I Have Nothing To Wear

How important is our clothing? Does it really define who we are? Surprisingly I answered, "YES" to this question. I have thought about how the clothing we wear makes such an impact on how we are perceived.

One night I was working an undercover detail (yes I am a Cop) and I was dressed-not like a cop. I was wearing jeans, an old t-shirt and a ball cap (backwards). I had my gun tucked in a holster behind my back (out of view) and my badge dangling from a large beaded chain around my neck. We had heard a "hot" call come across the radio and we were right there almost immediately on scene to see the perpetrators exiting their vehicle on the way into their hotel room. Immediately we jump out of our SUV and with guns drawn order everyone to the ground. Normally, I would be in a uniform or be recognized by some type of Official clothing and I was no often called upon to be in "undercover" attire. So in total fear the 3 assailants dove to the ground. AS I began patting down the suspects I heard one of them, literally begging not to be robbed! "What"? Then it dawned on me that I was not dressed "properly". My clothes did not match "who I was"…Finally; I pulled my badge out from under my shirt to make it visible to everyone. I have never seen 3 criminals so happy to see the cops in all my life.

For Example: Superman-his clothing distinguishes who he is. Referees-if not for their clothing it would confuse the game. Everyone would pass the ball to the ref because they are always open. Wal-Mart Greeters-their clothing helps us identify their job and responsibility. Without their identifying clothing we would just think the person at the door of Wal-Mart was some weirdo talking and greeting everyone as they entered the store.

As a Law Enforcement Officer, I constantly JUDGE people by what they wear. Our "covering" says a lot about who we are. For believers, our spiritual covering is Jesus Christ; His shed blood "covers" our sins. Most of us are particular about the clothes we wear, but is Jesus the "covering" that people see when they look at you?

In Matthew 22 Jesus told a parable of a king who prepared a Wedding Banquet for his son. No one in the land wanted to come to this Banquet and when the few do show up, they show up improperly dressed. Wedding attendance was a Social Obligation during those times, especially if the party was royalty-if invited you MUST go…No questions asked! V. 3 tells us that the people REFUSED to come. There is no logical reason why the people refused to come-just like there is no logical reason why people refuse the good things God invites us to.

Naturally, the king is upset with the fact that nobody has showed up to this Wedding Banquet. He sends his servants on into the land to tell everyone to come to the Banquet. Well, V.5 tells that these people continued on their way about their own business and that some of the people overtook his servants, mistreating them and eventually killing them.

Unfortunately, this is an accurate description of how people respond to the Gospel and God's invitation to them. "They paid no attention and went off". This upset the king even more and he his set on bringing judgment to the ones who murdered his servants.

Again the king sends out his messengers to invite people to the Banquet. He tells them to anyone and everyone, because the ones originally invited do not deserve to come. In V.9 the king instructs them to go to the street corners, the slums and wherever they could go to find people to come. He wanted the good and the bad it did not matter to him he just wanted the Banquet Hall full.
This sounds like another King we know doesn't it? It also resembles Jesus' call to all sinners right?

Finally, after 3 different invitations the king is ready to greet the guest. He finally enters into a full Banquet Hall and as he is greeting the guest he notices a man who is not dressed properly. The king politely asked him how he got into the Banquet "dressed like that"? As it turns out, the king has his servants throw the gentleman out of the Banquet. Is anyone besides me wondering why the king had this man thrown out of the Banquet Hall? What did he expect when he told his people to go and get anyone and everyone to come?

Get a load of this…Back then it was customary for the Wedding party to provide its attendees with proper Wedding attire. What a concept! How many of us, especially you ladies have gone out and spent lots of money for ensembles to wear once (twice if we were lucky) to a Wedding and then it remains cluttering our closet for eternity? So the king has provided outfits for everyone who is to be at the Banquet.

Now we see why the king was so focused on everyone's attire. The man chose not to wear what the king had provided. See his clothing set him apart or lack of "proper" clothing made him stand out. He was trying to tell the king by remaining in his own personal clothing that what he has is just fine. There is no need for anything else to make him suitable for the Banquet. He refused the "covering" offered by the king.

