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Making yourself available to the Lord

A recently returned missionary gave a talk in church today. He related a story about one of the missionaries he worked with. This other missionary started out with a knowledge deficit, and less of a testimony than he would have wanted, but he had faith and a willingness to learn. In one of their conversations he had said:

“I don’t know what I’m doing out here. I’m just trying to make myself available to the Lord”.

I think some people would be critical of his being on a mission, but not me. I was impressed with his honesty and his desire to be of service. Though he didn’t have a lot of experience with spiritual things, he was ready to learn something, and he had put himself in the hands of the Lord to make that happen. He turned out to be a great missionary.

I think the Lord really does make up for our weaknesses if we are willing to align our will with His.

This was one of the hymns we sang today, and its message seems to go along with the talk. We may find ourselves in darkness in paths of our own choosing. But, if we will begin to ask Him for guidance, with childlike faith, we will find that He leads us:

Lead, Kindly Light
Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th’encircling gloom,

Lead Thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home,

Lead Thou me on!

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou

Shouldst lead me on;

I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,

Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still

Will lead me on.

O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till

The night is gone,

And with the morn those angel faces smile,

Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path,

Thyself hast trod,

Lead, Saviour, lead me home in childlike faith,

Home to my God.

To rest forever after earthly strife

In the calm light of everlasting life.

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Least in the Kingdom

I’ve read the following scripture many times and wondered why Jesus would speak so highly of John the Baptist and then follow up with what seems like a condemnation:

Luke 8:24-28

24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.

26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Jesus wouldn’t speak ill of the man who so faithfully prepared the way for His coming. There must be an explanation. My first thought is that the “least in the kingdom” is a reference Jesus Christ himself, considering the way he taught the Apostles about being the greatest:

Luke 7:46-48
46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

Another scripture to go along with that line of thinking:

Luke 22:24-27
24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

The other thought was that John was the last of the prophets to testify of the coming of Christ. Now that Jesus had confirmed Himself as the Messiah, John and his disciples would need to be disciples of Christ. Jesus was greater than all the prophets who preceded him.

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Wishing I could speak Italian

If I could speak a new language I think it would be Italian. The movie Life is Beautiful probably influenced some of my thinking. Instead of having it translated, I choose to watch it in Italian with English subtitles. I love how it sounds.

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Love you more

I prefer not to use “Love you more” as a reply to “I Love you”. In my opinion it cheapens the exchange. It takes the focus away from the love you share and makes it a silly competition. Instead of sharing the agreement of mutual affection, a couple is divided by an argument, playful though it may be. I have no evidence that it hurts relationships, but I prefer to send and receive clear, honest messages of love.

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Are ads on a site a reflection of its values?

Judging from the number of posts that get shared on Facebook, Glenn Beck seems pretty popular among my politically active friends and relatives. My political leanings aren’t far from his, and he seems sincere when he is speaking. But there are a few things that keep me from tuning in to his messages. The first is his tendency to put drama before information. For example, he might say he has the inside scoop on something that is very important, but for some reason he is unable to reveal it until after the weekend. The listening audience must wait 3 more days to find out what twisted fate awaits them. I know there is a rationale for this. It’s the type of thing that keeps people listening, so it’s good for advertising. But it also comes at a cost. It makes me trust him a lot less when I am reminded that the show’s main purpose is not to inform the public, but to sell advertising.

I also find the visits to his website disturbing. Much of the time I see ads that to me are offensive, either because the advertising images show women in suggestive clothing, or because many of the images are simply bizarre. Yes, there are many sites with similar advertising, but given Glenn Beck’s political and religious views I would not expect to see that type of advertising on his site. It is hard for me to take him seriously when the advertising on his site sends a message contrary to the ideals he is supposed to promote.

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So many different worlds in this world

There’s so many different worlds,
So many different suns.
And we have just one world,
But we live in different ones.
— Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms

These words are so powerful. They belong to one of my favorite songs, sung by Dire Straits.

As I listen I imagine looking out at the countless planets and stars and I wonder how many inhabited worlds there might be. I then think of the inhabitants of this world and I’m reminded of a saying in Spanish: “Cada cabeza es un mundo”, which means “Every mind is a world”.

Infinite distances can exist between the worlds in these heads though they may be physically close in proximity. I am constantly saddened that there has to be so much misunderstanding and fighting in the world we share.

I think there are double meanings in the song which make the lyrics even more powerful. For example, “so many different suns” could just as easily be rendered “so many different sons”—the brothers in arms who find themselves on both sides of a conflict. And at the same time they are all brothers.

We are fools to make war
On our brothers in arms

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If they come to listen, why do they talk?

Today I attended the All Things Open conference in Raleigh, where a bunch of tech people gathered to hear other people talk about technology. By the time I arrived, the main meeting hall was full so I found my way to an overflow room that had plenty of empty seats.

There was a large video screen up front and the sound was good. I was thinking how nice it was in comparison to the crowded main hall. And then a couple of guys near me started comparing schedules out loud.

They weren’t very loud, but their conversation was constant and distracting. They clearly had no interest in the speaker, and they gave no signs of stopping. I eventually moved to a different seat.

At a later session I experienced the same problem with a different set of people. It isn’t the first time I have made this observation. There are certain people who have no interest in a speaker yet they choose to stay and talk. I wish, if they insist on staying, that they would choose to stay silent.

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And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?

Julius Caesar was a sale item on audible.com and I took the bait. The basic plot was familiar to me, so I must have read the book in high school. But, I really didn’t have an appreciation for the details until I started listening to it. This quote from Cassius stood out for me. It seems as relevant to our day as it must have been to his:

CASSIUS:
And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep.
He were no lion were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws. What trash is Rome,
What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate
So vile a thing as Caesar!

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To be partakers of Christ we must endure

Nobody is perfect, and therein lies the rub. There is no such thing as ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. We all need repentance. We always need repentance because we always fail to measure up to what the Lord has asked us to do. We are that lost sheep that needs the Shepherd. We are that prodigal son. We can choose to live very good lives, but we still require the grace of the Savior to gain a place in the Father’s kingdom. We can choose to stop breaking commandments, and our lives will be better for that decision, but we still need the atoning blood of Jesus Christ to become clean. That is the reason we focus on the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A declaration that Jesus is our Savior is a good start, but Jesus required a lot more than lip service from His disciples. Discipleship is a process. Last night I was reading in Hebrews, and this group of verses impressed me:

Hebrews 3:12-14
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

I thought about the “deceitfulness of sin” that can harden our hearts and tell us that because we can’t be perfect we should stop trying—that as long as we speak kindly of Christ, we can ignore His commandments. We take courage from those who strive daily, as we do, to keep the commandments to the best of our ability, knowing we will stumble, but that He will protect us as we diligently seek Him.

I was reminded of the words of Jesus in John 14:

John 14:15,21,23-24,31
15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

31  But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Jesus often talked about how He kept the commandments of the Father. He very clearly tells his disciples that if they love Him, they must show Him by keeping His commandments. He also gives Himself as an example. He kept the commandments of His father. He also says the commandments are not His, but the commandments of His father. Why would we expect salvation without keeping the commandments of the Father?

I read a quote written in someone’s Bible that said something like, “Grace is not grace if works are required”. This reminded me of an occasion when I spoke with some missionaries (not of my church) in Guatemala who couldn’t accept that God would put conditions on salvation. They laughed at me for thinking He could. It was strange to see how different our thoughts were on this topic. They were preaching the gospel in a country far from home so they obviously felt it was important to do what they were doing, yet they made it sound like service to the Lord was optional—once you are saved, you do what you want as long as you continue to declare that Jesus is your Savior. Perhaps they didn’t think that way, but that is how I perceived their side of the discussion. They seemed to look at me as though I was limiting the grace of God because I believed that salvation was less like flipping a switch, and more like a process or a cultivation that requires energy and effort over time. I do not believe my efforts supersede the grace of God, or that they buy my salvation in some way. But, I believe the Lord requires his disciples to do what He has asked.

Sometimes I see a verse like this that might seem to imply no conditions:

Isaiah 55:1
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Upon further reading I find verses penned by the same author that explain the need to forsake wicked ways and unrighteous thought. When we return to the Lord, He will have mercy on us. If we return to wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts, it follows that we forsake the Lord:

Isaiah 55:2-7
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

It is especially difficult to say Jesus put no conditions on salvation when He so often spoke of those conditions. We can declare His name publicly and still not be doing the will of the Father. Our actions, words, hearts, and thoughts must be humbly directed to do His will, and not our own.

Matthew 7:20-25
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

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Is being real, real?

I read an article that criticized the “Meet the Mormons” movie for being too wholesome and not showing the “real us”.

I wonder what it would take to satisfy some people who seem to think that “being real” is showing everything that could possibly go wrong. When I look for cookie recipes online, I don’t expect to see photos of a kitchen in disarray, with stacks of unwashed mixing bowls and measuring spoons. I expect to see the recipe posted, with a photo of a neat stack of delicious cookies on a plate. It isn’t dishonest to leave the dirty kitchen out. It’s a given that life is messy. The recipe is the important thing, and I want to see an example of it done right. There are plenty of examples of people living the gospel and making the world a better place. Their lives aren’t perfect, but they are trying. They focus on the recipe and the result they want to achieve, not the dirty kitchen. People focusing on the dirty kitchen are missing the point.