Patterns

In life there are patterns seen at every turn: the changing of the day to night, the shifting of the seasons, the orbit of the moons and planets….all these are patterns that will be seen throughout time. These things have been set in motion by our Creator and they will remain until time is no more. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22) However, there is another pattern which will be observed as long as the world stands…and it’s of human choice and origin.

Like clockwork, man has (from the days of Adam and Eve) been caught in a web of sin. It’s been a pattern seen in every age of man since the first generation stepped out of the Garden of Eden. We have always, and will always, be caught up in this labyrinth. Like the children of Israel before us, there will be times of great virtue in our lives, where righteous zeal will burn brighter than the stars of the heavens…but there will also be times of great spiritual shame, where morality and godly principles are, seemingly, out of reach.

Times of refreshing come, but soon after that spiritual stimulation…we let the darkness creep in again. Just as the day turns to night, just as the seasons shift, so does our focus. Sometimes we see, clearly, the things we need to be doing for our Creator. Other times, our eyes are dimmed to the opportunities we have to glorify God because of terrestrial tunnel-vision or indecent desires that don’t match-up with the will of God.

So, where do you find yourself in this pattern? Are you standing in the Sonlight of Christ, or have you let the darkness in again? Are you in sin, or in your Savior?

Friday Night Melodies

Hazel Church of Christ in Hazel, KY has a building that’s the best around when it comes to congregational singing. The church meets in an old-timey structure with a tin ceiling and concrete floors with a thin layer of carpet…all that keeps the voices ringing and bouncing from ceiling to floor! It’s like hearing an echo off the walls of heaven itself! Put 75 people in that building (that love to sing songs of praise to God) and that‘s as close to the throne-room of God you can get this side of eternity!

Most Friday nights there’s gonna be a singing at some Church of Christ around west Kentucky or west Tennessee. From the thousand member Glendale Road congregation to the thirty member Hazel congregation…Friday night melodies are a staple around here (and I love it).

However, the gradual decline of these Friday night singings is easily seen in the fewer and fewer numbers of Christians who seem to be interested in attending. The crowd percentage is made up of more seasoned Christian bodies, and with less and less younger souls willing to attend…I’m afraid that in a few years these Friday night melodies will fade away in Sunday dinner memories.

Swollen with Stuff

I’ve been trying to lose some of my “preacher figure” in the mid-section (where all the awesome meals my wife cooks and every potluck casserole seems to stick). Mountain biking has helped to release some of the fat covering my abs, but it’s more than just exercise. If I ride 10 miles through the woods at Land Between the Lakes, and then come home and eat 3,000 calories worth of junk…it doesn’t really help me get rid of my fat belly. It’s has to be a combination of action plus discipline (and I can hear my wife saying, “Stop drinking your calories, then.”)

Anyway, I weigh more right now than I ever have before (210 pounds), but it doesn’t really hit you until you see yourself in a picture or on video. That reality forces you to examine your habits of life. And it’s the same way in our Christian living. Sometimes we don’t see how lazy and lax we have become until we stop and notice the person we’ve turned into. We begin to perceive that the things we used to do at church…we don’t do anymore. We may realize that we’ve lost interest in doing things for others or studying more about God, and we just focus on ourselves.

It’s a slow process. It took about 3 years for me to go from 190 to 210...that’s less than a pound a month, but over time…it really shows up. Over time…our choice to serve self over God (and serving self over others) will show up. Whether it be missing church services, or failing to go to Bible study, or we simply stop praying…when we don’t examine where we are in our spiritual life, it’s only a matter of time until our lives becomes swollen with stuff…and there’s no room for God (II Corinthians 13:5). So, check your spiritual diet, and examine what your soul has become. Change your habits, if need be, but do something to get your spiritual life in shape

Are You Ready?

My wife and I are blessed to be expecting our second child in June of 2011. This pregnancy seems very different from the first time. When Kenlea (kin-lee) was in the womb, developing into the most beautiful baby girl in the universe, there was a certain nervousness and trepidation because this was a new thing. There was a fear of the unknown…and an awesome anticipation unlike any other.

However, the knowledge we learned with Kenlea has helped to ease our minds about the new addition to our family. Though we still have some apprehensions, we now realize that most things (when it comes to pregnancy AND life) are out of our control, and thus…in God‘s hands. Come what may, God will be there to get us through.

The more we let God have all the circumstances and events of life…the more we’re ready for anything that’s thrown at us. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” means that His strength is what gets me through…not my own (Philippians 4:13). How ready are you for what lies ahead?

Get Angry Already!

I was cringing as she said the word over and over again to describe conservative America: “Bigoted…racist…” My blood began to rise gradually in temperature as she attempted to convey HER definition of bigotry as people who deny women “reproductive rights” (the right to abort any fetus at anytime), among other anti-biblical, anti-morality examples. It made me angry. I wanted to stand up in my living room and shout at the TV at the top of my lungs, “MURDER IS NOT A RIGHT!” It made me angry…and it should make you angry, too!

“Be angry, and sin not.” (Ephesians 4:26) So get angry already! Has the American culture cat got Christianity’s tongue when it comes to standing up for issues? Has spiritual pacifism drowned our God-given obligation to “be ready to give a answer [defense]” of what the Bible says (I Peter 3:15)? We’re told to be “ready in season and out of season to reprove, rebuke and exhort…” (II Timothy 4:2). How can we give a defense when our voice is silent?

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke). Too many Christians and too many churches do nothing. We’ve become spectators, sitting on the pews, watching the Devil play his game of influence over the world. Is this you? Do people know where you stand on the issues of life? Do you know how to give a biblical answer? Because in the fight we are to fight against evil there is no middle ground! Jesus said, “He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathers not with Me scatters abroad.” (Matthew 12:30) It’s time to stand up!

Quote to Ponder

"It is impossible for a man to be freed from the habit of sin before he hates it, just as it is impossible to receive forgiveness before confessing his trespasses..." Ignatius

The Children of the Future

I was having a conversation with my wife in which we talked about a bothersome thought that’s been banging around in my brain for a while: there’s so much sin that Christians don’t call sin anymore! The church, as a whole, tolerates more transgression than I ever thought possible…all in the name of not losing members, or perhaps to gain members, or maybe it’s just cowardice to stand for the truth. I don’t know. It scares me when I see how many times we are quiet about sin.

While this topic was being discussed, I looked over at our 16 month old daughter and I said to myself, “I wonder what her generation is going to embrace because we have tolerated it in this generation?” That’s a terrifying thought! Consider all the things that kids are allowed to do these days, and at what age they’re allowed to do them. Think about all the ways our kids are being bombarded with homosexual propaganda, or equal rights for gay couples, they’re being taught that sex is alright if you use protection…and that’s just the list from TODAY! What’s the list of tolerated sin going to look like when MY daughter hits high school?

There is no comfort coming from the world…it will always be full of sin until the Lord melts it away “with a fervent heat.” (II Peter 3:10). The only relief I have from this crazy future is the promise of God: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). No matter what the world may look like in 14 years, God’s promise in Proverbs 22 will ever be the same. The question will be: how much time did I spend training her?

Quote to Ponder

"What one generation tolerates, the next will embrace." (anonymous)

The Greatest News

As the good news of our second child being on the way spread throughout the status updates and private messages of the cyber-universe of Facebook...delighted comments flooded my Profile page. Remarks of “congratulations” and “blessings from above” were in almost every statement. This is an exciting time, and our good news spread like wildfire through the dead grasses of a “burn ban” county. Everyone was eager to tell this news to someone else, and they did (evident by all the calls and texts we received just moments after posting it on Facebook)!

However, there is a greater “good news” to be told than this: the “good news” of the Gospel of Christ. No matter how elated I am about the news of my next child being on the way (when put into proper perspective) this information should be wholly overshadowed by the greater news of Christ‘s death, burial, and resurrection. It should be a greater desire of my heart to share the truth of Christ…than any other news. Although this is not always the case in my life…it should be my proper perspective every day.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). What better news can there be than that?

Terrorists in the Canal

I know that we live in a fast paced world, and I know that as a consequence of our hectic schedules...everybody always seems to be in a hurry. But does that mean we get to overlook having a little courtesy when it comes to those around us? Just because we’re in a hurry, does that mean the world stops circling the sun and now it centers around us? Absolutely not!

I live near Kentucky Lake…just a beautiful place to see God’s creation. There’s a mountain bike trail that loops around Land Between the Lakes and goes alongside the canal that connects Lake Barkley to Kentucky Lake. Needless to say it’s a high traffic area that’s not very wide, but it’s a good place to catfish because of the current. Boats scream through that canal with the hammer down…flying across the water like it was on fire. Then, there are these little, aluminum John boats (mostly older generation fishermen) that are fishing near the rocks…riding the wakes of the terrorist/tourist boats that zip through the canal. It’s a sad picture to see this little, old man stumbling around in his 40 year old aluminum boat because these other “hotshot, big toy” fishermen think they own the water.

Now come on! Has it come to the point that we are in such a hurry to get from one fishing hole to another that we could care less about the little, old man (30 feet away…that’s been fishing for twice as long as most people have been alive) that we nearly knock clean out of his own boat as we fly past him!? Do we not have the common decency to slow down for other people?

“Let each of you NOT ONLY LOOK TO HIS OWN INTERESTS, but also the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4). So, if you’re one of these terrorists who call themselves a tourist flying through the canal…remember: those little old men have shotguns in their boats.

Charge It Up

Most people can’t live without their cell phones anymore. They think that their life is going to fall apart if they don’t hear their texting tone go off at least 100 times a day. According to a study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation (with the help of Stanford University) 7th to 12th graders spend an hour and thirty-five minutes a day just sending and receiving texts!

How do cell phones last all day long? It’s very simple: there is a concerted effort on the part of the user to plug that phone into some charging station to make sure the battery has enough life to get them through the day. Most young people have made the decision in their minds to be prepared…the day before! It takes determination…it takes effort to make sure that a phone is charged every day.

How I wish we could instill the same vigor and perseverance in our spiritual life. People make sure that their phones are charged and ready for the day’s bombardment of messages, calls, and application updates…are we ready for the day’s spiritual challenges because we have hidden God’s Word in our hearts (hopefully, the night before) that we might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). How many parents have reminded their children to charge their phones, but never remind them to pray, or read their Bible…or focus on God at all?

It takes a concerted effort to stay on the right path spiritually…but it’s an effort that brings about a reward that will last far beyond the next cell phone bill.

One of the Hardest Funerals

(Last week, 29 year old Dustin Anderson lost his battle with depression, and he took his own life. It was one of the hardest funerals I have ever had the privilege of being asked to do. This tragic event forced me to do a lot of soul searching...and test the strength of my faith. This has been a hard week, but a week of growth as well. I hope these words will help you grow, as they helped me to grow as I studied them.)

To the family, we have all been giving our most earnest prayers on your behalf, but we also want you to know that we will give you our time…we will be there to talk, we will be there to listen. We’ll give you our energy to help do whatever needs to be done on the farm, mow your yard…whatever you need done we’ll all be here to do it for you. The Andersons have a rather large family tree, and with that large base come a large amount of friends and neighbors who will continue to pray for you, and do anything they can for you. The mass of people who are here in this place…the ones who came last night…those who wrote notes on the website…they’re all gifts from God to help you through this time. You are not alone through this, and you never will be.

Life is not promised to be pleasant. Life is not always easy. Our walk with God isn’t always in bright lights or in heavenly comfort. There are dark shadows falling all along the way and often we’re confused, filled with misery, disheartened…and we fail to see God in the pain and sorrows that, so simply, overwhelm us.

We have all had times in life where we feel alone…like no one knows the pain I’m going through. There have been times where our bodies and minds literally ache with grief because our hearts have been broken with loss, and one of those times is now.

Life is not promised to be easy, but Psalm 119:50 says, “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” In your suffering, there is God’s promise…He will be there with you. None of us will ever know what the next minute of the future holds…I don’t know what will happen in the next few months…but I do know that none of us is able to escape the trials and suffering of this life. “Many are the woes of the wicked” (Psalm 32:10). “The righteous face many troubles” (Psalm 34:19). There is no way to escape trouble. “Human beings are born to trouble” (Job 5:7). Even after we come to Christ, we still have troubles…as we face trials, temptations, and loss.

Life is not easy. Heartaches will come. And we ask God to help us through these troublesome times. But He usually doesn’t take away the problems or the pain. He delivers us from evil, but He still let’s us face the trials. When Daniel’s three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) were thrown into the fiery furnace, they experienced the presence of God as they were in that fire…but God didn’t put out the flames…or prevent them from being thrown in. But God was with them in the furnace (Daniel 3:25). God promises to be with you when you walk through the fires of this life…and there is an intense fire that this family is going through right now in the loss of Dustin.

All of us face suffering. But Christians have a special comfort in suffering. “This is my comfort in my suffering,” and that comfort comes from God and His Word. There is always a place to run to when we feel overwhelmed…when we have sorrow and pain, we need to turn to God’s Word and listen. “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”

God has promised to be our refuge and our strength (Psalm 46:10), He is a very present help in time of trouble.” This is a time of trouble, so God has to be our refuge AND our strength! He shelters us during our times of trouble…to prepare us for the storms that will come, and the storms that you are going through right now: How does He do that? How does He shelter you? How does he do that for you…this family, for these friends and neighbors who have lost this son at such a young age?

By infusing us with His strength. You will not be able to get through this on your own…you are not able to bear this burden by yourself (none of us are). We‘re ONLY able to stand in the midst of…almost unbearable struggles…because God gives us the energy to go on. God must be your refuge! God must be where you get your strength, and you must believe that He is greater than any power in this world. But most of all…

He is our help..."a very present help in time of trouble..." The word “present” tells us that WE serve a “right now” God. God is present with us HERE and NOW in this place…at every hospital, nursing home, funeral home the world over. The essence of God is that He is present everywhere. If God is present everywhere, that also means that in all places, I am present to Him.

It’s comforting to know that all of your troubles are immediately in God’s presence…all of the things that squeeze the joy from life are in His presence. God is present in the worst moments of life…He is present in this moment. Everywhere you go today, you will run into Him…both in this chapel and in the cemetery. In every hug you receive, every card in the mail, every flower arrangement, every story or memory shared.

Nothing, and no one, is beyond His All-Seeing eye. He saw Noah amongst a wicked world. He saw Hagar in the wilderness. He saw Daniel in the Lion’s Den. He saw Israel enslaved in Egypt, and He sees you sitting in that pew right now. He hears every painful thought, and every sigh. He sees every tear rolling down your cheek. Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle, and You have recorded each one in Your book.” (repeat)

The Lord’s our HELP through trouble, and His help is available immediately! The word “trouble” in this verse means pressed or weighed down. It’s from a word used to describe the ancient process of pressing grapes until the juice was squeezed out. Right now there is a burden of sorrow on all of our hearts and minds…PRESSING DOWN on all of us….squeezing the life and joy out of everything. Tears pour from our eyes because of this intense weight, but God is a very present help in time of trouble…in those times when we’re pressed down with sorrow. The God of the Bible is a present tense God! He can make a difference right now! He’s able to help His children in the toughest situations in life.

God has been tried and proven. He never withdraws himself from those who have been afflicted. He is a present, effectual, constant help…and he is present and near YOU, close at YOUR side, because he is a “VERY PRESENT HELP”! God is more present right now than all the friends and relatives you have in this building…God is nearer to you, right now, than the tears that roll down your face. ---So, today, in your hour of greatest sorrow, know this…God is here. If God is everywhere, it means that He is present with you today. God gathers with His people in this place…and He will be at the cemetery waiting to comfort you there.

God is keeping a detailed record of your tears on this day, as well as the pain and anguish that have preceded them…and God is the only one who can truly know what you’re enduring and feeling. There isn’t another person on this earth (no parent, no spouse, no sibling, no friend, no preacher, no father or mother) who can truly know everything you’re going through. But God does. Troubles come, but they come to pass, and when God comforts us, He comes to our side to be exactly what we need, and may God use each of us today to show you His love, and to help you feel His comfort.