HISTORY

You don’t know who or what to believe anymore.  As a child, my parents were required to send me to school, (at my adamant objections).  There the capable and learned teachers shared with me and my class mates the important facts that were supposed to shape our future.  That portion of our learning experience was called “History”.  There were various parts of history.  There was World history, American history and since I lived in the Great State of Alabama, there was Alabama history.  During those classes we were taught about our national heroes.  Men like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee and many others.  I learned about the wars we fought in order to keep our nation powerful and free. 

We were not only taught about those things but it was impressed upon us to memorize those facts.  There were test given so that we would be sure to study these important realities.  Hours of reading, memorizing and by rote we cemented these historical details into our little minds so that we would not forget.    I remember a quote that was often shared by those who taught history.  It was by a man named Edmund Burke.  Mr. Burke was an Anglo-Irish statesman, author, political theorist and philosopher who served for many years in the British House of Commons.  Mr. Burke’s statement went like this: “Those who don’t know the past are doomed to repeat it”. 

There have been other variations of that statement throughout the years.  “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it” and “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  All lending their support of the concept that knowing about our past and knowing about those people who shaped our past (whether their actions were right or wrong) was an important aspect of learning and growing and developing into the people God wants us to be and that society wants us to be.  It sounded good. It sounded reasonable.  It sounded like sound advice and guidance.  But that was then…

This morning as an old man, I woke up, dressed myself (without any help thank you) and poured my coffee.  I stepped into the living room and pushed the button on my remote.  The morning news flashed on the television screen.  There in high definition were scenes from the news that the television producers felt was important for me to know about today. It happened in New Orleans, Louisiana.  It occurred about 3 a.m., according to the reporter.  The video showed city workers taking down the Confederate monuments from all over the city of New Orleans.  The city was riding itself of any “offensive” items that might place blight on our generations to follow.  Purge the remembrance of the history and the events will have never happened.

The news reporters seemed to be in one hundred percent agreement with this philosophy (and you know if you see it on T.V. or on the internet it is truthful and correct).  This is the politically correct thing to do so as not to insult or affront anyone with any past happenings that might have been difficult or objectionable.  

This is not the first time this has happened.  I remember as a pre-teen, our teachers took us on a “field-trip” to Montgomery, Alabama, the state capital. We visited the capital building, walked through those shining white hallways.  Stood (almost in reverence) in the large rooms where men of old voted on actions that formed our history.  Later, we walked across the tree-lined streets and visited the “White house of the Confederacy”.  We were shown the beautiful antique furnishings and old pictures of the great men who led that rebellion, if you will, called the Civil War.  We were told the stories of events that had happened there by charming old ladies dressed in antebellum attire. 

But just a short time ago in the State of Alabama, the Heart of the Confederacy, the governor decided that this history was too offensive and had the Confederate flag removed from the Capital.  Funding for the up-keep of the Confederate White house has been drastically reduced and the old building is in danger of rotting away.  Other governors and other states have taken similar actions. “Get rid of the memory and the events will go away”.

I wonder if by the time my grandchildren start to school there will even be a course or class called “history”.  I wonder if there is, will the things they teach be so skewed and vetted by the authorities that those of us who lived that history will even recognize it. 

I feel sure that the chivalrous statesmen and the gallant civilian solders who spilled their blood for the cause of the Confederacy, the cause they reasoned as right, will even be mentioned.  I’m certain that if anyone remembers Edmund Burke his words regarding history will not be allowed. 

How much longer will the monument for the USS Arizona be allowed to stand?  We certainly would not want to offend any Japanese who might feel ostracized by the events that happened in Hawaii on December the 7^th, 1941.  Erasing the memory of the holocaust will not obliterate the suffering of the men, women and children who experienced it. However, we certainly do not want to be rude to any German’s who might feel put off by that recollection.  Perhaps the Spanish-American war should be renamed the “Other vs Americans war” so as not to offend any Hispanic people. 

To be polite and politically correct I should end my little rant this morning with an apology, in case I might have offend someone who doesn’t see things as I do.  But I’m not sure who to apologize to.  There are always two sides to an argument.  Each of the opposing factions believe the things they stand for is righteous.  If I apologize to one side I offend the other.  Like I said at the onset, I’m just not sure what to believe anymore. 

So, being old and set in my ways I will not apologize to anyone.  I will stand here as straight and tall as I can on my worn out legs.  I will hold my old gray head high and with my crackling old voice screech out “You are wrong!!! 

Take down the flags.  Break up the monuments.  Burn the old documents and photos. Teach only the “facts” that you perceive as fair.  Refuse to teach history but if you do, if you forget all that has gone before, remember this, you, your off-springs and those who come behind you will be doomed to repeat it. 

PARADIGM SHIFT

PARADIGM:  The prevailing view of things, a pattern or model of something, a typical example

I collected baseball cards as a kid.  I would get them out of bubble gum packs.  I kept them in shoe boxes.  I hardly knew any of the players, but that didn’t stop me from “collecting” them.  After a while the thrill wore off and I placed them in the closet and forgot about them.  Later on in life a friend told me how valuable some of those cards could be.  I dug them out of the closet and once again became obsessed with buying and collecting them.  But that was many years back.

I loved basketball.  I played in high school (not very well, but I played).  I played while in the military.  I played up until way after 40 years old.  Anywhere I found a hoop and a ball, I played.  My friends and I would gather in the apartment complex parking lot where there was a basketball goal and a light and play till late in the evening.  We would get the key to the gym and stay there playing ball until we couldn’t walk another step.  But that was years ago. 

My little granddaughter, Kinsley, loved to swing on the big front porch swing at our house.  She and I called it the “bus”.  She would pretend to put gas in the “bus” and make sure it had a good “battery”.  Then she would say “Bump, make it go fast”.  I would swing the “bus” while she sat back and enjoyed the ride.  But that was 3 months ago.   

John tells us a story about a fisherman named Peter.  Jesus found him doing what he knew best, fishing.  He followed Jesus, he walked with Him and learned from Him and followed His examples.  He learned to “fish” for men.  But I guess the love for the kind of fishing he was raised to do never left his heart because when Jesus was crucified on a cross outside of Jerusalem and buried in a tomb, Peter reverted back to what he knew and loved.  In John 21:3 Peter says “I’m going fishing”.  He got in the boat, loaded the nets and pushed off.  Little did he know that this was going to be his last trip to the “fishing hole”. 

The next morning the risen Jesus called Peter aside and as he walked with He walked along the shore, the waters licking at their feet like a big wet dog, Jesus asked him three times, “Peter, do you love me”?  Some say the three times reflect on the completeness of the number three.  Some say it was because Peter had denied Jesus three times.  I don’t know why Jesus asked him three times but I believe that this point and time in Peter’s life stands a a paradigm shift for the big fisherman. 

Up until now Peter loved to fish.  It was what he did.  He fished for fish. They were his livelihood. It was the way he made his living and fed his family.  It was probably the most important thing in his life.  But there on the sands of the sea shore that morning Peter had a paradigm shift and it changed his occupation and his life.

Peter would no longer be a fisherman, he would be a shepherd.  We have no record of Peter ever going fishing again.  After receiving his marching orders from Jesus that day, Peter hung up his nets and fishing equipment and took on the occupation of a shepherd.  Instead of netting fish, he fed lambs. 

There are a lot of things that are important to us throughout our lives but when we encounter Jesus and understand from Him what is really essential, the prevailing view of things, the pattern and model and example of our lives will never again be the same.  Have you “shifted” since you met the Savior? 

FOUR RIDDLES FOR THE RIGHTOUS

 My sweet wife has been working at the same job for over 30 years now.  She makes the company lots of money and enjoys what she does.  From time to time the company gives the people in the sales department books to read.  They are supposed to make them better at their job.  Recently, they gave my wife a book called “The Go-Givers” by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It was a national bestseller and proclaims itself to be “A little story about a powerful business idea”. It presents “secrets” to better enhance a business persons ability to succeed.

I read the book and it was an enjoyable read.  I thought, “Good move by the company.  If I were a sales person and read this book and applied it to my sales efforts, it would make a difference”.  But then I thought, “Why can’t we have something like this to present to Christians, something that will help them be better at what they do.  So that became the inspiration for this lesson. 

So with apologies to Mr. Burg and Mr. Mann I want to use their book's premise, change it around a bit and present it to you as “4 Riddles for the Righteous”.  

Many years ago there was a Quaker lady named Hannah Whitall Smith who wrote a book entitled “The Christians Secret To A Happy Life”.  A dear pastor friend and his wife gave me a copy of that book over 45 years ago. I have read and re-read that book many times.  Other than the Bible, that book has made a greater impact on my life than any other that I have ever read.  As I sit at the desk this morning and attempt to write this lesson, that same old book sits on the shelf above me, in arms reach.  Often I take it down and re-read portions and am reminded of her treasured insight.   Ms Smith presented solid Biblical truths in the form of “secrets”. 

But Ms. Smith’s secrets and I trust, the information I share with you here are not meant to be a riddle held in confidence.  If you learn from them and they help you, share them, spread them around.  Let’s get started.

I believe every person who is a Christian strives to be successful, effective, priceless and a part of the body who are about the task of being “Like Christ”.

Although we can’t “make” ourselves like Jesus, because it takes His sacrifice on the cross and the work of The Holy Spirit in us, to accomplish that. Still it is incumbent upon us to “make every effort” to walk in the light that He gives us. Any “skills”, any “helps” any “tricks” that we can use to further that effort should be appreciated and used.

RIDDLE NUMBER ONE: Giving is gainful

As a young man and I guess as a “not so young man”, I thought that I should get as much out of this thing of being a Christian as I possibly could. I mean, sure, God gives me the gift of Salvation and the gift of Sanctification and an eternal home in Heaven with Him but surely there is MORE that I can gain from the Christian relationship. (That sounds ludicrous even as I write it.)  Shouldn’t I be blessed with good health, sound finances, stress free living, happiness, (feel free to add other things you think you deserve)?  Isn't that what I pray for all the time? Isn’t that all part of being a Christian?

Well actually, no it isn’t.  You see in our Christian walk, it is not what you get that makes you successful and effective it is what you give.  Contrary to popular belief and the preaching and teaching of some other folks, Jesus did not tell you that if you follow Him you will have health, money, and lots of “stuff”.  It is not our job to accumulate possessions while here.  Actually, He said, “In this world you will have problems (John 16:33). He said that we “should not” try to accumulate “stuff” here. (Matt 6:19)

Throughout my life it has not been the wealthy, prominent, and affluent people who have made an impact on me but those with meager earthly possessions and humble means.  Those people have enriched my life and gave me more than any rich person, or well-off person ever did. 

Did you catch that?  They GAVE me more.  Their earthly possessions were paltry but from their “want” they GAVE.  

 The effective Christians GAVE. 

Do you want to know a riddle?  If you are to be effective as a Christian and gain treasures in heaven, give as much as you can. 

RIDDLE NUMBER TWO:  Servants are successful.   

Do you remember when you were a kid?  People would ask you, “What do you want to be when you grow up”?  I don’t know you that well and was not around to hear your answer but I just bet that none of you ever said, “I want to be someone’s servant”.  Being a servant, being someone who takes care of the needs and desires of others is usually not a position that is highly regarded. 

It may come from the stigma of the olden days when the rich and influential had servants.  Even those who were not considered wealthy had servants. Servants were low on the totem pole to say the least.  But that is the world’s view of someone who serves, not God’s view.

Evan Jesus, the Son of God did not come to be served but came to serve others. (Mark 10:45)  Does it not stand to reason then that if we are to be “like” Jesus, we too should offer ourselves up as servants?  Our goals, our desires and our efforts should be not to have people do things for us but to do things for them, to serve them. 

Jesus said that if we want to be successful, (honored) by God Himself that we should serve Jesus.  We should do the things that Jesus would do.  We should be servants just like Jesus was.  (John 12:26)

So, do you want to become a successful Christian?  Then find ways to serve others.  Do you want to become an even more successful Christian?  Find more people, find more opportunities to serve. 

RIDDLE NUMBER THREE:  Priceless gifts are personal.

In the third chapter of Acts this story is shared with us.  Peter and John were walking to the temple to worship. On their way there they were hailed by a man, who the Bible says was “lame from his mother’s womb”.  All of his life this man would have to be carried from place to place.  He sat every day at the temple gate and asked for money from those who were entering there. 

Peter turned and looked at this man and spoke these words to him, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee”. 

We could stay here for a while.  We could discuss exactly what you “do possess”.  God asked Moses out there on the back side of the desert “What is that in your hand”?  Moses had a stick.  A young boy on the mountain one day with Jesus only had “five loaves and two small fish”.  The unidentified man from Jerusalem had a donkey and “the Lord had need of him”.  Joseph of Arimathaea had an unused tomb. All of these things were things that God could use.  But do you want to know what I think was the greatest gift ever given to Jesus?  It was the gift from a man named Simon from Cyrene.  As Jesus struggled under the weight of the cross beam while He was being led away to be crucified, Simon was summoned to bear the load.

Jesus didn’t need Simon’s money.  He didn’t need his influence or clout, if he had any.  At that time in His life what Jesus needed was Simon.  It was personal.  Simon gave himself.  He, personally carried the cross for Jesus.

What do you have?  You have you.  Plain and simple what people need most from you, the most valuable gift that you can give them (With the exception of sharing the gospel with them) is you.  “I don’t have money.  I don’t have wealth.  I don’t have anything to offer”?  That’s ok, because the most priceless gift you can give is to give someone you.  Not the persons you pretend to be, not the made-up you, not the person you want everyone to think you are, but the real, genuine, honest you.  That’s personal and that’s priceless.

RIDDLE NUMBER FOUR:  Be available to accept.

Thus far we have stressed points about what we as Christians can give or do.  But there is a twist in this riddle.  In order for us to be able to give we must also be willing to receive. To be honest, this is sometimes harder for us than the giving.

I was brought up believing that I could do almost anything.  One of my Dad’s favorite sayings was “If someone can do a lot of it, I ought to be able to do at least a little of it”.  He felt that he should be able to do just about anything anyone else could do. It may have been by osmosis but he passed that line of thinking on to me.

Being involved in emergency services for 45 years I learned that in many cases and on many emergency scenes a responder will not have the exact equipment and items that he needs.  He needs to be resourceful.  He needs to make things happen. 

“Just do it”.  You don’t need anyone or anything “you are the man”.  But can I tell you that even the strongest man; the most successful man must learn that he cannot give all the time.  In order to give you must learn to be available to accept. 

An illustration from the aforementioned book will help you to catch this riddle.  When a human breaths, he inhales oxygen, uses some of it and as a by-product exhales carbon dioxide.  That carbon dioxide is received or accepted by the plants around him and is used and the by-product of that use is oxygen.

Do you see that?  Giving and receiving is a process.  It is as simple as breathing in and breathing out.  If you just breathe out, if you spend all of your time giving, you won’t last long.  Givers must put themselves in the position to accept.  Givers must allow others to do things for them.  If I want to be a blessing I must be willing to be blessed by others. 

That is not easy for old hard heads like me.  I feel like it makes me indebted to someone, and it does.  We are all part of this thing called humanity.  In the 1600’s a man named John Donne wrote in one of his poems, "No man is an island”…. “Any man’s death diminishes me”. 

I would add, any man’s needs are my needs and my needs are the needs of all others.  So I must not only be willing and ready to give but also be available to accept what is offered me. 

As you continue on your travels down the road to righteousness remember these four riddles.

Giving is gainful

Servants are successful

Priceless gifts are personal

Be available to accept

I think they will be beneficial to you.