Turkeys and Trails

I went mountain biking today with a couple of good friends at Land Between the Lakes. It was a perfect day to ride. As we were coming around a corner, we spooked a turkey (just a little goblett of a dude). And, to my surprise, this turkey (instead of racing through the woods away from us) bolted down the bike trail in front of us. Man, could that thing run! I tried my best to catch up with it, but he was nature's version of the Road Runner. He was kickin' up some dust!
The things that God has placed in nature never cease to amaze me. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." (Psalm 150:6)

BOOK REVIEW

BOOK REVIEWED: HELL: SEPARATE TRUTH FROM FICTION AND GET YOUR TOUGHEST QUESTIONS ANSWERED

BOOK AUTHOR: BILL WIESE

PICKED UP AT: BORDERS

PUBLISHED BY: CHARISMA HOUSE - 2008


While on vacation in Florida, my wife and mother-in-law took an afternoon to go shopping…I took the afternoon to sit in Borders and read some stuff. I came across this book while strolling through the “religious” section in the back, and the cover intrigued me more than anything. However, as I scrolled through the Table of Contents, I found questions like: Don’t All Roads Lead to God? Does the Crime Fit the Punishment? We Wouldn’t Want to Offend Anyone, Would We? Why Does a Christian Need to Know About Hell? These questions came to be a sermon series we’re doing at Union Hill (at present) on Sunday nights.

Excerpt: “Suppose you knocked on the door of the most expensive home in the country and told the owners, “I’m moving in with you.” What do you think they would say? Of course they would say ‘no’! And you wouldn’t expect them to welcome you. You have no relationship with them. So you, who question God’s fairness, live your entire life having nothing to do with Him, even denying that Jesus is the Son of God, you then come knocking on God’s door at your death and say, “Excuse me, I’m moving in with You!” Why would you think that you have a right to move into His house…(John 14:6)… (Page 12 - 2nd Par.)

This book is good sermon stimulation, but there’s quite a bit of doctrinal difficulty to wade through. For instance, in chapter 14, he tells of his own “vision” that God allowed him to see of hell. However, even in that questionable chapter, he breaks down the description of what he saw with truthful excerpts from the Bible about torment (sermon fodder much). There is a LOT of Scripture given in this book (more than I thought there was going to be), and most of the thoughts given by the author on this topic are correct. Just be careful.

Life is Like a Garden

From day to day, the landscape of a garden changes. Take, for instance, the few days of drought we've had in West Kentucky, compounded by 100 degree weather, and that tends to change green plants to yellow...then brown. Also, there are these things called "weeds" that have to be tilled up and hoed out from around the fruits of your labor...and it doesn't take long for those weeds to take over.
Gardening is a constant, daily battle. There is always something to do...and the Christian life is very similar. There are days in our lives where we're not focused on God, where we don't come to the fountain of Christ to drink, and our souls begin to wilt. "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19 - NIV). At other times, we let the world take over our focus, and our spiritual lives begin to be choked out by our fleshly desires.
From day to day our spiritual landscape changes. There will be times of plenty, and times of want, but always remember that there is a time of refreshing waiting to be seized.

Lightbulbs

It was Teen Week at West Kentucky Youth Camp this past week. During this week, the kids had ten (45 minute long) Bible lessons along with daily chapel, daily devos, singings, and free time. This was an awesome week...there was so much growth and fellowship...everybody seemed to have a Christ-like spirit...the kids were great!
In my class, we were studying Gideon in Judges 6-8. The main point of the whole lesson was: "what God says...goes!" In other words, when God tells us to do something, we better do it, and do it the way He tells us! We approached the pinnacle of Gideon's story of faith where he takes his 300 men, and defeats an army of Midianites with nothing but clay pots and trumpets (Judges 7:20) THAT WAS IT! Clay pots and trumpets!
Then...came the application: when God tells us to do something, we better do it, and do it the way He tells us. It was like the lightbulb in their heads suddenly lit up their whole brain! The switch was flicked from darkness to light. Watching the expressions on their faces...I could see that they got it! When God commands something to be done (no matter what others may think about it) you do it... period! Was it dumb to the rest of the world to carry pots and trumpets to a battle? Absolutely! But that's not the point! God said it...so Gideon did it!
So many times I find myself weighing the opinion of the world against what I do, or weighing the opinion of my friends against what I do. Listen, self, the only weight I need to balance myself with is God and His Word! If what I am doing, or saying, or posting, or typing, or Googling, or watching isn't balancing out with what GOD has said...that's all I need to know. Easier said than done, I know...but it's the truth, nonetheless. Has your lightbulb went off?

