"AND A TIME TO [BELLY] LAUGH"

(Ecclesiastes 3:4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Even today, when I think about it, there is a deep interior surge that wants to break out into a gigantic horse laugh.

It was a sitcom episode that was one of the funniest in TV history. Helen and I laughed, and we laughed harder until we could not see because of the tears. We doubled over, we clutched our sides, and when it was over, we felt drained. It was cathartic. We were completely relaxed and strangely refreshed.

Medical scientists, from Galen, Hippocrates, Aristotle and the physicians of ancient Greece, to the present time, have prescribed humor as the greatest relief of stress. Pindar, the poet, wrote, “The best of healer is good cheer." Hippocrates, father of modern medicine, was the first to consider that the physician’s job was to heal the whole person instead of only the parts of the body. It is a sense of humor that puts the whole body at ease and makes it easy for the immune systems to work.

The surgical specialist MD who shot cobolt 60 into my cranium was rather humorless. I sensed that when I first met him, so I enjoyed trying to get him to take a joke and smile. "Good morning, Doctor. How are you?" Without a lot of grace he replied, "Mngnfiskllsllll" (meanng okay). My stock and trade ice-breaker is, "Your looking good, whatever you're doing, keep it up." You would have thought I accused him of mal-practice. But he did smile eventually and was courteous - and a darn good surgeon.

Under inspiration the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1Thessalonians 5:23).

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, "Joy, temperance and repose, Slam the door on the doctors nose." And in seeking more about “laughing” in the Bible, I must confess that, “belly laugh” could not be found anywhere. However, it is “joy” that is most frequently given. The words “joy” and “mirth” cover the whole range of laughter from a titter and a tee hee, to an earth-shaking guffaw.

Consider the experience who, after a long weary travel from the East, ”When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (Matthew 2:10). I find it hard to believe that a rough and ready bunch of shepherds gave out anything less than uproarious gales of laughter that could be heard from Bethlehem to Damascus.

Solomon, probably the wisest man who ever lived said, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones." (Proverbs 17:22) He also wrote that there is a time for everything, even laughter (Ecclesiastes 3:3-4). He was also the world’s greatest cynic with 1,000 wives. He understood what real stress was like. Think what his Nordstrom’s bill would have been like . . . and that's not very funny!

Solomon wrote "a time" for a total of twenty-eight times in that passage that covers everything "under the sun." But there is truth in his cynicism, else the Holy Spirit would not have dictated its inclusion in the Bible. But over the span of his life, nothing escaped his inquiry. He went from a man who had it all, materially, to a man who realized he had nothing at all, spiritually. And now, he’s not laughing, he’s just giving advice, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

I have lived over seven decades of “twenty-eight times,” and I can look back and see wars, fights, squabbles, murders and the taking of lives for lives, so I am inured to it all and understand the “times.” Ever hear of the Rehoboam syndrome (1Kings 12:6)? Young leaders abandon the advice and teaching of their elders and opt for the direction of “the wild ones.” There is a war every two decades and they get worse. We never learn from history. But I am not depressed or cynical or do I have the urge to give in to cynacism or licentious abandon (as Solomon also suggested). My Bible tells me who is in charge of it all . . . EVERYTHING, and I know a lot about His will and plan for EVERYTHING - even for you and me. He is a very personal God, knowing our thoughts, intents, and needs.

When it’s time to heal, you just have to stop what you’re doing and go to bed. With all of the issues of the world confronting us, it’s enough to make us sick and your mind-set makes healing so much harder for you, and worse yet, is that it is difficult to open that Bible to let God talk to you.

How is your approach to reading the Bible? Is it, humorless, lifeless, knowing the answer is in there, but worry has clouded over your walk with the LORD? It seems to you that you are the only one to be so persecuted with your affliction. But that belief just makes 1Corinthians 10:13 invalid. You are not alone. And yes, Jesus heals and Jesus saves, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Call in the troops, those dedicated prayer warriors who have been in the same spot you are in and have the spiritual tenacity to go to God with importunity. There is no point in going it alone. It only makes hope deferred, which makes the heart sick, "but when the desire (hope) cometh, it is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). You will find that it is easier to laugh then, but can you laugh when sick?

Side-splitting laughter is good for managing stress - some stress is good, but it is like coughing. It forces good things to happen as more oxygen is pumped into our bodily systems, like increasing the flow of oxygen to the brain. First, it causes the stress that causes illness to break up, so that the forces that cloud your constructive reactions and keep you from having peace in your soul give way to joy and peace. It works, God made it to work, so use it.

When that is done, the body is free to do what God designed it to do: employ all the healing systems of our bodies to build us up with "Joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1Peter 1:8) and "peace that passes all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). Bring it on and lighten up!

by Pastor Bulldog

THE CHURCH and the STATE

Let the Government Have the Stress!
by Pastor Bulldog
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Were you watching the Presidential count-down on television, On November 4, 2008? Sen. Barack Obama, became our 44th President Elect of the United States of America and on January 20, 2009, he will be our 44th President in actuality.. He is the CHANGE the American People wanted. If some were disappointed and feel their prayers were not answered, know this: God always answers prayer.
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God has a plan and it will not be diverted. We have a new President in power by a remarkable series of events. Let' keep our prayers going up in regard to President Elect Obama. I am looking and waiting to see the direction God is going to take this country and the world in general. Whoever is in the Oval Office, God put him there.
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A heart-stirring historical event has happened; something that needed to be done since the days that slave ships unloaded their cargo in our ports. I can see God's hand in this. He set the stage for overturning injustices which have kept this country from its full potential. We have only had partial greatness because of internal distresses. And now we have been given a level playing field; one nation, indivisible, for the people, by the Lord through human instrumentality.
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As I was contemplating this sudden turn of events, I went to the word of God, which is the only way to get your head on straight after expectations have been fractured. I thought to myself as I recalled the times the Lord mightily blessed Israel, His people; and also the times He intervened into their wicked ways and sent judgment upon them. In the shallowest course of history and even the chronology of civilization in the New York Times Almanac, the rise and fall of civilizations and empires, at the height of hedonistic practices and injustices, should make the most hard-hearted stop and gasp.

Will God intervene to restore this country's core values and Bible morality? Our nation's history, while noble, is not "squeaky clean." God promises judgment upon all presumptuous wicked actions of men and countries and civilizations.

It takes no great historian to determine this. Regular systematic reading of the Bible for believers reveals heavely wisdom to even the simplest of souls the direction of God's will in carrying out His plan. I believe that the biggest differences in understanding the Bible is in how it is usedt. Do you want to find a verse of passage that you can use to prove that God approves of killing unborn children, or to come up with a revelation that homosexuals are God's gift to humanity?
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You've heard it said that you can make the Bible say anything you want it too, and that seems to be true. With little or no knowlege, we see Bible verses flung into our faces, extracted out of context from the word of God in order to support private agendas. Our oldest son has an expression for such hypcritical disembling fools: "educated above their intelligence."

More and more we are seeing an exodus of Biblical morality which God gave us to keep us from killing ourselves. But the unredeemed of the world have an authority problem and are saying, "We want no king but Satan (What other choice is there?) So, we have the choice of which version, which part, which verse of the word of God we can choose to omit or change according to what we want people to read and prove an unpricipled doctrine.

So in praying and watching to see what God brings about, we have these questions to ponder as we meditate from our daily time in the Bible:

• Will the church be attentive to its God-given mission to bring many to Christ and to take care of the afflictions of their own without governmental intervention, or will they be forced to take their ills and hurts to undogly psychologists and psychiatrists?
• Will the Lord insert the stopper on the moral spiral that is draining the strength out of our country?
• Will the false prophets in our old-line churches continue to lead innocent and ignorant sheep astray by preaching erronious doctrines?
• Will this nation repent for the moral injustices committed by our country, as Daniel did for Israel in exile?
• Will we undergo the Lord's national chastening by letting our enemies overthrow us from within and by causeing us to live under Socialism?
• Will we take the Lord's chastening like well-born-again children of the Lord? "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6).
• Will we pray for our President Elect as we give worship to our heavenly King?
  

The ancient Church at Antioch, Syria, was without guile, no biases, and gave no offence to the Jews and Gentiles or to the Church (1Corinthians 10:32). It began and “fleshed out” as they just went about doing the work of the Lord. It is a good model for effective local churches, "And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). But they lived, worked, and worshiped while under a cruel and unfriendly government.

A true believer wants to be approved of God and seeks the thrill of ministry opportunities. Let us be approved of God as workmen that need not to be ashamed and know that our ministry is to shed light; when the light is turned on, cockroaches scramble back into darkness.

”Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1Thessalonians 5:4-8).

The Fellowship of Auld Beloved Acquaintances

Let's hoist our cups of kindness (ginger ale?) and greet each other with "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3John 1:2)

Don't you agree there should be some options open to New Year greeters other than "Old Lang Syne"? Here's the thing, revelers get teary-eyed at the stroke of mid-night and hug and kiss whomever is around and sing "Should auld acquaintances be forgot . . .  Instead, why not greet each other with,"Beloved I wish you prosperity and health for 2009, and that God blesses you richly. But being practical it is not a likely to happen.

According to a Wikipedia article "auld lang syne" in the poem by Robert Burns, in Scotish language means "old long since." But the English translation simply means "long long ago", "days of long ago", "in olden days', or even "once upon a time."

But for a 3rd generation Scotsman, whose heart stirs at the mournful squeals of the pipes, Auld Lang Syne is okay by me. It is traditional but unfortunatly it is assotiated with millions of revelers getting "snockered" by downing a cup or two of Dugan's Dew of Kilkarny. It's a cinch that auld acquaintances WILL be forgotten, not only in days
of auld lang syne, but on the first day of 2009. It's absolutely certain that Christians wake up on January 1 feeling a lot better than they.

Robert Burns' verse is truly for Scots and for those who claim to be Scotish to avoid the embarrasment of not being Scotish, but "Beloved" is for everybody. It's the mark of a loving acquaintance like that between the Apostle John and Gaius. Endearing terms come naturally to those who have the Spirit of Christ in their hearts. I chose 3John 1:2
as my signature verse and greeting because it is pleasant to hear and read and full of teachable opportunities. When I give a verbal greeting, many smile and stop as if to say, "Oh, how nice."

It assumes a mutual understanding of fellowshiip in the spirit, not in the spirits. It is something more than the automatic greeting, "How ya' doing?" Although well-meaning it is shy of impact, especially when the giver of the salutation turns his head to look at
someone else. When I am greeted that way, I am tempted to reply, " Hold on now. Look at me. Do you want the long, short, or revised version?"

I believe that 3John 1:2 is a good template for greetings. "Hey there, I hope God has blessed you richly Are you keeping well? Did you enjoy the Bible study last Sunday morning as much as I did? How is the Lord blessing you? As Jesus said to His disciples, Pray in this manner.

John greets Gaius as a brother in Christian fellowship. For us his greeting is to all the brethren in Christ. It causes one to be sensitive to the needs of one's neighbor. The Apostle Paul sincerely suggests in four places, "Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss" (1Thessalonians 5:26). But I think I'll pass on that. I'm still trying to get past a manly and bonding hug. I'm just not the huggy kissy type!

BELOVED," the Apostle greets us. He is addressing Christians, not to those "who are without." One who can call another person "beloved" and mean it from the heart is a true believer who loves the brethren. It is like Jonathan and David loved each other in inseparable fraternity, as two who will know each other in eternity.

It is an internal joy from being in the presence of another whom is a friend indeed and a friend in deed. It is a bond that brings empathy and floods of importunate tears and pleas to the throne of grace from the congregation when one in in dire affliction. So let the Holy Spirit give you a well selected verse from the word of God as your
signature verse. It leaves the brethren feeling good . . . somebody actually cares about their welfare.

"PROSPER" - in all things concerning spirit, soul, and body (1Thessalonians 5:24). That is the kindest thing to say in closing an email or snail mail message, to anybody, not just to the body of Christ. Prosperity finds its way into the coffers of believers as
well as greedy unbelievers, like God's rain on the just and the unjust. (Romans 1:10-11) means to have a prosperous journey that yields fruit for the kingdom; . . . Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some
spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; (Also 1Corinthians 16:2).

"HEALTH" In Genesis 43:28, Joseph in Egypt inquired of his brethren as to their father, Israel. They did not know who he was. They answered, "Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive." I am grateful for the reply our oldest son gave to a mutual
friend he had not seen for a long time. "His mind is still sharp". (Also Proverbs 16:24; Acts 27:34)

"PROSPEROUS SOUL" It has to do with growing in the knowledge of Christ. 3Jn 1:3-5) "For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;" There is no other way to expect the Lord to prosper us than to walk with Him, listen to Him speak to us through His word, and to be as obedient as Caleb who wholly followed the Lord.

"What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them thatfear him; and he will shew them his covenant". (Psalm 25:12-14)