Calamity Jane

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God. (Proverbs 14:32 NIV)

                               

Stephanie and I have taken several trips out west. It's really my favorite part of this great country. When we have taken our motorcycle trips out west, I feel like I'm in the WILD WEST? It's a lot of fun. One person I learned about from the Wild West was Calamity Jane. She was a frontiers woman that lived in the last half of the nineteenth century. She was quite the scout and was involved in many Indian campaigns of the west. However, the only thing known about this woman was written by her in a journal she used as publicity for her Wild West shows. It wasn't a very credible source and many of the events were probably fabricated or at least exaggerated. We do know she was thought to be a beautiful woman which happens to stand in contrast with what I had envisioned. She got her name from bring a compassionate person who was always around when calamity occurred. 

God is our Calamity Jane. This verse talks about real calamity. The worst of which is our own death. It is during such a calamity that the power of God shines forth. But, God is not there to save the wicked. He is there to save the righteous and we are righteous who believe in Jesus Christ. 

Death is the  greatest fear of most people. It is in those final hours that we need God the most. God will not let you down if you have chosen to follow him. He takes the hand of the dead and brings them to eternal hope and salvation. The wicked receive no hope and no salvation. Death comes to the wicked, they get no second chance upon their last breath.

Praise God for his power over death. He has overcome that calamity and promises to bring us with him to paradise! 

Where were you born?

Psalm 87 (New International Version, ©2011)

 ¹ He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
² The LORD loves the gates of Zion
   more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
 ³ Glorious things are said of you,
   city of God:^[a]
4 “I will record Rahab^[b] and Babylon
   among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush^[c]—
   and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”^[d]
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
   “This one and that one were born in her,
   and the Most High himself will establish her.”
⁶ The LORD will write in the register of the peoples:
   “This one was born in Zion.”
 ⁷ As they make music they will sing,
   “All my fountains are in you.”

Where were you born? I have a special fondness in my heart for Muncie, Indiana and Ball Memorial Hospital. That's my birthplace. It's kind of funny that we hold our birthplace in such high regard. What do you remember of your birth? I can tell you I was there,...........but I don't remember a thing! But, it is okay to be sentimental about your birthplace. God is proud of Zion! or Jerusalem! Jerusalem is the birthplace of our Christian birth.

God is sentimental about this Holy City because it is here where his plans have all come together. It it the place where our "Spiritual Birth" began. We are so sentimental about being Born Again. I can tell you that I remember more about my second birth than my first. I was at Junior High Church Camp at Camp Adventure in Epworth. What a wonderful camp. It still holds a special place in my heart. It is here that I truly began my life. I began a life with my Savior and a life that has been a great adventure full of the blessings of God. Praise God he has chosen me. Through his grace and not anything I have done. Praise God!

We need a good bath!

Titus 3 (The Message)

 ^1-2Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand. No insults, no fights. God's people should be bighearted and courteous.

Oh boy! This is not fair. In the good ole' US of A we have lost complete touch with this.  Our society is all about division, insults and fights.  I am not sure we could run a political campaign without trashing the opposition.  We don't have any concept of compromise or give and take. I am not sure we even know what being bighearted and courteous is. Do we respect our government?  How many of US do everything we can to beat the system.  We believe in getting a helping hand and not giving a helping hand. Our politicians and leaders care more about image than truth, honesty, openness, respect, service, and courtesy. 

I think I'm preaching!

The key is trying to find out how we change the system. How can little ol' me have such an impact that people will begin to change? Well, I don't have a great answer. As far as I am concerned, it seems hopeless. But if we read the next few verses in Titus, we get an idea how it's going to change:

^3-8It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

We need a good bath! We need to get as many people we know to change from being stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, hated and hating back.  The only true answer, the only way to change this society from it's present path is Jesus Christ. We need to be washed in the spirit. We need to be restored and changed from within! We need the new life that only he can provide. We need to restore relationships and we need to get our lives back from our sinfullness. Only God can do that.  We can't. We don't have the strength or the power or the will to change.  We need the help only he can provide!

Lord, we know that our country needs you.  We need revival, restoration, and cleansing, that only you can provide. We don't want to be hated or to hate. We can't change on our own. Bless us with your spirit and with your power. Give us the strength to change and to bear witness to your saving grace. Lord save us! Amen!