Branded

When I was in high school there was a brainless trend exploding through the ranks of post pubescent boys whose prefrontal cortexes had yet to be fully developed. 

Travis, a fellow 9^th grade buddy, came up to me and exclaimed, “Hey Ole! Check this out!” as he projected his left fist in front of my nose to reveal a red circle on the back of his hand.  The spot was red, swollen and even seemed to be weeping some translucent cream colored excrement.

“Wow! What did you do?”

“I got branded!”

“How? Why?”

“Dykoff and I did it together…we both got one!”

“How? Why?” I asked again.

“We used a cigarette lighter…you know…from the ash tray in your car. We pushed it in…it heated up…and then we took it and pressed it against our skin! Cool huh!?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Why not!?...You should do it too! That would be so cool!”

“I don’t think so.” 

Incredibly, as the days and weeks went on, I began to see more and more people with these round burn marks appearing on their hands and arms.  Astoundingly, even some girls began revealing their own orbital wounds.

I remember seeing Travis’ hand, 4 years later, as we graduated…burn mark still there.  The reality is that scar may still be evident today, a permanent brand…to constantly remind him of his own stupidity. 

It is believed that branding was first used thousands of years ago.  The ancient Norse used a word for a burning piece of wood…brandr…which meant “to burn,” which is where we even get our English word, “brand.”  Yet, forms of branding existed far before that.  Even ancient Israelites had forms of branding…not necessarily with fire, iron and sticks…but with blue tassels.   Numbers 15, speaks of tying blue tassels to their garments.  These tassels were symbols of royalty.  It showed that these people…were a “royal people…a royal priesthood,” and when they looked upon the tassels…they were to remember to obey the one to whom they belonged…God almighty. 

Today we are infiltrated with “brands,”…golden arches, multi colored “G”, a bitten apple, a gold bowtie on the front of our vehicles; the list goes on seemingly forever.  Brands mark belonging.  My phone belongs to a company who likes to taste fruit and then cast away the remnants.  My coffee comes from some mythical siren calling me with the sweet aroma of dark roast.  Major brands are unmistakable…recognizable in a single glance.

What is it then…that reveals my faith? Is it my love for others? Maybe…I hope so.  Is it my kindness? Maybe…I hope so.  But there is one image that reveals my deep convictions…one act that demonstrates who I belong to….Baptism.  Baptism is the branding of the new life that I have received in Christ.  Baptism tells the world…I belong to Jesus…I belong to the Savior…I belong to the Life Giver.  I have been branded…I belong to Jesus. My baptism is a reminder of the new life Christ has given me…much like a small circular burn is a reminder of high school stupidity. 

May we come to be branded…belonging to Christ.

 I Can’t Wait!

 

“I can’t wait!”

These are words that I frequently hear, like a skipping vinyl record, from the mouth of my 15 year old son. 

 “I can’t wait for Saturday!”

“I can’t wait for deer hunting!”

“I can’t wait to go camping!”

I can’t wait until my new white shoes arrive!”

“I can’t wait until my new black shoes arrive!”

“I can’t wait until my new blue shoes arrive!”

“I can’t wait until I get my driver’s license.” It is strange how I do not share his enthusiasm.

 “I can’t wait until football starts!”

“I can’t wait until football is over!”

“I can’t wait until supper!”

They are not bad words…yet I find myself resistant to their implications, especially in the midst of our, instant gratification oriented, society and our Burger King minded, “My way, right away,” generation.

My answer to my son is usually… “Well…you are going to have to wait…”

I too have found myself in the midst of great anticipation.  I remember, vividly, the night before my wedding.  I didn’t sleep a bit as the day grew closer with each passing minute.  I lay awake in bed anticipating the next day when this girl that I had come to know so well and I would be married!

My life has never been the same since.

I remember anticipating the birth of our first child.  As each day would pass, the waiting grew more difficult, especially by the 7^th day past the due date.

My life has never been the same since.

Now, I mostly anticipate each and every morning of my life…because…with each morning comes a fresh cup of coffee…and a delicious breakfast.

Anticipation is actually very healthy.  Anticipation gives us something to hope for…something to strive toward…something to really LIVE for.

The irony is that in this world, so many things that we strive for and hope for…so many of the things that we anticipate actually leaves us unsatisfied and wanting more.

I think Revelation 21 reveals to us THE PRIZE beyond prizes! This passage gives us something to “really” anticipate!!! This passage reminds me of that great night of sleeplessness as I awaited the union with my bride! This chapter shows to us the beautiful Bride of Christ, His Church, coming into the perfect relationship with the Lamb.  It reveals the great and perfect New Heaven and New Earth, the New Jerusalem.  There is no greater anticipation than to BE WITH GOD!!!

WE WILL BE WITH JESUS!

I can’t wait!

 The Prize

 

“Step right up! See if you can be the next winner! Swing the hammer, and hit the bell!  Three attempts for $1.”

“Hmmm…I think I could do that.” I thought to myself. I lift weights regularly and I am one of the strongest kids in the entire 7^th grade. 

“Hey Matt, I think I want to try this.” I said to the buddy who had brought me to Valley Fair for the day.

“What!? No, way!”

“Sure…I think I can do it!”

“Fine…it’s your dollar.”

I paid the man my dollar…picked up the heavy hammer and heaved it onto the driving pin.  The heavy weight, shot into the air…making it nearly half way up the tower before it came crashing back down.  Two more attempts…two more failures.

“Sorry pal…do you want to try again?”

I walked away with my buddy, Matt…feeling dejected and weak.

It was near this moment that my life trajectory changed.  Not necessary because I didn’t hit the bell…but because of my progression toward manhood. It appeared that as I got older my father had more rigorous work for me to be doing around the house. Thus, in addition to lifting weights, I took to splitting wood.  Over the next 6 years, I split countless cords of wood.  I split oak, ash, poplar, some small elms and even some giant white pines.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but all of this work was preparing me for something amazing!

Midway through my college career, I was walking those same streets of Valley Fair with someone far more attractive than my buddy Matt…I was with the prettiest girl ever to set foot on a roller coaster.  As we walked past the sledge hammer, bell tower, “ringy thingy”…I had to stop. I felt compelled to prove myself.  I felt drawn to win a prize for this girl (the girl that I would one day marry…though at the time she did not yet know it).

“Step right up! See if you can be the next winner! Swing the hammer and hit the bell! Three attempts for $5.”

“FIVE DOLLARS!” I thought. “That is some inflation! What happened to the $1?”

“I would like to give a shot.” I said…believing that, not only would Sarah be impressed with my great feat of strength, but also my great wealth of plopping down $5 to win her something real nice.

“Ok, buddy…here’s the hammer…good luck!”

I took the hammer…and I imagined the impact platform transform into a giant block of the knottiest white pine known to mankind…I heaved the hammer over my head and exploded with my full force.  I gritted my teeth and I even growled like an Olympic shot putter. The hammer met the platform, and the lights on the tower climbed. The lights climbed over half way.  The lights climbed over 75% of the way. The lights climbed to the top, and the bell rang!  Winner!

I won!

All of that work!  All of that training, and it paid off!

The pimple-faced, Valley Fair worker congratulated me and handed me an inflatable pool toy in the shape of a hammer.

Lame.

Well, that was a rip off.  I inflated the pool toy and handed it to Sarah, “Here I won this for you.”

“Thanks…What am I supposed to do with this?”

“I don’t know…don’t drown, I guess.”

The prizes are flying around like crazy right now with the culmination of the Tokyo Olympics in full swing.  All of these amazing athletes who have trained for years are winning their prize. I can’t help but wonder when they get home…do they ask, “Now, what am I supposed to do with this?”

Don’t get me wrong, I think that the prize of winning an Olympic Gold Medal is no small feat.  Yet, I am convinced that there is a prize beyond prizes awaiting those who have put their faith in Jesus.  Yet, we train for these earthy prizes, often forgetting the immeasurable prize that awaits those who follow Christ.  Paul contrasts this very reality in Philippians 3. He even says that he runs in such a way as to get “The Prize.” His prize is not a crown of olive branches or a gold medal.  His prize is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  His prize is to be with Christ forever.

May we see the prize of Christ and press on toward THAT goal!

 Candy Wrappers

 

“Hey!? Who ate my Hershey’s chocolate with almonds?”

“I don’t know!...but someone ate my Almond Joy too!”

“Seriously? Someone has been into my Kit Kats as well!”

“You have got to be kidding me...like half of my Sour Patch Kids are gone!”

“Someone has been snitching!”

Naturally, I was the first to be blamed…and…rightly so.  I have a weakness for delicious sweets…particularly sweets that contain both chocolate and nuts.  I have a nose for unclaimed chocolate…and I am willing to consume all that I can find…usually in secret…because things eaten in secret don’t count as calories.

During one Christmas season, I secretly consumed 95% of my mother’s Christmas cookies, single handedly…and then allowed my father to take the blame. I was guilty…and years later…I had to face the music when my mother discovered the truth.

Now…it is my son’s turn to face the music.  As my wife was helping this messy teenager clean his room, she came across a plethora of candy wrappers…Hershey’s, Almond Joy, Reese’s, Kit Kats, Sour Patch Kids…you name it…it was there!

“What is all this!?” she asked.

“Ummm….candy wrappers?”

“Where did it come from?”

“Ummm…I don’t know…”

“What!? Did it just appear in your room? On your bed? In your back pack? In your pocket? Huh!?”

“Ummm…I don’t know…”

“You snitched it…didn’t you!?”

“Ummm…I don’t know…maybe…I guess…”

GUILTY!!!

Recently, I had a can of Coke in the refrigerator that mysteriously disappeared.  “Hey! Where’s my Coke? Isaac? Did you drink my Coke?”

“Ummm…I don’t know…maybe…I guess…”

GUILTY!

 “Hey! Who ate my cake pop!?” Sarah asked.

“Ummm…I don’t know…I guess maybe I did…by accident…” I sheepishly replied with a guilty smile plastered on my face.

“By accident? How did you accidentally eat it!?”

“Ummm…I don’t know…”

GUILTY!

I am the Chief of Guilt!

I have single handedly performed more acts of sin and selfishness than anyone else on this earth…and…so have you!

We…are…guilty.

What truly frightens me…is what we find in Revelation 20.  It says that we will one day be judged on what we have done! GUILTY!!! I AM GUILTY!!!

I am convinced that on the Day of Judgment…EVERYONE stands before the Lord…the Judge…and is asked…”How do you plea?”

Every single one of us…without hesitation…will proclaim… “GUILTY!!!!”

Yet, for those who have accepted the free gift of grace from Jesus Christ…will have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  After I have pled guilty…there will come another voice that will resonate with glory, “NOT GUILTY!” 

Jesus exonerates those who know Him…though we are guilty…We are saved!...We are set free!...We are pronounced, “NOT GUILTY!”

Though we are guilty…Jesus offers freedom…He offers an escape…if we will simply receive it.

Will you receive it?

 It's Over!

On a cold January day in Minnesota, my friend, Leonard, asked me, “Hey, what should we do today?”

We were between semesters at Crown College, in Minnesota, and had a few days to kill before the 2^nd half of our sophomore year began.  After spending a day up north with my parents, we ran out of entertaining things to do…like shoveling snow for dad…changing the oil in his vehicle…and listening to a rousing conversation about grout.  We figured that we needed to find something else to pass the time.

“I don’t know…we could really do anything.  We could drive around and waste gas because we are in college and super rich and don’t have enough brains to realize that we have no money and can’t afford anything but ramen noodles.” (Only part of that run-on sentence may have actually been stated…the rest should have been).

“What would you think about driving up to see Jessica?” He asked.

“Sure!” I replied.  I had never met Jessica…but he talked about her frequently and if I didn’t know better…it sure seemed that they were going to be married within a week or two.  He seemed to have big plans for the two of them. “Where does she live?”

“She’s in Duluth.”

“Alright…let’s go.”

We hopped into my 1981 Plymouth Grand Fury and hit the icy roads of northern Minnesota to embark on the 2 hour drive to a place that I had never been and on roads I had never driven.  Leonard held the map as we were without the benefit of cell phones and GPS.  All we really had on our behalf was a barely working radio and 18 gallons of fuel in the tank.

We took the winding roads around the frozen lakes, the wind stirring whiteout like blizzard conditions across the windshield.  We rolled through most of the stop signs to save us from sucking down the exhaust vapors seeping into the automobile while stopped and idling.

We finally arrived at his “girlfriend’s” house at around 11:00 a.m.

“I hope they have something good for lunch…I’m starved.”

“I hope that she is home!” He answered.

“What!?  You mean you don’t even know if she’s home?”

“Nope”

“What do we do if she’s not here?”

“We wait.”

“How long have the two of you been seeing each other?”

“We haven’t…not yet anyway…we just met at camp last summer.”

“Have you even been on a date?”

“Nope.”

We walked across the snow packed driveway to the door…walked up the three porch steps and knocked.

“Good news!...I hear someone inside,” he whispered.

“Hot soup…Hot soup would be good…maybe some chili.” I chattered.

The door opened, and before us stood a very proper, but kind woman…looking at the two of us with questioning eyes. “Hello?” she asked hesitantly.

“Hello Mrs. Lang, I’m Leonard…and the guy with the dead rabbit on his head is Ryan.”

“It’s not a dead rabbit…it’s a rabbit hat…which…I guess is a dead rabbit.”

“We are friends of Jessica!...Well, I am Jessica’s friend…He doesn’t even know her.”

“I’m sorry…Jessica is not home right now...She’s working.”

“That’s ok. We can wait.”

“Oh…ummm…ok…why don’t you come in…I guess.”

We stepped into the house and sat down…and waited.

We waited....and…we waited.

After 2 hours had passed, I finally broke the silence, “So, what time is Jessica going to be home?”

“She gets off at 6:00.”Her mother replied.

At this point there was a scream…it was generated from my starving stomach and was powerful enough to shake the walls.

“What was that noise?” asked Mrs. Lang.

“That was Ryan’s stomach.” Leonard answered.

“Haven’t you boys eaten?”

“Sure, I did…I had a nice supper, yesterday!”

“Yesterday? Would you like something to eat?”

“YES ,PLEASE!”

Mrs. Lang kindly fed us and then we played Yahtzee until 6:00 when Jessica finally arrived home.

As she stepped into the house, you could read the surprise…confusion…wonder…and then disgust on her face as she processed the two young college boys who had invaded her home uninvited.

“Hi Jessica!...It’s me Leonard!”

“Yes…I remember you.”

“Well…I just thought we’d stop in and see you.”

“Who’s he?”

“That’s Ryan…He’s my driver.”

“You know Leonard…you are kind to come all this way…but it’s a bit creepy that you are here…I don’t think things are going to work out between us…good bye.”

“Wait…what about supper?” I begged.

“Grab your rabbit hat and start the car…we are going home.” Leonard said flatly.

Sadly for my buddy…that relationship ended before it ever began. There is a remarkable scene in Revelation 19. We see great praise and rejoicing…and then there is a build up to an incredible ending conflict between good and evil.  The enemies of God are gathering to battle against the Lamb of God…Jesus Christ…the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Then…just as the battle is about ready to be assaulted…the battle is over…by the Word from the mouth of Jesus…It is over!

I see the incredible sovereignty and power of Jesus reflected in this image.  With all the powers of the enemies of God…ready to battle against God almighty…we find that there IS NO BATTLE! Jesus wins. Period. What power! What authority! What a King!

*(Names have been changed to protect the innocent and condemn the guilty)

 Loss

 

I have spent countless hours of my life using a variety of baits and lures attempting to convince finicky fish to strike the tempting counterfeit dinner…and get hooked. I love fishing. I have loved it since I was a young boy.  Now, I am frequently joined by my own son who relishes in the sport as much, if not more, than I do.  Others in the family also enjoy the peace and relaxation of back-lashed fishing reels, lures stuck in trees or snagged on underwater logs, broken rods, non-responsive boat motors, rainy and windy days, hooks in the carpet, seats, hands, legs or heads…not to mention the fish that are lost at the side of the boat…but…not as much as the two of us.

We have lost more than our share of fish.  Sometimes the hooks never even get into the mouth of the cold blooded aquatic swimmers.  Other times, it seems that even when we have done everything right, the fish is still able to jump and throw the lure or somehow magically get off the line just before our net reaches to snatch the bass from the dark waters.  It is hard to watch the fish swim away into the deep water while your heart sinks even deeper.  This is usually the largest fish of the day…even if it wasn’t…it quickly becomes so as you relive what could have been.

We spend most of our time fishing for bass.  The river is abundant with them. They offer exciting, adrenaline pumping, action as you fight them back to the boat…and once in a while, land a really nice big one.  We then let them go…unless, of course, we are so fortunate as to catch the elusive Minnesota Walleye. 

We don’t target walleye very often.  Probably because we are not very good at it…and by not catching them, we feel like failures. So instead, we fish for bass…and every once in a while, we are surprised with the treasured state fish of Minnesota.  We keep all of our walleye…no matter the size...well…we would probably throw an 8” walleye back into the water…but anything larger, is going home to be placed on a fish sandwich.

A couple of years ago, Isaac and I were on the water. After hooking himself deep with a treble hook…we went to the local ER to have the hook removed. As soon as the hook was out…we went right back out onto the water…and just our luck…we nabbed one of these rare treasures.  Isaac hooked him up while cranking for smallies with a 6’ diving Rapala. 

“Wow sweet!...Here’s the stringer…hook him up and we can eat him for supper!”

“All right! Ok!” he replied.

He took the stringer and ran it through the gills and out the mouth of the marbled eyed fish and tied the end to the boat.

It felt good.  With the rough day that we had had…it was nice to have something to show for it…and eat!! After all the time spent…and wasted…we suddenly felt rich!  We had a walleye!

Sadly, as we were packing things up for the day…Isaac reached down to pull the stringer out of the water and into the boat…only to find the stringer…EMPTY.

Our prized possession was gone.

Apparently, he had not looped the stringer back through the ring before he tied it up…so basically, he passed the stringer through the fish…and let it go.

Loss.  We all have loss.  We lose fish at the side of the boat.  We lose fish by not tying up the stringer.  We lose lures caught in trees…or on the bottom of the river.  We lose money.  We lose things. We lose our childhood. We lose our flexibility.  We lose our jobs. We lose our loved ones.  Revelation 18, gives us a powerful picture of loss.  Jesus had just finished doing what He had promised that He would do.  He had said that He would cut down evil and destroy it.  In this chapter, we see the great wealth of the world come crashing down.  We see people who have become very rich…lose everything in an instant…people are weeping and wailing…crying for all that they have lost.

I can’t help but remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6.  He told us that the things of this earth will all rot away…so instead, store up for yourselves, treasures in heaven. 

What have you lost?  What are you ready to gain?

May we come to see the things of this world as temporary…and the promised riches of the Kingdom to come…as eternal!  Thank you Jesus! Thank you, our Coming King.

Donut

The line was long…too long.  I could spot the best treats still in the box, yet there must have been 13 hungry men, or more, taking up the space in front of me.  I could try to cut in line by pretending that I knew someone further up…or attempt to put on the façade that I am actually a part of a “different” team.  However, my purple and black, Little Falls Wrestling coach’s shirt may have given me away.  My years of coaching wrestling always left me struck by the irony of how a sport that demands weight management could offer such a smorgasbord of the most amazing foods and sweets for coaches during tournaments.  The layouts of delicacies were enough to make my, then 250lb, belly giddy.

I did my best to stay patient as I followed the other Little Falls coaches in line.  I was lowest on the pecking order…thus, despite my massive size…my position remained last.  One by one, the donuts of glory were being snatched up.  First to go were the cream filled long johns…followed by the raspberry bismarks.  The chocolate glazed copa banana’s were gone with 8 people still ahead of me.  The honeymoons, cinnamon twists and bearclaws were all eliminated next.  Several of these men were taking multiple grand confections at a time! As I approached the box…only the assistant coach stood before me.  I watched…and was mortified as he took the final, strawberry cream cheese bismark…leaving me with a half smashed, crumbly, plain cake donut.  My tears made the already sorry looking donut appear that much worse through the blurred vision and now soaked with salty moisture.

We made our way to the nearby tables and sat down with our baked items and our cups of cheap, weak coffee.  I consumed the pile of crumbs from my plate and looked to see that the final strawberry cream cheese bismark still remained on the man’s plate…un-touched.  

I wanted that donut.  I could imagine the flavor! My chubby belly longed to be filled with the smooth cream cheese icing and the perfect blend of fried dough and strawberries. I needed it…I desired it…I had to have it! I was drawn to it.  I would do almost anything to consume it. 

Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore…

“Are you going to finish that?!” I blurted out.

“What…the donut?...I haven’t even had a bite yet.”

“Yeah…I know…are you going to finish it?”

“I plan on it.”

“I don’t think that you should…look at you…you are so skinny and trim…do you know how many fats are in something like that?  It is filled with sugar…and butter…and lard…and the cream cheese icing is one of the worst things for you…maybe you should just let me have it…I am already fat…I can handle the calories better than you anyway.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Yes…I want it…no…I NEED it!”

I am convinced that he must have been astounded by my absurd request and bold statement…despite that…I was given the prize.

 “Here take it…”

YES! I took the donut and inhaled it.  It was gone faster than Usain Bolt runs the 100m dash.  It tasted…bland.  It was dry.  The icing was pathetic.  In fact, I felt the donut hit my gut like a bomb, and I became ill most of the rest of the day.

Donuts are not the only thing that I find myself craving…there are many things…some are relatively healthy…many are not…yet, in either case, I usually go over the top.  I have a habit of over consuming.  It’s a weakness.

In this account I see a picture of sin.  Not necessarily the donuts…though some of them taste so good that they may in fact be sinful…but rather, the allure of the fried fritters.  Just as my eyes are drawn to these confectionary golden rings, my eyes are also drawn to other things.  My eyes are drawn to new bicycles, fishing rods, boats and boat motors…my eyes are drawn to the Peanut M&M’s and the cookies that I have secretly stashed in the cupboard. This is the picture of sin that I see…my eyes being drawn away from the things of Christ and falling onto my own yearnings and selfishness.

I think that is what Satan does on a much larger and more destructive scale.  He lures us.  He draws our eyes…he pulls our attention.  He knows that he cannot steal away a believer’s salvation…yet he never stops alluring all mankind to get and keep our eyes OFF of Jesus Christ. 

Sadly, he is very good at this…and has been very successful. Revelation 17 begins to show us how Satan and his powerful alluring…WILL be destroyed! Thank the Lamb…that He will conquer sin, death, evil and Satan for good!

Praise the victorious Lamb!