Division 

   “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (Mark 3: 24 -25) 

   Many seem to see the teachings of the Church as mere suggestions which they are free to accept or reject on their own authority.  I once had someone tell me that she was a “pro-choice Catholic”.  She got terribly upset when I replied that there is no such thing as a pro-choice Catholic, since the two are totally incompatible.  Division over such an obvious evil as taking the life of an unborn child is the work of Satan.

   There have been heresies and divisions in the Church since the beginning, and the battles continue today.  The concept of relational morality is a heresy that continues to grow in society and within the Church.  This error says that what is right for you may not be right for me and vice versa.  In other words, there is no certainty of right or wrong, it all depends on human opinion.  Satan loves it when we assume we know better than God what is right or wrong.

   Modernism is another form of division among the faithful.  Some feel the Church needs to “fit in” with modern society.  They even go so far as to suggest scripture must be revised to reflect the modernist view of Christianity; in their view, even Doctrine and Dogma must be changed.  They refuse to accept the truths of God, truths that are eternal and not subject to change.

   By nature, people seek the easy route.  If it’s too hard, they look for another way and Satan is always there to show them an easier road.  Christ said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter it are many.” (Matt 7: 13).  The narrow gate may lead to a harder road, but that road is the one that leads to heaven.

 

 The Sands of Time  

   “To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days; indeed, my life is as nothing before you.  Every man is but a breath. (Psalm 39: 6) 

   My life, whether it ends today or continues for many years to come, is like a breath to the Lord who is eternal.  I count the days and the years, but they have no meaning to God who existed before time began and will continue after time as we know it has ended.

   If I look at an hourglass and consider the grains of sand as the days of my life it is evident that far more years have gone by than remain.  Early in life I looked at that hourglass and considered that I had all the time in the world.  I was a fool making a fool’s bet on how long my life would be.

   God alone knows the day of my departure from this world, I do not.  It becomes essential, therefore, that I look at each day and even each minute recognizing that it could be my last. 

   Accepting God and His will for me will determine whether I spend eternity in heaven or hell.  To delay is to risk my very soul.  “For he says: ‘In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.’  Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6: 2).

   I can’t say with confidence exactly when I realized that I had to give my life to God, submitting myself to His will in all things.  It was and is a journey to come nearer to Him and the journey will continue until He comes to take me home.

 Memorial Day 

   Memorial Day, like so many holidays, is not even celebrated on the proper day (May 30^th).  It’s been moved so that people get a three-day weekend, forgetting its importance as a day of remembrance.  It’s not about ‘Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet” as GM used to advertise; it's not about family gatherings where we eat and drink too much while never recognizing the purpose for the holiday.  It’s about remembering the American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who have given their lives so that we can enjoy those hot dogs and apple pies in freedom.

   For me Memorial Day always takes me back to April 17^th, 1987.  The USS Stark (FFG-31) was on duty in the Persian Gulf and I had been temporarily assigned to that ship.  At about 9:00 PM that evening an Iraqi F1 aircraft fired two Exocet missiles into the Stark.  One missile detonated and the other did not but remained inside the ship where it expended the rest of its fuel starting numerous fires.  For the next day and a half, the crew valiantly fought to save the ship.  At more than one point it was not certain whether the ship could remain afloat or would have to be abandoned.

   That attack resulted in the deaths of 37 crew members of the Stark, over 15% of the total on board the ship at the time of the attack.  Ironically, we were not at war or even in a conflict with Iraq at the time.

   I remember those men, many of them young and looking forward to life; how their life was snuffed out by what Iraq termed an “accident”.  I remember the wife and small son of one of the Senior Chiefs who was killed.  They had flown to Bahrain to meet him when the Stark arrived in port.  Sadly, they took part in a memorial service instead.

   Take time today to say a prayer for all those we have lost and for those who will undoubtedly be lost in years to come.  Pray for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  May he teach us that warriors never find peace, only more wars.  It is not violence that will end war, but the love of God.

 Pentecost 

   “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.  Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.” (Acts 2: 2 – 4) 

   Today we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles.  These were the same men who had abandoned Jesus at His arrest; Peter had denied even knowing Him three times.  And yet now they came out and loudly proclaimed the message of Christ to the gathered crowd.  With the one exception of St. John, they would all die a martyr’s death.  This is the power of the Holy Spirit; to take the simple, the weak and afraid, and empower them to speak loudly and without fear in the name of Christ.

   Today we still talk about receiving the Holy Spirit, but we see very few with the courage to spread the truth of the gospel regardless of the dangers and perils it might bring.  Certainly, the Spirit hasn’t grown weaker so why are there not more willing to risk comfort, safety and even their lives for Christ?

   The Spirit is still with us and is as strong as ever.  We are the ones who have grown weak and afraid  We are afraid we might offend others, unwilling to stand for the truths of God.  We fear rejection, persecution or worse. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26: 41).

   The Holy Spirit is within all Christians.  He is there, urging us to spread the gospel; by our words, by how we live our lives, and by how we love.  But we must be willing to act, to let the Holy Spirit work through us.

 How Will You Respond? 

   “He is always most willing, and is only waiting for you.  So what are you going to do?” (The Cloud of Unknowing) 

   The “Cloud of the Unknowing" was written by an anonymous English monk in the late fourteenth century.  It is a treatise on coming to grow closer to God through prayer and contemplation.

   When I read the quote above it stopped me in my tracks.  I had to put the book down and just think about what this meant.  I know that God is always with me, and I know that it is up to me to respond to Him, but what struck me is that He, the Almighty God, is waiting for me to act.

   There is a plan for my life and that plan has been known to God since before time began.  Even as I sit here writing this blog God has known what it will say since before time began.  Amazing!  It opens a whole new dimension to how I am to grow in my relationship with God.

   Even though He has and always has had a plan for me, it is totally up to me to accept His plan.  He will not force me though He will give me signs and indications of what I need to do.  His plan is one of love and eternal happiness with Him and what always astonishes me is that He waits for me to give Him permission to give me these blessings.

   The question, for me and for all of us, is what am I going to do about it?  Will I, like so many, ignore His callings or will I answer, “Yes, Lord, Your will be done.  We will answer many questions during our lifetime, but our place in eternity will be determined by this one; “What will you do when He calls?

 Humility 

   “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18: 14) 

   In my opinion humility is the basis upon which Christianity is built.  Without humility we can never truly know God.

   The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector speaks to the importance of humility. (Luke 18: 9 – 14).  In his pride the Pharisee thanked God for making him different from the rest of mankind.  He even went on to list the reasons that he considered himself better than others.  The tax collector stayed at a distance and wouldn’t even raise his eyes to heaven and prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18: 13).  The tax collector went away justified because of his humility.  Because of his pride, the Pharisee did not.

   Sadly, there are many like the Pharisees in the churches of today, eager to recount how faithful they are and tell of all the great things they have done for the Church.  Whenever I hear someone, including myself, talking that way, I always remember that the tax collector went home justified while the Pharisee did not.

   In many ways and on many occasions Jesus spoke of humility in serving God.  His whole life was an example of humility.  If we are to follow Him we must also be humble, for “Pride goes before disaster, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 11: 2)

 Come Home 

   “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;’” (Matt 25: 34) 

   During my career in the Navy there were times when I had to be separated from my family.  I’m not complaining, I knew full well that was a part of what I had signed up for and my wife and I were in complete agreement about my career.  Still, from the moment I left until the moment I returned I looked forward to going home.

   Throughout scripture we often see home as the place of happiness and contentment.  The Israelites wandered many years in the desert seeking the promised land.  Throughout their history there were exiles brought about by their turning from God and still they longed for home.  Some of the most moving of the Psalms are those mourning over the pain of being separated from their homeland.  Jubilation reigned when they were able to return to their beloved Jerusalem.

   In this life I have what I refer to as home, but it is not my true home.  It is where I return to when I travel but it is not where I truly desire to be.  I consider myself in exile in many ways.  I live in this world, but my home lies elsewhere.  That is where I long to be.

   I find comfort in the words of Jesus, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If it were not so, would I have told you that 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, so that where I am, you may be also.”  (John 14: 2 - 3).

   Only He will determine when it is time to come for me, whether it be soon or many years from now.  Until then I will strive to serve Him in all I do.  When that time comes I will joyfully take His hand and walk with Him in Paradise.