The Thrill (er) is Gone...

No offense to B.B. King, but the title came to me the very afternoon I heard the news.

Like you, I was surprised to hear of the death of Michael Jackson on Thursday, 25 June 2009. Surprised, but not shocked, however.

But his death has me pondering things again. I am thinking about what can be learned from his death and his life. Like Anna Nicole Smith, there are life lessons for all of us to consider. Here are 3.5 statements so far…

1. SUCCESS WITHOUT CHARACTER IS A FAST TRACK FOR DISASTER. We see it in professional sports players and we see it in icons like Jackson. To have great success without a moral compass will always lead to self – destruction. Choices are made daily about one’s time, talents, and treasure. Without discretion, his choices led to being charged for sexual misconduct, various lawsuits, and drug abuse. That’s a prescription for disaster.
2. COMFORTS WITHOUT CONTENTMENT LEADS TO GREED. Jackson had comforts of this world few of us will ever experience. Yet without contentment, those comforts will leave a person empty. Contentment is being satisfied with what one has. A key idea here is learning to give thanks for what one has. Michael didn’t seem content in his own skin. A lack of contentment (greed) then leads to our next point!
3. ACCESSIBILITY WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY IS A DOWNWARD SPIRAL. Wealth warps our thinking. It gives us the illusion that we can buy our will, making us think we are little gods. Wealth can even buy the will of others, even others who should be holding us accountable. When this occurs, we continue the downward spiral. This behavior and lifestyle dips further and further down that spiral and sadly leads to self – destruction. We all need friends in our lives who will tell us when our values are compromised; when our decisions are off base; and when our mindset is destructive.
3.5. ETERNAL HOPE IS NECESSARY TO LIVE TODAY. I learned working in hospice that apart from facing my mortality, I’ll never be able to serve the patients and families. I cannot judge, if Michael Jackson had eternal hope, but I can say anyone who only finds hope in this world, is living an empty life. Their days are filled with events and people just to fill the void that is screaming inside of them. As a mentor once told me, “you cannot begin to live until you’re ready to die.” Eternal hope can only come from one who overcame the grave. The only person in history who has done this is Jesus Christ. I’ll say more about this below.

With all that said, I have to include one verse of The Thrill Is Gone. Somehow, I cannot help but think if this might have been the way Jackson felt all his life…

The thrill is gone
It's gone away from me
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
Although I'll still live on
But so lonely I'll be

Here’s an epitaph. You’re still here. You’re still alive. It’s never to late to do the right thing. Take that first step today and begin enjoying a new life. How, you ask?

First, please understand God loves you. He created you and knows you better than you or anyone else knows you. He created us for success. Not successes as some define, but success as in fulfilling the role he has designed for you.

Second, please also understand our greed led to our walking away from God. Many people think God is distant from them. That may be true, but it’s not because he walked away from us. Like a child who runs from his/her mom in the store, we have run away from God. Now that we’re lost, we easily blame God for “abandoning” us.

Third, realize God holds us accountable for our actions. While God will do this, he also provided a way for us to be released from these consequences. He calls it forgiveness. God forgives, not based upon what we do, but based upon what Jesus Christ has done for us. Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking on the consequences in our stead, so we would not have to. Then he overcame death by rising from the grave three days later. Our responsibility is to turn from running away and turn towards God, believing Jesus Christ took on our consequences. But it’s our choice. If we run away from him, he’ll let us. But if we run to him, he’ll embrace us.

Fourth, by accepting and believing in Jesus Christ, you will experience hope that will not only give you assurance for eternity, but will give you peace to live today.

Rome Is Burning

When Nero wanted to build more in Rome, he incinerated the city in July of A.D 64. He did so, because the current infrastructure of Rome became a barrier to him. Interestingly, our current President is using similar tactics to push through his socialistic agenda. Does he view our free market, capitalistic society as a barrier?

While President Obama has not torched any city, per se, he has ignited an inferno that will not be easily contained. What do I mean by this? Simple: The Obama administration, like Nero, has decided they don’t like the way America has done business. Nero didn’t like the obstacles standing in his way either, so he burned them. Obama is burning them with government buyouts, bailouts, and outright bullying.

Case in point, when GM was asking for bailout money, President Obama went on the record and demanded the immediate firing of then, Executive Director of GM, Erskine Bowles. Amazingly, Bowles offered his resignation without a fight. Recently, his administration coerced the investors of Chrysler to take pennies on the dollar in lieu of allowing the legal procedures of bankruptcy to occur.

Another example is how this administration is apologizing for everything we’ve done since 1776! I exaggerate, of course, but the point is this man cannot tolerate any form of conservative viewpoint, but embraces the likes of banana republic dictators of Hugo Chavez. This communicates to our fellow citizens that values are not necessary to be a good leader, only popularity. He mocks our military and our need for aggressive action against Fascist - Terrorists who wouldn’t think twice of beheading innocent lives, let alone destroy our way of life. This administration’s foreign policy is communicating an attitude of acquiescence, which will leave us unprepared for the next terrorist attack. Evil must be resisted, not entertained.

Obama is also burning our country by demonizing our health care system. While the world comes here for careful and advanced health care, this administration is systematically using false statistics (46 million people) to say our health care system is bad. For a careful examination of these false statistics, please see American Spectator’s article – The Myth of the 46 Million at http://spectator.org/archives/2009/03/20/the-myth-of-the-46-million. Right now in congress, the Democratic leadership is meeting behind closed doors, discussing and planning Obama’s healthcare plan. Question: why are we not hearing any details from this plan? With the number of sources in Washington, surely, someone knows something about this health plan who could inform the press of details of this plan. Speaking of the Press, why are they not demanding answers about these “behind closed door meetings?” Isn’t that why we have the 1st Amendment?

The Obama administration does not like free market capitalism as well. Case in point is the manner in which Wall Street has been demonized through the media coverage of Bernard Madoff. While this man deserves his jail sentence, the way in which the media and this administration held him up as why capitalism is bad is a misrepresentation. Free Market Capitalism with values produces a greater economy than the socialist agenda this administration is beginning to build. All one has to do is compare the GDP of any democratic Socialistic government in Europe to the GDP of America over the last 50 years. There is no comparison. Again, Obama burns “capitalism” to create a new economy called “socialism.” For an animated presentation of why this administration’s proposals will not work, please go to this site before it is “mysteriously removed:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6p5QPVhPI

By nationalizing our financial system, Obama is igniting our banking system. While few realize this, the banking system was forced to give out mortgages to folks who could not afford the loans. Barney Frank and Chris Dodd who led Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are culprits in this fiasco. Do you think they’ll be held accountable? No, President Obama, instead, takes over the banks and shames them.

Finally, Obama is using his religion to promote his cause. Prior to Obama winning the nomination for the Democratic Party, Rev. Wright’s church had a website. On the last page of that website were their doctrinal beliefs. One of those beliefs was economic parity. For those who need a lesson in liberation theology, that is nothing short of leveling the ground when it comes to economics – taking away from the rich and giving it to the poor. In short, this is socialism. I know, I know, someone will object, you can’t prove this now. I cannot prove the website actually existed, but I can prove Obama believes this tenant – just watch his actions. Being from the party which raked President Bush over the coals for carrying his religion on his sleeve, it seems to me this is another double – standard.

President Obama despises the way of life that has sustained America for over 250 years. He scoffs at capitalism and the way of life we have enjoyed. He mocks our military by apologizing to all Europe for our country’s behavior over the last eight years and beyond. He ridicules our financial systems which were forced to give loans to people who shouldn’t have received them in the first place. In addition, President Obama takes his religion into his oval office. In a word, President Obama is a SCORNER! King Solomon, the wisest leader once said…

“Scorners set a city aflame…”– Proverbs 29:8

Rome is burning. The question is: Will we fight the fire?

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A FAMILY AFFAIR

I was on call and was paged to a family in distress. It seems their father, who is rapidly declining, has caused some anxiety amongst the family members.

As I entered the home of this very nice family, I was greeted by several members. The one daughter, “Alice,” who is also a nurse, was the power of attorney for the father. Her nerves were absolutely shot. She had been up several hours with her father and the family had placed much of the care-giving on her, because she was a nurse. The thing is, if they would have been open to some simple training from a hospice nurse and staff, they could have helped out immensely. It doesn’t take a nurse to care for a loved one in their home.

As I began to speak more in detail with Alice, I realized there was a dramatic rift in the family with one of the siblings. Turns out he has a very rebellious past and he is now living at home with the parents. However, the siblings do not think much of him. In fact, the parents are struggling with him as well. However, instead of dealing with the problem at hand, the family just side – steps it, but the problem doesn’t go away.

Now, the father has told Alice to take care of this sibling and get him out of the house after he (the father) dies. I know, I know, it’s unbelievable, someone is now adding even more stress to this poor daughter.

As I was still speaking with the daughter, she asked for prayers for her father; to allow God to take him to heaven. I found it interesting the daughter was asking for this, but I see that often when a family member realizes to hold onto their loved one is only selfish, but to surrender and allow God to take them home is the best thing for their dying relative. As she shared her burden for her father, we prayed for God to be merciful and to take her dad home to Himself. It was one of the pivotal moments with this family.

I moved around the house to visit with the other family members. Di d I mention there were seven children and five were present with their spouses and children. It was an 1100 square foot home with more than a dozen people in it. Needless to say at every turn, I bumped into someone. You never know how people are going to respond to you until you arrive and usually you can grasp their attitude very quickly. As I mentioned, this was a very nice family and they received me, warmly. I was grateful to God for that.

