CAN GOSSIP EVER BE OK?

“Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:” (2 Timothy 4:14)

Yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle published a story about a recent University of California at Berkeley study which found that gossip can have healthy and therapeutic aspects. This flies in the face of much of what we’ve heard about gossip. There’s no question that gossip usually causes great harm. Typically, gossip contains malicious (and usually untrue) information and is aimed at harming or even destroying a person’s reputation. Yet, the study found that not all gossip is bad. Quoting from the article:

“UC Berkeley psychologists have found that gossiping - specifically spreading information about a person who has behaved badly - can play a critical role in maintaining social order, preventing exploitation and lowering stress.”

The full article can be found on-line at:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/17/BAAS1MQI6H.DTL

Frankly, there are a LOT of very WRONG ideas about gossip commonly taught in evangelical Christian circles. One time, over twenty years ago, I was attending a meeting of a pastors’ prayer and support group. Someone named something about a woman who I will call “Lucinda” (not her real name). I know Lucinda, and I like Lucinda but she is a character and has some kind of weird characteristics and opinions (such as stating that parts of the Bible are untrue and that sometimes sinful behavior is “OK”).

In my typical Bob Baril entertaining and comical style, after Lucinda was named, I did a very quick impersonation of her. It was not malicious. It was frankly true to character and kind of funny. Immediately I was reprimanded by a Christian counselor who was part of the prayer and support group. I’ll call him “Eddie”. Eddie really let me have it. Eddie said that it is NEVER right or appropriate to discuss a person in ANY way, shape or form without them being present. Eddie said that to speak about a third party with them not present, and especially to do a brief impersonation was absolutely wrong and a bad thing.

When Eddie finished, I felt like I’d been slapped across the face. And I wasn’t the one who brought up Lucinda to begin with! I was pleasant but subdued for the remainder of that group meeting.

On my way out the door, I was followed by my friend Jim Spence. I am using his real name here because I don’t think he’d mind. Jim came right up to me and said,

“I just wanted you to know that regarding the comments to you about it being wrong to speak about a third party behind their back, I DID NOT RECEIVE THAT.”

What Jim meant is that he believed what I had been told, while maybe being “nice” and “politically correct” was in fact not Biblically nor ethically correct and was something I should dismiss and not take to heart. The fact that Jim is not only an Ordained minister (TODAY he is an Ordained Episcopal Priest) and also a licensed counselor really helped me put things into perspective.

The comments I heard that day from Eddie are comments that I have repeatedly heard from the pulpit in evangelical churches and from other Christians in more informal settings.

“God would NEVER want you to talk about another person behind that person’s back- that is GOSSIP and that is WRONG” is what I’ve been told.

Well, in that case, the Apostle Paul is guilty of this grave wrong, and so is the Holy Spirit. Would YOU think that it would be appropriate in SACRED SCRIPTURE to name someone BY NAME, and tell that he had done you wrong, and sort of warn others against him or her? I would say that were that question put to the average evangelical Christian and/or to Christian leaders and denominational officials, the overwhelming majority would say it’s wrong. But Paul DID IT. And, IF we really believe in INERRANCY- that all Scripture is the Word of God without error, then in certain cases, speaking or writing about third parties behind their backs, even saying negative things about them (again IN CERTAIN CASES) is OK!

Missionary Dewey Huston (now retired) told me the story that a pastor in Ohio had told him many years ago. Dewey Huston was visiting a particular Assemblies of God church and over dinner, the pastor told Huston that he’d had TERRIBLE opposition and problems with his piano player. The pastor earnestly prayed,and God revealed to the pastor that the woman was in fact a phony and A PRACTICING WITCH! The pastor went to the woman and confronted her. The woman admitted it! She told the pastor she would leave the church and take a bunch of people with her. And, she did! Not long afterwards, she and her followers showed up as regular attenders at a nearby Assemblies of God church. The first pastor called the witch’s new pastor to warn him. But the second pastor would NOT hear him. He was like the guy who rebuked me for speaking negatively about a third party. He was so “loving” that he totally dismissed the first pastor’s warning as sour grapes, and the witch happily played the piano and sewed discord in her new church.

In 2 Timothy 4, verses 9 through 15, Paul wrote:

“Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.”

Paul, in fact, in Sacred Scripture, inspired by the Holy Spirit, “gossiped” about Demas, Crescens, Titus, Alexander, and others.

There’s a very controversial verse in Luke 16:8 that essentially says that many times your average non believing secular irreligious person has far more SMARTS regarding life than do Christians! It’s true. You know what?... those who did the study at the University of California at Berkeley once again proved the truth of Luke 16:8!

TODAY'S TESTIMONY

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Revelation 12:11)

The above verse from the last book of the Bible is very powerful. I have preached whole sermons on just that verse (using the three ways the Believers OVERCAME the enemy as my three points). I want to focus on point TWO today, "the word of their testimony". How powerful a testimony of what God has done is!

Today, something very special happened to me. Last night, I sat and wrote three letters. You know, it's one thing to write on a computer and push a "send" button, and I do that all the time; and it's one thing to type a letter on your word processor, print it out and mail it. It's an entirely different matter to take paper and pen and sit and write out several letters in script. (For me, printing is easier and I usually print my letters, but last night I wrote three letters in script.) When you sit and write a letter in script to a loved one, it truly is a labor of love.

What I wrote in these letters is very personal. I wrote one to a family member sharing some very special inspiring words. I wrote one to a family friend, sharing thoughts of appreciation and encouraging words. Finally, I wrote one to a good friend who has been going through a difficult time. I knew the weather would be bad today, so I took a gallon sized "freezer bag" and placed all the letters inside. THAT way, they would not get wet from any rain, snow, or sleet.

I left for work fairly early this morning. We had about two inches of snow on the ground in Webster, and by the time I was clearing off the car, it was mostly rain with a little snow and sleet mixed in. I had a lot to carry to the car today; several bags of one kind of another...including the freezer bag with the letters. When I arrived at the parking lot by VIP Answering Service, I noticed that the clear bag with the letters did NOT seem to be in the car. I had only five minutes to get into work but I looked and looked and LOOKED and it was not there!

I've got to tell you, I was heartbroken and I was upset! I figured with all that "junk" in my hands I must have accidentally dropped the clear bag with the letters. Our "back yard" at the duplex in Webster is really not a yard, it is an asphalt parking lot. The other half of the duplex is an insurance company, and before our home was an apartment it was previously a construction company's office. The good news is that the lot gets plowed. But considering the bag with the letters, the bad news is that it gets plowed. I could picture that plow blade just shredding that bag and letters as it deposited them in a snowbank. OR, perhaps they would somehow be spared, but I'd find the letters exposed to the elements and laying soaked in a puddle when I got home.

Something like this can get me very preoccupied. I knew if I didn't get it out of my mind, I would probably make a hundred serious mistakes at work today. So I had to trust the Lord to give me peace and enable me to not think about it and do my job.

Several times today I prayed, "Lord, PLEASE protect those letters, Lord PLEASE spare those letters."

As an act of faith, on the way home I stopped at the Framingham Centre post office on Route 9 and bought stamps for the letters. When I pulled into my residence's parking lot, it had indeed been plowed. I got out of the car, and my eyes scanned the lot and the snowbanks. I saw no evidence of the plastic bag or letters. My heart sank, just a little. I walked up to our door, and saw something stuffed into the doorpost area.

COULD IT BE?

It was!

It was the plastic bag and letters PERFECTLY intact! No wetness, no dirt, no damage. I am not sure if the insurance guy put the bag there, or a neighbor, but the bottom line is GOD did it.

I got choked up and said right out loud to God, "This means so much to me".

I put the stamps on the letters, drove to downtown Webster and dropped them in a mailbox.

And then, I went to the public library's reference room to the computers, for I just HAD to give this testimony!

THOUGHTS ABOUT TIM TEBOW

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1)

I’m a New England Patriots fan, and as such, I enjoyed watching Saturday night’s
(Jan. 14, 2012) big Patriots win against the Denver Broncos in their important AFC playoff game. It was a COLD New England night. It had to be BRUTAL to be at Gillette Stadium watching the entire game in subzero wind-chill conditions, but I don’t think the Patriots’ fans minded. As exciting and just plain GREAT as this win was, there was just ONE aspect of it that was, well, kind of sad for a serious evangelical Christian like me. That’s the fact that the Patriots having such a huge win meant it was a huge loss of Denver quarterback Tim Tebow.

The Tebow phenomenon has been, well, amazing and unusual. This young player that many people had never heard of until November has taken the country by a storm. It was reported just this past week that he is now the most popular athlete in the country. Tebow is just not typical as NFL quarterbacks go. The former University of Florida player has an unusual style for an NFL quarterback. Drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2010, during this season he has led the previously lackluster Broncos to a number of amazing wins, frequently in coming from behind during the fourth quarter. The Broncos’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers LAST weekend STUNNED a number of seasoned football fans and commentators. It’s NOT so much his unorthodox style and amazing achievements on the field that have garnered the bulk of the attention, however. The thing most people are talking about is Tebow’s evangelical Christian faith. His public demonstrations of faith and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ along with his frank revelation that he’s a virgin and that the most important matters in his life are his faith in God, and his practical living out of that faith in missionary endeavors have caused people of every stripe to take notice. The taking notice of Tebow has led to everything from extreme admiration of Tebow from people on the “religious” end of the spectrum, to contempt, sarcasm, and even hatred from nonbelievers at the other end of the spectrum.

The matter of SOME professional athletes and other celebrities being “born again Christians” and sharing their faith publicly in one form or another is not as unusual as one might at first think. Tom Landry, the legendary coach of the Dallas Cowboys back in the ‘60s and ‘70s was an outspoken evangelical Christian who did not shy away from speaking at Billy Graham Crusade meetings. The same kind of thing can be said about Tony Dungy who coached the Colts in much more recent years. Kurt Warner who played for the Packers, Rams, and Cardinals, is a highly committed evangelical Christian. Some of you will recall that he led the Rams in that 2002 Super Bowl meeting with the Patriots in which Brady led the Pats to their first Super Bowl victory. Many long term Boston Red Sox fans know that Rico Petrocelli is a born again Christian as is a guy who played for the Sox in much more recent years. Outside of the athletic arenas, many will remember that Jimmy Carter had the whole country talking about what it meant to be “born again” back in 1976 as did former Nixon “hatchet man” Chuck Colson in 1977.

The thing that is different about Tebow is that he has been SO outspoken and demonstrative about his Christian faith...possibly more so than all of the above Christian athletes and celebrities put together. I know that’s really rankled some folks.

“Religion is a PRIVATE matter,” some have bluntly said, “WHY doesn’t he just keep his faith PRIVATE and QUIET?!”

Some have also quoted from Matthew chapter 6 where Jesus DOES say that people should NOT be doing their praying and giving to charity in public demonstrations to garner praise and support for themselves. They’ve freely accused Tebow of doing this. On the one hand, in certain cases and situations, that argument DOES have some merit. I’ve been moving in evangelical Christian circles for over forty years. I’ve seen a LOT of Christians who in one way or another bragged about their prayer lives or who “prayed” in a sensational manner in public to call attention to themselves. AND, I’ve been around a few Christians who didn’t mind letting everybody know things like, “Hey I REACHED right for my checkbook, and wrote out a check for $5,000 for that missionary! This is my path to God’s blessings!” Yes, there are “Christians” of that ilk who frankly make me want to throw up!

The thing is, I DON’T think Tebow, despite his outward demonstrations of faith and praise, is THAT kind of Christian. When I hear people ask< “WHY can’t these evangelicals just KEEP their faith to THEMSELVES?!” I want to launch into an explanation of what an “evangelical” is. An “evangelical” is one who believes that the “Good News of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ is available for EVERYONE and that God wants this message ACTIVELY AND PUBLICLY PROCLAIMED by all Believers.” There are verses such as Mark 8:38 which indicate that we should NOT be shy and private about our faith. That verse says:

“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

I don’t want to bore anyone with a listing of Bible verses, but if you check it out, the evangelicals’ claim that they MUST be public and freely proclaiming their faith is very much New Testament doctrine and is quite correct.

