Turning the Hulk Loose

Anger turns us into a monster that we don’t want to be or shouldn’t want to be. I know because I have been that monster. I have figured out why the monster emerges like the Green Hulk in the movie. Someone would disagree with me, or maybe say something about me that hurt me, and my monster would appear, usually deep within. 

When this happens (and I think it happens to everyone) I have a decision to make. Am I going to let my monster’s rage lash out at my offender, or am I going to tame him, train him and chase him away? Letting the monster loose to get even or to harm is a sign of immaturity. When small children do this it is a normal reaction up to a point, but when adults allow this to happen it becomes ugly, distasteful and very often tragic. Letting the monster loose, I have found, accomplishes nothing good. Doing this will only make the monster in the offender grow bigger and stronger. 

What has your experience been? When you let your monster go and you give someone “a piece of your mind”? Did it change their mind? Did it cause them to like you? Did letting your monster loose on your offender make you feel better about yourself? A better question to ask yourself is, “Did what I just said or wrote bring glory to God?” 

I see a lot of monsters running loose in the world today. I see them on TV; I see them when I go out; I see them on social media. I see their rage, their destruction, their ability to cause more rage and I see what it is doing to our nation. These monsters scare me because they are real. What would our world be like if I, you and everyone would tame the monster within and keep him in its cage? I think it would be a better world. I know one thing, I look much better to other when I keep my monster caged. And so will you ladies and gentlemen. Be those beautiful souls God created you to be! Don’t be that ugly green hulk!

They Were Us

In those moments when your behavior, your actions, are less than what they should have been, and you wish you had not done what you did, the worst thing that could happen would be to run into a preacher or someone you think is very close to being like Jesus. Or you and your spouse have had a big fight, you’ve made a mistake with one of the kids, and your family life has not been ideal, and you don’t want to hear about how perfect the neighbor’s family is.

One of the worst things that we can do is to compare ourselves with someone else who we think has no problems and lives the ideal life. Consider some of the heroes in the Bible to see some of the things they did. Look at Abraham and Sarah for instance. They were the parents of the whole nation of Israel. They were people of much faith, and were greatly favored by God.

You know the story. Sarah couldn’t have children, God had promised Abraham that he would have a son who would be the beginning of a great nation of people that would number more than the stars in the sky. Sarah did not believe this, so she suggested to Abraham that he sleep with her servant girl, get her pregnant so what God had promised would come true. That is what Abraham did, and the servant did have his child. I would suggest that this might cause some problems in a marriage, especially today.

One day God was talking to Abraham telling him that in a year Sarah would have this son he had promised. Sarah overheard the conversation. She laughed because she was 90 years old and Abraham was 100. There was no way two old fogies like them could have a child, she thought. Later God confronted Sarah and asked her why she had laughed. She said, “I did not laugh.” Here we see one of the greatest women in the Bible speaking directly to her God, her lord, telling him a big boldface lie. God said, “Yes, you did laugh.” These are only two of several things that Abraham and Sarah did that were pretty bad. And they are not the only biblical heroes who committed terrible sins. King David was an adulterer and a murderer, the Apostle Paul persecuted the church and was responsible for the deaths of many people. Peter was a betrayer. What did God do? He forgave them, they repented and God used them in a mighty way. It doesn't matter what we’ve done God will forgive us if we repent. What about those people you think are perfect, with perfect families, and never make mistakes and never sin? Let me tell you, they are not perfect. They do sin. You mess up, you sin, you beat yourself up by telling yourself you are a horrible person. You are not horrible. You are loved by God. So much so that his word says, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” If you have really screwed up welcome to the crowd. You are in a great position to receive God’s love and forgiveness.

None of us are any different than the great heroes of the Bible. They were sinners the same as you and me. They asked God to forgive them and they repented and God changed them. If we do the same God will be able to use us in a mighty way.

We Are Jars

What is going on in these bodies of ours? Some of us work very hard to make them look better. Some eat all of the right foods, get the right amount of exercise, and try to get enough sleep so that we will feel good and have strength to do what we want to do. Most people want to live long and well. But if the truth be known and accepted we know that the process going on in our bodies is that of dying. Day by day we are all wasting away. All of us have the same terminal illness, death.

We should have expected nothing less because we are made of dirt. The Apostle Paul says that we are jars of clay. As we age we become cracked, chipped, and maybe even have a few holes knocked in us. Paul also says that we, jars of clay, have within us great treasures. Jesus said that we are also  light. Despite the fact that we are wasting away each of us are valuable because of what we hold inside. The treasure within us is the glory of God himself. It is not our glory, nor does it have its origin from anything that we have made ourselves. God's glory was placed in us when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. God's glory was put in us so that we might show the world God's "all-surpassing power".

Just one more thought: Those chips, cracks, and holes in us, mortal clay jars, are there because of what living life in a fallen world has done to us. We have experienced some hard times, but each of those experiences were meant to bring us closer to God. One reason for this was so that the light that is in us through Jesus Christ can shine through our cracks, our chips and holes. These mortal jars of clay, therefore, become bright lamps in a dark world pointing the lost to Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

The Best Story

I have always liked to listen to someone tell a good story. My mother read stories to me when I was a small child growing up in the 1950’s. My favorite stories were those from Uncle Remus about Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. I enjoyed sitting in my dad’s country store listening to farmers spin their tall tales as they sat playing checkers or cards. Of course being a child I believed every word they spoke. Some of them seemed to punctuate thier least believable escapades by spitting tobacco juice into a popping flame in the old coal fire place. I am sure I heard some colorful tales that perhaps were a little too colorful for young ears to hear. I suppose that all of those stories, good or bad, gave me an appreciation of rural southerrn Kentucky folklore, and the whimsical ways of farmers who knew knowthing but farming, hard work and love of family and friends. Throughout my life someone has always had an anecdote or interesting narrative to convey to me or anyone else who would listen.

