Grace vs. Entitlement

It's been a few days since, I posted but that has not stopped my dreams.

Some of our dreams make no sense at all but once in a while you get an "AAHAA" moment as you awake out of sleep.  As my mind wondered during sleep, I recall one dream that stands out and that I shared with one gentlman in our church.

I was working at my office and a high school person came in and said that I had to give them a job.   When I asked them to fill out an application, they said they did not have to because I owed them a job because I owned a business and had work that needed to be completed.  Instead of dismissing the person immediately, I said, "Why do I owe you a job?"  The person said that it was their right to have a good paying job and that I had to give it to them.

I said I will hire you for one day only and see how things worked out.  Within ten minutes of them going on the clock, I took a look and saw them sitting on a stool.  I said,"Why are you not working?"  Their response took me by surprise.  "I clocked in and thought it was time for a break."

As I told the person to clock out immediately, they seemed puzzled and said, "I will get paid for the entire day?" "Why?" I responded. They said, "I am entitled to geting money and I do not have to do anything for it.  That's what the government tells me."  My response was,"What are you going to do when there is no more money avaialble by the government?" 

The person laughed and said, "That will never happen because my parents have ben on welfare and food stamps most of their lives so I can get on that bandwagon.  In fact the Bible teaches about getting something for nothing.  It's called Grace."

As in many dreams, the scene immediately changed and all I saw was a blank light area and heard, "Teach them to fish" .  Then as I sunk back into sleep, I saw a church group of men who initated a summer work program. But this program was different in that they took time to teach work habits and train the basics of getting a job and knowing what is required by an employer.  High school students were lining up to take the training and get a summer job.

The rules were simple, businesses and people in the church would list a job and the men's group would connect them to the student.  One person would agree to go with the student to make sure they understand the needs of the job and the student would know that they would get $10.00- $12.00 an hour if they worked the hour.  If they did not then there were consequences to their playing around or trying to extend the time so they could get more pay by not getting the full hour of pay.

Goals were established but I saw the only goal was to teach that "If you give them a fish (money) they will party for a day.  If  you teach them to fish (work for money) they will live well for a lifetime." 

As I watch this unfold in my dreams, I see how the training ties seving and giving to others by learning to have great work ethics.  These ethics were now seen in a mission trip by students. 

Grace is a spiritual gift to last a lifetime but one of the best gifts people in the church can give to our youth is to teach our young people how to fish.  It will last them no matter what our govenrment does. 

I Can Relate

This last week we had a "substitute" speaker at church. Dale Henry is an outstanding speaker and motivator for corporations like Cisco, IBM, Procter and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, and the list goes on.

But his message was different as he spoke of Job and about us having JOY even in trials. So Dale spoke of kidney stones and when he asked who has experienced them, my hand went up high. I have had three bouts with kidney stones and they all were about as bad as any pain could be. What starts out as a small pain in the lower back soon becomes a pain that had no end.

For me the pain was such that I vomited uncontrollably when there was nothing to vomit. So when I got to the emergency room they immediately gave me a shot and within minutes the pain became manageable. The problem was that I was in Atlanta for training at Home Depot and it was 3:30 in the morning. When I said that I wanted to go to have surgery in Knoxville, the physician said, we cannot release you to go home until the medication wears off. I said but won't the pain come back and the doctor said yes because the stone is nine millimeters in diameter and quite sharp. My thought while under drugs was, "9 millimeters is not much" only to find out later that it was over 1/3 inch in diameter.

I headed up I-75 to get me home. I made it about 20 miles and had to pull over.  After vomiting and resting for the pain to go down, I’d drive another 20 miles and experience the cycle all over again.  It took me five hours to get home which normally takes 2 ½ hours.  We went straight to the hospital and the surgery was welcome relief. 

Where is the joy in kidney stones?  I could find no joy in any of the three expereinces except for understanding when someone tells of having a kidney stone.  Job had lost everything and was in constant pain from his sores. Yet his best words are simply, “Human life is a struggle, isn’t it?”  Job 7:1 (The Message)

Of all the frustration and hurt and loss, it boils down to the idea that Life is a Struggle! 

In whatever happens to you that you consider miserable, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds . . . ”. (James 1:2)   Understand that the creator of the Universe is in love with you and he can give you a testimony from those pains and trials.  Read the last of Job (Job 42) and see the joy that was seen from just trusting the Lord in trails.

 What God did then, He’ll do today.  Just believe and have JOY!  My joy was knowing that the Lord allowed me to drive home without the stone cutting me up inside.  See there is something to be happen about in any situation.

Trouble Making a New Year's Resolution?

If you have not made your New Year's resolutions and having trouble with that.  Check out Johnathan Edwards 70 resolutions in which he kept all year long.  It's a long read but makes any resolutions I think of pale in comparison.  The only thing in these resolutions was that they were written in 1723.  Anything you can glean from his thoughts?  I know I can! 

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

Overall Life Mission

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; “knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.”

Good Works

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don’t hinder.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. .

Time Management

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. .
41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better.
50.Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. .
51.Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. .
52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. .
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. .
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc.

Relationships

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects.
34. Resolved, in narration’s never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity.
59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times.
66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.

Suffering

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin.

Character

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, “A faithful man who can find?” may not be partly fulfilled in me.
47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so.
54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it.
63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time.
27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.
39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

Spiritual Life

Assurance

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.
48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

The Scriptures

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

Prayer

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
64. Resolved, when I find those “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those “breakings of soul for the longing it hath,” of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be wear’, of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness.

The Lord’s Day

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’s day.

Vivification of Righteousness

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed
43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s.
44- Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion.

Mortification of Sin and Self Examination

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

Communion with God

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance.