A Good Name

If you had taken a random survey of names in a playground at the turn of the century, you might have counted a fair number of Johns and even an Ethel or two among the smiling faces. These days, you're more apt to run into a Michael or a Kaitlyn. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Census the most used names for a male child has been Michael. Michael, which is translated from Hebrew into English as “who is like God?” was an archangel prominent in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions. In the Bible and early Jewish literature, Michael is one of the angels of God's presence. He is depicted as a warrior-prince leading the celestial armies against wicked forces and as Israel's guardian angel. He was an intermediary between God and Moses on Mt. Sinai. Michael also confronted the devil over Moses' right of proper burial. In Christian tradition he is the angel with the sword. The Scripture indicates he will be the leading angel in the ultimate defeat of Satan at the end of the world. Certainly no one would doubt the strength of this good name! And, a good name is something all of us should take very seriously. Solomon certainly understood this truth when he wrote the following: A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all. The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. (Proverbs 22:1-5 ESV). A good name is so important. Take Edwin Thomas, for instance. Edwin Thomas Booth, that is. At age fifteen he debuted on the stage playing Tressel to his father’s Richard III. Within a few short years he was playing the lead in Shakespearean tragedies throughout the United States and Europe. He was the Olivier of his time. He brought a spirit of tragedy that put him in a class by himself. Edwin had a younger brother, John, who was also an actor. Although he could not compare with his older brother, he did give a memorable interpretation of Brutus in the 1863 production of Julius Caesar, by the New York Winter Garden Theater. Two years later, he performed his last role in a theater when he jumped from the box of a bloodied President Lincoln to the stage of Ford’s Theater. John Wilkes Booth met the end he deserved. But his murderous life placed a stigma over the life of his brother Edwin. An invisible asterisk now stood beside his name in the minds of the people. He was no longer Edwin Booth the consummate tragedian, but Edwin Booth the brother of the assassin. He retired from the stage to ponder the question why? Edwin Booth’s life was a tragic accident simply because of his last name. The sensationalists wouldn’t let him separate himself from the crime. It is interesting to note that he carried a letter with him that could have vindicated him from the sibling attachment to John Wilkes Booth. It was a letter from General Adams Budeau, Chief Secretary to General Ulysses S. Grant, thanking him for a singular act of bravery. It seems that while he was waiting for a train on the platform at Jersey City, a coach he was about to board bolted forward. He turned in time to see that a young boy had slipped from the edge of the pressing crowd into the path of the oncoming train. Without thinking, Edwin raced to the edge of the platform and, linking his leg around a railing, grabbed the boy by the collar. The grateful boy recognized him, but he didn’t recognize the boy. It wasn’t until he received the letter of thanks that he learned it was Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of his brother’s future victim. This lesson from Proverbs gives us insight into the development of a good name. It begins with true humility. It continues in truthful righteous living. It ends with a genuine reverence of the Lord. Whatever your name may be, commit yourself to these things. Then you will have a good name!

Penguins in Peril

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. (2 Corinthians 5:1-11 ESV). Oil spills are some of the most challenging environmental disasters. These toxic spills pollute the ocean, often injuring and killing animals that live there. Birds and mammals need to be captured, cleaned, and given medical treatment to have a chance of survival. Rescue workers must act quickly and sometimes creatively. In January 2000 an oil spill near Phillip Island, Australia, threatened the tiny penguins that live there. The penguins' home was already at risk. In the last eighty years the penguins have lost more than ¾ of their Phillip Island breeding area, mostly as a result of human actions. Rescue workers at the Phillip Island Nature Park tried different ways to keep the penguins warm and to stop them from swallowing the deadly oil. Dressing the penguins in doll sweaters proved to be the most successful technique. Soon, news of the penguins' need for sweaters spread via the Internet. Knitters in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States downloaded penguin sweater patterns and set to work. Some got very excited, adding special touches, like little bows. Others knitted sweaters in the colors of their favorite sports teams. The birds' shiny feathers are coated in natural oils that keep them warm and waterproof in the icy waters. The crude oil from the spill destroys the penguins' natural oils. When this happens, the birds cannot protect themselves from the cold. To make matters worse, penguins clean and smooth their feathers using their beaks. If a penguin preens after an oil spill, it will swallow poisonous oil, and probably die. The wool sweaters keep in the penguins' body heat, and prevent them from being poisoned by the oils. The tiny Phillip Island penguins, known as Fairy Penguins, or Little Penguins, are only half as tall as the famous Emperor Penguins of Antarctica. In fact, they are the smallest penguins in the world. Their sweaters are about 9 inches high and 4 inches wide, with openings for the head and flippers. The sweaters must be pure wool to provide enough warmth for the penguins. "They look so cute," said Pat Gallup, who coordinated a Canadian effort to make sweaters. "You can just see their heads and little flippers sticking out." So if you visited Phillip Island a year from now, would you see groups of little penguins in sweaters swimming along? No, the sweaters aren't forever. After the penguins are cleaned and dressed in the sweaters, they are put in salt-water pools at the rehabilitation center. As they swim and regain their strength, the salt water destroys the wool. By the time the penguins are ready to return to the ocean, their natural oils will have come back, and they can go home dressed only in their feathers. The Holy Spirit is our “sweater” of protection against this world’s pollution and poison. As long as we live in this world we have His presence to keep us safe. However, we also have the unalterable promise of God that we will be released from the encumbrance of this world’s flesh and given a new immortal body. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. Be encouraged today! Put on the Holy Spirit and rest in Him!

Real Contentment

A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. (Ecclesiastes 1:4-8 ESV). Solomon has described the typical attitude of most people in this passage of Scripture. The Bridger Wilderness Area asks hikers in this pristine area to fill out comment cards. These are actual comments left by hikers:  Trail needs to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.  Too many bugs and leaches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests.  Please pave the trails so they can be plowed of snow during the winter.  Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them.  The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals.  A small deer came into my camp and stole my jar of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call ___ ___ ____.  Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.  Escalators would help on steep uphill sections.  Need more signs to keep area pristine.  A McDonalds would be nice at the trailhead.  The places where trails do not exist are not well marked.  TOO Many Rocks... There is humor in each of these. However, there is also a significant insight to be gained into how we have become so accustomed to our comforts. Contentment comes from an inner quality of trust in the overcoming plan and purpose of God working in our lives. Even when bad things happen to us, our trust can lead us to overcome those feelings of loss and capture the true sense of victory that is ours through Christ. The Apostle Paul knew that and taught it to the Corinthian Christians. After listing all of the many deprivations and trials he had endured, he wrote: For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV). His strength will bring contentment as we trust in Him more and more each day. Commit yourself to that kind of faith as you pray this morning.

