The After-Oakdale Chronicles

a great day to make sure that it doesn’t happen to you.

“Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.”  Joel 1:5 NIV

We are all most likely familiar with the expression, “Good things come in small packages.”

Joel’s contribution to the Bible is very small in content, being only three chapters, but it is enormously important in its message. Joel was a prophet who wrote about complacency to the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. As is too often the case even today, the people had grown prosperous and had developed a sense of self-sufficiency that displaced their reliance on God, causing them to become complacent where God was concerned.

God had sent a plague of locusts to discipline them, and Joel called upon them all to turn from their sinful ways and go to God and seek His forgiveness before something even worse happened.

It is difficult to pick up a newspaper or watch the news today without coming across a story of someone in a high position of trust and responsibility who has grown arrogant and self-reliant through complacency. Many of these people we read or hear about have claimed a relationship with God, but that relationship did little to protect them when their self-sufficiency caused them to cross the line and violate the public trust.

The reason for this is not complicated and is one which the Bible has pointed out repeatedly for those who take time to absorb the message. Quite simply, people become complacent. When complacency settles into our lives and displaces our reliance upon God, our humble thanks to God, and our constant seeking of God’s approval, we become weak, and we become willing.

Weak and susceptible to the temptations of the world, and willing to set aside our relationship with God in favor of these things.

No matter how high in life a person rises, if the climb to that height was not done in accordance with God’s will and in the light of God’s approval there will be a price to pay. It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow, but it would be wise to heed Joel’s advice and turn back to God and ask for forgiveness before the price must be paid.

Joel’s short book ends on a high note as he reassured his people of God’s readiness to forgive them.

He tells them God says, “I will pardon My people’s crimes, which I have not yet pardoned; and I, the Lord, will make My home in Jerusalem with My people.” (Joel 3:21 NLT).

Make sure that each day is spent on guard against complacency, so the effects of it never happen to you.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a splendid day to understand that the truth cannot be locked away

“So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”  Matthew 27:66 NIV

The Pharisees and leading priests remembered Jesus’ declaration that He would rise from the dead. They convinced Pilate to seal His body in a tomb after His death and post a number of guards to make sure that His disciples did not steal His body to make it appear that He really did rise from the dead.

Of course, we all know that no tomb and no number of guards were capable of locking away the truth. The truth cannot be denied, it cannot be hidden, and it cannot be denounced.

In today’s society, there are new attempts to “lock away” the truth. It becomes increasingly difficult to speak of God without offending someone. Objections are raised about “civil rights,” but if we recall, forces have always been at work to deny the truth.

Forces have always been at work to lock the truth away.

When Paul and Barnabas were trying to spread the Good News, certain Jews tried to deny the truth. First they spoke against Paul and Barnabas.

“Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.” (Acts 13:50 NLT).

This did not stop them, of course, they simply moved on and preached elsewhere. Danger existed all around them as they traveled, but they never stopped preaching. They knew the truth and it was important to them that it be shared with others.

In Corinth, Paul said, “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.” (2 Corinthians 13:8 NASB).

Of course, Jesus knew that all of His disciples would have their moments of doubt. He knew that they would all be shaken terribly by the reality of His death, but He had told them, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 11:6 KJV).

He would have to rise from the dead and stand before them to finally get His message to register and take firm hold with the people who then began to show the world that you cannot lock away the truth. You cannot seal it away in a tomb and guard it to keep it from people.

Each and every one of us has a responsibility to the truth. How well we fulfill that obligation will be demonstrated in how we live each day that God gives us as a gift. The truth cannot – and must not – ever be locked away, for the truth is freedom.

“…and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32 NASB).

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a wonderful day to prioritize relationships

“The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”  John 4:18 NIV

For those of us who are parents, one of our greatest responsibilities to our children should be centered on relationships. We should teach them the value of relationships with friends, family, co-workers, strangers, members of our church and – of paramount importance – we should be teaching them about the relationship between spouses.

If you have always been married to the same person, this may not pertain to you, but how does someone who has been married 3, 4, or 5 times and has had numerous relationships outside of marriage teach a child about the value of the relationship between a man and a woman in marriage?

Certainly there will be those who are reading this who will begin to bristle defensively. Excuses, or reasons, will be offered:

“She was unfaithful.”

“He was abusive.”

“He was a drunk.”

“He spent all his time looking at pornography.”

And on, and on.

Instead of teaching our children the importance of our relationships with each other, we inadvertently teach them that a relationship with God is not important.

For those who would disagree, consider this: If we are secure in our relationship with God, none of the above “reasons” will be a factor in our lives. When the most important relationship in our life is recognized as the relationship we have with God, then – and only then – are we prepared to engage in a relationship with another person.

Who would argue that the predominate reasons given for divorce are the result of sin? Paul had the answer for that: “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” (Galatians 5:16 NLT).

A strong, loving relationship with God brings us everything that is required to enable us to engage in strong, loving relationships and marriages.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

Read that over and over.

Who can argue with the fact that those things are the basis for a strong, loving, healthy relationship? No one, of course. To obtain these things without God’s help is impossible. There are simply too many obstacles in the way. These obstacles are called “sin” and temptation. A strong, active, loving relationship with God gives us the ability to overcome any obstacle.

If our relationship with God comes first, our marriage will last. And what a lesson that is for all of us.

Especially for our children.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a great day to make sure that it doesn’t happen to you.

“Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.”  Joel 1:5 NIV

We are all most likely familiar with the expression, “Good things come in small packages.”

Joel’s contribution to the Bible is very small in content, being only three chapters, but it is enormously important in its message. Joel was a prophet who wrote about complacency to the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. As is too often the case even today, the people had grown prosperous and had developed a sense of self-sufficiency that displaced their reliance on God, causing them to become complacent where God was concerned.

God had sent a plague of locusts to discipline them, and Joel called upon them all to turn from their sinful ways and go to God and seek His forgiveness before something even worse happened.

It is difficult to pick up a newspaper or watch the news today without coming across a story of someone in a high position of trust and responsibility who has grown arrogant and self-reliant through complacency. Many of these people we read or hear about have claimed a relationship with God, but that relationship did little to protect them when their self-sufficiency caused them to cross the line and violate the public trust.

The reason for this is not complicated and is one which the Bible has pointed out repeatedly for those who take time to absorb the message. Quite simply, people become complacent. When complacency settles into our lives and displaces our reliance upon God, our humble thanks to God, and our constant seeking of God’s approval, we become weak, and we become willing.

Weak and susceptible to the temptations of the world, and willing to set aside our relationship with God in favor of these things.

No matter how high in life a person rises, if the climb to that height was not done in accordance with God’s will and in the light of God’s approval there will be a price to pay. It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow, but it would be wise to heed Joel’s advice and turn back to God and ask for forgiveness before the price must be paid.

Joel’s short book ends on a high note as he reassured his people of God’s readiness to forgive them.

He tells them God says, “I will pardon My people’s crimes, which I have not yet pardoned; and I, the Lord, will make My home in Jerusalem with My people.” (Joel 3:21 NLT).

Make sure that each day is spent on guard against complacency, so the effects of it never happen to you.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

an excellent day to avoid the lion’s den

“Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.”  Daniel 6:3 NLT

When good things happen to other people around us we should be happy, right?

We should congratulate them and help them to enjoy the moment. Our love for everyone dictates to us that this is what our response should be.

The key word here is “should,” and even though we “should” be happy for another person’s good fortune, we all know that is not always the case. Sometimes we are not only not happy for them; we are actually envious, jealous, or resentful.

The Bible tells us we should avoid these feelings, and deep down inside we know we should, but there are times when it seems difficult. Being bypassed for a promotion or a job may produce those feelings because we think we are more qualified, capable, or experienced. We may not be in possession of all of the facts, of course, and it is our own hurt feelings that are really producing the negative feelings.

It is very important to not let those negative feelings make us do something that will hurt us in the long run.

In Daniel’s case, when the king contemplated putting him over the entire empire, the other administrators and high officers began looking for flaws in his character and for ways to discredit his work. They could find none, so they worked out an elaborate plan to trick the king into getting rid of Daniel. The king unwittingly signed into law an order stating that no one could pray to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days.

Daniel’s faith in God did not permit him to obey the law and he prayed anyway. The ones who plotted against Daniel made sure he was caught. The king had no choice but to throw Daniel into the lion’s den.

The next morning, much to everyone’s surprise, Daniel was still alive!

“Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” (Daniel 6:23 NASB).

Not only was the negative energy of those who had set him up wasted, the king had all of them and their families thrown to the lions for falsely accusing him.

None of them survived.

Do not waste your time or energy being angry, upset, jealous or envious of another person’s good fortune. God wants you to be happy for others when they experience good fortune. Stay faithful to God, and be happy!

You may not wind up in the lion’s den, but why take the chance?

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a great day to avoid getting caught up in the excitement.

“Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Crucify Him!’”  Matthew 27:22 NASB

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of things sometimes.

The holiday season is infectious, and birthdays, festivals, family reunions, and so-on all tend to grab us, sweeping us along in the rising tide of emotions.

In many cases, and in many instances, that is most certainly not a bad thing, but we must always be careful that we don’t get so carried away that we fail to exercise caution and common sense.

We also need to always be sure and not get caught up in the excitement of something that is wrong or could prove to have negative consequences or a negative effect on the health, welfare, and well-being of ourselves or someone else. The same goes for those we love as well. We want to make sure that they exercise caution and judgment also.

Regret sometimes follows actions taken in the heat of the moment. If we are not careful, sometimes getting caught up in the excitement can have irreversible negative consequences.

In the most powerful and emotional display of people getting caught up in the excitement of the moment followed by the profound feeling of certainty that something terrible had just occurred due to the uncontrolled excitement of that crowd, Jesus of Nazareth was savagely beaten and then crucified.

Pilate tried to dissuade them. “And he said, ‘why, what evil has He done?’ But they kept shouting all the more, saying, ‘Crucify Him!’” (Matthew 27:23 NASB).

“Kill Him! Kill Him!” they screamed in their frenzy. Untold numbers of everyday people caught up in the moment and on the verge of murdering the Son of God.

Jesus was nailed to the cross. The sky went dark in the middle of the day for three hours. Jesus cried out and He was given some wine soaked in a sponge.

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.” (Matthew 27:50-52 NIV).

It was then that the realization began to set in.

“The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, ‘This man truly was the Son of God.’” (Matthew 27:54 NLT).

Try to imagine their horror and shame as the full weight of what had been done bore down on them.

There is little likelihood that anything remotely like being part of the crucifixion of Christ will ever occur in your life, but events in our everyday lives can create emotions and excitement that, left unchecked, can have life-altering consequences. Avoid getting caught up in the excitement and take a moment to think about what you are about to do so you do not need to spend the rest of your life trying to forget what it was you did.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a perfect day to do everything for God because He does it all for you!

“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4 NASB

Are we comfortable with God?

Do we enjoy having God in our lives?

Are we at ease when we talk with Him, and is our relationship such that we do not hesitate to involve Him in every aspect of our lives?

Do we know Him and are we satisfied with what He knows about us?

To “Delight yourself in the Lord” is to answer “yes” to all of those questions. To delight in the Lord, we must know Him and we must enjoy the relationship we have.

Psalm 37 was written by David to encourage us to trust in God and wait patiently for Him to act. If we are capable of doing that, “He will give you the desires of your heart.”

David stresses this by saying, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 77:5 NASB).

In other words, God is prepared to give us His best. Shouldn’t we give Him ours? Heads are nodding ‘yes’ and there are murmurs of ‘Amen!’ but how do we go about giving Him our best?

We can all start by giving more of ourselves to learning from Him, by spending more time in service to those around us, by redirecting ourselves so that more of our day is spent being less self-centered, less insignificant, and more focused on being someone who thoroughly enjoys the Lord.

As parents, many of us know what it is like as our children grow up and grow away from us. They need us in their lives less and less as their own lives become more and more demanding. The degree of separation and independence varies, but we want them to enjoy time with us and we still want them to rely on us.

As the Father of us all, God wants us to always stay in touch with Him and He always wants us to take pleasure from His involvement in our lives. Daily communication and consultation with God may seem like taking from Him, but by relying on Him, we are giving Him our trust and this pleases Him.

Our relationship with Him should always be easy and relaxed. If we are uncomfortable with Him, we need to examine how we are spending our time and living our lives. It would be unfair and unreasonable to expect God to do His best for us when we are unwilling, or unable, to give Him our best.

God loves to do things for us, and He wants to give us His best.

We need to make sure that we each do the same for Him every day.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a fine day for a spoonful of honey.

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”  Psalm 119:103 KJV

Words form the basis for all that we think, believe, and do. Words dictate, describe, or determine how we live our lives. Words can be kind, gentle, loving, compassionate and caring, but they can also be cruel, cold, heartless, evil, hurtful, dishonest and deceitful.

Words can teach, words can lead, words can motivate, and words can inspire. But words can also cut deeply, cause dissension, lead us into harm and misinform.

The most important words we will ever encounter are found in the Bible, the Word of God. The Bible contains the Words of Life itself, more important even than food sometimes. When Jesus wandered the desert, fasting, the devil taunted and tempted Him to turn stones into bread, “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4 KJV).

The Word of God is the source of our hope and the instruction we need to attain it. Some people find God’s instruction to be restrictive. There are those who feel that rules prevent them from having fun or living a full life. David, writing about God’s commandments, viewed it differently.

