Trojan wars

by John D Ramsey

Lisa somehow managed to get a Trojan and a slug of malware on her computer this week. The suspected source is a malevolent company masquerading as an inexpensive telecom solution. No, I am not referring to Skype. If you want an inexpensive telecom solution, my advice is to stick with Skype. It isn’t AT&T, but it’s a good choice to back up mobile phones. Lisa has our Skype calls forwarded to her cell. That way people can call a local exchange in Kansas City while we retain our old numbers from Minnesota on our cell phones.

Back to the Trojan: Lisa’s Avast antivirus program updated daily, and every time I ran a full scan on boot, Avast would delete files from the System32 directory as well as from the recovery cabs. Regardless, the behavior remained. I could not navigate to helpful websites such as www.mozilla.com. Avast blocked the popups from the domains I identified, but the viral behavior remained. The symptoms also included unfamiliar registry values in the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Current Version\Run key. The data included a string such as “Run32dll.exe ‘C:\Windows\System32\filename.dll’,s” where the DLL called had absolutely nothing to do with Windows or any legitimate software vendor.

When I deleted an entry, it immediately regenerated. Navigating to another key and back again revealed that the Trojan was not so easily defeated.

When I looked for the file names referred to in the registry, they did not appear in Windows Explorer even though I had it configured to show hidden and system files. Nevertheless, with the computer disconnected from the Internet, I opened a command prompt, and entered:

C:\Windows\System32> dir *.dll /A H > dll.hell

This created a text file containing all the DLL’s with an attribute of hidden. I opened the dll.hell file in notepad and found the likely suspects by the last date written. From the command prompt, I entered:

C:\Windows\System32> attrib -h -s filename.dll
C:\Windows\System32> del filename.dll

This deleted some files, but on a few files I received “Access is denied” errors indicating that the files were resident in memory. For these files, I typed:

C:\Windows\System32> cacls filesname.dll /D Everyone

When the system prompted, “Are You Sure?” I answered with a quick “Y” keystroke. (Sure, I’m sure.) After denying permission to the DLL, I rebooted the system. Error messages appeared on boot saying that the file name was missing. I was then successfully able to delete the registry values that were causing the Trojan to load.

I repeated this process until no more values appeared in the registry and I could successfully navigate to www.mozilla.com and download Firefox. Microsoft just lost another loyalist in the browser wars.

It appeared that the Trojan had a keystroke logging component. Lisa took countermeasures to mitigate the damage. Now we wait to see.

Unfortunately, my router does not allow me to block traffic to a particular subnet, otherwise I would block all traffic to and from the Class B 85.12.0.0. I need no information from the Netherlands, anyway. Maybe I'll get a better router for Christmas.

Disclaimer: If this information is helpful, I’m glad. If you don’t know what you are doing, I’m sorry, but don’t do it. If I’ve missed something important, please leave a comment.

Now that Lisa has her computer back, I know she'll be posting about the fun Christmas party we had at our house Saturday night.

The law of the spirit

Download as MP3

by John D Ramsey

Do you not know, brothers — for I am speaking to men who know the law — that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

Romans 7:1 (NIV)

A couple weeks ago, on the first day of Sukkot, or Feast of Booths, Lisa and the girls built a sukkah in the back yard to surprise me. During the Kingdom in Context Bible study that morning, I had mentioned that I planned to sit outside with the little girls and read the Scripture pertaining to the Feast of Booths. Mark asked me if I planned to build a booth, and I explained that while I had no problem with people building a booth, teaching the girls the Scripture pertaining to the feast was my priority.


When I arrived home from work, Lisa had a fire burning in the fire bowl on the patio, and she had oil lamps lit in the yard. We ate our dinner in the booth, and read the Scriptures to the girls. Gabby exclaimed two things, “I did not know about this holiday!” and “I think this is my favorite holiday!” It was a lovely evening, and more so to me, knowing that my girls had labored to make it special.


Regardless of our apparent observance of an Old Testament feast, I feel compelled to clarify. We did not celebrate Sukkot in order to obey the Old Testament Law. Rather, the evening was an illustration of God’s amazing love toward us that he would send his Son to tabernacle among men. The girls now have a visual memory of the Feast of Booths, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to instruct them. However, our observation of the holiday did not observe the Law.


Had our intention been to keep the Law, then we infringed on these points:

• According to Deuteronomy 16:16, the Feast of Booths had to be observed at the place that God chose. According to 2 Chronicles 6:6, God’s chosen place is Jerusalem. Observing the feast in Raymore, MO, is a violation of the Old Testament Law.
  
• The branches that Lisa used to build the sukkah, were from leafy trees only (and the leaves had fallen off). The Law required, palm trees and willows, as well.
  
• The duration of the feast is seven days during which time, the observant are to live in booths. We sat in the booth for about an hour.
  
• The first day of the feast is a holy convocation during which only necessary work is permitted. However, the next day, I went to work, as is my routine.
  
• The Feast of Booths requires 182 animal sacrifices over seven days in addition to regular daily sacrifices according to Numbers 29. That is the Law.
  

By my calculations, no one obeyed the Law concerning the Feast of Booths this year.

I have no qualms about commemorating an Old Testament feast as an educational and inspirational tool; however, I wince when I hear people claiming to be “Law-abiding Christians.” I wonder, what part of the Law do they suppose that they are obeying? Do they think that they can safely ignore some laws? If so, how do they decide which ones? Deuteronomy 26:27 says, “Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.” Paul explains the impossibility of keeping the Law, saying, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Galatians 3:10 (NIV) James, the brother of Jesus said, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” James 2:10 (NIV)

Whether I sit in a sukkah for a minute, a week, or never is irrelevant regarding righteousness. Paul tells the Galatians, “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:21 (NIV) Jesus condemned everyone who attempts to gain righteousness by the Law by saying,

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:20 (NIV)

Observing the Law gains me nothing unless I can be perfect and it is way too late for that. James points us to another way, saying,

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

James 2:12-13 (NIV)

James promises that people who want to judge others by the Law will themselves be judged by the Law! The better way is the law that gives freedom. What is the law that gives freedom? Paul tells us,

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.

And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-4 (NIV)

How is it that we are free from the requirements of the Old Testament Law? Paul explains,

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

Romans 7:4 (NIV)

To the Colossians Paul writes,

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:3, 4 (NIV)

Because we die with Christ when we trust him by faith, the Law no longer has power over us. We are clothed with Christ’s righteousness regarding the Law. His righteousness is attributed to us, and there is nothing we can do to earn it. Trying to keep the Old Testament Law actually disparages the mercy of the cross. Yet the law of the Spirit teaches us that, “Mercy triumphs over judgment!” Christ’s righteousness attributed to me exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law making me worthy of the kingdom. Because I died with Christ, the Law no longer rules over me.

Whether I observe a day, or ignore it, does not matter regarding righteousness. The Law of the Spirit gives us freedom to express our faith through culture, but it does not require or favor any specific cultural expression. The law of the Spirit sets us free to serve God and serve each other in love, but it does not obligate us to external observances. Observing the Law never saved anyone, anyway, not even Abraham who lived before the Law was given. “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 16:6 (NIV) Righteousness before God has never come by works, but only by faith; Hebrews 11 makes this undoubtedly clear.

Paul expressed his faith culturally, but not consistently with one culture, he writes,

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)

Cultural expressions of faith are tools for evangelism, but legalism is not. Legalism, whether it comes in the form of quasi-Judaism or cultic manipulation, is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Legalism cannot produce righteousness, but it does create a barrier between the law observer and the Savior. Paul said it best when he described himself as being blameless according to the righteousness that comes from the Law, but he would rather have Christ. He wrote,

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Philippians 3:7-10 (KJV)

Knowing Christ, being conformed to his character, suffering for his sake, dying with him, and obtaining righteousness by faith alone does not appeal to the flesh; yet these the Law of the Spirit works to produce within us.

Logging

by John D Ramsey

Tonight while the little girls were at AWANA, Lisa and I stopped at ACE Hardware and bought a maul and a wedge. When we came home, I did not come inside before playing with my new toys. I split a few logs from the tree we had cut down on Monday. Lisa observed, “Those five-dollar bundles of wood we bought while camping are beginning to look like a good deal.” I had to laugh at myself. It was getting dark and I could not see, but all excuses aside, I am not a lumberjack. I am a geek. I sit in front of a desk all day writing SQL queries and C# code. Today at work I had a back spasm just thinking about swinging a maul. Tonight, my back is still complaining, but now it has a reason.

I know that the principles of mechanical physics apply to log splitting. Accordingly, the log stands no chance against a properly executed blow from the maul. However, theory alone will not produce for me a neat stack of firewood. The application of the theory requires skill. Absent skill, brute strength would do, but my greatest strengths are less brutish and more geek.

When it was too dark to see – my glasses clouded with sweat, I came inside the house and sat down in front of my computer – my domain. I was huffing, puffing, but smiling, too. I have a small stack of firewood to show for all my sweat. Yet, it is more firewood than I had earlier this evening. Each day for the next week or so, I will try to split a few more logs until I get the best of the tree or until the tree gets the best of me. Maybe I will learn a new skill. If not, I will certainly enjoy a few laughs at my expense.

It is not often that we celebrate our frailties – at least not deliberately. We usually expend our efforts doing things for which we have talent and avoiding activities that expose our deficiencies. Common wisdom tells us to do what we do best. Nevertheless, our walk of faith turns common wisdom upside down. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying,

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

1 Corinthians 1:26, 27 (NIV)

Not many wise, not many influential, not many noble, yet those whom God chooses he uses regardless of their weaknesses. In fact, he uses us because of our weakness. Why does God use weak men? Because our weakness testifies of his strength.

God gave the Apostle Paul one of the greatest promises in Scripture when he told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul celebrated this truth telling the Corinthians,

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Scripture continually observes this pattern that Paul descibes. Abraham, the nomadic shepherd, destroyed five kings and their armies. Sarah, the barren woman, became the mother of Isaac. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, became the second-highest ruler in Egypt. Moses, condemned to die even before he was born, became the deliverer of Israel. Joshua, Moses’ former servant, led Israel as they took possession of the Promised Land. Gideon, the least of his father’s sons became the deliverer of Israel. Samuel anointed David, the shepherd boy, to be king of Israel. All of these exhibit God’s strength working despite human weakness. Likewise, Jesus chose fishermen and tax collectors to be his disciples.

Yet Jesus, himself, is the greatest example of God’s strength revealed out of weakness. The Son of God, the visible expression of God, gave up all the glory that was rightfully his, and he became a man. Jesus lived a humble life. He often had no place to live. He owned no property. His family thought he was crazy. The religious authorities wanted to kill him. The political authorities were indifferent to his life. His disciples betrayed, denied, or abandoned him. Ultimately, a death squad crucified him. He hung on the cross, exposed and suffering while the crowds ridiculed him. Jesus, who had no sin, took upon his body the sins of the whole world. Jesus became the shame of all men so he could carry the shame of all men into the grave. Jesus fulfilled both sides of the following equation: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV) In truth, Jesus became the weakest of men so that he could become the power of God unto salvation.

In human weakness, God reveals his strength. Following the death of Jesus, God the Father raised him from the dead. Not only was he alive again, but he had paid the curse of sin thereby reconciling sinners to their God. We who receive the gift of God now also obtain Christ’s resurrection unto eternal life.

We might not ever become comfortable with our weakness, but as we walk in faith, we learn that in our weakest moments God reveals the power of Christ’s resurrection in us. When we realize we are weak, we should praise God, because the weaker we are, the more likely we are to see God’s power and glory working in our lives.

Y-Ike-s

by John D Ramsey

Lisa talked to Cara this evening. Cara evacuated Houston with the treatment center where she works. Cara had moved from Galveston closer to Houston just days before Gustav fizzled. This weekend, some of her friends on the island lost their homes to Ike. Cara waited all day to hear from one friend whose home the storm destroyed. Cara finally received a text-message informing her that her friend was okay.

Cara also told Lisa that she saw her new apartment complex on television, and it does not appear damaged. Lisa and I have been tracking water levels around Clear Lake as best we can, and we, too, are optimistic that Cara’s apartment may have survived intact. Her roommates will be returning as soon as authorities permit them, and Cara will get an updated report when they do.

Cara will be staying at the camp for an indeterminate period. Her responsibilities will keep her there for as long as they need her. We expect that the storm surge inundated her car, which she left parked near Clear Creek when she evacuated with the clinic. It was a good old car.

There will be time for assessing damage and making financial decisions, but right now Cara is serving people who need her help. I could not be more proud of her.

Meanwhile in Kansas City:

The weather has been wet and our moods dreary (birthday parties notwithstanding). It has been difficult to focus on Gabby's sixth birthday knowing that Ike disrupts Cara’s life. Still, Gabby’s birthday parties went well. Lisa’s mom and dad came over Friday night, and Gabby’s friends came over Saturday morning. Lisa planned to have the kids’ party at the park, but the weekend forecast required a change of plans. With fourteen kids here, along with several moms, I did not even feel like the house was crowded (though I retreated for a while). Lisa did have a bit of an adventure keeping some of the kids contained, but no one was injured and everyone had fun. Gabby will be writing thank-you notes this week as part of her language arts assignments.



After the Saturday party, Lisa took a well-deserved nap. The little girls and I went outside in the drizzle and salvaged gala apples from the tree. We did not pick them last weekend because they were in worse shape than the red delicious apples that we boxed. Yet, every apple removed from a tree is an apple that will not sustain a squirrel through the winter.

On the gala tree, there were very few beautiful apples, but today we filled two thirty-gallon coolers with otherwise usable apples. When Lisa awoke from her nap, she came outside to join us. She especially did not enjoy working in the rain. Nevertheless, she realized that we needed to deal with the gala tree. She could not bring herself to complain about the weather considering what people in Texas (including Cara) endure this week.

I am glad for the opportunity to work with the little girls in the rain. Modern lifestyles place too much emphasis on personal comfort. Years from now, Claire and Gabby may remember the day in September 2008 when they picked apples in the rain, but many normal, comfortable days will prove altogether unmemorable. If nothing else, working outside in the rain should make working outside in nice weather much easier for Claire and Gabby.

Nothing is wrong with enjoying comfort, but when our pursuit of comfort prevents us from accomplishing something, how pathetic we are! Cara will always remember Hurricane Ike. She will remember that she left her own interests behind to care for those in need. Whether she gains professionally from this experience what she does these next few weeks will certainly become part of her character.

Our best opportunities lie beyond the boundaries of our personal comforts:

Today, I read in 1 Samuel chapter fourteen. Saul was king of Israel; he and his army arrayed themselves against the Philistines in a standoff. Saul had led an army of 330,000 men against the Ammonites in a previous time, yet since then the Philistines had succeeded in disarming Israel perhaps by killing or otherwise disabling the blacksmiths. Saul had an army of about 600 men with him, but only he, and his son Jonathon, had swords.

Trepidation paralyzed Saul, but his son Jonathon told his armor-bearer, “Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” 1 Samuel 14:6 (NIV) Jonathon and his servant boldly approached the Philistine outpost. When the Philistines chided them to come up, Jonathon and his armor-bearer climbed up the rocks and attacked. Jonathon led the way with his armor-bearer following. Together, they killed twenty Philistines, and the rest of the Philistine army panicked. The Hebrews who had aligned themselves with the Philistines changed sides once again, and Saul’s army-in-hiding came down from the hills to finish the rout. The Lord delivered Israel on that day.

Within our lives – within our walk of faith – many things impose upon our comforts or unsettle our hearts. Nevertheless, we need not have confidence in ourselves to have confidence in God. We need not squander our time in self-indulgent indecision. We need not look too far ahead while there is something to do today. Trusting God, we should move forward, energetically accomplishing our present task whether it is small or grand.

Sometimes the discomforts we face bring with them the sweetest rewards. Tonight, Lisa’s crock-pot simmers with the aroma of apples. In the morning, its contents should be apple butter.



Tonight, Cara works in an unfamiliar place looking out for children with unsettled minds and hearts. Tonight, I pray that God will cause Cara to be his little river of joy refreshing souls who are despairing, and may the morning bring them healing.

Regardless of our fears and inadequacies, “Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving.”

Surprise!

by John D Ramsey

I remember Christmas shopping for Cara and Daniel when they were four and three respectively. Lisa put items in the shopping cart while I kept the kids distracted. At their ages, it was easy to keep them distracted even through the checkout process. We managed to purchase nearly all of their gifts right under their noses without either child noticing. When Christmas came, Cara and Daniel were surprised to see the gifts that they had liked so much in the stores. Their surprise was always a bit of a mystery to Lisa and to me.

Tonight we went to Target to buy Gabby a bicycle for her sixth birthday. Buying at Wal-Mart was out of the question because their bikes in the colors that Gabby likes are all branded with Disney Princesses, Hanna Montana, or the like. All things are lawful, but in our family, Disney and similar brands are just not expedient. I do not want my girls’ identities to be coupled to someone else’s fantasies.

Target had a very nice Schwinn bicycle that Gabby had noticed before. We wandered around Target until Gabby caught sight of the bicycles and asked me if she could look at them again. She and I left Claire and Lisa and studied the bikes. Lisa and Claire joined us later and we all debated the advantages of the different bikes. Ultimately, we bought a less-expensive model because Gabby did not value the Schwinn more highly than another model.

Gabby does not know that we purchased the bicycle. While Lisa was asking a clerk to take the bike to Guest Services, I was discussing the sizes of basketballs with Gabby a couple aisles over. We left the sports and toy department for girls' clothing. Lisa found some corduroy pants for Gabby to try on. While Gabby headed to the dressing room, Claire and I purchased the bicycle and concealed it in the back of the Explorer.

As Gabby was entering the dressing room, she told Lisa, “You know, they could just buy me a present.”

Lisa asked, “Do you think they will?”

Gabby answered, “No, because they just didn’t think about it.”

When Lisa checked out, she bought a riding helmet that Gabby had wanted. Gabby noticed. When Gabby got into the car she looked into the back almost expecting to see her new bicycle, but Claire and I had done a masterful job of camouflage. Gabby asked Lisa about the helmet, and we explained that she had outgrown her old one; when that happens it is time to buy a new one. The helmet that fit her at Target was on clearance, which was even more reason to grab it up.

Tomorrow, Gabby will be excited to receive her new bicycle. Until then, Claire is basking in the glory of keeping a secret. When we reveal the secret tomorrow, both girls will celebrate even though it is Gabby’s birthday.

As believers in Jesus Christ, God has entrusted with a great mystery, yet we need not keep it secret. In fact, we are responsible to share the secret with those who do not know, and we celebrate with all who come to know the truth.

The mystery we possess is that the God who created everything also lovingly created man in His image. Nevertheless, we, his creation, rebelled against our Creator, and consequently fell under the curse of death. At the appropriate time, the Son, the visible expression of God, became a man. He lived among men experiencing all that we experience, yet without rebellion against the Father. In his life, he expressed both his deity and his humanity. In his physical suffering and death, he endured both the wrath of man against his God, and the judgment of God against man’s sin. On the cross, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, offered himself as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Satisfied by the sacrifice of the Son, the Father raised him to life again.

Because of the Son’s incarnation, his death, and his resurrection, we who were in rebellion against our Creator are now reconciled to him.

We receive this reconciliation by his grace. Some Bible translations refer to grace as a “free gift”, and grace is free in the sense that we could never merit it. Yet accepting God’s grace costs us something. When we receive grace, we die with Jesus Christ to the world and to our former selves. We instead become alive in God and alive to God through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. Dying with Christ means that someday we, too, will experience the glory of his resurrection.

Jesus, in John chapter three, and Peter, in 1 Peter chapter one, refer to this reconciliation to God as being "born again" — a new kind of birthday. This is the mystery of the ages, the greatest gift in history, and it is yours to keep — forever.

Now that you know, how will you celebrate?

Free food

by John D Ramsey

Saturday, we cleaned most of the apples off our red delicious tree. We boxed a little less than 100 pounds of apples, and culled about as many that were smaller. Most of the apples were accessible from the ground or from a stepladder; however, some were far enough out of reach that I needed to climb the tree to get to them. This led to some awkward contortions where I was hanging on with my left hand and picking apples with my right hand. The highest apples I tossed down to Claire, and she caught them (some of them) with my old Rawlings baseball glove.

Gabby was our official apple-sizer. She used a wide-mouth Tostitos Salsa con Queso jar to measure the apples’ circumference. If an apple fit in the jar, she culled it. If it was too big for the jar, she boxed it. If a squirrel had ruined it, she pitched it into a trash bin. Lisa, Claire, and Gabby will process the culls into apple pie filling, applesauce or something else yummy as they decide.

Sunday, Lisa made salsa again using tomatoes and jalapenos from our garden. This summer we have eaten hundreds of free tomatoes with more to come. I suppose the loads of tomatoes from our garden have had a positive impact on our grocery budget. The trick for Lisa has been to make effective use of them. Likewise, our apples may also be a budget windfall. The girls are thrilled with the idea of free food, yet I wonder how much we will spend on sugar, cinnamon, and piecrusts before we realize the potential of all our free apples.

Free food is a powerful idea. Yet food is seldom entirely free. For instance, to harvest a couple hundred pounds of apples required all of us to work for one morning. It would not pay me to take a day off work to pick apples. Nor would apple picking have paid if I had injured myself falling from a ladder or from a bough of the tree. It might have paid Lisa the value of my life insurance, but that is beside the point. As it turns out, we are poised to benefit again from free food. Even so, Lisa and the girls have a lot of work ahead of them before we realize results. Free food requires commitment.

When Israel wandered in the desert, God provided them with free food in the form of manna. Still, they had to gather the manna each day, and they had to prepare it before they could eat it. While daily-manna assured them that they would not starve, the process was labor intensive. Arguably, manna from heaven alleviated the risk, but not the labor related to survival in the wilderness. About six or seven months after Israel crossed over the Jordan into the land of promise, God no longer provided manna because the people ate the produce of the land.

Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6 all give us the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Luke’s treatment is very much a summary. Matthew and Mark give us the background leading up to the miracle, and John records the events immediately following the miracle. Matthew and Mark tell us that after Herod beheaded John the Baptist, Jesus took his disciples to a secluded place to rest.

John’s execution alarmed and confused the people who had followed him. Their hopes for the kingdom that John had preached were shattered. Grieving and bewildered, they gathered by the Sea of Galilee waiting for Jesus to appear. Their gathering was spontaneous, and they did not prepare to spend days in the countryside.

When Jesus and his disciples arrived and saw the crowd, Jesus “felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” Mark 6:34 (NASB) When it was late, Jesus’ disciples wanted to send the crowd away so they could find something to eat, but Jesus instead took the contribution of five barley loaves and two fish and fed five thousand men plus the accompanying women and children. When we think about Jesus feeding the five thousand we need to remember that it was five thousand families.

The people, who mourned John the Baptist’s demise, immediately sought to make Jesus their king. In response, Jesus sent the crowds away and withdrew into a secluded place. He told his disciples to sail to Capernaum, which was several miles north on Sea of Galilee. Many of Jesus’ disciples had family in Capernaum or Bethsaida, a short distance away. Jesus told his disciples that he would join them later. The disciples might have sailed close to the shore for a time thinking that Jesus would appear on the beach and call out to them. Jesus did not come as they expected. Before long, they were in open water and it was night. A storm nearly capsized their boat. In this distress, Jesus came to them walking on the water. When Jesus entered the boat, the sea calmed and they immediately reached the shore.

Although, Jesus told his disciples to sail toward Capernaum and Bethsaida, apparently the storm drove them to Gennesaret instead. When we hear God say, “Go this direction”, do we feel confused or discouraged when the storms of life take us somewhere else? Just because God gives us direction, does not mean that we are in control. Nevertheless, we can be sure that, regardless of the storms, God retains control. This insight is too good to pass up, but we are talking about free food.

In the morning after Jesus disciples started out for Capernaum, the people whom Jesus had fed set out from Tiberias sailing for Capernaum thinking that Jesus was meeting his disciples there. They expected to arrive at Capernaum before Jesus did, but they were surprised to learn that was ahead of them at Gennesaret. When they found him there they asked, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” John 6:25 (NASB) Jesus did not answer their question. Instead, he rebuked the people who had sailed the lake looking for him.

Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.

John 6:26, 27 (NASB)

The people whom Jesus fed in Tiberias had worked hard to catch up with him in Gennesaret. They expended much energy pursuing free food. Jesus said, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life.” Perhaps they were just a little embarrassed to realize that they had worked hard for another free meal that apparently was not forthcoming.

Still, the people were curious about working for eternal life, and they asked, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus replied, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

The peoples’ hearts were hardened, but they still had free food on their mind. They challenged Jesus asking, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? . . . Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness: as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’”

Jesus realized that the people were comparing him to Moses. He corrects them telling them that Moses did not bring bread from heaven. He tells them that the Father gives the true bread from heaven. The people asked Jesus “always” to give them this bread.

The people thought that they are negotiating with Jesus, but Jesus is taking the discussion far beyond their comfort level. He immediately goes beyond their ability to comprehend. Jesus tells them that he is the bread of life that came from heaven. The people demur, but Jesus continues to escalate, saying,

I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.

John 6:48-51 (NASB)

The Jewish leaders among the crowd objected vigorously, saying, “How can this man give us flesh to eat?” Jesus was anticipating this question. This question divides the believers from the unbelievers; either you accept it or you do not. Jesus said,

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.

John 6:53-58 (NASB)

Jesus offers himself as the bread from heaven that brings eternal life to all who eat it. This he offers freely, but it was difficult even for his disciples to accept. Many followers turned away because of these words. Jesus explained to his closest disciples, “. . . the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” Of course, Jesus is speaking in spiritual metaphor! He contrasts physical life and death in the wilderness with eternal life in him. Jesus was not talking about preserving our present bodies forever. He said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” Eternal life does nothing for the mortal body. Eternal life does not preempt my appointment with death. It gives me hope beyond the grave.

The Jews, the people who had pursued him from Tiberias, never realized that Jesus had been speaking in metaphor all along. He wanted to give them eternal life. They wanted Jesus to feed them barley loaves and fish. His audience and Jesus were not really in the same conversation. Knowing this, Jesus stretched the metaphor as far as he possibly could, but their minds were still into sushi.

We might breathe a sigh of relief realizing that “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood” is metaphor, but before we feel too relieved we need to understand that Jesus’ words are not empty. His metaphor is extreme because his teaching is extreme. Knowing that Jesus was speaking in metaphor we still need to answer, what does it mean to eat his flesh and drink his blood?

Some Christians spiritualize nearly all of Jesus’ teaching to deflect truth that convicts them (Matthew 23:1-12, for instance), only to turn around and take Jesus literally when he says he is speaking figuratively. Go figure. Actually, their pattern is consistent because when Jesus goes one direction, they go the other.

Other Christians dismiss Jesus’ words in John 6 as if metaphors cannot be parsed. Reflecting upon the meaning of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood, I recall what Paul said about the Lord’s Supper.

Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?

1 Corinthians 10:16-18 (NASB)

Paul’s argument was not that the elements of the Lord’s Supper were literally the blood and body of the Lord, but rather sharing the Lord’s Supper is sharing in his sacrifice. He points to Israel’s example, “Are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?” That is what Jesus was teaching in John chapter six.

When Jesus says that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood, he expresses that we must take responsibility for his sacrifice. Jesus died on the cross because my sin put him there. Jesus, the bread of life offers himself to us freely. Nevertheless, to accept this bread means to acknowledge my sin. I acknowledge that my sin crucified the Creator. I accept Jesus’ sacrifice as a sin offering for me. How culpable am I in Jesus’ crucifixion? I am as culpable as if I ate his flesh and drank his blood. My responsibility in Jesus’ death is not some abstract or technical guilt. I am either in or out. If I think my responsibility for his death is insignificant, then I have not partaken of the bread of life.

Accepting his sacrifice for me, I can no longer live for myself. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood means that my life now dwells in him and his life now lives in me. Receiving Jesus’ gift of eternal life, I am taken captive by his boundless love. Receiving by faith Jesus’ sacrifice for my sin is what Jesus refers to when he says, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” To acknowledge less is to reject him and his offer of eternal life.

The bread of life, Jesus offers freely. Will we commit to it?

Red apples to pick

by John D Ramsey

It began with a tease, as many things do in this house. I passed Claire in the hallway on my way to the garage. “I want a ten-page report ready before I get home,” I snapped.

Claire looked bewildered and asked, “On what?”

“Your day,” I answered. As I was getting into the Explorer to drive to work, I relented, “You must have exactly one word on each page.”

Claire smiled.

Lisa had joined us by then and suggested that Claire write a haiku. I was thinking haiku already, but I did not dare require it. Since Lisa thought of it, too, I suggested that if Claire completed her haiku using exactly ten words, I would bring her a special prize. Claire accepted the challenge.

At work, while I was rebooting my laptop because of critical updates, I started thinking about haiku. Was it fair of me to ask Claire to write a ten word, seventeen-syllable poem on a whim? Did my requirement impose upon Lisa’s lesson plan for the day? Plans for the weekend flashed through my mind, and while I was still rebooting I text-messaged Lisa,

Morning promises
little girls, sunshine, breezes,
red apples to pick.

I figured that if I could do it during a reboot, it was not too much to ask of Claire. Later I realized that technically I had failed my own assignment because I was writing about tomorrow and I had asked Claire to write about today. On the other hand, one day is as good as another.

I am looking forward to divesting the apple trees of their fruit before the squirrels do. Lisa coaxed some apple boxes from the grocery store complete with packing material. The nicest apples we will box and put in a cool spot in the basement. The rest of them might become applesauce or apple butter – anything other than squirrel food.

On my way home from work, I was talking to Lisa on the phone. She asked me if I had gotten an email from Claire. I had not checked before leaving work, so she read Claire’s haiku to me.

Book report was good
Math and reading every day
Enthusiastic

That was good enough for me. Claire's reward in only eight words:

Yesterday's Sunshine^®,

a bittersweet memory,

crisp Hydrox^® cookies.

We will eat apples tomorrow.

What a holiday

by John D Ramsey

Nothing exposes project requirements better than jumping in – especially when one jumps in over one's head.

I volunteered to set up a website for RHE (Raymore Home Educators). Lisa knows a good deal when she hears it, so the gig was mine. I usually spend my days traversing data relationships in SQL or perhaps LINQ without regard to how the data appears. It has been too long since I have any serious web development, so it was time to dive in.

This weekend I have worked with HTML, XSLT, RSS, C#, SQL, LINQ, ASP.NET, AJAX Toolkit, Regular Expressions, and CSS. I have created a dozen or more PNG images for backgrounds and such. I have tested results using Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 3.0.1, and Safari 3.1.2. With minor variations in fonts, pages appear the same. This sounds like a résumé.

With about 10 megabytes of code and executable files in my project, it is not as if I have been slacking. Yet, I am still not finished with the first iteration. The nice ladies (and gentlemen) from RHE will have to be patient. I have worked non-stop (except for an ice cream social with some friends Sunday night), but I have to admit that after three days and three nights, I still do not see the light.

From a requirements perspective I admit that I have succumbed to the anti-pattern of low hanging fruit: that is doing the stuff that should be easy at the expense of the stuff that is harder. Of course, the most needed stuff is harder. Some of the easy stuff turned out to be hard anyway, which is why good project managers want to start with the hard stuff. The low hanging fruit included the Cascading Style Sheets. They do not add function to the site, but they do provide form. Without CSS, my web pages look like plain white paper with some random controls thrown on them. Yet, I wonder how many hours I spent tweaking pixel counts and such. I probably do not want to know. Lisa likes the way it looks, and that is something.

I showed her what the site looked like without CSS, then I showed her what it looked like with CSS, but without the background images. She had a hard time understanding the layers involved. She liked the site with the style applied and probably does not ever want to see it as vanilla again. That is okay, I like it with the styles applied, too.






Of all the things that I have done this weekend, I believe that the intensity of the pursuit is what I have enjoyed the most. Solomon wrote, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NASB) Sheol is the grave. Solomon was telling people that whatever they planned to accomplish in life needed to be wrapped up or left unfinished.

Paul took a more optimistic approach, saying, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Colossians 3:23-24 (NASB) If we work only for ourselves, then truly all of our efforts will come to naught when we die. If on the other hand we are working for Jesus Christ, then reward follows our exit from this stage. Working for the Lord is not always some great spiritual endeavor; sometimes it is merely doing “whatever you do.”

A few days ago, I deliberated with my family whether I was truly intense. Tonight, I have to admit that I can be. Yet there is satisfaction in hard work. Knowing that if the Lord gives me something to do, he will use it for his glory is most satisfying of all.

Super lucky elephant

by John D Ramsey

The little girls are at their grandparents’ home this week. While public school has started, Lisa has decided that Claire and Gabby will begin their home-school schedule earnestly after Labor Day. In past years, she has tried to start earlier, but personal schedules do not really slow down until September. Claire has already begun studying math at www.aleks.com. The goals-oriented approach and its graphical reporting motivate Claire. She prefers ALEKS to “mean math” with Dad. Maybe I should have drawn her a progress chart. Gabby is always learning something. Lately she has been concentrating on her reading skills. While Lisa has postponed their formal school schedule, both girls are already putting in hours toward their education.

With the girls away, Lisa picked me up from work yesterday and we went to T.G.I. Friday's for dinner (I had a buy-one-get-one coupon). BOGO notwithstanding, I was impressed with the prime rib stroganoff. Lisa’s petite sirloin was tender and grilled to perfection. I am not a big Friday's fan, but I was pleasantly surprised.

After dinner, Lisa and I drove to Mardel and picked up a birthday present for a little girl (hint, hint) and a handful of Gospel of John booklets. Lisa and I surveyed home-school resources, too, but we deferred purchases. From Mardel, we drove to Costco where we debated the advantages of “Super Lucky Elephant” rice over a plain long grain. We bought neither. Lisa could not decide, and I did not really care. For me the joy is in the analysis and deliberation. We stopped at Target on the way home and picked up a few more things necessary to keep the household operating.

While we were in Target, I noticed that I had missed Daniel’s call. I called him back and visited with him until we reached our driveway at home. I told him about the tobacco growers association we have at work. We have just seven plants in various office windows – one of them is over four feet tall (1.3 m). I also talked to him about mini-cows and other potential hobbies. He chuckled. I am not certain whether he was embarrassed to know me, or whether he finds me genuinely amusing. Nevertheless, my heart was gladdened hearing him laugh.

Lisa had talked to Cara earlier in the day. A stranger who observed Cara acting generously had scolded her. Some people are so cruel that they cannot fathom why someone else would be kind – such attitudes help no one and make no one happy. Keep doing what is right, Cara. Earlier in the day, an auto mechanic commended Lisa on Claire and Gabby’s behavior. Lisa’s eyes began to water as she conveyed to me how blessed she feels when she thinks about our kids.

I stayed up too late last night, and this morning I arrived at work a little later than I would normally. My morning began with some laughter with friends before I settled into troubleshooting a problem. My workday ended with progress toward a resolution and more laughter with friends. There is a lot of laughter in our office. Come to think of it, there is a lot of laughter in our home.

Tonight, the little girls are still at their grandparents’ home. Lisa and I are both working. As I reflect upon my week, I remember what a wonderful wife and children I have. Yesterday, I got yet another email from a recruiter promising to rescue me from the daily grind. It forced me once again to admit that I like my job; I like the company for which I work, and I like the people with whom I spend Monday through Friday.

I do not think that I am lucky. Rather, I know that I am tremendously blessed. I thank God for his many blessings upon me and upon my family.

Chemistry

by John D Ramsey

Over thirty years ago, I fell in love with a girl in my high school chemistry class. I waited outside the classroom door before school began hoping that she would show up early. She often did. Clyde was my chemistry lab partner. Celeste was her lab partner. Clyde was shy. Celeste was not shy. Clyde was smart. Celeste was smart enough to know she would get a better grade if Clyde was her lab partner. The switch was on. Mr. Hubert, the chemistry teacher, looked confused for a moment and then went about minding his business. I never thanked him for that.

Twenty-seven years ago, I married my high school chemistry partner, Lisa. We have had four children and three dogs. We have been more successful with children than with dogs. Our first child we named, Cara Michal, which means “joy, a little river.” We named our first dog, Raunchy. In retrospect, maybe we should have realized then that we were not dog people. Our second child was, Daniel Shane, which means, “God is my judge; God is gracious.” Our second dog really belonged to Daniel. It was an Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) named Sydney. She was a natural herder, but the UPS truck was not easy to herd. Sydney died trying. Our third child we named, Claire Maddison, which means “bright and shining warrior.” Our third dog was a Malamute we rescued from a puppy mill. We called her, Millie. We could not have a dog when we moved to Minnesota, but Gabrielle Sophia, which means “messenger of God’s wisdom”, was born there eighteen years after our first baby girl was born in Merriam, Kansas.

In twenty-seven years, I learned a little bit about marriage and family. I learned that children take your words literally. When Daniel was about three, he deliberately scuffed up his left knee because I told him he did a good job scuffing up his right. Ouch!

I learned that if you want a photograph of a child with a sparkle in her eye, you first do something to make her cry and then do something to make her laugh. Cara taught me that as well as "Fuzzy Pickle!" whatever that means.

I learned that children mimic your values. Claire, as a baby, kept taking my pencil whenever I would lay it down. I finally snatched it back from her, saying firmly, “Mine!” Claire immediately grabbed the pencil back from my hand and said her first intelligible word . . . “Mine!” Oops!

Gabby has taught me that if you want your children to say, “Please,” and “thank you,” they need to hear you say “please,” and “thank you.” Thank you, Gabby.

I learned that every stage of child development is both precious and fleeting. My two oldest kids are adults living in far away cities. My two young ones are nearly six and eleven. I celebrate their growth and yet I miss how they used to be.

I have learned a few things about the marriage relationship, too. I have learned that it is good to talk about money and budgets often, but avoid talking about money at home. Find a comfortable place, and keep the discussions positive.

Keep the other’s secrets.

Try to eat at least one meal a day with the whole family around the dining room table. Talk openly about your values during mealtime.

Time spent together is more valuable than your “alone time.” Trust me.

Do not read popular books on marriage. Most of them should be titled, How to Manipulate Your Spouse for Personal Gratification. Whatever their formula, they usually tell you that you will get a better outcome by following instructions. If a particular outcome is the goal, then manipulation is the most efficient tool. Cut to the chase. That is behavioral psychology to be sure, but it is too shallow to last a lifetime. Do not go there; it will leave you selfish and disappointed.

Here is the truth: Marriage is not about you; it is not about the two of you; it is only about your spouse. Marriage is not give and take. It is give and forgive. Lisa taught me that.

Paul gave all the marriage advice a husband will ever need, including, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her . . . ” Ephesians 5:25 (NIV). If you do not understand what Christ did for the church, if you have not experienced it personally, then back up and start there. If you think you understand Christ’s love for his church as it is mirrored in a husbands love for his wife, back up and contemplate it again, and again, and again.

Lisa,

When I think about how quickly these twenty-seven years have passed. I can only say, Thank you. I love you. After twenty-seven years, I enjoy our time together all the more.

A Shakespearian sonnet reminds me of you. I hope you do not mind.

When, in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least,
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate

For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Happy Anniversary, Honey.

On a brighter note

by John D Ramsey

Cara text-messaged me the other day saying, “Pray for me today. I had a long restraint last night and [was] kicked in the face.” Cara works with children and young adults who need special help. As it turned out, Cara intervened in a volatile situation, and paid the price for loving the unlovely. Now Cara and Gabby have my-swollen-eye-in-July stories to share: Cara’s from a person and Gabby’s from a bumblebee. I suppose the lesson here is that in this world you can get hurt even if you are not trying to help someone. We might as well jump in and show people how much God loves them.

Cara’s black eye is healing; it was somewhat a right of passage among her peers. They told her she was no longer, “Rookie.” Cara is no stranger to pain, but violence is new to her. In her profession, enduring violence without resorting to anger establishes credibility. This reminds me of the Apostle Paul. He closed his written argument with the Galatians, saying, “Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” Galatians 6:17 (NASB) In his lifetime, Paul was imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked, and stoned and left for dead. All this probably had not happened before he wrote Galatians, but Paul had credentials. He expected even people who disagreed with him to respect him accordingly. Compared to Paul, most of us are rookies. Consequently, we should pay attention to what he says and stop pretending to know better than he does.

I suppose this is part of what I find perturbing in Christianity, that is, the ease with which we dismiss the words of Jesus saying they were spoken to a different Dispensation, and the arrogance with which we ignore Paul because his commands were only culturally applicable. You can dismiss my rants, too, by the way, because I am a rookie compared to Paul and Jesus. In fact, if you are inclined to dismiss the words of Jesus for any reason, please write me off, too, because “a servant is not greater than his master.”

The other day we were exiting the highway, and we saw a man standing near the bottom of the ramp. He was holding a cardboard sign. From the back seat, Claire sounded the alarm, “Mom!”

Immediately, Lisa dived into her purse, collected a handful of quarters, and gave them to me. She was out of bills. As we approached, Lisa recognized the man and said, “I’ve helped him before.”

From the back seat Gabby sighed, “I have missed helping poor people.”

It had been a few weeks since we had seen anyone along the highway. Claire and Gabby are alert to opportunities to give.

It is true. If you give Gabby money, she is likely to put it in the Rice for Bangladesh five-gallon water bottle at church or else into a Ziploc baggy along with a we-love-you note to be given to someone desperate enough to stand along the highway asking for help. Normally, Lisa has kits stashed in the car's console containing a Gospel of John, a protein snack, some hard candy, and a crisp ten-dollar bill.

Why does my family do this? I will not take credit. We do this because Jesus said, “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42 (NASB) Why ten bucks? It is enough to buy a meal. If I am giving something in Jesus’ name, I am reluctant to give less. If you want to criticize me, tell me that I am not giving enough, and be sure to include your street credentials. Honestly, I anguish over whether I do enough. Nevertheless, in my experience, a panhandler has never asked me for more than a dollar. If I give him ten, perhaps he knows that I am not giving grudgingly. If I give something, then I am obeying the simple command of Jesus.

I know that any money I give might be spent on Mad Dog, Wild I, or something worse. All my life, I have heard arguments demanding that we make value judgments before giving to the poor (What will he do with this?). Yet, I have not heard anything as simple and liberating as Jesus’ words, “Give to him who asks.” Jesus point was, do not make value judgments; just give to him who asks. Jesus wants simple obedience from us. I doubt that he appreciates the mental gymnastics that we employ to disregard his teaching.

If someone abuses my gift, so be it; he will not answer to me. We will all someday answer to Jesus Christ. When I do, I know that I will have no credentials of my own regardless of what I have done. When I fall before Jesus’ throne, I will plead only the promise of his grace and forgiveness. I have confidence in his capacity to forgive me because I know his credentials:

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior's blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
— Charles Wesley

Jesus' amazing love is the persistent bright light that brings me back from my perturbations. Earlier this week I anguished over feeling incongruous in a place in which my Christian friends feel at home; nevertheless, Jesus knew alienation beyond my culture shock. Jesus, the Word, was God; he created everything. When he became a man, his prime creation did not recognize him. The Jews, his chosen people, did not accept him. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12 (NIV)

Jesus paid the price for loving the unlovely, among whom I am. I love him for that. By his grace, I am saved, and on this bright note, my spirit calms and waits for the clarity of Jesus' voice to call me again to obedience.

Perturbed

by John D Ramsey

A couple days ago, I wrote a post “Be strong and courageous.” I admitted to Lisa that it was not the post that I was burning to write, but rather the post that I needed to read. There are many reasons that I needed to read “Be strong and courageous,” not the least of which are Cara and Daniel and Lisa and Claire and Gabby. Each provide me with different reasons for which I need to believe that God has already delivered . . . I just need to be strong and courageous. That was what I needed to read. What I have been wanting to write deals with the kingdom parables in Matthew 13.

Recently, I realized that Jesus' parables in Matthew 13 have shaped my theology and ecclesiology to a great extent, and yet I avoid talking about Matthew 13. Matthew 13 has changed the way that I see everything. Yet I have a hard time discussing it. If I read Scripture through the filter of my understanding of Matthew 13, and another does not, then it is difficult for me to communicate.

I have wanted to write about Matthew 13, but I cannot seem to get started. I began the Kingdom in Context Bible study in Genesis 10 because working through the Old Testament first, would at least defer my having to explain Matthew 13 while leaving it on my to do list. Yet, I know that Matthew 13 biases my interpretation of other passages, and so it is always in front of me. At some point I must explain why it is so important to me.

Perhaps, I struggle with an Elijah complex (am I the only one?). I would rather think that it is difficult to bring clarity to Jesus' subtle usage of words and phrases. There is no shame in that because Jesus told his disciples that these parables were not intended to reveal but rather conceal the mysteries of the kingdom. Teaching Matthew 13 is not supposed to be easy.

On Sunday morning, Mark taught about culture shock, that is, not feeling at home when we walk out into the world. Lisa passed me a note asking, “What about culture shock when we walk in to the [church] building?” Mark, if you happen to read this, I love you, I value your friendship, and I thought your sermon Sunday was great, but I do not feel any more at home in a church building than I do walking through a ladies' lingerie department. There's something appealing about it, but its not for me. It does not become me. I love the people at church, but church meetings are foreign. Why do I feel this way? I think it comes back to Matthew 13.

Perhaps that is an oversimplification. When I was nineteen years old, I sensed that God was telling me that I would never be a member of a local church. I am forty-eight. Twenty-nine years have not changed my mind. While I have attended churches (some regularly), I have never joined a church. Why? I suppose that I could answer, because God told me not to, but in fact, I find the business and politics of church perturbing. A friend of mine left the Lutheran church because he could not figure out why God needed a gymnasium, and, assuming God did need the gym, why did he need my friend to pay for it. I suppose the church wanted the gymnasium so that they would have something to offer people. Apparently, they had nothing to offer without the gym. That is sad.

When I attend church, I go to be with other Christians, but it is like going to a seedy tavern to be with football fans. Can I not be a football fanatic without risking beer spilled on my lap? Can I not be with fellow Christians without getting church business and politics dropped on my lap? Is this really the way it is supposed to be? I like beer; I like business; I like politics. I do not like beer on my lap, and I do not like business and politics intermingled with the practice of my faith. Are church business and politics necessary evils? Are they really?

The parables in Matthew 13 are often called the Mysteries of the Kingdom. They are that, but I tend to think of them as explaining the economy of the kingdom. They explain how things work in the kingdom of God. In an economy there are positive and negative forces. Likewise in the kingdom of God there is good and evil. As believers we need to discern what is good and what is not. I will assert, and not prove, that the kingdom of God in Matthew 13 is not the church. Nevertheless, the church is a microcosm of the kingdom of God, so the economic rules apply.

The first three mysteries of the kingdom, Matthew 13:24-33, are titled: the Parable of the Weeds, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, and the Parable of the Yeast. They encapsulate three economic principles of the kingdom of God: Subversion, Appropriation, and Decay, and this is SAD (acronym intended). If this surprises you, think about it. Jesus did not come to earth to tell us that everything here was wonderful.

The parable of the weeds tells of an enemy who plants weeds in a wheat field. The servants of the master ask, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” Matthew 13:28 (NIV). The owner of the field says, “No, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.” Yesterday, Lisa accidentally cut down her zinnias because the back of the garden had become so weedy. She did not realize until later that part of the clutter was her yet-to-blossom flowers. She was sad for her loss. Likewise, we are not to pull the weeds for fear of damaging the wheat. This parable is often used as an excuse to tolerate miscreants in the church, but Jesus interpreted this parable for his disciples and “the field is the world.” In other words, our mission in the world is not to reform society by coercion. In so doing, we uproot those who might be wheat!

Subversion comes into play not because there are weeds in the field, but because we cannot resist pulling the first most obvious, most noxious one. Once we start pulling, there is no stopping. Some Christians are always publicly attacking the morals of unbelievers. If you do not believe me, do a Google search for “boycott Barnes and Noble.” But Jesus said that we are not to pull the weeds because we will damage the wheat. The harvesters, who are the “holy angels” will collect the weeds to be burned at harvest time. Until then we are to let them alone. Similarly, Revelation 22:11 says, “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.” (NIV)

We are not in the business of reforming society. We are supposed to be in the business of reaching the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus' blood can make the sinner clean, but a boycott might make our world appear a little cleaner. It is just a matter of our priorities. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our struggle is not against people, but against spiritual forces of evil. We cannot accomplish spiritual victory by political means. Our enemy wants to destroy everyone for whom Christ died; he must laugh when he convinces Christians to attack unbelievers. How easily we are subverted!

The parable of the mustard seed illustrates appropriation or usurpation. Though the mustard seed is tiny, it grows into a huge plant. Once it grows the birds of the air come rest in its branches. In Luke 17, the mustard seed is compared to faith. That meaning fits Matthew 13 as well. As the mustard plant grows it attracts the birds of the air. The birds appropriate what is not theirs. Jesus said earlier, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” Matthew 11:12 (NASB) Power hungry people appropriate and manipulate the faith of others for their own gain.

In Revelation 18:2, the apostate church, MYSTERY BABYLON, is said to have become a “haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.” Power attracts the ambitious, and Christianity has learned to see its leaders as political power brokers. Many Christians may not believe this to be a bad thing, yet it is an appropriation of our faith. It does not win souls for Christ because salvation is accomplished personally. When we rally for a cause other than the Gospel, we make someone powerful at the expense of the Gospel of grace. Jesus warned that our faith would attract ruthless and abusive leaders of men yet we are too willingly manipulated by them. Paul, likewise, warned the Ephesians saying, “Savage wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:29, 30 (NIV) Do we guard against the ambitious, or do we march them into leadership?

Finally, the parable of the yeast illustrates decay. This verse is often poorly translated, the New American Standard Bible manages to get it right. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven [yeast], which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.” Many translations say that the woman mixed the yeast with the flour because that is expected. Some commentators compare the expansion of the bread loaf with the growth of the church, but that is not what Jesus is saying. He did not say that the a loaf of bread raised; he said that the flour became leavened, ergo, contaminated.

Yeast in the New Testament represents sin and pride. The woman hid the yeast in three measures of flour. Three measures in the New Testament is equivalent to an ephah in the Old Testament. The woman hid the yeast in over twenty pounds of flour! I think that Jesus was referring to a surreptitious practice of hiding yeast during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. When a woman hid the yeast in her week's supply of flour, then it all became tainted.

While we tend to think of yeast as a beneficial organism, it actually causes decay. In the kingdom economy, harboring a little sin, causes permeating decay. Paul so warned the Corinthians saying, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” 1 Corinthians 5:6 (NASB) The bread that the woman would bake from the tainted flour would not have been unleavened for the feast. Consequently, the parable of the yeast should remind us that secret sin will become evident.

As I read Jesus' words in Matthew 13, I read that we are easily subverted. The truth we are suppose to proclaim is appropriated for others' political gains. Our hidden pride ultimately causes decay. These are three economic principles of the kingdom of God. The balance sheet will not be settled until the harvest at the end of the age.

When we seek to influence society with anything other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I wonder whether we are not merely trying to make ourselves comfortable in this world. The Gospel does not make us comfortable; it asks us to carry our cross. When we battle evil using political weapons, have we not already been subverted?

I wonder what expression of Christian faith requires a church building. Did Paul not tell the Athenians that God “does not live in temples built by hands”? Yet we are prone to call a church building God's house. Did any command in the New Testament tells us to build church buildings? Are not our bodies the temple of the Holy Spirit? Did Peter not call us “living stones . . . being built into a spiritual house?”

Paul gave the church at Corinth instructions for meeting together as an assembly in 1 Corinthians 11-14. Yet, we have so far departed from the pattern that Paul outlined that our church services do not resemble first century ecclesiology. I wonder whether modern church practice is not really a lump of leaven. It puffs us up. It looks good, feels good, and tastes good; but the underlying agent is leaven. Jesus told people to “beware the leaven of the Pharisees.” The Pharisees added overhead to what was commanded thinking they were better for it. Likewise, our churches are not rising closer to the ideal, but rather they are so swollen with decay that they no longer resemble the churches to whom Paul ministered.

Lisa and I knew a teacher years ago who after the show would say, “All this . . . and the Gospel, too!” I wonder whether this was his way of saying, 'All this' is not the Gospel. Wake up and know that the truth does not need to be shilled! Yet the show goes on and keeps getting better. Does it make us love one another more?

In Lisa and my history with church, we have never gotten to know anyone very well by attending church services. When we have bonded in friendship with other believers it has been in a home. Nevertheless, churches spend much energy getting people to congregate within a church building where people can remain strangers. People living in the same neighborhood attend church together for years without ever knowing where the other lives. Our culture is insular, but our faith is not supposed to reflect the selfishness of society; it is suppose to reflect the grace of God.

If I am right, then Christianity as we practice it is truly a SAD affair. When I contemplate these things, I am always drawn to Revelation 2-3 where Jesus gave his sad assessment of five of the seven churches in Asia. I have learned that when we read Jesus' criticisms in Revelation 2 and 3 we tend to see other people, churches, and denominations. Yet I wonder if Jesus would say that I have left my first love. I must ask whether I value personal gratification over my commitment to Christ. I must ask whether I tolerate teaching that I should not. I must ask whether I am dead to sin or dead to God. I must ask whether I am wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

I can never feel comfortable in church. In Revelation 2 and 3, the only churches who were doing it right were afflicted and poor, they were persecuted unto death. They had little strength, yet they kept Jesus' word. If this is what it takes to have praise-worthy faith, then I want to experience Smyrna and Philadelphia (by that I do not mean Georgia and Pennsylvania). I do not imagine that the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia held very many business meetings, or managed much of a budget. I doubt that they contemplated how to be politically influential in Turkey. I think that they must have focused on Jesus Christ and held onto their faith as if it were precious. My heart wants to live where the only thing that matters is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the culture that is laying hold of me. That is where I think I shall feel at home.

Wire-less weekend

by John D Ramsey

We have just returned from a camping vacation. We had been planning this event for months. Before we knew what we would do, we knew that this was the weekend when all six of us could rendezvous. The time and budget constraints did not allow for anything grand, so we knew it would be a simple affair. At some point, I suggested that we go camping at Roaring River State Park in southern Missouri. The park is nested in the forested hills and a cool water spring feeds the river. There is a trout hatchery at Roaring River. I have never been successful trout fishing, but that would not stop me from trying again. We have not camped at Roaring River for a long time, it would have been nice to refresh memories of the place. I reasoned that Roaring River would be a comfortable outdoor camping vacation, even during July.

Nevertheless, Cara's time was short and Roaring River was too far for her to drive. The plan was revised to camp at Tyler State Park in northeastern Texas. You read correctly, we camped in Texas . . . in July. Tyler State Park is in the piney region of Texas. The heat was tolerable. The shade from the trees and the breeze across the water was sufficient to keep us from overheating. There were very few mosquitoes, and we saw no tics. Gabby stepped on a ant mound, but only incurred a couple stings. I did not think they were fire ants, but after comparing a photo I snapped with online sources I cannot be sure. After her encounter with a bumble bee a couple weeks ago, the ants were merely a distraction.

It has been a few years since we have been camping. Before we left, Lisa inventoried and prepared all our gear including an old green Coleman camp stove. I think we bought the stove used somewhere when Cara and Daniel were little. A long time ago we replaced the kerosene tank with an adapter for bottled propane. When Lisa pulled the stove out; however, the paint was peeling. Although functional, it looked ragged. Lisa painted it pink and renamed it the “Bar-B” (pun intended). When we arrived at Tyler State Park, Lisa upgraded our reservation to a sheltered site. She did this mainly for the convenience of water and electricity, but our tent and screen house never came out of their duffel bags. The shelter was sufficient. The shelter was clean by camping standards, the concrete slab floor acted as a heat sink to cool the interior. Cara and Daniel picked up a oscillating fan at a nearby Wal-Mart, and we all stayed comfortably cool at night.

I took my work laptop with me, but it stayed in my backpack the entire trip. I did check text messages a few times to make certain that there were no urgent personal messages. In case of an emergency, I could have found a wireless network within a few miles, but no one called. Our last night at the park, after Cara had returned home, I did check email using my phone, but otherwise I was wire-less and wireless-less.

Tyler State Park has a small lake with surprisingly clear water. We were excited to go fishing. Gabby was proud of her new Barbie fishing pole, and Claire bought an Ugly Stick ultralight rod combo for the trip. She grinned when I told her that an ultralight made even small fish exciting to catch. Although we came ready, we caught only weeds. We did not see anyone else catching anything other than weeds, either. I suppose the fish have better things to do in mid-July than accommodate amateur outstate fishermen.

One afternoon, Claire joined Daniel and me in a canoe for an hour while Lisa, Cara, and Gabby floated about in a pedal boat. We swam. We played card games. Daniel asked me if I would play “Phase 10.” When I said, “Sure,” he pointed skyward and said, “Look, a pig!” I suppose my anti-game bias has been obvious, even to my children. At night, Gabby, Claire, and I spotted celestial objects through the branches of the pine trees, but the moon was bright, tree branches were thick, and visibility was not much better than at home. We sat around a fire, roasting hot dogs, and preparing s'mores. If we had transported bicycles, Claire and I could have ridden on the trails. For many reasons we decided to leave the bicycles at home. Walking everywhere was enough exercise for me.

Our activities were unexceptional. Still, we were together for a couple days in July without our typical distractions. We worked together, played together, and talked together. Early one evening, after fishing unsuccessfully, Gabby was walking back to the camp site holding my hand. She sighed, “I just love it that we're here!” That was the point. It did not matter where we were, or what we did. We were all together in one place, and all the other things that normally take center stage in our lives were in far away cities or at least tucked away securely in backpacks.

Something tasty is cooking on the Bar-B

Daniel and Gabby fishing on the pier

Cara tries Gabby's new Barbie fishing pole
(Is this a new summer fashion accessory?)

Gabby (photographer) catches Claire posing in the forest

Sunset

Moonrise

Jupiter jumped over the moon

by John D Ramsey

Gabby has fallen in love with the night sky. A couple nights ago Jupiter jumped over the moon. I did not let Gabby stay up late enough to watch it. I did let her stay up late enough to see Saturn and Mars setting in the west while Jupiter chased the moon across the southeastern sky. We also watched a couple satellites float by in the twilight. I worked late and staggered to bed at 1:30 AM, but before I did, I walked out into the street to confirm that Jupiter had indeed overtaken the moon. I wish Gabby could have seen it, but at that hour in the morning she would not have cared. Someday I'll explain to her the mechanics of the Solar System. Then she will understand why the moon travels from east to west at a slower rate than the stars and planets. Right now, Gabby is beginning to learn the names of the planets and a few stars and constellations. I know that her continued interest depends upon my enthusiasm as her teacher.

The next night, Claire stepped outside with us to see that Jupiter was indeed on the western side of the moon. Jupiter was playing hide-and-seek amongst some small clouds. I spotted it but lost sight within a couple seconds. When it appeared again, Claire saw it first. She was excited as if we were competing. If that is what it takes to involve Claire, we will play spotting and naming games. Lisa is thinking that we would make astronomy a large part of our home-school science curriculum this year. It will be an opportunity for all of us to learn.

It occurs to me why Gabby is so excited about the stars and planets. At first I assumed that she was intrigued by KStars, which I installed on Ubuntu. It did catch her attention, but I credit Lisa and her mom with capturing Gabby's imagination. This summer while the girls are not officially in school, Lisa has dedicated a day each week to studying great artists. This week they studied Degas.

Lisa played Brahms recordings, and discussed what was happening in the world while Edgar Degas was painting ballerinas. Lisa's mom, Julie, brought some pastels for the girls to work with. Julie traced a Degas painting from a coffee table book, and then transferred the tracing to some flour-sack dish towels. They soaked the towels in milk and then colored the picture with the pastels. When they were finished, they covered the cloth with aluminum foil and ironed the pictures dry.

That was this week. Last week they studied Vincent van Gogh. Claire painted sunflowers while Gabby re-created Starry Night. A year ago, Lisa and I saw the van Gogh exhibit at the MoMA in NYC. Seeing his painting first hand is more emotive than I had anticipated. I think that Lisa has transferred her appreciation of van Gogh to Gabby. Now that Gabby has painted “Starry Night,” she has a vested interest in the sky, and I get to be her teacher.

As I reflect on God's graciousness to me my heart recalls Psalm 8 as I learned it years ago from the KJV:

O LORD our Lord,
how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies,
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider thy heavens,
the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,
and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
O LORD our Lord,
how excellent is thy name in all the earth!