Is God's Plan Really Unavailable?

     So I was listening to a Paul Simon song the other day called "Slip Sliding Away".  This particular day I was listening more intensely to the lyrics and something towards the end of the song caught my attention.  Here are the lyrics towards the end:

Whoah God only knows, God makes his plan
The information's unavailable to the mortal man
We're workin' our jobs, collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway, when in fact we're slip sliding away

Paul expresses the fact that people pretty much glide through life thinking that everything is fine and never really contemplating the end.  Paul says that in fact people are just slipping away.  There is some truth to that; we don't get any younger, our bodies begin to fail, we move a little slower.

     What really stuck out to me was his comment that God's "information" is unavailable to the mortal man.  That is incorrect.  God's plan is very much outlined in the Bible and those Words are available to anyone.

     Many people, even Christians, have this idea that if they just ride the fence, stay in neutral, that they can just glide through life without a worry.  Sad thing is, all they have been doing is wasting their lives.  God's plan is for all of his children, that means EVERYONE, to come get to know Him.  To love on each other, to care for each other, to look out for each other, and to share His Plan with everyone.  That my friend means you have to make a choice; stay in neutral or put your life into drive.  

     So what are you waiting for?  Get up, get moving, get to know God and His plan.  Don't let your life just slip slide away.

Chappy 

Remembering To Be Thankful

     Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la...BLAH!  I am beginning to despise Christmas songs.  Why you ask?  Maybe for the simple reason that I begin to hear them right after Halloween!  Isn't that ridiculous?  What makes it worse, we seem to have forgotten a holiday in there.  Oh yeah..........Thanksgiving!

     First of all, how did we lose Thanksgiving?  Oh we celebrate it, we take the time off, see family, but our focus is on Christmas (Don't even get me started about Christmas.)  How is it that our society has turned it's back on Thanksgiving?  Does anyone remember what Thanksgiving is all about?  Remember the pilgrims?  They didn't come to the New World on vacation, they came to live in freedom;  Freedom from persecution of their faith.  They are the founders of our good ol' USA.  You remember the USA right?  Baseball, mom and apple pie?  It was in all the papers.

    So Thanksgiving is not only a time to remember the freedom we have thanks to those people in the funny outfits, but to remember what they were thankful for.  Thankful for what we take for granted here in America.  Look around you, are you thankful for what you have?  Are you thankful for family, a roof over your head, clothes on your body, food on the table?

   Lets put Thanksgiving back on the calendar (It is really still there, just not so noticeable).  This year when you and your loved ones sit around the Thanksgiving bird, remember what Thanksgiving is all about and give Thanks...............to who?.... well who else.........the same person that those people in the funny outfits gave thanks to so many years ago....God.  Let Him know you are grateful for all He has done in your life.  I know I am.

Chappy

Why Doesn't God Answer Prayers?

     First of all I am not going to sit here and tell you I have the exact, definite answer, because I do not.  It has taken me years to understand and come to my own conclusion.  I've been there, wondering why God doesn't answer prayers, as a matter of fact I walked away from God for a long time because I did not understand how he could let children starve to death.

     Let me say this, what happens on this planet has nothing to do with God, it has everything to do with man.  See, at one time we had the privilege of being spoiled by God.  He gave us all we needed, we needed to do nothing but enjoy his company and obey His rules.  Oh yeah, the rules.  That's where it all fell apart.  Mankind broke the rules.  We decided that we knew more than God, or wanted to know more than God, and disobeyed him.  So because of our disobedience we no longer live in a world of God, but in a world of man.  Don't get me wrong, God is still here, He just has given us the freedom to screw up, and boy do we ever.

     Now, where is all this leading?  Why doesn't God answer prayers?  Well He does, but not in the way we would like Him to.  We would like to win the lottery, be free of disease, stop wars, stop crime, have a big house, but we forget.............this is no longer God's world, it is man's world.  I know, I know God made the world yes, but he made it with the intention of us living in it with no sin, but remember.........we screwed that up.  God doesn't want a world full of sin, and really who would?  God works through man's evil to produce good.

How?  

Romans 8:28 (NIV)
²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

God teaches us patience, love, understanding, commitment and more through His word.  When we turn to Him and His word, we find comfort and understanding.  We might not like the answer to our prayer, but there is more than one can imagine.  We are to become strong through adversity:

 Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

     I wrote this blog because I have a friend who just lost someone dear to him from cancer.  Prayers were said, but to no avail.  Right now my friend struggles with why God did not answer the prayers.  I wish I could tell Him, but I don't have an answer, other than we live in a fallen world; a world of disease, war, starvation.......people are going to die horribly and there is nothing we can do about it, but pray.  So why pray, right?  If God isn't going to intervene, why bother?  We pray for strength, we pray for guidance, we pray because we know God still loves us. link     

     Well what about Matthew 21:22?  Good question, and sometimes He does.  We do see miracles, but what about answering every prayer?  My belief is that if God answered every one of man's prayers, we would no longer want to do His will, we would expect Him to do it all.  I know, sounds like an easy answer, but think about it.  What is the Body?  The Body is everyone using their gifts and talents, to make disciples, to spread God's word and love to all those still in darkness, and we do it because we love our God.  Would we still love our God if He did everything for us or would we be the like the Israelites who whined and turned away from Him?  I am getting off track here.......