He wrote, “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19:8 KJV).

And if joy and insight aren’t enough, David goes on to further describe the value of the laws and regulations of God: “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:10 KJV).

Those who think that God’s Word is bitter can only arrive at that conclusion through unbelief. Those of us who truly believe in God know how His Word is like music to our ears or sweet, like honey, on our tongue.

How can words that teach us to treat other people with respect, kindness, and compassion be bitter tasting to anyone?

How can words that celebrate the goodness that is within us all be words that hurt our ears?

The words that teach us how to live with other people in harmony and peace can only add value to our lives. Anyone who thinks that the Word of God detracts in any way from the quality of their life needs to put down their bread and taste the sweetness that comes from making God’s Word a part of their daily diet.

Help yourself to a spoonful of honey as God’s gift for today.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a good day to live wisely.

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”  James 3:13 NIV

“Just do it!”

“Actions speak louder than words!”

“Talk is cheap!”

“Put your money where your mouth is!”

“Stop talking about it and do it!”

Not a single one of the above statements is recorded as having come from the mouth of Jesus’ brother James, but each and every one of them could have. Of all of the authors of the various parts of the Bible, James’ letter to Jewish Christians in Palestine is unique in the way that it challenges us to take action and in the way that it calls us to commit ourselves to active Christian living.

James is insistent that it is not enough to simply talk about being a Christian. It is not enough to simply think about being a Christian. It is not enough to simply believe in being a Christian. We must seek out God’s wisdom and apply it to our daily lives and use it to be a Christian.

If we look at the wisdom of God we will find that it is very active. Obtaining the wisdom requires the action of reading the Bible, meditating on the ideas and principles it contains, and praying for God to guide us and help us apply it to the way we live our lives. Once we have actively learned the lessons God wants us to learn, He wants us to demonstrate our understanding, “By deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

Wisdom that is inspired by God contains no jealously, no boasting, and no selfish ambition, which are all things of this earth.

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.” (James 3:17 NIV).

When we apply God’s wisdom to the way we live, we demonstrate genuine love and concern for all of humanity. We live our lives in a selfless manner and are always aware of the need for compassion, assistance, friendship, or support of those around us.

When our lives reflect the active application of God’s wisdom to everything we say and do, we are able to reach out for others with the confident knowledge that selfless service to others is the best way to help ourselves.

Living each day applying the wisdom of God to all we do will help us to become individuals who live as Christians rather than simply say that we are Christians.

Live your life wisely each day and who you are will be obvious to all who see you.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

an awesome day to work to be called great!

“Jesus replied, ‘But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.’”  Luke 11:28 NLT

In Jesus’ day, if you were a man, who your ancestors were was very important. For women, their value came as a result of the sons she bore. One day, Jesus was addressing a crowd about the tendency of man to quickly lose his resolve to change, or reform, his ways.

“As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, ‘Blessed is the mother who gave You birth and nursed You.’ Jesus replied, ‘But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.’” (Luke 11:27-28 NIV).

When Jesus gave the response that He did, He was not being disrespectful to His mother or diminishing her value. He was pointing out that obedience to God is more important than anything in our lives.

It is good that we spend time each day reading scripture, daily devotionals and other spiritual readings and then take time to think about what we read.

It is wonderful that we make time in our busy schedules to worship with other like-minded individuals.

It is also a fine thing that we pray on a daily basis.

All of these things are critical to helping us open our hearts and minds and then keeping them open to all of the wisdom that can be gleaned by doing each and every one of them.

But that is not enough and we must never allow ourselves to believe that it is. Taking all that we have learned from the Bible, our church, and other sources of spiritual enlightenment and then putting it all into practice is very important in the eyes of God.

Putting your obedience to God to work is not complicated, nor does it have to be time consuming, but the notion that we can obey God’s Word without that Word translating into some form of action on our part is a notion that must bet set aside.

James, speaking about Abraham said, “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” (James 2:22 NIV).

He was referring, of course, to Abraham’s obedience to God when he brought his son, Isaac, to the Altar to sacrifice him. Following God’s instructions, or His commandments, often requires action.

To, “Love thy neighbor” (Matthew 22:39 NASB) requires some active demonstration. An act of kindness or compassion for another person, which is simple and may take very little time, completes our faith by demonstrating our obedience.

Teaching others is an action as well, and Jesus spoke clearly on that subject.

“Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19 NIV).

And any day would be an awesome day to be called great in the kingdom of heaven!

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson