The Golden Eagle - April 3, 2019

An Arkie's Faith column from the April 3, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

     The sun is still below the horizon as I walk on the beach listening to the sound of the waves. The moon is full and hanging low on the horizon to the west. The white-silver light of the moon transforms the beach, giving the morning a magical, otherworldly feel. As each wave rolls in from the Pacific Ocean, it rushes over the flat, hard-packed sand of Long Beach. As the water retreats to the ocean, it leaves a glossy mirror-like finish. For a moment, the soft glimmering moonlight shone on the mirrored beach, leaving a pale silver trail. The mirrored finish of the beach was gone too soon, and the next wave rolled in. This wave also left a mirror-like finish that reflected the moonlight. The scene repeated itself over and over as I walked along the beach.

 

     While walking on the beach, I thought about how gorgeous it was. It was hard for me to believe that no one else was there to witness it. For as far as I could see in either direction, no one else was on the beach. Long Beach is the world’s longest beach on a peninsula. It stretches 28 miles along Washington’s southwest coast. One of the most exciting things about Long Beach is that you can drive on it. The beach is an official Washington State highway with a 25-mph speed limit. 

     After my early morning walk on the beach, I returned to my car and started driving back to the condo, where we spent a long weekend at a family reunion. That morning I drove on the beach from the condo to the southernmost point of the beach, Cape Disappointment. The rocky outcroppings of the Cape Disappointment headlands are a natural barrier at the end of the beach. As I was driving back, enjoying the view and the surreal experience of driving on a beach, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Coming up beside me on my right was a large bird. I slowed down to get a better look. I could see that it was an eagle with a tremendous wingspan. Because of its dark brown coloration and large size, I knew that it was a golden eagle.

     The magnificent bird kept pace with me, or maybe I was keeping pace with the eagle. We traveled together down the beach for a long time. Golden Eagles are one of the largest birds in North America, and to be that close to a bird with a seven-foot wingspan is a surreal experience. The eagle commanded my attention, with its spreading wings as broad as they were powerful. It seemed to be intentionally staying right beside my car just a few feet away. Seeing the majestic bird resplendent in the early morning light was a wonderfully captivating experience. The encounter ended when with a mighty burst from its wings, the eagle accelerated upward and was soon soaring high into the air. I watched until I could no longer see the eagle.

     As the eagle disappeared from view, I remembered Isaiah 40:31 (NLT); “those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” The sight of an eagle flying is an impressive sight. Because of these striking birds’ size and the ease and confidence with which they fly, watching an eagle fly always intrigues me. Eagles use the air currents to cover miles of ground with minimum effort. Now and again, a slight movement of their wings is all it takes for the eagle to continue soaring.

     How can an eagle soar to such heights with minimal energy? Eagles have very long, large wings. It takes a lot of energy to flap such large wings. Jon. M. Gerrard and Gary R. Bortolotti are scientists who have spent many hours observing eagles. They wrote: “Eagles are capable of sustained flapping flight, but they usually spend little time doing it. During the month when one of the female eagles was observed intensively, she averaged less than 2 minutes per hour in flapping flight. That is not surprising when one considers the large expenditure of energy required to power the huge wings. The energy needed to maintain a bird in flat soaring or gliding flight is much less, perhaps a 20th or less the power needed for flapping. Therefore, eagles will always choose to soar or glide when possible.”

     That is why eagles often soar on thermals until they reach a great altitude and then use the gliding/soaring method of flying to cover the longest distance using the smallest amount of energy. An eagle makes flying look effortless. When we insist on being in control and doing things in our power, we are like an eagle who doesn’t soar. We quickly tire out and get nowhere. Psalm 46:10 (NASB) says, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” To find strength, we need to put our trust in God. In Philippians 4:13 (NKJV), the Bible tells us, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

     Gentle Reader, spread your wings and soar like an eagle. The only thing that limits you is how much you trust in God. When you trust Him, He has promised you strength. In Philippians 4:19 (NASB), Paul writes, “my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” When you put your trust in Him, God will supply your needs and renew your strength so that you can soar like an eagle.    

The Rest of the Story - March 27, 2019

An Arkie's Faith column from the March 27, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

Hello Americans, this is Paul Harvey. Stand by for NEWS! For many years I tried to arrange my work day so that I could be near the radio when Paul Harvey would start his daily newscast with those familiar words. Paul Harvey had a voice and style that made him seem like a friend was telling you what had happened that day. Over twenty million Americans regularly listened to Paul Harvey each week. One thousand six hundred radio stations carried his broadcast. His voice is one of the most recognizable in the history of radio.

Paul Harvey was an innovator in the news business. He was a pioneer in the blending of news and opinion. He never tried to hide that fact that his “news” broadcasts included his personal opinions and conservative bias. His show was called Paul Harvey News & Comments. While he personalized the radio news with his conservative opinions, he did it in a friendly way with heart-warming tales of average Americans, and folksy observations that made people feel at ease.

In 1945 at the age of 27, Paul Harvey began reporting the news on the Chicago radio station WENR. Soon, his broadcasts were topping the ratings in the greater Chicago area. In November 1950, the station debuted the 15-minute program, Paul Harvey News & Comments. The next year the program was nationally syndicated by the American Broadcasting Company. His distinctive delivery was heard regularly over ABC for almost 60 years, until his death in 2009. He was referred to as the most listened to man in broadcasting.

Early in his career, he began using the tagline, “and now you know the rest of the story” at the end of in-depth stories. On May 10, 1976, Paul Harley premiered a new radio series, The Rest of the Story. The new program consisted of stories presented as little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects with some key element of the story, usually the name of some well-known person, held back until the end. The broadcasts always concluded with the tag line "And now you know the rest of the story."

But the rest of this story isn’t about Paul Harvey. It is about my eight-year-old granddaughter. The other day, while I was at work, the phone rang. When I answered the phone, my granddaughter said, "Papa, do you remember when we went to Colorado last year?" "Yes," I said. She went on, "do you remember when you preached on Friday night?” “Yes,” I answered. “You didn't finish the story. I was wondering what happened to the boy in the story."

Last September, the alumni association of Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado asked me to speak on Friday night of the alumni weekend. My wife and I were graduates of Campion Academy’s Class of 1973. We planned a week-long vacation in Colorado, spending time in Denver, Cedaredge, Leadville, and Loveland before attending the alumni weekend. We invited our granddaughter on the trip.

My wife and granddaughter were in the audience that Friday night when I gave my talk. I had opened and closed my talk with this story. One night a house caught fire, and a young boy was forced onto the roof. A fireman stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to the boy, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As you can imagine, he was afraid to leave the roof. The fireman kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, “I can't see you." The fireman replied, "But I can see you, and that's all that matters."

All these months later, my granddaughter was worried about the boy on the roof. She wondered what happened to him. In my talk, I had left the story open because the boy represents each one of us, and we have to decide what we are going to do.

In Acts Chapter 16, there is a story about Paul and Silas. They had been put in prison for preaching about Jesus. That night there was “a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, ‘Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!’ The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.’ Then he brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” Acts 16:26-30 (NLT) Paul and Silas answered him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”

What must I do to be saved?  I need to believe in Jesus so much that I will trust him and jump into his arms. He can’t save me if I don’t trust him enough to jump. He can’t save me if I am busy trying to save myself. It’s time for us to really believe in the Lord Jesus Christ: Believe enough to surrender our will and jump into his arms. When my granddaughter asked me what happened to the boy in the story, I told her that the boy trusted the fireman and he jumped, so he was saved.

Gentle Reader, each one of us finds ourselves in the same situation as the young boy on the roof.  We will be destroyed unless we do something. If we stay in our current situation, we will be destroyed by fire. The biggest question in our lives is, what must I do to be saved. In the little boy’s situation, the answer was; jump. What is the answer in your life? When your story is finished, what will be - the rest of the story?

