“So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.” Romans 14:22
Our Church has the honorable opportunity and duty of standing on the corner of a MAJOR street corner and holding signs proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this twice a week, for an hour each time, and have done so for almost a year. This last time I came VERY close to my own zapacution!
Because we have been there so often, and because MUCH of the traffic is the same with folks commuting to or from work, they KNOW WHO we are and WHY we are there. Standing there last Friday, a big plastic bag came slowly blowing by me. For an inanimate object it appeared casual and unassuming! It was doing a good job of it too, because I almost didn’t notice that it was just plain old trash! That is until that ‘still small voice’ called to me from the inside! “Pick it up!”
Had I been a drug dealer or a prostitute plying my trade on the corner, my actions and personal presence would have loudly stated to passers-by that I ‘personally’ APPROVED both behaviors. My actions would have advertised the condition of my heart. Because there are laws against those things, I could have been condemned by a Judge for breaking those laws! Ignoring sauntering trash bags is NOT a crime! Or is it?
I am not my own. I have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20)! Because of that fact, my Master has the right to ask anything of me that matters to HIM. Within a few nanoseconds, and as only the Holy Spirit can do, the complete courtroom transcript was opened before my heart and I understood my guilt… before I had even caused an infraction! I reached down and grabbed the guilty evidence and put it in it’s place!
There would have been NO excuse. Everyone watching ‘the Christian’ on the corner as he watched trash roll by could have made a somewhat legitimate claim that Christians are hypocrites! And even though we are, our Master prefers we not blatantly advertise it! ESPECIALLY since He is working hard at eradicating all SORTS of trash from MY life.
The older I get the more easily I can see the tiny stuff. Today’s Bible verse opens another whole area of condemnation that, before Jesus, I didn’t even KNOW about. When I ‘let go’ or ‘ignore’ evidence that typically labels an infraction, my personal APPROVAL condemns me and ZAPS me ‘as if’ I actually DID the thing! And here’s the WORST part! It labels my MASTER as a co-conspirator! Now THAT is some NASTY TRASH!
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:24
It was a long Holiday weekend and Katie and I found ourselves WITH ourselves. It had been a while since we had ridden our Tandem Bicycle and, since the weather was beautiful, we decided, together, to go for a long ride to somewhere we had not ridden before. Taking our usual positions, with me in the front and her in the back, we headed off on our little adventure. Which, for one of us, proved to be more than expected!
We mostly stuck to the bike trail and followed the rules, “stay to the right” and “holler out before passing on the left.” With my cautious wing-woman behind me, we never ONCE needed to follow the 2nd rule! Apparently my more adventurous spirit stood out because she made the comment, “I notice you look AROUND more than you look FORWARD!” I guess slow and easy gives one more time to enjoy the scenery! Until!!!
Winding down the trip we needed to cross the main 6 lane highway. Since we had, what had been, a full head of steam…AND since, in my opinion, approaching cars were far enough away, I headed for the center of the road! This proved too much danger for Katie and she let out a scream, ”AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” This did not bother me because, while she was voicing her concern, she at least kept peddling! Even more vociferously!
I HAVE to admit that the story is more funny to ME than it is to HER! Having not gotten anywhere NEAR the point where the cars needed to apply brakes, I knew we were safe! Katie? Not so much! She got off the bike and walked by herself for a while! Which, I have to admit, is often MY go-to move when it comes to walking with Jesus!
Jesus pointed out that in our travels together as Savior and ‘the saved,’ we WOULD be encountering dangers, trouble, persecutions and peril! He even, in this verse today, gave me the opportunity to voice my travel requests along the way! But, because we are in the middle of an adventure, I have noted that He has never ONCE offered to TRADE ME PLACES!
Like my wing-woman, I want certainty spelled out and precautions taken. I want road signs that tell me, and everyone else, EXACTLY where to go AND with a 100% guarantee of safety upon arrival. In other words, I don’t want ANY ”AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” moments! Which is NOT His style!
Apparently Jesus knows something I don’t! And He wants to share the fact that my JOY will TRULY be complete after I go THROUGH the journey WITH all the perils and dangers overcome! After spending enough time riding behind Him, I can certify that Jesus ABSOLUTELY knows HOW to make my eyes widen, the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up and my voice to quake. But admittedly… I like it!
This week I have been in more of a learning mode than a teaching one and have been devouring devotionals. That said, I am sharing a good teaching that really opened my eyes and spirit. This hit home. –
Whatever Christ
Commands He Gives
Article
by Matt Bradner Regional Director, Campus Outreach
“Matt, would you grab the rest of the groceries
from the trunk of the car?”
The familiar words fell on me with greater
irritation than normal because I was immersed in my favorite childhood hobby,
sorting through my collection of sports cards. What I initially interpreted as
a demand (and interruption!), however, was actually an expression of my
father’s love for me, because his request was an invitation in disguise.
After delaying for far too long, I finally
dropped the cards and made my way to the trunk, expecting to find eggs,
lettuce, and cereal. When I finally fulfilled my duty, I realized that I had
been duped — in the best way possible. Sitting in the trunk was an unopened box
of 1986 Fleer Basketball cards. This may not seem significant to you, but my
adolescent brain instantly knew that I was moments away from adding a Michael
Jordan rookie card to my collection. I grabbed the box of cards and ran inside
the house to find my father eagerly waiting to join in my joy. I will never
forget the sweetness of those moments with him.
As the years have passed, I have come to
believe that Jesus would have appreciated my father’s approach. While Jesus
extends many invitations through plain and explicit language, the Gospel
narratives also include invitations that begin in disguise. The pathways Jesus
chooses to give us more of himself often begin with Jesus asking something from
us.
‘Give Me a Drink’
Jesus,
wearied by his journey, sits down beside a well in Samaria. Moments later, a
woman comes to draw water, and she hears these words from Jesus: “Give me a
drink” (John 4:7).
At
face value, this may appear to be a reasonable petition from a thirsty man. In
reality, though, these words will open a bottomless fountain for a thirsty
woman. His demand is an invitation in disguise.
“The
pathways Jesus chooses to give us more of himself often begin with Jesus asking
something from us.”
She is
surprised that Jesus would ask her for a drink. Her cause for pause is
undoubtedly focused on the cultural, ethnic, and religious barriers that Jesus
crossed by engaging with a Samaritan woman. As real as those barriers were,
Jesus points her to the true reason she should marvel: “If you knew the gift of
God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have
asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).
Do
you see the invitation in his request? What starts as an appeal to get
something FROM her
becomes an amazing offer to be something FOR her. What Jesus demands
from her, he desires to give to her, if she would just ask and
receive. It doesn’t take long before the woman asks Jesus to give
her this living water. She then leaves to tell her village about Jesus,
believing that she has met the promised Messiah. Strikingly, she leaves her
water jar behind, suggesting that Jesus has given to her the very thing he
asked from her.
‘You Feed Them’
After
a day of Jesus teaching the crowds about the kingdom of God in a desolate
place, his disciples ask him to send the people away to find lodging and food.
Jesus looks at his disciples and says, “You give them something to eat.”
Luke 9:13
Not
sensing the invitation in his words, the disciples immediately feel overwhelmed
by his demand. So, knowing they could never afford to buy dinner for this many
people, they gather up the little food they have (a few fish and some bread)
and put it into Jesus’s hands. Placing what they had in his hands allows them
to participate in something greater than they could have imagined. They are
about to experience, loaf after loaf and fish after fish, the marvelous reality
that what Jesus demands from them, he desires to be for them, if they would
just ask and receive from him.
Jesus has the masses sit down in groups, and
after giving thanks, he begins to give food to the disciples to serve the
people. The food continues to multiply until all eat to their satisfaction, and
twelve baskets are left, each full of food. What a scene this must have been.
When Jesus said, “You give them something to eat,” they barely had enough food
for themselves. Now, when everyone had eaten, each disciple was left holding
his own basket, powerfully demonstrating that Jesus had done for them the very
thing he asked from them.
He Will Be All He Asks
One
cannot read the Scriptures without noticing the many demands that Jesus places
on his followers. He gives commands like, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father
is perfect” Mathew 5:48
What
are we to do under the weight of such demands? Do we engage in the futile
attempt of trying to fulfill them on our own? Or do we recognize that these
demands are invitations from Jesus in disguise? Jesus desires to be for us
whatever he demands from us, if we will ask and receive.
We
are meant to hear demands like
(Matthew 5:48) and place them back in Jesus’s hands, confessing, “I can’t
meet your demands without you,” and asking,
“Will you be for me what you have asked from me?” This exercise of faith is not
only the foundation and hope of our standing before God, but also the grace we
need for every circumstance we face along the path to glory.
“What
life demands from me, Jesus desires to be for me, if I will just ask and
receive.”
The Christian
life is full of demands. I face demands to be a sacrificial spouse, a present
father to five children, a loving neighbor, and a faithful employee. I have a
choice every morning: I can rush into the day attempting to meet the demands of
Christ on my own, or I can call to mind that his invitations often begin in
disguise. What life demands from me, Jesus desires to be for me, if I will ask
and receive.
So,
like the disciples with their few fish and bread, I start each day acknowledging
that I don’t have what it takes to meet all the demands, but I believe that
Jesus can be for me everything the world needs from me. This is the heart of
what it means to live empowered by the Spirit of God. As Paul tells us, “We
have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that
we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). The Holy Spirit is
ready to remind us of all that Jesus desires to be for us. Your daily needs
are, in reality, divine invitations to experience more of Him.
What
is Jesus asking FROM you that He wants to GIVE you?
I have not found an article as detailed and precise on the subject of Gossip like this one. I thank the Lord that we do not have this problem in our Church. It is good to define and know exactly what gossip is though, for future consideration and to keep ourselves in His Grace. I love you ALL! K.C.
What Is Gossip? Exposing a Common and Dangerous Sin
You don’t want to be a gossip. There is no upside to being
one. Gossips hurt neighbors, divide friends, and damage reputations and
relationships. The Bible labels gossips as untrustworthy and meddlesome (Proverbs 11:13; 20:19; 26:20; 1 Timothy 5:13) —
and even as worthy of death (Romans 1:29, 32). At your best in Christ, you don’t
want to be one.
All too often, however, you and I do want to
gossip. Gossiping can be fun and addictive and provide a short burst of guilty
pleasure. The book of Proverbs likens the words of a gossip to “delicious
morsels,” a tasty treat that promises delight to those who indulge (Proverbs 18:8; 26:22). We get bored
and want to entertain ourselves by snacking on the shameful stories of other
people’s lives. Or we get proud that we know something that someone else
doesn’t and want to show off our inside scoop. Or we get mad and crave the
satisfaction of character assassination from afar, sniping at our enemies when
they don’t even know they’re in danger. Gossip can be hard to resist.
But gossip isn’t just hard to resist; it’s hard to define. We
don’t always know when we’re being a gossip. It slips into our conversations,
and its definition slips by us. So, what exactly makes gossip gossip? We need
some handholds.
What Is Gossip?
The Scriptures do not provide a definition of gossip in one
location. Instead, they describe gossip in action and intimately tie it to the
character of the people participating in this tantalizing sin. The Bible often
uses the word gossip to
describe a kind of person more than just a pattern of communication.
My way of summarizing the Bible’s teaching on this topic is
to say that the sin of gossip is bearing
bad news behind someone’s back out of a bad heart. This functional
definition considers the action itself, the content of the corrupt
communication, the situation in which it occurs, and perhaps most importantly,
the motivations of the people involved.
Bearing Bad News
Gossip
is the opposite of the gospel. In the mouth and the ear of a gossip is a morsel
of bad news, not the good news. This bad news — a story of someone else’s sin
or shame — can be bad in at least two ways.
Bad information. The story may be false, and if
you know that beforehand, then spreading it is not just gossip but slander (Leviticus 19:16; Psalm 15:3; Proverbs 19:5). Or you might only think the
story is true (perhaps without good reason), but it turns out to be wrong —
hearsay, a rumor, a half-truth (Proverbs 18:13, 17).
“The sin of gossip is bearing bad news behind someone’s
back out of a bad heart.”
Bad news about someone. You might have been taught that
“if it’s true, it’s not gossip.” But needlessly sharing shameful truth about
someone else can be gossip. One biblical phrase for this kind of speech is “a
bad report,” such as what Joseph brought against his brothers (Genesis 37:2). Just because someone
actually did something wrong does not mean that we need to, or get to, talk
about it with others.
Other times, we might spread a wicked story of what might soon happen
to someone else. One time when King David was sick, his enemies acted concerned
when they visited him but then secretly celebrated his projected downfall and
spread the story that he was about to die (Psalm 41:5–8). That was gossip too.
So, in the back of your mind, when any conversation begins to
steer toward the topic of other people, you can ask yourself, “Is this story
true? How do I know?” “Is this story mine to tell? Is it his to tell me?” “Is
this story bad news?”
Behind Someone’s Back
A gossip bears this bad news behind his victim’s back. By definition, gossip occurs
only when the subject of the story is not present.
It is much easier and more interesting to discuss others when they are not
around.
Gossip is clandestine, hidden, furtive, stealthy, sly (Proverbs 25:23; Psalm 101:4–5). The
English Standard Version often names a gossip as “a whisperer,” which
emphasizes the secretive nature of this sin (Proverbs 16:28; 18:8; 26:20, 22). Sometimes, you
can catch yourself gossiping when you suddenly lower your voice, look around to
see who might be listening, and step closer to your friend before speaking.
We might ask ourselves in such moments, “Would I be telling
this story if he were here? Why or why not?” Am I hiding this conversation from
anyone? Am I ashamed of it?” “Would I want someone else to talk this way about
me if I were not in this room?”
Certainly there are times when we can, and even must, speak
about people who are not present. You are not being a gossip when you call the
police about a crime you witness, when you earnestly seek counsel on how to
relate to someone in your life, or when you carefully warn someone else about a
dangerous person (2 Timothy 4:14–15; Romans 16:17; Philippians 3:2). The presence of gossip
depends in large measure on how you
talk about people who are not present and why you talk about them. Which brings us to the
heart of gossip.
Out of a Bad Heart
Gossip
arises when something has gone wrong with us at the worshiping core of our
beings.
The Lord Jesus taught us that all of the words we speak, good
and bad, flow up and out from the abundance of good or evil stored in our
hearts (Matthew 12:33–37). The same is true for
why we want to listen to gossip. Like calls to like. We are attracted to evil
because of evil already inside of us (Proverbs 17:4, Matthew 15:18–19).
Therefore, the most important queries to have running in the
back of your mind when you’re talking about anybody who isn’t present are the
key questions of motivation and intent: “Why am I saying this?” “Are these
words loving toward the person I’m talking to?” “Are these words loving toward the person we’re
talking about?”
Our heart motivations are not always obvious and, on this
side of glory, will always be mixed (Proverbs 20:5). You might not be able to
discern your own motives in the heat of the moment. Sometimes you will need to
prayerfully go back over them, or even ask a wise friend to help you conduct a
post-game analysis of a previous conversation.
“We
will give an account for every careless word we have spoken, not just for the
malicious ones.”
Some bad motivations are more wicked than others.
Backstabbing gossip bent on revenge is birthed in malice and threatens to sink
whole fellowships (2 Corinthians 12:19–13:2; 3 John 9–10). That
kind of gossip is worse than being a busybody who is too interested in other
peoples’ business (2 Thessalonians 3:11; 1 Peter 4:15). Yet
Jesus said that we will give an account for every careless word
we have spoken (Matthew 12:36), not just for the malicious
ones.
Thankfully, our motivations also can be good and loving. Not
all conversation about others, even about their sins, comes from a bad heart.
It is possible for us to talk truthfully about other people’s bad news with a
desire for their good and a hope for justice to be done. Jesus did so without
ever slipping into gossip, and he will enable us to do it too. Christ also
empowers us to speak edifying words that give grace to listeners and to
redirect conversations that turn toward gossip (Ephesians 4:29–5:17). We can bear good
news, be up-front with others, and speak and listen out of a changed heart that
loves God and loves people who are made in his image.
Better News
The good news is that you don’t have to be a
gossip. Not only can you be forgiven for having indulged in your past, but by
faith, you also can be found in Christ, standing in his gossip-free
righteousness (Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus himself bore all of
our gossip “in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). He died the death our
gossip deserved.
And what’s more, the feast of his gospel provides us with
greater and more precious promises than anything the poisonous fare of gossip
has to offer (2 Peter 1:3–4). The gospel furnishes all
of the resources you need to regularly resist gossip in real time (1 Corinthians 10:13).
With every temptation to gossip, God provides a way of escape
through the promises of the gospel. The temptations may not go away easily —
the delectable morsel on offer may continue to make your mouth water — but as
you trust in God’s grace, you do not have to give in.
“put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-23
It
has been so dry here in Florida that any plant we desire needs to be
watered. Though we DON’T water our lawn! Therefore, I was shocked when a
neighbor crossed the road to ask, “what do you put on your lawn to keep it so
green?” I didn’t have any answer that could help him because, the truth of the
matter is, all I’ve REALLY got…is WEEDS!
When
I couldn’t give him an answer, Paul then asked me what KIND of grass I
had…Bahia? Augustine? All I could tell him is that I USED to have Augustine,
but it had died off years ago. I presumed that what we were looking at was it’s
green and thriving murderer! He said I was more lucky than HIM. MY weeds had
grown uniformly and taken over the entire yard. I realized, being complimented
for something I didn’t even know I had made me feel appreciative…sorta!
It
IS true that weeds just seem to grow greener and more prolific than grass.
There are lawn service businesses that will come and spray chemicals to remove
the weeds. When I called one, the guy shook his head and said, “no can do! If I
spray your yard, you’ll have no yard. It’s ALL weeds!” So we decided to
just let the weeds be!
I
looked up the definition for weeds and grass, and discovered that, “taxonomically,
the term weed has no botanical significance.” Yeah?? Well they sure SEEM
significant to ME! The best description I found stated that ‘a weed is a plant
that is considered undesirable in a particular situation.’ Kind of like what
the Bible calls ‘deceitful desires.’
If
God could have been advised on His plan, I am SURE humans would have asked to
have those sinful desires REMOVED when they got saved. Leaving such a dangerous
and unpredictable creeper like ‘the flesh’ to continue on beside ‘The Spirit’
seems so much a waste of space. But God didn’t ASK for advice. Apparently
battling weeds is just a necessary part of the process of a Godly life. So
suggests today’s verse!
‘Put off’ and ‘put on’ are not suggestive
terms, but come as commands. They presume that a ‘corrupted self’ should WANT
to be rid of ‘deceitful desires.’ But alas, I have to admit that I have grown
partial to some of my weeds. To which the Master of my Heart rings my doorbell
and reminds me, “Um…that lawn is no longer yours…it’s MINE! Let’s get to
work! And He carries more weight than my neighbor!
“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when He comes. Truly I tell you, He will dress Himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” Luke 12:37
It had been a busy and hectic week! And
for Katie, Saturday was not going to slow down. As she headed out for an all
day event, I began to think about what we might do for dinner. It had been a
while since we had stayed at home and eaten a pile of ‘peel and eat’ shrimp. So
when she got home, I floated the idea past her and she liked it. When I told
her I WASN’T getting the Old Bay seasoning on it because ‘I’ didn’t really like
it, she quietly said, ‘oh…ok!’ Immediately, my mental Husband meter screamed
out an alarm!
When we first met I took her out for
dinner and persuaded her to try Oysters on the Half Shell. That means ‘RAW! She
feigned pleasing discovery for a while, but after we were married, finally
admitted she really didn’t care for them. Having, for YEARS, eaten Old Bay
flavor cooked shrimp because SHE likes it…I finally admitted that I didn’t.
Then THIS Bible verse hit me in my conviction bone.
What to DO?? I CERTAINLY didn’t want to be
selfish and NOT get my wife what she likes. But it was not ‘in me’ that night
to pretend to like something I really didn’t. It was then that a crazy idea hit
me…so simple, and yet so profound! Why not please BOTH of us? Since shrimp
was on sale, I ordered 2 pounds of the stuff…with 1 pound cooked in Old Bay
seasoning! She was happy…and so was I!
The scene of the Bible verse today is The
Return of Christ for His Bride at the end of the age. HE IS RULER AND KING! The
One to be worshiped and adored. And yet it says that HE will ‘dress Himself to
SERVE!’ And the one He SERVES will be His Bride! THAT’S YOU AND ME…The Church!
It only stands to reason that in His position, and being All powerful, He can
and ‘WILL DO WHAT HE PLEASES,’ (Psalm 115:3). It is OBVIOUS to ME that serving
His Bride PLEASES HIM!
I know it SOOO well! And yet my fleshy
‘man brain’ seems SO quick to forget, far too often. Pleasing my wife…pleases
ME! It is a sense that cannot be described or recreated in human arenas. But it
IS a FACT! When my wife is honored and pleased with me, I feel like I have hit
my destiny! And NO explanation is needed!
Jesus WILL SERVE ME! It is a thought that
is so embarrassing that I can hardly wrap my heart around it. I want to scream,
“NO NO Lord!!! It is I who should be serving YOU!” It is ALSO a thought that
could EASILY be construed as prideful humility! But then I heard Him respond in
His silent, but still small voice, “If you WANT to serve me, then serve me by
loving YOUR Wife!” Now how can I pass up an opportunity like THAT? ‘Old Bay
Honey?’
Who is Jesus calling YOU to serve? If
you’ve a significant other…you already know!
“The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.”
Dawkins and other “new atheists” have long insisted that science has excluded the possibility of a creator or has, at least, rendered it unnecessary. Turns out this belief may be scientifically out of date. According to a new book, the biggest discoveries of the last century challenge a materialistic worldview and call science back to its theistic roots.
Cambridge-educated philosopher of science Stephen Meyer wrote two books, Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt, that both argue against materialist accounts of biology. His latest book, The Return of the God Hypothesis, makes an even more ambitious claim.
Not only were most of the founders of modern science devout Christians, the scientific method itself emerged from assumptions found only in a Christian worldview, such as the intelligibility of nature and the need to constantly test our fallen intuitions against the facts. Tracing science from its theistic beginnings, Meyer shows how it gradually lost its way and became tethered to materialism.
Famed scientists like Laplace, Hume, and Darwin came to believe that the “God hypothesis” was no longer necessary to explain the natural world, that the universe required no cause beyond itself. Given the opportunity and enough time, living things could arise and evolve on their own. Since the conditions for life were simple and the universe had existed from eternity, here we are.
These assumptions went largely unchallenged until the twentieth century. However, breakthroughs in astronomy, physics, and biology began to undermine materialism. For example, telescopes began to challenge the proponents (Einstein being one) of a steady-state universe. More and more evidence mounted that the universe was, in fact, not eternal, as many scientists had long assumed. If instead the universe came into being at some point in time, it must have had a cause outside of itself, To be clear, there must be a cause outside of space, time, matter, and energy.
Another discovery was how finely tuned the universe is. The very laws that govern the cosmos, such as gravity, electromagnetism, nuclear forces, and the cosmological constant, are precisely calibrated in such a way that makes life possible. There’s not a compelling way to explain this “Goldilocks universe,” one “just right” that could have been otherwise, within a naturalistic worldview. As English astronomer and former atheist Fred Hoyle put it, “A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with physics…”
And then, there’s the discovery Meyer has already devoted two other books to exploring: Materialists long thought that Darwin’s theory was a silver bullet against design arguments. Darwin, however, knew nothing about DNA, the inner structure of the cell, or the crucial role information plays in the existence and propagation of life. The more we learn about them, the more outdated this “God is no longer necessary” hypothesis seems to be.
Simply put, Dawkins got it wrong. The universe we live in has properties one would expect if it were, in fact, designed by a God who had us in mind when He made the place.
As Myer’s book shows, this assumption was an original conviction of many who launched and drove the scientific revolution. It’s the conviction of a growing number of scientists today who are willing to challenge the powers that be and admit the design they see in the heavens, the laws of nature, and under the microscope. As Meyer puts it, “The evidence is crying out for a God hypothesis.”
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” Hebrews
3:8
I
guess that my age had something to do with it…but when I went for my yearly
physical, the technician said that he needed to get an EKG. He then pulled out
a razor and started shaving spots out of my chest hair for the contacts to
adhere to my skin. Later, when I got home, I looked in the mirror and didn’t
really approve of the leopard look. So I started THINKING…and THEN…took
matters into my own hands!
I’ve
seen pictures of body builders and younger tough guys. One thing they seem to
have in common is a developed chest and 6 pack abs…and NO Chest Hair! Having
worked out at the gym for about 7 months, I realized I wasn’t going to be
getting ‘The Look’ anytime soon! But I COULD, AND had REASON to, get the
hairless thing going! And RIGHT NOW! So I grabbed my razor.
OK.
I went a little crazy. As the hair flew to reveal my un-chiseled white body, I
felt more like a 7 year old than an Olympic champion! When Katie got home, I
puffed out my naked chest to welcome her! She laughed and said, “What have you
DONE?” Receiving verification of a dumb deed humbles a man!
We
were going along nicely. At least according to the Bible. Our Country seemed to
be recovering nicely from the stupidity of heathens who did not regard God and
His Word as Primary. Looking at our local and global conditions today has had the same effect on me as those little, hairless spots in
the mirror. I’m sick and I’m tired. With the same mentality in grabbing the
razor, I want to quickly, and simply, rid myself of this imperfect spotted
beast!
Spending
time in devotion this morning, I was ashamed that emails of new stories about
antisemitism on the rise and an anti-God agenda had grabbed more of my
attention than Jesus did. I had unintentionally been sucked in and fell for it.
But as I said, I am sick and tired. But I’m MOSTLY sick and tired of being made
to feel weak and hairless. What I NEED…is some CHEST!
Everyone
knows the slogan that says “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is
for good men to do nothing.” I have championed a lot of things and been
involved enough to make LOTS of folks to not personally like me. After this
last election, I felt like I should let someone else step up and step out in
Holy battle. But after seeing myself in the mirror beside God’s Heroes of
Faith, I don’t like what I see! And… I’m starting to HEAR things!
NO one likes to go right back into the ring immediately.
ESPECIALLY after a Whoopin! It takes time to heal the body, mind
and spirit. And while I’m far from the ‘lock-n-load’ stage, I AM thinking of
looking for my sword sharpener to see if it still works. Because if what I am
hearing IS coming from my Master…it ain’t the chest that matters as much as
what’s BEHIND it!
“clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13
For
almost a year now our Church has been involved in an outreach ministry. Every Wednesday
and Friday mornings from 9-10am, we stand on the busy corner of U.S. 41 and
Laurel Rd. holding, what we call, Gospel Signs. Since Gospel means ‘Good News,’
AND since the world really needs it right now, we get lots of encouraging
‘honks!’ But yesterday, one particular HOOOOOOONK was not for us!
Travelers
heading south can make a ‘U-Turn’ on U.S. 41. West bound traffic, though
typically permitted to turn right on a red light, are cautioned with a sign
saying ‘YIELD TO U-TURN TRAFFIC.’ And like today’s Bible Verse, MOST of us
RARELY pay attention to the directive. Yesterday during our Good News ministry,
someone who was wrong…HONKED at someone who was right!
I’ve
seen it MANY times. The ‘Red Light Turner’ lets the ‘U-Turner’ know that they
are imbeciles, morons or jerks by honking their horn at them! When in reality…
the HONKER is the one who is legally in the wrong! Immediately I could ALMOST
see Jesus flash a windshield sized message at the honker saying “YOU-TURN!” But
then I realized “I” was wrong. Jesus doesn’t work that way!
Loving
Jesus Christ as much as I do, I sometimes think that what I say, or the advice
I give, actually COMES from Him! Often…it doesn’t! When my anger is
border-line out of control, I often find myself standing BY myself all alone
WITH myself. Screaming at the canyon only echoes noise…not help. When I
realize I am honking alone, it humbles me to realize Jesus NEVER RUNS INTO my
life with a sign pointing out that I am an imbecile, moron or jerk! Why???
Because I am HIS!
Because
‘I am HIS’ provides me with a TRUE vision of myself, Jesus Christ doesn’t
approve of bashing fellow travelers on this road of life. EVEN when that
traveler…is ME! I am called to look at myself as Christ sees me. And
according to HIM… I AM MAGNIFICENT! Even when I’m honking! I am a child of the
Holy, Mighty King! That He expects me to ACT like it is a given!
I pray the next time that honking person
comes by, they will take the time and actually READ one of OUR signs, along
with the U-Turn one. If we were all truly following the Master with the Holy
Spirit as our guide and Jesus in our hearts, we’d all be sitting at the corning waiting on the other guy to GO! Which…come to think of it…isn’t THAT
bad of
idea!
