Long Distant Relationships

He also said: “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired hands.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father told his slaves, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he summoned one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ “ ‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” Luke 15:11-32 (HCSB)

In the fall of 1972, I met a wonderful and beautiful woman. I set in place a series of events to become my wife. In June of 1973, that became a reality.

When I started out in 1972, I said to myself that, “I love this woman and I want to marry her. I want to get to know her better. I want to be with her the rest of my life. I want to grow old with her.” I never once said, “I believe the best way to handle this is for me to have a long distant relationship with her!”

When you are in love you want to spend every moment with that person. You want to know everything about them. You cannot stop thinking and dreaming about them. There is no way that you can truly know a person with a long distant relationship. It just doesn’t work!

I never dreamed that when I said, “I Do” over 37-plus years ago that there were going to be times that we would be separated for many days or even weeks during our marriage. I would have told you that was not a possibility. However, as I soon found out, life is full of surprises and changes. When Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” she failed to tell the whole truth. It does make it grow fonder but it also causes envy, sorrow, jealousy, longing, and stress!

There are times when we cannot control when we are away from our loved ones such as sickness, jobs, family duties, or unforeseen emergencies. My heart goes out to our many men and women who protect our country in many different ways who are away from their loved ones. They, too, have no control over their absence. But, some people down-right chooses to be away! Truthfully, I do not see how or why they do it.

Many Christians make this choice every day. Many Christians make a choice to step away from the one who loves them the most, Jesus. They decide to walk the path of life alone and have along distant relationship with Him.

You know something? It does not work! They become miserable. They enjoy it at first but when they wake up one morning with the “pigs” they realize they need to return home where there is True Love waiting for them. They soon realize they are full of envy, sorrow, jealousy, longing, and stress.

It is easy to point the finger at someone and say they need to return to Jesus, however, just like the prodigal son, we have all been to a “far country” and at some stage in our life we have all found ourselves face-down in the “pig stall”.

Thanksgiving and Christmas would be a great time if you would take a moment and see where you stand with God. Where is your walk with Jesus? Have you strayed? You know He is waiting for you to come back home. Make this a wonderful year by ending it in the right hands. Put your life in the hands of the one who truly loves you, Jesus.

UNEMPLOYABLE

UNEMPLOYABLE! The word stared back at me like fiery darts shot from a bow. As I stared at it my legs started to bounce up and down. I felt myself starting to breathe a little harder. I even felt myself getting mad! I don't know why I was so surprised. I had seen that word in the same place used the same way almost 20 years earlier. Why was it so shocking now?

Let me explain. You see I am a 100% disable Veteran. In 1990 the VA declared me Unemployable due to my Service Connected Disability. That term is stamped on my records. I may look okay to some people on the outside but the doctors and those who know my medical history know that I am "Unemployable".

What does this have to do with my daily walk with Jesus? What connection is there with being "Unemployable" with God's Word? Better yet, you may ask, what does this have to with you?

I am reminded of two commands that Jesus gives us. On is "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23 _NKJV) The other command is "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; . . . "
(Matthew 28:19-20 _NKJV)

In both of these commands Jesus never once made any reference to a person's ability, availability, capability, or employability. His command was to everyone no matter who they were regardless of age, physical attributes, mental ability, or where they reside. In the eyes of Jesus there is no one who is "Unemployable".

Yet, you cannot tell that by looking at His Church today! I am not talking about the "brick and mortar" building on the corner that has the sign out front with the name "church" in it. I am talking about His Bride – those who have a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ. Those who call Him Lord and Savior! This is His Church.


There are many people in the Church today who is "Unemployable" not because God marked their paperwork or they have a disability but because of their own choice. They look perfectly "Christian" and act perfectly "Christian" but on the inside they are miserable. They fit into three "lines". There may be many more but here is the three that I see.

First, there is the "Unemployment Line". This line is full of those who do not like the "job or position" that God gave them to do. They are much like Jonah. When God said "Go", they bought a ticket and ran the other direction. They are standing in this line hoping to persuade God to change His mind that He made a mistake in where He placed them. The second line is the "Food Line". This line is for all those who are hungry for God's word. They want to be forced fed. They are too busy to read His Word, too busy to pray, too busy for group Bible study, and many are too busy for weekly worship service. This line has many who attend service several times a year. Some of them even break their own record of attending 3 or 4 times in one year! They just can't understand why they are thirsty for God's Word and why He just doesn't pump it into their brain while they sleep. The last line I see causes tears to come to my eyes. This line is the "Homeless Line". This line consists of two different types of people. The first type is those who have walked away from the Church. It doesn't matter why. The thing is they have left and have forgotten that they have brothers and sisters who will welcome them home. They feel all alone and they stand in this line just hoping that someone will come and show them a place to go. They are tired and weary. They need a human touch and someone to reach out to them. The second group of people is those who have problems and do not know where to turn. They have been away from the Church so long that they have forgotten that they ALWAYS have a Friend to turn to. His name is Jesus. They have lost hope and are standing in this line with down cast eyes hoping for the best. Yet, this line receives so much joy when the Shepherd calls their name and their faces light up as they see Him coming for them.

I know my "lines" are only an imagination "gone wild". However, haven't you ever wondered where all the people in the Church are today?

No wonder the world looks at the Church and says, "Why should I go there? What does it have to offer me?"

Well, I can tell you that the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, offers me a place that I can be used. He protects me, cares for me, walks with me, and yes, He has even prepared a place for me when I die and depart from this earth.

The best thing is, He doesn't care what my weaknesses are because He makes me strong THROUGH HIM! I know my papers are not stamped UNEMPLOYABLE with Jesus. They are stamped

BELONGS TO ME!

 

Saturday Nights

Here it is Saturday night and Sunday morning is looming once again. For many in our world, Sunday morning means that they will be sleeping in or rising early to do something with the family. Others it means that part of the family will stay home while one or more will slowly drag themselves out the door to church wondering if it is worth all the effort. Then there are those who are the Saturday night crowd who live for the moment and have no plans for tomorrow as long as the night is young and "no harm is done."

But Saturday night is a different event for a pastor all together. It is one with mixed emotions. Depending on the week and what has happened during the week will depend on what those emotions will be.

Often the emotions run from an extreme high of Praising God and Glorifying Him and all He is. You cannot even begin to prepare to preach or teach until you come to realize it is not about you. Then you suddenly find yourself in the deepest valley that you have been all week realizing that you don't even deserve to stand before Him because you are a sinner and you are full of sin!

Once you have reached this point you know that God is speaking to you. You know your heart is open to Him. You start to see yourself as God sees you, not as man or even as you see yourself. You ask and seek forgiveness which He has promised. You come back to His Throne praising Him again with a refreshed and clean heart, full of joy and renewed energy.

One might think that this may take just a few minutes and all is done. I used to think this myself until I realized that it was more than a "bed time prayer." Preparing to bring God's message on Sunday morning, starts on Monday and runs through the Saturday night. It comes to fulfillment on Saturday night. Yet it is restful work. It is rewarding work. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

It does make me wonder though, how much time do we prepare ourselves to go and tell others about Jesus on a daily basis? Do we really think that a FEW minutes of prayer and Bible study is sufficient to be a witness for the one who died for us? We will study a recipe or read a book or play on a computer for hours but yet only find a few minutes to be with God. Doesn't that show what our priorities are? What do you think Jesus would say about that? If we spend so little time wanting to be with God and our Lord here on earth, will He say "Welcome, my good and faithful servant," when He calls us home?