Blog Archives

LEAPING FORWARD!

2/29/2016

Today is "LEAP DAY", February 29, 2016. It’s that extra day we all get added to our calendar every fourth year (or "LEAP YEAR"). Interestingly, our High School Minister, Dane, announced this very day to our church staff that he and his wife, Allison, are expecting their first child!

Upon hearing this wonderful news, and already cognizant of the fact that it was "Leap Day", I could not help but think of the story of John the Baptist "leaping" in his mother Elizabeth’s womb at the news that Mary was expecting the child Jesus. In Luke 1:44, the Bible says John "leaped with joy" at the news.

I was also reminded of a message I once came across by Dr. Wayne Lawson, Pastor of the historic First Baptist Church of Ardmore, OK. An articulate communicator who holds numerous academic degrees, Dr. Lawson has over thirty years of pastoral ministry experience.

Four years ago, in 2012, during the last "Leap Year", he preached a message bearing that very title, "Leap Year", based on Luke 1:41-1:41. In it, he stated:

This year marks what has been termed “LEAP YEAR”. February 29 is a date that usually occurs every FOUR YEARS - and is actually called “LEAP DAY”. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a CORRECTIVE MEASURE - because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days.

Every four years the Calendar must take a LEAP in an effort to correct itself based upon the Sun’s rotation. During Leap year, this suggests that something must be ADDED, something out of the NORM has to take place. When we consider the word Leap, it expresses JOY – TO JUMP OVER SOMETHING.

I remember as a boy playing with my cousins and friends a game called “LEAP FROG”. Whoever was in the back had to leap over the child or children in front of them. If you were in front you were good, but if you were in the back, the only way to make it to the front was to leap over them. This morning I want to let you know that this is LEAP YEAR. God is doing something right now in our midst, and when He is done working it out for you, your life will never be the same. This will truly be a “Leap Year” for you.

Dr. Lawson then proceeds to undertake a faithful exposition of the passage where John the Baptist leaps in his mother’s womb at the news of the coming birth of Jesus the Messiah. He reminds us that it has been a long, bleak period in the history of Israel. No prophet has spoken and Israel has been under oppression by a succession of conquerors for hundreds of years.

The nation needed some good news. The people needed to hear that God was not done with them. They needed to hear what God was now going to do to put the past behind them and then do something new and wonderful through the birth of his Son!

Dr. Lawson culminates his message by calling believers today to be equally as joyous. Why? Because we too have some things to celebrate! If we will but listen, we just might hear God speaking to us as well. We just might find that this same God is working in our lives as well. And for this reason, we too might discover that we have some things to leap about. His concluding admonition is as follows:

--Just as John began to leap in the womb…
--God is saying to us today that this is LEAP YEAR!
--If we once again get excited about His Church…
--If we once again get excited about the Voice of God…
--God will make this our LEAP YEAR!
--Whatever problems you have in your life, God will cause you to “Leap Over It”!
--Whatever has kept you bound, God will cause you to “Leap Over It”!
--Whatever addictions have kept you from your promotion in God, “Leap Over It”!
--That promotion you have been waiting for, “Leap Over It”!
--God says this is our “LEAP YEAR”!
--Bad Habits… “Leap Over It”!
--Bad Decisions… “Leap Over It”!
--The Devil has had you down long enough!
--Tell the Devil, this is my “LEAP YEAR”!
--Misunderstandings… “Leap Over It”!
--Friends turned their back on you… “Leap Over It”!
--Leap over the Problem!
--Leap over that Situation!
--Leap over that Trial!
--This is my “LEAP YEAR”!
--This Year is my “LEAP YEAR”!

Well said, dear brother! The impending birth of Dane and Allison’s baby reminds us that our God is more focused on our future than our past. He is in the business of doing new things, good things, amazing things! We rejoice in the knowledge that the future holds such innumerable blessings for us!

More importantly, the birth of God’s own son, Jesus Christ, some two thousand years ago still stands as proof of what God has ready for each of us today: life eternal and life abundant!

On this special day, I remind you of the importance of embracing the victorious life our God has for you! Why not take a leap forward, a leap of faith, and see just what all that future God has in store for you entails?! You’ll be glad you did!

IMPERFECTLY PERFECT

2/25/2016

The annual Academy Awards are set for this coming weekend. All eyes, so to speak, will be on Hollywood, where the work of actors, directors, and producers will be assessed and then, either lauded or forgotten. All of Hollywood’s elite will be present. Numerous wannabes will be as well. And even among the winners, a generation from now, only a few of them will be remembered.

One name that will be remembered is that of Steven Spielberg. As a famed Hollywood director, producer screenwriter, and founder of DreamWorks Studios, he is already a household name in America.

To date, his four decade career has included at least 29 films which he has personally directed, although he has collaborated on dozens more, many for which he received no credit. When one adds to this list the extensive number of television shows with which he has been associated, the level of professional output is simply mind-boggling.

His films have covered virtually every genre, including science-fiction (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, A.I. Artificial Intelligence), adventure (the Indiana Jones film series), humanistic issues such as the Holocaust (Schindler's List), the transatlantic slave trade (Amistad), war (Empire of the Sun, Saving Private Ryan, War Horse, and Bridge of Spies), and terrorism (Munich).  He was well into his career before he won an Academy Award. He did not win an Oscar for Best Director until 1993, for Schindler's List. He then won again 1998 for Saving Private Ryan.

This despite the fact that three of Spielberg's film, Jaws (1975), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and later, Jurassic Park (1993), all achieved box office records in their respective day. In fact, the first of these, Jaws, is usually credited with having single-handedly created the notion of a summer blockbuster. All together, the films Spielberg has directed have exceeded $9 billion worldwide, making him the highest-grossing director in history.

And yet, everyone must begin somewhere. Even mighty oaks always grow from the smallest of acorns. For Spielberg, this was the 1971 film Duel, based on a short story by acclaimed author Richard Matheson. This made for TV movie starred Dennis Weaver as a terrified motorist mysteriously stalked on a remote stretch of highway by the unseen driver of a tanker truck.

Many of the themes in this movie were later adapted and incorporated into the film for which he is best known. That film, Jaws, is based on the novel by Peter Benchley about a gigantic man-eating great white shark that begins menacing beachgoers on the beaches of a ficticious New England summer resort town, prompting the local police chief to hunt it with the help of an outside marine biologist and a local professional shark fisherman.

Although rated with four stars, Jaws was far from perfect. In fact, entire webpages are devoted to the voluminous number of errors detectable within the film. For example, the sequence of events as recorded on dates on police forms and wanted posters occur all out of order. As do the number of flotation barrels on the fishing boat, first with five, then with four, then with five again, etc…

In spite of these and numerous other blatant mistakes, the film succeeded wildly, striking a responsive chord with successive generations of audiences worldwide. In the process, it has left us with everything from cultural expressions (“You’re gonna need a bigger boat!”) to an increased knowledge of history (Quint’s amazing recounting of Japan's torpedoing of the USS Indianapolis after it had delivered the Hiroshima bomb to Tinian Island in World War Two, resulting in the greatest number of shark attacks in recorded history).

So, what is my point? Just this: one does not have to be completely perfect to make a difference. Yes, Spielberg made a few mistakes in the beginning; but with the passing of time, he honed his craft, and got better and better at it until even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was forced to acknowledge what the public had long since known: the man is a genius at making movies!

Now, lets’ apply this. In the Bible, the Apostle Peter was far from perfect. He could be rash, impetuous, and even belligerent at times. He often spoke and acted before thinking. The proof of this is that he argued (with Jesus Christ Himself no less), he cut off a servant’s ear, and he even denied knowing Jesus, not just once, but three times, in the courtyard, even cursing and swearing in the process. Again I say - Peter was not perfect. Nowhere near!

And yet, he was destined to become the leader of the Apostles and the one person above all others that a great many people on our planet associate with Jesus Christ! How is this?

The twenty first chapter of the New Testament Gospel of John gives us the answer. Here, Jesus seeks Peter out, forgives him, reaffirms his calling, and reinstates him to the ministry he was destined later to fulfill.

Thereafter, Peter, who was far from perfect at the outset, begins to develop into the Apostle we now love and appreciate. He assumes confidence with each passing day and grows into the role for which he is known: the leader of the New Testament church.

And in so doing, he becomes an example and an encouragement to me - and probably you as well. None of us are prefect. We all make a few mistakes along the way; and some of those mistakes will dog us as life goes along. But that in no way should define us. In the end, our accomplishments will invariably outweigh our shortcomings. The key to victory, therefore, is to persevere - to keep on keeping on.

As the Apostle Paul said to the Christians at Galatia (6:9): “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Mr. Spielberg didn't give up. The Apostle Peter didn't. I don't plan to. And I hope you don't either!

SOURCE: The top ten Jaws movie mistakes are here: http://www.moviemistakes.com/film670/top10. An additional 271 are listed here: http://www.moviemistakes.com/film670.   If you prefer to see the mistakes on video, then see also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh8Lv4RZIn8.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/galatians/6-9.htm.

DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER: Antonia Quirke has written an entry in the “BFI Modern Classics” series of books titled Jaws, in which she discusses at length the latent social themes delicately addressed in the movie. The book, published in London by the British Film Institute in 2002 will likely astound the reader by bringing out the myriad of subtleties addressed subconsciously by the film, giving one a new appreciation for the director’s art form in the process. Alas, it appears that Jaws is actually much more than just a horror movie! It is a biting commentary on our life and times. The book is available online and at many book retailers nationwide.

GIVE IT UP

2/22/2016

For fifteen years now, we have conducted Upward Basketball at our church. Established in 1995, Upward Sports is the world’s largest Christian youth sports provider. Their mission statement is “Promoting the Discovery of Jesus Through Sports”.

This past Saturday, I gave the devotions at halftime during the various games at our church. Today, I wanted to post a blog based somewhat on the various devotions I shared, which in turn were based loosely upon a chapter of a book by R. McKenzie Fisher.

Mr. Fisher has published a wonderful set of devotional books based on sports. Among them are Lessons from the Gridiron, Lessons from the Fairway, Lessons from the Diamond, and Lesson from the Hardwood. Obviously, these make use of various anecdotes from the worlds of football, golf, baseball, and basketball respectively. It is “Lesson Three” in this last work that inspired my thoughts for the day.

When many of us think of the National Basketball Association, we tend to think of a select few athletes who have become household names. For instance, Bill Russell has the record for most championships with 11; Wilt Chamberlain has the records for most points per game with 100, highest points per game average at 50.4, and most rebounds in a game with 55; Kareem Abdul Jabbar has the record for the most points in a career at 38,387; and Michael Jordan has the record for most scoring titles at 10.

Basketball, however, is not an individual sport, but rather a team sport. For this reason, other records, even if less well known, are equally deserving of recognition. Among them are the records for assists. And several of those records belong to a far less well known individual.

Scott Skiles actually holds two NBA records for assists. He has the most career assists at 15,806, and also the most assists in a single game at 30.

Of course, the whole notion of an assist is not nearly as glamorous as other components of the game. Rarely do fans stand and scream their approval for an assist the same way they do for a "slam dunk" or a three point shot that results in "nothing but net".

And yet, quite often, these dazzling plays would not even unfold without one player's willingness to make a sacrifice that enables his teammate to shine. You see, at the end of the day, an assist is simply the decision to make a sacrifice, to pass up the chance to score in order to allow one’s colleague to do so instead.

And that is the nature of sacrifice. It is rarely acknowledged; yet it is often essential for success. Which brings me to my point: Jesus Christ undertook the ultimate sacrifice. From the world’s perspective, what He did was of little note. And yet, from eternity’s perspective, His willingness to lay down his life on behalf of the sins of men and women is incalculable.

Thank God therefore for his Son. And for His Son’s brilliant “assist”. For without His sacrificial death, we would have no hope of forgiveness of sin, of eternal life, of redemption, of full restoration to our Creator, or of a home in Heaven.

Surely that deserves acknowledgement. Surely that deserves recognition. Surely that deserves praise. For this reason, I conclude with the fitting words of the Apostle Paul (in his first New Testament letter to Timothy, chapter 6, verses 14-16) in praise of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, when he said:

"Our Lord Jesus Christ…the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords…to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen"

SOURCES: You can read more about Upward Sports at: http://www.upward.org/about.
R. McKenzie Fisher’s books were all published in 1995-1996 by New Leaf Press, Green Forest, AR. They are available, new and used, in bookstores nationwide.
Cf. also: http://uproxx.com/dimemag/10-of-the-most-unbreakable-records-in-nba-history/.
Note: Paul’s various New Testament doxologies can be found listed at: http://www.believersmagazine.com/bm.php?i=20080710.

BY THE NUMBERS

2/18/2016

I love the story about the state trooper who sees a vehicle on the interstate doing 24 miles an hour and then pulls the car to make sure everything is all right. When he approaches the driver, he discovers that it is a nun. "Excuse me, sister. But are you alright?" he asked.

She replies, "Oh, yes officer. We're just fine. Was I doing something wrong?"

The officer says, "Well sister, you were traveling way under the speed limit and I was concerned that you might be having car trouble or something."

"But officer", the nun interrupts, "I saw a sign there about a mile back that said 24, and I know I wasn't going any faster than that."

Chuckling, the trooper says, "Sister, that was a state highway route marker, this is State Route 24, not the speed limit. The speed limit signs have a MPH at the bottom."

"Oh, now don't I feel foolish!" replied the nun, turning red.

"That's ok, but please try to be more careful, I would hate to see you get hurt," finished the officer.

Then, as he turns to say good-bye to the nuns in the back seat, he notices for the first time that they are trembling violently and quite pale. "Sister, what is wrong with your friends? Can I escort you to a hospital?"

"Oh, no, they're all right. We just turned off of Route 135."

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad we don’t have to live our lives by the letter of the law! And I am not alone. So was the Apostle Paul. He tells us in the New Testament that he tried his best to observe the strictest letter of the Old Testament law, only to come up short every single time.

In his New Testament letter to the Galatians (3:23-27), he states:

Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

The term translated as “guardian” in the New International Version is the Koine Greek (or common language of the New Testament world) term “paidagógos”, from which we get “pedagogue”, or teacher. In its original context, the term meant, not merely a teacher, but “a slave who had charge of the life and morals of the boys of a family”.

Paul’s point is that the law served a purpose; but that purpose was only to point him to the grace of Christ. The famed Reformer Martin Luther contended that the purpose of the Old Testament law was twofold: (1) to show us what level of perfection was expected by God and (2) to show us that we could not ever hope to achieve that level of righteousness.

Therefore, we are driven to God’s Son to beseech Him for His gracious mercy. When we do this, we are clothed in His righteousness. For this reason, and for this reason alone, we can stand before a holy and righteous God and claim our inheritance in Heaven.

Paul understood this; and for this reason, he repeatedly praises God in the New Testament for doing for him what he could not hope to accomplish on his own. For my part, I understand this sentiment.

And I thank God each and every day for this grace made possible through His Son Jesus Christ. Because of His atoning work, I do not have to try and earn my way into Heaven – something which I could never hope to do anyway!

For you see, like Paul, I have done the math. And I know that my own righteousness does not add up. Its sum total will simply never be enough! Thank God, therefore, for the One Whose righteousness is and does! And thank God that in His grace, He has imputed the righteousness of his One and only and perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to me!

SOURCE: Available widely on the internet in different versions. See, for example: http://www.makeitclearnow.org/relhumor.html.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/text/galatians/3-24.htm.

HOW DO I LOVE THEE?

2/15/2016

The poet has asked the question: “How do I love thee?” In truth, there is but one answer. This day after Valentine’s Day, I thought I would take the time to relate a few thoughts on love – true love.

Way back in 1867, a young sixteen year old lady named Rose Hartwick Thorpe wrote a narrative poem titled Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight. The poem, set in the 17th century, tells the story of a young lady named Bessie, whose lover, Basil Underwood, has been arrested, thrown in prison by the Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell, and sentenced to die that very night when the curfew bell rings.

Knowing that Lord Cromwell will be late in arriving, the young woman begs the old church sexton to prevent the ringing of the curfew bell. Unfortunately, he refuses. Bessie then climbs to the top of the church bell tower and sacrificially risks her life by wrapping her body around the clapper to prevent the bell from ringing.

When Cromwell later hears of her deed, he is so moved that he issues a pardon for Basil Underwood. The poem ends by affirming that, because of such sacrificial love, “curfew shall not ring tonight”.

The text of the poem reads thus:

CURFEW MUST NOT RING TONIGHT

Slowly England's sun was setting oe'r the hilltops far away,
Filling all the land with beauty at the close of one sad day;
And its last rays kissed the forehead of a man and maiden fair,--
He with steps so slow and weary; she with sunny, floating hair;
He with bowed head, sad and thoughtful, she, with lips all cold and white,
Struggling to keep back the murmur, "Curfew must not ring to-night!"

"Sexton," Bessie's white lips faltered, pointing to the prison old,
With its walls tall and gloomy, moss-grown walls dark, damp and cold,--
"I've a lover in the prison, doomed this very night to die
At the ringing of the curfew, and no earthly help is nigh.
Cromwell will not come till sunset;" and her lips grew strangely white,
As she spoke in husky whispers, "Curfew must not ring to-night!"

"Bessie," calmly spoke the sexton (every word pierced her young heart
Like a gleaming death-winged arrow, like a deadly poisoned dart),
"Long, long years I've rung the curfew from that gloomy, shadowed tower;
Every evening, just at sunset, it has tolled the twilight hour.
I have done my duty ever, tried to do it just and right:
Now I'm old, I will not miss it. Curfew bell must ring to-night!"

Wild her eyes and pale her features, stern and white her thoughtful brow,
As within her secret bosom, Bessie made a solemn vow.
She had listened while the judges read, without a tear or sigh,
"At the ringing of the curfew, Basil Underwood must die".
And her breath came fast and faster, and her eyes grew large and bright;
One low murmur, faintly spoken. "Curfew must not ring to-night!"

She with quick step bounded forward, sprang within the old church-door,
Left the old man coming slowly, paths he'd trod so oft before.
Not one moment paused the maiden, But with eye and cheek aglow,
Staggered up the gloomy tower, Where the bell swung to and fro;
As she climbed the slimy ladder, On which fell no ray of light,
Upward still, her pale lips saying, "Curfew shall not ring to-night!"

She has reached the topmost ladder, o'er her hangs the great dark bell;
Awful is the gloom beneath her, like the pathway down to hell.
See! the ponderous tongue is swinging; 'tis the hour of curfew now,
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped her breath, and paled her brow.
Shall she let it ring? No, never! Her eyes flash with sudden light,
As she springs, and grasps it firmly: "Curfew shall not ring to-night!"

Out she swung,-- far out. The city Seemed a speck of light below,--
There twixt heaven and earth suspended, As the bell swung to and fro.
And the sexton at the bell-rope, old and deaf, heard not the bell,
Sadly thought that twilight curfew rang young Basil's funeral knell.
"Still the maiden, clinging firmly, quivering lip and fair face white,
Stilled her frightened heart's wild throbbing: "Curfew shall not ring tonight!"

It was o'er, the bell ceased swaying; and the maiden stepped once more
Firmly on the damp old ladder, where, for hundred years before,
Human foot had not been planted. The brave deed that she had done
Should be told long ages after. As the rays of setting sun
Light the sky with golden beauty, aged sires, with heads of white,
Tell the children why the curfew did not ring that one sad night.

O'er the distant hills comes Cromwell. Bessie sees him; and her brow,
Lately white with sickening horror, has no anxious traces now.
At his feet she tells her story, shows her hands, all bruised and torn;
And her sweet young face, still haggard, with the anguish it had worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pity, lit his eyes with misty light.
"Go! your lover lives," said Cromwell. "Curfew shall not ring to-night!"

Wide they flung the massive portals, led the prisoner forth to die,
All his bright young life before him. Neath the darkening English sky,
Bessie came, with flying footsteps, eyes aglow with lovelight sweet;
Kneeling on the turf beside him, laid his pardon at his feet.
In his brave, strong arms he clasped her, kissed the face upturned and white,
Whispered, "Darling, you have saved me, curfew will not ring to-night."

I love this story because it is a beautiful picture of sacrificial love. The Biblical word for such love is “Agape”. One of four such terms for love in the Koine Greek language of the New Testament world, it greatly transcends each of the other forms of love and reigns supremely above them. Indeed, for this reason, in I Corinthians 12:31, the Apostle Paul calls “Agape” love “the most excellent way”.

In the minds of the ancient Greeks, “Eros” represented marital love, “Storge” represented parental love, and “Philia” represented fraternal love. Each of these had their place in society. Without them, the bonds of society could not be held secure. But they were each still inferior to “Agape”, which is the term underlying the English translation of love in 259 of the 313 occurrences in the New Testament.

What makes “Agape” superior to other forms of love? Why does the Bible place such a premium on this type of love? Because “Agape” love alone is sacrificial love. “Agape” love is not self-seeking. It alone is employed entirely on behalf of the person being loved. The technical definition is thus: “self-denial in order to seek the highest good of the other”.

The Apostle Paul spends the entire thirteenth chapter of his first New Testament letter to the Corinthians listing 15 qualities of this supreme form of love, and then challenges each of us in the first verse of chapter fourteen to follow this way of love passionately.

After all, this is exactly what sort of love Jesus employed on our behalf when He laid down his life at Calvary. As the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:7, Jesus “emptied himself” on our behalf. That is to say, He gave all He had to give. He literally laid down His life in order that we ourselves might have life.

Jesus once said (in the Gospel of John 15:13), “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.” Admittedly, we may not ever be called upon physically to lay down our lives. To be sure, some will be; but most will not.

Nonetheless, the principle remains the same - if we truly love others, we will gladly be willing to sacrifice on their behalf! And that is why I so love the story above. Bessie was prepared to do the very same thing for the one she loved.

So, “How do I love thee?” Let me count the ways I have been willing to sacrifice on your behalf. Then, and only then, we will both have our answer!

SOURCE: http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/poem1/blp_thorpe
_curfew.htm.

See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curfew_Must_Not_Ring_Tonight.

SCRIPTURE: http://biblehub.com/john/15-13.htm.

ATTABOY!

2/11/2016

Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that, as much as possible, I like to make people aware of free resources. For this reason, I usually do not promote items for sale. But I want to make an exception today. I want to recommend a book to my readers.

Rev. Jonathan Porter is a friend of mine who has pastored Greenville Baptist Church in Greenville, Georgia for nearly twenty years. “Jono”, as he is affectionately known, is a both a faithful Pastor and a gifted communicator of the Gospel. More importantly, he is a loving husband, a doting father, and a good friend to many.

Jono has one favorite pastime; and that is duck hunting. He is also a budding author. He has recently combined these two passions and completed his first book, which he titled Beyond the Blind: Season One. (He is currently working on his follow up work: Beyond the Blind: Season Two.)

His book is a collection of stories told by an avid outdoorsman; and it is available in both digital and paperback form on www.amazon.com as well as www.barnesandnoble.com. Just key in Jonathan Porter and his book will be listed.

Jono uses some of the experiences he has enjoyed over his many years of chasing ducks and geese around the great states of Louisiana and Mississippi to grab your attention and point you to some greater and more meaningful aspects of life.

The stories he relates are all told with a twist of excitement and intrigue that are designed to make you laugh. But more importantly, they are designed to make you ponder some interesting and perhaps life-changing insights.

Anyone who loves the outdoors and/or appreciates the ups and downs, not only of the hunt, but of life in general will find this book enjoyable. But if you do choose to read it, then be prepared to be challenged in your personal and spiritual life along the way.

SURVIVING LIFE'S STORMS

2/8/2016

This past Sunday in morning message, I talked about Jesus’ famous parable of the wise and foolish builders as recorded in the New Testament Gospels of both Matthew and Luke.

Matthew (7:24-27) states:

24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Luke’s version (6:46-49) puts it this way:

46“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

As the parable plainly illustrates, each and everyone of us will inevitably face the storms of life. And when these storms come our way, we will each be tested. For this reason, it is essential that we each have a well-grounded faith.

Dr. Jim Denison, of the “Denison Forum”, wrote an article this past Friday (o2/05/2016), that illustrates the truth of this. In his article titled ‘The Blind Side’ Player's Surprising Road to the Super Bowl, he writes:

Most of us remember Michael Oher as the subject of The Blind Side. The inspirational movie told the story of his childhood poverty, adoption by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, and eventual career as an offensive tackle in the NFL. Now Michael Oher is playing in the Super Bowl for the Carolina Panthers, protecting quarterback Cam Newton from Denver's defense, the best in the NFL.

But only because Newton asked him to. Here's their remarkable story.

Oher played several years for the Baltimore Ravens, then was signed by his home state Tennessee Titans. His season there was disastrous—he allowed six sacks and twenty-six quarterback hurries in eleven games during a 2–14 season. The Titans later cut him. What he didn't tell anyone was that he was playing with a torn bicep and an injured toe.

Cam Newton's brother had played with Oher in Baltimore and thought Michael could help protect the Carolina quarterback. So he notified Newton, who texted Oher to say he needed his help. The Panthers then signed Oher to a two-year contract that was widely criticized. But Oher had an outstanding season for the team that is widely favored to win the NFL championship.

You're familiar with the story of Peter walking to Jesus on the stormy Sea of Galilee. Here's a part of the story I had not noticed before today: After Jesus rescued his drowning disciple, "they got into the boat" (Matthew 14:32a).

Peter needed the boat, but Jesus clearly did not. He got into their boat to provide the comfort and security his disciples needed. Then "the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God'" (v. 32–33).

Wherever you face a storm today, you'll find Jesus there. He may call you out of the boat or join you in it. Either way, when you worship him you'll find his power and peace. And others in the storm will be drawn to your Savior. Whatever his providence allows, his grace redeems.

What does Michael Oher want us to think about when we see The Blind Side? Leigh Anne Tuohy answers the question: "Talk about the message of the movie. Talk about that there's Michael Ohers in every city in the United States, and if we all turned around and did one simple random act of kindness, it would change the world. Talk about how there's 145,000 kids, adoptable kids, in foster care right now that will age out in the next ninety days and that there's 250,000 faith-based churches and if one church took one kid, we would wipe out the need for foster care.

"Talk about that and the reflection of what the movie gives off. That's what he wants." I would say that's what God wants as well.

Well said, Dr. Denison. Of course, all of these thoughts raise questions for you and me. If we ourselves are currently in a storm, is our faith grounded in the One Who is the Rock, Who controls such storms, and Who is capable of overcoming them on our behalf? If not, should it be?

Similarly, who else do we know that may even now be in the midst of some storm? And do they need a little help? If so, should not we who have solid foundation on the rock seek to provide it? Will we?

SOURCE: http://www.denisonforum.org/cultural-commentary/2273-the-blind-side-player-s-surprising-road-to-the-super-bowl.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES: Found at: http://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/7.htm and http://biblehub.com/niv/luke/6.htm.

“LOVEST THOU ME?”

2/4/2016

Valentine’s Day is a scant week and a half away.   With thoughts of love in the air, I thought I would share the following piece sent to me by my daughter…

The Difference Between Men And Women:

Her Diary:

Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it.

Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn't say much. I asked him what was wrong. He said, “Nothing.” I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset.

He said he wasn't upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it. On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly, and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior. I don't know why he didn't say, “I love you, too.”

When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.   He just sat there quietly, and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent.

Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed. But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep - I cried.

I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else.

My life is a disaster.

His Diary:

Motorcycle won't start... Can't figure out why.

Alas! God in his wisdom made both men and women. As the book of Genesis says (1:27): "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."   Given this Divine explanation of origin, there are obvious differences between the sexes.

Yet, different though we may be, as men and women, we are nonetheless made so that we are incomplete without each other. We yearn for someone whom we can love and whose love we can receive. And God’s ultimate plan for the fulfillment of that need is to be found in the bond of marriage.

As the traditional Protestant wedding ceremony puts it:

Marriage is God’s first institution for the welfare of the race. In the quiet bowers of Eden before the forbidden tree had yielded its fateful fruit or the tempter had touched the world, God saw that it was not good for man to be alone. He therefore made a helpmate suitable for him, and in so doing established the rite of marriage, all the while heavenly hosts witnessed this wonderful scene.

Originated in Divine wisdom and goodness, designed to promote human happiness and holiness, this rite of marriage is the foundation of home life and social order, and must so remain till the end of time. It was sanctioned and honored by the presence and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ at the marriage in Cana, of Galilee, and marked the beginning of His wondrous works. So also is it commended by the Apostle Paul to be honorable among all men.

So it is ordained that a man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife; and they together will become one flesh, united in all the hopes and all the aims and all the sentiments and in all the interests of this present time.

This statement of purpose then ends with the following admonition:

Since marriage is holy, it is not be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

May these sentiments ever underlie this most fundamental of all human relationships, not only during the Valentine’s season when love is in the air; but also in the less romantic times of life. For true love manifests itself in more than just the mere emotion of one single day set aside each year for the celebration of romantic love. True love manifests itself in faithfulness and commitment throughout the other 364 days as well.

Perhaps that is exactly what Jesus had in mind when (in Matthew 19:5) He quoted Genesis 2:24 and said:  "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."

No doubt the Apostle Paul did as well, for he too quoted the same passage from Genesis when he wrote the following in his New Testament letter to the Ephesian Christians (5:28-33):

"In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

And that is true love!

SOURCE: http://www.tickld.com/x/the-difference-between-men-and-women.

INSIDE AND OUT

2/1/2016

Several years ago, my family and I were blessed to be able to visit southern California. We had big plans regarding all the things we wanted to see while there. But alas, the sheer numbers of people and the volume of traffic, when compounded by a limited amount of time, quickly forced us to the realization that we would not be able to see all we had desired.

One of the things that did not make the cut was a visit to the famed RMS Queen Mary, the luxurious ocean liner that is now permanently moored in the harbor in Long Beach, California.

The reason I had so desired to see this ship was because of something my grandfather once shared. I do not know his source; but his story has been recounted by numerous others since. For example, in his November 11, 2013 blog post titled Is It Just Spiritual Window-Dressing?, Scott Smith shares the following about the celebrated ship.

In 1936, the Cunard Line launched what was then the largest passenger ship in the world. At 83,243 gross tons, she was the largest ship and the fastest ship traveling back and forth from Southampton to New York at a recording setting speed of 31 knots. During World War II, the ship was converted to a troop carrier and at the close of the war it returned to passenger service.

In the spring of 1956, the Smith family made a foggy voyage from Southampton, England to New York aboard the Queen Mary, so the ship has a place in my family history. The ship was retired in 1967 and has been a floating tourist attraction in Long Beach, California ever since.

When the ship was being refurbished for its new role in Long Beach, they needed to remove its smokestacks to complete the work. They were to be repainted and put back in place. The smokestacks were 36 feet long and 23 feet wide. The front stack was 70 feet tall and they went down in size to the rear which was 62 feet tall.

When they were removing them, they discovered that the nearly inch thick steel of the smokestacks had corroded on the inside very badly. Thirty layers of paint on the outside was (in some places) all that was holding them up. A beautify exterior covered a crumbling interior. External appearance was hiding the decaying internal reality!

Pastor Smith goes on to note that the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah (in chapter 58) berates the children of Israel for “trying to cover a decaying spiritual life with a coat of ritualistic paint”! This business of appearing to be one thing on the outside, yet being something entirely different on the inside was also picked up on by Jesus Christ. Like Isaiah, he challenged the religious people of His day not to be hypocritical.

In the twenty-third chapter of Matthew’s New Testament Gospel, Jesus speaks seven woes against the hypocritical Pharisees of His day. In two of these, numbers five and six (recorded in verses 25-28), He declares:

25“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

In light of this, we would all do well to give regular consideration to how well we look, not only on the outside, but also on the inside. For as the Bible tells us (in 1 Samuel 16:7), "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

STORY SOURCE: https://faithgrip.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/is-it-just-spiritual-window-dressing/.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES: http://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/23.htm and http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/16-7.htm.