Lucky for us that God is in the clothing business. Isaia61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has "covered" me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.
How many people do we know that are like this man at the banquet? The man knew the "dress code" when he accepted the Wedding Invitation; but decided that what he had was "good enough", he thought he could clothe himself. Haven't we all tried to make ourselves righteous before God in our own way? Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Take a look at what was in store for the man as he was removed from the Wedding Banquet. He was bound by his feet and hands and tossed out into outer darkness. If that is not enough, the "outer darkness" is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
V.14 gives a chilling statement. It basically says, everyone has been given an invitation to the Banquet, everyone was offered everything they would need to attend this Banquet-but so few have chosen to attend.

See, this man who rejected the offer of the king was assigned a horrible fate. .
To sum it up, there were those that the king invited that were "indifferent" and then there were those who were "antagonistic". Nevertheless, they both shared the same fate. Neither one made it to the Banquet. Whether people choose to ignore God and His invitation or they are openly antagonistic towards Him the end result remains the same.

The bad, dirty and ugly were invited to the Banquet; but they did not remain that way. They were made fit for the Banquet by the garments offered by the king.
Don't waste your invitation to the wedding because you have nothing to wear…Instead, try on the garment that the King has prepared for you-I promise it is just your size!

Freedom

Have you ever been held down or tied up? It's not very fun is it? As a kid I hated to be held down and tickled. The fear of being "captive", ranks up there with snakes and Hilary Clinton being President. I think about people who are incarcerated (in jail) and how they spend the whole time that they are locked up wishing they were out. Days and days followed by hours upon hours of dreaming about what life will be like when they get out. Sometimes people who have been in captivity so long forget how to live in the free world. What about our lives as Christians?
Galatians 5:1 "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law (sin)."
So many times we find ourselves fighting to be free and then almost immediately we go back to those shackles and chains and become a prisoner AGAIN to the life that had imprisoned us before. What prison are you locked up in? Everyone of us have spent time in one cell or another; but what seperates us is how soon we are released into freedom. God offers us this "freedom" through His son Jesus. The Bible tells that whoever the Lord sets free is definetly free. The great thing is He will set free anyone who "asks" to be free. Imagine the jailhouse full of prisoners who watch as someone is released into the free world and all they had to do is say,"Hey can you let me out of here?" Think about everyone who had to sit there day after day trying to get out, hoping to get out and dreaming of what life would be like when they did get out. The amazement they must have felt, the anger they endured for not knowing about this sooner and the period of regret they had for not doing anything about it.
Regardless of what sin holds you captive you can still receive FREEDOM. Becoming free is pretty easy-staying free is much more difficult.
Think about all the episodes of COPS we have seen on TV. You always see the people running away from jail. I have YET to see someone running as fast as they can to get to jail.
Remember God has set you free! He has also equipped you with the ability to stay out of jail and remain free.
If you are in the jail of sin then you must first ask to get out. "JESUS I AM IN JAIL AND WANT TO BE OUT"...Through the blood of Jesus you are bailed out of the jail of sin and placed into the world of forgiveness and freedom.
Once your feet have hit the ground outside of your jail then you must remain free. "JESUS COME INTO MY LIFE AND TAKE CONTROL OF EVERYTHING, MY THOUGHTS, MY ACTIONS, DESIRES AND LEAD ME INTO A LIFE OF FREEDOM."
Do not run back to the jail of sin that you have been freed from instead walk in the presence of a God who loves you and dance in the field of freedom, because that is why it is there. Trade in your running shoes for some dancing shoes.

"Hey DJ turn up the music so we DANCE..."

Are You Wearing Clean Underwear?

My mother always questioned me on the presence of clean underwear. As if that was the most important thing a person could own. Nevermind the concerns of how many people will actually be able to determine if my undergarments of choice were clean or inside out for a fresh start to day 2. Nevertheless my sweet Mother warned me of the potential of being in a severe automobile wreck and being tended to by Emergency Medical workers in the middle of the highway and the embarassment that would ensue if I was caught with "less than tidy-tighty and not so whitie underwear. To this day I do not understand-but I still make sure I have clean undies.
There is a similar story in the Bible where God goes to Jeremiah and has a underwear discussion with him. The story is similar because it talks about underwear and then the stories become very different very fast. See God ordered Jeremiah (Jer. 13:1-11) to go and buy new underwear and to put it on. OK so far so good. Jeremiah is sporting a new pair of seat covers and goes about minding his own business. Then the Lord tells him to go down by the river (Euphrates) and to take his underwear and hide it in the rocks. This is not painting a pretty picture at all. The Bible says a long period of time passes and the Lord goes to Jeremiah and tells him to go back to the river and to the rocks and get his underwear back. The fact that the Bible mentions this as a "long" period of time I am led to believe that those once new undies that had been worn (never washed) and now stored for a long time in a hole of musty rocks , in nasty river water and all kinds of other things were really gross at this point. We have probably yet to see any nasty underwear that could compare to what Jeremiah was sent to retrieve. They were so nasty the Bible says they were "rotting" and "falling apart".
Right now I am so glad God called Jeremiah and not me to do the ultimate diaper duty. The Lord comes to Jeremaih with a message-That underwear is like the people of Judah and Jerusalem and their own pride. "I will ROT away the pride of the people of Judah and Jerusalem".
None of us would "purposefully" wear rotten underwear. (I hope not anyway...) The Bible describes our pride as rotting us and making us useless to God's work. People generally look good when they strut around with alot of pride-just like Jeremiah's underwear once looked good. But pride sets in and makes us rotten and over a period of time God don't want to use us because we are so rotten, filthy and nasty.
Jeremiah used alot of objects and illustrations to get people's attention and to generate their curiosity and this time he took a very intimate part of everyone's wardrobe and made it the center of attention. The Lord tells Jeremiah that underwaer is designed to be worn close-the Bible says, "clinging to the waist". Likewise I created Judah and Jerusalem to cling to me and to be close.
Are you wearing clean underwear? Are you something that God can use? Don't allow the sins of life to creep in and "stain" your life. There is a wonderful creator (much like my Mom) who wants to make sure you are wearing clean underwear. Live close to God in order to fulfill His purpose in your life. Don't let the devil give you a wedgie!

Church What's In It For Me?

"The Church: What's In It For Me?"

This passage of Scripture is about a man who is a beggar and who also happens to be lame.
The word "lame" is described in Webster's Dictionary as an adjective with the following definitions 1) having a body part and especially a limb so disabled as to impair freedom…(of movement.) marked by stiffness or soreness. 2) lacking needful or desirable substance 3) "SLANG"-not being in the know
I think that all of these definitions fit accordingly to describe the life of this beggar. Yes he did have a problem with his legs (from birth) and has never been able to walk. Also he was lacking a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and this left him needing a desirable substance and finally he was definitely NOT in the know.
This passage begins at the temple="the church." Read vv.1-3
Acts 3:1Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.
For 35 years this lame man as a part of his daily routine gets up and is carried to the church. He wasn't carried to the church because it was close to his house in proximity. No he was carried there each day for 35 years because he was a beggar and the church was the premium location to solicit people for their money or "alms" as the Bible called it. The man had no job except to show up everyday and beg for money. I'm sure he had the ability to read people and size them up as to who were going to be good givers and who would not give at all. He probably was very dramatic at times on his delivery of sympathetic dialog.
For 35 years this man had a routine. For 35 years he went to the church. He did not go to church he went to the church. Why did he go? Who knows why he went to the same place for 35 years without change (no pun)?
>>>When I was a kid I went to church "religiously" (pun intended) without fail. I had to or else. I grew up in a small country church. I have many fond memories of this church. My uncle led the music, which was played by my Aunt. Out of the small congregation my family made up close to half (11 kids on my Mom's side). I can remember good music, long and loud sermons and cold lemonade. I remember singing in the choir with the adults at a young age. That church had a lot of wonderful people in it and still does today but for me I went because I had to. I didn't know anything else. I didn't know there were any options. It didn't matter if you got anything out of it as long as you were there is what mattered. It was easier for me to get out of going to school than it was for me to get out of church.

Many of us go to the church because we have always gone to church.

As I grew older my family wanted to find a church with a youth group for my sister and me (the other church we WERE the youth group and I guess by default my parents were the youth leaders). So we found a wonderful church with an awesome youth group and a dynamic youth pastor. This is where I really began to experience some Christian living. But the church became an identity for me. I began to use Jesus like and ID card. Everyone around me was Christians so that must mean that I am. I had a really good group of friends at the church. My association with them created an identity for me that I was use on others. "Not me I am a Christian…not me I go to this church or that youth group…not me because I am friends with this person."
Many of us may go to church because of the people that we associate with there. We go because that is where the good people are.
I eventually grew out of the youth group and thus my identity had changed and I had to find another motivation for going to church. For a period of time I stumbled through trying to find the "meaning of life". After a time of personal rebellion I felt like the church needed to offer me more in order for me to be a part of it. Well, I found a church that was fun and dynamic. I saw and experienced things that I didn't know could happen in the church. The music was new and exciting. These were definitely not songs from the Baptist Hymnal. At this church emotions ran high. I began to think that the true Saints of God sang the loudest, danced the longest and raised their hands the highest. It didn't matter what went on their personal lives after the service during that week as long as people saw you "worshipping" on Sunday. I had to keep going to the church to get my Jesus fix. I was going to church to get a "good feeling". (I have later learned I get those same good feelings from watching a movie on TV.)
Many of us go to church for a good feeling or for the way it makes us feel.
See now the lame beggar it not as isolated is he? Let's continue to see how the life of this beggar may be similar to our own.

Read vv.4-6 I have found that often enough we have a procedure or plan of our own for the Lord to follow (just in case He can't come up with anything on his own) and He never uses what we expect Him to. 4But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, "Look at us!" 5And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!"

This case is no different. The beggar is there and he is able to generate dialog between Peter and John. They reply back to the beggar "what do we look like" and the beggar is getting anxious thinking they are going to give him some money. Instead Peter informs the man that they have no money but he will gladly give him what they do have. <>
What is the lame beggar expecting now?
Peter then tells the man in the name of Jesus of Nazareth get up and walk. If we stop the story here we miss out on a remarkable change.
Read vv. 7-9 Peter takes the man by his hand and in doing so the mans feet and ankles begin to heal and strengthen instantly. This is not the great miracle that takes place. This was God healing someone who needed to be healed this happens all the time. 7And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. 8With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9And all the people saw him walking and praising God;
v.8 the lame beggar (at this time he is neither) jumps up, stands up and begins to walk…Think about this, how many people do we know that has had some type of injury or operation in which their limbs have to go through rehabilitation in order to "relearn how to use them". This man has never ever in his life used his feet and legs and all of the sudden he is jumping around and using them with great success.
Finally, the man goes to church walking, leaping and praising God.
Read vv. 10-11 People noticed this man who was committed to praising God. The man had a reason to celebrate because for 35 years he had been going to the church instead of going to church. The people celebrated with him.
10and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.

Now how many of us are still like the lame beggar who now praises God for all He has done and is able to be an example of a life changed by the power of a loving God.

Summing up the Life of the beggar:
Continually lived the same way without result for 35 years.
Always went to the church but never quite went far enough.
Tried to place himself in a position where people would notice him, hoping they could make him better.
Focused his attention on emotions and feelings in order to get what he wanted.
How many of us today are really like this man. Have we played church for far too long? Are we sitting out by the gate waiting for a miracle? Are we here because somebody else made us come? Do we come so that when others see us they think we have got it all together? Or do we come because we like the way church makes us feel and when we leave its back to our same old situation?
Today you can receive your miracle…Remember the miracle wasn't in the healing it was in the walking. For you today your miracle can be walking with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and beginning a new life with Him.

