The After-Oakdale Chronicles

a superb day to get help for our belief.

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”  Mark 9:24 NIV

When Christ first began His mission on earth, He certainly had His work cut out for Him. After all, people were expecting a king, and God gave them a carpenter.

“Unbelief” was the belief of the day.

“Then they scoffed, ‘He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. And His sisters live right here among us.’ They were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him.” (Mark 6:3 NLT).

Christ found it necessary to include miracles along with His teaching to demonstrate that He was, indeed, who He said He was. Of course, the very nature of Christ was miraculous and He did not have to conjure up magic potions or say magic words to heal the sick and the lame or to cast out evil spirits. The faith of people – their belief – grew steadily as He walked the countryside and talked to the people He encountered.

He helped people to overcome their ‘unbelief.’ He helped people to believe in Him.

The problem for many people today is that their expectations are not realistic. Christ does not walk the earth today. He is present and He is among us in Spirit, of course, but He does not physically walk the earth healing people and casting out demons.

But do not for one moment think that He can no longer help us overcome any “unbelief,” or doubt, that we may have.

When Christ lived among us, His actions and His words eventually formed the basis for the entire New Testament of the Bible. It is rich in eyewitness accounts of the miracles and the work done by Christ as He brought His message to as many people as He could. The advantage that we have over all the people of His day is enormous. While we cannot physically share in the incredible privilege of walking next to Christ and watching Him teach and heal the sick and lame, we can relive those moments time and time again by picking up the Bible and traveling the countryside with Christ.

When our belief needs a boost, we can obtain it through the wonderful God-breathed words found in the recounting of Christ’s life, and in the retelling of the circumstances of His death and His resurrection.

What an honor it would have been to be in His presence and witness firsthand the tremendous impact that He had on people. But through our faith we are saved and have gained the right to sit with Him one day, and by turning to the stories of His life, His death, and His resurrection to help reinforce our belief in the power and the glory of Christ our Lord, we will remain strong and true in that faith.

The help we need each day lies within the pages of the book that tells His story. Open it today and get a boost for your belief.

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

a terrific day to ask ourselves if we do enough.

“So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.”  2 Peter 1:10 NLT

What is it that God has called us to do?

What have we been chosen for?

Two seemingly difficult questions that are not all that complicated if we will simply take the time to look at the talents and abilities that God has given us and then pray for His guidance in using them according to His will, and to achieve His purpose.

The vast majority of us here on earth are just “regular” people. We are not world leaders or world famous. We are just the average people next door trying to do the best for our families while serving the Lord. We know that God is important but, as is the case in many instances, He is sometimes relegated to the back burner because we have taken on too many responsibilities.

Something has to give, and it is usually our relationship with God that suffers. When things do slow down enough for us to consider the matter, many of us find ourselves asking, “Am I doing enough?”

First of all, we need to do everything that we do with the right attitude. Even our “regular” jobs should be done with God in mind.

“Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Ephesians 6:7 NLT).

If we can bring ourselves to do that, we will have taken a big step towards “doing enough,” because if God is in our minds and hearts while we work, we can be sure that people will notice a happiness, peacefulness and joy of spirit that might cause them to inquire, affording us the opportunity to tell them that, “God makes me this way.”

One important fact to consider is this: If we are asking the question of ourselves, we are showing concern and that is another step towards “doing enough.” When we are constantly looking for ways to serve God, serve our fellow man, and we use our gifts and talents – no matter how great or small – in service to both, we will find ourselves feeling more and more fulfilled.

Rather than trying to “do enough,” we will simply always be striving to do more.

You see, God has no requirements, minimums or quotas. He wants us to use His lessons and our hearts to determine how to serve. Among the good advice Paul gave to the Romans was, “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” (Romans 12:11 NLT).

This does not mean we can never just sit back and relax. It simply means that our relaxation should mean something because it has come about as a result of our work to serve God, spread His message, and help those around us.

The easiest way to know is this: When we don’t have to ask ourselves if we are doing enough, we probably are.

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

a wonderful day for considering 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.

Which begets the question, “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 that 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 “legal behavior” that many of us fail to realize that simply because man says something is permissible doesn’t mean that God agrees.

To be sure, in today’s world God disagrees often.

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?” Do we gossip or speak maliciously of others? Do we turn a blind eye to someone in need?

