I’ve decided that I’m not going to take care of myself anymore.

Why? Because it is pointless, I’m going to die anyway.

So why should I waste my time with things like bathing, buckling my seat belt, and eating right (or at all)? It is just a matter of time until my days are up and I pass away.

And that visit to the doctor? What’s the use? Even if he can cure me of my ills, I’ll eventually die anyway.

Same with my medicines, they just postpone the inevitable.

I think I’ll just eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow I die. (I Cor 15:32)

After all, it isn’t like God demands anything more of me, right? He knows I am going to die, He’s the One Who told me in the first place.

Of course, if I should discover that God holds me accountable for the way I live my life, then that sheds a whole new light of the subject.

If I should learn that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, then I would be duty bound to take care of it.

If I were to be convinced that I am not my own, but bought with such a price as the Blood of Christ, then I would take my God-given stewardship of this fragile life very seriously.

Well, alright then.

In light of what the Word of God teaches me about stewardship and personal accountability, I’ll care for God’s property, and treasure this fleeting but precious life. He deserves it.

Oh, and another thing, I’ve decided that I’m not going to take care of the environment and the earth anymore.

It will all be burned up anyway…

 

The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.  Psalm 24:1

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.  Psalm 115:16

 

Christians should be leading the charge for the environment. After all, it is our inheritance being tampered with.

The meek shall inherit the earth…

“Be a man!” they say.

Love to.

Desperately do I desire to be a real man, a good man, a godly, kingly man. There is so much at stake, so many at stake. And my inner heart, my left-over little boy’s heart dreams of and yearns for genuine Manhood.

But I’ve spent my whole life as a fallen human being in a fallen world, so Manhood, like everything else that is pure and good, has become twisted, murky, and out of reach.

Like Paul said, I have the deep abiding desire, but I don’t know how to accomplish it. (Romans 7)

It ain’t easy being a man. It’s almost impossible to even know what constitutes a real man in this world. All we see and hear in our culture are conflicting caricatures of that elusive and endangered creature, the Real Man.

Yet manhood is thrust upon us, ready or not.

So, to whom do we look for an understanding of real manhood? And where do we look for the ability to become that man whom we desire to be?

To the Man’s Man, the Creator of men, the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here are the lyrics to a song I wrote several years ago. The words still ring true for me.

Strong Hand (based on Isaiah 53)

There is a man that I try to be; the kind of a man who you can look up to;
The kind of a man who will always stand tall; now he may stumble but he won’t fall.
And if you should need him, why you just call and he’s right there.

And so I try so hard sometimes to be what I know that I ought to be,
To swallow my fear and take my stand, to fight for the right and to be that man,
But deep down inside I need to hold somebody’s hand,
A strong hand.

I read about a man one time, who lived a life that was just like mine,
Faced the same problems that face me, the only difference is that while I’m weak
He showed the greatest possible strength and he made it through.

And then I read of how he cried, of how he was hurt down deep inside,
He used all his strength just to care for me, embracing my shame and my agony;
He even became my sin for me and that’s how he died.
For me he died.

Sometimes I think that I’ve got it so rough.
Find out I’m weak when I thought I was so tough.
But he poured out his life and he paid God’s price to extend to man
A strong hand.

Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrow and acquainted with grief
Our griefs and our sorrows He has born and we esteemed Him smitten of God.

But He was wounded for our transgressions, and He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord laid upon Him,
The iniquity of us all.

Sometimes I think that I’ve got it so rough,
Find out I’m weak when I thought I was tough.
But He poured out His life and He paid God’s price to extend to man
A strong Hand.

This is that man that I try to be, the kind of Man Who I can look up to,
To give Him my fear and to take His stand,
To fight for His Right and to be His man,
‘Cause deep down inside I know He’s holding onto me,
With a strong Hand

Sometimes we think that we’ve got it so rough,
Find out we’re weak when we thought we were so tough.
But He poured out His life and He paid God’s price to extend to man
A strong Hand.
A strong Hand.

Thank you, Lord, for understanding.

And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a Rock”
-Exodus 33:21

“Look Poppy, I’m a princess!”

Three-year-old Chloe spun in a circle, plastic slippers clacking, red ringlets bouncing, Cinderella smiling from her costume.

“You are a Princess,” I replied, “always!”

Ah, they don’t call them grandchildren for nothing, and it is both our great joy and duty to do all we can to help them live grand lives.

Of course there are overnight stays with “Nana and Poppy”, strategically hidden gifts in our living room, and flagging down the ice cream truck, but there are also opportunities to build on the heritage we began with our children. Our future generations will need a grand heritage, and the Kingdom of God demands it.

Just as we have learned by experience the truth of III John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”, we are also learning the truth of Proverbs 17:6, “Children’s children are the crown of old men”.

Crown me

God says grandchildren are our crowning achievement.

Why? Because they are the living manifestation of all we are and have accomplished, and represent the best that we have successfully instilled in our children.

When our children were born, we were “newborn parents”, with no experience at all. But we worked hard at it, following the Bible as well as we could. Fortunately, our children survived all the “trial and error”, and turned out pretty good. Each Sunday I attend church with four generations: my mother-in-law, wife, all our children, and both grandchildren. So I am truly blessed to see that our children are raising our grandchildren the way we raised them.

I suppose you could say that our children have acted as a filter, sorting through everything we said and did, and keeping the good stuff. So when I hear my wife’s wise words come out of my daughter’s mouth, directed at my granddaughter, I know we did something right, something worth passing to the next generation, something on which to build a godly heritage.

And I am crowned.

Passing down the Blessing

But wisdom isn’t the only thing that can be passed down. God promises that the blessings He gives us in our lives will echo through future generations.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.

- Psalm 103:17

When my father returned from serving in World War II, he made a conscious decision to be a Christian man, and to have a Christian home. Since I was prayed for and dedicated to the Lord before I was ever conceived, it is no wonder that this year I will celebrate twenty-five years in the Gospel ministry. Neither is it a coincidence that my children all know Christ as Savior, are active in their Church, and are raising my grandchildren in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

My parents sowed seeds of faithfulness over fifty years ago, and the harvest of blessing continues to this day. Such is the faithfulness of God, and the power of His Word.

Leaving an Inheritance

Proverbs 13:22 says in part, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children.”

What will I leave behind for those who mean the most to me? Will it be trifles and trinkets for them to squabble over? God forbid.

Each passing year brings a more intense desire to build a worthwhile legacy, a life of God’s blessing for my progeny, to the third and fourth generations, and beyond.

But what exactly would I instill in them? What would such a broad blessing look like?

First: “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart…” Deuteronomy, Matthew, Mark, and Luke

If my descendants learn to love God above all, everything else will fall into place.

Second: “…Jesus Christ, …prince of the kings of the earth …hath made us kings” Revelation 1:5-6

In my family we are all of humble birth, but we are all of noble re-birth. Our Father is High King of Heaven, and that makes nobility and godliness our family tradition. We can be normal, average, even regular, but we cannot be ordinary. The very blood that runs through our spiritual veins demands that we live lives that are nothing short of extraordinary. Our family tree is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and this is what must give meaning and purpose to the lives of our future generations, just as it has our own.

How?

So what will Nana and Poppy do?

• We will pray for them. God has already proven His faithfulness to answer.
• We will teach them. At every opportunity we will try to take them beyond mere morality, and instill in their hearts and minds a love for God and nobility of character.
• We will model these ideals before them. Like they say, “there’s usually more caught than taught”.
• We will use our God-given influence with them to keep them going in the right direction. (If it requires ice cream, so be it.)
• We will tell and retell our old family stories from a Christian perspective. Children love to hear those tales because they gain a sense of identity and heritage from them. They need to know that our identity and heritage is all wrapped up in Jesus Christ.
• We will support our children in their parenting. If we want our grandchildren to respect their parents, we must do the same.
• We will treat our children and grandchildren as Nobility. If all this is true, if it is real, then we will act like it. They will receive the honor, respect and the responsibilities that are due to children of the King.
• We will live in faith. God has promised that He Himself will be our family inheritance.

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. Psalm 16:5-6

Thank God for grandchildren and the joy they bring. May He make us wise and godly grandparents.

“Look Poppy, I’m a princess!”

Sweet Chloe, you are that and more. You are my living legacy, and my Crown.

The…elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

- Revelation 4:10-11

Weighed in the balance.

Daniel 5:27 “…Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.�

Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

Good works vs. bad works.

If my life contains more good than bad, I should go to heaven, right?

After all, how could a loving God send anyone to hell, especially those who are fundamentally good people?

How could he condemn His own creation for all eternity just for a few indiscretions, some white lies, some errors in judgment, some honest mistakes?

The problem, as is so often the case, is that we humans tend to think in generalities, and in partial segments, instead of thinking things through to the final conclusion.

Case in point. I know some good people who, according to the Bible, are headed for hell. How can this be so? How does this make sense?

Fortunately, matters become clearer when generalities are replaced with specifics. So instead of talking to “good vs. bad�, let’s talk about real events.

What about telling the truth vs. lying? If I tell the truth one hundred times, and only lie once, do the truths outweigh the lie? Am I “in�?

What about stealing? If I return stolen goods for others, and even suffer having my own goods stolen from me for one hundred times, then is it okay if I steal just a few times? What if I steal only ten percent of the value of what has been stolen from me? Am I 90% righteous? Am I “in�?

If I am a lifeguard, and I save one hundred lives, am I entitled to murder a few?

If I am a child advocate, a police detective, and I put away dozens of child molesters, returning abused children to a safe and nurturing environment, then is it all right if I molest only one or two?

Or would public outrage be the more severe because the person who was supposed to be the good guy turned out to be a bad guy?

But how could he be judged to be a bad guy by man, when his good works outweigh his bad?

Because God has written His law in the hearts of man, giving us a moral compass based on His own character, whether we acknowledge Him or not.

Romans 2:14-15 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: [15] Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;

Apart from the nebulous “good vs. bad�, we understand plainly that it only takes one murder to make you a murderer, only one theft to make you a thief, only one lie to make you a liar, only one sin to make you a sinner.

We also know by our own public outcries against injustice that sin must be punished.

So why are we so resistant to the idea that all sin is punishable?

Because we know we are all guilty.

When presenting the “Romans Road� to salvation, I often begin with Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;� Never have I had anyone refuse the notion that they were a sinner, and were incapable on their own to measure up to God’s standard for heaven; perfection.

But who wants to be guilty? Who wants to admit to themselves that they deserve to go to hell? Our human pride and sense of self-preservation fight against the very notion of it. After all, I’m not a bad person.

So are we graded on the curve? If so, who determines it?

Is there a tipping point between the good and bad? If so, who determines it?

Can I determine the standards for my own judgment? If so, I am golden.

1 Corinthians. 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.�

Yet we know in our heart that for mankind, justice must be served. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

So a Judge is needed, one who is beyond the realm of failure, beyond the “bad�, and who has the perfect understanding and ability to judge rightly, impartially, and perfectly.

We need Holy God to judge us- all of us.

So what of the believer who has named Christ as Savior? When we are weighed in God’s holy balances, do the good deeds of Christ outweigh our own bad deeds?

Thank God, no.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, [10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Because of the cross, because of His blood, because when He cried, “It is finished�, He meant it, the “bad� side of God’s holy scales is empty.

Dear Believer, by the finished work of your Lord Jesus Christ, you are weighed in the balances, and found Perfect.

Thank God for His indescribable gift.

I wrote this poem for the love of my life, the greatest soul I have ever met, my Wife, Evelyn Marie. She is my “Ismeral”, and this is my love song to her. (included in “The Glove of Rhonan”)

All my love.

Ismeral Bohnhi (Evelyn Marie)

I will sing of my love, my Ismeral Bohnhi,
With light in her eyes, lips sweet as honey.

Bloom on her cheek, shoulder as silk,
Temples of jewels, teeth white as milk.

To tell you of Sun, Moon, and Stars in the skies,
I will tell you of Ismeral with light in her eyes.

The Islands her anklet, the Forests her gown,
The Mountains her throne, the Heavens her crown.

The Deep for her Wisdom, Four Winds for her Breath,
Her smile is life, her scorn is death.

Clothed in Royal Gardens, perfumed with rare spice,
Is Ismeral, fair Ismeral with Light in her eyes.

A shake of her Head, her hair tumbles down,
Her tresses enslave me, chain me to her Crown.

With tenderest Bosom she soothes the Child,
With fiery passion she sets free the Wild.

The Song of her laughter, the brush of her hand,
And I am King, I am Conqueror, no mortal Man.

What worth have I to be double born, triple blest,
Crowned by her Vows, healed with her caress?

To feast at her Table, to drink from her Fountains,
Entitled to Seas, to Heavens and Mountains,

That the Light in her eyes should shine there for me,
With Heaven’s kiss from the lips of Ismeral Bohnhi!

Her strength empowers, her beauty refines,
She nurtures the common, bestows the Divine.

In her Earth meets Heaven, the Unseen the Seen,
She is Time and Eternity, Life, Wife, and Queen.

I am more than I was, less than I shall be,
Lifted by love of Ismeral Bohnhi.

So I sing of Ismeral with Light in her eyes,
Speak freely of Sun, Moon, and Stars in the skies.

Drunk with her love, quickened by her grace,
Invincible by her Hand, held captive by her face.

Rejoice blanded world, Enlightened now we see,
Lent to us Heaven’s Life and Love, Ismeral Bohnhi.

I am more than I was, less than I shall be, lifted by love of Evelyn Marie.