The Lord is good…All the time! (a sort of chant we use at our church, for folks who recognize His work in our lives).

What’s been going on since that last missive? Tons! I’m now into my second year of Teaching full-time. I’ve been extremely busy since the last time I posted, but still spending time with the Lord in prayer and devotions (though not as consistently as I’d like).

I’m teaching at an inner-city high school here in San Diego. I was hired in August 2010 to initially teach Digital Art and Mixed Media, which is primarily Graphic Design, utilizing Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. However, as I have a Single-Subject Credential in Art, my Principal actually had me in mind for another class, so he could get two Teachers for the price of 1-1/2 (long story short, part of my salary is paid by an organization called, “College, Career and Technical Education,” or CCTE, (Partly funded by the Regional Occupation Program, or ROP, here in San Diego), and the other part by the school site. — It’s complicated.

The class I’ve been teaching for the duration, though, is called, “Visual Art & Design,” and is a combination of drawing on paper, and utilizing rudimentary (introduction to) digital art — so it’s (intended to be) the best of both worlds. Pardon my parenthetical bent, but the reality lately has been, with all the budget cuts, I have no place to put the 15 working computers (outdated iMacs, with too little amount of RAM and not nearly enough hard drive space to store) I’m supposed to somehow network in my classroom. Not only that, but I only have 8 outlets (4 on each wall) for power and 6 outlets (3 on each wall) for Internet, so I’m going to have to figure out how to daisy-chain all the systems together somehow and rely heavily on the really weak wireless connection on campus.

I did get a laptop cart from another teacher, however, the systems are even older than the iMacs (they’re G4 systems, if you have any idea what that means, yay, you’re a Macintosh fan, like me). And, as I was wheeling the cart, with the 30 laptops out her door, she told me, “Oh, by the way, only 6 of the 30 power cables work, and I don’t know which 6 they are, but that’s what’s in the top of the box. Oh, and also, half of the cart doesn’t get power because one of the students broke off one of the three prongs on one of the cables — good luck.”

I’ve always been a “glass is half-full,” kind of a guy, but this is ridiculous! I know a fair amount about computers, but I’m in way over my head. However, having said all of that, I must confess I see the Lord’s hand in all of it. The blessing is, that in this economy, even though I’ve heard rumors of mid-year layoffs and school closings, I am currently employed, and (supposedly) have a one-year contract, that, even if I’m laid off in February, I’m supposed to get paid until June — does that make sense to anyone?

Can you guess what my prayer requests might be, from all of the above? If not, here’s the rundown:
1. The obvious one, to avoid the mid-year layoff
2. That I can find the time and resources to get the computers up and running in the next two weeks before the Christmas break (which of course I can’t call it that in a Public School)
3. That the Lord will continue to grant me favor in the school, with the handful of students who have, thus far, felt comfortable enough to approach me about my faith.

The last one is the most significant, of course, as I’m not allowed to share my faith in a Public School setting. What this really means is that I can’t initiate a conversation about my Savior, but, if any of the students happen to see my Bible in the bookshelf next to my desk, and inquire, I can discuss it…

There’s a young lady in my class (I’ll call her “Jane,” since she’s a minor, and might stumble across this blog) who, at the end of 3rd period the other day said, “Mr. Wing, “Joe” (not his real name) won’t talk to me anymore!” When I asked why not, she said, “because I told him I decided to become an Atheist.” “Really?” I said, “Joe, is this true?” After he confirmed it, I explained to the two of them that open communication is the best way to resolve the conflict. I suggested that they continue discussing the reasons she changed her beliefs, so that perhaps his witness will either win her “back,” or at the very least, cement in the foundations of his own faith.

One of my favorite sayings, that I shared with the two of them is, “A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.”
How this relates to their relationship is that further discussion can be tempered in such a way as to openly debate the merits of each other’s opinions and beliefs without threatening their personal convictions.

I’m not certain if that left the door open for either of them, but I did suggest that if either of them wanted to discuss the issue further that I’d be available and willing to mediate the discussion. Though neither have taken me up on it, “Jane,” has at least been made to feel comfortable in the classroom again (though, on the extreme opposite end of the classroom from “Joe.”)

On another completely different topic, the Lord seems to be guiding me in another direction as well, as my home-fellowship Bible Study leader is feeling called to found a new church. His name is Luman Wing (we’re not directly related, even though we have the same last name — our branches from the original Wing family who settled in Sandwich, Massachusetts in the 1600s, separated with that original family), and we’re moving forward with the process, to plant a church in La Jolla, California.

So, that would be another HUGE prayer request, that the Lord be at the center of the entire process.

Though I can’t guarantee it won’t be another 23 months before my next posting, I will make the attempt to respond to everyone who comments. Again, my apologies, but with the attention span of a gnat, and all the things the Lord has been blessing me with, I will try to be a better steward of this amazing evangelistic tool (blogging & the web).

In His Service, for HIS work.
(John 4:34)

In case anyone else is wondering too…

I haven’t blogged in quite a while, at least on this site.

I have a pretty short attention span.
What typically happens is I get really excited about something and go gangbusters on it, then lose interest and go on to something else.
I am still around.
I’ve been “underemployed,” now for nearly 15 months.
I use that term, because, technically, I’m not unemployed, according to the State of California, if I’ve worked even one hour in the last few weeks since receiving my unemployment check. I’ve been getting about 1 day a week on average of substitute teaching work, so technically, I’m not unemployed.
But it’s not enough to cover the bills, so I still collect unemployment.

But that doesn’t answer your question.
I still write quite a bit, but haven’t shared anything on any of my blogs (I currently have about nine), in far too long.
Thanks for asking.
I’m traveling this week to Arizona, to help my parents move there, and may get some time for introspection from my various daily Bible studies, so perhaps I’ll add to one or more of the blogs.

This morning, I’m working on completing artwork for the 1st-grade Sunday school class I co-teach every other week.
Perhaps I’ll start posting some of the artwork when the opportunity arises again.

Scripture for the day: “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” — 2Timothy 4:1

Alas, I have not been, at least consistently.

So thanks again, Shaun, for reminding me of my responsibilities.

As a matter of fact, since I’m on the topic, I might as well show you the lesson I developed for this week. Our church subscribes to Cantamar Publishing, from Woodstock, Georgia, but I oftentimes will take the craft they provide and develop my own. I can do this because I have been a Graphic Designer and Illustrator/Cartoonist for 25+ years. The following is the note and graphic that I sent to Cantamar, as a thank you, giving them full reproduction rights to use my graphics.

Graphic for the study: click to download pdf

This graphic was inspired by the lesson: “Philip Shares the Good News With the Ethiopian” from Acts 8:26-39

The directions are as follows:

1. Color the scene and the two figures, as well as the water and scripture.
2. Cut out the cross and outline of the page, along the dotted lines
3. Paste the scene to construction paper
4. Paste the figure of the Ethiopian (sometimes depicted as royalty) on top of the water
5. The figure of Philip can be placed or pasted on the water too, but make sure to tell the story first

Obviously, teachers can tell the story and alter the lesson in any way they’d like to, but since Philip was taken away by the Spirit, it seems logical to not paste him to the page, or to paste him, let the glue dry, then remove him from the scene, leaving the torn paper, representing the fact that he was in fact there, but the Spirit took him away.

What matters is that, though I was late in getting to my devotional reading, the Lord visited me there and reminded me of what my mission for Him is all about.

Reading through the book of Lamentations, experiencing Jeremiah’s anguish over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, he dispairs over what the Lord is doing to his bride; “My tears flow down endlessly. they will not stop until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees. My heart is breaking over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem.” (Lam. 3:49-51)

At last I understand my pastor’s anguish over his flock: in performing his duties, he’s developed a passion for his flock, exactly like Jeremiah.

Then it occurred to me, “I have a flock too.” Though I am not a pastor, not having a church, a degree in divinity from some seminary, or the imprimatur of some religious organization, the Lord placed me in a family; The Lord places me in job situations (even though I’m unemployed at the moment); there are groups of people — commonly referred to as a sphere of influence — whom I believe the Lord placed me in to affect for Him.

And I haven’t.

I find it curious that the Lord reaches one individual at a time. I find it curious that He reached down and chose me and compels me to reach others. Except for daily reading His Word, I am no theologian, yet desire to study more and affect more people within my sphere of influence.

And I haven’t.

I prayed that the Lord open my eyes, to see what motivates my pastor, and He did. Damnation is as real as salvation.

If I don’t tell my brothers and sisters (in my immediate and extended families — my sphere of influence) about the dangers and rewards, who will? “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (James 4:17)

Whether or not my “sphere” accepts Jesus’ gift of eternal salvation, or, by default, damnation, is not my responsibility;
What is my responsibility is to tell them about Him.
The decision is their’s but my eyes have opened, and heart bleeds to tell them.

“My people” won’t know about Jesus unless I tell them.

Lord, give me opportunity, and strength to tell them. Amen

I don’t want someone looking over my shoulder and saying, “You shouldn’t be doing that.”
“I know it’s wrong, and I’ll justify my beliefs, regardless of what the Bible has to say.”
“It’s how I am, and a lot of other people think the same way.”
“You’re not my mother!”
“I thought you were a Christian!”

Are these the words of a self-pleaser or one who desires to please the Lord — even at the cost of looking foolish to other people?
Are my views too strict? Am I a prude, just because — though I often fail — I desire to live my life by the standard of the Bible?

My question, and daily struggle is this:
If my desire and will are in conflict with what is plainly stated in God’s Word, which ought to change, His Word, or my way of thinking?

I have a very dear friend in Christ who has, in my opinion, no problem bending and justifying his notion of what is acceptable behavior.
I myself have had issues I’ve had to resolve, and when there has been a conflict, I take it to the Lord in prayer, or ask a number of friends, relatives, co-workers and prayer-buddies, their opinions.

You know which opinions I value the most?
The ones that begin with the phrase, “Well the Bible says…”
Or the ones who ask, “What does the Bible have to say about this?”

I am writing this became of an issue I had this week when I challenged a dear friend in Christ about something he did that I thought was inappropriate. I asked how we ought to behave, if we believe the cliché that, “I am the only Bible most people will ever read.” I sent him an email about my disappointment that he would do such a thing, quoting  1Thess. 5:22, “Abstain (or avoid) the appearance of evil.”

And got slammed for it. Got it thrown back in my face.

What’s does it mean, anyway, “I’m the only Bible some people will ever read?” Don’t I have the freedom in Christ, without having to worry about what other people think?
Do my neighbors really watch me as closely as I think they do, or am I being paranoid?

Am I being legalistic? Am I judging his behavior, when I know I’ve stumbled in this area myself?

What does it mean to be “an Ambassador of Christ,” anyway?
It means His way is the right way, and  I represent Him in this world, especially to those who have marginal or half-beliefs or understandings about what the Bible has to say about how to live their lives, or don’t care to have a Lord over their lives.

People don’t want someone telling them they need to consider changing their behavior to how Christ would have them live, how He commands us to live. Are my (non-believing) neighbors, relatives, co-workers and acquaintances watching me, waiting for me to stumble so they can say, “hey, I thought you were a Christian! You mean it’s o.k. to be a Christian, but not change the things you do? You mean I can call myself a Christian and drink as much alcohol, sleep with as many people as I want to, cheat on my taxes and steal from my employer, and God will still accept me?”

Obviously I’m being facetious. Obviously I’m being sarcastic. Obviously, I believe Christ died for my sins, and I desire to change from the ways I used to believe and do, before I claimed Christ as my Savior and Lord. Everyone wants Christ to be their Savior, but few want Him to have Lordship over their lives.

Is it my place to hold my brother accountable to things he’s read (and quoted to me) from the Bible? What does the Bible say?
The Bible says, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.“ — Matt. 18:15-17 (NASB)

How does my brother’s sin against God become sin against me?
In this case, we are known to a large group of people — believers and non-believers alike — as being good friends and Christians. His sin, though not evident to most, and certainly not in his own eyes, isn’t based on an egregious commission of a crime, but rather a behavior he takes for granted that “has the appearance of evil;” his sin is that he’s acting like the rest of the world around him without the least care of what Christ, or even his pastor, or good friend would consider appropriate.

I guess the question I have to ask myself is, “How far am I willing to go, to stand on my convictions?” Am I willing to risk this friendship to challenge his belief?
Essentially a moot point, as we had the discussion this morning; though we did not come to an agreement or resolve (other than agreeing to disagree), the behavior won’t be changing, and in fact, he’s engaging in it as I write this.

So how does God speak to us today?
Only through His Word, the Holy Bible, for however amount of time we spend reading, meditating on and studying it?
Only on Sunday, for the hour we spend at church?

Is it possible, that He is constantly speaking to us through all of these ways, as well as through brothers and sisters in Christ who are not afraid of “speaking the truth in love,” challenging us, and even rebuking us on our actions?

If I am wrong, I trust that the Lord, or one of these will speak to me, and not be in conflict with His Word.
If I am wrong, but humble, I will accept God’s Word — at His Word, and change my ways to conform to His Word.

That is what it means tome to be an Ambassador and servant of the Lord.

My prayer is that My Lord continues to accept my questioning, motives and desires; and that He continues to allow for my weakness so I’ll turn to and rely on His strength. My prayer is that, if anything I’m doing appears to be evil (not in accordance with His will), that my brothers and sisters, fellow servants of Christ, fear the Lord more, and have less of a concern for hurting my feelings, or losing my friendship, and more concerned with telling me “What Jesus would do:” “speaking the truth in love,”  out of obedience and fear of the Lord.

The book of John, chapter 17 and the service (from Horizon Christian Fellowship) are filled with a multitude of lessons, but the one thing that struck me first that tie the two together is Romans 8:37-9: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Aside from the security of our salvation, it also affirms Jesus as the Son of God, and the authority granted the Son by the Father.

As (one of the) the sticker(s) on my back windshield reminds me, “They are not part of this world any more than I am.” John 17:16 (NoTW)
I was floored a few weeks ago when my daughter Alexa and I stumbled upon a store at the Fletcher Hills mall with all those products, as well as the website. It is very inspiring to see the Lord’s work being conveyed in my industry of Art and Graphic Design.

I generally take an entire page of notes during services like Sunday’s, (As I often write very small, it would likely transcribe to two pages in anyone else’s notes – typically depending on the thickness of the pen I’m writing with). The Wednesday morning men’s group I’ve gone to discusses Mike’s sermons, which is awesome because I’ve been looking for a group that does specifically that. I often wonder why we don’t follow up those kinds of studies at home fellowship, to get a deeper understanding of Mike’s thoughts.

John is my second favorite Bible author, after Paul. Sometimes I think I could spend a llifetime in the book of Romans alone. John, like Paul, is so meditatively deep; every verse seems to be a sermon wrapped up in a phrase. It blows me away how significant Our Lord views us when I ask why He would die for me:

• v. 10 – we belong to Him? We are His glory?
• v. 8 – I’m a gift to Jesus, from the Father?
• v. 11 – He interceeds for us to His Father?
• v. 23 – The Father loves us as much as He loves His Son?
• v. 26 – continual revelation of the Father, from the Son, and our abiding in Him

All amazing phrases, promises and requests from the Son to the Father – on our behalf!
And yet I am so unworthy to receive any of it.
As pastor Mike queried on Sunday: why would Jesus come to the earth to die for me?

Simple, but eternally mind-blowing answer? Because He loves me.

Even though I know I have freedom from death, in our Savior’s sacrifice of Himself for our sake, my humanity gets in the way, in the form of feelings of unworthiness. But it isn’t the feeling of unworthiness based on the fact that my righteousness is as filthy rags, rather emotional trauma from the consequences of decisions I’ve made that prevent me from enjoying a closeness to the ones I love the most (next to our Savior): my children.

I was blessed in May of last year by a revelation of the separation from my children, how our heavenly Father separated Himself from His Son for my sake; meditating on the stations of the cross that my son, Jonathan built as the final project for his eagle scout badge. Especially significant was that Mary, Jesus’ earthly mother, knows my anguish. As does God the Father.

How blessed is it that the Creator of the Universe is familiar with every pain I experience?

But I digress, as I often do.

In 2006 I decided to buy and attempt to read through “The One Year Chronological Bible: The New Living Translation.” And, other than occasionally missing a few days and playing catch-up, have successfully gone through three times.

The neat thing about this particular Bible is that it is ordered, not like most Bibles, but chronologically, from the dates events in historical order. So on January 19th, began the book of Job, after the 50th chapter of Genesis.

Having missed yesterday’s devotional, with too much excitement over my first day of student teaching yesterday, I read yesterday and today’s devotional, and as I’ve journaled through the years, I really relate to Job. I have a new blog for that (student teaching) experience as well, to reflect on what I’m learning, as well as to update anyone who might be interested. (another digression, my apologies).

Oops. Just noticed I’m late to get myself and my daughter ready for school. Will complete this entry later…or maybe not. But there will be more blogs, this I can assure you.

Cell phone vs. Bible:

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like
we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go….hmm…where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell phone, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think ‘where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

——————

We are constantly reminded about the destructive consequences of religion — intolerance, hatred, division, inquisitions, persecutions of “heretics,” holy wars. Though far from the whole story, they are, nevertheless, true. There have been many awful consequences of religion.

What one almost never hears described are the deleterious consequences of secularism — the terrible developments that have accompanied the breakdown of traditional religion and belief in God. For every thousand students who learn about the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials, maybe two learn to associate Gulag, Auschwitz, The Cultural Revolution and the Cambodian genocide with secular regimes and ideologies.

For all the problems associated with belief in God, the death of God leads to far more of them.

So, while it is not possible to prove (or disprove) God’s existence, what is provable is what happens when people stop believing in God.

1. Without God there is no good and evil; there are only subjective opinions that we then label “good” and “evil.” This does not mean that an atheist cannot be a good person. Nor does it mean that all those who believe in God are good; there are good atheists and there are bad believers in God. It simply means that unless there is a moral authority that transcends humans from which emanates an objective right and wrong, “right” and “wrong” no more objectively exist than do “beautiful” and “ugly.”

2. Without God, there is no objective meaning to life. We are all merely random creations of natural selection whose existence has no more intrinsic purpose or meaning than that of a pebble equally randomly produced.

3. Life is ultimately a tragic fare if there is no God. We live, we suffer, we die — some horrifically, many prematurely — and there is only oblivion afterward.

4. Human beings need instruction manuals. This is as true for acting morally and wisely as it is for properly flying an airplane. One’s heart is often no better a guide to what is right and wrong than it is to the right and wrong way to fly an airplane. The post-religious secular world claims to need no manual; the heart and reason are sufficient guides to leading a good life and to making a good world.

5. If there is no God, the kindest and most innocent victims of torture and murder have no better a fate after death than do the most cruel torturers and mass murderers. Only if there is a good God do Mother Teresa and Adolf Hitler have different fates.

6. With the death of Judeo-Christian values in the West, many Westerners believe in little. That is why secular Western Europe has been unwilling and therefore unable to confront evil, whether it was Communism during the Cold War or Islamic totalitarians in its midst today.

7. Without God, people in the West often become less, not more, rational. It was largely the secular, not the religious, who believed in the utterly irrational doctrine of Marxism. It was largely the secular, not the religious, who believed that men’s and women’s natures are basically the same, that perceived differences between the sexes are all socially induced. Religious people in Judeo-Christian countries largely confine their irrational beliefs to religious beliefs (theology), while the secular, without religion to enable the non-rational to express itself, end up applying their irrational beliefs to society, where such irrationalities do immense harm.

8. If there is no God, the human being has no free will. He is a robot, whose every action is dictated by genes and environment. Only if one posits human creation by a Creator that transcends genes and environment who implanted the ability to transcend genes and environment can humans have free will.

9. If there is no God, humans and “other” animals are of equal value. Only if one posits that humans, not animals, are created in the image of God do humans have any greater intrinsic sanctity than baboons. This explains the movement among the secularized elite to equate humans and animals.

10. Without God, there is little to inspire people to create inspiring art. That is why contemporary art galleries and museums are filled with “art” that celebrates the scatological, the ugly and the shocking. Compare this art to Michelangelo’s art in the Sistine chapel. The latter elevates the viewer — because Michelangelo believed in something higher than himself and higher than all men.

11. Without God nothing is holy. This is definitional. Holiness emanates from a belief in the holy. This explains, for example, the far more widespread acceptance of public cursing in secular society than in religious society. To the religious, there is holy speech and profane speech. In much of secular society the very notion of profane speech is mocked.

12. Without God, humanist hubris is almost inevitable. If there is nothing higher than man, no Supreme Being, man becomes the supreme being.

13. Without God, there are no inalienable human rights. Evolution confers no rights. Molecules confer no rights. Energy has no moral concerns. That is why America’s Founders wrote in the Declaration of Independence that we are endowed “by our Creator” with certain inalienable rights. Rights depend upon a moral source, a rights giver.

14. “Without God,” Dostoevsky famously wrote, “all is permitted.” There has been plenty of evil committed by believers in God, but the widespread cruelties and the sheer number of innocents murdered by secular regimes — specifically Nazi, Fascist and Communist regimes — dwarfs the evil done in the name of religion.

As noted at the beginning, none of this proves, or even necessarily argues for, God’s existence. It makes the case for the necessity, not the existence, of God. “Which God?” the secularist will ask. The God of Israel, the God of America’s founders, “the Holy God who is made holy by justice” (Isaiah), the God of the Ten Commandments, the God who demands love of neighbor, the God who endows all human beings with certain inalienable rights, the God who is cited on the Liberty Bell because he is the author of liberty. That is the God being referred to here, without whom we will be vanquished by those who believe in less noble gods, both secular and divine.

I guess I jumped into my day,
Without taking the time to pray;
Lord, now let me do so
not being a spiritual “Crusoe”
so I can let You lead the way.

It’s never too late in the day,
to stop for a moment and pray;
All it takes to obey
While it’s still called, “today,”
Is listen to what the Lord has to say.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that I’ve been struggling with a lot of issues this year, but curiously my last blog entry had to do with the topic of forgiveness. And it’s a lesson I seem to have forgotten, along with a new year’s resolution to focus more on the Lord and what He’s done for me.

This short message is (for me) a “call-to-action,” as it’s time to “get back into the battle,” of waging war against the fleshly desires I have, even while going through the motions of (attempting to be) living the Christian lifestyle. So, as I thought I would have liked to have done 6+ months ago, I’m re-committing time to even short “lessons learned,” and attempt to add something of value to this blog daily. If only as a place my friends and family can visit to see how their brother, son, co-worker, alumni, etc. is carrying on “the great commission,” of bringing Christ to the world in his daily life.

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