Stand Up, Sit, Lie down

Yesterday I spent from 6 am till 7pm helping my son David with a film project.  He is shooting a product film for a manufacturing company.  It was grueling.  You wouldn’t think that filming a three-minute spot would take so long.  But then again standing in front of a camera and reciting a script flawlessly isn’t an easy task.  My feet were killing me.

We stood up most of the time.  When we did get breaks I grabbed something to drink and sat down.  But sitting didn’t seem to help take the edge off my tiredness.  Then we were back up again standing for the shoot and I couldn’t wait to sit down again, only to realize that sitting wasn’t satisfying.  What I really needed was to lie down.

I couldn’t do that at the shoot because there is a certain amount of professionalism we needed to maintain and lying in the middle of the floor didn’t present such an image.  After the shoot we drove the long way home and all I could think about was crawling into bed and falling asleep, and that is something I can do. When we got home and put away the equipment I did just that, I laid in bed.  But I couldn’t go to sleep.  I closed my eyes, and it felt good, but I couldn’t fall asleep, there were so many things running through my head.  To say the least the fine aroma coming from the kitchen; Rebecca was making dinner.

As I lay there I began to think about standing, sitting, and lying down. They are very practical positions and they are metaphorical as well.  God has made us for each.  The word stand appears 281 times in the NASB translation of the bible and is represented by verses like this, “Even no, take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. (I Sam 12:16).  It means to present or to station oneself.  There is permanence to it as one who is firmly positioned.  As Christians we are to “take a stand”, “stand in the gap”, “stand firm”, “stand in the presence”, “stand against”, “stand before”, and “stand by faith”.  It is a position of activity and confidence.

The word sit is different.  It occurs 119 times and portrays three types of pictures.  Some sit on thrones (rule), some sit in judgment (positively and negatively), and others sit in repose (fellowship). The most positive of the three is the latter.  They are represent like this in the bible, sit and eat, sit in your house, sit under the palm, sit on rich carpets, sit among, sit still, sit with, sit here, sit and speak.  Sitting is a time to be with people, get to know them and enjoy their company.  The New Testament says we should fellowship one with another.  Sometimes we need to just sit, be still, and enjoy some fun.

To “lied down” is used 48 times in the Old Testament and can refer to sexual intercourse, death, humiliation, and rest.  In the positive sense it represented by statement like, lie down and sleep, lie in green pastures, lied down among the sheep, lie down unafraid, lie down together, and lie down in security. It is a position of vulnerability because it is a time when our defenses are down and if we are a sleep – unconsciousness.  I have just learned a little about rem sleep.  It is that time when your body rejuvenates itself so that it can function at full capacity during the day.  When you don’t reach REM or stay in it for its cycle you are exhausted during the day and it is difficult to accomplish much.  It is a time of rest. Rest is something God wants us to do in Him.  He gave an example of rest on the seventh day, Jesus is our Sabbath Rest, and the Holy Spirit gives rest.  Rest is essential if we are going to accomplish all that God wants from us. 

Stand Up, Sit, and Lie Down.  We are to stand on the rock of our salvation; doing his will.  We are to sit in fellowhip with one another, enjoying life and having fun.  We are to Rest in the Shadow of the Almighty to be rejuvenated so that we will stand.  I’m just saying….

Hardships and Trials

I have experienced and walked with people who have faced hardship and trials.  Those times are never easy.  It seems lately that I have heard of more people who have had to deal with cancer of some kind or another.  There is no news more troubling than when the doctor tells you that you have cancer.  I don’t care if it is treatable or not the diagnosis conjures up the worst for our imaginations.

But hard times aren’t always about sickness.  Loss of jobs, rebellious children, troubled marriages, overwhelming debt; contentious bosses or employees are all situations where stress can eat away at the joy of life.  Sometimes giving up or running away seems like the only way to alleviate the pain. People run away differently.  Some actually leave, others use drugs or alcohol, and some just withdraw, use sarcasm, and push people away. They are mechanisms to cope with their sorrow and it only leads to more destructive behavior.

I was reading the book of Habakkuk. It’s one of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament.  Habakkuk looks around and sees the sin that his fellow Israelites have fallen into and asks God how long he was going to have to endure the lawlessness. God tells Habakkuk not long; the He would judge them by sending the ruthless Chaldeans to take them into captivity.  God used a pagan nation to bring judgment on His people, and He does so to bring His people back to Himself.  It was for their salvation.

The Israelites and Habakkuk were going to be enduring some difficult times.  Not all of the hardships that we face are due to our sin, though some may be.  But what we can learn from Habakkuk is that our attitude will determine how we make it through.  We can’t understand the whys of our pain and suffering.  Most of us will have to wait until the Lord returns to find that out.  What we do know that God works all things for good to those who love and trust Him.

