How did it happen and where did it all start? I thought you’d never ask.

I am not sure if I have written anything, lately, that did not turn to the spiritual side of things. I take everything to the Bible and see if it makes sense from that perspective. Why, you ask? If you want a thorough explanation go to Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict. My short version is this. It was written over a period of about 4000 years, by 40 authors, with varying roles and occupations from Kings to doctors, to shepherds, and fishermen, on two continents, and is the explanation of God’s story about man. And one more, small item, it is without contradiction.

Back to relatives: We’re all in this together. It is explained over and over in the Bible. In the beginning… God…. Then it tells us that He created man and woman. Them be our relatives. You can read the “begat’s” in Genesis. But then, God became angry with “those men” (several decades later), and destroyed the earth with a flood, saving only eight, Noah’s family. Then… them be out relatives.

But to my point…. Why should we find some scoundrels in our family tree? It is because of the other issue about our relatives. That is the sin issue. God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden because they disobeyed Him and broke the relationship of love, obedience and trust. God gave them the tree of life and the tree of good and evil, as we now call them. They chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If then, they would have eaten from the tree of life; they would have spent eternity in the state of disobedience, sin, with no way out. So, God removed them from the Garden to protect them. In that process, He made a sacrifice, a blood offering. From that point on, man was a scoundrel. That’s the long – story – short.

So, don’t believe everything you hear and see on T.V., or the internet, even my stuff, read the books…, the what? Do people read anymore? I mean books. But, that’s another topic for another day. I think there are more people today who are illiterate than in times past. They read blogs and face book and twitter, and opinions about opinions. They read anything except the material that presents the facts.

By the way… my blog is: reskewsquad.blogspot.com
Other responses can be sent to reskew@aol.com

Following the Shepherd,
Ron

Sunday, April 4, 2010

The Battle Within
Dream 2

I was trying to get some key people together to go over the plans for the new year in ministry. Those who had been involved with the ministry last year and said they would help this year. As people started showing up I knew there was not enough room to hold them all, actually more came than I expected. And to my surprise, many whom I did not even know. I talked to someone I did know and decided to move the meeting to a place that had more space. But that got confusing, because the person I talked to had two offices and we couldn’t understand which office we were talking about.

Then the band showed up. Not a full complete band, but what seemed like a “pep band”, drums and horns. I asked them to stop playing and they continued to finish up the song they were playing and slowly, but very slowly, drug out the ending in a long drone. Finally, I had to start collecting the drummer’s sticks so they would stop playing. I was very angry and the longer it went on the angrier I got.

After that I tried to get everyone’s attention and as I got the attention of a few some others would start up conversations on their own. I would concentrate on that group and another would start up. Finally I had everyone’s attention, but I heard talking from the hallway behind me. I made a request that, “If you can’t see me, move into the room where you can, we have plenty of room”. The people in the hall, busted down the wall to walk through instead of walking around the corner. Now I would have to pay for the repairs to the wall when we got finished. And I got angrier. Then the conversations started again and pats of the band began to play again.

Then I woke up…. I heard these words, “Write down what I have to say”.

This is My church! I am trying to get them to see and understand the mission I have for them. I am trying to gather together those who have been faithful in the past and give them instructions for the future. The true battle is about to begin and they need to listen and be aware of many things. More people have come to the meeting than were invited. They were invited by people I invited, but I did not invite them. Those are the one’s who are causing the confusion and creating the distractions. Many are having conversations among themselves and I am not in the midst. Their planning looks good, but I am not in the plans. Their musicians are very talented, but they take no time for Me. They play their own tune and create music that I am not pleased with. I have sent people to correct and instruct them, but they don’t listen to their advice, as I have instructed. Those talking outside in the hall are those I wish to hear My message. Instead of walking in My ways and in My directions, have come in their own way and have cause more destruction in doing so.

Yes, I am very angry! I have talked and instructed and warned and begged, but few would listed to Me. My path is narrow and My words will divide. I did not say, “Build it they will come”. I said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel”.
I did not say, “Can’t we all just get along”? I gave absolutes and not merely suggestions. I did not say, “Be tolerant of one another”. I said, “Love your enemy and pray for him”.

Yes, oh yes, in the midst of all of My anger, I heard a small one crying out in the middle of the night, and I went to comfort him. I held him in my arms and sang sweet songs to him. I gave to him spiritual food, and soothed his soul. I looked at him and saw the smallness of his frame. I saw the weakness of his being. I loved him, and told him so.

Goodnight,
Sleep soundly,
Jesus