Standing On God's Platform

I tend to rejoice when the silent majority champions a spokesperson no matter where they might show up. A humbly excited 20 year plus 1 day young man won the Daytona 5oo this year. Trevor Bayne, a total unknown to the NASCAR Cup winners circle, won in his second start at the top level of American auto racing. In the winners circle, on live national and world-wide television, he immediately gave God the glory, then his sponsors and then his car owners and crew. I have to admit, not a very unusual thing to happen, until I heard further interviews and more background stories about this young man. I have since discovered that his total lifestyle is truly rooted in a deep sincere devotion to his faith in God. In one interview Trevor was asked what he liked to do in his spare time. I can’t quote him, but Trevor let it be known he was a devoted person of faith and enjoyed have Bible studies with some other young drivers, and he named a few, because it helped keep them grounded in the truth while surrounded in fame.
February 23rd AP Sports Writer, Chris Jenkins, wrote; “After Trevor Bayne shocked the NASCAR world by winning the Daytona 500, his celebration was decidedly PG-rated. He rode a skateboard and shot some hoops with his buddies. In a quiet moment he wrote himself a note. According to Bayne’s father, Rocky, it said, “How do I stay grounded in my faith, when I am so high on winning this race?” Bayne’s note might have been personal, but the religious sentiment it contained is something Bayne is driven to share. Since rocketing to the spotlight with his big win at Daytona on Sunday, the 20-year-old Bayne has made it clear that he intends to use success in racing as a platform to talk about his faith. Recently, Bayne sat down with his father and business advisers to figure out his long term goals. While winning was on the list, it wasn’t at the top. “I told them that the goal was not to be the best race car driver or the most marketable or most popular”, Bayne said. “It is none of those things. It is to build a platform and let God use us on the platform that He is building – which might require me to become the best race car driver or be the most marketable or most popular or whatever it is. I just want to stand on the platform that He is putting under me.”
Post-race, Darrell Waltrip commented, he wanted to speak with Trevor about the race during the parade lap before the green flag but had to wait for the radio to open up. Trevor was leading his crew in prayer over the radio just before the start. Darrell said, “Kid’s; are you looking for a roll model? Check this boy out. He’s pretty cool.”
[Romans 12: 1-2] “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” I can’t avoid the old cliché, “A breathe of fresh air”, when I witness a lifestyle like that of Trevor Bayne and other young top professionals who are building a reputation on the will of God, being model Christians. Will this race car driver have fun and suffer set-backs? You bet he will. Will he ever amount to anything other than the winner of the Daytona 500? Who knows? During an interview Trevor said, “Now that I look back over the past few months of preparation I can see God already knew I won.” We are all racing down the road to forever looking for the prize at the end. When standing on the platforms of accomplishment of life are we boasting of self or giving the glory to God and his will?

Many Nations Under God

With cautious optimism, along with the rest of the world, I’m watching and praying for those who are protesting against their form of government demanding change for personal rights and a voice in government. It seems the Egyptian population has let the genie out of the bottle and the wishes of the people throughout several Middle Eastern countries are being raised in hopes of fulfillment. It sort of brings to mind the character of some men in a little place called Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who represented the thirteen colonies of King George. I think the big problem back then was something called “Taxation without representation”. Am I hearing an echo? Dictatorial life never has set well with independent thinking men and it appears that education and communication is trumping the dictator. Of course it will all depend upon the cards the dictator is holding, but personally I think we’re about to witness historical changes in the Middle East. The scary part about the whole thing is, how will these changes affect the rest of the world? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, you better pray for the best.
A woman truck driver decided to get a dog for protection. As she inspected a likely candidate the trainer said, “He doesn’t like men at all.” “Perfect!” she thought and took the dog. The next day two men in a parking lot approached her and she watched to see how her canine body guard would react. Sure enough – the trainer wasn’t kidding! As the men got closer the dog ran off and hid under a nearby car.
Since he was first to arrive at a high-tech company one morning, the president of the company answered the phone. When the caller asked for the field engineer the president explained that it was before regular business hours, noting that employees hadn’t arrived as yet and asked if he could be of assistance. “What’s your job there?” asked the caller. “I’m the president of the company”, he replied. Following a pause the caller politely said, “I’ll call later. I need to talk to someone who knows something.”
[Deuteronomy 28, 29 & 30] We read in Hebrews 13: 8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”. We also read in John 1: 1-2 & 1: 14, about the Word of God and that the Word became flesh, whom we know as Jesus. We must conclude that if Jesus is never-changing, the Word of God is Jesus, then, the Word of God is never-changing. Can we also conclude that what God mandated to the Israelites before entering Canaan can apply to any people who overtake a land in the name of the Lord? Those few, who hammered out the Declaration of Independence for a God believing, God fearing people, so long ago, actually surrendered and accepted the auspices of the spiritual dictatorship of God. Oh, yes! Christianity is a dictatorship and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it. You can’t change it or up-rise against it without God bringing down the gavel of judgment. Our independence from the rest of the world, our form of government, it’s principles, integrity and mannerism of our country, are based on the Word of God. We are slowly slipping away from God in our lifestyle, in our education and in the very place it began, our government. If we don’t return to God in strength of numbers to save ourselves through God’s grace, it won’t be long before we slip into the abyss of other super-power nations in history. Am I over the top here? Look at what God is doing in the rest of the world while His light in America is slowly going out. Serving the world is not enough. Serving God will save our nation.

Who Am I?

“Who Am I?” I cost the U. S. economy over $100 billion each year. I contribute to 83% of fire deaths; 73% of aggravated assaults; 70% of sexual abuse (including rape and incest); 69% of all drownings; 54% of violent crimes; half of all murders, fatal car accidents, and spousal abuse; 40% of child abuse deaths; I am a part of the most frequently committed crime in the nation today – a crime committed more than three times as much as all other violent crimes combined. I help kill, in a single year, more than all who were killed during the entire Vietnam War. In fact, I am more powerful than all the combined armies of the world. I have destroyed more men than all the wars of all nations. I massacre thousands every year. I am more deadly than bullets, and I have wrecked more homes than all adulterers and adulteresses in the world. I spare none. I find victims among the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the strong and the weak. Widows know me to their everlasting sorrow. I loom so large that I can cast my shadow over every field of labor. I am everywhere – in the home, on the streets, in the factory, on land, air and sea. I lurk in unseen places and do most of my work silently, slowly. I am relentless, merciless and cruel. I take food from the mouths of hungry children and fill their eyes with tears as I break their flesh and bones and hearts. I enslave millions. Everywhere I go I bring sickness and sorrow, shame and humiliation, degradation and death. Yet people embrace me and allow me to bring them misery and ruin. Few dare to oppose me. I can take from you everything you have, including your soul. I may be your worst enemy.
I’ve been real disappointed of late with the drug and alcohol situation that has been slowly and quietly developing in our community. I can’t plead innocence in this area nor do I want to come across as a prohibitionist, but lives, families and careers are being destroyed at an alarming rate by the abuse of drugs and alcohol. The description of “Who am I” deals only with alcohol abuse in this country alone. The statistics do not include the rest of the world nor do they reflect the decimating effects of drug abuse throughout the world today. If you think I’m an alarmist, making a mountain out of an ant hill, you need to crawl out from under the rock you’re living. “We need to legalize marijuana. That way the abuse problem will minimize itself.” Believe that lie and all that will happen is usage will double and triple. Legalize gambling and the same will happen. Our privileged lifestyles and the USA as we know it today I’m afraid will soon be destroyed by ignorance and greed. Responsibility and pride are falling from grace and while the buzzard grows in strength the eagle finds no secure place to build a nest.
[Luke 12: 1-12] “…For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6: 12) We are all at war every day and too many people are surrendering to the enemy because of their lack of knowledge to the presence and power of God. You are worth more to God than anyone in this world. His love and concern for your welfare is greater than anyone in this world. For those who hold a strong and true commitment of faith and love in the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father watches over and gives strength to battle evil day after day. God is big enough to rule the universe, yet small enough to live in your heart.

Sensible Tune-Up

It’s amazing how the senses sometimes react to the environment. You know what I mean, a sound can raise an alert feeling not experienced in years or a smell will arouse a memory not thought of for decades. The winter weather has that sort of effect on me, especially when it gets real cold like this past week. The good thing about living in South Texas though, I don’t have to dwell on those thoughts but for only a few days until it’s warm again. I never did like the winters I grew up in and when I discovered it didn’t snow somewhere in the world, I stayed. The blizzards the northeast portions of the country are experiencing this year I have memories of that make me shutter. I wish I had a dollar for every pound of snow I shoveled; I’d be living in the Bahamas’. I got some of the work done on my van before this super cold weather hit. I had a small coolant leak (a bad hose), which I knew would give me a big problem if I didn’t fix that, but the tune-up isn’t done yet. That brought back a memory of working on cars as a teen. We would load up the garage at night and turn the heat up to melt all the ice and snow off the cars to be worked on the next day. I don’t want to go back there. Already the days are getting longer and the weather will soon cooperate getting me in the mood to work on that tune-up. I hope I get it done before it’s too Texas hot to work outside.
If this brings memories back, you’re old partner! The C.R. Gleason Co. of Bottineau, North Dakota mailed a penny postcard simply addressed, Chester Bjorngaard, Maxbass, ND, postmarked June 29, 1928. It read: Dear Sir, We’re writing this letter to you today because we want you to get your money out of your Model T. It’s still as good a car as it was the day the new Model A Ford was announced and there’s no need to sacrifice it. The Model T Ford is still used by more people than any other automobile. Eight million are in active service right now and many of them can be driven one, two, three and five years and even longer. Bring your car to us and let us look it over. You’ll be surprised to see how little it costs to put it in tip-top shape. New fenders, for instance, cost from $3.50 to $5.00 each, with a labor charge of $1.00 to $2.50. Tuning up the motor and changing the commutator case, brush and vibrator points costs only $1.00, with a small charge for material. Brake shoes can be installed and emergency brakes equalized for a labor charge of only $1.25. A labor charge of $4.00 to $5.00 will cover the overhauling of the front axle, rebushing springs and spring perches, and straightening, aligning and adjusting wheels. The labor charge for overhauling the average rear axle runs from $5.75 to $7.00. Grinding valves and cleaning carbon can be done for $3.00 to $4.00. A set of four new pistons and rings costs only $7.00. For a labor charge of $20.00 to $25.00 you can have your motor and transmission completely overhauled. Parts are extra. Very truly yours.
[Hebrews 13: 8] “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The world and its inhabitants are in constant change. What applies today may not tomorrow and what is only dreamt of today could very well be reality tomorrow. One constant I can always rely on – God will never change. When I think about it, God has no reason to change anything. What God has done, has been done to perfection and needs no modifying. Any time of season in life is the time to tune-up with the Word of God, to help you run as smooth as possible and get all you can out of life, and the life to come.