Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Garland, Judy Garland, was born in 1922 and died on this day in 1969. She was one of America’s favorite singers and film actresses. She was originally named Frances Gumm. She sang in her father's theater from the age of four as one of The Gumm Sisters and later toured in vaudeville. Beginning her film career in 1935, she endeared herself to the public in the Andy Hardy film series and in the all time classic, The Wizard of Oz (1939). Her later films include Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948), A Star is Born (1954), and Judgment at Nuremburg (1960). In The Wizard of Oz she sings a very familiar song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The words are as follows: Somewhere over the Rainbow Somewhere over the Rainbow Way up high Bluebirds fly There's a land that I heard of Birds fly over the Rainbow Once in a lullaby Why then oh why can't I? Somewhere over the Rainbow If happy little bluebirds fly Skies are blue Across the rainbow And the dreams that you dare to dream Why oh why can't I Really do come true Someday I'll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds Are far behind me Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me Don’t you sometimes feel like that? We all wish for that “somewhere” that we can go to and be free from all our trial and difficulty. There is such a place. It is not some mythical or magical place hidden over a rainbow. It is the very home God has been preparing for all of those whom He has loved and called to be His adopted children. It is what the Apostle Paul wrote of to the Roman Christians who were suffering some of histories most heinous persecutions. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30 ESV). And, he writes to us today the same comforting promises. Today, no matter how it looks, believe that He will make all things work together for your good! Your rainbow is as close as your heart!

Who Am I?

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4-10 ESV). Who am I? I was born in 1725, and I died 1807. The only godly influence in my life, as far back as I can remember, was my mother, whom I had for only seven years. When she left my life through death, I was virtually an orphan. My father remarried, sent me to a strict military school, where the severity of discipline almost broke my back. I couldn't stand it any longer, and I left in rebellion at age of ten. One year later, deciding that I would never enter formal education again, I became a seaman apprentice, hoping somehow to step into my father's trade and learn at least the ability to skillfully navigate a ship. By and by, through a process of time, I slowly gave myself over to the devil. And I determined that I would sin to my fill without restraint, now that the righteous lamp of my life had gone out. I did that until my days in the military service, where again discipline worked hard against me, but I further rebelled. My spirit would not break, and I became increasingly more and more a rebel. Because of a number of things that I disagreed with in the military, I finally deserted, only to be captured like a common criminal and beaten publicly several times. After enduring the punishment, I again fled. I entertained thoughts of suicide on my way to Africa, deciding that would be the place I could get farthest from anyone that knew me. And again I made a pact with the devil to live for him. Somehow, through a process of events, I got in touch with a Portuguese slave trader, and I lived in his home. His wife, who was brimming with hostility, took a lot of it out on me. She beat me, and I ate like a dog on the floor of the home. If I refused to do that, she would whip me with a lash. I fled penniless, owning only the clothes on my back, to the shoreline of Africa where I built a fire, hoping to attract a ship that was passing by. The skipper thought that I had gold or slaves or ivory to sell and was surprised because I was a skilled navigator. And it was there that I virtually lived for a long period of time. It was a slave ship. It was not uncommon for as many as six hundred blacks from Africa to be in the hold of the ship, down below, being taken to America. I went through all sorts of narrow escapes with death only a hairbreadth away on a number of occasions. One time I opened some crates of rum and got everybody on the crew drunk. The skipper, incensed with my actions, beat me, threw me down below, and I lived on stale bread and sour vegetables for an unendurable amount of time. He brought me above to beat me again, and I fell overboard. Because I couldn't swim, he harpooned me to get me back on the ship. And I lived with the scar in my side, big enough for me to put my fist into, until the day of my death. On board, I was inflamed with fever. I was enraged with the humiliation. A storm broke out, and I wound up again in the hold of the ship, down among the pumps. To keep the ship afloat, I worked along as a servant of the slaves. There, bruised and confused, bleeding, diseased, I was the epitome of the degenerate man. I remembered the words of my mother. I cried out to God, the only way I knew, calling upon His grace and His mercy to deliver me, and upon His son to save me. The only glimmer of light I would find was in a crack in the ship in the floor above me, and I looked up to it and screamed for help. God heard me. Thirty-one years passed, I married a childhood sweetheart. I entered the ministry. In every place that I served, rooms had to be added to the building to handle the crowds that came to hear the gospel that was presented and the story of God's grace in my life. My tombstone above my head reads, "Born 1725, died 1807. A clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he once long labored to destroy." I decided before my death to put my life's story in verse. And that verse has become a hymn. My name? John Newton. The hymn? "Amazing Grace." Perhaps you need to call out to His amazing grace today also! It is available even to the worst of sinners. Trust in Him today!

Ob Portu

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV). In 1269 Kublai Khan sent a request from Peking to Rome for “a hundred wise men of the Christian religion… And so I shall be baptized, and when I shall be baptized all my baron and great men will be baptized, and their subjects baptized, and so there will be more Christians here than there are in your parts.” The Mongols were then wavering in the choice of a religion. It might have been, as Kublai forecast, the greatest mass religious movement the world has ever seen. The history of all Asia would have been changed. However, the opportunity was lost. Pope Gregory X answered by sending two Dominican friars. They got as far as Armenia, could endure no longer and returned home. So passed the great missionary opportunity in the history of the church. Much has been said about “opportunity.” Some have come to believe that they could have done so much better in their lives if they would have had a better opportunity. While it is true that some people do not have the same advantages as others, there is ample proof that a person’s past circumstances does not determine success. The truth is that we often fail simply because we don’t take advantage of what IS before us! In the days before modern harbors, a ship had to wait for the flood tide before it could make it to port. The term for this situation in Latin was ob portu, that is, a ship standing over off a port, waiting for the moment when it could ride the turn of the tide to harbor. The English word opportunity is derived from this original meaning. The captain and the crew were ready and waiting for that one moment for they knew that if they missed it, they would have to wait for another tide to come in. Shakespeare turned this background of the exact meaning of opportunity into one of his most famous passages. It’s from Julius Caesar, Act 4, Scene 3: There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures. Regardless of your past, look for those present opportunities that God has placed before you and move forward in them. It may be very subtle and seemingly small, however each step taken in faith leads to more and more blessing. It is never too late to catch your “tide.” God constantly provides us with opportunity. Seize yours today!

Just A-Swingin'

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25-37 ESV). A city councilman in Erie, Pennsylvania has identified an important issue. He thinks something should be done about it. His proposed remedy won’t work. Jim Casey thinks a relationship with one’s neighbors is important. On his view, television, computers, and other devices that tend to close us in our houses or apartments have made neighborliness obsolete for many people. Security, civility, and quality of life would be enhanced if people got to know each other. So Casey put an idea before the Erie City Council to study whether it should require all new homes in that city to be built with front porches. “We need to get out and meet our neighbors,” he said. “If porches can help us get back to that good quality of living, then good.” I can just see it now – everyone in Erie, just a-swingin’ on their front porches! It would be great if it was that simple, wouldn’t it? But front porches don’t change people’s hearts. It takes a lot more than that! This is the point of Jesus’ teaching in our reading this morning. The point of the parable is that a basic flaw in the fallen nature of man is a lack of respect for one another. According to Jesus, the way to love your neighbor is to take a risk, extend a hand, and do something positive in the life of a person outside your customary circle of friends. In your neighborhood, workplace, or church, you know who and where “they” are. This week is your chance to approach just one. There’s someone waiting for you to be a “Good Samaritan” to today. Find them and help them!