In the midst of Habakkuk’s trials he writes these words, “Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.”

When we grasp the big picture of God’s plan we come to understand that His mercy and compassion are lavished on those who walk through pain and suffering, and He calls believers to walk through the dark times with our friends.  I have never relished the hard times that I have gone through, but there is one thing that I have learned.  That there is no problem that is bigger or greater then my God and I will exult in Him and He will set my feet on solid ground.  I’m just saying……. 

The Profiteer

I am a fiscal conservative who believes in a free market economy.  I think I may have just alienated half of the two readers that follow my blog.  I mention this because I don’t hold it against anyone for making an honest buck.  I am the guy who will stop at three lemonade stands on the way home to encourage the young entrepreneur.  A person who has an idea and can turn it into a product that is desired and bought by the hundreds has my admiration.  But, my admiration has its limits. Not all attempts at producing a product that speaks to the majority is a product worth having.

In 1960 a team was gathered to translate from the original language an English Bible Translation that would not only be accurate but also readable for the contemporary reader.  This isn’t an easy task. Just recently two of my sons were engaged in a project where they had to translate Arabic into English.  It isn’t always easy to grasp the nuances of one language and translate it into another.  Often times it takes more words to express the same idea.  So as the team in 1960 began this arduous task they had a commitment to bring to us the best translation possible. The result was a translation that took the phrases of the Greek and Hebrew texts and produced a very accurate translation.

In 2002 Zondervan decided to make changes in the long standing NIV.  With what seemed to be pressure from groups who felt the Bible presented God as too masculine the publishing company sought to remove “gender bias” language. In doing this they moved from being accurate to the text to being “sensitive” to the reader.  Zondervan abandoned the project after the Christian community expressed their strong disapproval. But the voices and pressure to change the meaning of the text in regard to gender remained.

In order to appease their liberal customers Zondervan has decided to release a compromised addition.  Under the guise of wanting to be ‘contemporary’ they have in a sense neutered God in many passages. The following are quotes from Zondervan’s website:

“To the extent that gender inclusive language is an established part of contemporary English and that its use enhances comprehension for readers, it clearly was an important factor in decisions made by the translators.

“The CBT is deeply conscious of the need that exists for a Bible that offers the whole church – from experienced Bible-handlers to interested newcomers and from older readers to younger ones – access to God’s unchanging Word in language that all can understand.”

I do believe that translators need to take into account contemporary use of language.  But when contemporary language doesn’t properly reflect the original you stick with the original and then help teach the nuances.  When you compromise the original in one area others will be sure to follow. 

So why has Zondervan made this shift?  One, it could be because there is a philosophical shift towards liberalism. Two, it could be about profits.  The word of God is not a product that is to be changed to meet the demands of a large population.  It is the Word of God! It stands on its own and we need to present it as such to all who will listen.  I’m just saying….

Some Like It HOT!!!!

Having lived in Texas I grew to like TexMex food.  It is different than regular Mexican food, which tends to be on the bland side.  TexMex has a kick to it.  Leave it to Texans to take something perfectly good and make it OUTSTANDING!  But saying that you like hot food is a matter of relative taste.  Some like it less hot and some like it really hot.  I think I find myself in the middle – Mild Hot.

The weather in Texas is hot as well.  In Houston the summers were unbearable, reaching with regularity 100 degrees.  Occasionally a cool breeze would waft across your face and lull you into believing that maybe, just maybe, it’s not too bad.  Stepping out of the shade and losing the breeze brought you back to reality. No wonder the Mexicans came up with the idea of an afternoon siesta.  Finding a cooler place in the afternoon and sleeping the heat away is the only way to go.

Of course heat and living in hot places aren’t the sole venue of Texans.  Rebecca and I just returned from a visit with Josh, Alison, Eva, and Gabe.  They live in the country of Bahrain.  For some reason Josh and Alison didn’t plan the birth of their new baby boy, Gabe, during a more pleasant time of the year.  In Bahrain the summer temperatures can reach into the 120’s.  Fortunately for us there was a cold spell and the highs hovered around 108 degrees.  Hot is hot, but there is something about being in a country where there is very little grass and cool breezes were none existent.  There were breezes, but they were just has hot has the glaring sun.  It was like being in a blast oven.  Of course silly us we ventured out to see the sights, water bottles in hand, air-conditioned cars, and often an anxiousness to get back home in the cold climate of the house. It amazed me how my grandchildren took the heat with a grain of sand (salt, but we were in the desert).

It was good to come back home to the cool weather (100 yesterday).  Today I read that the heat index was going to be around 128 degrees.  I might as well go back to Bahrain.  But some like it hot.  I talked to a young man in Bahrain who was from South Africa.  He liked the hot weather and would often go jogging during the day.  He said he couldn’t stand the cold.  Now, I am not a big cold weather fan when the temperature drops below zero, but going jogging in the middle of 100+ degree weather is suicide.

