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Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 11:47 pm on September 16, 2018
Tags: , , ,   

Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

God in His Own Image

Next June, Moody Publishers will release my new book: God in His Own Image.

They came up with a good title…but I like the subtitle even better.

Loving God for Who He is, Not for What We Would Like Him to Be.

That pretty much sums up the book in just 15 words. We can’t (even if we wanted to) change God to fit into our small boxes.

Scripture tells us that God created us in His own image, and some have suggested that we have tried to return the favor by creating God in our own image. That may sound like an attempt at humor, but there’s nothing funny about it. In a previous blog, I shared what I believe to be the two most vital questions each of us must face in life. Is there a god? And if there is, what is He like and how can we know Him? The second question is the heart and soul of the forthcoming book

If there is no god then you and I are simply the product of chance—the highest order of life on an evolutionary chart at this particular moment in history. If God doesn’t exist we are free to do as we please without fear of eternal consequences. But if God truly does exist…well, that’s a game changer, isn’t it?

So what is God like? How we answer that depends on whether or not God has revealed Himself to us. God is other worldly—like nothing else we have known. He is majestic. Marvelous. Powerful. His footprints and fingerprints are everywhere in Creation.

But He is also invisible.

As Paul writes, He is “the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God” (1 Timothy 1:17). So how can we describe an invisible, spiritual and always-existing Being?

Answer: We can’t. Not unless He chooses to pull back the mysterious curtain that separates us from Him. That is exactly what God did when He coaxed Moses to investigate the burning bush that wasn’t being consumed by the fire. God’s first words turned the old shepherd’s curiosity into fear and wonder. It wasn’t just a voice from a bush that shook Moses to the core, it was the abrupt command to take of his sandals, because he was standing on holy ground. Almost instantly he was barefoot and trembling.

From that initial encounter Moses discovered that God is holy and will be treated with absolute respect. Holiness is a word that seems to be fading from our Evangelical vocabulary. And it’s not the only attribute of God that’s gone missing from our conversations and our worship. We love to sing about God’s love and His amazing grace, and rightly so. He is the very definition of a loving Father, and amazing doesn’t even start to describe His grace. We also love to think about God’s mercy, and that He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve. If He did, we would all be destined for hell. (Now there’s another word fading from our vocabulary. Hell doesn’t sell well in seeker-friendly churches.)

Moses had several more encounters with God after the burning bush. In fact, God introduced Himself to the nation of Israel standing at the foot of the mountain with severe warnings not to approach under penalty of death. The mountain quaked and smoked and a piercing trumpet blast frightened the people so greatly they asked Moses to request God not to talk to them. Please, they begged, only talk to Moses from now on.

God certainly had their full attention. But only for a moment.

When Moses lingered on the mountain receiving the commandments and instructions for the tabernacle Israel’s attention soon wandered like a toddler. The fear and wonder they had experienced at the foot of the mountain was yesterday’s news. Now they were busy trying to re-create God in a safer image.

Exodus 32 records the tragic story. They asked Aaron to “make us gods who will go before us.” Pause to reflect on that statement. Who had just delivered them from bondage in Egypt? Who had led them through retreating seawater and buried the pursuing Egyptian warriors? Who had provided safe drinking water and food? Who, at that very moment, was meeting with their leader, providing him with guidance and direction for the long road ahead?

A golden calf mysteriously formed itself out of molten gold. (If you can believe that try selling ice to Eskimos in January.)

The next words from the Israelites are enlightening. Pleased with the golden calf image they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.” Insulting? Blasphemous? Yes! But the calf—the image—the idol—was safe. They could see it, touch it, control it, and pass it around through the crowd. They were so moved they declared a national day of worship, which quickly degenerated into a full-blown drunken orgy. The calf-god, it seemed, wasn’t too worried about holiness.

I don’t predict our churches will soon set up images and icons in the worship center, but sometimes I wonder. Are we in danger of creating God, the sovereign and all-powerful God—the Holy One—into something friendly, manageable and safe?

Here’s a brief test. Complete this sentence by adding your favorite attributes of God: “I praise God because He is ­­­­_______.” (You fill in the blank)

When this is actually done in a church setting or a home Bible study the responses will typically include God’s love, grace, mercy, faithfulness, kindness and patience. And they are all true! They perfectly describe the God of Scripture. But where are the “other” attributes like God’s holiness, justice, anger, or even jealousy? Yes, God frequently introduces Himself as being jealous of anything man substitutes in His place.

Consider this: Without God’s wrath and justice and holiness, mercy is just five letters on a page. Because God is holy and just He will not excuse sin. You and I desperately need His mercy and grace. But grace without wrath and justice isn’t amazing at all. In fact, it isn’t even grace.

We can’t pick and choose our favorite attributes to the neglect of others. My book is based on two words Paul uses in Romans 11:22. “Consider the kindness and severity of God.” I worship Him for His kindness. Without it I perish. But I also worship Him for His severity. I don’t want an anemic God who never angers, never judges and never punishes anybody. That isn’t our sovereign God, it’s a myth. It’s a weak and wimpy concept worth no more than the statue of a bull.

I like to close these conversations with lyrics from songs. Today I choose the third stanza of a traditional hymn that reflects God as He really is.

“Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty”

Note the three-fold emphasis on God’s holiness.

“Though the darkness hide Thee,

though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see.”

Sinful men and women cannot see His glory, let alone explain it. Unless He chooses to reveal Himself, we can never know Him in our spiritual blindness. Note the pronouns referring to God are capitalized out of respect.

“Only Thou art holy—there is none beside Thee…”

God is set apart and unique from all Creation.

“Perfect in power, in love and purity.”

God is perfect in all His attributes. His power has no limit but is never abused. His love has no end. He is morally pure and always does what is right. He is righteous!

Now, there is the God who alone can meet our hunger for a sense of transcendence. A safe god, made in our image, inspires no sense of awe or transcendence but is as ordinary and unremarkable as we are.

And our God is anything but ordinary.

Once again, thanks for visiting The Front Porch Swing today. If you appreciate these blogs why not invite your friends to join us each week.

http://welcometothefrontporchswing.home.blog

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 12:25 am on September 10, 2018
Tags: , , grieving, perseverance   

Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

Soul Music: Talking to Myself in The Eye of The Storm

Why are you cast down, O my soul,and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,my salvation and my God.

—Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5

Last week on The Front Porch Swing I confessed that I often talk to myself, finding it therapeutic. But when I choose to listen to myself—and the accusing voices within—I lose the joy of salvation by grace through faith. I feel abandoned and overwhelmed.

The solution? Be careful who you listen to. Keep your ear tuned to the frequency of God’s Word and God’s Spirit. Always remember and reflect on God’s promises that I can do nothing to make Him love me more than He already does.

This week, let’s focus on how soul talk can encourage us in the eye of the storm. Sometimes life is the pits. Things seem wildly unfair or out of kilter. We pray for relief, but God is silent. We feel He has abandoned us like an absent and distracted father.

The operative word here is feel.

We begin to listen to ourselves. The Accuser joins the battle for and in our minds. As he does, faith falters, and the songs of praise we sang yesterday are replaced with sour lament.

Listen to the psalmist in Psalm 42:3. He feels like a deer wandering through a trackless desert: “My tears have become my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, ‘Where is your God?’” That last question is the most painful one of all. “Where is your God?”

His emotions scream, “I am no better than a dehydrated deer ready to collapse.” His accusers mock, “Where is your God now that you really need Him?” Do you pick up what’s happening here? At this moment he is listening to himself rather than talking to himself.

Repetition within Psalms 42 and 43 seem to couple these two poems like cars on a train or two verses of a song. Twice the musician asks himself, “Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” (42:9; 43:2) Three times he asks, “Why are you downcast, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (42:5, 11; 43:5) That is the sound of life in the pits!

Three times the musician reveals his spiritual depression caused by listening to himself and focusing on his circumstances. Three times he responds by talking to himself, “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” The psalmist finally turns the corner, climbing out of the pit of self pity and onto the pinnacle of praise.

Like the song writer, I can choose to stop listening to the wrong voices. I can talk to myself, reminding myself of God promises and His character. Faithful to a fault, He promises never to leave or forsake me in the eye of the storm. Jesus came to His frightened men in the darkness to calm their raging sea. He still does the same for you and me.

While preparing this blog, another story was spinning in my life—a real life story illustrating what it means to stand by faith in the eye of the storm. Kirk and Sandlin Poth, our dear friends who are church planters in Ireland, have a little two-year-old granddaughter, Oakley, who was diagnosed leukemia. Fervent prayer was released throughout the USA and the world to find a bone morrow match for Oakley. None was discovered. Therapy robbed her of her blond hair and her strength. Eighty days in the hospital surrounded by her family and supported by prayer brought hope but eventually no relief. Oakley was released to come home to her family where, after a few days, she passed from this life into the presence of Jesus.

Throughout these months of hospitalization and treatments scores, if not hundreds, of people prayed for Oakley’s healing. Her parents and grandparents walked together through their personal storm. Her father, Zach, posted regularly on Oakley’s Caring Bridge site. I just revisited and perused the messages on Oakley’s site. I read promises from many friends to pray for Oakley. I read words from her father that resonated with faith and confidence in God. I was brought nearly to tears.

In Zach’s posts I saw a man talking to his soul rather than listening to himself or the storm swirling outside and inside both the hospital and his heart. I read eulogies from Oakley’s father and grandparents—eulogies resonating with faith and confidence that God remains faithful and good even if the story doesn’t end the way we had requested.

I realize the journey through grief has just begun for Oakley’s family. Emotional reserves have been depleted. Sleep deprivation has taken its toll on caregivers. Prayer for those left behind remains critical. May God give grace to trust even when we don’t understand or feel His hands. Let us trust His heart.

After more than four decades in the ministry, I testify one of the most severe experiences in ministry is standing by a tiny coffin. It makes no sense. There are no answers. So let us talk to ourselves by rehearsing what we believe and have experienced to be true.

Often I find myself singing an old hymn to myself, “Be Still, My Soul! The Lord is on thy side; bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; leave to thy God to order and provide; in every change He faithful will remain. Be still, My soul! Thy best, thy heavenly Friend thro’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end.” Now, that is real soul music.

I encourage you to visit the following Websites and let the lyrics speak to your soul:

The lyrics of the song, “Even If” by MercyMe are profound. When I can’t understand, I can trust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6fA35Ved-Y

For you who prefer traditional hymns, check out “Be Still, My Soul,” by Kari Jobe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq59iE3MhXM

If you prefer an acapella boys choir interpretation of “Be Still, My Soul”, check this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqgC1tqifV8

Once again, thanks for visiting The Front Porch Swing today. If you appreciate these blogs why not invite your friends to join us each week. Please use the following address: http://welcometothefrontporchswing.home.blog

By the way I will be sharing the title of my book in the next few weeks.

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 12:00 am on September 3, 2018
Tags: discouraged, , , self-deceived   

Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

Soul Music: Talking to Myself

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”[i]

That quote came back to me the other day, seemingly out of the blue. But this time I could even remember where I had seen it. It was from a sermon on spiritual depression by an English preacher named Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Pleased with my recall ability, I looked up the sermon on line to retrieve the larger context. The fact is, lots of people quote Lloyd-Jones—and for good reason. He was a wise and celebrated pastor in the last century.

The above quote is a response to David’s song of lament in Psalm 42. It’s a wonderful psalm with deep emotional and spiritual roots. You might even call it “soul music.” If you will indulge me, it may be more closely related to contemporary rap music than to traditional hymns. Reflect on David talking to himself in Psalm 42:

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God.

We’ve all witnessed a driver in the car next to us at a stoplight who seems to be carrying on a dramatic conversation with an invisible passenger. He’s talking to himself, we assume. However, in today’s digital age with Blue Tooth and smart phones, it might be a woman reminding her husband to pick up milk after work.

I chuckle when I witness somebody actually conversing with himself or herself. In the interest of full disclosure, however…I do it, too. Consistently. I could try to blame it on my advancing years, but I also talked to myself when I was much younger. Some of my best conversations have been with myself. You know what I’m talking about. You’ve also done that.

I used to verbally talk through my sermons. There I was, alone in my office on a Saturday night, preaching to a large imaginary and appreciative congregation.

But let’s get back to our opening quote: “…Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself.”

Life is tough. We are like batters standing at home plate with two outs and facing a two-strike count in the bottom of the ninth with the game on the line. Victory is in our hands to win or lose. The ace pitcher throws crazy curves, blazing fastballs and sneaky sliders past us. Our confidence wavers. We over-analyze, tiptoeing toward defeat. Our greatest problem is listening to the wrong coach—our old fallen nature or worse, the enemy’s accusing voice.

Let me share how the conversation goes when I listen to myself versus when I talk to myself. When I listen to myself I listen to my emotions and feelings. Talking to myself, however, is more like rehearsing what I already believe to be true.

Sometimes I wallow in my past sins and guilt rather than laying hold of God’s marvelous grace and the promise that His grace is always greater than my sin (Romans 5:20-21). Too often, I listen to the lie that I will always be a homeless loser wrapped in filth rather than God’s redeemed son, cleansed and forgiven, and seated with Christ in heavenly places

(Romans 6:3-4; Ephesians 2:6). When I listen to myself, I hear the voice saying “You blew it again, Syd, just like I said you would. You’ll never be good enough.” When I talk to myself I am reminded that even though I will never be “good enough,” it doesn’t matter. After all, it’s not about how good I am but how perfect Jesus Christ is. He’s the One who took my place, experiencing the just wrath of our holy God that I deserved. My feelings say I am a jerk; God says I am justified. I must remind myself that not only am I forgiven, God has charged the righteousness of Christ to my account. That’s justification, a big word for a truth that is beyond words.

Lloyd-Jones challenges us to always come back to the gospel of grace. It’s a matter of belief or unbelief, faith or feeling. The problem is unbelief; the solution is belief. When I am dwelling on my sin, have I forgotten that “the blood of Jesus Christ keeps on cleansing us from all sin”? (1 John 1:7, emphasis mine)

It’s a matter of focus, isn’t it? Remember when Peter clambered out of the fishing boat to walk on the storm-tossed Sea of Galilee? When his eyes were fixed upon the Master and his ears listening to Jesus’ inviting voice, Peter did the unthinkable. But when he looked at the waves and listened to the wind, he began to sink, only this time it was more than spiritual depression. It was the bottom of Davey Jones’ locker!

Faith, according to Hebrews12:2, “persists in looking at Christ—the Author and Perfecter of our faith.”

So I ask myself, “Who am I listening to? Who is shaping my thinking about my spiritual identity?” Is it the lying voice within or the promises of God? Am I listening to myself or talking to myself? Listen again to the musician:

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God.

Deep down, do you believe that? Do you actually believe and take your stand on the fact that He is your salvation and your God?

If you do, then take a minute to tell yourself the truth.

For those who prefer music to conversation, I share a couple of sites to enjoy and be reminded of our standing before God even though our inner voices challenge our faith and try to condemn us. The first song, “Greater” by MercyMe is more contemporary and contrasts what we were before and after submitting to Jesus. The second song is a southern gospel rendition of Fanny Crosby’s classic “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it.”

So take your pick, but as you listen to the lyrics, let them talk to your soul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXI0B4iMLuU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IIsV8FpoLQ

Next week I invite you join me as we reflect on how “Soul Music” can encourage us when life is the pits and our emotions scream, “God, why have you deserted me?” [1] Martyn Lloyd Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 15

Thanks for visiting The Front Porch Swing today. If you appreciate these blogs please do me the favor of inviting your friends to join us each week. My tech friend, Rich Gardner, suggests they use the following address: http://welcometothefrontporchswing.home.blog

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 3:33 am on August 27, 2018
Tags: church, done, , non-affilated   

Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

Done with Church?

As a child and a PK (preacher’s kid), I often wondered when a church service would finally end. I couldn’t wait to get outside and squash June bugs on the sidewalk or roll in the grass with my friends. But today’s conversation on the Front Porch is much more serious than that.

Over the last decades there has been an increasing number of people responding as “not affiliated” to the question in the National Census or a survey about their religious affiliation. In fact, those who track this information have coined the title “Nones” to describe those who claim to be “not affiliated.”

Sadly, 78 percent of the Nones admit they were either raised in or once very active in a particular religious denomination or sect. I recently asked a woman if her family attended a church. Her response was pointedly abrupt, “We were raised in the ______ (an Evangelical Protestant) church.” Without pausing for a breath, she raised her voice and added, “But we are not church people!”

Those words, “not church people,” and the manner expressed, revealed much more than the fact they didn’t attend a church. Her family was part of the growing phenomena of the Nones. I suspect they may also be part of another growing movement called the “Dones.”Recently, I began to come across the term “Dones.” I asked myself, “What in the world is a Done?” Out of curiosity I went to the Internet and googled the word “Dones.” The computer screen filled with articles about and testimonies from the Dones.

As you may have guessed, the Dones have been there and done that. They’re not only unaffiliated but sometimes anti-affiliation with any religious organization.

So why have they bailed out of the church? And why the hostility?

I offer a few probable reasons: Some have become bored or fatigued with the Sunday routine. They’ve heard it all before. They have volunteered to serve in many capacities to keep the church ministries afloat. I suspect that others have left the church after painful, unresolved conflicts. Sadly, it was easier to just find the closest exit then to apply biblical instructions for resolving conflict. By the way, conflict is inevitable but not always bad. I sometimes, almost facetiously, have said, “Wherever more than one person exists conflict is inevitable. When there is no more conflict, all but one has died.”

