WORDLESS MUSIC

There are all kinds of music, and certainly music without words can be very soothing, enjoyable, and even powerful. There are many tunes that are easily recognized as soon as you hear them; and they are often connected with a memory that makes it enjoyable, or painful. But, sometimes, I think music without words are empty, in vain. I thought of this while working a few weeks ago. The music can really, only,  be heard, faintly, in the restrooms (or perhaps it is my bad hearing). I recognized the music as Christian contemporary. It included some of my favorite worship songs. I was singing ever so faintly right along with them. But something was bothering me and it didn't take me long to figure out what it was. It was wordless music.

Although it may work wonderfully with other genres of music, it doesn't (in my novice opinion) with Christian contemporary music. I'm listening to the music without the words, and thinking: "what is this"? It just seems so empty, so lifeless, such a waste. As I thought and even sang the words that go with the song, there was power, life and meaning. Not because I was singing (it may actually bring death), but because of the words. These are words that talk about the power of God, the saving grace of Jesus, and the heart of the worshipper. Without the words, it is just noise (still my opinion). It is like saying I am a Christian but not actually living that way, nor talking about my faith. As James wrote: "Faith without works is dead."

God has greatly used music, over these past several months, to encourage me, to convict and challenge me. In the darkest of times, this music has restored my soul, hearing and singing the truths that come from God's Word; and doing it in a way that only music can do - so full of fact encompassed by great emotion. So, it it time to get off my soap box; but if I am ever king of the world, it may be the first rule I implement - All Christian contemporary music must have words with the music (can I count on your support?) !

I slept well election eve...did you?

This morning, at work, I met several people that were very tired...and very angry. They had that "world is ending, I'm ready to jump off a cliff" kind of look. I empathize, but decided to take a different approach this year. There is nothing wrong with staying up late to watch election results; or to be disappointed with results. But, I had a very different experience than many I saw today.

I have not paid much attention to the political arena recently, as I found that both "sides" acted in ways that bothered me. I know what is important to me, and how I decide to vote. Much of what has been said recently did not influence me one way or the other. Last night, as I considered the fact that I needed to get up early for work, I went to bed while everything still seemed in doubt. And in the morning, early morning, I spent my time with God - praying, reading, journaling, and praying all the way to work. On my way into my workplace, I looked at the headlines from the paper sitting in the machine outside the doors: OBAMA TRIUMPHS. Why didn't this bother me?

I prepared myself, going to the only source that can secure my heart and help me deal with whatever the outcome of the election. By God's grace, I was able to focus on the only person that really matters in any election. By attempting to take a break from the human element of an election, I sought to consider God's perspective. It is only in God and in His Word that those of us who are followers of Jesus can find the answer to questions such as: "why would God allow certain people to be in power"?;
"doesn't God want to overturn some of the unbiblical things that have been introduced by ungodly leaders"? Doesn't God vote Republican?

God allowed me to focus not on the things that we all wish were answered, specifically, in the Bible; but on what we do know, what we can believe, what we can trust in, where our hearts can settle after any outcome of any election:

1. God is neither Republican or Democrat
Joshua 5:13,14 - "...And Joshua went up to him and asked, Are you for us or for our enemies? Neither, he replied, but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come..."

God is more interested in His purpose and plans, and in the end, is on His own side.

2. God is God and we are not
Daniel 4:35 - "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, What have you done?"

Job 40:2 - "Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it."

Isaiah 55:8 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD."

Psalm 115:3 - "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases."

In the middle of asking all of our "I don't understand" questions, we must stop and recognize that God did not intend for us to understand everything He wills, everything He allows. He is God, we are not; and He likes it that way. We are on dangerous ground when we start to question Him, about anything, including the election.

3. God's goal is to glorify Himself
None of us would have voted for the Pharaoh that would not let the Israelites go out of bondage, as described in the book of Exodus. But, in reading the story, we find out that God had a plan all along.

Exodus 10:1,2 - "Then the LORD said to Moses, Go in to Pharoah, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD."

And this is what God communicated to Pharaoh:
Exodus 9:16 - "But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth."

Psalm 75:7 - "But it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another."

Daniel 2:21 - "...Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might...He removes kings and sets up kings...."

God puts up rulers, not necessarily because the Christians or Republicans, or any individual votes and prays for them to be elected. God is not about our comfort or happiness or political party. He is all about His glory. And sometimes that even means putting people who disagree with God in power so that (in ways that only God can understand and figure out) God is the one, the only one who gets the glory for what He is going to do. Who elected Obama? God did...for His own purpose and glory.

Conclusion: I believe one of the main things we are to learn in any election, and in all areas of our lives, is this: We must get our hopes off of man and set them squarely, and only, on  God:

Psalm 146:3,4 -"Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he...whose hope is in the LORD his God."

Jeremiah 17:7 - "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD."

I don't always trust God this well; but on this particular night, on the same night many were worried and upset...I was sleeping soundly. On the morning while many were fuming, seeing what it would take to move to Canada, and just generally angry at everyone...I was focused on God. That is why I slept well last night and will sleep well tonight. I just hope I will learn to do that in all areas of life.
If we all learn, through this, to trust God more, then we will see at least one purpose God had in mind when He cast the vote for our incumbent president.

DEAR ANONYMOUS

I have often heard the stories, from speakers, who explain how they needed a certain amount of money; and after praying, God brought what they needed - usually the exact amount - in amazing ways. I have also been an eye witness, in our own family, of how God has provided for us, again and again, without us really knowing how He was going to do it - and many times from unexpected sources. It is a blessing to bless others, and to thank others who have blessed us. But, I really appreciate the "anonymous" gift. When I have been able to bless someone in some way, without them knowing who I am, it has been a special blessing just to serve without reward or recognition from man.

This week, our family, once again, received the undeserved blessing from God; but this time, it was through an anonymous giver. We received a note in the mail, handwritten and addressed to each one in our family. It communicated a concern that God would bless us as we see what He has for us. Included in the note was a handful of cash. I won't tell you how much, and I'm thinking the anonymous person probably doesn't want you to know; and may not even like me writing about him/her. However, since he/she is anonymous, I think they're safe in the telling of this story. What I can say is it was an incredible blessing as cash is pretty sparse right now and our expenses (even in living with family) are higher than my income. God blessed us in a special way and all real praise goes to Him (as always)!

But, I would like to take a moment, just in case Mr./Mrs. anonymous gets around to reading this blog entry, to thank you "Mr." anonymous. I was thinking about what I would say to you if I knew who you were; and I figured I should tell you these things anyway.

Dear Anonymous,
Thank you so much for the note and gift you sent to our family this week! It was unexpected, undeserved, but very much appreciated. I don't know your situation, but I am guessing that you don't just have a bunch of cash sitting around that you are looking to get rid of. Your gift represents some kind of sacrifice on your part, in some way, I am sure. Thank you for thinking of us, finding our address, writing the note and including such a generous gift.

We have been depending on God to provide everything we need. I am working hard at a job, and working hard to find other work that might allow us to pay all our bills and get out on our own someday. In the meantime, we have been greatly blessed by family and friends who have sought to meet our needs in special ways, at just the right time. We don't know who you are, but you are counted as one of our dear friends, as you have stepped forward to be God's hands in caring for us at this time.
THANK YOU!

Lord, please bless this anonymous giver. Re-pay him/her with more blessings than he/she could ever imagine; and may all glory go to you. Please use him/her in others lives, to be a blessing to them as he/she has been a blessing to us. And may we remember that as we have been blessed, we can bless others. Thanks you, Lord, for you are the one who has provided for us; and have used this special person in our lives.

So, anonymous, may God bless you; and may you continue to walk closely with Him. We will not forget your kindness.

