December 2: Blue Christmas Day

 

December 2:  Blue Christmas Day

While Elvis made the term “A Blue Christmas” popular to describe Christmas doldrums, this holiday is for those who work in law enforcement; police, firefighters, EMTs, and 911 dispatchers.  As of this writing (2020), it’s been a rough year for the folks in blue.

There has recently been a concerted effort to rewrite history.  The argument goes that law enforcement sprang up to support greed and racism.  While there is no question that those elements have been a part of corrupt and nefarious groups, to paint all of those in blue as necessarily in bed with greedy capitalists and white supremacist groups is not only sad, but historically inaccurate.

The rule of law should be celebrated and encouraged, especially by those of us who bear the name of Christ.  The very purpose of government in general and law enforcement in particular is this:   “ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.“ (Romans 13:3-5)

The” power of the sword” would be translated “the power of the gun” today.  God has instituted governments and their agents to punish those who do wrong, and reward those who do good.  To what end?  “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)  We pray for those in authority over us so that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives, IN THE PURSUIT OF GODLINESS!

Recent moves to defund the police and replace those in blue with social workers and counselors is as misguided as it is dangerous. Clearly, we need to ferret out “bad” agents, and correct injustices and abuses.  But we must do that as we celebrate the contributions of the majority of those who protect and serve.  Today, pray for those in blue.  If you see one of them while getting your coffee, thank them for their service.  Our church has even taken to sending thank you cards from the church to those in blue.  However you celebrate this day, remember that governments and those in their employ have been put in place by God, for our good, and His glory.  Go blue!

November 18: World GIS Day (Geographic Information Systems)

 

November 18:  GIS Day (Geographic Information Systems)

Be amazed.  Be very amazed!  There is a satellite, miles above us, orbiting the earth, that is able to find and track your phone, and tell you within a few feet exactly where you are and where you need to go. 

 Every time we use our GPS function, we are using GSI.  It is called “the science of where.”  The company leading the way in creating software and applications that help us navigate the world is ESRI.  GIS Day was established in 1999 by ESRI President and Co-Founder Jack Dangermond after he had been inspired by Ralph Nader (an American political activist, author, lecturer, lawyer, and presidential candidate, noted for his involvement in consumer protection) to do so. 

My wife will be the first to tell you, she does not have a great sense of direction.  She will often point right and say “left.”  She marvels at my capacity to know which direction we are going whenever we drive.  As keen as that ability is, it offers little in terms of finding my way in life.  For both of us, and you, we need a spiritual GIS.  We need a resource that will reliably tell us where “true north” is, and how best to get from point A to point B.  Should I go left, or right?  Stop?  Go?  

Did you know that God’s word says a great deal about directions?  Go ahead and do a phrase search for “to the right or to the left.”  In almost every case, the reference is connected to the one thing that will keep us on track, keep us moving in the right direction:  God’s commands.  An entire Psalm is devoted to helping us find the right path, Psalm 119 (also the longest Psalm).  

The point is this.  No system exists that will tell us plainly, “take the next left” or “turn right in 500 feet.”  But the only way to stay on track, to navigate this painful, delightful world, is the Word of God.  It contains God’s commands, and, more importantly, it reveals God Himself.  It is a common refrain of this devotional, but it bears repeating.  WE MUST ALL BECOME STUDENTS OF GOD'S WORD.  It is the ONLY resource that we can count on to help us get our bearings and know which path to take.  Read it, daily.  Study it.  Share it.  Memorize it. Meditate on it.  As marvelous as that little satellite is, orbiting the earth, miles in the sky, it pales by comparison to the Word of God.  Today, renew your commitment to God’s word, and fire it up!  Listen as God’s Spirit prompts you--“Recalculating.  Take the next right.”    

November 10: Forget-Me-Not Day

November 10:  Forget Me Not Day

Forget-me-nots are beautiful flowers.  Their petals blossom is pastel colors that include more than 50 different species. Forget-me-not Day originated with World War I, when American soldiers would return from the war wounded. These veterans came home at rates far higher than expected, and there were very few organizations and services available for those wounded in the war. Because of the massive influx of wounded warriors, Judge Robert S. Marx, a decorated World War I veteran, founded Forget-me-not Day in 1920 to help remind people of the sacrifices made during World War I, raising funds for disabled veterans through selling flowers, specifically forget-me-nots. In addition, he helped establish the Disabled American Veteran’s Organization which survives to this day.

