ANTICIPATING AND REMEMBERING

Winter approaches, the chilly wind lets me know we have arrived in the fall of the year. It's a time of anticipation, thanksgiving, the changing of the leaves, the coming of Christmas and the beginning of another year. The eyes of children brighten, looking toward the surprises?? under the Christmas tree. Usually, they are not that much of a surprise. Those who go to Grandma's anticipate the wonderful "memory food." It's so much better, not so much because it tastes better, but because our memories enhance the flavors.
Life can be like that, bringing us joy in anticipation and pleasure in memory. But these can also bring fear or pain. It's really a choice we make, consciously or unconsciously, regarding what we anticipate or remember.
The most inportant memories to me are the ones that help me move past the pain into the place of gratitude. Mom and Dad have been gone for years, yet the empty place in my heart remains, filled with pleasant and loving memories of the times and opportunities we shared together. My anticipation is that I will leave behind such wonderful memories for my children when I finally leave this world.
Dad's birthday was in October. So this month is not able spooks and goblins ... it is about remembering Sam, and remembering Sam causes me to remember Bea (my mom) and John (my brother). On purpose, I strive to remember the wonderful things we did, the trips to Pennsylvania in the old Plymouth car; the camping trips in a rag-tag tent trailer; the wooden runner sled we built to play in the snow when no one else would venture outside.
Sure, John and I had intense sibling rivalry, but I best remember when a neighhborhood kid was beating me up, how John came a-running, the wrath of Khan in his eyes, and saved me from the bully. 
As I look toward the coming months, I realize I have new opportunities, new challenges, and new acquaintances to befriend and enjoy. What a delightful thought, that life does not end at 70, it opens up before me with a fresh sense of passion and purpose. Hallelujah! My mistakes are behind me, faint memories of failed wisdom. The lessons learned will help me be a wiser, kinder, more gentle, and more effective leader. So, I anticipate the joy of being called to churches to share the depth of experience I have as a springboard for their advance. I anticipate the years ahead as being more productive than those behind, and I sincerely believe God will continue to use me as a servent of His grace.
What better reason for thanksgiving. What greater gift - not under a tree, but rather being a tree, planted by the rivers of living water.
Next year - 2015 - the new and improved Dr. Philip Byler is coming to the world. Get ready!

Chaseing the Moons

     I was recently asked what I thought about the tetrad - the amazing sequence of four lunar eclipses in 2014-2015. Honestly, I had not thought much about them, since lunar eclipses have not been at the top of my interest list. But then, people are, and when they ask serious questions about serious subjects, I do want to give some answers. So, knowing little, it seemed prudent to do some honest research into the subject before offering an opinion. Now, I have, and so I will offer an opinion.
     I think the four blood moons will occur, exactly as predicted by NASA, on April 15, 2014 - Passover (already passed), on October 8, 2014 - Tabernacles, on April 4, 2015 - Passover, and again on September 28, 2015 - Tabernacles.
      To begin, it is important to understand that tetrads, or four sequences of lunar eclipses reoccurring in relatively short periods of time is not necessarily uncommon. There have been many. However, these have not occurred on Jewish festival dates all that often. So it stands to reason that end-time prophecy buffs would want to attach significance to those events. But to be perfectly candid, many events significant to Jewish life have occurred without any visible sign in the heavens. They have not been predicted in some manner by God is speaking through heavenly signs and wonders. And since the presence of both lunar and solar eclipses is astronomically constant, is it reasonable to assume they are Biblical signs? One must ask.
     Take it a step further. Does the occurrence of a tetrad in conjunction with Jewish festivals over a period of two years signify any great injunction from heaven either? The fact is simply this. No one seems to have connected these "signs" together before NASA's charting of these phenomena over several centuries. 
     There have been such occurrences like this since the beginning of time. That they were not logged into a computer system notwithstanding, they are part of the warp and woof of our solar system.
     Jewish festivals always begin on the new moon - the only time when it is possible for a lunar eclipse - viz a viz - a "blood moon" to be visible. Blood moons are caused by the refraction of the light spectrum when the shadow of the earth passes between the sun and the moon so that the sun does not shine directly on the moon. Then the light spectrum appears with a red hue, and the moon becomes an orangish-red color. No ultra-natural phenomena here, simply the physical course of the universe following the project paths which God set in motion at the foundation of the earth. Prophetic sign? Perhaps, but doubtful to this biblicist. I simply do not agree. I am convinced they are actually what they appear to be, lunar eclipses - a tetrad which coincides with Jewish holidays.
     According to astronomer Danny Faulkner, there have been 230 lunar eclipses during the 20th century, and 1/6th of them took place on Jewish festivals, just not necessarily on Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles. Remember, there are seven Jewish festivals, not just two, and the occurrence of blood moons on the other festivals does not seem to be a subject of prophetic speculation. 
     The prophetic significance of these is apparently connected to (1) Passover, because it is so closely connected to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and (2) because so many conservative Biblical teachers tend to believe Jesus' return will be the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. I tend also to lean in that direction prophetically, but I place little importance on the "blood moon theory" as a harbinger of the second coming.
     For me, the real issue is about the state of the Church, morally, intellectually, spiritually, and socially. Especially within Charismatic circles (a viewpoint which dominates Christian TV), and futuristic fundamentalist circles, (which tend to be large on radio), these eclipses are being touted as prophetic signs that demonstrate the accuracy of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church point of view. Is this view accurate? Only Jesus knows for sure, and He isn't saying. 
     Many very legitimate, dedicated, Godly men and women hold a very different point of view (self-included). We do believe in the second coming. We do believe in the resurrection of the dead. We do believe that the last trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ shall be raised first.
     The problem that arises is simply this. Interpreting biblical prophecy is, at best, an inexact exercise. During the earliest days of my ministry life, I was enthralled with the pre-trib philosophy. I gave away books by the dozens, books that followed that line and presented it as being the clear path to the future. Now, forty-three years later (more than a biblical generation) I find that the story remains constant, but the players have changed. We were told He would come in 1948 - the dawn of the Jewish state. We were told He would return in 1988, then again in '89, etc. We were told He would come in December of 2012 - but He didn't. So when will He come again? Only the Father knows for sure.
     Try something else. The procession of possible antichrist figures has been projected until even the antichrist himself must be confused about his identity. The previously mentioned scenarios of the proposed rapture which should have occurred successively numerous times in my life - hasn't. I'm still here, and I'm still preaching the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't dwell intensely on biblical prophecy because in its present state, it fails to edify. It merely divides.
     When I contemplate the second-coming, I long for the Lord to return and fulfill His promises to His bride. I yearn for the great wedding supper of the Lamb. I want to join that band of Christians who gather around the throne of God and cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the Lamb, the glorious King of kings and Lord of lords." One day, I will.
     In the meantime, I believe we are commissioned to be a part of the earth's infrastructure. Lights, shining in the darkness. Salt, adding flavor and preservative to a decaying, rotting society. We are to love as Jesus loved, care as Jesus cared, and give of ourselves to the utmost of our ability.
     Christianity is not about our blessings and benefits nearly so much as it is about our presence in the world around us. If we do not live our faith, our faith will not be seen, felt, or considered. If we do not live our faith, but rather embrace the world around us to look like, feel like, smell like, and taste like that world ...  that world won't know the difference between us and them. So here's my suggestion:
     Make it a point to share your love with someone who has not felt love in a long, long time. Worship awhile with words and deeds outside of a formal service when worship is programmed and prepared for you. Choose to share your bounty with someone less bountiful, there's always someone. Offer your talent to someone less talented, your joy to someone bound by sorrow. Be a healing presence, even when you are incapable of healing. Your presence may be more than you could imaging.
     Be kind and gracious, even in the face of rudeness, harsh words, and foul commentary. Give of yourself without attaching emotional strings, or expectations of great reward. It can make a difference. It will make a difference.
     In other words, try this. Be the second coming of Jesus ... for some, you will be the first. You may well be the first time they have ever have a real chance to meet Him. They just might meet Him in you. 

The Turning Tide

   Anyone who has seen the ocean has noticed the effects of the tide. It comes and goes with the regularity of the rotation of the earth, rising and falling twice each day.
   Life, like the tide, is never truly static. But unlike the tide, the rise and fall of life circumstances is neither stable nor regular. Thus, we go through seasons of change - transitional times when everything becomes different than it was.
   We grow to adulthood and move away from our parents - we change. We find a life partner and marry - we change. We produce offspring, and their presence dramatically changes our lifestyle and circumstance. Then, they grow up and leave our homes - we change.
   While some changes in our lives are sudden, traumatic, or dramatic, most are like the changing of the tide - slow, steady, and almost imperceptible. Only when we realize that the way things were is no longer the way things are, do we deal with that change.
   Recently, the tide of life took a turn for me. At first, I was not really aware that such a great change had occurred, only a small one at best. I was not ready for the adjustment I needed to make, so I resisted. But the inexorable insistence of a changing life tide made it impossible not to recognize the changes which were occurring. I embraced them, new perspectives, an adjusted career track, a different outlook on the responsibilities I was carrying, and a greater willingness to be used by the Lord in a different way. These were the results of that change.
   Perhaps God is doing something in your life which is requiring an adjustment you are not ready to make. If so, rest assured you will either change with the tide or be swept out to sea. You cannot stand still if the Lord wants you to move.
   For me, the change has marked a fresh outlook, a greater opportunity, and hopefully a more effective ministry. From my earliest days of ministry, I was always the one who pressed for change - until that need overwhelmed me. Then, I became like so many "old fogies"... slow to adjust, and resistant to something outside of my comfort zone.
   Thank God, I made the adjustment before I drowned. I pray you will, too.
 

BECOMING A BISHOP

   Across the Christian world we use a wide variety of titles to identify different leaders. From denomination to denomination, and from group to group, these titles mean very different things to different people. As a result, when someone is consecrated, commissioned, charged, or ordained into a position with a title, the real meaning of that title lies within the boundaries of its purpose. So, when the title of Bishop at Large was conferred to me last Tuesday, it carried very distinct implications connected to its purpose.

   My function is within the ACTS Network (Apostolic Council of Transformational Servant-Leaders.) This is an internationally operational network of Christian leaders,  unaffiliated with a specific denomination. However, that does not minimize the work and purpose it fulfills. As a network, ACTS is committed to the development and expansion of biblical Christianity under an apostolic framework. This means we are committed to a straightforward, unadorned approach to church polity, governance, and order.

   Early believers knew very little of the wide variety of church perspectives that have become so much a part of modern Christianity. Yet, most of our leadership roles have their origin and identities rooted in the writings of the New Testament. This is true of the office of Bishop. And this defines the nature of the function I now embrace.
   From the earliest days of Church life, the role of a bishop was one of wide-ranging authority over unspecified numbers of church congregations. The office could have been as far ranging as a national or territorial bishopric, or confined to a city and its immediate surroundings. Whatever its scope, a bishop was responsible to promote the well-being and stability of those who were a within his oversight.
   The earliest bishops were drawn from the ranks of the growing body of apostles and their spiritual sons who crossed the face of the known world spreading the Gospel and expanding the Church. Today, the role of bishop looks much different from that, though the basic function has not changed a great deal. In my particular case, I have the opportunity to provide encouragement, insight, and assistance to other bishops and overseers across the length an breadth of this nation.
   Since my formative years were within a Baptist denomination, the idea of being a bishop is a bit alien to many of my friends and colleagues. Baptists are generally unfamiliar with this terminology. except as it is applied to other denominations. Still, they have men who, to some degree, fulfill the role by the manner in which they function.

   Being installed as a Bishop within my network expands my ability to influence other leaders in a positive, Godly way. Furthermore, it challenges me to use my gifts, education, experience, and influence more effectively. I receive this appointment as an honor, but I also embrace the elevated level of responsibility it brings toward those who will be touched by my life and message.

   To the leaders of ACTS, I extend a commitment to assist you in achieving your God-given assignments and vision. To serve you is to serve Christ, and I sincerely desire to do that.

