Auspicious

 "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable..." (Philippians 4:8) 

I am coming to the close of Philippians 4:8 and looking back I'm beginning to think (1) I'm either completely out of touch with the meaning of certain words, (2) I am a kindred spirit with Paul's audience who were scratching their heads trying to apply this as well, (3) or Paul deliberately chose words that force you to think and ask questions. Perhaps all three are true. 

I have a fairly wide vocabulary. I can write without using the same words over and over and over and over. I discovered that great Thesaurus button on my computer a long time ago (actually paperback before the "machine" came into existence). "What is another word for...?" Brilliant resource for anyone stuck on the word, "COMMENDABLE." Like me...

You dummy, Dan, it means, "Auspicious." Everyone knows that. 

Let's make it really simple. "commendable" means something that I can commend (note:  not "recommend" although that might be true; and...a "no no"...you can't use a form of the word to define it). Stink. 

Well, okay, it can mean "admirable." Is anyone else trying not to say the title of the highest ranking naval officer. I'm laughing at myself right now as I still can't seem to get the correct word out my mouth. 

So something "commendable" means, something or someone that I admire, or I ausp...auspic...auspici (with a long "i" sound at the end)...okay, I'm just making up words now. I'm not sure any of this helped. 

I admire people who are disciplined. I admire people who are successful at work and at home, at sports, who have an ability to create beautiful artwork. Boy, this sounds a lot like sinful envy. I'm pretty sure that this isn't where Paul wanted me to go with my thoughts. 

I'm using another word but I still don't know what it means. Does it mean, "highly respect"? It could. Does it mean, "desire to be like or to do?" Perhaps. Perhaps we are getting closer. 

To "commend" something is to "present something as suitable or acceptable or with warm approval." 

A myriad of things are crossing my mind right now from restaurants, clothing, songs, and plumbers. But I found a couple of verses that have challenged me on this: First Peter 2:19 and 20b. 

"For it is...commendable..." wait for it...you won't be expecting it..."if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God." 

Down to verse 20b, "But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is...commendable before God."

I'm starting to think that "commendable" is like a gift, something that you present to someone that is, in this world, unexpected, but will change your life...and theirs.  

To suffer unjustly because I am aware of a greater good, a greater God in my life, is like giving God a present, a gift - one He warmly approves. It pleases Him. And it is a gift to others - a gift that gives them a picture of what is important to God. 

And now I'm starting to formulate a different list in my mind. 

Suffering for what is right before God when it may cost me dearly. 

Standing up against what is wrong in God's eyes. 

Living for the benefit of others for God's pleasure. 

Avoiding sinful pleasures and worldly entanglements. 

Dying to myself so that Jesus can live through me.

These are things that my flesh fights against. Things that I wouldn't normally run to as desirable  nor as an advertisement for drawing people to Christianity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Christianity is about bidding a man to come and die." Not a popular slogan on church letterhead. Perhaps it should be. 

I guess what I'm saying...to be very clear...I want my actions before God and others to be warmly approved. I want them to "auspici" me. (with a long "i" at the end). 

Think on these things. 

Wouldn't it be loverly?

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely..." (Philippians 4:8)

One of my favorite musicals is My Fair Lady. The lovely, Audrey Hepburn in the lead, and Sir Rex Harrison as her talking counterpart. Note: I think this was the first musical I watched where one of the major leads did not actually sing. He rhythmically talked. I'm not sure what the proper term is for this. Help! I got it. He was a rapper before there was a category. 

I've been thinking about the words of Eliza Doolittle lately: 

"All I want is a room somewhere
Far away from the cold night air
With one enormous chair
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly?

Lots of chocolate for me to eat
Lots of coal making lots of heat
Warm hands, warm face, warm feet
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly?

You're singing with a really bad British accent right now, aren't you?

And on this cold barely above zero day all God's people said, "Amen!" 

Language wise, "loverly" is a complimentary adverb connected to a verb of being describing the emotion felt in association with the subject "it" above. Whew! Hey...you may be asked to parse an English sentence coming out of brain surgery someday. You'll thank me later. Paul, however, was asking us to think adjectively (describing the noun itself) but its a good place to start. 

What is "lovely"? (You're still pronouncing it "lov-e-ly" aren't you?). I know that my mind runs immediately to the physical - a lovely person, a lovely personality. We might think of a piece of art or a musical score. I think of my yard after a fresh cut...a swept and tidy garage...my car after a good wash and hand wax...an edible arrangement of chocolate covered...(it doesn't matter). Loverly. A sunrise, a sunset, the stars on a clear night, a double rainbow... My wife, my girls, and their families around our dining room table...

When I think about "lovely" I am associating it with things that please my eyes, that bring a sense of joy, satisfaction, or appreciation. I wonder if this is what I'm supposed to be thinking of?

I wonder how a blind person would answer this?

I read a book on art from a Christian perspective. I'll never forget what the author said. "Art, true art, is that which is created to please and bring glory to God." Is this what Paul is suggesting I do?

Perhaps this is the key. It's not about being pretty by societies' standards but finding what is lovely in things and people that bring glory to God. Prostitutes and tax collectors and other sinners...the deformed, the degenerate, the disgusting...made by God, made in the image of God, made for the pleasure of God. 

After all, didn't God do this when He created the sunrise, the sunsets, the stars, the flowers...you... and me? All for His glory. All for His pleasure. 

Think on these things...

Wouldn't it be loverly?

Cool Whip

 "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure..." (Philippians 4:8)

I recently found out that I have a food intolerance to apples. It didn't bother me at first since I'm not a big apple fan in the first place. Waldorf salad excluded. But then again that's essentially Cool Whip with something crunchy in it. Being intolerant to apples is like telling a kid. "Hey, I think you have a food sensitivity to spinach, goat cheese, and sauerkraut." Yeah!!!!! 

But then I began looking at all of things that contain apple juice. Is there anything that doesn't contain apple juice. My multivitamin gummies contain...yes, you guessed it: apple juice. Candy, cereal, breakfast bars...basically anything that needs a natural sugar. My cranberry juice was more apple than cranberry. I began looking at even things like my toothpaste. Whew! No apples, only small microbits of plastic as abrasives. But, hey, no apple products. 

Added to this difficulty, I'm apparently intolerant of eggs. Do you know how many foods contain egg in them? I'm guessing a billion. I bet eggs have apple juice in them. 

All I know is that you have to look carefully at things that say, "Contains pure..." It might contain pure something, but it most likely has "and natural flavoring." That means apples and eggs. 

In this tainted, mixed up world, I thought to myself, "What am I going to focus on that is pure?" 

In a few chapters back, the Apostle Paul tells his readers to be "blameless and pure, children of God in a warped and crooked generation." He told young Timothy to "not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." And, "the outflow of love comes out of a pure heart." 

I'm thinking that Paul wants me to think about things that are not tainted or mixed up with worldly influence or passion. Jesus' brother, James, said it was to think on things not polluted by the world. Not an easy task. Seriously. What things in this world have not been in some way tainted? Everything has apples or eggs. Distilled water? (That comes in a toxic plastic container). 

Once again I find that the Bible tells me that "it" is pure. And that actions stemming from it are pure like taking care of widows and orphans and aliens/strangers. Jesus, of course, was pure in heart, in speech, in life. I'll focus on Him. The Bible also tells me that I am heading to a place where the city is made of pure gold, pure as translucent glass, where the streets are gold, the purest gold. 

The Bible. Jesus. The future New Jerusalem. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure...think on these things." 

Everything else needs a little Cool-Whip. 

Right Turn Only

 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right..." (Philippians 4:8)

I had professor of social science tell me, "If you want to understand the behavior of a culture, look at their laws." True. 

Morality, per the secularists, comes from social agreement. In other words, "we think this would be a good, or positive, or productive decision for the community in which we live." Let's not have a speed limit of 80 miles per hour in front of a school zone. Let's not have people yell, "Fire!" in a crowded movie theater when there is none. Let's make a law, a moral community agreement that we will abide by and where we will agree to the punishment if violated. All good things. 

But there is an underlying moral code, and I would argue, a divine moral code, that supports those laws. Both communicate that we put a high value on life not on individual freedom that would pose a threat to life. It is why abortion may be legal but it is not right. It is why telling a six year old that they can choose what gender they want to be is legal but it is not right. I could go on ad nauseum. 

Every culture has a moral code. Every culture believes that it is wrong to premeditatively murder a person. You just can't have people going around killing other people. That's not nice. Unless the person is an enemy of your particular community. Then it is okay. Or...an unwanted or unproductive member of society. Per Communism, Socialism, Fascism, and Nazism, that's okay. That is community preservation. That is the "Survival of the Fittest." That is "Just War Theory." That is "abortion on demand." That is the "Government is God" theory. Immoral or amoral people deciding what is moral for the rest of the populace. 

The problem with "community think" is that it is based on the prevailing group at the moment. That's why we can all look back and say, "Wow. Times have changed" - for the good and for the bad. Anyone remember the years when we had "Blue Laws"? Thank God for pagans. I like going out to eat after church on Sunday every once in a while. 

Why have things changed? The secularist's morality, while an internal gift from God, has been seared and replaced with man's blinded wisdom and hedonism (self-pleasure). Instead of things being done because they have their source in God who is morally right, we now have laws on the books that are based on "if they are right for you or the majority." We have lost our divine mooring. We are tied to nothing except the prevailing winds. 

The prophet Isaiah said, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel." 

"Oh, Pastor Dan your such a prude. Get with it, man. Those were the old days. That's not how God works today. God is a god of love. He accepts things now that He didn't then. Besides, those rules were for the Jews and not for us Gentiles." 

Wrong. 

"I, the LORD, do not change." (Malachi 3:6)

I'm not writing this to condemn unbelievers or even supposed "Christians." Their condemnation will be from the Lord. I want to please God and keep my focus where it divinely needs to be. And so when I read Philippians 4:8, when I am asked to "think on these things," then my presupposition is that there are "right" things to think upon.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Lord told the people to obey all that He had commanded so that it would go well with them and their children, because you will be doing what is good and right before the eyes of the Lord. (Deut. 121:28) Jesus took those laws and extrapolated on them in his classic Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). 

What is right?

It is right to love and not be angry with other believers. 

It is right to reconcile as quickly as possible with a person who opposes you. 

It is right to look at a woman and appreciate her beauty but without objectifying her. 

It is right to keep my covenant vows with my wife. 

It is right to be a man of my word. Keep your promises. 

It is right to absorb the abuse of another and show grace. 

It is right to love your enemy. 

It is right to give, to fast, to pray, to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven and not in this world. 

It is right...not to worry. God loves you. He knows your needs. He knows your fears. He knows your desires. 

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right...think on these things." 

Now, where are we going for lunch after church this Sunday?

Wedding Vows

 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable..." (Philippians 4:8)

Thirty-eight years ago I said I would love and cherish and a bunch of other things that I quite frankly can't remember...something about handing over my paycheck and saying, "yes, dear": My wedding vows. 

I think every couple should write them out and post them on the frig or someplace visibly near the television, computer, or cell phone as a daily reminder of the covenant commitment they made .  

I was also thinking that it would have been nice to actually go through my vows with the pastor to figure out what exactly I was getting myself into. There might have been a period of negotiation that I missed. I'm sure Deb would have made some revisions herself. Some equitable third class conditional clauses, "If you do this...I'll do this." But then those types of clauses do not lead to a healthy partnership - just a way out. 

One of those mysterious vow words is, "Honor." "I promise to honor you." I want to be an honorable man when it comes to marriage. The problem is that it is not a word that we use very often. 

I just met a delightful lady in our church whose husband was "The Honorable..." He was a longstanding judge in the area. Our custodian's son is just about ready to receive his "honorable" discharge from the military. When I was searching for an electrician and a plumber to work on my house I had a number of people tell me about some "honorable" businesses in town. 

I went to Wikipedia for a concise definition but it was anything but concise and clearly written by a Ph.D candidate. It is basically something or someone of societal worth and respect. But in the context of Paul's writing to the Philippian Church it means something/someone that is "morally good," something/someone that is "dignified" or "elevated above something/someone else."  

What things, what people did Paul have in mind when he encouraged the church to "think on these things"? And, in the immediate context of the passage...how is this going to help me with life anxiety?  

Maybe it is a senior saint who is living a life of love for God and others in spite of their physical limitations. 

Maybe it is a young adult who is standing up for Christian values at their secular job. 

Maybe it is a neighbor who kept his promise when others did not return the favor. 

Maybe its a teacher who says the kids are worth the risk. 

Maybe its a soldier who gave his prime years to keeping us free or the wife and kids who sacrificed while he was away. 

Maybe it is a church leader who models Christ-like love in difficult times. 

Maybe it is the person who returned the wallet when they could have kept the cash. 

Maybe its the contractor who kept his price even when the supply costs went up. 

Maybe the world is not such an evil place. 

Maybe there is something good, something noble, something inspiring in this world to think on after all. 

Turn the negative stuff off, tune it out.

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable...think on these things." 

"Yes, dear." 

Wawa

 "The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, 'When evening comes, you say, "It will be fair weather, for the sky is red," and in the morning, "Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast." you know how to interpret the appearance of the sky but you cannot interpret the signs of times." Matthew 16:1-3

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of geese flying north. It's a sign. Only three more months of winter. Yep. Clouds look a little funny today - a little more grey than usual - probably means snow. Supposed to be a good night to see the stars - clear skies - you know what that means - its going to get cold tonight. I saw a fat robin today. He was froze to death but it was an encouraging sign that spring is right around the corner. What's the old sailor's saying, "Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." 

I don't know about anyone else but I watch the news for one purpose: to see the weather. I don't know why. It's usually wrong and...I can't do anything about it anyway. My search for some sort of redeeming truth by the major networks I guess. But its about planning, about being prepared. Knowing how to dress in the morning. Making sure I have a little more time to get the ice off of my windshield before heading to work. Anticipating the weekend and the possibilities. 

I think this was Jesus' point. Planning. Preparedness. Making sure you have the proper time. Anticipating the future. Not in regard to the physical world that we live in but the spiritual, the eternal. 

They wanted a sign. He was the sign. It was Jesus' indictment of the religious leaders. They knew more about the signs in the sky than they did the spiritual signs or rather sign that was standing right in front of them. 

When Jesus was just a baby his mother and father brought him to the temple to be dedicated and to fulfill the law of the firstborn. Little did they know that an old man by the name of Simeon had been waiting for years for the one who would redeem Israel. And by divine appointment they all met. Simeon said to Mary, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against" (Lk. 2:34). 

The sign that Jesus eventually gave the religious leaders was the sign of Jonah. The message of repentance. The sign of the resurrection. Not very popular when you are trying to maintain the status quo. 

Jesus told his disciples that there was, indeed, a sign that would come but one that the world would not be prepared for - a sign in the sky that would make the whole world mourn. 

Do you know what it will be?

Hint:  It's probably not going to be a goose. 

(Note:  The word "wawa" is the 1st Nations word for "goose" and a great convenience store on the east coast). 

To Tell the Truth

 "Whatever is true..."  Philippians 4:8

I wasn't around during the premier or Bud Collier as the host, but I was old enough to remember Gary Moore and of course, the lovely Miss Kitty Carlisle, and Peggy Cass. I'm talking about the old black and white, "To Tell the Truth" which began airing on CBS on December 18th, 1956. The Original title was "Nothing But the Truth" but was changed on the day it was to air on prime time. 

The premise of the show was to have a panel of four celebrities who would ask probing questions of three other individuals, two of whom were imposters. For example, Sir Edmond Hillary was on the show as the first man to climb Mt. Everest. The other two men were imposters. Questions were asked until the time was up and the celebrities had to guess which person was, indeed, the true Sir Edmond Hillary. Fun but revealing about humanity. We lie very well, especially for $250 (a lot of cash in the 1950s). And...it is often difficult to know what is true. 

I'd like to say that this is something new to my world but I think its been a spiritual sickness from the beginning (Gen. 3). Jesus said in John 8 that Satan was a liar from the very beginning and the Father of lies. And of course I am reminded of the Post-modern answer of Pilate when confronted with the truth of Jesus: "What is truth?" It's not that truth was hidden. It just didn't matter. There was an agenda. Death to the Truth. 

Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, was famous for saying, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." The Holocaust never happened. "Work makes you free." (Encouraging words of hope at the entrance to Auschwitz concentration camp). It really isn't a person. Fresh air is bad for you. Wear a mask. Get a vaccine. It's free. It's just a mark. Stay in your house isolated from others. They're just peaceful protesters. Trust us. Believe us. 

Truth doesn't really matter. It's what you need people to believe to accomplish your goals, your truth of what the world should look like. Welcome to the Great Reset. "It's for your own good", say the antichrists.

I know I'm a bit cynical but I think I'm a realist. We live in a world of lies and half-truths. Its only going to get worse. But it also means that true Christians will have something that no other group will have - true truth. 

Deb has Philippians 4:8 on the wall of our bathroom. A list of how God wants me to think. Every time I enter I am confronted with an impossibility it seems. The very first phrase is, "Whatever is true" or in some translations, "trustworthy." 

I struggle with that word. How do I even know what is true anymore? Politics. Environmentalists ("An Inconvenient Truth").The medical community. The financial investors. The media. Dare I say it...certain members of the religious community. A smattering of truth, a smattering of lies...like being a little pregnant. 

You will be frustrated and hopeless if you try and find it in these places. So where? 

Jesus said, "I am the truth." I am a Greek language guy. The word "the" is a definite article that determines the noun. Jesus is not "a truth." He is THE truth. He embodies truth. The writer of Hebrews said, "God, who does not lie.." So if I want to find truth I need to look at Jesus, look to Jesus, look for Jesus. Read the Gospels. Oh..."we have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and...truth." (John 1:14)

Jesus also told us in John 17 "Thy Word is Truth." I can believe the Bible and don't give me that German higher criticism bunk or those Jesus Seminar guys who sat around in a room and said, "Did Jesus really say this? We don't think so." Brilliant Idiots or in the words of the Globalists, "Useful Idiots." All speculative. All designed to deconstruct the truth and reconstruct a lie - Jesus in their own image. The true Truth is dangerous. 

"Whatever is true..." or as Jesus said in his native tongue of the King James English, "Truly, truly, I say to you..." 

Never have I found such comforting words.