My father, a great man

History is replete with men of great renown. Their names and accomplishments are chronicled in history lessons, newspapers and even in Holy writ.

Here are two examples from the Bible:
1. Samuel was a judge in Israel, a prophet and a priest. He was the only man who ever filled all three offices.

2. King David stands among the tallest of leaders excelling in economic prosperity, military dominance, and spiritual pursuit.

Both share many stellar characteristics, they were great leaders of people, they were men of renown, they were men of great influence. Their names still require respect and reverence even though they are no longer upon the stage of life.

The greatest thing they both share is that they were terrible fathers.

While they were both busy building a name and a legacy, accomplishing great feats in government and politics. Their children sadly went un-guided and un-corrected.

Sameuls life which started out with such great promise, a child of promise miraculously conceived. Ended with a nation turning it's back on Gods government and rule, because of his children's un-disciplined natures.

Thus though listed In the hall of faith ( Hebrews 11 ), in the things that mattered most, Samuel utterly failed.

Davids tragic tale closely mirrors that of Samuel. Davids moral failures and lack of self control opened the door to one of the saddest stories ever recorded. Gross immorality, murder, betrayal, broken and shattered lives, was part of the legacy David left to his children.

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

Better yet, what doth it profit a man if he leads the whole world and has no influence upon his own children?

Let me tell you a true story of one of the greatest men I have ever known.

He was born into a very poor home. Most of his early childhood memories included domestic violence, multiple divorces and always hunger.

His mother eventually found a new life through the power of the cross. The old hardship were replaced with new ones as his mother and he answered the call of God to ministry in the very primitive conditions of South East Alaska.

After completion of high school he went to Bible School where just prior to graduation he married the love of his life. Into this union 4 boys were eventually born.

There were three constant fears that he battled while raising his little family.

1. Fear of poverty, which he answered by doing the work of two men. By the time he retired well into his 70's. He had worked his way from manual labour on the oil docks, to a lucrative management / part owner of a oil distribution company.

2. Fear of violence, which he answered by vowing to God that his children would never even hear a verbal argument. I have known this man for 47 years and can vouch that there was never a verbal or physical altercation in his home. Out of the ashes of violence a man of peace was born.

3. Fear of the ravishes of sin, which he answered by raising his family in the house of God.

His oldest Son is 51, I am 49, my younger brothers are 46 and 33. Though not perfect we have followed in the steps of this great man.

All four of his sons have been faithfully married to one wife.
All four of his sons have worked hard to provide for the spiritual and physical needs of their families.
Two of his sons feel the call of ministry, all four are faithful in their local churches.
To date all of his Grandchildren have been baptized and infilled with the Holy Ghost.

He is my father. Outside of his immediate circle of friends, church and family no one hardly knows his name. But to me he is a giant of a man. Many a lesser man have used the hardships of their life story to repeat and reproduce the conditions of the past. My dad shook off the conditions he was raised in and created a world completely different from his up bringing. Where as all he knew was anger and violence he choose peace. Where all he knew was poverty and uncertainty he created a world of stability and hope.

Happy Fathers Day Dad! You are a giant in my world, I am proud to be called your son!

Lance Dean Meyers







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condemnation and conviction

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” Rom 8:1.

Webster defines condemnation as “damnation; a declaration of being unfit for use.” Condemnation, is an emotion associated with the flesh and carnality, and initiates a sense of hopelessness, despair, and internal questioning of “what’s the use”?

God rebukes his children, but with the reproof there is always the challenge to do better.

“As many as I love I rebuke and chasten;(rebuke) be zealous therefore and repent.”(Challenge).

“I have some what against thee, because thou hast left thy first love, remember from whence thou art fallen (rebuke) and repent, and do the first works”. (Challenge).

Through the Bible and prayer, God gives us convictions that allow us to overcome the caustic feelings of condemnation. There is hope when God sends conviction. Through conviction, not only can we as a church, see a clear picture of the infraction, but  also an even more clearer picture of the cure.

Condemnation overwhelms, grace gives more grace, to stand.

Lance Meyers

God is Love

“God is love”
We have no influence upon Gods love. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly”. We have no more control over Gods love than the wetness of water, or the blueness of sky. The writer did not say, “God is sometimes love”, or “God is conditional love”. Instead he asked “what can separate us from the love of Christ?” No, God’s feelings of charity towards us transcend our actions. If our actions altered Gods devotion to us, then God would not be love, but human, for this is human love.
God loved us when we were unlovable.
You can not earn or dis-qualify yourself from it.


God is love.


LM

Carving a God out of my own imagination

You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.

Self deception is so easily accomplished, because we all want to believe our feelings are right.

God may not share my feelings about his children.

"Shall we call fire down from heaven?"






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