The Last Man Standing

In 1st Corinthians 10, we are given a warning to remain devoted to Christ and dependent on the resources that He has given in order to live a triumphant life:

12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

An attitude of humility is so important as we live the Christian life.   He does not want us to be lifted up in pride, but rather to maintain that sense of reliance on Him, recognizing that it is through our connectedness to Him and appropriation of His power that we can truly walk in a manner pleasing to Him.   And, when we are tempted to engage in behavior that will be damaging to us, He is totally faithful and will give us what we need in order to resist the temptation, but remember the Bible says, "flee from idolatry" - we have to guard against placing ourselves in a state of spiritual risk.

In Ecclesiastes 9, we have a reminder that things don't always turn out the way we think they will:

10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.11I returned and saw under the sun that-- The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
During the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing some material relative to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, including a report next Monday on some ministry that is being done there.   Numerous Christian organizations have journeyed there to reach out to those attending the Games.

This year, according to the Guardian, Australia is taking its biggest team into the competition - some 60 contestants.  And, yes in that piece there was a reference to Australia's first Winter Olympic gold medal, which was won in an improbable manner in Salt Lake City in 2002, an incident about which my son made me aware yesterday.

The man responsible was short track skater Steven Bradbury, who won in the 1000 meter race.   There were five contestants in the finals including American Apolo Ohno.  The BBC has a report.   For most the race, Bradbury trailed the other four - it wasn't even close.  Then as Ohno and Chinese skater Li Jiajun positioned themselves side by side going into the final turn and a third skater approached from the rear, in a moment that hearkens memories of Talladega or Daytona, the skaters collided and went tumbling to the ice.  The fourth place skater also fell, leaving...one man standing - Steven Bradbury, who was in last place, but skated across the finish line for Olympic gold.

Bradbury was quoted by the BBC as saying, "God smiles on you some days and this is my day."  He also said, with great honesty, "It's good, but it doesn't feel right you know."  And, "I wasn't as strong as the other guys out there, but I am going to take it."

In an amazing set of circumstances, in the semi-final round, Bradbury had enjoyed similar good fortune when he had been trailing before being sent through into the finals because the referee ruled he had been impeded.

I mentioned that passage from Ecclesiastes 9, that reminds us that things don't always turn out the way we think they will.   But Bradbury was faithful - he had trained, he was prepared, and he was positioned well to capitalize on the collisions in front of him.   The Bible reminds us that God desires our faithfulness and our obedience - He doesn't necessarily promise earthly or tangible success in life, as the world defines it, but if we do our best and place ourselves in a state of dependence on Him, then we can be confident that He is in charge of the results - it may not be first place or Olympic gold in the world's eyes, but if we're positioned for God to use us, then He will produce the fruit for His glory!

I think that the picture of Bradbury crossing the finish line when everyone else had fallen is a great picture of the blessings of endurance.   There are circumstances and influences in life that can cause us to fall.  For instance, the Bible speaks of pride as being a catalyst for a fall.  The power of indwelling sin can certainly cause us to stumble in the Christian life, and the captivity of sin can bring an misery in this life and in eternity for a person apart from God.   If we adopt patterns that run contrary to the ways of God, that will lead to spiritual failure.   But, devotion to Christ and the wisdom to be able to triumph over those spiritual deterrents will enable us to stand even when all those around us fall.   Scripture teaches us that God has made a way for us to walk in victory, and His principles are sure, even when those around us may attempt to lead us in a different path.

The Beatles and Lessons on Influence

In Ephesians 5, we are challenged to recognize God as our example, as He expressed Himself in Christ Jesus...
1Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.2And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
This is a high standard, but I believe that God calls us and empowers us to live in a manner that reflects His character.  We can have an influence on the people around us: to show them the love and character of Christ, or even to live in a way that repels people from the gospel message.  So we have to be very careful about our actions and attitudes, even the words that we speak.  And, that is where our choices about what will influence us can have an impact.  If we're being influenced by people or ideas that contribute to our spiritual growth, then our witness can be enhanced.  And, the opposite is true.   So, we have to be careful that the Word of God, not the world, is our primary focus.

