You are currently browsing the Bruce Smith weblog archives for October, 2008.
31. October 2008 by BruceSmith.
No matter how difficult your situation is at this moment, remember that God, who loved you at your worst, loves you still. If you are on top of the world at this moment, remember that God is God and you are not your own. No amount of success can replace what God alone offers us. I am reminded again today that those of us who seem to have it so together are only a step or decision away from bringing chaos into our lives. And I am reminded today that God is nearer than a step away and longs for us to turn to Him in our troubles. If your soul is downcast today, put your hope and your trust in Him. In Him your failures, your pain, your doubt, and fears are all overcome. Enjoy the read below.Bruce SmithOptimuslife.org IT WAS I WHO KNEW YOU IN THE WILDERNESS, IN THE LAND OF DROUGHT.Hosea 13:5Yes, Lord, You did indeed know me in my fallen state, and You did even then choose me for Yourself. When I was loathsome and self-abhorred, You received me as Your child, and You satisfied my longings. Blessed forever be Your name for this free, rich, abounding mercy. Since then, my inward experience has often been a wilderness; but You have kept me still as Your beloved and poured streams of love and grace into me to gladden me and make me fruitful. When my outward circumstances have been at the worst, and I have wandered in a land of drought, Your sweet presence has comforted me. Men have ignored me, and I have been scorned; but You have known my soul in adversities, for no affliction dims the luster of Your love. Most gracious Lord, I magnify You for all Your faithfulness to me in trying circumstances, and I deplore the fact that I have at times forgotten You and been proud of heart when I have owed everything to Your gentleness and love. Have mercy upon Your servant in this matter!My soul, if Jesus acknowledged you in your lowly condition, be sure that you own both Himself and His cause now that you are in prosperity. Do not be puffed up by worldly successes, and do not be ashamed of the truth or of the poor church with which you have been associated. Follow Jesus into the wilderness: Bear the cross with Him when the persecution heats up. He owned you, O my soul, in your poverty and shame-never be so treacherous as to be ashamed of Him. Let me know more shame at the thought of being ashamed of my best Beloved! Jesus, my soul cleaves to You.I’ll turn to Thee in days of light,As well as nights of care,Thou brightest amid all that’s bright!Thou fairest of the fair!
Below, is a reading from Alistair Begg of Truth for Daily Life. It is a reworking of Spurgeon’s origninal devotional material and is worth the read. It is a reminder that amidst our brightest days and our darkest nights, it is the grace of God, and that alone, which sustains us.
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23. October 2008 by BruceSmith.
I recently had the opportunity to see what life in teenage America is really like when adolescents are getting their party groove on. Interestingly, the demographic, morally and spiritually speaking, was to be somewhat “different” from the average or “normal” party setting. These were, after all, “Christian” kids. Over the course of a number of hours, however, I was challenged as to my assumptions about the evening and about those in attendance. Honestly, I was fully expecting this group of teens from “Christian” homes to be a bit more tame than the “normal” teen. And, indeed, they were more tame by any sane measure, yet, the dance performances and musical tastes of this group of clean cut, “morally superior”, and well to do kids was scarily similar to that of “normal” teen America. Now, as a former youth pastor and one who has generally been tagged with the label of being teen-friendly and aware, I have to admit a sense of great discomfort and unease by the degree of similarity this group of kids shared with the average unchurched American teen. It has had me thinking about an article I wrote some time ago about the quest for “normal”. What is true, too true, is that this is not an isolated event and the realities at play are not the sole