The Candlelight Sanctuary

Bicycling - Not the Same as I Remember

ordained — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:01:08 +0000

Here it is, my newest toy and exercise machine! So pretty and shiny, who would have thought it would try to kill me on our first outing. It looks harmless enough; almost begging one to climb on and go for a spin. Well, don’t be fooled by the apparent friendly invitation. Once you have taken the bait and climbed aboard, this harmless, looking machine takes on a new personality. Its true intent is to make you suffer and wish you were closer to home; That is close enough to walk back there. That’s it! It wants me to go for a walk next time and leave it at home. I’ve got it!

Well, I’m not giving up that easily, but I wonder why they build bicycles that are so much harder to ride than they were, say, forty years ago. Now, those were good bicycles; so easy to ride. Those bicycles could be ridden the whole day and many miles and never cause me to break a sweat, or breath hard. Apparently, these newer bicycles are a different “breed”. I rode this one a total of seven blocks and wondered if I would ever breath normally again.

Now, don’t let the thought cross your mind that I may be out of shape. It’s the bicycle, I tell you! Just like everything else you buy these days; They don’t build them like they used to. Bicycles used to roll smoothly and with very little effort from the kid riding it. And, yes, I’m still a kid. I’m just prematurely gray. That trait runs in the family, but I have to admit I’ve had a hard time convincing many that I’m only twenty-one.

My lungs have quit heaving, but my leg muscles are still burning, and as soon as I fully recover, I plan to have another go at cycling. Now, that I’m fully aware of my capabilities (or lack or them) I’ll try to ease into a more sensible routine. But, I still don’t think they build bicycles like they used to.

Feed My Sheep

ordained — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:37:23 +0000

February 10, 2009
Tuesday

I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.

— C. S. Lewis, 1898-1963

Topic: Scripture or Philosophy

(John 21:16) He saith to him the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Jesus ask Simon Peter this question three times. Each time Peter answered in the affirmative. Each time Jesus responded with either “feed my lambs” or, “feed my sheep.”

As C. S. Lewis pointed out many decades ago, Jesus’ commandment was, “Feed my sheep” not, “Perform experiments on my rats” or, “Teach my dogs new tricks.” Sadly, the latter two practices have only become a more grievous concern in most denominations since Mr. Lewis penned those words.

Our Creator has given us a love of permanence by assuring us that He is unchanging and that His Church is built upon a rock. Centuries of tradition gave our ancestors security in their faith. However, today, not only is time honored tradition being attacked, but the true understanding and teaching of the sacred Scriptures is being perverted as well. Insidiously, “new age” preaching of a “watered down” gospel is portraying the “tried and true” as merely sentimental non-sense and those with a desire for change, novelty, entertainment and experimentation are easily deceived by wolves in sheep’s clothing.

The Church must always be immovable and remain unchanging in its teaching and worship practice. It cannot change with every wind that blows to accommodate a corrupt and immoral world. After all, the Church is here to conform the world to the image of Christ. Man’s opinion must stop taking precedence over the Word of God. Men, called by God, must feed His sheep from the Word instead of man’s philosophies and worship services must follow a familiar pattern.

If the service is unfamiliar, it becomes a distraction and a hindrance to worship. One should never have to think about what comes next; it should be as second nature to the congregation as one tying his shoe after slipping it on his foot. It must follow a familiar sequence. Doing something different each week may be novel or even entertaining, but it most certainly cannot be conducive to dedicated worship.

Biblical Wisdom (Second Discussion)

ordained — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:18:18 +0000

The Application of the Proverbs - Exhortation to Fear God

Chapter 1, VV 7-9 are exhortations to fear God and obey parents. Solomon reveals that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fearing God is essential or indispensable to understanding relationships, love, and the very reason for our existence because it is wisdom we can only acquire from our Creator. God, as our heavenly Father, in love proclaims each God fearing person His own, and that through His Word and Holy Spirit, will teach and instruct them. Instructions of God fearing parents, then, are true expressions of love; Obedience to parents nurturing and instruction is reciprocating that love and obeying the fifth commandment to honor thy father and thy mother.
Plainly stated in these verses is the fact that fools despise wisdom and instruction. We are urged to not spurn the teachings of our elders, nor throw off tried and true tradition, nor go our own way ignoring all consequences as if they are unreal, invalid or only happen to others. To learn we must be submissive and yield to those with wisdom. Throughout much of the Book of Proverbs we are taught that humility and submission are products of love and respect.
Finally, in verse 9 of this chapter, we are made aware that the wisdom we acquire will be reflected in our lives as an ornament of grace.