Connecting With Others

The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly. A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:23-24 ESV). Loneliness is a growing problem in our society. A study by the American Council of Life Insurance reported that the loneliest groups in America are college students. That’s surprising! Next on the list are divorced people, welfare recipients, single mothers, rural students, housewives, and the elderly. To point out how lonely people can be, Charles Swindoll mentioned an ad in a Kansas newspaper. It read, “I will listen to you talk for 30 minutes without comment for $5.” Swindoll said, “Sounds like a hoax, doesn’t it? But the person was serious. Did anybody call? You bet. It wasn’t long before this individual was receiving 10 to 20 calls a day. The pain of loneliness was so sharp that some were willing to try anything for a half hour of companionship.” It is amazing that so much has been said in recent years about friendship. You would think, with the ability to “connect” so easily with so many people from all over the world, that finding a friend would be no challenge at all. However, the opposite seems to be true. In such a crowded world there are many that need a friend and simply can’t find one. Some have offered that they simply aren’t friendly. That provides an easy excuse for not befriending another, but it does not solve the problem at all! We are called on in the Body of Christ to be that close brother to another, to be a friend. I like the following paragraph of definition from Bits and Pieces: Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with them. They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. They do not want you to be better or worse. When you are with them, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, as long as it is genuinely you. Friends understand those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With them you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meanness and absurdities, and in opening them up to friends, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of their loyalty. They understand. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse them, neglect them, and tolerate them. Best of all, you can keep still with them. It makes no matter. They like you. They are like fire that purges to the bone. They understand. You can weep with them, sing with them, laugh with them, and pray with them. Through it all—and underneath—they see, know, and love you. A friend? What is a friend? Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself. Do you have such a person as that in your life? Are you such a person in another’s life? You can be. You should be. Ask God to bring a friend into your life today, AND ask the Lord to show you someone to be a friend to today!

Always Positive

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! (Psalm 84:11-12 ESV). Why are some people always positive and others are not? Everyone has the ability to be happy and positive. All of us make a decision when we first wake up in the morning whether or not the day is going to be a positive day, a negative day, or a miserable day. It is a choice we make. What happens during that day or what your responsibilities are have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you have a positive day. You make the choice on how to deal with things that occur, and how you approach problems and opportunities. Here are some suggestions to have a positive day keep the following in mind:  Every problem has a solution. No matter how difficult a problem seems to be there is a solution. Keep looking until you find it. Even putting something “on hold” is a solution of sorts.  Failures always lead to learning something you can use later. Failure is never final when you are a child of God. Failures are momentary setbacks.  Many times you must take a step back before you take two steps forward. That step back may be a launching pad for one of the biggest steps forward you have ever taken.  After a crisis is always an opportunity. God’s promise to us is to work ALL things toward our good!  You control your thoughts and feelings. Don’t let past failures or future fears rob you of your present joy.  You make the choices that determine your fate. Don’t let outward circumstance rob you of your inward joy. Let me suggest a few things to do as soon as you wake up each morning:  Wake up, look out the window and see how beautiful the morning sun is.  Say to yourself, "I am going to have a great day today".  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, eat a breakfast.  Tell your spouse and children you love them.  Plan your day and set your daily goals.  Listen to music that makes you feel energized.  Smile and get on with your wonderful day. The world is a beautiful place. There is an opportunity around every turn. No wonder David could say: No good thing will the LORD withhold from those who do what is right. O LORD Almighty, happy are those who trust in you. Trust in Him to make your day wonderful today. Believe that it will be so and no matter what happens; know that there are good things in His plan for you. Walk in that confidence and your day will be positively GREAT!

Good Gifts to His Children

“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). Sometimes it’s easy to take things for granted. When we do, it is also easy to loose sight of the protective care and love of our heavenly Father. Recently I read an excerpt from a book by James Kennedy. It’s kind of a "Did you know?" piece that puts the simplest gifts given to us in perspective. He writes: The world in which live shows clearly the care and concern of God. Here’s why: If our earth were just 10% closer to the sun we would burn up. If it were 10% farther from the sun we would freeze to death. If the moon were one fifth closer to the earth we would have 50-foot tidal waves twice a day covering most of the earth’s surface. Now here’s something I did not know. Most liquids contract when they freeze. Yet, when water freezes, it expands! If it didn’t, all of the lakes (and there are lots of em’) and rivers would freeze from the bottom up and all of the fish would be killed. We live on something like an apple. The solid part of the earth is relatively thinner than the skin of an apple. Most of the rest of the earth is molten lava capable of burning us instantly to a cinder. Above us there are ultra violet rays and other rays also capable of destroying us. We are protected from the heat below and we are protected from the killer rays above by the atmosphere, and definitely by the hand of a higher being. Our balanced atmosphere with 21% oxygen is just right for humans to breathe and just thick enough to keep us from being killed by millions of meteorites that constantly strike this planet every year and are burned up in our atmosphere! Be careful that you don’t just read these facts and come away with a “That’s nice, so what?” attitude. It underscores the love and care of God for us. When I get the feeling that God has forgotten me, or worse, that He is punishing me, it is helpful to do two things. First, I always go directly to Him. Sounds silly to be reminded of that fundamental principle. But, most of the time we forget to go to the real source of life. Like David did when he found himself feeling abandoned, I cry out to the Lord. Second, I ask Him for His gifts of life. There are those times when I have made mistakes that have brought some consequence of difficulty into my life. However, God’s desire for me is to lift me out of those things and place me back on a path of peace and joy. He delights in giving to all of His children good gifts. We turn ourselves toward the negative so quickly and play the part of martyrs. Jesus died so that we might have life. Trust in that truth. As you read the things God did in the creation to insure that we would be safe on earth, does it sound like He wants to hurt us? Of course not! He wants to give us good things. Ask for them! Accept them!

A Lesson from Bagger Vance

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:14-20 ESV). There is a scene in the movie The Legend of Bagger Vance where Randolph Junuh, played by Matt Damon, who is in the match of his life (which involves more than golf), has driven his ball deep into the dark woods with only a small opening to the green. Because of his war experiences, Junuh has lost his nerve and not sure he has what it takes to play the game of golf as the phenomenon he once was. As he stands over the ball trembling from memories of war, his angelic caddie, Bagger Vance, played by Will Smith, says to Junuh, “Lay down your burden and play the game you were meant to play.” And, of course, because its Hollywood, he concentrates and relaxes and hits the shot of the tournament. There are many such scenes in the movie. Some of them provide far more than entertainment. This is one such scene. There is a key principle of life revealed to Junuh by this angelic caddie. It is the same lesson that Paul teaches to the Corinthians in our reading this morning. The whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 12 details the importance of being what God intended you to be. Whatever gift God has given to you is essential to the whole of the community in which you have settled. Like parts of the body, everyone is important. When you accept your “part,” there is meaning. When you try to be another “part,” there will not only be frustration and a lack of meaning for you, but also the community will not function as it has been designed. I am aware that growth comes from accepting a challenge and stretching our abilities. We need to do that sometimes. We should attempt new endeavors occasionally, if for no other reason to be reminded that we are in the right place doing the right thing, the thing we were meant to do. When I left the full-time pastorate, there were many moments that I wondered if I was being “wasted.” It wasn’t until I discovered that being the “part” God designed me to be had nothing to do with job titles that I discovered contentment. Using your gifts to the fullest of God’s design is not a matter of position, but relationship. When I began to realize and accept that truth, real success and joy began to come to me in a way that is often indescribable. I wonder if you have discovered your gifts? If not, seek out a wise friend who can help you see past the surface things of your life and discover the game you were meant to play. When you do, you’ll make the shot of your lifetime!

