The After-Oakdale Chronicles

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.

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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!

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

……a superb day to teach your children to be followers.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 KJV

Parenting has perplexed those who have children for as long as there have been parents raising children.

Modern society is rife with unique challenges, but the nature of being a parent never changes. As parents, our number one responsibility is to teach. We teach our children the basic, obvious skills that they will require to live. We teach them to eat and drink in a manner that might be considered “civilized;” we teach them to walk and to talk; we teach them to clothe themselves, to bathe, to brush their teeth and comb their hair; we teach them how to play sports, musical instruments, to draw and to paint. There are many, many examples of parents as teachers, and they are all important to the development of our children.

Much speculation always takes place when our children are small about their talents and abilities and what sort of career they may be suited for when they get older. We see that this little boy likes to play with tools so we think he may grow up to be a carpenter. We see this little girl loves to take care of her dolls and we think she may grow up to be a doctor.

The truth is, we will not know for years to come. It is simply our responsibility to expose them to as many different ideas and learning opportunities as we can and let them develop a sense of who they are and what they want to “be” when they grow up.

No matter what actual career they may choose, most of us would agree we want our children to be leaders. This is a wonderful goal and our focus should definitely be on providing them with the tools to be leaders. One of the most important tools of leadership is to learn how to follow. We must teach our children to follow Christ and utilize the Word of God to teach them responsibility for others.

“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” (Proverbs 29:7 NIV).

We must teach them to have integrity in all that they do.

“He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” (Proverbs 10:9 NASB).

We must teach them that hard work is rewarded.

“Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” (Proverbs 13:4 NLT).

We must also teach them to always have a desire to learn.

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, the ears of the wise seek it out.” (Proverbs 18:15 NIV).

Yes, there are many, many things that we must teach our children. The most important is to follow Christ and to use the Word of God to develop hearts and minds that have the humble attitude and love for others that Christ does.

Following in His footsteps will help them become leaders in whatever they do.

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

a wonderful day to remember that grace trumps sin.

“God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.”  Romans 5:20 NLT

As one reads the Bible, and in particular, parts of the Old Testament, one can only marvel at God’s love and patience.

Just when we think people cannot act more sinfully, they do; and just when we think God cannot possibly forgive them, He does.

When God first created man, He created man without sin. It was only after Adam sinned that future humans were tainted. But in the beginning, there was no law. God gave the law after many centuries had passed to show people just how sinful they were in the hope that the law would help them to be better.

We all know that did not work out very well. We still remained separated from God, disobedient, and lost.

God sent Christ to save us and give us righteousness, eternal life, deliverance, obedience, a relationship with God, and grace.

“So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:21 NLT).

Sometimes it is almost inconceivable to consider the depths of depravity, cruelty, and sinfulness to which people are willing to sink. Even more difficult to fathom is our ability to take anything that we have done and lay it at God’s feet and ask for forgiveness – and receive it.

Everyone can experience God’s grace. Chuck Colson committed criminal acts on behalf of President Richard Nixon. He went to prison for those crimes, but he used the time there to find his way to God and to ask God to help him attach meaning to his life. Mr. Colson went on to found Prison Fellowship which ministers to prisoners and works to help others transform themselves into the people God wants them to be.

He worked diligently and selflessly for 40 years until his death, but in spite of his decades of service, a national newspaper columnist, upon Colson’s death, wrote a column that disparaged his work and tried to cast doubt on its sincerity.

It is obvious that this columnist didn’t know Charles Colson, and he certainly didn’t understand God’s capacity for grace and His ability to work in the lives of those who are willing to let Him.

Don’t be that columnist.

Never despair.

No matter what you may have done, no matter what sins you have committed, God’s grace will trump your sin every time.

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

an ideal day to remember that if God says it, it must be important.

“And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so.”  Genesis 1:9 KJV

We have all known someone who talks incessantly. Sometimes it appears to us that they speak for no other reason than because they love the sound of their own voice.

This is definitely not the case with God.

He never speaks unless He has something important to say, so when He speaks we should listen. We would be quite foolish to do otherwise, but it often appears as if that is exactly what happens.

We may tune out the aforementioned individual simply because we are confident that nothing is coming out except for air in the shape of meaningless words, but we dare not tune out God.

God’s Word comes to us in two ways. First and foremost, of course, is the Bible. We all know that the Bible represents one of the largest books most of us will ever read, and yet not one of its many thousands of words is wasted.

The Bible contains instruction, history, life lessons, wisdom, encouragement, advice, consolation, strength, motivation – the list of ways in which the Bible teaches, guides, and nourishes our spirits, our hearts, and our minds is long.

Look at God’s Words throughout the story of creation. God didn’t just slap the earth together with no vision and no design. He had a plan from the outset. Each day He added to His creation, using words to direct the placement of each plant, animal, bird and bug that all go together to help make this place in which He put us a truly beautiful and remarkable place in which to live.

The spoken words of God created the earth and all that is in it. The Word of God tells us how we should live in the world He created and how we should treat each other. The Word of God is important, and not a single one is untrue or wasted. Each word has meaning and it is our obligation to search for that meaning. The Bible guides us and enables us to live lives that are righteous in God’s eyes; lives that are unselfish and full of concern, consideration, and compassion for our fellow brothers and sisters.

The instructions are clear and are repeated throughout the Bible: “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying Your word.” (Psalm 119:9 NLT).

Take care today, and every day, when reading the Bible. It is the Word of God and it is very important.

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

a great day to feed the sheep.

“He said to them, ‘Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.’”  Mark 1:38 NASB

That was no idle statement that Christ made. It was no casual comment thrown out there because He had nothing else to say. When Jesus said, “For that is what I came for,” He was unequivocally stating His purpose. He came to teach people how to obtain salvation and establish a relationship with God that would lead them to an everlasting life in His kingdom.

This was Good News for all of mankind and it was important that the Word be shared with the world.

Obviously, Christ knew that His time on earth was limited. He made excellent use of it and taught a great number of people how to put the Good News to work in their lives, but He also stressed the importance of sharing it with others. The message that Christ delivered was one of incalculable worth and He wanted those who received the message from Him to share the wealth with others.

“The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.” (Mark 13:10 NASB).

Jesus gave directions to share this Good News not just to His disciples. There was an obligation that went along with receiving it, no matter who it was. Even a man who had been demon possessed was told by Jesus to share with others. He first asked Jesus if he could travel with Him.

“And He did not let him, but He said to him, ‘Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you!” (Mark 5:19 NASB).

It is difficult to imagine considering the lessons taught by Jesus Christ as being anything less than immeasurably valuable. Experiencing His healing touch and being the direct recipient of His mercy were also experiences of tremendous value.

Christ spoke often about sharing material wealth with those who are less fortunate than we are. People who were poor, children, and widows were mentioned often. Offering clothing, shelter, and food to those who did not have any was a very important issue with Jesus. Sharing the wealth on a material basis is clearly an obligation to others that we should all eagerly welcome.

But we must never forget the importance Christ placed upon sharing the wealth of the message of Christ. Surely that importance was displayed when He admonished Peter three times to, “Feed My Sheep.” (John 21:17 NIV).

This reference, of course, was to feeding them the Words of Christ.

Sharing the wealth of knowledge.

Spreading the Gospel.

“The third time He said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ He said, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed My Sheep.’” (John 21:17 NIV).

And today is a great day to do just that.

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

a fine day to be on the winning side.

“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.”  1 John 5:4 NLT

War carries with it a high price, whether on the winning side, or on the losing side.

World War II was no exception in its cost in the lives that were lost fighting it, the damage done to cities, towns, and villages where it was waged, and the enormous task of recovery in its aftermath. Of course, as far as Germany’s involvement, the war was made even more horrific upon learning the truth about the extent of the treatment, and wholesale slaughter, of millions of Jews by those who followed Adolf Hitler.

In the end, many would claim they were simply soldiers following orders, many would claim they really weren’t aware of the extent of the treatment, and many others would claim they had no idea at all. Their countryside was devastated by the effects of the war and the people themselves were a far cry from the cheering hoards that marched in unison to conquer the world in the name of unspeakable evil.

The cost to the victors was high as well. Many families were left emptier because of children who fought against that evil and paid for its defeat with their lives. The sadness of death was overcome a little by the emotional uplift that victory brought.

Even though both sides paid an enormous price, it is always better to be on the side of the victor rather than the vanquished.

This is especially true when the enemy is as evil and hateful as Hitler’s Nazis.

Evil walks this earth on a daily basis. There is much good that walks the earth as well and since evil’s intent is always to conquer and control, the battle between them is ongoing.

The first thing each one of us must do is decide which side we wish to be on.

Unfortunately, the army of evil is a flashy one with a slick recruiting campaign that is far too successful. The evil itself takes the form of self-indulgent pleasure and is usually a far cry from the type of evil spread by Hitler, but do not be one of those who is drawn in by its false promises, for God promised that, in the end, evil will be defeated forever.

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10 KJV).

It will surely be an epic battle.

“Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:5 NIV).

Choose the side you want to be on, but unlike games, contests, sporting events, or even wars, the Bible tells us the outcome so we know which side will be victorious. Our faith that this is so puts us on the side that will claim victory.

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

the day to seek shelter.

“Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’”  Psalm 3:2 NIV

Skeptics abound, that much is certain.

Perhaps some of us have people who say that very thing about us. Perhaps the way we have lived our lives in the past might tend to lend a little credence to that line of thinking, but God will never refuse to rescue any of His children who come to Him for help.

It simply is not in His nature to say ‘no.’

It is true that people have to seek God’s shelter, and it is also true that not everyone does. For some, “Sin whispers to the wicked deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all.” (Psalm 36:1 NLT).

Someone stuck in a lifestyle that is sinful and is making no effort to seek God’s forgiveness and love will not find it thrust upon them. For some, “The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.” (Psalm 36:3 NIV).

Who knows? Perhaps he never knew or allowed himself to be anything else.

God will never lose sight of these people, but He can only wait until they somehow get the message that they need the shelter that He so willingly provides all who ask.

God helps those who call out to Him no matter how they have lived. He scours the earth seeking out His lost sheep and wants to bring them safely home. His ears await the sounds of His children’s voices when they call out to Him, “Show the wonders of Your great love, You who save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes.” (Psalm 17:7 NIV).

When we realize that sin and temptation are our foes; when we understand that arrogance, pride, anger, lust, and greed are our enemies; when we finally acknowledge that we cannot battle the armies of hate, deceit, sexual promiscuity, and the worship of money, without help – God will be right there ready to prvide us with that help.

How His heart would swell with joy to hear us cry out,“Let me live forever in Your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of Your wings!” (Psalm 61:4 NLT).

Firemen, policemen, emergency medical personnel are all standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week waiting for someone to call for help. They take no pleasure in the pain, loss, and discomfort that prompted the call that moved them into action, but they stand ready to act.

God does for our souls what all of those brave men and women do for our physical beings here on earth.

Do not be afraid.

Do not be embarrassed.

Call out for help today and see just how quickly He will respond.

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

the perfect day to stick with it.

“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.’”  John 19:30 NASB

What, exactly, was it that was finished?

Only the most important task ever completed by any person on earth. Jesus had completed the work that God sent Him here to complete. He never faltered in His performance of His assigned duties, and He did not stop until His work was done.

As we read about the life of Jesus, we can get a sense that there were times, certainly, when He was frustrated with humanity.

At one point, “Jesus said, ‘You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?’” (Luke 9:41a NLT).

Frustrated? Yes, it is safe to say there were many occasions like that one. But did He ever stop? Did He ever give up?

With His death, Jesus Christ taught the world many lessons. One of those is to finish what we start. If we are doing what the Bible has taught us and are asking for God’s guidance and blessing before we start something, then that should make it easier. That will not guarantee that there will not be moments of frustration. It does not mean there will be no urge to just give up.

But we need to work right on through those moments.

Finishing what we start builds character and sets a good example for our children. It also helps to prepare them for their lives as adults. As good parents, we should desire to set a good example. Whether they sign up for sports or band or the chess club, they may discover they don’t like it, but they need to be taught to finish what they begin. Perhaps they will not have to take it next semester or next year, but they cannot be allowed to begin a pattern of leaving tasks unfinished.

No matter what we do, whether it be a chore around the house, a project for work, or something we are doing to serve God, we need to give it our best, and see it through to its conclusion or completion. Do not let anyone or anything interfere with our objective.

We don’t want to hear Paul say, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7 NIV).

Our goal should always be the satisfaction of knowing that we completed our task and gave it our best. Even in a race where only one person can win, everyone else can still finish it. What would it be like if everyone else just stopped when the first person crossed the finish line? While our tasks may not have the worldwide importance of the one Christ completed, our attitude should always be like the one Paul displayed in his second letter to Timothy.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7 NASB).

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

a great day for obedience.

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”  Philippians 2:8 NIV

The obedient nature of Christ cost Him His life.

It could be argued that He knew beforehand that He was going to rise up from the dead three days later, so armed with that knowledge, knowing He was going to die soon wouldn’t have been so bad.However, that knowledge would in no way diminish the pain, humiliation and the sacrifice Christ endured on our behalf because of that obedient nature. He was, after all, as able to feel pain as any of us, and the pain of a death from crucifixion must have been horrible to endure, to say nothing of the pain endured immediately before he was actually nailed to the Cross.

When Christ exhaled His last breath, the curtain that separated us from God was torn. “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:38 NIV)

This was not some cheap trick meant to elicit a lot of “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” from people witnessing this event that would change the world. The tearing of the curtain signified that through His obedience, Christ had completed the work that God had sent Him here to do and each and every living person now had direct access to God.

Christ’s obedience to God took away our sins, but it did not take away our obligation to be obedient.

For some of us, the term “obedience” seems to almost carry a negative connotation. It’s as if being obedient is a very difficult act we must perform. Obedience is not something we do; it is the way in which we live. Obedience to God is simply understanding how He wants us to live our lives, and then living them in that manner.

Jesus told His disciples that obedience was a way of showing love, and that’s how we should view it; as an act of love, not as an obligation or a task.

He said, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15 NIV).

And what, exactly, was He commanding? What were His commandments? Was He instructing His disciples to do anything difficult? Was He telling them to do anything that would cause them, or anyone close to them, to be harmed?

First and foremost, of course, was the commandment to love and worship only God. And the rest of it? It all boils down to this: Be good to each other.

“…love thy neighbor…” (Matthew 22:39b).

We can make any of this as complicated as we want, but that doesn’t mean that it is. The truth is that our obedience to the Lord is an act of love that should come naturally to us and without any effort at all.

Christ did the hard part.

He does not ask any of us for obedience quite like His, so let’s not make work out of something that should be a simple act of love.

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