   Serving the King and the King's servants,
                                   Dr. Philip Byler
                                               Bishop at Large - USA

































Ap


   Across the Christian world we use a wide variety of titles to identify different leaders. From denomination to denomination, and from group to group, these titles mean very different things to different people. As a result, when someone is consecrated, commissioned, charged, or ordained into a position with a title, the real meaning of that title lies within the boundaries of its purpose. So, when the title of Bishop-At -Large was bestowed on me last Tuesday, it carried some very distinct implications connected to its purpose.
    My function is focused within the ACTS Network (Apostolic Council of Transformational Servant-Leaders.) This is an internationally operational network of Christian leaders which is not affiliated with an oganized denomination. However, that does not minimize the work and purpose fulfill. As a network, we ar committed to the development and expansion of biblical Christianity in an apostolic framework. This means we are committed to a straightforward, unadorned approach to church polity, governance, and ornder.
     The early church knew very little of the wide variety of church prespectives which today are so much a part of the Christian genre. Yet, most of the leadership roles have their origins and identities rooted in the words of the New Testament. Such is the office of Bishop, and such is the nature of the function I now embrace.
     Within the earliest days of Church life, the role of a bishop was one of wide ranging authority over an unspecified number of church congregations. This could have been as far ranging as a national or territorial bishopric, or as confined as a city and its immediate surroundings.Whatever it was, a bishop was responsible to promote the well-being and stability of those who were a part of his oversight.
     The earliest bishops were drawn from the ranks of the growing body of apostles and their spiritual sons who crossed the face of the known world spreading the Gospel and changing the world. Today, the role of bishop looks much different, although the basic function has not changed a great deal. In my particular case, I have the opportunity to provide encouragement and insight to other bishops and overseers across the length an breadth of this nation.

































Ap

Honesty Is A Good Plan

The weather has shifted once again. Our snow melted after only two days. The ice evaporated in a surge of fifty degree heat. Today, it feels like spring has sprung, even though we expect more chilly nights and rainy days.

Is this climate change or global warming? It's difficult for an amateur like me to know. However, I am convinced it is just as difficult for the professionals to know, too. With all their technology and the specialized equipment the have on hand, the faithful Farmer's Almanac remains one of the most effective and efficient standards of long range weather prognostication.

There's a problem here. Most of the professionals seem to be defending a position that has been cast in concrete. It has to be the way they have declared it to be. But the hard  evidence continues to mount demonstrating that perhaps, just perhaps, they are wrong. Maybe the fluctuations in weather cycles are just that - fluctuations. Weather has always been variable and unresponsive to human manipulation. It makes sense to me that people need to be ready and willing to adjust to the changes without coming to the conclusion that the sky is falling. It's not!

People in leadership often face a similar problem. They stake out a strategy or a position on inaccurately or incompletely informed certitude. They simply have to be right because they have chosen a position they believe to be right. Then, reality begins to contradict their choices and those positions become harder and harder to defend. Yet, in order to save face and not appear out of touch, defending such hastily drawn opinions is exactly what many people do.

Admitting error should not be a problem for an honest leader. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes we rush to judgement and follow a strategy which, in the long run, would be better off if it were abandoned. But an investment in time, energy, and resources holds precedence over common sense and flawed decisions are advanced anyway. What a waste.

CANDID SOUL endorses the opinion that honesty is the ethical and moral choice of champions. There will always be armchair quarterbacks who will kibitz and bluster about how they could have and would have done better. But, they didn't get in the game. They sat on the sidelines, ate their pretzels and drank their (root) beer. Ignore them. They are, as the apostle wrote, "sounding brass and tinkling cymbals."

If you are in a position of leadership and realize you have made an error in judgement, face it squarely. Deal with it honestly, correct it immediately, and move on. If people abandon you in the process, it is likely they were not with you in the first place. If the gripe or complain, let them come up with a better solution. And if they do, be willing to at least evaluate the benefit of their suggestions. They might just have a viable answer.

Soldier on, warrior of the Kingdom.
 

Good Grammar-Used Well

It’s snowing again, painting another winter scene across the yard. I love it. The road is covered with ice and snow, traffic has stopped moving, and once again I have a legitimate excuse for not going anywhere. It’s a writer’s dream come true—nothing to interfere, nothing to distract me from the work at hand. I only hope the power doesn’t fail. I would be left with just a couple of hours of battery life on my old Vaio computer. If that happens, I will have to rely on my other computer, my trusty old Eberhard-Faber Model 2.0, no battery required. (That is not a typewriter.)

I can barely remember what it was like before we enjoyed computers and word processing software. My first real attempts at writing were banged out on an old Royal, a typing machine from a bygone era. I was posting weekly devotionals for our church members and I was typing five carbon copies at a time. (What was a carbon copy?) In order to prepare enough copies for every family, I had to repeat the process four times: slow, inefficient, and filled with grammatical gaffes. I have never recovered. To this day, my use of grammar is a challenge.

Good grammar is, more or less, a necessary evil. It is an assault on creativity, forcing a somewhat disorderly, creative mind to become regimented, engaging in a process that is unimaginative at best, and boring as all get out. The rules of grammar are inflexible, or mostly so. They are often ignored when people speak and all too often when they write, as well. But, bad grammar does not produce good reading.

For the individual who  is serious about being a writer, grammar rules. Without it, writing loses its capacity to clearly express the thoughts and perspectives of the writer. The proper use of grammar separates the veteran writer from the novice and the serious from the frivolous. If you have a message to convey that is worthy of being read, you need to use good grammar. If you don’t know it, study it. Learn how to use language correctly, so that when you abuse it, that will be obvious and will obviously be on purpose.

 

Promise In The Snow

     The day after a snowstorm, morning breaks across the landscape with a brilliance unlike any other day. The ground is covered with a blanket of tiny, sparkling jewels, each capturing the light and refracting it back into the sky. At first, it's almost blinding. Then, as your eyes adjust, you stand in silent wonder at the beauty of God's creation.
     How can anything as beautiful as our world be so gloriously wrapped in such wonder? Would it be possible to capture this beauty and preserve its pristine delight?
      Seeing such splendor, it's hard to imagine how harsh such an attractive environment actually is. But to sustain the beauty before your eyes, the air must remain utterly frigid. The sun's penetrating rays must be countered by the intensity of the cold. Sustained existence in such a picturesque setting requires intense effort, effort that forces beauty to be ignored, forces it into the background by the harsh reality of survival. The charm of a winter's day is soon lost in the demands brought on by the long winter season.
     Still, when the nights grow cold, and the first snows of winter drift across the land, I find myself absorbed in a reverie of nostalgia - a blazing fire, a steaming cup of cocoa, and the closeness of family and friends. Something about winter makes me want to draw near to those I love, to protect them from the coldness of the world, to shelter them from the harsh winter of life.
     How precious it is to snuggle down, wrapped up in a blanket with giggling children; how fulfilling to wrap your arms around the one you love and feel her heartbeat close and strong.
     Look! Outside the window there's a flash of red. A scarlet bird flits across the face of the snow ... now two ... now three. No, there is a whole flock of cardinals making its way to the feeder in the tree, delighted to find food, oblivious to the cold. And other birds are joining the feathered dance, eager to share the bounty so easily obtained.
     One could complain of winter, I guess. It's too cold. It's too windy. It's too hard to travel and get around. But don't.
      Soon enough the white will turn to green, and the happy colors of buds and blooms will offer a different visual song. The season will change. Spring will sing its tune and the promise God made so long ago will offer a different dance. Once more, His promise will be fulfilled.
     "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease."
                                        Gen. 8:22 NKJV
 

Return to BLOGSPOT

     Today, I take the plunge to return to the waters of serial writing, now under the heading Candid Soul. I have often thought of doing this, but since my last venture I have been wholly engaged in a host of other things.
      Recently, I posted some inner thoughts on Facebook and was almost immediately pressed to write a more consistent blog. My last attempts turned out to be quite lengthy and gained little traction. As a writer, I want my writing to be read. More importantly, I want to encourage others who write to keep their fingers on the keyboard and their thoughts in lofty places.
      So, for what it's worth, I will once again attempt to become a faithful contributor to the wonderful world of words. Hopefully my musings will encourage someone else, perhaps several someone elses, perhaps, even you.