domain of teen America. What is at work in this situation is at work in the church at large today, and no doubt, has been throughout history. The issue is one we all wrestle with everyday of our lives. Here is the question which this incident has prompted me to consider again. As followers of Christ, are we to actually embrace Christ’s teachings and walk according to His principles for life? The answer, of course, seems self-evident, but I am persuaded that we are not convinced as the to importance of the answer. In our quest to be “normal” we too often abandon our Christian convictions. It would appear that in the name of fun we are too prone to take the common route. In the interest of being part of the “in” group we too often abandon our allegiance to Christ so that we might not look foolish. It seems to me that had someone stepped up and dared to look foolish in the lending and credit markets in the last few years, we very well may have saved ourselves from a global crisis. Had the greed and fun of following the masses not controlled us we might well be in a much better place. The narrower road, in this case, surely would have led to less chaos and more stability for everyone. Is this not the case with our moral activity? Does not the mass craving for all things fun lead entire cultures to embrace activities which ultimately come back to bite us? Does not wanton sexuality always come back to get us? Does not boundary-less use of chemicals in the quest to “feel” not lead us to paths of addiction and collapse? The bait dangled in front of us always is meant to allure us. Rarely does the bait ever deliver on the promise. We must recognize, for the good of us all, that to claim the name of Christ and to live like all the rest, is to miss the point. The call of the gospel, the privilege of the Gospel is that we can be changed and enabled to live in a better way. Not that we are better people, rather, we have found the better Way, the way of Christ. The gospel offers us the life-giving opportunity to experience life as it was meant to be lived. There is no dance like that of a soul alive to the heartbeat of God. We all have a propensity to be lured away by the pulsating beat of a world living for the moment. As was mentioned to me in the context of the event I spoke of earlier, “We just like the beat!” What we tend to forget when our desires are leading the way is that the heartbeat of Christ tends to run counter-culturally. No, we are not to isolate ourselves from the world. To the contrary, we are called, as Christ demonstrated Himself, to be fully engaged in the lives of others, even broken and reckless others. Yet, in that activity, we are called to live in such a way that it is compellingly clear who we are and whose we are. In so doing, in living beyond “normal”, we demonstrate the joy, power, fulfillment, and purpose which comes from knowing Him. The beat of sexual perversion, chemical abuse, and all kinds of moral debasement are not in keeping with the pulse of Christ. Lastly, if you ever hear yourself saying those words, “I just want to be normal!”, take a look at the headlines and ponder the return on normal. Look at the normal lives of those living under the ether of the Hollywood dream. Look at the normal lives of those who open their mouths and souls to the enticements of drugs. Look at the normal outcome of sexual infidelity. Look at the normal outcome of greed or the lust for power. Look at the normal outcome of living for self and only self. Look at the normal outcome for these things and you will find the following: physical deterioration, addiction, divorce, imprisonment, murder, loneliness, isolation, bitterness, hopelessness, abuse, and confusion. My hope and prayer for my kids and their friends, and for me and you and all those we know is that we might look past normal to Christlikeness. Every time I choose normal in place of Godliness I fall on my face. Every time I choose the way of Christ in place of the wider road I am enriched and my soul is enlarged. I suspect we all find the same. Consider living beyond normal, Bruce Smith optimuslife.org
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15. October 2008 by BruceSmith.
You may not have heard, but, Marcia Brady (yes, the one from the Brady Bunch) was a drug addict who regularly traded sex to appease her habit. In her new book, apparently, she tells all. In the early reads and television interviews one thing is clear, Marcia Brady, the girl we all had a crush on “back in the day”, was not the saint we perceived her to be. That sweet smile and those glistening eyes veiled the turmoil inside.As is the case with any living human being, Marcia Brady had to deal with the allure of life beyond the boundaries. The tug of temptation to break free from moral constraint, and the overwhelming craving for pleasure, lurk around every turn. What we all want to believe is that a little “freedom” from the rules will quench our desires and lead us to Happy Land. Sadly, what Marcia and too many others find, again and again, is that life beyond the boundaries is no vacation. We have come to recognize this reality recently as we have all witnessed, and been impacted by, the economic turmoil which has spread across the globe. The desire for more, more, more which took hold of so many who controlled purse strings on all levels, has led to a meltdown. We pushed passed the boundaries of economic sanity and now find ourselves drowning in troubles of all kind. Life beyond the boundaries, in pursuit of excess, is not so enjoyable at this point.What Marica’s story and that of our global crisis must remind us of is the need we have to embrace life “between the lines” of God’s love. He knows what is good for us and what will result in our demise. He has drawn the lines as He has because He desires that we flourish, that we have life to the full. As alluring as it may be to attempt to find a full life on our own, it will never work. The promise of illicit sexual fantasy is a trap. The exchange of the soul for a bigger barn, more wealth, and more stuff, will always leave us internally bankrupt. We too often take the bait and find ourselves “hooked” into a lie that destroys psyches, souls, and societies. The truth is there are absolutes. Any attempt to deny this leads to intellectual, moral, and spiritual insanity.The church game will never work. Moral rectitude will not suffice. Our hope for the kind of life we so crave, but look for in all the wrong places, is fulfilled only in an authentic relationship with the One who created us. Jesus, the Man who still lives today, is our only “fix” for life. The One who lived a quality of life beyond anything that has ever been known offers us that life today. He is able to offer us the same kind of love which sees others as God sees them thereby surpassing the kind of view we typically take of others in a world dominated by physicality, title, and fame. He is the one who can reestablish our view of what it means to be rich in this world. If you, like Marcia Brady, have recently looked in the mirror and seen for the first time that the glistening smile and sparkly eyes hide the reality within, turn to Jesus and ask Him to remake you from the inside out. If you, like so many, have sought to amass all the toys and titles you could get your arms around, and have come up empty inside, turn to Jesus and ask Him to give you life to the full.All of us are guilty of embracing the false life, and each of us needs to seek a continual readjustment as we live and move in a world racked by falsity. If you have tried life beyond the boundaries and you have come up wanting, give God a chance. Just as the Prodigal Son who despised his father and squandered his wealth in wild living came to realize, we too can find, even amidst the mess we have made, that God, our Father, is standing in wait for us to return to our senses. He anxiously awaits our approach in order that He might run toward us and celebrate with us, our new life in Him.Before you quit on all of it, give Him a shot. You may find that life within the boundaries of God’s love is the one thing you have been missing. As I have written many times before, life inside the playground of God’s love surpasses anything we have known. Inside the playground of God’s love for us is safety, freedom, adventure, and meaning. Life’s troubles do not disappear because we know Him. However, many of the pitfalls can be avoided as we take Him up on His plan for us. Moreover, in Him we find forgiveness amidst our failures and missteps. Amidst the good times and the bad, His truths remain and His plan unfolds. Without His presence in our lives we are merely groping for a future without focus, hope, meaning, or purpose. Bruce Smithoptimuslife.org We would appreciate your financial gift during this time. Thank you. Gifts can be sent to :Optimus4 whippoorwillcovington, la 70433
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13. October 2008 by BruceSmith.
The story below is one of those head shaking, heart inspiring, and soul enriching tales that offers us another hint that there is more to life than coincidence. I believe, because I have seen it happen in my life at various times, that God works between the lines and within the plots of our journeys. I see that kind of hopeful reality in this story below. Amidst the horrifying realities of the German concentration camps comes this tale of found affection, lost and forgotten, and then found again. As Ravi Zacharias has demonstrated in his wonderful book, The Grand Weaver, God is intimately and tangibly involved in the details of our lives even when we cannot see it. This is the truth which offers us the promise of divine romance and wonderful encouragement that God is for us and is actively working on our behalf.
My encouragement to you as you read this story is to tune your spiritual mind to the twists, turns, and experiences of your life and be more aware of how God is at work in the details of your story. You are not a nameless, faceless, and insignificant person. You are part of God’s handiwork, and He has a plan for you. He is the lover of your soul. Enjoy the story!
Bruce Smith
Optimuslife.org
NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Florida (AP) — In the beginning, there was a boy, a girl and an apple.
Herman and Roma Rosenblat’s story has inspired a children’s book. There are also plans to turn it into a film.
He was a teenager in a death camp in Nazi-controlled Germany. She was a bit younger, living free in the village, her family posing as Christians.
Their eyes met through a barbed-wire fence and she wondered what she could do for this handsome young man.
She was carrying apples, and decided to throw one over the fence. He caught it and ran away toward the barracks. And so it began.
As they tell it, they returned the following day and she tossed an apple again. And each day after that, for months, the routine continued. She threw, he caught, and both scurried away.
They never knew one another’s name, never uttered a single word, so fearful they’d be spotted by a guard. Until one day he came to the fence and told her he wouldn’t be back.
“I won’t see you anymore,” she said. “Right, right. Don’t come around anymore,” he answered.
And so their brief and innocent tryst came to an end. Or so they thought.
Before he was shipped off to a death camp, before the girl with the apples appeared, Herman Rosenblat’s life had already changed forever.
His family had been forced from their home into a ghetto. His father fell ill with typhus. They smuggled a doctor in, but there was little he could do to help. The man knew what was coming. He summoned his youngest son. “If you ever get out of this war,” Rosenblat remembers him saying, “don’t carry a grudge in your heart and tolerate everybody.”
Two days later, the father was dead. Herman was just 12.
The family was moved again, this time to a ghetto where he shared a single room with his mother, three brothers, uncle, aunt and four cousins. He and his brothers got working papers and he got a factory job painting stretchers for the Germans.
Eventually, the ghetto was dissolved. As the Poles were ushered out, two lines formed. In one, those with working papers, including Rosenblat and his brothers. In the other, everyone else, including the boys’ mother.
Rosenblat went over to his mother. “I want to be with you,” he cried. She spoke harshly to him and one of his brothers pulled him away. His heart was broken.
“I was destroyed,” Rosenblat remembers. It was the last time he would ever see her.
It was in Schlieben, Germany, that Rosenblat and the girl he later called his angel would meet. Roma Radziki worked on a nearby farm and the boy caught her eye. And bringing him food — apples, mostly, but bread, too — became part of her routine.
“Every day,” she says, “every day I went.”
Rosenblat says he would secretly eat the apples and never mentioned a word of it to anyone else for fear word would spread and he’d be punished or even killed. When Rosenblat learned he would be moved again — this time to Theresienstadt, in what is now the Czech Republic — he told the girl he would not return.
Not long after, the Russians rolled in on a tank and liberated Rosenblat’s camp. The war was over. She went to nursing school in Israel. He went to London and learned to be an electrician.
Their daily ritual faded from their minds.
“I forgot,” she says.
“I forgot about her, too,” he recalls.
Rosenblat eventually moved to New York. He was running a television repair shop when a friend phoned him one Sunday afternoon and said he wanted to fix him up with a girl. Rosenblat was unenthusiastic: He didn’t like blind dates, he told his friend. He didn’t know what she would look like. But finally, he relented.
It went well enough. She was Polish and easygoing. Conversation flowed, and eventually talk turned to their wartime experiences. Rosenblat recited the litany of camps he had been in, and Radziki’s ears perked up. She had been in Schlieben, too, hiding from the Nazis.
She spoke of a boy she would visit, of the apples she would bring, how he was sent away.
And then, the words that would change their lives forever: “That was me,” he said.
Rosenblat knew he could never leave this woman again. He proposed marriage that very night. She thought he was crazy. Two months later she said yes.
In 1958, they were married at a synagogue in the Bronx — a world away from their sorrows, more than a decade after they had thought they were separated forever.
It all seems too remarkable to be believed. Rosenblat insists it is all true.
Even after their engagement, the couple kept the story mostly to themselves, telling only those closest to them. Herman says it’s because they met at a point in his life he’d rather forget. But eventually, he said, he felt the need to share it with others.
Now, the Rosenblats’ story has inspired a children’s book, “Angel Girl.” And eventually, there are plans to turn it into a film, “The Flower of the Fence.” Herman expects to publish his memoirs next year.
Michael Berenbaum, a distinguished Holocaust scholar who has authored a dozen books, has read Rosenblatt’s memoir and sees no reason to question it.
“I wasn’t born then so I can’t say I was an eyewitness. But it’s credible,” Berenbaum said. “Crazier things have happened.”
Herman is now 79, and Roma is three years his junior; they celebrated their 50th anniversary this summer. He often tells their story to Jewish and other groups.
He believes the lesson is the very one his father imparted.
“Not to hate and to love — that’s what I am lecturing about,” he said. “Not to hold a grudge and to tolerate everybody, to love people, to be tolerant of people, no matter who they are or what they are.”
The anger of the death camps, Herman says, has gone away. He forgave. And his life has been filled with love.
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7. October 2008 by BruceSmith.
The government is, of course, unleashing every tool in the toolkit in order to get a hold of this mess, and even inventing new tools as they go, but there is no assurance, as yet, that the steps taken will fix the problem. Some are talking “recession” and some have even spoken the dreaded D word “depression”. None of us want to see that kind of financial disaster in this country, and we all hope the markets will turn around soon. The reality is, however, despite our unique prosperity in America in the past, the future is not promised to us. The sobering truth we are too seldom willing to accept is that we are open to disaster despite our riches and comfort. Recent market developments are making this clear.
All this being so, I thought it would make sense to offer the following excerpt from Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com) which was published in the Fall of 2006. It is an encouragement for us to consider our spiritual portfolio. Are we “prepared”? Do we have a safety net? Is our spiritual allocation of resources up to the challenges of a world with many pitfalls and distractions? Where do we turn when all around us is chaos? Is there a standard of measurement for spiritual health?
These questions and more are given consideration in the excerpt below. As you read, consider the rationality of your spiritual resource allocation and ask yourself if you have “invested” your heart in the right places.
The Gold Standard: allocating for disaster
There is hope, and that hope for rebuilding is to be found in casting our gaze upon God amidst hard times. For any person, city or country, the key to moving forward after disaster is in the turnaround. Turning form old ways of doing things toward new and better ways of building is the answer. The better way finds its establishment upon a solid foundation, a standard for building. Without a proper standard of measurement, there is no hope for building a meaningful future. Looking back on things in the aftermath of a catastrophe, reality becomes much clearer. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.
What is abundantly clear in the aftermath of Katrina is that city, state, and national officials could have joined forces to build more safeguards around our city. Many studies have been compiled for years attesting to the implications of a disaster stemming from a levee system constructed to only withstand a category-three storm. One of the more significant studies, of the fictional “Hurricane Pam,” clearly demonstrated in its findings a situation all too similar to the one just experienced in New Orleans. Had the findings of the report translated into a standard of measurement for the construction of proper levees, perhaps the city could have been spared from much of the flooding and overwhelming damage.
As was pointed out earlier, gold has historically functioned as the standard by which financial disaster-preparedness is evaluated. There was a time when gold was the measurement of value for all currencies. That is to say, behind every paper promise (dollar bills, for example) was the reality of tangible wealth in the form of gold. In the time since we have departed from the strategy of backing dollars with gold, much debate has arisen regarding the real value of paper money. It is a debate that separates many bright minds, and the issues are complex. What is not complex or debatable is the fact that any promise of wealth, value, or truth must have something real behind it. A stable levee system must have standards backing its construction, a well-built house must have a solid foundation, and a meaningful life is constructed by embracing standards of truth and virtue.
In times of disaster, whether the catastrophe comes in the form of nature’s wrath, cancer, divorce, or emotional pain, the soul must have an anchor. To make it through, let alone grow into something better, a person must have inner strength. Such strength of soul comes not from within but from above. Individuals, who turn to a secure safe-haven when all around them is uncertainty, find character and poise to endure wind and wave. When everything around us is falling apart — portfolios, homes, marriages, or careers — we must have someone to fall back on. Jesus Christ, the historic personality and presence sent by God on our behalf, is that rock. He is the standard by which our lives are measured. If we as individuals are to get a turnaround into high gear, we must surrender all other emotional, physical, financial, and personal assets to God. What we find as we do this is a corresponding rising in value in the development of our soul.
Just as gold rises in value when paper assets are in decline, the value of human life ascends to heights unknown when all confidence and trust is placed in God’s hands. The return on a life well-lived far exceeds the value of any amassing of toys in this life. He who has the most toys does not win. As Jesus said, “What does it profit a man if he gains the world and yet loses his soul?” What we thirst for apart from God, though it may appear to us as profit and gain, are in actuality poverty and loss. The worth of the soul is never measured by one’s bank account. It is not only possible but ordinary to find filthy rich men and women who are impoverished of soul. Not only is it common, but the scriptures tell us it is very difficult for the rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. The difficulty lies in our self-deception. With riches in hand, and fists clinched tightly, it is very difficult to reach out to others and to God.
America, the proud, rich super-power could certainly benefit from this reminder. It is entirely possible that we could again see a day when our riches are depleted and our self-sufficiency is removed. Neither I nor anyone else wants to see such a day. However, the potential is a historic reality. Should a massive storm be headed our way, the measure of our ability to navigate such a moment will depend upon our standard of life, not our standard of living. Our standard can and must be founded upon something, someone, more secure than our current pursuits. In New Orleans and in America, the reallocation of our spiritual wealth must begin in earnest right away. A sound spiritual plan for growth and rebuilding is what will enable us to pursue a turnaround that will endure. As we reallocate our spiritual portfolio, we could indeed find that our worst fears can be allayed and the blessing of God could be sent our way. He is, after all, the supreme turnaround specialist. He is the great re-builder. He is the firm foundation upon which we build the house that endures the wind and the waves. He is the foremost gold standard for life.
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
To invest in optimuslife.org, simply go to the site (www.optimuslife.org) and click on the donate button or send to : Optimus at 4 whippoorwill, covington, la 70433
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2. October 2008 by BruceSmith.
Today’s blog is dedicated to Don Audibert and his family. Don was known by all to be a loving man who placed his family at the center of his activities and his heart. A man devoted to God and to helping others, Don was taken away from us in a motorcycle accident just several days ago.
Don was passionate about motorcycles and being out in God’s creation taking in the wind, sun, and mountain air. At 58, his short life seems to have touched many through his contracting business and his service in the church and in the community. Many, no doubt, are asking “Why?” Why was this loving man taken in such a way by a head on collision with a driver who was under the influence of drugs and had crossed into Don’s lane?
While we do not have the answers to such questions, I believe we can take heart in the overcoming power of God to defeat Death when Death deals its last hand. When Death seems to strike a proud pose thinking itself victorious, we can be sure the reality is quite different. Just as Death boasts of its supposed ability to cut our ride short, we find the real thrill ride has only just begun. As Death makes its last attempt to snatch us from the hands of God, the impotence of Death is revealed as God Himself throws His own arms around us and carries us safely home.
These truths in mind, and this hope assured amidst the loss of Don Audibert, I offer the words of John Donne as a dedication to Melanie (Don’s wife), the rest of his family, and all those who knew and loved him deeply. May these words remind you that Death does not win. Lost in the details of the police reports and newspaper coverage is the majestic reality of Don’s best ride, a ride into eternal bliss and vistas beyond compare. This is why we can say with Johne Donne, “Death, be not proud!” Here is Donne’s sonnet:
Death, be not proud,
though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful,
for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure;
then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more;
Death, thou shalt die.
Enjoy the ride Don. The ride without compare which has no end. All who knew you are looking forward to the day when they can join you around the next turn.
Bruce Smith,
optimuslife.org
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