My Journey to the Son Part 5

My wife and I had arrived at our commitment to Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit even though we knew very little about Him. We had read the name of the Holy Spirit many times in the Communion service and said many times in reciting the Apostle's Creed that we believed in Him. But we hadn't a clue about who the Holy Spirit is. Third Person of the Trinity....right? Or something like that. That was the sum of our knowledge.

We were like the disciples Paul encountered at Ephesus. When he asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No. We don't know what you mean. We haven't even heard there is a Holy Spirit." (Remember that incident. I'll refer to it again in later blogs.) There are many in the church today who might respond to Paul's question in a similar way.

Our ignorance did not prevent the Spirit from operating in the team of lay people who came to our church the fateful weekend that would totally change our lives. I had no intention of attending that weekend event. But something happened that some might consider coincidence. My brother, Dick, called to say he and his wife Delia, would be coming from Houston as members of the team. As a matter of courtesy, I invited them to stay in our home. When they arrived I agreed to go to the first session on Friday night and then planned to find some excuse to skip the rest of the meetings.

On Friday night my brother and his wife had to go early for a team meeting and Nita and I rode along with them. There were three or four people present when we entered the fellowship hall but my gaze was drawn to one person, a stranger, seated at the far end of the hall. When he saw us, he grinned, leaped from his chair and quickly walked.....almost ran....to where I stood. He grabbed my hand, pumped it vigorously and, with great enthusiasm, said, "God loves you and I love you too!"
I was shocked and repulsed.. What could make a supposedly sane person act in such a bizarre way? How weird, I thought. He loves me? Ridiculous. He doesn't even know me. After he released his his grip my first reaction was to go back to the safety of my home before this 'fanatic' had a chance to hug me or do something equally repugnant and embarrassing. But, I didn't leave. Thank God.

After the crowd arrived the session began with dinner. Following dinner visiting team members were called on to each bring a short testimony. One of those was my brother. Coincidence again? I thought I knew all about my brother but as he spoke I could see something new in him as he related how Christ had changed his life. Those that followed my brother also testified about the difference Christ had made in them. Although still a bit skeptical, how could I disagree with them? I didn't have a spiritual leg to stand on. In spite of lingering resistance, I found myself becoming more and more interested in what they had to say.

Hmm, I thought. Maybe there's something to this after all. Think I'll stick around.

My Journey to the Son Part 4

ERRATA NOTE
(I had a visit last week with a friend who had been in the couple's class I taught years ago. In going over times and dates with him I realized I had made an error. It was actually 12 years between our arrival in Lufkin and my invitation to start the new class.; not a year or 18 months.)



PART 4




"I am like a pelican in the wilderness: I am like an owl in the desert. I watch, and am as sparrow alone upon the housetop." Psalm 102:6



The psalmist's description of feeling lost and alone could have been my lament in 1969. In the 12 years before I started teaching, I and my family attended Sunday school and church regularly but the best I can say for my spiritual growth is that it was minimal. However, I gave a very good impression of looking and walking like a Christian and could, when pressed, talk like a Christian. But I was a grade A phony; a cardboard Christian. I was a pew potato; a pew warmer.



I was like the psalmist's pelican: spiritually distant from where I should have been; an owl in the desert, nesting in the ruins of my existence. I was sitting beside the lonely sparrow, watching but not seeing, listening but not hearing.



Recently, one Sunday in church, My wife and I sat behind a young couple and their two children. They were in my direct line of sight to the pulpit so I couldn't miss what happened. During the sermon the wife slowly turned her head in her husband's direction just enough so she could see him from the corner of her eye. A slight movement of her arm and his reaction indicated a jab to his ribs. He gave her a sour look and straightened up. Had he nodded off? Probably, but I don't know. This all took place within a few seconds. I thought, "I know where he's coming from because I've been there. Be in church to set a good example for the kids. Show up; do my duty."

At age 44 I was trudging through life, painfully aware something was definitely missing. On the surface it appeared to others that everything was going well. But, as a father and a husband I was not what I should have been. I tried, unsuccessfully, to use my profession to cover the growing dissatisfaction that stuck pins in my heart. I can understand why some people turn to drugs, alcohol or illicit sex. I didn't but the temptation was there. Increasingly I recognized the reason for my unrest. I tried to avoid it but the truth had been seeping into my consciousness for years: I was not right with God. In spite of attending church for many years I didn't know what to do about it; where to find the handle on Jesus....how to grab hold of Him.

One Sunday, in desperation, I stopped a friend in the narthex of our church and blurted out, "How are you saved?" She laughed because, as she told me later, she thought I was joking. She also told me she didn't answer because, at the time, she didn't know the answer either!

Looking back I wonder how many church members I would have had to ask before I got a true answer. Also, why it never occurred to me to talk to our pastor about salvation. One reason may have been embarrassment. I thought I was the one black sheep; the only one in the church who was not saved. Little did I know. As things turned out, I discovered how very little I knew.

God knows the desire of the heart even when the desire is buried deep in our spirit, covered with a mountain of sin and doubt. When our desire is for Him, when we "hunger and thirst for righteousness," he will arrange our circumstances so we can find Him. Oswald Chambers said, "When we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and the ends of the earth to assist us with all His mighty power."

For us , God arranged for a group of Christians to come to our church for a weekend called a Lay Witness Mission. My wife and I heard testimonies and attended small group meetings from Friday evening to Sunday morning. By then we understood that God loved us and knew us by name. On Sunday, my wife and I walked the aisle and gave our lives to Jesus and to gratefully accept what he had done for us at the cross. At the time the theological details were hazy to us. But our commitment to Jesus was clear and real.

Blessings to all

My Journey to the Son Part 3

After settling in our rented home we joined Lufkin's First Methodist church. This enabled us to meet people in a town where we only knew my employer and his family. I joined a men's Sunday school class and Nita joined a women's class. Over time I became quite impressed with the class teacher, Ward Burke, who seemed to have the respect of everyone. With my wordly mind I eventually reasoned that to have the same status as Mr. Burke it would be helpful for me to have a class to teach. It didn't occur to me that, spiritually, I was probably the least prepared person in Texas to take on such a responsibility. But, combine ambition with stupidity and common sense doesn't stand a chance.

About 18 months later I was approached by the Minister of Education. He aked if I would be willing to be the teacher of a new class of young couples. Now; some would call this event the mysterious work of God; others might see it as coincidence. Me? I saw it as plain good luck.
In any case I quickly agreed and the class was organized with about a half dozen couples.
For reasons I don't remember or never knew, the class prospered and membership expanded until there were about 40 members. Apparently I was the only one who read the lesson book and I had learned enough churchy lingo to put on a pretty good show. I know I said some things that I later had to ask God to forgive. I was a perfect example of everything a Sunday school teacher should not be and why teachers should be examined to evaluate their spiritual depth.

At that point in my life I should have been happy. I wasn't. I suppose many men would have liked to have been in my position. I had a loving wife, 3 fine healthy children, a good job and a new house. The future looked good. But something like a fog of discontent seemed to have enveloped me. Something was missing from this rosy picture but I couldn't imagine what it could possibly be. After all, hadn't I realized the American Dream?

God bless you.
Romans 15:13

My Journey to the Son Part 2

My thanks to all who have commented on previous blogs.

My brother says I have blocked out most of my childhood memories. He must be right because I've had to ask him about many things I couldn't remember. Lots of people have had unhappy experiences while growing up but apparently I didn't handle mine very well. In my high school senior year, 1943, I joined the Navy and reported for duty after graduation. I served for 3 yrs. and 3 months as an aircraft mechanic and gunner on a torpedo bomber.

While in the service, I skipped church until I married in September of 1945. Neither of us had made a commitment to Christ but Nita, my wife, did influence me to resume church attendance. I confess that "religion" and the bible were, and continued to be, mysteries to me for a long time. All that, what I considered "stuff," about blood and lambs, etc., simply didn't register with me.

Nita was from Oklahoma and wanted to be closer to her family than my home in a small town on Long Island, N.Y. I enrolled in Southwestern Tech in 1946 and tranferred to the OU school of architecture the next year.

Our first few years of married life were quite stormy mainly because of my immaturity. I had seen 5 divorces while growing up and Nita and I had agreed before marrying that, no matter what else happened, we would never divorce. That agreement was sorely tested and I give her all the credit for the ultimate success of our marriage. After graduation in 1951 we moved to Houston. By now, we had 2 children and one year in the big city convinced us to move to a smaller town, Lufkin, 120 miles north of Houston.

We had no idea what momentous changes were ahead for us. If someone had asked what had brought us to where we were in 1952, we probably would have shrugged and said it was the result of a series of choices and decisions we had made. On the surface that appeared to be the case. It hadn't occured to us that God might have had something to say about it.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

God bless you

My Journey to the Son Part l

My Journey to the Son Part l







My mother and father were divorced when I was 2 yrs. old and my brother was 1. My father gained custody of us and, because his business demanded so much of his time, he had to find someone to care for us. He located a lady, a hotel maid, who was divorced and had 5 children. The agreement as I understood it much later, was: She would move in with her brood and take care of my brother and me and in return my dad would support the whole group. Instantly the reader may assume all sorts of scandal, but I have reason to believe the arrangement was platonic. In any case I grew up believing she was my mother and her children my brothers (4) and sister (1). I refer to her now as my step-mother or "Mom Hulse".





Although practical and necessary, the arangement was not ideal. Two families under one roof inevitably bring friction. With the coming of the Great Depression and the loss of my dad's business, the shortage of money was a constant worry to him. Arguments were often and loud.



Eventually. some of my step-mother's children (the youngest was about 8 yrs. older than I) married, divorced and moved back home bringing bitterness with them. All together I can say my childhood was not a happy time and the adverse effects were deep and long-lasting. My 'parents' took me to Sunday school and at age 12 I went through the conformand course and joined the church. There was no spiritual impetus to go through the exercise; I did it because my friends did. Our Sunday school teacher remains in my memory. A white-hair saint who stayed calm in spite of the energetic antics of twelve year old boys. Seventy-one years later I can still picture her and her beatific smile. I am convinced that Mrs. Preston was well aquainted with the Holy Spirit.





I will end the first stage of my spiritual journey by saying that there was no sign of spiritual awakening up to this point. Did God have a plan and have his hand on me? Of course; just as he has a plan and guiding hand for everyone. But for me, it took a long time to recognize it.





God bless you and your spiritual journey.





Odd fact: In 1899 the British scientist William Thomson declared: "Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax." (Hope he was a better scientist than prophet.)

The Great Depression of 1920-1941 and the Current Sinking Spell

Notice: A NEW BLOG EVERY THURSDAY.





The Great Depression of 1929-1941 and the Current Sinking Spell.





The beginning of the Great Depression is generally believed to have begun with the stock market crash of 1929 but the seeds of that tragedy had already been sown in the early 1920's. The U.S. economy boomed after World War l but not everyone shared in the wealth that was generated. Farmers and workers incomes were low and remained low until 1941. The rich, as usually happens, got richer. Other events of the 20's that lead to the crash are very interesting but not pertinent to this blog.


The stock market began to rise dramatically in the late 20's until the value of some company stock was more than that company's gross worth. It looked like stocks would keep going up forever. People's good sense and judgment dissolved in a speculative frenzy. Greed took control of the stock market and the inevitable happened. Sound familiar?

In the aftermath, banks failed, scores of busnesses and factories closed and many farmers lost their land. Exactly how many millions were unemployed, how many families were evicted from their homes, the number who literally starved to death and the number of suicides will probably never be known. But the estimated statistics are horrendous enough.

Herbert Hoover (or Hoobert Heever as one befuddled radio announcer introduced him) was the then president. An honorable and capable man under ordinary circumstances he was not equipped to handle the disaster unfolding on his watch. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, popularly known as FDR, won the next election in a landslide. People wanted a change. Anybody except Hoover!

