WWII vet and a molester.

In a way it is funny how we can only look at one side of a person.  We can only see a person as all good or all bad.  I think that is the reason that we see so many smear campaigns going on today.  If we can be made to believe something bad about an individual, then we cannot recognize anything good in their life.

I know a man who now resides in a nursing home here in Mesquite, who is not of sound mind at this time and who is an extreme case of this phenomenon.  In WWII, he was the photographer in an advance plane that was sent out ahead of bombing runs to take pictures of bombing targets and bring them back so the bombers would know what to take out.  A Vet. that defended our country and so to many a hero.  These people cannot admit that he has done any wrong.  

Later in his life he became known as an alleged molester who molested an unknown number of young ladies (teenagers and older).  He did this while being a Deacon and a Sunday School teacher of kids.  So to others he is an evil person, and these people cannot admit that he has done any good.

So while I believe that he should have been arrested, trialed,  and executed for these crimes, I also think that he should be recognized like all WWII vets as a hero.  To only see one side of this person or any other,  makes a two dimensional caricature of them.  So I think that we need to see both the good and the bad and know that both exists to some degree in all of us.

I have not even gotten into the belief that as a Christian, the wrong doings have been paid for and that person will be rewarded in their future life for the good that was done here.  So, for this man as well as many others:  Thank you and have a great Memorial Day. 

Some thoughts on the end of the world and rapture.

One of the top stories, if not the top story of this week has been the prediction of the rapture that was supposed to happen today.  The thing that has amazed me most about this story is that I do not know of anyone asking "what is the rapture".  I also have taken notice the answers that people have given refuting this man's claim and have been very impressed.

If you do not know, the word rapture comes from the Latin Vulgate translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  The Latin word "rapiemur" is translated into the English word rapture.  Most English translations translate from the Greek ἁρπάζω into the English phrase, "snatched up or gather up".  There are different ways of interpreting  this into an end time belief system and I will not get into that here.

One thing that concerns me about these types of statements is that people tend to submerge themselves into this line of theological philosophies in place of loving others.  These arguments are used to try to manipulate and scare people into Heaven.  Not only does the Bible say that the main thing is to love others, common sense also teaches us that same thing.  

Suppose you are single and that I know the perfect match for you.  Should I try to manipulate and scare you into meeting the other person; or should I approach you out of love, telling you how the other person is the perfect match for you.  You see there is a difference between forming a relationship and manipulating someone into saying an incantation that we call the "sinner's prayer".  People who promote events like the one that was supposed to happen today are caught up in manipulation and there is not any love coming through.

I remember a Bible verse saying that "these three remain, faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love".  

The Alumni Luncheons as a picture of Heaven

NET© 8:11 I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet  with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob  in the kingdom of heaven




What will Heaven be like?  That is a question that is asked often.  Jesus would often compare Heaven to a big banquet or meal that is similar to the bi-monthly luncheons that our High School Alumni have.  


Just think of that luncheon that we had today.  When we got there, we met each other with hugs and handshakes.  We said Hi and started sharing and listening to each other about things that were going on in our lives.  We were happy to see each and every person there.   Some, who were there are going through some tough times in their lives and the rest wanted to share that burden with them and to let them know that they are loved.  There were some there that are going through some good times and the rest wanted to rejoice with them and to let them know that they were also loved.  We all left looking forward to being with our friends again.


Jesus said that is what Heave is like.  While some picture Heaven as a place were we listen to sermons that not only seemed like they went on forever, but actually do.  That is not what Jesus said.  Others picture Heaven as a place where we all sit on clouds and play harps, but again that is not what Jesus said.  Jesus compared it to celebratory meals and parties. Can you picture God being there hanging out with the alumni today?   Can you imagine God wanting to party with us?  I can and do.

Is it wrong for believers to celebrate Mother's Day?

I know that Mother's Day can be a painful time for women who want to have kids, but are not able to do so.  It also can be painful for mothers who have kids that have basically disowned them, as well as people whose mother was abusive and/or abandoned them.  So if we really love these people, should we set aside a special day to honor mothers and cause hurt among these people.  That is a question that church leadership either wrestles with every year or totally ignores.

I first started thinking about this during my last few years at Wildwood when a certain Seminary graduate basically said that since she couldn't have kids to honor her, then it was wrong for church to have Mother's Day services because this offended her.  Even though I still believe that her claims were self serving, I saw that she was saying something that others also felt but did not speak up out of love for the congregation.  So, I see two sides to this with neither side being wrong.  So, my problem was, what do you do.
We know that is not wrong to celebrate mothers after reading Proverbs 31:28 which says this:   "Her children rise up   and call her blessed, her husband   also praises her".


I think that we should use both Mother's day as well as Father's Day to honor those people who have been there loving us and guiding us regardless if they are our biological parents or not.  If our own kids have turned against us or if we cannot have kids, we can still be there for others and love them just as we would our own.  We also need to make the celebration of those who have shown the parental love for us (C. S. Lewis calls this type of love "storge" and can be shown to us by anyone)  personable and try not to make those who are weak to hurt and to push them away from God.

A Royal Wedding

I saw a little bit of a show on BBC America today where British Journalists were talking about the wedding.  As I was flipping channels, I noticed that they were talking about America's interest in the wedding.  They were saying that in the beginning there was a lot more interest in the United States than in Great Britton.  They talked about London being flooded with reporters from here and how Americans were keeping up with William and Kate via social networks.

This should not really surprise anyone because "Snow White", "Cinderella", "Beauty and The Beast" are stories that have been told to kids growing up in America for years now.  Add to that other stories such as "The Princess Diaries" as well as others and you can see why people here are interested in a real life story of a girl who marries a Prince and becomes a Princess.  It also doesn't hurt when the couple's appearance rivals that of a Barbie and Ken doll.

As a Bible teacher, I find this story interesting because there is a picture here of God's love for us.  Now, I really have a hard time talking about the church being the bride of Christ, because the symbolism here just makes me feel dirty, but the picture is one that many women really identify with.  I find the symbolism of God becoming my Father and Jesus my older brother much more palatable and just as valid here.  Both are a picture of a "commoner" being a part of family that they are not qualified for.

So, I wish the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge all the happiness and well being in the world.  Their love for each other will be a picture for all of us, about the love that God has for each of us and how He wants us to be a part of His family.

"Wikipedia" christians

One of the things that I have been thinking about this past week is how relational christians differ from what I call "Wikipedia" christians.  I am guessing that everyone knows about Wikipedia.  It is a non-profit  encyclopedia that is one of my favorite places to start when researching something.  It is a site that people will program information about a topic into that site.  That information is usually true, but it is not always true.  Since it is really just a program, it doesn't think on its own.  It will just bring up the information that has been programed into it when someone asks about a topic.  That is great for an encyclopedia,  but not so much for people.

Relational believers have a relationship with God and that is the basis for all their beliefs and actions.  It is much like having a relationship with a family member or a friend.  That relationship affects the way we act while serving as a buffer against what other people say.  A "Wikipedia" christian however, lets people program them with their thoughts about God and how they should act.  Without a relationship, Christianity becomes a "So and so" told me this is true and how that affects me, while someone else will make an opposing comment based on what they have been told and so forth and so forth.

Think of it this way, I can either know you or I can know what other people say about you.  If I know you, I do not need an extensive education about you.  So, we can know God or we can just know what others say about Him.

My ever changing viewpoint of Easter

The meaning of Easter to me has changed several times over my lifetime.  As I was growing up and during most of my teenage years, I thought that Easter was the most overhyped holiday where nothing happened and was nothing but a big letdown.  It was a time that people felt that they needed to buy new clothes to impress people that they only saw once a year at church service and that there was nothing else to this holiday.  Even as a believer, I felt this way.

Then as people whom I knew and loved started dying, Easter became a basis for my hope of seeing them again.  Heaven and the afterlife started feeling more real to me at that point.  Resurrection became something to look forward to.

About twenty years ago, I started approaching Easter in a different way.  I went through the gospels and aligned the events that happened between Palm Sunday and Easter on a daily basis.  Although my list did not match exactly lists that I saw was published,  I was confident in my results.  I even went further.  On Good Friday through Easter Sunday, I put the list down with the approximate time that I thought that they happened.  I used these lists to help me meditate on the events and to help me live the events in my imagination which in turn helped me to realize the humanity of Jesus as well as his divinity.  Doing this did help me to connect more with the holiday.


A few years ago during autumn my world fell apart.  Church leaders of the place that I was attending rose against me, orally attacking me and using their influence to turn my family against me.  This was a dark time in my life as I even cried out to God where was He in all of this.  I felt in my heart that God was using those experiences to help me understand the agony of the betrayal that happened during the cross.  I was only given a taste of that, and I could not handle it.  That event has changed Easter for me once again.  Reliving the week in my imagination no longer carried the meaning that it once did.  Now, I relish the outcome of the events.  The relationship that I have with God which would not be possible without those events.  I am now free to love others because of this so Easter has become a celebration, not only of things to come, but also for the friendship that I have with all of you.