The Whiting Family

Nikki tries to hide her "stuff"

I do love my dog...really...I do. For the most part, she has been a blessing to our family. There are days when you might hear us say things that don't sound like she is a blessing; but overall, it is true. There are things about her that amuse me, and I was reminded of one, in particular the other day. When we take her out to go do her "business" (that's going to the "potty" for those of you not familiar with this terminology), she has a habit which just cracks me up.

When she goes #2 (please ask your mother if further explanation is needed), she will do "her thing" and begin to walk away from it. Then, she will dig in her heels and try to kick up dirt (or whatever is on top of the ground at the time) back onto her "stuff" (doggie "doodoo" for those of you still struggling). She very rarely kicks much up at all; and when she does, she is usually too far away to actually cover any of her "stuff". I sometimes ask her out loud, as I chuckle: "what are you doing dog? do you really think you're covering up your mess"?

I have often thought of the spiritual lesson this brings to mind; and then the other day, as I was thinking it, my wife actually said it. What Nikki tried to do is what we, what I have tried to do. We make a mess (sin), and we make attempts to cover it up. We pretend its not there, or we deceive, or justify it; or do any variety of "stupid" things to cover up what cannot be humanly covered. When we try to cover it, like a dog, I can imagine God shaking his head, saying: "Greg, what are you trying to do? Do you really think you can hide it"? And eventually, for all of us, our stinking sin is revealed. If not now, it will be some day. We cannot hide from God.

There is a good turn to this story. Although there is no hope for Nikki, there is hope for me. Once we bring our sin into the light (or more accurately, God brings it into the light), we have the opportunity to have it covered. But, the only way it is covered and buried, never to be seen again, is to be covered by the blood and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. When Jesus covers our sin, it is covered. And when we act like Jesus, toward other's sins, we are able to participate in an amazing thing: "love covers a multitude of sins". So, let's not play the dog's game and pretend we can hide it. Let's be honest, open, transparent, telling the truth, confessing, repenting; and then living in the grace and mercy of God, which covers and casts out ALL of our sin!

LONE SURVIVOR: A book review

I overheard my eldest son and my brother-in-law talking about this book; and it sounded good. So, I asked Teresa to reserve it at the library; and then read through the almost 400 pages fairly quickly. That means: I liked the book. I suppose my review could stop there, but that wouldn't be a very good review, would it? The title of this blog entry is the title of the book, with this subtitle: "The eyewitness account of operation Redwing and the lost heroes of Seal Team 10." I enjoy reading, but mostly books about the church and ministry; or personal, spiritual growth. This book is the exception, along with others that are true accounts. I love true stories of history, especially as it relates to defending and protecting our blessed Country.

I'll get the negative on the table right away and out of the way: the language. I would not recommend this book for children, or for those who struggle with foul language if they hear it or read it. The really disappointing part of this is that the author claimed to be a follower of Jesus. The fruit of true repentance, however, was not seen in his writing. Only God knows. Most will forgive the language because of the dangerous life and death circumstances in which he lived, as well as his military background. It could have been left out; but then again, this man's story and life is one that includes this kind of language. It reveals some things about him. So, you are now warned.

Outside of that singular warning, I would highly recommend this book, especially for adult men. It is a patriotic, courageous, and exciting story of a man who went through quite a bit to become a Navy Seal; and then lost his closest teammates while defending our country - almost his own life. For those who like true, military stories of bravery, you can't go wrong with this one. Even though you know how the story basically ends (not a fairy tale or normal Hollywood ending), you will probably do what I did...keep reading to find out what happens next; and keep hoping they all make it out alive. Even the buildup to the main story plot was interesting, to learn how one joins the Seals and the kind of training they go through.

Here is a taste of what you will read, from the first paragraph inside the book cover: "On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less than twenty-four house later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive."

But, as with every book, even the true life stories of military battle, there are things to learn that are in the context of God's truth. Here are the key ones I picked up on:
1) I am forever grateful to those men and women who have served, and serve our country in all kinds of ways and all kinds of places. This gratitude includes their families who may not see their loved ones very often, and in some cases, never see them again. May God bless you all for your sacrifice.

2) It seems, according to the author, that he believes he made a tragic error, when first found by innocent civilians (or atleast they seemed), in not killing them. In letting them go, they were soon surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy; which led to the death of his 3 comrades and then others who joined the fight to rescue them. The spiritual analogy that came to my mind is the fact that we must kill the sin that so easily entangles us; especially when it seems somewhat harmless. If we do not deal harshly with sin and its temptations, it will most likely be back, with more of the enemy, and certainly be after our death. We must take a non-merciful approach to the world's system that is out to destroy us.

3) We have a sovereign God. With all the details of this story, as I thought about all the ways it could have turned out differently, I kept thinking about the sovereignty of God. All the details of this story, full of human elements, were not outside God's sovereignty - even as it relates to non-believers. The same is true about my story...and yours. Whether you see your story as a blessed or cursed one, a safe or dangerous one...whether you are happy with the way your life is going, or not...God is still in control. And He is not that concerned about your happiness, as He is about your spiritual growth. This is about the glory of God. If we could see our stories that way, it would save us a lot of time, as we can concentrate, not on making our lives better, but on glorifying God in all things.

I knew it

I was listening to Christian radio the other day and they gave a brief report that caused me to respond: "I knew it!" The report was that the genius nobel prize winning person eats more chocolate than the average person. The statistics prove it, "they" say. Don't ask who "they" is, just accept it. And if you start to doubt, then keep in mind that this came from Christian radio, so it can't be wrong!
Have a great day...and enjoy your chocolate!

Lessons in Losing

I hate losing...always have. Since I was a wee little one, I have been involved in athletic competition, and I have always hated losing. But, I can't get over the fact that I have learned much more in my losing  than in winning. No doubt, I have learned in winning, and it is much more enjoyable...much more! But, as I watched my son lose another soccer game today, it reminded me of the good lessons in losing I have learned. Here are the top 5, not necessarily in any particular order:

5) If you are thankful in losing, you are doing God's will. God asks us to be thankful in all circumstances, including losing; and there is so much to be thankful for in losing. Be thankful for the health to play, any skill you might have, the beautiful day on which to play, etc. There is much to be thankful for.

4) Character is developed in losing. I suppose some character can be learned through winning, but more more is tested, and developed in losing. How will I respond to the refs terrible calls (and they always seem to make worse calls when I lose!)? Who will I blame for the loss (since that seems to be the natural response)? Am I willing to be humble and have upright character at all times?

3) There is always something to improve...always.  In winning, it is much harder to recognize or even believe that we have things to improve on. But, in losing, it ought to be evident, if we are willing to pay attention and admit we have a ways to go. Am I willing to work harder, longer, and be more consistent? Will I practice harder, and better, so that I will play better? Identify what needs to be improved and grow in whatever area is identified.

2) Winning will be more appreciated. Those who lose often are so much more grateful, and excited, and thankful and blessed in winning. We all tend to cheer for those who have tasted losing for so long, that they will experience what winning feels like. It is a principle in life. Those who don't have very much tend to be more grateful for what they have and the extra blessings that others take for granted.

1) It can make me more like Jesus. From an athletic perspective, and certainly a worldly one, Jesus was a loser. He was not accepted by the religious rulers. He was hunted by the authorities. He was ridiculed by the masses. And although many followed him for a time, all eventually left Him, especially as He was taken, judged and crucified. All who were crucified were seen as losers. And yet, we know that Jesus was the ultimate winner, and the fact that He had victory over sin and death allows us to as well. When we lose in life, we can remember that if we will handle it like Jesus, remembering what is truly important, we will, in fact, be winners - on the only scoreboard that matters.