Sometime after I started preaching I learned that my sermons would become more interesting if I told some stories. When I was a kid in Sunday School I heard stories about Bible characters. I really enjoyed hearing about the adventures of young David especially when he slew the giant Goliath. I never got tired of the exciting accounts of Moses, Samson, Daniel and, Joshua, who caused the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down. These stories were told in such a way by my dear Sunday school teachers that I never forgot any of them. As a preacher it became clear to me that my congregation would enjoy what I had to say and would stay with me longer when I introduced the subject in narrative form. After 40 years of preaching, very often three times a week, I have probably told thousands of stories. Not all of my stories were about biblical characters. Many were about characters that I lived with, worked with and played with. I have met hundreds of people in the many places where I have lived that have provided me with stories that span the gamut of human experience: those of happiness, adventure, sadness, tragedy, despair, craziness, excitement, success, failure and on and on. I have been with many people in times of death, birth, celebration and hopelessness. Someone needs to tell these stories because they are stories about each one of us. We are strengthened and encouraged to move forward as we hear how others have made it through their own life stories.

My preference is to tell stories that make people laugh. Most of those stories are about my brother, my close friends and of course me. I have to be very careful about telling stories that have to do with my wife. She doesn’t always think they are as funny as I do. Some of the funniest experiences that I have had are at weddings I have performed. I have even seen funny things happen at funerals. Twenty-seven years of teaching has given me more than enough storytelling ammunition. Most people have no idea what goes on in a teacher’s lounge. I love to tell stories as much as I love to hear them. I would hope everybody enjoys telling a story. Someone is always interested in hearing your story. Everyone can be a storyteller. But the best story that you can tell is the one you can tell about what Jesus has done and is doing in your life. Hey, did you ever hear the one about….?

Psalm 126:2-3 “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

Delayed Recall

Delayed recall. If you are nearing the age of 60 remember these words, delayed recall. The term delayed recall will help you feel better about not being able to remember something when you cannot for the life of you remember it. I'm talking about something that you should remember--like the name of a good friend, your pastor, one of you physicians or maybe a grandchild. I don't know how many times I have been embarrassed because I could not remember someone's name. I really don't forget the name. I am experiencing delayed recall. I will be able to to tell you the name, but not right now. It will come to me. I don't know when but when it does I will let you know. Actually there are many times that I experience delayed recall. Someone might ask, "Where did you and Sherri eat last night?" I know exactly where I ate, but sometimes when I am asked a question out of the blue like that without warning, I panic and go blank. There again the curse of not being able to remember strikes me, and I stand there staring into space as though the name of the restaurant will appear somewhere out there.  When this happens I can easily explain that I know where we ate but at the moment I am experiencing delayed recall. The food was very good and I do recommend the place. As soon as I recall the name I will tell you. Sometimes the recall system goes haywire. We have lived in so many different places that street addresses run together. Our current address is still a bit fresh in my mind since we have only lived here less than a year. There have been a few times when asked to give my Raleigh address that I have started to give a compilation of the addresses of the last two places we've lived--delayed recall. So far I have finally been able to tell whoever asks where I live. I think Sherri and I have lived in too many places, been in too many churches, met too many people and have had too much on our minds. We are both forced to plead delayed recall way too often. The good news is that one of us is usually able to think of what it is that the other one cannot remember.

I have told this story before, but I think now is a good time to tell it again. Sherri and I were going to get something to eat one evening when we lived in Northern Kentucky.  As we drove toward several eating places we were trying to decide which place to eat.

Sherri said, "Why don't we eat at Ben Thomas?"

I started trying to figure out where that was. "Ben Thomas, I don't think I have ever heard of Ben Thomas", I said. Then it came to me. There is no restaurant named Ben Thomas. "Do you mean Bob Evans?", I asked.

"That's it! Bob Evans!, Sherri exclaimed. She was so excited.

No need to fret when you can't remember something that is very obvious to most normal people. The loss of memory is only temporary. Really you are not losing your mind. You are only having a moment of delayed recall. It is most common to those of us who are known as senior citizens. Get used to it. Delayed recall will be you constant companion. I just hope I don't come to the point where I can't recall delayed recall.

David, the King of Israel and the Psalmist, said, “You, God, are my God., earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, and my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” He had experienced God’s power and glory to such an extent that he cried out, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” David was a man after God's own heart. His words were a testimony to his undying desire for the Lord God Almighty. He wanted to be in God’s presence all the time. When David was seeking God, desiring God, praising God and glorifying God he was experiencing great joy.

Christians are at their best when they are full of the joy of the Lord. The Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Why then are there so many weak Christians? Why are there such a large number of professed followers of Christ who are not filled with the joy of the Lord God Almighty? Let’s face it, there are a lot of grumpy, discontented Christians in our churches. If we are trusting and living in the power of Jesus Christ why are we not strong in his joy? The fact is that having joy in our lives depends on more than just being saved. Our joy comes from rejoicing in God, in his salvation, in his love, in his blessings, in his faithfulness, and basically in who he is. We are told to, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4  We have joy by experiencing God’s presence, desiring His presence, and remaining in his presence. We can’t help but rejoice when we are in his presence.

The only source of joy is God. Joy is but the the result of being in God. God is the object of our joy. If our lives are not daily focused on the presence of God in our lives we will not have joy. It is impossible to be filled with joy when we leave God out of our lives. I have thought about the times I have not experienced joy in my life. This has occurred when I have been self centered and have not had that thirst for God, when I have not desired him as I should. As I really considered this I realized that I needed to ask God to forgive me for not having a burning desire for him the way David did. I needed to ask him to forgive me for not thirsting for him as the deer pants for streams of water and for not earnestly seeking after him. My prayer is that I will be in God’s presence always and that I will never let him go. That I believe is the way to be filled with his joy.

