“Stepping Through The Minefields Of Sin”

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Tony Casson

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.”  Matthew 9:9 ESV

When Jesus called Matthew to follow Him, Matthew certainly could have allowed his lucrative job as tax collector stand in his way, but he didn’t. He immediately began walking on the path Christ was laying out before him.

Our innate willingness to make excuses for sin and allow it –  even welcome it – into our lives encourages the proliferation of obstacles in front of us which creates a ‘minefield’ of sorts, thereby making travel on the “Path to Freedom” quite perilous.

Stepping through that minefield involves not merely walking around those dangerous obstacles, but requires us to eliminate them completely as we go. In order to do that, we must give up things which seem to be generally accepted and legitimized by today’s society.

I thought it might help to illustrate what must be done by posting today’s devotion from my book, “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”.

July 22

Today is…

a wonderful day to consider what we are willing to give up.

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.” Galatians 5:24 NLT

What a beautiful statement Paul makes here. What are we willing to give up to belong to Christ? If we are going to “nail the passions and desires of [our] sinful nature to His cross,” we probably need to look at what, exactly, constitutes our “sinful nature.”

Let’s face the reality of the situation: Many of us have grown quite comfortable with our sinful nature. So comfortable, in fact, that in many cases, we don’t even recognize some of our behavior as being sinful. So much sin has been legitimized in society and has been thrust upon us as “our right” or as “legal behavior” that many of us fail to realize that simply because man says something is permissible doesn’t mean that God agrees.

Take profanity, for instance. There was a time when profanity was not allowed on television. Time, lawsuits, challenges and the relaxing of standards has changed all of that and profanity, from the ‘mild’ to the ‘wild’ is available for all to hear, to learn and to repeat. If it’s on TV it must be ok, right? Wrong!

While society’s position on profanity has changed, God’s position is the same today as it was yesterday, and as it will be tomorrow: “It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”  (Matthew 15:11 NLT). And, writing to the Colossians, Paul said, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.” (Colossians 3:8 NIV).

Are we ready to nail profanity to the cross? How about all those other things on Paul’s list? Are we ready to give them up as well and nail them to the cross? Do we allow pornography into our lives because society has accepted it? Do we commit adultery because “everyone else does it?”

To nail the passions and desires of our sinful natures to the cross of Christ, we must be willing to give up the things that we do, the things that we say, and the thoughts that we have that occur as a result of those passions and desires.

It is important to note that being a Christian is not a one way street. It is not just about what we are willing to give up. It is also about the things we are able to receive as a result of giving up our sinful passions and desires.

After we have stripped ourselves of sin all that is left is to, “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.” (Colossians 3:10 NLT).

And that alone is worth our giving up a lot of things that are worthless!

*******

Words are easy to write, even easier to read, and the ones above are no different than any others in that respect. The more society portrays sinful lifestyles as being the ‘norm’, the harder it becomes for us to nail those sins to the cross. The dangers continue to spread out before us, much like minefields which are used to slow the forward progress of opposing armies, and stepping through those minefields becomes an increasingly more difficult challenge to overcome. Far too often, it is deemed easier to let that minefield completely stop our progress along the path Christ lays before us than it is to actually clear it.

No one ever said following Christ would be easy, but is it worth it?

While I struggle with sin and fall short with greater frequency than I would like, I can honestly say that the vast majority of ‘mines’ that used to block my path have all been removed and nailed to the cross.

And I assure you, it is, indeed, worth it!

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“The Hope That Lies In Harmony”

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Tony Casson

”So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:8-9 NIV

“May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.” Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6 NLT

At first glance, the above verses from the Holy Bible may seem to be contradictory. After all, if God wanted His children to live in harmony, why did He scatter them over the face of the earth and cause the various groups to speak in different languages?

That hardly seems like a sensible approach to achieving harmony.

Although that concept was likely in God’s plan when He created mankind, the simple truth is that there will never be complete harmony here on earth and God was well aware of that fact when He “scattered them over the face of the earth.” Once Adam and Eve created sin, everything changed. Once fallen, our willingness to place ourselves before God became possible, and with it, the desire to build monuments that glorified ourselves and not God. Hence, the ‘Tower Of Babel’ which was built to honor mankind, and not God.

Seeing this, God scattered His children and gave them different languages so they could not understand one another and could not help each other to give glory to themselves and not to Him.

Was it His intention to keep His children separated for all time? We know this isn’t entirely true for He gave us Jesus Christ, the Messiah who was born of a virgin, lived the perfect, sin-free life we are incapable of living, was brutally hung on a cross where He took upon Himself the punishment we deserve, died and rose again on the third day thereby clearing the way to God which is the “Path To Freedom” on which this entire blog is based.

Does God expect the entire world to live in harmony?

He knows this is an impossible thing. He knows that ‘world peace’ is something more likely to enter the public lexicon as a wish expressed by a beauty pageant contestant than as an actual state of worldwide harmonious living that can possibly be attained. There are too many incentives for Satan to allow that to happen. There are fortunes to be made on the backs of the poor, entire groups of human beings to exploit, and too many personal “Towers of Babel” to be built by those who live in willful disobedience to, and rebellion against, God.

So what did Paul mean when he said, “May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.” (Romans 15:5 NLT) Well, He meant that all Christians are expected to live in harmony. This is an important distinction to make, because it is too easy to become discouraged if we attempt to live as Paul instructed when he went on to say, ”Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.” Romans 15:7 NLT

Where our “Path To Freedom” is concerned, we should definitely rejoice and give praise to God if it is a ‘one way street’, because that means we are moving forward on the path with no setbacks. However, where ‘harmony’ is concerned, we need to pray to God for the strength to deal with the fact that it, too, will often be a one way street, but that is not a good thing. Unfortunately, no matter the effort we put into it, trying to live harmoniously with others will often be met with resistance or outright rejection. Those who reject the notion of harmony among people, for whatever reason, cannot possibly be followers of Christ, for we are told that is what we must do.

While we are praying for the strength to deal with those who reject ‘harmony’ in general, let us also pray for those doing the rejecting, in order that God may choose to soften their hearts. At the same time, we know that there is hope in harmony, for our hope lies in God and, as Paul stated, accepting each other and living in harmony gives glory to God.

The hunt for harmony can be a tiring and frustrating one, but finding brothers and sisters in Christ whom we can walk with, in harmony, can make the steps we take on the “Path To Freedom” steps that glorify God and enrich our lives here on earth.

 

 

 

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“The Steps Of Love”

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Tony Casson

I have neglected this blog and, in turn, my readers, but I have been quite busy these days. I have spent considerable time in May and June posting articles in “The Oakdale Chronicles” and I have undergone tremendous changes here at Central Union Mission.

All of the things that have been done, or have transpired, in recent months have all been part of God’s plan for me, and have been necessary for me in order that I may continue to follow the “Path To Freedom” that God illuminates before me.

Each step has been a necessary one. Some of those steps have been challenging and created a cornucopia of emotion, including tremendous sadness (such as reading, editing, and posting the powerful “Stories Of A Prisoner’s Wife” on “TOC”), while others have been enormously positive and uplifting (such as the emergence of a new direction for me as a servant at the Mission).

As each of us walks steadily forward along the path to freedom, it is often necessary to pause along our way and look behind us. Examining who we were and how we came to be that way are important steps to take. It is important to wake up those things inside of us that have lain dormant through the years of our rebellion against God. When we finally come to know His love for us, our ability to love – and  to express that love – begins to stir, and enhances all other steps we take.

It is important to understand, however, that occasionally our self-examination is accompanied by the realization that it is too late to correct a situation or – as was the case with me in the story that follows  – it is too late to tell someone we love them.

Or is it?

Rather than let the knowledge that the time to tell my Mother just how much she meant to me had passed, I decided to write her a “letter”. A “Letter To Heaven”, if you will. Taking that step unlocked the love God had shown me, and I am now able to put love into each step I take. Rather than be discouraged by what could have been perceived as missed opportunities to tell my Mother how important she was in my life, and how sorry I was for living such a self-destructive, rebellious life, I was, instead encouraged by the knowledge that the letter I wrote to her would be delivered by God.

The following article was posted in “TOC” on September 18, 2011.

“Letters To Heaven – Dear Mom”

“Memory is the treasure house of the mind”        Thomas Fuller

“May she who gave you birth be happy”      Proverbs 23:25B  NLT

Dear Mom,

Of all of the words I have written in my life, I have written the least number of them to you.

For this, I apologize, and I will not add insult to injury by offering any excuses.

In death you remain larger than life, and the words “I miss you” are woefully inadequate to describe the feeling of emptiness that moved in when you left and which has remained there for 3+ years.

I know you are happily at home with God and I am grateful that your long-time suffering has ended. When I see you in my dreams, I see a younger, healthier version of you with your eyesight, hearing and other physical ailments restored.

And, of course, I see that radiant smile of yours that so many people over your lifetime were able to see directed at them, making them aware that true goodness does exist on this earth.

Or did, anyway.

My time spent in prison, so far, has not been spent in vain, I don’t think, Mom. I know you cannot be happy with my being in prison, but I also know you can’t possibly be disappointed by how things are progressing so far.

Since the Lord saw fit to save me from death 2 years ago my heart has been filled with a faith that grows stronger daily. My love of the Lord, and recognition of all he has blessed me with, has led me to peace and contentment, even in this – the most impossible place imaginable where one would think those things could be found

And yet, I have found those things, and I know this is just the beginning; that the best is yet to come.

Sometimes I can almost feel the warmth of your smile as you look down upon me. From that warmth I gather the strength to resolve the past, and find the courage to face the future. I love the time I spend reminiscing; reliving various times in our lives together, both the good – and the not-so-good.

In fact, just the other day, I was thinking about the time, – ok, the first time – I ran away from home on a dare by the next door neighbor.

I was 13.

It wasn’t until I stood in the doorway of Anthony’s bedroom when he was 13 (Can you believe he just turned 24??)and I was watching him sleep (my goodness – did I look that innocent and young at 13?) and for some reason, as I stood there that whole incident popped into my head and I thought “Oh, my God! I was the same age as this precious young man sleeping peacefully before me when my mom woke up one day and I was gone!”

I remember calling you that day and tearfully apologizing, explaining that it wasn’t until the moment I looked at Anthony and I imagined myself waking up and finding him gone that I realized what a horrible thing I had done so many years before. It struck me with substantial force just how frantic you must have been and how much you must have ached inside wondering where your little boy had gone and whether I was safe.

You reassured me that it was ok, and I felt your teary smile coming through the telephone, but I know that while you were reassuring me, you too were remembering that agonizing sense of panic and loss when my disappearance was discovered.

By the time or conversation ended, we had both laughed and both cried, and I believed you when you said that I had been forgiven long, long ago.

Your capacity for love and forgiveness was greater than that of anyone I have ever known and I believe – now that I know a little more about Him – that you got that directly from God.

Sometimes I am glad that you were not here on this earth to witness my final tumble from grace. That you were not alive to be given the news of my near-successful suicide attempt and the circumstances surrounding it. But I also think that if you had been alive to get up and speak about me to Judge Cohn, perhaps he would have been more lenient with me, for surely you would have convinced him of that, while damaged, I was not broken beyond repair.

He might, however, have sentenced me to more time for having the audacity to cause pain within someone so obviously full of love and goodness as you.

None of that matters, of course, since you were with me that day, in other, more wondrous – and powerful – ways and you remain with me today.

When ‘Pop’ had his stroke and it was decided that I would move to Florida and hang out with you two and help out where I could, it was as if the Lord was orchestrating all of it as he foresaw what would eventually happen to you, to ‘Pop’, and then to me.

I am very thankful for the time we shared, the three of us, and even though there were rough spots, there were also beautiful moments, happy moments, and humorous ones as well.

When we were 1st together I remember the frustration at the difficulties presented by your hearing problems.  Remember when we finally made that appointment, had you tested and fitted and ordered your new hearing aids?

What a beautiful day it was when we went to pick them up.  The pleasure in your face was a joy to see. You could be so much like a child in your excitement sometimes.

Remember driving home after we left the store?  The conversation in the car was at normal level – no repeated words – no “what did you say?” – no raised voices.  Just the three of us, talking normally.  The joy you felt at being able to hear was evident in your radiant smile, and I’ll never forget what happened when we pulled in the driveway:  I helped you out of the car and you stopped and cocked your head – a puzzled look on your face.  I asked “What’s the matter?”

“What’s that sound?”, you inquired.

I listened for a moment, chuckled, shook my head and said, “Those are birds, Mom”.

It was wonderful to be part of that and to see at least a small portion of the quality of your life improve.

Of course, your eyesight had deteriorated much more than your hearing, and there simply wasn’t much in the way of mechanical aids to help you see better.  You had your ‘talking’ watch and ‘talking’ clock both which, with the push of a button would announce the time. Of course, your clock – which was next to your bed – was set to announce when it as 7AM. I remember how it freaked me out when I first moved there and would hear the voice.  That “voice” now announces 7AM for Kathy each and every day.

And let’s not forget your lighted magnifying glass – probably the single most important aid.  Goodness me! I was just sitting here remembering the time I took you to Penny’s so you could get a birthday gift for one the neighbors’ kids and started crying as I recalled watching you struggling with that thing looking at sizes and prices and insisting on being independent and self-sufficient.

It embarrasses and shames me how selfless you were and how selfish I was.  If only I had learned from you sooner, but you know me – “I knew it all”.

Now that’s  funny, right there.

Actually, though – speaking of funny – I get a chuckle recalling the time I planted flowers along the fence in your backyard.  You came to the back door and announced how pretty they were. Laughing, I said, “What are you talking about? You can’t see them!”  You insisted you could, so I just kissed the top of your white-haired head and said, “Yeah, right – but thanks.”

My favorite story is one told by ‘Pop’ and happened long before I got there.  You remember your blind dog, Teddy, of course (What is with that place, something in the water?).

Anyway,  the story goes:

One day you ‘looked’ out the back window and ‘saw’ Teddy lying by the pool. (He never fell in, did he?).  You opened the Florida room door and called out to him, but he laid just there.  You called him again with the same result, so you called out to ‘Pop’, who was in the living room, “Roland! Roland!. . .  come here please!”

‘Pop’ walked up next to you and asked what you wanted.  You told him that you were calling Teddy to come in, but he wouldn’t come, whereupon ‘Pop’ told you that Teddy was in the living room, lying on the floor. You pointed outside and asked him, “Then who is that by the pool?”  Pop looked past you to where you were pointing, looked back to you and said, simply, “An iguana”, and turned and went back in to join Teddy in the living room.

Kind of glad he didn’t come when you called, weren’t you, Dear?

For the most part though, you were incredible to watch in your own home. One would never know you could hardly see.  You could bake, cook, clean, wash clothes, iron – you could do it all. You were an amazing woman and I’m sorry it took me so long to notice.

Well, Mother, I could go on and on. I guess what I’m trying to say through all of this is that I love you, I miss you and I think of you all the time.

I also want to reassure you that, while I would definitely rather be somewhere else, I am using the time that I have here constructively and in a positive way to strengthen my faith in God and to work on His plans for my future.

I’ll write again and let you know how things are going – maybe share another story or two.

Until then, know this: God will help me set this right. I do, indeed, remember the past, but I spend my days now looking forward and looking up.

I look forward and I look up to my future and my hope, and that future and hope are with God.

I’m okay with that, and somehow I think you are too.

I love you, Mom.

Tony

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“Sharing Our Suffering”

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Tony Casson

I follow Denise Pass’ blog, “Seeing Deep”, and there is always something edifying, encouraging, and helpful. This particular post struck me as fitting quite well into my series on “Surviving Our Suffering”. I hope you enjoy it and appreciate what it means for someone to share their suffering with us.

seeingdeep1's avatarSeeing Deep Blog by Denise Pass

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Psalm 30:2

“O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.”

I am overcome today with praise for my Jehovah Rapha, the LORD Who heals me.  This morning when I awoke I realized I did not have the normal pain that has been my close companion for years. Actually, the pain has been dissipating the past couple of weeks and I wondered if God could be removing the physical burdens I bear daily.

Diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases, I have learned to live within the confines of the illnesses that hold me captive.  When I go outside of those boundaries, I hurt.  My sweet son sees when I am in pain and we have a routine where he tries to help me get going in the morning.  Daily living has been difficult, but I press on.  In moments when I have felt…

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“Heartfelt, Humble Steps”

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Tony Casson

This article was originally published in “The Oakdale Chronicles” on October 18, 2013. Following our individual paths to freedom is really all about following Jesus Christ, and in this article I wrote about a book that had impacted me greatly while I was in prison. I hope you enjoy it:

“I AM DEFINITELY NOT A FAN OF JESUS CHRIST!”

When we look at ourselves in a mirror, it seems that many of us are not 100% satisfied with the image that is reflected back at us. This is evidenced by the inordinate amount of time we spend in FRONT of mirrors determining what needs fixing or improving, and by the truly exorbitant amounts of money that are spent buying products to change, color, or cover-up those things which we have deemed to be less than perfect in our eyes.

I would like us all to consider for a moment the amount of time WE spend in front of a mirror, and the various routines and rituals that we go through each day, sometimes several times a day.

So much concern, so much attention, and so much worry, and every bit of it is focused on something that is merely a protective wrapper for those parts of the human body that ARE important and DO carry significance in our lives. Sadly, many of us are far too concerned with thinking about the wrapping paper to the exclusion of thinking about the gift.

The human heart is one such gift. It is a gift from God of immeasurable worth on many levels. Without God’s gift of a heart, none of us would even be able to STAND in front of a mirror, least of all be concerned about what we see there. Although I understand that there are many individuals who are extremely health conscious and watch what they eat, make sure they exercise properly, and do not place unnecessary burdens upon their heart by ingesting tobacco, alcohol, or drugs, far too many of us take its physical function for granted and hardly give its care and maintenance any thought at all.

While the physical functioning of our hearts is vital to our very ability to live on this earth, the role our hearts play in our spiritual lives is vital to our ability to follow Jesus Christ to our promise of an everlasting life in the Kingdom of God. You see, the heart was not placed within our bodies merely to move the blood through our veins to carry oxygen to the other components of our bodies. The heart is mentioned prominently throughout the Holy Bible as being a critical part of our ability to be who God wants us to be.

Our brains are an incredible and wondrous creation of God which give us the ability to think, talk, see, process information, learn, teach, and so on, but our hearts enable us to exhibit all of the traits that comprise our humanity and define us as children of God. Our ability to love, to be patient, compassionate, kind, generous, humble, considerate, caring, gentle…..all of these things and more come from the heart. How do we know this? Because it is in the Bible. Jesus Christ Himself said, “Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29 NLT).

How about that? Jesus Christ Himself said that humility and gentleness come from the heart. He also said, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NLT). But not only does Jesus tell us how our hearts can help us to be like him, and how they can help us see God, He also tells us how to LOVE God: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37 NLT).

David, who was considered Israel’s greatest king, wrote, “I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” (Psalm 40:8 NLT).

These are just a few of the many references found in the Holy Bible that demonstrate the important role played by our hearts in our spiritual lives.

So I ask these questions of us all:

How much time do we spend examining our HEARTS? Do we spend anywhere close to the same amount of time looking for flaws, weaknesses, and imperfections in our hearts as we spend looking for those things in our faces and bodies?

Not too long ago, I came across a book written by Kyle Idleman, who is the Teaching Pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. The title of the book is “not a fan.” (the lower case and use of the ‘period’ is exactly as the title appears on the book), and the question that Pastor Idleman asks, which comprises the basis for the entire book, is: “Are you a committed follower of Jesus Christ, or are you just a fan?”

Pastor Idleman’s work is more than just a book. It is a finely crafted tool that can be put to work by everyone who is willing to exercise honest introspection and perform a complete examination of that precious gift from God – the heart. The book itself will tend to make many of us a bit uncomfortable at times, but as the case for Christ is presented, Pastor Idleman leaves no question as to exactly WHAT it means to BE committed to following Jesus.

The title of this article may have been disconcerting for some of you, but after reading ‘not a fan.’ and using it to perform a thorough examination of my OWN heart, I can honestly and emphatically state that “I am most definitely NOT a fan of Jesus Christ! I AM a committed follower!”

Since I determined that I am, in fact, committed to following Christ, was the time spent reading the book time that could have been put to better use? The answer to that is an emphatic and unequivocal, “Absolutely NOT!” The book was a valuable tool that assisted me in my self-examination. It acted as the mirror with which to view my heart, and provided me with the ability to see what my strengths were, and where I needed to work, grow, and change.

You see, it is important to understand that being able to say that we are committed to following Christ does NOT mean that we are perfect or that there is not room for spiritual growth or improvement. In fact, “not a fan.” makes us AWARE of our imperfections, which is necessary because then we are forced to focus more intently on Christ as we look to His perfect example as a model for our own lives.

As I devoured page after page, I began to see the path that I am on with greater clarity and understanding. I discovered that, not only was I following Christ, but I realized that He had been actively LEADING me for quite some time. As I looked back to that moment, over 4 years ago, when I first put my eyes upon Him and said, “I can’t do this anymore. I need your help.” I saw that He had been leading me along the path He wanted me to take and He did it by leaving what I can only describe as “Spiritual Bread Crumbs” for me to follow.

As a crucial part of my own self-examination, I looked for evidence that I was, indeed, following Christ. Looking back over those years, I could see that those “Spiritual Bread Crumbs” I had been picking up had left a clearly delineated path. That path stretched from where I now stand, all the way back to the hospital bed in which I awoke the day after God saved me from myself. I am aware that there are probably those who love me who think that it is best that I just forget about my attempted suicide and move on, but oddly enough, that attempt to end my life actually signifies the BEGINNING of it. (Author’s note: For more information regarding that suicide attempt, please refer to previous articles under the heading of “Evil Is Seductive” which began in August 2010 ).

Unbeknownst to me at that time, God began immediately to leave those ‘crumbs’ for me to pick up as He moved me in the direction He wanted me to go. Shortly after arriving here at Oakdale, He revealed a plan to me. I refer to it as my “Jeremiah 29:11″ because that particular verse from the Bible says “For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (NLT). It was an ambitious plan of service to others and I have focused on that plan almost daily since it was revealed to me. I did not initially understand HOW I would ever get to the point, financially, where I would be able to DO what I envisioned, but I knew in my heart that the steps to bring that plan to reality would be determined by God in His time. God shows me where to place my feet by leaving another ‘crumb’ for me to pick up. My goal is to be ever vigilant to watch for them and be sure to pick them up.

Walking along His path, I constantly discovered the next person, the next book, the next idea, the next thought, and the next article for these Chronicles; I have written each of the 366 daily devotionals for “Today Is….A Gift From God” with plans to publish it as an e-book in December; each and every detail and experience is another ‘crumb’, and each one of those is, in itself, a gift from God. Following Christ is not just a casual stroll through the park. It is the discovery of oneself and one’s purpose in life.

After reading the book, I discovered that the chapel library had the “not a fan.” DVD series, which was designed for small study groups. I watched the series with Richard Roy, with whom regular readers of “The Chronicles” should be familiar with, and we spent considerable time ‘walking the track’ discussing the impact and importance of all that we had read and watched. The DVD series brought the book to life and creates a potent and effective combination with which to define one’s relationship with Christ.

“not a fan.” helped me to see what I most likely knew all along, but was too unsure of myself to say out loud. It IS, after all, rather frightening to live the way that I lived for over 40 years and then feel oneself actually DIE and become a different person. It’s an impossibly wonderful feeling that is met by skepticism, doubt, and wariness by many who have not experienced it, or who might have known me in the past and find it a significant stretch of the imagination to accept my ‘rebirth’.

“not a fan.” did not create the experience for me, but it was a phenomenal tool in helping me to define it, clarify it, and improve upon it.

Where do we go when we follow Christ? The path for each person is different, but they all lead to the same glorious everlasting life with God when our journey through this life has drawn to a close.

I am 60 years old, yet I feel that I have just now BEGUN my life on this earth. It is exciting to know that death can lead to such a rewarding life. I thank Kyle Idleman for helping me to see clearly that I am most definitely NOT a fan of Jesus Christ! Let him help you as well.

I also thank God. I thank Him often, and I thank Him with humility, love, and joy.

God bless you all, and thank you for your time.

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“But I LIKE Cream And Splenda In My McDonald’s Coffee!”

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Tony Casson

I like McDonald’s coffee. When I do buy coffee at McDonald’s, I always order a large and then I ask for 5 creamers and 2 packets of Splenda.

There you have it. I confess. I am not ashamed, or afraid to admit it. That’s the way I drink it. I like it. I enjoy it. I think it tastes good.

When people tell me they like Starbuck’s coffee and they only drink it black, I don’t say anything. I don’t presume it to be my duty to tell them they are doing it wrong, that they are wasting their money, or that they don’t truly understand coffee. But for some unfathomable reason, let me tell someone I LIKE cream and Splenda in my McDonald’s coffee, and I often receive a lecture about where I can buy good coffee, or on how bad McDonald’s coffee is, or how that’s not the way you’re supposed to really drink coffee to enjoy it.

The truth of the matter is, I LIKE cream and Splenda in my McDonald’s coffee, so why can’t I just enjoy what I like without criticism, suggestions, or unsolicited advice?

I’m not perfect but I don’t tell people they should like blue if they like red. I don’t tell people they should like steak if they enjoy chicken. And I don’t tell people that they should drink Starbuck’s or any other brand or type of coffee if they happen to like McDonald’s coffee.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 ESV

So God created man in His own image. But if that’s the case, why are we so different?

Well, the truth is, we’re not. But then, we are, and if that sounds contradictory or confusing, it really isn’t. In fact, it is quite simple. We are all the same in the opportunity we have to love God, and to serve Him. As a church elder explained to me recently, “God gives every man the same opportunity to love him and serve him irrespective of his skills or talents. Whether you are Einstein or a person with a 50 IQ, both have the same opportunity to serve Him.”

God expects us to all use that opportunity well. We don’t, of course, but that fact is not where we are different. We are different in the gifts, abilities, and talents God gives us. He who has received more in the way of these things is expected to do more in service to Him. Again, we don’t of course, but that doesn’t make us different.

That only makes us foolish.

Whether we are born in this country or another; whether we are male or female; no matter what our skin color is; no matter the shape of our eyes, the color or texture of our hair, or the language we speak; no matter the work we do, or the education we have, or haven’t, received; no matter if we like meat, or if we prefer vegetables; no matter if we prefer hot, dry climates, or cool, damp ones; in spite of all of these things, we are – each and every one of us – created in the image of God and are therefore the same. We are all, each and every one of us, provided with the same opportunity to love, serve, and glorify God.

All of the things I mentioned above are not differences of any significance to God. No two oak trees are exactly the same, no two daffodils are exactly the same, and no two eagles are exactly the same. And yet they are.

All human beings are created in the image of God. We are all the same. It is time we all stopped focusing on what we perceive as being major differences in people: Skin color; age; gender; ethnicity; language. These are not differences in God’s eyes. Where we need to focus our attention, and our hearts, is on the gifts, talents, and abilities God gave us and pray daily for guidance in using them to serve God and glorify His name.

When we begin doing that, this world will become more like the place God intended it to be when He created it, and less like the place evil has helped it become.

And people will stop criticizing me because I LIKE cream and Splenda in my McDonald’s coffee.

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“Seeing The Suffering”

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Tony Casson

One of the benefits of enduring our own suffering, regardless of the origin, is the ability it gives us to see the suffering in others and to respond to it with empathy. None of us enjoys suffering, but we must always consider the suffering that Jesus Christ did on our behalf, and we must always think about the suffering that others endure.

Something to consider is the daily devotion I wrote for February 29 in my book “Today Is….A Gift From God”, which follows:

*******

February 29

TODAY IS…

a good day to drink from your own cup of suffering.

“But Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given Me?’” John 18:11 NLT

Jesus was brought into the world for a specific purpose. He knew what that purpose was and knew what would be required of Him to achieve that purpose. When Judas betrayed Him, Jesus had already seen it and knew that it signified the beginning of the end of His time on earth. He was aware also of the pain, suffering, humiliation and cruel death that awaited Him. “The cup” signified all of these things and Jesus knew that He would have to “drink” from it to fulfill His purpose on earth.

Jesus Christ knew that everything He faced was required if the world was to have hope, so He drank from His “cup” with a thirst that could only be quenched by His ultimate death.

The courage and faith in His Father that Jesus demonstrated should be all the inspiration the rest of us need to help us to thankfully drink from our own “cups of suffering.” The acceptance of Jesus Christ as our savior gives us the certain knowledge that our fate will be the same as that of Jesus when our own cups are finally emptied: When we die, we will be rewarded with a perfect life everlasting with God.

It is understandable that with our human frailties, we often become wrapped up in our own little worlds. We allow ourselves to think, “Certainly no one’s problems are as serious as mine. Certainly no one else has to suffer in this life as much as I do.” However, when we stop to pray about our lives and think about other people, we become acutely aware that many people have considerably larger “cups” to drink from than ours.

Perhaps if we reached out to help someone steady their cup, we may find that ours contains less when we pick it back up again.

Perhaps if we are more accepting of our circumstances, less quick to complain, and not as prone to think, “Oh, woe is me!”, we will find ourselves embracing our “cups” with a peaceful heart and the knowledge of the reward that awaits us in the future.

No matter how full of suffering we imagine our own “cups” to be, they are empty compared to the cup of suffering that Jesus Christ drank from before He died for us.

Pick up your cup of suffering and raise it to the Lord and say, “Since You died for me, Jesus, the least I can do is live for You.”

*******

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“Self-Imposed Suffering”

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Tony Casson

“And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.”  Judges 6:6 English Standard Version (ESV)

“Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He’s sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I found that my worrying stopped.”   Charles Stanley

†

My Mother suffered greatly due to physical afflictions, especially later in her life.

She developed macular degeneration, which ultimately stole the effectiveness of her sight, rendering her legally blind. She also struggled for years with Paget’s disease. In people with Paget’s disease, there is an abnormal breakdown of bone tissue in specific areas. This is followed by abnormal bone formation where the new area of bone is larger, but weaker. In my Mother’s case, the disease was in her spine and it was accompanied by severe pain. In addition, she suffered spinal stenosis for years which caused a pathway housing nerves to narrow, putting pressure on those nerves causing still more pain.

At times, the combined effect was quite debilitating and most assuredly detracted considerably from the quality of the last 10-15 years of her life. Yes, my Mother suffered physically, and it was often painful to watch, but had done nothing to bring that suffering upon herself, and there was little, if anything she could have done to prevent it.

That was not the case with me.

It is extremely difficult for me to look in the rearview mirror of my life and find many places where I suffered in which the suffering was not brought on by myself. From the place I called ‘home’ for a little over 4 years – the Oakdale Federal Correctional Institution – I could finally see with clarity the tremendous negative impact that my willful disobedience to God had on my life over the preceding 40 years.

But don’t get me wrong. I’m not blaming God, and I am not saying that God punished me for being disobedient to Him.

He didn’t have to. I managed quite well on my own. Living a sinful lifestyle rained suffering down on me that was strictly a result of the lifestyle itself, not God’s reaction to that lifestyle.

Being self-centered, self-indulgent, self-absorbed, and self-destructive leads us to activities and actions that can have severe negative physical and emotional effects on us. Living impulsive lives where consequences and other people are ignored may provide us with the instant gratification we seek, but eventually our luck runs out and it suddenly becomes time to ‘pay the piper’.

And then we suffer.

Some of us drink, and sometimes we drink too much. Some of us drive after we have been drinking. Sometimes we drive after only having had ‘one or two’ drinks, but some of us have driven home so intoxicated we wake up the next day and think it is a miracle we made it home safely. Sometimes we get arrested for drunk driving. Sometimes someone gets killed.

And then we suffer.

Some of us indulge in recreational drug use. Many of us become addicted or dependent upon those drugs. Sometimes our jobs are affected by that abuse. Sometimes our families are destroyed because of that abuse. Sometimes people die as a result of that abuse.

And then we suffer.

Rather than build a relationship with God from which all other relationships can then flow, some of us succumb to temptations of the flesh, building meaningless, empty relationships. We live immoral, promiscuous lives. We turn to pornography because it is ‘acceptable’ in the eyes of our society. Sometimes relationships are destroyed. Sometime families are broken up and thrown into chaos. Sometimes uncontrolled rage caused by jealousy enters the picture and people are physically hurt. Sometimes people are even killed as a result of the offending behavior.

And then we suffer.

Just like the people of Israel, God tells us how to live our lives, but we don’t listen, and if we do listen, we only seem to remember what He teaches us until we become comfortable with ourselves again. Once that comfort level is reached, we regain confidence in our own ability to run our lives and the cycle begins again for us just as it did repeatedly with the Israelites.

For many of us, the reality that much of our suffering is self-imposed may be a tough reality to face, but God can help us to see that fact and, more importantly, He can then help us to use that suffering to move forward with our lives in a positive manner and in a way that gives Him glory.

Posted in Surviving Our Suffering | 1 Comment

Grow Up

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Tony Casson

I think this is a good place to ‘pull over’ and enjoy the view. This young lady shows some great wisdom here, I think. I hope you all agree. If you do, let her know. :-)

stephrheams's avatarThe Journey Through The Wall

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” 1Corinthians13:11

A little over a week ago I went to a one day retreat at my church. I’ve gone to a lot of different things similar to it. Each time pouring out my heart about the same issues over and over again. Each time I think I’ve made more and more progress, but this time was different. I always go up for prayer at events like this. My thinking is always that even if I don’t feel like I need prayer, there’s a good chance I actually do and I’m just not aware of it. I just never want to pass up the opportunity. So I was going into this service with the same thinking. The first part of the teaching was about letting go of…

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Posted in Scenic Turnouts | 1 Comment

“Embracing Our Suffering”

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Tony Casson

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:2-5 ESV

“One thing you can’t hide – is when you’re crippled inside.”   John Lennon

In addition to ourselves, another major obstacle we allow to block the “Path to Freedom” is ‘suffering’. Suffering itself takes many forms and occurs as the result of a variety of reasons, and while we may not be able to hide when we are ‘crippled inside’, we can look to God for the strength to deal with it, grow as a result of it, use it to help us come to the aid of others who are hurting, and, ultimately, use our suffering to glorify God.

I had been ‘working’ on this series of articles for a week and had not progressed very far, and I could not figure out why. I wasn’t even sure for a while that this was a series I wanted to do. I mean, obviously there is much suffering around, and I have endured plenty of my own, but was it something that needed to be dealt with as a part of finding our way along the path that leads us to freedom?

The very first sentence of this article illustrates the answer I arrived at. Still, the subject itself is a difficult one. After all, in the end, what we really are asking God to do is help us  to embrace our suffering.

Say what? Embrace our suffering?

The truth is that we often allow our suffering to come between us and our relationship with the Lord: We blame Him for the suffering; We get angry at Him when He doesn’t remove it immediately upon our praying for relief from it; We allow ourselves to doubt our faith. After all, if we are followers of Christ and we treat others as Christ would have us treat them, bad things should not happen to us, right?

Of course, we all know the correct answer to this question is not the preferred one, and knowing that God does not spare us from suffering simply because we are His faithful followers is the first step we must take on this particular path of learning to embrace our suffering. If we look to the Holy Bible, we can find a vast amount of Scripture that will help us understand why God allows suffering at all, but we can also find God’s wisdom that will help us find the strength to deal with it, and guidance to help us use it for His glory by helping us to embrace it and use it to help others.

In recent days, I have been posting a series of articles in “The Oakdale Chronicles” titled “Giving A Voice To The Victims”, in which a young woman named Diane S. painfully describes her suffering in the face of her husband going to prison for 10 years. Diane suffers daily for something she had no part in, was not responsible for, and could have walked away from. Her story is testimony to how we can look to God for the strength to deal with our own suffering. I commend her for her determination and her courage, but she gives the credit to God for that and I thank God and praise Him for His faithfulness to her during this most difficult time.

While she continues to suffer, she seems to have embraced that suffering and through her writing is using it to help others, and that is not an easy thing. Let’s face it, it is hard enough to think about God when we are suffering, let alone other people.

Also in recent days, a man in his 50’s by the name of Darren McManus passed away. Darren entered the Spiritual Transformation Program at Central Union Mission around the same time I got out of prison and made the Mission my home. He was a short, wiry man with a serious expression and a deep, gravelly voice who had lived a life that few of us could imagine and suffered immeasurable physical pain as a result of that life. In addition, he had severe degenerative arthritis which greatly increased his overall suffering.

He and I lived for a time in the same dormitory at the Mission. I had my bunk tucked away at the end of the last row in the room, and his bunk was at the beginning of the middle row. Darren would have relatively good days where he could actually be quite physical, but there were many more times when the pain he experienced was quite debilitating and he would be relegated to bed rest. There were times when I would be in my bunk reading or writing and Darren would be unaware of my presence. I could hear him pray to God for relief from his pain, but the form the prayers took was quite powerful and humbling.

Darren always thanked God for opening his eyes, for allowing Him to see the path he should walk, and for His forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Not once did he ever blame God or display anger for his circumstances. At times, though, he would ask God for the death that would bring him to his Father and release him from his excruciating pain. He knew his pain would be removed from him upon entering the Kingdom of God, and it was that entry into his eternal home that Darren prayed for in what he thought were private moments. I never let him know that those moments were not as private as he had thought.

Darren did more than pray for release from his suffering. He embraced it. He used it to try to hold himself up to others as an example of how we can turn to God when we have completely turned against ourselves and, in doing that, we can live new lives with confidence of a future reward worth far more than anything we could possibly experience in this life.

In my book, “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, I write daily devotionals with varying themes. It is impossible to adequately compose such a book without at least one mention of suffering. Following is one such mention:

February 17

TODAY IS…

the ideal day to embrace your suffering.

“…for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” Acts 9:16 NASB

The subject of suffering comes up a lot in the Bible. It is a significant theme and it plays an important role in many of the lessons we must learn in order to grow in our faith. No one escapes unscathed. Suffering is present in everyone’s life to some degree. How it is viewed and how it is dealt with are important matters to consider in a Christian’s life.

Sometimes it is allowed to be a cause of doubt that creeps into our minds, casting a dark shadow on our hearts. “Why me, Lord?” some of us may ask. Or we may think that if God were truly kind and loving, He would not allow us to suffer at all. The importance of rejecting these and other negative thoughts cannot be stressed enough.

The truth of the matter is that regardless of what we experience in this life, it can be used for good; it can strengthen our faith and it can prepare us for a life of service to God. Rather than feel sorry for ourselves or doubt the Lord, our God, we should embrace our suffering, pray to God for strength to see us through it and ask Him to give us wisdom to learn from it and use what we have learned in service to Him.

We have all suffered. Some have suffered more than others and sometimes it is difficult for us to understand why we, in our faith, experience so much suffering while others of little or no faith at all seem to experience none. We cannot always understand why God does what He does. It is not always possible to fully appreciate why He allows certain things to occur in one life or another.

One of the most important people in the history of Christianity was the apostle Paul. His efforts to spread the Word of God are an amazing testament to his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. However, studying Paul’s life teaches us that Paul endured indescribable persecution, pain and suffering as he traveled extensively, trying to show the way to the salvation Christ gave the world when He died on the cross.

Paul was stoned and left to die. He was whipped several times, beaten with rods, set adrift at sea and was shipwrecked three times. He spent time in prisons, was faced with robbers, dangerous weather and was often thirsty, hungry, cold and tired. He asked for nothing material from anyone. All he wanted for the suffering that he embraced in Jesus’ name was for the people he spoke with to open their hearts to Jesus Christ. “…I don’t want what you have – I want you…” (2 Corinthians 12:14b NLT).

Paul embraced his suffering because he knew what he was suffering for. He knew that the salvation of his soul and an eternal life in the presence of God was worth infinitely more than the inconvenient pain or sorrow of mere human suffering.

Embrace your suffering, even though it may be difficult to do so. Use your suffering as a tool to help you serve the Lord and you will turn that suffering into a gift of love for God. In so doing, you will thank Him for the suffering that Jesus endured as a gift for eternal peace, joy and happiness for you.

*******

As we learn to embrace our suffering and use it to help us continue along the path to freedom, we must also learn to be thankful for people like Diane and Darren who show us where we need to turn in times of our own suffering and how to allow our own suffering to enable us to help others embrace their own.

No one really wants to suffer, but, like Jesus, we must drink from our own cups of suffering at various times in our lives and for various reasons. Some of those reasons are totally beyond our control, and others are brought upon us by ourselves.

When this series continues, we will look at some of those. In the meantime, may God bless you all and keep you safe, and if you are suffering at this moment in any way, for any reason, look to God for His guidance in how to embrace it.

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