Christ's Influence on the World via St. Patrick

Why The Misery?

1/30/2013

World In Man's Hands

01-31-13 Why the Misery?

The past week I deliberately watched 29 religious TV programs. I now need a psychiatrist. WOW! I use the word “deliberately” because I hoped to be able to make a thought out statement, concerning just what may be wrong with our current down in the mouth national attitude.

I learned how to give away enough money to get a Rolls Royce by Easter. I also learned how to make my wife happy. Ha! Several assured me that the biggest problem is the President of the U.S. The President assured us the problems belong to the former President.

One program was at the Tilson Auditorium at ISU, so the Great Blonde and I went to hear an author share an excellent message on how things got this way. I had trouble trusting his line of reasoning, for while he has earned degrees running out his ears, and is wonderfully thankful for all he has learned and earned (In the mega millions), he stated concerning an at least embarrassing moment at a hotel with a student half his age and his wife in faraway state, “I did not have any idea that it is seen as wrong in Christian circles to be engaged prior to being divorced even though separated.”

This comes from the former president of a major Christian College.

Thus today’s verse 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly

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Trapped in the Canine Focus Syndrome

1/29/2013

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Christianity Today Dec. 2012

01-30-13

An Anthropomorphical cartoon shows a Dog in the role of an author at a book reading/signing and commenting on his book, Dog Heaven Is For Real, with the emphasis that the dog/author does not recall what Jesus looked like, but does vividly remember the Sandwich Jesus was holding.

When I finished laughing, thinking, Dr. Boys will love this, I focused on the underlying truth of the cartoon. Dogs are biblically considered as Cretians (Lazy Gluttons) thus our canine is totally focused on food from the Master’s hand. Cute, true and so glaringly illustrative of today’s feeble Christianity. We pastors have become as vacuum cleaner salespeople who sell the benefits. Certainly knowing Christ has benefits galore. But what about our focus, our walk, concerning Jesus?

In attempts to describe Jesus, all of which are futile, we hear, “He cares,” “He hugs,” “He weeps,” “He has a big shovel, I have a spoon, so each time I give a spoonful, He gives a big scoop from His shovel.” On and on goes the truth, but the greater truth is not only missed, but never even remotely considered. What He does is not who He is.

Notice Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Paul’s word “know” is ginosko, basically to know experientially with understanding. This is beyond knowing about mere benefits.

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly
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From Heil Hitler To Pastor In Chief?

1/28/2013

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01-29-13 From Heil Hitler to Pastor In Chief?

Have you ever said something and then thought about it? I sure have and on occasion the words have cost dearly. The other day a noted Evangelical, in a moment of emotion stated concerning the slaying at Newtown, titled President Obama “Pastor in Chief.” Needless to say a firestorm erupted, and rightly so.

A political leader was considered “Pastor in Chief” on January 25, 1934, in Berlin, Germany. Adolph Hitler was ranting at the gathered clergy, and in the midst of tirade said,

“I will protect the German people. You take care of the church. You pastors should worry about getting people to heaven and leave this world to me.” Colson, God & Government 154

The tirade lasted a while longer. As Hitler left the gathering he shook hands with Pastor Martin Niemoller, who looked the Fuhrer in the eye and said, “A moment ago, Herr Hitler, you told us that you would take care of the German people. But as Christians and men of the church we too have a responsibility for the German people, laid upon us by God. Neither you nor anyone else can take that away from us.” Colson, God & Government 154

In spite of Andy Stanley’s explanation he hadn’t really thought about giving away the sacred to the secular.

On July 14, 1933 the Fuhrer contemptuously said about pastors, “They will betray anything for the sake of their miserable little jobs and incomes.” Colson, God & Government 148

I pray times have changed for the better.

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly
Dr. Don Boys has an interesting article on this at Don Boys Calls Andy Out.

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A Purposeful Future For Failures

1/27/2013

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01-28-13 A Purposeful Future For Failures

Have you had a failure in your life? Long ago? Yesterday? Bible believers usually are honest to admit failure of some sort and take refuge in God’s understanding, and further, that said failure is nowhere near as bad as some they could name.