Other Scripture References: Nehemiah 8, Psalm 42, and Psalm 63

The Little Building

Come back with me to September 1953, a month before I turned 6 years old. Let's go to a place where a small building stood not far from a much larger building. To a kid still five years old who had spent most of his life on a farm with his mom and dad this new journey I was about to begin was overwhelming. The small building had no signage with the name of some person to whom it was dedicated. I was soon to learn that they simply called it The Little Building, I guess not to be confused with the larger building which sat across the gravel parking lot. Wasn't that clever? The Little Building, my school home for the next three years.

They called it a little building, but to a 5 year old it looked pretty big. Several concrete steps with no railings led up to the front door, and into a large open area which separated four rooms, two for the first graders and two for the second graders. The boy’s  and girl’s restrooms were located at the opposite end with a flight of steps descending on the right side to access the two third grade rooms below.

The Little Building was plain and simple, but to me it will always be a symbol of innocence even though it was destroyed many years ago. The building is gone, but not the lessons I learned there. I learned to count one, two, three, and my A, B, C’s. I was taught to read, and was led through the threshold of academia. I had a good start, but I think I learned many more important lessons.

My fellow students and I learned why pledging allegiance to our country’s flag was important. Some of our dad’s were not many years removed from fighting in a horrible war across the seas. I learned about fair play, waiting my turn, and that hard work has its rewards. I learned that I must earn what I receive. I learned that not everyone deserves a trophy. I learned to respect authority. I learned that school, God and prayer go hand in hand in a nation built on and sustained by biblical principles. My friends and I soon found comfort and solace, I think in part, because our teachers weren't ashamed to read us a Bible story every morning. They loved us and cared for us in a way that made us feel safe. How blessed I was to begin my formal education in an environment like that!

If I could go back to the first days of The Little Building I think I would make a big sign and hang it above the front doors. The sign would read, The Little Building: Home of Innocence. I think our nation needs more Little Buildings because innocence is a rare commodity today.

A Little Brother Believes

My brother, Mike, had a tough life growing up. I was almost five years older than him, and people knew him as John Paul’s little brother. So there were some mighty high expectations for him from others. For instance, teachers at our school looked forward to having Mike in class because they thought he would be well behaved and studious like I was. But Mike did not quite follow in my footsteps, especially when it came to being well behaved. There was one of my former teachers who when talking to my mother would tell her how much she liked me, and that she was looking so forward to having my little brother in her class. She was always glad to see my mother. When Mike finally reached the age to be in her class this teacher, who had already put him on a pedestal, after having him in class for about a week was ready to retire. She was shell shocked. From then on she did not want to have much to do with my mother.

Yes, it was hard for my little brother to live up to the example that I had set for him, but there was another little brother who had an impossible climb to reach the expectations of his big brother. We read about him in the Bible. His name was James the little brother of Jesus. I wonder how many times James got in trouble because he failed to behave as well as Jesus. Can’t you hear Mary or Joseph saying to him, “James, clean up this mess you made! Why can’t you be like your big brother, Jesus?”

We don’t know what kind of childhood relationship James had with his brother. We do know that after Jesus began his ministry James was not one of his followers. James did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus was most likely an embarrassment to James. James and some of his siblings tried to take Jesus home one day because they thought he was crazy. Sure James knew Jesus was different, and that he had done some amazing things, but he didn’t believe he was the Son of God. “Jesus, you are our daddy’s son! Joseph is your dad,” is probably what James said to Jesus.

It wasn’t until after Jesus death that James believed his little brother, that he was and is the Messiah. What was it that convinced him? The Resurrection? James saw his brother after he had risen from the grave. He talked to Jesus. In fact, James, who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem, wrote the book of James. He began his book by introducing himself as, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was saying, “I know now that Jesus is much more than my big brother. He is the Messiah, and he is my Lord.

I think that after James believed Jesus was who he said he was he did begin to be like his big brother. I’m sure that God used James to clean up a lot of messes in this world. If we truly belong to Jesus we will or should be like Him more and more each day. God is in the process of cleaning up the messes in our lives so that he can use us to help others become like Jesus.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Those called to testify in a trial before they say a word must raise their right hand and promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I think it is interesting that it is not enough to just tell the truth. A witness must also promise to tell the whole truth, only the truth. The court is very serious about getting the correct information concerning a conflict between two parties. The fact is, somebody has been lying, not telling the whole truth or perhaps any truth about what happened. 

Today in our court system the little verse, “liar, liar, pants on fire seems quite appropriate. This has, probably falsely, been attributed to William Blake who may have written these words in a poem 200 years ago. Someone thought this would have been too elementary for the great writer Blake, and penned a different verse, “Deceiver, dissembler Your trousers are alight / From what pole or gallows Shall they dangle in the night”. That does sound more probable for a poet of some two centuries ago and has the same message yet with a more severe judgement.

I like what the book of Proverbs has to say about lying. “Buy the truth and do not sell it…” Great advice! The truth is a valuable commodity. Lying cheapens a person's character, and it may ruin a good man’s or woman’s reputation. A truth teller is dependable. A person committed to the truth is worth his weight in gold. The one who speaks the truth every time he says something is purchasing a comodity which is being stored away and kept safe forever.

I am bothered by how easily some tell lies. In political campaign ads we know someone is lying. In congressional hearings someone is not telling the truth. For many years both political parties try to dig up any disparaging thing they can find about  their opponent to use against them in order to sway the vote their way. In many cases if something bad cannot be found about a candidate, a lie about him or her is told and false witnesses are hired, probably. We, the voters, don’t know for sure. I guess we believe whichever party we support. This kind of deception, no doubt, discourages good men and women from seeking public office. It has been a long time since I voted in a Presidential election when I felt I had a good choice. The last election was the worst as far as I am concerned. What is the answer?

The answer to all in every walk of life is, Buy the truth, and do not sell it...no matter what!

Time Is Fleeting

There have been a few class reunions recently. I saw some group pictures of a class I taught in 1971 when they were seventh graders. It was the year I began my teaching career. They graduated in 1977. That seems so long ago, but actually if my math is correct this group has only been out of high school 41 years. That class was so much fun, and a good one for a 22 year old who didn’t know much about teaching. As I approach my 70th birthday and think about how it seems like only yesterday that I nervously stood in front of my first class I understand what James meant when he asked the question, “What is your life?” Not many of us like his answer, but how true it is. He immediately answered his question. “You are but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

The older we get the more we feel like a mist, a breath, a puff of air, quickly appearing then disappearing. I was born in 1948. My future was just beginning. In that year there were people all over the world who were 70 years old, basically my age now. These people were born in 1878. As I was beginning my future they had lived through 70 years of history. Rutherford B. Hayes was the president, the 19th president. They had lived through the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. When I was born World War II was only three years in the books. People born 70 years before me saw the inventions of the airplane and the automobile. Young men were starting to hone their skills to play in the newly formed professional baseball leagues which had begun around 1870. Some of the newest inventions in the 1870’s and 1880’s were barbed wire, Levi Jeans, the light bulb, Coca Cola, the ballpoint pen, cotton candy and the radio in 1893.

It won’t be long before babies born this year, while I am 70, will themselves be 70 years old. Their future is beginning. My history is much, much longer than my future. Some of the weird ones when they become 70  will wonder, “Where have the years gone?” There may even be one or two who look back 140 years to 1948, consider all that has happened in what has become to them fleeting moments and conclude that James was right, “I am but a mist.” My prayer for all babies and children today is that by the time they reach 70 they will have lived honorable, wholesome lives, and that they will be ready to meet Jesus when the mist disappears.

Dealing With Bad News

The time for his departure was very close. Only he knew that the end was near. His family and friends had absolutely no idea that in just a few days he would be leaving them to go to heaven. This is how it happens sometimes. A doctor's visit, blood tests, an MRI, all sorts of exams that finally reveal there is a terminal disease and there isn’t anything that can be done. Most have been affected by the grim prognosis that someone close to us that we love is going to die. So it was for the disciples as Jesus had gathered them around him to let them know that their time with him on earth was about over.

What a shock it was for them! This didn’t make sense. As he often did, Jesus was a bit vague in how he communicated this news, “A little while, and you will see me no more, and again a little while, and you will see me.” The disciples began asking each other, “What in the world is he talking about? We don’t understand!  What does he mean, he’s going to the Father?” News like this is always confusing, unbelievable, bringing anxiety, and a million questions about how the uncertainty of what we have been told will affect us.

Jesus was aware that his friends had not understood, so he began explaining something more important than the fact that he was going to die. He said, “You will experience great sorrow. You will cry and experience great anguish, but your sorrow will turn to joy.” Jesus used the example of a woman going through the pain of childbirth. After the experience is over she has the feeling of tremendous joy. He said, “Now you are going to have sorrow, but the day is coming when I will see you again and you will see me. Then you will rejoice. Your hearts will be filled with joy.” Isn’t that how it was when the baby Jesus was born? The angel appeared to the shepherds and said, “I bring you news that will bring great joy to all the people!” Jesus came that we might have joy that only he can provide. Jesus said to the disciples, “When you receive this joy you will have it forever and no one can take it from you.”

Joy is what satisfies us. The material possessions that we have bring happiness, but only for a short time. Jesus said to the disciples, “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

He said, “After I am gone you will ask nothing from me, but if you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” What did Jesus mean? Can we ask for anything we want and get it? No, but we can ask him any time for anything that will make our joy complete in the name of Jesus, and God will surely give it to us. This is about joy, joy in the good times and joy in the hard times. Ask the Father, not each other. Jesus came that we might have joy that is so awesome that we can’t even begin to understand it.

A Good Idea Gone Amok

One of the most divisive tools ever used in society is social media. Yes, social media has provided entertainment, and been beneficial in bringing long lost friends together as well as families. I guess there may be countless advantages found in the various social media outlets. However, when social media spills over the boundaries of civility I wonder if it is worth it. When a young person becomes a punching bag to be unfairly scorned just because he is different, or a teenage girl’s indiscretions are posted to be read or seen by her friends I wonder if maybe this freedom to post anything we want has gone too far.

Social media has gone amok when a family member shares in detail a conflict between those who are at odds with them. I am not entertained by off color, nasty pictures or jokes. I am not moved by pictures of small children who have been severely burned, or beaten, or animals that have been abused. If these children or pets have personal significance for you just tell me about it, and I will pray for them. I don’t have to see them. Don’t show me pictures of aborted babies. I’m a bit squeamish, as I’m sure others are, so I speak for those people as well as myself, don’t show us any body parts that have been slashed, cut, dislocated, swollen, bruised, are bloody, or amputated.

Perhaps the worst abuse of social medial is in the political arena. Have any of you become upset by something someone posted about a candidate, a senator, a president or anyone holding a political office? I have, but I have chosen not to retaliate. In fact, my policy is to not post anything about politics. Here is what happens: You read a post which may have disparaging remarks about a political figure whom you love and respect. You know that these remarks are lies, and that they may cause damage to this person's reputation. You become very angry. Before you consider the civil way to respond you immediately react to the person’s post, and you write things that later, after you have calmed down, you regret writing what wrote. Or maybe you don’t regret what you wrote, but your post is so violently written that others who read your reply will have a lesser view about your character.

Yesterday our pastor mentioned how a Christian Republican and a Christian Democrat should conduct themselves in these kinds of situations. He said, “If you are a Christian Republican or a Christian Democrat you should always behave differently than a non-Christian Republican or than a non-Christian Democrat would behave.” Using social media in the privacy of our homes does not give us a short vacation from our call to be Christ like. We are to humbly and diligently show the world the face of Christ, even on Facebook. When we allow our use of social media to run amok by responding in violent anger we are destroying our ability to witness for our Lord.

Woes and Blessings

If you read through the Bible, especially the Old Testament, you will see a good many “Woes”. There are woes in the New Testament as well. These woes are caution signs for the people of the earth. Just like the warnings blaring on the TV or radio they are meant to keep people from harm, or as in the case of woes spoken by the prophets they are to let the people know when they have gone too far in their sin so that they will know why God’s wrath has come upon them. The first section of the book of Isaiah contains prophecies to the nations of the earth and Israel about what God is going to do to punish them for their wickedness.

For instance Isaiah gives this word from the Lord Almighty, “Terror and pit and snare await you, people of the earth. Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into the pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare.” This sounds like a hopeless situation, and it is. At times I have felt like I was going through something like this, and you have probably felt that way too. But in our case it was short term. Isaiah says to Jerusalem at one point, “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for.” That sounds rather permanent. That is what happened to a people who continually lived in their sin, enjoying their sin with no intention of changing their way. They had ignored the warning signs.

Is there hope? When we have not paid attention to caution signs and warning signs from God can we avoid the woes and detour onto the right path? Not only are there many woes in the Bible there are many blessings. God’s warning signs point us in the direction of the righteous One who will forgive one whose heart is repentant. When we turn around and focus our lives in the direction that God intended us to go we will discover an abundance of spiritual blessings that will follow us all the days of our lives. We will avoid the terror and the pit and the snare. In the book of Isaiah there is reference to a people who praise the Lord Almighty. Today as we go to worship may we lift our voices in praised to the Savior who has saved us from our woes.

Scripture References: Isaiah 22:14 and Isaiah 24:17-18

The Beautiful Ugliness of a Storm

A storm triggers something within me that causes me to want to experience it up close, but maybe not so personal. My daughter, Susan, who is a science teacher, is just like me in that regard. Yesterday afternoon as we were beginning to feel the first real effects of Hurricane Florence, I imagined Florence as a raging, angry vixen fiercely dancing across the sky, dressed in her black battle attire, continuously twirling around and around, her massive spinning skirt unleashing a destructive punch. Florence’s performance for me has been very entertaining as my seat has been near the hem of her skirt tail. We have not experienced any damage, nor have we been inconvenienced so far.

Yesterday I sat out on our screened porch admiring the ominous looking clouds zooming overhead. The rain fell heavy at times and continues to fall this morning. We had three inches yesterday and I imagine at least another inch through the night. Sitting, and listening to the rain reminded me of days I would to be in the barn playing when a thunderstorm would bring a sudden downpour. I remember lying on the hay in the loft listening to the rain on the barn’s tin roof. There was something peaceful and satisfying about those experiences and so it was yesterday.  

As I sat on my porch the mournful howling of the wind brought back memories of night time storms when I was safely hidden under the covers on my bed. Even as a child I very rarely was afraid of the thunder, the lightning or the wind. Yesterday the wind speed was forty to forty five miles an hour with gusts a bit higher. The tall North Carolina pine trees towering over the houses behind our house swayed, bending a bit from the force of the wind. Invisible, yet powerful is the mighty wind. Isn’t it amazing how much damage the wind from a hurricane or a tornado can do to property and also how it can take lives in a moment.

Florence continues to bring pain, sorrow and suffering to people in North Carolina and South Carolina. Last night over 20,000 people were in shelters in North Carolina and thousands of others have gone west to stay in hotels or with family. These people will return to their destroyed or flooded homes in a few days, and many of them will still not have a place to live. There are people in an area just southeast of us who are still displaced because of Hurricane Matthew two years ago. Hurricane Florence will change many lives at least for a few months. Most will recover, but some may never know life as it was before the storm. These people need our prayers; they need someone to help and to encourage them. Please pray for the people of the Carolinas.

Number One, Big Deal

I noticed a list of the top ten best college basketball uniforms. Can you believe that somebody would waste their time, and the intelligence of would be readers with nonsense like this? Maybe this list has some social benefit that might change our lives; I don’t know because I didn’t read it. Could it be that we have become overly concerned about being the best? Over the years I have watched parents push their children to accomplish just that, being number one. I have seen dads make their sons endure hours of practice in a particular sport, thinking that someday that kid will become the next Babe Ruth or Michael Jordan. I have seen so much pressure placed on a student to be the best that if he or she scores anything less that an A they almost have a nervous breakdown. Wanting a child to do well is one thing, but to drive them to become the absolute best in some endeavor maybe beyond their ability is not healthy. As parents we can expect too much from our children.

As far as sports are concerned I have watched dads and mothers act like fools at their child’s sporting event. Even in little league or T ball parents sometimes behave like idiots. In high school sports it even gets worse.  I coached high school basketball and baseball, and several times I was cursed out by a parent because I wasn’t letting their son or daughter play enough. It all goes back to wanting to be number one, the best.

Dare I mention college basketball or football? Many fans expect their team to be number one. The administration expects their primary money making teams to be number one. They pay their coaches millions of dollars to make sure that happens at least every few years. If not the coach is fired. Tremendous pressure is placed on coaches, and some coaches will do anything, legal or not, to try and make it happen. Being number one brings in the big money for the university, and a lot of administrators don’t care how that distinction is achieved.

Maybe I don’t understand. I was never number one in anything. I haven’t been the best player, teacher, coach, preacher, writer, husband, parent, or person. I have no idea what it is like to be the best. I haven’t even made the top ten or top twenty list on any of these things. I’ve been happy, and enjoyed what I’ve done these 70 years. I am proud of my daughters and my grandchildren. It has been a joy watching them grow. I do have the best wife ever, of course that is just my opinion, and I have a bias about that. No, I am not the best, but you know what? When I leave this world I will go to a place where I will be treated like I am the best because I am one of God’s children. He is number one and the fact that he is my Father is all that matters when all is said and done.

Something to Hide

Our pastor has challenged the church to memorize a Bible verse every week. A list with the verse we are to memorize each week  has been provided. So everyone that accepts this challenge will be trying to learn the same verse. I remember when I was a kid, going to Vacation Bible School, having to memorize scripture. We were given cards with 5 verses on each card to memorize, and there were about 4 cards if I am correct. I didn’t like doing it, but I did. I still remember a lot of those verses.

Memorizing scripture is a good thing to do. David said in Psalm 119:7, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” We need all the help we can get to not sin. Jesus quoted scripture to Satan when he was being tempted by that deceiver. Scripture is a powerful tool not only when we are being tempted, but also when we are going through tough experiences. The word of God gives up hope, encouragement, strength, power, and it brings us into the presence of our Father. It pleases God when we speak of his wonderful attributes, and tell him that we know the promises that he has made to us. Praying the scripture is powerful.

The first verse that we have been asked to memorize is 1 John 5:11-12. Actually that is two verses, but they go together. “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” This is an easy one to memorize. It didn’t take me long to get it in this old thick brain of mine. People as old as me will say, “I’m too old to memorize scripture!” That’s just an excuse to not do something just because you don’t want to take the time to do it. I’ll admit that we seniors probably can’t memorize things as quickly as we could when we were teens, but can still do it. It is good for us to challenge our minds and keep them working. Remember, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Nobody want to lose their mind! Give it a try and prove to yourself that you can do it. You will be proud that you did, and it will also please God.

I’ll give you another verse to memorize next week, if I don’t forget.

Survival of the Weak

Young David walked out onto the battlefield with only a sling and a few rocks he had gathered on the way. He was going to fight one that nobody else would fight. His Philistine opponent stood 9 feet tall, and he was very strong. Goliath could not believe his eyes when he saw David, a weak boy who had the audacity to think that he could take him down. Goliath laughed at David. He despised him making fun of him by calling him a dog and cursing him by his gods. This did not phase David. David must have thought, ‘You refer to your gods, let me tell you about mine.’ And he said to Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled.”

In this confrontation the odds makers would not have given David a chance; he was too young, too inexperienced, too unprepared, and too weak to win a fight with his overmatched opponent who was battle ready and battle proven. But we know better. With one stone from David’s sling God guided that projectile to the one spot on Goliath's forehead that dropped him like a ton of bricks. God gave the victory to the weak little boy whom he made strong because of his steadfast faith.

There was another man, similar to Goliath, who learned a valuable lesson about God’s strength. Saul, strong intellectually, strong religiously, strong in influence, intent on destroying the new Christian movement, and positive he could do it, was dropped to his knees by the One whom his compatriots had killed. Saul was on a seek and destroy mission to Damascus, but instead of accomplishing his goal of bringing harm to the followers of Christ he was converted becoming himself a follower of Jesus. The Apostle Paul, no longer Saul, was despised and hated by those who had once revered him as their leader. He became the hunted, the one persecuted, the one insulted, the one who suffered hardships, the one who was beaten, the one who was imprisoned, and unbelievably the one who eventually boasted about his weakness.

Christians we live in a wicked world. Many of our friends and our acquaintances are following the ways of the evil one. He is stronger than us. We cannot defeat him in our own power. If you are like me you are made aware of your weakness often. But Paul gives us hope in something God told him. God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So Paul learned to boast in the fact that humanly he was weak. He said that Christ’s power rested on him in his weakness. Paul said, “For Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Why is our weakness good? Because when we know we are over matched in a spiritual situation, Almighty God will give us his power to handle the conflict so that the victory will belong to him and he alone will be glorified. God always makes the weak strong so that he will receive the glory.

In the Storm’s Path

There is a very large, dangerous storm headed our way. Her name is Florence. Over a million people on the coast of the North and South Carolinas have been ordered to evacuate. We live about two hours from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, so we probably will not have to evacuate, but people in our area have been warned to prepare for heavy rains, high winds and power outages. Some forecasters are predicting up to 20 inches of rain over the upcoming weekend. There will definitely be flooding in the flood prone areas around Raleigh.

The next few days will bring terrible devastation to many people living in North Carolina and South Carolina. Preparation is essential. Those living on the coast need to prepare to leave their homes. Those of us living around Raleigh need to prepare for power outages, have non perishable food, lots of drinking water, and a backup plan in case we need to leave our homes. We could have winds up to 70 mph..

One of the sad truths about storms is that there are many people who will not heed the warnings, nor will they prepare for the impending tempest. Several folks on the coast will not evacuate. Many around here will not prepare at all for whatever unfortunate things that are coming our way. So it is in our spiritual lives. One day Jesus told a story about a man who built his house upon a sand foundation. When the rains and wind came the sand eroded and the house fell. Another man built his house on a rock solid foundation. It didn’t matter how strong the winds or how much it rained his house survived every storm.

The storms of life are sure to come upon every one of us because the days are evil, and we live in a fallen world. Make sure you are standing firm on the Jesus. Remember he is the Rock, the one who calmed the terrible storms not only on the sea, but he calmed the devastating storms within the lives of those being torn apart by Satan. Jesus will be your strength in every storm you face if you trust in him. He is the only one who can bring calm and peace to the one being tossed around by a violent storm.

Being a People Person

My brother, Mike, has been in the ministry either as a youth minister or a pastor for about 45 years. Even before his call to the ministry, when he was still a renegade, for some reason people liked him. I was probably one of the few who didn’t like him. The reason he was loved by others was because he is a people person. He liked people, and he made friends quickly wherever he went. Last summer he and Lisa came down to visit us. One night we were at a restaurant, and there were a group of ladies sitting at a table near ours. Mike got up to go to the restroom, and on the way he stopped and began talking to those women who were complete strangers. He had them laughing in no time. On the way back to his seat one of them stopped him and once again Mike had the attention of every one of those women. Later when we left it was like the ladies were saying goodbye to a dear, old, cherished friend.

Being a people person comes easy for Mike. I have had to work at the art of what I call being the sunshine in the lives of others. Some might call this bringing light to the darkness in the lives of others. Mike and I are not alike, but I have learned to be a people person anyway. A shy person like me can be light, or be the sunshine that shines in our world. Anyone can be a people person. If you can smile you can achieve people person status. Another way is to listen to others. I mean really listen so they know you care. Whatever you can do to show others you care about them will go a long way in making you a people person. There are many ways to care for others, and show them the love of God.

A people person gives others what they really need. There are people who have just about everything, yet they are hurting. People are lonely, greatly troubled by misfortunes, physically ill, facing death, and grieving. A real people person will be the light of Jesus to those who are hurting. One of my favorite songs is People Need the Lord by Steve Green. I think this song calls on every Christian to be a people person.

The song talks about empty, fearful  people going through private pain, pretending all is well, but their silent cries are only heard by Jesus. Do you know people like that. Maybe this describes you. Lost or saved, people need the Lord.  The end of this song is a challenge for each of us to be a people person, a person who shows God's love by caring for those who are deeply hurting.

“We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right
What could be too great a cost
For sharing life with one who's lost?”

“Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear
They must hear the words of life
Only we can share.”

You and I may be the only ones in someone’s life who is able to be their sunshine and give them hope. Jesus is a people person, and if he is in your life you should have no problem being a people person too.

God’s Love for America...

Iran, Somalia, Syria, North Korea are some of the most dangerous places to be, especially if you are a Christian. These nations are just a few of many where Christians are hated, and are imprisoned or killed because of their faith. The book, “Insanity of God” describes the brutality, and hatred for Christians primarily in Somalia, Russia and China. I highly recommend that every Christian read it.  A missionary from Kentucky wrote about his and his family’s horrible experiences while serving in Somalia, but more importantly about the faith and perseverance of those poor Christian people living in those countries who stood strong and committed in their love for Jesus.

We should be thankful that we live in America where we are able to worship without fear of persecution, at least for now. America hasn’t been a place where Christians are attacked or hated. I think that many Christians have considered America the nation that God loves and perhaps favored above all the other nations of the world. I believe that we have taken God’s protection of our freedom to worship for granted. Our worship practices have become something we do out of habit. In many churches worship is a performance with a stage like setting. The act of worship is done in many styles where there is no thought of God, and others receive the glory and praise, not God.

Our misconception is that God loves America more than he does other nations. There are a few people like Nik Ripken, the author of the book I mentioned, who have been moved by God’s Spirit to have an incredible love for those living in other nations like Somalia, China, Russia and Syria. These people are willing and even driven to risk their lives to go to these places and tell those who live there about Jesus. God’s Spirit moved in the same way in the  days of the first disciples, in the Apostle Paul’s day, and in the days of the Reformation. There has not been a time when God, because of his love for people in all nations, has failed to ask the question, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? And many like Isaiah have answered that call by saying, “Here am I, send me!”

Don’t ever think that God’s love doesn’t reach beyond the borders of the good ‘ole USA. God loves those whom we fear and perhaps hate. If you are a Christian God is calling to you, “Who will go for me?” More than likely he is not calling you to go to a place like Somalia, but his call to you will certainly be for you to show the love of Christ to your neighbor. America had better wake up or we will become like other nations, and we will lose our freedom to worship.

The Armor of God

The threats of evil are more profound today than forty or fifty years ago. Today there is no shame when evil presents itself, in fact evil is flaunted and applauded. The younger generations accept evil as the norm. They have grown up watching it on television, experiencing it in their schools, and receiving acceptance when they join its subtle activities of everyday life. The evil that was once hidden, and rarely mentioned, is now shouted from the media rooftops  and accepted as normal. The true family is no longer family, real marriage is no longer marriage or necessary, sanctity

of life is ignored and innocent babies continue to be legally murdered, and God has become anything you want him to be. We live in evil days just like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.

This bothers me, and disgusts me so what can be done? Christians do have the power to fight evil. “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground… Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6 What does this mean?

This means that we are to put on Jesus every day:

1. Jesus is the Truth. In John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
2. Put on the breastplate of righteousness. Jesus is our righteousness. “Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness...1 Corinthians 1:3
3. Put on the gospel of peace. “For He (Jesus) is our peace…” Ephesians 2:1
4. Take up the shield of Faith. “...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…Hebrews 12:2 He is our Faith.
5. Put on the helmet of Salvation. And salvation is in none other (Jesus), for neither is there another name (Jesus) under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 Jesus is our Salvation, our only salvation.
6. Take the sword of the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5  The word of God is Jesus. All 66 books, even the Old Testament which is clear about the abominations that God hates, is Jesus Christ.

Putting on the armor of God means being like Jesus. Being like Jesus is the only way we can defeat evil in our lives.

Pausing to Remember Them

The days and months seem to move so quickly that there is barely time to experience them. In the blink of an eye those carefully laid plans, anticipated with uncontrollable excitement are lived and become nothing but fond memories. As the moments rush by many people that had been a part of our brief lives are gone as though they were subjects in a magician's disappearing act. Poof! Where did they go! Some of them are remembered, some fade from our thoughts too quickly, and that is sad.

As I approach the anniversary of my birth seventy years ago I remember some of those people that probably few remember. Our small country store was a stage for me and there were many players performing in front of me from my birth until I became an adult. Many were uneducated, some were funny, most were poor, but all of them contributed something to who I am today. I want to honor a few of them by mentioning their names.

Starling lived several miles away down in a holler. He walked to our store when he needed something. Starling had some physical problems and he was a little different. Even on some of the hottest days he would wear an old full length army green overcoat. My dad once helped him fill out some Social Security papers. He told my dad that he had fought in four wars: the Civil War, Spanish American War, and both World War I and II. As I got older I enjoyed hearing some of Starlings stories. We were sure he was confused about his war experiences.

Aunt Ule was my great aunt. She never married, and lived by herself in a small hut of a house. There was no electricity and no running water.  She often kept her chickens inside, and when she did it was best not to go for a visit. But we did because my dad was the one who looked after her. She walked with a limp, one eye protruded a bit, and her appearance was always frightening to a young boy like me. Aunt Ule did some strange things, and often caused some problems for us. But she was family, and as ornery as she was my dad loved her and so did we.

Miss Mae was about as attractive as Aunt Ule. She was an older lady who thought she was God’s gift to men. She adored the men at our store, and when she came to shop she dressed up like a movie star, or so she thought. She always wore bright red lipstick which she must have applied in the dark. It was always caked on and was usually all over her mouth in which there was not a single tooth. Miss Mae flirted with any man that happened to be in the store, even if her husband was with her. I liked Miss Mae because she, I thought, was funnier than Lucy on TV.

There are others I want to mention because I loved  them. Aunt Sookie was one of my favorites. She churned cow butter and spread it on crackers for me. Mr. Feddie Stewart had an old Model T car in his barn, and he and his wife were very nice to me when we delivered their groceries. There was Norm who found me on the kitchen table eating beans out of the bowl with my hands. Of course I was just a baby. He called me Beans from that time on. Ed and Willie, poor farmers, were kind, honest and giving. I worked with them many times on our farm when my dad hired them to do some farm work.

There are others who I’m sure not many people remember. I guess there will come a time when few will be left to remember me and you. Everybody is worth remembering. So today I honor these few dear people who in some way taught me something about life. Things like working hard, being kind, showing compassion and love, moving ahead despite physical difficulties, and making others laugh.

Wisdom Wasn’t Enough

If God appeared to you and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you”, what would you ask him to give you? Think about the potential that you would possess by being able to have anything you wanted. God did come to a man named Solomon and did that very thing. Solomon had just been made King. His answer to God was, “You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours.” Wisdom, Solomon asked for the wisdom to govern as King of Israel. Today in our society if someone could receive from God anything they wanted and asked for wisdom they would be laughed at and considered to be very foolish.

Because Solomon asked for wisdom instead of wealth, possessions, or honor or favor over his enemies God gave him not only wisdom, but He granted him wealth, possessions and honor like no other king had ever known. Solomon is considered the wisest man who ever lived. People came from all over the world to witness the great wisdom of Solomon. He had understanding that only God could give. But even with all his wisdom and all of his understanding Solomon messed up big time.

The Bible says, “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women…” They were from the nations that God had warned his people to not marry. He told them if you do you will surely turn your hearts after their gods. And sure enough as Solomon got older he turned his heart after other gods, and his heart wasn’t completely devoted to the Lord his God. “So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord…” The man who asked for wisdom, and built the great temple for God;  the king who loved God and led his people to love God, lusted after pagan women, married them and turned away from the Lord to follow other gods. How could the wisest man in the world marry 700 pagan women and take 300 pagan concubines? That makes about 1,000 mistakes. These women led him astray.

Many good men of God and good women of God have had tremendous wisdom lapses. Women lead men astray and men lead women astray by lusting after each other and making very bad choices. This has happened way too often to many preachers who had wonderful ministries in great churches where people were being saved and lives were being changed, but the lure of a young, beautiful woman led them astray. And it has worked the other way as well. Satan attacks successful ministers and successful workers in God’s kingdom. He attacks the most talented, the most gifted, the strongest, the wisest and the most knowledgeable in order to destroy their ministries, their influence, their marriages and their churches. That is why we need to pray every day for our ministers. It is vital that we pray that God will protect them from the temptation of sexual sin. Believe me, Satan’s attacks are real and powerful. Think about it, if the wisest man, God’s chosen leader over his people can fall so can anyone else. We also need to pray for those men and women, once used mightily by God, who have been led astray by the opposite sex. Pray that God will restore them and use them again for his glory.

Scripture References: 1 Kings 11, 2 Chronicles 1

A Bunch of People

In May of this year the estimated population of the world was reported to be 7.6 billion. For a guy who grew up on a farm, went to a school in a town of 500, in a graduating class of 60, whose first job was in the same small school attended for 12 years, grades one through twelve, and the attendance in churches pastored was 30 to 70 in morning bible study, 7.6 billion does not compute. That number boggles my mind! I imagine most people have a problem understanding a number that large.

I wonder how many people have lived since the beginning of the human race. I looked it up, but given the accompanying information with the number estimated I don’t believe it is correct. Consider another estimation; how many of the total number of people created by God will be numbered in heaven? No one knows but God. Of the total number of people God has created who has been the most important? Which of us, the 7.6 billion of us, living today is God’s favorite? I have known a few people who might be very disappointed when they hear the answer. There is a verse in the Bible that tells us. ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

The world of humans today consists of somewhere around 7.6 billion people. We can conclude from John 3:16 that God loves all 7.6 billion of us the same, therefore we all hold the same importance for God. Somewhere in the world there is a little boy living in the most far out of way place and known only by his parents and will never be known outside his village. In God’s eyes this small boy is as important as the wealthiest most well known man in the world. God loves him as much as he does the person you considered to be most worthy of God’s love.

And there you are. You may not think you are important. You may feel unworthy of God’s love because you just can’t seem to live the way you think you should. Your importance to God is not based on your status in the world. God’s love for you does not depend on the good you haven’t done or the bad you have done. God’s great love for you and the fact that you are extremely important to him are evident because you are his precious creation. Only our infinite God could pick you out of 7.6 billion people at this moment and say, “I love you so much that I gave my Son to die for you so that you might have eternal live. You are incredibly important to me!”

Is there anyone who can even come close to understanding how God could single out each person of the total number of people living in our world today and say, “I love you enough to let my Son die for you?” We don’t have to understand God. All we need to do is believe in his Son Jesus Christ and trust him to do everything he says he has done to save us from our sin..