Beauty Tips

Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! (Psalm 96:1-9 ESV). Audrey Hepburn, five-time Oscar nominee and winner of the 1953 Academy Award for Best Actress, was an enchanting actress famous for her roles in films such as Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and My Fair Lady (1964). It was in her humanitarian efforts that Audrey's stunning inner beauty and elegance shone through. Named goodwill ambassador and spokesperson for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in 1986, Audrey devoted the last years of her life to tirelessly touring Africa and South America to help hungry children. The following are her “beauty tips” (her words are italicized). With summer in full swing, I thought you might be interesting in improving your “beauty.” 1. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. There are no more wonderful gifts to give to others than words of encouragement and comfort. Instead of collagen, try kindness for beautiful lips. 2. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. Someone has said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Real inner beauty is reflected in our search for beauty in others. Look for the good all around you today. 3. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. In America we have come to believe there is no hunger since it seems so easy to find food nearly everywhere you look. However, there are still many pockets of poverty in our country and around the world. Get involved with those who are needier than you. 4. For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day. This is just another way of encouraging us to be kind and patient to the children in our life. Children are such a challenge at times. Practice patience and love with them. 5. For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone. There will never come a time when we will be left alone to fend for ourselves. Christ is always with us. Walk in that unshakable faith. 6. People, even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Never throw out anybody. No one is so bad as to be impossible to reach. Keep loving and praying for all those you know. 7. Remember: If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

In God We Trust

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee consisting of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson “to bring in a device for a seal of the United States of America.” After many delays, Congress finally approved a verbal description of a design by William Barton on June 20, 1782. The seal shows an American bald eagle with a ribbon in its mouth bearing the device E pluribus unum, which translates into English as “one out of many”. In its talons are the arrows of war and an olive branch of peace. On the reverse side it shows an unfinished pyramid with an eye, the eye of Providence, above it. Although this description was adopted in 1782, the first drawing was not made until four years later, and no die has ever been cut. There are many such symbols in our national logos. “In God We Trust” first appeared on U.S. coins after April 22, 1864, when Congress passed an act authorizing the coinage of a 2-cent piece bearing this motto. Thereafter, Congress extended its use to other coins. On July 30, 1956, it became the national motto. Like many others, however, I wonder how much we truly trust in God. Abraham Lincoln said it so well: We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. While that was spoken over a century ago, it could be words spoken today. So many things tear at the fabric of our nation. The time is long past for us to heed the wisdom of David written to Israel many thousands of years ago. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. (Psalm 37:1-6 ESV). In the 1830's Alexis de Tocqueville toured America. When his tour had been completed, he made this observation: "I have toured America, and I have seen most of what you offer. I've seen the richness of the fields and the wealth of your mines. I've seen your industrial might, the beauties of the rivers, the streams, the lakes, and the grandeur of the mountains. I've noticed the abundance of the forests and the marvelous climate with which you are blessed. In none of these things did I see the cause for the greatness of America. It wasn't until I went into your churches that I saw the reason for America's greatness. America is great because America is good; and as long as America is good, America will be great. If it ever ceases to be good, it will cease to be great." To be good, America must once again trust in the Lord! And if America ever trusts in the Lord it will be one person at a time. The next time you reach into your purse or pocket to pay for something, read the motto on our money and be reminded to “trust in God.”

Morse Code

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14 ESV). In 1844, Samuel Morse demonstrated to Congress the practicality of telegraphy by transmitting his famous message of “What hath God wrought?” over a wire from Washington to Baltimore. With that event modern telecommunications took a great stride forward and thousands of people were able to connect with one another in seconds. Morse code is a series of dots and dashes reproduced electronically and transmitted by wire from one station to another. It is almost a lost science today. Most people could not recognize the code nor read it. For example, do you know what the following code translates: … --- … ? It is the internationally recognized code for “help,” or “SOS.” Here’s one more series of code: ---. --- -.. .--- --- …- --- -.-- --- ..- That message may be the most important one you ever receive! It translates, “God loves you.” But what good is a message if you cannot understand it? This is the truth that John reminds us of in our text this morning. God knew we needed to know of His love in a way that would be unmistakable. So He sent Jesus, His only begotten Son to convey that message. The land of Persia was once ruled by a wise and beloved Shah who cared greatly for his people and desired only what was best for them. One day he disguised himself as a poor man and went to visit the public baths. A furnace in the cellar heated the water for the baths, so the Shah made his way to the dark place to sit with the man who tended the fire. The two men shared the coarse food, and the Shah befriended him in his loneliness. Day after day the ruler went to visit the man. The worker became attached to this stranger because he "came where he was". One day the Shah revealed his true identity, and he expected the man to ask him for a gift. Instead, he looked long into his leader's face and with love and wonder in his voice said, "You left your palace and your glory to sit with me in this dark place, to eat my coarse food, and to care about what happens to me. On others you may bestow rich gifts, but to me you have given yourself!" As we think of what our Lord has done for us, we can echo that fire tender's sentiments. Oh, what a step our Lord took -- from heaven to earth, from the worship of angels to the mocking of cruel men, from glory to humiliation! And all of that so that we could understand the message that God loves us!

Not My Problem

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 ESV). The Browns were shown into the dentist's office, where Mr. Brown made it clear he was in a big hurry. "No fancy stuff, Doctor," he ordered, "No gas or needles or any of that stuff. Just pull the tooth and get it over with." "I wish more of my patients were as stoic as you," said the dentist admiringly. "Now, which tooth is it?" Mr. Brown turned to his wife... "Show him, honey." It's easy to be brave when someone else is the one experiencing the pain! It's also easy to believe that someone else is the only one needing treatment. "Don't look at me, doctor. Take care of her!" There have been times following a particularly challenging sermon when I would hear from people as they exited the church remarks like: “Pastor, you really gave it to them today!” Just the other day a very good friend of mine came to see me. As he was leaving he took a piece of paper and outlined his hand on it. He then presented it to me and said, “Here’s a hand for you.” I looked at him and thanked him very much. I immediately knew what he wanted to say to me, even before he explained it. The outlined hand was much more than a symbol of his appreciation for me. He was giving me an “atta-boy.” All of us need and desire to be appreciated. All of the applause we receive from others is so welcomed and encouraging. But, this was much more than that. It was his way of saying “I’m here for you whenever and for whatever. No matter what might transpire I will be your friend. That’s a far cry from most “friendships” we encounter in our lives. I love the poem I recently happened upon by Dinah Craik. It is titled “Friendship”: O, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, Having neither to weigh thoughts, Nor measure words, but pouring them right out, just as they are Chaff and grain together, Certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, Keep what is worth keeping, And with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. Who do you need to give a “hand” to today? Look for those divine opportunities today to be a friend to those you come into contact with.

Nothing is Impossible

It seems like there is always something that people declare to be “impossible.” Fermat’s Last Theorem was such and assertion. However, English mathematician, Andrew Wiles proved Fermat’s last theorem. It took the Princeton University professor seven years to come up with the 200-page proof that solved the 350-year-old problem, which many mathematicians had declared was unsolvable. The problem was named after Pierre de Fermat, who lived from 1601 to 1665. He was a magistrate whose avocation was mathematics. Fermat is known as a founder of modern number theory and probability theory. He also did much to establish coordinate geometry. He also invented a number of methods for determining maxima and minima that were later of use to Newton in applying the calculus. He noted without proof, although he claimed to have discovered one, the assertion now known as Fermat's Last Theorem, which states that the equation xn + yn = zn, where x, y, z, and n are nonzero integers, has no solutions for n that are greater than 2. Prizes were offered for a proof of this theorem, and attempted proofs resulted in many developments in the theory of numbers. British mathematician Andrew Wiles described a proof of the conjecture in 1993, but a gap in the proof required additional work, which was completed in 1994. However, Wiles' proof involved mathematical concepts that were unknown in Fermat's lifetime, so whether Fermat had a valid proof remains conjecture. In optics Fermat recognized that of all possible paths, light takes the path that takes the least time; this fundamental rule is known as Fermat's principle. And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (Mark 9:14-29 ESV). So many times we fail only because we believe that we cannot succeed. Faith is the essential ingredient to our success in all of life. Philip Yancey defines faith as: "Believing in advance in something that will only seem logical when seen in reverse." The miraculous await those who believe. Your challenge today may not be as complicated as Fermat’s Last Theorem, but it may seem just as impossible to solve. Trust in the Lord and believe in His mighty hand stretching out to you in grace. He will not fail you!

Wishing You Enough

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:13-19 ESV). I have great difficulties with saying goodbye. I am a “hanger-oner.” My family tells me that I often hang on to the past whether it is embodied in an idea, memory, or a physical item. I just don’t like to change. And, good-byes are some of the toughest changes we ever experience. Recently I read a wonderful story of a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, "I love you. I wish you enough." She in turn said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy." They kissed and she left. He walked over toward the window where the writer was seated. Standing there, he could see he wanted and needed to cry. He tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed him in by asking, "Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes,” he replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?" he asked. "I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral," he said. "When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?" He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." He paused for a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them," he continued. Then, turning toward him, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory. "I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye." He then began to sob and walked away. Change is inevitable in our lives. However, we need not fear it. Perhaps you are facing some changes in your life today. Like the Apostle Paul, I would like you to know that our God is able to supply all that you need in the coming challenges. My friends, I wish you enough!

Mastering Change

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV). In his book Celebrations of Life, Rene Dubos says that we fear change more today than ever before, and for less reason. The reason you fear change is because you are afraid that you will be worse off as a result. No one fears change that implies improvement. For example, if you learned that you were going to have to change your life-style because you had just won a lottery, this is not the kind of change that you would avoid or anticipate with dread. It is change that implies unpleasant surprises that you fear and become anxious about because it causes you to feel that you have lost a certain amount of control in that part of your life. Because of faith we may become “masters of change.” Faith in Christ allows us to embrace change, to welcome change, and to ride the tides of change. Boat builders know that the deeper the keel of a sailing vessel, the more stable it will be in storms, squalls and gusts of wind. The same holds true for you. The deeper your keel, or the stabilizing factors in your life, the less likely it is that you will be blown over, or off course, when unexpected change occurs. The more your understanding and experience of God grows in your life, the deeper the stabilizing factor of His strength and purpose becomes. This is not to say that you will not experience trials and difficulties. You will experience a continuous series of large and small disappointments and setbacks. That is the nature of life. They are inevitable and unavoidable. Some things work out, and some things don't. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. In spite of your best efforts, unexpected and unpredictable events will derail your best-laid plans. Problems, changes are like the rain, they just happen. Let me make a few practical suggestions in deepening your keel to sail the sea of change in your life. 1. The first step in dealing with any change is simply to accept the change as a reality. Acceptance is the opposite of rejection or resistance. Acceptance keeps your mind calm and positive. As William James said, "The starting point in dealing with any difficulty is to be willing to have it so." The minute you accept that a change has occurred, and that you can't cry over spilled milk, you become more capable of dealing with the change and turning it to your advantage. 2. The second step is to ask yourself, "What is the worst possible thing that can happen in this worry situation?" Much worry and stress comes from the refusal to face what might happen as a result of your difficulty or problem. When you clearly define the worst possible outcome, and write it down next to the definition of the problem, you will find that, whatever it is, you can handle it. Mentally resolve that, even if the worst possible consequences ensue from this situation, it will not be the end of the world for you. The very act of accepting the worst possible outcome completes the cycle of eliminating from your mind the stress and anxiety associated with the situation. 3. You are now ready for the third step in dealing with change, and that is to adjust your behaviors and actions to the new situation. Ask yourself, "What are all the things I can do to make sure that the worst possible outcome does not occur?" Sometimes we call this "damage control." 4. The final part of this four-step method for dealing with change is to improve on the existing situation. There is an old saying, "Crisis is change trying to take place." If, instead of resisting change, like a pine tree that snaps in a strong wind, you bend with change, like a willow tree, you will often find that the change is a healthy and positive step toward achieving your goals.

Celebrate Your Success

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:1-10 ESV). Jesus very clearly taught that the life He offers is one of joy. At least one of the elements in experiencing this joy is the ability to celebrate our successes. It's also one that's easily ignored and even contradicted. The problem for many of us is that we never quite feel successful because as soon as we reach one goal or pass a certain milestone, we're already going after the next one. Too often we don't stop to revel in the feeling of accomplishment. We're too focused on the next rung of the ladder that's if we've even noticed we've moved up another rung. I'm not advocating resting on our laurels. I'm suggesting we truly experience the joy that comes from seeing our progress and accomplishing our objectives. When we don’t allow ourselves to celebrate the successes of our lives we rob ourselves of an important part of life. It's the wrong focus, and, when we do this, we're being ungrateful. We actually deny the abundance Christ came to give us. Of course we can always see ways we could have done it better or faster. But the truth is we did it. So celebrate it. Mark it as the high point in your life. Then start creating the next one. Indulge yourself in feelings of triumph and success, and thumb your nose at the natural tendency to disparage your work or yourself. What accomplishment can you celebrate? What milestones can you highlight or acknowledge? Your last promotion? Helping someone through a tough time? Winning that new contract? Losing those five pounds? Giving that presentation? When we do these things, it anchors positive feelings into our consciousness and prepares us for more of the same. Like attracts like and our feelings are powerful magnets indeed. I often recommend that folks keep a “Win List” as part of their daily journal. I find that listing the wins in life big and small is more than therapeutic. And it's a real pick-me-up to review the good things that have happened as well as the things they’ve made happen. It keeps them grateful and it keeps them focused on the good stuff. Celebrating our successes employs a universal law: when we appreciate what we have and what we've done, we find ourselves having more to appreciate. Start your own “Win List” today. See if the celebrations don’t begin to stack up as you focus on the good things God has brought into your life.

Crumpled and Priceless

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV). A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20." Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him. Annie Johnson Flint has written a wonderful poem, “New Every Morning.” As I began to think of the many things that have taken place in my life over the past fifty plus years, it seemed that I needed to be reminded again of how much my heavenly Father really loves me. Regardless of how I might have been “used,” I am immeasurably valuable to Him. Perhaps her poem will remind you of that love also. Yea, “new every morning,” though we may awake, Our hearts with old sorrow beginning to ache; With old work unfinished when night stayed our hand With new duties waiting, unknown and unplanned; With old care still pressing, to fret and to vex, With new problems rising, our minds to perplex In ways long familiar, in paths yet untrod, Oh, new every morning the mercies of God! His faithfulness fails not; it meets each new day New guidance for every new step of the way; New grace for new trials, new trust for old fears, New patience for bearing the wrongs of the years, New strength for new burdens, new courage for old, New faith for whatever the day may unfold; As fresh for each need as the dew on the sod; Oh, new every morning the mercies of God!

Fear or Power?

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:6-10 ESV). Once when Marshall Ney was going into battle, looking down at his knees which were shaking together, he said, “You may well shake; you would shake worse yet if you knew where I am going to take you.” Napoleon was so much impressed with the courage and resources of Marshall Ney, that he said, “I have two hundred millions in my coffers, and I would give them all for Ney.” Oliver Cresse said, “What or who builds self-imposed barriers? A stonemason named Fear, one who is highly skilled in building powerful barriers from nonexistent stones. Where does this craftsman live? In our minds. He's always there, but it's up to us whether he lives in the back of our minds or the front of our minds.” There is much truth to that statement. Fear is one of the most utilized tools of our enemy, the devil. It erases our desire to move forward in life. It paralyzes us and causes indecision and failure. While we cannot be rid of fear, when we understand how it works, we can overcome it. When fear moves from the back of our minds to the front of our minds by shifting our concentration away from our faith, and choosing instead to focus on that which frightens us, not only does that action change fear's location, but through the process of concentration, it means we actually start to strengthen it. Fear has no strength of its own; its only strength is that which we choose to give it. When fear defeats us, it does so because of our own mental focus. And unfortunately, the strength we pass along to it is the very strength we need to overcome it! If, on the other hand, we choose to push our goals, wrapped in faith, to the forefront of our minds, then barriers break. The Scripture teaches us that we already possess sufficient faith to initiate this process and win the victory. A person may not be born with an overabundance of talent, but he or she will certainly possess all the strength needed, whether used or unused, to develop the talent that is there. Today commit yourself to starve your fear and feed your faith! Probably the greatest book on fear ever written in this country was by Basil King and the title was "The Conquest of Fear." Here is the quotation: "Go at it boldly, and you'll find unexpected forces closing round you and coming to your aid." Isn't that terrific? "Go at it boldly, and you'll find unexpected forces closing round you and coming to your aid." Long before Basil King, Emerson said, "Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain." You defeat worry and fear by filling your mind with the certain faith that you can do it. That is the best way to get rid of the worry and fear about those many things that are bothering you. Get out of yourself and do something about it, realizing that your Heavenly Father says to you, "For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'"

The Wisdom of Fathers

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4 ESV). Dads, give yourself a point for every one of these you've actually said to your kids! Don't ask me, ask your mother. Close the door -- were you raised in a barn? You didn't beat me -- I let you win. Big boys don't cry. Don't worry, it's only blood. I'll play catch after I read the paper. A little dirt never hurt anyone, just wipe it off. You call that a haircut? "Hey" is for horses. This will hurt me a lot more than it hurts you. Turn off those lights -- do you think I'm made of money? You call that noise "music"? I'll tell you why -- because I said so, that's why! Do what I say, not what I do. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. C'mon, you throw like a girl. You want something to do? I'll give you something to do. This is your last warning! I'd better get a good report, or you better head to Mexico. What keeps those jeans of yours from falling off? I'm not just talking to hear my own voice! Don't believe everything you hear. What do you think I am, a bank? What part of NO don't you understand? I don't care what other fathers are doing -- I'm not everybody else's father! You're not leaving my house dressed like that! If I catch you doing that one more time, I'll.... Act your age. What did I just get finished telling you? The higher you score, the more embarrassing your parenting might have been! Seriously, some of the things we fathers say are downright embarrassing when we think about it. But, in our finer moments, it is our intention to give advice that will shape our children into the people God wants them to be. Though our children don't believe we can relate to anything that goes on in their lives, we can. With what we have learned over the years by listening to others and the experience of making wrong decisions, we want to share with our children a wisdom that will keep them on the right path. Today, dads, call your children and express your unconditional love and encourage them. Don’t wait for them to call you… call them! Show them the love of your heavenly Father through your love. Happy Father’s Day!

A Marathon, Not a Sprint

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:13-21 ESV). Recently I began building an extension to the deck at our home. It’s not a particularly difficult project, but it is turning out to be more time consuming than estimated! I suppose it only serves to remind me that it is a marathon rather than a sprint. Life is like that. Like a marathon, I will finish if I just keep at it! This is the image of what it is like to be a Christian, a marathoner. However, there are some differences also. The Apostle Paul described Christian life and faith as being like a race. We are moving headlong to the goal of communion with God. The image of the marathoner is powerful image because we understand that being a Christian is not something we do for just one hour a day, one day a week. Instead, being a follower and devoted disciple of Jesus is something we are for life, for eternity. And as compelling as Paul’s image is, we can sometimes take it too far. After all, marathoners run alone. They cannot even be helped along the way. If the stumble, they must get back on their feet without the help of anyone else, to be helped is to be disqualified. The image of the marathoner is helpful as long as we remember that Paul simply meant that being a Christian is a lifelong pursuit. But being a devoted disciple is not something we can be all by ourselves. Being a devoted disciple is a team endeavor. On the last day Jesus was on earth, he gathered his disciples and told them that they were to continue his ministry of taking the good news of God’s love to the entire world. “Go into all the world,” Jesus said. Before he was arrested and put to death by the Roman political machine, Jesus prayed for his disciples. He told God that he was sending his devoted disciples into the world to continue the mission he started. Jesus spoke to God and said, “as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.” The bottom line for devoted disciples is that we have been saved for a purpose. When we talk about the life-long truth of being a Christian, the image of the marathoner works. But when we talk about being deployed in Jesus’ global mission, the image of the marathoner lacks firepower. Devoted disciples are not lone rangers running the race without need or benefit of other brothers and sisters in Christ. Being a devoted disciple and being deployed in Jesus’ global mission is a team sport. Today, think about the way that you can work with others in the mission God has given you to do. Be patient in your well doing. Run the race set before you and know that the Lord has been, and will continue to pray for you. Don’t give up!

You Are My Sunshine

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:13-14 ESV). Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in Mommy's tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, then every three, then every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatric specialist regretfully had to tell the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. "I want to sing to her," he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen made up her mind, though. She would take Michael whether they liked it or not! If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket. But the head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, "Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed. The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray. Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. "Keep on singing, Michael," encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, Please don't take my sunshine away-" As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr. "Keep on singing, sweetheart!" "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms..." Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. "Keep on singing, Michael." Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't, take my sunshine away..." The next, day, the very next day, the little girl was well enough to go home! Woman's Day Magazine called it "The Miracle of a Brother's Song." The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love! There are still miracles today. What miracle do you need? Begin by singing His praises and see what marvelous thing He has waiting for you!

The Finish Line

Diane Berke shared the following in the May-June 1998 edition of On Course: A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. They all turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better." All nine linked arms and walked across the finish line together. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story. Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What truly matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course. In our world of competition and success oriented self-esteem, it is difficult to imagine a lifestyle centered around love for others, especially when it may cause us to fail in the eyes of others. Yet, that is exactly the way of the Christian life. John knew this principle only to well and wrote it to the churches of Asia Minor from his exile on Patmos. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. (1 John 3:14-24 ESV). An ingenious teenager, tired of reading bedtime stories to his little sister, decided to record several of her favorite stories on tape. He told her, "now you can hear your stories anytime you want. Isn't that great?" She looked at the machine for a moment and then replied, "No. It hasn't got a lap." We all need a lap. We all need the closeness of relationship. We all need to know we are loved. Who do you need to be a “lap” for today? Make a phone call, send an email, write a note to someone you know today and express your love and appreciation to them. Don’t do it because of anything they have done. Do it because of who they are – your brother in Christ! Do it “just because.”

A Monument to Our Greatness

On May 1, 1931 the Empire State Building, in Central Manhattan, New York City, opened its doors for the first time. It was an engineer marvel with 102 stories stretching to 1,250 feet into the sky. It was to be the tallest building in the world for forty-one years! It is an office building with over 25,000 tenants, larger than many cities! On a clear day you can stand in the observation tower at its summit and see for nearly two hundred miles. It is an incredible building. There are others taller, of course, but the Empire State Building remains one of America’s most visited places. It could be said that it has become a monument to our greatness. There is another such monument spoken of in the Scripture: Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1-4 ESV). The story is told of a Rabbi and a New England minister as they were getting to know one another. Proudly, the minister exclaimed, "One of my ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence." "I understand your pride," responded the rabbi. "One of my ancestors signed the Ten Commandments." Strange how easy it is to erect monuments to ourselves, isn’t it? All of these can be points of pride, which will lead to potential destruction. Corrie Ten Boom used to tell the story about a proud woodpecker that was tapping away at a dead tree when the sky unexpectedly turned black and the thunder began to roll. Undaunted, he went right on working. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the old tree, splintering it into hundreds of pieces. Startled but unhurt, the haughty bird flew off, screeching to his feathered friends, "Hey, everyone, look what I did! Look what I did!" This old woodpecker reminds me of people who think more highly of themselves than they should. Usually they are so busy bragging about their achievements and their greatness that they fail to recognize God as the source of all their abilities. They are suffering from spiritual delusions of grandeur. Without the Lord no one amounts to anything, and in our own strength we cannot please Him. It is not wrong to take pride in our victories. The error is committed when we fail to recognize the ultimate source of our successes. Perhaps you have been building your monuments. Make the following confession today and begin building a monument to the grace of God: Father, I know it's my pride that makes me independent of You. It's appealing to feel I am the master of my fate; I run my own life, I call my own shots; I go it alone. But that feeling is my basic dishonesty. I confess I can't go it alone. I have to get help from You and from other people, and I can't ultimately rely on myself. I know I am dependent on You for my very next breath. It is dishonest of me to pretend that I am anything but a man, small, weak and limited. It's not just a matter of pride being an unfortunate little trait and humility being an attractive little virtue, it's my inner psychological integrity that's at stake. When I am conceited, I am lying to myself about what I am. I am pretending to be God, and not man. My pride is the idolatrous worship of myself. Forgive me. Restore your Spirit within me and set me free to enjoy all Your blessings in their proper perspective. Bless me that I may bless others. Amen.

Keep the Oak in Sight

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62 ESV). Not long ago, I read the story of multimillionaire Don Storms. Several years ago he was a very successful television personality who was fired when new management came into his organization. He went through an agonizing period of depression and an "I just don't care anymore" attitude. But he was able to turn himself around and become incredibly successful in an entirely new field. How did he do it? "It was a sense of purpose," he says. "Having a goal and a new dream to strive toward." It was having this goal, making a success of his new business venture that enabled Storms to turn his life around. In the article he tells the secret to his success. He wrote that he was successful “because he kept his eye on the oak tree.” He went on to explain. "When I was growing up in the country," Storm said, "we used to plow the fields. We would never look down at the ground we were plowing. We'd look at the oak tree, shoot for that and plow a straighter furrow. If you look at the adversities, oh, there's a rock, or a tree stump, or a small ravine, you'll be wandering all over the place. But if you've got an oak tree in your sight and your heading right for it, you'll get past the rocks and stumps and accomplish you goal." That’s the principle behind Jesus’ teachings on discipleship in our Scripture this morning. When you want to get to the other side of anything, you must have a clear goal in sight. If your goal is fuzzy and you're not sure where you want to go, you'll bump into every stone and stump in your path. If, however, you have that goal in front of you, firmly planted in your mind, it will act like a magnet and draw you straight to it. What are your life goals today? What do you have your eyes set on in your life? William Barclay writes, “It's possible to be a follower of Jesus without being a disciple; to be a camp-follower without being a soldier of the king; to be a hanger-on in some great work without pulling one's weight. Once someone was talking to a great scholar about a younger man. He said, ‘So and so tells me that he was one of your students.’ The teacher answered devastatingly, ‘He may have attended my lectures, but he was not one of my students.’ There is a world of difference between attending lectures and being a student. It is one of the supreme handicaps of the Church that in the Church there are so many distant followers of Jesus and so few real disciples.” Put your eye on the oak tree today!

Prisoners Set Free

Sixty-seven years ago, on April 29, 1945, combined allied forces marched in Dachau and set the remaining prisoners free from their horror and imminent death. Dachau was the location of the first of the Nazi concentration camps. Records indicate that at least 32,000 inmates died there. Numberless others were transported from there to extermination camps throughout Poland. The Nazis during the war at these camps senselessly murdered over nine million people. It is hard to imagine the elation they must have felt at being set free. But, there is another freedom much greater than that! So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. (John 8:31-37 ESV). Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his own warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more—until the dawn finds him dead in the snow! That is the power of sin and death in our lives. It is this “slavery” that Christ has died to set us free from! There is only one thing necessary to receive this freedom. We must accept the pardon. About 1830, a man named George Wilson killed a government employee who caught him in the act of robbing the mails. Wilson was tried and sentenced to be hanged. The President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, sent Wilson a pardon. But, Wilson did a strange thing: he refused to accept the pardon. No one seemed to know what to do because of this, so Wilson’s case was sent to the U. S. Supreme Court. Chief Justice Marshall wrote the opinion: “A pardon is a slip of paper, the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged.” And he was. The cross of Christ is a revelation of God’s love for all people. We may do cowardly and disappointing things and bring deep pain to the Father’s heart, but in the cross we see that He never gives up on us. Something happened that day on Calvary that forever makes a difference in the relationship between people and God. Even when the love of Jesus was thrown in His face with spitting, mocking and cursing, it remained unbroken. The death of Christ on the cross is the pardon God has sent. But before it becomes a pardon, we must accept it in faith. It is through the cross, and only through the cross that we can be saved from sin and its consequence of eternal separation from God in hell. Have you accepted God’s pardon in Christ Jesus? Be free today!

Fantastic Animal Facts

The following factoids are true.  A chameleon can move its eyes in two directions at the same time.  Dolphins sleep at night just below the surface of the water. They frequently rise to the surface for air.  A cockroach can live for up to a week without a head.  An albatross can sleep while it flies. It apparently dozes while cruising at 25 mph.  Amazon ants (red ants found in the western U.S.) steal the larvae of other ants to keep as slaves. The slave ants build homes for and feed the Amazon ants, who cannot do anything but fight. They depend completely on their slaves for survival.  The hummingbird is the only bird that can hover and fly straight up, down, or backward!  A leech is a worm that feeds on blood. It will pierce its victim's skin, fill itself with three to four times its own body weight in blood, and will not feed again for months. Leeches were once used by doctors to drain “bad blood” from sick patients.  Lovebirds are small parakeets who live in pairs. Male and female lovebirds look alike, but most other male birds have brighter colors than the females.  Only female mosquitoes bite. Females need the protein from blood to produce their eggs. While this information may be interesting, it is very easy to ask “so what?” Much of the information and knowledge we are given each day could fall into this category. It might help you to win a game show, but would it help to live a happier, more positive life? No, of course not! But there is knowledge that will do just that. Listen to the psalmist: You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. (Psalm 119:65-67 ESV). It is this knowledge that will give substance to our faith. Faith never need be merely blind belief. There is substance to our faith and we may find it in the study of the Scripture. Knowledge also stabilizes us during times of testing. How often have you asked the question “why” when faced with difficulty? There is often an answer to that question. It may only be found in the accuracy and dependability of the Scripture. Knowledge equips us to detect and confront error. How else may we know the correct choices to make in our lives? God gives us direction through the Scripture. Study is essential to eliminating as many errors as possible in our lives. Knowledge also makes us confident and consistent in our walk with God. There is a special sense of well being that comes from knowing the “right” way to do things. That comes from an understanding of the Scripture. Knowledge filters out our fears and superstitions. Knowledge empowers. Rossini was once presented with a watch by the King of France of which he was justly proud. Several years after, showing it to a friend, he was told that though he had possessed it so long, he did not know its real value. "Impossible," said Rossini, whereupon the friend, taking the watch, touched a secret spring, at which an inner case flew open, disclosing a beautiful miniature painting of Rossini himself. This is how many of us live our lives. We have accepted and valued our traditions and history, but it we have not discovered the inner secret which gives us real joy. The portrait of Christ is still hidden. When the secret spring of knowledge is touched and the Face of Christ is recognized, the whole attitude of mind and theory of values is changed. It is characteristic also of much avowed discipleship. "Have I been so long a time with you, and have you not known Me, Philip?" said Christ to one who called himself a disciple and an intimate.

The Titanic

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:1-6 ESV). In 1912, the Titanic, a steamship in England's White Star Line, set out on its doomed maiden voyage, with 2,227 enthusiastic passengers and crewmembers on board for the history-making trip from Southampton, England, to New York City. Only 705 would survive the ship's collisions with a massive. Everyone believed the ship was unsinkable. They mistakenly put their trust in man’s ingenuity and promise. It cost them their lives! The "unsinkable" ocean liner was shipwrecked in the early hours of April 15, shortly after its fatal run-in with an iceberg. Here are some of the most interesting facts about the ship and its fateful journey: • The Titanic was designed to hold 32 lifeboats, though only 20 were on board; White Star management was concerned that too many boats would sully the aesthetic beauty of the ship. • Survivors were rescued by the Carpathia, which was 58 miles southeast of Titanic when it received the distress call. • Titanic boasted electric elevators, a swimming pool, a squash court, a Turkish Bath, and a gymnasium with a mechanical horse and mechanical camel. • The wreckage of Titanic was recovered in 1985, 12,500 feet down, about 350 miles southeast of Newfoundland, Canada. • A first class parlor suite ticket on Titanic cost $4,350, which translates into $50,000 today. Five of the known survivors of the disaster are still living. Their nightmare has been retold in countless books, articles, and films. Yet, all of their grief could have been avoided if there would have been more caution employed by the captain and crew that night. Isn’t that true with many of us today? Tragically we do not heed the warnings of Scripture concerning our choices in life. Vance Havner, a Baptist evangelist, related the story of an elderly lady who was greatly disturbed by her many troubles both real and imaginary. Finally she was told in a kindly way by her family, "Grandma, we've done all we can do for you. You'll just have to trust God for the rest." A look of utter despair spread over her face as she replied, "Oh, dear, has it come to that?" Havner commented, "It always comes to that, so we might as well begin with that!" There are always going to be icebergs in our path. However, it is not always inevitable that we strike them! Listen to the teaching of the Lord and trust in Him! “Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will gain a good reputation.”

A Great Danger

On April 26, 1986 the greatest nuclear disaster the world has ever known took place in Chernobyl, Kiev, of the former U.S.S.R. The explosion and fire in the graphite core of one of four reactors released radioactive material that spread over part of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and later Western Europe. It was in the town of Pripyat during an unauthorized test of one of the plant's four reactors that engineers initiated an uncontrolled chain reaction in the core of the reactor after disabling emergency backup systems. An explosion ripped the top off the containment building expelling radioactive material into the atmosphere. More was released in the subsequent fire. Only after Swedish instruments detected fallout from the explosion did Soviet authorities admit that an accident had occurred. Airdropping a cement mixture sealed off the reactor core, but not before eight tons of radioactive material had escaped. Twenty firefighters died immediately from overexposure to radioactivity, while hundreds suffered from severe radiation sickness. Pripyat, Chernobyl, and nearby towns were evacuated. People who lived near the plant in Ukraine and Belarus at the time have seen a greatly increased incidence of thyroid cancer, and genetic mutations have been discovered in children later born to exposed parents. Ukraine has estimated that as many as 8,000 people died as a result of the accident and during its cleanup. The agricultural economies of East and North Europe were temporarily devastated, as farm products were contaminated by fallout. One Chernobyl reactor remains in operation today. All of this destruction came from a comparatively small tubular material deep inside a huge structure. It is an illustration of the destruction that a comparatively small part of our own bodies. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:19-27 ESV). There is an ancient fable about a monster known as Proteus who had the power of assuming many shapes and appearances. He could become a tree or a pebble, a lion or a dove, a serpent or a lamb. He seemed to have little difficulty in passing from one form into another. That fabled creature reminds me of the human tongue. It can bless or curse; it can express praise or whisper slander; it can speak a word of encouragement or spread the poison of vindictive hatred. Can it be that the average person spends one-fifth of his or her life talking? That's what the statistics say. If all of our words were put into print, the result would be this: a single day's words would fill a 50-page book, while in a year's time the average person's words would fill 132 books of 200 pages each! What kind of book will you “write” today?

Pick a Spot

Imagine what the game of bowling would be like if you couldn’t see the pins you were trying to hit. In 1933, Bill Knox did just that and bowled a perfect game. In Philadelphia’s Olney Alleys, Bill had a screen placed just above the foul line to obscure his view of the lane. His purpose was to demonstrate the technique of spot bowling, which involves throwing the ball at a selected floor mark on the near end of the lane. Like many bowlers, Bill knew that you could do better if you aim at a mark close to you that’s in line with the pins. He proved his point with a perfect 300 game of 12 strikes in a row. Spot bowling illustrates part of a wise approach to life. When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the return of Christ, he reminded them that the ultimate goal of their salvation was to “be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul taught them to focus their eyes on near actions that were in line with that goal. He urged them to comfort one another, help the weak, warn the wayward, pray without ceasing, and rejoice always. Then he added that we must do this in the power of Christ who is working in us. Read the text below: And to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:13-24 ESV). I like to hunt. A part of the preparation for each year is assuring that my rifle is still “sighted in.” In order to do this, I like to take it to the shooting range and fire several rounds to check the sights. Even then, it is also a good practice to rehearse good shooting habits. One of those is to “pick a spot” on the target. Especially when shooting large game, it is easy to lose sight of the goal while looking at the immensity of the target. Life can be that way. In Alice in Wonderland, when Alice comes to a junction in the road that leads in different directions, she asks the Cheshire Cat, “Cheshire-Puss, would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to go to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where,” replied Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” If you have no goal, it really doesn’t matter which way you go! Listen tot he goals Paul sets before us again: always be joyful, keep on praying, always be thankful, hold on to what is good, and keep away from evil. Those are targets worth aiming at in our lives! Then only one thing remains. Get going! Will Rogers said, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you don’t start moving.”

Big Brother's Watching

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:4-14 ESV). On this day in 1949 George Orwell’s book, 1984, was first released. In the book, the main character, Winston Smith, lives in London, which is part of the country Oceania. The world is divided into three countries that include the entire globe: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Oceania, and both of the others, is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone’s behavior, even their thoughts. Winston is disgusted with his oppressed life and secretly longs to join the fabled Brotherhood, a supposed group of underground rebels intent on overthrowing the government. Winston meets Julia and they secretly fall in love and have an affair, which is considered a crime. One day, while walking home, Winston encounters O’Brian, an inner party member, who gives Winston his address. Winston had exchanged glances with O’Brian before and had dreams about him giving him the impression that O’Brian was a member of the Brotherhood. Since Julia hated the party as much as Winston did, they went to O’Brian’s house together where they were introduced into the Brotherhood. O’Brian is actually a faithful member of the Inner-Party and this is actually a trap for Winston, a trap that O’Brian has been cleverly setting for seven years. Winston and Julia are sent to the Ministry of Love, which is a sort of rehabilitation center for criminals accused of thoughtcrime. There, Winston was separated from Julia, and tortured until his beliefs coincided with those of the Party. Winston denounces everything he believed him, even his love for Julia, and was released back into the public where he wastes his days at the Chestnut Tree drinking gin. In 1984, George Orwell warns of the terrifying dangers that man may create for himself in his quest for a utopian society. It warns that people might believe that everyone must become a slave to the government in order to have an orderly society, but at the expense of the freedom of the people. It has become a standard for virtually every student prior to graduation from high school. There are those who would proclaim that 1984 has become a prophecy fulfilled in our day. And, while there will someday be a one-world government that uses many different techniques of deception and coercion, the great danger today is of becoming apathetic toward our faith. Jesus’ words seem so clear in the face of our world: And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But those who endure to the end will be saved. On this anniversary of Orwell’s book, it would do us all well to reexamine our faithfulness to the One who saved us. Recommit yourself to a life of faithfulness today. Big Brother is not watching, but Jesus is!

Happy Birthday, Mary!

Today is one of those days when I get to celebrate two marvelous things. First, I celebrate another year with Mary as she marks her birthday. More importantly, however, I celebrate all the incredible memories we have shared through the better part of more than two-thirds of our lifetime! I can honestly say that I don’t know how it happened so quickly. As I thought about what I might say that I haven’t already said during the fourteen years I have been doing Morning Devotionals in regard to her inspiration and encouragement, my thoughts drifted to the single verse found in the final chapter of Proverbs. “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” (Proverbs 31:29 ESV). I looked up the word “excellently” and found a simple definition: “very well.” That seemed to fall far short of what I have experienced. So, I went a bit further and looked for possible synonyms. The thesaurus listed the following: admirably, distinctively, divinely, exquisitely, extremely well, famously, fine, flawlessly, incomparably, ingeniously, magnificently, marvelously, masterfully, nobly, notably, perfectly, remarkably, sensationally, skillfully, splendidly, superbly, supremely, swimmingly, well, wonderfully. That was more like it! That description seems to go far enough. Of course I would not say that Mary is perfect, nor am I. However, she is perfect for me. That’s what God does for us when he calls us to leave our parents and unite with a wife in the building of our homes. We become perfect for one another while God fills us with His Holy Spirit in Christ. Do we differ in our opinions… of course. Do we have arguments and perhaps even a spat or two along the way… of course. The key is not in what we do as much as it is in who we are to one another. The trend today is to behave positionally rather than relationally. That can never end well. If kills communication. It destroys any opportunity to give and take in a marriage. We become convenient keepers of the status quo as our relationship drifts into a comfortable cruise to nowhere. Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible, the kind of atmosphere that is found in a family of grace. Robert Brault said, “The older I get, the less time I want to spend with the part of the human race that didn't marry me.” I understand that sentiment very well! So, today, as we celebrate Mary’s birthday here, I pray you will celebrate your life with the one God has placed you with in life’s journey. If you find it difficult to find something to celebrate, begin where you are and commit yourself to a path that will take you to grace. Find someone who can help you on the journey to discover new meaning. Be transformed in life and spirit. For me, I can say she has “surpassed the all”! Happy Birthday, Mary!