Hittin' the Trail

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8 ESV). Having lived in Parker County, Texas, for many years, I came to learn and enjoy some of the local history of the area. Being just a little west of Ft. Worth, Texas, we had been called the gateway to the West. There is good reason to have taken that designation. There have been many movies made over the years that focused on the men and women who made the trek west with their cattle. One of those trails taken to market was the Goodnight-Loving Trail, which started near Weatherford. It ran from Young County, Texas, southwest to Horsehead Crossing on the Pecos River, up the Pecos to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and on north to Colorado. In the spring and early summer of 1866 Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving drove their first herd of longhorn cattle over the Butterfield Overland Mail route from near Fort Belknap via the Middle Concho River and Castle Gap, to Horsehead, which is on some old maps as Dead Horse Crossing. Leaving the former mail route there, they worked up the Pecos, crossing it occasionally, as the terrain and watering places required. They drove a second herd, bought from John S. Chisum, from his Concho River range to Fort Sumner later that same summer. Today you can visit some of those sites and almost see the cattle as they moved their way to market. It is easy to imagine the cattle, the drovers, and the wagons, the sounds and sights of the drive! Looking off to the horizon you can follow the groove cut into the ground by the hooves of the cattle and the wagon wheels as they followed the herd. No wonder that surveyors later would use those very trails as the basis for railroads and highways! They were so plainly set in earth as to be unmistakable. The same is true of the trails in our mind. If you think about something long enough it will develop a “rut.” That can be a very positive thing in our lives. Paul instructs us to make those ruts in our mind. Thinking on the good things of life brings us to peace and happiness. Just like that early trail drives; our thoughts cannot be sporadic or momentary. Those early cowboys signed on to ride to the end of the trail. It was constant until they reached their destination. There were days of good weather and days of storm, but they stayed on the trail. We need to fill our minds with those good thoughts every moment of the day. These are the lovely things of promise that are found in the Scripture. They are the beautiful things that God has revealed to us through His creation. They are the affirmations that have come to us through the kindness and grace of others God has allowed to come into our lives to encourage and help us. These are the trails that take us to peace. What trails have you run through you mind? If they aren’t leading to happiness, get on another trail today!

The Fountain of Youth

Though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O LORD, are on high forever. For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92:7-15 ESV). Men have been searching for the “fountain of youth” for centuries. It seems that some manufacturers believe they have found such an elixir! To the befuddlement of scientists and regulators, many of the largest food manufacturers are embellishing their products with the active ingredients found in dietary supplements and traditional herbal medicines, some of which may not be effective, or even safe. Major brands like Snapple now promise to "enlighten your senses" by brewing herbs like ginkgo biloba into bottles of iced tea. Celestial Seasonings urges consumers to steep away their stresses with kava, a sedative root from the South Seas now found in its Tension Tamer cocktail. Even Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble are working on fruit-flavored tonics to soothe the pain of aging baby boomers with stiff knees by adding glucosamine, a building block of cartilage. The SoBe beverage line of PepsiCo offers elixirs with herbs like St. John's wort, appealing to New Age enthusiasts looking for Wisdom and Karma, as the drinks are called. And Dannon is working on a new super-yogurt intended to enhance the immune system. Ever since the advent of vitamin enriched white bread and fortified milk, companies have been bolstering drinks and foods with vitamins and minerals, drawing on decades of scientific research. Initial steps taken by Coke and Pepsi into nutraceuticals, as the new foods and beverages are called, could not have been more different. Pepsi acquired the South Beach Beverage Company in 2001. Since then, it has brought drinks like SoBe Adrenaline Rush, which contains the stimulant guarana, into dozens of new markets, hoping to attract the college crowd in search of a late night lift. On the other end of the spectrum, Coke formed a partnership with Procter & Gamble earlier in the year. They planned to introduce a drink called Elations, which promised to ease the aches and pains of the nation's aging population. Each bottle of Elations was to contain 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine, a dietary supplement that has been popular among people with arthritis for years. A study published in the British journal Lancet suggested that glucosamine slowed cartilage erosion, and Elations is being tested in Cape Coral, Fla., under the slogan "Joy for Joints." Douglas N. Daft, Coke's chief executive, has depicted Elations as the equivalent of youth in a bottle, and hopes it will eventually be available in every gas station, supermarket and convenience store in America. "Baby boomers don't want to grow old," Mr. Daft said. "They're looking for the very thing that will help that desire, something that will make the joints ache a little less." How tragic that we will not listen to the truth of God! There is no magic elixir that will eliminate physical aging. The “fountain of youth” is to be found in a spiritual sense through godly living. This is not to say that a godly lifestyle will eliminate or inhibit physical aging or illness. In fact, it won’t! But, it will produce strength of mind and spirit that allows for happiness in the face of our frailties. God’s concern today is our “inner” spirit, not the outward frame that surrounds it. There will be a day for our bodies to be transformed. Today, He wants to transform our spirits. Allow Him to transplant you into His courts and watch how you will flourish!

Hot Pockets

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:1-8 ESV). Picture a scene from the Old West, sometime in the 1870s. Weary cowboys in dusty Levi’s gather around a blazing campfire after a day on the open range. The lonely howl of a coyote counterpoints the notes of a guitar as the moon floats serenely overhead. Suddenly a bellow of pain shatters the night, as a cowboy leaps away from the fire, dancing in agony. Hot-Rivet Syndrome has claimed another victim. In those days, Levi’s were made, as they had been from the first days of Levi Strauss, with copper rivets at stress points to provide extra strength. On these original Levi’s (model 501) the crotch rivet was the critical one: when cowboys crouched too long beside the campfire, the rivet grew uncomfortably hot. For years the brave men of the West suffered this curious occupational hazard. Then, in 1933, Walter Haas, Sr., president of Levi Strauss, went camping in his Levi 501’s. He was crouched by a crackling campfire in the High Sierras, drinking in the pure mountain air, when he fell prey to Hot-Rivet Syndrome. He consulted with professional wranglers in his party. Had they suffered the same mishap? An impassioned YES was the reply. Haas vowed that the offending rivet must go, and at their next meeting the board of directors voted it into extinction. Sometimes it’s easy to ignore others in their troubles, at least until it directly affects us! The Apostle Paul very clearly teaches us that it is our responsibility to share others’ troubles and problems. When one person in the fellowship suffers it does directly affect all of us. We cannot afford to ignore their problems. This is not the business of the busybody either. He uses two words to help us keep the proper attitude when helping another. We are to be gentle and humble. These are characteristics that are often missing in the accountability groups of our day. I have found it only takes one “camping trip” when you’re wearing your own Levis to realize that we are all vulnerable to temptation and sin! Who do you need to help today?

Back to School

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. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. (Proverbs 3:5-10 ESV). It’s almost time to get ready for another school year. Usually before school starts Tennessee will have a sales-tax-free-day. It is designed to help parents get more for their money as they buy school clothes and supplies for their children. It really is a good idea. However, as I was looking at some of the advertising, it amazed me how much a child “needs” to go to school these days. The impression is that unless your child has backpacks, accessories, clothes, and supplies all from the “right” manufacturer, they cannot be successful in school. Of course, this isn’t a new thought. Wearing the “right” clothes has always been a part of the rite of passage for our children. This year, however, I’d like to suggest a different approach. There are some that would caution you against any form of “name brands.” They would call such materialism and therefore sinful. It can be. But, there is another way to approach all of your purchases. In her book, Discipline, the Glad Surrender, Elisabeth Elliot reveals four meaningful lessons to be learned from the discipline of our possessions: The first lesson is that God gives all things. Because God gives us things indirectly by enabling us to make them with our own hands (out of things He has made, of course) or to earn the money to buy them. We are prone to forget that He gave them to us. We should be thankful. Thanksgiving requires the recognition of the Source. It implies contentment with what is given, not complaint...it excludes covetousness. The third lesson is that things can be material for sacrifice. The Father pours out His blessings on us; we, His creatures, receive them with open hands, give thanks, and lift them up as an offering back to Him. This lesson leads naturally to the fourth, which is that things are given to us to enjoy for awhile. What is not at all fitting or proper is that we should set our hearts on them. Temporal things must be treated as temporal things, received, given thanks for, offered back but enjoyed.” Don’t “keep up with the Jones’.” Teach your children the value of the gifts of God. Teach them to be thankful for the things God has allowed you to possess and the true value of those things. Above all, teach your children that their value is based on their inward character and not on their outward appearances. Instill in them an unshakable knowledge of your love and acceptance.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:2-4 ESV). In one of the most bizarre games in college football history on November 11, 1939, Texas Tech and Centenary racked up an amazing seventy-seven punts. Yes, you read it right - seventy-seven punts! Texas Tech punted thirty-nine times, Centenary thirty-eight times, both hitting the all-time record list. Sixty-seven punts were made on first down, including twenty-two in a row in the third and fourth quarters. Texas Tech finished with minus one yard of offense; Centenary rolled up a big thirty yards total. The final score was 0-0. Nobody won, nobody lost, and nobody took many risks. Victory requires that we take risks. When the late Nadine Stair, of Louisville, Kentucky, was 85 years old, she was asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again. “I’d make more mistakes next time,” she said. “I’d relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I’d have fewer imaginary ones. “You see, I’m one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, and a raincoat. If I had to do it over again, I would travel lighter than I have. “If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.” Teddy Roosevelt said it best: “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Perhaps today is a day for you to determine to get up and take a risk. No one who trusts in the Lord will be disgraced. What risks is the Lord asking you to take today? Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Go for it!

White as Snow

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. (Isaiah 1:17-19 ESV). Jay Leno tells a wonderful story from his family. It illustrates the need to let go of the past and be free from false guilt: Biologically speaking, I came late to the party. When I was born, my mother was 41, my dad was 42 and my brother was already ten. This built-in generation gap probably defined me every bit as much as my distinctly peculiar blood mix. My mother, Catherine, was born in Scotland. My father, Angelo, was a first-generation Italian-American. I seem to be divided right down the middle. My Scottish side is practical, analytical, even a bit frugal. My Italian side is loud, outgoing, ready to laugh (and be laughed at). As an immigrant, my mother lived in constant fear of deportation. You could miss up to four questions on the citizenship test, and Mom missed five. The question she flunked on was: “What is the Constitution of the United States?” The answer she gave was: “A boat.” Which wasn’t entirely wrong. The USS Constitution was docked in Boston. But the judge instantly denied her citizenship. My father stormed up to the judge. “What the hell is this? Let me see the test! She’s not wrong, the Constitution is a boat!” The judge rolled his eyes and said, “No, the Constitution is the basic governing—” “It’s also a boat in Boston! The Constitution! Same thing! Come on!” The judge finally couldn’t take any more. He said, “Fine. She’s a citizen. Now get out of here!” So my father said to my mom, “you passed!” “No, I didn’t pass,” she whimpered. “They’re going to come after me!” From then on, any time my mother was even in the proximity of a policeman, she quaked with fear. When I took her to Scotland in 1983, she asked me, “Will I be able to get back in?” “Ma! Don’t worry! That was 50 years ago! They don’t know that you said a boat!” It never ended. I think we are much harder on ourselves that God is! Even though the judge had granted citizenship, Leno’s mom just couldn’t believe it! The devil would like us to believe that we live in constant danger of falling out of favor with God. This is especially true when we fail to live as we ought. The key is in our understanding that God has forgiven us based on what Jesus has already done, not on our merit. Grace rests in Him, not us. Once we have been forgiven, we have been adopted into His family. That will NEVER change! You may need to restore your relationship through daily confession and repentance, but the relationship is never changed. Let Him make you whiter than snow today and enjoy the glory of being His child!

Get Up Fighters

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. (1 Timothy 6:11-15 ESV). News anchor Dan Rather admits he was always fascinated by the sport of boxing, even though he was never good at it. “In boxing you’re on your own; there’s no place to hide,” he says. “At the end of the match only one boxer has his hand up. That’s it. He has no one to credit or to blame except himself.” Rather, who boxed in high school, says his coach’s greatest goal was to teach his boxers that they absolutely, positively, without question, had to be “get up” fighters. “If you’re in a ring just once in your life, completely on your own, and you get knocked down but you get back up again, it’s an never-to-be-forgotten experience. Your sense of achievement is distinct and unique. And sometimes the only thing making you get up is someone in your corner yelling.” Like boxing, we don’t need to go through life alone. There are many experiences that we face that seem insurmountable. However, our promise from God is that we will never be left alone to face them. Like David who went on to the battlefield to face Goliath, he walked out from the ranks of the other soldiers alone, but he was never truly by himself. His faith and trust in God’s presence led him to victory through the challenge. Yes, he threw the sling, but God gave him the strength for the victory. So it is in our lives. There are others in our corner as well. God has placed men and women in our path that act as our coaches and trainers. Often we find it difficult to recognize them, but they are there. God’s promise to never leave us alone is fulfilled through their presence as well. We have someone in our corner! Life has a way of knocking us down from time to time. Perhaps it’s because of some poor choices you have made in the past, or it may be just life itself. Either way, we must not stay down. Listen to the people in your corner. God always provides encouragement to be “get up fighters.” A young man who had grown weary in the fight, whether he ought to give up the struggle once asked an elderly lady. “I am beaten every time,” he said dolefully. “I feel I must give up.” “Did you ever notice,” she replied, smiling into the troubled face before her, “that when the Lord told the discouraged fishermen to cast their nets again, it was right in the same old spot where they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing?”

Lost Treasure

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. (Proverbs 22:1-2 ESV). All of us have those special “treasures” in our lives. One of them for me personally is my college ring. I remember the day that I was able to go to the student affairs office and pick it up. It had been ordered for many months and that day was one of the highlights of my college career. To put it on and walk on the campus now meant that I had joined the elite of Texas A & M University! At least it did to me. I can honestly say that there have been few times in my life that I have ever been without it. It seems to embody the memories and recollections of those days in a way that nothing else does. One day I had been working in the front yard of our home. As I recall, we only had two of our boys at that time. They were ages 8 and 3. For whatever reason I glanced down at my ring finger and noticed that my Aggie Ring was gone! I went back into the house and asked Mary and the boys to come outside and help me look. The front yard was of fair size, but we looked, sometimes on hands and knees for the ring. Finally after searching for some time, one of the boys said, “Here it is Dad!” The relief was incredible! My lost treasure had been found. I suppose I should have been more careful about wearing it outside when I knew that I would have moist hands and the possibility of losing it was high. I think about that now! As I read this morning’s verses, I thought how careless we are with other treasures in our lives. Things that are of much more value than a college ring, like personal integrity, a friend’s trust, a child’s respect, our family’s love, our relationship with our heavenly Father, ought to be guarded much more so. Once these things are lost it is very difficult to recover them! It is often a challenge to do what’s right, but it is always best. During his time as a rancher, Theodore Roosevelt and one of his cowpunchers lassoed a maverick steer, lit a fire, and prepared the branding irons. Gregor Lang, one of Roosevelt’s neighbors, claimed the part of the range they were on. According to the cattleman’s rule, the steer therefore belonged to Lang. As his cowboy applied the brand, Roosevelt said, “Wait, it should be Lang’s brand.” ”That’s all right, boss,” said the cowboy. ”But you’re putting on my brand,” Roosevelt said. ”That’s right,” said the man. ”Drop that iron,” Roosevelt demanded, “and get back to the ranch and get out. I don’t need you anymore. A man who will steal for me will steal from me.” Are there any treasures you’ve lost or misplaced? Do whatever it takes to find them! A good name – it’s better than silver or gold!

Get Him Back in the Air

My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked. (Proverbs 24:13-19 ESV). One of my all-time favorite movies is Top Gun. The story details the lives of naval aviators. The central character, Maverick, goes through a difficult time and his commanding officer is concerned that he will never fly again. Perhaps you remember the scene when he tells another officer, concerning Maverick: “Get him back in the air!” It was his way of saying, don’t let his fear of loss overcome his potential for success. It reminded me of the importance of not quitting in life. When we believe in something, even when there are setbacks, we must press on. Here's a story that reminded me of that truth: Seven horses were entered in the Feast of St. Raymond Novices' Chase at Southwell, England. I don't know anything about "St. Raymond," but what happened that day may just qualify him as the Patron of Unlikely Victories. The favorite in the race was a horse named Family Business. Jockey Tony McCoy was in the saddle and set to ride him over the course to victory. Things went reasonably well until a mistake on the tenth of seventeen fences sent McCoy flying. He landed on the muddy ground, threw off his helmet in disgust, and started walking his horse off the course. Glancing up occasionally at the other horses and riders, he saw first one and then another slip on the wet turf. To make a long story short, not a single one of the original seven covered the course without tumbling. It looked more like bowling than steeplechase! "I started walking back toward the weighing room," said McCoy, "and there was one less standing every time I looked. I thought maybe I should get back up and see what happens." So, four minutes after being thrown, he got back on Family Business, re-jumped Fence 10, and completed the 3 1/16-mile course. Tony McCoy wound up the winning rider, although with an incredibly slow time. He was more than four minutes slower than the average time for races run on the same track. Resolve proved to be more important than speed that day. You may be facing some setback in your life today. Whatever it is, however difficult it may seem, get back in the air! Trust the Lord and turn to Him, He will see you through whatever challenges you are facing.

Kudzu

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:1-10 ESV). I have marveled at the growth of a certain vine along the roadsides I have traveled in the South. It is called “Kudzu.” I’m sure you have seen it also as it has spread throughout the highways of the Southern States. Kudzu was originally imported from Japan in 1876 to landscape a garden at the Japanese Pavilion at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. In the early 1900's, this vine was discovered to be excellent forage for cows, pigs, and goats in the South in acidic soils and during seasons of drought. It was also promoted as cover for erosion control in gullies. The distribution of kudzu in the United States today extends from Connecticut to Missouri and Oklahoma, south to Texas and Florida. Before 1970, kudzu was planted along Missouri highways to control erosion and some farmers experimented with kudzu for livestock fodder. This vine grows up to one foot per day in early summer and can cover everything in its path. In the South, it has become destructive to the point of pulling down power poles, breaking power lines, collapsing buildings and killing trees. It is very difficult to kill. In fact, Dr. James H. Miller says of the vine: “It can not be over emphasized that total eradication of kudzu is necessary to prevent re-growth. As with most aggressive exotic species, eradication requires persistence in monitoring and thoroughness in treating patches during a multi-year program. Revegetation of sites following treatment is an important last step to ensure that any residual kudzu does not reestablish.” Sin is like that in our lives. We don’t start out in our lives to cover ourselves in disobedience. No one I have ever known desires to fail in their spiritual lives. However, one little thing leads to another, and soon our entire spirits are crushed and hidden under the burden of guilt and sin. There is only one way to get rid of it. Treat it like Kudzu! Totally eradicate it from your life. And, continue to monitor your life to pull out any sprouts that might begin to appear. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you!” Do you have any “Kudzu” that needs rooting out today? Turn to the Lord now.

Covered With His Hand

And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 33:21-23 ESV). There are many things that happen in our lives that tempt us to doubt the goodness of God. In our reading this morning, Moses wanted to see God’s face. It was a request to know God in a way that would dispel all doubt from his mind about the direction that God had given him to follow. God denied that request, instead giving him protection and a blessing. Sometimes we don’t understand God’s provision. Michael J. Petri tells a story that he recalls from an eastern paper several years ago: “One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up, the truck did too. The faster she drove, the faster the truck did. Now scared, she exited the freeway. But the truck stayed with her. The woman then turned up a main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase. Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her auto screaming for help. The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver pulled out a man hidden in the back seat. The woman was running from the wrong person. From his high vantage-point, the truck driver had spotted a would-be rapist in the woman’s car. The chase was not his effort to harm her but to save her even at the cost of his own safety.” Circumstances can cause us to think like that woman. Corrie Ten Boom clarified the issue for us. She wrote: “Often I have heard people say, ‘How good God is! We prayed that it would not rain for our church picnic, and look at the lovely weather!’ Yes, God is good when He sends good weather. But God was also good when He allowed my sister, Betsie, to starve to death before my eyes in a German concentration camp. I remember one occasion when I was very discouraged there. Everything around us was dark, and there was darkness in my heart. I remember telling Betsie that I thought God had forgotten us. ‘No, Corrie,’ said Betsie, ‘He has not forgotten us. Remember His Word: “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.” ” Corrie concludes, “There is an ocean of God’s love available—there is plenty for everyone. May God grant you never to doubt that victorious love—whatever the circumstances.” Whatever your circumstances today, let God hide you in the cleft of the Rock and cover you with His hand. He will protect you and keep you through every trial and trouble. Trust in His care!

But I Thought

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV). On the night of July 25, 1956, at 11:10 p.m., 45 miles south of Nantucket Island, the Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria and the Swedish ocean liner Stockholm collided in a heavy Atlantic fog. Fifty-one passengers and crew were killed in the collision which ripped a great hole in the broad side of the Italian vessel. Both ships were equipped with sophisticated radar systems, and authorities were puzzled as to the cause of the accident. The Stockholm was just beginning its journey home to Sweden from New York, while the Andrea Doria was steaming in the opposite direction. The Italian liner had been in an intermittent fog since midafternoon, but Captain Piero Calami only slightly reduced his speed, relying on his ship's radar to get him to his destination safely and on schedule. Captain H. Gunnar Nordenson, who risked encountering westbound vessels in the name of reducing travel time, meanwhile, directed the Stockholm, north of its recommended route. The Stockholm also had radar and expected no difficulty in navigating past approaching vessels. It failed to anticipate, however, that a ship like the Andrea Doria could be hidden until the last few minutes by a fogbank. Less than a mile away, Captain Calami realized he was on a collision course with the Stockholm and turned hard to the left, hoping to race past the bow of the Swedish ship. Both ships were too large and moving too fast to make a quick turn. At 10:09 a.m. on July 26, the Andrea Doria sank into the Atlantic. I can hear the captains of both the ships as they try to explain their actions of that night: “But I thought…” There were many mistakes made that resulted in this well-known naval tragedy. However, the saddest part of the story is that most, if not all, of them could have been avoided. As I read this morning’s verses, it occurred to me that a clear warning is being sounded to us today. We have been informed of what is necessary to gain eternal life very clearly. Nothing short of complete faith in the work of Christ is sufficient to save us. When the Day of Judgment comes there will be no acceptable excuses. Today, reflect on your relationship with the Lord. Are you trusting in Christ? Have you been born again? If there is any doubt in your mind, a simple prayer begins the process: Dear Jesus, forgive me of my sins and make me Your child. Start your journey today in His grace.

The Goldilocks of Life

But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. (Galatians 6:4 ESV). There is a wonderful lesson to be learned from the story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” I’m sure you remember the story. It has been a staple of childhood books for many years. Without retelling the story, let me focus your attention on the part of the story where Goldilocks finds her “just right” spot in the chairs, the food, and the bed of the story. Life is full of comparisons. It is only when we compare ourselves to the wrong things that we begin to develop negative feelings about ourselves. Often we quit on ourselves too soon because of the feelings of inferiority that come from these kinds of comparisons. Here are some practical suggestions to develop a “Goldilocks life.” 1. First, remember that who you are is more valuable than what you do. Your worth as a person is not based on your intelligence, your grades, how hard you work. It is enough to be you. 2. Second, respect and value the opinions of others, but realize that ultimately you must respect and satisfy yourself. Regardless of what others may tell you about whom you are, there are only two opinions that really count, the Lord’s and yours! Listen to the Holy Spirit as He directs you in your life. Rest in that counsel more than any other. 3. Third, remember you get what you get because you go where you go. All of us have trouble with impulsive behavior of one sort or another. Get into the habit of thinking about the consequences of your behavior before you begin to act. Make good choices by looking ahead. 4. Fourth, don't worry about or dwell on things that go wrong. You’ll make some bad choices along the way. Goldilocks chose badly twice each time before she finally was satisfied the third time. Don’t quit too soon! And, concentrate on your successes. Remember that little successes build up just as quickly as little failures. 5. Fifth, success takes time. Give yourself time to change. Forgive yourself for backsliding and making mistakes. Don't be a perfectionist. Make approaching your goals the basis of your self-respect rather than reaching your goals. Be willing to risk failure for something you really care about. Be willing to risk success, too! Positive self-esteem begins to develop as develop these traits. Wouldn’t it have been sad if Goldilocks had stopped just short of finding that “just right” place? Perhaps you have settled for that in your life. There is no reason to do so. Start your journey again. Don’t give up. Success is just up ahead!

From the Inside Out

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV). As we continue the series in developing a positive self-esteem, this morning’s reading reminds us that God looks at us from a different perspective than anyone else. When the Lord instructed Samuel to go to Jesse’s house and anoint the new king of Israel, all of his sons were brought out for him to look at. They were tall and strong. Samuel had no problem imagining that any of them would be a good choice for the new king. However, none of them fit God’s plan! At least none, until David was brought out for him to see. He was young and small. From all outward appearances David was not a good choice. Yet, God saw David from the perspective of what he was inwardly, not outwardly. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” It is a reminder that confidence and self-esteem comes from within. Don’t take undue criticism, especially from yourself! Here’s some practical things you can do to start living from the inside out: 1. First, remember that confident people have bad moments too. No one is immune from an occasional bout with doubt. David must have had many such moments. As we read the psalms, some of those times were apparent. However, the key for him was in remembering that God was much larger and greater than any doubt he may have about himself. Positive self-esteem is not perfection. Don’t be too hard on yourself. 2. Second, believe in yourself. If you're saying things to yourself like "You're no good at anything" then rest assured, you're wrong. Everyone can compose a sentence, get successfully to the store, and eat without choking. Don't let yourself make sweeping statements about yourself. In the long run it is this sort of thing that can really damage your self-image. Building self-esteem is not just about thinking good of yourself; it's about not thinking bad for no reason! 3. Third, life is a journey. Just because you have felt bad about yourself in the past doesn't mean you're always going to feel that way. Once you learn how to build self-confidence in a way that it stays built, you will find yourself truly changing. 4. Fourth, don’t give up. Persevere and don't expect everything at once. I wonder where David might have been if he had quit his dream of being king after the first attack of Saul. Begin with these things and more and more you will be able to see what God sees. He has a special dream for you. Trust in Him and follow Him to the throne He has reserved for you!

The Promised Land

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. (Psalm 25:8-14 ESV). The history of Israel is the story of God’s faithfulness to His promises. A Hebrew kingdom was established in 1000 BC. It was later split into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, and Alexander the Great of Macedonia subsequently invaded them. By AD 135, few Jews were left in Palestine; most lived in the scattered and tenacious communities of the Diaspora. Palestine became a center of Christian pilgrimage after the emperor Constantine converted to that faith. The Arabs took Palestine from the Byzantine Empire in AD 634–40. Interrupted only by Christian Crusaders, Muslims ruled Palestine until the 20th century with a Turkish rule from 1516. During World War I, British forces defeated the Turks in Palestine and governed the area under a League of Nations mandate from 1923. As part of the 19th-century Zionist movement, Jews had begun settling in Palestine as early as 1820. This effort to establish a Jewish homeland had received British approval in the Balfour Declaration of 1917. During the 1930s, Jews persecuted by the Hitler regime poured into Palestine. The postwar acknowledgment of the Holocaust, Hitler's genocide of 6 million Jews, increased international interest in and sympathy for the cause of Zionism. However, Arabs in Palestine and surrounding countries bitterly opposed prewar and postwar proposals to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish sectors. The British mandate to govern Palestine ended after the war, and in 1947 the UN voted to partition Palestine. When the British officially withdrew on May 14, 1948, the Jewish National Council proclaimed the State of Israel. U.S. recognition came within hours. The next day, Arab forces from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded the new nation. By the cease-fire on Jan. 7, 1949, Israel had increased its original territory by 50%, taking western Galilee, a broad corridor through central Palestine to Jerusalem, and part of modern Jerusalem. Even though there is still controversy and conflict in the Middle East, it cannot be denied that God has been faithful to return the Jews to their Promised Land. He keeps His promises. Of course there are many different lessons we may find interesting from a study of the return of the Jews to Israel, however the main principle I’d like to show you today is in the faithfulness of God to His word. As Christians we have a “Promised Land” also. For every believer in Jesus Christ, we have a hope in heaven that will be fulfilled. It is that hope, that promise that encourages and motivates me to walk in the joy of victory. When the enemy comes, and come he will, that promise provides the strength to endure every trial. As you think about the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel, remember there is coming a day of fulfillment for you as well! Trust in His word!

Secret Languages and Mstery Messages

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:14-16 ESV). Moparopyop hopadop a lopitoptoplope lopamopbop. Translated that means “Mary had a little lamb” in the secret language of Opish. Have you ever thought of using a language all your own? How about Na, or Skimono Jive? If you speak a secret language, no one will understand a word you say until you tell them how it's done. Perhaps you remember using “Pig Latin” when you were young. I've used “Mary had a little lamb” for each of the following examples.  Eggy-Peggy - This secret language is used mostly in England. Add “egg” before each vowel. Example: “Meggary heggad egga leggittle leggamb.”  Gree - Add “gree” to the end of every word. Example: Marygree hadgree agree littlegree lambgree.  Na - Add “na” to the end of every word. Example: Maryna hadna ana littlena lambna.  Pig Latin - This is the most popular and well-known secret language. Move the first letter to the end of the word and add “ay” to it. Example: Arymay adhay aay ittlelay amblay.  Skimono Jive - Add “sk” to the beginning of every word. Example: Skmary skhad ska sklittle sklamb. While it is true that understanding the Scripture is sometimes difficult, the truth of God has not been hidden from us in a secret language or mystery code. He has given us all the knowledge we need for our every need in life. The key is in becoming lifetime students of God’s truth. Howard Hendricks shares this insight about the value of learning. “When I was a college student -- I worked in the college dining hall, and on my way to work at 5:30 every morning I walked past the home of one of my professors. Through a window I could see the light on at his desk, morning after morning. At night I stayed late at the library to take advantage of evening study hours, and returning home at 10:30 or 11 o'clock I would again see his desk light on. He was always pouring over his books. One day he invited me home for lunch, and after the meal I said to him, "Would you mind if I asked you a question?" "Of course not." "What keeps you studying? You never seem to stop." His answer, "Son, I would rather have my students drink from a running stream than a stagnant pool." What is your life more like, a running stream or a stagnant pool? Having read this little devotional is certainly a step in the direction of being a student of the Scripture, but there is so much more. Commit yourself to a life of learning. It is not hidden from you!

Lessons From Garfield

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. (Proverbs 16:1-5; 18-19 ESV). It was the middle of June in 1978 that Garfield, the fat, lasagna-eating cat created by Jim Davis, first appeared in a comic strip. Few people who read the comics have not been amused at Garfield’s antics, however we can learn some things from him. He epitomizes pride and arrogance. It is not a virtue to be emulated! Solomon was very clear about the destructive influence of pride in our text this morning. David Rhodes said it another way: “Pride is the dandelion of the soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left behind sprouts again. Its seeds lodge in the tiniest encouraging cracks. And it flourishes in good soil: The danger of pride is that it feeds on goodness.” It is a clear warning to us. Another man also known for his wisdom, Benjamin Franklin, settled on thirteen virtues, including the following: silence (“Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation”); frugality (“Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; that is, waste nothing”); industry (“Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions”); and, tranquillity (“Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or unavoidable”). He set up a book with a page for each virtue, lining a column in which to record “defects.” Choosing a different virtue to work on each week, he daily noted every mistake, starting over every thirteen weeks in order to cycle through the list four times a year. For many decades Franklin carried his little book with him, striving for a clean thirteen-week cycle. As he made progress, he found himself struggling with yet another defect. “There is perhaps no one of natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it. Struggle with it. Stifle it. Mortify it as much as one pleases. It is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself…even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.” How true! A U.S. Air Force transport plane with its captain and 5 crewmembers was flying over Alaska in the mid-50s when they entered an unusually fierce snowstorm. The navigator contacted an air base only to be told that he had veered several hundred miles off course. Correct coordinates were given to the navigator, who continued to insist that his own calculations could not be that far off. Soon the plane ran low on fuel. The six men decided to abandon the plane and parachute to safety, but because of the -70 degree Fahrenheit temperature and winds that gusted to 50 mph, they were all frozen within minutes of hitting the ground. As a result of the navigator’s pride, 5 other people went to their deaths. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.” (Proverbs 12:15). Perhaps you need to pull some dandelions out of your “garden” today. Begin by focusing only on Christ as your comparison. Then thank God for all the gifts He has given you, physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. Admit that without Him your really are nothing at all.

Message in a Bottle

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11 ESV). It took about a year for Marissa Risman, age 9, to send a letter from Massachusetts to France. But don't blame the post office: the letter went 3,000 miles by sea! Last year Marissa and her third-grade classmates wrote letters that were put in bottles and thrown into the Atlantic Ocean. Marissa's bottle washed up on the French coast in February. A couple found it and gave it to the local school children. They wrote to Marissa, asking her to write back: "We are very excited to know you better." Says Marissa: "I forgot I even sent the letter!" God sent you such a message many centuries ago. The difference is that He hasn’t forgotten that it was sent. You’ve heard the saying “It's the thought that counts.” The Cross Company has turned that into their slogan: "It's Still the Thought That Counts. It's Just That Some Count More Than Others." In eternity past God thought of us. Indeed, He prepared for the temptation and fall of man. His only Son was marked out to be the Lamb of God. His sacrifice makes it possible for us to enjoy life instead of suffering death. Many people have difficulty with the concept of grace. After hearing the gospel explained, people often say, "you mean there's nothing I can do to deserve it? That's too easy." It seems natural for people to object to the idea that God's unmerited favor can be given so freely to unworthy sinners. Many find it difficult to trust a God who offers salvation as a free gift. Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan told of a coal miner who came to him and said, "I would give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins, but I cannot believe that He will forgive them if I just ask Him. It is too cheap." Morgan said, "My dear friend, have you been working today?" "Yes, I was down in the mine." "How did you get out of the pit? Did you pay?" "Of course not. I just got into to cage and was pulled to the top." "Were you not afraid to entrust yourself to that cage? Was it not too cheap?" Morgan asked. "Oh no," said the miner, "it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink the shaft." Suddenly the truth struck him. What had not cost him anything, salvation, had not come cheap to God. This miner had never thought of the great price that God paid to send His Son so He could rescue fallen humanity. Now he realized that all anyone had to do was to "get into the cage" by faith. That’s the message sent to you centuries ago. It is not “love in a bottle,” but love on a Cross! Read His message and believe it today!

The Fourth of July

In 1993 Henry Bennett compiled the “Index of Leading Cultural Indicators” for the Heritage Foundation. I saw it reprinted recently. While it is dated, the statistics have only grown worse, not better in the intervening years. Among the findings, he stated since 1960, while the gross domestic product has nearly tripled, violent crime has increased at least 560%. Divorces have more than doubled. The percentage of children in single-parent homes had tripled. And by the end of the decade 40% of all American births and 80% of minority births will occur out of wedlock. In 1940 teachers identified the top problems in America’s schools as: talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise and running in the hall. In 1990, teachers listed drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide, rape and assault. He went on to say, “There is a coarseness, a callousness and a cynicism to our era. The worst of it has to do with our children. Our culture seems almost dedicated to the corruption of the young. We have become inured to the cultural rot that is setting in. People are losing their capacity for shock, disgust and outrage.” Solomon warned against this kind of development. A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother. (Proverbs 15:15-18 ESV). The King James Version translates the word “sluggard” as “sloth.” Ancients called it acedia, an aversion to spiritual things and an undue concern for the external and the worldly. It does not mean mere laziness. The slothful heart is steeped in the worldly and carnal, hates the spiritual and wants to be free of its demands. When the novelist Walker Percy was asked what concerned him most about America’s future, he answered, “Probably the fear of seeing America, with all its great strength and beauty and freedom gradually subside into decay through default and be defeated, not from without, but from within, from weariness, boredom, cynicism, greed and in the end helplessness before its great problems.” I realize this is a tough indictment. If my diagnosis is wrong, then why, amid our economic prosperity and military security, do almost 70% of the public say we are off track? I submit that only when we turn to the right things will life get better. We must return to the Gospel. It is the Gospel that provides us with moral bearings, and the solution to our chief problem of spiritual impoverishment. Today, much of society ridicules and mocks those who are serious about their faith. America’s only respectable form of bigotry is bigotry against people of faith. And the only reason for this hatred is that it forces us to confront matters many would prefer to ignore. Today we must carry on a new struggle for the country we love. We must push hard against an age that is pushing hard against us. Bennett ended his essay by writing: “If we have full employment and greater economic growth, if we have cities of gold and alabaster, but our children have not learned how to walk in goodness, justice and mercy, then the American experiment, no matter how gilded, will have failed.” I believe he is correct! We must not surrender!

Apollo 14

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. (Hebrews 10:36-39 ESV). Alan Shepard, Jr. was born in 1923 and died in 1998. He served on a destroyer during World War II and later had extensive experience as a test pilot. However, he is best known for his accomplishment on May 5, 1961. On that day, under the U.S. space program Project Mercury, he became the first American to be launched into space. His flight was a suborbital trip of 302 miles down the Atlantic missile range. He reached a height of 115 miles and performed several maneuvers of his capsule, Freedom 7, during the fifteen-minute flight. In 1971, he commanded the Apollo 14 lunar landing, becoming the fifth person to walk on the moon. In 1974, Shepard retired from both NASA and the U.S. navy as a rear admiral to enter private industry. With Deke Slayton, another original Mercury astronaut, he wrote Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon (1994). In his book he writes of his experiences as an astronaut, especially the moon landing. The Apollo 14 mission attracted widespread interest, in part because of its predecessor's near disaster, but also because its popular commander, Alan Shepard, was making a comeback after ten years. Following his Mercury flight in May 1961, Shepard had been grounded for a minor ear disorder. He had continued in the program, serving for a while as chief of the Astronaut Office at Houston. Flights had passed him by, however, until surgery corrected his ear problem in 1969. Shepard's first words as he stepped on to the moon were inspired by his 9 years, 10 months, and 10 days of waiting since Mercury-Redstone 3, when he had been the first American in space, to the day he stepped on the moon. "It's been a long way," he said, "but we're here." How like him we all are at times! As we face trials and difficulties we may encourage ourselves with the knowledge that even though the way may be long, someday we will arrive! A little boy was offered the opportunity to select a dog for his birthday present. At the pet store, he was shown a number of puppies. From them he picked one whose tail was wagging furiously. When he was asked why he selected that particular dog, the little boy said, "I wanted the one with the happy ending." We have a happy ending awaiting us in Christ! The following poem says it well: Light after darkness, gain after loss; Strength after weakness, crown after cross; Sweet after bitter, hope after fears; Home after wandering, praise after tears; Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain; Sight after mystery, peace after pain; Joy after sorrow, calm after blast; Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last; Near after distant, gleam after gloom; Love after loneliness, life after tomb; After long agony, rapture of bliss; Right was the pathway, leading to this.

All Things Created Good

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31 ESV). Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. (Psalm 33:1-11 ESV). While I have had some question about the truth that everything God has created is good (like snakes – I hate ‘em), the Scripture clearly teaches that all of creation is a part of God’s good plan. And, the more we understand the complexity of nature, the more this truth is proven. As an example, look at the monarch butterfly. Like migratory birds, monarch butterflies have the ability to fly long distances, escaping winter cold and the absence of food. Decreasing day length and cooler temperatures tell monarchs that emerge in the early fall not to breed. Instead they begin the immense journey across North America, over unfamiliar terrain, funneling through Texas, to nine high mountain sites in fir forests of central Mexico. They arrive at the overwintering areas in November, remaining there until March of the following spring. Then they return to Texas and the southern United States to lay eggs on freshly sprouted milkweeds. By late spring, most have left the Gulf coastal states and are breeding further north. By the beginning of June they have reached the northern U.S. and Canada where they continue to breed all summer. Most interesting is the fact that they choose only the milkweed plant to lay their eggs on. The larvae when hatching will eat the plants and kill them, thus reducing the spread of this plant which is poisonous to cattle. It is all a part of God’s natural plan for His creation. Just as David reminded us in the psalm today, all of God’s creation is intended to be good and has order within it. God created a plan for everything. I have found great comfort in that truth in my life. When I begin to think that life is unraveling and panic begins to creep into my psyche I only need to recall the truth of God’s plan for me. I only need to trust Him. A tiny girl was taking a long journey and in the course of the day her train was obliged to cross a number of rivers. The water seen in advance always awakened doubts and fears in the child. She did not understand how it could safely be crossed. As they drew near the river, however, a bridge appeared, and furnished the way over. Several times the same thing happened, and finally the child leaned back with a long breath of relief and confidence: "Somebody has put bridges for us all the way!" she said in trusting content. That is how we find it in life, God has built bridges for us all the way. When you see the butterflies, remember the goodness of God’s plan and trust in Him. He will not disappoint you.