“But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29)
This is the famous story of the “Good Samaritan” about a man who cared for a total stranger who had fallen among thieves and been left for dead. It has great lessons about caring for our fellow man, whether it benefits us or not, and even if we are inconvenienced. In our society, most of us don’t even know our neighbors. It is a shame to live next door to someone and never actually meet them or know their names, but you cannot compare today’s world to several generations ago. Many of us drive 20 miles to work every day. The “community” in my youth consisted of the households within walking distance of our house. A person’s “community” today spans the globe, and his “neighbors” can live hundreds of miles away. The point of the story is to help people out when the opportunity presents itself and you have the means to do so.
I say all of that because it is a blessing when you get the benefits of a neighbor who is also a real neighbor. We bought a house in Shawnee 17 years ago this month. Our next door neighbors to the south, Carl and Donna Phillips, immediately made themselves friendly to us. We couldn’t have asked for better neighbors. Our son Jeff was 9 years old at the time. There were a couple of other kids in the neighborhood his age, but he really didn’t have “neighborhood” friends. Instead, he made friends with Carl and Donna, who are a generation older than his parents. He hung out at their place often, and they loved it. Sometimes we would look up and ask, “Where’s Jeff?” Carl and Donna had a wooden ginger bread boy that they would put in the window when Jeff was over there, and all we had to do was look at that window, and sure enough, Jeff would be at their house. He drew them a “map” to his “fort” in our back yard. They still have that map 17 years later. We have shared a raspberry patch between our houses for years. Whenever we are both out in the yard at the same time, we stop for a while and stand at the fence at chat about life and stuff, just like they did in Mayberry. Carl has some great stories. He was one of the very first soldiers to enter the Dachau concentration camp at the end of WWII. Carl and two of his fellow soldiers were the first three men to step foot on the property that had been abandoned by the Nazi troops as Germany fell. He saw firsthand the suffering and plight of those who lived in that hell on earth. Carl retired a while back from Merriam Sign Co., a local sign business he owned for many years. Even after that, he would still make signs for people, and you would see him out in the back yard many nights sanding and painting. He made a couple of signs for our church and refused to take money for them. He screen printed 200 cloth children’s “backpacks” for one of our missions trips to Belize, and again would not hear of being paid for it. He was happy to be able to participate in the work of bringing the light of Jesus to others. Carl and Donna are faithful believers in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we often share the bond of life in Christ that God gives to those who have placed their faith in the risen Saviour. When we talk about “life and stuff”, it often includes real life; the eternal kind in Christ Jesus. They have their own home church, but the last year or so they have come to our Wednesday night Bible studies to fellowship with the great folks of Crest Bible Church and learn more about our Lord. It took less than a nano-second for the gracious loving personalities of Carl and Donna to endear them to the people of our church. A kinder and more “classy” gentleman and lady I have never met.
Early Thursday morning, September 15, 2011, Carl Phillips went home to enter into the joy of his Lord and Saviour. Working around paint and chemicals all his life finally took its toll, and lung cancer ended the life of this dear man at age 88. His obituary was in the paper, but other than friends and family, no one will notice. Men like Carl Phillips are the true definition of “salt of the earth”. You will be greatly missed, my friend, but it will only be temporary. I hope our mansions in heaven are next to each other so we can pick raspberries and stand at the fence and praise our Lord. Someday soon, we will join together around the throne of God to praise him forever.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Final End of Social Media
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (I Corinthians 13:12)
Once again, I am going to spout off about technology, while I am using it to write this blog. We all have fallen in love with social media like Facebook and LinkedIn, and texting is all the rage. At last count, I have 321 friends on Facebook, and this blog is posted there, so I guess it is a good way to stay in touch with a lot of people at one time. But I just prefer the personal contact more than the mass media method. It amazes me how people can be sitting right next to each other and sending texts. I am not even a big fan of chatting it up on the telephone. I have so many irons in the fire and studies and “projects” going on at the same time that my mind tends to wander unless I am sitting face to face with the subject at hand. Of course, there is no telling what is going on between my ears. It races 190 miles per hour nonstop whether I want it to or not. They say you can sometimes ask a man, “What are you thinking about?” and he will say, “Oh, nothing” and he will actually be right. The only time I ever can honestly respond that way is when there is so much running around up there that I can’t sort it out enough to tell you.
Social media is a good thing because it keeps up connected to friends and family on a much larger scale than we could ever do without it. But it also has a downside. We get so enthralled with our “one eyed square headed friend” that social media often produces the exact opposite and actually makes people anti-social. Many people in the technology generation have gotten to the point where their entire lives are lived in a dark and dank basement sitting in their jammies staring at a computer screen, either with endless video games or in cyber relationships. What is presented on those sites is almost never what is real. People can make themselves to be anything they want in cyberspace, and by the time it gets verified, it is often too late.
Our relationship with the Lord is somewhat like that now. As the passage above says, right now, we see through a glass darkly. We have the truth of the word of God to tell us about our Lord, but we are confined to our tangible world and cannot see him. It is almost like we are stuck in the basement, viewing our relationship with our Lord through the lens of a “text message” called the Bible. Not only that, we feel as if we are often “standing in line” with thousands upon millions of others trying to get in to the throne of grace. I have 321 friends on Facebook. Imagine how many Jesus would have! John 15:13 says he laid down his life for his friends. Revelation 5:11 numbers the church age saints at “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” and many passages describe it as a multitude no man can number. If he tried to set up Facebook with that many friends, it would blow the system.
But the verse above continues with the truth that someday I will see him “face to face”. WOW! The notion of getting one-on-one “face time” with the God of the Universe is staggering, but then to think that it will be eternal and individual for each of us is even more impressive. What Jesus presents to us in his word is real. His “Facebook profile” contains 66 books that tell us all we could ever want to know about him. Yet we still can only scratch the surface. Revelation 22:4 says someday I will “see his face”. I John 3 says we will “see him as he is.” Unlike cyber profiles we have today that are “fluffed and puffed” with all sorts of untruth, God’s word tells us exactly like it is. In fact, when we finally do see him, the reality will so far exceed our finite understanding that we will fall on our face before him. I can’t wait!
Spend face time with those you love. Use technology as much as you can; it is a great tool even though I spit about it all the time. But always remember that one day very soon, our Lord will return, and our personal relationship with him will find its ultimate fulfillment.
Once again, I am going to spout off about technology, while I am using it to write this blog. We all have fallen in love with social media like Facebook and LinkedIn, and texting is all the rage. At last count, I have 321 friends on Facebook, and this blog is posted there, so I guess it is a good way to stay in touch with a lot of people at one time. But I just prefer the personal contact more than the mass media method. It amazes me how people can be sitting right next to each other and sending texts. I am not even a big fan of chatting it up on the telephone. I have so many irons in the fire and studies and “projects” going on at the same time that my mind tends to wander unless I am sitting face to face with the subject at hand. Of course, there is no telling what is going on between my ears. It races 190 miles per hour nonstop whether I want it to or not. They say you can sometimes ask a man, “What are you thinking about?” and he will say, “Oh, nothing” and he will actually be right. The only time I ever can honestly respond that way is when there is so much running around up there that I can’t sort it out enough to tell you.
Social media is a good thing because it keeps up connected to friends and family on a much larger scale than we could ever do without it. But it also has a downside. We get so enthralled with our “one eyed square headed friend” that social media often produces the exact opposite and actually makes people anti-social. Many people in the technology generation have gotten to the point where their entire lives are lived in a dark and dank basement sitting in their jammies staring at a computer screen, either with endless video games or in cyber relationships. What is presented on those sites is almost never what is real. People can make themselves to be anything they want in cyberspace, and by the time it gets verified, it is often too late.
Our relationship with the Lord is somewhat like that now. As the passage above says, right now, we see through a glass darkly. We have the truth of the word of God to tell us about our Lord, but we are confined to our tangible world and cannot see him. It is almost like we are stuck in the basement, viewing our relationship with our Lord through the lens of a “text message” called the Bible. Not only that, we feel as if we are often “standing in line” with thousands upon millions of others trying to get in to the throne of grace. I have 321 friends on Facebook. Imagine how many Jesus would have! John 15:13 says he laid down his life for his friends. Revelation 5:11 numbers the church age saints at “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” and many passages describe it as a multitude no man can number. If he tried to set up Facebook with that many friends, it would blow the system.
But the verse above continues with the truth that someday I will see him “face to face”. WOW! The notion of getting one-on-one “face time” with the God of the Universe is staggering, but then to think that it will be eternal and individual for each of us is even more impressive. What Jesus presents to us in his word is real. His “Facebook profile” contains 66 books that tell us all we could ever want to know about him. Yet we still can only scratch the surface. Revelation 22:4 says someday I will “see his face”. I John 3 says we will “see him as he is.” Unlike cyber profiles we have today that are “fluffed and puffed” with all sorts of untruth, God’s word tells us exactly like it is. In fact, when we finally do see him, the reality will so far exceed our finite understanding that we will fall on our face before him. I can’t wait!
Spend face time with those you love. Use technology as much as you can; it is a great tool even though I spit about it all the time. But always remember that one day very soon, our Lord will return, and our personal relationship with him will find its ultimate fulfillment.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Change of Seasons
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3)
This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. Of course, those who know me well know what an odd statement that is. ALL of the Bible is my favorite. Someone once asked me what my favorite cookie is. The answer: whichever one is on front of me at the time. There is no such thing as a bad cookie. If I am eating a cookie, it is my favorite. It is the same with the Bible. The list of genealogies in I Chronicles is my favorite passage when I am reading it. Exodus 16:36 says, “Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.” Isn’t that awesome? That’s my favorite verse in the Bible right now (because I just read it). But truly, Psalm 1:1-3 stands out as a great challenge and blessing to those who walk with Christ and not with the world.
This time of the year, the seasons begin to change. We see the days getting shorter and the sun is not scorching us with 100 degree heat. We are approaching harvest time for the farmers, and the NFL season begins Thursday night. Living in this part of the country enables us to experience all the seasons of the year, and although we curse the heat and the snow, there is a benefit and an object lesson to each. Probably the most important lesson is to realize that seasons come and go. Each one has its own unique challenges and blessings, and fruit is borne in any season of life.
The passage above says that a man who walks with the Lord, “bringeth forth fruit in his season.” God has given each of us the privilege and the responsibility to do something for him that will yield a crop of eternal fruit. We have a “season” to accomplish that. In the larger context, that season is our life. From the womb to the tomb, we get one shot to serve our Creator and put down a footprint on this earth for him. Then within that larger season, our lives get broken down into segments. When we are young, it is like the spring. Everything is fresh and new. The idealism and enthusiasm of youth is refreshing. They have all the energy in the world, but not always a lot of wisdom. Then summer comes. It is the time when the fruit grows the most because there is no chance of a freeze that can kill the entire crop. This would be like the “young adult” time of our lives from about 25-40, when we are at the peak of our physical and mental health. People in this stage have lived long enough to have figured a few things out, and they are still plenty strong enough to do something about it. Then the fall begins to approach. The colors change. Your hair starts to turn a different color. This is harvest time in the natural world, when the bumper crop comes in. People in this stage of life have the best chance at peak production. They have experienced a full “cycle of life”. They have raised children and are working on the next round of grandchildren. They have the wisdom of life, yet they are still young enough that their walker does not get in the way of their ministry. Finally, there is winter. The real wisdom of age of the elderly is still an abundant source of rich blessings if used wisely for God.
But most Christians never take their seasons of fruit bearing seriously. They will “get around to it” someday, but that day never comes. As Jesus said, the cares of this life enter in and choke the word, and the man becomes unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). Proverbs 20:4 says, “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” Harvest time in our lives is the Judgment Seat of Christ. That is where we will reap our rewards and bring in our crop. If you refuse to plow now because of the “cold” world you live in, you will have nothing then. Get in the game. Put your hand to the plow and serve your Lord. The fruit is sweet now, and the rewards will be worth it when we stand before him.
This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. Of course, those who know me well know what an odd statement that is. ALL of the Bible is my favorite. Someone once asked me what my favorite cookie is. The answer: whichever one is on front of me at the time. There is no such thing as a bad cookie. If I am eating a cookie, it is my favorite. It is the same with the Bible. The list of genealogies in I Chronicles is my favorite passage when I am reading it. Exodus 16:36 says, “Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.” Isn’t that awesome? That’s my favorite verse in the Bible right now (because I just read it). But truly, Psalm 1:1-3 stands out as a great challenge and blessing to those who walk with Christ and not with the world.
This time of the year, the seasons begin to change. We see the days getting shorter and the sun is not scorching us with 100 degree heat. We are approaching harvest time for the farmers, and the NFL season begins Thursday night. Living in this part of the country enables us to experience all the seasons of the year, and although we curse the heat and the snow, there is a benefit and an object lesson to each. Probably the most important lesson is to realize that seasons come and go. Each one has its own unique challenges and blessings, and fruit is borne in any season of life.
The passage above says that a man who walks with the Lord, “bringeth forth fruit in his season.” God has given each of us the privilege and the responsibility to do something for him that will yield a crop of eternal fruit. We have a “season” to accomplish that. In the larger context, that season is our life. From the womb to the tomb, we get one shot to serve our Creator and put down a footprint on this earth for him. Then within that larger season, our lives get broken down into segments. When we are young, it is like the spring. Everything is fresh and new. The idealism and enthusiasm of youth is refreshing. They have all the energy in the world, but not always a lot of wisdom. Then summer comes. It is the time when the fruit grows the most because there is no chance of a freeze that can kill the entire crop. This would be like the “young adult” time of our lives from about 25-40, when we are at the peak of our physical and mental health. People in this stage have lived long enough to have figured a few things out, and they are still plenty strong enough to do something about it. Then the fall begins to approach. The colors change. Your hair starts to turn a different color. This is harvest time in the natural world, when the bumper crop comes in. People in this stage of life have the best chance at peak production. They have experienced a full “cycle of life”. They have raised children and are working on the next round of grandchildren. They have the wisdom of life, yet they are still young enough that their walker does not get in the way of their ministry. Finally, there is winter. The real wisdom of age of the elderly is still an abundant source of rich blessings if used wisely for God.
But most Christians never take their seasons of fruit bearing seriously. They will “get around to it” someday, but that day never comes. As Jesus said, the cares of this life enter in and choke the word, and the man becomes unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). Proverbs 20:4 says, “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” Harvest time in our lives is the Judgment Seat of Christ. That is where we will reap our rewards and bring in our crop. If you refuse to plow now because of the “cold” world you live in, you will have nothing then. Get in the game. Put your hand to the plow and serve your Lord. The fruit is sweet now, and the rewards will be worth it when we stand before him.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Fire Safety Week
“But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” (Luke 12:5)
We are literally inches from the finish line on our Day Care start-up project. I guess it really isn’t the “finish line” though, because once we get all of our approvals in place, we actually start, and the hard work begins. We had an even larger start-up project a year ago in getting in to the new building, but this one has had its own unique challenges. With both projects, by far and away the largest expense and biggest headaches have been in the area of fire safety for the building. The school was originally built in 1947 and added on to a couple of times, with the final addition in 1965. Those were different days. You could build just about anything you wanted and no one cared much, even when housing several hundred children every day. But the new codes have required us to add the latest in fire protection equipment. All of the other renovations and updates we have made combined add up to the expense of fire safety issues. We have spent enough money to purchase a small country on sprinklers, exit and emergency lighting, smoke detectors, emergency exits, fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers, duct dampers, and God only knows what else so that in case of fire, people can safely exit the building. Never mind that it is made of brick and concrete. Let’s not argue the issue of fire safety. First, it is the law, and we are happy to do as the Bible says and, “submit to every ordinance of man” (I Peter 2:13). Second, in the event we ever do have a fire, we will profusely thank God and the fire regulators for requiring these things rather than suffer the tragedy of lost lives.
I have always been amazed at how man spends so much time, money, and energy worrying about things like burning buildings, but so little on a larger and more destructive fire – hell. I know that word and topic is scoffed at these days. But Jesus spoke of hell more than any other person in the Bible. He never one time referred to it as figurative or symbolic. Every time he mentioned hell, he spoke of a literal eternal fire that would punish the lost for eternity and never go out. Three times at the end of Mark chapter 9 he said hell was a place, “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” When he spoke of the rich man in hell in Luke chapter 16, he said he was tormented in the flames. Those who do not believe the Bible think that “hell fire and damnation” preachers like myself are fresh out of the loony bin, and that we get some sort of sick twisted pleasure in talking about hell. Quite to the contrary. I have friends and family that are probably there right now, and many more friends and family headed there. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I speak about it because it is real. I care enough about people to warn them of it.
You have insurance for every possible calamity of life. Why not soul insurance? After all, that is the most important possession you have. You have homeowners insurance, but do you have a home in heaven? You have health insurance, but what about your spiritual health? You have car insurance, but do you have a clue in the world where you are going? You have life insurance, but what about eternal life? You might even be one of the more exotic insurance customers and have long term care insurance, but what about insuring the only thing that will last forever: your soul? People in our society have every contingency covered except the one that matters the most. The lost are rolling the dice; counting on their goodness or their religion to insure them against an eternal hell. Neither of those things can assure you. How can you ever know when you have done enough good? Jesus has the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:18). He picked them up when he came out of the grave, and he can unlock your fears if you will simply trust him.
To borrow the old line from Smokey the Bear – Only you can prevent the ultimate tragedy of eternal fire – not by how good you are, but by securing the only insurance there is against hell, a personal faith in the risen Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We are literally inches from the finish line on our Day Care start-up project. I guess it really isn’t the “finish line” though, because once we get all of our approvals in place, we actually start, and the hard work begins. We had an even larger start-up project a year ago in getting in to the new building, but this one has had its own unique challenges. With both projects, by far and away the largest expense and biggest headaches have been in the area of fire safety for the building. The school was originally built in 1947 and added on to a couple of times, with the final addition in 1965. Those were different days. You could build just about anything you wanted and no one cared much, even when housing several hundred children every day. But the new codes have required us to add the latest in fire protection equipment. All of the other renovations and updates we have made combined add up to the expense of fire safety issues. We have spent enough money to purchase a small country on sprinklers, exit and emergency lighting, smoke detectors, emergency exits, fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers, duct dampers, and God only knows what else so that in case of fire, people can safely exit the building. Never mind that it is made of brick and concrete. Let’s not argue the issue of fire safety. First, it is the law, and we are happy to do as the Bible says and, “submit to every ordinance of man” (I Peter 2:13). Second, in the event we ever do have a fire, we will profusely thank God and the fire regulators for requiring these things rather than suffer the tragedy of lost lives.
I have always been amazed at how man spends so much time, money, and energy worrying about things like burning buildings, but so little on a larger and more destructive fire – hell. I know that word and topic is scoffed at these days. But Jesus spoke of hell more than any other person in the Bible. He never one time referred to it as figurative or symbolic. Every time he mentioned hell, he spoke of a literal eternal fire that would punish the lost for eternity and never go out. Three times at the end of Mark chapter 9 he said hell was a place, “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” When he spoke of the rich man in hell in Luke chapter 16, he said he was tormented in the flames. Those who do not believe the Bible think that “hell fire and damnation” preachers like myself are fresh out of the loony bin, and that we get some sort of sick twisted pleasure in talking about hell. Quite to the contrary. I have friends and family that are probably there right now, and many more friends and family headed there. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I speak about it because it is real. I care enough about people to warn them of it.
You have insurance for every possible calamity of life. Why not soul insurance? After all, that is the most important possession you have. You have homeowners insurance, but do you have a home in heaven? You have health insurance, but what about your spiritual health? You have car insurance, but do you have a clue in the world where you are going? You have life insurance, but what about eternal life? You might even be one of the more exotic insurance customers and have long term care insurance, but what about insuring the only thing that will last forever: your soul? People in our society have every contingency covered except the one that matters the most. The lost are rolling the dice; counting on their goodness or their religion to insure them against an eternal hell. Neither of those things can assure you. How can you ever know when you have done enough good? Jesus has the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:18). He picked them up when he came out of the grave, and he can unlock your fears if you will simply trust him.
To borrow the old line from Smokey the Bear – Only you can prevent the ultimate tragedy of eternal fire – not by how good you are, but by securing the only insurance there is against hell, a personal faith in the risen Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Advance
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
About this time next week, we will be toolin’ down the highway on the way to our annual Men’s Retreat at Camp Windermere in the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. It is a great time to get away from the daily grind and spend a couple of days with some awesome fellowship and preaching of the word of God. Jesus took his disciples “apart” a few times because he knew they needed it. Times like this can refresh the soul and provide a “jump start” for further ministry.
We call this a “Retreat”. But sometimes, I wonder why we would use that term. Wouldn’t it be better to say “Charge!” or “Advance!”? It shows us yet another example of the basically negative mindset of humanity. Intersections are controlled by stop lights, not go lights. Murphy’s law is based on what can go wrong, not right. We program ourselves to think it can’t be done, and to shy away from success. Many people will even go so far as to purposely sabotage success because they are afraid of it. I know that sounds strange, but it is a documented fact and the subject of studies done by many professionals in the field of human behaviour.
The Christian life is a race. Paul used that analogy in I Corinthians 9 when he said, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” If you are going to play, play to win. Hebrews 12 says to run with patience, so our lives are indeed a marathon. But that does not mean we run lazy. Now is not the time to let off the gas. I know your lungs are about to explode out of your chest, your legs feel like boiled linguini, and every muscle in your body is screaming. But the finish line gets closer every day. Maybe Jesus won’t return in our lifetime, I don’t know. Every day I wonder more why we are still here. But we can see the end in sight. We have at least rounded the final curve and the tape is visible. Whether you are caught out in the rapture or live out your full “threescore and ten” (or more), there is never a reason to give up and “retreat”. There may be times when we need to pull back a little on certain areas to “consolidate gains” or to regroup for further service. That is one of the main reasons for “retreat” weekends like these. There are also times when we need to cut certain things out of our lives, and not just sinful things. Life is a continual adjustment. John 15:2 says that the Lord will purge our lives so that we can bring forth more fruit. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “…lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” We understand laying aside sin to please our Lord, but the verse also mentions “every weight.” Those are the things in our lives that are not sinful, but weigh us down and keep us from running the race of the Christian life in full victory. Have you ever held a pair of real running shoes? I am not talking about the ones you get at WalMart or Foot Locker; I mean real professional shoes that real professional runners wear. It’s like holding a helium balloon. No runner in his right mind would carry a bunch of stuff in his pockets while trying to win a race. Then why do we as believers load ourselves down with so many things that make it impossible to run for our Lord?
We will never reach the point when we have done all that we need to do for our Lord while we are still in this race. Jesus went all the way up the hill of Calvary. Even when he physically could go no further, and got some help from Simon the Cyrene, he kept going. He could have called 12 legions of angels to deliver him, but he did not. He was badgered by the crowd to “come down from the cross”, yet he stayed. He was begged by the dying thief to “save thyself and us”, and he remained on the cross for our sins. He saw his mission through to completion with the words, “It is finished”. We need the same persistence. Advance; never retreat. One day soon, he will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.”
About this time next week, we will be toolin’ down the highway on the way to our annual Men’s Retreat at Camp Windermere in the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. It is a great time to get away from the daily grind and spend a couple of days with some awesome fellowship and preaching of the word of God. Jesus took his disciples “apart” a few times because he knew they needed it. Times like this can refresh the soul and provide a “jump start” for further ministry.
We call this a “Retreat”. But sometimes, I wonder why we would use that term. Wouldn’t it be better to say “Charge!” or “Advance!”? It shows us yet another example of the basically negative mindset of humanity. Intersections are controlled by stop lights, not go lights. Murphy’s law is based on what can go wrong, not right. We program ourselves to think it can’t be done, and to shy away from success. Many people will even go so far as to purposely sabotage success because they are afraid of it. I know that sounds strange, but it is a documented fact and the subject of studies done by many professionals in the field of human behaviour.
The Christian life is a race. Paul used that analogy in I Corinthians 9 when he said, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” If you are going to play, play to win. Hebrews 12 says to run with patience, so our lives are indeed a marathon. But that does not mean we run lazy. Now is not the time to let off the gas. I know your lungs are about to explode out of your chest, your legs feel like boiled linguini, and every muscle in your body is screaming. But the finish line gets closer every day. Maybe Jesus won’t return in our lifetime, I don’t know. Every day I wonder more why we are still here. But we can see the end in sight. We have at least rounded the final curve and the tape is visible. Whether you are caught out in the rapture or live out your full “threescore and ten” (or more), there is never a reason to give up and “retreat”. There may be times when we need to pull back a little on certain areas to “consolidate gains” or to regroup for further service. That is one of the main reasons for “retreat” weekends like these. There are also times when we need to cut certain things out of our lives, and not just sinful things. Life is a continual adjustment. John 15:2 says that the Lord will purge our lives so that we can bring forth more fruit. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “…lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” We understand laying aside sin to please our Lord, but the verse also mentions “every weight.” Those are the things in our lives that are not sinful, but weigh us down and keep us from running the race of the Christian life in full victory. Have you ever held a pair of real running shoes? I am not talking about the ones you get at WalMart or Foot Locker; I mean real professional shoes that real professional runners wear. It’s like holding a helium balloon. No runner in his right mind would carry a bunch of stuff in his pockets while trying to win a race. Then why do we as believers load ourselves down with so many things that make it impossible to run for our Lord?
We will never reach the point when we have done all that we need to do for our Lord while we are still in this race. Jesus went all the way up the hill of Calvary. Even when he physically could go no further, and got some help from Simon the Cyrene, he kept going. He could have called 12 legions of angels to deliver him, but he did not. He was badgered by the crowd to “come down from the cross”, yet he stayed. He was begged by the dying thief to “save thyself and us”, and he remained on the cross for our sins. He saw his mission through to completion with the words, “It is finished”. We need the same persistence. Advance; never retreat. One day soon, he will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.”
Friday, August 12, 2011
Crashing Your Hard Drive
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (II Corinthians 6:17-18)
I am a technophobe. Me and computers do not get along very well. We live in peaceful co-existence and “détente”, but it is a very tenuous peace. I could lose it at any time and launch an offensive that would de-commission my system. It’s not that I am dumb, in fact it is the opposite. I tested out at a 140 IQ in school. That is part of my problem with computers – I can’t just accept stuff as is, I want to tear it apart and know why. I think it through too much. I got behind the power curve on computers when the technology exploded, and now I can’t catch up. I have too many other things going on to invest the time in really learning how to handle this stuff, so I muddle along using just the bare minimums to get by. Most people are like that in life. They do only what is absolutely necessary to survive. That is why they never get ahead at work, why their family lives are hanging by a thread, why their finances are in disarray, and most importantly, why they never accomplish anything of eternal value in service to Jesus Christ.
I have two computers – one at home, and one at the office at church. Vicki has a laptop, a home computer, and she just recently got an I-Pad. All of those computers are hooked up “on-line” except my home computer. I refuse to use it for anything on the internet. I will transfer things via flash drive or get on line with Vicki’s home computer or at the office. But my personal unit at home will not ever see the light of Al Gore’s invention, and that is by design. With all the viruses and other nonsense we get exposed to on line, I want my computer at home to be used for my documents – period. You might think that is weird, and you are probably right. Weird is a good description of me on virtually every plane of life. But I bought that computer in 2004. It is now 7 years old, which is 49 in dog years, and about 490 in computer years. It still works just as good as the day I unpacked it. I learned the word processing package and I am very comfortable in how it operates. The new systems have all sorts of “re-design” issues – some good, but some of them not necessary. I know Word 2003 on my home system. The new programs are compatible and I can work in that format on any of them. Someday my home system might shoot craps and I will have to get a new one. But for the last 7 years, it has worked just fine specifically because I have kept it separated from the world of computer viruses and “new” stuff the world has to offer it. I am trusting God for at least another 7 years with it.
Our lives need to be separated from the world like my computer is. Now when I say that, there is a very delicate balance involved. Too many believers get so separated that they lose all possible influence for Christ. I still use my computer to get the gospel out. I prepare messages using it, I post video and audio from my teaching and preaching, and I am using it right now to write this blog. I will get on line with my office computer, and transfer files from each using a flash drive. But my home computer is protected because it is “off line”. Most of you can probably be fine trusting Norton or some other protection. If you did catch a little “bug”, you are adept enough to de-bug. But I am not. My solution is to reboot with a .44 Magnum. Many Christians cannot function properly for Christ in this evil world because they cannot handle the “bugs”. I can walk into a bar and not be affected, but a recent alcoholic would be. Each person needs to know what areas of life they need to have shielded, and take appropriate steps to do so.
If you have areas of your life that are susceptible to the virus of sin, guard them. Solomon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) This world will chew you up and spit you out. Guard your heart. If you need to go “off line”, do so. But don’t ever stop using your life to preach the gospel.
I am a technophobe. Me and computers do not get along very well. We live in peaceful co-existence and “détente”, but it is a very tenuous peace. I could lose it at any time and launch an offensive that would de-commission my system. It’s not that I am dumb, in fact it is the opposite. I tested out at a 140 IQ in school. That is part of my problem with computers – I can’t just accept stuff as is, I want to tear it apart and know why. I think it through too much. I got behind the power curve on computers when the technology exploded, and now I can’t catch up. I have too many other things going on to invest the time in really learning how to handle this stuff, so I muddle along using just the bare minimums to get by. Most people are like that in life. They do only what is absolutely necessary to survive. That is why they never get ahead at work, why their family lives are hanging by a thread, why their finances are in disarray, and most importantly, why they never accomplish anything of eternal value in service to Jesus Christ.
I have two computers – one at home, and one at the office at church. Vicki has a laptop, a home computer, and she just recently got an I-Pad. All of those computers are hooked up “on-line” except my home computer. I refuse to use it for anything on the internet. I will transfer things via flash drive or get on line with Vicki’s home computer or at the office. But my personal unit at home will not ever see the light of Al Gore’s invention, and that is by design. With all the viruses and other nonsense we get exposed to on line, I want my computer at home to be used for my documents – period. You might think that is weird, and you are probably right. Weird is a good description of me on virtually every plane of life. But I bought that computer in 2004. It is now 7 years old, which is 49 in dog years, and about 490 in computer years. It still works just as good as the day I unpacked it. I learned the word processing package and I am very comfortable in how it operates. The new systems have all sorts of “re-design” issues – some good, but some of them not necessary. I know Word 2003 on my home system. The new programs are compatible and I can work in that format on any of them. Someday my home system might shoot craps and I will have to get a new one. But for the last 7 years, it has worked just fine specifically because I have kept it separated from the world of computer viruses and “new” stuff the world has to offer it. I am trusting God for at least another 7 years with it.
Our lives need to be separated from the world like my computer is. Now when I say that, there is a very delicate balance involved. Too many believers get so separated that they lose all possible influence for Christ. I still use my computer to get the gospel out. I prepare messages using it, I post video and audio from my teaching and preaching, and I am using it right now to write this blog. I will get on line with my office computer, and transfer files from each using a flash drive. But my home computer is protected because it is “off line”. Most of you can probably be fine trusting Norton or some other protection. If you did catch a little “bug”, you are adept enough to de-bug. But I am not. My solution is to reboot with a .44 Magnum. Many Christians cannot function properly for Christ in this evil world because they cannot handle the “bugs”. I can walk into a bar and not be affected, but a recent alcoholic would be. Each person needs to know what areas of life they need to have shielded, and take appropriate steps to do so.
If you have areas of your life that are susceptible to the virus of sin, guard them. Solomon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) This world will chew you up and spit you out. Guard your heart. If you need to go “off line”, do so. But don’t ever stop using your life to preach the gospel.
Monday, August 8, 2011
I Don't Know, and I Don't Care
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” (Mark 13:31)
Well, here we are again at youth camp. It is our annual event once a year when the youth groups from our sister churches get together for a week of fun (depending upon your definition of fun). This is our 15th year in a row of this camp, and the impact made in young lives is fruitful and life changing. There are usually a number of great decisions for the Lord during this week. Last year we had 9 kids get saved, and we already have one this year (it’s Tuesday afternoon). The bonds of friendship that have been created at these camps continue to grow. Some of these kids have been coming to camp for many years. Even after they graduate from High School, they keep coming back to be counselors and workers. God keeps working in their lives in times like these.
One of the best things about camp is getting away for a few days. I am typing these words on Tuesday evening with absolutely no idea what is happening with the debt crisis in Washington that was supposed to mark the end of the world today. I have no idea how my fantasy baseball team is doing this week, or what the latest news is coming from the Chiefs training camp. I guess I should care, but somehow, I really don’t. It is amazing how much passion, time, and interest we invest in things that we really can’t do all that much about. It’s not so much that things don’t “matter”, because they do. The debt crisis is important to all of us. But what can one person do about 14 trillion dollars? What contribution can I possibly make to the outcome of a Royals’ game? It’s not like they take the field and then say, “Hey, how are we supposed to win if Greg isn’t watching?” These things are a part of the fabric of life, and as such, there is at least some meaning to them, even if it is only minor. But our focus should be on things that have eternal significance, even as we partake of the daily grind of life. The best part of camp and missions trips and such things is the strong reminder of that truth.
The reality of this week is that life on this planet will pass without my knowledge and without my involvement. It almost makes me depressed to think about how insignificant I really am in the grand scope of things, until I remember that the God of the Universe thought enough of me to die on the cross for my sins and give me a home in heaven with him. I am totally insignificant to this world, but not to the one who created it. Isn’t that a cool thought? No one outside of my family and maybe a few hundred friends would even notice or care if I died, and I am one of the lucky ones. I am “famous” because of my position. The vast majority of the inhabitants of this planet can’t even count on the “few hundred” friends. Yet God knows the very hairs of all of our heads.
Our significance in life comes not from the news or from our own personal accomplishments, but from the God who made us and loves us. While the world goes on and on without us, God’s word and his plan for us works in us and through us. Paul said in Philippians 2:13 that God works in us to accomplish his will through our lives, and in Philippians 1:6 he says that God will perform his will and work in our lives until he comes to take us home. So regardless of what they do in Washington or at Kauffman Stadium, our lives have eternal meaning. The world can just go right ahead and pass us by. In the process, we are passing the world by on our way home.
I Corinthians 7:31 says, “The fashion of this world passeth away.” Isn’t it interesting how the world uses Bible terminology even as they profess not to believe it. When someone dies, we use the euphemism “pass away” to try to lighten the seriousness of death. This world is dying a slow and agonizing death because of the rejection of the “way, truth and life”, our Lord Jesus Christ. Someday it will melt with a fervent heat, and God will bring forth a “new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (II Peter 3:10-13). Until that time, let’s rescue as many of the perishing as we can with the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, here we are again at youth camp. It is our annual event once a year when the youth groups from our sister churches get together for a week of fun (depending upon your definition of fun). This is our 15th year in a row of this camp, and the impact made in young lives is fruitful and life changing. There are usually a number of great decisions for the Lord during this week. Last year we had 9 kids get saved, and we already have one this year (it’s Tuesday afternoon). The bonds of friendship that have been created at these camps continue to grow. Some of these kids have been coming to camp for many years. Even after they graduate from High School, they keep coming back to be counselors and workers. God keeps working in their lives in times like these.
One of the best things about camp is getting away for a few days. I am typing these words on Tuesday evening with absolutely no idea what is happening with the debt crisis in Washington that was supposed to mark the end of the world today. I have no idea how my fantasy baseball team is doing this week, or what the latest news is coming from the Chiefs training camp. I guess I should care, but somehow, I really don’t. It is amazing how much passion, time, and interest we invest in things that we really can’t do all that much about. It’s not so much that things don’t “matter”, because they do. The debt crisis is important to all of us. But what can one person do about 14 trillion dollars? What contribution can I possibly make to the outcome of a Royals’ game? It’s not like they take the field and then say, “Hey, how are we supposed to win if Greg isn’t watching?” These things are a part of the fabric of life, and as such, there is at least some meaning to them, even if it is only minor. But our focus should be on things that have eternal significance, even as we partake of the daily grind of life. The best part of camp and missions trips and such things is the strong reminder of that truth.
The reality of this week is that life on this planet will pass without my knowledge and without my involvement. It almost makes me depressed to think about how insignificant I really am in the grand scope of things, until I remember that the God of the Universe thought enough of me to die on the cross for my sins and give me a home in heaven with him. I am totally insignificant to this world, but not to the one who created it. Isn’t that a cool thought? No one outside of my family and maybe a few hundred friends would even notice or care if I died, and I am one of the lucky ones. I am “famous” because of my position. The vast majority of the inhabitants of this planet can’t even count on the “few hundred” friends. Yet God knows the very hairs of all of our heads.
Our significance in life comes not from the news or from our own personal accomplishments, but from the God who made us and loves us. While the world goes on and on without us, God’s word and his plan for us works in us and through us. Paul said in Philippians 2:13 that God works in us to accomplish his will through our lives, and in Philippians 1:6 he says that God will perform his will and work in our lives until he comes to take us home. So regardless of what they do in Washington or at Kauffman Stadium, our lives have eternal meaning. The world can just go right ahead and pass us by. In the process, we are passing the world by on our way home.
I Corinthians 7:31 says, “The fashion of this world passeth away.” Isn’t it interesting how the world uses Bible terminology even as they profess not to believe it. When someone dies, we use the euphemism “pass away” to try to lighten the seriousness of death. This world is dying a slow and agonizing death because of the rejection of the “way, truth and life”, our Lord Jesus Christ. Someday it will melt with a fervent heat, and God will bring forth a “new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (II Peter 3:10-13). Until that time, let’s rescue as many of the perishing as we can with the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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