Friendly Fire

At the end of May in 1863 one of the great military figures of our history was killed. Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, was born in 1824 and died in 1863. He served with distinction under Winfield Scott in the Mexican War and from 1851 to 1861 taught at the Virginia Military Institute. He resigned from the army in February, 1852 at the beginning of the Civil War. Though Jackson was practically unknown he was made a colonel of Virginia troops and sent to command at Harpers Ferry. At the first battle of Bull Run, he and his brigade earned their sobriquet by standing, in the words of Gen. Barnard Bee, “like a stone wall.” Jackson was promoted to major general, and in November, Johnston assigned him to command in the Shenandoah Valley. Jackson's attack on James Shields's division at Kernstown on Mar. 23, 1862, was repulsed but forced the retention of Union troops in the valley. In April, Robert E. Lee suggested that Jackson fall upon Nathaniel P. Banks's force in the lower valley, hoping that Irvin McDowell's army would thereby be diverted from joining George McClellan before Richmond. Jackson's renowned Valley campaign resulted. He first defeated part of John C. Frémont's force at McDowell on May 8, 1862, and then, returning to the Shenandoah, routed Banks at Front Royal and Winchester and drove him across the Potomac. When Lee reorganized the Army of Northern Virginia after Antietam, he made Jackson commander of the 2d Corps, and Stonewall was promoted to lieutenant general. Jackson's turning movement completely crumbled Hooker's right. Pressing on in the darkness, Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by the fire of his own men. His death was a severe blow to the Southern cause. Jackson was a tactician of first rank and, though a strict disciplinarian, had the affection of his men. His devout Calvinism, fighting ability, and arresting personal quirks make him one of the most interesting figures of the war. He was Lee's ablest and most trusted lieutenant. Yet, he was killed by “friendly fire.” There is another kind of friendly fire that is just as deadly. In many churches today it has become easier to condemn and ostracize those who have had failures in their lives than to pray for and redeem them to fullness of fellowship. John had this in mind when he wrote to the church in Asia. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:14-17 ESV). There is one sin that leads to death. Jesus said it was rejection of Him. Matthew’s gospel calls this sin “blasphemy of the Spirit.” Notice all others call us to pray that they may have life once again. A Japanese magazine has a picture of a butterfly on one of its pages. Its color is a dull gray until warmed by one's hand. The touch of a hand causes the special inks in the printing to react, and the dull gray is transformed into a flashing rainbow of color. What other things can be thus changed by the warmth of your interest and love? Your family? Your church? Even your city? This old world is hungry for the touch of someone who cares, someone who really cares! That someone can transform your home, your entire life. His name is Jesus!

Casey at the Bat

But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. (Psalm 55:16-18 ESV). A little over two hundred years ago on this day, Ernest Thayer previewed the classic poem “Casey at the Bat” for the first time. The story is well remembered. It is Saturday September 3, 1887. The Mudville Nine are playing a baseball game. It is the bottom of the ninth inning and the home team is losing 4 runs to 2 runs. The Mudville Nine need the power of their rightfielder's bat to win the game. Brian Kavanagh Casey, age 28 is a Mudville native. At the time of the game, Mudville's star rightfielder has a batting average of .504 with 200 runs scored and 99 home runs hit. But Casey is the fifth batter due up in the inning so it isn't even certain that he'll get to the plate. Especially after the shortstop Scooter Cooney, and firstbaseman Otis Barrows, make two quick outs. Casey's chances to perform heroics are fading dramatically. But the third batter up is leftfielder Peter "Roughouse" Flynn and he hits a single. The next batter, thirdbaseman and dance bandleader James Elmer "Bobo" Blake, blasts a double. So, yes, mighty Casey will be coming to the plate. Centerville's pitcher, James Riley "Fireball" Snedeker, throws two pitches. Casey just looks at them, never moving his bat. Buttenheiser, the umpire, calls both pitches strikes. The count is nothing and two. Snedeker throws a third pitch and mighty Casey swings as the small hurling round orb crosses the plate. Casey takes his round bat and tries to hit the ball squarely. But he can't. Casey misses the ball and strikes out. The game is over, Mudville loses. The poem ends with the following stanza: Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; But there is no joy in Mudville-- mighty Casey has struck out. In the middle of the battle of life, we may often feel like the crowd at Mudville! But, for those who follow Christ, we will always have the reality of our final victory. Vernon Grounds tells of an incident that happened while he was in seminary. Since the school had no gymnasium, he and his friends played basketball in a nearby public school. Nearby, an elderly janitor waited patiently until the seminarians finished playing. Invariably he sat there reading his Bible. One day he asked him what he was reading. The man answered, ‘The book of Revelation.’ Surprised, Vernon asked if he understood it. ‘Oh, yes,’ the man assured him. `I understand it.’ ‘What does it mean?’ Quietly the janitor answered, `It means that Jesus is gonna win.’” Grounds concludes, “That’s the best commentary I have ever heard on that book. Jesus is going to win. That’s the Biblical mind-set.” And, that’s the real basis of our hope. The next time you start to believe that there can be no joy in your “Mudville” remember the words of David, “But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice. He rescues me and keeps me safe.”

The Old Things

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:1-8 ESV). On this day, in 1985, the first cans of “New Coke” rolled out of bottling and canning plants marking the 99th anniversary of Coca-Cola. In 1886, John S. Pemberton, an Atlanta druggist seeking a headache and hangover remedy, added kola nut extract to cocoa extract and produced Coca-Cola. Today, heavily sweetened carbonated drinks, or soda pops, are among the most popular beverages in the world. In the last two decades, the introduction of diet drinks containing artificial sweeteners has increased sales of carbonated beverages. Annual Coca-Cola sales alone total more than a billion dollars, and soda pops account for one-fourth of the annual sugar consumption in the United States. However, even with the intense marketing campaign that preceded the introduction of “New Coke.” The public would not accept the latest formula. “Classic Coke” was revived and soon eclipsed completely the new product. It was ultimately done away with completely. I was one of those who would accept the new coke. Perhaps you were also. I just didn’t like the way it tasted! I wish now I had bought a case and saved it. I’m sure it would be a collector’s item now. In our text this morning, Jesus teaches about the validity of traditions. They are not of themselves bad or good. Just like the new coke was neither bad nor good in concept. Most people preferred the taste of the old one. It failed in the market place because it didn’t taste as good. So it is with religious traditions. No matter how they may be “marketed,” when they don’t reflect an earnest desire to honor God, they are worthless. In today’s modern church, there are many examples of such traditions. There is a wonderful true story of a small plot of ground in Russia. If you were to visit the Kremlin grounds today you would see a small enclosed area of about 100 square feet (10’ x 10’) with a guard posted twenty-four hours a day. You might assume this is a very important historical spot, perhaps even the burial plot for some important historical figure. However, upon inquiry you would discover no such importance. In fact, you would see that in 1776, Catherine the Great was walking along the path and saw the first flowers of spring at this spot and wanted it preserved until the flower died. So, she posted a guard to protect it from the trampling feet of others. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years. The flower faded and died, but the guard was never released from that spot! Traditions may be good or bad. Judge them only on the motive of your heart in following them. How are you honoring God today in your traditions?