In 1st Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul expresses an attitude of confidence, not in himself necessarily, but in the presence of the Christ within Him.  He writes:
1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 

Last night, in an amazing move of counterprogramming to the Winter Olympics, CBS, the network that aired the Ed Sullivan Show, celebrated the anniversary of perhaps the most memorable program in the run of that show - the U.S. debut of the British sensations known as the Beatles.  It was 50 years ago to the night - February 9, 1964, in the same time slot.  And, the show even featured the two living former Beatles - Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, visiting the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.   It was called, The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles.  According to TVGuide.com, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed as part of that all-star tribute, taped last month in Los Angeles, and they were featured in an interview with David Letterman in New York in the historic Sullivan-turned-Letterman theater. Among the high-caliber talent participating in the concert: a reunited Eurythmics (Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart), Alicia Keys performing with John Legend, John Mayer with Keith Urban, plus Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder, Dave Grohl, Maroon 5 and Joe Walsh.

In a piece on The Fiscal Times website, Allana Nash highlights what she sees as seven significant ways the Beatles changed America:

1. We Became a Guitar Nation. When the Beatles played to more than 73 million viewers on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on February 9, 1964, America swooned for the charming Brits who delivered an irresistible blend of British skiffle and American pop, rock, and R & B, serving it up with a wink and a shake of their shaggy hair.

2. We Rediscovered Joy. The Beatles lifted the country out of a numbing grief over the Kennedy assassination, which happened just two-and-a-half months before the Fab Four arrived. "

3. We Changed Our Hair. The crew cut ruled before the Beatles, or men wore their hair combed back.

4. We Felt Anglo Envy. England’s image changed from old and stodgy to the hippest on the planet, with London now a cultural mecca. “Before the Beatles, England looked to America for a lot of its music,” recalls Ken Douglas, who became a sought-after disc jockey in the ‘60s largely on the strength of his British accent. “Then with the Beatles, everything British was all the rage.”

5. We Enjoyed a Musical Renaissance. Popular music was transformed as the Beatles turned from simple songs of romantic pursuit (“I Want to Hold Your Hand”) to complex, experimental, long-form songs and concept albums (“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”).

6. We Experienced a Social Uprising. As their clothing and hairstyles became more extreme – the Beatles were sporting facial hair as early as 1966 – many bohemian behaviors and anti-establishment habits matched those of the counterculture, including smoking dope and hallucinogenics. The group's songwriting, too, reflected this, as it became psychedelic at times.

7. Our Creativity Blossomed. The Beatles’ music synchronized an explosion of creativity and awareness, from pop art to spiritualism.

The Beatles experienced unparalleled fame and influence over the world as a whole.   John Lennon in fact said in 1966 that they were “bigger than Jesus.” A CBN.com piece highlighted a 1969 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interview with Lennon - according to it, irreverence wasn’t the singer’s intention. And, as it turns out, he was actually really interested in Jesus.

He reportedly said, "It's just an expression meaning the Beatles seem to me to have more influence over youth than Christ...Now I wasn't saying that was a good idea, 'cos I'm one of Christ's biggest fans. And if I can turn the focus on the Beatles on to Christ's message, then that's what we're here to do." The article goes on to recount how Lennon investigated the claims of Christ, even to the point of claiming to be born again and writing Christian songs. This dismayed his wife, Yoko Ono, and she reportedly pulled him away from this newfound faith.  He retreated into New Age thought, and by the end of his life, he had lapsed into a universalistic belief in religion.

There are two thoughts that I wanted to share with you.  First of all, to him it seemed that the Beatles were more influential than the Lord on the youth of society.   One of the penetrating questions for us as Christians and for the church as a whole deals with how we are influencing the culture.  And, to boil it down to our individual lives, we can evaluate what sort of influence we are having on the people around us.  Most of us are not called to a worldwide or even a nationwide ministry, but we are called, as Christ's ambassadors, to have influence on the people with whom we interface.   What sort of message are they receiving from us?   And, are we communicating that message in a way that lifts us Jesus and can draw people to Himself?   Apparently, according to the CBN.com piece, in his struggles with Christianity, it seemed to be Christians themselves who made him want to not be part of the church.  I trust that the way we demonstrate Christ would draw people to want to come to know Him.  