Grow Old with Me - March 6, 2019

An Arkie's Faith column from the March 6, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

John sat at the piano in his bedroom. Pressing the record button on his cassette recorder, he started to play. After playing several measures, he began to sing. “Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be. When our time has come, we will be as one. God bless our love. God bless our love.”

John and his wife appreciated the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Browning. One morning, she suggested that he write a song using Robert Browning’s poetry as a stimulus. That afternoon, John was watching TV when an old movie came on about a baseball player. In the film, the baseball player's girlfriend sent him a poem by Robert Browning. The poem was "Rabbi Ben Ezra" which opens with the lines; “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made.”

John was struck by the coincidence and sat down to write. He penned a simple love song with the final verse: “Grow old along with me. Whatever fate decrees. We will see it through, for our love is true. God bless our love. God bless our love.”

John’s simple love song written for his wife, featuring simple themes of religion, romance, and commitment, has become well known even though the only recording he made of the song was a simple cassette recording made in his bedroom that November day in 1980. Grow Old with Me has become a popular wedding song. It is a very romantic song that's not about blinding passion, but about caring and commitment. When I was making a CD album to give to wedding guests at my daughter’s wedding, I included John’s home recording of Grow Old with Me.

John was planning to record Grow Old with Me in the studio for his next album. He envisioned the song as a standard, the kind that they would play in church when a couple gets married, lushly arranged with horns and strings. But John wouldn’t get the chance to record Grow Old with Me in the studio. Less than a month after sitting at the piano in his bedroom and recording his new song on a cassette, John was shot and killed in the archway of his apartment building as he returned home with his wife. His lyrics would not be fulfilled; “Spending our lives together. Man and wife together. World without end.”

John wrote many love songs in the forty years he lived on this earth. Some of my favorite words that he wrote are “Love is real, real is love. Love is feeling, feeling love. Love is wanting to be loved.” Another favorite love poem he wrote includes the lines; “From this moment on I know exactly where my life will go. Seems that all I really was doing was waiting for love.”

We all want to be loved, but not all of us find love. The greatest love poem ever written can be found in the Bible in John 3:16,17 (NKJV) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

What beautiful words. Notice that it is the whole world that God loves, not a single nation, not a single race. Not just the “good” people, not just the people who love God back. “God so loved the world.” He loves the lovable and the unlovable; The popular, and the unpopular; Those who love God, and those who never think of God.

Some people find it hard to accept the fact that God freely gives His love and grace. They want to place limits on God’s love. They prefer to think that God only loves the same people they love and that God despises the same people they despise.

To put it bluntly, these people are wrong. God loves the world, and that includes both those who are just like us and those who are totally different from us. If Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn people, why should we? Jesus came to lift people up, not to put them down. Jesus didn’t come to condemn us; Jesus came to offer us eternal life. We should follow His example.

Pastor Ty Gibson wrote, “I undergo the ultimate shift consciousness when I cease perceiving God as an authority figure who wants control and begin perceiving God as a husbandly figure who wants mutual love. Love alone is the agent God uses to expel sin from the heart.”

In Romans 8:37-39 (NCV), we find these beautiful words. “But in all these things we are completely victorious through God who showed his love for us. Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No matter what circumstance you find yourself in, you will never be separated from the love God has for you. God wants you to know Him personally, and he wants to love you and be loved by you for eternity. God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.” Jeremiah 31:3 (HCSB)

Gentle Reader, Jesus says to you, “I have loved you as the Father has loved me. Now continue in my love.” John 15:9 (ERV) In Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) He tells you; “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And He promises that “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3 (NKJV) It is as if Jesus is saying to us: “Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be. When our time has come. We will be as one. God bless our love.”

Portable Soup - February 27, 2019

An Arkie's Faith column from the February 27, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

The grey January day turned into a wet rainy day. Even though our condo was just a few hundred feet from the Pacific Ocean, the beach was barely visible. The rain came in waves, a blustery rain, driven by the wind. We were spending a long weekend at a family reunion in Long Beach, Washington. What would we do on such a stormy day?

My brothers-in-law and I decided to visit the Lewis and Clark interpretive center at Cape Disappointment State Park a few miles south of Long Beach. The interpretive center features a series of mural-sized timeline panels that take visitors through the westward journey of the Lewis and Clark Expedition using sketches, paintings, photographs, and the words of the expedition members.

As I was taking in the exhibits, I came across one mural panel that caught my attention. On Saturday, September 14, 1805, Sergeant Patrick Gass wrote in his journal: “none of the hunters killed anything except 2 or 3 pheasants; on which, without a miracle it was impossible to feed 30 hungry men and upwards, besides some Indians. So, Capt. Lewis gave out some portable soup, which he had along, to be used in cases of necessity. Some of the men did not relish this soup and agreed to kill a colt; which they immediately did and set about roasting it; and which appeared to me to be good eating.”

What was portable soup, I wondered. Lewis and Clark didn’t take much in the way of food. The expedition was planning to hunt, fish, forage, and trade along the way. Under Provisions and Means of Subsistence, Lewis lists assorted spices, three bushels of salt, and 193 pounds of portable soup. If I wanted to know what portable soup was, I would have to do some research.

I found that portable soup was the 19th century’s version of space food. It was intended for periods of dire dietary emergency. Portable soup, also known as pocket soup or veal glue, had been around since the 1600s. An early recipe from 1694, calls for a leg of veal, boiled, then the broth reduced and cooled until it forms a slab of jelly about the size of a hand. Wrap this in paper to dry, and it will keep many years.

It seems that no one liked to eat portable soup. When Captain James Cook was heading for Australia in 1772, he took 1,000 pounds of portable soup on board the Endeavour. Some sailors, the records show, were flogged for refusing to eat it. It is reasonable to conclude that the soup was unsatisfying and had a disagreeable taste. The portable soup was intended to be combined with hot water, meat, vegetables, and spices to make a passable meal. Captain Cook and Lewis and Clark had none of these things except water.

During this time, portable soup was well known. In Johann David Wyss's 1812 novel The Swiss Family Robinson, portable soup is mentioned several times. The youngest son, Franz, first mistakes it for glue, and then later suggests it be used as a substitute. William Wilberforce, the British politician who worked tirelessly to stop the slave trade, wrote, “Do not curtail too much, portable soup must be diluted before it can be used.”

There is a trend in modern Christianity that seems to equate the gospel with portable soup. It will keep you alive, but it must be diluted and made palatable before people will accept it. But the gospel isn’t portable soup. It isn’t a concentrate. Some people present the gospel as their personal concentrate. They focus on certain aspects of Christianity and neglect the rest, ending up with a bitter tasting “gospel.” Often people distort the Bible for their own purposes, but if you truly reflect on the life of Jesus, you will realize that Christianity is not about hate at all, but rather about love.

In Psalms 34:8 (NRSV) David tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” And He is speaking from experience. In Psalms 119:103 (NKJV) he wrote, “how sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” David loved God’s word and wanted others to try it and see how good it was. Instead of presenting a bitter concentrated “portable soup” version of the gospel, we as Christians need to tell others how much we enjoy what the gospel has done for us.

“Try it; you’ll like it.” That’s what David is urging us to do. He is encouraging us to experience what he has already discovered, God’s salvation. Like a momma who encourages her child to try at least one bite of a new food, he asks us to try it out, to do a quick taste-test. Because when we do, He knows that we will see God’s goodness in ways we can’t begin to imagine.

In 1 Peter 2:1-3 (NLV) Peter wrote, “Put out of your life hate and lying. Do not pretend to be someone you are not. Do not always want something someone else has. Do not say bad things about other people. As new babies want milk, you should want to drink the pure milk which is God’s Word so you will grow up and be saved from the punishment of sin. If you have tasted of the Lord, you know how good He is.”