     OK, So why doesn't God answer all prayers?  My belief, we live in fallen world, where mankind has created a mess that unfortunately we must live in.  Disease, starvation, war are all the doing of man, not God.  It is our mess, we must live in the mess until the time we are called home.  Is it sad when a Christian man or woman suddenly die of a disease like cancer?  Of course it is.  Should we blame God? No.  It isn't His mess.  We should be thanking God for not just leaving us here.  The fact that He sent His son to die for our sins so we could one day stand next to him with new bodies, free of disease, free of starvation and war is something we should be praying about and thanking God for once again, giving us another chance.  Remember my Christian brothers and sisters, this planet is not our home, we are just visitors.

Chappy

    

    

When God's Presence Is Not Obvious

     It was December 4, 1986 that I was involved in a motorcycle accident which resulted in me losing my lower left leg.  At the time I was not walking with God and I truly believed that God did not interfere with the everyday lives of us humans.  My concern at the time was then my wife who was in her seventh month of pregnancy with our first child.  I did not want her to have to take care of a baby and me, so I made it an effort to get up, get walking again so I could be there for her and the baby.  So I did just that, got up and got walking.

   The story could have ended there, but it didn't.  The story lingered on in silence until a time that I could truly understand what happened that night.  My mother tried to give me insight into how God had performed a miracle that night, that He had other plans for me, but I did not listen.  It took many years and attending a retreat for the whole story to be revealed, so I reveal to you the whole story:

   The first two people that came to my side were an off duty paramedic and an off duty nurse.  The nurse with her comforting voice, leaned down telling me everything was going to be alright.  What stuck out was the cross that dangled from her neck directly above me.  The first sign God sent "I am here".  

     My accident happened an equal distance to two major hospitals, St. Marys and University of Arizona Medical Center.  I lay there listening to two sets of paramedics arguing which hospital I was going to go to.  For some reason I blurted out "UAMC!"  One of the paramedics said "You heard him, it's UAMC".   The second sign God speaking through me.  He knew where I needed to go.

      When I arrived at UAMC, the on-duty trama doctor was not there, but in another part of the building.  While he was being paged another trama doctor, who had just stopped by to pick up some files, was present and took a look at me.  Instead of going home, he prepped for surgery.  I was told that my leg was pretty bad, but he was going to try and save the knee.  You see, my lower left left was gone, torn to shreds; no bone, muscle tissue torn away, it was a mess.  The first trama doctor would have just taken a clean cut above the knee and not messed with the other part of the leg.  The second trama doctor had a plan, to take what was left of my leg and create a stump so I could keep my knee.  What was suppose to take only four hours, turned into seven.  In the end, he had created me a stump and saved my knee.  That is a big thing for an amputee.  The knee is your motion, your flex, your mobility.  I could run, ride a bike, walk with almost no problem.  This was God's third sign, a doctor who should have gone home, but did not.

     The story continues with my rehabilitation, and the relationship I developed with the man who built my prosthetic leg.  God was there..........RIGHT there beside me the whole time.  Why you ask?  Just as my mom knew, God had bigger plans for me.  Plans for me to attend Grace Community Church, to give myself to His son, to learn of a small orphanage in Uganda, to travel to that orphanage, to fall in love with the children, to become part of Lahash International and to attend Rockbridge Seminary.

     Yeah, the accident was tragic, and maybe God could have prevented it, but would I be where I am today?  God worked through the accident, a man made accident, to do good; to bring me where I am today.  Some people say God doesn't work miracles anymore.......................

Chappy

Graduation Day

     Graduation Day,  I can remember it like it was yesterday.  Well actually it was 29 years ago this month.  What a special day, how proud my parent were and how I was excited to finally be done with High School.  The only nightmare was, I got food poisoning that night and puked all the way to ROTC Basic Camp at Ft. Knox, Kentucky the next day.  What fond memories.

     My thoughts for today are directed towards the Roswell High School Seniors, who in 11 hours will be walking across the stage at the Wool Bowl receiving their diplomas.  (note: two of those Seniors are my own children and I am very proud of them!)  They will be going through a range of emotions: excitement, fear, nervousness, and even some will be bored (really?).  It will be a day that they never forget.

     The Seniors during their baccalaureate received some awesome inspiring words from three great speakers.  I was impressed at the fact that all three did it in a short amount of time.  No hour long speeches, short and sweet.  Although the words were encouraging, I felt something was left out, so here are my words of wisdom to the graduating class of 2011:

• The world you will enter into, is in total chaos.

