God with us!

One of the most important, and yet most understood facts about Jesus Christ is that He is God and came to live as a man among the people of that specific time and place in order to do what only God could do for all mankind.

Matthew 1:23 says, "They shall call his name Emmanuel." That name, Emmanuel, literally means "God with us." Yes, it can be difficult to understand how that babe which lay in the manger so long ago could have been fully God and fully man. In fact, the only way for any of us to begin comprehending this crucial point is for God's Spirit to reveal this truth in His way and in His time to each of us. But this crucial point is exactly what God wants each of us to know and to trust!

The only way Christmas can make any real sense is to understand that God had a divine purpose in coming to this earth. He had created mankind to live in a close relationship with Him. Sin, though, totally disrupted that relationship and affects every person who has ever lived. God's sense of justice demanded that sin be punished, and His holiness requires that those guilty of sin could never enter into His perfect Heaven. As much as man might try, we can never be "good enough" to earn our way into Heaven, and so we faced a terrible dilemma.

Not only is God just, He is also love - not just loving - He is love! That love compelled Him to provide a way for the most important part of His creation - people - to experience complete forgiveness and restoration. And that is why He came to be with us . . . to be Emmanuel. He lived among us, without ever sinning, and gave Himself as the one and only sacrifice which satisfied His sense of justice, and proved His unfailing and eternal love.

Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Man, was born to die! His death gives meaning to His birth, and His resurrection gives meaning to His death. I pray that this Christmas finds you trusting Jesus, and Him alone, as your Savior . . . as I do. I don't say that with any sense of bragging on my part because I know that it is only because of His grace (unmerited favor) that I know Him as my Savior and my Lord. I never did anything to deserve it. I simply trusted and received God's free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. That grace is available for all!

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.

It's all about the gift!

At Christmas-time children of all ages enjoy the giving and receiving of gifts. Some folks begrudge this activity thinking it takes away from the spiritual nature of Christmas. The truth is, Christmas is all about giving . . . God giving His Son for the salvation of man (John 3:16). Let me share with you this thought about The Gifts...

From the beginning of Christmas celebrations, gift giving has been a part of the season. The Wise Men gave out of their treasures, and the shepherds gave of themselves. Both expressed the Gift of God in giving Christ as the Savior of the world.

Unique in our history of generous givers is the story of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia in the fourth century A.D. He is reputed to have been wealthy, his emblem being three purses and three golden balls. This was the symbol of rich Italian families of his time. The good Bishop gave his money away secretly to three dowry-less daughters. The eldest two each received from the chimney, on successive nights, a substantial gift money purse the generous Bishop had dropped down the chimney.

Christians today exchange gifts and fill their children's stockings as expressions of love and commemoration of the greatest gift ever given. Let our hearts be filled with a spirit of generosity and love as we celebrate the birth of the King, and may it be that through each of our lives that the Good News of this great event will assure that the Gift goes on!

Heavenly Father, as we begin this Advent, give light to our eyes and peace to our hearts. May the Lord find us watching and waiting in joy when He comes. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

Growing up in the 60's and 70's I have seen the traditional "Peanuts" cartoon "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!" many times. One of my favorite parts of the cartoon deals with the scrawny tree Charlie Brown brings for the Christmas pageant. It had only a few needles hanging precariously on the branches, and when he set it down the needles all fell to the stage. Needless to say, the other characters were not too happy with Charlie's selection.

The Christmas tree is a major part of our Christmas tradition. Hear how the Christmas tree originated and what it means to our preparation for receiving the Christ child . . .

Today, the Christmas tree is the center of the season's festivities. Glittering with lights and ornaments, it is a part of the beauty and meaning of Christmas. The Christmas tree originated in Germany during the 1500's. According to legend, Martin Luther wandered into a forest on Christmas Eve and was moved by the beauty of the star-filled sky and its effect upon the fir trees. Wishing to share this loveliness with his family, Luther cut a tree, brought it indoors, and decorated it with candles to represent the glorious heavens he had seen. He compared the Christmas tree, with its top pointing to heaven, to hands folded in prayer, pointing to the throne of grace from which we received our Savior.

Continued thoughts for advent.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" as the song goes, and indeed it is a blessed and glorious time of year. We celebrate the most precious gift ever given, God's Son!

With today's post I am continuing with a series of brief articles about the various elements usually involved in our preparation for the season, or Advent as it is called. Our first post explained what the season of Advent is about. The second dealt with the Advent wreath and candles. Today, let's focus for just a moment on the Evergreens. I am drawing from the readings which I wrote for the "Hanging of the Green" service at our church (Central Park Baptist in Decatur, AL) on November 29th.

Perhaps the most striking and universal feature of Christmas is the use of evergreens in our churches and homes. Among ancient Romans evergreens were an emblem of peace, joy, and victory. The early Christians placed them in their windows to indicate that Christ had entered the home. Laurel and Ivy, along with pine and fir, are called evergreens because they never change color. They are ever-green, ever-alive, even in the midst of winter. They symbolize the unchanging nature of our God, and they remind us of the everlasting life which is ours though Jesus Christ.

In Isaiah 60:13 we find these words: "The Glory of Lebanon shall come unto you, the fir tree, the pine tree and the box together, to beautify the place of Your sanctuary." Tonight we beautify this place (and our homes) as we celebrate His everlasting glory!

Looking toward Christmas!

This post marks the second in a series of thoughts concerning Advent or the season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas. Does Christmas hold any real meaning for you? If not, perhaps it's because you aren't preparing for it in the right way. Christmas isn't just about the giving and receiving of gifts, it is about the greatest gift ever given, the Son of God!

The following shares with you the purpose of the Advent Wreath and Candles which are often seen in churches and even many homes . . .

Of the many symbols we use during the Advent season to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ's birth, the wreath and candles stand at the forefront. The circle of the wreath is endless, with no beginning and no end, like God Himself. The evergreen also reminds us of God's eternal nature, and of His everlasting love for us. It also testifies of the life without end God promises to us with the coming of the Christ. The Advent Wreath is a symbol of hope - hope for salvation, hope for a redeemer, hope for eternal life, hope of God's everlasting love for us.

Four candles light the wreath, representing the four Sundays of waiting. Each week of Advent one of the candles is lit in expectation of God's Messiah. Three candles are purple, symbolizing the royal line from King David to the Messiah, who comes as the King of kings and Prince of Peace. The pink candle is to be lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent, and it represents joy. These four candles encircle the Christ candle, which is pure white. The candles are lit in a progression symbolizing various aspects of our waiting experience - Prophecy, Preparation, Proclamation, and Rejoicing. The culmination of the season comes as we light the Christ candle on Christmas Eve, declaring to all mankind that Jesus, God's Son, is the Light of the World!

What is Advent?

Each year many churches around the world prepare themselves for the celebration of Christmas by observing the season of Advent. Our church began our observance last Sunday night with the annual "Hanging of the Green", a special service of decorating the Sanctuary while singing Christmas hymns, hearing various ensembles of all ages sing, and hearing readings which explain the elements of the Christmas celebration. This, and my next few posts, will be excerpts from those readings which I had the privilege of writing for our congregation.



The first reading deals with the question - What is Advent? . . .



The word "Advent" is a Latin term which means "the coming." Thus, this Holy Season of Advent is a time when we remember the words of the prophets foretelling of the Christ and prepare ourselves for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We celebrate these days of Advent in celebration of His birth and in expectation of His return, at which time He will establish His Kingdom on this earth.



Through the centuries, Christians have observed a time of waiting and expectation before celebrating the birth of the Savior at Christmas. The Advent season is a time for reflection and preparation, but its mood is joyful. Advent has been enriched by Christian tradition to reflect its distinctive Christian meaning. It proclaims the revelation of God's love as expressed in Christ's birth in a humble stable, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His victorious resurrection! It points to the hope of Christ's coming again as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Advent makes innkeepers out of all of us, asking each of us to make room for the arrival of Christ the King. Let us today prepare room in our hearts, our lives, and our homes!

Where have you been?

Well, I finally made it back. When I began this blog earlier this year I knew that it might be tough to blog daily, and there might even be short periods of intermission between posts. Little did I realize in June that I would be nearly six months in returning to this little task of sharing a few thoughts with whomever might take time to read them!

Life seemed to jump into hyperdrive last summer and it is only beginning to slow somewhat. There has never been any problem in finding plenty to do, especially around my church, but that aspect of my life became even more involved than usual, and all that I was trying to do around the house during my "spare time" pretty well consumed the rest of my waking hours.

Enough of that. I want to share briefly what has been one of the real highlights of the past six months for me. Our new Pastor and I consulted for a while after he arrived in April. We wanted to do something that would make our church's outreach ministry much more effective. It had become pretty lifeless and few of our people participated.

We determined that we wanted to use the G.R.O.W. Outreach strategy developed by Jerry Tidwell, who is now at Union University, but previously served as Pastor of the West Jackson Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee. We brought Dr. Tidwell to our church one Sunday evening in September to help us kick-off the preparation for G.R.O.W. and we followed that with three more weeks of training and enrollment.

Very honestly, I was praying that we would get as many as 100 of our church folks to participate, and I thought that to be pretty ambitious. To my total surprise and great delight, over 170 of our adults and youth signed up and are actively involved. This is in a church that only runs a little more than 250 in Sunday School!

Our people are divided into four teams and come for about 1 1/2 hours each month to visit, or write letters and cards, make telephone calls, pray in the chapel, keep the children of parents involved, or prepare and serve a snack when everyone returns from their visits. The first six weeks of G.R.O.W. has seen approximately 500 letters and cards sent out, several phone calls made, and dozens of visits to prospects and members who haven't been to church in a while.

G.R.O.W. stands for "God Rewards Our Work" and that is a promise that I am claiming. I truly believe that the seeds we plant today will produce fruit in God's time. We are doing what Christ commanded us to do, and obedience always results in blessing. Pray for us as we seek to reach our community with the Good News of the Gospel. And may God be glorified for His good work!

A special week!

It has been several days since my last post. Long work days and a bit of mental fatigue just left me with a case of writers block. Actually, it may have just been mental block -- I didn't feel much like thinking! As I sometimes jokingly say, "I try not to think. It gives me headaches!"

Honestly, it isn't much better tonight, but I wanted to share a bit about our Vacation Bible School at Central Park. VBS has always had a special place in my heart for a couple of reasons. First, it is perhaps the biggest week of the year for many churches as the children have a full week of Bible study and support activities that center around a particular theme. It is a wonderful environment in which the children grow in their understanding of who Jesus Christ is and how he desires to relate to them. We are careful to not intimidate or push the children in any way, believing that only the prompting of God's Holy Spirit can result in a sincere profession of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. This week 12 of the children have indicated a desire to accept Christ as their Savior, and our staff will contact parents for permission to follow up with the children to be sure they fully understand the decision they say they are ready to make. If the child and their parents are sure the child is making a well informed and sincere decision they will be allowed to make their profession of faith public at a church worship service. They will then be baptized into membership of the church.

The second reason I am really big on VBS is that it was during VBS when I was 9 years old that I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. It wasn't that this was the first time I had been taught about Jesus (I had been been in church since the "diaper roll"). However, it was during this particular week that everything I had learned really came together in a way that I knew it was decision I needed to make.

I thank God for Vacation Bible School. It has been a vital part of the elements God has used to prepare millions of children to follow the leading of His Holy Spirit to accept Christ. Pray not only for the VBS at Central Park Baptist, but for all of the thousands of VBS events that occur during the summer months.

Thankful for the price paid!

It was 65 years ago today that thousands of American, British, Canadian, and French soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy or parachuted behind enemy lines on the day that came to be known as D-Day! I watched part of the movie In Search of Private Ryan last night. It was made to be more "realistic" than the typical war movie, and the gruesome nature of the show does make it closer to the real thing I'm sure. However, there is no way to even begin to approximate what that day was truly like for those men who experienced it.

On occasions such as today it is appropriate for all Americans to reflect on what our fathers and grandfathers did for our nation, the world, and their families. Every man (and now woman) who fought during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and elsewhere, sacrificed something on our behalf. All lost part of themselves on those battlefields around the world, while others lost all, including their lives. Most of these were young people, probably 25 years old or less.

Though I understand that war is sometimes unavoidable or is warranted by the actions of others, it is my prayer that our leaders will be wise in their use of military might. However, the Bible would seem to indicate that wars will become more and more frequent until that time when Christ returns. More young people will die on the battlefields, and more civilians will be killed as well. But one day, when the Prince of Peace comes to take believers to our heavenly home, wars and rumors of wars will cease and never occur again!

Take nothing for granted!

When I first began writing in my blog I suppose I took it for granted that I would always be able to find at least a few minutes each day to write down a few of my thoughts. This week has shown me that I can't make that assumption. Even when I had a few minutes, I honestly didn't have much "brain power" to think deeply enough to address what I've been reading in the Scriptures. Long hours, killer physical therapy on my bum knee, and strange sleep patterns have combined to make sitting down at the computer to write a not so attractive activity.

Interestingly, Proverbs 27:1 addresses the very thing I have experienced this week . . . "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth" (NKJV) or as "The Message" translation puts it, "Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow."

So often we tell someone, or even our self, what we will be doing the next day, the next week or month, even next year and beyond. Truth is, we have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I've seen so many examples of this fact. One of those examples is a very painful reminder that life often takes strange, and sometimes painful, turns. About 15 months ago a young man named Parker came by the house with my son Andy. Parker had roomed with Andy at Auburn (he actually lived in the mobile home we owned there) and had come by to spend the night. This was on Friday night. On Monday night after that Parker was in a horrific car crash in Auburn and was life-flighted to a trauma hospital in Columbus, Georgia. His mom and dad were awaken by a phone call about 3:00 am telling them that Parker was barely clinging to life - they better come quickly. Parker survived the crash, but he suffered TBI (traumatic brain injury) and lies in bed, unable to speak, walk, feed himself, or anything he had taken for granted before. What a terrible tragedy!

I don't think any of us mean to seem arrogant when we speak of things we will do in the future. Rather, we just don't think very much about the frailty of life. Obviously, we don't want to be ghoulish or scared of every shadow. That isn't living! However, we do need to acknowledge the fact that we really shouldn't take things for granted . . . not the people we love, not the physical health we enjoy, not the freedom that is ours, not anything. We should appreciate every blessing life has to offer, and the One Who provides those blessings. Don't wait until tomorrow to do what you ought to do today, and don't wait to tell someone that you love them. You may not get the chance to do it tomorrow!

All the King's horses, and all the King's men!

In every life a little rain must fall . . . and then again, sometimes it is a raging storm! Unless you live a very unusual life there will be times when you experience great hurt and disappointment. No matter how good a person you are! It is just a fact of life.

It is during those painful moments when we (and those around us) discover just what we really are. Spiritual sounding talk is easy, but what happens when life comes crashing in around you? Solomon shares a truth when he says:
"If you fall to pieces in a crisis,
there wasn't much to you in the first place." (Proverbs 24:10, The Message)

I have often talked with my boys about preparing ourselves for the inevitable difficulties that come into our lives. You cannot afford to wait until something goes wrong before you seek the Lord and His strength. It must be something that we pay attention to on a daily basis in order to have a "spiritual root system" which can withstand the sudden and terrible storms of life. The unexpected death of a parent, spouse, child, or close friend. The revelation of a loved one engaged in some gross sin. The loss of your job. Any one of a countless number of storms.

No one is immune! In recent years our family has experienced several storms. I had a neck surgery that resulted in total paralysis on my left side and the prognosis for a quick recovery was not good. My mother had a massive stroke and has spent the past 3 years in a nursing home. Dad fell out and lay in the bathroom floor all day until my sister found him there -- he had a brain tumor which required surgery. My oldest son, Andy, fell about 30 feet one night onto a concrete patio, breaking his left wrist and his jaw in two places. I fell down some stairs and required lower back surgery.

Any one of these events could have provoked panic and paralyzing fear, but in each circumstance our family was able to deal with the problems in faith and confidence. It wasn't because of our personal intestinal fortitude, but the strength that is produced in a life of faith. We know that our own strength is never enough so we lean upon God and the relationship that has been building through the years.

God is faithful to His promises, which include His promise to never leave nor forsake us! Just like a growing friendship results in a bonding and increasing trust level, our growing relationship with the Lord results in a greater trust level and a real sense of bonding with Him. May your relationship with God give you a wonderful sense of confidence and trust that will undergird you and prepare you to face whatever storm might come your way.

Does spanking warp the soul?

Today's word from Proverbs --
"Don't be afraid to correct your young ones;
a spanking won't kill them.
A good spanking, in fact, might save them
from something worse than death." (23:13-14, The Message)

The past 40 years or so has seen a great deal of debate over the evils of spanking. Some psychologists through the years have tried to convince us that spanking is outdated, ineffective, or just plain abusive. I'm not an expert on the subject other than the fact that I was on the receiving end of numerous spankings as a child.

Lord knows I gave my parents plenty of reasons to spank me! I was ADHD before that term came to be. Back then they just called my hyper. I wasn't mean and usually I didn't misbehave out of some evil design. But I was unruly and needed to develop self-control. Being a child it wasn't very likely that I would develop such self-control on my own. I needed help. My parents, teachers, principal, and others attempted numerous kinds of discipline including lectures, grounding, loss of privileges, and more. They didn't have a great deal of success with these methods. Thus, spanking came into play (though it wasn't a game I enjoyed). I have to admit that the board of education applied to the seat of knowledge usually got my attention.

Fortunately for my parents, I grew up in an age when parental discipline wasn't viewed as child abuse as it might today. One such occasion comes to mind. When I was about 12 years old I had several friends over to my yard to play. My mom told me to do something (I don't remember what) and I popped off to her, trying to be "big" in front of my friends. What I didn't consider at the moment was the fact that my mom didn't take very kindly to disrespect from her kids. She took out after me and I began to run . . . in sheer terror. I hadn't seen that look in my mom's eyes before, but I was about 99% sure it indicated that murder was about to be committed, and I was going to be the victim. Around the yard we went, again and again. And as we ran she grabbed anything that she came across and flung it like a missle zeroed in on my body. I can't say if anything actually hit me as I was so scared it would be some time before I could feel anything beyond terror. Finally, either she ran out of steam or the thought of prison crossed her mind, and my life was spared.

Was my mother wrong to act as she did? Though she probably regretted her urge to kill, I believe that this particular experience was a valuable lesson for me. First, I think I learned something about the wrath of God from that experience. Second, I knew I had crossed a very big line -- I had shown terrible disrespect for my mother and it was something I never wanted to do again. Third, I knew that I had to restrain myself when I wanted to say the first thing that came to my mind (that actually is something I have to keep reminding myself about). This occasion, plus the many times that I experienced spankings served as strong reminders of what is right and what is wrong. And that's the purpose of spanking . . . to teach a child the boundaries in which a person ought to live.

These spankings certainly didn't kill me, but I believe they saved me from something worse than death . . . a life lived without discipline, without regard for others, and without a true sense of right and wrong! Thanks Mom and Dad for loving me enough to teach me these lessons, even though I may not have appreciated it at the time.

Is religious liberty under attack?

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a posting concerning HR 1913, an act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would protect extend a special federal protection to homosexuals and transgender persons (cross-dressers, transvestites, etc). The U.S. Senate has yet to take up the issue, but it is believed they will join the House in passing the legislation. President Obama has already said he will sign such an act into law.

Is such legislation heading us down the path to a major collision between the radical homosexual agenda and our religious liberties? Many Christian scholars say that "a cataclysmic conflict" is inevitable. I mentioned before that a likely result of HR 1913 would be the threat of federal charges being lodged against any preacher who would declare that God's Word teaches homosexuality to be a sin. It would be considered as inciting violence toward homosexuals. This is already a reality in Canada, the UK, and some European countries. Where is this all heading?

Barrett Duke, vice president for public policy with the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said there are three issues fueling the move toward "an eventual clash" between homosexual rights and religious liberty: 1)same-sex "marriage"; (2)workplace protections for homosexuals and; (3)hate crimes legislation. Should these issues all be decided in favor of the radical homosexual agenda there will be a major impact upon religious liberty as the full weight and power of the United States government will be brought to bear to make sure no homosexual's rights are violated. It will become much easier to violate religious liberty instead. Duke said, "The government will be unable to secure both the civil rights of those in same-sex marriage and the religious rights of those who accept what God's Word teaches regarding homosexuality."

The Employment Non-descrimination Act which is proposed in Congress would provide protection of homosexual rights in the workplace, which in effect would take away the ability of most organizations to hire people who share the owner's values. Though churches would likely not be forced to hire homosexuals as ministers, their church daycare may not have such protection. Church related schools, bookstores, retreat centers, and more would also lose that right. This act would also open up Christian para-church organizations to all manner of litigation accusing discrimination because of anything that might be said that could be construed as bigoted language.

These are serious issues that Christians need to recognize as being extremely dangerous. There is an extreme liberal agenda unfolding in our nation, and unfortunately most Americans have not given serious consideration to the impact these new directions will have on our nation. Between these cultural-moral-ethical issues and the financial damage being wrought by the present uncontrolled, ill-conceived spending, our nation may not even be recognizable within just a few years!

Does that come with a money back guarantee?

One of the Bible verses that is held onto tightly by many parents, particularly if their children become wayward, is this proverb by Solomon:
"Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

A lot of parents take this verse to mean that if Mom and Dad do everything right, then the children will live godly lives. As one writer puts it, "This interpretation misunderstands the nature of the Proverbs. The Proverbs state general principles, not promises. If we put "in most cases" in front of verses like this one, we accurately state this meaning."

Like many, I would like to think of this proverb as a rock-hard promise, but observation and personal experience has taught me that our children have minds of their own and they make choices which determine whether or not they accept and follow our faith. To see our child that has been "raised right" turn away from God as an adult could make us doubt ourselves as parents. Did we do something wrong? What could we have done differently?

Parent - do your best to be the loving, godly Mom or Dad you ought to be, but realize that we are never totally to blame nor should we receive all the credit when it comes to how our children turn out. However, if you have a child who has wandered off the right path, don't give up on them. Commit them to prayer and ask God to do what only He can. Many a "prodigal son" has come to their senses and returned to the Father!

What's in a name?

Growing up my Dad use to tell me often, "What you do reflects on the family name!" I confess that I've said the same thing to my children (Oh no, I'm becoming my Dad!). Because of what he taught, I take my responsibility to protect my good name and that of my family. One of the last things I would ever want to do is to dishonor my parents, grandparents, or any of my family past, present, or future.

Solomon had the same idea in mind when he shared this proverb:
"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold." (Proverbs 22:1)

What a family name Solomon was to protect. His father was King David, the heroic leader who brought the nation into a new era of prominence. Despite being the wealthiest man in the world, Solomon understood the supreme importance of maintaining one's integrity. He certainly didn't want to be the one to besmirch his Daddy's reputation. Unfortunately, Solomon's son obviously didn't feel the same. Rehoboam was the first king to be described as one who "did evil in the sight of the Lord."

I admit that there are times when I wouldn't mind having a larger bank account, but given the choice between that or keeping my good name, I'll pass on the money. The only thing a person can carry with them to their grave is a good name.

The joy of doing what's right!

Have you watched someone do something noble and wondered why they would do such a thing? Perhaps you have even considered the actions of a person and thought to yourself, "What a fool! What could they possibly get out of putting themselves out like that for another person, maybe even a stanger?" Proverbs 21:15 tells us the reason: "It is a joy for the just to do justice."

A person who enjoys a close and vibrant relationship with the Lord doesn't need a reason to do good. It simply comes as a result of growing to be like Him. Ever notice how people tend to take on the attitudes and traits of those they spend the most time with? A person will often start to talk and act like their co-workers. A married couple certainly grow to be more and more alike. And the believer who grows in their Christ-likeness acts and thinks more like Jesus.

That is why a committed Christian does the right thing. They just enjoy doing what is right! There isn't an ulterior motive . . . it isn't done with the expectation of getting something back. The deed is done because it is the right thing to do. This is a foreign concept to many today. But in the midst of this "dog-eat-dog world" it certainly is refreshing to see someone who is committed to doing what is right no matter the personal cost. I have found that when such a person passes on the funeral home or the church is filled with people who come because they had a real respect for the way he or she lived. It is my prayer that my own life would be seen in this way.

Thanking God for the sacrifices made!

Today is Memorial Day! It is far more than just a day off from work or a time for a family barbeque to kick off the summer. It should be a day of sincere thanksgiving.

All too often we take for granted the sacrifices which have been made in the past and continue to be made today to preserve the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. To do so is the sign of our sense of security, but hopefully doesn't indicate an apathy about the sacrifices made on our behalf. Yesterday at church our Pastor had all veterans and current military men and women to stand as we paid tribute to their service for our nation. What a sight to see at least a couple of dozen men and women stand. Thank you ladies and gentlemen for what you have done!

Another amazing sight is to go to a national military cemetary and see the hundreds and thousands of white crosses aligned acre after acre. I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and had the privilege of conducting funerals at two seperate national cemetaries there, the older one in Madison (an area of Nashville) and one close to Pegram, on the west side of town. It is truly a sobering experience.

As you enjoy your day off take a moment to remember those who bought your freedom with their blood. They deserve at least that much consideration. Also, thank God for the ultimate freedom that is ours because the blood of Christ was the price paid. Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Is your worship acceptable?

Proverbs 21:3 is an important word on the subject of worship. It says, "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." Ever since the day of Cain and Able there has been the question of whether our worship is acceptable in the Lord's eyes. Cain killed Able in a fit of jealousy because God was receptive to the spirit in which Able presented his offering to God, but He did not accept Cain's offering. The difference was in the attitude!

Solomon tells us that the actions of right living and treating others in the right way is more important to God than any offering we might bring. That's because our actions reflect the attitudes of our hearts, and God looks upon the heart of a man or woman to determine their sincerity and faithfulness.

As you go to church today what are the attitudes which you will take along with you? Will they be attitudes of love, service, and humility (which God honors), or will they be attitudes which will disappoint the Lord? I encourage you to go seeking for God to create in you a clean heart, and to teach to you the lessons He desires for you to learn.

The "Idiot-Maker"!

There are many foolish things we can do, but one which seems to rise to the top is the consumption of alcohol. It is without a doubt one of the quickest ways to make an idiot out of yourself. Solomon warned his son about this very matter in Proverbs 20:1 . . .
"Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise."

The past several years there has been much said in our media and among politicians about WMD's or Weapons of Mass Destruction. I would venture to say that all of the WMD's used throughout history have paled in their destructive power when compared to the utter devastation produced by the use of alcohol drink. I have observed broken marriages, foolish abandonment, lost jobs, forfeited freedom, and tragic death as a result of "taking a little drink."

No, drinking isn't the only sin, but it is one that has created more pain and suffering than most. My own family has been touched by alcohol abuse as my wife's father was a heavy drinker, perhaps even an alcoholic. His drinking contributed to divorce and the break up of their family. Even today there are scars with which Kay must deal. She hates alcohol!

Out of a loving concern I would urge any young person to turn away from the temptation to drink. I know it is supposed to be cool, but I've never seen anything cool about losing control of yourself and acting like an idiot! And those kids who tell you they are your friend and at the same time try to get you to take a drink with them -- well, that is no friend. A friend is someone who wants to help you to be your best, not your pitiful worst.

Then, to any parent who might read this - if you drink even a little bit you are inviting your child to engage in something that could be disastrous. I can't imagine you would consciously put your child at risk, but that's what you are doing if your example before them includes drinking an occasional beer or glass of wine. There are some who would say, "Oh, that's just some preacher on his soapbox!" Well, somebody has to speak the truth and hope that God's Spirit will make it stick. I would rather be considered a "prude" than to ignore the opportunity to try to give a loving rebuke. Try to be wise - give up the booze!

Better to listen than talk!

It has been a busy and tiring few days including a full day of painting today (my day off). Had to have a MRI on Tuesday to determine how damaged my knee is. Ever since my spinal cord injury (occurred during neck surgery four years ago) I have had a weakness in my left side (sure beats the complete paralysis I experienced after the surgery). This has resulted in extra wear on the left knee. And about a month ago I felt a bit of a "pop", hence the MRI, etc. Nothing too serious - good bit of arthritis, sprained MCL, and slight tear of the Miniscus. A little rehab and some steroids and I'll be much better.

I want to share a brief devotional word from the Personal Growth Study Bible on Proverbs 18:13 which reads:
"He who answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him."

"This proverb reminds us that it's foolish to respond to what another person is saying before we have really listened to them. What is real listening?

Real listening is an active process. We focus on what the other person is saying and feeling, not on what we are going to say next.

Real listening is reflective. We respond to what the other person is saying and feeling, often restating the other person's thoughts and feelings to make sure that we understand them.

Real listening is responsive. Healthy relationships must have two-way communication. As others open up their lives to us, we respond by sharing ourselves with them. In the process, we come to understand no just what the other is saying, but also to understand each other."

I thought this was well stated, and it is a subject all of us should consider. Obviously, all manner of relationships would be better served if we all developed a listening ear.

Is gray hair a sign of wisdom?

I have often heard Proverbs 16:31 quoted in reference to older or "mature" adults, suggesting that with age comes wisdom -- "The silver-haired head is a crown of glory." However, that is only the first half of that proverb. The second half of the verse reads -- "if it is found in the way of righteousness." Ahhh! There is a bit of a difference in meaning now!

Fact is, wisdom is not simply the result of aging. It is sad to say, but "there is nothing more foolish than an old fool" (I just made that up - cool!). Experience is a good teacher, and often the older person has some very insightful things to share, but as Solomon has been teaching his son throughout these proverbs, real wisdom comes only from God. Therefore, the wisdom that accompanies age is quite limited.

It indeed is sad to meet a person who has a few miles on him that foolishly rejects the Lord Jesus and the truth of God's Word. There is so much benefit to finding the Lord as a young man or woman and living a committed life for Him . . . a sense of purpose and direction, strength for meeting the challenges of daily living, and assurance that this life is not all there is. It is hard for me to imagine life any other way!

Whether you are young or old, however, the wise thing is to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life. The greatest crown of glory is the one we receive from the Heavenly Father upon our entry into eternity at which time we will lay them at the feet of Jesus in adoration and acknowledgement of Him as the glorious Lamb of God.

I may not be E.T. but I am an alien!

A very entertaining movie from several years ago, E.T. The Extraterrestrial told the story of a little alien who seeks the help of some children to "phone home" so that his friends will come pick him up and take him back to where he came from. If you are a Christian you may be surprised to know that you are also an alien. No, you aren't a little green man or woman, but you no longer should consider this earth to be your home.

I bring this up because of a song I heard tonight at church that spoke of heaven as being our home. It reminded me of what Paul says in Philippians 3:20-21, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself."

You see, when a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior he or she becomes a new creation and is given a new home, a new citizenship -- Heaven! Yes, we live the remainder of this life here, but we know that our eternity will be spent with Jesus in the place He has prepared for us (see John 14:2-3). This is a cause for rejoicing among believers as we "eagerly wait" for the Lord Jesus to return one day to take us home. When that day comes we will be transformed and our weak, frail bodies will become like the glorified body of Jesus. It will be way cool!

I know that people who have not heard this truth, or who have chosen not to believe, might read this and think, "What a wierd guy!" Some might laugh while others might even be afraid of me. That's how people react to aliens. Not the E.T. kind of alien, but the Christian kind. And we will remain wierd in the eyes of many right up to the time when Jesus returns. So don't be ashamed of your identity as an alien, and don't be too attached to the things of this world. What you have waiting is far better than anything this world has to offer. By the way, God encourages you to "phone home" often!

Don't let the dam break!

Proverbs 17:14
     "The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
      Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts."

Ever see a small disagreement blow up into a major fight?  It happens all too often . . . between husband and wife, between parent and child, between co-workers, or even between members of a church!  Just like the dam that springs a small leak that builds into a catastrophe, an arguement often gets out of control and creates irreparable damage.

As a minister I've seen the damage done by conflict in the home and in the church, and it breaks my heart.  I often wonder how people who claim to be Christians can be so ugly to one another.  It certainly points to the fact that believers are not perfect (and we usually don't claim to be).  When you consider how much conflict takes place in the world around us it's no wonder Jesus placed such an emphasis on being a peacemaker, or one who promotes harmony.

The best way to stop an arguement is to avoid having it in the first place.  How can we do that?  By prayer!  You see, it is much more difficult to fight with someone you are praying for regularly.  Want to avoid fights with your spouse?  Pray for them!  Want to avoid fights with your co-workers?  Pray for them!  Want to avoid fights with fellow church members?  Pray for them!

Prayer will reinforce your "dam" and strengthen the relationships in your life.  God desires to give you the means by which you can live your life in peace and harmony with all of your fellow believers, including family.  The same Spirit dwells in all believers, therefore the more we are attuned to the Holy Spirit the lower the chance for conflict.  So let's put the power of prayer to work in our lives and enjoy the enhanced relationships it will produce! 

Loose lips sinks ships!

Back in the early 1940's the world was at war and security was on the mind of all Americans. Who knew if their neighbor or co-worker was actually a foreign spy or saboteur? In many work places, especially those dealing with defense projects, it was not uncommon to see a poster on a wall which read, "Loose lips sink ships!" The slightest slip of the tongue could result in the deaths of American soldiers, sailors, or Marines.

Though not as dramatic as the World War II warning, Proverbs 17:9 has a similar message: "He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends." Do you love your friends? Are you sure? Suppose one of your friends did something wrong . . . would you out of a heart of love keep the matter to yourself, or would it become a bit of juicy information you just can't wait to tell to someone else?

Solomon says that he or she who truly loves will refrain from gossiping about the faults of a friend. The big-mouth "friend" is moving along the path to losing a friend. Now understand, covering a transgression as it's referred to here in this proverb does not mean ignoring sin in others. It simply means to keep the matter to ourselves and not saying something in public that might embarrass or demean the other person.

Being a gossip is a mean-spirited way of seeking attention for oneself. It is like saying, "I'm important because I know something you don't know!" But oh my, the damage we can cause with a careless whisper. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote about this subject when he said, "A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything -- or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony into chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue -- it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!" (James 3:3-10, The Message)

Be a real friend! Don't ignore the sin, but don't announce it to the world either. A real friend seeks to express love by gently rebuking and encouraging. The gossip is no friend at all. You may not sink a ship, but you can certainly sink a relationship!

I'd rather have Jesus!

George Beverly Shea is a great man of God who has impacted millions of lives through his singing, especially the 50+ years spent working with Billy Graham in his crusades. I can still hear that deep baritone voice as he sang hundreds of beautiful hymns, gospel songs, and choruses. Like Billy, George is well up in years - over 90 years of age. But even today he has a voice which rings out clearly his love for the Heavenly Father!

One of my favorite songs he would sing at the crusades is actually one Shea co-wrote with Rhea Miller, "I'd Rather Have Jesus." Miller wrote the lyrics in 1922, and seventeen years later Bev Shea produced the music to accompany the words. And what words they are:
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Chorus: Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame,
I'd rather be true to His holy name.

(Chorus)

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs,
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

(Chorus)

This great song seems to go very well with the proverb I want to share today, Proverbs 15:16:
"Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble."

Eugene Peterson, writer of the contemporary English translation of the Bible called "The Message" states Proverbs 15:16 this way:
"A simple life in the Fear-of-God
is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches."

That seems to describe the lives of so many people pretty well -- "a ton of headaches." Life can be filled with tension - relationships, work, school, and even sometimes at church. The wife tells you that the washing machine broke and it will cost $500 to replace it . . . the children act disrespectfully and cause you great heartache . . . you receive a lay-off notice at work. Many of life's tensions are caused by things outside your control, but we would have to honestly say that much of it simply is a response to some action or attitude of our own. According to Dave Ramsey (the financial guru) over 70% of American households are living paycheck to paycheck. There is tremendous stress financially. A related statistic shows us that the number one factor in divorce today is financial stress within the family. It's not adultery . . . it's not abuse . . . it is money!

People today are drowning in an ocean of debt and it is due primarily to the fact that most people keep spending trying to find satisfaction and peace. Problem is, satisfaction and peace can't be found in anything we can buy. Those things are temporal in nature and don't meet the deepest needs of our lives. That's why Solomon says in his proverb that living a more simple life that includes a right relationship with God is preferable to a life filled with worldly treasure but devoid of God.

I know that for me personally, I would much rather have my relationship with Jesus Christ than to be without Him and rolling in money! In fact, nothing this world has to offer comes close to what I possess in Jesus. I know peace because of Jesus! I know comfort in the hard times because of Jesus! I know a sense of security about all aspects of life because of Jesus! I know no fear of death because of Jesus!

When George Beverly Shea sings, "I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today", I'm all about that! Praise God, I have a Lord and Savior who is King of all the earth and showers those who love Him with blessings far greater than silver or gold.

Nip it! Nip it in the bud!

One of my all-time favorite television programs is The Andy Griffith Show. What a delightful cast of characters brought together in an ideal setting and working from wonderfully written scripts! In my book there is nothing on TV today that even remotely rivals the quality of this program from the 1960's.

Of all the sensational characters on the program, my favorite has to be Barney Fife. Don Knotts' performances in that role were such classics. There is so much about Barney that causes me to laugh even as a moment in the series comes to mind. One of the things Barney is best remembered for is the hilariously high-pitched response he would give when he had heard enough from Otis or Barney or Andy: "Nip it! Nip it in the bud!"

Barney's words come to mind when I read Proverbs 15:1 -- "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Whenever Andy or one of the others needled Barney or argued with him, it drew the wrath of this high-strung little man. It's also something I've observed in many ways other than a television program. Many times I have seen a situation escalate into a pretty ugly scene because the opposing parties responded harshly to something said or done.

This is a lesson I have tried for years to teach my older son. Andy is one who doesn't like for anyone to get in his face, and those who are foolish enough to challenge this 6'5" hulk of a man get perilously close to a very unpleasant experience. I try to convince him that responding in kind to a harsh word or action is not only a good way to find yourself in trouble, it simply isn't the way a Christian ought to deal with people. No, we aren't to be people's "punching bags" physically or verbally. But, the wisdom of this proverb is that a kind and gentle response to a hostile word or act will usually calm a situation and allow for the problem to be solved rather than blown out of proportion. No one ever really wins a fight. The winner is the one who can resolve an issue and make everyone else "feel" like a winner!

I know that such a reaction isn't very natural. That's true of so many things about the Christian life -- they seem unnatural. This is because our sinful nature wants to act and react sinfully, but the indwelling Holy Spirit strengthens us for the task of living according to the unnatural, yet fulfilling and abundant life God created us to live. Next time you encounter a hostile person remember old Barney Fife, and try to nip the hostilities in the bud!

Why is America not exalted?

For many years the United States was recognized by much of the world as being a nation worth imitating. We were seen as a good people who enjoyed God's blessing. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Putting aside the bashing President Obama and his liberal friends are giving our nation, we are not as respected as we once were. Is it, as the media tries to portray, all the fault of George W. and the eight years he and his brazen cowboy friends "ruled?" I don't believe so!

Proverbs 14:34 gives us some tough words to chew on: "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Fact is, our nation is turning its back on God, and this action is resulting in our losing the stature we once enjoyed. One of the things I've noticed through the years is that a just and upright man or woman is respected, even by those who don't understand why the person is so respectable.

Here's a personal example . . . when I was 15 years old I went to work at a local grocery store. One of the men who who worked full-time at the store was Zeke, the produce manager. Zeke was a profane man. His language was raunchy, his mind fixed upon filth, and to top it off he was a bookie who encouraged the teenaged employees to gamble on football games. I never treated Zeke rudely when he made lewd comments around me (he knew I was a "preacher boy") and when questioned about some off-color subject I politely told him that I wasn't interested in such a conversation. I worked at the store about 3 years. Several years later I happened to be in the store with my mother when Zeke approached me. He told me that he had become a Christian and married a Christian woman. And then he said something I have never forgotten. Zeke apologized to me for the many ugly things he had said to me years earlier and stated that even though he treated me so unkindly, he had always respected the way I conducted myself and how I never became angry with him for the way he acted. He was grateful for the witness I had been to him.

Maybe that is what we are missing today as Americans. Oh, we give away billions of dollars to other nations, and we have sent our young men and women to fight and die to protect the weaker nations from those seeking to destroy them. But when those actions aren't accompanied by a righteousness that comes from the proper acknowledgement of God and His truth we no longer have the moral standing that draws the respect and admiration of other nations. This is not to say there are no upright people in America. But, as a nation we have lost sight of what has truly made us great in the past - a national sense of responsibility to God and recognition that what we have comes as a gift from Him.

Righteousness exalts a nation. My prayer is that we might once again be exalted - not for our greatness, but because of His!

Maybe we're not as smart as we think!

Many folks today think that man's intellect has attained such great levels that we wouldn't need God even if He existed. Billionaire Ted Turner comes to mind. Several years ago Turner was given the "Humanist of the Year" award. Humanism basically says that man is evolving into a state of perfection, and there is no need to believe in a higher being. Personally, I am thankful that there is Someone much more wise than Ted Turner.

Solomon spoke to this issue with one of his proverbs, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Prov. 14:12). For centuries there have those who have tried to say that God is not real, or at least He is irrelavant. What foolishness! Many have also tried to say that man's wisdom is great (especially their own) and it isn't intellectually honest or rational to believe in God. That kind of thinking only leads a person toward destruction. Oh, they may attain temporary status or riches, but none of that does you any good once you encounter the grave.

Well, think for a moment about how great "man's" wisdom has proven to be. We haven't been able to overcome the desire or need for war. We are so wise that our children are taking guns to school and shooting their teachers and classmates. Crime becomes more and more violent. Marriages are failing at record rates. Oh yeah, now I see how we might come to the conclusion that man is so terribly wise!

Folks, the truth is that we need God's wisdom. I know from personal experience that when I lean upon God and His wisdom, better decisions are made, there is more joy in my life, and things just make better sense. I look at the world around me and see chaos, despair, lack of purpose, and so much more which I believe is easily traced back to foolish decisions and failure to seek God's wise counsel. Maybe its time to admit that we aren't as smart as we thought, and that God has a lot more to offer us than the skeptics think.

Call her blessed!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and therefore I am skipping ahead in Proverbs to the 31st chapter, where in the passage beginning with verse 10 we find Solomon's tribute to the noble wife (I will let you read it from your Bible if you wish since it is so long). God has blessed me with a heritage of godliness. I may speak later of the men who have proceeded me, but today I want to speak of the women.

It was my privilege to know three of my great-grandmothers, both grandmothers, and of course, my Mom. Of my great-grandmothers I spent the most time with my "Granny Gregory" who lived with Andy & Ruby Thomas, my mother's parents. Ganny Gregory died when I was 12, but I remember her well. She was blinded by glaucoma just about the time I was born, so I guess she never "saw" me. I remember that whenever we went to visit, my Granny G. would have my sister, my brother, and me to stand before her and let her put her hands on top of our heads to see how much we had grown. She also lovingly caressed our faces as though she could see us through her fingertips. One of the things I remember most of my great-grandmother was that she loved Elvis Presley. She had all of his gospel recordings and would sit in her room and listen to them over and over. Even though she was blind she continued to teach her Sunday School class until her health made it impossible for her to attend. A dear friend of mine, John Lawrence, who went to be with the Lord several years ago, told me how much my great-grandmother meant to him. She taught him in Sunday School when he was a child and often witnessed to him about the Lord. He credits her with having a major influence on his becoming a Christian. She was a great woman of God.

My grandmothers, Ruby Thomas (maternal grandmother) and Estelle Bush (paternal grandmother) were also loving, caring, Christian women. I learned much about being charitable towards others from them. Probably the things I miss most about my childhood are the times spent at their homes, enjoying the unbelievably good meals and just being with them. It was my great blessing that they both lived until after my children were born. My, how proud they were of Andy and Alan. I even have video of both of my grandmothers at the hospital when the boys were born, and when we got together the next few years. These women of faith influenced me greatly.

My Mom's name is Julia. She is still alive, though she resides at a nursing home in Nashville, having suffered a severe stroke in February 2006. Mom is not able to speak beyond saying a very few words, and cannot communicate what she wants to say. What a terrible thing to be locked within oneself that way. She also is paralyzed on her right side causing her to be confined to a wheelchair. Yet, my Mom has such a loving spirit. It would seem that one of her constant pursuits at the nursing home is to care for other patients, particularly her roommate. She comes by it naturally! There are so many wonderful memories I have of my Mom through the years, but I guess I will never forget getting up early each morning to get ready for school and overhearing my Mom praying for me and the rest of my family. What a blessing to know you are prayed for every day!

And now, I have another very special mother in my life . . . the mother of my children! On August 9th Kay and I will have been married 29 years. Boy, the years have certainly flown by. Kay and I met the day we first moved in at Belmont College (now University) in Nashville. To be honest, when I first met Kay I wasn't sure I liked her. But it really didn't take very long before I knew her to be a very sweet young lady. Interestingly, Kay dated my roommate for about a year. She and I dated briefly after our Sophomore year, but really didn't date seriously until after we graduated from college. Like most everyone, our lives have had its great blessings and some difficult times as well. One thing has always been true,however, and that is Kay has stayed faithfully beside me every step of the way. The boys are grown and have moved away to work and attend college. We are now in the "empty nest" years, and I have to say that I am enjoying it because Kay and I are able to spend more quality time together than we have for many years. My best friend and I are becoming even closer! And like the godly ladies who were in my life prior to her, she has been such a tremendous blessing in my life. I agree with Solomon who said of the noble wife, "her worth is far above rubies." I also join him in saying, "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all." (vs. 29, The Message) Thank you Lord for bringing such great women in my life.

Surround yourself with the right people!

Proverbs 11:14 says to us: "Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances." Has anyone ever said to you, "Surround yourself with the right kind of people"? If I recall, that may have been number 3794 of my Dad's sermons to me about life. Actually it is good advice to give any person.

Life is difficult . . . life is full of choices which can make a huge difference . . . life can be very confusing! There is no shame in admitting you need help in making the decisions you face. In fact, it is smart! God has several ways in which He gives direction and wisdom to us. He uses His Word, the Bible. The Holy Spirit, the indwelling presence of God in the life of a believer, speaks to us. And often, God uses other people to share His wisdom.

Depending on who we "hang around" with, the advice we receive from those people may be wise, or it may be trouble. The smart person seeks out friends and mentors who he or she knows to be walking closely to God because they are the ones who will give "words of life" versus "words of destruction" which come from the mouths of fools. And the more wise friends you have, the more wise advice you will receive.

The best place I know to find such people are at my church. Through the years I've had godly Sunday School teachers, Deacons, Pastors, Christian college Professors, and others who have had a positive influence and sage advice. To me, it just makes sense to surround myself with those folks than to seek advice about living from people who don't have a relationship with the One who gave us life. Follow Solomon's advice . . . ask for advice from the right folks!

Yes, God does hate evil!

This has been a very busy week! Almost every week . . . every day . . . is a blur of activity (and I know I'm not the only one living out this kind of life) so it is often difficult to have time to blog. This is the first time since starting my blog that I've missed three days in a row, but it likely won't be the last. I enjoy writing these, but there are other priorities that must come first.

Today I'm looking at Proverbs 6:16-19 which gives a list of seven things which Solomon declares that God considers an abomination. This is not a complete list as other passages of Scripture tell of additional actions and attitudes which God detests. Solomon says:
"Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion:
eyes that are arrogant,
a tongue that lies,
hands that murder the innocent,
a heart that hatches evil plots,
feet that race down a wicked track,
a mouth that lies under oath,
a toublemaker in the family. (The Message)

When considering these seven items it is apparent that much about our world today must be so disgusting to God. We are fortunate that the only thing greater than God's sense of justice is His love for sinners. He has every reason and right to destroy us all, but He chose, out of His great love, to provide us sinners with a way to be reconciled with Him -- Jesus Christ.

Many people feel that they are not loved or are unlovable. Not so! God's expression of love through the sacrifice of Jesus proves to us that He loves everyone, even you! And believe it or not, there are many Christians who love you as well. I know, I know, there are a lot of folks out there who say they are Christians who sure don't act like they love you. That is an unfortunate truth. But, there are millions of Christians around this world who are praying for you (they pray that all people will know the saving grace of Jesus) and many give money from their own pockets to feed the poor, house the homeless, and send missionaries to tell more people about Jesus. There are Christians who give of their time to improve the lives of those who lives around them. You may not know these people, and they may not know you by name, but their love is real because God's love is real in them!

I close this post with a simple plea. If you have never accepted God's gift of love - eternal life and forgiveness through faith in Jesus - please do so right now! You can never earn God's love nor can you earn eternal life, but it is your choice as to whether or not you will accept His gift. He won't force you to accept it. Accepting Jesus would be the wisest thing you ever did!

Policing the Pulpit!

Even though I didn't see any coverage from our newspaper or television, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a piece of legislation this week that may have a tremendous impact upon the religious freedom of our nation. Baptist Press, the news outlet for the Southern Baptist Convention, reported Friday that HR 1913, the "Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act" was passed by a vote of 249-175. This act adds "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the current categories protected from hate crimes. The legislation will now be considered in the U.S. Senate which passed a similar measure in 2007. President Obama has said that he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

So what is the big deal? This is but another step in the effort to force Biblical preachers to stop declaring the truth of God's Word about homosexuality and other unacceptable sexual behavior. The Baptist Press story indicated that this legislation, when combined with other laws already passed, could very easily be interpreted so that charges could be brought against a Minister if investigators decided that his sermon induced a person to commit a hate crime. In other words, I could go to jail if a church member or visitor committed a hate crime and it was determined that he or she heard me preach against homosexuality or the act of dressing and behaving as the opposite sex for the purpose of sexual gratification.

Oh, Ken that would never happen! Think not? It already has in Canada, England, Sweden and other some other European nations. There it does not require for an act of hatred to be committed since the very act of preaching on the subject is considered a crime of hate!

Now, please understand that I would never encourage in any way an act of violence against someone because they are a homosexual or cross dresser or transvestite. Their behavior is repulsive (because it is repulsive to God), but a Christian cannot endorse hatred. On the contrary, we as Christians need to reach out to all people in love. But that love should also include preaching and teaching God's Word faithfully with the prayer that God's transformational love will lead the person to live in accordance with God's will.

Where will all of this lead? This is not intended to be a politically oriented blog, but I am very concerned that our very liberal President (check his voting record and writings) backed by a liberal Congress will lead our nation to move further and further "left", perhaps even radically so. I am not a fan of everything done in the name of conservatism either, but I believe we will see many of our freedoms eroded, while at the same time,we will see a greater encouragement toward behavior that is not in keeping with God's Word. My thoughts on political matters is not so much Democrat versus Republican, but is more about Biblical versus worldly. Issues such as HR 1913 do not give me much encouragement about our nation's direction.

The Purpose of Discipline

As a teenager there were times that I just knew I hated my Mom and Dad! Oh the insult of their telling me what I could or could not do. Now I am 51 years old, have two sons who have passed out their teen years (Praise God!), and possess something of an understanding of what they had experienced with me. I also realize I'm lucky I lived to the post-teen years!

Actually, the longer I live, the more I appreciate what my parents tried to do with me - a hard headed, know-it-all kid who was probably the cause of numerous sleepness nights and tension headaches. They sought to instill in me an appreciation for the disciplined life, and they showed remarkable restraint (they didn't commit murder) when I refused to go along with the program.

What is discipline? Simply put, to discipline yourself or someone else, you set the boundaries within which a person can live in an acceptable manner, and when that person steps outside those boundaries there is some consequence which is intended to bring the person back to an acceptable way of operating. Parents do this all the time with their children (or they should). Your place of employment sets boundaries through Personnel Policies. A school has a Student Handbook. A country, state, and local governments have laws. And the Christian has the Bible and the Holy Spirit.

God has set boundaries for His children (believers and followers of Christ). Each of us has to apply some self-discipline, seek God's strength in the areas we are weak, and learn to say "no" to the things we know aren't within the boundaries of proper Christian living. But sometimes a Christian chooses to wander from the "straight and narrow" and God applies a little of His own discipline. Solomon explained about this to His son,
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom He delights."
Proverbs 3:11-12

"For whom the Lord loves He corrects." I am so thankful that God cares enough about me to want to steer me back into the acceptable when I stray. I'm also thankful for parents who loved me in that way as well. It is my prayer that my life serves to honor both God and my parents. They certainly deserve it!

Discover the strength of God's economy!

The headlines of the day scream out at us, "Worst Recession in Decades" . . . "Trillions in Debt Piling Up" . . . "Officials Not Sure What to Do For Economy." There are dozens of "Chicken Littles" racing around declaring that the sky is falling. Millions of people have lost their retirement savings or at least a substantial portion of it. Many have lost jobs. What are we to do?

Tap into God's economy! The One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and unlimited resources is able to meet our every need. Solomon tells his son this very thing. Reading from Proverbs 3:9-10 . . .
"Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine."

As with all God's promises, obedience is the key which opens the door to God's blessings. In this case, Solomon instructs his son to bring honor to God with how he handles his money and to tithe his income. Since everything in our lives is supposed to honor God, it only makes sense that our money management should do the same. How can we honor God with our possessions?

First, rule your possessions - don't let your possessions rule you! A little common sense and some self-discipline will make the difference between a person being seen as a good money manager and one who dishonors God by living above their means, even to the point of declaring bankruptcy and shirking their obligations. That is not a Christlike way to live.

Second, use your possessions to help others. A Christian life isn't about how many "toys" that can be accumulated. Rather, it is about using the blessings God has given us to be a blessing for others. I don't think this means that Christians have to live in shacks and dress in rags. I believe that God wants us to focus on the important things and let Him worry about our financial needs. In Matthew 6:31-33 we read how Jesus approached this subject:
"So don't worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you" (Holman Christian Study Bible).

Reading these verses of Scripture, along with Deuteronomy 18:4, and 28:8, Malachi 3:10-12, Amos 6:6, and Isaiah 43:23, we get a sense of the context of what these verses are trying to teach us. Unlike what some try to preach - what some call the "name it and claim it" theology, I believe that God's promise is to meet our needs and to bless us in all kinds of ways we cannot even imagine. If you're going to be rich, it is much better to be rich in spiritual blessings than the material kind because those blessings are eternal in nature. When God does bless a believer with material riches, He does so in order to enable that person to make a spiritual impact with the money and as a sign of God's power and abundance. Our "job" is to seek a close, personal relationship with the Lord, and simply trust Him to bless us as He sees fit.

The third way we honor God is to be obedient in the tithe. The benefit of tithing is more for the giver than the receiver (the church). God doesn't need our money. He can provide the means for the church to function through any number of ways. His choice, however, was to allow His children the opportunity to share in the support of the work, and to know the blessings that come as a result of obedience to His Word. Tithing is not a negative subject. It is actually one of the most positive messages found in the Bible. God is offering each believer a financial freedom that can only come through faith and obedience, acknowledging a complete and total dependence on God to provide. What a wonderful gift to have the peace of trusting God's goodness! Lookout, God wants to burst your barn doors wide open!

A promise worth banking on!

There are many passages of Scripture which stand out in the minds of many believers. Many people have adopted a verse as their "life verse", that is, a verse they hold to as a particular guide for their lives. One such verse for me is Micah 6:8, "What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." A couple of other verses which are particularly meaningful to me are 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Nehemiah 8:10.

One passage which many Christians refer to often as a life verse or favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 . . .
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."

This passage is a classic example of the promises God has made to His people. Examine it a little more closely and you'll see that this is a "covenant promise" or a promise that is contractual in nature. Throughout the Scriptures we find passages that are what I call "If . . . then" promises. God says, "If you do this and that, then I will do such and such in return." A great example of this is 2 Chronicles 7:14 . . .
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Obviously, Proverbs 3:5-6 doesn't contain the words "If" and "Then", but they are implied by the way the statement is written -- If you trust . . . and if you lean not . . . and if in all your ways . . . then He shall direct your paths. Well, enough of the linguistics. I think you get the idea. Let's focus a moment on the message of this passage.

These are pearls of wisdom from the father (Solomon) to his son (Rehoboam) about knowing the will of God. Solomon instructs his son to do three things which will allow Him to be open to and receive God's direction for his life. First, he exhorts his son to put his complete trust in God. Just like in our day, Rehoboam would be bombarded from all angles with advice about what He should do to live the "good life." Solomon had listened to a lot of those "voices" himself, and as we can read in Eccelsiastes, all that he gained for his efforts was a lot of confusion and a final conclusion that all of that extra-curricular stuff was "vanity." His advice to Rehoboam, "Son, do yourself a favor and don't go down the path I traveled. Trust completely in God and you will be much better off."

The second thing Solomon advises was to recognize that you don't know it all. In fact, realize that to try to figure it all out on your own is folly. That is tough for a young man to hear, and harder for him to accept. Usually it isn't until we have experienced some of life's bruises do we start to understand that maybe there is a lot more to life than we thought. Actually, it can provide a great deal of relief when we understand that we don't have to know it all - we simply need to get to know the One who does know it all.

The third thing Solomon says is necessary for knowing the will of God is to recognize that life isn't about me, it is about Him. This goes back to some of my first posts when I drew from Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life. When we give recognize the true nature of life and give control of it to God, then we are ready to live in obedience which is the key to receiving God's blessings including His direction.

An important thing for us to understand about God's direction is that He isn't like the person who stands on the side of the road and points us in the way to go. No, He takes us by the hand and walks with us so that we don't face anything without knowing He is right there. God desires to be active in our lives. He wants to enjoy our company. And He deeply wants to fill our lives with the most amazing blessings.

So trust God, look to Him for understanding, and let your life be all about Him. You'll know great peace because God is at the controls and He is taking you to abundant life.

Love and wisdom: a real treasure!

"Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man."
Proverbs 3:3

Solomon, King of Israel, addresses his son again on the way to live a truly meaningful life by extolling the virtues of mercy and truth. Several times in the past few posts I have defined truth, as it is used in Proverbs, as being wisdom or an understanding of life through God's perspective. Mercy might be defined in a variety of terms, but I like to think of it as referring to an abounding, unrestricted love. This kind of love isn't limited to just loving those who are lovable, but includes a real and active love for those who are the "unlovable." We all probably know of someone who fits that category . . . you know, that man or woman who has such a sour disposition, or that malodorous child who makes a real nuisance of himself in the Sunday School class, or the homeless man on the street corner that you avoid making eye-contact with.

The father tells his son, "Don't let that kind of love and God's perspective on life leave you." It is so easy to become busy with our own important pursuits until we become blinded or even hardened to the people who are all around us crying out silently for someone to love them. Solomon pleads with his son to not fall into that trap which robs us of that part of our humanity which is most important and valuable -- compassion for people! Solomon says, "Bind these things (mercy and truth) around your neck . . . write it on the tablet of your heart!" A person in those days would carry their money in a pouch which often hung from their neck on a leather string. Solomon is comparing love and wisdom to a person's treasure which was kept close to him. To write these things on the tablet of your heart simply means to make it central to your life, kind of like when you refer to something as being "the heart of a matter."

The benefit of doing this is stated in verse four: "Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of people" (The Message). I have often told my boys through the years, "You can lose your money and that can be a sad thing, but you don't ever want to lose your reputation. It's the only thing you take to the grave with you!" Another of Solomon's proverbs reinforces this truth, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold" (22:1). A life lived in wisdom and love earns the respect of those around us, but more importantly, it earns the respect of God. I can't imagine anything more desirable than that!

Abounding love and wisdom - treasure incomparable!

A treasure unlike any other!

Being a dad, one of my greatest desires for my sons is for them to seek after God and to desire to know Him more and more. I'm 51 years old, so I've been around the block a time or two. When a man gets to be my age he often looks back on his life and question how things might have been "if". Obviously, I can't go back and change my past, and I can't erase the many mistakes I've made. I can make some crucial decisions now that will affect the rest of my life. And, I can try to teach my boys some things which will hopefully allow them to avoid mistakes I've made.

One of the things I would love for them to understand now, early in their lives, is that there are really few things which this world offers that are worth pursuing. Riches are not really important - money is more of a distraction than anything. Physical pleasure, outside of what God intended for it to be, proves to be destructive. Soaring careers often leave a person wondering why they still aren't satisfied with life. What is worth the effort of pursuit? Wisdom, or an understanding of life from God's perspective!

Solomon shared this insight with his own son. From chapter 2 we read:
"My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil . . ."

These words from father to son indicate that God's wisdom doesn't "just appear" in front of you magically. No, it comes as we diligently seek it as the great treasure it truly is. The pursuit results in God's revealing Himself and His truth in measured proportions. If He dumped the whole load all at one time we would never be able to comprehend it. Instead, He gives it to us over a lifetime so that our understanding of Him and our own lives progresses as we are ready. Therefore, the person who begins this pursuit early in life is at a distinct advantage than if he or she waited until some point later in life. Thus, the urgency in the voice of the father as he shares these hard-earned lessons with the son.

How do we pursue wisdom? By continually going to the source of all knowledge and understanding, our Heavenly Father. He has given us the written Word, the Bible . . . and He gave us the Living Word, Jesus, to instruct us in all wisdom. And after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit of God indwelled the hearts of believers, then and now, to be our internal guide and interpreter of truth. Study of the Bible, guided by the Holy Spirit, is our primary means of gaining understanding, but God often speaks to the believer as he prays, and He will also use the words of others to reveal a truth to the prospector of wisdom. God, a loving and gracious Father, desires to give each of His children all they need to be able to live victorious, significant, and fulfilling lives. Are you wise enough to pursue what He offers?

It's not worth it!

The Bible is a book about love . . . the love that the Heavenly Father has for all people. It tells of how God lovingly created mankind, and it reveals to us the lengths to which He has gone in order to restore us to a right relationship with Him. What a loving Father He truly is!

The Bible also reveals to us that God is Holy and Just. He is unable to just turn His head from the mocking nature of sin. You see, when we choose to sin - to act and think in opposition to the way He has directed - we are basically telling the Lord, "Even though you are God, I am determined to control my own destiny." That simply doesn't sit well with Him! The Scriptures are filled with the stories of people, even nations, who chose not to honor God through obedience to His Word. These are not pleasant stories to tell or refer to, but the truth, no matter how painful it may be, must be told.

The latter part of Proverbs 1 provides a warning to not reject the wisdom of God. In verse 22 Solomon tells his son, "fools hate wisdom." Indeed, from experience I know that it is foolish to turn one's back on God's wisdom and way. The sad thing is that some people never catch on that their foolish choices only lead to heartache and destruction. God tells us in verses 28-31 that there will come a time at which it is too late to change their ways:
"They they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies."

Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, was interviewed on one of the national morning news programs. She was asked about why God allowed tragedies such as the events of 9/11. Her reply was simple, and yet, so profound. She told the reporter that America has time and again determined that God no longer has a place in the American public arena, and being the gentleman that He is, He stepped aside. Galatians 6:7-8 tells us clearly, "for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Some folks look at those Christians who seek to live daily for Christ and call them "fools" when in reality it is they who are being foolish.

God wants so much to bless us in ways we cannot begin to imagine. But, He doesn't hand out His blessings to just anyone. His blessings are poured out upon those who love Him and live in obedience. This has always been the case, and it continues to be true today. So let's love the Lord with all our being and gladly serve Him. It's the wise thing to do!

Who are you running with?

My last post dealt with Proverbs 1:10 which is Solomon's advice to his son to say no to those who encouraged him to engage in sinful activity. Skipping down to verse 15 of this same chapter, Solomon says: "My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path." In the modern vernacular he might have said, "Boy, watch out what kind of crowd you hang out with!" We have all heard that admonition, but have you ever thought about the fact that if you are running with the wrong crowd you are the wrong crowd?

Verse 16 says, "For their feet run to evil." Remember that Solomon was a man of faith, and he was addressing his son who was raised to be a man of faith, so these proverbs were addressing one who professed his allegiance to God. Therefore, for the young "believer" to run around with these evil-doers was totally out of character with what God expected of him.

I am reminded of Psalm 97:10 which commands, "You who love the Lord, hate evil!" Does this mean we are to hate evil people? No! A follower of Christ is to love all men and women because God loves them. But, we are to hate the evil that is done! I think this thought can be well expressed in these three statements about our response to evil:

• REJECT IT!
• DESPISE IT!
• AVOID IT!

Each day we make choices . . . to join in or to reject the temptation to sin. Our old nature is lured by the opportunity, but if our nature is renewed by the Spirit of God we will despise the sin because He despises it. And the best way to reject the temptation is to flee from it. That was the word Paul gave Timothy in his second letter to the young Christian leader -- "Flee youthful lusts . . ." (2:22). A good word of advice to give to anyone is to not put yourself in a position where you might compromise your values, and if you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, get out of there! Oh how many of our fallen brothers and sisters would have benefited if they had followed that advice.

"Hate the sin, but love the sinner!" That's God's attitude, and it should be ours as well.

Just say no!

What is the most effictive way to avoid falling to temptation? Simple, the two letters n...o! We are faced with a variety of temptations each and every day. Satan makes sure of that. He is there throwing all kinds of banana peels in our way hoping that we will slip and fall. Fact is, though, Satan cannot make us do anything. Therefore, it all comes down to our making choices.

Solomon advised his son, "My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent" (Proverbs 1:10). Perhaps the most important lesson about sinful behavior that we need to learn is that we don't have to cooperate! Is it just me, or does it strike you as kind of silly that we (youth or adult) are so concerned about what others will think of us if we don't join in with their irresponsible and wrong behavior? Let's see, God says "Don't do it!" and my so called friends say, "Let's do it!" and I'm not sure what to do?

Now, believe me, I understand about peer pressure and how hard it can be to stand up for what you know is right. Taking a stand for righteous living usually isn't a popular thing to do. In fact, in some places it will get you killed. I also know that fulfillment and a deep sense of satisfaction never comes along with sinful actions. That's because God has "wired us" to find satisfaction and fulfillment within a real and vibrant relationship with Him.

Another truth we must grasp is that we need God's help in making the right decisions. His promise is that He will grant us the strength we need to do the right thing. Our problem is that we fail to maintain our relationship with Him through study of His Word, prayer, and heartfelt worship, and end up walking around without the protective armor He provides. A strong relationship with Christ makes it so much easier to say no to the temptations that lie like landmines all along our path. Take Solomon's advice and do yourself a favor . . . just say no!