Gentle Reader, have you tasted of the Lord? Do you know how good he is? If you have, tell others about your experience with God. Tell them what he has done for you. Before he left this earth, Jesus told his disciples, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV) Today he asks us to be his witnesses in Mena, and in all of Arkansas and the United States, and to the ends of the earth. Ask someone today to taste and see that the Lord is good.

Cape Disappointment - February 13, 2019

An Arkie's Faith column from the February 13, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

By the time he met the English merchant Michael Locke, Juan was a was a well-traveled seaman, who had perfected his skill as a pilot in the Spanish navy. His early voyages were to China, the Philippines, and New Spain; modern-day Mexico. In 1592, Juan led an expedition north up the coast of North America. When Juan returned to New Spain, he claimed to have found a passageway from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.

The Viceroy of New Spain repeatedly promised Juan great rewards for his discovery, but he never received them. After two years, Juan traveled to Spain to make his case in person, but he was disappointed. He received no reward. It was during this time that Juan met English merchant Michael Locke. Juan told him the fantastic story of a marine passageway that connected the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Michael Locke convinced Juan to offer his services to Spain's archenemy, England. Juan never worked for England, but it is through Michael Locke’s account that the story of Juan de Fuca is known to us today. Juan’s fantastic story of a marine passageway that connected the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans would be the catalyst for centuries of maritime explorers.

The search for the fabled Northwest Passage inspired explorers to seek out fame, adventure, knowledge, and riches. The empires of Spain and Great Britain were driven by the hopes of finding a naval trade route that would connect Europe to Asia and secure their dominance as an economic power. The story of the Northwest Passage is one of bold explorers and great empires fighting for a distant corner of North America.

Despite the lure of the imagined Northwest Passage, more than 100 years would pass before Spain, or any other nation would attempt such an exploring voyage again. In 1775, Bruno Heceta set out from present-day Puerto Vallarta, looking for Juan de Fuca’s fabled passage. He reached as far north as the west coast of Vancouver Island, then turned back south. On August 15th, Heceta arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River. Heceta thought that this was the passage discovered by Juan de Fuca. Heavy currents made it impossible for him to explore the bay, but he was sure that it was the mouth of a great river. He named it the St. Roc River.

In 1788, English fur trader John Meares was traveling south from Vancouver Island in search of pelts. He had heard about the big bay and surge of fresh water discovered by Bruno Heceta and set out to find it. On July 6th, Meares rounded a headland expecting to find the mouth of the St. Roc River. There he found a bay with treacherous sandbars. Conditions did not allow Meares to tell that the bay was the mouth of a river, so he called it Deception Bay and he named the headland Cape Disappointment, because of his disappointment at not finding the river. Cape Disappointment is now a Washington State Park.

Have you ever been disappointed? Has someone let you down or have circumstances not worked out the way you hoped they would? Have you experienced the truth of Proverbs 13:12 (MSG). “Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick.” We experience disappointment when life doesn’t go according to our plan. The problem with disappointments is that they can color our outlook on life, and can even change the way we see God. Chicago journalist, Sydney J. Harris, wrote, “a cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future.”

Many times, we as Christians allow our disappointments to color our view of God. I know that I have. We start out being disappointed by someone or some circumstance in our life, but when nothing changes, we become disappointed in God.

No one can escape disappointment in this sinful world. No matter how optimistic you are, sooner or later you will end up disappointed. Friends will let you down. Family will let you down. Employers will let you down. Your church will let you down. And when that happens, we often feel that God has let us down.

If disappointment is so inevitable, how do we recover from it? The disappointments we accumulate in a lifetime can stop us from seeing all the goodness God has planned for us. Here is the good news. “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” 1 Corinthians 1:9 (NCV)

Remember that Jesus knew deep disappointment from his days on this earth. His disciples let him down continually. All forsook him, one denied him, and one even betrayed him. He knows the pain and frustration you are experiencing. “We have a high priest who can feel it when we are weak and hurting. We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. But he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15 (NIRV)

Gentle Reader, when life’s disappointments come, the Christian still has a heavenly hope that no amount of earthly disappointment can take away. Paul wrote in Romans 5:2-4 (NCV), “we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory. We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts.” When disappointments come in your life, remember that there will be a time when “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (NKJV)

Sea Lions - February 6, 2019

An Arkie's Faith column from the February 6, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

Sea lions completely covered the docks at the bayfront in Newport, Oregon. Many of the sea lions were trying to sleep while others were barking to show their dominance. Sea Lions can be loud and raucous, or adorably lazy. A small juvenile was swimming in the water near the docks. He kept trying to find a place to haul out of the water onto the docks, but every time larger males kept him from getting on the docks.

He kept trying and trying to find a place to rest on the docks, only to be rebuffed at every turn.  Finally, he was able to haul himself up onto a cable attached between two floating docks. Once he was on the cable, he kept slowly and carefully inching his way onto the attached dock. After a while, he was able to get his front flippers onto the dock. By carefully maneuvering he was able to get most of his body onto a corner of the dock. As he was trying to get enough room to be able to lie down, he drew the ire of a couple of occupants of the dock who slowly moved closer to the edge and forced him back into the water.

The winter sea lion population in Newport has increased tremendously in the last ten years. The sea lions haul out on docks, rocks and anyplace accessible in the water. The wooden sea lion docks on Newport’s Bayfront have provided a haul-out for sea lions for over twenty years. Tourists and locals alike enjoy observing these amusing and interesting animals close up.

As I watched the little sea lion trying to find a place to rest, I felt sorry for him. The rest of the time I spent watching the sea lions, he was never able to find a place to haul out of the water. No one would make room for him. Watching the sea lions on the docks and their interactions with the youngster who wanted to join them reminded me of the way I have seen a lot of people act. Many people feel shut out from society. They don’t seem to be able to get a seat at the table. Sometimes Christians remind me of the sea lions who had a place on the docks. They want to keep certain groups of people from joining them. They won’t associate with them.

Almost every kid has a memory of being excluded. I do. I was the weird kid, the chubby kid. I wasn’t the popular kid. But exclusion doesn’t stop as children grow into adults. People of all ages exclude others from acceptance, love, and affection. But Jesus was different. He went out of his way to extend love where it wasn’t expected; to society’s outcasts. In his ministry, Jesus consistently included the people that religion had left out.

In Luke chapter 15 Jesus tells three stories; the story of the lost sheep, the story of the lost coin and the story of the prodigal son. If we read the first three verses of the chapter, it tells us why Jesus told the stories. “The tax collectors and sinners all came to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain: ‘Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them.’ Then Jesus told them this story.” Luke 15:1-3 (NCV)

In each story Jesus wants us to understand that he loves and cares for everyone. He demonstrated that all people are welcome at the table of God’s kingdom. In Jesus, the outcasts of society have hope. Those that the religious community marginalizes can find Him extending a hand, inviting them back into the community with dignity and affection. When you study the life of Jesus, you see that no one ever opened a wider door of hope and love to the human race.

“Come to me, Jesus said, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) No invitation could be more inclusive, more welcoming. Those who customarily feel shut out are told that they are welcome to come to Jesus. The love of God is inclusive. God’s salvation is offered to everyone no matter what their background is or what they have done in the past.

Henri Nouwen wrote, “For Jesus, there are no countries to be conquered, no ideologies to be imposed, no people to be dominated. There are only children, women and men to be loved.” Paul wrote, “In Christ, there is no difference between Jew and Greek, slave and free person, male and female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 (NCV) The kinds of divisions between people that are normal in human society, should not be found in the church of Jesus Christ. Neither race, nor ethnicity, nor economic status, nor gender, nor any other human distinction should exclude people from the church.

Gentle Reader, if you study the example of Jesus, you will see that he was a champion of the oppressed. His example was one of unconditional love, and He was against all exclusionary practices. He did not follow his society’s exclusions. This was often a surprise to those who were used to being excluded. When Jesus talked to the woman at the well, “the woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, ‘You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’” John 4:9 (NLT) Don’t be like the sea lions keeping others from joining you in your resting place. Be like Jesus, inviting everyone to rest.

Dirty Hands - January 23, 2019

An Arkie's Faith column from the January 23, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

When people meet me, one of the first things that they notice are my hands. My hands are usually stained and look dirty. My job is installing windshields. Most windshields today are bonded to the vehicle with urethane designed specifically for auto glass installation. I use a high viscosity black urethane. Urethane is thick and sticky and bonds to almost anything. If it comes in contact with your hands or your clothes, it is difficult to remove, and it will stain.

When I was fairly new to the business, I was talking to a long time technician and asked him if he had any secrets for removing urethane from his hands. He said, “Point your hand north, then south. Then wait a week, and I promise the stain will be gone. This is the only method that works. I'll recommend it to anyone.” In other words, only time will wear it off. Over the years I have had many people recommend products to me that they were sure would remove the stains from my hands. None of them work.

One day a customer was watching while I was installing his windshield. The urethane that I was using seemed irresistible. He just had to touch it. He got some of the urethane on his hand. He didn't want me to know he had touched it. I noticed he was quietly rubbing on his hand with a shop towel. If you try to wipe urethane off, all it does is smear and make a bigger mess. When I noticed his problem, I offered him some solvent that helps clean the urethane up. He said, “No thanks, I don’t need any.”

As I worked, I noticed him continuing to try to clean up. By this time he had gotten the urethane on both of his hands and had also gotten it on his coat. Urethane doesn't come out of clothes. Finally, after observing his attempts to clean himself up and seeing how big a mess he was making, I just got a shop towel and soaked it in solvent and gave it to him. By trying to clean it up himself, he had made a monumental mess. Have you ever made a big mess of your life by trying to clean things up yourself? I know I have.

As silly as it seems, there are many Christians who have the same attitude as the man in this story. Their hands are dirty and stained with sin, and yet when offered God’s saving grace they say, “no thanks, I don’t need any.” They try and try to clean themselves up. Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 (NKJV), “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Even though the consequences of having hands stained with sin are so clearly stated, some Christians feel that they can clean themselves up by their works. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) tells us that “when we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.” Why would we try to clean ourselves up when Jesus has promised to forgive us and clean us up? Why would we ever think that we would have the ability to make ourselves clean?

King David when he was confronted with his sin by the prophet Nathan admitted that his hands were dirty. In 2 Samuel 12:13 (NLT) the Bible tells us, “Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.’”

After this experience, David wrote the 51st Psalm. In it, he repeatedly talked about God’s cleansing. Verse 2 (NKJV), “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Verse 7 (NIV) “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Verse 10 (NKJV) “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” David knew that he couldn’t clean himself up. He knew that only God could wash him and cleanse him. Only God could create a new heart in him.

When the Bible talks about our heart, it isn’t referring to the muscle that pumps blood through our body. It is referring to someone’s inner, center self which is the most basic part of who they are. And that’s why the heart is important. It’s the truest part of ourselves, which is why the Bible uses language like “from the heart” and “take it to heart” and “with all your heart.” In Matthew 22:37 (NKJV) Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Your heart is the essence of who you are, and David knew that his heart was dirty. He knew that he couldn’t clean it up himself. His plea to God was, “Create in me a clean heart.” He knew that to be able to “love the Lord your God with all your heart,” he would need a new, clean heart.

Gentle Reader, 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can trust God to clean us up. Our job is to admit that we have dirty hands and that we can’t clean them ourselves. Jesus has offered to forgive us of our sin, no matter what it is, and He has promised to clean us up. Let’s take him at his word. We don’t have to have dirty hearts or dirty hands.