For those of us who live in the USA, we are fond of saying that “freedom isn’t free,” meaning that our freedoms and many of the freedoms that other countries enjoy were paid for with the lives of our fallen soldiers.  One pundit once remarked that if we were serious about the Nobel Peace Prize, we should award one to the US military.  I believe he is correct.  Fewer organizations in the history of the world have done more to promote and protect freedom than our military.

As Veteran’s Day approaches, we would do well to remember the words of 1 Timothy 2:  “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.…” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).  Do you see the connection between government and the ability to live in peace?  

Don’t be confused.  This passage is not an appeal to be left alone to do our own thing.  The peace that we seek is a means to a very specific end--To live godly lives, to the end that people might be saved.  Our military has bled and died for that freedom, for that peace, to that end.  Let’s not waste it.  I urge every reader to pray for our government, for our military, and for our veterans.  I urge every believer to embrace the freedom we enjoy to advance the Kingdom and share the gospel with others. Forget-me-nots are inexpensive and hearty.  Consider planting some to remind you of this day, and the freedoms that we enjoy, to the end that God may be glorified by those freedoms.    

October 23: Boston Cream Pie Day

 

October 23:  Boston Cream Pie Day

The pie that is actually a cake was made in the Parker House Hotel in Boston by Chef M. Sanzian in 1856. Originally this American-French Chef called the cake the “Parker House Chocolate Cream Pie” and had taken the French Butter sponge cake and filled it with a delightful Crème pâtissière, an egg-thickened custard with a history going back at least as far as Ancient Rome, brushed it with rum syrup and topped with a chocolate fondant.

Please stop salivating on the page.  Although I’m not exactly sure what a pâtissière or a chocolate fondant are, I know I love to eat this cake/pie/doughnut.  So, what can we possibly take away from a crazy celebrations like this?

Several things come to mind.  The first is overwhelming gratitude at how God made us.  Think of it.  We could have been created to be sustained with a paste-like substance like cooked oatmeal or even baby food.  Why did God create us with noses and taste buds, and why did He create a world filled with so many delicious foods and potential delicacies?  Because He loves us.  More importantly, He wants us to desire things.  He wants us to pursue satisfaction.  He wants to awaken in us appetites and longings that will force us to dive into the world around us to find what we seek.  He created all those things to fall short and leave us wanting more.  It is all by design.  God’s desire for you is that you will “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) 

Our sin-sick souls get lost in the maze of competing affections.  Apart from the eyes of faith, we eat and drink and love and spend and consume and accumulate, all in an effort to find satisfaction.  When the thrill wears off, we conclude that the problem is that we need more…and more, and more.  We take what was meant as a means to the end of finding real soul-satisfaction in God, as an end in itself.  Boston Crème Pie, sex, power, church, family, drugs…the list of potential God-substitutes is endless.  What means are you pursuing as an end in itself?  

Finally, don’t misunderstand that we should deny ourselves every earthly pleasure.  It’s a natural conclusion in light of what we’ve just said.  But an equally destructive tendency is to embrace a kind of self-centered asceticism that views all pleasure as inherently bad.  Paul has to remind his protégé Timothy of this very thing:  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,  through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,  who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” 

So today, eat some Boston Crème Pie, or some other yummy treat.  Sanctify the many good things God made through prayer and His word.  And never forget that more crème pie will never truly satisfy.  Only God can do that.

October 22: Cap Locks Day

 

October 22:  Caps Lock Day

OK.  Guilty as charged.  I OFTEN USE ALL CAPS TO MAKE A POINT!  Caps Lock Day first came to pass in the year 2000, when Derek Arnold of Iowa decided that he, like so many other internet users, had simply had enough of people using all caps to emphasize themselves on the web. So he created Caps Lock Day in the interest of poking fun at people who use this abomination of a typing style, and to finally bring some sanity to the net. 

Here is the question to consider today:  How can we cut through all the “points of emphasis” we encounter and stay focused on what really matters?  The flood of information we receive is daunting (See October 20 for a refresher).  Of all the things that could potentially be put in all caps, what truly deserves that distinction?  

The answer is quite simple.  God’s word, as always, makes it plain.  Writing to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, “3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…”  Put it in all caps! 

There are so many important things to consider, things to be highlighted, issues that need bold type and all caps.  But there is one issue that towers above the rest.  Christ died, was raised up, and all this was foretold and corroborated in God’s Word.  I’d like you to make an “all caps” decision today. 

Determine that you will first of all study and understand what those verses mean.  Look at the words, and ask yourself, “what did Paul mean when he wrote this?”  Then, apply that meaning to your life.  What things are of “first importance” to you?  Does the gospel of Jesus Christ take front and center of your thinking, feeling, and acting?  Finally, ask yourself, how will my life be a living letter that puts that truth into all caps?  Start in your home.  Then in concentric circles, move outward—your work, your dorm, you neighborhood, your community, your church, your world.  How will your life become a living testimony of truly important things? 

I need to be a little more disciplined in using all caps.  I probably do it too often.  But one thing always deserves all caps, and that is the gospel.  We have this one life.  God’s heart breaks for our fallen world and the desperate lives all around us.  Pray that your heart will break too, and that no one who ever spends any significant time with you will doubt what really matters.  Make it all caps day for the gospel.  What could be more important?

October 21: Global Dignity Day

October 21:  Global Dignity Day

Global Dignity Day is an initiative to educate and inspire young people and help them to understand their self-worth and goals. It was established in 2008 and continues to grow in popularity.  No surprise there.  As a culture and a world, we have become obsessed with self-worth.  We must learn to “love ourselves,” we are told, or all hope of loving others is lost.  Children must never be made to feel inferior to others, so “participation” awards are given rather than ribbons and medals.  Lest I sound to harsh, I affirm the sentiment behind this day, but I loath the outcomes of this push for self-worth. 

Days like this speak to a much deeper problem, one that we must understand and unapologetically counter.  The problem is this:  Is humanity basically good, needing some help in chipping off the rough edges and refining our better instincts, or is humanity basically evil, in need of radical transformation from the inside out?  Every worldview that opposes God starts here.  If I am basically good, in need of being cheered on in that belief, I don’t need to repent, and I certainly don’t need the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ.  

Look carefully at passages like Psalm 14, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 64, Job 14, and Romans 3.   There is no true dignity apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Our hearts are desperately wicked, and only the work of God’s Spirit can change that. 2 things seem evident. 

First, start with yourself.  If you have never sought the true dignity and transformation that comes through receiving and believing in Jesus Christ, you need to do that, today.  Talk to a friend or pastor, or find a helpful resource like Spiritual But Not Religious at Amazon or Google. Find a Bible, and begin to prayerfully walk through Scripture in an effort to begin formulating a robust Christian worldview on the human condition.  I know.  Sounds daunting.  But it is critical that we as believers get this right.  No lasting human dignity will ever be possible if we don’t.

Second, be winsome but unflinching in your testimony to the Truth, God’s truth, found in His Word and in the person of Jesus Christ.  God’s people cannot afford to waffle on this.  We are sinners, with desperately evil hearts that will always turn from God unless He arrests us and turns us to Him.  Then, real self-worth can begin.  Real goal setting can begin.  Real dignity will come into focus.  On this day, purpose to be that kind of person.  Begin where you are.  Pray that the light of Christ will shine in your face, more and more each day.  What a perfect day to start. 

October 20: Information Overload Day

October 20:  Information Overload Day 

We have more access to more information than ever before, and we have gotten dumber and employed less common sense than ever before.  Information Overload Day was established by a group of companies looking to bring awareness to what happens when you overload your employees and customers with far too much information. Research has been showing that productivity is actually being hurt by the sheer amount of information flowing through our lives, with the average employee receiving no less than 93 emails a day. 

Can you relate?  The critical distinction we must make is between knowledge and wisdom.  With so much information at our fingertips, we have lost any sense of context.  In most cases, we have no idea where the information is coming from, who provided it, how much it has been edited, and so on.  What’s an information overloaded believer to do?

Fear.  That is where we must start.  The fear of God.  No less than 4 different times, God’s word assures us that wisdom is to be coveted, and the only place to start getting wisdom is with the fear of the Lord.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)  The alternative?  Be a fool.  No, we are not talking about buffoonish behavior and silly antics.  A fool is among the worst things a person can be in scripture.  So what does it mean to fear the Lord? 

In an effort to defend God, many believers have tried to soften the notion of fear.  It means what it looks like it means!  God is terrifying when it comes to sin.  His just wrath is not something to be trifled with. Fearing that is good, and it is there that wisdom begins.  In other words, get this right and pursue God, and listen intently to His precepts.  There will be Hell to pay if you don’t! 
But this is not the end of the story.  Matthew 10 provides great insight here.  ²⁶ “So have no fear of them (those who persecute you), for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[i] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ³² So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. 

Did you see it there?  We are to fear God precisely so that we do not have to fear Him!  Covered in the blood of Christ, the full wrath of God has been poured out on Him.  Fear the one who can destroy you, and let that fear drive you to Him.  Then, you have nothing to fear.  Now, wisdom can begin.  On this information overload day, take some time to study “fearing God.”  Let wisdom reign!