The Spirit of Lawlessness

As a fisherman, I am astounded by the myriad of laws that are made just to preserve the fisheries. Well, until I see people in action. I think there is more cheating in fishing than any other sport. People say things like, “It won’t matter if I take an underside one. There are lots to go around. It’s only one. How can that hurt?” Oddly enough, there are usually very good reasons for the laws we have. Most laws have the goal of preserving the things we have for future generations. Some seem to just be there to help people from being stupid. Then there’s a few that just seem to be about control. But let’s not get political, shall we?

Years ago when I lived in Sothern California, I would always be there for the opening of lobster season. At 11:45 pm every March on the first Wednesday after the full moon, we would set up on the pier and throw out our hoop nets At midnight the nets could begin to be brought up. All lobsters had to be checked with a gauge, and any undersized ones returned to the ocean. The ones that were only 1/8” short were the hardest to release. So much so, that I finally asked one of the Fish & Game officers why there was a minimum size. He explained that this was to make sure that that lobster was assured at least one year of maturity in order to reproduce. Ah, so its’s to conserve the fishery. One the group on the pier heard that, it made it much easier to return the little guys. (They started calling me the “teacher” after that)

So what’s up with humans and their resistance to laws? I think it’s because none of us like to be told what to do. In fact I would submit that it is hard wired into us from birth, that and selfishness. Probably the two most repeated lines from children are “Mine!” And “Don’t tell me what to do!” Like selfishness, it comes standard in the normal human condition. There seems to be a pervasive idea that says, “Since it’s not hurting anyone else, what’s the big deal?” We cannot be sure no one else has or will be hurt until they are. Instead, we need to be Human 2.0, the “New Creation”. God calls us to obedience.

Whenever you come across a law that you don’t understand (or don’t like) try this.

1. Find out why the law is there in the first place?

2. Think about what caused it to be created and what would happen if it were not there.

3. If you think the law is unjust or meant to just control, there is a process for that. It might be time to contact those you have elected…

Hebrews 13:17 says, Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

What Is Your Niche?

When I was in Bible College, we would often get asked what our “life verse” was. In retrospect it was really kind of silly, nay, almost pointless. People would scour the Bible for that “perfect verse” that would define then, set them apart. Proverbs 3:5-6 was one of the most used. Ya, like you could put a whole life into one verse. Even Jesus needed two commandments to sum it all up. We’re gonna need a lot more Scripture than that.  

Enter, my friend Jim. He would unceremoniously volunteer his life verse to anyone who ask. It was 1 Chronicles 26:18, “At Parbar westward, four at the causeway and two at Parbar” (KJV). Now that’s a show stopper! Incidentally, It is often touted as one of the most obscure verses in Scripture. It is found in the middle of the area designations for the porters (gatekeepers) during King David’s reign. No one seems to know what or where Parbar refers to. It is often translated “court” in other translations like the NIV.

So what’s the big deal? Why is it even there? It shows us the importance of the individual. Each porter had a place and a certain job to do. On the surface it doesn’t seem like much. Well, that’s until someone doesn’t do their given job. Then it could be catastrophic. In war, just one weak spot could spell disaster.

In Biology we talk about habitats and niches. A habitat is where an organism lives. It could be in a tree, down a hole, under a rock, or even in the water. For the Christian, habitat is merely a location. Our Great Commission is valid anywhere we go. It’s our niche that is vitally important. A niche is basically our job or jobs in our habitat. You can even fulfil several niches concurrently. I am a father, a grandfather, a son, a brother, a husband and a teacher all at the same time. The important thing is that I do the best job I can at whatever I do.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re a pastor, a music leader, a mom, a dad, a brother, or even that favorite aunt from Toledo. God has a plan for each of us. Big or small, our duty is to be faithful.  Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV). Are you fulfilling your niche or just occupying your habitat? Remember, there is no such thing as a small job in God’s Kingdom. All He asks is that you faithfully do your best.

Certainty of Apprehension vs Punishment

This week in one of our teacher’s meetings, one of the Admins said something to the effect of “It’s not the severity of the punishment but the certainty of punishment that is the deterrent.” Having somehow no memory of ever hearing this quote, I was put into mental processing mode. (This is where the musing comes in.) Being in education, I hear many things - some amazingly insightful, others amazingly stupid. Some seem odd on the surface and then, with a little thought, make total sense. Others sound really astute, but upon inspection fall all apart. Then there are those statements that are simply the idle sputterings of raving lunatics. This one fell into the first category. As he explained, my mind began to comprehend what he was saying. A search for the source of this quote led me to, of all places the National Institute of Justice, part of the DOJ. This is statement #1 from their web page “Five things About Deterrence”.

“The certainty of being caught is a vastly more powerful deterrent than the punishment.” https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/five-things-about-deterrence

Knowing that not everything the government says is aligned with Christian values (I’m sure that’s a shocker for you) I decided to compare it to scripture. A verse memorized in one of my college secondary education classes instantly popped into my head. ( Thank you Mr. Holland!) Ecclesiastes 8:11 reads, When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. Not exactly the same since getting caught and sentencing are two separate things, but the results are basically the same. If you are certain to get caught and sentencing is swift, it surely gives one reason to pause. Hey, even Google AI got it right this time.

Passages like Galatians 6:7 ("Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap") and Proverbs 11:21 ("Be sure of this, that the wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will escape") clearly state the idea that punishment is certain for wrong actions.

Well who’d have thought…

For the Christian it makes total sense. If we know that there is a “payday someday” then it should change the way we do things. I think this is one of the reasons so many people are against all the cameras and face recognition. They still want the possibility of not getting caught. (people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. John 3:19) Privacy is nice, and I still don’t want to end up on the evening news (unless I win an award or something) but cameras are not a big deal to me. If you live your life knowing God is watching you really do not have anything to worry about.

having your way of life honest among the Gentiles, that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12

Quality or Quantity?

Last weekend my friend John and I decided to do an impromptu fishing trip to Caswell Memorial State Park on the Stanislaus River. The water was a little higher than usual for this time of year so we weren’t able to get to our favorite area to fish. That, coupled with the water being surprisingly cold, kind of put us at a disadvantage. We set up as best we could and hoped for the best. After about an hour without even a bite, the conversation turned to the classic fishing scenario: Would you rather wait all night for just one big one, or catch a lot of smaller ones throughout the evening? We both rather reluctantly agreed to the first. About two hours into the evening John was casually contemplating changing his mind. I mean slapping mosquitoes and watching the local muskrat swim back and forth across the river can only entertain a guy so long. Suddenly everything shifted. John’s pole bent so low it looked like it was going to end up in the water, and as he ran slipping and sliding down to get it, I kind of figured he would end up in there also. After a pleasantly drawn out battle with what I was sure was a killer striped bass, we netted a monster catfish that ended up being his personal best. 9lbs 8oz - (John says 10 because he rounded up.) Quality always wins. Making it even sweeter was the fact that I got "skunked" this time, something that rarely happens to me. I guess this was my evening to play "fishing guide". 

It got me thinking about our throwaway, instant gratification, I-want-everything-now way of life. How many times do we settle for quantities of small when we should be saving up or patiently waiting for that quality experience?  Now don’t get me wrong. Sometimes it nice to just enjoy the small. But have we lost the patience and tenacity to work toward a bigger goal that might take months or years to fulfill? There’s something to be said about saving up, putting time and effort into a long term goal, and finally see it realized. 

What about spiritually? Are you storing up incorruptible treasure in heaven or just spending all your time working for things that will fade in time? In the long run, quality will always trump quantity. It just takes a little patience. 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:19-21

Scars

Scars. We all have a few. They come in many different types. Honestly, most of mine are from “stupid”. I have scars from the misuse of the correct tool. I have some from cutting towards myself. I think every child has been told to cut away from themselves; but do we listen? I have scars from cutting away from myself. (I used a dull knife.) I have scars from using the wrong tool. I have them from not wearing the proper PPE. I even have some from the classic “Hey Earl, watch this!” episodes of my life.

I have a few scars that were from surgeries. Some were to correct a problem; others were from accidents that didn’t fall in the category of “stupid”, but were really just, well, accidents. We as humans tend to try to hide most of these scars.

Then there are scars of honor. They could be battle scars, proud trophies of heroic deeds. I had an acquaintance in high school who was scarred while saving his little sister trapped in their burning house. I know he felt self-conscious about them, but to most of us they were a mark of true courage. I’m sure his sister feels the same way. Scars can tell stories of greatness and wonderfully unselfish acts.

Although our culture for the most part still prizes the perfect skin look, there is a set of scars that will always stand as a reminder of the most heroic deed ever. I’m thinking of the scars of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are told in scripture that we will receive “glorified bodies” in heaven. And though I really don’t know what that will entail, I know I want one. There will be no more pain or suffering, no more tears. One would assume the past and all of its mistakes will be wiped away, not like Betelgeuse bodies where the way you die is the way you stay.  (Sorry for the weird movie reference, but it makes the point.)

So even after He was glorified, why did Christ still have scars? His scars are the ultimate battles scars. He overcame DEATH. Sin’s penalty is paid and we are free to enter heaven as His adopted children. He even makes Chuck Norris look weak. (Sorry, Chuck.) They are His Badges of Honor and will forever be a reminder of His self-less sacrifice for us – the Lamb that was slain to redeem us!      

