Malachi 4:5 and 6 are two very curious and fascinating verses of scripture. They're the last two verses of the Protestant Old Testament.
"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts os the children to their fathers, or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." (NIV)
I don't want to get too far into the 'eschatological ramifications' (how's THAT for some theological-ese?) of this verse. What I really want to focus on here is the fact that it seems like it's important to God that fathers and sons get along.
You may have had, or continue to have, a very close and wonderful relationship with your father. You may even see him as a hero, a pal, a best friend or a mentor.
Many men, however, don't. And much of the difficulty that men have these day stems from the fact that they've struggled, or continue to struggle DEEPLY in their relationship with their fathers.
Even though I loved my father, I struggled a great deal in my relationship with him.
In reality, he was quite a remarkable fellow. He was born in 1917 and had grown up on a homestead farm in South Dakota. He hung out with the Sioux and attended their Pow-Wows even though he was not Native American. He lived through the depression. He served in the Army during WWII (although he never saw combat). He worked hard all his life in the lumber industry.
When I hit my teens, somehow our relationship became somewhat antagonistic. I just chalked a lot of it up to the usual clashes that come when kids enter 'teen-dom.' There were certain areas where Dad and I jived really well, but then there were areas where we constantly came to loggerheads.
Flash forward - Resolution for my conflict came when Dad went into a nursing home and the doctor he'd been avoiding for many years came back into his life (long unnecessary story). Among several things the doctor told us about Dad was that he'd most likely had Alzheimer's for a number of years.
Upon hearing this, all of the angst I'd ever had toward my father disapeared. My struggles with him suddenly made sense. I had read a little about Alzheimer's and knew that it isn't just about forgetfulness. Among the many symptoms, one is inordinate bouts of anger accompanied by wild mood swings.
I had been the target of many of those mood swings, often when no one else was around to witness them. Hearing this information from the doctor allowed me to instantly forgive my father and make peace in my heart with him.
I will continue to discuss this topic of relationships between fathers and sons in further posts. Please feel free to comment on this post.
Mark Joneschiet Music
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Possum Lodge Progress
Let's hear it, guys... all together... The Man's Prayer! You all know it if you've ever seen "The Red Green Show." "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess."
My previous post was about worth and value and where we derive it from. My answer was, THE place to start is, God values us... enough to send His precious Son to die for us.
You might be a person of great faith, or you may be someone who has never darkened the door of a church in your life. It makes no difference. We have all felt the pangs of the Possum Lodge Brothers agreeing that being a man is, in and of itself, a poor enough condition to feel bad about.
Why is that? Why do so many of us feel so miserable about ourselves?
For many of us, sadly, it's because we really have failed someone or even many people in our lives. We've let someone very close to us down. Our wife. Our son. Our daughter. Our parents. A girlfiend. A close friend.
In other ways, we may feel like we've never achieved what we set out to achieve. In still other ways, we may not deserve the guilt we feel at all, but feel it because we were raised (unfairly) to consider ourselves less than worthy of anyone's admiration or concern.
Whatever the reason, this is not a condition we need to remain in. There is a remedy for this painful state.
Gideon, a man in the Old Testament book of Judges was a man who most certainly didn't see himself as anyone great or powerful during a time of opression by a foreign enemy. He was confronted by an angel from God one day who said, "The Lord is with you, Mighty Warrior" (Judges 6:12).
Can you imagine how Gideon felt, hiding in a winepress, threshing grain because he was afraid his enemy would show up and steal the food he was trying to provide for his family?
Long story short... Gideon went from this sorrowful state to lead the army of Israel in routing their oppressors. He lived out the words of the angel who spoke of how God saw him.
However you see yourself today, please realize that God has the ability to see strengths in us that we could never see. Oh, that we would all be able to stand together someday and say the Lion's Lodge Pledge together... "I'm a man. I am made in God's image. I am a Victor! And I am SURE of it!"
My previous post was about worth and value and where we derive it from. My answer was, THE place to start is, God values us... enough to send His precious Son to die for us.
You might be a person of great faith, or you may be someone who has never darkened the door of a church in your life. It makes no difference. We have all felt the pangs of the Possum Lodge Brothers agreeing that being a man is, in and of itself, a poor enough condition to feel bad about.
Why is that? Why do so many of us feel so miserable about ourselves?
For many of us, sadly, it's because we really have failed someone or even many people in our lives. We've let someone very close to us down. Our wife. Our son. Our daughter. Our parents. A girlfiend. A close friend.
In other ways, we may feel like we've never achieved what we set out to achieve. In still other ways, we may not deserve the guilt we feel at all, but feel it because we were raised (unfairly) to consider ourselves less than worthy of anyone's admiration or concern.
Whatever the reason, this is not a condition we need to remain in. There is a remedy for this painful state.
Gideon, a man in the Old Testament book of Judges was a man who most certainly didn't see himself as anyone great or powerful during a time of opression by a foreign enemy. He was confronted by an angel from God one day who said, "The Lord is with you, Mighty Warrior" (Judges 6:12).
Can you imagine how Gideon felt, hiding in a winepress, threshing grain because he was afraid his enemy would show up and steal the food he was trying to provide for his family?
Long story short... Gideon went from this sorrowful state to lead the army of Israel in routing their oppressors. He lived out the words of the angel who spoke of how God saw him.
However you see yourself today, please realize that God has the ability to see strengths in us that we could never see. Oh, that we would all be able to stand together someday and say the Lion's Lodge Pledge together... "I'm a man. I am made in God's image. I am a Victor! And I am SURE of it!"
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The SOMEBODY Factor
"I'm SOMEBODY now, " Navin R. Johnson (played by Steve Martin in the 1979 movie, "The Jerk") exclaimed when he found his name in the new phone book. Were it only so simple for most of us.
One of the greatest struggles most men have, I believe, is that of possessing some sense of value in the materialistic world we inhabit.
What is it that gives you a sense of value? The pat answer for most is their job, career, family, home, some accomplishment, achievement, etc. I believe, however, that deep inside every man is a sense of emptiness. Something that cannot be filled by anything material.
What makes YOU "somebody"?
Personally, I have searched many avenues trying to find value and have only come up with one that is satisfactory. It's found in a simple parable in the book of Matthew that says, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in is joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field" (Matthew 13:44).
There are various interpretations of this parable, but I have found only one that answers it to my satisfaction. The field is the world, the man is Christ and WE are the treasure. Christ looked at the world and found that there would be a group of individuals who would accept his love and sacrifice. When he realized this treasure existed, He bought the world with the most precious substance in the universe - His blood - so He could have fellowship with those who would ultimately choose Him to share eternity with.
God Himself, having come to us in the flesh, offered the perfect sacrifice (Christ's death on the cross) in order to enjoy us as His treasure forever. That gives us eternal worth and value... and makes us SOMEBODY in the eyes of the only one in the universe who truly matters.
One of the greatest struggles most men have, I believe, is that of possessing some sense of value in the materialistic world we inhabit.
What is it that gives you a sense of value? The pat answer for most is their job, career, family, home, some accomplishment, achievement, etc. I believe, however, that deep inside every man is a sense of emptiness. Something that cannot be filled by anything material.
What makes YOU "somebody"?
Personally, I have searched many avenues trying to find value and have only come up with one that is satisfactory. It's found in a simple parable in the book of Matthew that says, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in is joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field" (Matthew 13:44).
There are various interpretations of this parable, but I have found only one that answers it to my satisfaction. The field is the world, the man is Christ and WE are the treasure. Christ looked at the world and found that there would be a group of individuals who would accept his love and sacrifice. When he realized this treasure existed, He bought the world with the most precious substance in the universe - His blood - so He could have fellowship with those who would ultimately choose Him to share eternity with.
God Himself, having come to us in the flesh, offered the perfect sacrifice (Christ's death on the cross) in order to enjoy us as His treasure forever. That gives us eternal worth and value... and makes us SOMEBODY in the eyes of the only one in the universe who truly matters.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Guy Stuff
I have had this blog page up for some time and have never done anything with it. Today though, I got a wild hair (a.k.a. inspiration from God?) to begin sharing thoughts about being a man in the Kingdom of God.
For some time, I have thought about how it's lonely for men in the church world. There are all types of men's fellowships, breakfasts, conferences, etc. And men are heralded for attending these meetings because it's assumed that most men would would rather not deal with problems that are confrontive and intrusive into their world. So, they are applauded for venturing out, listening to spiritual teaching, and thinking about spiritual issues - and such.
I am not demeaning these avenues of help. And truthfully, I believe it's true in many cases that men have a hard time discussing and dealing with hard problems in their lives. However, in many instances, I think what's happening is that the wrong things are being offered to men. Many churches think that men have to be lured by motorcycles and hot cars. What I believe men are really looking for, for the most part, is a safe place to talk about the real concerns of their lives. The hard questions. The ones they can't talk to their wives about. The ones they can't talk to their pastor about. The shameful memories. The frightening enigmas. The painful wounds.
Awhile back, a book was written that scratched the surface fairly deep about many of these issues (I will not mention the name of the book). For me, however, this book didn't go deep enough. And so, here I am... talking about these problems to the world at large (if I am fortunate enough for this blog to ever have that kind of impact).
This is a scary venture, truthfully. It may requre being more transparent than I want to be. I'm not sure where it will go, but I sense that men need help out there. Help with the pain, the turmoil and the scars that are so prevalent in our culture today.
The fairer sex are welcome to come here too. You ladies may be puzzled about the man in your life. Perhaps you will be able to find some answers here as well.
It is my sincere hope that the words I am posting on this blog will bring hope and solace to some frightened and troubled souls. Perhaps mine as much as anyone's.
For some time, I have thought about how it's lonely for men in the church world. There are all types of men's fellowships, breakfasts, conferences, etc. And men are heralded for attending these meetings because it's assumed that most men would would rather not deal with problems that are confrontive and intrusive into their world. So, they are applauded for venturing out, listening to spiritual teaching, and thinking about spiritual issues - and such.
I am not demeaning these avenues of help. And truthfully, I believe it's true in many cases that men have a hard time discussing and dealing with hard problems in their lives. However, in many instances, I think what's happening is that the wrong things are being offered to men. Many churches think that men have to be lured by motorcycles and hot cars. What I believe men are really looking for, for the most part, is a safe place to talk about the real concerns of their lives. The hard questions. The ones they can't talk to their wives about. The ones they can't talk to their pastor about. The shameful memories. The frightening enigmas. The painful wounds.
Awhile back, a book was written that scratched the surface fairly deep about many of these issues (I will not mention the name of the book). For me, however, this book didn't go deep enough. And so, here I am... talking about these problems to the world at large (if I am fortunate enough for this blog to ever have that kind of impact).
This is a scary venture, truthfully. It may requre being more transparent than I want to be. I'm not sure where it will go, but I sense that men need help out there. Help with the pain, the turmoil and the scars that are so prevalent in our culture today.
The fairer sex are welcome to come here too. You ladies may be puzzled about the man in your life. Perhaps you will be able to find some answers here as well.
It is my sincere hope that the words I am posting on this blog will bring hope and solace to some frightened and troubled souls. Perhaps mine as much as anyone's.
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