Here Comes The Son

Today there is a heaviness in the land.

Negativity is the new norm as day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute we rush to eat a diet of the latest update about a disease that is ravaging the land.

Twenty-four hours a day the media spews out the vomit we call “news” as our lungs breath in the toxicity until it causes us to faint or pass out.

Conspiracy theorists are having a field day as sides are chosen as to what is really going on as both sides point their fingers at the other side.

Like the smell of a skunk that has just sprayed we gasp for a breath of fresh air.

Clocks are only used to find your favorite show. Calendars show only days (instead of weeks or months) as this Groundhog Day endlessly repeats.

“I just don’t know what to do…” is the heart cry of many.

And yet, through the confusion the Word of God SHOUTS to His people through the prophet Isaiah chapter 60:

Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. (v1)

Why is He telling us to arise and shine?

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people (v2)

That sounds like the time we are living in. some days it seems as though the whole earth is wrapped in darkness.

Yes, darkness; thick darkness, gross darkness…all the people of the earth are sunk in deep darkness. 

And you say; “Now I am even more despaired!”

My friend: KEEP READING

BUT (say that again)

BUT the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you. (v2b)

In the middle of times that seem out of control the Lord SHOUTS:

Get out of bed, Wake up.

Put your face in the sunlight.
God’s bright glory has risen for you.

The LORD is exhorting Believers during this time of despair and uncertainty to be a light for Him. To be a reflection of His goodness, His glory to those who are trapped by the darkness.

In fact, He is telling us through the prophet Isaiah that when we arise and shine, people will come to listen to what we have to tell:

The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising. (v3)

Even those relatives who seem far away will come to you:

Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. (v4)

The result will be

Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;
All those from Sheba shall come;
They shall bring gold and incense,
And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. (v 4-6)

In other words, when we arise and shine, the darkness is dispelled.

WE are called to bring the light into this world out of control.

Some of you might be thinking, “Jesus is the Light of the world, not me!”

And I would say that you are correct. In John 9:5, Jesus refers to Himself as the Light of the world.

But in Matthew 5:14 and 16, Jesus also said,

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden... In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” 

My friend, don’t wait for this to all blow over before you share what the LORD has done for you.

We are called to be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why we’re living the way we are…

to always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15)

So, wake up sleepy head! Arise! Shine! So that others will exclaim:

“HERE COMES THE SON!”

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hey; I Need A Hug!

This past week the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommended that people stay at least six feet away from each other in public because of the Coronavirus COVID-19. Because there is little to no pre-existing immunity against the new virus, it spreads worldwide.

Their basic instruction was to stay home, avoid physical contact, and don’t gather in large crowds. Introverts have been preparing for this moment their entire lives!

In other words; DON’T HUG IN PUBLIC; ESPECIALLY WITH STRANGERS!

All across the USA pandemonium broke out. Churches canceled services and closed their doors. Schools canceled classes. Businesses encouraged those who could to work from home.

The NCAA basketball men and women’s tournaments were canceled. The NBA and NHL suspended their seasons. MLB suspended spring training and delayed opening games by at least two weeks. The PGA postponed the Masters.

Wedding venues have been reduced to fifty guests in attendance. Even restaurants, banks, and stores have temporarily closed their doors.

Worst of all, my hockey games were canceled; along with a hockey tournament that I was invited to play in Nashville in April. It’s the end of the world as we know it!

I’m not sure if the IRS still wants our taxes or not but President Donald Trump has instructed the Treasury Department and IRS to extend the April 15, 2020 deadline for filing federal income tax returns for those affected by Coronavirus. 

 

In stores empty shelves could be seen as people purchased EVERY bottle of hand-sanitizer and EVERY bottle of water and EVERY roll of toilet paper.

Although we don’t use hand sanitizer, the first two seem (somewhat) logical. The extreme amount of toilet paper that individuals purchased makes no sense at all. Don’t they realize that they can purchase online if this really is the zombie-apocalypse???

Cathy and I were happy that we had extra napkins in our vehicles, thus saving us an unnecessary trip to the madness.

This past week I also spoke at a chapel service at the Rochester Campus of Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge (MnTC) -a Christian based rehab and recovery center.

I love not only preaching, but also hearing the stories of the lives of the men and women who have gone through or are currently in the program.

Another reason I like to visit the various campuses of MnTC is because they like to give hugs.

I didn’t always like hugs. In the days of my youth I had learned to distance myself from people by only shaking hands. This was my not so subtle attempt to not get hurt in life. If you don’t get too close then no one can hurt you; right?

My exception was with girls; but that always had an ulterior motive. A hug is supposed to be a way of giving and receiving human contact in this otherwise detached and sequestered world.

When I was young, to my best recollection, my family weren’t huggers. Perhaps that is where I learned to practice my physical stoicism.

I should note that my family are huggers now. One of the joys that I have is the gift of touch that my parents give me whenever we meet. We hug each other when we arrive and when we leave.

My wife Cathy’s family are all huggers. Yes, ALL of them. It didn’t matter whether I was coming or going; they wanted to hug me.

When I first started dating Cathy, this threw me off. They, somehow, thought it was OK to hug me rather than the traditional handshake as they tried to break through my force-shield.

In time, I had built my reputation as one who was OK with just a handshake. And then, I let my guard down and started letting people get closer to me.

The process started when a friend of mine who was my pastor challenged me to start letting others in. He commented that he thought that I was one of the most transparent people he knew. He observed how I was willing to share my life openly.

But, in time, he discovered that what others saw as openness was actually a glass fortress around my life that only a few people had a key to get into. He asked me for a key.  I think it threw him off a bit when (a few years later) I came up to him and gave him a hug.

The process continued when one of my employees at MnTC told me that he was doing an intervention. He said that he was starting a “twelve-step” hug program for me.

He explained that he had told the clients and my staff that I had to give and receive least one hug a day as I progressively continued until I was receiving at least twelve hugs a day; then I could graduate from his program.

He implemented the program right after I had shoulder surgery; making it difficult to run away.

Four years later when I resigned from my position, I was “forced” to stand at a narrow doorway (five feet wide) as approximately sixty clients and a dozen staff one-by-one gave me a hug. Cathy stood by watching me seeing the success of the “twelve-step” hug program.

Fast forward to this week. When the CDC said “no hugs” and “stay six-feet away”, my heart sank. I had finally gotten used to the idea of giving and receiving hugs and now someone (in an attempt to save my life) tells me that this is not acceptable?

HEY, I NEED A HUG! I’ve lived way too many years of my life surviving on a handshake or a head nod as a form of human contact.

My attempt to stay safe and unhurt sent the wrong message to those who attempted to show affection to me. I came to understand that people didn’t understand that I was just trying to get through life unscathed. They took it as a form of rejection of them.

After going through the “twelve-step” hug program, my life is richer and people appreciate my receptivity to their attempt to show affection to me.

Jesus said that in the last days the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24). And although I have no desire to spread COVID-19, I would rather continue to give and receive hugs and get COVID-19 (by hugging) …

…than go through life as I once lived; a hug-less, stoic and isolated person in this world in which we were made to give and receive love.

With all due respect to the CDC, when you see me, it’s OK to give me a hug.  HEY, I NEED A HUG!

If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction, MnTC is here to help. Freedom from addiction starts here. Call 612-FREEDOM today.

For over 30 years MnTC has been restoring hope to people struggling with drug, alcohol, and other life-controlling addictions by addressing their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. 

The mission of MnTC is to assist teens and adults in gaining freedom from chemical addictions and other life controlling problems by addressing their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

They offer effective and affordable programs throughout Minnesota with campuses in Minneapolis, Brainerd, Duluth, Rochester and Buffalo. MnTC offers both a long-term, faith-based recovery program and short-term licensed treatment program, allowing us to effectively serve individuals with a broad spectrum of addiction issues; from those seeking treatment for the first time, to those who have been struggling with addiction for many years.

I Can Do It All By Myself!

I had just spent the past two hours snow blowing and shoveling after a January storm had dumped five inches of wet, heavy snow.

When I was done, I decided to check how the roads were and drive my truck to a local grocery store that had a postal box in which I would place an outgoing letter.

On my way back to my house, I noticed an older woman, who I estimated was in her eighties, shoveling the wet, heavy snow from her very long and large driveway. Since I didn’t have a shovel, I drove past her house and continued on my way home.

At home, my conscience got the best of me as I continued to think about that woman. So, I loaded up a couple of shovels in the back of the truck and headed out to her house six blocks away.

When I arrived, I grabbed one of the shovels and started to walk to her house.

“What do you think that you are doing?” she asked me.

“I’m going to help you shovel your driveway.” I told her as I continued to walk up her driveway.

“No, you’re not!” she said as she stood her ground blocking me from coming further.

“I’m not going to charge you,” I explained. “I want to do it for free!”

“Why?” she further inquired.

I told her that I had just shoveled and snow blowed my house and explained how heavy the snow was. I wanted to do something nice.

“Well I don’t need your help!” she said harshly.

“I can do it all by myself! I have a snow blower and if I thought it was too hard to do, I would use that. Or else I would call my son and ask him to come over. No thank you, I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!”

I turned around, walked towards my truck, placed the shovel in the back, and then drove home and helped a neighbor get shoveled out as I pondered the encounter with the older woman a short time before.

I pondered further…why would anyone turn down help when someone offers to help?

I wasn’t offended, but I found it strange that she would be so harsh in her rejection of my offer to help her. Why would someone turn down help; especially when it is free? 

I had been gracious, accommodating, and generous. I had just spent several hours and really didn't need "one-more-thing-to-do". I saw her and came to her with all that she would need to get the job done. I was planning on having her take a break so that I could shovel the whole driveway by myself.

I was offering because I understood what she was going through. I had just walked (metaphorically) in her boots. I knew the weight that she was carrying. I knew how much pain she was (potentially) going through.

I finished the shoveling at my neighbor's and decided to get the snowblower out to make the alley wider so that cars could get through easier. 

While using the snowblower, a neighbor from up the block walked over to where I was working and asked me if he could pay me to shovel his sidewalk when he goes out of town for the month of February. I told him that I would be happy to take care of it for him.

He asked me what I would charge and I told him that I would be happy to just take care of it for free. He was insistent and said that he would stop by before he left on his trip to see his daughter. Although he was very strong, he knew that he needed my help (because he was going to be 1500 miles away) and was willing to pay for it. 

After he left, I pondered some more...about how so many times people turn down help from the Lord even though He is reaching out and offering His help. He isn't charging for His help; in fact He already paid the ultimate price with His death, burial, and resurrection.

Why would anyone turn down help from the Lord when He offers to help us? He, too, walked "in our boots". He, too, knows the weight of what we carry. He, too knows the pain we go through. 

God doesn't help those who help themselves. Instead:

He asks us to seek Him:

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord..." (Jeremiah 29:13-14a)

He asks us to call to Him: 

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:3)

He asks us to come to Him:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am  gentle and  lowly in heart,  and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28)

He asks us to rest in Him:

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. (Psalm 37:7a)

He cares deeply about what we are going through and longs to help us:

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

I put the snowblower away and went inside grateful for how the Lord continues to call out to me even when I choose to try it on my own first. Grateful that He doesn't turn me away when I come back to Him and ask for His help, after realizing how much I need Him. 

Grateful that I have a Savior who is sympathetic with my weakness and my need for help:

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Justification Jiu Jitsu

The story of the Good Samaritan is a well know story; even by those who don't claim to be Christians or to have ever read the Bible.

The story is beloved because of the way a hero arrives on the scene to step up to the plate and rescues the man who is in trouble. We want to give him a medal and put him on a pedestal for all to see.

We also love it because it challenges us in how we live. In other words, there is a point to the story. The background: 

“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25)

Basically they were trying to trip Jesus up. They really didn't care what He was teaching. They wanted Him to go away or at least to stop others from following Him.

"Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” (Luke 10:26-27)

Did you catch what happened? Jesus, instead of taking the bait to be tripped up, turns the table by asking the man; "What does the Law say?"

The man answers Jesus correctly; which neutralizes things for a bit, until the man realizes that he has been put under the microscope. Jesus said that if this is the correct thing to do, then the man is supposed to walk it out.

And it is uncomfortable. And he wants relief. So he tosses the ball back to Jesus.  

"The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

Did you catch that? The man wanted to justify himself.

The man didn't want to change. 

The man didn’t want Jesus to put the focus on him.

The man didn’t want the questions to be about him.

The man was OK with loving God; it was his fellow man that he had some issues with.

This man jujitsued the conversation and tried to justify not loving everyone by asking; "Oh yeah...who's my neighbor?" The implication is that there is no way that we have to love EVERYONE in the whole world.

He really wanted to justify NOT changing; after all, God couldn't be expecting him to love EVERYONE!

The Greek word for 'justify' is dikaioō (pronounced: dik-ah-yo'-o). It means: to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent: - free, justify (-ier), be righteous.

So Jesus answers the heart issues behind the man's stance and tells the Story of the Good Samaritan (see below).

You may be pondering why I am re-telling this story. Or why I am writing in a way that is different than how I normally write: Usually, I start off by writing about an event that took place and then transition into a spiritual application. Often I will include a scripture to support my observations. 

Today, you see, my heart is torn...No, not physically, but broken, mangled, ripped, fractured, rent, etc.

I went to Walgreens to pick up some items. While standing in line, I noticed a strange, repugnant, vile, disgusting odor that was in the air.

I looked around and noticed an old man who was coming up the line behind me. He was bent over, disheveled, and holding a large bag of of BBQ flavored chips.

As the cashier was ringing me up, not only did he come closer, but his repulsive smells did as well.

For those who know me well, "smell" is one of the five senses that is very strong for me.

On a side note: I think that I have sent many of the kids of air freshener salesmen through college with all of the products that I have purchased over the years!

As the cashier was handing me my receipt, the man was now two feet away. I had to hold my breath in order to not puke. This is no exaggeration or attempt to be funny. It really was that bad.

I noticed that on the side of his neck was some sort of cancerous tumor that was grotesque beyond anything I had seen before. 

I grabbed my items, stepped outside, and exhaled before I took a long, deep breath of fresh air in.

I got in my car and left Walgreens to continue with my errands; but my heart remained behind as I thought about this man and the story of the Good Samaritan.

I knew that I was called to do something; or was I?

And if so, then what?

My thoughts filled my mind as I arrived and subsequently walked through Menards as I continued with my trip.

Hundreds of ideas raced through my mind including buying him some food, or was I called to take him somewhere to eat or take him to a local shelter....

I couldn't wrap my head around having him sit in our car. After all, I had just fumigated the "old-man" smells out of our vehicles...

Still, his posture was in my head as it crept towards my heart eighteen inches away. I say posture because I didn't get a look at his face.

I wanted to justify that (perhaps) he was in this condition because of poor choices and decisions. This could be consequences...I felt a part of my body that was injured in the past hurt....wait, why are we talking about my consequences?

I left Menards without purchasing anything and decided to drive back to Walgreens. Perhaps I would see him still there. I wasn't hesitant to buy him food or give him money; clearly he needed both.

But what did he NEED? For that answer, I would need to go back and ask him. Face to face.

I looked in my minds-eye and couldn't see his face; I realized that I hadn't looked him in the eyes. I made my way back to Walgreens to search for him.

Even if I could jujitsu my way out of this pondering, I couldn't shake this man who had come across my path.

Yes, this man could be in his condition due to poor choices, but still, he was and is my neighbor.

He was not only a fellow human traveling through this world as life hurls at us; sometimes for good and sometimes with challenges...

He was also, and more importantly, made in the image and likeness of the One who also created me. In other words, he, if I would have looked at his face, would have looked like God. 

Jesus said when "you refuse to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me." (Matthew 25:45) 

The thought had arrived the eighteen inches from my head to my heart around the same time that I arrived back at Walgreens.

I drove around the lot and block looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. I had missed my opportunity by my justification jujitsu.

THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

"Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”” (Luke 10:30-37)

You Never Thank Me

"You're bleeding!" I overheard someone say.

I was at the playground with a couple of my grandchildren when I heard the unmistakable cries of a young child.

I looked around and saw a little girl being consoled by her older sister. The younger sister was holding her sister as she tried to investigate what had caused the injury as well as to find a way to stop the crying.

I left my grandchildren as they climbed the playground equipment and made my way towards the child to see if I could be of assistance.

When I arrived, I saw the injury and asked if they would like a Band-Aid.

The older sister repeated the question to the injured child who replied through her tears with "yes". So I made my way to my car to grab the First-Aid case.

At the car, I unlocked the door and opened up the glove box.

I took out the case (which was brand new and still sealed in plastic). I removed the seal and opened the case and grabbed a couple of different sized Band-Aids, closed the case, placed it once again in the glove compartment, locked the car door, and made my way back to the injured child.

When I arrived, I held out the different sizes and asked her which one she wanted.

She picked one and I removed it from the package and gently placed it upon her injury.

I asked her if she would like the additional Band-Aid which I had brought with; she said "yes", so I handed it to her and made my way back to my grandchildren.

As I was walking away I realized that neither sister said "thank you", which I thought was a little odd, but didn't let it take root in my mind.

Later in the day, I was at Target and a women and myself were both attempting to push our shopping carts past a row of boxes that were semi-blocking an aisle. We were both half-way through the row of boxes when we noticed the other.  

The row would only allow one of us to go through at a time so I decided to back my cart up and wait so that the woman could make her way through the very narrow row.

When she made it through, our eyes met, but no words were exchanged. Once again, as I was walking away, I realized that she too neglected to say "thank you" for my kind gesture.

Two times in one day…

I felt like Phil Conners from the movie Groundhog Day. Day after day he catches a boy who falls from a tree. Day after day the boy runs away and says nothing to Phil who exclaims; "You never thank me!" to the fleeing brat. “I’ll see you tomorrow”.

Perhaps neither sister in the park thought of the words because they were focused on the injury and wanting to get back to why they came to the park; to play!

Perhaps the woman at Target didn’t say the words because she was insecure with me having to move out of the way and then wait to let her go past.

Perhaps they were just lost in their own world.

And then I thought about all (some) of the times when I am negligent to say "thank you" to others who do things for me. I'm not trying to be a jerk; I simply don't always say what is in my heart. I think the words but I don't always say "thank you".

And then I thought about all (some) of the times when I am negligent to say "thank you" to the Lord who does things for me. I'm not trying to be a jerk; I simply don't always say what is in my heart. I think the words but I don't always say "thank you".

And then I thought about the time when Jesus healed some lepers; all of them were sick, all of them were healed. Only one of them came back to say "thank you" to Jesus.

“It happened that as He (Jesus) made His way toward Jerusalem, He crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met Him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

Taking a good look at them, He said, “Go, and show yourselves to the priests.” They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan. 

Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then He said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.”” (Luke 17:11-19 MSG Version)

We are exhorted by the Apostle Paul "In everything give thanks..." (1 Thessalonians 5:18a). Paul, in case you didn't catch it, is saying that we are supposed to give thanks in EVERYTHING.

That's includes good things as well as bad. He is talking about fostering a heart of gratefulness; of thankfulness; to express gratitude. Not just think it, but actually say the words and let others (and the Lord) know that you are thankful.

The Apostle Paul goes on to say; "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18b)

Did Paul just say that giving thanks in everything is the will of God? 

Yes. 

And he isn't just suggesting it, he is communicated that this is something that we are supposed to do. In EVERYTHING!

I say this because Paul is using the word ‘will’ whose definition includes words like: inclination, desire, and pleasure.

It should be as hard-wired in us as complaining.

And then I thought about my mother-in-law. She is kind of like the leper who came back to Jesus. 

In fact she has a reputation that if give her something, she will write you a thank you note. This includes if you send her a thank you note for something that she gave to you. If you send one, you can expect a note sent to you to thank you for thanking her.

She understands that she is supposed to give thanks in everything.

I want to be that type of person. I want to follow the will of God for my life in Christ Jesus. I want to be the person who says it first, last, and always.

To say 'thank you" in everything has no downside. So, if you are in doubt, just say thank you. Can you really show too much gratitude to the people in your life as well as to the Lord who gives you life?

Say thank you, more often.

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalm 107:8)

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson