What's in Your Hand?

In October of 2004, I went on a hike to the top of Table Rock. Table Rock is located in Pickens County in South Carolina and is one of the most popular parks in the state. The hike to the summit is rated moderate to strenuous, but I would say it is more strenuous than moderate. However, the view from the top is incredible, and well worth the climb.

At dawn, I arrived at the park before anyone else, and began my ascent to the top. The reason for my hike was a quest. I had renewed God’s call on my life to be in the ministry after many years of running away from Him. For some reason, I felt that God was going to reveal something wonderful to me, if I climbed to the top of the mountain, read my Bible, and prayed.

After a long, tough hike, I made it to the top. I caught my breath, ate a granola bar, drank some water, and found my Bible in my backpack. I thumbed through it a bit and landed on a passage that I knew in my heart was what God wanted me to see. I read the following words. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV)

I thought, “What? I have no trials in my life. I have a great job, a wonderful wife, a precious son and baby girl on the way. What trials?” I left the mountain angry at God. I felt like I had wasted my time climbing the mountain and reading those words. I did not believe that message was for me at all. I believed I had just picked that passage at random, and that it was nothing more than random words.

Within two weeks, my world came crashing down. I was in the middle of a trial in my life that I never saw coming. I went back to those words in 1 Peter, like a kid headed for the cookie jar. I understood what God was telling me, but only in hindsight.

In 1883, Dr. William Howey went to check on crews who were building the Canadian Pacific Railway. While there, he found some interesting copper-colored rocks and pocketed them. Upon returning home, he sent them to the director of the Geological Survey of Canada for evaluation. The stones were deemed worthless, and Howey threw them away.

A contractor picked them up, and a year later decided to check out the site where they were found. It turned out those "rocks" were copper, and the contractor had discovered one of the world's largest copper deposits, which produced millions of dollars of ore. Later, it was also discovered that the ore contained high levels of highly sought-after nickel. The deposit was named the International Nickel Company of Canada, and went on to become the second-largest producer of nickel worldwide. In 2006, the company was bought for $17 billion.

Sometimes we don’t recognize God’s providence in our lives. Words from the Bible that we think do not apply to us, may be the very words from God we need later. Stones that we think are worthless, may indeed be worth a fortune. God sends His blessings to us in many ways. It is not our job to judge them to be right for us or not. God knows more of what we need than we do. He also knows when we will encounter those needs.

When David went out to check on his brothers during the battle, he did not take a weapon. He only had a sling. I’m sure that many times he thought the sling to just be something used to protect his sheep or to have fun with. He never knew that it would one day bring down a giant in the name of God.

Read the Bible. Seek God. Pray for understanding. You are blessed. Never take anything from God for granted.

Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you."
“He [Aaron] will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." (Exodus 4:1-5, 16-17 NIV)

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True Deadline

I watched a video online last week of WYFF, the NBC affiliate in Greenville, SC, flip the switch to change all of their broadcasting from analog to digital. They did it with a lot of ceremony. They had the reporter in the room with the CEO of WYFF, and a host of other people. They then showed a gentleman, in the transmission room, on top of Caesar’s Head, who shut down the analog signal for good at exactly 7am on Friday June 12th.

Like many other stations, they actually did not stop broadcasting in analog at 7am. They simply stopped showing television programs. What analog viewers saw was a phone number to call if they were having any trouble with their digital converter box, or had any questions.

Congress passed the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act in October of 2005. This legislation called for the end of analog programming on February 17, 2009. The legislation even allowed families, who did not have cable or satellite television, to request up to 2 coupons per household to purchase a converter box so their television service would not be interrupted. These coupons were available from January 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009. As the end of 2008 neared, broadcasters also spent billions of dollars on publicizing the switch to digital on February 17, 2009.

As the February deadline approached, it was clear to many that Americans were not ready for the switch. Even with all of the publicity on radio, television, billboards, and over the internet, people still had not purchased the converter boxes or requested the coupons. In fact, the Nielsen Company estimated that 5.8 million homes were not ready for the switch in February.

The government decided to move the deadline to June 12th, to give people more time to change. However, between Friday June 12th and Saturday June 13th, over 700,000 people called a federal hotline. One third of the calls were legitimate issues with converter boxes. Twenty percent of the calls were concerns about reception issues. Another third, however, were from people asking where to get the coupons to get converter boxes that have been available since January of 2008. In fact, The Commerce Department said that on Friday alone, 319,990 requests for the coupons were made.

If all of this happens when we are aware of a deadline date; what happens when we know something is going to happen, but do not know when? Jesus assures us that He is going to return to earth again someday. He does not give the time, day, month or year. He simply says that He will return and for us to be ready. Will you be ready when He returns or will you be trying to dial the hotline to get more time?

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
(Matthew 24:42-44 NKJV)

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
(Luke 12:35-40 NIV)

Good Riddance

Chen Fuchao felt as though he had no reason to live. He was $290,000 in debt from a failed construction project, and saw no way out but to kill himself. He climbed to the top of the Haizhu bridge in Guangzhou, China, where eleven other people have attempted suicide since April of this year. Fuchao intended to be the twelfth.

When he got to the edge of the bridge, however, he must have needed to think about whether this was the thing to do or not. He remained there for over 5 hours. During his contemplative moments on the bridge, the police were called, the area was cordoned off, and traffic was held up.

A 66 year-old man named Lai Jiansheng emerged from the crowd that had gathered. He asked the police for the opportunity to try to talk the man down from the bridge. The police turned his offer down. Lai was insistent that something needed to be done, so he took matters into his own hands.

Mr. Jiansheng walked away from the police, and proceeded toward the barriers. He broke through the cordon, and began the climb to the bridge. He climbed up to where Fuchao was standing on the edge, and reached out to shake his hand. As they shook hands, Lai pushed Chen Fuchao off the bridge. Fuchao fell 26 feet onto the inflated air cushion that had been laid out by the police. Fuchao survived with some spine and elbow injuries. Click here for the video

When Mr. Jiansheng was asked why he pushed the man he replied, I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interest. They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals." Indeed, Mr. Jiansheng and those who were stuck in the traffic, the police and fire departments, and many others were very inconvenienced by Fuchao s actions.

When we allow sin into our lives, it takes everything hostage. It robs us of self-control, happiness, relationships, time, and money. It holds up the blessings that God wants so much to give us, and keeps us blinded to the needs of others. It stalls our relationship with Christ and damages our witness to the world.

If sin is that disruptive in our lives, then why do we tolerate it? Why do we continue to do what is displeasing to God? God provided a way out. God sent Jesus to die so that we could be free from sin and temptation. Instead of letting sin hold our lives hostage, we should get rid of the thing that clogs up our relationship with God. How? Simply push it out of our lives.

Mr. Jiansheng had enough of Mr. Fuchao interrupting his day, so he pushed him off the bridge and ended the ordeal. We need to follow this example and push sin out of our lives.

Is it easy? No. There will be those who tell us we cannot rid our lives of sin, that it is just a part of life . (1 John 3:5-7) The police tried to tell Mr. Jiansheng that he could not talk to Mr. Fuchao, but he didn t accept that. He did something about it.

It will take courage. (1 John 5:18) Mr. Jiansheng had to climb the bridge in order to face the culprit. We may have to do many things that will take courage to accomplish in order to rid sin from our lives, but we must resist the temptation to do nothing.

In the end, we must do whatever we can to avoid sin. The alcoholic knows that if he takes that one drink, he cannot stop. Therefore, he must avoid drinking alcohol of any form. The same is true of whatever sin it is that you are wrestling with. Remove yourself from the circumstances, and ask for help if needed.

Will you give your sin up to God today and take the measures necessary to live a wholesome life before God? Will you push that sin off the bridge today and free your life from its holding power? If you would like to talk with someone who can help you, please contact me or a Christian friend who can pray with you, and help push the sin into the depths where it belongs!

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve. Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. (Matthew 4:8-11 NKJV)

This Little Light of Mine

Do you remember singing the song, “This Little Light of Mine”, when you were a kid? How long has it been since you sang it? Do you remember the words? The song repeats “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” Several times, followed by “Let it shine, shine, shine, let it shine.”

The second verse repeats, “Hide it under a bushel…NO! I’m gonna let it shine.” Do you remember, as a child, shouting “NO!” as loudly as you could, since it was the only time you could yell in church without getting into trouble?

This little song has some great truth to it. It is based on scripture. Three of the four Gospels record Jesus saying the word that inspired the song. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV. See also Mark 4:21 and Luke 11:33)

In 1995, I visited Hawaii. My family stayed on the big island of Hawaii at a very nice resort. This should have been the trip of my life, but I never got over the time difference and the food was a little bit too “gourmet” for my “cheeseburger and hot wings” taste.

All in all, I’m glad I went. I got to see manta rays up close, watched dolphins play alongside out boat, and enjoyed the activities provided for us by Toyota, and the resort. However, the most fun thing I did was a helicopter tour of the island.

On this helicopter tour, we were shown lush tropical areas only accessible by air, coastline, one of the largest working ranches in the US, and of course volcanoes. The pilot took us to Volcanoes National Park and flew us over Kilauea, which is one of the most active volcanoes in history. From there he flew along the route of the lava flow to the sea.

Red lava flowed down the hill and into the ocean from Kilauea. There was a great deal of steam rising from the ocean where the molten rock met the water. It was truly amazing to view. Near this site, he flew us over Kalapana.

The town of Kalapana sits on the coast of the big Island, along with it’s subdivision named Royal Gardens. You can buy a lot there pretty cheap, because in 1990 it was covered 50 feet high in lava from Kilauea. When I saw it from the air, there was nothing but black lava rock. There was a sign on part of it that read, “For Sale by Owner”. The funny thing about the Royal Gardens subdivision in Kalapana is that the owners of the lots there still have the deeds to the property. They still own it; they just can’t do anything with it.

As Christians, we are sometimes like this town that was once thriving. However, because of sin, we allow our Christian witness to be covered by layers of destructive material. In fact just like this town, our Christian witness or “light”, cannot be seen at all sometimes, because we have covered it with black, hardened sin, like lava-rock.

God has given us the greatest story ever told. He will also give us the strength and courage to tell it. He never intended for us to light that candle and hide it. He wants you to share with others what God has done for you. So, “Hide it under a bushel…No!” Let it shine!!

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops (Matthew 10:27 NKJV)

Sabotaging Our Faith Pt. 2

In last week’s column, I wrote about seven things that the Christian can learn from the article Seven Career Killers, by Erin Burt, with Kiplinger.com. The author’s focus is on subtle ways to sabotage a career. The purpose of my column is to show that we can sabotage our Christian lives with some of the same problems.

Previously, I covered the first four, which are procrastinating, having a sense of entitlement, settling into your job description, and avoiding office politics. This week, we will cover the remaining three. The words from the original career article by Erin Burt with Kiplinger.com are in italics.

5. Not being a team player. Getting stuck with this label is one of the fastest career killers. While there are times that all of us would love to take a vow of silence and join a monastery, that is not the way God intended for us to live. There is ample evidence in the Bible, that God expects us to join together as believers. In that joining together, we are also to get along. Remember, that it wasn’t until the disciples were in “one accord” in the upper room, that the Holy Spirit descended. Likewise, unless we as Christians can “play nicely together”, we will never know the true awesome power of God. (1 Corinthians 12, Titus 2)

6. Not dressing the part. In an ideal world, you would be judged by your merits alone. However, we live in a visual society. How you present yourself can play a crucial role in the progress of your career. You want to look professional and in control, not sloppy and indifferent. How do we look to the world? In a recent sermon, I referenced a study which polled 1,402 adults who had not attended a religious service at a church, synagogue or mosque in the previous six months. The study, that was done by Lifeway Research, found that 72% of those surveyed, think the church is full of hypocrites. The people outside the church see the way Christians treat each other. They see the outward image that we sometimes portray, and they want no part of it. Paul refers to the “armor” that we should put on three times in his letters. In fact, the things he mentions in Ephesians 6 are exactly what we should wear each day. (Romans 13:12, 2 Corinthians 6:7, and Ephesians 6:10-19)

7. Failing to network. You've heard that networking can be a good tool to help you find a job, but maintaining your contacts after you're hired is critical to the continuing success of your career. It is possible to be a Christian without serving others. However, this is how we as Christians need to behave. We should all be about service. A good way to begin, is to find out what your spiritual gifts are, and then plug in to some ministry in your church. If there is not a ministry already in place that you see a need for and feel a passion towards, then speak with someone about starting it. There are many ways that we as Christians can serve one another. God does not call us to be saved and then sit down and wait on the second coming of Christ. He calls us to be “plugged in” to our church or our community of believers. (Matthew 10:32-33 & 18:20, 1 John 1:7, Hebrews 10:24-26)

There you have it, seven things that will sabotage your Christian walk. Know that it is not an exhaustive list. However, it is a good place to start examining how we conduct ourselves as children of God. My prayer is that we will heed these suggestions and be all that we can be, for the One who died and rose again for us.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

Sabotaging Our Faith

I recently read an article from the Kiplinger organization, which specializes in personal finance and business forecasting. The article was titled, “Seven Career Killers”. At the beginning of the article, the author mentioned obvious things that could get you fired from a job, like lying on a resume or stealing from the company, but focused the article on more subtle ways to sabotage a career.

As I read the article, I realized that we, as Christians, can also learn some things about how to be the best we can be, from these seven “career killers”. Therefore, in this week’s column, you get some career advice, along with some ideas about how to be a better follower of Christ. You get two articles in one! What a deal! I will cover the first four this week, and the last three in next week’s column. The words from the original career article by Erin Burt, with Kiplinger.com, are in italics, with my comments following in plain print. I have also included Bible references at the end of each item so they can be used in a daily Bible study or prayer time. If you would like to read the entire article by Erin Burt, click here.

1. Procrastinating. Remember the first time you put off studying for a test then crammed at the last minute and still got a decent grade? Many of us have been procrastinating since grade school and have done just fine, but that's a habit you have to break. Sometimes, God says to wait, but when He says move, He means right then! Even at 75 years old, Abraham wasted no time in leaving his home country when God called him. God expects nothing less of us. We as Baptists are terrible at this. Sometimes when God gives us a directive, we have to have a meeting, form a feasibility committee, who then turns it over to another committee, who has to wait until the next deacons meeting to get approval. Then, another committee must be formed to put the plan into action. In the meantime, countless ministry opportunities are missed. When God says go…GO! (Proverbs 6:6-11, Hebrews 11:8-10)

2. Having a sense of entitlement. Our generation was raised on instant gratification -- we're used to getting what we want, and getting it now. Just because we serve the Creator of the Universe, does not mean that we get what we want when we want it. Sometimes we are like spoiled children with our Heavenly Father. We think that because we serve Him, nothing bad should happen to us. In fact, that is the fallacy behind the age-old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Bad things do happen to good people, but bad things happen to bad people also. We think because we are “good” that we are entitled to good things. There is no hierarchy with God. We are all workers of equal status in His Kingdom. (Matthew 5:45, Proverbs 15:3)

3. Settling into your job description. You may have your set responsibilities, but you should always be on the lookout for opportunities to shine. How many of us have been asked to perform a task in the workplace and thought, “That’s not my job!” Just as we may be asked to do something outside of our job description at work, God often asks us to do things outside of our comfort zone in life. When I was in business, I would ask employees to do things that were not a part of their job. I was testing them to see if they would do what they were asked with no questions, and to see if they could perform above their current level of responsibility. God knows our abilities. He has no reason to test us to find out what we can or will do. However, He has a great need to show us what He can do through us, when we are willing to let Him. (Matthew 14:22-33, 20:1-16)

4. Avoiding office politics. When it comes to playing office politics, there is naughty and nice. Naturally, you shouldn't engage in backstabbing and gossiping. But avoiding politics altogether can be deadly for your career. Am I suggesting that there is room for such things in God’s Kingdom? Yes. When it comes to a directive from God, we have no choice but to stand for what God has asked us to do, in spite of how others feel about it. However, we also have a responsibility to make God’s message to the world, relevant to the world. In those cases, we should never compromise the message, but we should always deliver it in a way that can be understood by the receiver.
(1 Corinthians 9:19-23, 10:31-33)

Check back next week for the next three threats to our Christian walk!

Say What You Mean & Mean What You Say!

Have you ever said something to someone that was hurtful? Maybe you were trying to get a reaction from them, but you had no idea they would be devastated by your words. Once you realized how much you had hurt them, you tried to make them feel better by saying, “I’m sorry, I was only kidding with you!”

The problem with this is that you were not kidding. You meant the hurtful thing you said and then lied about it. Our words and actions cannot be erased by trying to convince others that we are “joking” with them. No matter how much we try to fix the problem or take away the sting of our words, the scar remains on the other person’s heart forever.

The Bible says that we should watch out for this kind of behavior. Proverbs 26:18-19 reads, Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" As Christians, we especially have an obligation to say what we mean and mean what we say.

A few weeks ago, a Bloomington, Minnesota man was driving down Highway 77 with a friend in the passenger seat. The passenger asked his friend to pull over on the bridge’s emergency lane. Apparently he had consumed too many beverages, and he needed to “go”.

He got out of the car, climbed to the side of the bridge, and then looked back at his friend who was waiting in the car. He then decided to play a little joke. He pretended to fall off the side of the bridge. Ironically, the action of pretending to fall, caused him to slip, and he actually fell off the 30-foot high bridge into the marshy area below.

This man was threatening to fall off the bridge, as a joke on his friend. He knew that his friend would be concerned and upset if he fell, so he played upon that fear. However, he got more than he bargained for when he slipped. The joke was no longer a joke.

As Christians, we should always speak the truth into each other’s lives. While there is certainly room in the life of the Christian for humor, finding it at the expense of someone else is unacceptable. If we say something, it should be honest and truthful. Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37 NKJV)

We cannot count on what the advertising industry tells us about merchandise on the market. We have trouble believing what the politicians continue to promise. We certainly cannot believe most of what is passed around on the Internet. Unfortunately, we also know that our family and friends are subject to misleading us from time to time. Therefore, in this age of sarcasm, skepticism and falsehood, it is even more important for Christians to be the voice of integrity, encouragement, and honesty. Commit this passage from James to memory, and think of it the next time you speak to someone.

A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women He made in His image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? (James 3:3-12 The Message)