Barbara's Banter

Monday is Memorial Day which honors our American soldiers who lost their lives in service to their country. So in honor of Memorial Day, here’s a poem. Let it be a tribute to all the soldiers who know that the cost of freedom is not free.

Just a Common Soldier
by A. Lawrence Vaincourt
He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one

And tho’ sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke
But we’ll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
And the world’s a little poorer, for a soldier died today

He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life
Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
And the world won’t note his passing, though a soldier died today

When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung

Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?

If we cannot do him honor while he’s here to hear the praise,
Then at least let’s give him homage at the ending of his days
Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,
Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

Once again the end of the world has been predicted and not  come to pass. Christian broadcaster Harold Camping claimed on Saturday, May 21, 2011 we would experience earthquakes, raptures, and various other end time events. Unfortunately for Camping and his followers, but fortunately for us, this did not happen. No more than normal catastrophes occurred – just the usual mayhem that befalls us every day.

Of course, this isn’t Camping’s first failed forecast. He first said the world would come to an end in 1994. He is not alone in his suppositions. Over 200 such projections have been made through the years and so far nothing has manifested in the way speculated. Such radical thinking does nothing but give Christianity a cult mentality. Cults think they have special knowledge others don’t. “I know something you don’t know, so listen to ME!”

Yet, wanting to interpret biblical prophesies seems a reasonable desire. After all, there is much prophecy in the bible. But the purpose of prophecy is not God providing some sort of jigsaw puzzle we are meant to piece together so we will be able to know when certain foretold biblical events will occur. God didn’t sit in heaven and decide, “I’ll make these prophesies so complicated that only a very few will be able to figure them out and be saved and too bad for everyone else.”

In the midst of biblical prophesies God always puts scriptures encouraging us not to worry about these things. Fear not! (Daniel 10:12, 19) Yes, some bad things will happen but God reigns supreme. He and the saints will be triumphant. The good guys win in the end.

God stresses that we don’t know nor are we meant to know when these things will take place. (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32) Our job is not to know the future. Our job is to know God and stay close to him (Matthew 24:44), because he will take care of our future. I predict that if you draw close to the one who holds your future in his hands, your future with him will be assured.

One wonders if the hundreds of Bible translations don’t muddle the message of Christ instead of actually making it easier to understand.

In the April 29, 2011 edition of The Week magazine I noticed an article in their Best Columns: Europe section stating that the Danish Bible Society has come out with a new bible translation in modern Danish to make it easier to understand for children. Jakob Holm thinks this might not be a good idea. I tend to agree.

Words like “blessed” have been changed to “lucky” and “meek” to “shy.” Not only are these renderings inaccurate, they are misleading. Being lucky means good fortune resulting from chance, whereas a blessing is something bestowed to a person. Meekness is a virtue, whereas shyness can almost be a character flaw. Holm states that children who can understand the difficult concepts in a Harry Potter book should be able to comprehend a few Christian terms.

To that I say, “Amen!” (Oops! Hope that “amen” didn’t sound too “Christianeese.”)

Now don’t get me wrong. I think modern day translations can be helpful in giving an overview of the Bible, but not for study purposes. To actually study the scriptures one needs to know not only what was written but when it was written, who wrote it, to whom it was written, why it was written, etc.

Probably if Jesus were walking among us today the parables would be filled with illustrations about CEOs, administrative assistants, waiters, fast food franchises, and day care centers instead of sheep, goats, farmers, and temple gatherings. However, although the scene might be updated, the messages he conveyed would remain the same.

That’s the tricky part. Many today don’t just want to make the Bible easier to understand, they want to take out the parts they don’t like. This is not a new concept. Some in the Bible only wanted to hear “smooth” things as well. (Isaiah 30:10) In other words, don’t confuse me with the facts. Don’t tell me my actions have consequences. Don’t tell me I will reap what I sow. Don’t tell me that to live a better life I might have to actually make some changes.

If we rewrite the bible to accommodate our preferences we dilute the meaning.

Besides, how much better do people want the message of Christ to be? Jesus loves us, he came to earth, he lived among us, he died for our sins, he rose from the dead, he lives and he offers us salvation. I guess the new Danish translation might read, “How ‘lucky’ can we get?”

It is said that mothers hold their children’s hands for a short time, they hold their hearts forever.  Happy Mother’s Day to mothers everywhere! 

    A Mother’s Love
A Mother’s love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain…

It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .

It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .

It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .

It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .

A many splendored miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God’s tender guiding hand.

By Helen Steiner Rice

Years ago I heard a story about a wealthy woman who advertised for a new driver.  She asked the three applicants this question:  “How close to a cliff could you drive?”

The first man said he could drive within an inch of the edge of the cliff.  The second made the same claim.  The third said, “I really couldn’t tell you because I try to keep as far away from danger as I can.” 

Whom do you think she hired?

There is a lesson in this story for all of us.  Let’s say the edge of the cliff is temptation.  Do we risk getting as close to edge as possible without thinking of the possibility of falling off?  Or do we stay away from danger? 

We all have weaknesses.  If we know what our weaknesses are, perhaps we should avoid putting ourselves in situations where we would be tempted to succumb to them.  For example:

• If you are tempted to overeat, stay away from Hometown Buffet.
• If you are an alcoholic, stay away from bars.
• If you are a drug addict, stay away from drug addicts.
• If you are a shopaholic, stay away from Macy’s (and cut up your credit cards).
• If you have a gambling problem, stay away from Vegas.
• If you are depressed, stay away from negative people. 

Speaking of negative people, remember that who you hang around with makes a difference.  You want people in your life who support staying away from temptation, not encourage it.  “Bad company corrupts good character.”  (1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT)

Temptations will always be around.  After all, even Jesus was tempted by the devil.  Today’s culture is particularly ripe with enticements and each day we face a myriad of opportunities to do what in our hearts we know is wrong.  However, how many of us when given a choice purposefully come as close to the edge of temptation as possible thinking we won’t fall off? 

Remember that it is easier to avoid temptation than overcome it.  In speaking of paths of the wicked the bible says:  “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” (Proverbs 4:15)  I think the same would apply to temptation.  In other words, stay as far away from danger as you can!

Today is Easter Sunday, a time we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ and one of the few times a year people come to church. This may be miraculous in itself. One has to wonder how they would even know what Sunday to come to church since the date of Easter changes from year to year.

Why is that?

To be honest, no one knows the exact date of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, but scriptures tell us it was at the time of the Jewish Passover. Therefore Easter used to be a local custom celebrated around that time of year. As with all things pertaining to Christ, this became controversial because Christians were not all celebrating on the same day. Therefore in 325 AD the Council of Nicaea decided a specific day should be set aside for this observance. Eventually it was decided Easter would be on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. It all sounds so simple, doesn’t it?

Further complications abound today. For example, the East and the West observe Easter on separate dates because one uses the Julian calendar and the other uses the Gregorian calendar. I won’t get into the differences between the two because it would take too long, but suffice it to say it involves Julius Caesar, Pope Gregory the Thirteenth, 10 – 12 skipped days here and there when their calendars were instituted, yada, yada, yada.

Oh yes, and let’s not forget that both the Julian and Gregorian calendars follow the cycle of the sun and seasons, but Easter is calculated by following cycles of the moon (lunar). Occasionally the West and East dates actually fall on the same day and for a brief moment the Christian world is at one. Probably the only time they are at one on anything.

Some have discussed making it a fixed date like Christmas. We all know that Jesus was not born on December 25 but that is the time the world has set aside to celebrate his birth. The UK proposed the Easter Act of 1928 to fix the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. Hmm? Even when the world tries to simplify something it sounds complicated. Anyway, it was passed but never implemented because it requires all relevant churches to agree. Fat chance on that happening! (No pun intended for Fat Tuesday!)

Then the name itself is unusual when you think about it. The word “Easter” really has nothing to do with Christ’s resurrection no matter how hard we try to make it say that it does. Add to this an Easter bunny who brings candy and parents who hide decorated hard boiled eggs – well, it’s a miracle we can focus on what the day is supposed to commemorate.

But somehow we do and that is one of the miracles of Easter. In spite of all these distractions, the message of Christ being crucified, raised from the dead, and living will not be muddled. Pulpits across the world will proclaim this good news and many who only come to church this one day a year will hear it.

According to the late German Marxist philosopher Ernst Bloch, “It wasn’t the morality of the Sermon on the Mount which enabled Christianity to conquer Roman Paganism, but the belief that Jesus had been raised from the dead.” If Christianity was simply based on Jesus’ moral teachings it might have flourished for a while, but would have never lasted. It was Christ’s resurrection that validated the undying faith of so many. (1 Corinthians 15:17, 19)

When Paul spoke to the philosophers in Athens, the intellectual center of the world, he preached Jesus and his resurrection. (Acts 17:18) This message was so remarkable and amazing that it turned the “world upside down.” (Acts 17:6) He told them God had given assurance to all men because he raised Jesus from the dead. (Acts 17:31) Jesus was not some dead teacher, martyred prophet, or philosopher! He was the risen Christ. He conquered what no one else could – death!

When Mary Magdalene, Salome, and the mother of James brought spices to anoint Christ’s body it must have been a sight to behold. As they approached the tomb they were discussing how they would roll the great stone away so they could access the body. When they looked they could see the stone was already rolled away.

“… And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, ‘Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.’” (Mark 16:1-6)

Christ had risen from the dead! He was alive – and still is today!

His resurrection assured that death is not final which many had wondered about. Even in Job’s darkest hour he clung to the hope of a resurrection. “If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” (Job 14:14)

Christ’s resurrection erased all doubt in anyone’s mind. Death no longer held man in bondage. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Christ’s resurrection was not only his victory, but ours, too. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) Because of this victory Christ lives…and because Christ lives, we can live also. (Romans 6:8-11)

No wonder Christianity spread. Who could compete with these facts? Christ lived. Christ died. Christ was resurrected. Christ lives.

Years ago a friend of mine and her family were having lunch at a restaurant. Unbeknownst to them an anonymous diner paid their tab. When it came time to pay the bill the waitress handed it to them with the words “paid in full” written across the top.

I said, “Wow! A totally free lunch!”

To which my friend replied, “Well, it was free for us, but someone paid the price of those meals.”

I think about that example when I think about grace. God’s grace is something extended to us that we don’t deserve, sort of like a free lunch.

God’s grace is truly amazing, but we can have a hard time grasping it. After all, society teaches us that we get what we pay for and we must earn our pay. No pain, no gain. There is no free lunch. And from a physical perspective, this is all true. However, when it comes to God’s grace these principles do not apply. For God’s grace cannot be earned and there isn’t enough money in the world to buy it. It is a gift from God given freely to all who wish to receive it. (Ephesians 2:4, 5)

This gracious gift pardons us from sin and brings us salvation. (Titus 2:11, Ephesians 2:4, 5) However, although we pay nothing for God’s gift of grace, it was not free. Someone had to pay the tab. That someone was Jesus. His crucifixion and death paid the price for our sins. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The chorus of an old hymn comes to mind:

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
(Reference Isaiah 1:18)

Jesus chose to die an agonizing death for us so we could have salvation. (Titus 2:14, John 3:16-17, Romans 3:24, Philippians 2:5-8)

So if I receive a night out on the town, a gift or even a free lunch, I always try to remember that someone had to pay for it.

Water is an amazing substance. We all know it is an essential element to life. Our body mass is more than 60% water. Every cell, tissue and organ needs water to function. We can live longer without food than water. Did you know that a 1% decrease in water in our body makes us thirsty? A 5% decrease will cause a fever? An 8% decrease will cause our body to turn blue and we won’t be able to produce saliva? If we have a 10% decrease, we won’t be able to walk? A 12% decrease results in death?

Is it any wonder that the Bible is full of analogies about water?

Psalm 42:1, 2 (NKJV) says, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” All living creatures have need of physical water. By the time a deer is panting for water, he needs to have water or die. Our bodies need physical water to live, but our souls need spiritual water as well. Some of us feel empty and don’t realize that void can only be filled with God, our living water.

When the Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well in John 4, Jesus told her that He could give her “living water.” (John 4:10-14) He told her that those who drank her well water would thirst again, but those who would drink of His “living water” would never thirst again. She implored, “Sir, give me this water.” (John 4:15)

Now the Samaritan woman was on the lowest rung of society at that time. You might say she had three strikes against her: 1) Samaritans were considered religious outcasts. 2) Women were to be seen, not heard. 3) She was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. Yet, she was wise enough to recognize a good deal when she saw one. How many of us implore God to give us his living water?

Later on Jesus said, “If any thirst, let him come to me and drink” and he went on to say that if you believe on Him, He will give you this “living water!” (John 7:37, 38) Of course, this is a spiritual analogy but we are spiritual in nature, not just physical. Our bodies have need of physical water, but our souls have need of “living water.”

The good news is that this “living water” is ours for the asking.  So ask and drink up!  Let God fill you with his salvation, grace, and love.

Florence Littauer’s book Silver Boxes is about unexpected little gifts of encouragement you give to others. She likens encouragement to a box wrapped in silver with a lovely bow on top. I love this analogy.

Encouragement is so important because it goes straight to the heart of a person. In fact in Latin “en” means “put into” and “cor” means “the heart.” Put into the heart! I’ve heard it said that one word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than a 100 words of praise during a success.

We live in an ultra busy, rat race society. Giving encouragement to others falls way down at the bottom of our to-do list, if it makes the list at all. Yet, God himself is the great encourager (Psalm 10:17, Romans 15:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17) with the Bible being the most encouraging book ever written. God wishes for us to comfort, exhort, and encourage one another as well (I Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11: Hebrews 3:13).

Our dog eat dog world is filled with unrealistic expectations. Satan uses this to tear us down, make us feel unimportant and unappreciated, or like we don’t belong. Encouragers are Christ’s representatives here on earth. Their mission is to “put into the heart” of people the thought that they are appreciated and someone cares.

Give a little “silver box” gift of encouragement to someone today. They will be uplifted and so will you!