Sunday, May 12, 2024

Doctrinal Effect Affecting

     "For every man that is true to the call of God, there are many who are true to the call of a creed or doctrinal evangelism. There are voices that are not true to the character of Jesus Christ; the inspiration of these voices is not to glorify Jesus, but to glorify something which He does. Give time to heed the call of God. The voice of God never contradicts the character of God." Oswald Chambers

     The trend since the reformation has been, in all of the the churches I've attended, to align yourself with what I'll call, "Ecclesiastical Identity."  When looking at the varying denominations, it bears a similar resemblance to the new gender identifications. As a christian we believe, and rightly so, that there are just two genders. We also believe in one God and one Gospel. I would honestly have to say the ecclesiastical identities appear to have the same conflicting appearance as our gender confused friends. I'm not in any way diminishing the importance of doctrine. I became obsessed with biblical knowledge at the beginning of my walk with the Lord. I later expanded my study to the early church to see how they understood the gospel as it was passed on to them by the apostles and their understudies. The first thing I encountered was the branching out of Gnostic heresies that grew on the outskirts of first generation Christian doctrine. Irenaecus, Clement, Tertullian, and Hipolytus all wrote on the heresies prevalent from the time of John. I became fascinated with how many of these permeate the doctrines of the modern church. We are not as far removed from these as we would like to believe. Truly there is nothing new under the sun.

     It was time to examine not only the various doctrines of the church today, but the searching out of my own belief. This brought me to see the truths, and the responses of Jesus in a new way. Contextual scrutiny is many times diminished due to our doctrinal alignment. We see what we want to see when freedom comes by seeing where Jesus leads. Hold on to this thought while we look at Mathew 19:16-22.  

16."And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing must I do, that I may have eternal life?" 17. And he said unto him, Why callest me good? there is none good but one, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18. He sayeth unto him,Which? Jesus said, thou shall do no murder, thou shall not commit adultery, Thou shall not steal, Thou shall not bear false witness, 19.Honour thy father and mother: and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 20. The young man saith unto him, All these things I have kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21. Jesus said unto him, Go sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heaven: and come follow me. 22. But when the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 

     I can't begin to tell you how many times pastors and people have put that poor fellow in hell. We're making a judgement after a short glimpse of time in this man's life. Imagine doing the same after Peters denial if that was the end of all we were told of him in scripture. This young mans doctrine was intact with God's commandments and he was faithful in his obedience to them, and yet he asks; What lack I yet. How many of us can make the same claim? Still, here is where we may begin to indulge ourselves in speculation and I must confess I've indulged myself, but it still remains speculation. Jesus states after this that "if thou wilt do that, thou will enter into life."Then in verse eighteen Jesus lists additional commandments in which the man responds he has kept these "from my youth up" and then asks "what then do I lack?" How many of us have a resume like that? What then do we lack? We know from the multitude of reminders that we're saved by grace and not by works, but evidently they, the works implying obedience, play an important role in our life. And yet, Jesus states that there is still something else; "If thou will be perfect". 

     I believe that is a question he asks everyone, at some point in their life, at critical junctures in their life. We all have to let something fall to the wayside that has a hold on our life. That's not much of a revelation in and of its self. It's the "and follow me" that we struggle not to choke on. We should have learned from Job that our doctrine may be trampled into dust, and our expectations turn into a ruinous mirage of confusions, but belief in the goodness of God is still and always is a reality despite our circumstances. Job's friends adhered with a vengeance to their doctrine and like many of us today, used it to denigrate and slander their brother.

     "We see what we want to see, when freedom comes where Jesus is leading." I love doctrine, and it has been a life reassuring source of direction and peace in my life. I've been subjected to many corrections of my doctrinal beliefs as I've followed the Lord and will always have a concern for correct evaluations of the word. God forbid I never stray from the call of Jesus to "Come and follow me." Maybe we will see that young man in heaven. Our assumptions may end up being somewhat embarrassing and we'll be enthralled at his story of redemption. 

     Go to a church with eyes wide open. There's a lot of heresy out there to be aware of; but more importantly, despite the disagreements in some doctrinal beliefs; look for the people that heard the Lord's declaration to follow Him. Hard days ahead are a reality. Doctrinal expectations may crumble to the ground when we come to realize true redemption comes from faith in Jesus and doctrine was just a sign on the road to redemption. My confession is belief in a sovereign God; Father,Son and Holy Spirit. My ecclesiastical identity is "Christian." 

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Love Interest

     Books on love seem to dominate the writers market which is most likely the least debatable point about this topic. It has to be close to the most marketable topic out there. It's also, I would presume, one of the most easily misunderstood. Surely, we are so often told to be patient because God has that special person just waiting for you to discover ..... at the right time and at the right place? Is it reduced to just chance, again the right place at the right time? I'm not a gambler per se, but factoring in the odds based on coincidence, one might just as well scan the clouds for a suitable lightning bolt to split a tree in two.This could lead one to think of God as a magician waiting to pull our perfect mate out of His magical hat securing for us this promised hope of happiness; and surely, love and happiness, at the very least are holding hands to the extent that having one presupposes the other. Still, one would have to concede that happiness in this world is elusive at best leaving me with something I would consider of more value. If you're attached to anyone relationally, and most importantly to our Father, you will have to come face to face with the reality of blessed assurance. Hope envisions this reality and while we can't fully have this realization this side of heaven; God still fills our needs at any given moment as he purposes and sees fit. God doesn't do anything except the things that can align us with His purpose. Good, bad, indifferent, or inconceivable through our eyes, we should submit, contemplate, and examine His word and not just the ingratiating sections, but the somewhat repugnant parts that war against our judgement. You may come to discover, as the song goes, we were looking for love in all the wrong places. 

     My wife and I were statistically bankrupt at the beginning of our relationship. That translates to a hopelessness in the eyes of everyone with the exception of God. At that point in my life I knew that the understanding of relationship was on a path I had never traversed before, and like a good Father,  He laid out the plan for relationship through His Son Jesus. Jesus was the epitome, or rather the picture perfect truth of relationship. Yes, the bible lays out the attributes of a woman that showcases the ideals a man should seek out in this amazingly complex and perplexingly body of of emotion. Be mindful of this. This is essential to the mystery of oneness and the hope of it's acquisition and the desire to at last becoming complete. 

     There was this one attribute that sealed or rather confirmed my decision to pursue this hope of completion.  She had thrown herself completely into the hands of a loving God with a willingness to lay  bare a broken soul of hopelessness before the author of hope. She had still the broken little girl of her childhood alive in the depths of her soul, and she came to know the only Father she would ever need. The awareness of a broken world is never so tragically revealed as through the life and eyes of a battered child. I could never fix this. God is the only author of real life and redemption. This is why I could and did pursue this amazing embodiment of strength, love and resolve, made possible only through the relationship of a Father with His child, to soulfully pursue this quest of a faithfully true union of souls. And the two became one. You'll never comprehend it if you can't see truth of God's being thru the Word that reveals His plan for us. For too long, as the song goes once again, I was looking for love in all the wrong places, but now the shackles and blinders have fallen to the ground. I see. It's an amazing place to be. 

     Now, oftentimes I find myself laying in bed just staring at the silhouette of this woman and see the wounded child inside and I embrace them both and just hold them in my arms, because that's what my Father does. I can love her because my Father loves her. I have landed at the feet of compassion beside my Father. I can understand loss at this point in my life more than at any other time. To feel another's loss is to feel what God feels. The truth that we have to embrace that comes from the Father, and this is a truth once realized through a relationship with the everlasting, love is sustained by commitment, courage, patience, endurance and total reliance on our Father in heaven. This is where I am and desire to reside. The coolest part of all of this is that because we have chosen this path and we truly are one; she's right here beside me.

     When we got married my wife described herself as a train wreck waiting to happen. I'm so indebted to a God that knows how to lay the track that  rises to the occasion, safe and securing, and leading to the only destination of life fulfilling hope. The first consideration in finding the love you desire is finding the Author of that desire. The second is like unto the first; seek the lady that shares that same path. You may not find that you were made for each other; rather that you are making yourselves for each other. Life is a journey made to be taken together. Hardship, trials and even loss are found on the way. Make it a threesome, a cord not easily broken. Discover the gems that could have gone unnoticed along the way and find the love you  always knew was real.    


      When we suffer loss in this world; and we will, I always keep this adage in my heart; we lose to gain. God is the God of restitution. When they say God is love, understand that He is the source of this eternal love. He is also in the business of restoration. 

      *Lost love is still love

            Alive in hope secure

                   Waiting for the rebirth

                           That the heart may adorn

                                   Not lost in distant sorrow

                                                But alive on distant shore


*This is a line from the movie, "Five People You Meet In Heaven," that inspired me to write the poem at the end of this article.

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Judicious Attribution

     I just finished reading a book entitled "Lincoln and the Irish" The Untold Story of How The Irish Helped Abraham Lincoln Save The Union. The political navigation and the gravity of foresight needed to achieve a desired end to an insidious game of rivaling ideologies to control the destiny of our country, had my mind delving into the depths of cynicism and to the heights of anticipative hope. I must confess that my primary focus has always been on slavery as it brought the nation to it's point of dissolution. There is no dispute in my mind as to that; but I had an insufficient knowledge of the prejudicial aspects that lay outside of the slavery debacle.
     I knew of, but not of the Know-Nothings. They were a group of  nativist Americans, anti Catholic and therefore anti Irish. Because of the potato famine, immigration of the Irish to America seeking refuge and opportunity, not to mention the freedom that came with it was huge. The Know Nothings originally aligned more closely to the Whigs and then the new Republican party. They were the terrorist faction committing many atrocities. The plausibility of there thinking was skewed to say the least; anti-slavery and yet maniacally prejudiced against the Irish. The roots of this are more easily understood if we go back to the Catholic response to the reformation in Europe. The multi-faceted aspects of Europe involvement, self absorbed players, including generals, politicians, people groups, and the toll of devastating losses, along with the courting of the Irish  whom he couldn't win the war without, left me enthralled with Lincolns' judicious use of opportunity. 
     England and France were favoring the South, not because of slavery, but for the severing and stripping the country of its power. The idea of saving the union was never front and center for me. My vision was narrowed because of my focus on slavery and I started wondering how this posture kept me from seeing the other implications and consequences. I would have fought for the freedom of the slaves regardless, but I desire perspective in it's entirety. 
     This lead me in my thinking to that of judicious attribution. There has to be a time for judicious constraint, a compelling to act. Inaction, at times, will be the loss of opportunity never to be regained. This naturally implies a time for judicious restraint, a regrettable action that can't be taken back. Damage ill-retrievable, a life altering event, negating second chances is a possibility worth thinking about. The necessity of using the Irish also opened the door to judicious abuse. Alleged abuse of the Irish troops as fodder for assaults by their placement in the front lines was a prevalent concern for Lincoln. The Irish resolve in these circumstances proved them to be a fearless force to be reckoned with on both sides. It also lead me to an introspection of my own responses to conflict. Certainly, an acknowledgement to differing assessments of opinion must be judiciously discerned. Once again, considerations considered not, can lead ones response to a debilitating and embarrassing consequence leading to a stumbling block towards resolution. At the vary least, a thorough evaluation of response is prudent. 
     Sometimes though, the fight has to be fought; but judicious resolve must at times be tempered by judicious restraint balanced by judicious attribution, for the road back to unity may be a long one and the cost irretrievable.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023


                               I finally put the poem to music. 


     A good friend of mine asked me recently what the last two lines in the chorus meant; "I'm lost in losing all that's here, to finding what I once held dear." It's more than poetic licence. It's just life. Everyone suffers loss at times and sometimes we have to lose to gain.  How people handle loss will at times open their eyes to new or past reflections lost through the business of life. Many times loss brings an unexpected strength of character. We view life more often in a more precious sense. Life reveals time as a gift from our Creator and hopefully we grow. The real value of relationship emerges from the darkest hours forcing us to grow up and re-evaluate the possibilities that lay before us. 

"I know from just the asking, that ere I go astray
My harm would do me better, and better I might be
 If somehow I could chasten, this voice inside of me
And walk this path beside Thee
Forever faithful, Forever clean"

God doesn't leave us where we are. Walk this path in the hope of what we could be. Life is a gift with and for a purpose.


Sunday, September 10, 2023

Truth and Mercy


 

One Last Tear

 I was writing lyrics for a new song but it turned out better as a poem ....... I think.

One Last Tear Gordon Bieber 2-2-2023
I’m fighting back that one last tear
I’m face to face with one more fear
I’m lost in losing all that’s here
To finding what I once held dear
I’m looking for my rainbow
Some how to bring me hope
I’m hoping that my looking
Will free me from this doubt
An end to end my crying
A path to lead me out
A will to keep on trying
A strength to bring about
Oh that God would hear me
Remove me from this course
That I might still be faithful
And freed from this remorse
So I could freely follow
A truer path to seek
Where hardship may not follow
A haven more discreet
I know from just the asking
That err I go astray
My harm would do me better
And better might I be
If somehow I could chasten
This voice inside of me
To walk this path beside Thee
Forever faithful, forever clean



All react

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

The Audacity and Adequacy of Hope

     Hope, as a word, can be intriguing in many ways, especially as to the applied objective. A person may place their hope in a lottery ticket. Chances are slim that their dreams of being financially secure will materialize using this method, but the opportunities abound with the seemingly endless supply of tickets. Hope becomes diminished simply because of the objective it is therein placed. The number of things we place our hope in are as varied as well as the chances of realized expectations. Serious considerations, should abound. One might hope to retire at a certain age, but just as easily could be squashed by circumstances he or she can't control. Still, we all have a tendency to cling to hope of one kind or another. 

     To hope or to succumb to hopelessness seems to be a relevant issue  in life and it's causing me to rethink where my hope may be misplaced. After all, at this point in life, things considered not, seem to be slipping off the back burner. Life, has not dismayed me, but there are things that need to be finalized. As I'm saying this, I find myself hoping. Hope seems to envelop just about every corner of my life, and that has led me to doing this biblical study of hope. As I was doing this I found out that "hope" is the helmet of salvation.

But let us, who are of the day, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ                       1st Thessalonians 5:8-9

     The truth revealed here is that hope becomes the realization that the import of where hope is placed "rules the day." The next question that arises is how do we get to that realization.

"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  Romans 10:10

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? Romans 10:14

     This question Paul poses is often overlooked. What we always hear is, "Call on the Lord and you will be saved." The sequence overlooked is; belief, which leads to faith, which leads to confession, which leads to repentance, which culminates in the Hope we cling to. This may sound like I'm placing my hope in hope. I'm not! My hope is in the person of Jesus the Christ and the work of the cross. Oh, how audacious that sounds. So, what's the point in all this hoping and where does it lead. If it's not to righteousness; you're probably satisfied with saying your sinners prayer and getting baptized.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.                   1 John 3:2-3

     We don't think to much about purity these days. If this hope doesn't lead in this direction, you're probably satisfied with saying your sinners prayer and getting baptized.

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.     Titus 3:7

     Being justified by His grace pretty much slams the door on any work that we could have done to obtain salvation; and after we see the impossibility of doing this on our own, this hope remains steadfast and faith in Jesus becomes the rock on which we stand.

Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.    Psalm 119:116

     Hope, at some point, should impact on where our consideration and direction joins with belief and the resulting faith it imparts. My hope comes from God. What more do we need if we truly believe God to be faithful?

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us.      Romans 5:1-5

     The adequacy of our hope is not impugned by the simplicity in which we receive it from our Lord. Hope becomes the burning catalyst of our faith given by the very word of God. We, on our part have to be faithful. Creeds and works won't save you. Job taught us that. Trust in the living Word that imparts the faith we have unto hope.

And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.       Hebrews 6: 11-12

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope; by which we draw nigh unto God.   Hebrews 7:19

And now abideth faith, hope, charity,these three; but the greatest of these is charity.       1st Corinthians 13:13

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Galatians: 5:5

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope.          Romans 8:24

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, our hope;     1st Timothy 1:1

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Hebrews 3:6

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in mind by wicked works, yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard, which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; where of I Paul am made a minister;    Colossians 1:23

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.          1st Peter:1-23

     I recommend re-reading the above scriptures in context with those preceding and following for a firmer grasp of this hope God has, through grace, so graciously gifted us with. Audacity and adequacy are strange bedfellows; but never donned better in the searching out of God's precious gift of hope, through Christ, a living risen Saviour and redeemer. The man that places his hope of riches by the purchasing of a lottery ticket does indeed understand the nature of hope. Still, if he were to win, he's destined to lose without the hope vested in the Lord. I do know many who would be willing to give it a try even though it's nature is fleeting. Money promises a security that is rarely realized and leaves ones life riddled with unforeseen pitfalls and still; I'm guessing many would love to see this for themselves forgetting that what has real value is unseen. Life, for me, has left me wanting for treasures not found in things but relationship. Good friends and family,  a best friend [my wife], and my bestest friend, [Father Son and Holy Spirit] fill my life with true joy and real hope for a real life in eternity. I truly hope, your hope, finds itself basking in truth and life.  

     Forget the lottery tickets and direct your hope in the direction that leads to a life affirming relationship with the one that conquered death and the hapless hopes of this world.