Looney Tunes

Do you remember Saturday morning cartoons? Yes, I know you can still watch them on Saturday morning, but the old standards are gone. Remember the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show that lasted for four hours? You could wipe out a whole box of Cocoa Pebbles or Honeycomb while watching that show!

My favorite character, bar none, from Saturday morning cartoons was Yosemite Sam. How many times have you seen Sam burst into the saloon, sashay up and say “Gimme a Sasparilly, and make it snappy!” He was a hothead who always let it get him into trouble. How many times have you seen him thrown into the same canyon that Wile E. Coyote falls into, while muttering something you wish you could hear?

It took all kinds of characters, with all kinds of personalities, to make that cartoon work. What truly made it funny is that we all know people, maybe even ourselves, who act like those characters. I can even think of some people in our church who are like Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, and Wile E. Coyote. Don’t think for a second that I am going to tell you who they are though!

The Bible tells us that being part of this family of God is like that as well. It takes all of us. 1 Corinthians 12:12 reads, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” We need each other. We are the body of Christ, but we are not all the head, the foot, the hands, the heart. We also cannot survive, or at the least, function properly without the rest of the body.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:14, 21-27)

This passage is sometimes a tough one to swallow. We may not agree with everything our Christian brothers or sisters do, but we are commanded by God to encourage them, pray for them, and love them with His love. If we do not, we are causing the whole body to be restricted. That means we are limiting ourselves and our own walk with Christ, when we do not support and love the rest of the body of which He is the head.

We are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. (Psalm 139:14) Let’s learn to love each other with the love of Christ both in spite of, and because of our differences!

But if we are the body, why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body, why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? (If We Are The Body by Casting Crowns)

And God placed all things under [Jesus] feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

Praise Him!!

Gas prices are at an all time high and continuing to rise. Wall Street is taking a beating. The housing market is a mess. Strains of diseases, thought to be long extinct, have reoccurred. The war in the Middle East rages on, with more people killed each week. There are fatal car accidents, homicides, drugs, and robberies, even in your own town.

There is plenty around us to cause depression, frustration, anxiety, and apathy. All one has to do, is just watch the news or read the paper to find all the daily dose of bad news needed to cause such feelings and emotions. If we simply focus on these things, it would seem that the ground is giving away beneath our feet and there is no hope for anyone.

Many of us are not directly affected by any of the situations listed above. However, we do endure heartaches and disappointments at times. It is in those times that it is most important to draw close to God. It is not a hard thing for the Christian to thank God and praise Him when all is well. It is quite difficult to give Him that same praise in the midst of a storm in our lives.

I remember when one of the banks I worked for decided they no longer needed my services. My direct supervisor came by at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon to tell me I was no longer employed. I was shocked and overwhelmed. I had done nothing wrong, but now had to look for a job.

The next morning, I was supposed to help set up our church for service on Sunday. Simpsonville First Baptist had started a second campus which was an all contemporary format. We were meeting at the Simpsonville campus of Greenville Technical College, and had to set up and tear down each week.

Before I entered the building, I encountered a man who I had grown to admire. His name is Jim Dawson, and he is simply the finest example of the attitude we should all have as a Christian. He is always positive, energetic, and compassionate. He and his wife were mentors to me and my wife without even knowing it.

Jim took one look at me that day and knew there was something wrong. I thought I had hidden my pain pretty well, but he saw right through it. He asked what was wrong, and I told him. The first words out of his mouth were “Well…Praise the Lord!” I thought he was nuts. However, I learned from that encounter, that praise to God is not only reserved for what we perceive to be good in our lives, but something we should always do.

By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15)

Did you notice in the scripture above, the writer of Hebrews refers to the “sacrifice” of praise? That’s because sometimes it is indeed a sacrifice. It is not something we want to do when troubles come. However, God says we should praise Him continually. Give Him the praise He is due, for He has created us to worship Him. When we praise Him, He will lift us up, and give us hope. Praise Him! Praise the Lord!!

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I was sure by now / That You would have reached down / And wiped our tears away / stepped in and saved the day / but once again, I say "Amen," and its still raining As the thunder rolls / I barely hear you whisper through the rain / "I'm with you" / And as Your mercy falls / I raise my hands and praise the God that gives / And takes away

I'll Praise you in this storm / And I will lift my hands / For You are who You are /No matter where I am / Every tear I've cried / You hold in your hand / You never left my side / And though my heart is torn / I will Praise You in this storm (Casting Crowns, Praise You in This Storm)