Exercise and Preaching: Workin' Off the Potluck

If you ever start talking to a preacher about exercise (especially an overweight preacher like myself rounding out a 6 foot frame at 205)...immediately the spiritual six-shooter starts blasting First Timothy 4:8 - "for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (ESV)
However, preachers honestly need to see the benefit of exercise in the ministry. When you put your body through any kind of workout, whether it be at the gym or riding the mountain bike trails at Land Between the Lakes (which is an awesome cardio kicker)...you will find yourself to have more energy and stamina, both of which are helpful while preaching. I'm not saying that exercise is more important than living a holy life, but it sure does help with all the stress. Think about it.

Good Sense!

"Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it..." (Proverbs 16:22) The Christ-like perspective we're to have in this life gets so blurred by the material-world in which we live. All the sin, that so easily ensnares us, aids in our loss of focus. Common sense has been replaced by common sin, and apathy reigns supreme. Make sure your "fountain of life" doesn't dry up! Have some backbone...some conviction...and stand up for the truth. A muscle that's not used ends up deteriorating, and the same goes for our faith, so TAKE A STAND! It just makes good sense.

A Life-Long Example: An Everlasting Impression

Before I was even a teenager...I can remember going to Reelfoot Youth Camp in Tennessee. It was a place I looked forward to attending every year, not just because it got me out of work on the farm for a week, but also because it was a Christian camp filled with Christian people. It didn't take long for me to create memories that would last forever, but also...to meet people I would never forget. Those counselors and teachers and campers are forever etched into the sculpture of my life. They have made an everlasting impression on me.
One such counselor was named Preston. He was a guy with a rough past. I was ten years old, and I still remember the tattoos on his arms, his firm demeanor, but also his concern for our future. He didn't want us to make the same mistakes he did. Every night, during our nightly devo in the cabin, he would do his best to tell us why making the right choices was so important. I was ten! But I still remember his words to this day.
This past week I was teaching at West Kentucky Youth Camp, and I couldn't help but realize that I was now "Preston" to these kids. They are going to remember me (and hopefully the lessons I tried to teach them) for the rest of their lives. I was now a part of their memories. It felt like such a weight, but it was also an honor to be selected to mold the lives of future Christians...and influence the hearts of the future leaders of the church. Always watch what you say and do...you never know who's watching and learning.
"Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned..." (Titus 2:6-8)

Taking God at His Word

I see a rainbow during a summer shower, do I believe what God is saying? (Genesis 9:12-13). Do I believe that if I put Him first (keep Him as my focus), and keep His commands...that it will TRULY prolong my life in peace? (Proverbs 3:1). I look at my year-old, baby daughter...do I believe the Lord will "bless her and keep her", and that she (herself) is a gift from His hand (Numbers 6:24, James 1:17)? Do I take God at His Word?

Rebuke and Reaction

I'm not one that takes criticism well. Then I come across what Solomon said in Proverbs 12:1 "...he who hates correction is stupid." Guess I'm not real smart at this time, better work on that.

The Craziness Begins

Every year, about the middle of June, my sticky pad schedule takes a turn towards crazy. Teaching at West Kentucky Youth Camp every day (multiple weeks) from 8:30-11:30 (an hour drive either way), multiple VBS classes, song leading at the West Kentucky Summer Youth Series, speaking on Wednesday Night Summer Series at multiple congregations on top of Bible class and sermon preparation each week.
I don't tell you this to brag...I tell you this as a reason for my thinning hair, pudgier belly, and summer stress headaches. I have a hard time saying 'No' to any opportunity to teach the Gospel. I'm just glad that the elders at Union Hill understand the great profit these weeks (and absences) are for me. They make me study harder and longer. They give me more structured accountability when it comes to my time. Even though I could do without the stress (and I wish I had more time to work in the garden), these next few weeks are hopefully gonna be a blast...but I don't need to forget to "give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness."(Psalm 8:17) To God be the glory.

Family: Take the Time

Kacie, Kenlea (kin-lee), and I just returned from a family get together tonight, and I came to a conclusion I hope I never cease to realize: I'm blessed beyond measure, not only have a large family on my side, but also on Kacie's. And the relationship that we all have is unlikely...we all get along. I'm not saying that everyone in our family is perfect (by a LONG shot), but we can all sit down and talk about anything and everything. We can all laugh together. We can all cry. We can all be shoulders to lean on.
If you think about it, that's a huge tribute to those who have passed on...in both our families. It's a compliment to Kacie's grandparents ("Spike" and Delores), who have been enjoying their reward for some time. It's a praise to my grandfather (Eugene) with his quiet, smiling character that I miss so much. It's a tribute to our great-grandparents, and the way they raised their children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)
As a young father, I pray that I can continue to add to their legacy of Christian virtue and love. I hope that, someday, my grand kids can look back on me (as I look on my grandparents now), and say, "Thank you for raising my parents with God as your Guide." So, with tears in my eyes, I say, "Thanks, Papa, you did a great job." Take the time.

The Forgotten Expectation, and the Unexpected Snare

There's a "little old lady" at church that I have grown to love and respect tremendously over the past few years. She's salt of the earth kind of people. She's in her eighties, still lives in the little block home her parent's built on 4 acres, she has a working cistern (look it up - this is amazing), and she reminds me of a time when things were less complicated. A time when life was focused on God, family, and church...that's it.
It's refreshing to walk from a world filled with greed and self-satisfaction to a place where the definition of those two things don't exist. It's challenging to sit down in a place where, if the TV is on, it only picks up channel 6 and PBS, and think: could I do that? Could I live without my HD Sportscenter, and high speed Internet? My comfort zone has been tested in many ways in the last five years, and a lot of that growth has to do with the time I spent visiting with the older generation of the church.
At first, the main reason I found myself doing this was...for myself. I'll be honest, the compliments on how much I visited, or the pats on the back I received for going to some person's house led me right into the old snare of the Devil (pride). I didn't visit for the good of the person I was visiting, or for the glory of God...but simply for the self-satisfaction of knowing that my deeds would bring me compliment. Can you say, "Pharisee."
Oh well. You live, and you learn. It wasn't just the Words of Scripture that made me realize the sin in myself, but also the "little old lady" in the block house, who never asked for anything, but gave everything in return. It is the purest religion you can have before God to "visit the orphans and widows in their affliction..." (James 1:27) Just make sure that the stains of other prideful sins don't mar its beauty.

The Bottomless Pit, Rotten Beans, and Me?

For a few weeks now, my Dad has been loading out beans on the farm. Day after day bushels of soybeans made their way through "the pit" to the loading auger, into a truck, and then off to the river barges to ship to some factory to make candles, cleaners, crayons, and stuff we eat. However, with each bushel that came through "the pit" at the granary on the farm, there were those few soybeans that bounced around like pinballs...and eventually found their way underneath "the pit". There, combined with moisture from humidity (and the occasional leak from rain), those little beans congregated together to make the foulest smell you can ever imagine. Pig manure, chicken poop, and even anything that may come out of us...don't even come close to stackin' up to what this wet, rank, stanky pile of rotten mess will do to the sensors in your nostrils once you breath in. For three weeks these beans have sat there, attracting every death fly, buzz fly, green fly, and house fly within five miles!
On Thursdays (when I can), I have been blessed to help my Dad on the farm. Most of those days are awesome! Getting to spend time with Dad, Uncle Lightbulb (don't ask), seeing my Grandparents, Mom cooking lunch (thanks for the sauerkraut-actual spelling-weird, huh?). The work on most days is accompanied by some jovial conversation, an occasional bursting of laughter, and the time goes by rather quickly. Last Thursday was NOT the case.
After a pleasant morning of hoeing out the sweet corn patch..."the pit" beckoned me (or should I say buzzed). Rounding the corner, around the first grain bin...a faint "bzzzzz" could be heard echoing off the steel sides of the bins. I have seriously never heard so many flies buzzing around at one time! There had to be THOUSANDS of them, and they were all surrounding "the pit" (where all grain is loaded and unloaded) like buzzing vulchers.
Dad descended down a ladder into the depths (6 feet), as he navigated his way around the triangular under-side of "the pit". A drop light illuminated the scene of black and green flies circling around a muddy, soupy mess of three week old, soiled soybeans. The only tools to clean this mess? A rope...a bucket...and a shovel. I lowered the bucket into the pit for the first time, and as Dad filled it with the AWFUL contents of decaying seeds...the smell wafted up int my face, smacking around inside my nose, curling nose hairs left and right. Taking the rope, I pulled the bucket up out of "the pit", and there I feel for the first time the slimy, waste covered underside of the bucket as I throw it into the front-end loader. For FOUR HOURS this process was repeated, and never did the flies retreat, nor did the smell evacuate. In fact, in got worse!
No amount of washing could get that most terrible smell off my hands. As I type this, I become nauseous as I waft my hands across my face. This was, of all afternoons, most miserable.
However, those hours of stinkiness made me realize just how blessed I am (it took a few hours of showering and relaxation to realize that, but this was a blessing). Solomon said, "I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time." (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11a) It's a beautiful sight to see a green field, waving with blades of green wheat. It's another beautiful sight to see a combine charging through row after row of ripe wheat, harvesting bushel upon bushel of grain with explosive efficiency. But that wheat has to die in order for anyone to profit. Changes must take place in order for life to keep going. "The pit" won't stay clean forever. There will be another time (quite soon) when grain will have to be loaded out from the bins, and sold...and once again "the pit" will again change its landscape from clean to rotting stench. However...if there was no grain being harvested, no fields to plow, no seeds to plant, no farm to enjoy the company of my family...then there would be no need to clean "the pit". There is blessing in everything...but you have to open your eyes, take a deep breath (without gagging)..and look.

Winding Down in Reflection

My beautifully awesome wife is now asleep, along with my blessed baby daughter. I'm praying the Lord gives them peaceful waves of dreams in their slumber as their bodies rest, and their minds take them to blissful places of radiant stars and joyful worlds. Sleep tight, my loves.
I sit in my office winding down in reflection on the day, listening to the melancholy tones of Pearl Jam's "Just Breathe." "I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love. Some folks just have one, yeah others they got none..." (E.V.) Here I am sinking... floating...lost in thought, drifting through the muddy waters of what I attempt to see of my future, trying to leave it all in God's hands.
"The eyes of the Lord are in every place," even in my mind (Proverbs 15:3). There is no place I can go from His presence, even when I may feel lost, vulnerable, or just plain out of it. "Even the darkness is not dark" to Him (Psalm 139:12). He sees through all the crud that seeps into my mind through lack of faith, or lack of conviction, or lack of fruit. And still He delivers me. He restores my spirit. He lifts up my head. He rests my worried mind, and causes my eyes to close in peace, so that even if my faith becomes sight as I sleep...His peace engulfs me like a warm blanket on the coldest night.
Sleep well, clouds, for tomorrow you lift your voices in winded praise as you fly across the sky. Shout on stars! The angels hear your adoration, and in turn bow before their Maker. Lights out...here come the waves.

The Jitters. The Balance.

I'm just a few minutes from teaching class on Wednesday night, and no matter how much I prepare, or pray, or pace...I still get nervous. Maybe it's the sign on my bookshelf that says, "Preach today as if this were your first sermon, last sermon, and ONLY sermon." Maybe it's the jitters that I left something out of the text that I could've done more with, or that if I left something out, and that something could be the difference between sparking a spiritual fire in someone's life, or throwing water on the coals. Sometimes my mind is racing so hard that it literally pounds my heart through my temples! Is this a good and delicious type of anxiety (the kind that keeps you alert and watchful), or is it detrimental (keeping me from seeing the forest for the trees)?
I've found myself, lately, losing the balance between teaching...and getting to know the people I'm teaching. I spend so much time trying to extract every bit of biblical nourishment from the text during the day or week, that I feel like I'm losing some of the relational blessing when I'm around the brethren. It's almost like I can't relax anymore. My mind is going from one place to another. I miss just sitting down...and letting the Word absorb into your mind, slowly, like a sponge that's slowly dipped into the bucket you wash your car in. Just relax, Josh.

Time

There are so many things I fail to see in this life because I fail to slow down and "acknowledge Him." I tend to lean and press on my own understanding instead of His (Proverbs 3:5-6). This is probably the reason my prayer life suffers the most. I fail to see God in His creation, or in the family He's blessed me with, or the church fellowship He's given to strengthen me, and (in turn) I fail to thank God for everything He has richly granted by His grace. Lord, help me to realize. Help me to see. Help me to focus, and thank You for all you've done.

John the Baptist

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man." (I Corinthians 10:13) I have never taken a hardcore look at John the Baptist. Sure, we know he was the the forerunner of Christ, he made the pathway ready, he was a camel-hair wearin', locust eatin', wilderness preachin' peasant of a man...HE WAS GREAT! "Among those born of women there has arisen no greater than John the Baptist..." (Matthew 11:11). That's Christ's description! John the Baptist was an awesome follower of God!
However, John was discouraged at the end of his life. John was put into prison (Matthew 11:2). He's been there for some two years, and during that time he begins to waver in his faith. Unbelief and doubt begin to creep into his mind about who Jesus really was. Was He the Messiah? Was He really the Son of God? Even though John had witnessed the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove...even though he had heard the voice from heaven, "This is my Beloved Son," (Matthew 3:16-17. John even said, "I saw and bore record, that this is the Son of God." (John 1:34) HE STILL DOUBTED! John, while in prison, sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus: "Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for another." (Matthew 11:3)
Doubt. Unbelief. Discouragement. Frustration. "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man." It's encouraging to me when I see somebody as great as John the Baptist being discouraged. Even though Jesus gave him one of the greatest compliments that could be given...John was still just like me! His faith wavered, and unbelief clouded the reality of his life!
And how did Jesus answer John's doubt? By sending his mind back to a place where truth was firm and unwavering: the Word. Christ tells John's disciples to relay this message back to him: "the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them." (Matthew 11:5). Jesus sent John back to Isaiah 35:5-6. Jesus sent John's mind back to a stable and comforting place: God's Word. Overcoming doubt isn't just about feeling better...it's about getting back to the faith that only comes from the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
John the Baptist was just like me, at times: discouraged and clouded with doubt. So, the Word of God needs to be more real to me (every day) than anything I can taste, see, smell, or feel. I need the reality of God's Word, to overpower the clouds of this life.

The First Post

I never thought I'd come to the world of blogging, but I feel compelled to do more than I am now in the Lord's work. These posts will simply serve as a reflection of my own spiritual struggles, samples from Scripture, and some spicy, real-life rhetoric that will hopefully help you, while also allowing me to vent frustration, and/or go crazy with the happy stuff. "It is the glory of the Lord to conceal things..." so we'll see where this bloggish blessing takes me in the future. Enjoy the ride. Redeem the time.