Then, as I was walking outside to get some fresh air, I noticed there was one gentleman sitting by himself. I thought he wanted to be alone, so I allowed him to maintain his solitude. It was then he said, “Pastor, can I talk to you.?” I said, “sure.”

Turns out, this is the son which everyone has essentially ostracized. His name was “Richard.” At first, I have to admit, I my opinion of the man was somewhat tainted by what his sister and what other family members had said about him. But the Lord reminded me to keep an open mind. He spoke to me for about an hour, weeping and sharing with me how his life was what the family had said about him. But then he also told me how he recently was saved through Jesus Christ and now wanted to get his life going again. He shared how he knows his family doesn’t like him and how they are going to kick him out of the home after his father dies. But he told me, “Pastor, I know God has changed me, and I just want my family to forgive me and accept me like they accept one another.”

Well, I need to tell you, tears were welling up in my eyes for this man as well. We prayed together and hugged each other, knowing this was going to be an uphill battle.

I returned to the daughter who is a nurse and the prime – caregiver for the father. I mentioned to her about the conversation I had with her brother and did so with his permission. I mentioned to her the greatest gift you can give your mother and your father is to restore your brother into the family once again.

(I need to say this as well. I was treading lightly here, because the last thing you want to do as an outsider is to get in the middle of a family feud. But I knew I was sent by God to be here and this wasn’t an accident.)

I continued to speak to Alice and some of the other siblings now, pleading with them to consider reconciliation. After some time with them and with Richard, individually, they assured me they would talk things through. We prayed again and they thanked me for coming to their home. I thanked them for inviting me into their home, but more importantly, their lives.

Keep praying for Richard and Alice as well as the other five siblings. Pray for reconciliation and for that reconciliation to be a permanent process, not just a transitory thing.

We thank you for your prayers and covet them for this ministry. Without your partnership in prayer and the grace God provides, we would be powerless to face situations such as this. We really mean it, when we say, God bless you!

"RE - PARENTED"

I hate to be so late in notifying you that a couple weeks ago, March 12th, was National Napping Day. Maybe that’s the reason why I’ve been delayed in sending out this newsletter – I was napping.

Speaking of being notified of events late, I was meeting with a woman this past month. She was going through severe pain with her illness. Other chaplains had met with her during the week and I was asked to meet and pray with her over the weekend.

We initially had difficulty connecting, because every time I attempted to see her another staff member was in her room.

Finally, we were able to meet uninterrupted. She mentioned to me about her faith and how she gave her life to Christ some years ago. She also detailed to me her life growing up as a child in a very demanding and often harsh home. She always felt as if she never measured up to her father’s expectations. She became visibly upset and emotional when she shared all this with me. ( I need to tell you, when people share things like this, it’s an honor that they would open up to just a simple person like me – wow).

As I listened to her, it became clear she was projecting her ill feelings she had with her biological father now towards her heavenly Father – God. She even told me she has a hard time trusting God and she even connected it to her fragmented relationship with her earthly father. Now that’s something. Most people cannot see this, especially when they are in the midst of it. That told me she had been processing this for some time.

I asked her if she remembered the account of Jesus and the woman at the well? She immediately replied, “Oh, I love that woman. She reminds me so much of me.”

I asked her, do you remember what Jesus said to her? She paused for several moments and said, “Well, not the details.” She added, “What did He say to her?”

I shared with her how the woman had had five husbands and the fellow she was living with now was not her husband. She said, “That’s right.” Then, I told her what Jesus said to her.

22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
23"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
24"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

I added, that I heard a Bible teacher once speak on these verses and with the background of the woman and all her broken relationships, Jesus was telling her that you need to be “reparented” by God – (Scream)

My friend in the hospital bed had verbalized her hurt through a scream so loud I thought the staff was going to run into the room looking to haul me away.

She said, “That’s it!” I need to be “raparented” by my heavenly Father, so I can remove the old memories of my past.

I’m telling you, it was like the curtain pulled back and the scene was before her eyes. She saw her heavenly Father, not as the ogre that she had filtered him to be, but as a loving God and Father, who wanted her to experience His love. She wept.

We prayed and she had such a joy in her eyes and on her face. Her chronic pain she was experiencing earlier had left as well. Our Father met her at that moment. She embraced her heavenly Father for the first time without that baggage.

Yes it may have been a late notification for this dear woman, but a notification well worth it.

Praise the Lord and pass the Kleenex! It was amazing!

The Need Of The Hour

While I had every intention of writing to you about another encounter with our Great Physician while making rounds, I felt compelled to write to you about the matter of the hour.

Prayer is essential for the hour our country finds herself in. And with the election around the corner, we are called to pray for those in leadership (1st Timothy 2:1ff). But we are also called to pray in two key ways for others within our community. Stay with me through this article.

