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9/28/2018

Those of you who do not live in the southeastern United States may not necessarily understand or appreciate all the passion related to college football in this neck of the woods. But the simple truth is that it is practically impossible to live around here without declaring one’s loyalty to his or her favorite team.

And trust me, being from Georgia and living in eastern Tennessee doesn’t make this matter any easier – especially over the last week of September each year as the build up to their annual game unfolds!

Of course, while the good folks of Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee all largely root against one another within the eastern division of the Southeastern Conference, they do at least share a common dislike for their opponents over in the western division, comprised of the equally good folks of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

As we are even now in the thick of all these annual rivalries, I thought I would post a little humor today to help keep everyone from getting a little too keyed up and overwrought.

It seems that a man walked into the produce section of his local supermarket and asked to buy half a head of lettuce. The boy working in that department told him that they only sold whole heads of lettuce.

The man was insistent that the boy ask his manager about the matter. So, walking into the back room, the boy said to the manager, “Some doofus out front wants to buy half a head of lettuce...”

To his dismay, just as he finished his sentence and was turning around, he found the customer standing right behind him. So he quickly added, “And this gentleman kindly offered to buy the other half!” The manager approved the deal, and the man went on his way.

Later that day, the manager said to the boy, “I was really impressed with the way you got yourself out of that situation earlier. We like people who think on their feet here. They have a promising future. Tell me, where are you from, son?” “Auburn Alabama, sir,” the boy replied. “Well, why did you leave Alabama?” the manager asked.

The boy replied, “Well, to be honest, sir, there ain’t nothin’ but mean old ugly ladies and big old football players down there.” “Really?!” said the manager. “I’ll have you know that my mother lives in Auburn, Alabama!” “No kidding,” replied the boy, quick as a flash: “What position does she play?!”

Given that my sister, who is a graduate of Auburn University, will inevitably read this, I will conclude by requesting that my readers remember me in prayer! (GO DAWGS!)

SOURCE: Based on a joke told by Paul Powell about Texas football players. Cf.: https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/66830.pdf, p.14.

“WE INTERRUPT THIS MOMENT”

9/24/2018

My wife and I recently happened upon a game show one evening titled "CASH CAB". I had never seen this particular television program, but soon found myself intrigued by its unique format.

An otherwise indistinguishable cab prowls the streets of a large U.S. city. But this cab is actually a full-fledged game show on wheels in disguise, followed by a production crew in a second vehicle.

Once a would-be contestant(s) hails this particular cab, and is/are ensconced inside, they are made aware that they are riding in the cash cab. They are then given the chance to answer trivia questions and win cash while in route to their originally stated destination.

A series of questions and answers ensues, with chances to call for help, ask a stranger for assistance, etc… Most contestants win at least a few hundred dollars for their participation; and almost all seem to have very good time to boot.

What I noted about the program is that virtually all of the people who enter the cab are initially reticent to engage in much conversation with the driver. Instead, they are rather matter of fact and business-like as they state their intended destination. This is no doubt due to the fact that they have an agenda, and itinerary, and/or some schedule that drives them at the moment.

Perhaps they are motivated by the fact that they are on the way to dinner, or to a show, or running late for work, or any of a hundred other pressing concerns. And then, lo and behold, out of nowhere comes this interruption to their timetable. Of course, in the one or two episodes I watched, not one of the individuals given the chance to take a moment from their busy schedule and earn a little cash objected in any way whatsoever!

As I reflected on this, I could not help but think of the business of our lives. Most all of us face hectic schedules, ticking clocks, and pressing deadlines! Such is life in the modern world. These thing tend to make us task-oriented as we seek to navigate the pressures under which we live. And this also makes us have less and less time for what matters most - which is quality interaction with other people for greater purposes.

The irony of the show is that anyone who refuses to take a moment to interact with the game show host and engage in give and take with him has absolutely zero chance of being rewarded!

Of course, few, if any, choose to do this. To take such an approach – that is to say “No, I do not want to slow down and engage in this conversation at this time!” – is to lose any opportunity whatsoever of financial gain!

And herein lies a spiritual principle. God, I am convinced, delights in interrupting our busy schedules! We rush to and fro in our excessively busy lives, all too consumed with our agendas to slow down and interact and engage with others. And when we do, we miss out on untold numbers of blessing. Not financial blessings, but spiritual ones!

The proof of this is in the story that Jesus Christ once told as recorded in verses 25-37 of the 10th chapter of the New Testament Gospel of Luke. In this, the famed “Parable of the Good Samaritan”, a man falls among thieves and is beaten and left for dead. In rapid succession, two rather high-ranking religious officials choose to pass right by the forlorn man. They are obviously entirely too busy to be bothered with him and his problems.

But a third man, a despised foreigner, chooses to stop and assist the wounded man, treating his wounds and getting him to a place of help, as well as offering to bear any expenses the man might incur in his recovery.

Jesus makes plain that the true reward, the blessing from God, belonged not to those who passed by the injured man, but to the one who actually stopped and expended the time, energy, and resource to help his fellow man!

As I write this, we are on the cusp of a new week. For many of us, this new week will be a busy one! The last thing we might think we need is a series of unwelcome introductions. After all, such things slow us down and seemingly rob us of our productivity. And yet, such things also contain innumerable blessings! For such is exactly the way God works!

So, why not commit at the outset of this busy week to allow yourself the luxury of being interrupted at some point or points? Why not commit that you will be willing to slow down and engage with anyone whom God brings across your path this particular week that might be in need of time and attention?

Doing so might just provide unexpected blessings – not only for them in their need, but also for you as you seek to honor God and glorify Him by the way you treat others in His name!

GAME SHOW SOURCES:
https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/cash-cab/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_Cab_(U.S._game_show);

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://biblehub.com/niv/luke/10.htm.

LET GO AND LET GOD!

9/21/2018

During our Bible studies on Wednesday nights, we have been focusing recently on the life of the Biblical King David. The Old Testament book of First Samuel records how David came to the throne; and the book of Second Samuel recounts his reign while on the throne.

If there is an overriding theme to the life of David, one that ties all the various seasons of his life together, then it may well be this: “Let go and let God!”

When David bursts onto the scene in First Samuel 17, he is a young shepherd boy whom defends his father’s flocks against both a lion and a bear. Shortly thereafter, he fights against an enormous Philistine giant named Goliath. In both cases, he is victorious. And in both cases, by his own testimony, he depends upon God to win the victory.

A bit later in First Samuel, as he defends himself against the irrational and dogged pursuit of King Saul, he is repeatedly given opportunities to harm Saul. But he refuses to do so, asserting that he will not harm God’s anointed one. Rather, he asserts that if God desires for him (David) to become king, then God Himself will bring about the demise of the current king Saul. Of course, just as God delivered the lion and the bear and the giant into David’s hand, so also does He deliver Saul.

Later on, in Second Samuel, after David comes to the throne as king, he finds that he must secure his reign by engaging in a seven and a half year long war with forces once loyal to Saul. Once again, he relies upon God; and once again God gives him the victory.

Then, still later, David’s own son, Absalom, rises up in rebellion against David, and attempts to turn the people of Israel against him, thereby usurping the kingdom. Yet again, however, David refuses to fight against a foe – this time his own flesh and blood. Instead, he once again asserts that if it is God’s will for him(David) to remain as king, then the Lord will resolve the situation and secure his throne for him. And of course, once again, God does just that.

Thus, if there is one lesson we can confidently take from David’s life, it is surely the one we find from the very mouth of David himself in Psalm 56:3, when he was up against yet another enemy, the Philistine army, back in First Samuel, chapter 21: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee!”

Elsewhere (in the New Testament Book of Romans, chapter 8, verse 1), the Bible reminds us that “If God be for us, who can be against us?” This great truth is played out time and again in the Bible. Whether it be Moses against Pharaoh, or Daniel against the lions, or Elijah against the false prophets, or any one of dozens of other such examples, the God of the Bible always delivers for His people when they trust in Him rather than their own strength.

And God has continued that deliverance throughout Christian history. One of my favorite stories is that of the citizens of Feldkirch, Austria when Napoleon's massive army was preparing to attack. The invader’s soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which was situated on the Austrian border.

Accordingly, a council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. All of this just It happened to unfold on Easter Sunday, when by habit, the people had gathered in the local church.

The pastor is said to have to have arisen and said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord's resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us."

The council saw the wisdom of his admonition and accepted his plan. Shortly thereafter, the church bells rang out. The enemy, however, hearing the sudden peal, wrongly concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the town. Before the Easter service had ended, Napoleon’s invading army had broken camp and left.

Like David of old, like the believing Christians of Feldkirch, and like untold numbers of other believers throughout history, if we can but bring ourselves to “let go and let God”, we can surely find ourselves victorious - often in ways we might never have foreseen!

STORY SOURCE: Available widely online. See for instance: http://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/the-sound-of-church-bells.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/56.htm and https://www.biblehub.com/romans/8-31.htm.

NOTE TO SELF

9/17/2018

One of my favorite movies is Sahara starring Matthew McConaughey. He plays the part of Dirk Pitt, the protagonist of a Clive Cussler novel of the same name turned into film. Pitt is a former U. S. Navy Seal who ostensibly works for an oceanographic research organization named NUMA, but who, in reality, goes all over the world making discoveries and solving mysteries.

In a classic scene in the movie, Pitt and his sidekick, Al Giordino, are in a dried-up river bed in the Sahara desert searching for an ancient shipwreck containing a lost treasure that is now covered over by sand. As they plod along on camels, Giordino is somewhat discouraged at their prospects, and says something like the following to Pitt… (I’m heavily paraphrasing here.)

“Hey, you know that guy you knew in high school who is now trapped in such a horrible situation in life? He works a dead-end job that he hates. And he’s stressed out and his finances are always teetering on the edge, and all that brings with it. Etc, etc… And you know how you just want to go back in time to where he made that first critical wrong decision and started down the wrong path and shake him to his senses and say ‘don’t do that!’”

Pitt responds in the affirmative and asks what his point is. To which Giordino quips something like: “So, here we are in the desert looking for gold in a non-existent ship in a non-existent river. I was just wondering when we might need to reevaluate our own decision-making paradigms here!”

Wow! Talk about insightful! All of us, if we would be honest, need a periodic reevaluation of our decision-making processes in life. We can all very likely look back over our lives and see where we probably should not have taken a certain step, or where we likely should have taken a step that we did not take. I know I could!

Now let me make this personal. My son Micah went off to college knowing in his heart that he was being led into the field of public accounting. But after struggling with the load of accounting classes, certain classes, he changed his major and then graduated with a business degree. Thereafter, he worked in a bank. And then he got a job in an investment firm.

Then one day, six years after he graduated from college, he called me one day and said he wanted to talk with me. I was headed to Nashville for some denominational meetings anyway; so we met for lunch. At that time, he told me that if the 24 year old Micah could go back in time and get his hands on the 18 year old Micah, he would tell him to stay true to his calling, to what he knew in his heart that he really wanted to do with his life.

What is more, he told me knew that he and his wife had talked it out and they both agreed on what he now had to do. He was going to go back to school at night for the next year and a half and take the accounting courses he had not taken but was required to have. Thereafter, he was going to seek employment at an accounting firm to gain some experience while he studied for and took the four components of state exams required to become a Certified Public Accountant.

That conversation happened back in 2015. It has been three years and I am happy to report that he has now met all of his personal goals. He took his required accounting courses at night, then got a job at an accounting firm, and then studied for and has now passed his state exams. In short, in just three brief years, he has now realized his dream of becoming a Certified Public Accountant.

This all happened because he decided to man up and take charge of his life! And I am very proud of him for having done so!
Of course, what one person can do another person can do! Thus, what my son went through is a valuable lesson for all of us. It is important to know what we are called to do with our lives. It is important to know how God has gifted us. And it is important to know how we should use our God-given gifts as we live out our lives.

Granted, we do not always get such things right on the first go around. But if we find ourselves dissatisfied with where life is taking us, we can always change direction. We can always reevaluate our situation and put together a plan to change our lives. It may take a little effort; but if we are willing to make a plan and stick to it, we can always realize the necessary adjustments and enjoy the reward that such a process brings about.

I have a little folder I keep filled with quotes designed to motivate me toward improvements in life. Among these quotes is this one I came across somewhere: “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

Three years ago, my son Micah came to such a conclusion on his own. And now, his future self is thanking him for that change. What about you? Do you need to undertake some set of changes that your future self will thank you for? If so, what prevents you? Today is the day!

Why not write a note to yourself today and date it for five years from now? Thank yourself for having had the courage to take whatever steps were needed to effect the changes you desired to see transpire. And then read that note every single day while you work toward that goal.

For, as numerous motivational speakers have reminded us, if the Lord tarries His coming, that five year period of time will surely come and go. And at the end of it, you can either be living a whole new life or you can still be living the one you are so dissatisfied with right now. The change is entirely up to you!

So do not be afraid as you work boldly for the realization of this desired future life. For God’s words to us through the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah (chapter 29, verse 11) are especially meaningful here: “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future!”

Your future! God’s promise! All things are possible; only believe!

MOVIE QUOTE SOURCE: The actual Sahara script quote is here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318649/quotes.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/29-11.htm.

ALL IS NOT LOST!

9/13/2018

Like many pastors, I customarily peruse the headlines each morning, primarily to stay abreast of what all is happening in the world. But I have another motive as well. I have learned that the best illustrations come from life.

Of course, if one is not careful, consistently reviewing the headlines each morning can bring about a sense of doom and gloom. And even if one is selective in what is read, he or she still tends to get a view of humanity’s behavior that only serves to underscore our inherent wickedness.

That is why is have intentionally begun a collection of stories that reflect good news for a change. And one such story caught my eye a couple of months ago. It was titled “Man Reunited With $127G Prosthetic Leg After Losing It While Riding Jet Ski”.

As the headline indicates, the story is about a man who was reunited with his $127,000 prosthetic leg three days after he lost it while riding a jet ski on the Hudson River. Members of the Corinth Fire Department searched for and finally found the detached leg after the man lost it in a backed up portion of the Hudson river in Saratoga County, New York.

Even then, it took the divers three days to accomplish their task, having begun the search late on Thursday and not finding the lost leg until Sunday. When they finally found it, it was protruding from the mud on the bottom in about fifteen feet of water, with only the artificial toes sticking out.

The unidentified owner of the leg told officials the prosthetic leg was made in Europe and had expensive electronic components. According to Captain Derek Briner of the Corinth Fire Department:

“He said when he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident it truly affected him, but after he so-called lost his leg for a second time, it almost affected him more… The smile on [the owner's] face made what we do well worth it. For him to have it back and turn it on and have it still function correctly from what he could tell - he got his life back.”

As I read this wonderful story of good news, I could not help but think about another story with similar components. This story, that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is also a story of good news.

It, too, is a story about individuals who lost something dear to them. It is the Biblical story of men and women losing their spiritual footing, as it were, through sin, and being unable to stand before almighty God.

But just when all hope was lost, another individual, Jesus Christ, came to their rescue. He dove deep down into the grave and, after three days, retrieved their life from the muck and mire of sin, and returned it to them on Sunday when He rose from that grave. In the process, men and women discovered the joy of knowing what it is like to have one’s life restored to them!

And that is the single best bit of good news the world has ever been given! As the Apostle John so famously puts it (in chapter 3, verse 16 of his New Testament Gospel): “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

ARTICLE SOURCE: The original article was attributed to Chris Irvine (@chrisirvine86), Senior News Editor at Fox News and can be found at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/26/man-reunited-with-127g-prosthetic-leg-after-losing-it-while-riding-jet-ski.html.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/john/3-16.htm.

WHO GOES THERE?!

9/10/2018

The news this past week carried an intriguing little story about a man who bears an uncanny resemblance to professional golfer Tiger Woods. Apparently, the unnamed individual threw fans for a loop as he impersonated the golf superstar during a PGA Tour event in Massachusetts on Monday, September 4, 2018.

The link below will take you to the news story, which contains a Twitter link with video and still pictures of the episode. The lookalike wore Tiger Woods' signature red Nike shirt, black cap and black sunglasses. He walked around posing for photos with fans at the Dell Technologies Championship.

He was soon busted, however. Only not by any authorities; but by Tiger Woods himself! As you can see, the photos show the real Woods making his way along beside the crowds of excited golf fans and completely ignoring giving the impersonator by giving him an obvious cold shoulder.

Of course, when I read this, the preacher in me could not help but call to mind a verse or two of Holy Scripture.

The first admonishes us to be careful about being deceived, because even the devil sometimes manifests himself as an angel of light. In his Second New Testament Letter to the Corinthians Christians, the Apostle Paul while discusses various deceitful workers who have crept into the church at Corinth and are “masquerading as apostles of Christ.

As he does, he states: “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”

Wow! Not everyone is who they appear to be. This is bad enough in the secular world. But it can be particularly problematic in the church. It behooves us as believers, therefore, to be careful and make certain, as the Christians at Berea did, that we weigh every teaching against the backdrop of Holy Scripture.

After all, chapter 17, verse 11 of the New Testament Book of Acts tells us that “the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

A second passage reminds us to be careful to show hospitality to strangers because we do not always know who they are. We read in the New Testament Book of Hebrews (chapter 13, verse 2): “Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”

Wow once again! We simply never know just who we are dealing with! Sometimes, we might be dealing with angels unaware. At other times, we could well be face to face with the devil himself - or else one of his servants. Either way, it seems that we are bidden as followers of Jesus Christ to be circumspect in our actions so as not to be gullible in either our affections or our affirmations.

NEWS STORY SOURCE:
http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/09/04/tiger-woods-impersonator-poses-fans-pga-tour-event-photos-video.
SEE ALSO:
https://twitter.com/GolfChannel/status/1036696508417105921/photo/1.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: All references above available at https://biblehub.com/.

BACK ATCHA’!

9/6/2018

A friend of mine just lost his precious wife after a lifetime together! Literally, these two childhood sweethearts grew up together, got married, and were then inseparable for sixty plus years thereafter.

As we met and had lunch together, he talked about the great voids he now has in his heart, in his life, and in his time. But he also talked about the many ways he is now looking into to help fill those respective voids.

He then paid me a tremendous personal complement; which I had not expected, but which I also graciously acknowledged. This led to his telling me that one of the things he is intent on doing in the time he has left in this world is finding ways of being an encouragement to others.

As we talked, he mentioned that years ago when he was a public school administrator, he had a pad of sticky notes printed up that said: “I CAUGHT YOU DOING SOMETHING GOOD!” He talked about how he would post such notes on educator’s desks along with t a few written words to encourage them, and also of the unexpected responses such notes often engendered as recipients often went out of their way to express what his note of encouragement had mean to them.

He then said that his goal these days is never to go to bed without having found some way to encourage someone, somewhere, somehow! That is to say, he has committed that he will not lay down to go to sleep at night unless and until he has either had a conversation, written a note, made a phone call, sent a text message, composed an email, or else found some other such similar way wherein he has specifically encouraged someone.

As he shared this simple but effective idea, I could not help but think of all the people I know who are in need of encouragement even now. I also thought about how I too needed to find a way to offer them the encouragement they need.

I was further reminded of the words of Jesus in His famed “Sermon on the Mount” in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew (chapter 7, verse 2), when He said: “Whatever measure you use toward others is what will be used to measure back to you!”

Do you need a little encouragement today? It is likely that you do; for the world in which we live can be a very tough place. If so, then why not offer a little encouragement to someone else. Do this enough and you might just find some of that encouragement coming right back atcha’!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/matthew/7-2.htm.

WORKING THINGS OUT

9/3/2018

Albert Kang tells a wonderful story about two brothers who had a falling out and then a reunion. It seems that…

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days' work," he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor. In fact, it's my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place or his face anymore."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day - measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge. A bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched.

"You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder.

"No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.

"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have many more bridges to build."

As we come to the end of the summer and celebrate Labor Day, we take a little time to relax and to fellowship with our families and our friends. Hopefully, as we do, we will also reflect on the labor to which we devote a significant portion of our lives.

Whether that labor involves farming or trading or constructing or transporting or financing or communicating or any number of other worthwhile endeavors, I trust we all see that our ultimate objective is to use our labor here in this world to build bridges and bring people together rather than to tear them apart.

Obviously, from the Christian perspective, the carpenter in this particular story represents Jesus Christ, who was known as the son of a carpenter in the little village of Nazareth where He grew to manhood. But in reality, He was infinitely more. He was the one and only Son of God, Who came into this world to restore our broken relationships with our Heavenly Father and with our earthly brothers and sisters.

In that sense, the work He undertook to do while in this world was above all else a work of redemption. Our work in this world should serve the same purpose. For if and when it does, it then becomes work with eternal significance.

I conclude by wishing you all a happy Labor Day. But even as I do, I remind you that Jesus knew the work He was called by God to do. He therefore undertook to do that work well. And thus, I also ask: "What, then, is the work God has called you and me to do?" Whatever it is, I trust it will ultimately be redemptive. I trust also that we will approach it with the same passion and fervor as our Lord did His own work. For only then will we ever truly be happy in our labor.

ILLUSTRATION SOURCE: https://aksermonillustrations.blogspot.com/search?q=labor+day.