And, we can also reflect on what influences are having an impact on us.  The big-name musical artists that were part of the special last night were presumably there to acknowledge the impact of the Beatles on them personally.  They paid tribute to this phenomenal band and performed their songs.   There are people that can have an impact on us, and we can choose to integrate the positive qualities we see into our lives. Plus, there are people who will be a detriment to our Christian walk, too.  Beyond the personal influence, there are cultural influences that we consume through media that can reinforce our spiritual walk or can be detrimental to our life in Christ.   That is why we have to be careful about what and who we associate with. The course of our life is determined by our choices, and often our choices are determined by the influences by which we are shaped - we must be careful to allow God's Word first and foremost to govern the decisions we make.

For The Long Run

Colossians 3 teaches us about seeking to bring glory to God, and marriage is an institution that was ordained by Him in which we can honor Him by honoring one another.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
18Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
God has given us the blueprint in His Word for the marriage relationship - we have been called, as it is taught in Genesis and reinforced by Jesus and Paul, to a male-female, one flesh relationship, a union that is strengthened by the power and presence of Christ.  God's intent is for marriages to stay together as they function according to His plan, as men and women love each other and take seriously His call to selflessly enter into a relationship that is built to go the distance.  It's important that we submit our marriages to the authority of God and center our lives on Him, recognizing that our marriages are representations of Jesus and His church, His bride.

In Ephesians 5, we see a passage of Scripture that reinforces the definition of marriage and God's ordaining of the institution of marriage.  It's a passage that was quoted by Jesus in his ministry, and in verse 31, we read:
31"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
Paul goes on to write:32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.33Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Valentine's Day is one week from today, and if you haven't thought about how you want to show that you cherish that special person in your life, here's a friendly reminder that it's time to begin thinking about how to do that.

For the married couples among us, this is the opening day of National Marriage Week, and while there is an effort to honor the institution of marriage in the U.S., this is an international effort.  It is now in its 18th year and was begun in the U.K. by Richard and Maria Kane. It has been a collaborative project and has the backing of a number of Christian organizations, according to a report on the Christian Today website. A huge emphasis is given to local events, which is where churches really come into their own running and hosting these and offering support and advice where necessary.

The week also provides churches with opportunities to engage and celebrate with their communities, and to launch other marriage resources and events off the back of it.

The report says that last year one and a half million people attended a Marriage Week event worldwide. This year, the organizers have launched what is called the Big Promise...it is National Marriage Week's World Record attempt to get the most couples renewing their vows simultaneously.  The organizers call it the BIG Promise because marriage vows are the most long-term and far-reaching promise people ever make.  They are coordinating every venue that wishes to take part in this record attempt. It will be taking place tomorrow - Saturday, February 8th at 5:15pm throughout the U.K.

They explain that, "More than 2/3 of families are headed by a married couple, and we want to draw attention to the tremendous work done by this silent majority...Setting a world record is a practical and tangible way of getting the press to notice and report on the importance of marriage vows at the heart of society – it's a means to an end, not the end itself."

One couple celebrating 50 years of marriage together on the day of the Big Promise are Tom and Doreen Shaw from Sheffield. Taking part in the record attempt they will join with their friends, community and family to reaffirm their vows on their golden wedding anniversary at The Rock Christian Centre in Sheffield.

Says Doreen: "We started out with nothing but our marriage wasn't built on what we had, rather on who we were. Marriage has made us better people I hope. We are so excited to celebrate 50 years together on the same day as the Big Promise."

Speaking of longevity, Worldwide Marriage Encounter announced yesterday the national winners of the 2014 Longest Married Couple Project. They are Harold & Edna Owings of Burbank, CA. The Owings have been married 82 years as of Nov. 24, 2013.