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Pro 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Pro 1:9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Easter Sunday

ordained — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:16:30 +0000

Some may wonder why Easter Sunday does not appear on the same day, in this case the same Sunday, each year as most annual holidays do. The increased interest seems to be due to many taking notice of Easter’s very early arrival this year. For most of us living today this is the earliest Easter we have ever seen. Not only is this Easter the earliest we have ever seen, but none of us alive today will ever see it this early again. The last time it was on March 23, was 1913, and the next time it will arrive on this date will be in the year 2228.
This is not the earliest date for this Christian holiday, however. Though very rare, it may appear one day earlier, on March 22. The last time this occurred was 1818 and the next time will be 2285. So, no one living today has or will ever see it earlier than this year.
So why does the date change each year on our Roman calendar? The dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar used by the Hebrews to identify Passover. Easter will always be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox, which is March 20 this year.

Autumn Chores

ordained — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:53:06 +0000

As it begins to feel more like autumn, I have begun to pay attention to jobs around the yard that I am probably doing for the last time this year. However, with the cooler temps things like cleaning up and mowing the lawn do not seem so laborious. In fact the changing weather makes these jobs quite pleasant now compared with when they had to be accomplished during the summer with temperatures near 100f degrees.
Nearly all the summer veggies are gone from the garden. Only a few tomatoes and peppers remain. I have left the last of these on the vines because there is no threat of frost in the forecast and some are still far from being ready. The winter garden consists of turnips, brussel sprouts, collards and siberian kale. A nice blanket of fallen leaves is beginning to cover the ground around them. The leaves will protect them from the winter cold and help hold the moisture in the soil. When spring arrives I will till the leaves and compost from the compost pile into the ground and we will begin the cycle again.
We have several laying hens and they contribute toward the garden in the form of fertilizer, as well as their main purpose of providing family and neighbors with fresh eggs. In the spring I hatch several eggs in an incubator for replacement pullets and sell some of the chicks. Since I give away the surplus eggs the sale of the chicks helps offset the feed bill a little. However, due to limited space for the chicken operation, butchering our chickens for the dinner table is not practicable. We only have adequate room for our layers. Also, I’ll quickly add, butchering is a messy, unpleasant job for me; one I do not mind leaving to the professionals.
I’m told that gardening is a hobby, and mowing the lawn a necessity, but each spring I look forward to doing both for awhile. Maybe I would not tire of the latter so quickly if I could eat grass.

I Can’t Say Anything

ordained — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:19:14 +0000

When I hear an older person say, “I can’t say anything to my kids or my grandchildren about what they are doing, because I did the same thing when I was their age,” I have to wonder if there is any wisdom at all in that statement. Actually, that utterance seems to lean toward absurdity. Who could be more qualified to speak out and counsel a young person who is headed for trouble than someone who has lived through a similar experience or did the same thing?
The above statement, also, brings to mind the fact that many successful ministries for alcoholics, drug addicts, child abusers and an assortment of other social problems have been implemented by persons who, themselves, had a history of such conduct. Having overcome these hurdles, they felt called to help others by sharing Christ and their own path to recovery thereby assisting others to reclaim the remainder of their lives and become productive citizens. Can a parent, or grandparent, be less obligated?

Maundy Thursday

ordained — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:26:10 +0000

What is Maundy Thursday? When is Maundy Thursday? These are two questions I’m often asked when I mention this very special day. It seems most Christians are familiar with the event which occurred on this evening, but many just did not know the day had a name like many other days celebrated by Christians world wide. The word maundy is derived from the Latin mandatum and means commandment.
Maundy Thursday is the Thursday immediately preceding Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is the night, which our Lord was betrayed and the same night in which He instituted, what we observe now, as Holy Communion. It is also referred to as the Lord’s Supper or the Last Supper.
Protestant Churches that do not have a liturgical service usually do not adhere to the liturgical calendar. This is the primary reason so many reformed Christians are unaware of the name for the day. Another reason would be the fact that most Churches that do not have a formal liturgy, also, do not observe this sacrament on the Thursday before Easter Sunday.
The foregoing is a short explanation, but I thought today would be appropriate for this brief discussion.
The words of institution follow:
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. In the same way also he took the cup after supper, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Half a Life

ordained — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 22:30:26 +0000

Today, I stood in the 80 deg. sunshine, alone, next to the heaped up earth where yesterday many of us stood huddled under a small tent in the damp, cold and gloom of the midmorning, graveside service. Now, nothing remains but a mound of dirt, the spray from the casket and an assortment of other flowers.
We had gathered to bury a cousin from my wife’s side of the family. A lady who was just four years old when Connie and I married now, deceased at only forty-two, succumbing to complications of a long fight with diabetes. Realizing that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow, the number of years still seems only half a life.
I didn’t stay but a few minutes and don’t know why I went. Perhaps it was because of some things that were said during the service at the funeral home. I had called the motel where family members from out of state were staying before I went to the cemetery, but found no one there. So, it could be that I thought I might find some of her siblings visiting the grave before they returned home to Illinois, and a possibility of ministering to someone who needed comforting. Connie and I will stay close to those who live here and assist, especially her mother, as the need arises confident in the knowledge that the death of His saints is precious in the sight of the Lord.

Collards and Sunshine

ordained — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:30:58 +0000

Yesterday we had rain and a funeral. Today we have sunshine and collards from the garden. I will probably write about the funeral, too, but since I just came in from cutting the collards I chose that for my first topic.
Since the collards were planted in the fall of 2005 they were already mature plants that had survived two winters and needed only rain and sunshine to get an early start. Along with turnips and Siberian kale, I had seeded a fresh plot of collards last fall, but a couple of hard freezes this winter killed all the winter garden. The collards that are left from the 2005 planting will only give me a couple of spring cuttings as they will go to seed immediately. But, these first cuttings will be tender, new growth that is insect damage free and will be the best eating the plants can provide.
Next to turnip greens I suppose collards are next in line for me, as far as a favorite “green” is concerned, and spinach ranks somewhere on down the list. However, spinach is a favorite of my wife’s, so, it must be included in the list of greens that graces our table throughout the year. They all go well with cornbread and beans of which this family is also very fond.

A State of Bliss

ordained — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:02:21 +0000

We’ve all heard it said that ignorance is bliss. Examination of the word ignorance reveals that the general definition applied to it would be, “A lack of knowledge”. Bliss, simply defined, is a state of ecstasy or pleasure. The above-mentioned statement suggests, then, that a lack of knowledge would give us a sense of happiness and contentment. It sort of goes hand-in-hand with, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you”. The antithesis would be that much knowledge brings unhappiness and discontentment. Let’s see why. (Ecc. 1:18)
This ground has been plowed many times before and by renowned Bible scholars, so, I certainly won’t do justice to the subject here. However, I often reflect on the Old Testament account of Adam and Eve in the garden. How true the above statements would have been for them. Eve believed satan’s lie that the wisdom she would gain from the fruit of the tree of knowledge (of good and evil) would make her as wise as her Creator. Of course eating it did not do what the devil suggested, but it surely caused them immeasurable hurt. At the very least, we see that when their eyes were opened the state of bliss immediately vanished.
Many harsh consequences followed that moment of rebellion. First of all, we see accountability. Being called to account for their actions was no small matter for God’s first couple. We see them, after eating the fruit, afraid of their Creator and trying to hide from Him. The covenant was broken, a confession was about to be extracted and sentences would be forth coming. They knew fear for the first time. Responsibility was now about to become a horrible reality.
There are, very well, several lessons to be learned from this biblical account, but I want to focus on just one for the moment. It could be summed up in the phrase, “With increased knowledge comes increased responsibility.” Almighty God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that His crowning creation, living in their state of bliss, had no need of the knowledge they sought. He knew the resulting burdens of those responsibilities would forever complicate, and in many cases, destroy the lives of many in future generations. We see it did not take long, Adam and Eve became the parents of the first murderer.
Most of us are aware of the truth of the above quoted phrase. As we continue to strive for increased knowledge the burden of responsibility presses ever harder upon us. Man cannot seem to control his desire to be his own god as he continues to believe satan’s (not capitalized intentionally) lie. Could it be that man now believes that through advanced medical technology he can achieve eternal life in the flesh? How many other ways can you think of that man is attempting to usurp God’s authority or contradict His Word?

2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: