My Thoughts

Phobia

2012-01-10T11:14:00.000-05:00

Lucy:Are you afraid of responsibility? If you are, then you havehypengyophobia...How about cats? If you're afraid of cats, you haveailurophasia...Are you afraid of staircases? If you are, then you haveclimacaphobia. Maybe you have thalassophobia. This is fear of the ocean, orgephyrobia, which is the fear of crossing bridges. Or maybe you havepantophobia. Do you think you have pantophobia?

Charlie Brown: What's pantophobia?

Lucy:The fear of everything.

Charlie Brown: THAT'S IT!

(From A Charlie Brown Christmas. Charles MSchultz. 1965)

All of us are afraid of something.Fear is a natural response that was wired into us to warn us of danger so wecould avoid it. However, as Lucy describes for us above, there are a lot ofirrational fears. For most of us, fearing staircases is not a problem. On theother hand, I think there are a lot of people who suffer from hypengyophobia!

I read about one this week thatstruck me as very odd. Pogonophobia is the fear of beards. I'm sure there must be someone out there whois afraid of beards, or there would not be a name for this phobia. However, Ihave never met anyone who suffers from this particular ailment. I wonder ifthose folks are more afraid of full beards than they are, say, a goatee,mustache, or a simple "soulpatch?"

I imagine life would be difficultwith such a phobia. There are many people out there with facial hair. A personwith this fear would certainly not be able to go to Walmart! I guess they wouldbe terrified of Santa or ZZTop!

Anyway, to most of us, this, and manyother fears, are irrational. However, to those who suffer from them, the fearis real and debilitating. Many times, the fear keeps them from enjoying a greatdeal of pleasures in life.

God, our creator, never meant for usto live under the weight of fear. While fear in the face of danger makes ouradrenaline surge and gives us the instinct to run or fight, fears like the oneslisted above are not a part of God's plan for us. Many times in scripturepeople are told to not fear, but to move ahead with what God has called them todo.

The Bible teaches us to have no fearwhen it comes to the things of this world. David wrote, "Though I walk through the valley of theshadow of death, I will fear no evil,for thou art with me." (Psalm23:4) We also find David's encouraging words in Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whomshall I fear?" The apostle John reassures us that God's love takesaway fear, "There is no fear inlove. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

Whatever fears you may have, rationalor not, talk to God about them. He doesn't want you to live a life of fear anddread. Jesus came that we might have a life filled with joy and hope. Give yourfears to Him and rest in the one who is our refuge and strength!

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and oflove and of a sound mind.
(1 Timothy 1:7)

Dirty Windows

2012-01-05T09:59:00.003-05:00

I seemy reflection in the window. This window clean inside, dirty on the out.

(Rock, Hetfield, Ulrich. 2003)

Last week I had my truck washed. Notice that I said I"had" it washed. That means I paid someone to wash it for me. Ididn't do the work myself. Why? Because it was too dirty for me to even try. I would'vehad to wash it more than once to get it clean, and I don't have the patience todo it.

The reason I finally had it washed was not because it looked dirtyon the outside. Oddly enough, the white of my truck doesn't show dirt too much.I could have gotten away with not washing it for a while longer. The reason Igave in and had it washed was the windows.

Disclaimer: Not my truck. Mine was not that dirty!!

Most of the time, I could see fine through the windshield.However, when I was driving toward the sun, the glare, through the dirt, wasblinding. I couldn’t see much at all. The same was true when driving at night.The oncoming headlights or streetlights reflected off the dirty window and madeit tough to see.

I realized the danger in not being able to navigate properly andpaid a guy to wash the truck inside and out. Now I can see clearly, and it ismuch nicer to ride in it. I even let my wife ride with me the other day,without having to clear a spot for her to sit in the passenger seat!

As I was driving the other morning, the sun was shining brightlyand I could see quite well. I was praying and thanking God for a beautifulsunrise, when I realized I would not have been able to see it like that a weekbefore. I thought about how our Christian walk is similar.

Most of the time, we don't notice that our view of God is becomingclouded. It is a gradual thing that happens over time. We skip church a fewtimes. We forget to read our Bibles. We may even go for weeks without talkingto God.

When we do this, nothing drastic happens. There are no bolts oflightning to shake us and remind us to do those things. Therefore, we simplymove on and forget to do them again. Sometimes, it is only when we realize weare far away from Him, and possibly in danger, that we call on Christ. By then,our "windows" are filthy and we cannot clean them ourselves.

The good news is that unlike me having to pay someone to clean mytruck, the price has already been paid. Jesus paid the fee for us with Hislife. He gave His life so that we could be clean. He knew that we would alwaysfail in cleaning our own lives up, so He did it for us.

If your life is a mess and you can't see what's in front of you,turn it over to Jesus. He is an expert at cleaning things and making them likenew. Just as I am enjoying driving my clean truck, and am a lot less embarrassedto allow people to see the inside, you will feel brand new. Let Him clean youinside and out!

Fornow we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, butthen I shall know just as I also am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Christmas Joy!

2011-12-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! Out uponmerry Christmas! What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying billswithout money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hourricher; a time for balancing your books and having every item in 'em through around dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work mywill," said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot who goes about with'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, andburied with a stake of holly through his heart. He should! (Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)

Most of us do notunderstand Scrooge’s lack of merriment during Christmas. For us, Christmas is awarm, cheerful time in which we gather with family and friends, give andreceive gifts, eat too much and sing festive songs. However, it wasn’t alwaysthat way.

The earlycelebrations of Christmas were rather somber. There were no festivities. Therewas only church, and that consisted of a typical mass. In fact, the name of theholiday is simply “Christ’s mass.” There were no Christmas carols to sing. Theonly songs that spoke of the birth of Jesus were drab. They were only writtenin Latin, which was not the common language. Therefore, only the priests couldsing them.

All of that changedforever, in the early 1200’s. Francis of Assisi, was concerned that the commonpeople were missing out on the joy of celebrating the birth of Christ, becausethey only observed it by going to formal worship services. He wanted the peopleto be able to celebrate themselves.

Around 1223, Francisrecruited a few people and gathered some animals together for a new project. Hedressed them in Biblical costumes and staged the first nativity scene in anearby cave. He then invited the townspeople to come to the cave to view thedepiction of the Savior’s birth.

About that sametime, Francis also wrote a song for the common people to sing at Christmas.Instead of the formal melodies they heard at church, he set it to the tune of apopular song of the day. He called the song a “carol,” which is taken from theFrench word for “dancing in a circle.” The word was borrowed from the paganritual of dancing in a circle during the Winter Solstice.

St. Francis wanted people to be joyful andfestive when they celebrate the Lord’s birth. We have Him to thank for makingour Christmas a “merry” time. However, let’s not make the mistake of moving toofar in the other direction. It would be as much of a mistake to get so caughtup in “making merry” that we forget what we are celebrating.

Jesus came into thisworld as a baby. He left as our Savior. He was born, died and rose from thedead, that we might have life. That is why we celebrate. That is why weremember the night of His birth through our nativity scenes. That is why wesing, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” andother carols.

This is important toremember, so when the decorations come down; when the Christmas songs are nolonger playing on the radio; when all of the gifts have been opened; we willstill have the joy of Christ in our hearts all year long.

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, andtry to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and theFuture. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut outthe lessons that they teach”…“It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge tohimself. "I haven't missed it.” (Ebenezer Scrooge)

I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. Forthere is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Andthis will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths,lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of theheavenly host praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest, and onearth peace, goodwill toward men!”
(Luke 2:10-14)

Nothing is Little to God!

2011-11-30T15:08:00.001-05:00

We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell,

O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!

Phil

Phil was a young minister who was serving a church in Philadelphia. He was wellliked by his church for his wonderful sermons and kind, moral spirit. He was animposing figure who, at six feet four inches tall, commanded respect.

After serving the church in Philadelphiafor several years, he took a lengthy vacation to Europe and the Holy Land. While he was in Palestineduring the week of Christmas, he wrote the following, “After an early dinner, we took our horses and rode to Bethlehem. It was only about two hours whenwe came to the town, situated on an eastern ridge of a range of hills,surrounded by its terraced gardens. It is a good-looking town, better built thanany other we have seen in Palestine.Before dark, we rode out of town to the field, where they say the shepherds sawthe star. Somewhere in those fields we rode through, the shepherds must havebeen. As we passed, the shepherds were still 'keeping watch over their flocks.’”

Can you imagine the thrill of being in that field duringChristmas? It thrilled Phil. The images of being in that field at nighttime,during Christmas, made a huge impression on him. He never forgot the images andemotions of that night as he looked from the darkness of the field to thelights of the city of Bethlehem.

Redner

Several years later, Phil wrote a poem that he intended tobe sung for the children in his Sunday School during Christmas. One Friday, hegave the poem to Lewis Redner, his minister of music, and asked him to set itto music by the following Sunday. Lewis tried all day Friday and Saturday, butnothing felt right. Lewis was stuck, and they were to practice the song thenext day. He went to bed, still unsure of the tune. Lewis wrote of that night,“I was roused from sleep late in thenight hearing an angel-strain whispering in my ear, and seizing a piece ofmusic paper I jotted down the treble of the tune as we now have it, and onSunday morning before going to church I filled in the harmony.”

Because of the hasty nature of the composition, neither manthought the song would ever be played after that Sunday. They were very wrong.That was 143 Christmases ago, and the two men’s composition, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” is stillsung today. Phil, who is better known as Phillips Brooks, went on to become oneof the most famous preachers in the nation in his day. In fact, there is a statueof him outside Trinity Church in the Back Bay area of Boston.

So many times, we think that our contribution to the worldis small. We think that very few, if any, will ever be affected by our effortsto share Christ. However, we must remember that something small in our hands,becomes incredibly powerful in God’s.

Jesus didn’t appear on earth riding in a royal caravan withan entourage. He came in a very small, seemingly helpless package. He alsodidn’t send messengers to announce His arrival in the great city of Jerusalem, which was thehub of politics and religion in those years. His arrival was only noted to afew humble shepherds in a field, who were simply doing their jobs. Even thecity of His birth was small compared to where one would expect a king to beborn.

If God can use a baby, a small town, a stable, and someshepherds to accomplish His plan of salvation, then He can use whatever youhave. If you give Him your all, He will use it to do wonderful and powerfulthings for His Kingdom, even if you never know it’s happening.

Our job is to simply be available and obey, not to guesswhat God can or cannot use. Phillips Brooks and Lewis Redner had no idea how God would usetheir song to bring future generations back to Bethlehem where the Savior was born one holynight, many years ago. We, also, never know how God can use us, until we letHim.

O little town of Bethlehem, Howstill we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, The everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years, Are met in thee tonight

But you, BethlehemEphrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whoseorigins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T09:15:00.001-05:00

We are headed full-steam into the holiday season, whether weare ready for it or not! Usually, I am bothered by the encroachment ofChristmas upon the observance of Thanksgiving, but this year, I’m a littlecalmer about it. I am not only open to hearing Christmas music, seeing theChristmas decorations in the stores, and Christmas commercials on television, Iam embracing it!

However, before I start singing Silent Night, too soon,let’s be sure to enjoy Thanksgiving and what it means. If you asked a group ofpeople what the day means to them, they might give you responses like, “It’sabout thanking God for all we have.” Or “It’s about family and friends.” Or,“It’s all about the food!”

While most of us are aware of the fact that the day is setaside to give thanks for all that God has blessed us with, for many, the foodis the highlight! I remember the first Thanksgiving that my wife and I sharedin our first house. We had lived in an apartment for a couple of years, beforepurchasing a home that would accommodate a Thanksgiving celebration.

That year, she wanted to cook all of the food, and hostThanksgiving. We knew it would be a little crammed, but we were sure we couldpull it off. As she prepared the meal, I remember her calling her motherseveral times to ask how to make this or that. My wife cooked the food, butwith a little instruction from her mother.

I recently read a funny story that reminded me of thatThanksgiving. In the tale, a couple who was celebrating their firstThanksgiving together had planned on having ham. The young wife sent herhusband to the store to pick one up. Upon his return, she asked why he didn’thave the butcher cut the ends off the ham. He asked why he should have. Shetold him that her mother always did it that way.

The young man assumed this was some family secret forcooking ham, so he cut the ends off for her. It happened that the wife’s motherwas visiting for Thanksgiving. The young man couldn’t help himself, so he askedhis mother-in-law why she cut the ends off of her ham. She replied that shedidn’t know, but that her mother always did it.

The young man was on a mission at this point. He called hiswife’s grandmother, and asked her why she cut the ends off her ham. She said, “Oh,I always cut the ends off my ham, because my roaster was too small back then tocook a ham in one piece.”

We like to follow traditions. Traditions make us comfortableand secure. However, there are many “traditions” that we follow and have noidea why. I was visiting a church some time back that had an old tin canunderneath the altar. When I asked what that was for, no one knew, but quicklytold me not to move it, because it had “always been there.”

Christ never called us to follow “religion” blindly. Heurges us to know why we believe what we believe. When we are asked why webelieve in Christ, we cannot reply, “Because I always have,” or “That’s what Iwas taught.” Jesus wants to be so much more to us than just a “belief” or a bitof knowledge. He desires a relationship with us.

In fact, He so desires a relationship with us, that He laidHis life down to provide a way to make us worthy of that relationship. Then, Hechooses to bless us with all of the goodness that we have in our lives. BecauseHe lives, we live.

This Thanksgiving, observe the “traditions’ and enjoy thetime with friends and family. Do not, however, forget to give thanks to the Onewho loves you. Give Him more than just a short prayer over your feast. Give Himyour life and friendship. Get to know Him and stop going through the motions offollowing blindly.

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Makea joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: comebefore his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is hethat hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep ofhis pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts withpraise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; hismercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Psalm 100)

The Maze

2011-10-18T10:45:00.001-04:00

Lastweek, I heard John and Cleve on WAFJ, talking about local fun things to do. Oneof the items they mentioned was Kackleberry Farm in Louisville, GA. This timeof year, they have a pumpkin patch, hayrides, and lots of other attractions,including a corn maze. When they mentioned the corn maze, I immediately thoughtof my family's summer vacation about three years ago.

This is the maze in Garden City, SC

Wewere staying at Pawley's Island, which is just south of Murrell's Inlet nearMyrtle Beach. One afternoon, we were driving north to have some fun at Broadwayat the Beach. As we traveled throughGarden City, my wife spotted a maze made out of wood fencing, which looked tobe about eight feet high.

I hadseen it there for years, but it never occurred to me that it would be fun. Sheand the kids, however, thought it would be great. I gave in, and we planned tostop there on our way back.

Iconsider myself to be a fairly intelligent man. I was confident that I couldnavigate that maze with no problem. My wife took our oldest, who was seven atthe time, and I set out with our youngest, who was three.

Atfirst, it was fun. I managed to get to the back of the maze, where there was amarker to let you know you had reached the halfway point. However, by thattime, my daughter was whiny and tired. I also think she was concerned that wemight not get out. Frankly, that thought began to work its way into my mind aswell.

Corn Maze in Danvers, MA

Apparently,I am not the only one who doesn't do well with those things. A few days ago, inDanvers, Massachusetts, a man with his wife and two children decided to tacklea corn maze. The maze boasts pathways that are seven miles long, and averagesan hour to navigate. For this family, the fun turned into a nightmare. Theywere hopelessly lost, and were dealing with their youngest child who is threeweeks old. Things got worse when they realized the sun was setting and thefolks at the farm had closed up and gone home without checking to see if anyonewas still in the maze.

Fortunately,they had a cell phone. They called 911. In about 10 minutes the police showedup along with a dog to help sniff them out. They were rescued, only to find outthey were only about 25 feet from the exit.

Theseexamples are perfect illustrations of how we get pulled into sin. Most of thetime, sin looks like fun at first. We either think it will be pleasurable andthink we are smart enough to handle it. We enter in, like innocent lambs,simply looking for excitement or entertainment. At first, it may actually beamusing. However, we wander in deeper and deeper until one day we realize wehave no idea how to get out.

Itseems the harder we try, the worse it gets. We look around for clues or try newstrategies, but we find ourselves back down the same paths again and again.

Forthose who do not know Christ, the quest for freedom from sin is hopeless. Theywill always fall into despair. For the believer, we know we can call on God torescue us. The problem is that we are embarrassed to acknowledge that we can'tfind our way out. So, we wander until we swallow our pride and ask Him forhelp.

Yes,I got out of the maze at the beach, but not until some kind people on theobservation deck began shouting directions to me. I needed help, and felthumiliated. However, the feeling of humiliation faded quickly as it gave in tothe relief of freedom.

Singets us mixed up. Satan wants us to be confused and embarrassed to ask forhelp. Put aside those feelings of pride and come to the Father, who will pullyou out of the maze of sinfulness, wrap you in His arms and speak peace intoyour life.

Bythe way, that was my last venture into a maze. Forever!

I will bring theblind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have notknown. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight.These things I will do for them, and not forsake them. (Isaiah 45:16)

The Mess We Make

2011-10-04T14:49:00.001-04:00

Afteryears of being in denial, I have come to terms with an ugly truth about myself.I have a problem that I have had for most of my adult life, that I cannot seemto shake. It affects my job, my leisure time, my family, and some of myfriendships. I feel a bit hopeless in this issue, because as of yet, I havefound no remedy or way out. What's this terrible problem that I battle? Here'smy confession. I am...a messy person.

There,I've admitted it! Isn't that the first step to recovery? Perhaps. If my wifewasn't around to "inspire" me to pick things up and put them wherethey belong, I could go for a long time without picking up.

I'mnot as bad as I once was. These days, I can't stand to see dirty dishes in thesink and clothes lying around bothers me. However, I still have this problem.

Mytruck is the place where I have the worst problem. When I wash it, clean outthe interior, and vacuum it out, I vow to never let it get in that shape again.It stays that way for about a week. In a very short amount of time, I'm rightback in the bad habits again.

Doyou ever feel like your life is like that? You work hard to get thingsorganized into neat compartments. You know when all of the bills are comingdue, you're ahead at work or school, you have written everything down on yourcalendar, and you're pretty proud. Life seems nice and orderly.

However,life doesn't play fair. Maybe you forgot to pay a bill, or some expense arisesthat you didn't plan on. You have a few interruptions at work or school and suddenlyyou're behind. Your schedule has some overlap that you didn't notice before,and you have to be three places at the same time. What do you do?

Somepeople roll their sleeves up and start trying to work at organizing better.Some people panic and become a flurry of activity. Some people shut down andfeel hopeless, and as a result, give up and do nothing.

Ihave found an interesting correlation that has eerily proven true over and overagain for me. I would venture to say that it is true for you also. Here it is.The more chaotic and messy my life seems to be, the further I am from my walkwith God.

Whenthings seem to be crashing down on you and you feel hopeless, take some time toconsider your spiritual health. Instead of working yourself into a frenzytrying to keep up, spend some time with your Maker. Ask Him to help youprioritize, and make Him the top priority. Our Creator is not a God of chaos.He is very orderly.

I amteaching a 4-week class on Genesis, at the Edgefield Baptist Association. OnMonday, we discussed the creation. If you study the accoutrements, you willfind that God created everything in the order needed. He created day and nightand began the spin of the Earth. Then He created the atmosphere to hold in theoxygen and material that living things would need to survive. After that, Hecreated plant life. Plants need the sun to live, so He created it next. Sincethe plants were in place to give the animals something to eat, He created themlast. This is a wonderful example of how orderly God is!

In 1Corinthians 14, Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. They were very confused and chaoticin their worship. Some said that one way of doing things was right, and othersheld on to the opposite belief. As a result, not much was getting done for theKingdom, because their whole church was "messy." Paul tells them inverse 33, "For God is not the authorof confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints."

Theonly times in the Bible where God allows confusion is to either confuse theenemy so that His people could be victorious, or to teach His children alesson. By allowing confusion and chaos, He is hopeful that they will turn toHim and give their confused lives completely over to Him.

Maybethat is the case with you today. Perhaps your life is a bit out of control andyou're not sure how to begin calming it down. Start by going to the One whomade you, and asking Him to take over. After all, you're not doing such a goodjob, are you? Slow down a bit. Trying to work harder at it, only brings furtherdisappointment. Ignore the chaos for a while and sit down beside your Father,bring Him your brokenness, and ask forgiveness for forsaking Him. He'll helpyou put the pieces back together and bless you with a "sound mind."

Be still, and know that I am God; I will beexalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts iswith us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

(Psalm 46:10-11)

Mistakes

2011-09-16T12:05:00.000-04:00

Mistakesare made by most everything on earth. Humans are especially susceptible tomistakes, since we probably reason better than most animals. Mistakes are goingto happen and we all should be ready to admit when we have made one.

Imake mistakes all the time. Sometimes I forget things, do them incorrectly, orhurt others feelings. If you were in the worship service Sunday, you know Imade a huge mistake. As I was preparing everyone for the time of response atthe end of the message, I intended to call Matt, our interim Minister of Music,to the platform to lead us in the hymn of response. However, instead of calling"Matt," I called him by the name of our former Associate Pastor. Notonly did I make a mistake, but I made it publicly and did it with somethingthat was so obvious!

Idon't embarrass easily. There's not much that rattles me. I have made mistakesfrom the pulpit before and was able to salvage them. This time, it took me aminute to get myself together and I was thoroughly embarrassed.

The unfortunatething about our mistakes is that we usually leave behind an impression. Theimpression might be good or it might be bad, but we always make an impression.The impression that I may have left is that I wasn't paying attention or wasbeing careless. Maybe you simply regarded it for what it was, an innocenterror. Regardless of your position, I left behind an impression.

Iread an article, some time ago, about an owl that accidentally flew into awindow in Leicestershire, England. During the night, Nancy and Ray Pearce weresleeping soundly. When they awoke, there was a perfect imprint of an owl ontheir patio door. It seems that the owl had flown into the glass door duringthe night. When he slammed into the glass, there was an explosion of “powderdown” which is produced by an owl's feathers. This produced a perfect pictureof the owl in mid-flight right down to the beak, eyes, and ears. "It's incredible," said Mr. Pearce."The imprint really captured what the owl looks like.”

Theowl obviously lived since there was no dead owl on the Pearce's patio. Heprobably shook his head after he crashed into the door and took a long lookaround to see who was watching. After making sure that none of his owl friendssaw the fiasco, he flew off confident that nobody would be making fun of himdown at the owl lodge later. Little did he know that he left behind a perfectimage of his error.

Sometimesthe mistakes that we make in our walk with God are public for everyone to see.Those are easy to atone for. We know that everyone knows of our error, we askforgiveness and move on. But what about the mistakes we make when there's noone around? What do we do then? Do we simply look around to see if anyone sawus and then fly off confident in our self-centered thought that we hurt nobodybut ourselves?

Ourmistakes leave an impression on others whether we know it or not. Even if we doseem to be able to get away from our wrongdoing in private, God still sees andknows. Cain literally thought he got away with murder when he wiped out afourth of the population one afternoon. However, God knew that Cain had killedhis brother. “His eyes are on the ways ofmen; He sees their every step. There is no dark place, no deep shadow, whereevildoers can hide.” (Job 34:21-22)

Thegood news to all of this is that what God sees and knows, he also forgives.This is not just a lip service kind of forgiveness like our human variety. Itis an all encompassing, thorough, completely liberating, forgiveness. Psalm 103:12 reads “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed ourtransgressions from us”.

Perhapsyou think you have made mistakes that nobody else knew about. Maybe you havecarried that guilt around like a wet blanket because you feel that you cannottell anyone about your secret mistake. You can be free from that guilt, becauseGod has seen your every step and still loves you. He will forgive, if you willonly ask.

If we confess our sins, He is faithfuland just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Walk This Way

2011-09-03T11:55:00.000-04:00

As a pastor, I am in the hospitals and nursing homes a great deal. I have visited church members and family of church members in Edgefield, Columbia, Augusta, Charleston, Greenwood, Aiken, and Greenville. In most of these, I don't even need directions to the rooms anymore. Some of these institutions are very esay to navigate, while others are like a maze.

University Hospital in Augusta is one of the easiest to find places in. The sections are color coded and clearly marked. Even the rooms on each floor are arranged so that the higher numbered ones are to the right of the nurses station and the lower ones are to the left.

I remember visiting one family whose three-year-old was having survery at MUSC in Charleston. I left very early to get there before the child's appointed surgery time. I arrived at the hospital in time. I went to the information desk and gave the attendant the name of the patient. She told me where he was, and gave what seemed like clear directions to the waiting area.

I thought I had followed the directions to the letter, but wound up at a dead end. I turned around, wound around another corridor, and found a nurses station. I asked for more directions. They told me I was in a completely different area, and told me how to get to the correct place. I walked a long way, but found a place that looked right. Of course, it was the wrong place. By this time, I was feeling rather silly and frustrated. A nurse at an information desk told me that I was close, and told me how to get to the correct area. Again, I could not find it.

Finally, I asked once more and a kind nurse sensed my frustration. She got up from her desk and said, "Come with me. I'll take you there." I was relieved until SHE got lost too! However, by this time, we both had a good laugh and found the family together.

In John 14, Jesus is telling His disciples that His time in this world is coming to a close. He tries to comfort them by telling about this wonderful place where He is going. Not only is He going there, but He said, "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

That sounded wonderful to all of them, except Thomas. Thomas gets a bad reputation sometimes, and is even called "doubting Thomas." However, I like Thomas. He usually asks the questions I, and many of you, would ask. Thomas pipes up and says, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

How many of us could find our wy to Heaven yourselves? No one can. In fact, Adam and Eve were in Paradise and still lost their way! When we try to find Paradise alone, we are no better off than I was at MUSC in Charleston. We get directions from the world like, "look out for number one," "think positively," and "you can do anything if you set your mind to it and work hard enough." We set out with that kind of thinking and believe we're on the right path, only to find a dead end or end up where we started.

Jesus' reply back to Thomas is wonderful. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That statement is the heart of the Gospel. We couldn't find our way to God, so He sent Jesus to SHOW us the way! Like the nurse that helped me, God got up from His throne and became one of us to show us the way to Him.

Remember that you cannot navigate this world on your own. You will mess things up and get yourself turned around and lost. Asking Christ to lead you and following Him exclusively is the only way to God and Heaven. Give your life wholly to Him, and follow where He leads!

I'd rather see a sermon, than hear one any day;

I'd rather one should walk with me, than merely tell the way.

The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear,

Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear;

And the best of all preachers are the men who live their creeds,

For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done;

I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true,

But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do;

For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give,

But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

Edgar A Guest

Road Trip

2011-08-23T11:42:00.002-04:00

I've been locked up in this crazy world. How far is Heaven? I'll just keep on praying, Lord and just keep on living. How far is Heaven? Lord can you tell me?(Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza. 2004)

With kids back in school and most summer vacations over, we are mostly left with souvenirs, pictures, stories and memories from the last few months. It seems that my family has been away more than we've been home this summer. I have been to Camp McCall, the beach, the mountains, the lake, and visiting family and friends.

Living in Edgefield for six years, I have realized that our town isn't really close to anything! Most of the places we have been, take anywhere from two to four hours. That's a lot of driving time. When you factor in my travels to Augusta, Aiken, Columbia, and Greenville for visits and meetings, I sometimes feel like I live in a vehicle.

Most people do things during a longer drive to pass the time. Some listen to music or talk radio, many listen to CDs, (I still have some great cassettes I listen to!) audio books, and still others like to chat on their cell phones. Kids who are riding will read, color, draw, play video games, or watch DVDs.

The age-old question from kids, and sometimes parents, is "Are we there yet?" Fortunately, there are ways to tell how much longer the trip will take. If you are on the interstate, there are mile markers. On more familiar rural roads, there are landmarks that help you estimate time and distance to the destination. If you have a GPS, it can be programmed to actually tell you what time you will arrive at your destination.

If you are traveling a long distance and do not have anything to guide you, it's easy to get discouraged and frustrated. It will seem that you will never get where you are going and you might even get lost or think you are. The reason is that when we are driving, we are only focused on the destination. The journey is simply a way to get there.

One of the problems we have in our Christian journey is that we apply the same logic to it. For the Christian, we know the destination is Heaven. That is our true home and final destination. However, we have no idea when we will get there, nor do we have any landmarks, mile markers, or GPS units to tell us our arrival time. Since we have no idea how far away from Heaven we really are, we get frustrated and weary from the journey. When this happens, we begin to do things to pass the time. We seek distractions and diversions from the grind of our travels, with entertainment and fun. Sometimes the distractions are not necessarily bad. There are certainly ways to have fun that are Godly. However, sometimes the distractions are not. These are poison and can cause us to not only get lost on our journey, but also make us lose the focus of our destination.

What should we deduce from this? Yes, God wants us to focus on our final destination, but He also intends for us to make the most of the journey. Our Christian walk, in this world, should be filled with working for Him. We should spend our time here growing closer to Jesus Christ, learning how to live a more Godly life, and showing others, who are lost, the way to Heaven.

While we cannot know how much longer our journey on Earth will take, we can have some guidance while we travel. God has given us His Word as a road-map, the Holy Spirit as a guide, and fellow Christians as encouragers. Therefore, make the most of your travels on this earth, and enjoy the trip!

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isaiah 35:8-10)

Junk Food For The Soul

2011-08-16T14:40:00.005-04:00

Suppose you have decided to get a pet fish. You go down to the pet store or fish store, and browse through all the varieties of fish. You could go with the standard goldfish, but you decide you want something a little different. You consider some of the others, but finally stop at one that is the size of a goldfish, but has more color to it.

You ask the shopkeeper about it. She informs you that the fish is called a Gourami. She describes it as a tropical fish that lives only in fresh water. You like the fish and decide to buy it.

The shopkeeper sets you up with the proper aquarium, filters, and all the other necessary equipment. You leave the store with the fish, and your new aquarium, excited about the new member of the family. You drive very carefully home, so as not to damage the plastic bag your new pet is traveling in.

When you get home, you set up the aquarium and other equipment as you were instructed. After some temperature adjustments, you carefully put your new fish into his new home. He begins to swim around and explore his new environment.

After watching him for a bit, you decide to get a snack. You go to the pantry, and find a Kit-Kat candy bar, and grab a soda. As you head back to check on the fish, you realize that you forgot to buy fish food. The store is closed now, so there is no chance of buying any tonight. What will you do? Of course! You would give the fish some of your Kit-Kat bar right?

Don't be too quick to laugh at such an idea. Currently, workers at an aquarium in London are working hard to break a Gourami of its Kit-Kat habit. The fish's previous owners exclusively fed the fish Kit-Kat bars its entire life. The fish now weighs a whopping 8.8 pounds. Gourami fish usually eat fruit, so they are slowly adding grapes and taking away the chocolate.

The aquarium veterinarian says there seems to be no real damage to the fish's system. However, Kit-Kat candy bars are not what this fish was designed to eat. While the fish seems to be normal right now, there may be some long-term effects that may not appear for years.

As humans, we might be able to exist on chocolate, pizza, and cheeseburgers. However, if that's all we get, our quality of life will be less than what we were designed for. It takes proper nutrition and exercise for us to be at our maximum capability. We might handle junk in our system for a while, but it eventually catches up with us.

The same is true in our spiritual walk as well. God designed us to have a healthy dose of His Word and time with Him each day. We may be able to go for a while and seem fine. However, soon we will begin to show the outward signs of being deprived of His guidance in our lives. We begin to care more about ourselves than others. We start to miss gathering with God's people. We become more critical of those who try to do what is right. We drift a little farther away, each day we go without Him.

Don't try to live your life on the spiritual equivalent of Kit-Kat bars. Feast on the Word of God and spend time talking to God in prayer. It is indeed food for your soul.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)

That's Just Wrong

2011-08-10T15:00:00.003-04:00

[Jesus said to Peter] I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” (John 21:15-21)

Last week, I was driving back to Edgefield from Aiken on Highway 19. I was almost to the overpass near the prison, when I spotted a car in my rear-view mirror coming up quickly. I was in a no-passing zone, but the young lady paid that no attention as she raced around me like I was sitting still.

She continued speeding up the incline of the overpass, but when she reached the top, I saw her brake lights come on. I knew what that meant! I wasn't far behind her by that point, and was able to see a South Carolina Highway Patrol car meet us both at the bottom of the hill.

Although I know it was wrong, I have to confess that I was secretly delighted when I saw the patrol car. I almost smiled thinking about the knot that must have risen in the young lady's stomach as she topped the hill and saw the police. The truth is that it probably had less to do with the fact that she had broken several traffic laws, and more to do with me feeling that she had wronged me in some way or put me in danger. I felt a touch of vindication.

First, she passed the patrol car, then I did. I checked my mirror, waiting to see his brake lights. Imagine my shock when the trooper simply drove calmly over the hill and away from us. As I watched him drive away, I also watched the young lady speed up and pass another driver just past Billy's Truck Stop. I had the same thought most of you would have had. "If that had been me, I would be in custody now!"

My thoughts then turned to how unfair the whole situation was. I actually asked God why people get away with things like that, but I seem to get caught all the time. To my surprise, I knew God was speaking to me, in my heart, and He led me to the passage in John I have quoted at the beginning and end of this column.

In the passage from John 21, Jesus had risen from the dead, and had appeared to the disciples. They had just finished eating breakfast, and Jesus, it seems, pulled Peter aside to talk to him. After all, Peter was the one who probably felt the most guilt after denying three times that he even knew Jesus.

Jesus wanted to do two things in this conversation. First, He wanted to assure Peter that he was forgiven for his denial. Second, Jesus wanted to forewarn Peter about the type of death he would suffer for Christ. Jesus’ prophecy did come to pass. Most historians agree that Peter was sentenced to crucifixion, but requested to be hung upside down, because he felt unworthy to be executed in the same way as Jesus.

After Jesus told Peter that he would be executed for his faith, his immediate reaction was to look over at John. John never calls himself by name in his gospel, but he makes it very plain that Peter is referring to him. The disciples always had a strong rivalry and it reared its head again.

To paraphrase, Peter is saying to Jesus, “Ok, I understand that I will have to die for you, but what about John? Will he suffer and be executed also?” Peter wanted to make sure everything was fair. However, Jesus’ answer must have shocked Peter. Jesus told him that it was not any of his business if John lived or died.

We all want fairness. If I get caught speeding, I want everyone else to get tickets when they speed also. If I obey the rules, I want everyone else to obey them or be punished. As Christians, we are called to live as sons and daughters of God. We are not to live for Him as long as everyone else does. We are called to live for Him regardless of what others do.

Do you worry that evil is not always punished in this world? Rest assured that God sees and knows about it and that He will deal with it in His way, in His time. You cannot make others live life the way you want them to live, any more than they can force their lives on yours. Give all of your sense of fairness to God and let Him lead you in the life He has chosen for you!

Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.” (John 21:22)

What's Cooking?

2011-08-03T10:15:00.002-04:00

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22)

We have a lot of cookbooks in our house. Sometimes I enjoy cooking, and my wife loves to try new recipes. However, we both tend to stick to certain cookbooks more than others. I guess we have found that some are easier to follow and are more practical for feeding our family.

We also have several cookbooks that are pretty humorous. One of my favorites is written by Ted and Shemane Nugent. (Yes, this is Ted Nugent, the rock guitarist). The name of his cookbook is "Kill it and Grill it." We also have, "Eat Like a Wild Man," "Vegetarian Grilling," (I'm not sure where that one came from!) and "Fix it and Forget it."

Suppose I decided to cook something from one of these books. I would look over the list of ingredients to make sure I had the items needed for the recipe. Once I determined that I had what I needed, I would then follow the directions for cooking the dish. Following the recipe, as it is written, is very important if you want the dish to turn out right.

Sometimes, however, you can follow the directions perfectly and still have problems. This reminds me of a joke I read recently. It read, "According to the Knight-Ridder News Service, the inscription on the metal bands used by the U.S. Department of the Interior to tag migratory birds has been changed. The bands used to bear the address of the Washington Biological Survey, abbreviated 'Wash. Biol. Surv.' until the agency received the following letter from a camper: Dear Sirs: While camping last week, I shot one of your birds. I think it was a crow. I followed the cooking instructions on the leg tag and I want to tell you it was horrible. The bands are now marked 'Fish and Wildlife Service.'"

Most people in our community own a Bible. In fact, recent studies have shown that approximately 92% of American households have at least one Bible. That study also revealed that the 92% included atheists and people who profess other religions. We also know that 60 Bibles were sold every second in 2009. None of the surveys take into consideration the number of Bibles placed around the world by the Gideons.

All of this begs the question, "If there are so many Bibles around, why is there so much sin and hate in the world?" The answer is simple. People may own Bibles, but they don't read them. Also, out of those who read them, many do not understand what they read. Worse than this, many who read God's Word and understand what it says, do not believe, obey or do what it says.

I may not agree with some of the ingredients shown in the recipes in our cookbooks, but if I don't use them, the dish will not be prepared as it was created by the originator. Likewise, if we pick and choose what we will believe, obey and do from the scriptures, we will never fulfil what our Creator intended us to be. We must study God's Word to know what He says about our lives. There is no subject we can encounter in life that God did not address in some way in His Word.

So, open your Bible, and as James put it in the passage above, "Do what it says."

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:23-25)

Jumper Cables

2011-07-18T12:39:00.000-04:00

A certain lawyer stood up and tested [Jesus], saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
(Luke 10:25-29)

In 1970, a Princeton University social psychology class conducted a study using students from the Princeton seminary. They asked the seminary students to prepare talks on Biblical topics for their class. They were then instructed to deliver the same talk in a different building. Some of them were asked to speak on the parable of the good Samaritan. The each seminary student was given different degrees of urgency in getting to the class. Some had more time than others.

What the seminary students did not know, was that the class had placed actors along each seminary student’s path to the next building. The actors were slumped over and pretending to be in pain. The study was measuring whether the seminary students would stop to help, and if the level of urgency in getting to the next talk would influence their decision. While most of the seminary students stopped, their willingness to go the extra mile to help was greatly influenced by their perception of being in a hurry.

A friend related a story to me recently that truly shocked me. She had returned to her car in a parking lot, got in and tried to start it. It would not start. She thought the battery might be the problem, so she began looking for someone to jump start her car.

She saw a man approaching her, and spoke to him a couple of times to ask if he had jumper cables. He ignored her. When she finally got his attention, he acted as if he did not know she was talking to him. She asked if he had jumper cables, and he replied that he did. However, he followed that by saying that he was not going to attempt to jump start her car, for fear of damaging his Lexus.

Most of us are appalled at hearing such stories. However, in our Christian walk, we behave the same way in many ways. Most of us are quick to respond if someone is in physical or financial need, but what about their spiritual needs? How long, if ever, has it been since you asked someone where they will spend eternity?

Knowing that we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and not sharing His love with others, is like owning a Lexus AND a set of jumper cables, but refusing to share them with someone in need. This world is in great need of a jump start. People need to hear that God loves them and gave everything for them. Romans 10:14 says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

There is a Christian song from the 80’s that says, “You’re the only Jesus some will ever see. You’re the only words of life some will ever read.” Tell someone about God’s great love. It’ll be like giving them a jump start!

Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed,he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
(Luke 10:30-37)

Dead Gator

2011-06-09T15:13:00.000-04:00

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

(2 Peter 1:3-7 NIV)

About two weeks ago, we had put the kids to bed and my wife was busy getting final grading done for the end of school. That left me in complete control of the television remote. I leaned back in my recliner and began searching for something manly to watch. There wasn’t much to choose from, so I wound up searching some of the upper channels, and came across Swamp People on the History Channel .

I was immediately taken in. I was looking for a manly show and I certainly found one! Swamp People is a reality/documentary show that follows the daily activities of several Cajuns living in the Atchafalaya Swamp in Louisiana. These Cajuns hunt alligators for a living in the largest swamp in the US.

I was reminded of the show when I read a news story this week from Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City police responded to an unusual call in a suburban neighborhood. Some kids, playing near a pond, had spotted an alligator in the weeds that lead to the water. The police had heard of alligators being set free in populated areas, they took the call seriously.

The officers talked to a conservation agent who advised them to shoot the gator if they felt it posed a danger. When they arrived, they saw the gator lying in the weeds, just as the kids had described. One of the officers aimed his rifle and shot the gator in the head. When the animal didn’t move, he fired again. This time the bullet bounced off the alligator’s head. They had been shooting at a concrete lawn ornament that the owner had put there to keep people off the property.

Those who are Christians are like that alligator in some ways. We look like what we should be in Christ. We go to church, put money in the plate, teach Sunday School, serve as deacons, or perhaps even pastor a church, but we are ineffective for God’s Kingdom. On the outside, we seem to be strong Christians, but upon closer inspection we are nothing more than a concrete lump. Because we do not allow Christ to breathe His breath of life into us, we remain still and useless. The truly unfortunate thing is when the enemy figures out that our witness has no teeth, he will walk right by us or even over us, exposing our failure to the whole world.

lawn ornament from Lillian Vernon

Peter, who knew a little about how not to do things, tells us that we should have faith, goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. All of these come from a strong relationship with Christ. Without Him living in us, we are no more effective than a concrete gator lying in the weeds. We look the part, but are ineffective.

Make today the day you stop being a “lawn ornament.” Pray to the Father and ask Him to come into your life, that you may be more effective for Him.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8-11 NIV)

Divine Appointments

2011-05-31T16:13:00.000-04:00

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? (1 John 3:16-17)

How did you celebrate Memorial Day? Many people had to work. Some spent time with friends or family. Some had cookouts. Others may have attended memorial services in cemeteries or watched parades through towns and cities.

For so many of us, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer. It ushers in a time of vacations, days by the pool, no school for the kids, and many other images we hold dear when the days get longer. However, while there is no harm in all of this, it is important to realize that there have been men and women who died defending the freedoms we enjoy. Not only do we need to take the time to remember the sacrifices they made, but we also need to remember their families.

In churches across America, if Memorial Day was mentioned, it probably was accompanied by a statement about Jesus laying down His life for our freedom from sin. That is very true. However, we must also remember that while He was alive, He gave us an incredible example of how to live.

Have you ever thought about how Jesus inserted Himself into people’s lives? He interrupted funerals, interfered with people at work, and stopped huge crowds to speak to one person. Jesus might have been considered rude by today’s standards. However, when He showed up, everything changed for the people He encountered.

In today’s world, people have the same problems and hurts as they did in Jesus’ time. The difference is that we are too busy to see them. How long has it been since you ministered to a stranger? When was the last time you were actually the “hands and feet” of Christ? A long-time family friend told a story this week that truly spoke to me. The following are her words.

I saw something today that broke my heart wide open. On the way to my sisters, we passed by a home-made memorial in a front yard. A father and mother were standing by it. They had lost a son in war. I slowed down and nodded to them. Hours later, as we returned home and passed by the house again, they were still standing by the memorial. The father had an American flag wrapped tightly in his arms. I am sure this flag accompanied his young son's body home. This time I stopped and told them I was sorry for their loss and appreciated his service and sacrifice. I started reading the memorial and was brought to tears when I read that he had died on May 19, 2011. This father and mother were experiencing their first Memorial Day and were trying to honor their son. Please pray for these families.....we all owe them so much! Today is much more than just cookouts and a day off work.

If you are like me, the first reading of this story moves you because of the pain these parents felt. I can picture the scene in my mind and I hurt with them. However, a closer reading moves me even more. My friend, who is not a pastor, minister or any member of the clergy, did a very Christian thing. She allowed her life to be interrupted by this family, and in turn interrupted theirs.

Jesus never shows up at a time that is convenient for us. He doesn’t plan around our schedules or call us to see when we can fit Him in. Christ interrupts, disrupts, and does anything else He can to get our attention. He may also use us to interrupt others to get their attention. How has Jesus interrupted your life lately? How have you used the ministry of interruption? When you give your life wholly over to Him, expect interruptions!

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
(1 John 3:18)

Just Because You Can

2011-05-24T17:18:00.000-04:00

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (1 Corinthians 6:12)

I had to go to the DMV in Edgefield last week. As I came through the door, I saw there were two people in line ahead of me. I knew one of them, so she turned around and spoke to me. We chatted for just a moment while we waited, and then we both noticed something about the same time.

To our right, along the wall, was a teenager, who was sitting at a school desk. He had a pencil in his hand, and was writing in a booklet. At times, he would stop writing and tap the end of the pencil on his chin and furrow his brow. What he was doing was obvious. He was taking the driver’s license test.

Both of us who were in line, chuckled and made comments about our current inability to pass the test. We both agreed that we were glad we were not the ones taking the test. However, my thoughts went back to my teenage years and my own quest for a driver’s license.

I did very well on my written test. However, like every other teen, I was nervous about the driving portion of the test. However, when the officer came out and called my name to go for the driving test, I could not have been happier. I knew that one of my best friend’s father was a SC Highway Patrol officer, but I had no idea that he administered driving tests. I passed with flying colors!

There is a huge amount of power that rests in obtaining a license to drive. You can go where you want, you no longer have to depend on someone to take you places, and you have a taste of true independence. However, power without responsibility and wisdom, will always lead to a fall.

Paul says in the above passage, that all things are lawful for the Christian. We are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are forgiven and have freedom in Him. However, simply because all things are lawful, does not mean that we should do things that are unwise.

While, a driver’s license gives you some freedom, the privilege and the vehicle must be treated with respect. The license gives you the right to drive, but that power must be used responsibly. Speeding, driving recklessly, and other abuses of that power can lead to expensive tickets, car crashes, injury or even death.

I believe, in essence, what Paul is saying is, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” A good example of this is the story of 59-year-old, Leroy Fick from Michigan. Mr. Fick won $2 million dollars in the state lottery almost a year ago. However, he continues to receive food stamps. Qualification of food stamps is based on gross income, and lottery winnings are considered liquid assets. Therefore, the lottery money doesn’t apply to the qualification standards. Simply because Mr. Fick technically qualifies for food stamps, doesn’t mean he should continue to receive them.

Psalm 49 tells us in verse 13, that if we put our trust only in ourselves, we will die. It is only when we put our trust and our lives in God’s hands that we will know how to live. He knows what is best for us. The only way that we can use the power of life responsibly, is to allow Him to have control.

For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings (Psalm 49:10-13)

No Coincidences With God

2011-05-02T09:18:00.000-04:00

I will exalt you, LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Sing the praises of the LORD, you His faithful people; praise His holy name. (Psalm 30:1-4)

West Side Baptist before the explosion

Choir practice at the West Side Baptist Church in Beatrice, Nebraska, always began at 7:20 on Wednesday evening. At 7:25 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, 1950, tragedy struck. An explosion demolished the church. The blast forced a nearby radio station off the air and shattered windows in surrounding homes.

The tragic tale that was told, however, is not what you might think. The tragedy was that the church was horribly damaged. No one was hurt in the explosion.

Not only was nobody hurt, but the true irony of this tale is that no one was there. Each member of the usually faithful choir was late for practice. Most of them had great excuses, but they were all late.

One was having trouble with a geometry problem. She knew practice began promptly and always came early. But she stayed to finish the problem. Another was ready, but the car would not start. So she and her sister called the geometry problem girl and asked her to pick them up. One other member also had car trouble. Another was late because she had to help her mother clean her house. Two were simply late for unexplained reasons. One man became engrossed in conversation with his sons and lost track of time. The pianist fell asleep after supper and made her mother, the choir director, late also. A high school girl wanted to finish listening to a radio show and made her friend wait with her. Even the pastor and his wife were late because she realized at the last minute that her dress had a stain, and she had to iron another.

West Side Baptist after the explosion

At 7:25, a thundering blast, that was heard in almost every corner of Beatrice, nearly leveled the West Side Baptist Church. The walls fell outward, the heavy wooden roof crashed straight down. The firemen thought the explosion was caused by a gas leak in a pipe, that was ignited by a flame from the furnace. Regardless of the cause, if the choir members had been in the building that night, they would have been seriously injured at the very least, or at the worst, killed.

What are the odds of every single person who was to be in the choir that night, being late? Some may attribute the occurrence to coincidence, but you will never convince the choir members of that. They are all of the strong opinion that it was divine intervention that saved their lives.

In the Psalm quoted above, David is praising God for sparing him from destruction. He writes, “you spared me from going down to the pit.” Then he admonishes God’s people to sing His praises.

Can you imagine what the choir must have sounded like the next time they sang God’s praises in worship? They were saved from injury or possibly death. They had a very direct, personal reason for praising God, and I’m sure they sang praises from the very depths of their soul.

You may not have been saved from something so dramatic as an explosion, but God watches over you, nonetheless. I maintain that we have no idea how many times those little inconveniences of life are really God protecting us from danger. Am I saying that the next time we are delayed by something to thank God for it? Yes.Yes, I am. As crazy as it may seem, those delays just may be sparing us “from the pit,” as David put it.

We have much to praise God for. We are blessed with many things, but the one, tangible thing we know we can lift up our praise to God for is our salvation. Not from destruction on this earth, but from the utter destruction of our sinful souls. Give Him the praise He deserves!

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.” 11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:5-12)

Wilbur's Hope

2011-04-20T09:50:00.000-04:00

Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
(Psalm 37:4-5)

In Acts chapter three, we read a familiar account of Peter and John going up to the temple to pray. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (Acts 3:1-10)

In this passage we meet this physically-infirmed beggar. The man went to the temple daily to beg for money. When Peter and John spoke to him, he looked at them and the scripture tells us that he expected to receive something from them. What did he expect? He expected money, of course. What he got was much more than he expected.

Recently, I was at a dinner with some pastor friends. We were talking and sharing stories, as usually happens when you get a group of pastors together. One pastor friend of mine told a story that made quite an impression on me.

He told of a church in Texas that had fallen on hard times. As a matter of fact, the church had closed its doors. There were only five or six people left, and a former pastor had even tried to sell the church. The remnant no longer met in the church, they only had Bible study together.

My friend was in seminary at the time and would help with the Bible study occasionally. The former members of the church asked him if he would help them to start a church. He asked if they had a building, and they told him that their old church building was still available to them, but that they had not worshipped there in almost five years.

They took him to see the building. Of course, with no one occupying it for almost five years, he was expecting some disrepair. What he found was an interior and exterior that was so clean and well kept that it seemed as though church services had been held that past Sunday.

That’s when he found out about Wilbur. Wilbur had only half a lung, a condition brought on by working in coal mines for years. Each week, for almost five years, Wilbur made sure the grass was cut, the inside was cleaned, the exterior was painted and all maintenance was done. He said he wanted to keep it up, because he expected that they would have church in that building again one day.

He was right. They did have church again. My friend helped them get started enough to hire a pastor, and when he checked on them last, they were continuing to grow.

For years, the beggar went to the temple expecting something from those who passed by. He fully expected that Peter and John were going to give him something as well, but his expectations were set too low. He didn’t expect to be healed. He wasn’t actively seeking healing. He was only expecting what seemed realistic. However, God is not bound by the confines of our reality.

What are you expecting from God? Are you acting on it like Wilbur, or are you waiting on it to happen to you like the beggar? When you lift prayers up to God, ask with your heart, know that he hears, and expect Him to move!

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)

Like a Moth to a Flame

2011-04-13T11:40:00.000-04:00

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly. Proverbs 26:11

Many of us who are trying to live a Godly life, are frustrated by our inability to stop sinning. We realize that our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, and that we are forgiven. However, we still have trouble putting away what the Apostle Paul calls "childish things."

Let's be honest for a moment. If you think about it, there is some sin that you can't seem to let go of. It may be as simple as gossip, or as damaging as pornography. It may be as problematic as an addiction to alcohol, or as innocent as a "white lie," for "someone's own good." Too much television, wasted time infront of a video game, or overeating are all examples of things that many people struggle to keep away from. We know these things are not good for us, and we feel guilty for returning to them, but we seem to be driven like a moth to a flame.

A good example of this is Keith Coggins. In 2001, Keith was 19 years old. He decided to rob Stockmen's Bank in Kingman, Arizona where he made off with about $2000 in cash. He wasted no time spending it. He threw a party, and bragged to his guests about his sucess in the holdup. However, in about 18 days, that $2000 was gone.

Since it was so easy, the first time, he decided to rob it again. This time, he went for the vault. He got away with over $72,000, but never got a chance to spend any of it. A police officer recognized the getaway vehicle, and arrested him shortly after the robbery. He was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to both robberies.

Robbing the same bank twice in a three week period is bad enough. However, that is not the end of the story. Mr. Coggins was released from prison in 2005. He maintained a low profile until this past January. On January 13, 2011, Mr. Coggins made his way into the same bank branch. He was wearing a black ski mask, black gloves, and black clothes. He demanded money from the tellers, and left with an undisclosed amount. There was a fifteen minute chase, before authorities caused Mr. Coggins' truck to wreck. They found him hiding behind a rock, and recovered all of the stolen money.

Mr. Coggins has been tried since then, and will spend the next 10 years in jail. One detective who worked on the first arrests in 2001 said, "I'll be darned, He didn’t seem to learn much did he? And he surely didn’t get any better at it.”

We seem to be the same way when it comes to our sin. We don't seem to learn much, and we certainly don't get any better at it. We keep doing the same things over and over. We ask God to help us stop, but we don't do much to try to help Him out. Peter writes in his second epistle about this problem. Hie writes, "the proverbs are true: “'A dog returns to its vomit,' and, 'A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.'"

Many times the sins we seem to struggle with the most are reallly bad habits. For many of these, we don't need divine intervention, we need to get our will under control. We use the fact that we are all sinful as a crutch to give us an excuse to not quit.

Jesus defeated sin on the cross and we are forgiven. Because of that, we have a responsibility to refrain from wallowing in the same mud that He has already washed away. Do whatever it takes to walk away from sin, and ask God for the strength, wisdom and will power to stay clean.

I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good. But my anguish increased; my heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: (Psalm 39:1-3)

Croesus and Cyrus

2011-03-24T11:09:00.000-04:00

1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; 3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah 4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. 5 We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.8 They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. 9 Save, LORD! May the King answer us when we call. (Psalm 20)

One of my favorite stories from history is the account of how Cyrus the Great of Persia defeated Croesus, the King of Lydia. Some of you may have heard this story before, if so, bear with me. If you have not, I’ll fill you in.

Croesus

Croesus was the King of Lydia for almost 50 years, from 597 BC until 547 BC. Lydia was in the western part of what is now Turkey. Croesus is known for being one of the wealthiest kings who ever lived. His name is remembered in the old expression that someone is as “rich as Croesus.”

Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian Empire. He was set on dominating the entire known world, and was successful in establishing the largest empire the world had ever seen at the time.

Cyrus the Great

We also know of Cyrus from the Bible. He is the king who defeated the Babylonians, and allowed the Jews to return to Israel after the exile. In fact, because of this, Cyrus comes out sounding pretty good in the book of Isaiah. “[God] says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” (Isaiah 44:28)

Because of Croesus’ wealth, he had a great army. In fact, his cavalry troops were world renown. Cyrus had already met them in battle and was defeated. Cyrus, however, was a brilliant strategist, and was not going to give up on his quest for world domination.

Croesus prepared for another attack from Cyrus, by amassing an even larger army. He met the Persian army on the plain of Thymbra. Cyrus’ troops were organized in a large square. The square was outlined with chariots, cavalry, and his best infantry. He also added one new division; the camel corp.

While this may sound strange, Cyrus knew what he was doing. When the Lydian cavalry came swooping in to attack, their horse reared up, and became uncontrollable. The riders had to dismount and retreat. This caused the entire army to retire to the walls of the city, and Croesus was defeated in a matter of days.

What Cyrus knew would happen, that Croesus did not, was that the smell from the camels would disturb the horses. They were unfamiliar with camels and were frightened. Thus, the battle was won with very few casualties.

The Psalm above states in verse 7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” All of the things that we like to depend on in this world, will eventually fail us. Our health will wane and our material goods will break and rust. However, when we put our trust in the Lord, He will always be faithful. He knows much better than we, what is good for us, and how our battles can be won.

Just as Cyrus used a very unconventional method to defeat Croesus, the things God uses to aid us in our daily battles may seem odd to us. He may use tragic events, help from a stranger, or things we perceive to be inconveniences. Instead of questioning God, in these circumstances, thank God for His providence, and ask Him what you need to learn from them. Trust Him, and He will provide for you.

The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

The Guardian

2011-03-24T11:01:00.000-04:00

Imagine you are a car thief in Washington D.C. You have targeted a particular car to steal. It’s parked in a dark place on the street. You have checked all around to make sure there is no one around to witness your crime. You have cased the area and know the owner will not be back for the car for a long while.

You break into the car, and are about to go to work on the ignition to hotwire it. However, you notice something move out of the corner of your eye. You stand up to investigate. You are now sense that something is wrong.

DCs Guardian

Suddenly, a figure begins coming into sight. You’re not sure exactly what it is, but it is not a common pedestrian. The figure is coming right at you! Only then, do you begin to see the details of a man, but it is no ordinary man.

This man is dressed in blue pants, with bright red boots. He is wearing a red leather jacket that has a blue front emblazoned with white stars. Red gloves cover his hands, and a blue mask with darkened eyes covers his face. He is also wearing some kind of utility belt, with who knows what, in it. You choose to not stick around to find out more about this crazy man in a superhero outfit. You decide the car isn’t worth the trouble and run!

Is this a page from a comic book or superhero movie? No. This is real life. The mysterious man is known in the Washington D.C. area as the DC Guardian. Underneath the jacket he wears a bullet-proof vest, and he “patrols” the streets of DC at night to ward off crime.

In a recent interview with National Public Radio, The DC Guardian said that most of the time, he never has to fight. He remarked that most criminals simply sun when they see him. He also stated that he wears the costume, which he calls a uniform, to call attention to what he is doing. Not for notoriety, but to call attention to the criminals.

He told of one incident where he saw a drug deal happening in broad daylight. He said there were lots of people around, but they were ignoring it. However, when he began to approach the men who had the drugs, the people on the street began to stare to see what he was doing. Then the people became aware of the drug deal, and the dealers ran. To quote the DC Guardian, “Evil doesn’t like light.”

Phoenix Jones

He is not the only one. There are a number of communities who have their own real-life superheroes. Another example is a man who wears a rubber suit and mask in Seattle. He is known as Phoenix Jones. All of these people keep their true identities a secret, but you can be sure the criminals know who they are and stay away.

We have such a “superhero” in God. He has delivered us from the ultimate enemy. He has defeated sin, death, hell, and Satan. He is our rescuer. David wrote many Psalms in praise of that fact, but Psalm 18 is one of the best.

This week I encourage you to think about all of the things that seem to close in on you. Maybe you are unsure of your job, or are unemployed. It could be that your marriage is failing. Perhaps you or family members or friends are gravely ill. Maybe your children are living a rebellious life. Whatever the issues are in your life, God is there. He may not make it all go away, like the DC Guardian or Phoenix Jones, but unlike them, He is always there. You can trust Him with your problems, frustrations, celebrations, joys, and your whole life. He is your true guardian and He loves you very much.

As you think about those things that plague you, commit to reading Psalm 18 this week. Pray before reading it that God will open your eyes, heart and spirit to hear His words and help you to apply it to your life. Read it each day, and know that if David, who saw much adversity in his life, can say these words, they can be real for you also.

The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name. (Psalm 18:46-49)

The Truth

2011-03-07T09:32:00.002-05:00

Most of you know that before I was a pastor, I was a banker. However, you may not know that before I was a banker, I was a buyer and sales manager for a store in Greenville, SC that sold high-end furniture, home accessories, handmade rugs, and other types of floor coverings. In addition to the products, we also offered interior design services.

Because of the design service we offered, we did a large number of special orders. The delivery time on most wood furniture pieces was 4-6 weeks and 6-8 weeks on upholstered pieces. However, sometimes there was a glitch somewhere along the way, and it could take longer.

Such was the case with one client. One of the designers came into my office with an upset client. She was angry because a set of dining chairs that she had ordered were taking a very long time. It had been almost nine weeks since the chairs were ordered. The client was very upset and was blaming the designer for being slow in ordering the chairs or not placing the order at all. I assured her that I would find out where the chairs were and call her back.

The sales representative from that company was a friend, so I called him. He was astonished that we had not received the chairs and told me he would call me back with some information before the day was over. He kept his word, but I was not prepared for his answer.

He told me that the chairs were imported. They were made of mahogany and hand carved in the Philippines. He affirmed that our designer had placed the order correctly, and that the order was in their system. So, with a little indignation in my voice, I asked, “So, where are my chairs?”

He replied, “Stacy, you’re never going to believe me. The chairs are at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean somewhere between the Philippines and the U.S. The cargo ship that was carrying them sank. We placed a new order for the chairs about three weeks ago, so you should have your chairs in a week or two.”

If he had not been such a good man and a friend, I would not have believed him. Now my problem was having to tell my client, and expecting her to believe me. As it turned out, she did, and everything was fine.

Imagine what would have happened if the “sinking ship” story had not been true. What if I suspected that the company was lying to me? What if I threatened to pull all of our business with the company? Do you suppose they would continue to lie? What if I walked into the office of the company’s CEO, put a gun to his head and threatened to kill him if I didn’t get the truth? Would he continue to lie? Probably not.

Jesus told his disciples and a number of others that he was going to suffer and die, but that He would be raised on the third day. However, many of them didn’t want to accept that it could happen or didn’t believe Him. Everything happened, though, just as He said.

He was executed and buried, but then rose on the third day. After His resurrection, He spent 40 days with His friends. He touched them and ate, walked and talked with them. They knew that this was no ghost. He was alive!!

From the best evidence we have, we know that all of the twelve disciples, except for John, died violent deaths. Some were tortured, but all faced death. All they had to do was renounce their “story” about Jesus’ resurrection. They refused. Not one of them reversed their position. They were willing to die because they knew Jesus had risen, and they would not have done so if the resurrection was a made up story.

Is the resurrection true in your life or is it simply a story you like to believe? Have you faced the cross and accepted the reality that the blood shed there was for you, or have you written it off as folklore? Does the empty tomb prove victory for you or does it point to an ancient conspiracy?

The account of the death and resurrection of Jesus is very real. He is alive and by His resurrection, we have eternal life as well. Whether or not we choose to ignore or disbelieve the truth, does not affect the truth. I could have chosen to not believe that a ship sank, but it would not have changed the fact that twelve dining chairs are still at the bottom of the ocean. Accept the Truth of Jesus Christ and live a blessed life on this earth, and an eternal one in Heaven!

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. (Acts 2:32 & 36 NIV. From Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost)

Who's Driving?

2011-03-07T09:28:00.002-05:00

Some of you may have read the poem that begins, “A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million. It depends on whose hands it's in.” The rest of the poem goes on to talk about other sports stars who add value to ordinary things because they know how to use them. The poem then turns to a more serious subject. The last few lines read, “Nails in my hands might produce a bird house. Nails in Christ Jesus' hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends on whose hands they're in.”

Many people pride themselves on how “in control” they are of their lives. They brag about their accomplishments, who they know, how much money they make, and how well their children turned out. Some of them even call themselves, “self-made.”

However, Christians are called to do the exact opposite of this. We are called to turn our entire lives over to Christ. We are to empty ourselves of our own desires, wants, and needs, and completely trust God with everything we have. After all, He created us, and knows far better than we, how our lives should be lived and what we are capable of in His kingdom.

I’m reminded of a news story from several years ago, in Germany. Tuncer Yilmaz was a cab driver in Berlin. One day, Yilmaz picked up a fare who was in a huge hurry. He had just flown in from Switzerland and was on a tight schedule to meet a dog breeder in the town of Gesuelz. He was going there to buy a puppy from the breeder and needed to get back home quickly.

The passenger decided that Yilmaz was not driving fast enough on the way back to the airport and asked if he could drive. The cabbie allowed him to, because he had recognized the young man. The fare he had picked up was Michael Schumacher, who is arguably the F1 series winningest race car driver.

When Schumacher took the wheel of the cab, the ride was a completely different experience. Yilmaz was quoted as saying, "It was sheer lunacy. He took the curves with full speed, but you couldn't even notice it. He just knows how to do it." He also said that he would never forget the ride.

Michael Schumacher knew how to handle the car. He made a living driving and pushed the car to its limits. He made the cab do things that Yilmaz never dreamed it would do. It depends on whose hands it’s in.

Physicians tell us that we only use from .01% to 10% of our brain. However, if we placed it in God’s hands, what could the one who created it do with it? We have no idea what we are capable of, and how effective we can be for God’s work on earth, until we give Him all that we have.

If we will give Him our life, our marriage, our job, our children, our will, our future and our past, He will take it and make it into more than we have ever dreamed we could do or be. Our lives, in our hands, is simply a mess. In God’s hands, it is a powerful tool for Him. Give Him your all today. You will never forget the ride!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV)

Buckaroo!

2011-02-16T15:13:00.000-05:00

My family loves to play games. When we’re outside, one of my kid’s favorite things to do is set up an obstacle course. They love to set it up, and then time each one of us to see who can finish the quickest.

We also enjoy indoor games. Some of these are traditional board games, but some are very creative. For Christmas, we got a game called Creationary. This is a Lego game where you have to build what is shown on the card, and the other players have to guess what it is. Trust me, it is not as easy as it sounds!

We have one game that we have played for years. My kids don’t seem to outgrow it. It’s called Buckaroo! (The exclamation point is part of the game title.) The front of the box reads, “The saddle stacking game with a moody mule!”

The game comes with a plastic mule named “Roo” which attaches to a flat base. A plastic “blanket” is placed on his back, and then a saddle. The saddle has places on both sides to hang items for Roo to carry. However, if too much is added, or if you are not gentle enough placing the item, Roo will buck due to a tension spring in his backside. When he bucks, all of the pieces fly off and the one who triggered the spring is out of the game. Play resumes until the last one makes Roo buck.

We all love playing this game. You never know what will set Roo off. Sometimes, we can place all of the pieces on him and he still doesn’t buck. If that happens, we start over. Other times, only one item hung on the saddle will cause him to kick. You simply never know when it will happen, which is the fun of the game.

In many ways, I believe we are like Roo. We go through our normal day, doing the normal things we have to do. If that was all, then we would probably be fine. However, life comes along and adds things to our load.

The car won’t start when we head out in the morning. Add one piece to the saddle. The boss tells you that layoffs are coming. Add another piece. You find out your child has detention. Add another piece. Bill collectors call during supper. Add another piece. Once again, you open the door to a house where no one lives but you. Add yet, another piece.

All of these pieces add up. The things that burden you may be a lot different than any I described, but they are there and are very real, nonetheless. The problem is that we were never made to carry around the weight of those burdens. When we try to carry them around, we will eventually either buck and kick like Roo or simply collapse. Neither is healthy for us or helpful to the work of Christ’s Kingdom.

Should we care and be concerned about daily life? Sure, but not to the point of being crippled by it. Jesus tells us very specifically to not worry about the things we cannot control. He says that He would supply our needs.

Too many times, we have cares, worries, and burdens that we keep inside. We should, however, seek God through His word, and give Him our burdens through prayer. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus intends to carry us through any problems or concerns in our lives. Don’t buck, kick or collapse. Ask Jesus to help you, and He will be faithful to ease your load.

Then Jesus said to His disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke 12:22-26 NIV)

Temporary Home

2011-01-25T11:13:00.000-05:00

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause; there's the respect that makes calamity of so long life”

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. William Shakespeare

I can’t remember what year it was, but back in the late 80’s or early 90’s, Clemson University’s entertainment for their homecoming was George Burns. Burns was a great comedian who charmed audiences for over 90 years. He began working full time in show business when he quit school in the fourth grade. His career survived vaudeville, radio, television, movies and stand-up comedy tours.

That homecoming, George Burns had been on the football field at halftime, and did a short routine. He was going to be appearing later that night at Littlejohn Coliseum. After halftime, As I was leaving the game, I stepped out onto the street and was almost hit by a golf cart. As I yelled at the driver, I saw George Burns on the passenger side laughing at me. He raised his cigar as if to say, “Sorry!”

George Burns died in 1996 at 100 years old. He once said about living a long life, “If you ask what the single most important key to longevity is, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it.” That’s a great philosophy, and indeed he did live a long life, but even George Burns eventually died.

I read that Jack Lalanne died this past Sunday at 96. Lalanne was a man who, unlike George Burns, embodied fitness. In fact, his agent said that right up until his death, he was exercising. Not only did he believe in a longer, healthier life through exercising, but he also encouraged and inspired many others to do the same.

Why am I telling you about these two men? Because they are very different, yet share two major things in common. How were they different? George Burns drank scotch and puffed cigars, while Jack Lalanne ate healthily and exercised daily. However, what they shared in common is what I want to point out.

The first thing to notice is that both of these men lived past the age of 95. One of them ascribes that feat to a healthy lifestyle, and the other to simply avoiding stress, tension and worry. The second thing they have in common is that they are both dead. It seems that a healthy lifestyle and avoiding worry and stress may help you live longer, but not forever. Death eventually comes to all of us, no matter who we are or what we try to do to avoid it.

The great Roman historian and biographer, Plutarch, wrote of Alexander the Great, in his work entitled Parallel Lives. He recounted a story of Alexander the Great, noticing the Greek philosopher, Diogenes, looking attentively at a parcel of human bones. Alexander asked the philosopher what he was looking for. Diogenes' replied, “That which I cannot find…the difference between your father's bones and those of his slaves." Death is the great equalizer.

The bodies that we have on this Earth were not created to last forever. Our soul does live forever, but there is nothing we can do to cheat the demise of our physical body in this world. Because of sin, death will come to all of us, no matter who we are. The thing we must remember is to give our life to Christ. If we are redeemed by His blood, then when we die, we will be given new bodies that will never perish.

The good news is that we have hope of life eternal with Christ Jesus in Heaven. For the believer, the issue is not how long we live on this earth, but where we will spend eternity after we, as Shakespeare put it, “have shuffled off this mortal coil.” If you have never experienced the love of Jesus Christ and the assurance of life eternal, please ask a Christian friend, family member or minister to share with you, how you can know and accept Jesus into your life.

Our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:53-57 NLT)

I Always Feel Like, Somebodys Watching Me!

2011-01-20T16:05:00.000-05:00

Since we had been snowed in for almost a week, my family decided last Thursday night it was time to go out to eat in Augusta. I had been craving some good wings, so we decided to go to Wild Wings on Washington Rd. We went early, before the “bar crowd” got there.

My kids love the place. They enjoy the fact that they can watch all those TVs at one time. They also really like the food.

While we were eating, I noticed two people coming by our table with what looked to be a television camera. When they passed, I saw that it was from WJBF news. I wondered what in the world they were doing in Wild Wings.

I didn’t think much about it until Friday morning. I always check out the news on my computer every morning, and seeing WJBF as a bookmarked page reminded me of the camera I saw the night before. I clicked on the website, and looked for a story that might include something about eating wings. I saw a line that read, “Falcon’s Fever Rising in Augusta.” I thought it might be a story that would be covered in a place like Wild Wings. I was right.

With the online story, there was a video from Thursday night’s broadcast. I clicked on it to watch it. In the introduction to the story, the anchor talked about the bars in Augusta getting ready for the big game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers. The next thing I see is a brief statement from the manager of Wild Wings and then a shot of me and my family at a table.

Now, I don’t go to bars, but I do love some good wings. However, the video seemed to put me in a “bar” that was getting ready for all the customers they will have for the Falcons game. I laughed out loud when I saw it.

I thought it was funny because I was there with my family, simply eating supper and I was doing nothing I wouldn’t want anyone to know about. But what if I had been? What if I had been sitting there with someone other than my wife? What if I had decided to sneak down to Augusta to drink adult beverages, thinking no one would know? I would still have been on television for everyone to see.

I had no idea the camera had even captured that moment. I was just being myself, with my family. I was not posing or posturing to make sure I put forth the proper persona. I was just relaxing and having supper.

Who are you when no one is looking? If a television camera followed you throughout a typical day, what would the world see? Would you want everyone to see your actions and hear your words?

It has been said that character is who you are when there’s no one around. As believers in Christ, we must realize that there is always someone who is around. Christ never leaves us. He knows our every word, action, motivation, and thought. Pretty scary huh? Not really. You see, He loves us. He wants us to do the right things, but still loves us just as much when we fail. Have you failed today? There is good news. God loves you and forgives you.

So, the next time you think no one is watching, remember that God is always there, and there also just might also be a news crew lurking around the corner!!

(BTW...Hello to my friends at WJBF. I sent an email about what happened to them. The whole newsroom got a pretty good laugh at my expense. Thank you for all you do guys!)

O LORD, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it altogether…Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there! (Psalm 139:1-4, 7-8 ESV)

Pandora Bible

2011-01-04T09:45:00.000-05:00

Last year, I was at a conference in Columbia, where I sat beside a pastor from Mauldin, SC. He had his laptop computer opened and it was paying music. I was enjoying listening to the songs with him before the session started, because I recognized some that I had not heard in years. I asked him if he was playing a CD, and he told me he was listening to Pandora internet radio.

I had no idea what Pandora was at the time, so I asked. He told me that it only plays the songs you like. Of course, I couldn’t wait to get home to try it out. I was not disappointed.

For those of you who are familiar with it, you already know how wonderful it is. However, I want to tell you a bit about what Pandora does. Their website describes it this way. “A new kind of radio, where the stations only play music you like. Just tell us one of your favorite songs or artists and we’ll create a station that explores just that part of the music universe.” When they say that, they mean it.

When you create your free account, you are asked to type in an artist or song you would like to hear. Pandora will play the song and you see a small “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” icon next to the player. If you click on the “thumbs up” Pandora will line up songs that are similar to the one playing. If you click the “thumbs down” Pandora remembers the song and never plays it again.

I have often wished I had the power to make a certain song never be played again. Now I do. I thoroughly enjoy Pandora because it only plays what I like. It’s a great feeling to know that I am in control and that I get to pick what I hear.

Many people try to treat the Bible that way. We love reading and hearing verses like John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We are comforted by the words of Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. We are excited by the statement of Jesus in John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

However, when it comes to certain passages in the Bible, we want to give it a “thumbs down,” and never hear it again. For example, we bristle at the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. This is actually at the end of the Lord’s Prayer, but we seldom read this part. Why? Because it makes us uncomfortable.

There are many other passages in scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments, that we would rather discard. We cannot simply pick and choose what we will adhere to and obey, although many try. In fact, when Thomas Jefferson wrote his version of the Gospels, he removed all of the miracles of Christ and anything that could be construed as supernatural, because he believed they had been added by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Bible is ours as a whole. God intends for us to use it to hear His voice through His inspired Word, as a guide for righteous living, and a comfort in times of need. There is no Pandora radio version of the Bible. We either accept it as God’s Word, or we do not. Read it as a whole, and I’m sure you will find it to be all God intended for it to be in your life.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

The Gifts We Don't Need

2010-12-01T17:13:00.000-05:00

My wife and I braved the “Black Friday” shopping day in Greenville, SC this year. It has become a tradition for us in the last three years. I’m not much of a shopper, so it might seem odd that I enjoy this shopping day. However, if you think about it, not enjoying shopping is precisely why I love this one, big shopping day. We are able to complete our Christmas shopping all in one day.

Each year I think about the people who we are buying Christmas presents for. We like to see them open them and appreciate what we gave them, but I know that they really don’t need for us to buy them a present. I am the same way. I am grateful for what people buy me, but I really don’t need anything.

However, there are many who we pass each day who are needful. It is these people who I think of each year. Each year my Christmas wish is the same. I wish we could put some reigns on the madness of Christmas giving to those who do not need the things we give, and give to those who do.

I read a story this week that you may have seen before. The story is true, and was written by Nancy W. Gavin. She wrote it for a contest that the magazine Woman’s Day was holding in 1982. She won first place.

It is the story of a “small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.” She goes on to write, “It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it-overspending...the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.”

Her inspiration came at a wrestling match that their 12 year-old was in. the other team from a poorer side of town, and the boys lacked the proper equipment. Nancy went out and bought what was needed and gave the equipment anonymously to the other team. She wrote on the envelope what she had done, and put it in the tree. She said, “His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.”

Each year she found a new recipient and she said, “The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.”

In 1981 her husband died of cancer. Nancy writes of that year, “When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.”

As you begin all the festivities of this Christmas season, remember that the greatest gift is one that comes from your heart, not out of a sense of obligation. Jesus did not leave all the glory of Heaven because of any obligation. He became one of us because he wanted to. It was the ultimate gift of the heart.

Nancy W. Gavin’s last line in her story is what I leave with you. “May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.”

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NIV)

Creation, Corruption and a Camaro

2010-11-17T17:03:00.000-05:00

In the beginning, God created everything. He created the earth, sky, plants, animals, trees, and humans. Genesis 2:8 reads, “Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed.” After this God created Eve and everything was going great.

One day Satan, in the form of a serpent, talked the couple into disobeying God. When this happened, the intimate relationship between God and humans was damaged. It seemed that Satan had managed to cripple God’s creation. The couple was banished from Eden and more importantly, from the close presence of God.

God exacted the penalty of death upon His creation for their disobedience. Men and women would struggle to reinstate the relationship with God from this point on. The problem was that due to the sinfulness that was so prevalent, they would wander farther away from God with each passing day. Satan continued to lure humans away from God until it seemed there was no way for them to ever fully belong to Him again. Humans were simply incapable of paying the price for restoration.

In 1983, John Schnatter was working in his father’s tavern in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He had the idea to start making pizzas and delivering them from his father’s business. He used the best ingredients, and soon his pizzas were in great demand. However, his father was in danger of losing the tavern, due to financial difficulties, and that would have meant the end of John’s pizza business.

John’s prize possession at the time, was his 1971 ½ Bumblebee striped Camaro Z28, that he delivered pizzas in. He knew that if the family business was to continue, he would have to sell the car. $2,800.00 later he watched the car drive away with a new owner, but his father’s business was saved.

His pizza business was also saved, and “Papa” John Schnatter grew it into one of the largest pizza businesses in the country. However, John never forgot his Camaro. For many years he looked for it, and even hired an ex-FBI agent to help. He finally put up a finders fee of $25,000 to anyone who could find it, and offered $250,000 to purchase it from the new owner. Last year, John was reunited with the car and bought it back for much more than it is actually worth. He now uses the car in some of the commercials for Papa John’s.

God saw His creation the same way as John Schnatter saw his Camaro. Sin took us away from Him, but He never stopped trying to restore the relationship. The sacrificial system didn’t work, the law didn’t work. The only way to bring us back to Him was to redeem us from sin’s grasp.

In the Bible, the word redeem means to “buy back from bondage or death.” God indeed bought us back from our bondage of sin and death. However, the thing that is most humbling is that He paid much more for us than we are worth. Romans 5:7-8 reads, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Even though we were righteous or even good, God still redeemed us with His own life.

Knowing this, we should all be willing to do whatever we can for Him and His kingdom. 1 John 3:16-18 tells us, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” We, who are redeemed, should show His love in this world to others and tell them the good news of Christ’s love and grace. Make an effort this week to show your gratitude for His salvation by sharing with someone else.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV)

Want an Apple With That?

2010-11-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

A new survey by Yale University has revealed that 84% of parents say their kids have eaten at a fast food restaurant in the last week. Other research has shown that many times this is due to requests by the children to eat at the fast food restaurants. Why are the children demanding fast food? Many maintain that it is because of their marketing.

While companies that sell sugary cereals and drinks have pulled back on their marketing to children, fast food companies like McDonalds and Burger King have done the opposite. They have stepped up their advertising to younger customers. According to the Nielsen Company, preschoolers see about three ads per day, and teens see about five per day.

In 2006, at the urging of the Better Business Bureau, McDonald’s and Burger King agreed to devote at least 50% of their ads directed at kids to choices that are considered “better for you.” However, in those ads, those alternate, healthier choices such as apple dippers and milk are shown in the background behind the fries and cookies. Yale also found that those healthier choices are almost never offered at the counter or drive through.

In other words, they are using half-truths and deceptively living up to the expectation of the agreement. With this, they are taking the opportunity to advertise more. In fact, the actual numbers are stunning. With information from the Nielsen Company, Yale researchers found that preschoolers are seeing 21% more ads for fast food and teens are seeing 34% more, compared with 2003. What they say they’re advertising is not what is really being sold, and what is being sold is not healthy.

The Garden of Eden was a wonderful place. Adam and Eve were placed there among the rest of God’s creation and lived happily. They were able to do as they pleased, and what they wanted to do pleased God.

God gave the garden to the newly created couple to take care of. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15) He only gave them one rule that we know of. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) Everything seemed wonderful. Until, of course, the snake shows up.

Take a look at the conversation between Eve and the serpent. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
(Genesis 3:2-5)

Notice two things about this conversation. First, Eve misquoted God. She made the rule sound much worse than it was. She said God told them to not touch the tree. He only said they should not eat from it. Second, notice that the serpent tells her that God was lying and they wouldn’t die. Then he goes on to lure her by telling her she can be like God if she eats the fruit.

Examine those statements. Satan didn’t use a blatant lie. He spoke in half-truths, which is much worse. He said that they wouldn’t die. They didn’t die. Not immediately. Death entered the world after sin. Adam and Eve lived a long time after this event, but they did indeed die. The other statement Satan made was to say they would know good and evil and be like God. They did know good and evil, like God does, but they did not become like God. They became quite the opposite.

Satan is a liar. He wants to make us think that his ways will not destroy us. He whispers those lies in our ears, and we listen to him. When we read of Jesus’ temptation, we see how crafty the enemy is. He always lures us with something tempting, while hiding a dagger of destruction behind his back. Jesus said of him in John 8, He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:42-44)

Don’t be fooled by Satan’s schemes and craftiness. Build your relationship with God, and allow Him to guide your thoughts, actions, and life. Then, and only then, will you be able to withstand the lies of the enemy.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:7-10 NKJV)

Great Gift! Now what??

2010-10-26T10:31:00.001-04:00

My son and I recently celebrated our birthdays. His is two days before mine, which is really great. We get to celebrate for almost a whole week!

This year, we got some great gifts. He got several footballs, an MP3 player, and lots of other cool presents, including the Madden football video game for our Wii. I also got some great presents, including new clothes and an iPad.

My son was very excited when he opened his video games. He couldn’t wait to come home and play them. When I opened my iPad, I was only somewhat excited. Yes, it was a great gift, but when I opened it, I had no idea what it was. It was only after I realized what I had, that I was truly thrilled to own it.

The next day, my son decided to try out his new football video game. He put the disc into the console, and after some crazy music for an introduction, the game started. There’s a good bit of set up to do at the beginning and it took a few minutes to finally get to the place where you are actually playing football. However, the game takes some skill with the remote, and was a little difficult at first. My son got very frustrated and walked away very upset. He said, “Daddy, it’s too hard!”

I also had time to play with my iPad. Macintosh, who makes the iPad, does not include any directions with any of their products. They believe they are so easy to use, that there is no need for them. However, this is not true in my case. I tried several times to play around with it, but wasn’t sure how to do some things, so I didn’t do much with it for a few days.

There is a happy ending to both of these stories. My son plays the football video game like a pro. He is even learning more about choosing the right plays for different football situations. I have learned how to use my iPad and I’m not sure I can ever be without one.

In both cases, we were given something that was a little difficult for us to use at first. Our gratitude for the gifts, and our desire to understand and master them, drove us to learn how to use them. We now use them regularly and efficiently.

God has given us the Bible. Last week, I wrote about going to the Bible for answers. However, for many, it is like my son’s video game or my iPad. We simply don’t understand it, have no idea how to use it, and get frustrated when we try. However, we need to continue trying to understand it, study it, and use it in our lives.

Make reading your Bible a priority. Stick with a reading plan. Ask God for the desire for His Word. Pray for understanding and He will show you great and wonderful things.

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

Get Answers

2010-10-21T10:05:00.000-04:00

I do a lot of research in my position as pastor. I am always trying to figure out what this Greek word really means or what customs were like back in Bible times. Sometimes, I even have to research on when to use a comma in a sentence or how to spell a certain word.

For all of these things there are resources. For the Greek words, there are Lexicons. For the cultural information, there are Bible dictionaries and history books. As for the comma usage…well…if you know of one, please let me know.

Suppose you just made some zucchini bread that tasted fine, but was very dense. What if you were frying chicken in a pan and it sticks? How would you know how to correct those problems the next time? (Maybe you would just not cook anymore and go out to eat!) You would need to pick up one of Shirley O. Corriher’s books.

Who is Shirley O. Corriher? Shirley is an Atlanta, GA biochemist, food writer, teacher and consultant. She has written such books as; CookWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking and BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking. For over 30 years, she has solved problems for everyone from home cooks, editors and writers, large companies like Pillsbury and Procter & Gamble, to Julia Child. If you have a cooking problem to correct, she is your resource.

What is the solution for the Zucchini bread? Corriher says that either the baking powder was old and inactive or too much was added. She says that sometimes recipes call for too much baking powder, which will result in the rising bubbles bumping into each other and floating to the top, where they burst. When they do that, there is no leavening.

How about the stuck chicken? She says that instead of immediately shoving the spatula under the chicken, to simply wait. She says that it’s the protein in the chicken that loosens when heated and sticks to the pan. Waiting until the chicken is cooked and lightly brown, will allow you to gently slide the spatula under the chicken and turn it over.

My point is, when you want to know something, there are a variety of resources to help you get the information you need. With all of these resources at our disposal, there is no excuse for not knowing something that you desire to know. There is more knowledge floating around today than ever before in history.

Why is it, then, that when we feel the desire to know God better, we are confused about how to go about it? We have the greatest instruction book ever written. God has given us His Word and preserved it down through the ages, so we would never be confused about how to live.

However, if we never consult God about the situations we find ourselves in, then we will keep making the same mistakes over and over. The zucchini bread of our lives will never rise. We will continue to be stuck to the pan every time.

The Bible is rich with God’s instruction, encouragement, love, history and much more. If you have trouble knowing where to read for certain things, pick up a good topical Bible. With a topical Bible you can look up any subject and read all the scriptures related to that subject.

Just as there is no excuse for routinely making the same mistakes in cooking, there is no excuse for not following God in your life. The instructions have been given. The directions are plain. Simply open the Bible and your heart and let God show you the way!!

Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart. (Job 22:21-22 NIV)

Old Familiar Ways

2010-10-13T10:44:00.000-04:00

Fall is officially upon us. This is always an exciting time for me. There are many reasons I love it. My birthday, football, deer season and cooler weather are just a few.

I have been going through my deer hunting things. I always pack up most of my hunting equipment so that I can leave to go hunting on short notice or suddenly find some free time. It’s also a good time to make sure I have everything I need and that my camouflage clothing still fits and isn’t too faded.

I can name most of the things that are in my bag. I have a flashlight with fresh batteries, two knives, hand warmers, gloves, cover scent, a face mask, a pen and paper, and various other things that I might need in the woods. I have another bag that just has clothes in it. I make sure I have a warm enough coat and the right boots for whatever the weather is.

My point to this is, that I regularly check my equipment to make sure I am ready for hunting season. Notice that I said “hunting season,” not just one hunt. This means that I need to thoroughly check everything to make sure it is in proper condition for this season. Simply because it worked last year, does not mean that it is good enough for this year.

I believe our lives are similar. Sometimes we rely on old, outdated, worn, or insufficient equipment for our lives. We believe that if it worked before, it will work again. Life does not work that way.

For example, a football team may have great success in one game by running the ball. They may have a great athlete as a running back, who can gain yardage every play. However, the team they play the next week will know that they need to watch that star running back, and zero in on him. Suddenly, the running game is not working anymore.

I have illustrated this many times from the pulpit by, using the various ways Jesus healed the blind. There were many blind people that Jesus healed. However, four occurrences are recorded in scripture with specifics of what method He used. He healed two at once by touching their eyes. One we’re not told how He did it, only that the man was healed. He spit on another man’s eyes to heal his blindness. Jesus simply spoke to Bartimaeus and his eyes were opened. By the pool of Siloam, Jesus spat on the ground, made clay, rubbed it on a man’s eyes and told him to wash in the pool to receive his sight.

The point is, that what worked in the past, may not work now. This is true in life, our Christian walk, and in church. Jesus changed the tone of His messages, the illustrations He used, and the way He healed, based on what would speak best to the people who needed Him.

Maybe it’s time we took inventory of our Christian equipment. Are we relevant to the people who need to hear the gospel the most or are we just taking care to make ourselves comfortable? Is there anything that we need to replace in our lives? Are we as effective in our Christian walk as we once were? Maybe God is leading you to change.

In John 21, we find the disciples fishing. Jesus had risen from the dead, and was standing on the shore. The disciples, who were fishermen by trade, were having no luck pulling in fish. They saw a man on the beach, who was calling to them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. They did not know it was Jesus yet, but what they were doing wasn’t working, so they tried it. When they did, they could barely pull in the nets for the volume of fish. Jesus called them to do something different than they were used to doing, so that he could show them His power, but most importantly, so that God would receive the glory instead of them.

Spend some time in prayer this week, asking God to show you where you need to improve your relationship with Him and be an effective soldier of the cross. Then follow Him with no hesitation!

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NIV)

Elmo

2010-10-05T12:25:00.000-04:00

You either love him or you hate him. He’s the three year-old, red, furry creature that children love to watch on Sesame Street. His name is Elmo and he’s been around for quite some time. As a matter of fact, he has been in the news lately.

The first recent news item surfaced a couple of weeks ago. A female singer was featured during the Elmo segment on Sesame Street. Some people, who previewed it, prior to airing, thought the singer’s neckline on her dress was a bit too revealing. Sesame Street pulled the segment and it was never aired.

Then, last week, a man dressed as Elmo, was working at a children’s event at a Winter Park, Florida music store. He was waiting on the children to arrive, when about 3 pm, a man approached him. The man began to throw punches at Elmo for reasons that have not been explained.

Elmo, however, didn’t simply try to get away or take the abuse. Nope, not Elmo. Elmo fought back! Elmo wound up breaking a few of the guy’s fingers before police arrived. (I can see the new Christmas toy now. “Kids! Be the first to get your very own, ‘Don’t Mess With Me Elmo!’”) Like I said at the beginning, you either love Elmo or hate him.

Elmo was first introduced on Sesame Street, as “Baby Monster” in 1972. He only had a small part, but “Baby Monster,” showed up now and again on the show. One of the writers for the show said, “There was this extra, red puppet lying around and the cast would pick him up sometimes and try to create a personality, but nothing seemed to materialize.” That was, until 1984.

In 1984, puppeteer Kevin Clash picked Elmo up and brought him to life. Kevin has been Elmo ever since. Interestingly, Kevin Clash is also the “Louis Armstrong” sounding voice of Hoots the Owl, who has a band and sings Blues music. Kevin is an amazing talent. When other puppeteers could not find a voice for Elmo, Kevin gave him a name, personality, voice and mannerisms. Elmo has become so popular, that other Sesame Street characters have taken a bit of a backseat to him. In fact, Elmo has the last 15 minutes of each Sesame Street episode all to himself with Elmo’s World.

Just like Elmo, without Christ, we are lifeless. We may try to find our purpose and voice with other things, but it is only when we allow Jesus to take over, that He shows us who we really are. In Genesis, God breathes life into Adam. Until then, Adam was just a lump of clay. However, when God breathed into him, he came to life and became what God designed him to be.

Do you feel purposeless? Has life lost meaning? Turn it over to the one who will breathe purpose into your existence, and make life worth living.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:24-28 NIV)

Room

2010-10-01T11:12:00.000-04:00

There’s more to this life, than living and dying;

More than just trying to make it through the day.

More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see;

And there’s more than this life alone can be.

(Steven Curtis Chapman. 1989. Sparrow Records)

This week, I heard an interview with author, Emma Donoghue. She is best known for her historic fiction and her knack for inserting homosexual characters in those settings. While I am not a fan of her previous writings, I was intrigued by the idea of her newest release, which was the reason for the interview.

Her new novel is titled, Room. It is told from the viewpoint of a five year-old boy named Jack, who has never left the eleven by eleven room that he shares with his mother. Seven years prior to the time of the novel, Jack’s mother was kidnapped and held captive in a man’s soundproof garden shed. She has never left the room, and even gave birth to Jack there. Jack has never known any other existence.

The room is furnished with a television, a bed, a rocking chair, a rug, a sink and toilet. The man who kidnapped the mother furnishes them with groceries, and makes sure they are well. He is not really a character in the novel as much as a device to bring them food and such.

Because Jack has never had any human interaction other than his mother, he believes they are the only humans on the earth. He thinks that the images he sees on television are only “cartoons.” He is even unsure that “Old Nick,” the kidnapper, is real. He thinks he is only partially real at best.

Because Jack has never known any other existence, his five year-old imagination has allowed him to become friends with the items in the room. Since the novel is told from his words and point of view, whenever he refers to an item it is capitalized. For example, there is Lamp, Rug, Television and Rocking Chair. All of these are personified in some way by Jack. They are his friends, and Jack seems to be a pretty happy boy. He has no sense that he and his mother are actually prisoners.

We as human beings grew up in sin. Sinfulness is all we know. Even though it is not the ideal way to live, we tend to be fine with it. Why? Because we know nothing of another existence. Before experiencing Christ in our lives, we have no idea how it feels to be free from the burden of sin.

Jack spent his whole life in the confinement of a small room. We spend our days confined to the darkness of our sinfulness. When we are offered a way out, we often resist because a new way of doing or thinking is frightening to us. We have been chained for so long; we have even made friends with our chains, just as Jack made “friends” with Lamp and Rug.

We need to allow God to shine the light of His Holy Spirit into our darkness and bring us into the light. We have been held prisoner for too long by the world and our comfort of “the way it has always been.” In order to follow Christ we must be ready to move into a better existence with Him. There is indeed more to this life than simply existing. Jesus died to give you a more significant life. Will you come out of your room and follow Him?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:1-5 KJV)

The Driver on the Bus

2010-09-21T11:33:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, September 16, 2010, a uniformed bus driver entered a Chicago Transit Authority bus and settled into the driver’s seat. He logged in, started the bus and headed out on the bus’ route about 8 pm. He picked up numerous passengers and dropped them off at the appropriate stops. All seemed to be going well.

Sometime around midnight, however, the man returned the bus to the CTA garage and accidentally hit another bus. Another worker saw the accident and left to get a supervisor. As the second man was leaving, the bus driver bolted out of the bus and ran down the street.

It took a while for the authorities at the CTA to determine what was wrong. It turned out that a bus driver had reported his uniform being stolen about a month before. Before long, the man who drove the bus around for a few hours was identified. He was an acquaintance of the bus driver whose uniform had been stolen.

Now the “fake” bus driver is facing charges for his excursion. His motivation in posing as a bus driver is unclear, but is under investigation. Also, the CTA has assured the public that they are evaluating measures to keep this from happening again.

The interesting thing about this story is that if he had not hit the other bus, he would have gotten away with his venture. He looked like a bus driver. He logged in and followed procedure. He apparently drove like a regular driver. He even knew the bus route and picked people up and dropped them off in the right places.

Many people might say, “What’s the big deal? No one was hurt.” However, there is a very real danger in this story. This man was not qualified to drive the bus, and as a result, placed both the passengers and himself in a potentially harmful situation.

There are many people who look like Christians. They seem nice. They know the “churchy” words to say. They give money to their church and other Christian causes. They may even have leadership roles in the church. However, they may truly not know Jesus in a personal way at all.

There are many who believe that simply being a “good person” and treating others with respect will grant us favor with Almighty God. Jesus calls these people “false prophets,” and warns us to watch out for them. We cannot simply observe their actions or words to learn of their relationship with God. We must also look for the fruits of following Christ in their lives.

In Galatians 5, Paul outlines both the works of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit. He writes, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:19-26 NKJV)

Look for these worldly works and Godly fruits in the lives of those who you believe to be Christians. You certainly do not want to get on the bus with someone who looks like a bus driver, but turns out to be a fake.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV)

Ghost Train

2010-09-20T15:51:00.000-04:00

On August 27, 1891 a west bound train had just passed through Statesville, NC. Passenger train No. 9 was chugging along normally in the early morning hours, when it came to Bostian’s Bridge that spanned Third Creek about two miles west of Statesville. At the bridge the train derailed and plunged 60-75 feet into the ravine below. More than 20 people were killed and close to 30 were wounded.

Some people say that if conditions are right, each August 27^th you can actually hear the crash. It’s known as the “ghost train” of Bostian’s Bridge. Each year there are a number of people who gather, on the anniversary of the crash, to listen for the sounds of a train wreck.

This year was no exception. There were about a dozen people on the bridge in the middle of the night, waiting to hear some sound of a train. Those people did indeed hear a train, but it was not a “ghost train.” They realized suddenly that there was a real train coming around the bend.

All of the people scattered to clear the tracks on the other side of the trestle. All of them made it across but one 29 year-old man. The man was struck by the train, and then thrown into the ravine by the force of that blow. He did not survive.

In 1 Samuel 11:1-3 we read these words. “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

David was toying around with sin. The things he did at first were not huge errors, but they were errors nonetheless. He didn’t go off to war like the other kings, he was too comfortable in his palace. He looked over into Bathsheba’s house and saw her bathing, he didn’t look away. These are not the worst thing David could have done, but they were wrong.

The problem is that even what we consider to be minor sin in our lives often leads to major ones. From David’s “small” sins, he wound up committing adultery and causing Bathsheba to do the same. He made his guards have to cover for him. He forced Joab to do something very unethical. He got Bathsheba pregnant. He arranged for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle. From simply not following through in his duty, to murder was a very quick, slippery slope.

Just like the young man who was waiting for a “ghost train,” David thought he was safely playing around with something fun and exciting. However, just as the man on the trestle, David was hit by the train of sin, which threw him down and almost destroyed him. Many times we are fooled into thinking we can “get away” with our sinfulness. We think we can beat it if we begin to become ensnared in it. The reality is that we may never know that we are trapped until it is too late.

What’s the cure? We need to stay away from those things, people, places, and atmospheres that can lead us down the path to sin. There are many things that we surround ourselves with that make it easy to fall prey to sin. Eliminate them from your life. Also, we need to apply God’s Word to our lives. We need to know what God is saying to us through His Word, and obey. Then, we need to pray for the strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to help us know what is good and righteous.

If we are in a right relationship with God, He will open our ears, eyes, mind, heart, and spirit to see the world as He sees it. When that happens, we will stop chasing after sin like the young man sought the “ghost train,” and avoid the consequences of living carelessly.

My sincere condolences go out to the family of this young man. May God grant you peaces in this time of loss. S.W.

Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:14-15 NKJV)

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.(Romans 8:1-2 NIV)

Pastor Terry Jones

2010-09-09T14:46:00.001-04:00

OK. I usually try to stay out of such, but I am quite indignant over this whole Koran burning thing. No I am not making a comment on whether the Muslim holy book should be burned. What's burning me up is the way the media has made a religious kook from Gainesville, Florida, who has a church with 50 members instant fame.

Do the people who are the most outraged by his threat to burn Korans on Saturday, not realize that they are the ones who are fanning the flames? People like Terry Jones feed off of such attention. They relish it. They wallow in it.

I used to keep a note under the glass on my desk that was a wonderful reminder for me in dealing with people. It read, "Never wrestle a pig. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it." Mr. Jones is one who loves this slop, and our media, religious organizations, and our politicians are all simply wrestling this pig. Even the President and the Pope have weighed in on the matter.

People!!! Just a matter of weeks ago, most people had no idea who this guy was, or anything about his church of 50 members. Now the President of the United States, General Petraus, The Pope and numerous celebrities are talking about him? Where is our sense?

This man is the "shock jock" of Christianity. His philosophy is that bad press is better than none at all. This is doing nothing but puffing up his ego. Listen to me America. If you want Terry Jones and his kind to go away, pull the news trucks out of Gainesville, leave him alone and stop talking about it. You're worried about how this will affect our troops and world relations? Don't film it, then no one will see it but his 50 member congregation!!! My dad always said, "The manure doesn't stink until you stir it up!" Quit stirring!!!

OK. I have wasted enough time on Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center of 50 members. I'm going home to burn some cookies.

Is There Anyone Who Fails?

2010-09-08T11:32:00.000-04:00

School has started back for students from preschool to college. Along with school comes homework, learning, tests and grades. If it were not for those things, school would be a fun place to be!

One would expect a normal school to be a place where teachers who are trained for certain subjects, pass on their knowledge to students. A normal school should also have a professional and knowledgeable administrative staff, who can run the school, in a way that is both efficient and appealing to the public. After all, if your school has a bad reputation, parents are less likely to send their children to you.

I read two articles recently about two schools where one might think twice before sending their children to them. The first is from a high school in North Carolina. On the road outside the school is the word “school” in huge white letters to mark the school zone. However, the large letters on the road are misspelled. They read, “SHCOOL.”

Now I realize that this grand-scale typo is not the school’s fault. It was the contactor who painted the road who made the error. However, most people driving by would automatically blame the school for the misspelled word.

The second school is Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Drake University recently launched a new advertising campaign for their school. The idea of the campaign is to get the message across that Drake University’s experience, plus your passion is a great combination. This sounds like a pretty good advertisement, until you see how it is marketed.

They have shortened the campaign to something easily remembered. Sure enough, it’s easy to remember! Here is the way the ad reads. “D+ The Drake Advantage.” Huh? D+? Is that all your school expects? Maybe I should have attended there. I could have been the valedictorian! The school paid a lot of money to a marketing company to come up with a D+ for their ad campaign, so they say they’re sticking to it for a while. I say the marketing company should get a D+ for not noticing the problem.

We all make mistakes. Even schools, teachers, churches, pastors, police, doctors, and everyone who is human make errors from time to time. While we all know that humans make mistakes, for some reason it seems tragic when someone we look up to makes them. We hold some people in much higher regard than others and expect them to perform accordingly.

This expectation of perfection is the reason it hurts so much when those we regard so highly fall into errors of judgment. We want someone to inspire us, who we can look up to. We want someone to follow, who is above normal failure. We want someone to love us, who will never be unfaithful.

There is only one who can fulfill those expectations and more. Jesus will never fail. He is the only man who ever lived who did not sin. He resisted temptation and even defeated death. He is perfect and calls you to His side. He wants to love you, lead you and inspire you in ways you cannot imagine. If you have been “let down” by people who you wanted to be perfect but who never were, then allow Jesus to show you what true love really is. Ask Him into your life today and learn how to give Him more and more of you until you trust Him completely.

If you have never trusted Christ with your life before, please talk to a Christian friend or your minister about it. If you do not have either of those, you are always welcome to contact any staff person at this church, and they will be happy to help.

Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:24-28 NIV)

The Act

2010-09-01T17:02:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I used to love to pretend. I didn’t just pretend, I really acted out the parts that I was playing. I remember one time I was going to play police. It was very hot summertime, but I went inside to change into long pants. My parents told me that I couldn’t and I began to cry. I said that policemen didn’t wear shorts. I think I took my pretending to the extreme level.

This pretending actually came in handy when I began getting involved in drama. I took a course in drama in high school, but was not in any productions. However, when I was a student at North Greenville College, I was asked to be in their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was one of the rustics. It was a small part, but enough for the theatre bug to bite me.

After I left North Greenville I transferred to Erskine College where I was even more involved. I appeared in two or three productions each year while at Erskine College and Erskine Seminary. I won two “Erskies”, the name given to the award voted on by the student body for the drama department. I was also named to Alpha Psi Omega a national dramatics honor fraternity.

Shakespeare wrote “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts”. We play many parts in our lives. We are a son or daughter, a brother or sister, father or mother, employee or employer, etc.

We also pretend in many other areas also. We pretend that it didn’t hurt when our husband or wife forgot our birthday again. We pretend that we are fine when our best friend doesn’t call for weeks. We pretend that we’ll “be better off” when we lose our job or the divorce is about to be final. Many times, we also pretend that our Christian faith is strong and that we have all the answers.

The Christian group Casting Crowns has a song called Stained Glass Masquerade. The lyrics penetrate deep within those of us who have ever pretended that everything is OK when we are falling apart on the inside.

Is there anyone that fails? Is there anyone that falls?

Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small?

Cause when I take a look around, everybody seems so strong.

I know they'll soon discover that I don't belong.

So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay.

If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too.

So with a painted grin, I play the part again.

So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people, under shiny plastic steeples?

With walls around our weakness, and smiles to hide our pain

But if the invitation's open, to every heart that has been broken

Maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade

We have all put on the mask. We have all played the role and sat in church and sang the hymns and heard the preacher, all the while wondering how everyone else seems so strong. We know how to say the words. We know how to dress and act. But do we know that Jesus doesn’t care about any of those things? All he wants is us, every part of us. He calls us to the great banquet just as we are, not as we think we need to be. When we think we can disguise our ugliness with an act, we are truly mocking God. When we realize that the church is not a refuge for the righteous, but a hospital for the broken, wounded, weary, and scared, then we will truly see Christ move in our midst.

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:16-17 NIV)

Caprice Classic

2010-08-25T11:08:00.007-04:00

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
(Matthew 13:44 NIV)

There is an old saying, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” That old adage is certainly true. What is valuable to me may not hold any worth to you at all.

My home is filled with items that I would never throw away or sell. However, my wife simply cannot understand why I keep some of those things around. In fact, many others would find no value in them either. However, they are things that I treasure.

Last week, I visited a church member who was in the hospital in Augusta. When I returned to my truck, I noticed the vehicle parked directly in front of me. This car was a late 1970’s model 4-door Caprice Classic. It was faded brown in color and had many rust spots. There were dents in the passenger door and the spoke rims were rusty and rough looking. The headliner in the interior was hanging down from the top. As if these things didn’t make the car look rough enough, the hood was ill-fitting and white in color, as if it was awaiting a coat of paint.

However, it was not the rough condition of the car that got my attention. In fact, I didn’t notice the condition until I saw the steering wheel. There, clamped onto the steering wheel of the car, was The Club.

Remember The Club? The Club is a device that is locked onto the steering wheel of a car to prevent it from being stolen. A thief may break into the car, but they will be unable to drive it with The Club attached to the steering wheel.

Of course, my first thought was, “Who would want to steal that car?” I sat in the seat of my truck for a moment and stared at the Caprice. Then I thought, “That car belongs to someone who values it a great deal. They value it so much; they wanted to protect it from others.”

I have met with numerous people who think because they are not great public speakers, can’t sing, or are quiet, they aren’t valuable. You may be one of those people. You may think you are of no value to anyone. You may truly believe that no one cares about you. I have great news for you. There is one who values you above all creation.

When the world looks at us, they may only see what I saw in that Caprice Classic. They may see the rust, the dings, the mismatched parts, and an interior that isn’t holding up. However, God sees His creation that He values more than anything else He made. He sees such value in you, that He became man and died on the cross for you. He rose from the dead to defeat sin and death so that you would be His forever.

Just as the person who drove the Caprice saw such value in his car that he wanted to protect it with The Club, Jesus wanted to protect you. When He called you to be His child, He set His seal upon you so that nothing could ever take you away from Him. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:28-29 KJV)

God created you and loves you more than you could know. He wants you to know today that you are valuable and loved by Him. Rejoice in the warmth of His love today!

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
(Matthew 6:26 NIV)

He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
(Matthew 12:11-12 NIV)

Good to great sermons

2010-08-20T11:25:00.000-04:00

I just read a great blog on writing great sermons. Anyone who preaches needs to read this one!! Click here How to Make a Good Sermon Great

Baseball Bailer

2010-08-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

Bo and Sarah go to a Houston Astros game last Monday night. They’re sitting in a very logical place at Minute Maid Park to possibly get some foul balls hit their way. Even Sarah said, “As soon as we got here and I saw where we were sitting, I said 'Baby, I'm going to get hit." Her boyfriend replied, “No, you won't. I'll catch it if you do.”

In a few minutes, Bo got his big opportunity. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Houston’s third baseman, Chris Johnson is at the plate with a 2-2 count. Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Minor zings an 80 mph ball in to Johnson which he fouls into the stands. Yes, you guessed it correctly. It headed right to Bo and Sarah.

Most guys would love to catch a foul ball at a major league baseball game. Some guys want to catch one so badly, they bring a glove to catch it with. Bo, however, saw the ball coming, instantly got up and moved out of the way. He turned back to where Sarah was sitting just in time to see the ball hit her in the forearm.

As if he didn’t feel bad enough, the cameras were rolling, caught the whole thing on film, and the network even sent a reporter over to their seats to interview them. He said his reason for moving away is that he couldn’t see the ball well due to the glare of the lights. All of Houston is calling Bo “The Bailer,” since he bailed out on his girlfriend.

Most of the time, we have the best intentions. There aren’t many who wake up in the morning and decide to harm others before the day is over. However, it isn’t long for most of us before we fall to the pressure of doing what we intended to do or not do.

How many times have you vowed to eat better, exercise more, watch less TV, control your temper, be more romantic, meet an old friend for lunch, go to bed earlier, read your Bible more or establish a quiet time with God? Perhaps you could add many more things to the list of well intended goals. The fact is, we want to do and be better, but we just fail at times making it happen.

Henry Ford once said, “You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.” The same sentiment exists in the saying, “It's always easy the night before to get up early the next morning.” Saying what we are going to do is easy. Making it happen is harder.

Jesus illustrated this in one of His parables. "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' " 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. (Matthew 21:28-31a NIV)

Jesus was talking to the religious leaders in Jerusalem. His point was that doing was more important than saying. While He was speaking to the Pharisees and priests that day, He says the same thing to us today.

Whether we are promising to catch a foul ball to keep someone from getting hit, or vowing to do a better job at something, actions do indeed speak louder than words.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25 NIV)

Is That My Job?

2010-08-10T11:11:00.002-04:00

In the book, Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger, the authors tell the story of an experiment that Mr. Geiger and some friends did. They placed a fake ad on Churchstaffing.com (which is a real church staffing website) for a “Pastor of Extreme Worship Arts,” for a fictitious church in Florida. The ad read as follows.

This postmodern, gen-x church with an unknown denominational affiliation, averaging from 1001-1500 persons is seeking an exceptional leader to be our Pastor of Extreme Worship Arts. We believe the right person will be a unique fit for such a time as this. This person serves under the Senior Pastor, and will oversee all areas of worship. Candidates must embrace the Senior Pastor’s vision of aligning all people of all denominations under the same vision.

The person must also meet these requirements: Ability to infuse the TULIP [5 Point Calvinism]doctrine in all worship sets. Postmodern, Visionary, Missional leader capable of creating an ethos and apostolitic movement. Willing to find some songs written from a premillenial dispensationalist theological tradition. Desires to develop an emerging handbell choir.

Some snake handling may be appropriate (for our believers service only). Agree that the Lord is to be worshiped through magnificent attire and appropriate versions of the Bible. Demonstrate proof of a second blessing... Tongue speaking in various accents is a major plus as we are a multicultural church. Exegetically establish a movement of fluidity in the Extreme Worship Ministry. We realize that many of these requirements are personal preferences and not biblical mandates. Therefore, each candidate must be aligned with roughly 3/4 of all our requirements. (171-172)

If you are confused by the ad, you’re in good company. It was written to contradict itself. Most of the ideas “required” cannot exist with the others. The sad thing is that some people actually applied for the job with real resumes, cover letters and some even sent in DVDs of them leading worship. It is sad, according to Simple Church, because, “To apply for the position, a person would have to: (1) have no basic theological belief system that guides his/her ministry or (2) be willing to compromise his/her beliefs in order to get a ministry job.” (173)

Imagine you had to hire someone to fill your role as a Christian exactly as you currently fill it. What would the job description look like? It might go something like this. “Wanted: Person to fill role as Christian. Must be able to go to worship services no more than once per month, must never take on any leadership role in the church, Pray only when in trouble, read the Bible only as needed in church. Must be available as a Christian for 1-2 hours on the Sundays that are required, and for 1 hour every third Wednesday night. Hours may vary during Easter and Christmas.”

Recently in Seattle, a parking meter officer marked a car tire at 9:30 a.m. The driver was in the car, but did not acknowledge the officer. The car was in a two-hour parking zone, so when the officer returned just after noon, a ticket was in order. However, the driver, a 36 year-old man was still in the vehicle. The officer tapped on the window but got no response. Assuming the man to be asleep, she wrote the ticket for $42.

About 12:30, the police received a call from the man’s girlfriend. Apparently he had been missing. You guessed it. The 36 year-old was dead. The report stated that the car’s sunroof was open and all the doors were unlocked. The officer could have opened the door or called for help when the man didn’t respond, but instead she simply did her job as meter reader, and moved on.

Are you living up to the job description God has given you or are you trying to just get by with the minimum? Jesus made it very simple for us. He told us to become as little children. He said to love God and love others as ourselves. Don’t simply “get by” in your faith. Work for Him daily!

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field. (Luke 10:1-2)

(Rainer, Thom S. and Geiger Eric. Simple Church. Nashville, TN. B&H Publishing. 2006)

Superfood!

2010-07-27T11:52:00.001-04:00

Last week, in Clearwater, Florida, an older man got up and made his weekly visit to the Religious Community Services Food Bank. This was a regular trip for Frank Viscido, since his Social Security check doesn’t seem to cover all of his expenses. Any little bit he can save helps.

This time, however, he asked the worker at the food bank for something a little healthier than his usual fare. The worker looked over the items on the shelves, and spotted what seemed to be the perfect can of food. The label read, “Senior Holistic Superfood.” The worker commented that since Frank was a senior adult, that this was made just for him. He even commented, “You’re a senior, this ought to be good for you.”

Mr. Viscido looked over the can and commented on the rest of the label. It went on to indicate that it contained glucosamine, beta carotene, vitamins and anti-oxidants for "sharp vision, strong immune system and joint health." Frank said it looked good to him, so he was about to take the can when he turned it around and got a look at the front of the label for the first time.

Dog food website

When Mr. Viscido read it there was a bit of a shock. It read, “Healthy skin...and coat." "Superfoods every dog needs." The food bank had handed out dog food. Had Mr. Viscido not been so astute, he might have been dining on Fido fare that evening.

Of course, the food bank was very apologetic about the incident. They attributed the oversight to a well meaning food donor, who probably just swept out a pantry and made the donation without noticing the dog food. Mr. Viscido took the whole thing in stride, even to the point of making jokes about it.

I saw a funny Christian video recently, where a man comes out from behind a tree wearing a karate gi. He has a Bible in his hand and is about to fight two ninja. The voice over says “The Bible is a sword…” Then the two ninja cut off both arms of the man. (This was all comical, so there was no blood or anything.) The voice over continues, “…of the spirit.” The man is now standing there with no arms and says, “I guess I should have kept reading after the word sword.”

How many times do we simply halfway read our Bibles? We like to stick to certain stories or verses that we like, but ignore the rest. The Bible is an exciting, wonderful book. It is both entertaining reading and a guide for our life. The great director and producer, Cecil B. DeMille, who was known for his religious epic movies, once said, “Give me a couple of pages of the Bible and I’ll give you a picture [movie].”

However, if you only take a few pages or a few lines from the Bible, you can become misguided very easily. When you read the scripture, read the passage as a whole. You cannot take the parts you like and ignore the parts you do not. God gave us the wonderful gift of His word. Let’s honor Him by using it daily.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. (Psalm 119:9-16 NIV)

The Lesson of Cynthia Ann Parker

2010-07-13T11:51:00.000-04:00

I recently heard an interview with author, S. C. Gwynne, on National Public Radio. Gwynne has a new book titled, Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History. It is a historical account of the struggle between the Comanche and white settlers.

The book’s main focus is Quanah Parker, who was the last and greatest chief of the Comanche tribe. Quanah never lost any battle that he fought. He was a fierce warrior and an imposing presence. Later in life, he decided to “walk the white man’s way” by surrendering and assimilating himself into society.

Quanah was the son of chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker. Cynthia Ann Parker was part of the large Parker family that settled in Texas in the 1830’s. She was captured by the Comanche tribe in a raid in 1836. Cynthia Ann was nine at the time.

Due to her young age, she completely forgot her former life, and became one of the Comanche tribe. She stayed with them for 25 years, and actually married their chief. With him, they had three children, of which Quanah was one. She was perfectly content with her life as a Native American.

In December of 1860, she and her two year-old daughter were captured by Texas Rangers in a battle that took the life of her husband, Chief Nocona. When the Rangers began to question her, they noticed that she had blue eyes. It was then that they realized who she was. The story of Cynthia Ann Parker had been in all of the newspapers years before, so she was something of a celebrity. She could not speak English, but recounted what she could remember of her capture. They knew they had finally rescued Cynthia Ann Parker. She was returned to some of her family, the government gave her over 4,000 acres, and she was given a pension of $100 per year for the next five years. She was finally home.

There was one problem. She did not want to be there. She tried, for the final ten years of her life, to escape back to the Comanche tribe. She wanted nothing of the land, family or pension. She only wanted to be with the people who raised her. She died in 1870, never seeing her sons or the Comanche people again.

We tend to be very innocent in our young lives. However, at some point, we are captured by the temptations of the enemy. For some, the temptations to sin come very early, for some they come later, but they always come. At first, we may resist and fight the sin that tears us away from the God who created us and loves us. Unfortunately, many times we become like Cynthia Ann Parker. We simply assimilate ourselves into the enemy camp.

When God, through His grace, pulls us back into fellowship with Him, by the shed blood of Jesus, many times we surrender. Many times we resist. However, when we do finally surrender, we tend to fondly view our time spent in sin. We long for the days when we did certain things, or we crave the company of the people who were enablers to our temptations. You can hear it sometimes, in the testimony of a Christian, as they recount the “bad things” they did when they were without Christ. Sometimes, you can almost hear a longing for those times in their voice before they catch themselves and talk about how much “happier” they are now.

When Moses was leading the Hebrews out of Egypt, they were eating manna and drinking water. They began to get disgusted with the same things over and over, so they complained. Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:4-6 NKJV)

The Hebrews were slaves in

Egypt

. It is very likely that they never had such luxurious things to eat while in slavery. In fact, Egyptian records from the era have been found and no such items were listed as slave rations. They were remembering their past bondage more fondly than their present experience.

If Cynthia Ann Parker had given herself over to her true family, she might have been reunited with her sons, and perhaps Quanah may not have taken so long to surrender to the “white man’s ways.” Give up your past and your present to God. Thinking we were having more fun in sin, is simply a lie of the enemy. God gives us a life full of joy that is not dependant on our circumstances. He created us and simply wants the best for us.

You have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry… If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:3,11)

Lemonade

2010-07-06T12:19:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday, I was driving from Edgefield to my parents home near Easley, SC. I was going there for their annual July 4th celebration. This has been a tradition in our family since I was a very young kid. There’s a lot of family, friends, food and fireworks and we always have a great time. My wife and kids were driving in from the beach to meet me there, so I was trying to arrive near the time they would.

I left my house, turned onto Buncombe Street and headed toward Greenwood. Before I could get out of town, I noticed several little girls holding signs in front of a table. Can you guess what was written on the signs? If you guessed “Lemonade,” you are correct.

The signs were very well done. The letters were large and readable, the cost for a cup of lemonade was displayed prominently, and the girls were really holding them high. They were situated right along the sidewalk so access was easy. The whole thing was a great lesson in marketing.

I drove by and thought, “How cute. I really should stop and buy some lemonade. No, I can’t. I have a two-hour drive ahead of me, and I need to get there as soon as I can.” I made it all the way to the DOT office before I turned around to go back. I realized if I’m too busy to stop and buy lemonade from a kid on the side of the road, then I really am “too busy!”

I went back to the lemonade stand. As I drove up, I noticed another sign that read, “Ice Cold Lemonade.” I thought, “Yeah, right! On a day like today, I’ll be lucky to get lukewarm lemonade.” I walked up to the girls, one already had a cup in her hand and asked, “How many?” I replied that I only wanted one. She went right to work, filling the cup, while another told me the price was 25 cents. I gave her 50 cents and told her to keep the other quarter.

When I got my cup, I was impressed. It was filled to the top, had lots of ice in it, and was garnished with a lemon slice. I thanked them as I walked back to the truck and took a drink. Wow! The lemonade was wonderful! It was ice cold, just as they had advertised. However, I got so much more than I expected. I received great service, happy smiles and a warm feeling that the world may not be so bad after all.

I took two things away from this encounter that I want to share with you. First of all, sometimes we simply need to slow down. How much of the things around us do we miss because we are in a hurry to get somewhere or do something? I arrived at my parent’s house in plenty of time to enjoy the festivities. In fact, I was there before my wife and kids were.

Secondly, be sure that whatever you are advertising is what you are actually producing. Those girls advertised, “Ice Cold Lemonade” and that is exactly what I was served. Make sure that if you are going to wave the banner of being a Christian over your life, that you are showing the fruits of the spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Life on this earth is too short to miss opportunities to buy lemonade from some kids, look for shapes and pictures in the clouds, catch lightning bugs and count stars. Life is also too short to live in contrast to the person we claim to be. It is stressful and very difficult to live a dual life, yet many of us are doing it daily. Give it all to God and allow Him to make the advertisement of your life match your actions.

I want to thank those girls on Buncombe Street for the lemonade, the smile and the lessons that I learned from you. May God richly bless you!

Tell me to slow down, If you think that the road that I'm on is going nowhere. Tell me to slow down, If you know that I'm going too fast for my own good. Tell me to slow down, If the way is leading to a dead end. Tell me to slow down, Turn around, let me change the way I'm going. Oh, I don't want to let go, Of all the things that I know, Are keeping me away from my life. Oh, I don't want to slow down. No, I don't want to look around. But I can't seem to work it out. So help me, God (Slow Down by Third Day. Essential Records. 2008)

We know that we have come to know Him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6 NIV)

Revival

2010-06-08T16:54:00.002-04:00

There was a revival going on at a local church. The preacher, while very gifted, was also very long winded. He continued to preach long past the point which everyone was engaged. In fact he preached on past midnight.

In the balcony that night was a young man who had heard great things about this preacher. He had been eager to hear the words that God had for him through this great preacher. The only thing he was not prepared for was the lengthy oration.

As some of us may have done before, the hard work-day, the lateness of the hour, the drone of listening to the same person speaking for hours on end, got the best of him. The young man fell asleep. As he fell asleep, he began to slump a little. There was nobody close to him, to prop him back up so he slumped a little more. Before anyone could do anything about it, the young man fell from the balcony and onto the people and pews below.

Of course the entire congregation crowded around him. Upon closer inspection they discovered that the fall had actually killed the young man. Everyone was upset and saddened by the event as the preacher made his way to the lifeless body of the young man…

By the time you read this, I will be almost finished preaching a revival for Peace Haven Baptist Church. The hope during revival time at church is that the Holy Spirit will bring God’s people to action. Indeed, there are some who will be. However, there are others who are more like the young man in the story you just read.

What if an event happened during a revival in Edgefield like the one in the story above? What would you tell others in the days and weeks to come about it? Would you tell them about how Christ’s wonderful love was evident in the preaching and singing? Would you tell of how the Holy Spirit moved in people’s lives and changed them forever? Or, would you tell them about how the sermon went so long that a young man died from falling asleep and plummeting to his death from the balcony?

The story that I told is true. It really happened. The preacher was the Apostle Paul and the young man was named Eutychus. Instead of falling from a balcony he fell from a third story window. The end of the story is what I did not include.

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. (Acts 20:7-12 NIV)

God raised the young man from the dead through His servant Paul. After this Paul continued his sermon until daybreak. Paul wanted to make sure that both the others in attendance and the young man left the meeting knowing that the main purpose for being there was to experience God, not to just have an interesting story to tell.

I believe that all those who were there during Paul’s sermon that night were changed forever, particularly Eutychus. None of them could ever go back to serving God the way they had before. My prayer is that all of us will find a new fire and a new commitment to Christ and that through that new “revived” spirit we can charge forward with our Lord as our leader.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go thereforeand make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV)

Silly String sprayer invades garage

2010-06-07T11:43:00.000-04:00

Is this really something to call the police about? Silly String sprayer invades garage

Never Enough

2010-06-02T09:58:00.001-04:00

Have you ever felt like no matter what you ever did, it wasn’t enough? Maybe you poured your heart into something, only to have nobody recognize your efforts. Isn’t it frustrating to think you have done the right things, but find out that your efforts were not enough to satisfy others?

It is not uncommon to feel this way when dealing with other human beings. Most of the time, people have expectations of us that are based on their own needs and desires. Many times we try to satisfy those needs, only to find that we misinterpreted the expectations held by the other person. We act as we think we should, but what we think is right, may not be what is truly needed in the situation.

This week, I read about a woman in San Antonio, Texas, who got an unexpected bill from her electric and gas company. The bill arrived in the mail as it usually did, but when she opened it, she thought it was a joke. The bill was for $8,000.00.

Thinking there must have been an error on the part of the company, she went to check it out. She was informed that there was no error. Since she had never failed to pay her bill in full, and on time, each month, she was especially perplexed by the situation.

It seems that in 2005, a new meter was installed on her house. An office employee erroneously entered a 0, when a 1 should have been entered in the system for the new meter. As a result, the customer has only been charged for natural gas and baseline electrical service. Since 2005, she had not been charged for the electricity she used. Because most people only look at the bottom line of what they owe each month, she only paid that amount. The customer was quoted as saying, “You trust that whatever they send you, whatever that amount is, that's your bill.”

This customer had great intentions and was even pretty confident in her ability to do the right thing. However, even in her diligence to make sure her bill was paid in full each month, she still came up short. It wasn’t enough just to “be good and responsible.” She needed more.

How many people truly read the scriptures? How many of us simply look for a “bottom line” in our Bibles? We like hearing that all we have to do is believe that Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sins. That seems very easy to do. However, there is more.

The woman in San Antonio has recently realized that she should have been more familiar with the electric bill. She should have known how to read it and understand it. If she had, she would have known there was an error in the amount she was being billed. However, I’m sure the bill was less than it had been in the past. Sometimes we only see what seems to be advantageous to us at the time. We see what we want to see.

Much of the time, we treat the scriptures the same way. We pick and choose the parts we like and think we can adhere to, but ignore the passages that are hard for us to understand or seem too difficult to obey. For example, most people enjoy knowing that God forgives us, but aren’t comfortable with the scripture that teaches, “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV) You mean I have to forgive others in order to be forgiven? I’ll just ignore that teaching and stick with, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NKJV)

We may think we are a good person. We may believe we are as close to being right with God as anyone can be. We may believe we have it all figured out. However, there is always more. We will never reach perfection until we get to Heaven. On this side of our heavenly home, we must always keep seeking God in our lives and looking to Him for guidance. Read your Bible each day. Pray to the Father for His will in your life. Do what He asks and go where He leads. Don’t just come close, go the whole distance!

“Comin’ as close to the truth as a man can come without actually gettin’ there is coming close, but it still ain’t the truth.” Texas Bix Bender

Now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21-24 NIV)

Frank Page

2010-05-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

I am very excited to see Frank Page nominated as President of the Executive Committee for the SBC. In my opinion there is not a better candidate. See the story here. Frank Page

Put Down the Duckie

2010-05-11T16:40:00.001-04:00

Put down the duckie, if you wanna play the saxophone!

(Chris Cherf. “Put Down the Duckie”. Sesame Street. 1988)

The line above is from the Sesame Street song, “Put Down the Duckie.” I have always loved Sesame Street, especially the creative songs that appear in the show. Several years ago, I loaded a bunch of Sesame Street songs onto my iPod, so my kids could listen to them while we are in the car. They still want me to play them every time we go somewhere in my truck. Mommy may have the video player in hers, but daddy has the tunes!

I have to admit that at the time of this writing, I’ve had Put Down the Duckie in my head for two days. (Just click the title if you'd like to have it in your head too!) I can’t stop the great bluesy melody from entering my brain. I know people will laugh if I begin singing it out loud, so I hold it all in. Maybe if I can get away in my truck, I’ll dial it up on the old iPod and sing as loud as I want. Maybe then it will get out of my head!

However, I began to think there may be another reason that the song is stuck in my head. As I thought about the lyrics, I realized that there is a valuable lesson being conveyed. Since many of you may not be familiar with the song, I’ll explain. Ernie wants to learn to play the saxophone, but is getting a “funny squeak”, each time he tries. He decides to ask Mr. Hoots, (a saxophone playing, Louis Armstrong sounding, owl) who is the leader of a band. Mr. Hoots identifies Ernie’s problem. Ernie is trying to play the saxophone while holding his favorite toy; his rubber duckie. Mr. Hoots sings, “Ernie keep your cool, I’ll teach you how to play the sax. I think I dig your problem. It’s rubber and it quacks!” Mr. Hoots then tells Ernie to, “Put down the duckie if you want to learn to play the saxophone!”

We are currently studying the book of Exodus on Wednesday nights. At this time, we are talking about the Ten Commandments. The first two things God tells Moses is, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” (Exodus 20:3-4)

What is God talking about? We know them as idols. What is an idol? Merriam-Webster defines it as, “a representation or symbol of an object of worship” or “an object of extreme devotion.” In short, an idol, for the Christian, is anything that we hold in such high regard, that we are unwilling to let go of it, even if it means damaging our relationship with God.

Do you have any idols in your life? Is there something that you need to “put down” in order to hear God’s voice or serve Him better? Those things are different for everyone. However, the bad news is that we all have them. What’s worse is that like Ernie, we have no idea what’s causing the problem, even though it’s right in front of us, squeaking and in our way.

The good news is that God has made a way for us to put those things behind us. God became one of us, lived a perfect life, died for our sins and rose again. Because of that, we are understood and forgiven. Is there something that you need to lay before God? Is there something that you haven’t been able to let go? There is no better time than now to give it to Him.

When Ernie continues to try to play the saxophone, while holding the rubber duck, Mr. Hoots says, “You haven’t heard a word I said. You gotta get it through your head. Don’t be a stubborn cluck. Ernie, lay aside the duck!” God is saying to us, “Haven’t you heard Me? I love you! Put the things that keep you from Me behind you and run into My arms. There you will find peace and love like you have never known.”

Sometimes, however, we need help. Just as Ernie went to Mr. Hoots for his problem, you may need to talk to someone who can help you. We often cannot see our own problems. A Christian friend, a minister, or a Christian counselor can sometimes help you see more clearly what you cannot discern on your own. Put down whatever the “duckie” is in your life and enjoy a wonderful relationship with the one who created and loves you!

[Manasseh] took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. He also repaired the altar of the LORD, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. (2 Chronicles 33:15-16 NKJV)

When I became a man, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11 NKJV)

Don't Do The Crime, If You Can't Do The Time

2010-05-05T10:36:00.001-04:00

Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.

(Sammy Davis Jr. Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow. Capitol Records. 1976)

On the night of July 18th, a fire broke out in an extremely populous city. It began on a side of town where there were shops that sold flammable goods. The fire quickly spread and by most accounts, burned for five days. By the time the fire was contained, it had completely destroyed three and severely damaged seven of the fourteen city districts.

The year was 64 AD. Nero was the emperor of Rome. Some people of the day suspected that Nero started the fire. After all, he was known to do some strange things. There were many rumors about his activity during the fire. Some said he played the flute and others said he sang, while dressed in stage costume, while the city burned. Whatever the truth may be, he was certainly a suspect in the minds of the people of Rome, and began to receive some public blame for the fire.

When he realized that many were accusing him of starting the blaze, he did what most of us would do. Nero found a scapegoat. Nero decided to blame the Christians for almost destroying the city. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote of the events, Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace…Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.

Nero found his scapegoat in the Christians. An 18-year old in Winona, Minnesota, found a scapegoat in his dog. No, the dog didn’t eat his homework, he vomited on the young man. The man crashed his car into a utility pole and left it. Witnesses led police to the man who they saw “walking a beagle” near the accident. When police caught up with the man, they found out that he had no driver’s license or insurance. The only excuse he could come up with was a quick redirection. He told them that he crashed because the dog threw up on him. He got a ticket anyway.

We seldom take the blame for our bad choices. It’s much more convenient to place the blame on someone or something else. The problem is, many times we are guilty of the crimes we have been charged with. If we made a bad choice, why is it so hard to admit to it and take the punishment?

I read a story recently about a pastor who had to go to traffic court for an expired license plate. He listened to all of the people, who were before him, tell the barrage of stories illustrating why they were not guilty. He was very embarrassed to be there, but when it was his turn he spoke up to the judge and declared his guilt. The judge was so shocked by his admission, that he let him go with no charges and no fine.

We must all come to the place with Christ where we admit that we are guilty of sin. We have all come up short when it comes to His standards. When we try to sidestep or blame someone else, we insult our Creator. He knows our hearts. He knows our motivations. He is like the judge that knew the people were guilty of the crimes they were accused of. However, when we, like that pastor, will admit our wrongs, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Even though we are guilty, Jesus paid the price for that guilt. We are able to be free from blame, guilt, and eternal punishment, because Jesus died and rose again. Stop playing the “blame game” and admit your sins to Him. He will forgive and forget.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Failure

2010-04-27T12:25:00.005-04:00

We never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do.
(Crosby Stills and Nash. “Southern Cross.” Daylight Again. Atlantic Records. 1982)

Do you ever feel like a failure? Most of us at some time or another have felt that way. For some, it seems that their entire life is one big failure. If you have ever felt like a failure at anything, then you will appreciate this story.

James was the son of a failure. Every career his father tried, failed in some way. The failure gene must have been passed on to James. James was sent to boarding school at 10, ran away to sea at 14, and later worked as a minister, miner, photographer, organist and songwriter. None of his ventures were any more successful than his father’s, at least not in his lifetime.

It is very possible you have heard the story of this family. The story was brought to national attention by Robert Fulghum in his book, It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It. He got the father and son mixed up, but told a wonderful story of how a man, who by the world’s standards, lived and died a failure. Fulghum writes, In one very important sense, [James] Pierpont was not a failure. Every year, come December, we celebrate his success. We carry in our hearts and minds a lifelong memorial to him. It’s a song. Not about Jesus or angels or even Santa Claus. It’s a terribly simple song about the simple joy of whizzing through the cold white dark of winters gloom in a sleigh pulled by one horse. And with the company of friends, laughing and singing all the way. No more. No less. “Jingle Bells.” [James] Pierpont wrote “Jingle Bells.”

How many times do we write off failures in our lives, only to find that God uses them for either our benefit or the benefit of others? For example, in 1974, a man named Arthur Fry was singing in his church choir. He liked to use slips of paper, to mark the pages in his hymnal, to find the pages faster. However, the slips of paper kept falling out. He knew he couldn’t tape them because that would damage the paper and paperclips were too cumbersome.

Mr. Fry remembered that a colleague of his, named Dr. Spencer Silver, who worked for the 3M chemical company, had been trying to develop a new glue. He remembered that his friend had been very frustrated, because the glue that he developed didn’t stick very well, and had labeled it a failure. However, when Mr. Fry tried it on his slips of paper in his hymnal, he found that it stuck enough to keep those slips from falling out, but not enough to damage the pages. From that perceived failure, Post-It Notes was born.

This year, Post-It Notes is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its nationwide launch. Since 1980, those little square note pads with “just enough” glue, has become a household word. Many people, even in this age of Blackberry’s, i-Phones, and other high-tech gadgetry, have no idea what they would do without the Post-It Notes. What began as a perceived failure, changed the way people remember appointments, communicate, and in some cases, decorate their cubicle or computer monitors.

What is there in your life that you consider a failure? Perhaps you have done something so wrong, that you think you failed God and He could never forgive you. Be assured that God loves you. He can and will forgive you. Not only will He forgive your failures, but He can use those failures to guide you into His will. Maybe through your failure, you will be stronger and able to help someone else, who is going through something similar.

Read the words of King David as recorded in Psalm 103:8-14. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. God forgives us and remembers that we are nothing but dust. He created you and knows that you will make bad choices and mistakes. But just like an earthly father, God will not turn us away.

Isn’t that wonderful news! My prayer for you this week is that you will receive and acknowledge God’s forgiveness in your life. When you do, you will no longer feel like a failure, but as a forgiven and restored child of the God of Heaven!

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit….We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:1, 28 NKJV)

What's in a Name?

2010-04-20T10:51:00.000-04:00

I remember Thanksgiving Day of 1999 pretty well. However, it’s not for reasons you may think. My wife and I were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and getting ready to visit family. As I passed by the television screen, I heard the announcer mention something about the next marching band was Silver Bluff High School from Petticoat Junction, SC. I was stunned. I thought I had heard of all the towns in South Carolina, but I had never heard of Petticoat Junction.

I loved the television show, Petticoat Junction as a kid, but had no idea there was a real place with such a name. I also had no idea that just a few years later, I would be living pretty close to it. You never know where God will lead you!!

If you travel much in the state of South Carolina, you are bound to notice some other odd names of towns. I attended college and seminary in a little town called Due West. There are bumper stickers and t-shirts available at the school bookstore that read, “Due West of what?” As far as names that give directions, there is also North, South Carolina.

Perhaps you would like the simplicity of having a number for a town name like, Ninety Six or Sixty Six. You can make people think you are a world traveler if you visit Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. All of these are about an hour and a half from Edgefield and you can visit them all in one afternoon.

I read an article this week about some other funny, small-town names in America. Some of the examples were: Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; Boring, Oregon; Cool, California; Uncertain, Texas; Last Chance, Idaho; Accident, Maryland; and Normal, Illinois. The article included some of the theories on how those town names came into being.

What is truly in a name? Sometimes a name describes a person, place or thing. Sometimes the name is not very descriptive at all. Many times the name of something simply doesn’t match it at all. For example, when Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder in the 10th century, he sailed to a large island that was largely inhabited by Eskimo-type people and a few Icelanders and Norwegians. He decided to call the new country Groenland, or as we know it Greenland, in order to attract more settlers, although it is far from being “green”.

In Acts 11:25-26 we read, “Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” We may read this and think, “Wow, That’s great. They finally got identified with Jesus.” However, the term “Christian” was not a term of endearment. It was coined by non-Christians, who were in essence labeling and making fun of those who were followers of Jesus.

When someone refers to you as a Christian, does the label match up with your life? Does the name fit? Could someone observe the way you behave, the way you read your Bible, the way you pray and discern on their own that you are a Christian?
As I stated before, sometimes names do not always reflect the item they are labeling. Many times one must dig a little to find the origin of the name. We as Christians must live so that there is no doubt who we serve, and how we live that service out. We are God’s children and we are called by His name.

Let’s do all we can to uphold the family name. I love the following poem. You may have read it before. It was written for children and fathers. However, this time I want you to read it as the father being your Heavenly Father. I think you will find that it takes on a brand-new meaning.

You got it from your father. It was all he had to give.
So it's yours to use and cherish. For as long as you may live.
If you lost the watch he gave you, it can always be replaced;
But a black mark on your name, can never be erased.
It was clean the day you took it, and a worthy name to bear.
When he got it from his father, there was no dishonor there.
So make sure you guard it wisely, after all is said and done;
You'll be glad the name is spotless, when you give it to your son.

Thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. (Isaiah 43:1 NKJV)

What Would Children Do?

2010-03-16T16:47:00.000-04:00

If you are one of those few people who have escaped the torture…I mean pleasure, of going to Chuck E. Cheese Pizza, you have missed out on a true cultural opportunity. The pizza is mediocre at best. It’s very loud and noisy from the video games, children running around everywhere, parents yelling at their kids to stop running around everywhere, and, of course, the band. The band consists of Chuck E. Cheese, who is a 7-foot-tall mouse, a gorilla that plays the keyboards and some other giant animals.

There is plenty to see and do on any given day or nigh,t at Chuck’s pizza establishment. However, a group of parents and children got quite a show in Memphis, TN last week. Eighteen year-old, Juaneka Key was standing at a vending machine in Chuck E. Cheese. She had apparently been there a while, when Terence Dickerson, 42, asked her how long she planned to be there. She told him that she was going to take her time. This must not have been the answer Mr. Dickerson was looking for. He punched her in the eye.

One of his buddies must have thought he couldn’t handle the fight and jumped in to help assault Ms. Key. Ms. Key’s family got in the fight and others came closer to watch. Many children and parents began leaving the scene, to avoid getting involved or hurt. Five people were arrested before the whole ordeal was over. One person commented, “It’s a shame that adults are acting like children.”

Were they acting like children? I’m not so sure. I think they were acting like spoiled-rotten adults who cannot control themselves. Two children in the same situation would probably not have behaved in the same way.

Jesus uses children many times in the Gospels to illustrate how we should behave. Look at Matthew 18:3-5 “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” The disciples had just asked Jesus who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus answered them with the above quote. What did He mean by that? What can children teach us about living for Christ?

I believe they have a lot to teach us. The reasons Jesus singled them out for an example, has multiple layers. Here are a few characteristics we could learn from children.

• Complete trust and dependence
         o Children have to depend completely on their parents for food, shelter, love and many other things. They also trust their parents will provide them. We must learn to trust our Heavenly Father the same way.

• Teachability and humility
         o Children love to learn. They ask many questions to gain the information and guidance they need. They understand that they don’t know it all, and look to parents for the information they desire so much. We must look to God as our source of learning and have the humility to understand that God knows better than we do. He is all powerful, all knowing, all seeing, and we can learn so much from Him!

• Uninhibited joy
         o Listen to children laugh sometime. They laugh from the belly. They laugh hard. They sometimes lose their breath laughing. When was the last time you felt that kind of joy from the simple things. Also, when they think something is funny, they laugh. When they hear music that makes them move, they dance. They don’t worry about what others think. That comes later when we teach them to worry about what others think. They express themselves with joy in whatever they do.

• Purity
          o Children are pure. They are innocent. They will not always be so, but for a time, they are. Children see only the good in others, and have no idea that there is anything other than good in them. When we grow older, we lose that innocence. Jesus died on the cross to bear our sin, so that we could be pure once again. Unless we allow Him to wash us clean, we will never be truly purified.

My prayer is that at the beginning of each day you say to yourself, “How can I be more child-like today?” When you retire for the evening, ask yourself how child-like you actually were. If we begin to make changes in our lives, to be more like the children Jesus spoke of, then we will begin to see true growth in God’s Kingdom.

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” (Luke 18:15-17 NKJV)

Are We Grounded?

2010-03-16T16:44:00.003-04:00

They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:31 KJV)

Remember the unashamedly sappy song, Wind Beneath My Wings, from the movie Beaches? The song was a number one hit in 1989 for Bette Midler, and it also won a Grammy as song of the year in 1990. Some of the lyrics of the chorus are, I can fly higher than an eagle. ‘Cause you are the wind beneath my wings.”

What lifts you and gives you the ability to fly? The scripture above tells us that the thing that should lift us is the Lord. When we are trusting in Him, he will give us the power to rise above, outrun, and walk away from the things that trouble us in our lives.

However, for every action of God, Satan has a counteraction that seems very appealing. That’s the confounding thing about the enemy; he doesn’t appear to us with red horns and a pitchfork. He dangles things in front of us that will lure us. He loves to tempt us or alarm us with things that will keep us grounded.

Not only is this true of our individual lives, but it is also true of church life. If we, as a church, are ever to soar, then we must put our whole faith and trust in God, not our own abilities. Trying to operate on our own strength will move us, but not very far, and certainly not off the ground. So, what are the things that will keep the church grounded?

I read two news stories this week that illustrate this well. Two airline flights were canceled or delayed last week because of some unusual problems. One flight, Air

Canada

#AC888 was forced to deplane it’s passengers when a rat was spotted in one of the overhead lockers. 205 passengers left the aircraft at the gate and the plane was taken out of service. The pilot was reported to have said, “We've got bad news. A giant rat has been seen in the overhead lockers and I need everyone to get off while we try and find it.”

Another flight, Delta Airlines connection #887, from New York to Atlanta, was canceled because two female flight attendants were fighting. No reason was given for the argument, but alternate travel plans had to be arranged for the passengers.

Two flights cancelled because of two issues that I think we also find in our churches. The first flight was cancelled because there was a rumor of a rat in the plane. Pest control could never find the rat. It is very possible that a whole flight was cancelled and passengers rerouted because of a rumor. Rumors, gossip, and backbiting can certainly cause a church to be grounded. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:11, “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.”

The other problem with this flight is that there might have really been a rat there. How does a rat get on a plane? Does it come in the front door and hand the attendant his ticket? No! The rat sneaks in. There’s no way to know how long the thing had been there. A rat in the church will also sneak in, and be imbedded in church life before anyone realizes that he is a troublemaker. You’ve seen these people before. They won’t go directly to the pastor or church leadership with a problem. They simply begin talking to other people and creating a stink over something. Many pastors have been forced to resign because of one or two rats who kept the church grounded.

The other flight was grounded because two flight attendants couldn’t get along. You may remember the story of the Left Foot Baptist Church. Supposedly there is a church somewhere with that name. It was derived from a church split over which foot should be washed first in a foot washing service. While this sounds funny, there are many true stories of such splits in church. I know of one church that split over whether or not to cut down an oak tree to make a bigger parking lot. Michael Tummillo, founder of TheChurch@Work, writes, “Over 3800 American churches close their doors annually throughout the USA. The reasons for these closures run the gamut: real or perceived pastoral incompetency, strife, infidelity in leadership marriages, lack of financial integrity, doctrinal discrepancies, power struggles, persecution, congregational distrust or dissatisfaction (only 43% of Christians surveyed say they fully trust their church), choosing sides on any issue, and more. It's no secret that church splits inflict damage upon the army of God.”

Its time for the church to get off the runway and get into the air. We need to stop letting the enemy tempt and distract us from our mission to worship God and tell others about His saving grace. We are not grounded, we are clear for takeoff!

For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. (2 Corinthians 12:20)

Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11)