I never thought I would ever in my life be disappointed that I can’t get out and mow the lawn. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Well, since I’ve become more domesticated of late, I’ve sort of been looking forward to tending to my lawn and other chores around the house, but the incessant rains this spring and summer are drowning my efforts and dampening my spirit. When I do get to mow, the grass simply mocks me by popping up here and there looking like a bad haircut when I’m through. And what’s up with all the crickets and toads? When pushing the mower through the grass it looks like a miniature animal round-up with bugs and frogs hopping about to get out of the way. Explain to me how crickets get into ceiling florescent light fixtures, and why do they want to be there anyway? Well, we have the promise of sunshine soon, not soon enough for me at the moment, and of course that will probably bring about a new crop of disappointments.
A small town prosecuting attorney called his first witness of the trial to the stand, a grandmotherly, elderly woman. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” “Why yes, I know you Mr. Williams”, she responded. “I’ve known you since you were a little boy, and frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their back. You think you’re a rising big-shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yeh, I know you.” The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Do you know the defense attorney?” “Why yes I do”, she began. “I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, also. I used to baby-sit him for his parents and he too has been a real big disappointment to me. He’s lazy, bigoted, and has a drinking problem. The man can’t build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him.” At this point, the judge dropped his gavel and rapped for silence. He then called both counselors to the bench. In a quiet voice, he said with menace, “If either of you asks her if she knows me, you’re going to jail!”
[Genesis 6: 5-8; Revelation 2 & 3] God has never been afraid to express His disappointment in the actions of the man He created. Don’t get me wrong here. God’s disappointment lies in the physical man, not the man created in His image, the spiritual man. The man who walks the earth is sinful, disobedient to his Father in heaven, yet the Father loves us so much He wants to be with us even as we walk the road to forever in this life. God may be disappointed in us for the things we do and don’t do, but He still sees to it that we have all we need for life and living. He doesn’t talk about us or gossip about the things we do that are not pleasing to Him, nor does He try to manipulate us in such a way as to bring us around to His way of thinking. God has simply seen to it that we have the truth that sustains life, physically and spiritually, and has given mankind the power of reason to make up his own mind as to the existence of God and the eternal life to come. He loves us so much He sent His own Son to shed His life’s blood, to be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. When we’re baptized into Christ through the likeness of His death, we put away the physical man and walk with the Holy Spirit given to us by God. (Acts 2:38) Are you prepared for the second coming? (2 Peter 3) Read it!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
It's Never Too Late
WOW! Two whole days without rain! As much as we would like to see the rain stop for a while, I caution you if you’ve been praying for it to stop. That could start our next drought. There’s a lot of construction at a crawl if not a stand-still because of the weather, but things should get back to normal soon. I hear tell a lot of out-of-state families are moving into our county, many coming from California. I hope they don’t think our cool, wet weather and beautiful lawns are the summer norm here. I overheard a portion of a conversation recently while at a check-out, one man saying to another, “Well, a lot of Californian’s are just like me, happy to get out before it’s too late.” I don’t know what all that means, but it sounds like he’s relieved to be from California. I have a new neighbor from out-of-state. I haven’t personally met them yet, but believe their name is Chaparral and I hear they’re from New Mexico. I’ve seen them walking in the neighborhood often, but as yet I haven’t made a social connection. The couple is a curious sort. He’s always well dressed, and she also, but in a rather Amish way, you know, a lack of color sort of thing. Both have a rapid stride with straight posture to their walk. What I’ve noticed most is their curiosity about the neighborhood. They stop along their route and simply stare at properties as if shopping for another home. They don’t seem to want to socialize, as whenever approached, they turn away and quicken their pace in the opposite direction. I’ve thought I might follow them some day just to see where they live, but I certainly don’t want to chase them down like they were criminals. I just get the feeling that I’ll probably never get to know them all that well, unless of course they move into my back yard. No, “Roadrunners” don’t mind being seen, but at the same time don’t really want to get chummy with the neighbors. All joking aside, I’m thrilled to see the neighborhood wildlife returning. Over the years, the fire ants have really done some great damage to the wildlife. But now, some-what under control, things like horned toads, jack rabbits, squirrels and ground nesting birds are making a rather remarkable comeback. Like the, not so endangered anymore, Eagle, it’s never too late to correct some of the mistakes that have altered nature and live in harmony, again.
[Matthew 7: 13-14] I’ve never been known as a socialite, in fact I prefer solitude, not that I dislike people, and if the Chaparral’s were my new human neighbors I would make a special effort to introduce myself and get to know them a little better. My work of the past five years has definitely helped me to develop better social skills. I’ve been working at it hard, and some might say they don’t see much difference, but I do. What I notice the most is my comfort zone of knowing that I’m enjoying a life in harmony with God, a life that I’m willing to share with anyone. Even though I’ve always survived with a healthy fear of God and knowing the consequences of doing wrong, I’d never really embraced the joys found in the knowledge that I’m free of all the mistakes of my past because of my obedience to the Gospel through baptism and my righteous dedication to God’s will in my every day living. Too many people think that God will not love them because of their past and when speaking with them they dwell on it for some time. I let them know and show them in scripture, it’s never too late to make a comeback with God. Jesus died for all, that we might seek God with a straight posture and a joyful heart
[Matthew 7: 13-14] I’ve never been known as a socialite, in fact I prefer solitude, not that I dislike people, and if the Chaparral’s were my new human neighbors I would make a special effort to introduce myself and get to know them a little better. My work of the past five years has definitely helped me to develop better social skills. I’ve been working at it hard, and some might say they don’t see much difference, but I do. What I notice the most is my comfort zone of knowing that I’m enjoying a life in harmony with God, a life that I’m willing to share with anyone. Even though I’ve always survived with a healthy fear of God and knowing the consequences of doing wrong, I’d never really embraced the joys found in the knowledge that I’m free of all the mistakes of my past because of my obedience to the Gospel through baptism and my righteous dedication to God’s will in my every day living. Too many people think that God will not love them because of their past and when speaking with them they dwell on it for some time. I let them know and show them in scripture, it’s never too late to make a comeback with God. Jesus died for all, that we might seek God with a straight posture and a joyful heart
Saturday, July 14, 2007
When Crickets Preach
I got up this morning to hear the area was under a flash flood warning and we also had a 50% chance of more rain. The sky is full of big “thunderhead” clouds, but as yet no rain. Probably the heat of the day will trigger them into action. I’ve looked over the yard to see the grass needing to be cut back again, already, due to the abundance of moisture we’ve received. We certainly live in a different world when it’s wet verses when it’s dry. This past week it seems a body can’t take a step without squishing something mushy or mashing something squishy. Web worms, big black beetles, snails and crickets are all under foot and getting into everything. Gnats and mosquitoes are constantly looking for someone to pester with their never ending circling of the head. Just thinking about it makes you want to scratch an itch. This is also the prime weather condition to raise a bumper crop of grass burrs which get brought into the house via foot traffic. Most of the time the deposited grass burrs are in the house undetected, but are eventually found by bare feet in a rapid trip to the bathroom. Yeeoow!! It’s said that we’d complain if hung with a new rope and I have to admit one thing’s for sure. Having to put up with all this because of the wet weather is still better than dust everywhere.
A young boy was squirming through another worship service. This particular Sunday was to have an added distraction. As soon as the preacher got up to deliver his lesson, a cricket followed him onto the stage. He probably came in through one of the many cracks that could be found in the old building. Everyone in the first three rows saw the cricket. The boy’s eyes followed its every move. It would come close to the edge of the pulpit area, then move away only to return. “Jump! Jump!”, he thought. But alas the cricket did not jump. The young boy never knew if the sermon was good or not, but the cricket was sure fun to watch. When the invitation song began, everyone stood up and watched as the cricket ran off. Several people laughed when the cricket almost got stepped on by the song leader as he approached the microphone. Then the boy’s laughter turned to amazement. Someone had gone forward! It was his dad! The boy and his mom had been trying for years to get him to come to worship with them, to no avail until today. Now the preacher was taking him to the water for baptism. “Dad”, he asked later. “What made you want to be baptized today?” His dad replied, “Didn’t you hear how Jesus gave His life for us so that we could be saved from our sins?” The boy hung his head in shame. The beautiful message of the Bible had not reached him that day. He had been watching the cricket.
[Mark 4: 1-20] In Jesus’ parable the seed is the Word of God and the farmer sowing the seed is a teacher of the Word. As with the young boy, the world is full of distractions drawing us away from God and His truth. “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” Are you hearing the word, but not really hearing it at all? If the world is in our heart, there lies our understanding of life. If we “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6) we will fulfill God’s plan for life. Every time God’s Word is preached the devil is nearby distracting you with fretful babies, a sneeze, a cough and crickets. Don’t let Satan rob you of the life-giving, soul-saving power of God’s Word.
A young boy was squirming through another worship service. This particular Sunday was to have an added distraction. As soon as the preacher got up to deliver his lesson, a cricket followed him onto the stage. He probably came in through one of the many cracks that could be found in the old building. Everyone in the first three rows saw the cricket. The boy’s eyes followed its every move. It would come close to the edge of the pulpit area, then move away only to return. “Jump! Jump!”, he thought. But alas the cricket did not jump. The young boy never knew if the sermon was good or not, but the cricket was sure fun to watch. When the invitation song began, everyone stood up and watched as the cricket ran off. Several people laughed when the cricket almost got stepped on by the song leader as he approached the microphone. Then the boy’s laughter turned to amazement. Someone had gone forward! It was his dad! The boy and his mom had been trying for years to get him to come to worship with them, to no avail until today. Now the preacher was taking him to the water for baptism. “Dad”, he asked later. “What made you want to be baptized today?” His dad replied, “Didn’t you hear how Jesus gave His life for us so that we could be saved from our sins?” The boy hung his head in shame. The beautiful message of the Bible had not reached him that day. He had been watching the cricket.
[Mark 4: 1-20] In Jesus’ parable the seed is the Word of God and the farmer sowing the seed is a teacher of the Word. As with the young boy, the world is full of distractions drawing us away from God and His truth. “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” Are you hearing the word, but not really hearing it at all? If the world is in our heart, there lies our understanding of life. If we “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6) we will fulfill God’s plan for life. Every time God’s Word is preached the devil is nearby distracting you with fretful babies, a sneeze, a cough and crickets. Don’t let Satan rob you of the life-giving, soul-saving power of God’s Word.
The Cost Is Great
Well, after years of depending on someone else to mow the grass at my house I’ve decided to take on the chore myself once again. I had gotten away from doing yard work for several reasons, the largest being allergies. I think I’ve actually gotten over most of my grass and mold allergies as I’ve grown older, though some symptoms still remain. Another reason is that the guy doing my lawn is becoming undependable, or too busy, or something, as he doesn’t get around as often as I would like to see him. This year I especially want my grass mowed more often because of all the rain we’ve received. Not keeping the grass cut down sure breeds the mosquitoes, not to mention it just makes the place look trashy. Of course that means more money to pay out and my wife doesn’t like to do that at all. So, I looked at the cost and weighed my options before making my decision, which also included the fact I could use a little exercise. Now I’ve got to tell you I went “green”, buying an electric mower and weedwacker. I just don’t want to have to deal with gasoline and all the problems that come with it. Putting a pencil to all of this looks to be a full return on the investment if it keeps raining all summer, which looks pretty promising at the moment. I’m doing a good job so far and happy with my decision. I just hope the new domestic chore won’t wane, like it did before.
One day a housework challenged husband decided to wash his favorite sweatshirt. He shouted to his wife from the laundry room, “What setting do I use on the washing machine?” “It depends”, she replied. “What does it say on your shirt?” He yelled back, “University Of Oklahoma!”
Two fellows took their wives into a nearby Gulf Coast town to do some holiday shopping. While their wives were shopping they rented a boat to get in some winter saltwater fishing. While they were out a storm blew in. Retreating to shore and running to fast, the men ran the boat up on a sand bar. They jumped out to try and free the boat from the bar. With mud up to their waists and ice cold water up to their chins, one fellow turned to the other and said, “Sure beats holiday shopping, doesn’t it?”
With picnic sandwiches clutched in his hand, the father was standing at the edge of a cliff admiring the sea below. His son approached and said, “Mother says it isn’t safe here and you’re either to come away from the edge or give me the sandwiches.”
[Luke 14: 28-35] Do we not all keep vigilance over the activities of daily life weighing the favorable and not so favorable aspects of what’s happening around us? Of course we do. It’s part of our self-preservation instincts. My biggest problem is, when someone approaches me with a thought to get me involved in something, I weigh it to a point where I think it’s going to cost me too much, then draw a line as to how involved I’m going to get. What does it cost to be a Christian? Can you imagine what people thought when Jesus said, “…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Even today, people want their Christianity to be a “part” of their life, dedicating so many hours a week to worship and depositing a set sum of money for the “church” to do good works in the community. The Christian life is every day in every way. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3: 17) Christian = Servant.
One day a housework challenged husband decided to wash his favorite sweatshirt. He shouted to his wife from the laundry room, “What setting do I use on the washing machine?” “It depends”, she replied. “What does it say on your shirt?” He yelled back, “University Of Oklahoma!”
Two fellows took their wives into a nearby Gulf Coast town to do some holiday shopping. While their wives were shopping they rented a boat to get in some winter saltwater fishing. While they were out a storm blew in. Retreating to shore and running to fast, the men ran the boat up on a sand bar. They jumped out to try and free the boat from the bar. With mud up to their waists and ice cold water up to their chins, one fellow turned to the other and said, “Sure beats holiday shopping, doesn’t it?”
With picnic sandwiches clutched in his hand, the father was standing at the edge of a cliff admiring the sea below. His son approached and said, “Mother says it isn’t safe here and you’re either to come away from the edge or give me the sandwiches.”
[Luke 14: 28-35] Do we not all keep vigilance over the activities of daily life weighing the favorable and not so favorable aspects of what’s happening around us? Of course we do. It’s part of our self-preservation instincts. My biggest problem is, when someone approaches me with a thought to get me involved in something, I weigh it to a point where I think it’s going to cost me too much, then draw a line as to how involved I’m going to get. What does it cost to be a Christian? Can you imagine what people thought when Jesus said, “…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Even today, people want their Christianity to be a “part” of their life, dedicating so many hours a week to worship and depositing a set sum of money for the “church” to do good works in the community. The Christian life is every day in every way. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3: 17) Christian = Servant.
Waxing Nostolgic
I’ve been waxing nostalgic all this past week. It started last week when I took a young lady to church singing school, the same one I attended several years in the mid 90’s. I learned of a reunion following this, their 40th consecutive school session, and I couldn’t wait to get home to dig out my photos and pour over some other memorabilia from the sessions I attended. I’m going to try making the reunion. Then early week, I found time between the thunderstorms to work on a long awaited store room cleaning. Well, I guess you know what happens when you start digging into the past. Yep, it takes forever to sort and discard. My wife did an Elvis. She simply turned and left the building. “You sort and toss”, she instructed. “If I don’t see it I won’t miss it.” Oh boy, this won’t take long now! Then I ran across a box I thought had been lost years ago, after finding my High School graduation yearbook damaged and separated from it. I stared into a box from the 60’s when youth sprang eternal. Boy Scouts, High School, Auto Racing, pay stubs from my first big employer and the bill of sales for the only new car I’ve ever bought, a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback for $2,746.44, after trade-in and down payment. I owned it three months before Uncle Sam owned me. It’s all safely repacked until the next time. Then the other night I was surfing and stopped at the Sci-Fi channel which was running a “Twilight Zone Marathon”. Before MASH, there was the Twilight Zone. I love that show and could watch every episode over and over without getting tired of them. Well, the only problem with waxing nostalgic is the mind becomes flooded with the “what ifs” and “whys” of life that tend to make us second guess ourselves. But I must say, I find myself quite content at the end of this nostalgia trip.
One day a man said to his wife,’ I don’t know how you can be so beautiful and so stupid at the same time.” The wife responded, “Allow me to explain it to you. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me. God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you.” Then there was the minister who had been invited back to dinner after coming three months prior. Immediately after giving thanks for the food one of the children turned to the preacher and said matter-of-factly, “Know what? That’s the first time we’ve said grace since you ate with us before.” How about the Bible teacher that asked her class what the Epistles were. One said, “They were the wives of the Apostles”.
[2 Peter 1: 1-15] In this entire letter, Peter reminds us that we need to open the past of God’s word to review what we already know, but perhaps has become a little skewed from listening to the world a little too much. It’s easy for us to slip-slip away from the basic truths that brought us to Christ and salvation in the beginning. We need to be reminded of these basic truths, even though we feel we have a firm grip on them. Are we still building our Christian faith and hope on the same foundation we started with? Are we building as God has instructed us to build? We need to examine our Christian walk every day and “wax nostalgic” on why we came this way to begin with. We have a treasure chest of history to open and reminisce through whenever we want. It’s called the Bible. Not only can we look into the past to witness God’s love throughout the ages, but know the future that awaits mankind through God’s promises yet to be fulfilled. I’ve read the end of the book and those who build on the promises are the winners, forever.
One day a man said to his wife,’ I don’t know how you can be so beautiful and so stupid at the same time.” The wife responded, “Allow me to explain it to you. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me. God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you.” Then there was the minister who had been invited back to dinner after coming three months prior. Immediately after giving thanks for the food one of the children turned to the preacher and said matter-of-factly, “Know what? That’s the first time we’ve said grace since you ate with us before.” How about the Bible teacher that asked her class what the Epistles were. One said, “They were the wives of the Apostles”.
[2 Peter 1: 1-15] In this entire letter, Peter reminds us that we need to open the past of God’s word to review what we already know, but perhaps has become a little skewed from listening to the world a little too much. It’s easy for us to slip-slip away from the basic truths that brought us to Christ and salvation in the beginning. We need to be reminded of these basic truths, even though we feel we have a firm grip on them. Are we still building our Christian faith and hope on the same foundation we started with? Are we building as God has instructed us to build? We need to examine our Christian walk every day and “wax nostalgic” on why we came this way to begin with. We have a treasure chest of history to open and reminisce through whenever we want. It’s called the Bible. Not only can we look into the past to witness God’s love throughout the ages, but know the future that awaits mankind through God’s promises yet to be fulfilled. I’ve read the end of the book and those who build on the promises are the winners, forever.
And That Was Good
I’m not one to dive head-long into anything new. I worked around automobiles long enough to know that the only way to truly find out if a product is good or not is to give it to the good-ole American public to use and abuse. If it survives, it’s a miracle. If engineers can improve on it and continue to sell it at a profit for several years, it gains my attention. Well, it took forever to get me into the computer age and now I don’t know what I’d do without one, or two, or three. I’m now about to embark on the cell phone scene. I’ve been avoiding it in fear of how I see the way that little communicator can dominate and overpower every aspect of life. One good thing I think I can see in it. Now I’ll be able to find my wife faster in the super shopping centers. Just call her up!
My growing-up-years were in the Fifties and Sixties. The “baby-boomers” are getting old enough that our childhood days are jokes of Comedians, our grandkids snicker at our stories and twenty-something’s shudder and say, “Eeeew!” But our childhood really wasn’t that bad. In 1953 the U.S. population was less than 150 million …yet you knew more people then, and knew them better …and that was good. The average annual salary was less than $3000 …yet our parents could put some of it away for a rainy day and still live a decent life …and that was good. A loaf of bread cost about 15¢ …but it was safe for a five-year-old to skate to the store and buy one …and that was good. Prime-Time meant “I Love Lucy”, “Ozzie and Harriet”, “Gunsmoke” and “Lassie”, and nobody ever heard of ratings or filters …and that was good. We didn’t have air conditioning, so the windows stayed up all summer and a half dozen mothers came running when you fell off your bike …and that was good. We addressed our teachers as Miss Matthews, or Mrs. Adkins, or Mr. Logan, not Ms. Becky or Mr. Dan …and that was good. The only hazardous material you knew about was the grass burrs growing around the light pole at the corner …and that was good. You loved to climb into a fresh bed because sheets were dried on the clothesline …and that was good. People generally lived in the same town as their closest relatives, so childcare meant grandparents or aunts and uncles …and that was good. Parents were respected and their rules were law …children didn’t talk back …and that was good. TV was in black-and-white, but all outdoors was in glorious color …and that was certainly good. Your dad knew how to adjust everybody’s carburetor, and the dad next door knew how to adjust all the knobs on the TV set …and that was very good. Your grandma grew snap beans and raised chickens out back of the garage …and that was definitely good. And just about the time you were about to do something bad, chances were you would be observed by someone who knew your name and your father’s phone number …and even that was good. Our childhood even felt good.
[Matthew 19: 16-17; Romans 3] What we perceive to be good is no doubt what makes us feel good. In truth we are all sinners and only God is good. Goodness and being good is a large subject in the New Testament of the Bible. The Apostles teachings have very little to do with doctrine of the church and everything to do with daily living. Study, and you’ll conclude that the only way you can even come close to being good, is to live a life in obedience to God’s law, through faith in Jesus Christ. A faithful baptized believer will be a good servant, and his master will be well pleased with his good works.
My growing-up-years were in the Fifties and Sixties. The “baby-boomers” are getting old enough that our childhood days are jokes of Comedians, our grandkids snicker at our stories and twenty-something’s shudder and say, “Eeeew!” But our childhood really wasn’t that bad. In 1953 the U.S. population was less than 150 million …yet you knew more people then, and knew them better …and that was good. The average annual salary was less than $3000 …yet our parents could put some of it away for a rainy day and still live a decent life …and that was good. A loaf of bread cost about 15¢ …but it was safe for a five-year-old to skate to the store and buy one …and that was good. Prime-Time meant “I Love Lucy”, “Ozzie and Harriet”, “Gunsmoke” and “Lassie”, and nobody ever heard of ratings or filters …and that was good. We didn’t have air conditioning, so the windows stayed up all summer and a half dozen mothers came running when you fell off your bike …and that was good. We addressed our teachers as Miss Matthews, or Mrs. Adkins, or Mr. Logan, not Ms. Becky or Mr. Dan …and that was good. The only hazardous material you knew about was the grass burrs growing around the light pole at the corner …and that was good. You loved to climb into a fresh bed because sheets were dried on the clothesline …and that was good. People generally lived in the same town as their closest relatives, so childcare meant grandparents or aunts and uncles …and that was good. Parents were respected and their rules were law …children didn’t talk back …and that was good. TV was in black-and-white, but all outdoors was in glorious color …and that was certainly good. Your dad knew how to adjust everybody’s carburetor, and the dad next door knew how to adjust all the knobs on the TV set …and that was very good. Your grandma grew snap beans and raised chickens out back of the garage …and that was definitely good. And just about the time you were about to do something bad, chances were you would be observed by someone who knew your name and your father’s phone number …and even that was good. Our childhood even felt good.
[Matthew 19: 16-17; Romans 3] What we perceive to be good is no doubt what makes us feel good. In truth we are all sinners and only God is good. Goodness and being good is a large subject in the New Testament of the Bible. The Apostles teachings have very little to do with doctrine of the church and everything to do with daily living. Study, and you’ll conclude that the only way you can even come close to being good, is to live a life in obedience to God’s law, through faith in Jesus Christ. A faithful baptized believer will be a good servant, and his master will be well pleased with his good works.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)