This is the fourth year of this nationwide project. The Owings were married Nov. 24, 1931. They met in 5th grade and Harold would bring Edna candy bars to school. If he thought she was annoyed at him he would give her two candy bars. Harold's dad owned a candy store.

Ron and Judy Pekny, the United States Ecclesial Team for Worldwide Marriage Encounter are quoted in a press release, "What an inspiration Mr. & Owings are to all of us. They made a commitment to each other 82 years ago and they have kept that commitment over these many years. They truly are a sign of hope to us all."

What an inspiration these couples are who have gone the distance, viewing marriage as a long-term commitment rather than a short-term arrangement!   This is so refreshing in a culture where the mindset has drifted from "til death do us part" to "if things get bad, I can always get out".   

What can we do to build our marriages on a firm foundation?   To forge marriages that last?

For one thing, we can be reinforced in the purpose of marriage.   Marriage reflects the union of two people - a man and a woman - to be united together for their mutual benefit, the way it was designed by God, and to produce offspring to whom we pass our faith.  And, the ideal situation is that it would be a union that would last forever.   God is very clear about his distaste for divorce.  Marriage represents the relationship between Christ and His church - His bride.   So, God has a purpose for marriage, and it's important we see that it was His idea and his design.

Also, I think we have to recognize the principles of marriage.  God has given us the capability to operate in a one-flesh relationship, to exercise His love, to view our spouse as His gift to us.  His Word gives us a blueprint for marriage, and if we abide in Christ and abide by His teachings, then we can see that our marriages can endure for the long run.

 

Finally, as we walk in His love and revere Him and His principles, we can respond from the correct posture in marriage.  Each of us has a Biblical role in the family -  as we humble ourselves before Him and one another, as we walk in love and seek to build one another up, we reflect His will for that special relationship.

The Stuff of a Hero

If Jesus is your Savior, because you belong to Christ, you have been uniquely equipped to grow in Him and bring honor to His name.  1st Peter 2 speaks to your identity in Him:
9But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Those words can bring encouragement to our hearts, as we reflect on what Jesus has done in our hearts, bringing us into a relationship with Himself and giving us unique characteristics that are consistent with our new nature.  He calls us to be willing to be obedient to Him, sensitive to needs around, and ready at all times to reach out in His name.  Perhaps at times our activity will be considered heroic, but at all times we are called to allow the life and power of Christ to make an impact through us.

I want to focus on 3 separate verses from 2nd Timothy chapter 4 that emphasize our call and attitude as believers in Christ:
2Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
So, we are called to have an attitude of readiness to minister to other people, with a sensitivity to God's Spirit as He makes opportunities available:5But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Paul looked back at his life and realized that he had been faithful to Christ's call:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

He said that it wasn't that big of a deal, His name is Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw, and he addressed reporters at a press conference at Trinity Medical Center where he is a neurosurgeon.

AL.com reported that last Tuesday, the Birmingham doctor Hrynkiw walked 6 miles in the snow from one hospital -- Brookwood Medical Center, where he was assisting another brain surgeon -- to another, Trinity, dressed in hospital scrubs. The journey included stops to help push stranded motorists stuck in the roadway due to the paralyzing snowstorm and a stop to sit in an ambulance to warm up from the below 20-degree weather.

The doctor had a dying patient at Trinity and he was stuck at Brookwood. He saw the patient's CT scans over his wireless phone. Based on what he saw, he determined the patient had a 90 percent chance of dying, so he decided to set out on foot, and the 62-year-old doctor, who has had a liver transplant, said he never doubted he would make it.

He said, "It was kind of a nice day for a walk." The doctor plays tennis and walks to stay in shape.

Dr. Hrynkiw has the stuff of a hero...

So does Pastor Neil Crass of Roane County, Tennessee.  CBSAtlanta.com reports on his daring rescue of 3 boys who were trapped in freezing waters on Watts Bar Lake recently.

Police say that three boys between the ages of 12 and 14 were at a birthday party when they decided to leave and go fishing and fell through the ice. Some of the children at the party heard the screams and ran for help.

Pastor Crass said he'd just returned home when he found out what happened.

