News & Posts

We have been blessed with some terrific guest bloggers over last few months. Thank you.

Our November blog is inspired by our young granddaughter when she said, “I’m having trouble with the alphabet, I don’t know ‘Y’.”

Her joke stuck in my head. I pondered the impact of Y or WHY or even WYE. Surely this is the question bothering big brains since the beginning of time. Ever wonder about the letter? The sometimes vowel, sometimes consonant letter which for all intents has the sounds ‘I’ or ‘E’ but also has a unique sound of its own, which is demonstrated in the word YES. So, what’s up with Y? This blog isn’t about the letter Y, it’s about the word WHY, and WHY NOT.

One recent church service started off with a reference to WHY. So many occurrences today are difficult to fathom, which is also a word with two meanings. The first is the measure of depth using a sounding line, while the other means to penetrate to the truth, comprehend and understand. Let’s not try to go too deep, but to penetrate the truth at times requires deep thought.

To understand who humans are and what motivates us, let’s look at our common drives or motivations. The top three common desires are connection (love), success (individually defined), and security (wherever we find it). Each of these desires lead to a crossroads. They sound innocuous to a peaceful heart but to an individual caught in a web of chaos and confusion these desires can lead to horrific results.

Human history documents the follies of people driven by the same desires as those with the most benevolent outcomes. WHY?

So, we focus on our struggle with the alphabet of motivation. Before we pursue a desire, we need to embrace peace and forgiveness. The question WHY? should always proceed any action or thought. Our desires fog our reasoning, a fog which prevents us from seeing the end results. A focus on near-term gratification is easy, and not totally in error. Everyone enjoys moments of success.

Self-focus or self-worship motivates the most harmful and egregious outcomes; the perpetrators’ own needs lead them to justify their actions. In their mind, others only matter if they can be used. The self-worshipper seeks others to worship them. This leads to infidelity, cults, gangs, and nefarious political leaders to mention a few.

One of the major tenants of Christianity requires us to remove ourselves from the throne and replace ourselves with Jesus Christ. Not all those who claim to be Christians are successful in doing this.

The human moral compass exists in every heart, WHY this is true becomes a point of disagreement. To some it was placed there by our creator, to others, it is just a natural phenomenon based on survival. The latter argument falls apart with a study  of humanist theory throughout history. If we don’t remove ourselves from the throne, our motivations lead to destruction and suffering of others.

Our focus is WHY do we focus on God and his teachings, or choose to focus on ourselves and make up our own rules Almost all cultures contain the same basic values.

WHY does a teacher make tests so difficult? Challenges create character and evaluate our efforts.

The greatest “Y’ is found in the name, Yahweh. He challenges us to change our motives. Some observant Jews find this name so Holy that they replace it with Adonai.

WHY does God let terrible things happen? He is the teacher, He knows the outcome, what we regard as terrible may lead to better things. Some of the biggest changes in our hearts and viewpoint have come from tragedy and the witness of those who meet their challenge with courage and faith. Brave Knight Writers embraces such people.

Don the full armor of God, we are in a spiritual battle ground.

WHY do we leave the comforts of our life to risk everything and be uncomfortable on mission trips? Sacrifice states how much we love, and who we love.

Do we remember the name of God and hold fast to worship of Him, or do we let other gods sit on our throne? We all conjure good and not-so-good excuses for what we do or don’t do.

Amos’ lament and warnings to the Kingdom of Israel for seeking their security in earthly alliances rather than worship and knowledge of the Lord. Ask yourself where you seek your security? Is it in finance, ownership, violence, bullying others into doing your will, or do you rest at peace knowing God’s got it?

WHY do we write? Writing puts one at risk for rejection, ridicule, and attacks, all for working hard. So WHY? Our motivation isn’t financial, it’s not to be famous, or to cause others harm, we simply enjoy the process and dialog in this way so we can share a message.

WHY include a message in our books? We love to present solid characters overcoming a challenge, and how faith grounds them.

WHY does God challenge us? God gave us life, and with it came tests. How else could God filter out those who love Him from those who seek themselves?

Do we seek a participation award, or do we rise to the challenge and respond in a positive way to our troubles, do we find peace in our trust in God? God doesn’t want lukewarm; he spits it out. He asks us to step out of our comfort zone, to go forth and share the good word.

What might we do with this?

The weight of our next mission trip is upon us, and we ask ourselves, WHY do it? Does anyone care and WHY do we care if anyone but God cares? Will anyone support us? WHY pray to God, not the world? We make up WHYS to justify our thoughts and actions as well as others, we mask reality and motives to find temporary comfort.

Even God asks us WHY. (Emphasis added)

Psalm 2:1

WHY do the nations rebel and the peoples plot in vain?

Ecclesiastes 2:15

So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. WHY then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile.

Acts 22:7

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, WHY are you persecuting me?

Matthew 7:3

WHY do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?

ANSWER:

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

God’s will be done.

WHY?

This is The Way.