Archbishop Gregory Holley

Where are the Peacemakers?

"Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling."(Proverbs 20:3)

It goes without saying that there are few of us spoiling for a fight daily.  Now I know there are seasons of hostility within us all and times when we just are downright contrary. Really, do you think anyone would want to be that way. Contentious, antagonistic, cruel, and painful are brush strokes of the observer. Yet when quiet times of the soul come the peace we cry out for always demands that we put down our swords and walk in love.

Some feel that the battlefield is in some degree warranted for their causes while others feel they must pacify and coddle. Where is the balance?  Where is the warranted struggle effective? Solomon in all his wisdom declares the avoidance as a mark of honor.

Yet we are called upon to "contend for the faith that was once given" by the early church leaders.  It may be that we have for so long confused personality struggles with the holding of principle until blurry is the vision of the drunkenness of quarrelsome living. Commentators are at a premium and while watching one on his television show the brag was that over 4 million viewers tuned in daily to the program!

So we have honored quarreling?  Have we become so opinionated that we 'spoil' for a fight? Is the fighter celebrated and the peaceful discarded?  Do those who come in the name of peace come in wisdom or argumentation for a way of fighting that contends in yet another battlefield of lying and misrepresentation of truth in order to "keep the peace?"

I am a defender of the faith.  How then must I proceed?  The wise among us has offered the path of "choosing our fights."  This is indeed the course of action Solomon preferred.  To say the words, "avoiding a fight" did not exclude a fight that would appear on our doorsteps like a tornado's wind and demand rebuff.  It only mirrored the wise and worthy instruction to seek avoidance yet be prepared to defend.

In my rant today let me chuckle and say that I am not spoiling for a fight with those who find opposition to my words. It just needs to be said.  "Blessed are  the peacemakers..."

The Hero and the Coward

My father loved the philosophers.  He read them in the evenings and between crucial meetings. L.P. Jacks was an English philosopher that he often quoted. This was one of the heavier quotes: "Every human heart is an arena where a hero and a coward wage a continuous conflict for the mastery of each personality."   This has become a true thought to be kept within the knowledge of those who battle to keep the rudder of life and it's ills straight.

The outcome of the battle of the hero and the coward in each of us defines our self respect, our usefulness, and our happiness. This war is no mock battle. It is no toothless tiger. It is an arena that none can say they are ever fully prepared for.

As courageous as any individual can be none can be so and be ignorant of the sudden surge of emotion called fear. L.P. Jacks contends that there are very few perfect heroes and no absolute cowards! Who can be upbeat in the face of both fortune and disaster?  Side by side these emotions war life long and none can say that they are fully free of either.

Courage is that which rests the resonance of power. Whether the heart beats with anticipation of the fantastic or beats with the stress of that which is required we are unprepared without courage. You've seen it. 

There are those who are unable to take advantage of a good thing when they see it because they have told that these types of things don't just happen. Or that if it's that good it's too good to be true. So the fearful hold back the expenditure of courage and the battle between the hero and the coward wages on. Your personality becomes defined by the balance of the outcome of these spiritual exercises.

So fear not the battle. It rages in all of us. Be aware, the message of faith stands unused in most of these courageous exhibitions.  The adrenalin of a mind filled with belief that, as the battle rages, good will triumph, courage will overtake and faith will lead the way. And all that stands between the crowning of the hero and the expose of the coward is the courage that is displayed.

Why Worry?

The words of the Apostle ring true. "Cast all your cares on Him, for he loves you." The burdens of our lifestyles weigh the mind with many struggles and cares. I ran across a writing by Matthew Chappel in late 1939 that he titled, "The Burden of Modern Life."  It is worth remembering.

" Worry is a perverted use of the human brain -- a habit acquired in the course of civilization. It was no part of primitive man's mental equipment.  Worry is so unnatural and so detrimental to mankind that the race would have perished from the face of the earth had primitive man been a worrier. A prehistoric man with a "natural tendency" to worry would have had no progeny. Natural selection would have necessitated his early demise.

Image a cave man borne with a "tendency to worry," seated on the trunk of a fallen tree, deep in the exercise of his inborn talent. Hair in eyes and face in hand, he sits engrossed, reviewing his failures and anticipating calamities. His mind is occupied with his lack of a fur coat, with his insignificance in the scheme of things, and with the probability of getting gas on his stomach from some berries he has eaten. Absorbed in his murky reverie,he is oblivious to all that is about him, including the slim, sleek, saber toothed tiger creeping up behind him.

The prehistoric worrier transmitted his " natural tendency" to no offspring. He had none. Natural selection in the form of a big cat obliterated his unfortunate tendency.

No, worry is not a natural mode of reacting. It is only a common practice resulting from the complexities of civilization. Man no longer directs his own destinies. His successes and failures depend not on his own efforts alone but on forces arising from the organization he has built around himself -- civilization. Modern man is completely lacking in independence of action. When and how much he will eat depends upon social and economic forces and not upon his own strong arm, sure foot and nimble wit.

Civilization gives rise to worry, but worry does not solve the difficulties. It creates bigger and better problems to be solved. Worry throws a burden on every part of modern life, creating havoc and discord in international, industrial, social and family activities.

Civilization gives the worrier a partial protection. Worry is no longer synonymous with sudden death. But the burden is growing steadily. It is only a question of how much worry civilization can stand. It is already suggested that worry in the form of war may soon "select" our civilization for extinction.

It is time to recognize that worry is not a necessity. The mere fact that most people do worry under certain circumstances proves nothing. They have developed the habit. It is a futile, detrimental one, serving no useful end.

Worry is a luxury -- one that neither the individual nor the civilization can afford. A more expensive luxury would be difficult to imagine. The cost to the individual is to be reckoned in terms of illness, bills for doctors, nurses, hospitals, and medicines; in loss of wages and opportunities; and inefficiency; in terms of mental agitation, irritability, family discord, undesirable personality traits, and adverse influence on friends, family and children.

The costs are commonly overlooked. No matter how few worldly goods a person has, he never doubts that he can afford to worry. This is one horn of a dilemma. The other is that he worries wen he can least afford it -- when the going is rough and requires all his energies and mental capacities. The more difficult the situation, the less one can afford the luxury of worry.

One must worry less if one would strive better."

The Dynamics of Peace

The dynamics of peace triumph over the clamoring of dissension.  The mouth of the peaceful brings forth the initial evidence of the outcome of the glorious.  Sewn in climatic and terrific times the voice bearing softness yet firmness settles the spirit into the pattern of creativity. The Lord is the Creator of all things and destines those things of His choosing to be of peace and not of clamoring.

Set forth in the castings of men, projects come and go. The input of all that is responsible seems to bring forth the fruition of that which is desired. Yet, in an instant the Father can and does create a path not thought of, a path not seen. Why, you ask, do men not wait on the creation of the holy and wrestle not with the struggles of day to day issues? Why forcibly go towards those things which will enhance?

It is because our feet are cyclical. The human mind travels in a pattern of learned endeavors.  We do as we do because it is our upbringing to do so. But the dynamics of peace await at the door of each endeavor to bring about a way that seems simple yet fulfills all the needs of that which is being sought. Complexities create that which calls for maintenance and the keeping of that which is designed.

Yet at the lips of each is the opportunity to speak that which will bring the trust of all into the mind of the Father. This day will be a good day to watch for the lips of man as he struggles to meet all expectations and bring to bear the safeguards of life.  Yet through the favor of the Lord, peace bonds can be brought that bring peaceful solutions to the minds of all. When His words are spoken, although they be in professional and socially acceptable phrases, they initiate solution to the most complex of problems.

Be slow to speak are the admonitions of the Biblical writer. Yet the lips of the speakers of this generation wait only to interrupt the voice of others seeking to be in dominance with the sound of their own voice. So it is clear. This day, let us be slow to speak and bring forth peaceful thoughts of the Lord for in it lies the victory of all things sought for. 

A thought awaits you today that brings about answers of tomorrow! Be blessed and see that you come behind in no good thing!

What is a Miracle?

Jesus stood before the tomb of Lazarus.  A friend was dead. Family had gathered and the professional mourners of the day hired.  It was all over for Lazarus as he had been wrapped in grave clothes of which we assume to be like we would envision a mummy.  All wept, including Jesus.

Then it happened. Jesus prayed for a miracle. He prayed. He looked up toward Heaven and prayed, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they might believe that you sent me." To the crowd Jesus had said, " Did not I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"

One small problem existed between the two prayers.  There was a stone placed over the entrance to the tomb. The request had been simple as Jesus said, "Take away the stone." The reply came quick from the lips of Martha, the sister of Lazarus, " But Lord by this time there is a bad odor in there for he has been dead four days." All that stood between death and life by a miracle was obedience and a stone that needed to be moved.

We do not read that the request to move the stone was repeated.  Only the question of the resulting miracle being dependent upon rolling away the stone in reaction to faith's call. The stone was rolled away. Then, and only then were the life giving word's spoken, "Lazarus, Come forth!"  And he came stumbling from the grave, alive!

A miracle may be defined as an event occurring in the natural world, observed by the senses, without any adequate human or natural causes, and which is done to reveal the will of God and do good to man. All the miracles of Jesus heed to this definition.  It is an event that takes place by the immediate presence of God and the impossible becomes possible.

God is above and beyond the natural, He is the author of physical laws and is the maker of the universe.  He performs miracles which overrides the natural and is called supernatural. It is in this atmosphere that we find the answer to life's impossibilities. He is a miracle to the believer!

1. Do you need the life giving, heaven sent breath of faith to come into your impossibilities and  provide the miracle? The answer is in the miracle of Lazarus. Confess that said is dead and without life and without God it will stay dead.
2. Roll away the stone and give Him access to your faith!
3. Believe that He has spoken life to your impossibility and it becomes a possibility.
4. Walk toward the problem believing that a living, breathing Lazarus will come from the gloom and doom and bring joy to your world!

I bless you this day for your miracle in the Name of Jesus!

The Cathedral of the Mind (1)

The words of the Apostle ring clear and true. "Have in you this same mind that was in Christ Jesus..." Yet the mind continues to be the battlefield and like a city has different areas of which the enemy seeks to lay siege. From the sea of tranquility to the sea of destiny upon which stormy waters rage we war many times against that which we think we know not.

It is believed that the answer lies in the planning of the mind. That which is allowed or disallowed. A vision was seen of a man and a drawing board.  This city planner was laying out the areas of a new city to be constructed. There was no place in the plan for a house of worship.  It was made clear that the mind is as the city planner's process.

Although it is simple in its context. Open a picture in your mind of an empty  city laid out with streets,residential, commercial, lakes, parks, farms and airports. Nothing has been built yet. Just a simple but yet complex drawing of where things will be.

The city planners have laid it out and stand guard at the permit office to allow or disallow the settlers desire to build. Zoning the contextual  efforts of the city these have decided that your 'permitted use' of the property which you may own must fit with their efforts to logically lay out the use of the entire city. Should your desire to build be within the framework of their desires your permit is granted. Should it not it is denied.

Such is the 'sold out' mind.  Before your confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior you were a city whose builder and maker was self. Zoning was out of the question and no guard stood at the gates. Factories were built next to schools, airports were built next to busy city parks with no thought of order. The chaos that resulted led the mind into disarray.

Our Church facilities have been erected in cities around the world. Not once have we approached the planners and had them to remark, " Aw shucks, just build it anywhere you like." This attitude is found in the unincorporated areas everywhere but anywhere there is a city plan, there is a planner who decided where Churches could be built without what is called a "special use" permit.

A "special use permit"  is that in which application is made to a board comprised generally of citizens who view your request in relation to the overall picture of the city plan.  The outcome depends upon the value of the request and the 'impact' of your plan on the overall plan. Then, if granted, the notes are placed upon the 'site plan' as to it's placement within the 'city plan.'

Do you have a plan for your mind?  It is not uncommon to meet those who have become a Christian long ago who still do not understand the concept of which is being discussed.  Who is the guard of your mind?  What is the process by which expansion and upkeep are regarded?

Readers, this is part one of a series of thoughts rolling around about the Cathedral of the Mind. Keep in touch for the continuation!

Science Saves!

If memory serves me right it was Val Palmer who once told a story on his program Val-U-Ations concerning the saving grace of Science.  It went like this; " The science of air conditioning has brought us many blessings, chief of which is the saving of lives. On Black Monday, when the stock market committed hara-kiri many losers wanted to jump out of windows, but they couldn't open them!"  It seems the science of air conditioning had precluded the need for windows in the skyscrapers of New York's Wall Street.

The news of trouble instills a fear that for a few fleeting moments all seems impossible and  hari- kari is entertained. Yet as the moments pass and turn into hours giving way unto days it seems that we did right by staying put and not losing our minds.  Thank God, there are some restraints in this fast moving life that we live.  And those constraints are most strongly held when held in love.

After a particular rough morning in the business of the church and all of its far reaching needs hari-kari came to visit my mind.  Avoiding the office gave way to any reason not to go. Then prudence spoke to the mind and voila the office door opened.  Not much better there. 

The happy folks were buzzing around enjoying their facilities and co workers. Phones rang and electrical meters whirred.  Ordering the usual  Chai Tea from the in house Starbucks seemed to not settle the spirit. So, my old ways were reverted to.

Daughter Angela manages the building of my office so she was called to the office for "consultation" with the big shot.  Yeah, big shot, reeling from the weights of the val-u-ations. Upon entering her big smile and voice chirped, "Hi Dad!"  Ten tons of weight lifted off of my shoulders as love created a nice ambiance to a special bond between dad and daughter.

We bantered a bit.   I tried to waller around my struggles without giving up other problems in other cities and nations, but she noticed.  Speaking faith she shoved a good thought or two my way. AAh, the science of love!

Chemical compounds in the body respond to certain thoughts and just like the windows being able to be looked out of but not jumped out the mind plays a little mental ping pong.  Just when the mully grubs were going to take over again and maybe wear on her a bit  she said, " I am on my way to get Jake. Do you want to go?

Now she did it.  She pushed me over the edge.  Free falling how could I resist the earth that was rushing toward me?  My mully grubs were doomed to die with this irresistible offer!

Now Jake is my 5 year old grandson and is the apple of the old boy's eye.  He brightens any day.  Smart, reading already, wanting to preach like his Dad and His Pa pa, Jake cannot be resisted by anybody. He gets out of school everyday down at the Baptist Church pastored by the good Dr. Redmon and is getting one, wonderful education! What do you mean, "Do I want to go get Jake?"

Sure, I want to go.  I've never done this before.  Not ever, no not one time.  Taken Jake to Mexico and more of the U.S. than I saw before I was a teenager but had never been able to pick him up at school! 

She asked, " Your car or mine?"  Of course we are going in mine.  I want to see his eyes light up when Pa Pa comes to get him!  And sure enough, the routine was simple.

You drive up to the Baptist Church School.  Put a paper in the window alerting the lady with the megaphone of the name of the student. She calls out the name of the student and tells them which orange cone to go to.  You pull up and the student climbs aboard.

So, watching carefully on my first time, the lady with the megaphone turns to look for the name.  Pressing her button she calls out Jake's name.  He looks up.  I see his lips move, " Pa Pa!"

That's it! The mully grubs gone.  A thousand bills paid for every missionary in the world. Marriages in the Kingdom renewed!  Sermons created! Answers prepared! 

The science of love sealed the windows shut and I can't jump out!  Neither do I want to! Too much to live for! Jake is growing up! You have a lot to live for as well. Try the science of love! It saves!

Getting Away From The Struggle To Worship

"In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result." James Allen

Moses, winning a war without a battle, told Pharaoh to let his people go, or else! After the frogs that plagued Egypt died, they were put in big piles and made a real stink. Then he and Aaron took the Israelis on a three day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to get away from the flies! This extreme strategy was guided by the eternal Commander as Israel won the release of 6 million prisoners of war!

Your victory will assure the prosperity of the Kingdom in the earth. It is God's good pleasure to give you wisdom today and open the doors of impossibility. This is demonstrated by the masters of war through an old Chinese saying, " The highest victory is to win a war without battles. Jesus Christ fought the battle of the kingdom, for the prize of eternal salvation, and won.

Your position in the Kingdom is secure. It is the marketplace that is the battlefield. Through the wisdom of the eternal Commander Moses was able to progress against the greatest of military odds. You can as well.

Take a few moments and rethink the toughest obstacle you face today. Is there a way to win this battle without a war? Is there a steady hand that can guide you through the open door that will open for you? Will you be able to accept that what is not normally done is going to be done for you today! Moses did and the victory was so great he had to travel three days to find a place free of the struggle to worship and praise God for the victory!

May your highest victory be great today and won without a war!

Having done all, to stand! Ephesians 6:13

Ignorance is a Geographical Location

A early morning meeting was had with friend and businessman Barry Woodward of Tire Source, Inc. He was describing the sale of a business he owned to a group of buyers from the East. The culture difference was huge. The ethics were different.  In fact on the surface everything was kind of warped to the American mind.

Contracts are not contracts in many places but letters of introduction.  In other words it is a statement of the desire to dance together but the actual dance that will be performed is yet to be discussed.  And oh, by the way, no one said we had to do the Watusi and we thought it was to be a Waltz!  Money change hands?  No, no.  We give you a letter of credit and then when we sell your goodies we re-discuss the original price and re-negotiate.

Well, that flew like a lead balloon. But when we began to discuss the culture of the Eastern and Asian Regions he searched for a word to describe the climate.  It was though they could not get the concept of the American way of business and the American could not get the concept of the Eastern Asian design of a business relationship. Then the right words began to come...

It you stand a Cherokee Indian from the middle of the desert into the middle of Beijing, China he is going to be very ignorant of the local knowledge.  On the other hand, should you stand the man from Beijing,China in the Arizona deserts he immediately falls prey to the ignorance of that local knowledge. Like it gets real hot in the day and real cold at night.  The knowledge of each locale is learned by immersion into the culture no matter how much book knowledge has been taught.

So it was decided.  Ignorance is a geographical location.  It can be remedied but it must be recognized by the ignorant.  If I am coal miner I cannot decide to fly a jet airplane without instruction nor could the jet pilot pick up at the level of expertise his first night in the mine.  Yes, ignorance is a geographical location.

So we are never quite sure what our knowledge locale is.  It just depends on where we are standing at the time!

The Great Poker Face

I was reading "The Idiot's Guide to Negotiation" when one of life's mystery unfolded. The authors were teaching people to have a "Poker Face"!  Well, I have seen a million of these so it interested me greatly.  Just how do you look like your face was soaked in lemon juice?

Gestures of the face show the heart or do they?  Do you really have to teach people to "put on the dog" or is it a natural function? Is that scrunched up look in the face a natural position?  Is this the way people concentrate? Wow, after 35 years standing before people in negotiation for what attributes to their soul-molding I can truly say it is a mystery.

But for the sake of this post we are drawn to James Ling's $30 million dollar poker face.  The gestures you don't make can be as telling as those you do. The writer says a gasp, a flinch, or a smile can speak volumes about your position in the negotiating process.  This could be your great loss when people figure out your demeanor mirrored in your face!

Your attitude, your facial expressions, your tone of voice are on parade as those who view try to figure out what you are "really" thinking!  The writers gave these tips to being a hypocrite or maybe that's too harsh. Ha!  Naw, really they just want you to rein in your emotions and use a few time tested techniques...

• Gently grit your teeth (not too hard -- it'll hurt and it'll show) to keep your face immovable.
• Think of something sad. This is a trick actors use when they need to shed a few tears during an emotional scene.
• Slowly take a deep breath.
• Make hard fists or grab the seat of your chair to tense your body and remind yourself to remain impassive. Just make sure your opponent can't see you doing this -- he or she may misinterpret your gestures.
• Practice controlling your actions in everyday life. You will find it easier to do when you later must negotiate.

Whoa! Seems like we do this an awful lot.  Try to "do it up right"  or "put on the dog and pony show" in an attempt to mask our real feelings.  The "glitz", the       "Ritz", or the "bling" has been added to our vocabulary to help explain our "dress up" mentality.   

Wouldn't it just be easier to be humble and be yourself?