The pastor and his son, Hunter, got their boat and hurried to the scene. They found the boys clinging to a buoy.  Crass said, "You can see a lot of people panicking and you can see the boys about 75 yards into the river."  He and Hunter and some other people helped get the boat on the freezing waters.

Hunter was confident.  He said, "I knew we would get the boat in the water...And, just get in there as fast as possible and get out there and make sure they were safe."

Emergency crews made it to the scene shortly after, but it was the Crasses and the other men who were able to get the boys out of the water after a few tries.

Pastor Crass' motto has always been that everything has a meaning and a purpose.

"We thank God we were able to take part in it, and how everything was so synchronized, and God pulled those things together."

Here are two instances of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in adverse circumstances.   They were driven to overcome the challenges in order to save lives.   And, they weren't necessarily in the right place in the right time - the doctor walked 6 miles, the Crasses had to get their boat into freezing waters.  But, they responded admirably when a need arose.

For us, these two stories can challenge our thinking and our walk with Christ as we think about His character being developed in us.   Because we have the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we possess the stuff to be heroic.  That recipe includes: sensitivity.   There are cries all around us, and we may be called or designated to help in ways that don't include a physical rescue.  A person with whom we come in contact may have a marriage crisis or is suffering from a lack of hope.   Someone who doesn't know Christ may be searching for Him, and you have an opportunity to share truth or merely to demonstrate His loves. There could be a potentially life-saving opportunity near you today.

The list of heroic characteristics includes willingness.  These guys didn't ignore the cry or ask someone else to complete the rescue - they were willing to take matters into their own hands, or in Pastor Crass' case, he believed that God synchronized the events.   It's important that we have a heart that is attuned to need and that we are willing to be used of God in a particular situation.

We also have to possess readiness.  If Dr. Hrynkiw had not been in good physical shape, chances are that he could not have made a 6-mile trek in the snow.  Pastor Crass had some boating skills and was fearless when facing the prospect of navigating a frozen lake - as he said, he was uniquely prepared for God to use. I think good physical shape has a lot of benefits and we should attempt to be healthy for His glory.   Being in good spiritual shape can be rewarding for us and could produce excellent, perhaps life-saving results for those to whom we are sent.

The Kingdom of God and Monumental Treasure

In 2nd Corinthians 4, we read about the concept of treasure being kept within our hearts.  That treasure is the presence of Christ within us:
7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.8We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--10always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

If we have discovered our treasure in Christ, the riches of the kingdom of heaven that have been given to us through the transformation of our heart through the presence of the Lord, then we can be determined to withstand any amount of adversity for the sake of our relationship with Christ.   God does not promise us a carefree, easy life all the time, trouble will come, but as we grow in our love for Him, He promises us that we will enjoy a fulfilling life, of deep satisfaction, as we are willing to give all for what is important - to know Him and to experience what He has in store for us.

In Matthew chapter 13, the kingdom of heaven is likened to a great treasure that was highly valued and resulted in intense action to protect and claim it.   Here are the words of Jesus:
44"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,46who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

There has been a rediscovery as of late of a group of individuals during World War II that made it their business to preserve cultural treasures, as well as to reclaim art that had been stolen by the Nazis.  The name of this dedicated group is the Monuments Men.  There is an exhibit currently on display at the National Archives in Washington and the National Geographic Channel will be featuring a special tonight.   Robert Edsel wrote a book on their exploits, which provides the basis for a movie to be released this weekend.   Christian author Cara Putman, on the Wednesday edition of The Meeting House, has set a novel against the backdrop of the work of the Monuments Men.

The National Archives website, in announcing its display and accompanying panel discussions, said that, "Trading hushed galleries and libraries for besieged European cities, the men and women of the Monuments, Fine Art, and Archives Program risked their lives to protect museums, churches, and monuments from combat. They also tracked down and recovered thousands of priceless artworks stolen by the Nazis—much of it from Jewish families—and hidden in places including salt mines and abandoned castles."

The website points out that, 

The Third Reich’s Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, or ERR, was the main agency involved in the systematic looting of cultural treasures in Nazi-occupied countries. Hitler ordered that all looted art be brought to Germany and placed at his personal disposal.

After the war, the U.S. Army discovered 39 of these albums hidden at the Neuschwanstein Castle and turned them over to the Monuments Men for use in identifying art work to be restituted. These volumes, in the holdings of the National Archives, served as evidence in the Nuremburg trials to document the massive Nazi art looting operations. Until recently, it was believed that the missing ERR albums had been destroyed during the latter days of World War II. However, thanks to Robert Edsel’s efforts, additional albums have been recovered and donated to the National Archives.

In a piece highlighting the National Geographic special, Bill Blankenship, writing for the Topeka Capital-Journal, points out that the Nazis looted more than 5 million of Europe’s greatest culture treasures. Just one repository for the artwork — the salt mine at Altaussee, Austria — contained 6.577 paintings, 230 drawings or watercolors, 137 sculptures, 122 tapestries and 1,200 to 1,700 cases of rare books.

When Hitler began losing the war, the fate of European culture became further imperiled when the Nazi leader issued his infamous “Demolitions on Reich Territory Decree,” nicknamed the “Nero Decree.” Its order of the destruction of German infrastructure to prevent its use by the Allied forces was interpreted by Nazi fanatics to extend to the captured art.

Aware of the potential disaster, prominent members of the American art community took their case to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who authorized the creation of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in Europe. From that commission sprang the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives section of museum curators, architects, scholars, educators and artists.
Blankenship references the movie's production notes, which quotes the movie's director, co-producer and writer, and actor George Clooney, as saying, "“But they took on this adventure, because they had this belief that culture can be destroyed. If they’d failed, it could have meant the loss of 6 million pieces of art. They weren’t going to let that happen — and the truth of the matter is, they pulled it off.”

As I thought about the concept of the film, which I have not seen and therefore do not recommend or endorse, the question popped into my mind, "What do I treasure?"   What do you treasure?  And, how do you act in order to protect and preserve the things that you treasure?   Think about what Jesus said in Matthew 13, that the kingdom of God was like a treasure, and used the illustration of man who sold all he had in order to buy the field containing the treasure.  The kingdom of God is likened to a pearl of great price, for which a man sold all he had in order to buy it.   If we treasure the Lord and our relationship with Christ, then we are called to lay down our entire lives in order to devote ourselves to pursuing Him.   And, once we have decided to pursue that treasure, then our priorities and the earthly people, activities, and even possessions will follow from that first priority.

The Monuments Men signed up for the front lines in order to preserve treasures - they risked their lives, they sacrificed in order to preserve something incredible important.  As Clooney said, "they had this belief that culture can be destroyed."   We live in a day where time-honored, deeply-held elements of our culture are eroding and in danger of being destroyed.   So, we take seriously Christ's call to be salt and light so that we can preserve and even reclaim what has been stolen from us.   The presence of and respect for Biblical values in our society are on a downward spiral, and it is so important that we are taking seriously our call as visible representations of the presence of the Lord.  Perhaps each of us can play some small role in integrating our principles into a culture that is running headlong away from the ways of God.

Cracking a Prayer Code

Jesus desires for us to stay in connection with Him - daily.   In a powerful illustration in John 15, He describes Himself as the vine and refers to us as the branches.  His life flows through us as we abide in Him. He said:
5I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

God is available to us, but if we don't make a conscious effort to stay in sync with His Spirit, to walk with Him daily, and to enjoy fellowship with Him, the cares of life will overwhelm us and the dictates of the daily agenda will produce a sense of self-reliance in us.   So, we have to make sure that we are finding ways in which we can stay focused as we make prayer and time with God a priority in our lives.   He wants to make Himself known to us and express His life through us - if we yield to His Spirit as He calls to us and invites us to come to Him, we can experience a greater degree of His presence.

The Bible challenges us in 1st Thessalonians 5 to develop a sense of consistent connection with God in prayer:
16Rejoice always,17pray without ceasing,18in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The website, Ask MetaFilter, at ask.metafilter.com, bills itself as the place, "Where thousands of life's little questions are answered."  Less than a month ago, someone named JannaK made this post:

In my grandmother's final days battling brain cancer, she became unable to speak and she filled dozens of index cards with random letters of the alphabet. I'm beginning to think that they are the first letters in the words of song lyrics, and would love to know what song this was. This is a crazy long shot, but I've seen Mefites pull off some pretty impressive code-breaking before!

She writes that her grandmother passed away in 1996 of a fast-spreading cancer. She was non-communicative her last two weeks, but in that time, she left at least 20 index cards with scribbled letters on them.  She and her cousins were between 8-10 years old at the time, and believed she was leaving them a code.  Her father found one of the cards and she decided to tackle the mystery.  She points out that,

Based on some of the repeating segments (many lines start with PST, many end with PAGA, and TYAGF repeats often at the end), I'm thinking they may be song lyrics. She inserts lots of backwards commas, and strange breaks at various points that could indicate stanzas. The back of the card has two numbered lines that contain the same letters. The letters (with line breaks to match the card) and images of the cards are below.

Janna made the post at 4:13 on the afternoon of January 20.  At 4:26, you had someone who said that the string of letters, that began OFWAIHHBTN was indeed, "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name...".   Others began to make their hypothesis about what the letters could stand for.   As the tapestry of letters began to be expanded to possible words, we gain some insight into this lady's prayer life.

A WORLD Magazine piece that links to the MetaFilter site identifies the grandmother as Dorothy Holm, and her granddaughter is Janna Holm. “It was kind of relieving to have an answer, even if we don’t know what every single word says...It’s nice to know that they were prayers, and kind of gave some insight into what she was thinking and what she was focused on in her last couple weeks.”

Well, MetaFilter members worked through different letters on the card. They looked for patterns from the King James Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and possible phrases from personal prayer. Some put together algorithms to find patterns and matches. Using her own deductions and comments from the website, Holm compiled a prayer in which her grandmother was giving thanks, and praying that her loved ones would be safe, happy and healthy.

Not only did the forum explode with people trying to help crack the code, but the story began circulating around the internet as well.

Janna Holm said she's not sure why her grandmother used a code, but perhaps, as her memory faded, she used it as a “cheat sheet” to help recall her prayers.   She said that the experience has shown her the power of crowd sourcing and given her new insight into her grandmother’s character.

We can surmise through these coded prayer cards show us that even in her dying days, with the inability to speak, Dorothy was carrying on communication with her heavenly Father.   She devised a method to keep the connection going.   So, we can be reminded that Jesus said to abide in Him and allow His words to abide in us, so that we can pray according to His will.   1st Thessalonians exhorts us to pray without ceasing. So one of our takeaways is to be reminded that God wants us to call on Him and commune with Him on a consistent basis.   He loves to hear from and respond to His children, and He is readily available for us to come to Him, not just when we have a pressing need, but for us to pour out our hearts to Him.

We also think about Dorothy's method.   She used prayer cards to express herself.   I do like the potential of a combination between speaking and writing.   There are numerous tools we can use to keep us focused in our prayer lives.  For instance, the act of journaling or writing our prayers in some way can not only help keep us on track, but it can also give us a written record of God's hand in our lives.   

Finally, Janna gained some new insight into her grandmother's character and saw tangibly that she was a woman of prayer.  We can think about how our own prayer life touches others.  In our homes, do our families see that we practice prayer?   We can be challenged to pray for and with our spouses and children on a regular basis.   And, outside our homes, we can gain a reputation to be people of prayer, as we visible seek to bring others before the throne of God in time of need or as we thank Him for how He has moved in our lives.

Memorable Commercials and the Power of Story

As believers in Christ, we are called to be motivated by the love of God, to communicate the truth - verbally and by the way we live our lives.   Here are the words of 2nd Corinthians 5:

14For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;15and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.18Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...
These words can help to shape how we approach other people - we are told that we are no longer to live for ourselves, but for Him, and we are to be motivated by the love of Christ, the love that drew us to Christ, the love that drove our Lord to die on a cross for us.   Because we have been changed from the inside, we now have a new view of other people, and we recognize that God has given us a mission, a ministry, to announce to the world that God has come to reconcile humanity to Himself.   We are His ambassadors, to represent Him in our speech and our actions.

God is writing His story in and through us, and He has given us the capability to communicate His truth in a compelling way.   Here's what 2nd Corinthians 3 says:

2You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;3clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.4And we have such trust through Christ toward God.5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God...

Super Bowl 2014 is now history, and while the big story of the game was the dominance of the Seattle Seahawks, there were certainly scores of mini-stories that were being posted in between the minutes of action on the field.

Yes, the Super Bowl commercials were on display last night, and to be honest, once you got into the second half, there was no longer any contest in the game, but I found myself holding on to the commercial breaks - my tendency in similar situations is to punch the remote, but not this time.   I wanted to see what messages the commercials were conveying and how they were being communicated.

I checked out the overview of the spots on the USA Today Ad Meter, which rated every single one of the ads during the Big Game.   And, there was a nice analysis of some of the trends in what was produced.  It said:

Super Bowl 2014, in fact, may have marked a serious turning point for those Super Bowl advertisers.

Out: ads created just for cheap laughs or lookie-loos.

In: ads with fewer words, do-good messages and cinematic credibility.

Sure, some of the commercials were overdone, but many told honest-to-goodness stories — with a beginning, middle and end. There seemed to be a rediscovery among advertisers that Super Bowl viewers love nothing more than a story told well.

It also was a night when it seemed as if Hollywood took over Madison Avenue, with ads rich in cinematography rather than words.

Some of the themes:  the website reported that there was American symbolism, there was an abundance of celebrity, and a night where family was championed.   Some ads were even longer than the standard 60- or 30-seconds.  And, as USA Today points out:

Even some of the shorter ads were meatier — with more substance and less fluff. Following a banner year in U.S. cinema, when filmmakers created more five-star movies than Oscar nominators could reward, it's almost as if a smidgen of this excellence rubbed off on Madison Avenue.

It's also the Super Bowl where, in a bid for their ads to go viral, a handful of advertisers placed real consumers in dream-come-true situations.

And, another observation:  "Even with the economy apparently improving, it appears that our cultural hearts still are beating for the past, and not so much for the present or future. Nostalgia for what was — or what our faulty memories tell us was — was woven into more than a dozen Super Bowl spots."

And, as USA Today contends this also was the Super Bowl where simple was good — sometimes even great.

From a spiritual perspective, the conglomeration of this year's Super Bowl ads can provide some powerful reminders about the way we communicated.   For one thing, as Jesus illustrated for us, a good story can carry the day.  He made His points with good stories that were designed to penetrate the heart.   And, a key component of our personal testimony is to share what God has done for us through our relationship with Jesus Christ - we can share about how He has changed our lives and how He has shown Himself faithful.   Telling our story and pointing out the evidence of God to us personally can be powerful and compelling.

There were ads where words were at a premium.  And, the Bible cautions us that where words are many, sin is not absent.  Our tongues can cause untold damage if we don't place them in check.  We are told to avoid "idle" chatter.   So, some of these ads can teach us to be wise with our words and make sure that we strive to communicate with substance.   Certainly, there are times to be light and even silly - laughter can make for a merry heart - but there are times when we need to make our words count.  Sometimes, what we say, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, can have eternal implications.

I do think it's telling that nostalgia was a big factor.  So often, we do long for the way things used to be.  I believe it's perfectly fine to relish in the past, but we, as Christians, can be distinctly hopeful for the future.   If we think about God's faithfulness in the past, that can provide a springboard to face the future. If we are convinced in our hearts that He is with us, that can produce a sense of hope and expectation for a great and mighty God to show Himself in incredible ways.   And, our hope in Christ can attract people to come to Him and trust Him with their lives.

The stories have been told, and some will be viewed over and over and over again - and we recognize we have been entrusted with the greatest story ever told.   God desires to tell His story through our lives.