The Sunrise Unseen...

The Sun Rose Today, Above the Clouds



Today I arose early, hoping to catch a glimpse (and a photo) of the rising sun. Often the edge of a cloud pattern arrives just as the sun peeks over the horizon, creating a Master's painting of light and color. On the flight deck of some redeye this morning, the crew is no doubt enjoying the play of light on the top of these clouds. You see, the sun ROSE this morning. Here on the ground, we just didn't see it!

Likewise, the Saviour of the World has risen! May we have the presence of mind to see that great truth! Have a Blessed Easter!

Andrea Oakes, Moses and Joshua...

Going Outside the Camp to the Tent of Meeting

After the people sinned while Moses was receiving the Law, the Tabernacle was pitched outside the camp and those who would seek the Lord had to venture out to it.

"For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp." -- Exodus 33:5-7

Prayer before city counsel meetings has been relegated to the 'work session.' Here is where we are as a culture today. The presence of G-d has been removed to "outside the camp," and we must make the effort if we are to seek G-d for the welfare of our city.

The scripture says that Moses went out regularly to meet with G-d, "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." -- Exodus 33:11a.

But then we learn a most interesting fact about Joshua: "but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle." -- Exodus 33:11b. Here was a man who wanted to linger far beyond what was required in the presence of G-d.

Moses and Joshua remained in the presence of G-d and were shown the grace of G-d toward the people. Often people see the giving of the law and the sternness of G-d in the books of Moses, but miss the grace. Finding the grace requires a trip to the Tabernacle and time in G-d's presence.

The Law, given on Sinai, is the basis (like it or not) for the right governing of our society. The grace, it is not so easily written on tablets. One needs to seek it in communion with the One who is gracious.

We are blessed to have public servants like Andrea Oakes, who do so.

A Lighthouse on a Mountain

On Mount Greylock, a Monument Rises in the Mist


In the clouds hanging on Greylock, Massachusetts' highest mountain, stands a lighthouse...



"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." -- Psalm 119:105

Walking up the trail to the top of Greylock in November of 2000, I stepped into a cloud. The top of the mountain, unseen, was covered with a frosting of heavy ice. Inching upward, I came to this monument at the summit. A war memorial, but also an allusion to local author Herman Melville, who wrote Moby Dick. When the monument was first lit you could see it for seventy miles on a clear night.

Sinai 

After the miraculous deliverance from Egypt, the establishment of the Passover celebration and the inspiration of Bezaleel and Aholiab to build the Tabernacle, Moses went up into a cloud on Mount Sinai. There G-d gave the law that would be a light to thousands of generations to Moses, but the people couldn't see what was happening on the mountain. They Turned Away [click to read] and made themselves a god of metal. Unable to visualize what they didn't see, they subjected themselves to foolishness.

Golgotha

On a hill called Golgotha, the man who said: "I am the light of the world." -- John 9:5 slipped into death.  And the people stood beholding. "And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself." -- Luke 23:35 Surely they felt that this was not the Messiah they had hoped for. Dying between two criminals, His body placed in the dark tomb, He was gone from them. His followers hid themselves away, fearing they would be killed as well.

Zion

What happened on that mountain, though unseen, changed history. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." -- Hebrews 11:1. We now know the rest of the story, so it is easy to forget the need to retell the stories of promise. Revelation 21 [click to read] takes us to yet another mountaintop: "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from G-d." -- Revelation 21:10 It is this unseen hope that must sustain us in the world we live in today.


...a war memorial and an allusion to author Herman Melville.

The Steeples of Staunton X

Spires and Symbols of Faith Around Our City


Cherryvale United Methodist Church on Cherry Hill Drive.


Calvary Assembly of God on Springhill Road.


Staunton Church of Christ on Churchville Avenue.


First Church of God on Shutterlee Mill Road.


Parkway Wesleyan Church on Springhill Road.


Saint Paul's United Methodist Church on Shutterlee Mill Road.

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue XV

The Meaning of the Miraculous

For many Centuries man has acknowledged  the miraculous. This week the Jewish community celebrates their deliverance from Egypt and the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land. A dialogue set in a meals has all generations together consider the preservation of their people that could only be seen as a work of G-d. Previous generations always saw G-d, or some miraculous force as Creator. The Patriarchs saw Him as Provider and Deliverer! The relatively recent concept of Evolution (Charles Darwin in the Nineteenth Century) has created a philosophy of Naturalism that either outright rejects or quietly diminishes the Theistic explanation.

I once attended an Easter service at a large church in Richmond. The minister asserted that the Resurrection was not important! I don't remember anything else he said. I was astonished because Christ's Resurrection would seem to be a cornerstone of Christianity. Many voices today denounce Faith. They may not directly denounce it, but in the academy it is the subject of "open discourse" such as that experienced by Ryan Rotella at FAU [click to read]. Rotella was asked to leave a class. His "offense" was refusing to participate in an excercise where students were required to "stamp on Jesus." Dennis Prager [click to read] has more details. Though the school ultimately apologized to Rotella, it justified its so-called "open discourse" in doing so.

Running from the Resurrection

In fact, among many in academia today you are likely to hear some variation of the following: "There are other reasons why I consider Christianity to be an ill-chosen creed, such as the morals actually taught in the Bible, many of which are abhorrent to a compassionate and just man, or other details of its theology which run counter to observable facts." writes atheist Richard Carrier in introduction to his argument against Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

Here in his introduction, Carrier gives what I believe is his real reason for being uncomfortable with a physical resurrection. A G-d who can so control the laws of nature can ask 'unreasonable' things of us as well. A 'Compassionate and Just Man,' in Carrier's world can support abortion on demand because it is not 'abhorrent' to his viewpoint that abortion is a kind response to the needs of women with unplanned pregnancies. The beating heart of the unborn child need not be seen here as an 'observable fact.' Likewise, the 'restrictive' definition of marriage as a relationship defined by Scripture in specific terms may be viewed as archaic and discriminatory.If G-d didn't design it, He cannot write the specifications.

The elimination of Christianity as an authoritative source allows us to personalize moral decisions. In a culture that elevates self-actualization, this is virtue. It spares us the heavy lifting required to weigh moral absolutes with human frailty.

Jesus, meeting a Samaritan woman at a well, is a prime example of what I mean by this heavy lifting. Balancing compassion for the woman with his observation that she has not been a faithful wife, Jesus creates a constructive dialogue. He does not condemn her, nor does He overlook the complexity she has created in her relationships. He speaks truth and ultimately the dialogue that results sets her free. Here Absolute Love and Absolute Truth are in no way mutually exclusive. In the end her search for 'Living Water' trumps her desire to live as she pleases. [2.]

A G-d who can part the Red Sea, Create worlds and has power over death is pretty much to be respected. A G-d who changes human lives in intimate communion with his Creation is amazing.

Before Jesus appeared, the concept of Resurrection is found in Scripture. Sometimes it is very clear and other times it is a logical assumption consistent with the text.

Resurrection Foretold

"And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." -- Isaiah 53:9-12

The famous Messianic text above talks of triumph after death. Other texts that may be seen as prophetic of Resurrection are: Genesis 3:15, Psalm 2:7, Psalm 16:9-11, Psalm 22:14-25, Psalm 30:29, Psalm 40:13, Psalm 110:1, Psalm 118:21-24, Hosea 5:15-6:3, Zechariah 12:10.

Resurrection Documented and Verified

"I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better, fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died, and rose again from the dead." says Dr. Thomas Arnold, formerly Professor of History at Rugby and Oxford Universities. Simon Greenleaf, one of the most skilled legal minds ever produced in this nation, top authority on the question of what constitutes sound evidence, developer of the Harvard Law School, after a thorough evaluation of the four Gospel accounts from the point of view of their validity as objective testimonial evidence, concluded:

"It was therefore impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they had narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the dead, and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any other fact." [3.] Dr. Henry M. Morris PhD writes more on The Importance of the Resurrection [click to read]. His point is that the foundational truth of the Christian faith has plenty of evidence to support it.

A G-d who can part the Red Sea, Create worlds and has power over death is pretty much to be respected. A G-d who changes human lives in intimate communion with his Creation is amazing.


A Caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Nature itself suggests the possibility of miraculous transformation and new life! Rice Paper Butterfly, or Paper Kite Butterfly, Idea leuconoe.
Illustration © 2013, by Kristina Elaine Riley for HOPE Publications, Pvt. ltd.

The Steeples of Staunton IX

Spires and Symbols of Faith Around Our City


Promiseland Baptist Church on Maple Street.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;" -- Exodus 31:1-6


Mount Salem Baptist Church on Stuart Street (Old Sanctuary).


Mount Salem Baptist Church on Stuart Street (New Sanctuary).

Stepping Into the Wardrobe...

A Magical Transformation in Central Virginia


A late Spring snowstorm transforms the campus of Miller School in Albemarle into a wonderland.

The Steeples of Staunton VIII

Spires and Symbols of Faith Around Our City


Christ United Methodist Church on Churchville Avenue.


Staunton Orthodox Presbyterian Church on Grubert Street.


Church of G-d, Grubert Steet.


Calvary Baptist Church, Tuxedo Road and Garland Drive.


Bethany Presbyterian Church, Fifth Street.


Fifth Street United Brethren Church.

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue XIV

How to Cure Conflict

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty G-d, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." -- Isaiah 9:6

The 'other' weekly news magazine this week features: How to Cure Cancer [click to read]. Indeed researchers are making strides to conquer this terrible disease and every advance is another piece of good news. As an American President travels to Israel to meet with Binyamin Netanyahu, the problem of human conflict is on our minds. Indeed it seems like peace is beyond our grasp. Thousands of years of human history are filled with wars and strife.

This coming Sunday Christians remember the time when the Prince of Peace [1.] (Isaiah 9:6) rode into Jerusalem on a donkey! The people lined the way spreading their cloaks and palm branches, expecting the return of the King in an earthly manifestation of the Heavenly Kingdom. [2.] Jesus, however, had greater plans in mind.

Jesus rode into town as the lambs were being brought into the homes in preparation for Passover, the remembrance of G-d's deliverance from Pharaoh centuries before. [3.] Instead of establishing an earthly kingdom, He would be tried by both religious and civil authorities. Although there was no crime committed on His part, He would be sentenced to die a most horrible death by crucifixion.

He ate the Passover meal with His disciples, one of whom betrayed Him. The Roman ruler Pilate could find no fault in Him, yet the religious leaders stirred up a mob to demand His death. He died on a cross on a hill called Golgotha, flanked by two thieves. Hardly the way to begin a movement to transform the world, but that is what history tells us.

His death conquered sin and death. [4.] "The day Jesus was crucified was the day of the Passover celebration and the day that the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. For the previous 1,200 years, the priest would blow the shophar (ram's horn) at 3:00 p.m. - the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel. At 3:00, when Jesus was being crucified, He said, "It is finished" - at the moment that the Passover lamb was sacrificed and the shophar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place. At the same time, the veil of the Temple (a three-inch thick, several story high cloth that demarked the Holy of Holies) tore from top to bottom - representing a removal of the separation between G-d and man. Fifty days later, on the anniversary of the giving of the law (Pentecost), G-d left the earthly temple to inhabit those who call on the name of Jesus through His Holy Spirit." -- How the Passover Reveals Jesus Christ by Rich Deem [click to read].

But the story does not end there. In Revelation 21 Christians look to a New Heaven and a New Earth where a Heavenly Jerusalem descends to join the Earth. Here is a Kingdom that needs no temple, needs no sun to light it, for G-d Himself is the force that illuminates it! [5.]

"And I saw a new Heaven and a new earth: for the first Heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from G-d out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of G-d is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their G-d." -- Revelation 21:1-3


Journey to Jesus, a mural depicting the nations coming to Jesus in the New Heaven and New Earth described in Revelation 21. Mural by Kristina Elaine Riley and Bob Kirchman

Journey to Jesus [click to view larger images].


The Journey is complete when you reach the kind face of Jesus!
"I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity." —John Wesley

The Steeples of Staunton VII

Spires and Symbols of Faith Around Our City


Staunton Alliance Church, New Hope Road.


Olivet Presbyterian Church on Richmond Road.


Friendship Church on West Beverley Street.


The Valley Mission on West Beverley Street.

A Blessing for the Next Generation

A Night of Miracles and Celebration of Children

"Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat leavened products and matzah, and on this night only matzah. On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night only bitter herbs. On all other nights, we don't dip our food even once, and on this night we dip twice. On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining, and on this night we only recline." -- a message from South Africa's Chief Rabbi, Dr. Warren Goldstein.

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue XIII

New World Pope, New World Hope

Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires, has been chosen to be the next Pope. Taking the name Francis, he becomes the first Pope from the Americas. The 'other' weekly news magazine has The Story [click to read].

To the North of Argentina, the Kingdom of G-d is quietly building in the Bolivian city of Sucre. On February 4th of this year, without any fanfare, Mission of Hope, Bolivia [click to read] quietly opened the doors of their long awaited Sucre clinic. Pastor Alex Merguzhis led a staff devotional and then they opened the doors. The first day they served a handful of patients, but as word spread people began walking for miles to be treated.

Sucre is inhabited primarily by Quechua people. Often treated as second-class citizens in Bolivia, the Quechua lead hard lives. Julian and Vasila, the first patients treated, farmed their land all their lives with hand tools only. Now disabled and unable to farm, they look to their children for what they can provide. Simple medications to ease pain and make life better are beyond reach. There is no public transportation so Pastor Juan Bayo, who donated the land for the clinic, often uses his truck to bring patients who cannot walk.

90 year old Sebastiana, a widow who lives alone in a remote area, could not walk to the clinic. A childhood accident had left her unable to. Pastor Juan was able to bring her so she could receive care.

Mission of Hope, Bolivia is the G-d-given vision of Cindy Thacker [click to read]. Ms. Thacker is a nurse and cancer survivor. Her own story is one of amazing triumph, but her foremost desire is to see the Kingdom of Heaven triumph over and over again in the lives of Bolivia's poorest people. The new clinic in Sucre is making that hope a reality!

Snowy Skyline Drive Sunday

Scenes from Shenandoah at Swift Run Gap


A clear snowy day along the Skyline Drive...


...and trees along the Drive.

Elliott's Knob in the Snow

Augusta County's Highest Mountain, a Magical World


Approaching the summit of Elliott's Knob.

The sunlight on Saturday morning illuminated the snow on the mountains, beckoning the hearty to hike them. Elliott's Knob called from the West, and I was in the mood for adventure. Driving along route 42 the snow was deep enough to make me wonder if there would be a place to pull off of the road (and get out again).

The forest service road had been packed down enough to allow for a bit of artful maneuvering into a safe spot. One set of boot prints led up the trail to Falls Hollow and I followed them.

Article Continues [click to read].

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue XII

The Homecoming

 The 'other' weekly news magazine is imploring us not to hate Cheryl Sanberg [click to read] because she's 'successful.' Well, if we shouldn't hate the corporate types we "Like" because they are associated with "cool" companies like Facebook (as opposed to nasty old Wall Street firms or oil companies) or espouse our preferred political persuasions, why not give up our animus toward successful people, period?

Successful people create jobs. Bill and Melinda Gates may be rich beyond imagination but other people have become rich working for Microsoft as well. We need businesses to provide essential goods and services for our lives. We all use Microsoft products (and I'll soon post a link to THYME on Facebook). I won't even think about Ms. Sanberg's ideology in the process.

So, please don't hate me as I divert from the usual parody. THYME has always been about things that interest me. Right now the things that interest me are those close to home.

Earl Hamner's pilot for The Waltons was a show called The Homecoming. There is a scene in The Homecoming where John Boy has to drive off into a snowstorm to pick up his Father, who is working away from home during the depression. His bus can't make the last bit of the trip, so John Boy drives the Model A to the town where he is stranded. As John Boy drives through the snowy night, you hear him repeat this lament over and over: "I try to be like you Dad, but I can't." John Boy, you see, has his manuscript hidden under the bed and aspires to write. He does not feel his farming Dad will understand.

Two days ago, my Son was riding the train from Chicago to Staunton, returning with his wife from a year of living in Gwangju, South Korea. My Daughter, her husband and my little Granddaughter were about to return from a trip to South Carolina. A large snow storm was bearing down on our region.

The train got as far as Huntington, West Virginia when they decided not to proceed any further. My Son and his wife were put on a bus to Clifton Forge. That was as far as they would take them.

In an odd twist on John Boy's story, I set out to drive to Clifton Forge. By the time I set out to get them, the roads were dry. Still, I had time to reflect on the story. I was the child with engineer parents who had piles of drawings hidden under my bed. I identified with John Boy.

My own children have flourished as the unique individuals that they are. Today as I sit surrounded by them. I feel blessed beyond measure.

Stepping Into the Wardrobe...

A Magical Transformation in Central Virginia


" "This must be a simply enormous wardrobe!" thought Lucy, going still further in and pushing the soft folds of the coats aside to make room for her. Then she noticed that there was something crunching under her feet. "I wonder is that more mothballs?" she thought, stooping down to feel it with her hand. But instead of feeling the hard, smooth wood of the floor of the wardrobe, she felt something soft and powdery and extremely cold." -- C. S. Lewis, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe


The snow had created a magical transformation outside windows by late evening.

Stones of Remembrance

Joshua 4:1-9 Has a Message for Our Time


THYME's covers recently have featured great art, great hymns and nature, all of which point to the great works of G-d.

Earlier in the year I wrote about Joshua's Stones of Remembrance [click to read]. The need to remember G-d's mighty works has been important in every generation. Sadly,our modern attempt to create a pluralistic culture has resulted in the great stories being relegated to a place somewhere in the background. Many people today are simply not familiar with them.

Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, husband and wife filmmakers, have collaborated to create a new miniseries that will reacquaint viewers with the Holy texts by recounting the great stories they contain. Burnett says:  

"The Bible is the most-read book of all time. It has touched the lives of billions of people across the planet and has significantly shaped history, culture, literature, art, politics and human behavior — and it continues to shape the world we live in today. You don’t have to believe the Bible to be affected by it.

Also consider how influential the Bible has been on popular culture. Ever heard the phrases: “the blind leading the blind”; “Eat, drink and be merry”; “The handwriting’s on the wall”; “You’re the apple of his eye”; “How the mighty have fallen”; or “Out of the mouths of babes”? All of them, every last one, is from the Bible."

Downey says: "Our faith is very important to us, and we both love the Bible. We love its stories of love and redemption and God’s heart and hope for his people. So Mark and I started talking over breakfast one morning about how someone really needed to bring this love story to the screen, to tell the overarching story of the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. We were excited to be able to bring our combined talents and strengths, creativity and experience to the series, and we were both involved in all areas of making it. This was our first professional collaboration as husband and wife. We worked closely on this for three years, and we’re still speaking to each other!"

The Series Begins this Sunday [click to read] on The History Channel and continues until Easter.

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue XI

C. S. Lewis' Trilemma, Why it Matters

The 'other' weekly news magazine this week features Oscar Pistorius [click to read]. The cover reads: "Man, Superman, Gunman." Indeed, when those we see as the greatest, and most exemplary among us, fall; questions must be raised. We are right to examine the lives of those we would hold up as role models.

But when we look at our fellow men in such positions, it is well to remember that Romans 3:23 tells us: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." This does not excuse our shortfallings, rather it offers an honest assessment of the human condition. Honest examination, while it may lead to disillusionment, is necessary if we are to offer solid example.

Pistorious has a great story of triumph over circumstances, but is guilty of either a great crime or (as he claims) a great error. If he is a role model for discipline in overcoming adversity, his lack of discipline, or lack of clear judgement, must also be presented as evidence.

When Jesus proclaims Himself the fulfillment of Scripture, He too invites our examination. C. S. Lewis puts it in these words:

C. S. Lewis' Trilemma: Who is this Man?

"Then comes the real shock. Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was G-d. He claims to forgive sins. He says He has always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time. Now let us get this clear. Among Pantheists, like the Indians, anyone might say that he was a part of G-d, or one with G-d: there would he nothing very odd about it. But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of G-d. G-d, in their language, meant the Being outside the world, who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that. you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips.

One part of the claim tends to slip past us unnoticed because we have heard it so often that we no longer see what it amounts to. I mean the claim to forgive sins: any sins. Now unless the speaker is G-d, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toes and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced that he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. In the mouth of any speaker who is not God, these words would imply what I can only regard as a silliness and conceit unrivalled by any other character in history. Yet (and this is the strange, significant thing) even His enemies, when they read the Gospels, do not usually get the impression of silliness and conceit. Still less do unprejudiced readers. Christ says that He is ‘humble and meek’ and we believe Him; not noticing that, if He were merely a man, humility and meekness are the very last characteristics we could attribute to some of His sayings.

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be G-d.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of G-d: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and G-d. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

-- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952; Harper Collins: 2001) 51-52.

C. S. Lewis was a skeptic and an Oxford scholar. His honest scholarship led him to conclude that Christ is indeed who He says He is. Josh McDowell, a journalist, also set out to disprove the Gospel message. Instead, he ended up writing a book called Evidence that Demands a Verdict. In it he lays out a compelling case for Jesus the Christ.

Interestingly enough, I have read an Atheist's thoughts to the effect that Jesus can still be a great moral teacher even if we find delusion or outright prevarication in his message (of course, wanting to claim that He is ONLY a great moral teacher and nothing more). I do not think that is possible. We demand a standard of integrity that is higher for even those who are men like we are that we would hold up as models for our lives. The sad story of Oscar Pristorius proves it.

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue X

This week the 'other' weekly news magazine focuses on Medical Bills [click to read]. No doubt, healthcare costs are rising. Insurance is becoming less affordable (in the wake of the 'Affordable Care Act's' mandates). The 'answers' being legislated are not solving the problem. Maybe it is time we restated the problem. Listen to Dr. Benjamin Carson's Remarks [click to read] at the National Prayer Breakfast. Often our falling short in the solution comes from a lack of vision in correctly envisioning the challenge.

The Power of Our Words

Today THYME is breaking from parody of the 'other' weekly news magazine to look at the power in rephrasing the situation. Here is a moving video presentation that illustrates the power of our words. 


The power of our words.

Speaking into the troubled world of the Roman Empire, the Church in the First Century was accused of being "these that have turned the world upside down." Acts 17:6. Indeed, the promise of a new and better Kingdom changed how people saw their situation -- and how they looked at one another! 

Audio Adrenaline - "Kings and Queens"


A beautiful capture of Imago Dei!  

No longer limited in vision to an empire of many slaves and few citizens, the Church now saw themselves as joint heirs of Christ's Kingdom, and began to treat each other accordingly.

Romans 12 entreated the new believers: "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." 

Today's world is in no less need of radical revisioning. How will Scripture inspire us to see differently? Real Transformation must begin with Faith and Vision...


Rice Paper Butterfly, or Paper Kite Butterfly, Idea leuconoe, Illustration © 2013, by Kristina Elaine Riley for HOPE Publications, Pvt. ltd.

The Steeples of Staunton VI

Spires Seen Along Greenville Avenue


Third Presbyterian Church on Barterbrook Road.


Linden Heights Baptist Church.


Lifeflow Church.

Stones of Remembrance...

Remembering G-d's Mighty Works in Our Lives


Angus Dei (Lamb of G-d), by Kristina Elaine Riley. [1.]

One of the greatest challenges to our Faith is our forgetfulness. Pastor Seth Hankee preached our sermon this past Sunday about how the people were instructed to remember the great things G-d had done for them. G-d separated the Jordan, as He had the Red Sea, for the people to walk across and gave them the following command:

"And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your G-d into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day." -- Joshua 4:1-9

The Passover meal had already been instituted as testimony to G-d's redemption, so that a child would ask: "Why is this Night Different from all Other Nights?" The story in a meal gave illustration to the miracle that had carried the people out of Egypt.

 For the Christian, remembering deliverance from sin is the greatest miracle. In preparation for Easter, the Church observes Lent, reminding us of the deliverance Jesus brought us by way of the cross: 

"Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before G-d and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us to realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins."-- —Adapted from The United Methodist Book of Worship

So it is very important to tell our stories of redemption, using reminders that will stir our minds to recall times when we were vividly aware of the Divine reaching out to touch our lives. Pastor Seth showed us a little children's book he had saved from his first house... on closer examination you could see the tire print on the page, a reminder of how when a cart careened into his living room, it had narrowly missed hitting his wife and young child. Certainly G-d had protected his young family and that little book now told a much bigger story!

So now it is time to commit ourselves to the telling of the great stories, the ones that end in redemption and deliverance from our present condition. The Book of Judges follows the Book of Joshua and gives a sober warning: "And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." -- Judges 2:8-10

The importance of stories and their redemptive narrative cannot be emphasized enough. Passing the torch must always be a priority in every generation.

1. "I did this with a sheet of 8.5"x11" computer paper some ashes from my fire place and canola oil. I mixed up some of the oil and ashes similar to how they are mixed on Ash Wednesday and painted them on the paper in a cross then sprinkled the rest of the dry ashes on top. I then found one of the music compositions for "Agnus Dei," Latin for Lamb of G-d, on www.hymnary.org [click to read] and cut out strictly the music overlaying it and changing the opacity over the picture of my ash cross. Then I added the Latin words meaning, "Lamb of G-d, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us, grant us peace." This piece is to remind us that we are sinners made up of dust, but G-d loved us so much, he took mercy on us sending His son as a sacrificial lamb, to take away our sins. If we believe and accept his sacrifice we are granted this eternal peace and life with Him. May the Lord bless you all and lead you closer to Him during this season of Lent, looking forward to the promise of Easter. Amen." -- Kristina Elaine Riley

The Differences...

Between Successful and Unsuccessful People

By Chuck Balsamo



It’s always blown my mind to see two perfectly similar people in appearance, upbringing, and education grow and become two totally different human beings.

Have you ever wondered how one person becomes so highly successful, and then another person who is just like him or her (in almost every way) becomes so woefully unhappy and unsuccessful?

To me, high success is not defined as having lots of money and things, or attaining to certain levels of achievement.

The differences between successful and unsuccessful people are beneath the skin. You’re not going for a certain new look, but a certain new mindset. You don’t need a new outfit. You need a new attitude.

Successful People…

Love themselves and their family and friends. They are thankful for the past, content with the present, and optimistic about the future

Unsuccessful People…

They are the sleepwalkers. They are bitter about the past, angry and hurt in a hundred ways. They groan and grumble about the nightmares of today. They are consumed with the dread of a hopeless tomorrow.

If you are woefully unhappy and unsuccessful, you can switch tracks.

You just have to understand these major differences between successful and unsuccessful people, and then choose a more successful way of thinking (and acting) for yourself.

Stop repeating the same excuses! Everyone has a terrible past. Everyone has challenges. Everyone has a few good reasons to be unsuccessful.

I don’t believe in the power of good luck and bad luck, because I believe more in the power of right and wrong attitudes, negative and positive expectations, and positive action (or the lack of it)!

Attitude

How do you generally feel about yourself, your life, and the world around you?

• Are you self-loathing, guilt ridden, enraged, embittered, etc. (OR)
• Are you grateful, loving, graceful, playful, hilarious, energized, etc.
• Stop being such a downer! Open the window blinds and let the sunlight in! Clean up your spaces from the devastating effects of your last pity party.
• Smile with difficulty until you can smile by default!

Expectations

What are you expecting to happen with your life?

• Do you feel like the whole world is conspiring against you, that life is always going to be an impossible uphill struggle? (OR)
• Do you feel like the whole world is conspiring in your favor! Do you expect the mountains to move? Do you expect people to like you, love you, and bless you?

Positive Action

How are manifesting energy, taking action, and moving towards your dreams?

• You have to be more than a dreamer to win!
• Unsuccessful people are lazy. They wake up late and they do whatever, whenever, wherever… most of the time.
• Unsuccessful people spend lots of time wishing for a better life, but they do little or nothing (consistently) to drive them forward.
• If you want to go from woefully unsuccessful to highly successful, you must turn your wishes into strategic plans, and actually go for it!
• The world behaves differently when you TAKE ACTION!

Consider these verses from the Bible…

Attitude: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8 NLT)

Expectations: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT) “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:30 NLT)

Positive Action: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your strength.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NLV)

Create a new attitude!

Develop a long new list of expectations!

Enter into the power of positive action!

When you do these things, the entire universe will welcome you to the UPWARD FLOW.

Sure, you will have challenges and opposition. But with the right attitude and expectations, and with positive action you will keep blasting forward without losing momentum! You will win. Because it’s impossible to stay at the bottom when you give attention to the things I’ve written in this blog today.

Please leave a comment, and if you loved this message… share it!
Dream Big,
Chuck Balsamo [1.]
Today’s image from Designbolts.com

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue IX

Our Once and Future Hope

This week the 'other' weekly news magazine features The Once and Future Pope [click to read]. The issue deals with the politics of the Vatican. Certainly the modern Pope wields a great amount of power in the affairs of nations. That was not always the case.

Consider the man, Peter, whom Christ mentored to serve His first small band of disciples. He was a common man, a fisherman. Certainly he was no stranger to dangerous situations, but when Jesus was being tried by religious and secular bodies prior to His crucifixion, Peter's flesh grew weak and he denied Christ three times. The story is recorded in Luke 22 and shows the human frailty of a great saint.

In Matthew 8:14 we learn Peter had a Mother-in-law. The first elder of the Church was married and ran a household. He was given to impetuous reactions, as when he cut off the ear of a high priest's servant. (John 18:10). He perhaps had more confidence in his courage than he should have (Luke 22: 33-34). Most of us can relate to his humanity in some way. Yet Jesus beckoned him to step into the work of a better Kingdom!

Matthew 14:22-33 Tells us the story:  "And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of G-d." 

As long as Peter's attention was focused on Christ, he could follow Him onto the water. When he took his eyes off of Jesus and concentrated on the churning seas, he sank. There is a lesson for leaders here, and history bears it out in the lives of men like William Wilberforce and George Müller, men who found incredible strength for the tasks they undertook. But it was not a strength found in themselves that spurred them on, rather it came from a Faith fixed on the person of Jesus. Wilberforce labored for decades to end the scourge of slavery in British lands [1.] and Müller provided homes for thousands of orphans without ever making one single appeal for money. [2.]

These were not superior men, I would argue. They were men who had a firm sense of their hope and promise in G-d. That led them to perform great works, drawing on a power that could only be found in The Divine, they changed the world.