A Great Meeting

Our annual Gospel Meeting came to a close last night, and it was awesome! We had a great speaker (David Powell - Associate Dean of Biblical Studies at Freed-Hardeman University and pulpit minister for the North Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, Tennessee). The lessons were inspirational, the singing was spiritually energizing, and the love of God was shown one to another (I Peter 1:22). I can’t remember the last time a Gospel Meeting was such a shot in the arm for me. Thanks to the members at Union Hill for their attendance…and thanks to David for the great messages he preached…and the emotion he put into them.

Getting What's Yours

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little tired of seeing all these commercials that tell everybody that they’re entitled to all this money if they used this acne cream or worked in this plant. Are you kidding me? If I actively pursued a way to make my face look better, and it backfired…who’s fault is it? If I decided to work in a plant where I knew that harsh chemicals were used and stored, and I wound up sick…who’s fault is that? I decided to work there…

Whatever happened to taking responsibility for the choices made in this life? I’m the son of a farmer. I’ve handled chemical after chemical over the years. Whether it be pesticides, herbicides, insecticides…you name it, and I’ve probably had some of it on my hands at some point. The old saying still rings as true today as when it was coined: You make your bed…you sleep in it too. I know that handling those chemicals with the skull and crossbones on the container is dangerous! I know that getting that toxic mess on me is bad! That’s why it has skull and crossbones on it! “You mean if I work with chemicals that have skull and crossbones on it that I may get sick?” YES! But it’s MY CHOICE whether to pick it up or not! It’s was MY CHOICE, thus the consequences rest totally on MY SHOULDERS!

In no way am I downplaying the disease of mesothelioma, or the side effects of some acne drug…but take some responsibility for the decisions made, and let the Lord handle the rest (Romans 12:19)! You made your bed…now sleep in it.

The Sanity of Mad Hatters

“The true problem here is the lack of human understanding as God's chosen creatures, and a deviation from the true path of human life and human missions in creation. Due to negligence in worshipping God with acute awareness and pondering on the attitudes of life… and being committed to Divine values, the horizon of human insight has declined. Thus, limited and temporary interests became the criteria of actions by human beings. Therefore, the seeds of evil took their shape…”

There are some people in this world that are absolutely insane when it comes to their ideals and standards. Whether it be an overzealous application of some religious thought or belief, or that person is just a few bricks shy of a load…there are plenty of coo-coo clocks going off in people’s heads and madness flying out of their mouths.

However, there are times that the so-called “crazy” people sound more rational than the so-called “educated” people. This is where my eyebrow raises, and I think: “What kind of Wonderland have we come to in this world where the “Mad Hatters” sound more sane than “Alice”? There have been plans and actions that have been seen in the last few years in American government that make no-lick of sense! And through all that logically presented insanity…some crazy people have been made to look sane!

By no means am I condoning the actions or principles of any demented person anywhere, but read the first paragraph again. Read it. Read it thoroughly. “Amen” is a word that comes to mind when I read a statement like that…even though the guy that said it is beyond Mad Hatter crazy. It’s a statement given in a speech on April 21, 2009 by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (president of Iran). How about that for a Rabbit Hole?

Demanding Credit: Why?

“It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” (Harry S. Truman) It’s always bothered me when I come across some Christian article, or some Bible-based blog that says: “You can reproduce any of this material, as long as you give credit to the author.” I’m not opposed to giving credit to the original ideas of another (nor am I opposed to the copyright laws put in place)…but I have to ask the question: Why would someone desire to have their name honored in the first place? Why is it so important to receive recognition? It’s a very compelling question to those who insist that acknowledgment be given to them for anything they write.

I could care less if someone inserted a part of my writings into a bulletin article, or used it in some sermon, or even reposted it in their own blog. I don’t own these truths and principles. Laws of morality, illustrations of morality, demonstrations of how to live a godly life…didn’t start with me, and they won‘t end with me. I can’t credit myself with some talent or accomplishment! The capacity and skills that ANYONE has are God’s. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights…” (James 1:17) This includes the gifts of writing spiritual articles or creating Christian blogs about life. These things are not to be for anyone’s glory…but God’s. Who cares about the credit, as long as God is glorified (or that should be the way we all think).

In no way am I trying to say that giving credit to an author is wrong. Give credit where credit is due…absolutely. However, if some author demands honor and acknowledgment for their words…why do they want it? “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) It seems that if humility is what we strive for…getting credit for something would be the last thing on our minds.

An Unforeseen Act of Kindness

It’s awesome to observe how an unforeseen act of kindness can brighten the dreariest of day. A simple call or text to see how someone is doing. Dropping off a gift at a friend’s house because they've been stressed out for the last week. Just the smallest act of thoughtfulness can change a day, a life, a sequence of events…it can even rescue families from conflict.

For example, let’s say a husband and wife aren't having the greatest of days (happens in every relationship). She’s been sick with a migraine. He’s had to work five hours of overtime. The kids have been whiny and demanding since they came back from Grandma’s house. The husband knows that the yard needs mowing, but there’s something wrong with the motor…and the mower won‘t start. It’s been a horrible day.

However, the next morning they wake up to the sound of their friend’s truck pulling out of their drive with an empty trailer. Wondering what he was doing, they open the door to the carport and see a 60-inch, zero turn mower with a sticky-note on the seat saying, “Heard you had mower trouble. You can borrow mine.” Unforeseen act of kindness.

Now the husband is anxious to get home from work so he can mow the yard. The wife is happy to know that the yard will look like someone lives in the house. The kids see that Mom and Dad are in good spirits, and happiness infects them for the rest of the week. Why? All from one person taking the time to show kindness to another. Delight came to that family because someone thought about others above self.

“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (I John 3:17) Who needs an unforeseen act of kindness from you?

Where Others Have Walked

Stop and think about how many people have physically walked where you have walked. If the ground beneath you could somehow be X-rayed to show the footprints of those gone on before...I wonder how many well-kept, green yards used to be plowed by mules...how many homes are built on old, one room cabin foundations? If the massive, 50 foot tall pecan tree (that overlooks the south-side of this church building) could speak, I wonder what Christian families gathered under the shade of his limbs?

I wonder how many feet have passed over the very spot where I sit as I'm writing this? How many aged elders, seasoned preachers, and great men of the faith chiseled their spiritual mark on this 180 year-old place? Although their physical existence has long since vanished away (James 4:14), their message of Gospel truth can still be heard today.

Someday soon, all that we will leave...is footprints in the sands of time. The vapor of life will fade, and all that will be left is the distant warmth of a memory. Soon we'll be asking, like Isaac: "I am now old...and ponder the day of my death." (Genesis 27:2) If generations to come found your footprints...where would your tracks take them?

The Eyes that Preached the Greatest Sermon

It’s a place where the veil of darkness is beginning to lift, and eternal rays of revealing light shine like the sun at the bottom of a door. It’s a place where frigid cold begins to give way to a wonderful warmth unlike any other. It’s a place of confusing emotions and uncertainty (even for the strongest of faith) . It’s a point in time where the soul stands on the banks of the thundering Jordan River, staring into the vast expanse of Canaan, ready to let go of this world…and transition to peace. A place of tearful goodbyes and joyful release the moments before passing into eternal life.

As we said ‘Amen’ in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, I stared into her 93 year old eyes as they opened…and everything became clear. For a moment I saw myself in her gaze…and I stared into my own unknown future. Every trivial thing in my life melted away…and my focus was on the eternal. A tear rolled down my cheek as I wondered if this would be the last time I saw her this side of life.

There are moments in my life that change everything: putting on Christ in baptism, making a vow (before God and man) to be faithful and true to my wife, my daughter taking her first breaths of life, my grandfather passing away…but the eyes of this seasoned, Christian woman will forever be burned into my mind. That look of relief that the end is near, but also of uncertainty as to what comes after the next breath. The eyes that preached a greater sermon than I have ever heard will be a point of remembrance and an anchor of my spiritual focus. Thank you, Willa Mae, for the parable in your eyes.

Bending Backwards for Tolerance

As the discussions become more heated about Islam demanding religious tolerance from the United States, a huge flaw has been exposed in their perceived logic: Islam is not tolerant of other religions. They demand what they do not believe themselves! This is from their own scripture in Sura 5:51 - “O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends…” Sura 9:123 - “O you who believe! Fight the unbelievers (Jews, Christians, etc) who are near you and let them find hardness in you…”

It’s time the demands for tolerance fell on Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia where (to my knowledge) it’s still illegal to build a “Christian” church. Wonder what would happen if we went there and debated their leaders? Or in nations like Iran, where the Islamic laws mandate the stoning of women for crimes like adultery, and the beating of women for wearing dresses that are too short.

It’s not Islamophobia (as some will claim). It’s the simple fact that a clear majority of Christians (and Americans) are sick and tired of being portrayed as narrow-minded bigots for being unwilling to tolerate Islam’s intolerance of Christianity (and not to mention violence against women).

It wasn't Islam that built America! It was people of Christian morality and faith that built the U.S. In this country, we've given freedom to other religions to come, and now you have other religions coming in...that don’t want to give that tolerance in return!

It’s time we stop tucking our tails between our legs to religions intent on bringing Christ down, and take a stand where we inform them that WE would like to be tolerated for a change. And in time, if Islam really is “a religion peace,” Muslims will have to agree that a person who lives in a glass mosque, ought not be the first one to throw stones.

Accountability

Who holds you accountable in this life? Who helps you stay on the right track? Is it your spouse? Is it your best friend? Is it your mom or dad? Accountability is something that numerous Christians lack in this life. They lack a challenge. There's no stretching, no growing, no direction. You're always gonna be alright with yourself, but what is it that causes you to develop? It's not your standard of good and bad that makes you increase...it's God's.

I didn't become the Christian I am today by myself. There were people who surrounded me, infected me with Christ-likeness simply by their presence. Just like one corn stalk can't germinate without other stalks around it...one Christian doesn't stand much of a chance without other Christian contacts. Without accountability there is no growth, so have you been held accountable lately?

Time to Make Time

Over the Labor Day weekend I could have easily chosen to go play golf with friends, or gather a group and go mountain biking, or zone out online for hours on end...but I chose to focus on my family instead. My wife and I (with 14 month-old Kenlea in tow) went cycling around the back roads where I used to leave black marks with bikes and big trucks in my youth. We visited with family and friends...it was an all-around good time. Admittedly, this Dynamic Marriage class my wife and I are going through played a big part in aiding me in that choice, but it's a decision I should make on a more consistent basis.

"So teach us to consider our mortality [to number our days], so that we may live wisely." (Psalm 90:12) I don't know how much time God will graciously give me on this earth (time with my wife, time with Kenlea, time with family)...but I want that time to be remembered. Memories, words, lessons will be all I leave behind. What will Kenlea recall about me when she's older? If I leave for my reward before my wife does...what thoughts will she cherish about me the most? What time spent with her will she miss? It's time to make time for memories.

Marriage Growth through Relationship Frustration

The last 24 hours have been pretty frustrating, but they have also contained some of the greatest growth in my relationship with my wife, to date. We enrolled in an eight week marriage class based on the book "His Needs Her Needs", and man has it been an eye opener. Coming to the chapters on honesty and openness...I thought that our discussion was gonna be pretty cut and dry. Wrong!

Without going into detail, there are two lessons I learned (the hard way): 1). Anything, ANYTHING that you keep from your spouse is bad. I'm not talking about trying to hide a mistress or something huge like that...I'm talking about trying to conceal the slightest, smallest, most minuscule thing. It could be something that you know your spouse doesn't like, but as long as they don't find out...it's OK, right? Wrong! Whatever it is, don't try to hide things from your spouse. It always ends badly.

2). I have to be willing to sacrifice anything (besides my faith) in order to show a genuine love. Anything that she doesn't approve of (even though it may not be wrong) I should be willing to sacrifice for her love. This one hurts...a lot. Sacrifice doesn't feel good. It's downright painful. However, I can't be true to my love for her unless I am willing to sacrifice for her.

I prayed for the Lord to send me a woman to make me a better Christian man...and He sent me one. Thank you, Lord, for my wife.

Speaking Out...Without God

Expressing an opinion on a particular topic is easy: we open our mouths, or turn on our blogs, and we speak our minds. However, what happens when our minds becomes the absolute? What happens when our opinion becomes God? This is part of the problem with mainstream media and politics, but this is also a problem with Christians in the church today...and it can carve a Grand Canyon through the pews.

In Bible class discussions, in conversations outside the church door, even in exchanges on the phone or Facebook...is God directing the thoughts that come through our mouths? Is God guiding our words and logic? Because it's so easy to speak without God. The world does it all the time! We're bombarded with Godless speech on a daily basis, but are we guilty of it too? It takes no effort to speak in the anonymity of the darkness...but it's harder to reflect the light of God into that darkness.

God's Word is like that "city set on a hill that cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14) Your opinion...my opinion is not what we're to set on that hill for all to see. We're to point to the city of God, not to ourselves. We're to be messengers to give direction and praise to the city, not to ourselves. Truth is not about you, and it's not about me...it's about God who gives it.

So, next time we open our mouths...is God there?

Baby Steps

Patience is a virtue. I know it's cliché, but just because it's been bumper-stickerized and refrigerator magnetized doesn't make it any less true. Patience is a necessary asset to life! In every relationship, in every conversation, in every deed we can either choose to show patience...or not. We can show this fruit of the Spirit and glorify God (Galatians 5:22-23), or we can choose to show our rears.

However, as with anything, patience takes time. It's a fruit, and fruits take a while to mature. Kenlea (my 14 month old daughter) shows me this every day. It has taken her 14 months to get to the point where she is strong enough (and balanced enough) to walk. And even though she has started walking...they're still baby steps. She's not running a 5K or hiking the Appalachian Trail. It takes time to develop and mature. And though we rarely master anything in this life, the lessons we learn as we try...help us develop perseverance. Lord, give me the serenity...