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MORNING RED

Chapter One

It really wasn’t a good day to die, he thought. Not that he was frightened by the prospect; he was just, well, disappointed. Why today? Why not another day? It seemed wrong that the end would come on--of all days--this particular one.

He didn’t have the strength to move. Actually, he didn’t want to move; he was too tired. And he was cold. At first it was just his hands and feet, but soon the chill invaded the rest of him like the advance of a cold front’s formidable edge. His shivering became more and more pronounced. He didn’t know which was more disconcerting, the shaking of his body, or his knowledge of what was causing it to shake. He had always thought that freezing to death would be an unpleasant way to go, but never realized one could do so on a swelteringly hot mid-summer’s day.

He decided it really didn’t matter that today was the day. Sure it was a bad day to die, but what day wouldn’t be?

He’d been told by others that a brilliant white light lit the way from this world to the next. For him, things just started going black. At first it was at the periphery, but soon the darkness began what seemed a sinister encroachment on the light. He thought if he tried hard, he might remain conscious enough to sense what it was like at the very end, but, while he was thinking about it, it all just went away.”

 Coming Fall 2022!

I am captivated by little known people who make big differences. The biblical character Tychicus was such a man. Having lived mid to late first century in western Asia, he joined the Apostle Paul and company in Ephesus to continue Paul's 3rd missionary journey and beyond. Tychicus eventually carried Paul's letters from Rome to the Christian churches at Ephesus and Colossae, to Philemon, and perhaps others. History sees him later serving as bishop of various churches, including that of Chalcedon. Chalcedon was a suburb of Constantinople (modern Istanbul), which became the eventual, but temporary, home of the Roman Church, and birthplace of the Eastern Orthodox Church. I've wondered about the influence Tychicus must have had on those world-shaping occurrences. This story is set within the fascinating history of the mid 1st century A.D., centered around a character mentioned only five times in Scripture, but known to have shaped the curve of history from that time forward.

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I also have two poetry books, "Of Angels and Me" and "Another Book of Poems" available through Amazon, or you can link to them from my web site, dontillman.com

The Thinker

Fly through the sky,

   but darkly.

Starkly

said,

   and widely read.

I've sewn a fabric dyed with words.

Can't go back 

   tonight,

Gravestones with great alarm.

   Erudite.

But not in time.

No, not in time.

Speak up man, speak up to me!

   Don't look down,

          don't bend your knee!

There's none to hear, or can't you see,

   but maybe one,

           or two, or three.

The Spilling Over Effect

Over the years, I have endeavored to learn how to walk closer and closer with Christ. I have a longed to know God in a deep and personal way, and to please Him with the way I lived my life. But I have found being the person I think God wants me to be is rarely easy! The practical application of biblical truth in everyday life is easier to discuss than to experience.

At times in my walk, I think I've actually gone backward rather than forward in my efforts to be a better follower of Jesus--certainly held things in neutral for a while. I discovered, however, that anything other than authentic spiritual growth was less than satisfying. I didn't want to be fake or false. So I set out to understand how I could become more of the person God would have me be.

Watching Other Believers

It didn't take long to see I wasn't the only one struggling with the practical application of biblical truth in everyday life. The more I watched, the more I saw; and the more I saw, the more shocked I became? In spite of these believer's best efforts, they were behaving much the same as the worldly people around them. Given similar circumstances, those who professed belief in Christ seemed to choose similar solutions to problems and issues in their lives as did their law-abiding, moral-by-society's-standards, non-believing neighbors.

So what was wrong? There certainly was no shortage of believers desiring to do the right Christian thing. Some even had become legalistic in their efforts, thinking they could measure their righteousness with external actions. I saw people who distinguished themselves from the rest of society only in that they attended church services regularly and gave their money solely to religious causes.

As for the values that undergirded the everyday decisions of life, I saw little difference. Hard decisions that required a stand for what was right, or significant personal sacrifice, or a moral issue that required a godly response, seemed to be made by the same standards as those used by the rest of the world.

Discovering the Truth

One day it dawned on me. Talking righteousness does not equal righteousness. Wanting righteousness does not equal righteousness. Following a set of rules does not equal righteousness. None of of these remove our vulnerability toward taking the easy way out of a troubling situation. For us to be righteous, our righteousness must flow from the One who is in us, not be produced for the One who is in us. That does not mean we do not attempt to please Jesus with our actions, but He Himself taught us that, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Godly behavior must spill out from within us. When we fully submit ourselves to the Christ who lives within us, we will find ourselves behaving like Him. That is the whole idea behind the spiritual fruit discussion in Galatians 5:22-23. It is His fruit that we bear.

How can we bear His fruit? We can't! However, we can allow Him to bear His fruit in us. The "Spilling Over Effect" occurs when Jesus is so alive in us and controlling our thoughts that we behave as He would in the situations of our lives--and do so naturally. It sounds too simple to be true, but if you try it, you will look back after a few months and see a new person looking back at you. Intentionally allowing Jesus to control your thinking, desires, and ambitions will result in behavior that is different than that you would have chosen for yourself. 

A Different Approach

I have become firmly convinced that if I am to apply biblical truth in my everyday life, I must approach the endeavor in an entirely different way. Rather tan concentrating on improving my behavior--patience, for example--I must must concentrate on giving Jesus authority over my lack of patience and give Him the right to exercise His patience through me. The more I strive to to surrender myself to His control, the more I begin to behave like Him. It's supernatural. It's the Spilling-Over Effect.

So What Do We Do?

To experience Christ's spilling-over effect in your life:

1. Come to grips with the fact that it is not what you profess, but what you do that indicates the core values steering your choices and decisions.

2. Read Paul's letter to the Galatians. You will clearly see that a legalistic approach to faith will leave you wanting in the end. Legalism is too heavily dependent on your own ability to follow the rules.

3. Rather than "trying hard" to change your behavior, seek to submit that area of your life needing change to the authority of Christ. Do this as often as it comes to your mind. After a period of time, you will be able to look back and see the changes He has made, and be pleasantly surprised!

4. Begin watching the Spilling-Over Effect start to spill over into the lives of others who are watching you. What could be a better gift to yourself and to others in your life?

 

Just Thinking...

If my soul was to sing, would you lend me your ear?

Would you?

What if it were a triumphant song?

or a somber song?

Would it make a difference?

You see,

the question is not whether my soul will sing,

but

whether or not you’ll hear.

If my soul sheds a tear, will you stop to ask why?

Will you?

What if it’s a glad tear?

or a sad tear?

Does it really matter?

You see,

the question is not whether I will cry,

but

whether or not you’ll care.

If my soul slipped and fell, would you run to my aid?

Could you?

What if it were a righteous fall?

or a sinful fall?

Would it make a difference?

You see,

the question is not whether I will fall,

but

whether or not you’re near.

A sigh is a cry and a cry is a lie,

And the soul sings a mournful song.

A friend is a friend if only he cares,

And needs not an answer to “Why?”