The After-Oakdale Chronicles

a terrific day for a little R&R.

“And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’”  Matthew 8:2 NASB

Anyone who is familiar with the military knows that ‘R&R’ stands for “Rest & Recreation.” When our sons and daughters are away fighting to preserve our freedom or that of people in another country, periods of R&R are necessary to relieve the stress of war and to help our soldiers rest so that they may return to battle as refreshed and strong warriors for freedom.

Speaking in terms of spiritual R&R, we are not talking about “Rest & Recreation.” Rather, we are talking about “Restoration & Renewal” as sinners in order that we may be better soldiers for Christ.

As Jesus came back down the mountainside after giving the Sermon on the Mount, He responded to the leper who asked for help.

“Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:3 NASB).

We are all sinners.

It is a fact that some work much harder than others at not sinning, but we are all sinners and therefore we are all in need, just like the leper, of the Restoration & Renewal that can only come from God.

In order to seek Restoration & Renewal, we must ask Jesus to “stretch out His hand” and touch us to make us clean again. And in order to do that, we must admit that we are sinners. Once we have asked God to forgive us and to restore us, we become stronger soldiers in His army who are then better equipped to fight temptation that might lead us into additional sin. But we also become better equipped to work with others and then help them to seek restoration for themselves.

We also need to be renewed, or rested, in order that we retain our ability to fight on our own behalf and on behalf of others. Renewal comes from spending some quality time alone with God, praying for guidance, courage, wisdom, and strength as well as listening for whatever He may be trying to tell us.

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, ‘Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” (Mark 6:31 NIV).

The forces of evil that tempt and taunt us on a daily basis continue to get stronger. Fighting temptation and helping others to fight it as well requires strong, well-rested soldiers. Unlike in the military, however, R&R with God is available as a gift for us as often as we need it – even every day. Take advantage of this gift of Restoration & Renewal today.

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

an ideal day to follow God’s example.

“And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.’”  Mark 1:11 NIV

One of the reasons that Jesus was baptized by John was to set an example for us.

As Jesus came out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and His Father told Him that He loved Him and was pleased with Him. God set an example for us all that should play a big part in how we raise our children and live our lives. The example is a good one to keep in mind even for those who do not have children. It is an example of who God is, and it is an example of who He wants us to be.

Whether or not we have children ourselves, we all were children at one time and much of who, and how, we are came about as a result of what we heard and saw as children.

Many of us know people, especially men, who have some degree of difficulty expressing their love. Some find it difficult to say the words privately and as far as saying them in public? Forget it.

But God always wants us to learn from His example and Jesus was certainly not alone when God told Him that He loved Him and was pleased with Him.

Many parents are disappointed when their children do not exhibit the same interests as theirs. Rather than encourage their independent growth and development, the child is led to believe he or she is doing something wrong merely because they are not being us. They must be loved and appreciated, for who they are, not who we would like them to be.

If we teach them kindness, respect, integrity, honor, compassion, fairness, generosity and tolerance, combined with demonstrations of our love, verbal signs of our appreciation, and knowledge of God, we should be able to sit back and watch them mature into beautiful men and women with good hearts who are eager to make a place for themselves as productive members of God’s family.

If we love them enough, they won’t be just like us. They will be even better. If we follow God’s example and tell them we love them on a daily basis, it becomes a part of who they are.

And when we teach them that we tell them we love them because God told Jesus the same thing, then they also learn to follow God’s example.

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

the day to grasp every opportunity.

“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”  Ephesians 5:16 NLT

It is an indisputable – as well as an unfortunate – fact of life that opportunities abound on a daily basis to give in to temptation of one kind or another and put a smile on the face of the devil by sinning against God.

It was Paul who was instructing the Ephesians in the above referenced Bible verse. One can only imagine what Paul would say about today’s world if he thought that his day was filled with evil. It would probably be safe to venture that he would be stunned at just how decadent, disrespectful, disinterested, and destructive man has become.

But at the same time, it would be interesting to see the look on his face as he realized just how far Christianity has come. He would more than likely be very pleased with the number of people who make it a part of their daily lives to grasp each and every opportunity that passes their way to do good.

It is true that evil walks this earth with boldness and disregard for human life that increases almost daily. But it is also true that there are millions of people who are kind, gentle, and loving who are willing to fight for the souls of their fellow man.

When our singular objective is to look only for the opportunities to do good, we will discover a closeness with God that will amaze us. When we are looking for opportunities to do the right thing, we are following Paul’s instructions for “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10 NASB).

Then we are ready to follow Paul’s admonishment to, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11 NIV).

Focusing on opportunities to do good things keeps our focus on God, where it should be. It is easy to be caught up in the ways of the world, especially in the world of today. Television, the internet, and even our telephones bring us face to face with choices that we must make. The need is great for spiritual strength to resist all that we are tempted with. Our human desire to ‘belong’ is great. Our need to be ‘a part of the action’ can be overwhelming.

However, we must constantly remind ourselves that the only ‘action’ we need to be a part of is to live our lives in a way that makes the sacrifice of Jesus Christ worthwhile. Grasping every opportunity to do good is one way of helping us keep that focus. Look for those opportunities to do good today, and every day.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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?

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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.

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