FDR, in the first of the "100 days," made popular by succeeding presidents, inundated the predominantly Democractic Congress with a blizzard of legistative requests leading to 42 new government agencies, many that are still with us: FDIC, TVA, SEC, Social Security and NLRB among others. FDR also included a 10% reduction in the salaries of government employees.

Here's an idea: As a gesture of solidaritywith the electorate, goodwill and sincerity, Congress voluntarily should take a 10% reduction in their salaries. None of them have lost their home(s), health insurance, pensions or other perks. Realistically, this gesture is not forthcoming; It is much too comfortable on Mt. Olympus. In fact, members of Congress got a PAY RAISE in January 2009.

FDR is credited by some as bringing the country out of the Depression. Not so. The Depression lasted until 1941 when the U.S. entered WWll. He did however, help to hold the country together with his optimism and some of the programs he instituted. He was an icon of hope and was revered by the masses. My step-mother thought of him as being next to God and all Republicans as heartless.

In 1929 I was 4 yrs. old. We lived in a small town and I remember we moved to another house but don't recall hearing anyone give the reason. Probably because my dad lost a restaurant and hotel he owned But by and large we were more fortunate than many. My brother and I never went hungry. My dad always had a job of some kind but even so, ocassionally it was necessary for him to supplement that with food from the welfare center. It was a matter of pride with him to provide for his family and he felt ashamed that he had to ask for help. We were poor but so was just about everyone I knew. I only became aware of our situation as I grew into my teens.

Some, but not all, lessons I learned from those days; (1) Stay out of debt. If I can't pay cash for something (other than a house), I don't need it. Delayed gratification. (2) Save money for emergencies, retirement and to be able to help others in time of need. I would rather live under a bridge than to impose on my children in my old age. (3) Recognize that there are things I might want but will never be able to afford. I tell myself, "Don't be stupid. Get over it." See (1) above. (4) Learn early what is really important in life and that it usually doesn't include "things." To paraphrase Carlyle Marney, Baptist minister and author, " There are few experiences more painful in life than those moments of lucidity when we realize we have paid too much. We look at all the 'things' we have accumulated and think of all the time, energy and resources we expended to get them and a keen sense of disappointment and regret settles over us."

The Current Sinking Spell

Obama ("anybody than Bush!") came into Washington riding on the Democratic donkey. Some saw more meaning in this than it deserves. In his campaign, like those before him, he had sprinkled the electorate with fairy dust; that is, with promises he could not keep. He would, he promised, "change Washington." Hello? Does he really think he can get rid of the corruption in Congress? Nobody will change Washington in a positive way until Jesus returns. Since I am remarking about politics you should know I am a registered Democrat, but I think and vote INDEPENDENTLY. Frankly, I'm not devoted to either party. And yes, one can be both a Democrat and a Christian. Back to Mr. Obama. For the sake of our country I sincerely hope he will be the best president we ever had. If Mr. McCain had been elected I would feel the same about him. My concern is for the good of our country. Obama seems to be trying to emulate Lincoln and/or FDR. Worthy goals and I hope he succeeds but he will have to try a lot harder.

Obama is a product of Chicago politics. He did not come into office without strings on him. Gaps have shown up in his shining armor and revealed that, surprise!, ---he is a politician and does what ordinary politicians do! But to his credit, he talks in complete sentences.

He has surrounded himself with the usual Washington/Wall Street suspects, many of whom were involved in the present financial fiasco up to their baby blues. An Axis of Evil joins Washington and WallStreet. The grease that lubricates the axis is pure unadulterated GREED and is driven by uncncontrolled lust for money and power. What has been revealed to the American public is only a whiff of the rot and slime hidden from view. I am not blaming Obama for getting our country into the mess we're in. He inherited the problem but it is his to solve.

Will the current situation in our country deteriorate into a full-blown depression a la 1929? For many of our citizens it already has. But for those who concocted the phony financial instruments that have played a major role in the problem, what would happen to others was never a consideration. They are happily enjoying the bountiful fruit of their deceptions and, it would not be a surprise to me, that somewhere at this moment, a group of them is working on the next "big thing."

A cynic once remarked, "The world is not round, it is not flat. It's crooked."

Come, Lord Jesus; please come soon. God bless you. Please pray for our country.

vil

It's been said that, " The one thing we learn from history is that we don't learn anything from history."

Principles for the Overcoming Life

Here are four principles I gathered from the scriptures below and which have been especially meaningful and helpful in my life.

Luke 12:22-31

And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse or barns; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?

"And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these

"If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown in the oven, how much more will he cloth you, O you of little faith?

"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows you need these things.

"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

Our natural self says, "Oh come on. Get real. This not the way the real world works. These are only warm, churchy thoughts that fly in the face of common sense." That's right. Jesus never said anything based on common sense.

Trust God Jn 4:7-11

"A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."Then the woman of Samaria said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

The Samaritan woman might have been thinking, Jesus, I don’t see how can you help me. I have a practical problem and you don’t have a rope of solution. Even if you had a rope it would be too short to get to the bottom of my problem.
The world views Christ as unrealistic; a dreamer detached from reality and whose instructions for obtaining the abundant life he promised would only work in an ideal world.

Jn 14:27: "My peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth give I unto you." Worldly peace tries to escape and dodge problems, refuses to face difficulties. Worldly peace is all about me. Troubles steal this kind of peace. Satan comes along and says our problem is way too big for God. He tries and is often successful in convincing us that God can’t help us, we’ve got to worry our way out of it. Jesus peace is about keeping our eyes on Him. Each time we trust God and find Him faithful, just as He promised, our own faith grows.

Don’t Worry

My stepmother was chronic worrier. Like so many she seemed inclined to worry rather than ask God to help and then believe that he would. We get so focused on the problem we can become spiritually paralyzed. Worry crowds God out of our lives. It takes away time we should be using to pray and to worship Him. Worry conjures up worst case scenarios and magnifies the problem. Worry is like chewing dried beef; the more it’s chewed the bigger it gets. Worry adversely affects the immune system. We can literally get "worried sick." Excess worry can also lead us into depression. I know that only too well because it happened to me.

Worry is the twin of fear; they support, reinforce and feed on each other. We get false and perverse comfort from worrying by convincing ourselves we are at least doing something to solve the problem. Not to worry might be interpreted as being uncaring. People expect us to worry. They may feel it’s our duty to worry. If you are doing what's right, no matter what the situation, don't be concerned what others think of you.

It’s an indisputable fact that worrying never solved any problem. Worrying is natural; God’s help is supernatural and therein lies the difficulty for the natural man. Learn from past mistakes and move on. We can’t change the past and we don't own the future. Leave the past and the future to God. Live in the Now, confident of God's love and protection.

Don’t Be Afraid

Jn 14:1: "Let not your heart be troubled."

This is not a call for stoicism or a matter of being brave or ratcheting up our courage in difficult times. It's not whistling in a graveyard pretending that nothing is wrong. We will grieve and go through times of sadness. We will be wounded; most likely more than once.Jesus’ peace conquers fear and nothing can take His peace from us. What is it that we fear? Death? Terminal illness? Loss of a loved one? What? One of these will certainly happen and we are vulnerable to many others. We can prepare to meet, with confidence, anything that comes our way. How? If we settle in our hearts that God is our source we can face any difficulty with assurance of His presence.
2Tim 7: "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind."

God Will Provide

Cor 2:9: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love him." Those "things" have already been prepared and God is waiting for us to ask for them. Lk 11:9: "Ask and it shall be given to you, Seek and you shall find , Knock and it will be opened. to you." Loving God is key. In Hosea 6:6: God says, "I want your love, not your sacrifices."
The very notion that God will provide for his children has long been ridiculed by non-believers. This is not "pie in the sky." Nor is it manna on the ground. Jesus promised us abundant life; not a problem-free life.

Where ever we are in our walk with Jesus He always has more for us. Ask for the more. Search for the more. Learn what it is. Pray; Study the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes.