End of the Earthly Trail

I am writing a tribute today for a dear friend, Al Wright, who went home to be with Christ on January 2, 2008. He was a member of Berean Bible Fellowship, and we had just over two years together to get acquainted. His earthly trail is finished, but he lives in eternity with Christ.

Special memories

I spent a great deal of time with Al over the few years that I knew him. It was our habit to meet for donuts every week and spend an hour together talking. I learned many things about him, some of which I will share this morning.

He respected and honored his father. His father meant a great deal to Al, and though he was gone a lot in his work as a salesman, he instilled in Al some great values of work and industry that stayed with him all of his life.

He loved his country. We would often talk of the modern political scene. He was a conservative man who supported conservative candidates and was often flabbergasted about the state of mind of those with whom he disagreed.

Al would often talk of his military service in the US Army. He recalled with great detail the scenes of battle and the incidents that he lived through. He was proud of his service and spoke of working with General Mac Arthur, of serving in the Battle of the Bulge and of enduring the hardships of a good soldier. I was always amazed at his recall. So many men have come back from military service and buried their experiences in the depths of their minds.

Al loved his family. He would often talk with me about you and keep me up to date on what was going on in the family, even though I had not met most of you at that time. I know he prayed

Al loved his Savior. He talked often of his salvation, his early years with Christ and his continued devotion to the Savior. He loved being involved in church. Every time there was a meeting scheduled, he was there if he was physically able to be there. He prayed for the church, supported the pastor, and stuck with things through thick and thin.

He loved being involved with Gideon’s International. Gideon’s around the world are actively involved in distributing copies of God’s Word to as many as possible. He often told the story of the influence of the Word of God in his life before he was saved. It seems that in one of his tours of duty, he lived in the same barracks with a believer who had an active testimony. He would read the Bible out loud while Al was in the room. Al was not interested in the Bible at that time, but after a while he listened. He stated to me that it was the continual exposure to Scripture that softened his heart for the day and time of his personal response to God. God gave Al the blessing of meeting up with his Army buddy in the mall one day after Al was saved. They had a wonderful and tearful reunion as Al told the story of his salvation experience.

We each knew Al in a different way. As you have gathered together here today, it is appropriate for you to share a memory with us that would be an encouragement to the family that is gathered at this memorial service.






Al’s favorite Scriptures

In the weeks prior to Al’s death, I had the opportunity to meet with him many times and to share the Word of God with him. Today I will share with you two passages that lifted his spirits and encouraged his heart.

John 3:16 tells us the gospel message in a simple form. Al loved this verse. It spoke to him of the fact of God’s love for him while he was a sinner. He understood that as God gave His Son, Jesus Christ to the world to pay the penalty of death for sinners, Al was included in those for whom the price was paid. Al knew that he was a sinner, but he understood that he was a sinner saved by grace. So, on a particular day in his adult life, Al came to the place where he received the gift of grace from God according to His promise and believed by faith. Al understood that his faith in Christ was a gift from God and he took no boasting in his faith. Rather, he rejoiced in the assurance that because of that faith which he exercised in Christ he would not perish, but have everlasting life.

Although Al rejoiced in his salvation, there was one thing that bothered him and he mentioned it several times. He was bothered by the fact that he received Christ so late in life. I know his exhortation to us today would be: don’t wait as long as I did to receive Christ and serve Him.

Today we are at a memorial service and Al is no longer alive . . . on this earth. He has gone into the presence of Jesus Christ, according to the promise of God, and there he is as alive and vibrant as he ever was on earth – more so even. For you see, Al no longer has the physical limitations of a body that is suffering from the effects of Adam’s sin. He is freed from those constraints and sufferings. And that brings me to the second passage that I shared with Al that he loved.

II Corinthians 5 says: 1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down – when we die and leave these bodies – we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will not be spirits without bodies, but we will put on new heavenly bodies. 4 Our dying bodies make us groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and have no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by everlasting life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies. 11 It is because we know this solemn fear of the Lord that we work so hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.

While Al was on this earth, he was a vibrant and energetic man – and I first met him when he was 87. But in his last years, you could see the reality of this passage in his life. He was slowing down and things were not as easy as before. He appreciated it when his grandson, Jason, would mow his grass for him.

But today, this promise has been fulfilled in Al’s life. He is in the presence of Christ. His body is in the grave, awaiting the day of resurrection, but He is in the presence of Christ in a glorified body that God has prepared for him.

Al would want me to personalize these verses for you today, since you have come to honor him. He wants to see each of you in the presence of Christ some day.

Now, you can only get there through faith in Christ. You must believe that there is a holy God to whom you are accountable. You must understand that you are a sinner, prevented by your sin from ever standing in the presence of a holy God. You must know that God has prepared an answer to this problem by giving His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the death penalty for sin by dying on the cross. When He arose from the dead three days later and ascended to heaven, he demonstrated that the penalty was paid and that heaven was open to all who would believe. But you must turn, with your will, from your sin and receive the One who died and rose again to pay the penalty for your sin.

If Al were standing with me today on this platform, he would be sure to make this invitation: now is the day of salvation. Do not wait any longer to respond to the message of God’s grace and to receive His eternal promises.

A final verse that I leave with you today sums up Al’s Christian walk with God on this earth. II Timothy 2: 1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

Al has finished his tour of duty on this earth for His Savior. He has appeared before him as a faithful man, completing what was entrusted to him.

As you consider the life of Al Wright with me today, I hope that you find in his testimony the challenge to be the faithful follower of Christ that he was.

The service was a moving memorial. Al's grandsons, Jason and Mitchell both spoke words from the heart that showed that Al truly was a godly influence for his family.

We were glad to have known Al and to be a part of his memorial tribute.

Can you Believe it?

I have got to get one of these trampolines!!

For sure.

Be sure you put your money in the right vending machine. Can you imagine?

Detour on the trail

By now, there should be many posts about trails and adventures. Hunting season has come and gone and there are few trail reports to make. I did get a chance to go out for a weekend with some friends. They were the hunters and I tagged along. We went to a campground near Fish Lake outside of Wenatchee, WA. I remembered why I did not like camping at a campground. When the music was still playing at 12 midnight, I called the camp host on my cell phone and he came out with the Sheriff and quieted the place down. Wish I had called sooner.

I saw some beautiful country. We were looking for deer, but the deer did not want to be seen. Attached are a few of the photos from the trip.

The beauty of the mountain range in the Cascades.

Enough tracks for track soup. A little dry.

Someone was watching over us. Mr. Buzzard kept his vigil.

Down this trail have walked countless deer, but none when we were here.

The deer did not keep their appointment with destiny, and it would turn out to be my only trip out this season.

A never ending trail

I had hoped to have many trail experiences posted this summer. But such was not to be. Things will change now in a few days. I have accepted a teaching position at Grace Academy in Marysville. I will be teaching three sections of Bible. 9th grade will look at the doctrine of Scripture and Interpretation. 10th grade will study doctrine. 11th grade will study the doctrine of the church and missions.

So, the trail I have been pursuing this summer has been the treadmill. Margaret and I have membership at the local 24 Hour Fitness club. That is a misnomer, because very few of the members could be defined by the word "fitness" unless it was in the sentence, "Most members of our club have little experience with fitness."

So we go there in the morning about 6:45 and leave at 8 for a good hour plus workout. As part of my routine, I spend 10 - 12 minutes on the treadmill. Three of those minutes are running and the rest on a high pitched incline.

Some observations I have made on the treadmill.
1) I am in control of my speed, intensity and time. That is quite different from other trails I have been on. There the course is set before me, the time depends on my ability and the intensity depends on my effort.
2) The scenery could be improved. In our club, there are TV's in front of us to help while away the time. I have read of some clubs that project a trail scene in front of the treadmill to keep customers occupied. Some of our patrons read while they walk - I have tried it, but need glasses and don't like to wear the glasses while I sweat.
3) The mental time is stimulating. This is a great time to reflect, recite verses and pray. Margaret hooks up to a portable cd player and listens to books and music while she does her work.
4) When you get off the machine, you are still at the same place you started - lots of energy invested, but not much progress made. The exercise thing is to be cultivated as a regular habit. It is a good feeling to get the heart rate up to a high level for a period of time in order to keep fit and energized.
5) There is a big payoff in the future for me if I maintain consistency with my physical exercise now. I have already seen great improvement in my posture, my back strength, by endurance and my weight.

So, the trails can be grand and glorious in God's great creation, or continuous belts on electric machines in stuffy gyms. The key is: are you walking, and if so, how is that walk going . . . phycially, spiritually and personally? (No photos on this one because cameras are not allowed in the gym.)

Firey Trials

Fireweed. One of my favorites along the trail. Blooms reddish pink in early summer. Develops a series of reddish pods through the summer and then fuzzy white seeds in late summer and fall. When the flowers are in bloom, a field of them will look like it is on fire. In the fall, when the seeds are flying in the breeze, a field of fireweed will look like it is smoking. Quite a great plant and beauty from our Creator.

Peter talks about fire. Not the brimstone of judgment, but the welcome fire of trials that purify the believer. I Peter 4:12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

1:7 7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The imagery that Peter uses opens our eyes to the trials of life. The word is a word that signifies the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy. This integrity, this fidelity is put to the test by that which is called “firey.”

When the smelter worked metal and wanted it pure, he would bring up the temperature in the furnace to the point where the metal was liquefied. At that temperature, the pure metal was consolidated and any dross or slag was removed. The remaining metal was more pure after the fire than it was prior to it.

When Peter welds these two words together, he produces a concept that ignites our imagination. The tests of life, designed by God, are intended to display purity and fidelity that are only His work. In ourselves, there is only dross and slag. In His fruit-producing life in us, there is only purity and goodness.

Some examples of firey trials:

Financial problems can force me to take my eyes off of my self-reliance and to return them to the Lord who has promised to meet all of my needs according to His riches in His time.

Health problems can force me to depend on God for daily strength rather than on myself and my body for daily strength.

Terminal illness can cause me to consider that there is an eternity I am about to face and that I had better get ready for what comes after while there is still time.

Take the trial you are going through. Look for the purifying fire in it. There is some there, for God has described the testing, the purifying, the purging as a welcome time of fire.

If you see some fireweed along the trail, remember God is purifying your life.

Sanctification

Two people whom I know are having an online discussion regarding sanctification. One (Chris Anderson) is proposing what some Puritan authors of old have taught regarding sanctification: fill one's being with the glories of Christ and there will be little room for sin. The other, (Don Johnson) is saying that such an approach borders on mysticism and is not taking into account the struggle against sin that demands the employment of the human will. (I hope I have summarized this correctly).



This text is one of the quotes debated: "So the path forward is not to decrease one’s affections but rather to enlarge them and fill them with ‘heavenly things.’ Here one is not trying to escape the painful realities of this life but rather endeavoring to reframe one’s perspective of life around a much larger canvas that encompasses all of reality. To respond to the distorting nature of sin you must set your affections on the beauty and glory of God, the loveliness of Christ, and the wonder of the gospel: ‘Were our affections filled, taken up, and possessed with these things . . . what access could sin, with its painted pleasures, with its sugared poisons, with its envenomed baits, have unto our souls? Resisting sin, according to this Puritan divine, comes not by deadening your affections but by awakening them to God himself. Do not seek to empty your cup as a way to avoid sin, but rather seek to fill it up with the Spirit of life, so there is no longer room for sin.’ " Find this quote here under the August 1 post.





This discussion interests me because I taught and preached on this topic a while back. I am including a summary of some of the points taught.



"The thoughts and desires that are at the very center of your life are the things that are important to you. They represent your values and commitments. Things you are willing to die for. Your faith in Christ is found here as the single most important thing in your life.
The Bible says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:24), so it is that which is in the very center of life affects the way you think. Your thoughts affect the way you choose and your choices dictate your behavior. Therefore, in order to change your behavior, God must change your heart. There is only one way that your heart can be changed.
The things you hold dear in your heart, your inner man, are the things that affect your values and thinking. Proverbs 27:3 says that “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Your desires and affections affect your thinking. That is why Paul warns believers to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) rather than to be conformed to the world. Since we have a new nature, our thinking is brought to change.
When your thinking changes, then your choices are affected. “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8) The delight in the will of God comes because your heart and mind are influenced by the Word of God.
The final element that changes in life based on what is in the heart are the actions. The deeds others see are not just reactions to the circumstances of life. They are responses made to the deep things that you have placed in your life over the years in the form of values, decisions and desires.
There are some practical applications to this illustration. 1) If we simply focus on a person’s actions in order to build change, we may obtain the change, but the heart has not been reached. Lasting change and growth occur when the heart is changed. 2) If we seek to reach the heart of a person, we must take time to develop the kind of relationship that can search the deep things of the heart. 3) When making decisions that seem automatic in your life, they will be based on the years of wisdom or foolishness stored up in your heart. You will respond based on the way you have trained yourself to respond. Therefore, it is necessary that you take time to be careful how you are going to live, how you are going to think and how you are going to choose.



Here is how this is made practical for me. The struggle for sanctification is a warfare. Ephesians 6 is clear about that. Filling my mind with spiritual things, with the excellencies of Christ does crowd out sin.

If I am tempted to have wicked thoughts and vain imaginations, I quote II Corinthians 10:3-5 several times in my mind until the thoughts diminish. Then I fill my mind with the excellencies of Christ by quoting verses that deal with my subject matter so that my mind is renewed. If I am angry and having angry thoughts, I will quote and meditate on the fact that the "anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1). If I am fighting lust, I will quote Philippians 4:8 and will deliberately bring into my mind things that are good and pure to replace the temptation to think on impurity. If I am struggling with jealousy, I will confess it as sin and work hard to think thoughts of honor regarding the person I am jealous toward. All of this is empowered by the Holy Spirit who is bringing me to perfection in Christ (Colossians 1:28)



When I take trips into the mountains (Don prefers the prairies and God created both) I fill my eyes with the beauty of creation, I fill my mind with praise toward God for what He has done, I meditate on the many benefits He has given me beyond what I can see (see Ephesians 1 for this) I fill my voice with song and give verbal praise and worship to God. All of this activity crowds out sin in my life for the time that I am exercising my will to worship and adore. Now, I will have to fight sin a few minutes later perhaps, when unexpected temptations arise in my mind, but I Corinthians 10:13 comes to play here and I quote it repeatedly and use it as the sword it is intended to be in my fight against sin.



I do not believe that any of this is defined by the word "mysticism." It is practical Christianity that puts into practice what believers have been teaching throughout the centuries. The battle is in the mind (Rom 12:2) and it requires a fully dedicated body (all parts of man - Rom 12:1) to win the battle in league with the omnipotent Holy Spirit, our Comforter.



These are my thoughts from the trail: the trail of sanctification.

Outdo One Another

Honor

Reading the other day a familiar passage in a new translation (ESV) and came across this section in Romans chapter 12: 9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.








I found out that the word "Outdo" has a definition of: to go before and show the way, to go before and lead, to go before as a leader. Our English use of the word suggests a competitive spirit. The New Testament use of the word presents to us the idea that in showing honor (value) for another, we must each take the lead.





Most of us enjoy it when a person is honored for an achievement that is earned. We congratulate the graduate for his academic achievement. We applaud the sports hero for feats of athletic excellence. We celebrate a birthday with enthusiasm and delight.





Perhaps in showing honor, we should consider that while we enjoy it when we are honored or when someone honors another, it takes work to honor someone. I believe Paul is exhorting believers to work hard at declaring how valuable each other is. Look at the paragraph in which this exhortation is found. It is full of imperatives that direct us to avtively involve ourselves in the lives of others. Paul lived in a day in which believers were persecuted for their faith. In that first century culture, if Christians did not look out for one another, no one else would. Not much has changed from that day until now. The nature of our society demands that believers work hard at taking the lead in honoring one another.





Some examples:


1. Take the lead in honoring a pastor, teacher or other Christian worker. Most of these people do not receive recognition for the value they provide to your life. Consider what your life would be like without their input, their care or their sacrifice. Determine how that person understands honor and take the lead in honoring. Some respond to public displays, some to private, some to personal. Some respond to gifts, some to cards and notes and some to shared experiences "let's go fishing", etc. In all of the activity though, be sure to include at least a paragraph of description that outlines the value you place on that person's life.





2. Take the lead in honoring a child. I have tried to make it a point to take my children out for breakfast on their birthday, if they are anywhere near. During that time I try to make it clear that they are people of value and that I consider them honorable.





3. Take the lead in honoring a spouse. Most of us enjoy it when our spouse honors us. Take practical steps to honor, show value, display worth. Recently I was amazed at how honored my wife felt when I took it upon myself to do some things for her that she needed to have done for a while. Checking those things off of the to-do list made her feel that I was paying attention to her and seeking to show her value by investing my time and skill in doing something she could not do for herself.





4. As a practical extension, believers must be people who are always looking for people to honor. According to Paul's exhortation, we should become a people who are taking the lead in our church, our community, our neighborhood, our school, our Scout troop and our nation in showing honor to those to whom honor is due.





Remember that when Paul declared the necessity of showing honor to the king in Romans 13, this would turn out to be the king that would eventually take his life. In that case, Paul would have refered to the honor that the king displayed as being the one whom God had placed in control in order to accomplish for God what only he could do.





Such a perspective will change our homes, our churches, our schools and all relationships when applied. Take the lead in showing honor.