The Beatles - Now And Then

"Get Off My Bus!!"

“Get Off My Bus!”

   Soon after deciding to enlist, the day had arrived. I said goodbye to family and friends.. My Dad took me to the train station where we had small talk and said so long. Later I discovered he had gone home and cried...  It was his Birthday (what was I thinking). I was glad to have made him proud, when I returned from my Basic Training. The plane ride was my first. I believe they had to pry my fingers off the arm of my seat!

   Finally after a few days we were to meet our drill instructors. “There they are!” They looked evil and full of military.

                                                         Get off my bus!!
 "You in the back, get up and have your pack in front of you. Go! Go! Get off my bus!!” Those that had been seated in the front were now outside receiving orders and doing push ups. The screaming and running around moved like controlled recklessness.     “Keep your head and eyes to the front. Choose you a brick on that wall and stare at it. Don't look anywhere else!” The guy in front of me was shaking like a leaf. We could hear those still in the bus being ordered outside and others doing more pushups. “This is the worst excuse for humans I have ever seen!”  
  There were about a hundred cool dudes being transformed into whimpering pups at an animal shelter. Some already wanting to go back home to mom's: “I told you so's.”

   Now, off the bus and seventy pushups later, we knew we should fear these men. I was afraid yet loving it and didn't want to be anywhere else. We were on our way to becoming soldiers!

  It's one thing to enlist and act and talk like a hero with mom and dad. You haven't really moved forward until you get up and “Off the bus.”

   This thing of being a follower of Christ, is more than sitting in church talking a big talk to the other pew fillers. It is you and I getting off the pew/couch/cot and going into the population or post, maybe even the next foxhole and walking the walk.

   Thousands of believers are still “on the bus," having no maturity, still unknowing what to do in spiritual combat. This world needs you to get up and get out and love the unlovable soldier next to you as well as those in the population. You decided to enlist? Now you have to get off the bus and into the purpose and plan of God!

Check out the Word:

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you."  Matt 28:19,20. 

 

Religiously Devoted

  Back in the day, it was a compliment if someone said: "You must be religious!" "Yep, we go to the church down the street."  It was good (and still is), to be religious about, a clean house,  reading books, or exercising.

  These days,  many don't want to be called religious. I suppose the reason is, there were those that were boring, ritualistic with no life signs.  Soon the fuel source began to flicker and the church member became a dying ember.

  Whatever the label,  we now desire to be known as the Church, the body of Christ,  Jesus followers, and disciples of Christ.  I agree we do not need any stigma of death, or a lack of "evidence" of life, in the sanctuary, or store front church, not to mention at work, home and leisure time.

  Let's be a Body that is dead...to the world but alive to God!  A bunch that loves to worship God with our lips and lifestyle.  We can be known as those that, (unlike the Pharisees) know the Book and the Author as well.

  Perfect?  No. We are like King David. One minute we might be questioning God, and the next, we are proclaiming the faithfulness of God.  

  We ultimately know He came that we might have life and have it abundantly.  Paul said to shine as lights in a dark world.

  We can be committed to showing and telling the community, that we having been justified, & have peace with God, through faith in Christ Jesus, and they can to.

  I am without apology; religious, but this is not world religion, but a relationship with God!

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE 9/11

 Twas the night before 9/11 and all through the house, no one even considered the evil that was lurking outside.  It was an uneventful night winding down the day that was like any other.  The neighborhood was quiet.  The building of new homes had ended, waiting for tomorrow.
    

  The problem of the day was where to eat the next weekend because the options were many.  Restaurants provided the getaway atmosphere from the seaside or tropical rain forest to the  hacienda south of the border.

     Attending college had begun with plans already being made for the flights somewhere for the next holiday. Gas prices were about an outrageous  $1.50 a gallon so you might as well fly and get there sooner.  Locally the children had just started school and no matter the grade level they were well on there way.  This was America after all. Even the President was planning to be in an elementary school on 9/11.

   On the day before 9/11 mega churches were sprouting, but weekly attendance had become another item on the check list, because the weekends were loaded with more entertaining activity. It was great to be alive and we could fit God in somewhere. There would be plenty time for "that" and don't push, after all on 9/10 we said all roads lead to "Him." 

   Church's on 9/12 were full of people praying. The next Sunday the church house was full of those looking for answers, looking for saving.. That also would later level off.

   On 9/10 we were the United States of America, The place to go for peace, safety and citizenship. We were the aircraft carrier that was providing the world with resources and an agenda for the worlds safety and prosperity.

   'Tis the night before 9/11 and things have certainly changed ... Haven't they? The question is are we ready and looking for 9/11 or have we forgotten and returned to business as usual.  (Matthew 24:36).

   Come what may, peace or war, prosperity or poverty, Psalm 33 is true. A portion says: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord...."  Through a prayer of  repentance, thankfulness and commitment you can experience peace with God and then the peace of God, come what may.

         

Are you happy now?

The Chaos, the screams, the shouting, the destruction, the lack of values and valuing property, The demands, garbage, tears, jealousy, lack of empathy. The entitlement, selfishness, inconsideration and inconvenience.

The unawareness, the narcissism, the immaturity, the opinionated, one sided arguments, The pride,  the lack of authority and wisdom.

INNERVIEW

From time to time it's always good to conduct a personal "Press conference."  We must ask ourselves good questions because  humanoids tend to, lie to self.  You can fool others, (even ourselves) in justifying what one says, does and thinks. We cannot trick or fool God.  Before we get to out of control, let's be real with ourselves, following that up with good self talk.  We/life will not be perfect, so we go through our journey trusting God day by day and trusting Christ as our only hope for eternity!

Innerview Questions:

1. What makes you happy?
2. What depresses you?
3. What makes you angry?
4. Who makes you angry?
5. What motivates you?  Are you procrastinating?
6. What do you do for others?
7. Who are your friends?
8. What do you read?
9. Where do you go for encouragement?
10. Why do you follow who/what you follow. Who do you lead?

Life is a journey, that can't be measured  (we don't know the duration), or  be compared to an others  journey.  A great idea as we travel this life;  have our eyes on the vision/dream God has given, see where we are and make adjustments as we ask our honest innerview questions.

Wake Up. It's Christmas!

    Some of us spend a lot of time in the wonder of Christmas.  The spirit of it carries us along during dark times. The anticipation of the 25th of December takes us to parties at; work, school, church and home.

   Children have many activities at school and church with plays and concerts. They and their parents enjoy Christmas movies and cartoons.

   This is a season for sure.  We don't look at it as just another day. Christmas to some, last through the Thanksgiving holiday to the New Year celebrations!

   Then comes Christmas morning and the kids are running into the room with all of the gifts only to be restrained by police tape, placed by the parents. The kid or kids run to the parents yelling; "Wake up, Wake up. It's Christmas!"

   The music begins to play and the parents are moved along to "that room." Under parent supervision and issuing the rules, (because the parents know the true reason for the season), paper wrapping begins to fly. There are shouts of "Thank You!" "This is just what I wanted!"

                           

   The opposite happens where the work of it all is the most important reason. Christmas becomes a drudgery and the "spirit" (little s) of it all, weighs down participants and the joy comes when it's time to take Christmas down and put it back in the boxes and tubs and placed in the attic or garage.

                            

   Wake up! It's Christmas!  Plain and simple the true reason for the season is Christ! (Christ Mas get it?). It's all about Him. He is 'God with us'. This is no time to shut down and become secular or focusing just on the lights, dinners and parties.

   Wake up! It's Christmas!  We celebrate the birth of Christ and the divine entrance of God into our world. This baby is Gods' gift to the world.  Have you received that gift? Receive Him as Savior. Have you received that divine joy, peace and love?

   THEN comes the lights, dinners and parties! The 26th of December is not the time to melt down and have The birth, Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus put back in the box or tub and placed in the attic of our minds!

   Wake up! It's Christmas all year round!