It's only words...

What do a cat, a bagel and a taco have in common? I’ll tell you in a bit. Right now, I want you to think about something with me. When was the last time you were angry? I don’t just mean a little miffed at someone. I mean truly angry. Were you angry enough to hurt someone else, or maybe yourself? What was it over? Chances are, the thing you were so angry about probably seems pretty silly now, or at least a bit amusing. Perhaps you have completely forgotten what it was that so enraged you in the first place.

I have a friend who used to get so angry that he would punch holes in walls. Fortunately, he has reformed this practice, but years ago there was no standing structure that was safe if he was mad. More than once, I have seen him with his hand bandaged up because he took on some plaster or sheetrock. I never understood that way of thinking. I guess he did it to keep from hurting someone else.

Some people like to throw things when they’re angry. We’ve all heard the stereotype tale of the wife and the rolling pin, but I read this week about some folks who took that to a new level.

A Florida man’s mother called him down for dinner, but when he did not respond, she unplugged his Xbox. He then went to the table, called her an obscene name and threw a taco at her. He is now in jail for assault. Another Florida person was arrested when she assaulted a man with a bagel. She is also in jail. I also read about a New York man who must have thought that throwing food was wasteful, so he picked up the family cat and threw it at his wife during a dispute. (Relax. Neither the cat nor the wife was harmed.)

All of these things are unusual items to throw in anger, but they were things that happened to be handy at the time. Sometimes we don’t need “things” to throw at people. Sometimes, the worst and most harmful things we throw are our words. Words can sting more than most projectiles and the wound they cause lasts much longer.

We speak demeaning and condescending words to people and call it sarcasm. We take advantage of other’s innocence and trust and call it a practical joke. We think that just because a person seems strong and they “can take it”, we have the right to say whatever we like to them.

We truly need to be careful of what we say. Words are powerful. They can build up or tear down. They can encourage or demean. They can lift someone’s spirits to the heights of heaven or crush them under their oppressive weight.

The scriptures give plenty of warning on using words. God has given us this gift of language and verbal expression just as He has given us many other gifts. Just as with all other gifts from Him, we have a responsibility to only use them for good, not evil.

The next time you speak, consider how you are using God’s gift. Ask Him to help you see how your language affects others, and to help you practice building up instead of tearing down.

Then Job replied: "How long will you torment me and crush me with words?”
(Job 19:1-2)

He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
(Proverbs 10:18-20)

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
(Proverbs 16:24)

I didn't recognize you...

Go to most any car dealership in the country, talk to the seasoned salespeople, and you’ll find some very interesting stories. One story that seems to be a common one, is the story of the person who comes into the dealership in an old vehicle, dressed in worn or dirty clothes who wants to look at a very expensive vehicle. Most salespeople would go the other way or try to not wait on them, only to find out that the person is very wealthy and could buy anything they choose. Depending on the story, the customer either pays cash on the spot or gives the business to the dealer down the street.

The sad part about this story is that in most cases, it is not an urban legend. Most of these stories are actually true. The reason they are true, is that we as humans tend to pre-judge (or pre-qualify as they say in the car business) people, based on how they look, dress, drive and sometimes how they speak.

This was put to the test back in 2007 by The Washington Post. One of the writers enlisted Joshua Bell, who is a renowned violinist to play his violin during the morning rush hour at the entrance to the Washington Metro subway. Joshua dressed in second-hand clothes and played for about 45 minutes to 1,097 people.

Just three days before, he had played to a full house at Boston Symphony Hall, where the cheapest tickets were around $100. Now he was giving a free mini-concert, with the case of his 1713 hand crafted Stradivarius violin (valued at over 3 million dollars), open for tips.

How did this experiment turn out? Out of the 1,097 people who passed by, only 27 of them gave money, and only one recognized him. Joshua collected a whopping $32.17 for this concert. That’s a long way from what I’m sure he collected three days before in Boston. Sometimes we pay too much attention to the packaging and not enough to the product. (Here is the link to the hidden camera video of the experiment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw)

The same is true in Christianity. In our churches, we argue over whether the music should be traditional or contemporary or blended. We debate the color of the carpet and the paint. We miss the message, because we don’t like the presentation.

Jesus comes to us in many forms. He may not show up at your home wearing a white robe and long beard, but trust me, He shows up. God provides us with opportunities to minister to others each day. It may be in a kind word or a pat on the back. It may be in a good deed done or a wrong forgiven. Each opportunity that a Christian has to do good, is an opportunity to not only minister to others, but we serve Christ well in the process.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the king separating the sheep from the goats. He tells the sheep on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

They were confused and asked when they did such. He told them “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Then the goats had the opposite happen. They did nothing for those who were hungry, sick, in prison, or thirsty. They were told that they would be going to a very bad place.

Never miss an opportunity to be Jesus to those who need Him. You may be the only connection they will ever have to the Savior. Share His love with someone today!

You're the only Jesus that some will ever see
And you're the only words of life, some will ever read
So let them see in you the One in whom is all they'll ever need
'Cause you're the only Jesus, some will ever see
Gordon Jensen 1983, Word Music

Earl Lewers

Click the name Earl Lewers above. This is a link to a great article in the current Baptist Courier. When God calls you, he never lets go. Mr. Lewers, we have a similar story. God bless you!

Higher Definition

Just before football season this past fall, we had a tragedy occur in our home. My large television in the living room stopped working. This was the TV that I watched most football games on, the one that I would fall asleep in front of, and the one where we had our family movie nights. My first impulse was to immediately replace it, but when we saw how much televisions sell for now, my wife and I decided to wait. Between that time and January we had four family birthdays and Christmas to think about paying for. Besides, we also had a smaller one in the master bedroom, and one in the kid’s playroom.

We made it through the holidays, and I was actually getting used to the idea of not having a TV in the living room. Then, just as Christmas was over, the TV in the bedroom went out. No response at all. I tried CPR, but there was no longer any life in it. Now all we had was a very small television that the kids use in the playroom. I actually watched the San Diego Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts on that TV while lying on the floor.

This past Saturday, I decided I was going to purchase one of those new flat screen high definition televisions. My wife knew how frustrated I was, so she graciously did not protest. I did my research and finally found one that would fit our entertainment center and our budget. When we turned it on, I was excited. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings had one more quarter left in the game. I was going to have the privilege of watching the fourth quarter in HD.

However, my wife and I stared at the screen in disbelief. The picture was not any better than our old TV. In fact some things looked a little distorted and fuzzy. We played with the settings and made it a little better, but not much. How incredibly frustrating! We spent that much money on a TV that looks no better than our old tube TV? We were ready to take it back, but a thought occurred to me. Perhaps we need to let the satellite company know that we need an HD signal.

I called the satellite company and they informed me that I need to add HD to my program package (which is $9.99 per month), a new HD capable receiver, AND a new dish that can receive the signal from out in space somewhere. The receiver is another hundred bucks, but at least the new dish and installation is free. By the end of the week we’ll be poor, but our TV should be looking great!

You can do everything possible to make yourself look as good to the world as you can. You can be kind to babies, puppies and the elderly; you can go to church every week, you can even put money in the offering plate, but if you are doing any of this for your own glory you are only a fuzzy distorted image of what God intended. In order for us to be effective in spreading God’s love to others, we must connect to the source.

The Holy Spirit is like the satellite dish and receiver all in one. God may be sending His message to us, but we cannot properly receive or interpret it without the help of the Holy Spirit. How do we get the Holy Spirit? We must accept Jesus Christ as the ruler over our lives. When we do, God provides His Holy spirit to help us and guide us. Rely on God’s Holy Spirit to bring God’s “higher definition” message to your life.

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.(Acts 1:8 NIV)

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness 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 and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV)

Squirrel Makeover

A friend of mine told me about the time he was trying to get rid of the abundance of squirrels in his yard. He was trying to humanely trap them and release them far away, but was convinced that the same squirrels were returning to his yard. Since nobody believed him, he decided to paint the squirrels to see if they were the same ones. You guessed it. They were!

I read a story this week that reminded me of my friend. It seems that in a community called Stubbington in the southern part of England, a purple squirrel has caused quite a stir. No one can explain why the squirrel is purple. The color doesn’t seem to be topical, the purple goes right down to the roots of his fur and is very uniform throughout.

Dr Mike Edwards, an English teacher, said, "I was sitting in my classroom and looked out the window and saw it sitting on the fence. I had to do a double take. Since then it's been a bit of a regular at the school - everyone's seen it. We thought it might have been paint or something but then when you look at it up close, it's an all over coat, not in patches like you'd expect if it had been near some paint. Its fur actually looks purple all the way through. It's an absolute mystery."

The article about the purple squirrel goes on to say that they had seen him hanging around a dumping area for old computer printers. They think he may have rolled in ink toner or perhaps ingested some to create his purple hue.

Perhaps this is the squirrel’s new look for the New Year. Many of us make an effort to start a new year out with a new look, a new attitude, new habits, or new commitments. Many times these last for a while but are not lasting changes.

The problem is twofold. First, habits that need to be learned or unlearned take time. We are a culture of instant satisfaction, so when in 30 minutes we don’t look like the guy on TV who is selling 30 Minute Abs; we give up and stop trying. The second problem is that when we try to accomplish things on our own, we sometimes fail. We need to strength of God and others to help us truly change.

Jeremiah 13:23 says, Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. In other words, if our habits are evil, then we cannot become “good” on our own without true change that comes only from God.

Does that mean we should stop trying to do good? No, but we should try to allow God to do good through us, rather than trying and failing ourselves. There are many habits and desires that we can control. We can choose to avoid that certain website or refrain from stopping by the local watering hole. We can choose to speak positively instead of negatively to others. There are many choices we can control, but without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are likely to make the wrong choices.

There are several ways to allow true change in your life this year. First, if you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, please contact me or another Christian who can talk with you about that. This is the first step to true change. Second, avoid the things of the world that you know will stain you. Just like the squirrel, you might wind up a very odd color that might look good and interesting to the world, but will be unappealing to God. Third, seek the help of a friend or family member who can help you on your journey. There is power and strength in numbers, especially when they are all under the command of the Father.

Whatever your resolutions are this year; I hope they include Christ and His Kingdom. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a New Year filled with the blessings of God.

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:25a-27 NIV)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of my readers. It has been another wonderful year in Edgefield. My children continue to grow, my wife and I are closer than ever, and the church is doing well. My hope and prayer is that you will find Jesus Christ in your Christmas, and that God would bless you beyond measure.
Just for fun, I thought some of you might enjoy reading about some of our Christmas superstitions and traditions. (Follow this link to read the article. http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/superstitions.asp)
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas!!
Stacy

Blue Christmas

The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight.

Christmas is here! For some of us, this time is filled with joy, family, friends, too many gifts to buy, too many parties to attend, too many snacks and meals to prepare, and too little time in which to accomplish all of it. Homes are decorated, carols are sung, and festive colors are worn.

For many people, however, it is a time that comes and goes without much fanfare. To them it is a lonely time. It is a time when perhaps loved ones who have gone to be with the Lord are missed or money is extremely tight or other circumstances get in the way of experiencing the joy others seem to have during this season.

Those who truly enjoy the season try to help those who do not in a variety of ways, and it may help for a short time. However, after the food, fruit baskets, inclusion in a dinner, or some small gift is gone, the feelings of despair and loneliness often come racing back like a cold December wind.

We know that there are these two extremes during Christmas, but I believe there is another group of people we must pray for and embrace this holiday. These are the people who seem to have it all together, but are empty on the inside. These suffer silently. There are no extensions of goodwill to them, because they do not seem to be in despair. These people are hard to spot, because they go through the motions of Christmastime well. They smile, shake hands, hug, give gifts, decorate, and enjoy the festivities just like everyone else. If we could see inside them, we would see that they are on auto-pilot.

These are the people who skip meals quietly to make sure their kids have something to eat. They use every little bit they can squeeze out of toothpaste, soap, and laundry detergent so they can have enough money to buy that one special present for their spouse. They reluctantly spend the money to bring that $5 present to the office Christmas party, not because they don’t want to participate, but because they could use it elsewhere. They sing carols about a King born in a stable and laid in a manger, but they feel as though He has been forgotten in the season that bears His name. Perhaps they too, feel forgotten in the shuffle of Christmas.

You’ll never hear them complain of their problems. You’ll see them at the parties. You may sit beside them at church. You will just see them going through the empty motions of an otherwise joyous season. Maybe this person is actually you.

This Christmas season, pray for God to lead you to someone who may have a need that they would never share with anyone. God knows who they are, and if He places someone on your heart, do not hesitate to act. If you are actually the person I described, know that God loves you very much. So much, that He wants to give you a full life. Turn all of your dreams, hurts, burdens, and fears over to the God who loves you enough to send His Son, into this crazy, misguided world to show us the way back home to Him.

The Lord hears his people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. (Psalm 34:17-19 NLT)