Now, do I think God really cares if the Patriots win and Denver loses, or vice versa. I feel a little weird trying to speak for God, but my gut feeling is that God doesn’t care. I don’t think we’re supposed to be praying, “God, let my team win.” NOT when there are so many more important things to pray about! But, to thank God for the opportunity to pray in the NFL; to thank God for one’s talents and abilities, to thank God for the coaches and the fans, etc.; to pray that one’s football career could be a positive example and role model to others, well, all that stuff is a very good thing.

Last week, a Patriots fan called up the Jim and Margery show on BostonTalks 96.9 and said that although he wanted the Patriots to win, IF Denver won, he really wouldn’t be all that sorry. I had been feeling the same way. I’m thrilled that the Patriots won and won big. BUT, it bothers me that there’ll be plenty of swearing and obscenities proclaimed against Tebow and his God; an attitude of “We showed that God-guy a thing or two...now he can take his Bible back to the locker room and SHUT UP!”

I’m thrilled the Patriots won, but in my humble opinion, if Tebow never won another game, he is still a winner. He loves God; he is not ashamed to say he’s received Jesus Christ as His Personal Lord and Savior. He’s not out sponsoring dog fighting rings. He’s not at some strip club having relations with every cheap girl who’ll have him. He’s not stinkin’ drunk and foul mouthed. He’s not a selfish jerk. He’s got a good name. And as the verse from Proverbs above says, that’s to be chosen rather than great riches, silver or gold.

EXORCISM

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." 2 Corinthians 2:11)

Recently, a person I know asked if I believe in exorcism. I think I blew that person away when I replied that I DO believe in it. That brief exchange got me thinking, and I decided to share some thoughts about it here.

There is no way to do an exhaustive treatment of demon possession and exorcism in a few paragraphs on a blog. It's a very complicated subject; the kind of thing one could easily devote a two or three hundred word book to. This will, therefore, be VERY brief and merely scratch the surface. The question was prompted by the kind of thing which has been shown in films such as the classic mid-1970s movie, "The Exorcist" and more recently in all sorts of horror and semi-horror movies. I have not seen all of these movies, but I have seen parts of "The Exorcist". (I don't think I've even ever seen THAT whole film.) The bottom line is that Hollywood, for the most part, really exaggerates this stuff. There's a LOT of sensationalism they include in films that doesn't happen in real life. This does NOT, however, mean that demons and demon possession are not real and that exorcism is not valid. Exorcism is still considered a very valid rite of the Roman Catholic Church even in the early Twenty-first Century. In addition, the casting out of demons has absolutely taken place in evangelical and Pentecostal meetings; SOMETIMES in public services, and much more commonly with small groups of interceding Christians in fairly private settings.

The origins of demons is itself a controversial matter. Most conservative Christian theologians believe demons are fallen angels...that sometime prior to the Garden of Eden, Lucifer and a group of angels rebelled against God and lost their first estate of being holy angels. There is an allusion to this in Revelation chapter 12 verse 4; as well as in some chapters of the Old Testament. A MORE controversial theory about demons held by a minority of Pentecostals and charismatics is that demons are NOT fallen angels, although there ARE fallen angels. Rather, demons may be the spirits of beings that lived on earth in a pre-Adamic civilization. The pre-Adamic civilization is taught in the study notes of the Dake's Annotated Reference Bible authored by Finis J. Dake (now deceased). This viewpoint is held and proclaimed by healing evangelist Benny Hinn and others. Some advocates of this position argue that it explains the CONSTANT desire of demons to INHABIT BODIES of human beings and animals. I am not 100% convinced of exactly where demons originated. In Bible College we were taught the classic view that they are fallen angels, but I honestly believe the controversial viewpoint of Dake, Benny Hinn and others may have merit.

It's commonly argued that only ignorant and superstitious people could possibly believe in demon possession and exorcism...that this was the belief of ancient peoples who tried to explain away mental illness. A careful study of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) reveals that Jesus came to heal the physically sick, the mentally ill (sometimes called "lunatics"), the neurologically ill (sometimes called "epileptics"),AND to deliver the demon possessed. That was true two thousand years ago, and it is also true today.

You can find some interesting accounts of demon possession in the Bible. If you study Mark chapter 5, it speaks of a demon possessed man who lived in Gentile territory. He was fully naked, and cut himself with stones. The local people tried to chain him up, but he would just break the chains. Jesus cast many demons (perhaps thousands) out of this man. They fled into a herd of pigs; the pigs ran off a cliff and drowned! In the Book of Acts, chapter 19, there were seven itinerant Jewish exorcists called the Sons of Sceva who tried to exorcise a demon possessed man. The demon possessed man actually leaped on them, crying out, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?!" The seven sons of Sceva fled from that place "naked and wounded". Sweet Professor Opal Reddin at Central Bible College pleasantly told our class, "Now, class, now I don't think that the sons of Sceva were totally NUDE!" In fact, I DO think so!

Anybody who has entered into SERIOUS ministry and spiritual warfare IN OUR DAY has encountered demons and forces of spiritual darkness. One missionary to Japan told me that American missionaries ROUTINELY encounter demons in Japan and cast them out. Another missionary, Gordon Bialik has told of demonic encounters in Portugal. One young woman was filled with demons, much like the guy in Mark chapter 5. It took the whole Bible College there days of fasting and prayer to see this woman delivered. I have not experienced anything as intense as Gordon Bialik and that Bible school in Portugal did, but I CAN attest from several personal experiences that this stuff is very real.

There are two erroneous views of Satan, demons, and the powers of darkness. ONE is to disbelieve in them or to totally trivialize them. The other is to become COMPLETELY FOCUSED on them, walking in constant fear, and believing that there is a demon behind every bush. If a person knows Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord and is truly walking in the Word of God and with the Spirit of God they can be victorious over the forces of darkness. If NOT, they COULD become prey for the forces of darkness.

Some will accuse me of trying to "scare people into the Kingdom of Heaven". That was a common approach one hundred or more years ago. I admit, I seldom use the approach of trying to scare people into Heaven, but if this piece accomplished this, I would view that as a good thing. Personally, I would not want to walk one more day without Jesus in my heart and life!

The Bible teaches in First Thessalonians 5:23 that man is a three part being made up of body, soul, and spirit. The body is just that...the physical body. The soul is one's intellect, emotions and will. But the SPIRIT is the part of us that is meant to know God and be connected with God. If that SPIRIT has not been made alive by the Spirit of God, that person is not a child of God and a "sitting duck" for the forces of darkness. That's why it is SO important to really KNOW the Lord, to receive Him as your personal Savior and Lord and to walk close to Him.

Yeah, no matter what people think of me, I really do believe in demons and exorcism; and I believe that the Lord is more powerful than all the forces of darkness.

WHO WOULD GOD VOTE FOR?

"The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord." (Proverbs 16:33)

The Iowa caucuses happened just a few days ago, but not they seem like a distant memory. In the world of U.S. presidential politics all eyes are on New Hampshire and its Tuesday Primary election. The New Hampshire Primary has been the "first in the nation Primary" at least since 1952. Many argue that it gives the small New England state a position of utmost importance in choosing the leader of the free world that is not warranted. I suppose that's a topic for another day. Today, I'm looking at the question of "Who would God vote for as President of the United States?"

The above is definitely a loaded question. My understanding of Scripture is that God doesn't especially like voting at all! Throughout the past several thousand years, MOST of the time when it comes to issues and personalities, the MAJORITY has been WRONG! Jesus spoke of following "narrow road" rather than the "broad road"; (see Matthew chapter 7). The Bible is full of references to very small groups of people really having the mind of God...terms such as "remnant" come to mind. My friend D.C.M. used to HATE church elections when he was pastoring. He said there was no precedent in the Bible for church elections; rather GOD chose leaders. In fact, he's correct. That verse I opened with speaks of casting of lots to find out the will of God. I know many folks would argue, "But THAT'S in the OLD TESTAMENT and not in the church!". In fact, if you check out Acts chapter 1, you'll see that the replacement for Judas Iscariot was chosen by the casting of lots and not by a vote.

In the Old Testament, God chose Judges and Kings; but often based on what the people WANTED...so that's SORT of like voting. In times of Spiritual revival, God gave leaders who were great men and women of God. (Yes, WOMEN...remember Deborah in the Book of Judges?!) In times when the people lived like the devil, God gave evil kings and leaders who lived like the devil.

I know that the whole "God" thing in politics really turns a lot of people off. A crowd of college kids BOOED Rick Santorum last week because of his VERY conservative and old-fashioned standards regarding homosexual marriage. Many of who have also heard of the people who have trashed Santorum because he brought his newborn dead baby home so his other kids could meet the baby. Honestly, I'm not sure that I would have done something like that, but there's no reason to trash Mr. Santorum for his strong respect for life and personhood and Biblical standards. On the other hand, he DID say the government should stop handing out money to "black people" and that wss a very inappropriate comment for him to make. (I still wouldn't BOO him for that, though!)

I grew up in a family where politics, current events, and history were all considered VERY important. It was the kind of household where the news was on constantly, and there were pages of The Boston Globe spread out all over the house (later it was The Patriot Ledger). My mother was the MOST interested in politics and current events, but my father also liked to talk politics. I couldn't wait to register to vote at 18 and I JUST made it in time to vote in the 1972 election. I very much take after my parents. I am one who can't seem to get enough of news, current events, and national politics. USUALLY by this time in a Presidential election year, there's a candidate that I've chosen and am excited about. This year has been SO hard for me. I am glad I'm not a New Hampshire resident because I am not sure who I would vote for. (In case you didn't know, I'm a registered Republican.)

Bob Dylan sand that song "With God on Our Side" many years ago. Some people think God's a far right wing Republican. Many think God is a bleeding heart liberal Democrat. Some think God is very concerned about politics. Others believe God is so busy running the Universe that He doesn't care about politics. A few days ago, Pat Robertson announced that God has shown him who the next President of the United States will be. Pat, however, insists on keeping this a SECRET. I know it will make a lot of my theologically liberal friends angry that for the most part I like Pat Robertson. But, Pat, COME ON! If God told Pat who the next President will be, Pat should either have revealed who it is, or better still, just kept quiet about the whole thing. There's a little matter about "casting your pearls before swine" also from Matthew 7 that Pat Robertson seems to have forgotten about.

God hasn't told ME who the next President is supposed to be. I don't mean to be disrespectful to President Obama. Listen, I get a lot of forwarded e-mails that trash President Obama. If they're well written and factual, I may forward them on. But, if they're just racist and disrespectful trash, I don't. A friend of mine, Tom Stevens, who is a Charismatic Episcopal Priest,and a Vietnam combat veteran told me he NEVER criticizes President Obama.

"He is the Commander in Chief," says Stevens, "and my role is to respect the office and pray for him."

I can't argue with that.

I did not vote for President Obama. I believed he did not have enough experience to be President. I also believed he is a very nice guy and a very good speaker, but shows little evidence of being a good leader. For the most part, I still feel that way. John McCain, in my opinion, SHOULD have been President. He's a military hero, a smart man, and a real leader. He was a very good Congressman and has been a very good U.S. Senator. I think we missed a great opportunity when we did not elect him. But that's my opinion.

Many of us "social conservatives" (and I'm honestly less conservative than I used to be) have said that in the 1990s America got what we deserved with Bill Clinton and again got what we deserved with Barack Obama. I will add to that my opinion that all the hostility and stalemate in Washington between the two political parties is (for the most part) not a good thing. I have never seen America so polarized, and I don't think that's something for us to be proud of. I am not sure WHO I would vote for if I were voting on Tuesday in New Hampshire. My guess is that I would either vote for Rick Santorum or Ron Paul. I know that Ron Paul is "out there" on some issues, but you may be surprised that Ron Paul is a "born again Christian" and that he is pro-life. He doesn't tend to be "in your face" about those positions, but he's not ashamed of his Christianity or his anti-abortion stance, either. In life, I have tended to be a guy who "marches to the beat of a different drummer" and who is thought of as "unconventional" so Ron Paul does appeal to me. Santorum's convictions also appeal to me, and I DON'T like him being trashed.

But, back to the question of who God would vote for, it's very possible that person is Barack Obama...for the reason I wrote above, and ALSO so we'll get on our knees and start praying for him and for our nation. Incidentally, I think TOO much is being made about the Presidential election and not enough about the Congressional elections coming up this Fall. I think the Massachusetts Senate Race between Senator Scott Brown and Democrat challenger Elizabeth Warren (assuming she wins the Democrat primary) is possibly a far more important race for our country's future.

Do you plan to vote this year? Are you excited about politics or are you apathetic? Who do YOU think God would vote for?

OBVIOUS! ... OR IS IT?!

"A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself." (Proverbs 18:2)

There's a fascinating (and frustrating) characteristic of human behavior and it's that the solution to a matter can be SO obvious and yet a person can be SO totally blind to it! I experienced that with a person yesterday, and I'll share that story further on.

First, I want to give an example of the kind of thing I'm writing about. Back in the 1980s I read an interesting motivational book. Parts of the book were fascinating and really caused me to think and to understand how a person can be limited by their PERCEPTION of things. On one page, the author presented an exercise for the reader to do. He wrote that below is a Roman numeral, and that the assignment is to look at that Roman numeral and figure out what letter could be added to that Roman numeral to create a number between 1 and 6. Below that paragraph in large bold type was the Roman numeral IX. I sat and stared at that IX. WHAT could the solution be? IX equals 9. It's the Roman numeral 9. So how could I possibly ADD a letter to the IX and make a number between 1 and 6? ANY letter I would add would make it a LARGER number. I couldn't add a V, or another X or a C or an M or a D. I puzzled and puzzled over it. It COULDN'T be done, I reasoned. What kind of foolishness was this anyway? At the bottom of that page, the author wrote that when I turned the page, the answer would be at the top of the next page. I turned the page, and in large bold type I read "SIX". Boy, did I feel stupid! He made his point. If a person added a letter to that Roman numeral IX, well of course it would create a number between 1 and 6. It was SIX, meaning 6. So often an answer is right in front of us, and we can't (or won't) see it.

My father used to lament that most people had no common sense and that he was amazed that they could not figure out how to handle simple problems. He had a very practical mathematical and mechanically inclined kind of mind. Unfortunately, some of us DON'T have a brain that works that way, and if we're not careful, that can be a real handicap to us. As the author of that motivational book demonstrated, we've really got to CHANGE our way of looking at situations.

Now, here is my story from yesterday:

First, I must give a little background. The incident happened on my job as a telephone answering service operator. I've written previously about all the lessons God has taught me on this job. I would never had "signed up" for the church I pastored to close, and to work at a humble job like this for a couple of years, but God has allowed this and showed me and taught me SO much. We have pretty strict guidelines and policies to follow on the job. Most of the the clients we answer for are doctor's offices and medical practices. We can never give out medical advice of any kind. We can also never tell a caller to DO something. We can SUGGEST something, like "Maybe you need to call an ambulance instead" or "Maybe you need to go to an emergency room" but we have to be VERY careful in what we say. We represent our clients. It's very difficult when a caller tells you what a jerk his or her doctor is or how much they resent the medical practice they're calling. We can never "feed" that thinking or agree with them. We represent the client. That DOES become very difficult to do, at times. Yesterday I took a call from a very frustrated woman. I had spoken to her earlier in the week, too. She has been calling and calling a certain doctor's office and the calls would go to the answering service every time. (Sometimes that happens when there's a high volume of calls.) It was unusual that her call came to us SO many times over a few days. Yesterday afternoon, this woman caller was depressed and furious.

"I DON'T want an answering service, I WANT MY DOCTOR'S OFFICE!" she demanded, "HOW can I speak to my doctor's office?"

Now, normally, I'd patch a call like that through to the office on an inside line. Ninety-five percent of the medical practices we answer for have inside lines on which we can patch people through to the office in emergency situations or in cases like that where a caller is frustrated and just insists on speaking to someone in the office. The problem is that HER particular doctor's office does NOT have an inside line. I explained that to her. I did also explain that I could fax a message to them. She was not up for that. She wanted to TALK to someone in the office immediately."

She was almost in tears and demanded of me, "Well, WHAT SHOULD I DO, WHAT SHOULD I DO, WHAT SHOULD I DO??!!"

I paused and took a deep breath.

"Ma'am," I said, "I do understand your frustration. This is somewhat frustrating for me, too. I am really not allowed to give you medical advice nor am I allowed to TELL you to DO something."

I then added, "There actually IS something you could do, but I can't tell you what that is."

Maybe I was asking for trouble!

She didn't like my response. She then began whining like a 5-year-old who had been told she couldn't have candy because it's so close to dinner time.

"Are you telling me to FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR?" she pressed, "Are you telling me to go to an emergency room?"

"I'm really not telling you either thing," I responded, "But if you THINK about it, there really IS something you COULD do."

I had to leave it at that. In fact, she called back AGAIN, and we repeated the same conversation! I guess she felt like I did when I was trying to figure out how IX could become a number between 1 and 6 by adding a letter to it.

Do YOU know the simple solution to what that woman could and should do? It's frankly obvious. Or is it? I could write it here, but I'm not going to. I'm going to see if you can figure it out.

As the old "Emergency Broadcast System" line used to say, "This is a test."
Can you pass it? Do you know what she could and should do? You're welcome to post a comment here or to e-mail me at:
revrbaril@aol.com

KUDOS TO JOE KENNEDY AND CITIZENS ENERGY!

"...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:..." (from Luke 12:48)

"Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker:
and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished." (Proverbs 17:5)

I think sometimes ideologies can become idols.

Biblically speaking, and idol is anything that we make a "god" of - that becomes "front and center" in our lives; but turns us away from God and away from what's right. It's something we may believe is harmless, but can be destructive. When we become prisoners of our ideologies - whether on the political left or on the political right - that's just not of God and it's not healthy. There are a few times that I've written about my political views on my blog and how they've changed. At one time I was quite the "far right" Republican. I'm still a registered Republican. My views today would be described as more moderate, albeit leaning more conservative than liberal,

I felt the need to write all of the above because I have a number of friends and acquaintances who will be surprised that I would write a highly favorable piece about Joe Kennedy and Citizens Energy. Joe's Dad was Bobby Kennedy, and his uncles were President Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy. Joe served for a number of years of the late twentieth century as a Congressman; frankly as a Congressman that most conservatives believed epitomized the worst of political nepotism. Some even felt he was an embarrassment to the people of Massachusetts. Joe Kennedy's been vilified as a bleeding heart liberal who (because of his business partnership with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez) is seen as a soft-hearted and weak-headed Communist sympathizer.

Yes, I'm fairly conservative and I say, "God bless Joe Kennedy!" This will probably make home heating oil dealers angry, and I don't mean to do that, but heating with oil heat, as so many residents of the northeast do, is in my humble opinion a pretty dismal proposition. I grew up in a house heated by oil heat, and my father loved oil heat. Fifty years ago, oil heat was considered cheap and safe, and I guess it really was. Today, it's expensive and can sometimes become scarce. In Massachusetts, the law says a utility company cannot shut off natural gas or electricity between the dates of November 15 and March 15. That just doesn't work for oil heat, though! In really cold weather, even with the thermostat set at 52 degrees, the furnace can empty a tank of its oil pretty quickly. There's no law that says a home heating oil dealer has to drive out and deliver one hundred gallons of oil with the promise to be paid ninety days in the future. Listen, no independent home heating contractor can afford to do that and stay in business. I understand that. But there are poor people, elderly, children, the disabled, and others who live in cold conditions during the winter months which are disgraceful. Someone may comment, "It's their own fault," Honestly, in SOME cases, it is. But in most casts, it ISN'T. (And even if it IS, would the Lord really want us to just let people suffer in the cold?) There are many wonderful people in Massachusetts this year living with these cold harsh conditions. "There but for the grace of God go you and I."

Citizens Engergy is running a very powerful ad this winter. In their ad, Joe Kennedy laments the tax breaks for billions while federal fuel aid is cut. I hope I get his quote correct. If not, it's close. He says something like:

"Of whom much is given, little is required;
and
from those who have little, much is taken away."

AMEN.

I'm no fan of Hugo Chavez...are you kidding?! But Joe Kennedy says Chavez and Citgo are the only ones who'd work with him. All the other oil companies turned him down. If that's true, it's a crying shame! This right leaning registered Republican is saying, "Thank you Joe Kennedy and Citizens Energy. You're doing a truly great work!"