A note for Sunday morning...

by Glen Gaugh on Sunday, October 31, 2010 at 6:18am

 

I listened to Dennis Miller's radio show late one night, since that is when I am driving to and from work, and he had on a regular guest and friend of his, actor Orson Bean.  I enjoy listening to this program, though it is a secular program, and one reason is that Dennis Miller often brings up religion and Christianity, stating that he is not born-again, but that he is a believer and a person of faith in God.  Recognizing his guest as a Christian and one who has turned his life around from heavy alcohol use, he asked Mr. Bean about his religious beliefs and involvement.  Mr. Bean stated that he was not a church-goer, and that he is much better able to connect with God in other contexts.  However, the part of Christianity that really strikes him is the Cross, and that Christ died to save people who otherwise would be lost.

I hope we remember this today as we plan for worship and the Word today.  All of our rallying for attendance and participation will mean little or nothing if we are not calling people to the Cross of Christ.  Christ and the Cross are all that separate His believers from believers of any other religion.  That our Savior died as an act of love for fallen man so that all might be saved- this is what every skeptic must grasp.  Every atheist who spews hatred for religion, and every Pharisee that encourages such views of religion, needs to realize they are missing the point if they don't realize this is all about God loving us equally and desperately desiring a relationship with all of mankind.  Jesus died on the Cross, the blood flows from the Cross, the Spirit was released from the Cross, there is room for all at the Cross, and we must die out to sin at the Cross in order to live.

Doing Right by our Children

by Glen Gaugh on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 2:57am

 

1 Kings 3:16.
Solomon's first demonstration of God's wisdom in him was in deciding a child custody suit.  The two women brought a healthy, living son, each claiming to be the mother.  Solomon's solution?  Divide the child in half and give each woman a portion.

Did Solomon actually think that killing the child for the sake of giving each woman an equal portion was justice?  Of course not.  He knew that the true mother would make the tough decision necessary to save the child alive and do right by the child regardless of the personal sacrifice required.  The woman that said, "No, save the child, I give it to the other woman," was the true mother.

Sacrifice is required to do right by our children, and the parent or caregiver who is willing to make sacrifices for the sake of their children is the one who deserves to have those children.  This kind of sacrifice occurs too often today as relatives accept custody and responsibility for children they did not give birth to and never intended to raise, in order to save them from being "divided" by the system.  Parents who raise children with behavioral, developmental, and mental health disorders also make hard choices everyday.  These caregivers are doing justice by their children.

Luke 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.

It is easy to forget why we sacrifice to do right by our children especially when times get tough and the cares and wrongs of the past come to the surface as bad behavior, disciplinary problems, temper tantrums, depression, anxiety, or regressive behavior.  We get scared to death to find out our children try drugs or alcohol, self-mutilation, sexual behavior, fighting, threatening, or stealing as ways to try to get by.  But we have to remember that that child is not yet what he is to become.  Remember the following:

1. Every individual, group, family, and community has strengths (even yours!)
2. Trauma and abuse, illness and struggle, may be injurious, but they may also be sources of challenge and opportunity.
3. Assume that you do not know the upper limits of the capacity to grow and change.  Take aspirations seriously.
4. We best serve our children by working with them.
5. Every environment is full of resources.
(From the principles of Dennis Saleeby's Strengths Perspective from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare webpage, http://www.socwel.ku.edu/strengths/about/principles.shtml ).

Remembering these principles as we look at our children will help us remember why we do what we do for them.  It will guide us to see the possibilities and to put them on the arc of development, rather than on the spiral of decline.

Even if we do not always have a crystal-clear picture of what our children are to become, we can be assured that our example in caring, encouraging, and modeling right living will pay off in the end.  The wisdom of your sacrifice will be justified in your children in time.

(From a talk I gave to a group of relative caregivers in Madison County on October 7th, 2010.)

The Importance of Family

by Glen Gaugh on Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 3:30am

 

     There is no doubt about it- whether you examine the Bible or think about your own experience and observation- the choices that are made by moms, dads, and even extended family members in the present, will have an influence on generations to come. Two families in particular- Abram and Sarai in the Old Testament; Zacharias and Elisabeth in the New Testament aptly demonstrate this point in God’s Word.
     Abram and Sarai had the greatest promise offered to them from God- that from their seed, God would create a great nation, numbering more than the sands of the sea or the stars of the sky. The problem came when Abram and Sarai became impatient and tampered with God’s plan. When Abram took Hagar to give him a child, God’s plan for His nation was violated. Also, God’s plan for the family was violated. Lack of faith in God allowed this family to be divided and produced an illegitimate child. The fruits of this decision are felt today, manifest in the current conflict in the Middle East between Isaac’s lineage and Ishmael’s.
     Zacharias and Elisabeth had a great promise as well: their son would be the herald for the Messiah. The opportunity presented itself for this family to be divided by the opinions of other people and by their own insecurities. Zacharias expressed some doubt at the angel’s announcement and was struck dumb as a result. At the circumcision of the child, family and neighbors tried to call the child by his father’s name and were shocked when Elisabeth spoke up to say, “Not so- his name is John.” Zacharias could have, as head of the family, named the child by his own name, fitting the mold of tradition that the others were coming from. However, he obeyed the will of God and spelled it out plainly- the name of the prophet would be John.
     The family is the most basic and important building block of the church, the community, and the society at large. Think about how many of your daily habits and interactions are influenced by your family. From your major beliefs about God, to the way you squeeze toothpaste from the tube, your family relationships and experience have created who you are as an individual. This perhaps impacts others around you profoundly more than your individual personality traits or personal inclinations. Unity of belief and action is vital to making sure your family is not divided. No matter what core beliefs are taught to us by our parents, it is the daily life and actions that we witnessed as children that have influenced us more than anything.
     A few years ago, death claimed a father who spoke his faith in God strongly to his children and to anyone that came to his home to visit him. After his passing, one of his sons held tightly to a memento that his father left behind, and he promised he would always hold and cherish this particular item that was so much a part of his dad’s life. It was not his dad’s Bible, but his dad’s snuff can that was so cherished by this son. We can affirm that we believe the entire Bible, the whole of God’s truth; but it is the way we live this truth that creates the lens that our children, and even lost family members, will view the Bible and the church through. The family’s influence is so powerful that it impacts the view of an individual for the rest of their life. God’s Word testifies of this truth, and families throughout the years have proven it. This is the importance of family.

The ABC's of Spiritual Leadership

by Glen Gaugh on Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 4:12am

 

Advocate- stand up, speak out, proclaim.

Be where the need is; be prepared.

Call on the Lord.

Demand the best from yourself and others.

Educate yourself and others.

Follow the Holy Ghost.

Give all you've got.

Have the right spirit, motive, attitude.

Integrate all that you have in Christ Jesus- His Spirit, your skills, experience, trials, testimony.

Just do it!

Know who you are, whose you are, your responsibilities and limitations.

Love the Lord and people.

Motivate yourself and others.

Need the Lord in all His power.

Open the door of opportunity.

Plan and position yourself for the will of God.

Quiet yourself- hear God.

Respond to the need.

Stand firm.

Trust the Lord.

Understand the will of God.

Validate the call of God in your life and in others.

Work while it is day.

X ray vision- see through the junk.

Yearn for home- don't forget about Heaven!

Zero in- focus!