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A GIANT DOSE OF INSPIRATION

9/29/2014

In 1838, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) first published his famed poem: “A Psalm of Life”. The concluding verses are particularly well-known and much beloved…

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

While I had been aware of these words for quite some time, it is only as of late that I have begun to fully appreciate them. You see, I have always been a reader. I have particularly been fond of reading history. But I also very much like a good story. Indeed, few things are as compelling a swell-crafted novel.

In the past couple of years, however, I have begun to enjoy reading biographies. In reading about the lives of significant individuals from the past, including both their struggles and their victories, both the depths of their valleys and the heights of their mountains, one finds encouragement and inspiration for whatever he or she might be up against today.

Because of this, I would like to recommend a book today for those who communicate the Gospel. It is a work titled Living with the Giants written by Warren Wiersbe.  Actually it is a compilation of two earlier works by Wiersbe, titled Walking with the Giants and Listening to the Giants respectively.  In this masterful work, Wiersbe shares short biographies of 32 of the most effective Christian communicators of the last few centuries.

Now, I recognize that not everyone will be drawn to a book about a bunch of dead preachers. But, as Martin Luther once reminded us, if you are follower of Jesus Christ, then, irrespective of your avocation (doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc…), your one true vocation is to be a Christian who glorifies Jesus Christ by the way you live your life and by the way you share your faith.

So, if you want to be a good ball coach, then reading a book on the life of Vince Lombardi would probably be well worth your time.  If you are an aspiring politician, then reading a book on the life of Abraham Lincoln would certainly be beneficial.  And if you are a budding historian, then Plutarch’s Live of the Noble Greeks and Romans would serve you well.

And as Christians, surely the lives of noble believers who have come and gone before us should inspire and motivate us as well. Many such people’s lives are recorded in The Holy Bible. But many, many more have lived and died since the Scriptures were completed. So, don’t overlook this valuable treasure trove of material. To do so would surely be to rob yourself of a tremendous blessing.

NOTES: The two earlier editions, Walking with the Giants and Listening to the Giants, each contain miscellaneous sections about preaching, etc… that are not included in the later compilation; but both the biographies and bibliographies (containing the best books of and by each subject) remain the same.

Reviewers point out that, while the short bios are heartwarming, these lists are the true prize to be found in Wiersbe’s work.

Speaking of reviews, they are all quite favorable.  The chief criticism seems to be that Wiersbe leaves off some names that one might think should be included, such as Martin Lloyd-Jones, Clovis Chappell, etc… At the same time, he also chooses to include several lesser known but equally inspirational men.

POEM SOURCE: http://www.potw.org/archive/potw232.html.

BOOK SOURCE: Warren W. Wiersbe, Living with the Giants: The Lives of Great Men of the Faith (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1993).

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE

9/24/2014

I recently received an e-mail from a friend titled “3200 Years in One Photo”. Needless to say, with my love of history, I was more than intrigued by the title. Turns out, it was about a very special tree. The e-mail read:

THE PRESIDENT

“Not every tree has a nickname, but 'The President' has earned it. This giant sequoia stands at 247 feet tall, and is estimated to be over 3,200 years old. Imagine, this tree was already 1200 years old when Jesus walked the earth.

The trunk of the president measures at 27 feet across, with 2 BILLION needles from base to top. Because
of its unbelievable size, this tree has never been photographed in its entirety. Until now.

A team of National Geographic photographers have worked along with scientists to try and create the first photo that shows the president
in all its glory.

They had to climb the tree with pulleys and levers, and took thousands of photos. Of those, they selected 126 and stitched them together, to get this portrait of the president. Incredible, is it not?”

As I read this and looked at the picture, I was reminded that, just as it is hard to see a 247 feet tall tree all at once, so is it hard to see one’s life in its entirety. Like the climbers upon the tree, we usually only see a small portion of life at a time. And when we are viewing it, the current perspective all but obscures the rest of it.

A closer inspection of the picture shows that there are at least three tiny men at various points along the tree. One is at the bottom looking up.  Another is near the halfway point. Still another stands near the top looking down.  No doubt they all have very different perspectives on the tree.

Yet from our vantage point in the photo, we see, not a limited perspective like each of these, but the whole thing. And surely this is how God views our lives.  We see them only in small snippets each passing day as they unfold. He sees them in their entirety - from beginning to end, from start to finish, from bottom to top.

My strong suspicion is that if we could learn to see things from God’s perspective, then much of the stress and worry that consumes us throughout our lives would soon dissipate. This is because we would know, just as He does, exactly what the next little bit of the journey holds. More importantly, we would be able to see exactly where it will all end up.

Alas, we usually have no such perspective. But we know the One who does! And we go forward each and every day in complete confidence that the One who guides us along our way knows exactly how things will turn out. And we anticipate with great excitement the glorious view that will be ours when we one day conclude our journey and arrive up there!

The words of the Psalmist (39:4-5 and 23:) seem a fitting conclusion to my thoughts here:

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.” “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and (then) I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

NOTE: A Google search revealed several news stories dating from February 26, 2014 with the same essential information and pictures as reported in the e-mail.  I conclude that this was the basis of the e-mail.

Example: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2568138/Ext
raordinary-length-shot-President-one-largest-trees-Earth.html.

A HEAPIN’ HELPIN’ OF HOSPITALITY

9/22/2014

A great many of us grew up singing along the with the words of the theme song to “The Beverly Hillbillies” show as it came on television.  Otherwise known as The Ballad of Jed Clampett, it was written by Paul Henning and also performed by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, for whom it was a number one Country Music hit in the year 1963. The familiar opening verses say:

Come and listen to my story about a man named Jed,
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed,
Then one day he was shootin’ at some food,
And up through the ground came a bubblin’ crude.

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.

Well, the first thing you know, ol’ Jed's a millionaire,
The kinfolk said, "Jed, move away from there!"
Said, "Californy is the place you ought to be!"
So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly...

Hills, that is. Swimmin’ pools, movie stars.

Sadly, the closing verse is often overlooked.  It states:

Well, now it’s time to say good bye to Jed and all his kin.
And they would like to thank you folks fer’ kindly droppin’ in.
You're all invited back next week to this locality
To have a heapin’ helpin’ of their hospitality.

Hillbilly that is. Set a spell, Take your shoes off.
Y'all come back now, y'hear?

Of course, hospitality is the key word in the entire jingle.  Jed, Granny, Ellie Mae, and Jethro all seemed to know that all they had was only because, in their own hunt for food, they had accidentally stumbled upon a great blessing. And, as if to share that blessing, they let us know that we are being invited into their home and to their table to enjoy some portion of that blessing with and through them.

It strikes me that the Lords’ Supper, which we observed this past week in our worship together at our church, is God’s way of sharing a blessing with us. In a message titled “Pull Up A Chair”, I referenced the Biblical custom of reclining around the table for the evening meal, and how the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all point out that Jesus had hosted just such an inviting and relaxing supper for His disciples on the last night of His earthly life.

My point was to encourage people to come to the table of the Lord and experience Godly hospitality offered through His Son Jesus Christ.

And just as God bids us to come to His table for a “heapin’ helpin’” of Godly hospitality, even so ought we to be hospitable to others, sharing with them out of the abundance with which He has blessed us. And in so doing, we fulfill the admonition of Jesus found in the Gospel of John (13:34-35):

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Little wonder then that the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 4:9) later admonishes us as believers to show hospitality to all men.  He had experienced it firsthand from the Lord, and knew he was obliged to display it to others as well.

And what about us? Should we as believers still be hospitable to others today?  Does this quaint Mid-Eastern custom still matter in our world? The answer, of course, is a resounding yes.  So much so that it may be one of the few really effective ways of reaching people with the life-changing message of the Gospel.

In his book titled Outlive Your Life: You were Made to Make a Difference, Max Lucado describes the power of Christians practicing hospitality. He writes:

Long before the church had pulpits and baptisteries, she had kitchens and dinner tables. Even a casual reading of the New Testament unveils the house as the primary tool of the church. The primary gathering place of the church was the home. Consider the genius of God's plan.

The first generation of Christians was a tinderbox of contrasting cultures and backgrounds. At least fifteen different nationalities
heard Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Jews stood next to Gentiles. Men worshiped with women. Slaves and masters alike sought after Christ. Can people of such varied backgrounds and cultures get along with each other?

We wonder the same thing today. Can Hispanics live in peace with Anglos? Can Democrats find common ground with Republicans? Can a Christian family carry on a civil friendship with the Muslim couple down the street? Can divergent people get along?

The early church did—without the aid of sanctuaries, church buildings, clergy, or seminaries. They did so through the clearest of messages (the Cross) and the simplest of tools (the home).

Not everyone can serve in a foreign land, lead a relief effort, or volunteer at the downtown soup kitchen. But who can't be hospitable? Do you have a front door? A table? Chairs? Bread and meat for sandwiches? Congratulations! You just qualified to serve in the most ancient of ministries: hospitality.

Something holy happens around a dinner table that will never happen in a sanctuary. In a church auditorium you see the backs of heads. Around the table you see the expressions on faces. In the auditorium one person speaks; around the table everyone has a voice. Church services are on the clock. Around the table there is time to talk.

Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community.   It's no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing. When you open your door to someone, you are sending this message: "You matter to me and to God." You may think you are saying, "Come over for a visit." But what your guest hears is, "I'm worth the effort."*

Well said, Max. Like a good host, Jesus entertained His disciples at the last supper. He then promptly went out and proved to them that they were worth it! The same holds for you and me, and also for our neighbors!

*SOURCE: Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010), p. 55.

NOTE: According to Wikipedia, The Ballad of Jed Clampett hit No. 1 on the country charts in January 1963, and was the only number one hit song of Flatt and Scruggs' career. Doing so made it one of only two TV theme songs to ever reach No. 1 on the country charts, the other one being Waylon Jennings' The Good Ol' Boys, the theme from “The Dukes of Hazzard”.

SAVE ME A SEAT!

9/18/2014

Paul W. Powell is a gifted communicator who has collected up a number of wonderful stories for those who relate the many aspects of the Gospel message. Among them are several that have to do with sports. I thought I would share one today. Several years ago, it seems…

A certain man was an avid Dallas Cowboy fan. He lived and died with every game. But, when Jimmy Johnson left the Cowboys, he became disillusioned and thought the team would fall apart. So, he gave up his option on his season tickets.

But, when the next season rolled around, the Cowboys started doing very well. In fact, they did so well that they won their conference and were scheduled to play the San Francisco 49ers for the division championship the next week.

His interest in the Cowboys suddenly revived and he began to try to get a ticket to the game. But, they were extremely scarce. He finally located one ticket that cost him $1,000.

The day of the game came and the game was a complete sellout. There weren’t even scalpers out in the parking lot trying to get rid of an extra seat. There were no seats available. He found his place, sat down, and anxiously waited for the game to start.

Kick off time came and he noticed the seat next to him was vacant. Next to it was a neatly dressed, middle-aged lady. He said to her, “I can’t understand this seat being vacant. The game is a sellout. I wonder what happened to the person who has this seat?” The lady responded, “That’s my husband’s seat.” The man responded, “Oh, where is he?” She replied, “He died.”

The man responded, “I’m sorry to hear that. But with seats at a premium and the price so high, why didn’t you bring a relative with you?”  She replied, “I couldn’t. They’re all at the funeral.”

A familiar expression this time of year in these parts is: “It’s football time in Tennessee!” And every other Saturday or so throughout the fall, the parking lot and bleachers at Neyland Stadium prove that this saying has genuine meaning.   With a seating capacity of 102,455, game day is virtually a sea of orange. And once, on September 18, 2004, a record 109,061 actually crammed inside to watch Tennessee defeat Florida by a score of 30 to 28.

And now, we are being told that even this venue is apparently not sufficient enough. Thus, on September 10, 2016, Bristol Motor Speedway will transform its iconic short track into a world-class football stadium for the inaugural “Battle at Bristol”, touted to be College Football's Biggest EVER venue, featuring a border battle between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Tennessee Volunteers.

It is anticipated that the number of fans in attendance will be in excess of 150,000. If so, this will certainly become the largest crowd in the history of college football. Sports Illustrated points out that a capacity crowd will easily dwarf the roughly 120,000 who crammed into Soldier Field back in 1927 for the game featuring USC and Notre Dame.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  Being a southerner, I like both college football and Nascar racing as much as the next guy. But,
being a Pastor, I know what the two annual Bristol races and the seven or so home football games already in existence do to church attendance on the following Sunday mornings.

Of course, packing out the Coliseum is nothing new.  It was happening some two thousand years ago - not only in Rome, but in every major city of the Roman Empire, including Jerusalem, where a huge Circus Maximus or Hippodrome or Amphitheater was located. Suffice it to say that the Empire loved sports. At times, the games lasted more than 80 consecutive days.

Little wonder then that the writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews (10:25) encouraged the people of God not to forsake the practice of assembling together as believers on a regular basis.

Coach Butch Jones is currently in the process of rebuilding the University of Tennessee football program brick by brick.  And his efforts are clearly beginning to show results. Along with any number of people in East Tennessee, I am glad to see this.

And, as the University of Tennessee football program continues to rebuild and to rebound, I am glad to know that they will invariably pack the house with fans. At the same time, I can only hope that God’s people will be equally as passionate about packing out the house of the Lord!

After all, some things really are more important than the playing of games. Among them, most assuredly, is the worship of Almighty God.

SOURCES: http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?d=146507, pp. 112-113.

Cf. also: http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/battleatbristol/; as well as: http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2013/10/16/tennessee-virginia-tech-bristo
l-motorspeedway-virginia-tech-game.

LOOKING FORWARD

9/15/2014

As I alluded to in my last post, in the church where I pastor, we were privileged to celebrate our 120th anniversary as a church family this past Sunday.  We were honored to have with us local, state, and nationally elected officials, from City and County Mayors to a U.S. Congressmen and a U.S. Senator.

We were also blessed to have descendants of our original charter members; including  a video from one young lady who is a fifth generation descendent of charter members and who is currently serving as a Missionary in Africa with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board.  We were also blessed to have with us a third generation descendant of one of our earliest Pastors (the second Pastor of the church who had served back in the late 1890s, right after our founding).

Our featured speaker for the morning was Dr. Randy Davis, Executive Director of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. He culminated his message with the ringing of the original church bell which had been preserved form out very first worship center.  We rang it thirteen times, one for each of the twelve decades of our existence, and one for the future.

As a part of his message, Dr. Davis shared the following insightful illustration. He talked about the difference between a rear view mirror and a windshield.  Both, he acknowledged, are important when we drive, or go forward. The rear view mirror is important because it helps us to see where we have been. But we cannot effectively drive in a forward direction if we focus only on where we have been.

Instead, we have to look in front of us, to where we are going. And that is the purpose of the windshield – to present that very view. He then noted that the windshield is more important than the rear view mirror, precisely because it lets us know where we are going.

I was inspired by that thought. So much so that I came home and took some measurements.  The rear view mirror on the vehicle I drive is c. 2”X9.5”, for a total area of only 19” square inches. By comparison, the windshield is c. 29”X56”, for a total area of 1624 square inches. Now, 1624 divided by 19 is approximately 85.5. This obviously means that the people who designed the vehicle I drive intended for me to have 85 times more focus on where I was going than on where I had been!

It was William Shakespeare who said, “All that is past is prologue.”  Those words are fittingly inscribed on Robert Aitken’s 1935 sculpture titled Future, which sits in front of the northeast corner of the Unites States National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. As a country, we rightfully celebrate our tremendous heritage; but we look forward to an even greater future in light of this.

And that thought must translate into the life of a church as well! Where we have been (our history, our heritage, etc…) is very important. But even more important is where we are headed. And if we spend too much time looking at our past, we will not go where we need to in the future. In fact, we may even endanger ourselves and/or wind up in the ditch!

With this thought in mind, I will look forward to a periodic glance into the past, to yesterday, to where we have been. But I always do so knowing that tomorrow, the future, deserves so much more of my time and attention than yesterday, the past, because like it or not, this is exactly where we are headed. And because of that, I find myself, with great excitement and anticipation, “looking forward”. I hope you do as well.

For the Prophet Isaiah said it even better than Shakespeare. Speaking on behalf of the Lord (43:19-19), he penned these words: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”   How right he was, and how right you and I will be, to keep “looking forward”.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A GRAND OLD LADY

9/11/2014

A week and a half ago, www.people.com (the official web site for People Magazine) carried a story by Michele Corriston with the following headline:  “127-Year-Old Woman Says She's the World's Oldest Living Person”. It reads in part:

Leandra Becerra Lumbreras has lived through every major historical event of the past century.    On Sunday, her family says she made history herself.   Born Aug. 31, 1887, the Mexican
great-great-grandmother reportedly turned 127. But because she lost her birth certificate, the Guinness Book of World Records will not recognize her as the world's oldest living person, the Telegraph reports.

The former seamstress has outlived her five children, and her family tree extends as far as 55 great-great-grandchildren.  In an interview with Mexico's El Horizonte, she credits a love of chocolate and sleep with keeping her well.  Not that Lumbreras left life pass her by: She says she served in the 1910 Mexican Revolution as the leader of Las Adelitas, a group of women in combat, according to the International Business Times' translation.

"She is entirely lucid. She blows your mind with stories from the revolution," Lumbreras's granddaughter told El Horizonte. "She was always a woman who fought."*

Now, I do not know this lady. I’m sure she has had a full life and is capable of sharing lots of wonderful memories. But I do know another grand old lady - one who is turning 120 this very month and whose history is well documented.  Her official name is First Baptist Church of Lenoir City, Tennessee; and I am privileged to serve as her Pastor.

I thought it would be fitting for my blog this week to post the official press release surrounding her 120th anniversary. It will tell you somewhat about her long and full life. It reads:

PRESS RELEASE
120th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF LENOIR CITY, TENNESSEE

First Baptist Church of Lenoir City, Tennessee will be celebrating her 120th Anniversary in the 10:15am Morning Worship Service on Sunday, September 14, 2014. She was chartered by sixteen visionary members back in 1894, thirteen years before the official incorporation of Lenoir City itself.

The first meeting place was a one room log cabin on Martel Road. Today, 120 years later, she has transitioned to her fourth location as she has grown to a total membership of over 3,000 people, with a physical campus occupying thirty four acres of land, including four main buildings totaling 265 thousand square feet valued at over $20 million.

The church has a current staff of over forty individuals, including the Academy. The annual operating budget is well over $2 million; and the total for all offerings, including missions, is approximately $3 million annually. More than one hundred separate ministries are part of the church’s overall program, including ministries for all ages, involving children, youth, women, men, and senior adults.

Additionally, the church owns and operates the Lenoir City Christian Academy, which includes a Christian School with grades currently running K-4, as well as a full time preschool, after school program, and also a summer daycare reaching approximately 150 children in total.  She also operates the Lenoir City Arts Center, designed to teach students music and the performing arts.

The church is a cooperating member of the Loudon County Baptist Association (with more than forty churches), the Tennessee Baptist Convention (with 3100+ churches) and the Southern Baptist Convention, which is the nations’ largest protestant denomination with some 45,000 churches and sixteen million members.

Together with these entities, she supports six theological seminaries, more than thirty colleges and universities, a publishing house, a nationwide bookstore chain, and both a North American and an International Mission Board, with over 10,000 missionaries between them.

One of these six seminaries (Southern Seminary, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky) operates an extension center on the church’s campus, with over fifty total ministerial students enrolled. Through these and her own missionary endeavors, First Baptist Church has a ministry presence that literally spans the entire globe.

In her storied existence, First Baptist Church has had over fifty individuals from within her membership enter vocational Christian ministry. Throughout this time, she herself has been led by over twenty full-time Pastors.  Her current Pastor, Dr. C. E. Jackson, III has served as Senior Pastor since 2001, and is the longest tenured Pastor in the church’s history.

It is hoped that the first 120 years of her existence are only the foundation upon which a lengthier and even greater ministry will continue to be built.

With this in mind, First Baptist Church greatly anticipates the future God has in store for her as well as the difference she hopes to be able to make in the lives of the men, women, and children she encounters.

The First Baptist Church family is very excited to undertake this celebration of their wonderful history together.  They extend an open invitation to the community for all those who desire to be a part of this truly historic day, which will include several recognitions, as well as an inspiring message to be brought by Dr. Randy Davis, Executive Director of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, all before transitioning downstairs for a meal together.

For more information, the church can be contacted online at www.firstbaptistlc.org or by phone at 865-986-9066.

So, if you happen to be in the area this coming Sunday, September 14, 2014, feel free to drop by and be a part of this very special day. And yes, as befits a bunch of Baptists, the meal will indeed be fried chicken!

*SOURCE: http://www.people.com/article/oldest-living-person-birthday.

BRUSHING UP ON SOMETHING IMPORTANT

9/8/2014

As I write this, the clock is ticking and my stress is rising.  Why? Because, in a little over one week, I go to the Dentist for my semi-annual teeth cleaning and checkup.

Of course, like a lot of people, I do my best to clean my teeth regularly. I brush, floss, and gargle daily. But I always tend to get a little anxious before I go in for an exam.  The day I hear that I have a cavity and need a filling is one I hope I never have to face.

So, I bought myself a new toothbrush this past week in order to do a little eleventh hour scrubbing. Actually, I bought a two-pack. And I knew exactly what to look for when I got to the store.   I prefer the ones with soft bristles and thick handles. And one other thing:   buttons. That’s right… buttons. “On” and “Off” buttons to be exact.

You see, a year or so ago, I went to buy a new toothbrush.  At the time, all I could find in the soft bristle variety was one with a thick handle. I took it home and used it for a few days. And then, as I finished brushing my teeth one morning, I tapped my toothbrush on the side of the sink bowl in an attempt to shake out any excess water.

All of a sudden, to my complete surprise, my toothbrush started vibrating. I was dumbfounded to discover that it was an electric toothbrush! I had obviously hit the little “On” button when tapping it to shake out the water. It was also obvious that the brush was designed to be disposed of after a few weeks use. And of course, that accounted for the thick handle as well, which surely contained both a battery and a motor.

God used that little episode to remind me that so much of what I attempt to do in my own strength can be done so much more effectively with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. His power is available to me each and every day of my life. However, much of the time, I vigorously pursue whatever I am attempting to do in my own strength.

The irony is that His added strength has been available to me all along.  It is I who have not always utilized that power as I as I should. And, of course, I have only cheated myself as a result.

In the eight chapter of his New Testament letter to the Church at Rome, the Apostle Paul tells us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness”.   In the original (Koine) Greek in which Paul wrote, the word translated as help is a compound word, “sunantilambanomai” that literally means “with” plus “corresponding” plus “to lay hold upon”.   It best translates as “to assist jointly in performing some task”.*

Thank God that we have not been left to our own devices - neither for the attaining of eternal salvation nor for the living out of our daily lives as believers. For In the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus, God the Father has provided us grace for eternal life; and in  the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, He has provided us the wherewithal we need for a full and abundant life here and now.

Always remember this important truth:  God desires to help us in our weakness.  No matter what we are up against, He is there for us.  And take Him up on that offer of help. Otherwise, as you go about attempting to face life's difficulties in your own strength, you will invariably only manage to cheat yourself out of many of the victories and blessings that God has in store for you.

*NOTE: The exposition of this Greek term can be found online at: http://biblehub.com/greek/4878.htm.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

9/4/2014

While piddling around in back of my father-in-law's barn the other day, I scraped my hand on an old rusty nail.  Needless to say, it hurt.  As might be expected, I was more than a little bothered – mostly by my own negligence in having brought about the whole incident to begin with.

In fact, I was rather angry at myself that I could have been so careless in the first place. It was sort of like the feeling most of us have whenever we bump our respective heads, and immediately know inside that we have no one to blame for the incident but our own selves!

Each passing day, as I have looked at the healing scab, I have reflected more and more on this simple little incident. As I have done so, the Lord brought to my mind the following story - one which had, ironically, been shared with me via e-mail only a week or two before this whole episode unfolded. I trust you will see the relevance.  It seems that…

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome, and extremely bright. A natural leader. The kind of person everyone would normally have wanted on their team or project. But he was also self-centered and had a very bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did, some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for those around him. Even friends. So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just shows how stupid most people are!”

As he grew, his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they should do.  Finally, the father had an idea.  And he struck a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. “Whenever you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out. Just take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!”

Of course, those weathered oak boards in that old fence were almost as tough as iron, and the hammer was mighty heavy, so it wasn’t nearly as easy as it first sounded. Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence (That was one angry young man!).

Gradually, over a period of weeks, the number dwindled down. Holding his temper proved to be easier than driving nails into the fence! Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt mighty proud as he told his parents about that accomplishment.

“As a sign of your success,” his father responded, “you get to PULL OUT one nail. In fact, you can do that each day that you don’t lose your temper even once.”

Well, many weeks passed. Finally, one day, the young boy was able to report proudly that all the nails were gone.

At that point, the father asked his son to walk out back with him and take one more good look at the fence. “You have done well, my son,” he said. “But I want you to notice the holes that are left. No matter what happens from now on, this fence will never be the same. Saying or doing hurtful things in anger produces the same kind of result. There will always be a scar. It won’t matter how many times you say you’re sorry, or how many years pass, the scar will still be there. And a verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

People are much more valuable than an old fence. They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and support us through bad times.  And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us. That means we need to treat everyone with love and respect. We need to prevent as many of those scars as we can.”

The blog writer concludes with these additional admonitions.

A most valuable lesson, don’t you think? And a reminder most of us need from time to time. Everyone gets angry occasionally. The real test is what we DO with it.  If we are wise, we will spend our time building bridges rather than barriers in our relationships.*

How is that for timing? It looks like the Lord may have wanted to remind me of the power of words, especially when they are spoken in anger.

To quote the Apostle James (1:19-20): “My dear brothers, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

*SOURCE: This and many other “moral, motivational and inspirational stories” for effective communication have been gathered up at: http://academictips.org/blogs/. The page for this specific story is: http://academictips.org/blogs/temper-control/.

TAKE FIVE…

9/1/2014

The September, 1992 Issue of Focus on the Family Newsletter contains the following story:

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter he was 9, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no-nonsense uncle.

As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank's tracks meandering all over the field.

"Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again," his uncle said. "And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that."

Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how this experience had greatly contributed to his philosophy in life. "I determined right then," he'd say with a twinkle in his eye, "not to miss most things in life, as my uncle had."

Labor Day is, of course, the time that we rightfully set apart each year to acknowledge the many benefits of our collective labor together as a society.  Indeed, we Americans have been blessed with many things. And much of this is due to our historic willingness to get up every day and head off to work.

But Labor Day is more than this. It is also a time to remind ourselves that the essence of life is more than just working. Work is what we do. But it should never be our sole purpose for existing. Rather than be an end in and of itself, it should be a means to some other end. And what is that end? To get us to the point that, having had our lives enriched, we can then recognize and enjoy both the beauty and the bounty of God’s created world and give Him glory as a result.

So, yes, on this day when you reflect upon the blessings of being gainfully employed, take time to thank God for whatever employment you have. As well as what that employment has provided for you.  These things are fitting on Labor Day.

But more than this, take five… By this I mean take time also to slow down and actually enjoy some of those blessings; and, above all, to thank God for having provided the means to obtain them in the first place. Otherwise, what purpose do they really serve?

Perhaps wise old King Solomon said it best (in Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 and again in 8:15):

This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them - for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil - this is a gift of God.  They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart…

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

Selah!

SOURCE:   Focus on the Family Newsletter, September 1992, Page 14.   As might be expected, this story has been reproduced in many published works down through the years. See, for instance, John W. Walton, Ph.D., Compassionate Care (Xulon Press, 2009), p. 162. It can also be found online in various forms. See the blog titled "Don't Miss What's Most Important" at: http://www.dialhope.org/1783-don-t-miss-what-s-most-important.

NOTE: Selah is used 74 times in the Hebrew Bible, most often in the Psalms. It best translates as "Stop and Listen".