Evidently, the Ephesian Church Timothy was pasturing had lost its fervor to pray for the lost as well as others. Paul reminds them to pick up that mantle and pray. But how?

They were to pray with “entreaties.” The word is understood to mean “to lack” or “to be deprived.” Since the lost are deprived of salvation, the Ephesian believers were to asking God to meet that need for the lost. For us, the goal is the same – to ask our Lord of the Harvest to meet the need of salvation to those without – to the one who is deprived. While many are promising to provide subsidies to those “deprived,” we have an eternal message of hope, forgiveness, peace, joy, and love to those deprived of such. This can only be met through the wonderful work of Jesus Christ, changing lives one heart at a time. This work can also contain our partnership as we “entreat” on behalf of those deprived of salvation.

The Ephesian church was also to offer “petitions.” This word has the idea of knowing someone’s difficulties so well, that you are intimate with those difficulties. The same word is used in Romans 8:26, where the Spirit intercedes on our behalf when words just don’t come. The goal of petitions for the Ephesian church was to be able to know the pain and misery of those apart from Jesus Christ, so as to be able to pray more knowledgeably for them and also to entreat on their behalf, so they become children of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For us today, petitions come the same way. In order for us to petition God on behalf of the lost, we must know the lost. That means to get out of my comfort zone and dig into the life of one lost person at work; on my street; in my classroom; or at my favorite grocery store. Just like the Ephesian church lost her vision for prayer, I believe today’s church’ vision has been blocked. That’s why the need for the hour is prayer.

What are some practical steps to take this off the page and into my schedule? Here’s a couple of ideas:

How am I “entreating” for the lost in my neighborhood? School? Work? Local merchant?
Who is that person?
What are their likes/dislikes?
What is their past experiences with church or religion?
What is their family like?
What needs do they have in their life right now?
How can I meet one of those needs to show the love and person of Jesus Christ to them

How am I "petitioning" for them?
What gives them the greatest joy?
What causes them pain?
What pain from the past is holding them back in their lives?
How do they deal with pain from the past? Present?
How can I pray for Jesus to meet them at their point of pain and begin to heal them?

I mentioned earlier, the need of the hour is prayer. It was the need of the hour in the Ephesian church and it is the need of the hour now in today’s church. No matter if you live on the East/West Coast, North, South, or Midwest, the need, beloved is prayer.

An Oppportunity from Tragedy

The week I was preparing to leave for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, I received a voicemail from a very good friend. It’s one of those messages you don’t expect.

This is a picture of what our grief is like - a tangled ball of emotions. If you are grieving now, this tool may be helpful in identifying how you are feeling; then acknowledging that feeling, so God can help you through it.

What my friend told me was their son died the night before while he was working. The details really don’t matter. Like you would be, I was shocked. In fact, I was so shocked, I had to call my friend to confirm what I thought I heard.

While it was definitely a Medical Examiner’s case, we had to wait for them to give us an approximate day for the funeral. It just so happened it was the day after my parents’ 50th anniversary party. That was not an accident by any stretch of one’s imagination.

As I was adjusting my plans to return earlier from the trip back east, my heart remained in shock over Todd’s death. I just couldn’t believe it.

The 50th anniversary went well with my family. My parents enjoyed having all five kids return home to be with them. I’m the only one who lives out of state. My siblings had their children with them, and Kelly and our children remained in Arizona.

Then Sunday came. My plane arrived earlier in Phoenix than expected, allowing me to get to the Funeral Home in time to do Todd’s funeral.

The service went well. I was able to present the gospel in a clear manner to many people who have not been exposed to the gospel in some time, maybe ever. The most powerful part of the service was when Todd’s step – father and my friend, Shannon, spoke. It was clear the Lord was using him to speak to Todd’s friends.

During Shannon’s eulogy, he mentioned that Todd had not only received Christ some years ago, but also that Todd had shown a renewed interest in studying the Bible. So, Todd, Shannon and Helen (Todd’s Mom) began a Bible Study.

A few days after Todd’s funeral, Shannon called to inform me how many of Todd’s friends had begun to call him, telling him they were interested in being in a Bible study with he and Helen.

Wow, we were praying for God to make an impact in the lives of the men Todd knew. Here it was – a clear answer from our heavenly Father – hearing from them their desire to join Shannon and Helen in a Bible Study.

Shannon and Helen are now contemplating if the Lord wants them to work with men caught up in the gay lifestyle. It sure seems like there is an open door here.

Pray for Shannon and Helen as they take a step of faith, following the Great Physician not only with their grief, but with the joy of leading a Bible study with these men.

P.S. If you are currently struggling with grief (loss of a loved one, friend, co-worker, even a job loss or other loss, please get in contact with a faith community near you. If you would like us to contact you, please email us. It would be an honor to serve you.