All I know is that the phrase “Hot as Hell” means something. When Jesus talks about the weeping and gnashing of teeth, the torment and suffering of those who are in hell, I think of my summer in Bahrain and realize “I don’t want to be there.”  People who say, “I’ll meet you in hell,” or “Hell can’t be any worse than what I experience now,” or even “we make our own Hell” don’t have a real good concept of the nature of Hell.  Hell is God’s wrath.  It is the absence of His love, His fellowship, His mercy, and His forgiveness.  The writer Dante tried to capture the torments of hell in his book Inferno, but even his descriptions were inadequate.  I have experienced love and know that the love of God is beyond my comprehension.  The love I have tasted now is but a faint fragrance of the love I will experience when I stand in the presence of God.  The opposite is true as well.  The pain of this life is a faint stench of Hells eternal torment.  This should be a reminder to rejoice in our salvation and motivation to share the gospel with others. 

There is a tall glass of cool deliciousness in the refrigerator.  I think I will go get some.  I’m just saying……..

Why I love My Grandchildren -- More Than Yours

I was thinking about this today. Why do I love my grandchildren more than I like other people's grandchildren?  It isn't because I am closer in proximity, they live half way around the world and I am nearer to other people's grandchildren.  Not because I spend more time with them, for the same reason. I don't love them more because they look like me, they do have some characteristics consistent with our family.  I am not sure I love them more because they have wonderful dispositions and winning personalities; even though they do.  I have experienced the darker side of my grandchildren being around them for a couple of days. 

Interesting enough I find myself briefly engaged with other people's children but I don't have an internal urge to pick them up and cuddle them or kiss them on the cheek.  I am also more apt to send them back to their parents quicker if they are ornery, fussy, or somewhat smelly.  Infants are fascinating to me but I am not one to hold them; they seem too fragile, but I am more inclined to hold my infant grandson and marvel at him while he sleeps on my chest. 

All this brings me back to the same question -- why?  I believe it is because they are 'of' me.  I can't prove this but there seems to be a sense that because these children are part of me that I am inextricably drawn to them.  There is an unspoken bond, a tether if you will, that extends beyond rational explanation.  Now, I know that adopted grandchildren hold a special place in the hearts of grandparents.  My brother and sister in law have adopted grandchildren.  Their bond is no less meaningful but it is a matter of choice as they have welcomed these children into their family. I think, however, there is an instinctual difference.

In Christ we are both.  We are adopted and we are a part of Him.  We are created in His image and we have been chosen and placed in his family.  We are His body and His members.  He loves us not because He has to but because we are His.  We love Him not because we are compelled but because we are inexplicably drawn to our heavenly Father. These are mysteries and defy explanation.  Reducing them to chemical reactions in our brain and genetically combined histories doesn't in any way eliminate the mystery. In fact I think that it causes me to marvel even more at such a creative and awesome Father.

When Rebecca and I board the plane to return home we will be leaving a small piece (two small pieces) of us in Bahrain.  We will long for the next time we will be able to hold them and play with them.  We will plan, buy toys, and ready our home for their visit. Most of all we will pray that God will keep them safe, healthy, and secure as their parents teach them to love Him with all their hearts. And as much as I will enjoy the children of the church I know that there is a grandfather's love reserved for only a few. I'm just say......

Two Ships Passing In The Night

You know how ugly camels are? They smell too!  We went to visit the Kings Camel farm in Bahrain.  300 camels dotted the landscape. Most of them were hobbled and standing in the shade changed to the ground.  The camel herder, who asked if we wanted to go see the baby camels, met us.  I do have to say that they were cute in a camel sort of way.  But they smelled (did I already say that); they were dirty; and anything but beautiful animals.  These camels served only one purpose – to show the wealth of the King.  Camels historically where a sign of personal wealth.  The more you had the more wealth you possessed and this king had a lot of them.

We walked out of the gate and started walking down the fence and realized something very profound.  Once you have seen a few camels you have seen them all.  We decided that lunch was calling and we turned and left.  It was fun watching Eva pet her first camel, seeing the baby camel nibble on his mom’s ear, and petting the soft muzzle of the 9-week-old camel.  But it was also good to get back in the air-conditioned car.

Air-conditioning is such a necessary way of life in Bahrain.  If it weren’t for this marvel of human ingenuity no sane person would chose to come and live in this country.  Oil, however, has an allure (money) and so people have come to cash in on this resource. Fortunately the cost of energy here is cheap.  My son said son says he pays about $10 a month in the summer.  The temperature can rise to around 120 degrees.  So we do enjoy the cool air of indoor living. 

So, we will continue to remain refreshed in doors with the occasional excursion to a culturally relevant activity.  Tomorrow – go-cart racing!