     Wow, talk about words of encouragement!  Your walking out of the safety net of your family into a Mad Max movie (anyone remember those movies??).  Let's be honest here, there is a lot of stuff happening in the world today that doesn't make a lot of sense and effects us all in so many different ways.  Listen, yeah it's chaotic out here, but how you approach it is what matters.  You need to approach it knowing there is someone you can call.  No, no...not Ghostbusters.  In Psalm 86:7 it says "In the day of my trouble I will call on You, for you will answer me  ".  Sounds easy huh?  Well in reality it is.  With God on your side, what can't you face?  You just have to remember to put Him first in all you do.  God is your armor, so don't forget to put it on when facing the giants in the world.

• The mess our generation has made, you will have to fix.

     Unfortunately, my generation has not done a very good job at cleaning up our messes.  In fact, we seem to be making more messes.  So if you want a decent world to live in, it's time to step up.  1 Peter 4:10 it says "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to server others faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms  ".  You all have been given gifts that God wants you to use to better mankind.  Don't waste them frivolously, use them to fix the mess and make the world a better place to live in.

     Bummed out now?  I hope not.  I hope that my words have given you a reality check and given you the ambition to move forward in life with a purpose.  There's that word...Purpose.  Did you listen to your baccalaureate speakers?  Each of them used this word several times.  It means that you need to be focused on what impact you plan on making in the world.  Will you do it God's way, or will you do it your way?  I hope that you do it God's way because man...we need it His way.  When we do it our way, we just mess everything up.

     
     Another chapter written and a new one beginning.  We are proud of you; parents, family, friends, teachers and bosses.  There's a big world out there to conquer, but I know with Coyote blood running through your veins, you will achieve the goals you have set and make a mark in the world.  Congratulations Class of 2011.... you did it.

Chappy

When We Celebrate For The Wrong Reasons

     Over the past couple of days the news has flooded us with up-to-date stories about the death of Osama Bin Laden.  While there was a sigh of relief in taking down the top leader of al-Qaeda, there was also much celebration across the country, including those areas, like New York and Pennsylvania,  which were the most effected by the tragedy of 9-11.  People talked of closure, revenge, satisfaction, some even talked of the fear of retaliation.   

     Myself, I was torn in how I felt about the whole situation, worried that Osama's death would have a domino effect, releasing a rage amongst the Islamic nations and also wondering if it was something I should be celebrating.  So I started looking at the situation through the eyes of my Christian beliefs.  Yes, Osama was an enemy of the U.S. and probably was not a big fan of Christianity, but he was also a child of God.  As everyone is a child of God, they have all been given a gift of Jesus death:  

• John 1:29 says "The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!""  
• 1 Timothy 4:10 says "For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers."
• 1 John 2:2 says "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sings; and not for ours only, bur also for those of the whole world"

You see, Jesus died for EVERYONE, not just believers.  Christians are those who have accepted the gift wholeheartedly.  Many reject the gift, and that is their choice.  I cannot sit here and say Osama rejected the gifted, because I honestly don't know if anyone ever presented the Word of God to him.  He was brought up in an Islamic nation, so most likely never exposed, but I don't know that for sure.

    My concern is, as Christians should we be celebrating the death of Osama or should we weep for the fact that another soul was lost?  Although his death may have comfort for many, and I will not deny those people that right, but as for me, I will weep that as Christians we failed.  We have lost another soul to the darkness.

     Martin Luther King Jr said "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even my enemy.  Returning hate for the hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.  Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that"

    So I take the stance that I will not rejoice.  If I am to be the face of Christ, God's light to those lost in darkness, then I choose to be the light.  I hope that those of you who read this will choose that direction too.

Chappy

Voting in Sudan: Prayers for the People

     

      If you do not already know, Sunday January 9th the people of Southern Sudan will go to the voting booths to either vote for reunification with Northern Sudan or vote for independence.  Here in New Mexico, which is a ten hour difference, it will be late Saturday night (around 11pm) for us when the southern Sudanese people make their way to the voting areas.  We are asking for prayers for the people of Southern Sudan and I personally would like to see them independent of the North, whatever the outcome is, that it be peaceful and without conflict.

    You see there are a band of advocates here in the States, I being one of them, that have a vested interest in Southern Sudan.  That interest is the welfare of 100+ children and staff of a children's home called St. Batholomew's.  They live a distance from that imaginary dividing line, but back before 1995 that wasn't the case.  The spot they now call home was once the front line of a war that lasted over 20 years and cost the lives of over four million Sudanese.  The reminders of that war still exist all around them in destroyed villages, hidden mines and bombs and the graves of their loved ones.

     This weekend, we will gather together, small and large groups of us to pray for the safety of the Southern Sudanese people, the safety of the children and staff of St. Batholomew's and the safety of our Christian brothers and sisters.  Join us in asking God, our holy creator to maintain peace in such a troubled land.  Let us not see a repeat of years past.

Day of Prayer For Sudan

Chappy