Every promise of God is available to all of us! Whosoever will do whatsoever God tells us! We must be obedient to God! Disobedience is the main hinderence to God's blessings. We need to hear from God individually. Obey God with your words. Receive conviction from God. Promises come with conditions.
Promises of God:
Wisdom, strength, joy, peace, righteousness, creativity, prosperity, good health, long life, favor, good friends, great relationships, hearing from God, being lead by the Spirit. Overall, blessed, wonderful life!
We have to die to sin and choose not to come into the temptation! Go forward and don't keep going around the same mountains.
Speak life and not death!
Live healthy and take care of your body!
Learn how to be and to rest!
Press into new levels of obedience. "learn how to do what's right while it still feels wrong"
Feed yourself regularly with the word
Joshua 1:3 - "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."
1Peter 4:1-2 - "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that He no longer should live the rest of His time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." Get a new mindset...say I'd rather suffer than disobey God.
Reference: http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/Broadcast/TV/Archive/
October 19 - The number one Hinderence to being Blessed
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Halloweenies
by Pastor Tom
Halloween is good news to many retailers. As far as special day spending is concerned, it comes in a solid second behind Christmas, beating out Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July, Easter, you name it. And it’s rather strange when you think about it because, after all, what on earth is Halloween all about?
Well, there’s the candy thing, which is very appealing to kids. I used to dream for weeks about ways to increase my take. My costume had to allow for high-speed running through the neighbor’s yards. Forget the mask. And the bag was of critical importance. A strong pillowcase proved best. Of course, I precisely plotted a route for efficiency with notations indicating the “must visit” stops that gave out really great stuff the previous year.
Then, there are the costumes. People really like to dress up and be somebody else for a while. It’s great when kids dress up. They can actually imagine being mistaken for the real Spiderman.
Finally, there are all the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins with a dose of pumpkins thrown in for good measure. It’s no secret that people like scary stuff. They regularly go to scary movies and read scary books and ride scary rides.
It’s not that difficult to identify the attraction of Halloween, but it is a challenge to really figure out where it came from and exactly what it was originally intended to celebrate. There are those who claim a pretty good knowledge of its history, but in truth little is known and a whole lot of things are assumed. Most likely, it is a combination of Northern European nature religion traditions that got tagged on to the Christian All Saints Day, established in the seventh century.
A host of pre-Christian traditions were “Christianized.” Easter eggs fall into that same category, along with Christmas trees. Whatever the origin, it has truly become a unique American phenomenon.
It surprises me that so many Christians are terrified of Halloween. Some Christian parents refuse to allow their children to Trick or Treat. Some churches go to great lengths to provide Halloween alternatives. Preachers pound pulpits and warn their congregations to steer clear of any involvement with Halloween.
I’m not terribly troubled by Halloween. I think everybody could use a little senseless fun once in a while. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I do believe in the devil and in hell and all that nasty stuff. But if Halloween is the best the devil can do to snare us, then we could all rest easy. It is amazing how we Christians can trivialize something so very diabolical, deadly and dangerous as the devil by associating him with a goofy, nonsensical day of candy and mischief. Is it any wonder that some people have difficulty taking us seriously?
As for me, I approach Halloween as an opportunity. I know kids will be out on the candy
run. We pass out candy at church, along with all kinds of little gifts and printed invitations to various church events. Last year, we estimated having about 250 neighbors drop by. I talked to and met many of them. Several asked for prayer, and I prayed with them right out on the church parking lot.
I wish that less Christians would behave like Halloweenies and more would stand firm in their faith. There are genuine battles against evil to be fought that very few have the guts to fight. I suppose that some of us are able to take a big, brave stand against Halloween because we really don’t anticipate any serious hardship as a result.
Halloween is good news to many retailers. As far as special day spending is concerned, it comes in a solid second behind Christmas, beating out Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July, Easter, you name it. And it’s rather strange when you think about it because, after all, what on earth is Halloween all about?
Well, there’s the candy thing, which is very appealing to kids. I used to dream for weeks about ways to increase my take. My costume had to allow for high-speed running through the neighbor’s yards. Forget the mask. And the bag was of critical importance. A strong pillowcase proved best. Of course, I precisely plotted a route for efficiency with notations indicating the “must visit” stops that gave out really great stuff the previous year.
Then, there are the costumes. People really like to dress up and be somebody else for a while. It’s great when kids dress up. They can actually imagine being mistaken for the real Spiderman.
Finally, there are all the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins with a dose of pumpkins thrown in for good measure. It’s no secret that people like scary stuff. They regularly go to scary movies and read scary books and ride scary rides.
It’s not that difficult to identify the attraction of Halloween, but it is a challenge to really figure out where it came from and exactly what it was originally intended to celebrate. There are those who claim a pretty good knowledge of its history, but in truth little is known and a whole lot of things are assumed. Most likely, it is a combination of Northern European nature religion traditions that got tagged on to the Christian All Saints Day, established in the seventh century.
A host of pre-Christian traditions were “Christianized.” Easter eggs fall into that same category, along with Christmas trees. Whatever the origin, it has truly become a unique American phenomenon.
It surprises me that so many Christians are terrified of Halloween. Some Christian parents refuse to allow their children to Trick or Treat. Some churches go to great lengths to provide Halloween alternatives. Preachers pound pulpits and warn their congregations to steer clear of any involvement with Halloween.
I’m not terribly troubled by Halloween. I think everybody could use a little senseless fun once in a while. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I do believe in the devil and in hell and all that nasty stuff. But if Halloween is the best the devil can do to snare us, then we could all rest easy. It is amazing how we Christians can trivialize something so very diabolical, deadly and dangerous as the devil by associating him with a goofy, nonsensical day of candy and mischief. Is it any wonder that some people have difficulty taking us seriously?
As for me, I approach Halloween as an opportunity. I know kids will be out on the candy
run. We pass out candy at church, along with all kinds of little gifts and printed invitations to various church events. Last year, we estimated having about 250 neighbors drop by. I talked to and met many of them. Several asked for prayer, and I prayed with them right out on the church parking lot.
I wish that less Christians would behave like Halloweenies and more would stand firm in their faith. There are genuine battles against evil to be fought that very few have the guts to fight. I suppose that some of us are able to take a big, brave stand against Halloween because we really don’t anticipate any serious hardship as a result.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Choosing greatness
by Pastor Tom
Like most of us, I’ve been paying close attention to the situation as it has been developing in North Korea. I really don’t understand what’s going on there, but that’s nothing new. Volumes could be written on what I don’t understand.
Pretty much of all I know is that there is this psychotic guy in charge over there with a really bad hairdo who, while the population of his country starves, is totally consumed with the notion of creating nuclear bombs. He could be doing lots of other things. He could invest himself in doing what the South Koreans have been doing. They have built quite an economy and created a pretty good standard of living for their citizenry. He could become a hero, and lead his people into a life of freedom and prosperity. He could do any number of great things. But, he has chosen to do what he is doing, which doesn’t make much sense.
Something must have happened to him somewhere along the way. Maybe his parents didn’t change his diaper often enough. Maybe he didn’t have parents. Perhaps the other kids picked on him when he was in school. It just might be that too many people made fun of his silly hairdo. Who knows?
The sad thing in all of this is that here is a person who has the opportunity and the means to do something really great, and instead, he chooses something destructive. We all know where his actions are taking him, even if he doesn’t.
I’m not certain where all this will lead. It could end up quite ugly. The notion of a nut like this with nuclear bombs is not a comforting thought.
Well, most of us probably don’t have entire nations at our disposal. However, we do have families and jobs and communities. And all of us have had some bad stuff come our way. And, just like Mr. Hairdo over in North Korea, we can all choose what we are going to do with ourselves. We can choose to be a blessing to those in our sphere of influence, or we can choose to be destructive or irritating or just plain worthless. It’s really up to us.
It amazes me that so many choose to miss the opportunity to be great. Parents choose to be uninvolved in the lives of their kids. Sons and daughters choose the low road of poor performance and bad behavior. Workers choose to just put in their time. Every day, people choose to be critics, slackers, no-counts, thieves, and worse.
One thing that this life offers each and every one of us is the opportunity to be great, even if we aren’t in charge of a whole nation, and even if things haven’t always gone right in our life. We can be great in our dealings with others. We can be the best thing that ever happened to somebody. It’s up to us.
Like most of us, I’ve been paying close attention to the situation as it has been developing in North Korea. I really don’t understand what’s going on there, but that’s nothing new. Volumes could be written on what I don’t understand.
Pretty much of all I know is that there is this psychotic guy in charge over there with a really bad hairdo who, while the population of his country starves, is totally consumed with the notion of creating nuclear bombs. He could be doing lots of other things. He could invest himself in doing what the South Koreans have been doing. They have built quite an economy and created a pretty good standard of living for their citizenry. He could become a hero, and lead his people into a life of freedom and prosperity. He could do any number of great things. But, he has chosen to do what he is doing, which doesn’t make much sense.
Something must have happened to him somewhere along the way. Maybe his parents didn’t change his diaper often enough. Maybe he didn’t have parents. Perhaps the other kids picked on him when he was in school. It just might be that too many people made fun of his silly hairdo. Who knows?
The sad thing in all of this is that here is a person who has the opportunity and the means to do something really great, and instead, he chooses something destructive. We all know where his actions are taking him, even if he doesn’t.
I’m not certain where all this will lead. It could end up quite ugly. The notion of a nut like this with nuclear bombs is not a comforting thought.
Well, most of us probably don’t have entire nations at our disposal. However, we do have families and jobs and communities. And all of us have had some bad stuff come our way. And, just like Mr. Hairdo over in North Korea, we can all choose what we are going to do with ourselves. We can choose to be a blessing to those in our sphere of influence, or we can choose to be destructive or irritating or just plain worthless. It’s really up to us.
It amazes me that so many choose to miss the opportunity to be great. Parents choose to be uninvolved in the lives of their kids. Sons and daughters choose the low road of poor performance and bad behavior. Workers choose to just put in their time. Every day, people choose to be critics, slackers, no-counts, thieves, and worse.
One thing that this life offers each and every one of us is the opportunity to be great, even if we aren’t in charge of a whole nation, and even if things haven’t always gone right in our life. We can be great in our dealings with others. We can be the best thing that ever happened to somebody. It’s up to us.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Christophobia
by Pastor Tom
I suppose we Christians can be a pretty scary bunch. At least that’s what Rosie O’Donnell seems to think. She believes that we Christians are as big a threat to America as Muslim terrorists, according to remarks she made recently on national television. Strangely, her remarks drew a pretty good round of applause.
I have to confess a little confusion. Oh, certainly I’m keenly aware of some very strange and at times downright dangerous people who have claimed some kind of bizarre Christianity. But they are in truth very rare indeed. If Christians were really bent on destruction, or on seizing power from others, they could be pretty successful, since four out of five Americans claim to be one.
Although Rosie obviously fears these Christian people as much as she fears Muslim terrorists, I have noticed that she hasn’t decided to move to a Middle Eastern Muslim nation to voice her views. There, as a rule, they don’t tolerate women who speak their mind very well. And, I have to mention that the punishment for the practice of homosexuality among many Muslims is death. Poor Rosie would end up chopped into a million pieces, sprinkled about as food for the birds.
I wonder what it is about Christians that Rosie fears. Perhaps it’s the thousands of hospitals, colleges, food pantries and relief organizations they’ve founded. It might be the world-wide feeding and medical missions they support. It could just be all that praying and singing. It may be some of the crazy notions they hold dear, like putting others before yourself, loving your enemies and praying for them, giving generously from your hard-earned income to help others, or attempting to live a moral, honest and upright life. Scary stuff!
It would seem that a person like Rosie would have nothing but praise for a country and a culture like ours. Where else in the world could a woman without a hint of talent make millions in the entertainment industry? It would seem that Rosie might perceive a person with bombs strapped all over their body to be slightly more dangerous than a person passing out Bibles. Like I said, I’m a little confused.
I have a suspicion regarding Rosie’s fear. Christians do believe and state that there is a God who has given us a moral law. Christians do believe that there is such a thing as right and wrong. I suspect that for a person like Rosie, such a possibility is much more frightening than being blown to bits by a terrorist.
I pray for Rosie to discover the truth about believers. I pray for Rosie to recover from her “Christophobia.” And, in the meantime, I pray that God will give me the grace to be the scary Christian in her closet.
I suppose we Christians can be a pretty scary bunch. At least that’s what Rosie O’Donnell seems to think. She believes that we Christians are as big a threat to America as Muslim terrorists, according to remarks she made recently on national television. Strangely, her remarks drew a pretty good round of applause.
I have to confess a little confusion. Oh, certainly I’m keenly aware of some very strange and at times downright dangerous people who have claimed some kind of bizarre Christianity. But they are in truth very rare indeed. If Christians were really bent on destruction, or on seizing power from others, they could be pretty successful, since four out of five Americans claim to be one.
Although Rosie obviously fears these Christian people as much as she fears Muslim terrorists, I have noticed that she hasn’t decided to move to a Middle Eastern Muslim nation to voice her views. There, as a rule, they don’t tolerate women who speak their mind very well. And, I have to mention that the punishment for the practice of homosexuality among many Muslims is death. Poor Rosie would end up chopped into a million pieces, sprinkled about as food for the birds.
I wonder what it is about Christians that Rosie fears. Perhaps it’s the thousands of hospitals, colleges, food pantries and relief organizations they’ve founded. It might be the world-wide feeding and medical missions they support. It could just be all that praying and singing. It may be some of the crazy notions they hold dear, like putting others before yourself, loving your enemies and praying for them, giving generously from your hard-earned income to help others, or attempting to live a moral, honest and upright life. Scary stuff!
It would seem that a person like Rosie would have nothing but praise for a country and a culture like ours. Where else in the world could a woman without a hint of talent make millions in the entertainment industry? It would seem that Rosie might perceive a person with bombs strapped all over their body to be slightly more dangerous than a person passing out Bibles. Like I said, I’m a little confused.
I have a suspicion regarding Rosie’s fear. Christians do believe and state that there is a God who has given us a moral law. Christians do believe that there is such a thing as right and wrong. I suspect that for a person like Rosie, such a possibility is much more frightening than being blown to bits by a terrorist.
I pray for Rosie to discover the truth about believers. I pray for Rosie to recover from her “Christophobia.” And, in the meantime, I pray that God will give me the grace to be the scary Christian in her closet.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Beating dead horses
by Pastor Tom
“To another [Jesus] said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Then [Jesus} said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
The Associated Press very recently released a report about a woman in Athens, Georgia and two of her roommates who decided that the woman’s brother was in need of repentance. Since he seemed reluctant, and even laughed when they began praying for him, they opted to hold him at gunpoint until he had a change of heart. When his attention seemed to drift, one of his captors fired a shot into the ceiling just feet from his head. Eventually, he was able to make a break for the door and find his way to the police station. It would seem that God did not see fit to bless the firearm to the head approach to conversion.
It’s always such a treat for those of us who have chosen to be followers of Jesus to see another “Crazy Christian” report in the media. In truth, without meeting any criteria or demonstrating any proficiency or knowledge, anyone can claim to be a Christian, and some of those who do have what we might call issues. On the other hand, there are many more who sincerely seek to follow Jesus and serve others. Their efforts are rarely reported.
Thankfully, most of us do not resort to weapons to obtain converts. But quite a few of us tend to act somewhat desperate. We beg. We plead. We worry more about the uninterested than the interested.
Strangely, Jesus never seemed to dally around with uninterested people. He was pretty blunt and to the point. He never begged anyone. He never acted as though the church and the purposes of God in the world would fall apart unless some disinterested, apathetic person suddenly jumped up to take the reigns. He tossed out the invitation and then moved on. He never even slowed down. Those who chose to follow him had to move quickly just to keep up with him.
I believe God’s invitation is the same today. Jesus invites you to an adventure of service and sacrifice. His claim is that he holds the key to abundant and eternal life. All this can be yours if you say yes to him. If, however, you are content with your life and the direction it’s taking you, and if you believe that you are already reaching your full potential as a human being, then just stay where you are. God’s work in the world will not fall apart because of your indifference to him. And it doesn’t seem, from the example of Jesus, that God wastes time beating dead horses. Relax. Nobody will have to go to heaven kicking and screaming. The kicking and screaming is for someplace else.
“To another [Jesus] said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Then [Jesus} said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
The Associated Press very recently released a report about a woman in Athens, Georgia and two of her roommates who decided that the woman’s brother was in need of repentance. Since he seemed reluctant, and even laughed when they began praying for him, they opted to hold him at gunpoint until he had a change of heart. When his attention seemed to drift, one of his captors fired a shot into the ceiling just feet from his head. Eventually, he was able to make a break for the door and find his way to the police station. It would seem that God did not see fit to bless the firearm to the head approach to conversion.
It’s always such a treat for those of us who have chosen to be followers of Jesus to see another “Crazy Christian” report in the media. In truth, without meeting any criteria or demonstrating any proficiency or knowledge, anyone can claim to be a Christian, and some of those who do have what we might call issues. On the other hand, there are many more who sincerely seek to follow Jesus and serve others. Their efforts are rarely reported.
Thankfully, most of us do not resort to weapons to obtain converts. But quite a few of us tend to act somewhat desperate. We beg. We plead. We worry more about the uninterested than the interested.
Strangely, Jesus never seemed to dally around with uninterested people. He was pretty blunt and to the point. He never begged anyone. He never acted as though the church and the purposes of God in the world would fall apart unless some disinterested, apathetic person suddenly jumped up to take the reigns. He tossed out the invitation and then moved on. He never even slowed down. Those who chose to follow him had to move quickly just to keep up with him.
I believe God’s invitation is the same today. Jesus invites you to an adventure of service and sacrifice. His claim is that he holds the key to abundant and eternal life. All this can be yours if you say yes to him. If, however, you are content with your life and the direction it’s taking you, and if you believe that you are already reaching your full potential as a human being, then just stay where you are. God’s work in the world will not fall apart because of your indifference to him. And it doesn’t seem, from the example of Jesus, that God wastes time beating dead horses. Relax. Nobody will have to go to heaven kicking and screaming. The kicking and screaming is for someplace else.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
On being human
by Pastor Tom
“Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing. He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8
Being a human can get complicated. There are a lot of different approaches. Sometimes, we get cues from the human beings we grow up around and decide to go about being human in the same way. At other times, we reject the notions of being human exhibited by our peers, and we strike out on our own with some kind of new thing.
Most of the time, we discover that people who have chosen a particular approach to being human hang out in little groups of like-minded humans. They all look pretty much alike, talk alike, and tend to engage in the same kinds of activities. Upwardly mobile type humans dress for success, carry cell phones and blackberries, drive BMW’s and talk about the stock market. Biker type humans dress up in leather costumes, hook a chain to their wallets, ride Harleys, and somehow manage to develop huge pot-bellies. Redneck type humans listen to country music, drive pick-up trucks with big tires, pull out a few teeth and marry their cousin. Well, you get the picture. There are a lot of ways to be human.
