WHAT WE HUNGER FOR

        The other day I was reading Matthew and came across the Beatitudes, that wonderful set of faith statements Jesus spoke during His sermon on the Mount. One of them is a favorite: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)
        It occurred to me people today hunger and thirst after just about everything except righteousness. “Righteousness won’t pay the bills,” someone says, so they hunger and thirst after possessions, pleasure, power or prestige. That’s what the world teaches us, and when it comes to learning wrong information or following wrong ways, we are very good students.
        What we hunger for helps make us who we are. If we constantly seek frivolous things, we will miss what is important. If we hunger and thirst for the toys of technology, we will tire when they become obsolete. Then we must seek something newer and better, forgetting that having the latest electronic gadget does not guarantee any happiness.
        What will you be seeking today? What are you hungry or thirsty for? Why not seek what is precious and lasting? Why not pray to God for His guidance? Why not help someone in need, give some money or goods to the poor, or quietly stop doing something that you know is wrong?
        It’s not a sin to hunger or thirst for some gadgets or trinkets. They, too, are God’s blessings. But possessions must not become the center of life. None of that produces righteousness. Jesus will show us the truly important things if we ask Him or read His Word.
        The main purpose of God’s Word is to show us that Jesus is our Savior. The Old Testament points towards the coming Savior, and the New Testament points back that Jesus is the promised Savior. Jesus is the center of it all.
        Read your Bible today, not many pages, just a small portion. Read a passage, think about it, and pray about it. You will be surprised how God will show you His righteousness. And the perhaps, you, too, will be satisfied.
        Help us, O Lord, to be satisfied with what You have given us. Thank You for it, and help us use it wisely and share it with others, amen

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com

TIME FOR A MESSAGE FROM GOD?

      Looks can be deceiving. About twenty years ago, we were visiting at my brother’s farm one afternoon and decided to go to a farm auction nearby. A large crowd, perhaps a hundred or more, were looking over the items of the sale. With a chuckle, I pointed out to my brother several heavy men in bib overalls and seed corn caps. They stood around laughing, hands in pockets, chewing tobacco, looking like “hayseeds.” My brother told me to be careful what I said about them, because they were some of the wealthiest people in southern Minnesota. 

      Yes, looks can be deceiving. The prophet Amos was a lowly farmer from the south Judah sent to prophesy to the well-dressed, wealthy folks who lived up north. Because of his appearance, he was not well received. The people of Israel had achieved things Americans can relate to: money and security, full social calendars, influential friends, and a life with plenty of leisure time. But they had neglected more important things, their relationship with God and caring for those in need. Lives that seemed full were basically empty.

      One wonders how Amos would view our culture today with our ever-bigger houses, newer stadiums or more casinos. He’d wonder why we had such harmful drugs and useless toys, while ignoring churches and neighbors in need. He’d shake his head at the vile language everywhere while people get punished for petty, non-inclusive words. He’d wonder how we could think we know so much, justify any kind of marriage and argue over gender identities, while failing to educate themselves about God.

       Modern people have gotten too big for our britches. We need to stop embracing foolishness and ignoring God’s Word. Perhaps it’s time for a prophet in bib overalls to remind us of God’s power and majesty. 

      Among other things, Amos wrote, “The Lord, the Lord almighty, He touches the earth and it melts, and all who live in it shall mourn.” (Amos 9:5) Did Amos foresee global warming?

      My prayer is that God will soon send someone to smack us upside the head with a message we will take to heart. It’s happened before, but it usually comes with painful lessons. 

      God can send us such a prophet again with a message we will not want to hear. Meanwhile, let’s trust the Lord Jesus, accept His forgiveness and share it with others. Amos would agree with that wholeheartedly!

I pray that some future prophet will make God’s truth so plain that even the most intelligent and educated might understand and accept it.

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com

WHAT CAN WE DO?

        What can we do? Whenever we hear of another mass shooting, most of us ask, “What can we do?” I have been a longtime member of NRA, so I support our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. But I also know that no rights are absolute. Even our First Amendment right to free speech is not absolute. You cannot, by law, shout, “FIRE!” in a crowded place if there is no fire, for that word may bring harm to the people. All rights have limitations.
        However, I am against trying to remove all firearms from the public. Aside from it being impossible, it would only take firearms away from the innocent and put them in the hands of those who would prey upon the innocent. Removing all firearms from citizens would result in more mass murders. Removing some, such as fully automatic weapons of war, makes sense. Machine guns were illegal for a decade or so in the 1990s and should be made so again. No one needs them now except our soldiers.
        You see, the problem is not with our firearms, but with our hearts. Most modern Americans have given up their faith and trust in God and now resort only to secular solutions. Since the problem is with our hearts, then we need hearts that are right with God. Those can only come with faith and prayer.
        Officially, America has turned its back on God. We are now secularists. We have shut references to God out of public life in the vain and prideful belief that mankind can fix anything. “Anything is possible for us; some things just take longer” is the creed of modern religion. But if that were true, we would have made more headway on our problems. The more knowledge we gain, the less we accomplish against evil in the world.
        Jesus said it right. His disciples were frustrated when He said that no one, not even the richest person, could get into the Kingdom by his/her own efforts. They asked, “[If not the rich,] Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(Matthew 19:25-26)
        No solution to mass shootings is possible without God’s intervention, and by God I mean the God of the Bible, the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One of our greatest mistakes is to think all “gods” are the same. There is only one who is real.
        What then can we do? We can pray, every day, and without reservation. We can urge understanding and caring among those we know are fearful. We should pray every day for our leaders as well as for those in need: the homeless, hungry, unemployed and confused.
        Above all, we must trust the Son of God who said, “With God all things are possible.”

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com