I wonder, even deeply suspect, that there may be another reason behind the rise of the Nones and Dones. Something vital to the health and mission of the church is missing. In a recent sermon, I shared the alarming rising statistic about the Dones. I asked, “Have we, the American Church, placed greater emphasis on growing large churches than on growing deeper relationships? Have we replaced making disciples with making church workers?” In other words, have we displaced our primary mission to make disciples who “know and do” what Jesus commanded?

The relationship between Elijah and Elisha gives us a positive example. Elisha shadowed his teacher-mentor until he began to think and to act like him, eventually picking up the mantle and continuing Elijah’s mission.

I also share three examples from the New Testament.

First, Jesus chose twelve men to “be with Him,” to watch Him, and then to assist Him by spreading the good news in partnerships of two.

Then, moments prior to His ascension into heaven, Jesus left His students (now called friends) with one command: “Make disciples, teaching them to know and to do all I have commanded.” Luke is spot on when he opens the book of Acts with the statement, “all that Jesus began to do and to teach.” Did you catch that? Jesus did not complete the mission but entrusted His followers to continue to do what He had begun.

Paul instructed his disciple-student Timothy to entrust what he had been taught by Paul to faithful men who would “be able to teach others also.” That is Christianity 101— building relationships that produce Christ-followers in word and in action.

John addresses three generations of believers in 1 John 2:12-14. He writes to the fathers or older men and to the young men who are strong. But he also writes to the little children-beginners in their relationship with Christ.

It has been said that the church is always within two generations from extinction. Making disciples is the church’s priority. Ours is a relay race not a sprint. Handing off the baton—the message and the mission—from one generation to another is critical.

There is a world of difference between making church workers and making disciples. Without the disciple relationship, I fear church members-workers may become weary or bored.

Having already begun writing this blog, I was affirmed by the August 13th edition of Christianity Today’s, The Exchange. Author and missiologist, Jeff Christopherson, raised the question, “So What Comes after Church Growth?”

Chistopherson questions using business principles to facilitate the church growth movement. He does not condemn mega churches but warns that building a large church on pragmatic business methods can circumvent biblical disciple-making. He writes, “Pragmatism tends to skip the messy grind of disciple-making for a more untroublesome operation of producing busy churchmen. … But churches powered singularly by a church growth operating system seem to find it impossible to foster effective disciple-making environments … Churches are forced to focus on training volunteer armies, often at the expense of any disciple-making strategies, bringing the church further from her commission.”

Let’s be honest, the same can be said about smaller churches that create programs requiring workers to sustain them even after the program is no longer effective. Church members become, in essence, workers or producers. Without the disciple relationships burnout is inevitable.

Jesus never commanded us to build large churches or small churches. He promised to build His church. Our mission is to make disciples. That can only be done through relationships. It begins with a healthy, personal relationship with Jesus that spills over into our relationships with others who naturally pass it on to their friends.

Simply stated, the church has but one mission: make disciples.

What say you? I anticipate both affirmation but also push back from this blog. If you consider yourself a Done, I would like to hear your story.

Thanks for visiting The Front Porch Swing today. If you appreciate these blogs please do me the favor of inviting your friends to join us each week. Please use the following address: http://welcometothefrontporchswing.home.blog

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 3:03 pm on August 20, 2018
Tags: bruised, compassion, , harased   

Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

Bruised Reeds

Last Sunday I preached at The Chapel in the Pines in Camp Sherman, Oregon. Envision a delightful congregation gathered in a quaint chapel surrounded by magnificent old growth ponderosa pine. Two refurbished railroad cars—once part of a logging camp—make up the chapel, with a large deck for outdoor seating. This was the third in a short series of messages about Elijah, a man the apostle James claimed was “just like us” (James 5:16).

Just like us? Just like me? Really, James? Most of the time, I don’t feel like Elijah at all. I’m not like the bold divine spokesman who stared down King Ahab, making bold prophecies about the weather. I don’t see any resemblance between myself and the Elijah who single-handedly challenged 450 prophets of the pagan god Baal to a throw down on top of Mt. Carmel.

But then again, I do somewhat identify with the wimpy prophet who ran like a scared rabbit from Queen Jezebel’s death threat. Remember the scene in 1 Kings 19? Elijah sprinted deep into the wilderness and cowered under a broom tree, praying for a quick death.

The bold man was now a broken man. The man of faith was hiding in fear. Now, that’s a bit more like me. Been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt. Groveling with guilt and failure tends to come naturally.

But let’s not focus on Elijah’s stunning collapse. Let’s consider God’s stunning response.

If I had been writing the story, I would have thought that a severe divine rebuke was in order here. “Hiding under a tree? Really, Elijah? What in the world has come over you? Where is your faith? What happened to the bold prophet? Suck it up, man. And get out from under that scrawny tree!”

But that’s not what happened here. Not at all.

Picking up the story in 1 Kings 19, I discover that God sent an angel into the boonies to care for His AWOL prophet. Note that Elijah was sleeping—bone-tired from the massive spiritual battle on Carmel and physically exhausted from sleep deprivation, lack of nourishment, and from running a fast 10k into the Negev. The angel “touched” Elijah— no brutal shaking—just a gentle nudge. When the angel spoke, there was no scolding. He simply said, “Arise and eat.” Freshly baked bread and cool water were on the menu that day. The angel let the prophet drop back into deep slumber, before awakening him later for another nourishing meal. I like to imagine the heavenly visitor sitting under the broom tree with Elijah, protecting him while he slept and dined.

Refreshed and renewed, the prophet was ready for a journey to Mount Horeb—and a close encounter with God Himself.

Secluded in a mountain cave and probably replaying the tapes of his failure, Elijah ignored the earthquake and the violent wind. But then a gentle whisper drew him out of his self-imposed prison. The conversation between the Lord and Elijah went like this:

“Elijah, what are you doing here?”

“…I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:9, 10, emphasis mine).

The conversation replayed a second time almost word for word—the words of a depleted man running for his life and struggling with his sense of failure. In the words of Isaiah 42:1-4 and of Matthew 12:15-21, Elijah would qualify as a “bruised reed” or a “smoldering wick.”

In those passages, both Isaiah and Matthew were applying them to the earthly ministry of Jesus. In other words, Jesus would show compassion for rejected, discouraged men and women.

Most people would ignore or simply trample a broken reed. What good is it? It’s worthless for weaving a basket, crafting a boat, or making a walking stick or parchment. And a flickering, smoldering lamp? There is no beauty or utility in that! You might say the same about broken and destitute people like Elijah. They tend to get overlooked—or worse—trampled by the strong in their rush to make it to the top of the heap.

Not so with Jesus. Our Lord took notice of the outcasts, devalued or scorned by the religious elites. I love Matthew’s description of our Lord: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). That’s our God, isn’t it? This is the God who restored a broken prophet—and sent along a friend and companion named Elisha to walk with him. To the day of his passing, Elijah would never again have to face his foes alone. Never again would Elijah say, “I alone am left.”

We serve the God of the second half and the second chance. He heals broken reeds and trims smoldering lamps so they shine brightly again.

Listen again to His invitation to people like you and me: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

When the moment came for Elijah to exit the world, beamed up to heaven in a whirlwind, the prophet’s younger friend Elisha cried out, “My father! My father!” In God’s grace and kindness, they had become that close.

Could it be that you feel a little like an exhausted servant of God hiding under a bush today? A broken reed…a lamp that barely stays lit. Just remember we serve the same God who sought out Elijah in his lowest moment, gently restoring his strength and giving him back his will to run the race.

The God of the second chance. Hallelujah.

Thanks for visiting The Front Porch Swing today. If you appreciate these blogs please do me the favor of inviting your friends to join us each week. My tech friend, Rich Gardner, suggests they use the following address: http://welcometothefrontporchswing.home.blog

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 11:13 pm on August 12, 2018
Tags: , attributes, ,   

Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

What is God Like?

In one of my previous blogs on July 1st I introduced the two most important questions each of us must face in life: “Is there a God? What is God like?”

If you missed that blog, why not check it out now? It began with Mary bursting into my office exclaiming, “Syd, look at this quote. It says the same thing you have been writing about in your book.”

So, to honor my best friend who has supported me throughout writing the book, I have replaced my picture with the two of us celebrating our 50th anniversary in a Pizza shop two years ago in Banff National Park.

Now, back to today’s topic here on the swing.

First question: Is there a god? (Please don’t correct my typing here. I have deliberately chosen to use the lower case letter “g” to allow for all alternative answers before we nail down the correct answer.) Are there many gods—each with his or her sphere of limited influence? Do we have one god over the mountains and another over the oceans? Is there a god who rules over the rain and harvest while a competitor god brings on drought and famine?

That’s a description of polytheism—the belief in multiple gods. This was pretty much the accepted belief through the millennia of human history—and describes the religion of the nations surrounding Israel. Polytheism still exists in Hinduism and many native religions and animism. So before assuming there is only one God, the God of Scripture, I have used the word “god.”

I choose to believe there is a God. One God. The Creator of everything. When you think about it, the universe is so expansive and majestic and intricate that it is difficult, if not impossible, to deny that someone had to design and create the cosmos, our planet, and all that lives and breathes. That was Paul’s conclusion in Romans 1:18-32. If it requires faith to believe God exists, and it does, I believe it takes even more faith to consider the evidence of His handiwork throughout Creation and choose to deny His existence.

Honestly, it all comes down to a rather stark choice. Either everything has come from nothing and happened by sheer chance or Some One has created it.

Second question: What is God like? Assuming (choosing to believe) there is a god/God/Deity, what is God like? That has been the challenge throughout the history of human civilization. How can any mere human left to only their limited ability ever hope to discover what God is like? They can’t. We can’t. Left to ourselves, we will always create a god in our own image. Just like each of us, god will be malevolent (mean spirited and harsh) and capricious (unpredictable, always changing with the circumstances).

Just for the fun of it, how about a little snap quiz? Yes, I know it’s always more fun for the teacher than for the poor student sweating it out at their desk. To make it easier, let’s make it a multiple choice exam. Are you ready? Here are the questions:

What do you think God is like?

● God controls every detail of my life, even the seemingly incidental things such as where I work or live or whether I will die of cancer or in an auto accident or of old age.

● God only controls the bigger, more important things in my life.

● God created the world and sort of walked away to let it run by itself, so He really isn’t personally involved in what happens here and now. We’re pretty much on our own.

Let’s try another question.

Is God…

● always good and kind and loving and so full of mercy that He would never sentence anybody to an eternal Hell?

● Or is He Holy and just punishing every sin no matter how insignificant?

No matter how you answered the above questions, you could never be certain your answers were correct, unless God chose to make Himself known to us. We call that revelation—God revealing something about Himself that we could never discover unless He chose to tell us.

My early impressions about God were shaped by my experience in a very conservative church that emphasized God’s holiness and wrath. God was a Cosmic Cop—and very intimidating. I wanted His help whenever I found myself in trouble, but I never felt close to Him, like I did my friends.

I believe that may also reflect Moses’ early experiences with God. Discover for yourself by reading through the book of Exodus, beginning with Moses’ first encounter with a blazing and mysterious God at the burning bush. Moses learned one thing for certain that day on the backside of the desert: God is holy and will not be trivialized. He was not “safe.”

Years of studying the Bible have balanced my early impressions about God. I have attempted to address the question about the character or attributes of God in the book. (By the way, Moody Publishers and I have chosen the title for the book. Perhaps I will share it on a forthcoming blog.) It is my prayer that you will come to know and appreciate God more fully and personally when you have read the book.

Today, why not pause to reflect on your own personal, spiritual journey. How have your early impressions about God changed? Does He seem more merciful or more severe today? Why?

Remember, God’s attributes or characteristics are not a box of chocolates. We can’t pick and choose our favorite. God only offers the full meal deal. He is who He is. We either choose to accept and submit to Him or we put ourselves at risk of devastatingly eternal consequences when we try to make God safe.

He is not safe. But He is good. What’s more, He is always good—even when we can’t trace His hand in the experiences of our life. God is also righteous. He always does what is right. He is never unfair. Never capricious or malevolent. We can count on Him to never change. Never respond out of impatient anger.

I can love that kind of God. Come to think of it, I have no other choice, since He alone is the Almighty God creator of all and rules over every molecule in this vast and beautiful universe.

It’s not that I have to love Him. I want to. Even the “want to” is a gift from Him.

Thanks for visiting The Front Porch Swing today. If you appreciate these blogs please do me the favor of inviting your friends to join us each week. My tech friend, Rich Gardner, suggests they use the following address: http://welcometothefrontporchswing.home.blog

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 12:29 am on July 30, 2018
Tags: depleted,, , languishing,   

Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

Lean on Me

“Woe to the pastor who chastises his people for ‘coming to get’ and not to ‘give.’”

This statement from a recent John Piper article[i] stopped me in my tracks. I guess you might say it challenged my philosophy about gathering to worship in Sunday.

Did I ever say something like that as a pastor? Did I chastise people for coming to church empty, wanting only to receive?

Not exactly.

On the other hand, I have made comments to the effect that we shouldn’t come to church to obtain something, but rather to give praise to God. In fact (I have said), coming to church just to receive borders on narcissism. It’s like saying, “It’s all about me.”

Piper has prompted me reconsider. Let’s be honest, life isn’t always a bowl of sweet Oregon cherries. I don’t always feel like singing “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.” I may be so depleted on Sunday by the tough experiences in my life that I am desperate for something or somebody to lean on.

“Lean on Me.” I remember that classic song from the 70s. I can still see Frank Patka, our youth pastor back then, having our youth group sing “Lean on Me” one Sunday evening. (Remember those Sunday evening services where we let our hair down and became family?) Bill Withers wrote and recorded “Lean on Me” in 1971.

The gist of the lyrics was that when you’re not feeling strong and need a friend, you can count on me to be there to lean on. And by the same token, one day I will surely need you to help me in the same way. If you would like to hear the song again, check this Website:

Lean On Me

It was a secular hit in its time, but the concept behind it is biblical. As Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…” (emphasis mine).

I share a quote from Piper’s blog: “God is glorified in worship not only by those who come full, but also by those who come desperately needy.” As I said, I had to chew on those words for a few minutes to let Piper’s words sink in.

Think about it: God is glorified when I come to church, not just to give Him praise, but as a “desperately needy” person begging to receive His blessing.

God has never been put off by needy people who seek Him. (Not even old King Ahab, facing a death sentence from God, but repenting with fasting and wrapping himself in sackcloth or little Zacchaeus, up in the branches of a sycamore tree.) He just loves needy seekers.

Piper goes on to say: “Corporate worship is not a gathering only for overflow. The full may overflow. That is worship. The languishing come to drink at the fountain of God’s life-giving word. That too is worship. It magnifies the necessity and desirableness of God. The soul-hungry come to eat at the banquet that is spread from the rich stores of Scripture. This also is worship” (emphasis mine).

I really can’t add anything to Piper’s description of corporate worship. I feel empathy with that person so emotionally and spiritually dehydrated who is languishing for a drink from God’s life-giving fountain. I visualize a man or a woman crawling through the hot sands of Death Valley almost at death’s door, when they are met by another hiker with a full canteen of cool water.

Doesn’t David reflect this lament in Psalm 42?

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God? (niv)

It is not a spiritual defect to be so depleted that we need somebody to lean on. To “need” is to be human. We do need each other. Remember how Paul uses the metaphor of the human body to illustrate a local church in 1 Corinthians12? Each member of the body has a part to play. No member, whether an eye or a hand or a lung can survive by itself. We gather on Sunday to give God praise. We sing to Him and to one-another (see Colossians 3:16).

On any given Sunday who knows whether the person sitting in front or beside you may be so empty that they have “crawled” into the church building hoping to be fed or to receive a drink or just a hug? Perhaps your giving praise through singing to God may help fill the void and lift them up.

I love the song, “The Wind beneath My Wings.” I have always associated it with Jesus, the One who raised me up when I was lost in sin and who daily lifts me up in life’s trials. He is the wind beneath my wings when the storm has depleted me. But just this morning, I heard the lyrics a little differently. Imagine the word “you” as plural rather than singular. What if “you” was a local congregation? Then, perhaps, you or I could be the wind beneath the broken wings of my wounded sister. I could offer my hand to lift up a weary brother. Perhaps we could be the shoulder to lean on till they are able to stand again.

I remember, as a child, the picture of a boy carrying another boy on his back through a blizzard. Beneath the picture was the motto of Boys Town, a Catholic home for boys: “He ain’t heavy, Father…he’s my brother.”

If you are feeling depleted, I share one last quote from John Piper: “Come to church desperate for more of God, and expect that he will meet you through his people.”

Here is a Website with Josh Groban singing “You Raise Me Up.” This morning it brought tears to my eyes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oni0tO_HN30&list=RDoni0tO_HN30

[i] From John Piper’s blog posting, “Come to Church Desperate,” on June 23, 2018, desiringGod.org

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 3:07 pm on July 23, 2018
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Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

What a Wonderful World

Louis Armstrong’s classic song, “What a Wonderful World”[1] (I can recognize it from the very first notes), described my feelings while eating endless salad at our local Olive Garden. The restaurant was filled with people laughing, drinking and eating.

When the second big salad bowl laden with lettuce, black olives, onions, tomatoes and croutons arrived at our table I thought to myself, I wonder how much produce is consumed every day at this restaurant? Then I thought about all the pasta and other entrées being consumed that evening at the restaurant.

Munching my salad, savoring the light Italian dressing, I did a little mental calculation about all the food people consume every day throughout the world. (Over 7,630,480,000 mouths to feed every day.) I simply can’t wrap my mind around the veritable mountain of fruit, vegetables and meat our earth produces. Not just every day but every day since the beginning of human history.

Think of all the amazing varieties of good food from the oceans, streams, fields, vineyards, and orchards harvested and consumed daily on our blue-and-green planet, and yet…there is always more on the shelves the next day.

Yes, of course I am remembering the many across the world who are hungry and malnourished, perhaps lacking sufficient food to even sustain health. I suspect that this is more of a distribution problem than a supply problem. There is food aplenty, but for all the reasons we know so well—greed, war, poverty, geography, and weather—it sometimes doesn’t arrive in the hands and on the tables of those who need it most. Who could deny that we Americans waste so much; we could certainly do more to help close the gap between the well fed and the starving.

Even so, in spite of the sin, neglect, and abuse, earth produces mountains of food every single day. Should we be surprised by this abundance? Isn’t this the very thing God promised—yea, commanded—on the third day of creation?

“Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth. And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.” (Genesis 1:11-13, esv)

The text continues in verses 28-30: “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue (manage) it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.'”

And it has been so every day since the beginning of the human race.

Homo sapiens have done a pretty good job “subduing” the earth. We have left our footprints and our litter everywhere including the summit of earth’s highest mountains and the Great Pacific Trash Vortex where an estimated 80,000 tons of plastic and other debris is littered across 1.6 million square kilometers of ocean. Obviously, we have not earned an “A” as managers. Through both ignorance and greed we have eliminated species that once graced our world—and will not return.

So I ask myself, why would God continue to command the earth to produce and produce the endless food supply day after day? Why would God continue to send the rain and sunshine to sustain the harvests?

First, I turn to the Great Flood in Genesis. After the deluge had destroyed all creatures on the land except those in the ark, God entered into a covenant with Noah. In spite of endemic human rebellion, God said “Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:21b-22, emphasis mine, esv). God also commanded Noah and his family to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” and gave every living creature and plant as food.

In Acts 14:16-17, the apostle Paul and Barnabas delivered the same message. After finally convincing the citizens of Lystra to cease and desist from worshipping them, Paul challenged the volatile crowd to turn from their idols and worship the one true living God—the Creator of all. Note Paul’s words: “In past generations he (God) allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Theologians sometimes refer to this as “common” grace. But that doesn’t mean it’s ordinary! It is “common” because every person experiences it, no matter where they live, how they live, or whom they worship. The Creator has honored His promise to bless the ground and produce food for every living creature.

Today and every day the earth continues to produce food for us—even when we are ungrateful. That is grace!

So perhaps the next time you stroll through a supermarket or visit the local farmer’s market or order from the menu of a restaurant or grab a burger, why not stop to reflect? Think for just a moment about the sheer amount of food produced and consumed every day. Reflect on God who continues to send the rains and the harvests to keep the shelves stocked for people like you and me.

I can never duplicate Louis Armstrong’s unique, gravelly voice, but I too can celebrate and sing about the green trees and red roses. And I can think to myself, What a wonderful world!

For those of us who know the Creator, let us sing “What a wonderful God!” After all, this is our

Father’s World that provides us with such abundance.

Just because He is Who He is.A gracious Provider who keeps His promises.

Enjoy Louis Armstrong on the YouTube site below.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21LGv8Cf0us.

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 8:05 pm on July 16, 2018
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Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

Never Alone

Today, on the front porch, let’s reflect on a few people who have stood alone against the tide and experienced times of darkness and loneliness yet discovered they never really were alone.

Consider Joseph. Betrayed by his brothers and left to languish alone in a prison cell. He would be betrayed by a fellow prisoner who had promised to put in a good word for Joseph after being released from prison. Enjoying his freedom and restoration as the king’s cup bearer he simply forgot about Joseph.

Let’s try to step into Joseph’s experience. How are we feeling? I feel betrayed. Forgotten. Hopelessly alone. But, I wonder if Joseph was ever truly alone?

Think about Elijah lying under the broom tree begging to die after running away from Jezebel’s death threat. Listen to Elijah’s lament, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life for I am no better than my fathers.”

Later, meeting God on the mountain, Elijah continued his complaint. “I have been very jealous for the Lord, The God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” (1 Kings 19: 4, 10 emphases mine) Those are the words of the great prophet who had once stared down 450 prophets of Baal. Now the brave man, who dared to challenge a king, has collapsed into a pathetic, whining imp.

So was Elijah all alone under the broom tree? Was he ever alone in the cave? No! God came to him on the mountain and gently spoke strength into His wounded warrior.

How can I forget three young Jewish men refusing to kowtow to a king’s edict that demanded worship of his image? Together they resisted aborting their integrity or compromising their loyalty to the one true God. Convinced God could deliver them from the furnace, but declaring even if God didn’t come through, they would not bow. Tethered with ropes they were cast into the blazing fire.

I chuckle when I read King Nebuchadnezzar’s response in Daniel 3:24-25: The king was “astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors (as if he needed counsel to explain what he could see with his own eyes), ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?…But I see

four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth man is like a son of the gods.’”

Come now, relax and laugh with me at the above scene. But never forget, because three men dared to stand for God in the heat of the moment, God stood beside them in the blazing fire.

One more story, okay? What about Paul languishing in a Roman prison facing a death sentence? We tend to make men like Paul bigger than life. Men cut out of better cloth than the rest of us. Writing those words draws me back to James’ comment that “Elijah was a man just like us.” Yes, the whimpering man under the tree I can identify with. Been there many times myself. But, the bold man challenging the prophets of Baal to a “throw down” on Mount Carmel to see whose God could ignite the fire and barbecue the beef does not describe me.

Back to Paul in 2 Timothy four. Here I see another man bigger than life who is just like me. Not good alone.Paul begs Timothy to come quickly- before winter if possible bringing a coat and the parchments- the precious parchments.Only Dr. Luke remains in Rome with Paul. Demas, once a stalwart warrior and comrade, has fallen in love with the good life and deserted Paul (at least that’s the way Paul feels). Crescens has been sent to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Tychicus was sent to deal with issues in the church at Ephesus. Carpus is ministering in Troas.

Oh, yes, Alexander the coppersmith has done great harm to Paul causing pain on top of imprisonment.

Now, listen to Paul’s words etched with quill and ink. “At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.” I tremble as I write those words. This is Paul- my bold, irresistible giant of the Faith lamenting, “All have deserted me.” Don’t you feel deep, deep pain in those words?

The next sentence leaps off the parchment. No one stood with Paul at his trial, “but the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (emphasis mine)

When the sky is falling around me and life is in shambles, I may feel alone, but I am never truly alone.

I quote, J. D. Grear’s message at The Moody Bible Institute’s Founders Week at last February: “I know He stands by my side, because He stood in my place.”

Grear added, “If God could take the worst day in His Son’s life and turn it into our best day, can’t He take my worst day and turn into something good?”

What say you?

Unknown's avatar Syd Brestel 4:39 pm on July 8, 2018
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Welcome To The Front Porch Swing

WestChaseShops, used by permission

Without a Trace

Without a Trace, a CBS television series that ran from Sept. 2002 – May 2009, was built around the FBI Missing Persons Unit in NYC. The series focused on the drama surrounding the loved ones of the missing person. Episodes ended with information about missing persons in real life – sometimes this information helped lead to the recovery of a missing person.

Today, on the Front Porch Swing, let’s consider the dramatic events that happen when Someone is missing. Up front I want to give credit to two contributing editors in World Magazine, Marvin Olasky and Janie B. Cheaney. Both wrote columns that triggered thoughts for today’s Front Porch.

I subscribe to two magazines: Christianity Today and World. I read with a scissor to cut out (actually I just tear out) articles to file for future reflection or stimulation for a sermon. Marvin Olasky’s article, Running from extinction, published in the April 1, 2017 edition of World creatively deals with the word “nothing.” Cheaney’s article, “The terror of the void”, appeared in the Nov. 11, 2017 edition. Cheaney addresses the definition of evil. Both articles address a void in our culture that may help explain the spiraling rate of suicide and the irrational violence behind mass killings that have become norm.

Olasky quotes from Israeli author Hillel Halkin’s book, After One-Hundred-and-Twenty (Princeton, 2016). The 120 is a reference to the age of Moses in Deuteronomy 34:7. In contrast to the indomitable spirit of Moses as he faced death, Halkin admits his own personal struggle with FOMO- the fear of missing out. If we cease to exist after death then nothing, absolutely nothing exists after our short life. Consider Halkin’s own words, “I fear an end to the habits and joys I’ve grown used to… how can a life that has existed cease to exist without a trace (emphasis mine)…?” “Without a trace” that we ever existed. Contemplate those words with me.

Olasky also quotes British writer Julian Barnes, age 71: “People say of death, ‘There’s nothing to be frightened of.’ They say it quickly, casually. Now let’s say it again, slowly, with re-emphasis. ‘There’s NOTHING to be frightened of.’” Read those words again but pause to reflect after the word NOTHING.

Let me say it this way, if there is no God there is NOTHING waiting for us after this life. Nothing I ever did or said will matter. I will have disappeared without a trace. The very thought can be frightening. If there is no hope beyond the grave there is nothing to live for. Nothing to die for.

Could the void in contemporary thinking- this NOTHINGness- help explain the dramatic increase in suicides? Does the belief that we disappear without a trace feed the opioid epidemic? Personally, I believe in the God of the Bible so I find great motivation to live life fully- to seize every fleeting moment- because death comes so quickly. When it’s my turn to exit this world, that is all I have ever known, I do not fear facing NOTHING because I know SOMEONE.

I cling to Jesus’ words, “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself…” I stake my future on the words of Paul while facing martyrdom, “to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ which is far better.” “Far better” than the NOTHING one faces without God in the equation.

Come to think of it, because God does exist, nobody will face nothingness after death, but everybody will face their Creator and give an account for the short part they played in the drama of life on earth.

Now, before leaving the Front Porch, I draw a few thoughts from Janie Cheaney’s article, “The terror of the void.” Cheaney asks how can we explain the evil of the mass murders taking place all too frequently in our nation? School shootings. The Las Vegas massacre – Stephen Paddock methodically shooting innocent victims from his hotel balcony- victims he didn’t know and had never experienced an offense from. There is no evidence Paddock acted out of a radicalized religious fervor. He just flat out wanted to kill people.

To help determine the possible motive behind these acts of violence let us first ask “what is evil?” So take a stab at defining evil without using the word evil or bad. Difficult, isn’t it?

Augustine, according to Cheaney, said “evil is not a ‘thing’ at all. In fact evil is the absence of good.”

Just like darkness is the absence of light. If God is the source of all that is good and lovely and noble, and if we remove the source of good, what is left? A vacuum. Nature always resists a vacuum. Men can create a vacuum by sucking all the air out of a container and sealing it. But, the smallest sub-microscopic leak in the seal will inevitably yield to atmospheric pressure and fill the vacuum.I wonder if there a void, a nothingness, in the lives of many of these mass murderers? Has that void been filled evil?

I wonder, can we be good without God? I didn’t ask if atheists are incapable of performing good actions. Many act in constructive ways. But, every void seeks to be filled with something. In this case, it is not something missing but Someone.

As America drifts deeper and deeper into the darkness of secular humanism and further and further from the moral values that once anchored us as a culture there is only one thing left to fill the vacuum. And, it isn’t good.

After Adam rejected God’s command every human baby has been born with a void that only God can fill.

I believe more gun laws will never stop the violence in our schools until the void in empty lives has been filled with something good- with Someone.

I appreciate Cheaney’s insight that we, who have discovered and experienced this Someone, have the great privilege of sharing good news with empty souls all around us.