Not Forsaking ... Together Time!

It's the same word that the writer of Hebrews uses when he says, "He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you." So, what word is that?

On this Easter morning the verse that comes to mind is that which in found in chapter ten and verse twenty-five of the New Testament book of Hebrews. There the writer says, "Not forsaking the" ... I love how the writer of one of most used Greek-English Lexicons, Joseph Henry Thayer, defines this word. He says that the word describes one who is abandoned ... or deserted ... or left helpless. Perhaps you've been there before. Have you cried out, feeling "helpless"? Have you experienced times in your life when someone of whom you depended upon left you? ... They deserted you! Or perhaps you're sensing abandonment during these crazy days upon us, when we're called to "social distance". 

Please know two things ... One, that our Father --- our God who is Creator --- and Redeemer --- shall NEVER leave you or forsake you! And two, that we as followers of Christ are NOT to forsake ... abandon our meeting together. --- Another very cool word is this 'meeting together'. You've likely heard it once or twice :) It is the word 'synagogue', with the little preposition 'upon' tagged onto the front. Synagogue itself means leading together. So we ... the body of Christ are not to abandon our synagogue time together.

Now ... if there is a 'not' ... as in the forsake or abandon part, might the writer as well include that which we are to accomplish? And the answer is a definite yes! For he concludes that we are to be ones that are encouraging. This participle is such that it expresses a 24/7 --- 365 days of the year (oh yeah ... 366 for this year :) ) kind of action.

So in these bizarre times that we find ourselves in here in the Spring of 2020, where we are mandated to abandon our meeting together ... might we continue to encourage each other. It is my hope that this video does some of that encouraging as well.

To Him be the glory for He is risen. He is risen indeed!!!

'Cast Your Cares' --- Upon Him!

Recently while sitting in our vacation home in Central Oregon and “sheltering in place”, I was once again struck by the power of words found in song. How words, simple words, can be so weaved as to stimulate emotions, and in turn bring such a confidence, such a hope. By themselves … well, they are simply … words.

Much is found in the words, “Cast your cares upon Him”. Timely words for this very moment that we find ourselves in. And the very words of which the apostle Peter was inspired to write in verse seven of chapter five. Words which in turned have become the source of countless songs over time, though it is two that capture my attention this day.

Perhaps we can reverse our reading of what Peter has written in order to discover how he arrived at this conclusion. In verse six he says that God will lift, or exalt us, at the proper time. Wait a minute! Is God going to ‘exalt’ us? Look, this is what Peter says. But first, we must place ourselves under the mighty hand of God. The very idea of Peter’s command in which he began verse six, that is, ‘Humble’ yourselves!

Casting cares ... from the sunrise

This idea of ‘humility’ is perhaps THE keystone of the Christian faith. For it was our Savior who humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross. The same humility of which Paul, the prisoner of the Lord, says is the believers call in Ephesians four. And it is with humility that Peter exhorts shepherds to care for the sheep, to do so without ‘domineering’.

As we continue to reverse our reading, we discover that Peter uses three words to describe himself. He is a fellow-elder, a witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker of the glory to be revealed. It is the suffering that I want to emphasize. Yes, Peter was a witness of our Lord’s suffering at the cross, but as well how he must have suffered personally. For it was this same Peter, the one who denied the Christ for the third time, whom Luke says that the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Can you sense that glance? Can you sense the pain, the suffering? Peter did! For Luke says that he went out of the courtyard and wept ‘bitterly’.

Peter had been at the side of the Master as he healed many. Often Jesus would say, “Go, your faith has made you well”. Peter, like all of us, had his moments being weak in faith. I can not think of a more significant moment. Can you?

Later in chapter five Peter says to resist him … that is the devil, our adversary, our opponent. Be STEADFAST in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by the brotherhood throughout the world. Though that suffering was due to their Christian faith, we find ourselves in a unique moment of time, here in the Spring of 2020, when the brotherhood and the world is in a moment of suffering.

,,, to the sunset

And so, might we … the brotherhood … through suffering, learn humility. To place ourselves under the mighty hand of God. To be those who cast our anxieties … or literally I like the idea of ‘throwing off’ … its like having something that is heavy upon you, that you must lift up ... and throw with force. What do we throw? That which is ‘distracting’ us. And where do we throw these distractions? Peter says, “Upon Him”. Peter, had become weak in faith, distracted with fear ... Through the years he had come to learn to cast or throw off those anxieties, those distractions upon our Lord. 

Oh … my … goodness! Might you, might I, might we cast, or throw off all these anxieties, these distractions upon Him. Why? Because He … our Creator and Redeemer CARES … FOR … US!

The ultimate act of His care is shown at Peter’s conclusion. In verse ten and eleven Peter says, “The God of ALL grace, the One having called you onto His eternal glory, after a little suffering … He Himself will restore, establish and confirm you. To Him be the power forever and ever, amen!”

Can we all say with Peter, AMEN!!!

So on this ‘Good Friday’ of 2020 I conclude with two songs which go by the name ‘Cast My Cares’ and these words from the Scottish missionary to Canada, James Nisbet, who writes:

“Who has not some anxiety to cast away? For, remember, God has never told His children that they shall be without anxieties. They are inseparable from our condition in this world. It is in human nature to feel them, and God wishes us to feel them; they are essential in God’s spiritual government. But when rightly received, and rightly used, and rightly passed through, they will be found to be blessings, even though they appear in disguise.”

'MWY' ... Your Gift of Simplicity, of Integrity, of Faithfulness ...

From a 'Game Card' during the mid-1800's

It was after eleven pm that I first caught a glimpse of his silhouette, less than a 100 yards in the distance. I could see that he was leaning against a telephone pole and appeared to be on crutches.

It was Spring Break the year 2000 and we were on our last evening of ten during our GAGA (Get Away Give Away) short term missions trip to San Luis Rio Colorado. A group of nearly 30 had just completed our annual trip south with teams that were dedicated to both construction and Vacation Bible School. It was the third such trip for me and our youngest Zach. And though the above were our primary ‘mission’, it was the relationships that Jon and I emphasized and had come to relish.

--- GAGA Team in front of La Iglesia Betania ---

With our luggage and sleeping bags now out of the trailer and sitting on the pavement of the parking lot, we began to scout out our sleeping quarters within the church gymnasium.

It had become a bit of a challenge for the last evening of this venture. Knowing that we would still have another 400 miles to home, I had made prior arrangements to stay at a church in Redding, California. Our hope was to arrive and meet our contact at a set time. Again, it was the year 2000, cell phones were not yet the norm, although we had a few within our group. More than three hours would pass, multiple phone calls to surrounding churches seeking assistance, and to our great surprise there was none to be found. Then at last, a few minutes before eleven, our cry for help was heeded.

Roof ... almost complete ...

Mexico itself had become quite the challenge that year with supplies delayed three days. Even so, we were still able to accomplish much. Add to that the amazing bond between Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord, and this trip … had FAR EXCEEDED our expectations! Why, now in the U.S. were "expectations" not being met?

Most were still within the church as I walked over to our trailer in order to begin the sorting out of our gear. Suddenly I heard an unfamiliar voice. Looking to my left, with no light in the immediate area, once again I noticed his silhouette, and could see that he was a single amputee. He asked, “Would anyone have a sleeping bag that I could borrow for the night”? I had barely turned my head back to our three-foot-high mound of gear, as my eyes immediately glanced upon my own familiar blue bag. Without hesitation, I reach down to pick up the nicely rolled sleeping bag and handed it to the man on crutches. He quickly added, “Thank you, I’ll bring it back in the morning”.

La Iglesia Hoy

Not so much being cynical, rather I believed that I was being a realist, as I thought, “I’m pretty sure that I have seen the last of my trusty” and I must add, “inexpensive sleeping bag.” Though I had no qualms about providing this gift to this man in need.

I am often reminded of this night; in fact, I know the exact date. Many who know me, know that my mind has an uncanny ability to recall numbers, including dates. That said, on this one I have a cheat sheet. You see, ‘MWY’, etched his initials forever into my memory ... and yes, my wallet as well :)

--- Now in my wallet for twenty years this day ---

As often is the case, I was the first to arise in the morning. Stepping outside of the gym and walking into the brisk air, I stretched my arms skyward and turned toward our vehicles. Without pause my eyes immediately glanced upon that old familiar sleeping bag. With a smile I walked toward the trailer and saw something attached to the strings. Fastened was a piece of paper, which evidently was a homework assignment from a student only weeks prior. On the back of the torn piece of paper were these words, “Thank you for the use of your sleeping bag. God bless you … MWY”

My eyes are moist as I recall the moment. This was my gift to him. I had totally accepted that. Rather, he gave me an even greater gift. A gift of a simple life. The gift that is found in the integrity of one’s words. And the gift of faithfulness!

Today, it is the ‘twentieth’ anniversary of that moment. Of that gift. ‘MWY’, are you still alive? Were you one of those “Angels Unaware” from Hebrews chapter thirteen? Your one gesture, that was supposed to be my gesture, has taught more than volumes found in a library.

I imagine that on the 40^th anniversary of this moment, that your little note, your gift, shall still be resounding loud into this heart ... and this soul of mine.

Thank you friend,

Rick

the song ‘Beautiful’ by Bart Millard of MercyMe … Though written with his four children in mind, Bart concludes that this is a song that speaks of how, “The one thing that we have in common”, is that, “We ALL desperately need Jesus”. Please know ... as MWY, you and I are BEAUTIFUL as well!

And the story behind the song .....

Two postscripts are necessary for this blog.

One, a whole other lesson was exposed a few weeks after this moment. For I would come to find out that the reason that our contact had forgotten us, was that he had been called away to a family emergency. Yes, a very excusable reason to forget this insignificant group. Yet perhaps as providence would have it, the three-hour delay into the gym provided the very moment that is etched into this mind.

Two, I find it interesting on this, the 20^th anniversary, that we are experiencing one of the world’s most global responses known to mankind. Might both, those of apparent abundance and those of apparent need, realize the gifts that we can mutually share. Those of simplicity … of integrity … and of faithfulness.


Last ... answer to the 'game card', Benjamin Franklin. MWY you're in good company sir!

Para mis Jugadores de Beisbol

As I am blessed to wrap up my second season of baseball clinics here in San Luis Rio Colorado, I will leave with them the following words. Important is that second to last word, that is following. That is ultimately what we've been talking about. For us at IBAC (International Baseball Academy of Christ) we teach that 'Baseball IS Life'! That is, the principles in baseball directly cross over to how we should live life.

 

Todos Los Jugadores

So here you go. After our last clinic, followed by a game, I will have the blessing to share the following. You'll have to translate 😎⚾️

Tengo una pregunta para ti.  ¿Te gustaría tener un amigo que tuviera miles de pesos?

Campeónito

¿Y si ese amigo te tratara terriblemente?

Y ahora, ¿qué pasaría si tuvieras un amigo que es más pobre que tú, pero este amigo él o ella siempre te amó?  Y cuando necesitabas a ese amigo, siempre estaban allí para ayudarte.  ¿Qué amigo quieres?

Y, casi una pregunta más importante, ----- ¿qué amigo quieres ser? -----

No importa si tengo más dinero que tú. Lo que importa es que te amo.  Y muestro ese amor por cómo te trato.

¿Recuerdas MEJOR?  La primera letra es: ¡Muestra tu mejor!  Y amo porque Jesús me ama primero.  Y por eso, siempre te trataré como la persona más importante.  Porque lo soy, porque eres la persona más importante para Jesús.  Amén. Amén.

Más tarde hoy o esta semana lea Efesios capítulo 4:17-32.  Este es un gran

Más Mejorado

lugar donde Pablo nos dice cómo seguir a Jesús. Mira….

Camina en Jesus.
Ten una mente nueva en Cristo.
Vístete de su justicia y santidad.
Habla la verdad
Puedes estar enojado, pero luego debes dejarlo pasar.
Nunca robes, pero siempre trabaja duro con tus manos.

Y luego Paul da una razón para este.  Por qué, para que puedas dar a alguien que lo necesite.

Tenía necesidad, tú tenías necesidad y por eso Jesús murió en la cruz por nuestros pecados.

Pablo continúa, solo usa palabras que fortalezcan a otros.

Guarde ... amargura, ira, ira y hablar mal a los demás.

Y por último, el versículo 32:

32⌄ "Antes sed los unos con los otros benignos, misericordiosos, perdónandoos los unos á los otros, como también Dios os perdonó en Cristo."

Sean amables unos con otros! Sean amables unos con otros!


And that is what I hope to share on this leap year day...February 29, 2020

Watching...Moments to Grasp

The Widow's Mite ...

“And He sat down opposite the treasury and watched”. The scene is incredible! Mark 12 is woven in the thread of stories about the rich & powerful (that is the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Scribes and the Teachers of the Law). Then wrapped within is the “greatest commandment” … and finally the scene at the treasury. Jesus sat opposite the treasury and watched.

This morning I have found it difficult to study, to read and to write. … Why? Because I’m watching! Watching the amazing Oregon Coast as a winter storm brings intense waves crashing upon the hundreds of rocks sitting within my vantage point. And this is the exact reason that we made reservations here at the end of January.

To stop … perhaps “Be still”, as the Psalmist says … and just watch. Not only is it incredibly refreshing, as well you learn much from those moments.

Just Watching ... 

So Jesus sat, He watched … read if you so wish Mark 12:38-44 in order to realize the full impact of what Jesus was watching. It’s powerful!

