PARKS BROWN

The mid term elections are a reminder there is a battle in the hearts and minds of Americans. The ballot box will give us results of the political battle immediately, but the results for the condition of your heart will be seen only after the votes are tabulated. Before today, harsh generalizations, racism, and divisiveness have been the headlines. People actually believe the problems are political, race oriented and sex based. As a Christian, I don’t think anyone short of Jesus is going to solve the problems in our world. So, regardless of who wins on Tuesday, November 6, I will still submit to the governing authority in my state and nation. Will you?

The current environment is due to an increasing deficit of love in our world. If you’ve ever been to a wedding you’ve probably heard someone read from the 13th chapter in the book of 1st Corinthians. At the end of the chapter, Paul makes a prescient statement after describing the nature and characteristics of true love. Paul talks about maturity and the fact as time passes most things fade away but three things never will. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1st Corinthians 13:13. After listening to political advertisements the past few weeks, if love remains, it doesn’t seem to be on the ballot.

The midterm elections show what Paul was talking about in Corinthians. People have exercised faith…in political parties and candidates. People cast ballots with hope…that a candidate or party will make the world a better place. If your faith and hope fade away when the ballots are counted, will you still have love…for America and everyone who voted differently than you did? Christians are reminded, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.” Romans 13:1-2. So, if you lose kicking and screaming you are rebelling against God, not a process or a party.

The words of Jesus are a good reminder for Republicans and Democrats. “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great…Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:35-36. I guess the coming days will show you and others who your daddy is. If anyone claims to be a Christian, remember, “…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6. Love is a mantra for Jesus in the New Testament. I wish everyone would make love their platform.

I stood in line to vote today at the same precinct I have been voting in for almost 25 years. I was reminded that although I was voting with my neighbors, my neighbors don’t always look like me, vote like me or act like me. Jesus experienced the same thing in His day. Those who were different than Christ got in His face and taunted him about their differences in thinking and beliefs. They asked him what was most important to him. “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Matthew 22:37-39. Not a bad idea for everyone to entertain. For believers, it’s more than an idea.

By the time you read this blog, the people of the United States will have spoken with their ballots. Now, my actions and yours will speak volumes about our heart and our nation. I have FAITH that God either allows or wills everything in this world. I have HOPE, in Him and His sovereignty. And I have LOVE, for my neighbors, regardless of who you all voted for.

I vote for…love.

If the name or image on this post causes you to turn away you may miss the truth behind the story. If you hear the name Kavanaugh and tune out, you’re at risk of not knowing the truth. The resulting effect of the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and Supreme Court appointment is more dangerous than apathy or anger. The result of the Kavanaugh fiasco is hardening your heart to hearing the truth. Regardless of what you think about Brett Kavanaugh, the story behind the Supreme Court Justice is how people turn off their hearts and minds and harden their hearts to the truth.

New Jersey Senator Corey Booker nailed the cause of everyone hardening their hearts. The Senator proclaimed how courageous Dr. Ford was when she came forward and shared ‘her truth’. Everything short of the absolute, spiritual truth has been causing problems since day one. People have been giving their version of the ‘truth’ since the beginning of creation. Eve did the same thing in the Garden of Eden when she retold of her encounter with God to Satan. God had told Eve not to eat from a certain tree in the garden, but later Eve added to the story. “‘We may eat fruit from trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'” Genesis 3:2-3. Eve told ‘her truth’, but it wasn’t ‘the truth’.

I don’t hold a grudge against Eve. I don’t think negatively about Eve nor have I written her and all of her family members off because of what she did. I haven’t hardened my heart to Eve, nor Dr. Ford. History shows that hardening your heart is one of the most dangerous things you can do in life. ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for 40 years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation…’ Hebrews 3:7-10. Hardening your heart can keep you from God’s best and His plan for your life. Hardening your heart can keep you from knowing the truth behind everything.

Liberals and Conservatives harden their hearts toward each other and it leads to division in government. Races harden their hearts to other ethnicities and it results in bondage and slavery. Spouses harden their hearts and it leads to divorce. People harden their hearts to elected officials who don’t share their beliefs and it leads to social unrest, civil disobedience and a divided country. History shows the results of a hardened heart are wasted years, relationships and lives. When you allow your heart to be hardened by day to day happenings it can become a lifestyle and is easier to harden your heart to what God says. God’s anger can be the result of hardening your heart to the Holy Spirit.

It’s important to remember the enemy was behind the original version of adulterated truth. The devil planted a thought for Eve. ‘He said to the woman, “Did God really say…” Genesis 3:1. When we allow our heads and hearts to be directed by anyone or anything other than the Holy Spirit, the effect is the same as taking the wrong road on a journey…you don’t know where you’ll end up. Eve led Adam astray. When the Israelites were freed from 400 years of captivity and struck out for the promised land, it took them 40 years to make a trip that should have taken a month or two. They wasted 40 years of their lives wandering around because they had hardened their hearts.

The result of hardening your heart to the Holy Spirit is missing the truth that can result in God’s anger and separation from Him. Hardening your heart to ANYTHING can lead to wasted years…broken relationships…death. Hardening your heart is the work of the devil. ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.’ 1st John 3:8. It took Jesus’ death and resurrection to remedy the problem and free us from Eve’s version of the truth.

Reality is we have an enemy that has been trying to distort and distract since creation until today. Truth is, the result can be the hardening of our hearts towards each other and towards God. Don’t let the Kavanaugh case or anything harden your heart and risk you not hearing the voice of God directing your thoughts and actions. Your life on Earth IS at stake and your eternity may be as well.

“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” It’s hard to hear those words without adding a hearty ‘amen!’ Even if you don’t #JustDoIt, the idea and the sentiment behind the hashtag rings true. As with so much these days, it’s the message behind the words that reveal whether you are being led to the truth or fake news.

I encourage you to watch the Nike commercial featuring Colin Kaepernick and discern the message for yourself ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hIc_epqfI0 ). As with most things of this world, there is a degree of truth but where it can lead you is not always clear. The message Nike is supporting is to believe in yourself because you are capable of greatness. Colin says faith in yourself, conviction and sacrifice is the path to follow. Kaepernick even labels those who doubt as ‘non-believers’. Almost sounds like the words you hear in a church service.

This message starts to take on a new meaning after a little due diligence and seeing what history has to say. What rings in your loins when you hear this commercial is what rang in the ears of Lucifer before time began; YOU CAN BE THE GREATEST, just do it! Kaepernick flat out says it, be the greatest, not just great.

We live in a world that battles for your eternal soul. The battle is fought in your mind with the message of achieving greatness and exalting yourself. The world tells you through sacrifice and suffering you can and should become great. Believing in yourself is fine, but believing in God first and foremost is critical. When you focus on being great, you can become your own god…especially when you achieve high levels of success. Don’t forget #havenoothergodsbeforeme.

The man named Jesus Christ knew greatness, but not the way Nike is describing it. No, he wasn’t the wealthiest guy to ever live and he doesn’t hold world records for points scored in a career, a game or championship rings won. But, He did heal the sick, raise the dead, make a way to eternal life and rise from the dead himself. Oh, yeah, and He did it in weakness according to the world’s standards.

Jesus’ biggest victories didn’t come after years of training to be the best, but they came when He was the weakest and relied on God not himself. In the wilderness all alone, Jesus defeated the strongest angel ever created after he went without food for more than a month. “After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” Matthew 4:2. The message of history is: God is great and there is no second place. The message of Christianity is to believe in God and His Son, not just something. The message of Jesus is that only when you sacrifice of yourself for where God leads you, can you be propelled to greatness, holiness and eternal life.

At the height of Mike Tyson’s reign as a boxer, Evander Holyfield defeated the champ with the same message of belief and conviction as the Nike commercial, but not belief in himself first. Evander pointed to his faith and belief in Jesus. The boxing gloves Holyfield wore were inscribed, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.

These days it is easy to discern the lies referred to as fake news. It is more difficult to hear a degree of truth and know whether to give your heart to following it’s lead. The whole truth comes in God’s Word. Jesus knew a great man when he saw one. “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater then John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11. What was John the Baptists’ advice on greatness? “He must become greater, I must become less.” John 3:30. Not a grain of truth, but the whole truth. Pursue greatness by following the truth that when you become less and Jesus becomes more in your life, THAT is the sacrifice to deliver greatness.

Don’t just believe in something and sacrifice your life for it. Believe in the One who sacrificed his life for you. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. #believethis

The ‘dog days’ of summer bring to mind images of long, hot, sultry days where a dog lays around panting because of the heat and humidity. Actually, the phrase finds it’s origin in the dog star, Sirius and it’s position in the heavens. The phrase, ‘dog days’, is an example of how over time, the meaning of a thing can get lost but the phrase lives on. Another example is the phrase, ‘you work to live, you don’t live to work.’ It may sound good but nothing could be further from the truth.

If you believe we were created by God as opposed to evolving from the slime, you have to recognize we were created in a specific way for a specific purpose. 26 verses into the first book in the Bible there is a reminder we were created in the image of God, himself. ‘So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female, he created them.’ Genesis 1:27. A few verses later…’The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.’ Genesis 2:15. We were created to work and do good works. Work is not something to balance with life, it is at the core of why we were created.

Work is what God does and is His gift that reminds us we are created in his image (remember that on Monday morning.) Work is what God did to create the world. ‘By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing: …’ Genesis 2:2. Work reveals our heart and expresses who we are by what we do and how we do it. ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving’ Colossians 3:23-24. So, our inheritance, our retirement, comes from God and not the balance in a 401K.

Understanding how work is such an integral part in our lives requires viewing our work not simply as a means to make money. Work is not a chore that enables us to live a lifestyle or reach retirement. Like God, we should never stop working. ‘In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” ‘John 5:17. Work is a lifetime endeavor, not something we do to live. We live to work, just like the Creator.

We have lost the meaning of work when it becomes a means to the end we know as retirement. Where in the Bible does it ever talk about retirement as part of God’s plan for our lives? This reveals a huge difference in how to choose your work. God’s plan for our work doesn’t center on dollars and cents. It’s a red flag when the driving force for your employment is strictly monetary and not the direction of the Holy Spirit. For a Christian, Jesus was the role model, right? His outlook on work is worth modeling. ‘ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” ‘ John 4:34. If your work is directed by God, deciding when to quit isn’t defined by the balance in a retirement account or when full Social Security benefits kick in.

Understanding work requires a deeper dive into how and why we are on planet Earth. Work is a divine gift that allows us to find personal satisfaction, connection to the Creator and fulfillment of purpose, not simply a paycheck. Work is so much a part of our core it is usually one of the first questions people ask each other. ‘What do you do?’ is best followed by “Why do you do what you do?” What you do is important, but HOW and WHY you do it is the revelation. The truth is that work is at the core of life itself.  Your work reveals what is in your heart. What you do and how you do it shows heaven and earth who and what you serve. 

‘Don’t let your work define you’ is another phrase that has become twisted. I believe your work does define you. Christ’s work revealed and defined him. ‘…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.’ 1st John 3:8. What He did everyday, His work, showed everyone His heart and purpose.  In turn, your work shows the world your heart and purpose as well.

If you don’t have a proper understanding of work, life can be long and sultry like the dog days of summer. And, like the dog days of summer, life WILL come to an end and then your life’s work will be judged and the balance in your account tabulated. “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.’ 1st Peter 1:17.

Work reveals and rewards you. Work so that your life will reward you accordingly. Work as though there is a tomorrow and what you work on today defines that tomorrow.