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 we are instructed 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 for that, it is worth giving up a lot of things that are worthless.

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

a fine day to cry out to the Lord.

“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery, went up to God.”  Exodus 2:23 NIV

Children are dependent upon their parents for love, guidance, discipline (although they may not care for it), protection and many other things, according to their ages and stages of development. No matter how old our children may get, they are always our children, and they are always dependent upon us for something, even when we reach old age.

As they have grown, and even after they have grown, we have encouraged them to cry out to us when they need help. From the earliest stages when the “crying out” was actual crying, complete with tears, we have responded out of love, concern and our sense of responsibility. As they grew older, perhaps the “crying out” was in the form of an email or a phone call.

Our relationship with God should be no different.

We are all His children no matter how big, old or self-reliant we become and we all should learn to cry out to the Lord when we need Him. Just as He heard the Israelites crying out in the land of Egypt, He will hear us no matter where we are.

Understanding how God responds to us is something that is developed over time, as we build a relationship with Him and grow comfortable with the fact that He may not always respond immediately, or even in the manner we would like. The closer we are to Him, the better our appreciation for His responses no matter when they come, or how they come.

One thing is certain: God loves us all and nothing stands in the way when we cry out in need.

“Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them.” (Psalm 10:17 NLT).

Unfortunately, many people only cry out to the Lord when they are in serious trouble. Often, the trouble is of their own making. Still, God hears and He responds. The problem is, when that is the only time we cry out, we are often not paying attention and can very easily miss the significance of the Lord’s response. In fact, some people may conveniently forget that they did, in fact, cry out for God’s help in the first place and place the credit for fixing the situation with themselves, instead of thanking God for His help.

While God would never ignore one of His children who is in distress, our primary focus should be on learning why He is always available to us when we need Him, and thanking Him for that very fact.

Building a relationship with God is the most important thing we can ever do, and it will help us understand why He is always there when we cry out to Him.

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

a great day to poke yourself in the green eye.

“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”Genesis 4:8 NIV

One of the first lessons God tries to teach us in the Bible is about the evil and destructive power of jealousy.

How sad it must have been for God that not only did the first man and woman on earth make the perfection of God’s creation imperfect by committing the first sin, but their first born son committed the very first murder.

God knew of Cain’s jealousy of his brother, Abel, and tried to forewarn him. “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.’” (Genesis 4:6-7 NIV).

Most of us are familiar with the Latin proverb, “Forewarned is forearmed.” It is important to pay attention to what we are taught. We all must learn a lesson from the failure of the third person created by God to listen to a clear warning: the “green eye” of jealousy, as it is commonly referred to, “sees” things in a way that inflames us, enrages us, and causes us to act impulsively and in ways that can interfere with our lives and relationships, at best, and destroy lives and relationships at worst.

The significance of Cain’s jealousy, and the extreme nature of his response cannot be ignored. Certainly God was right when He said, “sin is crouching at your door.”

It is likely that we have all known someone who has exhibited extreme jealousy. Perhaps it is us, or our spouse. Many of us have been witness to, or a recipient of, false and unreasonable accusations, and we have all read about the tragedies that can accompany a jealous rage. The impulsive nature of people under the influence of a rage such as this can – and does – have results that can change the course of many lives – or end them.

Just think of the impact that Cain’s inability to “subdue sin” had on the world. How different would things be if Cain had been happy for his brother, instead of being jealous? How would the absence of jealousy have changed our world? Without the first murder, would there have ever been another? Possibly – maybe even probably. But we will never know. One thing is certain: if Cain had not murdered Abel, we would not have such a vivid lesson to learn from about controlling jealousy.

It is a lesson we could have done without.

Use the gift of today to eliminate your “green eye,” even if you have to poke it with a stick.

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

a good day to teach others where to go for help.

“Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.”  Psalm 34:5 NLT

Hospital emergency rooms all over the world are open 24 hours a day, ready to receive those who need help with a physical emergency. Ambulances, too, are available to transport victims of accidents or those who suffer major medical problems. Police and fire departments stand ready to respond when someone threatens our safety or fire breaks out and threatens our homes and our lives. 24 hour hotlines are also available to help us in times of emotional crisis.

Millions of people around the world make themselves available and put themselves at risk, to help and protect us around the clock. Each one of us owes all of these people our thanks and appreciation. The world is a safer, better place for their efforts on our behalf.

It is important that we teach our children, as well as our elderly relatives, how to reach out for help in situations that require the services of those listed above.

Most important, for our spiritual well-being, we have God.

When someone is in spiritual crisis, it is equally as important that they know where to turn. We may know to turn to God through prayer and reading the Bible when looking for help for our specific problem, but it is important that we teach others as well. The Bible itself contains a bounty of wisdom, words of conciliation, and support for any situation that might arise at any time, night or day.

A wonderful source within the Bible is the book of Psalms. For instance, when we feel afraid, we can turn to Psalms 3, 4, 56, 91, and others.

If we are facing temptation, Psalms 38, and 141 stand ready to fortify us with encouragement such as, “Don’t let me drift towards evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong.” (Psalm 141:4 NLT).

If we feel depressed, Psalms 27, 42, 88 and 143, stand ready to come to our aid.

“Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.” (Psalm 143:7 NLT).

No matter what we are facing, be it persecution, old age, sorrow, criticism, verbal cruelty, the book of Psalms stands ready and waiting. It can also help us to offer prayers to God. Prayers of confession can be found in Psalms 6 and 51. Prayers of faith in Psalms 16 and 23.

“I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from You.’” (Psalm 16:2 NLT).

Knowing where to find help for our spiritual needs is as important as knowing to call 911 when we have a physical emergency. Sharing the knowledge of where to go for help is something that is an obligation, but it should also be our great joy.

Use the gift of today to teach someone where to find the help they need.

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

the ideal day to seek significance in our lives.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  Proverb 19:21 NIV

God created each one of us for a reason. Since we do not come into this life with a certificate engraved with that purpose, we must look to God for help in discovering what it may be.

In his gospel, John said, “God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except thru Him.” (John 1:3 NLT).

This means that we only exist because God created us. If we spend any time at all reading the Bible, as we should, we know that God put each one of us here with the full expectation that our lives would have significance. Just as He placed His Son among us who lived a life that was full of significance, He placed each one of us here to follow His example.

Can any of us live a life as significant as that of Christ?

Of course not. However, if we take advantage of every opportunity to spread the Good News to others; if we fill our lives with purpose and meaning, like Christ; if we spend our time trying to make life better for someone who has nothing to eat, no clothes to wear or nowhere to live; if we devote the talents and abilities that God has given us – no matter how great or how seemingly small they may be – to the care and comfort of others, like Christ; then we will leave this earth knowing that we have succeeded in our search for significance.

“But I have lived a long, sinful life and I think I may be too old to live a life of significance.”

If this statement sounds like it could be coming from you, it is important for you to understand that if your heart is pulling you to seek a purpose; to find meaning; to discover a path that will lead to a more self-less, less self-indulgent life, then the time is not too late.

In fact, the time is perfect. God has placed no age limit on significance. We are never too young, or too old to begin our search.

So much of what swirls around us in daily life is insignificant. Much of it is frivolous, meaningless, and serves no purpose other than to indulge, entertain and arouse us. When we seek significance in our lives, we add tremendous value to it. We make everything around us more enjoyable because we discover the real joy that comes with purpose. Suddenly we are happy from the inside out instead of pursuing insignificant self-indulgent external things that only provide us with a pleasure that is shallow and short-lived.

Ask God daily to help in your search for significance. Ask Him to lead you to His purpose for you.

It is never too late to search for significance in our lives.

In fact, today is an ideal day to start.

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

a perfect day to reflect on the need for honor in marriage.

“Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ.”  Ephesians 5:21 NIV

For many people the word ‘submit’ carries with it negative connotations that convey images of one person being a doormat for another person. This simply does not have to be the case. To “submit” merely means to “yield.”

As Christians, we all know we should follow the examples of Christ. We all are aware that Christ submitted to the will of God. That fact in and of itself should remove some of the stigma that we may attach to the word. Submitting to God is something most of us have no problem with. Doing so, and knowing why we are doing it should help us understand that yielding – or subordinating our rights – to others is in keeping with God’s wishes, and nowhere is it more important than in a marriage.

Again, it is important to understand that this does not mean we give the other person carte blanche to walk all over us. Notice that Paul’s words are “submit to one another.” This means that two people joined in marriage should endeavor, on a daily basis, to honor God by always placing the other person before themselves.

Consider for a moment, the concept of a man or a woman placing their spouse on a pedestal, so to speak. This phrase refers to placing this person in a position of honor, respect and love and indicates a willingness to do all that is within their power to ensure that person’s happiness.

Of course, if the person on the pedestal doesn’t place their spouse on one as well, then he or she is always in a position of looking down on the other and this is not honoring God or the spouse and is not how God intends marriage to be. Both must place the other on a pedestal and do the things mentioned above, but do them so that they are then looking across at each other, eliminating the one-sidedness of one looking down on the other.

When two people have a strong relationship with Christ – and genuine love and concern for each other – bringing honor to the marriage should never present a problem. Submitting to each other demonstrates this love and concern and honors God. And when your marriage honors God, it stands to reason it is because you honor your marriage.

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

a superb day to whistle while you work.

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather than for men…”  Colossians 3:23 NASB

It is unfortunate that many people think that we are defined by the type of work we do, how “important” our position is, or how much money we make. Far too often we worry about how others perceive us, and we also spend an inordinate amount of our time concerned about the other person: what they do, whether they make more money or are more “important” than we are.

As Paul wrote to the people of southern Galatia, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t have to compare yourself to anyone else.” (Galatians 6:4 NLT).

We are each unique.

No one looks, acts, thinks, talks or works quite the same way we do. No one can be us, and we cannot be anyone but us. Nor should we want to be. But we are all the same in the eyes of God, and our duty is to realize that, thank Him for it, and use the knowledge to motivate and inspire us on a daily basis. No matter how mundane our jobs, or how incidental and inconsequential the task before us may seem, we should approach it with a joyful spirit, humility, and the commitment to do the absolute best that we can.

Our attitude determines the importance of our job, not another person’s opinion.

When we work reflecting the joy of the Spirit and put energy and effort into what we do, God will know. The environment we are in may not permit us to physically whistle while we work, but performing our jobs with the right attitude will create the same feeling within us.

Why is this important? Because those around you will wonder why you are always so positive, happy, and diligent. When they ask, doors are open to tell them our relationship with God is what does it. In this way, everything we do can be seen as working for God.

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT).

As a matter of fact, when we stop doing what we do for a paycheck, and start doing it for God, our entire presence in the workplace will change and people will hear us whistling while we work, even if all we are doing is smiling.

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

the day to know what you are prepared to do.

“I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”  John 10:11 KJV

“What are you prepared to do?”

In the movie, “The Untouchables,” Sean Connery and Kevin Costner played dedicated government law enforcement officials fighting against Al Capone and other “bootleggers” during prohibition.

In the film, Sean Connery’s character was marked for death by Capone, was attacked in his home, shot multiple times, and left for dead. Kevin Costner, as Elliot Ness, found him just before he died and Connery’s last words were, “What are you prepared to do?”

In 1963, in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the following challenge to the world: “If a man hasn’t discovered something worth dying for, he isn’t fit to live.”

On April 3, 1968, Dr. King was murdered as a result of his fight for the rights of all mankind.

Jesus Christ lived His life knowing how it would end. He is the only person to have ever walked the earth who knew what He was prepared to do from the very beginning of His life: He was prepared to die so that each one of us could live.

People frequently focus on the ways in which society, and the people who make up that society, fail. Certainly, things that can be made better need to be identified; situations that need fixing require attention; areas that can be improved upon have to be brought to light before that can happen.

Yes, those things that are wrong must be part of the public conscience in order that they may be corrected.

Be that as it may, it is equally important, at the very least, that we spend time identifying the things that are right which we can find all around us, and recognizing those individuals who make them so with their sacrifices.

In each of the instances mentioned, the individual at the center of the message died. Not for themselves, and not of natural causes. Each person died in service to others. Each person proceeded on a journey that they knew was dangerous. Each was aware that the potential for harm was very real, and very great. Not only were they aware of the potential for bodily harm, two of them were aware of the possibility of death.

And one was aware of the certainty of it.

In light of all of this, and on the subject of service to mankind, what are you prepared to do?

We don’t have to do something that involves dying or being killed, but surely, each one of us can do something. Make today the day you know what you are prepared to do.

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