And might we all take moments in our day to just watch, be refreshed and learn....grasping every moment!

The Greatest Week ... With My Brother

Hey Rick! What Ike? Something BIG just went flying. What? I don’t know, but it was BIG!!

Ike with Bandito & Molly

September 2010 was a time of the greatest … in the midst of sad times. As had been our custom for the previous 15 years, over Labor Day weekend we found ourselves attending ‘Family Camp’ in Rockaway Beach, Oregon, at Twin Rocks Camp. Typically, when we return home from trip, be it week or six, we’ll have perhaps a couple messages on the phone. Returning that Monday, we had some nine messages. Strange, it was! The first was from my dad, who lived in Mexico over his last thirteen years, in whom I had not spoken to for more than eight months. Here's that message below...

Ike, unlikely giving Debbie a hard time

The next eight messages were those of urgency. In all honesty, I thought that something went awry with my sister’s surgery, which dad explained was the reason for his travel to California. I would come to find out that is wasn’t Tammy, no, in fact later that Saturday afternoon Dad had a cardiac arrest and died.

The ensuing days provided much emotion as would be expected. One of the primary duties that lay before us, his children, was travel to Lake Chapala (south of Guadalajara, Mexico) in order to attend to dads estate. Initially we had decided that the four of us would make the journey. But shortly after our arrival to Long Beach, California (the most logical place to gather together, due to the proximity of most of the family, as well as dad’s favorite U.S. location of Manhattan Beach) our sisters Traci and Terrie had decided that this should be a boys trip. Their logic, growing up we had never enjoyed a true ‘bonding’ time.

Being the oldest of all of my siblings, biological and step, I had moved out of our mother’s house after my sophomore year of High School to live with our father. I was almost sixteen and Ike had just turned nine. Though I loved my baby brother a bunch, the fact of our nearly seven years age difference meant that most my time as a teenager was spent with my buddies, rather than this little squirt. So, when this opportunity happened, well let’s just say, we made

Ike with Debbie & Charlie Brown

the most of it.

“So, what do you think it was?” “I don’t know, perhaps a cockroach. All I know is that I saw some long antenna-like things peaking over the bed post. I reached my hand back and sent it flying. Where, who knows?”

It had been raining the proverbial ‘cats n dogs’ there in Chapala, such that water was dripping down the wall through the windows. It had taken me a minute or two trying to figure out how to close the windows through the security bars that were on the inside. I had just figured it out, turned off the light and was closing my eyes sometime after 1 AM, when I heard Ike muttering to himself trying to figure out how to do the same. I got up saying, “I got this one” 😊 I showed him what I had discovered and then we both turned off our lights. No sooner had our heads hit the pillow when he let out with his little girl bellow! “Hey Rick!”

Unable to find any death-defying creature, we determined that perhaps it had landed into his clothes duffel bag. We picked it up and carried the bag into the garage. Now remember we’re two gringos, it’s well after 1 AM, in Lake Chapala Mexico. The rain has now been pouring for over two hours, and … we’re in our boxers. We walked into the garage, opened the garage door and began gently pulling out his clothes. Definitely we were being ‘little girls’ (no offense ladies) as we slowly sorted through his bag. We just about had the bag emptied when we heard the door from the garage into the kitchen close. Oh, it not only closed, no, it locked us out of the house. Did I say that we’re two gringos, in Mexico, in our boxers, it’s pouring and we’re still searching for Godzilla? All we could think of was the headlines in the ‘Lake Chapala News’ that would be the last that our families would read about us. “Gringos Imprisoned While Running through Chapala in their Boxers”!

Well, fortunately we did not find ourselves in a Mexican prison. Instead, we found ‘Godzilla’, a 3 inch cucaracha, broke back into the house and fell fast asleep for about four hours before beginning our next day in Chapala, Mexico.

Saying goodbye to the puppies...

After five extremely full and long days of sorting, breaking into dads computers (through a computer geek, not ourselves I’ll have you know), giving or selling most of his household goods, and most importantly finding homes for his two wonderful dogs Molly, a Doberman Pinscher and Bandito, a Pit bull … we finally had an afternoon of rest.

Ike would often say during that week, “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I'm not much help, you’re doing all the work.” First, that was not exactly true. But most important, our sisters were extremely correct … it was ‘the greatest week’ of bonding with my baby brother. He kept us in stitches throughout the week. We walked the dogs until we had to give them up to a beautiful new home. We met several of dads’ friends, not the least were Cynthia, plus Debbie and … wait for it … Charlie Brown. We were treated like royalty. And, we accomplished so much together, that would have been impossible without the other. And our last full day … just happened to be the 16^th of September 2010. To most, nothing special. But for Mexico, it was their 200^th anniversary. A second bicentennial for us to celebrate. How cool is that?

So, I write this blog to my baby brother. ‘Harold Ike’, I love you man!

Note: One of the apps on my smart phone is called ‘Notes’. Within the several ‘notes’ is one that I call ‘Blog Thoughts’. They’re sudden inspirations of blog ideas. At press time there are likely twenty various ideas and/or titles. One within I called, ‘The Greatest Week With My Brother! Lago de Chapala’.

So the idea has been waiting to be written for several months. And is often the case, there was another ‘and then’. Well, and then my baby brother found himself in the hospital a couple days prior to the New Year. Currently he finds himself recovering. Thankfully! But I did not want to wait one more day to tell him just how much that week, in September 2010 meant to me. And thank you sistahs! Pretty smart you are 😊

The 'Will' of God ... Why

Early on August 3^rd (2019) John sent me a text asking if I would share with the ‘Rise Above’ group at Capital Park Wesleyan about my recent experience and travels into the Dominican Republic. The following Monday we chatted for a few minutes on the phone as he clarified that if I wanted, that he’d like me to share in music with the group and then tell them 'why’ I do what I do, giving some examples. So, I thought, “That’s a good question”. I know that I do what I do, but why? I’m not sure that I’ve ever fully explained that, to myself, let alone anyone else.

So, being the type of guy that likes to ‘ponder’ things, I began to ponder. As well, I asked my wife, “Why do I do what I do”? She basically said, “Because you like to serve”, plus you like youth and baseball. This is true. For the past couple of years I’ve seen more and more the Lord directing me toward my Psalm 37:4 desires. That is, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” And the pinnacle of that desire is: ‘Youth, Baseball and the Gospel’.

As I continued to ponder, the words that resonated most within my thoughts, were … child – will – call…

Born to but a 16 ½ year old girl, I was the first of four children. My biological father would leave months prior to the birth of my baby brother. And though not a Christian upbringing, what I did receive was amazing foundation of strength and character through my mother. And although my father contributed very little time into my life, I consider myself fortunate that I did receive a couple pearls. One of those was in July of 1971 when he took me backpacking for the first time and I was able to witness something, which prior to I had only read about…that was the ‘Milky Way’. And now, nearly fifty years later, the immense beauty of the stars … the beauty of creation, continue to bring joy and emphasis into my life.

If I were to tell my story through song, I believe that the song ‘Beautiful’ by Shawn McDonald ... would tell my story. He writes ...

As I look into the stars Pondering how far away they are How You hold them in Your hands And still You know this man You know my inner most being, oh Even better than I know, than I know myself What a beautiful God What a beautiful God And what am I, that I might be called Your child As I look off into the distance Watching the sun roll on by Beautiful colors all around me, oh Painted all over the sky The same hands that created all of this They created you and I What a beautiful God What a beautiful God And what am I, that I might be called Your child

What am I, what am I That You might know me, my King What am I, what am I, what am I What am I, what am I That You might know me, my King What am I, what am I That You might die, that I might live What am I, what am I, what am I, what am I What am I…What am I…What am I What am I…What am I Beautiful lyrics © Sony/ATV Music

 The song says, “As I looked into the stars”. So, on that day in July 1971 I came face to face with creation. Yet, something was missing. It would not be until almost exactly five years later, on July 25^th, 1976 that I would come face to face with the Creator. The song continues, “What am I that I might be called Your child”. I look into the stars and I see … phenomenal! Yet, God looks at us and He says, “Made in My image”! And Shawn continues, “What am I that You might die, that I might live. What am I, what am I”?

'Why' do I do what I do? It is because of 'what' I am. I am created in the image of God. The same God who created those amazing stars is the very same God who created and then restored you and I. Yet, again I ask, "Why do I do what I do"? As well, it is because of you! The plural 'you', whom also are created in His image. 

Paul gives us a great example in Romans 15 of the plural 'you'. In this 'fallen' world there are the strong and there are those without strength, i.e. the weak. We who are strong have an obligation, a debt, it is our due to be strength for those without strength, the weak.

So I know my why. Because I am an amazing creation ... and because 'you' are as well. 

I hope that when you look up into the stars … that you likewise can see phenomenal. Yet, knowing that the Creator, the Savior, He sees so much more in each and every one of us. Don’t you forget that! Don’t ever forget that YOU ... are created in His image!

I am his child...created in His image...this is the 'Why'

In the post that follow I will continue to ponder the will ... and the call