 

 

Colleges and high schools have turned into a competitive breeding ground for getting a jump on their peers and that first job. Schools have become performance oriented enclaves for teachers and students alike. In the effort to keep God out of the school, educational systems can also exclude teachings that produce a balanced, well rounded individual. We need to address the importance of leisure and the role it plays in our lives and society. American society has denigrated leisure to the point it is in ingrained in our national consciousness that leisure is lazy….and nothing we hear these days could be further from the truth.

School can teach you many things. One of the best lessons you can ever learn and learn early is… you do NOT work to live, you live to work. This is backwards from the American ethos of make a lot of money and retire early. A lifetime of working is not a curse, but part of our original design. Go back to Genesis (3:16-19) for a refresher. Once man turned his back on God’s original design in the Garden, aka sinned, we were all assigned to work out our remaining days. Women were given childbearing (and a desire for a husband) and men were given the task of working the ground to provide. We were made to toil by the sweat of our brow and the enemy has been trying to use that against us ever since.

Leisure, like work, is a gift from God. Leisure is a means of learning more about Him and drawing closer to Him. In Greek, leisure is the word ‘skole’. In Latin, leisure is ‘scola’, the English word for ‘school’. The word used to designate the place we educate and learn is derived from a word meaning leisure. What are the schools teaching kids about leisure in 2018? Leisure is how and where we stop to contemplate more than compose tomorrow’s ‘to-do’ list. Leisure is when we take the time to hear and see God.

God set the example in Genesis 2:2. ‘..so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.’ God established mankind as an agrarian culture; basically we are farmers. If you aren’t a farmer or if you don’t know a farmer, take my word for it…your work is NEVER done. Therefore, God established a day of rest as a means to remind mankind; “STOP working all the time.” More succinctly, “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'” Psalm 46:10.

Many folks choose financial gain or selfish pleasures in their leisure rather than contemplation or communion with the Creator. What does that look like…how many weeks of vacation do you have banked? Also, it’s popular to encourage each other that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. This is a subtle way to say, work hard and crash hard…again, a huge lie. What happens in Vegas (or wherever you go on vacation) reflects what has been happening in your life and can reveal your spiritual state more than anything.

Leisure was originally designed by God as the Sabbath and a day off. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God…” Exodus 20: 9-10. No wonder the world wants you to think leisure is lazy. Leisure is a ticket to drawing closer to God in recognition of His establishing a time of rest. Again, so much of what our culture encourages is in opposition to God. Spiritual warfare folks.

Take the deeper dive and go back to your roots. The next time you meet someone don’t ask them what they do for a living, ask them what they do in their leisure time. Then, really listen. In YOUR leisure time, do you think about work or contemplate greater issues and questions? Do you drink it away or fill it with mindless conversation? Leisure is a mental and spiritual attitude more than it is time away from the daily grind.

The enemy tells a subtle lie that working too much will result in becoming a workaholic with less time for the family or less time for yourself. As always, the devil’s lies sound like a deeper truth but don’t point back to God. The deeper truth is that not having enough leisure time will separate you from God and establish a mindset of confidence and pride in yourself. Be careful not to teach this to your kids under the premise of ‘getting ahead in life’.

Leisure is the means to draw close to God. Therefore, your enemy will fight your leisure time tooth and nail. The enemy will say, ‘Work while you’re young, get ahead’…’you should work and save more for retirement and have your reward then’…’spend your leisure on your phone and keep up with the world’…’blow it out on vacation and get away from everything, you deserve it’. These activities will kill more than your body.

Jesus warned about listening to the devil and being so short sighted. “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” Luke 12:5. Spend some leisure time thinking about eternity and learning to differentiate between the voices you hear.

Memorial Day is the official kickoff for the season of leisure. Don’t spend your time simply getting refreshed from work or for work. Enjoy the true fruit of leisure which lies in worshiping the divine and communing with God. Learn from what your leisure time reveals.