“Failure in the past does not nullify purpose in the future.”
Adrian Rodgers

Around forty years ago I became a better person due to a horrendous failure that drove me to my knees at the cross. There I came to understand that my future held more for me when I was disgusted with me, more than with others who had failed to a deeper degree. Scripture takes me before a pre-surgical mirror to clearly identify, factually, that it really is me standing in the need of prayer.

Over the years I’ve come to the realization that many, though not all, religious oriented media tends to make the National Inquirer appear legitimate. This is a shame in most cases. Seems that most fail to grasp the truth of Revelation 3:19, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

When rebuke is given in a spirit of hate, it is unlikely to be heeded. Tragically, wimpish friends often fail in our duty to rebuke in the spirit of Jesus.

2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering (love word) and doctrine.”

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly

Visit Outrageous Forgiveness IN 30 Days on this site for info on a book, by me that is changing lives nearly every day.

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Jesus, Please Keep the Hard Things

1/23/2013

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer click pic for more

01-24-13 Jesus, Please Keep the Hard Things

Many are the thoughts concerning Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but the majority agrees, he was a man of courage. History confirms he stared Hitler in the face never flinching, even as the hangman’s noose was placed about his neck at Flossenburg on April 9, 1945.

I tire when I read Bonhoeffer critics who hide behind Jesus when a deacon frowns while they’re delivering their saccharin sermon. Bonhoeffer prayed:

“You have granted me many blessings; let me also accept what is hard from your hand.” Prayers from Prison.

You may criticize or praise a person’s theology, but the acid test is, “How does he bear the particular cross Christ has thrust upon him?”

I, along with most, have little trouble thanking God for His goodness to me. Not many restless nights on this page. When the page of my life reveals “what is hard from His hand,” I find a totally different response. It is statistically safe for me to assume the same about you. We are brothers.

As I write these lines at 71 years I am thankful that I have no pills to take, that I can outrun or outfight most 69 year olds, and that my wife of 48 years loves me, and I her. Yet, inwardly I am fighting off a scream of “Why me, Lord,” concerning other things.

As most, I am saying, Lord, give me more blessings, and keep the hand of hard things to yourself.

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly

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Life's Greatest Fear

1/22/2013

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Seminary Student at Mid-Term

01-23-13 Life’s Greatest Fear

The fear of speaking in public and fear of failure are commonly listed as the things people fear most. I agree that both are intimidating. After fifty years of preaching Billy Graham was asked, “Dr. Graham, do you still get butterflies prior to preaching?” Mr. Graham answered, “Yes, yes I do. But I have learned to make them fly in formation.”

Jim Camp states something that will help you whether you are a public speaker or an airline pilot, or perhaps a trash buster. Jim Camp’s take on things is center target.

“Unnecessary fear of a bad decision is a major stumbling block to a good decision.”

The fear factor in making decisions often causes us to make the poorest of decisions by thinking, put it off and it will go away. It won’t and there will be very little you can do about it. If, on the other hand, you make a good decision, shout wonderful. If you make what proves to be a poor decision, make corrections and learn. You may even display your Adamic nature and place blame on others, your spouse for instance. Doing this is the worst and most destructive route possible.

Joel put life’s greatest decision like this; Joel 3:14, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”

Decisions concerning Christ and the daily decisions concerning living for him are life’s most important.

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly

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A Betrayal of Trust

1/21/2013

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Judas Kissing Jesus

01-22-13 A Betrayal of Trust

That we live in what could be dubbed the Age of Judas Iscariot is pretty much a given. Judas betrayed trust vested to him in the area of fiduciary, emotional, spiritual and personal responsibility to others, including Christ. Among the disciples he was held in higher trust than were the others, as he was least suspected, even to the point of “carrying the bag.” (The Treasurer).

Our age has witnessed the development of super sophisticated checks and balances, yet Madoff made off with billions of money from trusting associates, becoming the largest affinity hustler in history.

A pastor friend moaned that his trusted group had let him down. A few hours later a group called whining the opposite. Each wanted advice on how to discern the true heart of the next group or pastor. I gave each good advice from another.

“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
Ernest Hemingway.

Earnest was very good with a typewriter, but proved untrustworthy with a shotgun.

Christ used Judas as treasurer to teach the others that life is full of those whom you cannot trust, but get over it and continue faithfully. Of course we are to be more like Christ than like Judas. This is our choice, and ours alone.

2 Corinthians 8:21. “Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly

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Grandma Horsewhipped for Jesus

1/20/2013

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Indian Grammy Teaching Child

01-21-13 Grandma Horsewhipped For Jesus

For many years I have been considered to be a White Man. Of course this is observably not altogether true, for while Mom was conceived in Germany and born in Baltimore, my father was a Monacan Indian from the Bear Mountain area of Amherst, Virginia. They lived together having four children, separating while I was barely in the hanger.

On my father’s side the history is one of poverty and courage. In Virginia in the 1920’s a Nazi type bureaucrat implemented legislation that lumped Blacks, Indians, and any other non-Caucasians as “Colored,” thus depriving them of full citizenship and the rights thereof. This was not rectified until the Supreme Court ruled against such in 1967. Dr. Walter Plecker had been the driving force in implementing the “Racial Integrity Laws of 1924,” fashioned after the Colored’s of South Africa.

My Paternal Grandmother, Willie Ann Branham, was horsewhipped by men in white robes and hoods one night for teaching black children to read. She saw a wrong, and even in the face of such danger, she stood for right.

Today’s point is simple; where you see wrongs; abortion for instance, are you willing to stand up and be counted?

“In the final analysis, a person’s quality of character is, and will be measured, not by how he stood for the right in times of the right being in favor, but how he stood when right was on the scaffold, and the rope was being measured for his neck.”
Mel Branham.

“And having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly

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Rising Above our Humanity Occasionally

1/16/2013

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Accepting Being Only Human. For shame.

01-17-2013 Rising Above our Humanity Occasionally

Concerning the rants of his day by clergy, Erasmus made an observation that is used often today, perhaps worded differently, but with the same meaning.

“Now I believe I can hear the philosophers protesting that it can only be misery to live in folly, illusion, deception and ignorance, but it isn't -it's human.”
Desiderius Erasmus

How oft we hear the plea, often in a pathetic voice, “Well, after all, I’m only human.” By using the effects of the fall of the first human, humans attempt to rid ourselves of responsibility for our actions and the consequences thereof.

Nearly in the same breath we humans will drop the credibility rating of any human we may have looked up to when they, the one from whom we expected so much demonstrates that he/they are, when all is said and done, only human. In the background I hear some TV commentator lamenting the confessions of Lance Armstrong. Add a little religion into the mix and the world is appalled at any lapse into mere humanity.

That Christ knows we are, only human, is well attested to in scripture. Provision for a slip or dive into pure humanity is anticipated. Acts of repentance, which when sincere, are sufficient for maintaining or restoring fellowship with our Lord.

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly

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Hope From The Carpenter

1/15/2013

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01-16-13 Hope From The Carpenter

Concerning being delivered via what is called salvation, several ideas are used in the scripture to help us understand that we are a fallen race, and that we cannot save ourselves. We are said to be born again, transformed, transferred, heirs of God, citizens of a new nation and even part of its Royal Priesthood. Becoming a totally new creature is one of my favorites, as it does away with the past actions of foolishness.

Perhaps the most famous man of the reformation era, excluding Luther, as he was certain he would be the most famous, is Desiderius Erasmus. If you haven’t read much about him, I would advise against it. I found several pages of quotes attributed to him, and they are for the most part loaded. Here is one:

“By a Carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade.” Erasmus.

Our times shout out the fact that myriads of religionists, psychologist, academics and snake oil proponents have “the” answer for life’s turmoil. But wait! That’s not all!

Erasmus had it right. However you say it, the only hope for mankind is Jesus Christ. Just the other day I used the statement made by Jesus Christ in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

The above is not conducive to modern concepts, but what you believe does matter.

Copyright © 2013 Larry Lilly

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