It’s interesting to me that the one who made humans in the first place, namely God, became a human being himself. As a human, like us, he hung with his peers, but he also ran around with those considered to be less desirable. Like most of us, he had a trade and family and friends, but he was able to step away from those things when a higher calling came along. And, unlike us, he was able to do it all without sin. That made him very unique, and allowed him to become the one person who could save the rest of us.
His sacrificial death gave us new life. And, because of his experience in the human creation department, the way he lived was most certainly a pretty good model for us to live by. He had the inside on just how humans work best, and in some ways his approach was considerably different than ours.
For us, the most important part of being human is to look out for number one. We worry about our rights and how we feel and what we’re going to get. We focus and concentrate on our own problems. We get consumed with self. Oh, we don’t think we do, but we do.
Jesus, on the other hand, had no thought for himself. He surrendered all his godly rights and privileges. He saw his purpose as one of servant hood. He was humble, too. I really think Jesus knew how to do it. He knew how to be a happy, successful human. He knew that the self route is really a rut. He knew that self is just another word for prison. He knew that humans were never designed to be in self-imposed chains. He was free. And I believe Jesus had a great time being a human.
“Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing. He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8
Being a human can get complicated. There are a lot of different approaches. Sometimes, we get cues from the human beings we grow up around and decide to go about being human in the same way. At other times, we reject the notions of being human exhibited by our peers, and we strike out on our own with some kind of new thing.
Most of the time, we discover that people who have chosen a particular approach to being human hang out in little groups of like-minded humans. They all look pretty much alike, talk alike, and tend to engage in the same kinds of activities. Upwardly mobile type humans dress for success, carry cell phones and blackberries, drive BMW’s and talk about the stock market. Biker type humans dress up in leather costumes, hook a chain to their wallets, ride Harleys, and somehow manage to develop huge pot-bellies. Redneck type humans listen to country music, drive pick-up trucks with big tires, pull out a few teeth and marry their cousin. Well, you get the picture. There are a lot of ways to be human.
It’s interesting to me that the one who made humans in the first place, namely God, became a human being himself. As a human, like us, he hung with his peers, but he also ran around with those considered to be less desirable. Like most of us, he had a trade and family and friends, but he was able to step away from those things when a higher calling came along. And, unlike us, he was able to do it all without sin. That made him very unique, and allowed him to become the one person who could save the rest of us.
His sacrificial death gave us new life. And, because of his experience in the human creation department, the way he lived was most certainly a pretty good model for us to live by. He had the inside on just how humans work best, and in some ways his approach was considerably different than ours.
For us, the most important part of being human is to look out for number one. We worry about our rights and how we feel and what we’re going to get. We focus and concentrate on our own problems. We get consumed with self. Oh, we don’t think we do, but we do.
Jesus, on the other hand, had no thought for himself. He surrendered all his godly rights and privileges. He saw his purpose as one of servant hood. He was humble, too. I really think Jesus knew how to do it. He knew how to be a happy, successful human. He knew that the self route is really a rut. He knew that self is just another word for prison. He knew that humans were never designed to be in self-imposed chains. He was free. And I believe Jesus had a great time being a human.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Wonderfully made
by Pastor Tom
-Psalm 139:13-14 Every now and then I make an attempt at woodworking. Typically, I get an idea in my head for some amazing creation, and then think about it for a while. My last project consisted of a box-type, framed shelf to fill a hole in the wall in the bathroom where an old, rusty medicine cabinet had been. I began with some precision measuring. I tend to cut a piece of wood over and over, only to discover that it’s still too short (an old carpenter’s line). Anyway, I cut the wood and formed the box with shelves, then glued and nailed it together. So far, so good. To trim the unit, I had to cut out a frame, and that involved angles, which also involved complicated mathematical computations. Well, they were complicated for me. After cutting the pieces, I was delighted, and somewhat surprised, to find that they fit together really well. I then installed this magnificent creation and carefully applied a coat of paint. The grand finale came when I was able to show off the finished product to my wife, who promptly told me that it was perhaps the greatest woodworking project of all time. I frequently drag house guests down the hall and into the bathroom so that they, too, can be dazzled by my woodworking wizardry. It’s really great to conceive an idea, plan a project, and carry it out to a successful conclusion. I think creativity is something we get from God because God is creative, and opportunities to be creative are to be embraced whenever possible. They provide us with reward and satisfaction, and also are a great blessing to others. Well, let me ask you a question. What do you think God had on his mind the day he created you? Really, what was he thinking? Were you just an afterthought? Did God design you and create you for, well, no good reason? Did God finish putting you together and then think, “Hmm, that’s nothing special.” I’m pretty sure that God was thinking some beautiful, wonderful things about you as he formed you in your mother’s womb. God knew of your potential as he designed the miraculous creation that would be you. There would be no other like you in all of human history. All of God’s works are wonderful, and you are one of God’s works. It’s really something to produce a wonderful creation. And, if we take time to think about it, it’s really something to be one.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
The best defense
by Pastor Tom
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:8
I’m sorry I can’t remember the exact source for this story, but a while back I read a magazine article about when Mike Kollin was a linebacker for the Dolphins and a graduate of Auburn University. His former college coach, Shrug Jordan, asked him if he would do some recruiting for him. Mike said, “Sure, Coach. What kind of player are you looking for?”
Coach Jordan said, “Well, Mike, you know there’s that fellow, you knock him down and he just stays down.” Mike said, “We don’t want him, do we Coach?”
“No, that’s right. Then there’s that fellow, you knock him down and he gets back up, but you knock him down again and he stays down.” Mike answered, “We don’t want him either, do we Coach?”
Coach Jordan said, “No, Mike, we don’t want him either. But then, there’s the fellow, you knock him down, and he gets up. You knock him down again and he gets up again. Knock him down again, and he gets up again. You keep knocking him down, and he keeps getting up.” Mike said, “That’s the guy we want, isn’t it, Coach?”
The coach answered, “No, Mike, we don’t want him either. I want you to find the guy who’s knocking everybody down. That’s the guy we want.”
It’s always a great thing to have a good defense. But it’s the offense that scores the points.
Sadly, a lot of what we Christians do is defense. We hunker down in our churches and whine about how bad things are. We hide out and pout. We ask for God’s protection, and then are surprised when the problems we never really did anything about come knocking on our door.
Following Christ means a lot more that being able to get back up when we’re down. It also involves some knocking down type activity. When Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, he was most certainly assuming that the church will do more than sit on the bench.
The problems facing our community will never go away on their own. We should get on the offensive, which by the way doesn’t mean that we are to be offensive. It means that we will act to score some points against the violence and other plagues working full-time to destroy families and neighborhoods. Certainly, we need to pray, and we need to put feet on those prayers.
There are many things we can do. We need to get to know our neighbors again. We need to be involved in community efforts. We need to support our elected officials and leaders. We need to be willing to mentor our young people and provide active role models. We need to get out of the pew and into the stew.
We can begin by believing that there are answers to our problems, and that God will help us solve them if we are willing to be used to that end. And then, we need to begin moving toward the goal.
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:8
I’m sorry I can’t remember the exact source for this story, but a while back I read a magazine article about when Mike Kollin was a linebacker for the Dolphins and a graduate of Auburn University. His former college coach, Shrug Jordan, asked him if he would do some recruiting for him. Mike said, “Sure, Coach. What kind of player are you looking for?”
Coach Jordan said, “Well, Mike, you know there’s that fellow, you knock him down and he just stays down.” Mike said, “We don’t want him, do we Coach?”
“No, that’s right. Then there’s that fellow, you knock him down and he gets back up, but you knock him down again and he stays down.” Mike answered, “We don’t want him either, do we Coach?”
Coach Jordan said, “No, Mike, we don’t want him either. But then, there’s the fellow, you knock him down, and he gets up. You knock him down again and he gets up again. Knock him down again, and he gets up again. You keep knocking him down, and he keeps getting up.” Mike said, “That’s the guy we want, isn’t it, Coach?”
The coach answered, “No, Mike, we don’t want him either. I want you to find the guy who’s knocking everybody down. That’s the guy we want.”
It’s always a great thing to have a good defense. But it’s the offense that scores the points.
Sadly, a lot of what we Christians do is defense. We hunker down in our churches and whine about how bad things are. We hide out and pout. We ask for God’s protection, and then are surprised when the problems we never really did anything about come knocking on our door.
Following Christ means a lot more that being able to get back up when we’re down. It also involves some knocking down type activity. When Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, he was most certainly assuming that the church will do more than sit on the bench.
The problems facing our community will never go away on their own. We should get on the offensive, which by the way doesn’t mean that we are to be offensive. It means that we will act to score some points against the violence and other plagues working full-time to destroy families and neighborhoods. Certainly, we need to pray, and we need to put feet on those prayers.
There are many things we can do. We need to get to know our neighbors again. We need to be involved in community efforts. We need to support our elected officials and leaders. We need to be willing to mentor our young people and provide active role models. We need to get out of the pew and into the stew.
We can begin by believing that there are answers to our problems, and that God will help us solve them if we are willing to be used to that end. And then, we need to begin moving toward the goal.
Monday, August 14, 2006
EYES OF LOVE
by Pastor Tom
“Above all hold, unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
-1 Peter 4:8
I had three sets of grandparents when I was growing up, and I never really thought it was unusual. Without going into the how’s and why’s of it, I believe it turned out to be a very special blessing in my life.
My step-grandpa was named Tullah. He was a very talented and gifted woodworker, carpenter, cabinetmaker; an artist, really. With the ability to create intricate inlaid furniture as well as design full-sized buildings (he drew and built several beautiful churches), he constantly turned out unbelievable masterpieces. The things that man could do with a piece of wood!
As I grew up, I watched Grandpa build, piece by piece, year by year, a unique house he had designed. He did it all by himself, in the evenings and on weekends, with the occasional help of my Dad, while his family lived in a one room building he had constructed. He even hand-faced the stone that made up the front facade.
I loved building model cars when I was a kid, and once Grandpa built a scale-sized car dealership for my room, complete with showroom, operating glass doors and a service center in the back. He played guitar and sang crazy songs, had served in the trenches of WW1, and was a Christian fellow who could have written the book on courtesy.
The last summer of his life, I spent a lot of time with him on his eight acre property and was then old enough to really get to know him and to love him a lot. When he died, everyone in our family cried and cried.
We had a picture of Grandpa in our living room. One day, a visiting buddy of mine picked it up and asked me who it was. After I told him, he asked, “What’s wrong with his face?” Wondering what in the world he was talking about, I walked over and took the picture from his hand. When I saw it, I remembered. Grandpa had a large, very prominent red birthmark covering half of his face. It seemed so strange. I certainly knew it was there, but it was as if I had never seen that birthmark before.
Eventually, I figured it out. My friend never had the opportunity to know and then come to love my Grandpa. If he had, he wouldn’t have noticed it either, because love makes things like that invisible.
“Above all hold, unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
-1 Peter 4:8
I had three sets of grandparents when I was growing up, and I never really thought it was unusual. Without going into the how’s and why’s of it, I believe it turned out to be a very special blessing in my life.
My step-grandpa was named Tullah. He was a very talented and gifted woodworker, carpenter, cabinetmaker; an artist, really. With the ability to create intricate inlaid furniture as well as design full-sized buildings (he drew and built several beautiful churches), he constantly turned out unbelievable masterpieces. The things that man could do with a piece of wood!
As I grew up, I watched Grandpa build, piece by piece, year by year, a unique house he had designed. He did it all by himself, in the evenings and on weekends, with the occasional help of my Dad, while his family lived in a one room building he had constructed. He even hand-faced the stone that made up the front facade.
I loved building model cars when I was a kid, and once Grandpa built a scale-sized car dealership for my room, complete with showroom, operating glass doors and a service center in the back. He played guitar and sang crazy songs, had served in the trenches of WW1, and was a Christian fellow who could have written the book on courtesy.
The last summer of his life, I spent a lot of time with him on his eight acre property and was then old enough to really get to know him and to love him a lot. When he died, everyone in our family cried and cried.
We had a picture of Grandpa in our living room. One day, a visiting buddy of mine picked it up and asked me who it was. After I told him, he asked, “What’s wrong with his face?” Wondering what in the world he was talking about, I walked over and took the picture from his hand. When I saw it, I remembered. Grandpa had a large, very prominent red birthmark covering half of his face. It seemed so strange. I certainly knew it was there, but it was as if I had never seen that birthmark before.
Eventually, I figured it out. My friend never had the opportunity to know and then come to love my Grandpa. If he had, he wouldn’t have noticed it either, because love makes things like that invisible.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
IT’S RIGHT TO RESPECT
by Pastor Tom
“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all.” -Titus 3:1-2
I can remember coming home from school one day, enraged that I had received detention for an entire week for something I had not done. I argued my case with Dad, urging him to go to school and have a little sit-down with that poor excuse for a teacher who had so violated my rights and dealt me such an injustice. Finally, Dad agreed to miss a couple hours of work the next day and go speak with the teacher on my behalf. I was elated. Yep, the Old Man would make quick work of that guy, and I could forget about a week of detention.
The next evening, I eagerly waited for Dad to arrive home from work. I wanted all the details. I wanted to hear just how that teacher had been put in his place. Finally, Dad showed up. “Well, Pappy, did you talk to that teacher,” I asked. “I certainly did, son,” he said, “and I’m completely convinced that you were indeed innocent.” I said, “Hey, that’s great! Now I won’t have to take a week’s detention.” And then, Dad said, “No, son, you won’t have to take a week’s detention.
Now, you’re going to have two week’s detention.” Needless to say, I was a bit confused. “But Dad,” I protested, “you just said you knew that I didn’t do what I was accused of doing!” “That’s right,” he said, “but you didn’t tell me the whole story. During your encounter with that teacher, you were rude. You talked back. You were disrespectful. You failed to conduct yourself in a manner that acknowledged the teacher’s authority. Even though the teacher may have been wrong, he was still the teacher, and you were still the student. The moment you thought your rights came before your responsibilities, you lost them. In the morning, you’ll go apologize to the teacher, and you’ll take the detention and feel darned lucky that it’s not any worse.”
I didn’t like it one bit. Now, I had two weeks of detention for something I hadn’t done. I had already told all my friends how my Dad was going to come to school and set that teacher straight. This whole thing had gone terribly wrong.
Well, the next morning I went and apologized to the teacher. Surprisingly, it was a pretty good encounter. Eventually, I ended up in one of his classes. He turned out to be a great teacher. And, I must say, this whole episode turned out to be, for me, a pretty good lesson on the importance of respect and courtesy.
I am praying for all the students and teachers who are just beginning another school year. I pray patience and wisdom for the teachers. I pray an eagerness to learn for all the students. And I pray that all of us will know as much as my Dad knew about honoring and respecting those who have been called to teach.
“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all.” -Titus 3:1-2
I can remember coming home from school one day, enraged that I had received detention for an entire week for something I had not done. I argued my case with Dad, urging him to go to school and have a little sit-down with that poor excuse for a teacher who had so violated my rights and dealt me such an injustice. Finally, Dad agreed to miss a couple hours of work the next day and go speak with the teacher on my behalf. I was elated. Yep, the Old Man would make quick work of that guy, and I could forget about a week of detention.
The next evening, I eagerly waited for Dad to arrive home from work. I wanted all the details. I wanted to hear just how that teacher had been put in his place. Finally, Dad showed up. “Well, Pappy, did you talk to that teacher,” I asked. “I certainly did, son,” he said, “and I’m completely convinced that you were indeed innocent.” I said, “Hey, that’s great! Now I won’t have to take a week’s detention.” And then, Dad said, “No, son, you won’t have to take a week’s detention.
Now, you’re going to have two week’s detention.” Needless to say, I was a bit confused. “But Dad,” I protested, “you just said you knew that I didn’t do what I was accused of doing!” “That’s right,” he said, “but you didn’t tell me the whole story. During your encounter with that teacher, you were rude. You talked back. You were disrespectful. You failed to conduct yourself in a manner that acknowledged the teacher’s authority. Even though the teacher may have been wrong, he was still the teacher, and you were still the student. The moment you thought your rights came before your responsibilities, you lost them. In the morning, you’ll go apologize to the teacher, and you’ll take the detention and feel darned lucky that it’s not any worse.”
I didn’t like it one bit. Now, I had two weeks of detention for something I hadn’t done. I had already told all my friends how my Dad was going to come to school and set that teacher straight. This whole thing had gone terribly wrong.
Well, the next morning I went and apologized to the teacher. Surprisingly, it was a pretty good encounter. Eventually, I ended up in one of his classes. He turned out to be a great teacher. And, I must say, this whole episode turned out to be, for me, a pretty good lesson on the importance of respect and courtesy.
I am praying for all the students and teachers who are just beginning another school year. I pray patience and wisdom for the teachers. I pray an eagerness to learn for all the students. And I pray that all of us will know as much as my Dad knew about honoring and respecting those who have been called to teach.
Monday, July 17, 2006
The Truth Hurts
by Pastor Tom
“But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell you the truth, why do you not believe me?” -John 8:45-47
According to some pretty reliable polls, only about ten percent of Americans think political candidates regularly tell the truth. That means ninety percent feel that they just say what voters want to hear. Why is that? Well, politicians lie because voters tend to demand lies rather than the truth.
We live in a pretty deceptive society. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that odometers get rolled back an average of 30,000 miles on about three millions vehicles a year, cheating consumers out of around $1,000 a car. One or every eight restaurant checks is computed incorrectly, the majority of which add up to overcharges. Ten thousand people in the United States are suspected of practicing medicine with a bogus medical degree. Many doctors with valid credentials, when polled, admit to cheating on medical exams. That really official looking manila envelope you received not long ago in the mail that you felt compelled to open because it must have certainly contained some important governmental information ended up containing some half-witted sales scheme from a local car dealer. But you weren’t surprised.
We’ve come to expect as much from car companies. Remember that fine Corinthian leather Ricardo Montalban told us about? Not really from Corinth. It was just a label dreamed up by the Chrysler marketing department.
Then, there are those little lies we hear and tell every day; “I’ll just be a minute.” – “Let’s get together for lunch. I’ll give you a call.” – “Everything’s fixed.” – “I’ll get this book back to you as soon as I’ve finished reading it.” – “The check is in the mail.” – “The doctor will be with you shortly.” – “This will only hurt a little.” – “There’s absolutely no obligation.” – “And if elected, I will…….”
The next time we gripe about our politicians and their inability to be truthful, we should think again. They’re just doing what we’ve asked them to do. We don’t respond well to the truth and rarely want to hear it. We don’t want some politician telling us that the biggest problem with America is directly connected to our shabby, shoddy, apathetic lifestyle. We would rather make believe that they can fix everything for us and we can just all stay as we are.
Jesus got himself into some real trouble, not because he made promises he couldn’t keep or metered his comments according to the polls. He got into trouble because he told the truth. He challenged our false assumptions. He told us plainly to get our lives in order. It didn’t go over well, and it still doesn’t. Sinful human beings are quite comfortable in a world of untruths.
If you want real change, then look to Christ. He is the way, and the truth, and the life.
Sometimes, the truth hurts, but the truth leads to real change and to healing.
“But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell you the truth, why do you not believe me?” -John 8:45-47
According to some pretty reliable polls, only about ten percent of Americans think political candidates regularly tell the truth. That means ninety percent feel that they just say what voters want to hear. Why is that? Well, politicians lie because voters tend to demand lies rather than the truth.
We live in a pretty deceptive society. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that odometers get rolled back an average of 30,000 miles on about three millions vehicles a year, cheating consumers out of around $1,000 a car. One or every eight restaurant checks is computed incorrectly, the majority of which add up to overcharges. Ten thousand people in the United States are suspected of practicing medicine with a bogus medical degree. Many doctors with valid credentials, when polled, admit to cheating on medical exams. That really official looking manila envelope you received not long ago in the mail that you felt compelled to open because it must have certainly contained some important governmental information ended up containing some half-witted sales scheme from a local car dealer. But you weren’t surprised.
We’ve come to expect as much from car companies. Remember that fine Corinthian leather Ricardo Montalban told us about? Not really from Corinth. It was just a label dreamed up by the Chrysler marketing department.
Then, there are those little lies we hear and tell every day; “I’ll just be a minute.” – “Let’s get together for lunch. I’ll give you a call.” – “Everything’s fixed.” – “I’ll get this book back to you as soon as I’ve finished reading it.” – “The check is in the mail.” – “The doctor will be with you shortly.” – “This will only hurt a little.” – “There’s absolutely no obligation.” – “And if elected, I will…….”
The next time we gripe about our politicians and their inability to be truthful, we should think again. They’re just doing what we’ve asked them to do. We don’t respond well to the truth and rarely want to hear it. We don’t want some politician telling us that the biggest problem with America is directly connected to our shabby, shoddy, apathetic lifestyle. We would rather make believe that they can fix everything for us and we can just all stay as we are.
Jesus got himself into some real trouble, not because he made promises he couldn’t keep or metered his comments according to the polls. He got into trouble because he told the truth. He challenged our false assumptions. He told us plainly to get our lives in order. It didn’t go over well, and it still doesn’t. Sinful human beings are quite comfortable in a world of untruths.
If you want real change, then look to Christ. He is the way, and the truth, and the life.
Sometimes, the truth hurts, but the truth leads to real change and to healing.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Left Behind
by Pastor Tom
“For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.” -Acts 8:7-8
Human beings have only been exploring outer space since the Russians managed to place the satellite Sputnik in orbit on October 4th of 1957. However, in that short span of time, human beings have managed to create a huge supply of space garbage.
Thousands of fragments larger than an inch, and somewhere between ten billion and thousands of trillions of microscopic pieces of debris are now floating around our solar system neighborhood. Some chunks of space trash are as big as a truck, or even a small apartment building.
Space garbage is created when certain rocket components are spent, waste material is ejected, tools get away, things come loose and, on occasion when secret military satellites are blown up to avoid having them fall into enemy hands. The Russians tended to do just that for a good number of years.
Some space garbage is almost famous. The Gemini 4 crew had a glove float away during the very first space walk in history. Michael Collins lost a camera during the Gemini 10 mission. The lunar module, normally left to crash on the moon, for the failed Apollo 13 flight came back with them and is still up there flying around the earth, along with bag after bag of refuse tossed from various Soviet space stations.
Both Venus and Mars now have little piles of our junk littering their surfaces, and the moon has in excess of 20 tons of garbage lying around. Just a couple of jaunts to the moon, and already there are several junk cars (moon buggies), satellite parts, experimental equipment, abandoned lunar landing craft and the wreckage of several lunar modules, which in short order plummet to the surface after we leave without the benefit of an atmosphere to burn them up. There are even some golf balls up there, cameras, and a host of refuse that would make any landfill proud.
When we humans go somewhere, we always leave something behind. Normally, what we leave is a mess. It seems to be our nature to interrupt, deface, pollute, defile and in some cases even destroy. I suppose it happens so naturally in outer space because we’ve practiced it for so long here on earth.
It doesn’t have to be that way. In the book of Acts, we read about some people who always left something good behind. The believers we read about left deliverance, healing and joy.
Some people walk into a room and don’t leave very much in the way of good after they’re gone.
But, look on the bright side. At least they’re gone. On the other hand, some people bring a lot of love and joy with them when they come, and it tends to hang around for a while after they leave. Thank God for those who leave the joy.
“For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.” -Acts 8:7-8
Human beings have only been exploring outer space since the Russians managed to place the satellite Sputnik in orbit on October 4th of 1957. However, in that short span of time, human beings have managed to create a huge supply of space garbage.
Thousands of fragments larger than an inch, and somewhere between ten billion and thousands of trillions of microscopic pieces of debris are now floating around our solar system neighborhood. Some chunks of space trash are as big as a truck, or even a small apartment building.
Space garbage is created when certain rocket components are spent, waste material is ejected, tools get away, things come loose and, on occasion when secret military satellites are blown up to avoid having them fall into enemy hands. The Russians tended to do just that for a good number of years.
Some space garbage is almost famous. The Gemini 4 crew had a glove float away during the very first space walk in history. Michael Collins lost a camera during the Gemini 10 mission. The lunar module, normally left to crash on the moon, for the failed Apollo 13 flight came back with them and is still up there flying around the earth, along with bag after bag of refuse tossed from various Soviet space stations.
Both Venus and Mars now have little piles of our junk littering their surfaces, and the moon has in excess of 20 tons of garbage lying around. Just a couple of jaunts to the moon, and already there are several junk cars (moon buggies), satellite parts, experimental equipment, abandoned lunar landing craft and the wreckage of several lunar modules, which in short order plummet to the surface after we leave without the benefit of an atmosphere to burn them up. There are even some golf balls up there, cameras, and a host of refuse that would make any landfill proud.
When we humans go somewhere, we always leave something behind. Normally, what we leave is a mess. It seems to be our nature to interrupt, deface, pollute, defile and in some cases even destroy. I suppose it happens so naturally in outer space because we’ve practiced it for so long here on earth.
It doesn’t have to be that way. In the book of Acts, we read about some people who always left something good behind. The believers we read about left deliverance, healing and joy.
Some people walk into a room and don’t leave very much in the way of good after they’re gone.
But, look on the bright side. At least they’re gone. On the other hand, some people bring a lot of love and joy with them when they come, and it tends to hang around for a while after they leave. Thank God for those who leave the joy.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Tick, Tick, Tick
by Pastor Tom
“We are afflicted in every way, but no crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but no forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” -2 Corinthians 4:8-10
There used to be a fellow on television all the time named John Cameron Swayze. He didn’t have a television show that I know of, but he did do a lot of commercials for Timex watches. The Timex watch came out in 1946 and it sold for $6.95, which even back in those days was pretty inexpensive for a watch. The combination of low price, reliability and a great advertising campaign let to incredible sales.
The commercials all had pretty much the same theme. A Timex watch would be severely punished in some impressive demonstration. Once, one was secured to an outboard motor propeller. In another ad, they strapped one to the leg of a race horse. They did dozens of horrific things to those watches. At the end of the commercial, they would retrieve the watch and then hold it before the camera. Lo and behold, the watch still worked. Mr. Swayze would then boldly proclaim, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking!”
Everybody kind of hoped that just once, the watch would fail the test. Finally, in one commercial, just to show that the Timex people had a sense of humor, they placed a watch on the ground and had an elephant step on it. When they retrieved the watch it was smashed to pieces. It was a great bit, and probably did as much to endear their product to consumers as any of the other commercials.
The Timex watch was, and I suppose still is, a great product. Everybody could afford to own one. It did its job very well, and it could take a real pounding and continue to be reliable. Paul and his fellow disciples in the New Testament were much the same. They were afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down. But they plowed ahead. Their attitude and outlook remained positive. They could still be counted upon. They weren’t wimps. They weren’t crybabies. They didn’t run home with their tails between their legs when things got difficult.
They didn’t start whining and making excuses. They kept on keeping on.
I pray that we can be as reliable. It seems today that so many are ready to throw in the towel at the first sign of adversity. This happened. That happened. So and so said this. So and so did that. They’re discouraged, destroyed, wiped out, finished. Too bad. Too sad!
For those of us who claim the name of Jesus, and have a call upon our lives to serve God and others, may it be said of us, “They took a licking, and kept on ticking.”
“We are afflicted in every way, but no crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but no forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” -2 Corinthians 4:8-10
There used to be a fellow on television all the time named John Cameron Swayze. He didn’t have a television show that I know of, but he did do a lot of commercials for Timex watches. The Timex watch came out in 1946 and it sold for $6.95, which even back in those days was pretty inexpensive for a watch. The combination of low price, reliability and a great advertising campaign let to incredible sales.
The commercials all had pretty much the same theme. A Timex watch would be severely punished in some impressive demonstration. Once, one was secured to an outboard motor propeller. In another ad, they strapped one to the leg of a race horse. They did dozens of horrific things to those watches. At the end of the commercial, they would retrieve the watch and then hold it before the camera. Lo and behold, the watch still worked. Mr. Swayze would then boldly proclaim, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking!”
Everybody kind of hoped that just once, the watch would fail the test. Finally, in one commercial, just to show that the Timex people had a sense of humor, they placed a watch on the ground and had an elephant step on it. When they retrieved the watch it was smashed to pieces. It was a great bit, and probably did as much to endear their product to consumers as any of the other commercials.
The Timex watch was, and I suppose still is, a great product. Everybody could afford to own one. It did its job very well, and it could take a real pounding and continue to be reliable. Paul and his fellow disciples in the New Testament were much the same. They were afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down. But they plowed ahead. Their attitude and outlook remained positive. They could still be counted upon. They weren’t wimps. They weren’t crybabies. They didn’t run home with their tails between their legs when things got difficult.
They didn’t start whining and making excuses. They kept on keeping on.
I pray that we can be as reliable. It seems today that so many are ready to throw in the towel at the first sign of adversity. This happened. That happened. So and so said this. So and so did that. They’re discouraged, destroyed, wiped out, finished. Too bad. Too sad!
For those of us who claim the name of Jesus, and have a call upon our lives to serve God and others, may it be said of us, “They took a licking, and kept on ticking.”
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES
by Pastor Tom
“In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” -Ephesians 1:13-14
I was delighted to return from a trip out of the country to find that we have finally received some much needed rain during this past week. And, along with the rain comes the lightning. Not far from here, in a 60 mile wide path that cuts across the state down around Tampa, known as “Lightning Alley,” lightning strikes occur more than 90 days each year. Of the 40 million strikes per year in the United States, 400 actually hit people. Half of them die as a result, and the majority of those deaths happen in Lightning Alley. The most dangerous spots, by the way, tend to be grocery store parking lots.
It’s true that one of the safest places to be in a lightning storm is an automobile. Contrary to what most folks think, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the rubber tires. The real reason that most cars are safe is because they have metal bodies. They do indeed get struck by lightning from time to time, but the metal body of a car acts as a Faraday Cage. The electrical charge of the strike is dispersed around the body and remains on the outside of the car. Those inside are kept neutral and perfectly safe.
People should be aware of the fact that convertibles and cars with plastic bodies also get struck with lightning on occasion, but offer no electrical protection for the occupants. These types of cars might look a lot like other cars, but without the metal cage surrounding the people inside, there’s no protection from a sudden strike.
Lightning has incredible power. It’s is kind of comforting to think that, while in your car, lightning could literally crash down on you, and you’d be snug as a bug in a rug. It would sizzle and crash and flash all around you with no ill effects. It makes me think of what Paul says about the way we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Those who have heard the word of truth and believed have this amazing shield of protection all around them. Nothing will have the power to come along and blast them out of God’s kingdom. The Holy Spirit will keep and protect them until the day comes when they can acquire personal possession of the eternal life that Christ won for them on the cross. Amazing!
Cars and religious systems share something in common. From the outside, they might look a lot alike, but there are some models that offer no real protection at all to those inside, and they may never know until lightning strikes.
“In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” -Ephesians 1:13-14
I was delighted to return from a trip out of the country to find that we have finally received some much needed rain during this past week. And, along with the rain comes the lightning. Not far from here, in a 60 mile wide path that cuts across the state down around Tampa, known as “Lightning Alley,” lightning strikes occur more than 90 days each year. Of the 40 million strikes per year in the United States, 400 actually hit people. Half of them die as a result, and the majority of those deaths happen in Lightning Alley. The most dangerous spots, by the way, tend to be grocery store parking lots.
It’s true that one of the safest places to be in a lightning storm is an automobile. Contrary to what most folks think, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the rubber tires. The real reason that most cars are safe is because they have metal bodies. They do indeed get struck by lightning from time to time, but the metal body of a car acts as a Faraday Cage. The electrical charge of the strike is dispersed around the body and remains on the outside of the car. Those inside are kept neutral and perfectly safe.
People should be aware of the fact that convertibles and cars with plastic bodies also get struck with lightning on occasion, but offer no electrical protection for the occupants. These types of cars might look a lot like other cars, but without the metal cage surrounding the people inside, there’s no protection from a sudden strike.
Lightning has incredible power. It’s is kind of comforting to think that, while in your car, lightning could literally crash down on you, and you’d be snug as a bug in a rug. It would sizzle and crash and flash all around you with no ill effects. It makes me think of what Paul says about the way we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Those who have heard the word of truth and believed have this amazing shield of protection all around them. Nothing will have the power to come along and blast them out of God’s kingdom. The Holy Spirit will keep and protect them until the day comes when they can acquire personal possession of the eternal life that Christ won for them on the cross. Amazing!
Cars and religious systems share something in common. From the outside, they might look a lot alike, but there are some models that offer no real protection at all to those inside, and they may never know until lightning strikes.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Fountain of Youth
by Pastor Tom
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” -Psalm 103, 2-5
It’s going on five hundred years ago that a Spanish fellow named Ponce de Leon landed on a strip of Florida beach just a few miles south of where we live here in Jacksonville. The locals weren’t all that crazy about his appearing and they were pretty crafty individuals, so they made up a story about a fountain of youth. Quickly, old Ponce and his men took off through the swamps and the scrubs hunting for it, just as the natives knew he would. Who could resist? What he found was bugs and snakes and heat and a bunch of misery while he continued to grow old in the process.
It’s ironic that the land of the fountain of youth has the highest median age of any state in the nation. And quite a few of us are still searching for that magical thing that will ward off the aging process. Workouts, hair dye, face lifts, health food and gallons of Oil of Olay are just a few of the things we try in order to avoid the inevitable effects of aging.
I’m getting to the point where I think about it every now and then, particularly when I take a look into the mirror. I could try some new hair or some such thing, but it’s not likely.
Over the years, I’ve been watching people age and I know a lot of folks who have quite a few years on them. I’ve been convinced that the youngest “oldsters” I know are the ones who not only have a strong faith in God, but also an active interest in serving others. It’s not surprising.
Statistics bear out the fact that active church members enjoy a healthier and higher life expectancy than others. Regardless of age, the people I know who are out of touch with God in their lives and more interested in themselves than anything else seem to act the oldest.
We didn’t really need modern statistics to figure all this out. It’s been in the Bible all along. While it’s true that the body will ultimately manifest the effects of time, our minds and our spirits can be renewed by the power of our relationship with God. The Lord designed us not simply to grow old, but to grow up, higher and higher, into a greater likeness of his Son, and into an experience with life that is constantly renewed.
As it says in Proverbs 14:27, “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life!”
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” -Psalm 103, 2-5
It’s going on five hundred years ago that a Spanish fellow named Ponce de Leon landed on a strip of Florida beach just a few miles south of where we live here in Jacksonville. The locals weren’t all that crazy about his appearing and they were pretty crafty individuals, so they made up a story about a fountain of youth. Quickly, old Ponce and his men took off through the swamps and the scrubs hunting for it, just as the natives knew he would. Who could resist? What he found was bugs and snakes and heat and a bunch of misery while he continued to grow old in the process.
It’s ironic that the land of the fountain of youth has the highest median age of any state in the nation. And quite a few of us are still searching for that magical thing that will ward off the aging process. Workouts, hair dye, face lifts, health food and gallons of Oil of Olay are just a few of the things we try in order to avoid the inevitable effects of aging.
I’m getting to the point where I think about it every now and then, particularly when I take a look into the mirror. I could try some new hair or some such thing, but it’s not likely.
Over the years, I’ve been watching people age and I know a lot of folks who have quite a few years on them. I’ve been convinced that the youngest “oldsters” I know are the ones who not only have a strong faith in God, but also an active interest in serving others. It’s not surprising.
Statistics bear out the fact that active church members enjoy a healthier and higher life expectancy than others. Regardless of age, the people I know who are out of touch with God in their lives and more interested in themselves than anything else seem to act the oldest.
We didn’t really need modern statistics to figure all this out. It’s been in the Bible all along. While it’s true that the body will ultimately manifest the effects of time, our minds and our spirits can be renewed by the power of our relationship with God. The Lord designed us not simply to grow old, but to grow up, higher and higher, into a greater likeness of his Son, and into an experience with life that is constantly renewed.
As it says in Proverbs 14:27, “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life!”
Monday, June 05, 2006
Sixth Month, Sixth Day, Sixth Year
By Pastor Tom Fuller, Lake Shore United Methodist Church, Jacksonville, Florida, USA (our beloved pastor from our home church!)“This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty six.”
-Revelation 13:18
Some numbers are more famous, or perhaps infamous, than others, and for a variety of reasons. Many consider the number seven to be lucky. And everyone knows about the number thirteen. Just this past week, I was riding an elevator in a twenty story building that curiously had no thirteenth floor. Of course it really did have one, even if it was marked as fourteen. And the number thirteen is particularly troublesome if it happens to fall on Friday.
The Bible has several prominent numbers that pop up repeatedly, and seem to have significance beyond simple math. One of those numbers is twelve, from the twelve tribes of Israel to the twelve apostles, and at least twelve dozen more in between. The number forty is another. It rained for forty days and nights during the great flood. The children of Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, on a journey to the promised land that would typically take eleven days on foot. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for forty days, and he also appeared after his resurrection for forty days. The number three, in addition to its association with the trinity and the three days between the death of Jesus and his resurrection, shows up in the Bible well over four hundred times.
But hands down, the most famous biblical number has to be six hundred and sixty six. Just the sight of “666” tattooed on somebody’s arm or printed on a black t-shirt or perhaps spotted on a movie poster is enough to elicit visions of devils and demons and all kinds of evil. Not long ago, I made a purchase in a local convenience store, and my total came out to be $6.66. The poor cashier suddenly had a look of horror come over her face. She said, “Oh my goodness, six, six, six! Do you want to buy something else?” I said, “No, that will be fine,” and just for fun gave her the best sinister stare I could muster. This week, we will see the arrival of the sixth day of the sixth month in the sixth year of this century. Who knows what evil will rear its ugly head on such a day!
Actually, the number 666 is not presented in the Bible as evil in and of itself, although it is no doubt an important and revealing number. When the Bible was written, numbers did not as yet have their own symbols. Various letters of the alphabet were assigned numerical value. Most of us are quite familiar with Roman numerals, which are letters of the Latin alphabet that have numerical value. Greek, the language John used to record his Revelation, also had numbers assigned to the letters. It was revealed to John that the numerical value of the letters of the name of the beast in his vision, when added together, would total six hundred and sixty six. This beast is undoubtedly an evil and violent deceiver who stands in opposition to God and everything good. The number of his name, on the other hand, is presented as a code provided for the benefit of the people of God.
John made it a point in this chapter of his Revelation (can you believe it, chapter 13?) to call for the use of wisdom in regard to this particular prophecy. To a large degree, his plea has been ignored. Over all however, the message is clear. The path of sinful human history will lead to catastrophe, but to those who receive Christ and are faithful to his gospel, there will be salvation and deliverance.
We never know what a day may bring, and in that regard, June 6, 2006 is certainly like any other day. The most significant day for any of us is today, because this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice, and be glad in it.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Toxic Fruit
by Pastor Tom
“But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissentions and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful. He is self-condemned.” -Titus 3:9-10
On September 26, 1830, a man named Col. Robert Gibbon Johnson stood on the courthouse steps in Salem, Massachusetts before a crowd of several hundred cheering spectators as he held a basket of potentially toxic fruit. Despite warnings that the fruit, if consumed, would turn his blood to acid, he announced that he was going to eat the entire basket.
His own doctor, who stood among the other spectators, shouted out that if the Colonel was foolish enough to carry on with his plans, he would foam at the mouth, develop an instant brain fever, and drop dead. Johnson, however, dressed in black, did indeed eat the entire basket filled with fruit, and he survived!
He not only survived, but showed not a single ill effect. The “toxic” fruit contained in the Colonel’s basket was none other than the tomato. For many years, dire warnings about the poisonous quality of the tomato had been universally accepted. Thanks to the brave actions of the Colonel and a number of others, today we regularly enjoy the flavor and health benefits of the tomato. Where would the world be without the BLT?
A lot of grave warnings about all kinds of things have in time been demonstrated false. It was commonly believed for a time that any human being moving at a speed in excess of 35 miles per hour would instantly die. And most of us can still remember all those warnings about Y2K.
Although some warnings are bogus, we should not become numb to all of them. There are some very destructive things out there. When Paul writes to his friend Titus, he delivers a warning that should certainly be heeded by all who are members of the family of God. It has to do with individuals who have slipped into the practice of constant controversy and criticism. For some reason, these people have developed a pattern of never-ending nit-picking. For such people, life is a succession of problems and dilemmas. Their negative attitude is infections. If left unchecked, the church goes nowhere. If it was up to them, we never even would have had the tomato!
“But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissentions and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful. He is self-condemned.” -Titus 3:9-10
On September 26, 1830, a man named Col. Robert Gibbon Johnson stood on the courthouse steps in Salem, Massachusetts before a crowd of several hundred cheering spectators as he held a basket of potentially toxic fruit. Despite warnings that the fruit, if consumed, would turn his blood to acid, he announced that he was going to eat the entire basket.
His own doctor, who stood among the other spectators, shouted out that if the Colonel was foolish enough to carry on with his plans, he would foam at the mouth, develop an instant brain fever, and drop dead. Johnson, however, dressed in black, did indeed eat the entire basket filled with fruit, and he survived!
He not only survived, but showed not a single ill effect. The “toxic” fruit contained in the Colonel’s basket was none other than the tomato. For many years, dire warnings about the poisonous quality of the tomato had been universally accepted. Thanks to the brave actions of the Colonel and a number of others, today we regularly enjoy the flavor and health benefits of the tomato. Where would the world be without the BLT?
A lot of grave warnings about all kinds of things have in time been demonstrated false. It was commonly believed for a time that any human being moving at a speed in excess of 35 miles per hour would instantly die. And most of us can still remember all those warnings about Y2K.
Although some warnings are bogus, we should not become numb to all of them. There are some very destructive things out there. When Paul writes to his friend Titus, he delivers a warning that should certainly be heeded by all who are members of the family of God. It has to do with individuals who have slipped into the practice of constant controversy and criticism. For some reason, these people have developed a pattern of never-ending nit-picking. For such people, life is a succession of problems and dilemmas. Their negative attitude is infections. If left unchecked, the church goes nowhere. If it was up to them, we never even would have had the tomato!
Monday, May 22, 2006
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
by Rev. Thomas R. Fuller
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” -Proverbs 1:22
I have an old telephone in my house that is commonly called a “candlestick” model. The base features a rotary dial, and the receiver is mounted on top of a column. The speaker hangs on the side, and to use it, one generally has to hold the phone in one hand and the receiver in the other. Believe it or not, it still works. Every now and then, just for old time’s sake, I place a call on this phone. It’s fun to hear that old rotary dial click out each number.
Back in 1963, AT&T introduced the Touch-Tone telephone. It didn’t take long for a nation obsessed with push-button convenience to warm up to the new thing. It was said that to dial a seven digit number on a rotary phone took an average of ten seconds, but only five seconds on the new push-button variety.
Our family was very excited with our first push-button phone. In short order, we were punching out numbers at lightning speed! Back then, each button created a different tone, and before long we were calling friends and irritating them with push-button renditions of our favorite songs. At one time, I even had a push-button phone songbook.
Well, if only we would have known then just where all this push-button convenience would lead. Now, thanks to push-buttons, we never have to actually connect with a live human being when we call a business or agency. Instead, we get a recording that tells us to push more buttons, offering us a myriad of options that have nothing to do with what we really need. We end up stuck on the phone forever, pushing one button after another, with a good chance of eventually slamming the phone down in disgust. But, we should remember that, on the average, it only took us five seconds to dial the initial number, instead of the previous ten it took back in the old days when we actually connected immediately with a helpful, living person. Boy oh boy, aren’t we smart?
I’m not really against technology or opposed to progress. Actually, in a lot of ways it’s great. But, more and more, as our technology gets increasingly complex, I think we tend to get increasingly simple. We don’t think things through. We don’t look at the whole picture. We accept everything. We don’t evaluate much. Overall, it seems to me that we are not really doing a better job at anything. And thanks to technology, we can be stupid a whole lot faster.
The Book of Proverbs in the Bible was written, “That men may know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight, and receive instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice and equity” (Proverbs 1:2-3). Psalm 111:10 tells us that, “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.” Is it any wonder that, as our nations falls away from God, and in spite of all the technological advances, America seems to be in the process of “dumbing down?”
There is no push-button device that can make us smart. Our technology creates as many problems as it solves. Wisdom comes from God, and those who desire to be wise will seek him.
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” -Proverbs 1:22
I have an old telephone in my house that is commonly called a “candlestick” model. The base features a rotary dial, and the receiver is mounted on top of a column. The speaker hangs on the side, and to use it, one generally has to hold the phone in one hand and the receiver in the other. Believe it or not, it still works. Every now and then, just for old time’s sake, I place a call on this phone. It’s fun to hear that old rotary dial click out each number.
Back in 1963, AT&T introduced the Touch-Tone telephone. It didn’t take long for a nation obsessed with push-button convenience to warm up to the new thing. It was said that to dial a seven digit number on a rotary phone took an average of ten seconds, but only five seconds on the new push-button variety.
Our family was very excited with our first push-button phone. In short order, we were punching out numbers at lightning speed! Back then, each button created a different tone, and before long we were calling friends and irritating them with push-button renditions of our favorite songs. At one time, I even had a push-button phone songbook.
Well, if only we would have known then just where all this push-button convenience would lead. Now, thanks to push-buttons, we never have to actually connect with a live human being when we call a business or agency. Instead, we get a recording that tells us to push more buttons, offering us a myriad of options that have nothing to do with what we really need. We end up stuck on the phone forever, pushing one button after another, with a good chance of eventually slamming the phone down in disgust. But, we should remember that, on the average, it only took us five seconds to dial the initial number, instead of the previous ten it took back in the old days when we actually connected immediately with a helpful, living person. Boy oh boy, aren’t we smart?
I’m not really against technology or opposed to progress. Actually, in a lot of ways it’s great. But, more and more, as our technology gets increasingly complex, I think we tend to get increasingly simple. We don’t think things through. We don’t look at the whole picture. We accept everything. We don’t evaluate much. Overall, it seems to me that we are not really doing a better job at anything. And thanks to technology, we can be stupid a whole lot faster.
The Book of Proverbs in the Bible was written, “That men may know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight, and receive instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice and equity” (Proverbs 1:2-3). Psalm 111:10 tells us that, “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.” Is it any wonder that, as our nations falls away from God, and in spite of all the technological advances, America seems to be in the process of “dumbing down?”
There is no push-button device that can make us smart. Our technology creates as many problems as it solves. Wisdom comes from God, and those who desire to be wise will seek him.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
The Real Picture
by Rev. Thomas R. Fuller
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” -1 Corinthians 13:12
Although people have seen themselves reflected in water since the beginning of time, they haven’t had the benefit of viewing themselves in all their glory in what we would call a mirror until recent history. Early attempts at making mirrors have been mentioned in the Bible and in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman literature, but generally these devices were made out of polished brass or bronze. The medium, as well as the primitive polishing techniques, were never able to produce a very clear reflection.
The earliest glass mirrors, backed with shiny metal, appeared in Italy during the fourteenth century. The original process for creating a glass mirror was to coat one side of the glass with mercury and polished tin foil. But the process for creating what we would call a genuine glass mirror was perfected by a German chemist in 1835 named Justus von Liebig. His process consisted of pouring ammonia and silver on a sheet of clear glass, and then adding formaldehyde, which produce an incredibly shiny surface that reflected light with great clarity. For many years, all mirrors were produced using this process.
Today, of course, there are many materials and processes used in making mirrors, and the expensive ones are of very high quality. Sometimes, when I catch my reflection in a mirror, particularly the full-length variety, I wish they weren’t so clear.
When Paul wrote about seeing himself in a mirror, he didn’t have the benefit of a clear one. When he saw his reflection, a lot of details weren’t very visible. His reflection was hazy and out of focus. Try as he might, he just couldn’t make everything out. He could never get much better than a fuzzy, distorted picture of himself.
That didn’t worry or upset Paul, because he knew that some day, the perfect would come. Knowledge would be complete. He would see Jesus, not through the eyes of faith, but face to face. On that day, he would understand. He would see things, for the very first time, with complete clarity.
In our own day, we have the benefit of seeing ourselves clearly reflected physically, and maybe that’s why we are so consumed with our appearance. But we have the same problem Paul had when it comes to knowing ourselves. Our self-perception doesn’t always jive with reality.
Perhaps a mirror is not the best tool for knowing one’s self. Generally, our encounters with mirrors reflect only our own face. Maybe we need to look at more of the faces around us. This week, I have had the image of a beautiful, young girl in my mind. Even though I have never met this girl, her image is so very clear that it’s breaking my heart.
You see, this young, beautiful girl was murdered this past week in our city as she sat reading in her own home. She was yet another innocent victim of the senseless violence that has become a common part of everyday life in Jacksonville.
Her image in my mind reveals more about who I am and who we are than a glimpse of my own sorry face in a mirror. It’s a picture that I would rather not see, but it’s the real picture. And maybe, if we can begin to see ourselves as we really are, we can work on being transformed into the kind of people we’ve thought we were all along.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” -1 Corinthians 13:12
Although people have seen themselves reflected in water since the beginning of time, they haven’t had the benefit of viewing themselves in all their glory in what we would call a mirror until recent history. Early attempts at making mirrors have been mentioned in the Bible and in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman literature, but generally these devices were made out of polished brass or bronze. The medium, as well as the primitive polishing techniques, were never able to produce a very clear reflection.
The earliest glass mirrors, backed with shiny metal, appeared in Italy during the fourteenth century. The original process for creating a glass mirror was to coat one side of the glass with mercury and polished tin foil. But the process for creating what we would call a genuine glass mirror was perfected by a German chemist in 1835 named Justus von Liebig. His process consisted of pouring ammonia and silver on a sheet of clear glass, and then adding formaldehyde, which produce an incredibly shiny surface that reflected light with great clarity. For many years, all mirrors were produced using this process.
Today, of course, there are many materials and processes used in making mirrors, and the expensive ones are of very high quality. Sometimes, when I catch my reflection in a mirror, particularly the full-length variety, I wish they weren’t so clear.
When Paul wrote about seeing himself in a mirror, he didn’t have the benefit of a clear one. When he saw his reflection, a lot of details weren’t very visible. His reflection was hazy and out of focus. Try as he might, he just couldn’t make everything out. He could never get much better than a fuzzy, distorted picture of himself.
That didn’t worry or upset Paul, because he knew that some day, the perfect would come. Knowledge would be complete. He would see Jesus, not through the eyes of faith, but face to face. On that day, he would understand. He would see things, for the very first time, with complete clarity.
In our own day, we have the benefit of seeing ourselves clearly reflected physically, and maybe that’s why we are so consumed with our appearance. But we have the same problem Paul had when it comes to knowing ourselves. Our self-perception doesn’t always jive with reality.
Perhaps a mirror is not the best tool for knowing one’s self. Generally, our encounters with mirrors reflect only our own face. Maybe we need to look at more of the faces around us. This week, I have had the image of a beautiful, young girl in my mind. Even though I have never met this girl, her image is so very clear that it’s breaking my heart.
You see, this young, beautiful girl was murdered this past week in our city as she sat reading in her own home. She was yet another innocent victim of the senseless violence that has become a common part of everyday life in Jacksonville.
Her image in my mind reveals more about who I am and who we are than a glimpse of my own sorry face in a mirror. It’s a picture that I would rather not see, but it’s the real picture. And maybe, if we can begin to see ourselves as we really are, we can work on being transformed into the kind of people we’ve thought we were all along.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Enduring Love
by Rev. Thomas R. Fuller
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
I’ll never forget my first encounter with diaper changing. Our brand new baby girl had just been home from the hospital for a couple of days and Cindy thought I was ready to take care of her all by myself. Since I had taken the time to carefully study a number of baby books, I was filled with confidence in my baby managing skills. And, considering the fact that Cindy was only going to be away for about an hour, I anticipated a delightful, special moment between father and daughter.
About ten seconds after the door closed behind Cindy as she left, the baby began to cry. Utilizing my vast, recently gained knowledge from all those baby books, I knew to check the diaper before anything else. Sure enough, a diaper change was in order. Without going into great detail, let me just say that this simple, little task turned into quite a messy ordeal. Who could have anticipated those kicking legs, which in short order kind of transformed an isolated problem into a room-sized environmental catastrophe? And back in those days, the cloth diapers we used required pins. I think I only stabbed myself about half a dozen times.
Diaper changing is not what I would classify as a fun kind of thing. It’s dirty, smelly, and messy. I suppose if we only changed diapers when we felt like it, then a whole lot of babies would be in a world of hurt. But we do it because of love. And that’s how love is. When it’s real, it means more than just the fun stuff and the things we feel like doing. It takes endurance.
Mother’s day is coming up, and the greatest thing about mothers is that they are willing to suck it up and do the hard work of love. I’m sure that my mom never once thought to herself, “Gee, I wish little Tommy needed a diaper change. I’m really in the mood for one!” I know that when we had a dessert shortage, she really wanted some when she said she didn’t for fear that we wouldn’t have enough. I bet that if the truth be known, she would have much rather had a new dress than to buy a Cub Scout uniform for me. I imagine that on many a night, she really could have used some relaxation time for herself, instead of reading bedtime stories to us.
Love can be a very confusing thing to some folks. Love can even be completely missed, when the “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things” part of it is left out.
I’m thankful that my mom got it right. And I’m thankful for God’s great love. Jesus didn’t die on the cross for our sins because he wanted to die that way. He did it because of a love that takes guts, sacrifice and endurance. To all the moms who have risen to the high calling of this kind of love, I wish a Happy Mother’s Day!
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
I’ll never forget my first encounter with diaper changing. Our brand new baby girl had just been home from the hospital for a couple of days and Cindy thought I was ready to take care of her all by myself. Since I had taken the time to carefully study a number of baby books, I was filled with confidence in my baby managing skills. And, considering the fact that Cindy was only going to be away for about an hour, I anticipated a delightful, special moment between father and daughter.
About ten seconds after the door closed behind Cindy as she left, the baby began to cry. Utilizing my vast, recently gained knowledge from all those baby books, I knew to check the diaper before anything else. Sure enough, a diaper change was in order. Without going into great detail, let me just say that this simple, little task turned into quite a messy ordeal. Who could have anticipated those kicking legs, which in short order kind of transformed an isolated problem into a room-sized environmental catastrophe? And back in those days, the cloth diapers we used required pins. I think I only stabbed myself about half a dozen times.
Diaper changing is not what I would classify as a fun kind of thing. It’s dirty, smelly, and messy. I suppose if we only changed diapers when we felt like it, then a whole lot of babies would be in a world of hurt. But we do it because of love. And that’s how love is. When it’s real, it means more than just the fun stuff and the things we feel like doing. It takes endurance.
Mother’s day is coming up, and the greatest thing about mothers is that they are willing to suck it up and do the hard work of love. I’m sure that my mom never once thought to herself, “Gee, I wish little Tommy needed a diaper change. I’m really in the mood for one!” I know that when we had a dessert shortage, she really wanted some when she said she didn’t for fear that we wouldn’t have enough. I bet that if the truth be known, she would have much rather had a new dress than to buy a Cub Scout uniform for me. I imagine that on many a night, she really could have used some relaxation time for herself, instead of reading bedtime stories to us.
Love can be a very confusing thing to some folks. Love can even be completely missed, when the “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things” part of it is left out.
I’m thankful that my mom got it right. And I’m thankful for God’s great love. Jesus didn’t die on the cross for our sins because he wanted to die that way. He did it because of a love that takes guts, sacrifice and endurance. To all the moms who have risen to the high calling of this kind of love, I wish a Happy Mother’s Day!
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