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 

Jaded

 

Merriam-Webster defines Jaded as “made dull, apathetic, or cynical by experience or by having or seeing too much of something.” To be honest, that’s how I have been feeling lately about my fellow humans here on planet Earth. I guess you could say that some days, I’m just not a fan. In the past month I have witnessed more people run stop signs than I can count. (Well that’s on two hands at least. I refused to take off my shoes while driving just to count.) Shoplifting seems to be at an all-time high. No one seems to even know what the “right of way” rule is anymore. Half of them speed, weave, and dart any which way, while the other fraction are 15 mph under the speed limit checking their Instagram. Don’t even bring up the political climate this election year. I can neither confirm nor deny that the words, “If we all get hit by a comet, I think we probably deserve it” have come out of my mouth in the last month.  

This would all be fun and games if it were not for the nagging reminder in the back of my head (yes, the same place my craw is located for those of you who read my September posts) that keeps saying “Love your neighbor as yourself”. It can be quite a quandary. Jaded by my fellow man and loving your neighbor as yourself are not synonyms.

So what is a person to do? Me, I like to get away somewhere that I can, well, get away. This weekend we got to go to Calaveras Big Trees State Park near Arnold, CA. No, bears this time, but lots of fresh air and relaxation. I did lots of nothing. This time on a trip to the town of Arnold to get ice, I casually remarked about the Giant Burger restaurant there. By the time they came out of the store, they were all talking about how they too wanted a burger. Score one for the driver! (Hey, sometimes you just gotta know when to sneak it in.) After a little bit of a wait, I’m really not sure if it was our fault, their fault, or a little of both, the order got a little messed up and we were short a fry and some bacon for the grandson. Nevertheless, the manager took full responsibility. He not only apologized and made it right, he went above and beyond. Let’s just say the little bacon lover was pleasantly surprised! I needed some faith in my fellow man and the manager came through beautifully. I can guarantee you that Giant Burger will now be a destination stop while we’re camping there again. (By the way, you’ve gotta try the Jalapeño Burger!) Our faith in humanity restored, we came home refreshed, recharged, and ready to press on. (Funny how such a little thing can change one’s perspective.)

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”. 

Let’s face it, if we look to people, we will be disappointed. We must not forget that Jesus wants us to be the people helping to “recharge” others. If we look for the good, we will find it. We just can’t give up!

What Do You Do When You’ve Got Nothing?

 At the beginning of the year I made a commitment to blog once a week. So far so good. This week has been different. (Spoiler: there may be a lot of car mechanic comparisons so if you get confused, don’t worry, so am I.) Monday felt like an uphill battle, both directions. The rest of the week seemed like someone took everything apart and put it all together just one tooth off. I wasn’t the only of feeling this. There just seemed to be a general consensus of “What the What?” All week. It could be that we are still in the 100s in October when it should be cooling off. It might be just end of the quarter let down. Whatever it is, I don’t like it. All that to say, that when I got to the weekend and it was time to write, I had nothing. So what do we do when you get to “nothing”?

I consider myself somewhat gifted when it comes to troubleshooting. My dad helped me discover my talent. My father-in-law, John Morris, helped hone it as we worked on various cars. So where do we start? Here are a few of the steps I use to find out the problem and work toward a solution.

1.  Is the power on? This sound oversimplified, but it can save a whole lot of headache. Have you got power? Check that the batteries are placed correctly. Is it plugged in? You would be surprised how many times I have solved problems with only one step.

2. Start from the beginning. This is extremely helpful if someone else has been working on it already. Sometimes you need to unplug everything and start from scratch. Assuming that others have done everything right can lead to wasted time.

3. Take a break. Sometimes you just need to step away and work on something else. Your subconscious will still work on the problem for you. More than once I’ve had an Ah Ha! Moment while working on something else.

4. Bring in a second pair of eyes. Have you ever lost your glasses and found them on your hat? That’s what that second set of eyes can do – see the obvious that we can’t.

5. Pray. This man sound trite, but honestly, it probably should have been step number one. God says If we ask your wisdom He will give it. Don’t leave Him out if the equation!

6. Don’t be afraid to get a professional. There are time you may realize that this problem is “above your pay grade”. Time to lose the pride and check with a professional. It’s humbling, but sometimes necessary. Just be sure to take good notes!

Even though this has all been about solving physical problems, there are spiritual analogies for each step.

Have you recharged spiritually?

Are you following the basics of Scripture?

Are you getting proper spiritual rest?

Do you follow good counsel for trustworthy companions?

Do you daily commune with your creator?

Do you need spiritual counseling from a mentor?

We all hit the “got nothing “ barrier at one time or another. The key is that we take steps to not stay there.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 NIV