Never Too Late

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (Philippians 3:13-15 ESV). Problems and disappointments in the past can plant seeds of weariness and discouragement in our lives. But despite your background or age, you can still enjoy life and foster a better world. It’s never too late to accomplish your goals. The next time you get discouraged or feel the world is passing you by, think about these people:  At age 53, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female Prime Minister.  At 64, Francis Chichester sailed alone around the world in a 53-foot yacht.  At 65, Winston Churchill became British Prime Minister for the first time and started the epic struggle against Hitler.  At 72, Golda Meir became Prime Minister of Israel.  At 75, Ed Delano of California bicycled 3100 miles in 33 days to attend his 50th college reunion in Worcester, Massachusetts.  At 76, Cardinal Angelo Roncalli became Pope John XXIII and inaugurated major changes in his church.  At 80, Grandma Moses, who had started painting in her late 70's, had her first one-woman exhibit.  At 80, Winston Churchill returned to the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament and also exhibited 62 of his paintings.  At 81, Benjamin Franklin skillfully mediated between disagreeing factions at the US Constitutional Convention.  At 96, George C. Selbach scored a 110-yard hole-in-one at Indian River, Michigan.  And on his 100th birthday, ragtime pianist Eubie Blake exclaimed, "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." Each of these men and women left their unique mark on the world. They had plenty of excuses to avoid even trying to reach their goals. But they chose to ignore the excuses, and live with zest and determination. You can make the same choice, despite what has happened in the past. As these and countless other people prove, the real limits in life are those you place on yourself. Rather than looking back at past disappointments, set your sights forward, with specific goals in mind. Then, with the help of God, work at achieving those goals. As you look at the future, think about what is really important in the long run. S. Truett Cathay wrote: "If you wish to enrich days, plant flowers; If you wish to enrich years, plant trees; If you wish to enrich Eternity, plant ideals in the lives of others." What about your planting? Do you allow the past to plant weariness and discouragement in your life? Or do gaze toward the future, and plant positive seeds in your own life and in the lives of others? Why not have some good talks with God? Ask Him what is it that He wants you to leave your mark on. Listen carefully, looking around to see what opportunities God is opening up for you. Don't hold on to preconceived notions, but be open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Then begin some planting. It is never too late to start working on an eternal heritage.

No Stinger Left

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58 ESV). I don’t often preach at funerals any longer. However, this year we have had three in our little church. One of those dear folks was just a few weeks shy of 100 years old! He was considered the patriarch of the family and will be greatly missed. It reminded me of another dear friend whom I led the memorial service for several years ago. Weldon Watson first welcomed our family to Weatherford with an invitation to his home for Sunday lunch. My boys were young at the time and he entertained them with his many projects. He was a meticulous craftsman. His shop was filled with interesting tools and projects in one stage of completion or the other. Looking back over my notes I remembered a wonderful story that was an encouragement to me. I pray it will encourage you as well. A vacationing family drives along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the warm breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden, a big bee darts in the window and starts buzzing around inside the car. A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringes in the back seat. If she is stung, she could die within an hour. "Oh, Daddy," she squeals in terror. "It's a bee! It's going to sting me!" The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing around toward him, the bee bumps against the front windshield where the father traps it in his fist. Holding it in his hand, the father waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father's hand and in pain, the father lets go of the bee. The bee is loose in the car again. The little girl again panics, "Daddy, it's going to sting me!" The father gently says, "No honey, he's not going to sting you now. Look at my hand." The bee's stinger is there in his hand. Our reading today says, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" There is One who knows the sting of death, the sting of sin, the sting of deceit, the sting of feeling worthless. He has all of those stingers in His hands. When you see that nail-scarred hand, realize that, on your behalf, He took all the pain that the enemy could through at Him. He reduced the enemy to a big black bee that's lost its stinger--all the devil can do is buzz. That's the victory that He won for you.

Lessons from the Hen House

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:9-10 ESV). People can be so cruel to one another. The thoughtless way that we treat one another is one of the most destructive forms of behavior. Our reading this morning gives clear direction to the way we are to relate to one another. The following story illustrates this truth: Randy was spending the summer on the farm with his Grandfather. One day, he and his Grandfather went into the chicken coop, and Randy scattered a handful of grain over the floor. The chickens scrambled madly for it, but one chicken was having trouble. Every time it tried to eat, the others pecked it. Randy saw a red spot on the chicken's neck. "Look, Grandpa!" he exclaimed, "That chicken is hurt!" Just then a big rooster jabbed the sore on the neck of the chicken, making it even larger. Grandpa picked up the chicken and carried the squawking bird out of the pen. "Come on, old girl. We'll put you in a separate place until your neck heals," he said. Randy watched as Grandpa rubbed medicine into the sore. "Why do the other chickens peck this one?" he asked. "Well, Randy, I can't tell you exactly why," answered Grandpa, "but this is the way chickens act. They always pick on those who are different from the rest, and on those who are hurt." "That seems stupid," said Randy. "Right you are, Randy," said Grandpa, "but do you know that people often do the same thing?" "They do?" asked Randy, surprised, "How?" "When others have skin that is a different color, or perhaps their eyes or noses look a little different, some people make fun of them," explained Grandpa. Randy immediately thought of a boy named Darrin. Some of the other boys teased Darrin about his bright, red-orange hair. Randy was glad now that he had not joined in the teasing--but felt bad that he had not tried to stop it either. "It's too bad when people act like chickens," continued Grandpa. Randy looked up at his Grandfather with admiration. "Grandpa," he said, "what the chickens were doing to this one was cruel. I'm proud of you for helping her!" Randy learned that some people act like chickens. If a person looks differently from themselves, they pick on that person. The "picking" may take different forms, but it still hurts, and is wrong. Randy also learned that something positive can be done as his Grandfather intervened to stop the abuse from continuing. We can learn that same lesson from the hen house! Genesis 1:26-27 says God created humans in his own "image" and "likeness." So respect people no matter how they look. Refuse to show favoritism or prejudice because of someone's physical characteristics. Do what you can to promote positive attitudes between different racial groups. That's good citizenship, and good theology!

