Standing Audience

 

 

Matthew 5:1

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

New International Version (NIV)

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,

In 1896 Charles Sheldon published a novel entitled In His Steps in which he proposed that great good would come if we asked “What would Jesus do?” before making decisions in our lives. The question is a great one, and we would find a better life if we, too, asked the same question before proceeding.

The question is also a puzzling one. How do we determine what Jesus would do if he were in our shoes?

Many years ago we were young missionaries in the newly independent Republic of Tanzania. We were favored to have the president of the republic, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, visit a nearby school. The large crowd stood expectantly under spreading shade trees and out in the tropical sun. The president came out of a nearby school block, preceded by a couple men carrying a table and a chair. Nyerere sat down on the chair and spoke eloquently about his vision for the country, for peace, and for prosperity.

We all listened appreciatively, standing quietly and respectfully. Afterwards I went up and greeted the president and thanked him for his kind words.

But what I remember most about this presentation is this: the president came out and sat down in front of a table. He spoke eloquently, and the people stood and hung on his every word. I couldn’t help but draw a comparison to this experience and that of Christ’s followers at the sermon on the mount. Mwalimu Nyerere evidently got his idea of leadership from that of Christ.

What would happen if our churches removed the pews and placed a simple table and chair on the platform? Then the pastor would come in quietly, sit down, and humbly present his message. No one would fall asleep in the audience because they would be standing throughout. When I asked Google to show me a picture of a standing audience, it apparently had none. It finally told me, “Skip the standing!”

It’s just a thought. The pastors I’ve mentioned this to have looked on me as a starry eyed radical and given it no serious thought. What would Jesus do? What did Jesus do? Every time the text mentions what Jesus did when He was speaking, it indicates He was sitting, and the crowd was standing.

Help us, Lord, to contemplate Jesus and His life seriously and radically!

 

Rest Awhile

 

[1]

Mark 6:31 King James Version

³¹ And he said unto them, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:” for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

 

We often join my brother Elwood and his family and friends for Friday evening dinner. At the last one I told some family stories, and the group seemed interested. I’m sure that if I gave a quiz afterwards, the group would fail it dismally—but one never knows.

I usually drive home through the back streets of Norco on a road that runs close to the Santa Ana River, the river that gives Riverside its name. Then we drove around the west and north sides of the La Sierra Hills.

We watched the setting sun as we drove along. The many small golden clouds in the western sky sported gilded linings, and golden rays of light shone in every direction. As the sun approached the western slopes of the Los Angeles Mountains, I stopped in the parking lot at the entrance to the Hidden Valley Nature Center.

Getting out of the car, I sat on a rock next to the car as we watched the sun slide slowly and inexorably behind the mountains. The glow of the clouds morphed gently from shining gold into a rich orange and then faded into grey as the clouds were engulfed by the earth’s shadow.

The impatience within me wanted me to drive on, but Christ’s invitation to His disciples who were so busy they didn’t even have time to eat, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while,” beckoned me to reflect on Christ’s experience.

I’ve been brought up on Rudyard Kipling’s philosophical poem, “If”—that ends with this:

“If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run

  Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!”

I asked myself what right I had to sit on a rock and watch the beauty of a sunset.

That, of course, is a standard question that was entirely out of place for the occasion. We may envision Christ as rising up long before daylight and working until long after dark every day. It is, however, a vision that only the great deceiver could thrust upon us. Christ’s life is better envisioned by His attending a days-long wedding feast and, as His first miracle, providing extra wine for the feast. I credit Him for the beautiful interlude into an altogether busy schedule and a gorgeous welcome into His day of rest.

 

Lord, thank You for creating rest while You were creating this earthly home for us.

 

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[1] https://www.pickpik.com/sunset-dawn-nature-mountain-turkey-landscape-73211

One Third of 2026 is History

 

 

Revelation 1:7 International Children’s Bible

⁷ Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds! Everyone will see him, even those who stabbed him. And all peoples of the earth will cry loudly because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen.

 

Today is May Day, International Labor Day, meaning one-third of the year has now passed! Today in history:

1786 — Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro premieres in Vienna

1884 — First skyscraper completed

1994 — Nelson Mandela inaugurated as South Africa’s first Black president

1889 — Thomas Edison shows his first motion picture

1953 — Watson & Crick publish the structure of DNA

1852 — Calamity Jane was born

1840 — World’s first postage stamp released in England

 

A third of 2026 is history. Sylvia and I are nearly finished editing my second book—which may become my first book!

The proposed first book is our first great adventure: Africa—with no car, no phone, no kids, and virtually no money.

Our proposed second book—the physical encounter of Abraham with his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Shem. This is a historical novel, written in Madagascar, that is intended to be as true to scripture as possible. Our sojourn in Madagascar was our latest adventure with no car, virtually no phone, no kids, and no money.

I intended to publish the first book last year. When things slowed down to a virtual stop on that new year’s resolution, we set in motion the second manuscript this year.

The apparent soon return of Christ is rushing forward with an attempted establishment of a law that may usher in the biblical time of trouble. Its proposed date is July 4, 2026—exactly 250 years after the creation of the “freest” country on earth.

 

Dear Lord, prepare us for the Great Time of Trouble and Your much-awaited return in glory.

 

 

 

When Might Christ Come?

 

[1]

 

Ephesians 1: 10 (GNT)

¹⁰ This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.

 

The phrase, “When the time is right,” or “in the dispensation of the fullness of the times,” (KJV) has caused me to wonder. But I have no answers. Right now, we can divide time roughly into 2,000-year periods: I am working under the assumption that creation was roughly 6,000 years ago.

Creation to Flood                                roughly 2,000 years

Flood to Christ                                    roughly 2,000 years

Christ to the Present.                           roughly 2,000 years

This fits nicely into Adventist understanding. But it is neither suggested by the Bible, nor does it support it. Christ was born “when the fullness of time was come.” (Galatians 4:4 KJV)

Another way to think of it is to have Christ’s first coming at the middle of earthly time:

      Creation to Christ’s 1^st advent                        roughly 4,000 years

      Christ’s 1^st advent to the 2^nd Advent               roughly 4,000 years

In this case Christ’s second coming would not be for another 2,000 years. This definitely does not fit into Adventist understanding. It would allow humans to develop magnificent inventions. This would allow them to enslave the entire human race to a point we cannot imagine! This point might be the entire destruction of civilization; the survivors would be thrust back into the stone age. Who knows?

Can a loving God tolerate human cruelty to each other for another two millennia? This gives human history a balanced symmetry. But I see no evidence that God values this type of symmetry in time.

Christ was born when the time was right: consult Daniel 8:14, Daniel 9: 24-27. Early Adventists used the Daniel 8:14 to calculate when they though Christ would come. They got the date right but the wrong event for that date. Since that 1844 date, there appears to be no more “right time,” that we can predict ahead of time. Christ was absolutely insistent that “no man knows the day or hour.” Consequently, we need to be constantly watchful.

We look forward to sharing in the bringing of “all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.”

 

Labels: #CALIFORNIA, #IE, #INLANDEMPIRE, #CHRISTRETURN, #BIBLE, #CRFEATION, #HEAVEN, #DANIEL, #MILLENIA, #ENSLAVE, #CIVILIZATION, #DESTROCIVILIZATION, #STONEAGE

 

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[1] https://hopeenlightenment.com/2018/01/24/creator-of-heaven-and-earth/

Bipolar and Christ's Coming

 

[1]

Mark 13:32-37 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

 

³² “No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. ³³ Be careful! Watch! You don’t know the exact time. ³⁴ It is like a man who went on a trip. As he left home, he put his servants in charge. He assigned work to each one and ordered the guard to be alert.³⁵ Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know when the owner of the house will return. It could be in the evening or at midnight or at dawn or in the morning. ³⁶ Make sure he doesn’t come suddenly and find you asleep.³⁷ I’m telling everyone what I’m telling you: ‘Be alert!’”

 

Christ promised to return. He indeed left us. That was His great sign “I go and if I go I will come again.”

As a math teacher, I got involved trying to help students do mathematics. Some students do math easily and well. It is a delight to have them in the classroom. There was Amos[2] who did very well. He attended regularly and caught onto the concepts easily. It was easy to view him simply as an excellent student. He was a popular tutor and could tutor as well in one language as in a second language.

As a teacher it was easy to simply treat Amos as another student, this time a good one. But he was also a student with needs. He was deeply in love with Avis. She was a couple years older than he and working on her doctorate in psychology. Like so many psychology students, she was doing psychology because she wanted to discover what was making her problems. She had been diagnosed as bipolar, and her normal state was depression. She could consciously control this to the point that she was a successful graduate student.

Yet, her depression had a continuing effect on the couple’s romantic experience. Amos was very careful to understand and support Avis. He was always attuned to her needs. They married and bought a home in a beautiful mountain town.

We did our best to help support and encourage the young couple. We visited them whenever we could and invited them to our home and to go on trips to places like Joshua Tree National Park. They loved to go and seemed to appreciate the attention.

However, the progression of the manic-depressive disease continued to erode their relationship. Eventually they parted company. Their separation came as a surprise to me. I am certainly fairly knowledgeable about living in a relationship with someone bipolar, but I didn’t sense that their union was that fragile.

Even so, I am fully aware that Christ has promised to return. His promise warns us that His coming will be when we least expect it. It will be a marvelous event, but it does run the risk of bring infinitely more catastrophic than a divorce to us, if we do not remain prepared.

Lord, help me to be alert to more of the trials my friends and students are experiencing and to help wherever I can. And keep me alert to Your soon return

  

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[1] https://www.maxhealthcare.in/blogs/complete-guide-to-bipolar-disorder

[2] Amos and Avis were real people but I have given them these names to camouflage their identities.

Sedaven Alumni Reunion

 

[1]

2 John 1:12 Good News Translation (GNT)

¹² I have so much to tell you, but I would rather not do it with paper and ink; instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you personally, so that we shall be completely happy.

 

It had been 52 years since I had seen most of my Sedaven High School class members. When I took a trip to South Africa in 2011, one of those members, Willie Uys, organized the very first class reunion ever, using my visit as a catalyst. The time together was all too short but richly rewarding.

We first went to Flip Retief’s home and carried him out of his home so he could join us. His wife told us this was the first time he had been out of the house, except to go to hospital, in many months since he had severely scalded his foot in an accident. He had sunk into a depression that was consuming all of his energy. He told me that he despaired of ever being able to walk again. We were able to spend much of another day together comparing memories and experiences. We also shared how our Christian experiences have changed from the rather bleak outlook we had upon leaving high school to the richness of the grace of Christ that we rejoice in now. He later turned everything around; his foot has healed enough for him to walk on it again.

During our reunion, others shared their life experiences, some good and some tragic. We grieved about some of our classmates who had already passed on. We agreed to try and get together again. Flip summed up the joy we felt by saying that our conversation had brought closure to many of his feelings about class members.

The group at the reunion had been very anxious that I share their news with Smuts, our erstwhile class president, since he also lives in Southern California. A little less than a year later, I had a chance to talk with Smuts about our high school experience. He had not been able to be with us during that reunion. He was as thrilled as I was about the news.

Thank you, Lord, for the rich bonds of friendship and the even deeper bonds of Christian brotherhood that you have given us so that we can indeed be “completely happy.”

 

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[1]  The second man from the left is Willie Uys, I am third, and Flip Retief is sitting in the front.

Do Not Remember Past Events

[1]

 

 

Isaiah 43:18-19 Holman Christian Standard Bible

¹⁸ “Do not remember the past events,

pay no attention to things of old.

¹⁹ Look, I am about to do something new;

even now it is coming. Do you not see it?

Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,

rivers in the desert.

 

Happy New Year!

We have started the new year off with what is predicted to be a week of rain. The week of Christmas was also a week of rain. This is the desert: if this keeps up, we will have flowing rivers, not just arroyos. But our verse this morning is not really speaking about rain and rivers.

Our God has watched the earth degenerate into dystopia. Everyone with a phone has lost all privacy; their every move and every word are being monitored. You can run, but you cannot hide. I have friends who are now living “off the grid.” They generate their own electricity, pump their own water, live in mountainous regions, grow their own food, and provide their own sanitation. They are independent, totally. But, are they? They rely on local peace keepers, fire protection, emergency services, medical providers, road maintainers. I envy them! They pay taxes for these services. They are in the United States of America, which celebrates its 250 years of independence this year. They all use cell phones, which monitors their every conversation and every trip they make.

America has offered freedom and opportunity to millions of people. Looking at its actions over the past year, one begins to wonder if all that has changed. It appears we have banished thousands of people from our country without due process of law. Today, we doubled or worse the healthcare bills of some 20 million Americans by brute force. We fired thousands of federal employees, purely to line wealthier peoples’ pockets.

In our text, God encourages us to forget the past. He senses that things are changing. He, too, is changing His plans. As a church project this year, I read the Old Testament. I couldn’t help but notice how the prophets kept urging God’s people to give up idolatry, quit abusing the poor, widows, and orphans, and keep the Sabbath holy. There was no positive response. Eventually, God decided that there would be no response. So, He literally destroyed His people. In fact, he had the heathen do the job for Him.

In the book of Revelation God spells out His final actions on those who continue to rebel against Him. He will pour out his wrath without mercy (Revelation 14), will cover the earth with the seven last plagues (Revelation 16), and eventually burn all sin and sinners, including the Devil in a great lake of fire (Revelation 20) Sin and sinners will be no more. Peace and love will reign forever.

What can we do? Yield to His promise of grace and mercy now while there is still a small amount of time left. If we delay, we will be swept along with the uncaring masses into oblivion and annihilation. If the promises of God are merely spam, all of us will end up there. If His promises are real, we have eternity to win. It is the only chance we have. Please join me.

Dear Lord, thank You for bearing our sins for us and granting us the possibility of eternal joy and bliss with You according to our choice.

 

 

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[1] https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/usa250/2025/december/america250-unveils-float-for-2026-rose-parade or https://www.legion.org/getmedia/011ea766-7a4e-4565-b318-7f1e26627f42/66473.jpeg