Happily Ever After

Most of us here in America grew up with fairy tales that started with “Once upon a time” and end with “and they lived happily ever after!” As kids we were sold on idolizing this concept of finding the perfect person, falling in love with them, they would complete our lives and we would be happy forever.

Hollywood has made a fortune developing this model. This time of year there are always lots of new movies that portray life as a fairy tail. You know girl meets guy who is discovered to be the perfect match and after a tortuous journey end up with each other and they live … (You know the rest) BTW You can substitute the girl with a guy who meets a girl, etc. And while it makes for great entertainment (especially for many gals) in the end it’s still just a fairy tale. The problem is that we have begun to believe the dream is reality.

Most couples who have been together for any length of time know that reality rarely lives up to the fantasy. In fact many people go through life constantly being disappointed with the relationships that they develop. None of these relationships live up to the Hollywood myth. In fact the last step in the “ever after” scenario is that if first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

If reality doesn’t live up to the hype, what should relationship reality really look like? Well God’s plan for relationships is exactly the same as fantasy only different! God’s plan begins with becoming the person God wants you to be. Too often we want the other person to complete us when in reality it’s God who changes us into the person that we should be. We begin this process by walking in His love. This love is unselfish and seeks to put others first, starting with God.

The next step is to fix all of our hope on God. Too often we expect someone to fix all of our problems when in reality no one other then God and ever fix us. God wants us to allow Him to change us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. The final step in this relationship prescription is that if and when failure occurs, repeat the process again!

So for those of you who are single and looking for a relationship – please realize that God loves you and wants to be the one that loves you and the one who can be everything you will ever need. And for those of you who are in a relationship, only God will never fail you. No one else is perfect. He is the only one who will truly complete you. Only He can fill the vacuum in your soul.

So this Valentine’s Day remember that the only way you can live happily ever after is to live it God’s way!

Love

Pastor Val

The Emperor Has No Clothes

We are all familiar with the children’s story about a ruler who is conned by a crooked tailor into “seeing” special clothes that only privileged people were capable of seeing. On the day that the emperor wore his new clothes for the very first time the town folks either saw these special clothes or at eh very least pretended to see the special clothes. All, except one small child who exclaimed “Look! The Emperor has no clothes!” and with that everyone saw the naked truth of just how special the Emperor really was!

Today I feel like that small child! I know a secret about the emperor that very few know about. If I share my secret – while the world would continue to spin on it’s axis – in some circles their world would grind to a halt.

Some would never believe the truth and for others 5their faith would be sorely tried.

This blog is going to be my therapy session as I make a decision on how to proceed

So what are the effects of pointing out the truth?

The emperor in this case deceived himself in believing the lie about his sin but the emperor is no more, only his reputation.

Many would not believe the truth. So what! We are still commanded to speak the truth albeit in love. Ephesians 4:15.

Some less mature believers might question their faith or at least their faith in their leaders. I don’t want to be a stumbling block for another’s faith. 1 Corinthians 8:9.

It would be sweet revenge! But I’m commanded to for give – and I thought that I had.

Who would benefit from my “unburdening” myself?

Just me – it’s not supposed to be about me. No, rather it’s about God!

Can I trust God to do the right thing? I think so after all he is holy and just as well as lovingly merciful and a dispenser of grace.

So let’s see, we are commanded to love like Jesus. We must love and forgive if we want forgiveness. Matthew 6:12. We are told that love covers a multitude of sins, this for all believers not just me personally.1 Peter 4:8.

Almost 30 years ago I learned the truth about the emperor and I’ve kept the secret for all this time. I’ve hung onto1 Timothy 5:4 as a promise. Since I trusted Father this long, I guess I can trust him the rest of my life.

Pssst – want to hear a secret??

Pastor Val

The Shack

I love to read!

I have a wide and varied interest in many different genres and themes that I enjoy. From mysteries, to SciFi, to adventure, to espionage, to drama I like lots and lots of different types of books. I even have read and enjoyed the occasional gothic novel – usually because my wife tells me how good a particular story was. I also enjoy reading books on leadership, business and of course theology!

In general I don’t care for Christian authors of novels. I’ve tried to read a number of different authors form this unique group of genres and most often I find the writing pedantic, cumbersome and boring. I have grown up being disappointed in novels that are published by Christian publishers due to their lack of skills and often simplistic plot lines.

All of that being said occasionally I am surprised by some novelist like Frank Peretti from a number of years ago. I was fascinated by the way he was able to weave so much theology into his writing and the how even the smallest reference to angelic being was deeply explored in his series on angelic world and how it intersected our understanding of reality. His plots were suspenseful and exciting and theologically he held my interest and admiration on tackling difficult issues and showing us that there are more dimensions then the three or four that we are used to relating to.

Yes, I know that many of us enjoyed the Left Behind series. I too enjoyed the books and was amazed at how the authors were able to weave a pretrib, premil understanding into their books and many of them were good reads. Toward the end, in my opinion, they suffered from writer’s fatigue and I from readers fatigue in their almost Christian SciFi series of eschatology (end times).

Until this past week I wondered when I find another Christian author who would write a novel that would again challenge or at least embrace my understanding of God and the theology of His plan to redeem the world and usher in the Kingdom of Now and Not Yet!

I finished a novel that was written a couple of years ago and became a New York Times best seller. I can’t tell form the face page how many printings this book has done through or whether or not it was originally available in hardback.

What I can tell you is that I had a hard time putting the book down. Perhaps I’m getting more emotional in my advanced age or perhaps God is making me more tender-hearted but there were times that I wept and times when I soared when reading this book.

Oh you want to know the name of the book?

The Shack by Wm Paul Young

Yes it is a novel and as such there will be certain latitudes that the author will take that some will not agree with, but the broad brush of this novel addresses many of the issues that the World is asking and that we as Christ followers are hard pressed to adequately answer.

Questions like:
Why is there evil in the world?
Is God a wrathful God and Jesus a loving God?
What is the nature of the Godhead – i.e. the Trinity?
What is forgiveness and who is it for?
What does God demand of His followers?

These and many more questions are addressed in this novel by Paul Young.

I have to admit that I am still processing this read through my theological knowledge of God, salvation, forgiveness and living in community with fellow believers and more importantly with God.

I can tell you that much of this writing I resonate with and my soul explodes in praise to my creator as I hear and read the issues he tackles. I can only wish that I had had the ability to articulate as well as the author does his understanding of Who God is and What He wants from each of us.

A brief synopsis of the story is that a man, Mack, who has suffered a life battering experience of the abduction and death of a young daughter, is invited ostensibly by God to meet with Him at the place where Mack’s daughter died. Not knowing what or who he will find at this back-woods shed that has been the sight of the greatest tragedies of Mack’s life, he goes that spends a weekend.

While there in an almost Dickens-like tale Mack encounters a number of personalities during his time at the shack. At the end of the weekend Mack’s life is changed.

If you are questioning God or have ever wondered who God is this book will challenge many of your preconceived notations and ideas about God and whether or not He truly is a loving God.

I hope you will read the book and join me in a discussion!

Serving a loving God and Father

Pastor Val