Ransomed

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 ESV). During the Civil War, the Confederate Army had again invaded the North. The Confederate general came to Hagerstown, Maryland, and he threatened to burn the town unless they came up with a $20,000 ransom. A local businessman rallied the townspeople and he collected the ransom. Hagerstown was spared. Then the Confederate forces moved on to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and made the same demand. Those people did not come up with the ransom. Chambersburg was burned to the ground. Ransom unpaid, you pay the penalty. Ransom paid, you go free. The ransom made the difference. That's true, not only in the history of those Civil War communities, it's true in our own personal histories. You and I face a terrible penalty and the ransom makes all the difference. Not just for now, but for eternity. The penalty every one of us faces is spelled out in six stark words in the Bible: the wages of sin is death (Cf. Romans 6:23). In other words, what we get paid for running our life our way instead of God's way is "death." And the Bible makes it clear that death is a spiritual death, eternal separation from the God who made us. "Hell" is the word God uses to describe an unspeakable eternity without Him, without His love and with no relief. It's a price I deserve to pay because I have made me the center of my universe and I have pushed God to the edge. It's a price we all deserve to pay. Our fear of death is not irrational especially in light of the judgment on the other side. But then there's the ransom. Jesus tells us about it in our reading for today. He says, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." The price for you to go free has been paid by the only Son God has. When Jesus was going through that awful agony of the cross, He was literally paying for every thing you've ever done against God. For you to pay for your sins would take an eternity in hell. But the Son of God was paying your price, going through your hell for you, as He sacrificed His life on the cross. He was taking your place! Jesus has done everything that needed to be done for your sins to be forgiven, for you to be rescued from an awful eternity. Is he speaking that life into you today? Like so many before you call out to him, “Lord, save me.” He will not turn you away.

Your Reward

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12 ESV). An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for many years and was returning to New York City to retire. They had no pension, their health was broken, and they were feeling defeated, discouraged and afraid. They discovered they had been booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions. No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the president’s entourage, with passengers and crew alike trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, “Something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service to God in Africa all these years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everyone makes much over him, but no one gives two hoots about us.” “Dear,” his wife said, “you shouldn’t feel that way. “I can’t help it. It just doesn’t seem right,” answered the missionary. When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the president. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The newspapers were full of stories about the president’s arrival, but no one noticed the missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city. That night the man’s spirit broke. He said to his wife, “I can’t take this anymore. God is not treating us fairly.” His wife wisely replied, “Why don’t you go into the bedroom and pray about it for a little while?” A little while later he came out of the bedroom. Now, however, his face was completely changed. His wife asked, “Dear, what happened?” “The Lord settled it with me,” he said. “I told Him how bitter I was that the president received this tremendous homecoming, and no one met us when we returned home. And when I was finished, it seemed as if the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said, ‘But you’re not home yet.’” None of us who claim the name of Jesus are home yet either! Do not become weary in your well doing. Remain faithful. Your reward awaits you in heaven!

Annie

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (James 2:1-9 ESV). Annie was a large, rather unattractive girl. Actually, Annie was fat. A member of a youth group, Annie regularly attended most of the youth functions and Bible studies. During one of those meetings, the youth leader introduced a situational learning game called, "The Lifeboat." He instructed the dozen high school kids present to form their chairs to resemble the seating on a lifeboat. Then he said, "You twelve are the only survivors of a shipwreck. You have managed to make it to this lifeboat. Once you are aboard, however, you find to your horror that there are only provisions for eleven. Also, the boat can hold only eleven survivors. Twelve people will capsize the boat, leaving you all to drown. You must decide what to do." The group stared blankly at each other for a few moments before bursting into lively discussion. They decided that for the good of the majority of the members of the group, one person must be sacrificed. But who? As the group discussed who would be left to drown, they eliminated various individuals perceived to be of value to the survivors. The strongest and most athletic boys couldn't be sacrificed - their strength would be needed to row. Naturally, the boys wouldn't think of letting any of the pretty girls become shark food. Slowly each individual in the group, with the exception of Annie, was mentioned and then discarded as a candidate for sacrifice. Some were too smart, too talented, or too popular. Finally, Annie, who may not have been attractive but who was not dumb, blurted out, "I'll jump." "No, no!" protested the group. But when pressed, they couldn't think of one good reason why she shouldn't jump - so they remained silent. When the time to play the game ran out, the group members announced that they couldn't reach a decision on what to do. The youth worker went on to teach a lesson using the example of the lifeboat. But Annie had already learned a lesson. The next day, Annie jumped. Her youth group had affirmed her worst thought about herself. She was of no value. Her "friends" in the youth group were baffled and deeply saddened by her suicide. After all, she had so much to live for. They just couldn't think of what it was. 1 We rarely look below the surface to see the worth of a person. Instead, we too often equate a person's value with looks, popularity, possessions, or abilities. If none of those things is obvious, then we see no value at all in that individual. But every human being was created in God's image and is loved by Him. In fact, He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to sacrifice Himself for us.

Composites

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8 ESV). Over the years I have been responsible for putting together financial packages for churches and businesses in preparation for loan applications. In every case it was absolutely essential to put together several years of comparative numbers dealing with indicators of the health and growth of the organization. These “composites” are page after page of numbers that become indicators of trends within the operation of the church or business. One indicator may be too high or another too low, which prompts the loan officers to investigate the reason and ask for further explanation as to how the organization has taken steps to find a solution. While representing them focus becomes the most challenging task. Remembering those days and reading our text for today began my thinking for this morning’s devotional. Focus is essential to any success. Athletes must stay focused to win a game. Students must concentrate on their studies to progress in their chosen field. Workers doing potentially dangerous tasks must not be distracted. Focus and concentration is important in Christianity. Jesus put it this way. "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire." (cf. Matthew 18:8) Psalm 119:113 adds, "I hate those who are double-minded, but I love your law." Today’s reading is even more pointed. A double-minded person has no sure foundation in life. Such a person "... is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." (verse 6) The double-minded person is "unstable in all his ways" (verse 7). The answer is so simple: Focus on the life God has secured for you in the sacrifice of Christ. As with anything we study there are two parts to a solution. First, find the problem. That takes focus. Then we must formulate a plan and take action toward the implementation of that plan. When you find yourself enmeshed in a destructive habit the first essential is accomplished. You’ve discovered it. Now it remains for you to change it, perhaps eliminating it altogether. I know this is where the excuse of “I’m not strong enough” is usually offered. There is truth in that, however no validity. God knows we aren’t strong enough. That’s why he offers us the strength. Ask for it. His promise is to give it!

Guaranteed for Late Arrival

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 anything 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. (John 1:1-13 ESV). Mary and I recently went to Gatlinburg with our youngest son, Aaron. We stayed in one of the hotels near the Little Pigeon River. I made our reservations ahead of time because of the difficulty of getting a guaranteed room in this hotel. We also have it prepaid to guarantee the room for late arrival. I have had many occasions when that has been an essential! Some years ago, before Mary and I moved to Tennessee, we got a late start for our drive from Texas to North Carolina. We thought we'd make a motel reservation somewhere along Interstate 40 in Tennessee. That made the most sense to us as far as distance is concerned. We rolled in pretty late and saw a disgruntled man leaving the lobby. When I got to the check-in desk, there was no one there, just a sign, "Back in a few minutes." Several more weary travelers rolled in and starting forming a line behind me. The clerk reappeared only to be greeted by a line of interstate zombies in urgent need of a room. Of course, I had a guaranteed reservation so we were fine. But when she asked and found out that no one else did, she uttered those dreaded words: "I'm sorry. No vacancy." Now, those two words are tough words to be welcomed with. But that’s what Jesus was faced with when he came to the earth! In our reading today John begins his story with this very thought. Jesus comes to people he created and they had no room for Him in their lives. Yet, He has a double claim to our heart. First, because He made us, the right of creation. Secondly, He paid for us, the Bible says, "The soul that sins, it will die." We are all the soul that sins. We have earned that death penalty for that sin, and God could have left it that way. But instead, in an incredible act of His total love for you and me, in the Bible's words, "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life." And now the one who died for you knocks on the door of your heart again... but not forever. One day you will, in a sense, be knocking on the door of heaven and if you have never opened your heart for Jesus to become your own Savior well... no vacancy there for those who had no vacancy for Him here. How have you welcomed Jesus?

Juan Barrena

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. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:1-6 ESV). While reading the headlines recently I saw an article on the top five “cons” of all time. It was interesting reading to say the least. One involved Juan Barrena. Operating in Mexico in the 1930s and 1940s, Barrena worked the "Spanish Prisoner" con. Hooking up with American tourists, a distraught Barrena would claim that a wealthy relative had been wrongly imprisoned. If only the good-hearted gringo would help, Barrena would gratefully give him or her half of his relative’s vast financial cache. Sounds impossible that people would actually give him any money. However, before he was finally arrested and sent to prison, he had collected thousands of dollars from sympathetic tourists. Berrena's pitch sounds a lot like a tear-jerking letter from a wronged Nigerian government official that many of us have received in recent years. Well, Barrena went well beyond a pleading e-mail. He also employed a colleague to pose as the jailer holding the unfortunate relative — a police officer who, remarkably enough seemed to soften with the more money the mark ponied up. One gullible American businessman reportedly handed over tens of thousands of dollars. Barrena and his associate were hailed as heroes by the Mexican press, which called them "patriots" looking to right the financial disparity between the United States and Mexico. There is a wonderful lesson for us in this story. Solomon speaks to this truth in our reading today. We ought to be concerned with our reputation. We may learn this lesson from Robert E. Lee, After the American Civil War the managers of the infamous Louisiana Lottery approached Robert E. Lee and asked if he’d let them use his name in their scheme. They promised that if he did he would become rich. Astounded, Lee straightened up, buttoned his gray coat, and shouted, “Gentlemen, I lost my home in the war. I lost my fortune in the war. I lost everything except my name. My name is not for sale, and if you fellows don’t get out of here, I’ll break this crutch over your heads!” How’s your reputation? Are you known for qualities that would point to Christ? If not, make your commitment today to be more like Him! That’s the reputation we should all desire to have.

I Choose

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 8:28-30 ESV). In our reading this morning Paul declares that God has chosen His children. Without debating the theology of that truth, I want to emphasize the nature of it. Many people have difficulty understanding how or why God chooses. The concept of individual merit clouds our understanding. Most people believe that we must do something, small and insignificant as it might be, to deserve being chosen. That simply is not the case. God chooses because He is God and the choice does not reflect worthiness on the part of the one that is chosen. That is grace. The following letter appears in a book by Dan Taylor called Letters to My Children (InterVarsity Press, 1989). Dan is writing to his son Matthew. Dear Matthew, When I was in the sixth grade I was an all-American. I was smart, athletic, witty, handsome, and incredibly nice. Things went downhill fast in junior high, but for this one year at least, I had everything. Unfortunately, I also had Miss Owens for an assistant teacher. She helped Mr. Jenkins, our regular teacher. She knew that even though I was smart and incredibly nice, there was still a thing or two I could work on. One of the things you were expected to do in grade school was learn to dance. My parents may have had some reservations at first, but since this was square dancing, it was okay. Every time we went to work on our dancing, we did this terrible thing. The boys would all line up at the door of our classroom. Then, one at a time, each boy would pick a girl to be his partner. The girls all sat at their desks. As they were chosen, they left their desks and joined the snot nosed kids who had honored them with their favor. Believe me, the boys did not like doing this, at least I didn't. But think about being one of those girls. Think about waiting to get picked. Think about seeing who was going to get picked before you. Think about worrying that you'd get picked by someone you couldn't stand. Think about worrying whether you were going to get picked at all! Think if you were Mary. Mary sat near the front of the classroom on the right side. She wasn't pretty. She wasn't real smart. She wasn't witty. She was nice, but that wasn't enough in those days. And Mary certainly wasn't athletic. In fact, she'd had polio or something when she was younger; one of her arms was drawn up, and she had a bad leg, and to finish it off, she was kind of fat. Here's where Miss Owens comes in. Miss Owens took me aside one day and said, "Dan, next time we have square dancing, I want you to choose Mary." Regardless of how you look, or what you have done, God’s choice is based on His grace toward you. He desires you to be His child. Trust in Him not yourself!

Happy Birthday, Aaron!

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. (Job 1:1-5 ESV). Today is my youngest son’s 29th birthday. Happy birthday, Aaron! And, I know it must seem odd indeed that I would draw your attention to the Book of Job as a part of the celebration of his birth. However, I think you will see it does make a very important principle very plain. I love birthdays. We have done our best to make sure all of the members of our family know and feel very special on their birthday. Whenever the “birthday boy” is home we like to have some special meal and celebration. Of course that means they get to determine the menu. And, as a part of the decoration of the table we like to place their brightly wrapped gifts near their place. The culmination of the meal is typically a birthday cake or cookie (giant sized of course). Somewhere along the line Faith and Logan decided to make it a tradition to put the “number candles” on the cake and blow them out. I can tell you that in my case there has always been a little trepidation approaching bigger numbers each year. So you can see why I love birthdays. There are full of joy and tradition. Birthdays are not prominently featured in the Bible. There are stories of births, to be sure, but only three references to birthdays and two of those are quite grim. Pharaoh hanged his chief baker on his birthday, just as Joseph had predicted (Genesis 40:16-23). Herod celebrated his birthday by beheading John the Baptist (Matthew 14:6-10). Both of these don’t give us much help in how to celebrate! So thank goodness for Job’s family, who apparently celebrated birthdays with gusto. Their birthday parties sound almost like ones we like in our family. Birthdays are worth celebrating, it seems to me, not only as a celebration of an individual’s life, but also as a celebration of the God who created each of us. Because each life is a miracle, birthdays are times to offer twin exclamations, both, “Happy birthday!” and, “Praise God!” I certainly am going to deliver both those messages today!

Carter's Baby Clothes

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 6:33-34 ESV). While our grandchildren no longer fit into the demographic size group reached by stores like “Baby Gap” or “Carters” Mary can’t seem to stop from making the detour into these stores to see what “cute clothes” they may have in stock. I think it is a grandma thing. Before the kids were born, she made it her personal mission to clothe the twins for their first year, before they even make their appearance! Kyle even had to construct extra closet rods for the outfits she had acquired! Many years ago we were out with David helping him get some new clothes for work and Mary could not resist a detour through “Baby Gap.” I did remind her that they didn’t have David’s sizes in that section of the store, but to no avail. As we oohed and aahed through the cute little clothes, she said, “Carter makes some of the best baby clothes.” I do remember somewhere from my past some of their ads. Seems like their promotional line was "If they could only stay little 'til their Carter's wear out." And that made me think of today’s reading. The truth is that if we could only grasp the beauty of our lives and enjoy every minute we would all be better for it. October brings in the fairs and carnivals of fall. I remember when we lived in Weatherford, Texas there was a traveling carnival that came each year for a few days on our trade days’ grounds. They had several rides to offer, one of which was a very large Ferris wheel. The children lined up to ride this attraction. Their gleeful laughter could be heard above the din of carnival music and shouting barkers. It was quite a sight. Round and round they went on an extended ride as the Ferris wheel guy forgot time while chatting with a friend. The children laughed and enjoyed each other. We all wanted to hold them there, frozen in time on the Ferris wheel, forever going round and never growing another minute older. But the Ferris wheel stopped, as it should, and they get off and we go on, because that is the way life is. If time really did stand still as we sometimes wish it would, well, we wouldn't want that either. When we find ourselves in the middle of a pleasant experience it is easy to wish for it to last forever. It is only our fear of the unknown and what might happen that keeps us frozen in the present. In fact, that fear of tomorrow robs us of the fullness of the present moment. Life is full of good and bad experiences. Through all of them the one constant is our heavenly Father’s love for us. He has prepared our future for us. It will be good. Enjoy the pleasant experiences of the present. Persevere through the difficult experiences or the present. And, know that God will take care of you in every way!

Are You Religious?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight. (Ephesians 1:3-8 ESV). Will Rogers was once asked, "Are you a member of an organized political party?" He replied quickly, "No, I'm a Democrat." I recently overheard a conversation that reminded me of that question. Not long ago, a customer in the local Office Depot was copying some documents and asked one of the technicians to help get the machine working correctly. He discovered that she had the original placed wrong. A quick adjustment and her copies started spewing out. She thanked them for helping and then asked, "My son writes religious poetry, would you like to read some of it?" She handed them a copy and as they were reading the poem, she immediately followed up with the question, "Are you religious?" Without thinking about what he was saying he replied, "No, I'm a Christian." That was a very curious response. I don’t know the young man very well. However, I do know he is a committed Christian. That response must have sounded odd to the lady. She probably did not expect the response she got. After some thought and reflection I realized you can be religious without being a Christian and you can be a Christian without being especially religious by society's standards. Just today I read another statement that spurred my thoughts further. Steve Brown said: "People who don't want to go to Hell are religious. Christians have probably been there and know who showed them the way back." It was a reminder that being religious and being a Christian are not necessarily one and the same. And certainly, being religious and being Heaven-bound are not necessarily the same. I've heard it said that religion is man's effort to reach out to God. Jesus is God's way of reaching out to man. The experience of grace centers in the person of Jesus Christ, not in the organization developed to worship Him! Are you religious? It is better to be Christian!

Clear Words

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17 ESV). Recently someone sent me the following quote (it has not been edited): Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is that frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe. When I first read it, I was amazed that it was true. I didn’t have any trouble at all understanding it. That prompted me to think about how we read the Scripture. There is no doubt in the Apostle Paul’s mind that ALL Scripture is inspired and good for us. That’s his declaration to young Timothy in our reading this morning. However, I wonder how often we neglect the truth of the bible in favor of the world’s truth. We have listened to the world tell us that the Ten Commandments are no longer valid. We have listened to modern opinion tell us that the Scripture is not reliable and should not be taken seriously. We have listened philosophers tell us that there is no God, we are gods our selves. We have listened to far too many voices as they cry against the truth of God’s word. This may be the subtlest danger Christians face. A former park ranger at Yellowstone National Park tells the story of a ranger leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he switched it off. Nearing the tower, the ranger was met by a nearly breathless lookout, who asked why he hadn’t responded to the messages on his radio. A grizzly bear had been seen stalking the group, and the authorities were trying to warn them of the danger. Any time we tune out the messages God has sent us, we put at peril not only ourselves, but also those around us. The real truth is that the Bible is a clear word from God. You don’t need theological degrees to understand them. You don’t need hours of intensive study to discover the promises declared there. You only need to open its pages and read! The words will be clear to you!

A Missed Today

Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were created, before you made the earth and the world, you are God, without beginning or end. You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust!" For you, a thousand years are as yesterday! They are like a few hours! You sweep people away like dreams that disappear or like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you-- our secret sins--and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath. We end our lives with a groan. Seventy years are given to us! Some may even reach eighty. But even the best of these years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we are gone. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. (Psalm 90:1-12 NLT). Our reading this morning is sub-titled “A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God.” It deals with living in the present. Understanding the writer helps me to understand the impact of the psalm. I wonder how many times that Moses prayed these words while he led the people in the march through the desert? Certainly that could have caused him to wonder if he had made the right choices in life. Second-guessing and hoping for tomorrow only robs us of our present joy. Benjamin Franklin said, "One today is worth two tomorrows." His words point out a real danger for all of us: while dreaming about a better tomorrow, we can make the mistake of neglecting today. The following poem illustrates this truth: There was a very cautious man Who never laughed or played. He never risked, he never tried, He never sang or prayed. And when he one day passed away, His insurance was denied. For since he never really lived, They claimed he never died. That man went through the motions, and never really enjoyed life. We can do the same. Psychologist William James said that, "Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources. The human individual . . . possesses powers of various sorts he habitually fails to use." Thus, James discussed in professional terms what the poem talks about. Both describe people who go through the motions, hoping that somehow things will be better tomorrow. Unfortunately, they miss many good aspects of life because they fail to make the most of each day. I read somewhere that yesterday is a canceled check, and tomorrow is a promissory note. But today is cash, ready for us to spend in living. How are you spending today? Remember that one today is worth two tomorrows.

A Name that Fits

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:19-26 ESV). Alexander the Great, one of the greatest military generals who ever lived, conquered almost the entire known world with his vast army. It is reported that one night during a campaign, he couldn't sleep and left his tent to walk around the campgrounds. As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty - a serious offense. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death; the commanding officer sometimes poured kerosene on the sleeping soldier and lit it. The soldier began to wake up as Alexander the Great approached him. Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life. "Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on guard duty?" Alexander the Great asked the soldier. "Yes, sir," the soldier responded in a quivering voice. "Soldier, what's your name?" demanded Alexander the Great. "Alexander, sir." Alexander the Great repeated the question: "What is your name?" "My name is Alexander, sir," the soldier repeated. A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, "What is your name?" A third time the soldier meekly said, "My name is Alexander, sir." Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the eye. "Soldier," he said with intensity, "either change your name or change your conduct." Our reading today describes the character and behavior of the believers in Antioch. Then, as a footnote, Luke adds, “It was there at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.” Those who call themselves Christians often do not live up to the name. Is it any wonder that Christians are often scorned and mocked? Sometimes I feel as if we are asleep at our posts. We carry the name of Christ, yet it is not descriptive of our behavior. Perhaps you should take inventory of your daily activity and behavior. If you have the name, perhaps you need to change your conduct! Then you would have a name that fits!

Emergency Instructions

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1-4 ESV). Our reading for today deals with the instructions God has given us to lead us to salvation. No one may legitimately say they have not been told how to escape the judgment. God has been trying to communicate life-or-death information to us for a long time. That word "salvation" is serious business. Perhaps you have been on an airplane recently and recall the instructions the flight attendants read at the beginning of each flight. They are very precise and repeated the same each time a plane taxis for takeoff. I’ve often ignored them thinking, “I know that.” Perhaps you’ve done the same. I wonder how often we have ignored the words of instruction God speaks to us each day? Salvation is important! Salvation is how to get out of a plane that might be on fire . . . how to get out of a burning building. But like passengers on a flight, we don't pay much attention to salvation information until we're suddenly in a critical situation, until we finally realize that what we do with this could mean the difference between life and death. We have become indifferent to our salvation. God may have been trying to get your attention with the most critical information you will ever hear. He warns us that we are under an eternal death penalty for running our lives our way instead of God's way. Further, He has said that His one and only Son Jesus absorbed all our sin and all the hell that we deserve when He died on the cross for us and that your only hope with God is putting your total trust in Jesus. You've heard that news before, and maybe even accepted it - with your head. For you, ignoring what God has done to save you puts you in the danger zone. It may be that God has even shaken things up recently - and He's asking you for your attention before it is eternally too late. He's saying, "This time I want you to really listen". This isn't just some religious belief you sign up for - this requires an action step of making Jesus YOUR Savior. If you haven't done that, if you've been putting that off - consider this God's emergency call to make your peace with Him.

Hearing and Listening

Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more. (1 Thessalonians 4:8-10 ESV). Someone has said, “The one who really listens is the one who understands. And there's great value in understanding.” Often we hear people, but are we really listening? An incident in the life of President Franklin D. Roosevelt provides some interesting insight about listening. The incident illustrates how we often fail to really listen to what others say and do. President Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile and saying the usual things at all those White House receptions. So one evening he decided to find out whether anybody was paying attention to what he was saying. As each person came up to him with an extended hand, he flashed that big smile and said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." People would automatically respond with comments such as "How lovely!" or "Just continue with your great work!" Nobody focused on the real meaning of President Roosevelt's words. In fact, when one foreign diplomat approached the President, Roosevelt said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." Rather than expressing surprise, the diplomat simply responded, "I'm sure she had it coming to her." Most of us have relatives, friends and co-workers whom we care about. However, we fail to demonstrate our care by listening to them. Instead, we ask people how they are doing, exchange brief remarks, and then do our own thing. As Mature Living notes, "Talking to yourself isn't always a sign of old age. In this day and time it may be the only way to be sure someone is listening." In short, we fail to really listen. We don't focus on other people and their needs, so we don't understand them. The result: hurt feelings, painful conflicts, and broken relationships. Another result of not listening is that we miss important truths about life. Isaac Newton, one of history's most distinguished scientists, reflected back on his life and said, "I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." Newton's words contain a lot of meaning for our lives. There is a great ocean of truth out there for each of us. Our Creator wants to reveal it, but we have to listen in order to gain His understanding. Are you listening? So for new understanding, shift your focus away from yourself. Make an effort to really listen to other people. Your relationships with them will improve significantly if you do. Also make an effort to really listen to God.

Dynamite

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:44-49 ESV). Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm in 1833. When he was 9 years old, the family moved moved to St. Petersburg. Nobel went on to live in many countries and ultimately came to regard himself as a citizen of the world. He has gone down in history as the inventor of dynamite, the explosive that has played such a central role in the industrial development of the world. Alfred Nobel worked hard to improve nitroglycerin as an explosive that could be used in blasting rock and in mining. He made one of his most important discoveries when he found that by mixing nitroglycerin, an oily fluid, with silica, the mixture could be turned into a paste. This material could be kneaded and shaped into rods suitable for insertion into drilling holes. He called his paste dynamite and went on to develop a blasting cap which could be used to detonate dynamite under controlled conditions. It is interesting that the man for whom the most highly prized award for peace is named should be the inventor of such a destructive device as dynamite! However, when you understand his reasoning for the invention, it becomes a simple matter to understand. So it was with Jesus’ promise to send us power, which more literally translated is the word “dynamite.” The Greek word is literally dunamis, from which we get our English word “dynamite.” Peace on earth and between men requires the use of the most awesome power known in the universe. It is the power of God applied in the hearts and minds of men. Treaties, laws, and rules can only provide a guide to peace. It is only when men decide to honor and respect one another that real peace may be achieved. That can only happen when we are at peace with God. God’s grace through Christ is the essential means for being at peace. Once we are forgiven, we may then forgive others and thus live at peace with one another. Sometimes it may seem like we must blast through solid rock to get there, but the power to do that is available through the Holy Spirit. Have you received that “dynamite power?” You can. Just ask Him to forgive you and reside in your life with His full presence. You will then have all the “dynamite” you need!

Green Screens

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. (Proverbs 4:20-27 ESV). I remember the first computers we had years ago. They were “green screens,” also known as “dumb terminals.” Many businesses and other offices had them and usually they were never turned off. Over time they developed what is known as “burn-in.” Even after they were turned off, the main screen from the application, which was regularly used, was still visible. I’m told that this is caused when the exact same information is displayed on the screen for long periods of time until the terminal actually has this information "burned into" the glass. The advent of PCs changed all this. Because PCs are "intelligent," they can sense whether the user is using the computer or has fallen asleep due to slow response time. Once a preset time limit has passed, the computer begins to generate some activity on the screen that will keep the glass from ever being permanently burned in. This feature is called the Screen Saver. Originally the screen saver consisted of some randomly drawn lines or bouncing balls, but now we have everything from flying toasters, to Far Side cartoons, to personally designed messages for the rest of the office to read. You may not have realized it, but the human mind comes with a built-in screen saver. It is that internal mechanism that keeps us from being able to focus on any one thing for more that a few minutes at a time. It can even keep us from drawing close to God. You’ve seen it before: you sit down to read your Bible, then the next thing you know, your mind has wandered off to some randomly generated list of things to do or places to go, or the pastor starts his sermon, and after the preset 5 minute limit, your mind starts up the "I wonder what all these maps in the back of the Bible are for" screen saver, or even when you commit yourself to a time of prayer but your stomach starts to growl after the first few minutes. And so we frequently become distracted or lose our focus and miss what God is trying to say to us. Have you wondered why you cannot seem to feel confident about His will for your life? Perhaps it has to do with your innate screen savers or with your inability to focus on Christ, and Christ alone. Turn off those "screen savers," and allow the words of Christ to "burn in" to your life today.

An Attitude of Praise

Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 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 12:6-10 ESV). We have all said or done things that we regret later. Usually it's not the situation that has changed, but our perspective. Time passes, and we see things differently. It happens to everyone. The following are actual headlines that have been printed in newspapers. The editors who wrote these headlines would probably change their words after looking at them from a different perspective.  "Iraqi Head Seeks Arms"  "Police Begin Campaign To Run Down Jaywalkers"  "Drunk Gets Nine Months In Violin Case"  "Enraged Cow Injures Farmer With Ax"  "Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim"  "Killer Sentenced To Die For Second Time In 10 Years"  "If Strike Is Not Settled Quickly, It May Last A While"  "Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge"  "Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery, Hundreds Dead"  "Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge"  "Kids Make Nutritious Snack"  "Local High School Drop Out Cut In Half"  "New Vaccine May Contain Rabies"  "Man Minus Ear Waives Hearing"  "Include Your Children When Baking Cookies"  "Something Went Wrong In Jet Crash, Expert Says" The writers of those headlines would probably choose different words today. There has been no change in the underlying story being reported. They just have a different perspective now. Much of life depends on your perspective. Virgil, the great Roman poet, said around 45 BC that "They conquer who believe they can." This makes an important point about a basic truth; your perspective can help decide your fate. So think about your perspective. Like the Apostle Paul in our reading today. Develop an attitude of praise in your circumstance. That is the secret to contentment.

Bananas and Spiders

“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). I recently read a story about a hobo who traveled from town to town by stealing rides in railroad cars. One night, the hobo slipped into an empty banana car. He lay down on a pile of straw and dropped off to sleep. Soon he was awakened by something crawling on his face and hands. He brushed it away, but the crawling continued. At last he sprang to his feet, more annoyed than afraid. The hobo fumbled in his pockets for a match, and found only one. He struck the match and held it aloft until it burned his fingers. He was too frightened to be aware of the pain because of what he saw: the straw was alive with tarantulas! When the match went out and the darkness fell upon him, the hobo sprang for the door, only to find it locked. He then frantically pounded on the door until his fists were bloody. But there was no response to his pounding. When the door was opened the next morning, the hobo was out of his mind. His mental and emotional breakdown was not caused by physical pain, for not one spider had harmed him. He was driven mad by fear. Though it's hard to admit, like the hobo, fear has a profound impact on many of us. But our fear is not caused by spiders. Instead, it arises from things like difficulties at work, troubled relationships with others, and our own shortcomings. These things have consequences that we fear, so we worry about them. You may not be like the hobo, who frantically pounded on a door until his hands dripped with blood. But if you allow things to eat at you inside, you too will experience severe mental and emotional damage. A Jewish proverb says that "Worms eat you when you're dead; worries eat you when you're alive." Are worry, fear and other destructive feelings unnecessarily robbing you of daily happiness? Consider the message in this poem about a "conversation" in an orchard: Said the Robin to the Sparrow, "I should really like to know Why these anxious human beings Rush about and hurry so." Said the Sparrow to the Robin, "Friend, I think that it must be That they have no Heavenly Father Such as cares for you and me." Don't bottle emotions up inside where they can consume you. Instead, follow the approach of the Robin and the Sparrow. Recognize that Someone cares for you. That Someone is God, the Creator and Sustainer of this universe. Care for yourself by looking to Him.

Comfort in the Night

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23 ESV). I am actually writing this devotional late at night. While it is not a particularly stressful time in our family, I am reminded of the times when it was much more difficult. I can recall the many words of encouragement from so many of you. For that we were and are very grateful. During one of the most difficult of those times our reading today was a standard passage for me. David wrote the 23rd Psalm in the midst of great uncertainty. Often it is the “not knowing” that is used to bring us at the precipice of despair and fear. Perhaps you are facing such a time in your life. Let me offer the following observations that help me ease my mind.  The Lord is my Shepherd. He is the perfect salvation. There is nothing that can interrupt His love toward me. He will rescue me from every enemy.  I have everything I need. He provides perfect satisfaction. It is so easy to miss satisfaction in our continual quest for more. He gives all we need!  He lets me rest in green meadows. He provides perfect rest. When we are weary and nearly fallen, he brings us to a place of rest.  He leads me beside peaceful streams. He refreshes us. He readies us for the next steps in our journey. Even when we feel as if we cannot go on, he is already moving in us to refresh us.  He renews my strength. About to fall, without strength to go on, the Lord recharges our strength.  He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. The darkness is dispelled in the light of his love and grace so that we may see our way.  Even when I walk through the dark valley, I will not be afraid. For you are close to me. In the darkest of times, fear cannot overtake us. He is ever close to us, never more than a whisper from us.  Your rod and staff protect and comfort me. He carries the weapons of our protection. No enemy is so great as to stand before him.  You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. Every enemy, death included cannot sit with us in the celebration of life he has already prepared for us.  You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil. Healing and restoration are ours in his presence.  My cup overflows with blessings. So great are his blessings, we cannot contain them all. They pour out in overflow!  Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Eternal life is our destiny. We are bound for that perfect land in Christ Jesus! What a great and mighty God we call Abba, Father! Rest in Him this day and every day! He is our comfort for every night in our lives!

Help in All Things

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:1-7 ESV). A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The boy dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very huge.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall. Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved; however, his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration. All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had available?" Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!" "No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me." With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox. It may be that there are no “rocks in your sandbox” right now. My experience has been that no one escapes such experiences completely. There will be those times when we need someone’s help beyond our own capabilities. It may be a financial difficulty that threatens to overcome you. Perhaps it is an emotional trauma that is buried deeply in your mind. It may be physical problems that have become nearly impossible to deal with. Whatever the “rock,” God is always present with us and willing to give us the strength we need. He comes beside us and is a very present help in our time of need!

The End of Days

From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (Matthew 24:32-33 ESV). Our reading today is a warning that Jesus gave to the disciples about the end of days. There are many warnings that he told them to watch for. Each of these signs was a warning to encourage them to be prepared. The May, 1984 issue of National Geographic showed, through wonderfully detailed photos and drawings, the terrible destruction of the Roman city of Pompeii in AD 79. The explosion of Mt. Vesuvius was so sudden that residents were killed while in their normal routine. The rich were in their luxurious baths and slaves were at toil. They died quickly in clouds of volcanic ash and superheated gasses. Their bodies were frozen in final terror into perfectly formed hollows that scientists could fill with plaster centuries later and study like ancient statues. It takes little imagination to picture the terror of that final day in Pompeii. But the worst part of all is that those people did not have to die. The ancient writers record that there were weeks of rumblings and shakings that preceded the actual explosion of Vesuvius. Heavy smoke was clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption. If only they had been alert enough to read the signs and respond to the warnings! There are similar "rumblings" in our world today: earthquakes, disastrous weather patterns, the nuclear threat, political unrest, economic difficulties and moral warfare. While these things are not exactly new to our time, they are clearly increasing in intensity and seem to be warning us of something. If we add to these things specific Biblical prophecies being fulfilled in our time, we begin to wonder if perhaps a much more powerful "Volcano" may not be sending us warning signs that the end of this age really is near. Did you know, for example, that the Bible prophesied that in the "last days" the nation Israel, after a long time of being scattered, would be returned to the land as a nation (see Ezekiel 37)? This was fulfilled in 1948 when the modern state of Israel, which had not existed since AD 70, was formed. Prophecy also says that an army from the East of 200,000,000 would be involved in the final conflicts of this age (Rev. 9:16). That has not been possible until this century. Red China announced in the 1950s that they could field an army of 200,000,000. Prophecy also indicates an explosion of knowledge in the last days (as in the "information" age?) and a reuniting of the powers of Europe (as in the EEC?). The buds of the fig tree are tender; the warnings are there. We could be approaching the end of our age and the judgments talked about in the Book of Revelation. The question is, are you aware of the warnings and are you prepared for what they are there to warn us about? Turn to Christ today. He is the only hope of salvation!

Real Knowledge

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus. (2 Timothy 2:14-17 ESV). The prince of Grenada, an heir to the Spanish crown, was sentenced to life in solitary confinement in Madrid's ancient prison called "The Place of the Skull." The fearful, dirty, and dreary nature of the place earned it the name. Everyone knew that once you were in, you would never come out alive. The prince was given one book to read the entire time--the Bible. With only one book to read, he read it over hundreds and hundreds of times. The book became his constant companion. After thirty-three years of imprisonment, he died. When they came in to clean out his cell, they found some notes he had written using nails to mark the soft stone of the prison walls. The notations were of this sort: Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of the Bible; Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet except the letter j; the ninth verse of the eighth chapter of Esther is the longest verse in the Bible, no word or name of more than six syllables can be found in the Bible. When Scot Udell originally noted these facts in an article in Psychology Today, he noted the oddity of an individual who spent thirty-three years of his life studying what some have described as the greatest book of all time yet could only glean trivia. From all we know, he never made any religious or spiritual commitment to Christ, but he became an expert at Bible trivia. There's a difference between knowing facts about God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible, and allowing God to change you from the inside out. Many people grow up knowing a lot about Christianity but never have entrusted their lives to Christ. They don’t possess real knowledge. In an article written sometime ago, Chuck Swindoll listed the following six reasons why it is important to pursue real knowledge of the Scriptures: it gives substance to faith, stabilizes us during times of testing, enables us to handle the Word of God accurately, equips us to detect and confront error, makes us confident and consistent in our walk with God, and filters out our fears and superstitions. Isn’t it time for you to have such real knowledge? Don’t just read the Scripture, accept the truth of it and apply it to your life. It will be the beginning of changes that will make a great impact on your peace and happiness.

The Complainer's Itch

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 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 12:9-10 ESV). There is an old Hasidic tale about a woman whose name was Anna Kebbitch. She was a complainer. All day long she complained: "I have so little money, my clothes are like old rags." "My health is so bad, my back feels like the walls of Jericho." "I must walk so far to draw water, my feet are like watermelons." "My house is so small, I can barely move in it." "My children visit me so little that they hardly know me." One day, Anna Kebbitch woke up with an itch on her nose. All day long her nose itched. She went into town to visit the rabbi. When the rabbi saw Anna, he asked her, "How are you, Anna?" Anna replied, "I have so little money, my clothes are like old rags. My health is so bad, my back feels like the walls of Jericho. I must walk so far to draw water, my feet are like watermelons. My house is so small, I can barely move in it. My children visit me so little that they hardly know me. And now I have this itch on my nose and it plagues me so. Tell me, Rabbi, what does it mean?" The rabbi said, "Anna, your itch is the Kebbitch Itch, the 'complainer's itch.' Its meaning is this: However you consider yourself, so shall you be." The next morning, Anna woke up and her nose was still itching. She could barely move. Her back had turned to stone like the walls of Jericho. When she looked about her, she noticed that her house had shrunk until her arms stuck out the windows and her legs hung out the front door. She could not move in it. On the end of her legs were two huge watermelons. Her clothes had turned to old rags. When her son and daughter came walking by, Anna called out to them, but they continued walking on, wagging their heads, they didn't know her. And her nose continued to itch. In despair Anna remembered the meaning of the Kebbitch Itch: However you consider yourself, so shall you be. Anna began to think: You know, I do have money enough to live on-- and a little more. Henceforth, I will give out of my abundance to those who are not so well off. My health is not so bad. Actually, for someone my age, I feel quite well. I'm glad I have such a nice house to live in. It's not large, but it's comfortable and quite warm. I really don't mind my walk to draw water. I love to smell the flowers along the path. And my children, I'm so proud that they have become independent and are now able to take care of themselves. Miraculously, while Anna was saying these things, her situation returned to normal, and her outlook on life changed forever. When the rabbis tell Anna's story, they end with this statement: May your noses itch forever. We may not get the Kebbitch itch, but we need to be reminded that our outlook affects outcomes. Our attitude makes a difference. Do you complain all the time? Do you expect the worst in others? Do you always resent it when other people have more than you do or seem to be doing better than you do? The result of that kind of thinking is this: your situation will probably get worse. On the other hand, if you are a positive person who sees the good in others, rejoices with others who are doing better than you, and praises God for all that He has given to you, remember this: your situation will probably get better.

The Old Monk

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35 ESV). M. Scott Peck, in his book The Different Drum, tells a wonderful story. It seems that there was once an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times. Centuries earlier, it had been a thriving monastery where many dedicated monks lived and worked and had great influence on the realm. But now only five monks lived there, and they were all over seventy years old. This was clearly a dying order. A few miles from the monastery lived an old hermit who many thought was a prophet. One day as the monks agonized over the impending demise of their order, they decided to visit the hermit to see if he might have some advice for them. Perhaps he would be able to see the future and show them what they could do to save the monastery. The hermit welcomed the five monks to his hut, but when they explained the purpose of their visit, the hermit could only commiserate with them. "Yes, I understand how it is," said the hermit. "The spirit has gone out of the people. Hardly anyone cares much for the old things anymore." "Is there anything you can tell us," the abbot inquired of the hermit, "that would help us save the monastery?" "No, I'm sorry," said the hermit. "I don't know how your monastery can be saved. The only thing that I can tell you is that one of you is an apostle of God." The monks were both disappointed and confused by the hermit's cryptic statement. They returned to the monastery, wondering what the hermit could have meant by the statement, "one of you is an apostle of God." For months after their visit, the monks pondered the significance of the hermit's words. "One of us is an apostle of God," they mused. "Did he actually mean one of us monks here at the monastery? That's impossible. We are all too old. We are too insignificant. On the other hand, what if it's true? And if it is true, then which one of us is it? Do you suppose he meant the abbot? Yes, if he meant anyone, he probably meant the abbot. He has been our leader for more than a generation. On the other hand, he might have meant Brother Thomas. Certainly Brother Thomas is a holy man--a man of wisdom and light. He couldn't have meant Brother Elred. Elred gets crotchety at times and is difficult to reason with. On the other hand, he is almost always right. Maybe the hermit did mean Brother Elred. But surely he could not have meant Brother Phillip. Phillip is so passive, so shy--a real nobody. Still, he's always there when you need him. He's loyal and trustworthy. Yes, he could have meant Phillip. Of course, the hermit didn't mean me. He couldn't possibly have meant me. I'm just an ordinary person. Yet, suppose he did? Suppose I am an apostle of God? Oh God, not me. I couldn't be that much for you. Or could I?" As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one of them might actually be an apostle of God. And on the off, off chance that each monk himself might be the apostle spoken of by the hermit, each monk began to treat himself with extraordinary respect. Because the monastery was situated in a beautiful forest, many people came there to picnic on its tiny lawn and to walk on its paths, and even now and then to go into the tiny chapel to mediate. As they did so, without even being conscious of it, they sensed the aura of extraordinary respect that now begin to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate out of them, permeating the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, people began to come back to the monastery more frequently to picnic, to play, and to pray. They began to bring their friends to show them this special place. And their friends brought their friends. As more and more visitors came, some of the younger men started to talk with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join them. Then another. And another. Within a few years the monastery had once again become a thriving order and, thanks to the hermit’s gifts a vibrant center of light and spirituality throughout the realm. Sometimes we ask, "How can we get some new life?" Perhaps the answer has to do with how we regard each other. How do we treat each other? Are we always putting each other down and creating an atmosphere of criticism and negativism? Or are we treating each other with extraordinary dignity and respect?

The Buzzard, the Bat, and the Bumblebee

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121 ESV). If you put a buzzard in a pen six or eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of his ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit, he will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top. The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash. A bumblebee if dropped into an open tumbler will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself. In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat, and the bee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not realizing that the answer is right there above them. Our best source of help is just above us, but we need to look up and ask. Our reading today is one of the most often quoted psalms. However, I am afraid that it is also one of the least applied! Annie Johnson Flint has written the following poem, New Every Morning: 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!