Hummm?

Here are a few random (very random) thoughts that have entered into my head just this morning...First of all, did anyone ever realize that BAND-AIDS are products of racism? I have never seen a band-aid for someone other than white people. People of various skin colors (other than white) are forced to adorn cartoon band-aids or noticeably white ones.
Why do they have picture signs pointing people to the library? If they cannot read then the Library is probably not going to be a good place for them. The same can be said for places who offer "Flying Lessons" in espanol. Are not the Air Traffic Controllers English? WIll this not create a possible problem "in the air"? Besides, do we really need a Pilot's license? Have we ever seen the Police pull over a Pilot in the air?
Speaking of Police- why are they forced to wear silly looking hats? Law Enforcement are supposed be the Symbol of Authority and Respect but many have to adorn these less than flattering articles of headwear. Whether it is a "pilot hat", smokey the bear hat or a stupid cowboy hat have you noticed how in the midst of a struggle the hat never falls off?
A fine mess-Authentic Replica-Books onTape-Chocolate 'nilla' Wafers-dim light-dry ice-educated guess....Are all phrases that make NO sense to me.

The Good Old Days...

Technology: Are we better off because of it or is it proof that we as society have become lazier and lazier while our inter-personal skills have been deadened along the way? For example; texting cell phones...This seems redundant to me. Think about it. 10 years ago if we were told that we would have to communicate with everyone by "typing" and NOT allowed to talk to them we would have flipped. Today, however cell phones are marketed to do just that TEXT instead of TALK. Although I do text on a normal basis I still do not understand its reason for existance. Sometimes it is fun and useful in a meeting or in a situation when cell phones are not allowed, but as a main source of communication, please...First of all, I do find it easier to text with my cop buddies because we can say so much with numeric codes that other people do not understand. The flip side of that is the normal text codes that "I" do not understand. I find it much easier (especially with Direct Connect) to just call the person up spit your business out and get it over with instead of opening the message, deciding if you want your reply to appear with the "sent" message and then typing (with your thumbs) your message. Also, what if you send a message using text code and your recepient does not know text code then they are left thinking you are pretty close to illiterate. If this generation continues with emails, text and digital technology where will we be in 10 years? Our kids will not have sharpened their interpersonal skills because they can either text or type their feelings and send without remorse to anyone they choose. Without these skills how will they become good freinds, efffective leaders, loving parents, sensitive spouses or just good people? If we allow them to only be influenced and instructed by technology we will have robbed them of some of life's greatest joys and that is...PEOPLE. This may sound extreme but maybe not. Life is really great not only enjoying people but being a person is great too. Emails, text and other tecnical activities lack feeling, personality and character and it is all left up to the recepient to "fill in their own blanks". Another thing is, I mentioned the Direct Connect. Many phone service providers allow this type of technology, but all of my experience has been with NEXTEL (whoever they are today) and I have another observation. What makes the clicking of the button to talk make everyone feel like they have to be a trucker trapped in a cop's body. For example, you hear a phone beep with someone trying to converse with you via Direct Connect and what do you here? "Go ahead" and I am almost certain that there is a good buddy heard in the faint distance. Also, when you are conversing with someone and you agree with what they are saying via Direct Connect what do you say? "10-4" Do this many people say go ahead and 10-4 when using their regular phones? We should be very mindful of not allowing our technology to mold us into drooling window lickers with no personality or the sense to make up our own minds. Think about it. Finally, I had to sit down and hand write a letter the other day, oh my gosh (OMG) it was only maybe 3 paragraphs long and I had to stop and allow my hand to rest from the excrutiating pain of having to write sooo much. If I had to write 100 times "I WILL NOT TALK WHILE THE TEACHER IS TEACHING" it would kill me, literally! So take a moment relax, slow-down and enjoy your life one day at a time.