Complaining Does No Good

 

One morning a man woke up at five o’clock to a noise that sounded like someone repairing a ship’s boiler on his roof. Still in his pajamas and bare footed, he stormed out the door into the backyard to investigate. He witnessed a woodpecker on his TV antenna “pounding his little brains out on the metal pole.” Angry at the little creature who ruined his sleep, the man picked up a rock and threw it towards the bird. The rock sailed over the rooftop and in the distance, he heard a crashing sound as it hit his car. In utter disgust, he took a vicious kick at a dirt clod, only to remember, too late, he was still in his bare feet. Uncontrolled anger, as the man soon discovered, can sometimes be its own reward. “An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression” (Proverbs 29:22).

There is a tendency among most of us to complain. We complain about almost anything, almost all the time. The coffee is not hot enough, or it’s too hot. He weather is always too wet, (well not in South Texas), too cold, windy, or hot. Our spouse doesn’t cook the meals we want. Our team missed the playoffs, again! Taxes are too high and government services are too little. The preacher is boring and talks too long. Overhearing some of our conversations, many could conclude that we must be extremely depressed.

After freeing Israel from their slavery in Egypt, God cared for them in the wilderness. Throughout their journeys God provided food and protection. But, during that time of extra-ordinary care, they complained about the food, the water, their leaders, and just about everything else. Their complaining was so intense that God was wanting to destroy them all and start over with Moses’ family (Numbers 14:11-12). We must learn from the mistakes of the past. Paul wanted the Corinthians to learn from the mistakes of Israel during their wilderness wanderings (1 Corinthians 10:1-13).

Both happiness and sadness are choices. We decide to be happy or sad. For many of us it is not a conscious choice, but it is still a choice. If we make the wrong choice, we can always change our decision. We can choose to be positive. We can choose to enjoy life. We can choose to give thanks for the coffee in our cup rather than complain about its temperature. We can choose to give thanks for the food we have rather than complaining about the recipe used to prepare it. As children of God in fellowship with one another, we can choose to appreciate one another’s strengths instead of complaining about each other’s failures. Each and every one of us will have personal problems. Each one of us also has talents and strengths. Each one of us is loved by the Lord. James wrote that we should not whine about each other, bringing judgment against ourselves (James 5:8-9). Choose to be positive and be happy in the joy of the Lord.

[Philippians 2:14-16] Never once did our Lord have a path free from trouble. When He went into the wilderness, He was tempted of the devil. When He tried to rest, the multitudes followed Him. When He taught in the synagogue, the hearers became angry and sought to throw Him off the brow of a hill. When He gave others rest for their souls, He had no place to lay His head. When He sought peace in the garden, they came with swords and staves, and led Him away to the halls of judgment. When He did His best to be kind and loving in the face of mockery, they took Him as a sheep to slaughter and drenched Calvary with His precious blood. And yet, in spite of it all, He never grumbled about His burden. Jesus did not complain at all! He just went about doing good. Let us be like Him! The busiest are the happiest. Cheerful, active labor is a blessing. The busy, the active, the happy, the cheerful, don’t have time to complain. “…Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins?” (Lamentations 3:37-39). Lord, forgive.

The Four Chaplains Did It

 

In a recent article, Phillip Morrison retold the story of four chaplains in the U.S. military who died in heroic fashion on the same day. George Fox, Alexander Goode, Clark Poling, and John Washington had just graduated from Army Chaplains School at Harvard and were headed to Europe for their first WWll assignments. Shortly after midnight on February 3, 1943, their ship, the U.S.A. Transport Dorchester, was torpedoed by a German submarine off the coast of Newfoundland. As these chaplains helped the 904 troops on board seek to escape the sinking ship, they realized they were out of life vests. All four removed their vests and gave them to soldiers. The last recorded view of these four heroes was of them arm in arm singing hymns, as they went down with the ship. Such unselfish sacrifice led Congress, by unanimous vote in 1988, to declare February 3^rd to be “Four Chaplains Day.” This historical account made me ask myself for whom would I be willing to die? Would I give my life for my wife? How would I respond if the doctor said that a medical treatment that would save my son or daughter from a fatal cancer would cost me my own life? It has been said that our service men sign a blank check as they enter military service - willing to pay any price to defend our country. The early Christians were willing to die defending Jesus and advancing His kingdom. That sacrifice is being repeated by thousands in our world today. Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends.” We must never forget that Jesus did just that, and that He calls us to willingly sacrifice all things for His Cause.

An interesting phenomenon has occurred across North America for several winters. Individuals and groups have made some things to help those who are cold and in need. The things are scarves, and they are turning up in unusual places - wrapped around trees, fire hydrants, light poles, hanging on fences, etc. On a fire hydrant, a note inside the scarf read: “I AM NOT LOST! If you need this to stay warm, then please take it. It is yours. Be warm and do something to help someone else today if you can” Good Samaritans are leaving scarves out for the homeless in Canadian and U.S. cities. Another scarf, wrapped around a parking meter contained a note that said, “I’m not lost. If you are cold, I’m yours. I was made for you to take.” Made for you to take - the scarves “knew” their purpose and were in the process of fulfilling that purpose. From around the country, it is reported that the scarves are gone within hours of being put out for distribution to needy (lost) souls.

[Luke 19:8-10] ‘Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.”’ The Lord Jesus knew his purpose while he was on this earth and went about doing it. “…Behold, I have come – In the volume of the book it is written of Me – To do Your will, O God.” (Hebrews 10:5-7; Psalm 40:6-8). He also said to God, “I glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). Those who follow God also have a clearly stated purpose in the Old Testament, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). Help someone see the purpose God has for us all and help them fulfill it. Help save a lost soul today.

Seeing Me Safely Home

 

A group of travelers were on an airplane as it went through a violent storm. The plane was rocking and shaking, raising, and dropping, and the passengers were becoming increasingly disturbed. Among them was a preacher. This “man of God” who was expected to be a rock of stability and example of calm was becoming restlessly afraid himself. What words of strength could he offer to his fellow travelers in the midst of this danger and frightful situation? None, for he was too scared himself. The preacher noticed a young boy across the aisle sitting calmly in his seat, seemingly unbothered by the terrible storm. He asked, “Young man, are you not scared in this storm?” The boy answered, “Oh, I’m not afraid at all.” The preacher pondered his statement and decided to ask, “Well, why is it that your not afraid?” The boy looked at the preacher and said, “My father is the pilot of this plane and he promised to get me safely home. So, I’m not worried, because I know he will take care of me.” Do you trust that your Heavenly Father is caring for you?

A man and his son walked across a long narrow bridge. It spanned a broad river and the boy said, “Daddy, I’m afraid. Do you see all that water down there?” The father took note of his son’s concern and said, “Give me your hand, son.” The moment the boy felt his father’s hand, he was no longer afraid. In the evening on their trek home, they had to cross the bridge again only this time it was pitch dark. “Now I’m more afraid than this morning!” the boy cried out. The father took the boy in his arms, and while carrying him across the bridge the boy fell asleep, exhausted from the long day of adventure, to awaken the next day in his own bed. Is this what it’s like for the believing, faithful Christian, when death overtakes them? One falls asleep and wakes up at Home. Something to think about.

[Psalm 19] Perhaps at some time in your life you stopped to admire a sunset – all the wonderful colors glossing into a farewell for the day; Venus begins shining brightly in the evening sky, almost calling to the other lesser lights. Or perhaps there was a time when you stood at the edge of a lake as morning was just beginning to break – there was a faint mist rising from the ground and water that gave everything a slightly ethereal look; the sound of birds beginning to sing and the odd animal moving through the underbrush or splash­ing in the water. In either of these scenar­ios a believer is awe-struck at the beauty given by God, and more so the fact that some people just cannot see the hand of God moving in this world. Perhaps there was a time in your life when you knew there was going to be a difficult road ahead, something you knew had to be done but you didn’t want to do it; but then, your mind went back to Jesus in the Garden and you read one of the accounts in the Gospels … your eyes lingering on the words, “Not my will, by Thy will be done.” Maybe there was a time when you stood by an open grave and someone in a dark suit began to read a passage that was all too familiar at a time like this; your eyes be­ginning to burn with tears as the words mingle with the smell of flowers and fresh earth, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want …” The natural world screams in its beauty and complexity, “God made me! I am a witness to the greatness of the Lord!” The Scriptures witness to the awesome fact that God loves us enough to leave a mes­sage that would guide and enlighten all His children. (2 Timothy 1:12; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Hebrews 13:5-6; Psalm 46:1-2) You and I may confront many storms in life. Sometimes the violent crashes fall all around us, and we’ll be tempted to be afraid. But we must remember, as Christians, that during our pilgrimage through this world, our Father is in charge. He is taking care of us. He is watching over us, and He will see us safely home! All Aboard!

Don't Ruin It For Others

 

Have you ever considered the repercussions caused by the actions of your life upon others in the world? I’ve been sitting on a few short anecdotes I’d like to knit together in an attempt to illustrate my thought of personal impacts that could shift the lives of others.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln went into the general store business with another fellow and it failed? Lincoln ended up $1,100 in debt. He could have pleaded divided responsibility and found a legal loophole of escape but that wasn’t Lincoln’s way. Instead, he went to his creditors and promised to pay them every dollar with interest if they would just give him some time. Then for the next 14 years Lincoln scraped, saved, and paid back debts that were not all his. Even when he was a member of congress, he sent part of his salary home to pay off the last remnants of that old general store debt. “Honest Abe” went the extra mile. You know when you’re dishonest you’ll always get caught, but when you insist on being honest even though you’ve got to go the extra mile to do it, you will have a clear conscious and perhaps become President someday.

Oscar Wilde said, “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” I’m sure you know what he was talking about. Those folks of whom your best memory involves a door swinging shut as they walk out of it. Yet they may not be the most damaging of folks. It’s those that leave, yet somehow still remain. People whose caustic words sting even after the sound has died away. There’s the person whose bad performance makes everyone question if the job is valid in the first place. A false teacher whose lies still confuse even after they’ve moved down the road. They leave a stain behind that someone else has to clean up. You can’t do much about those people, but you can make sure you’re not one of them. Instead of going out with a thud, leave on a high note. Make a mark, not a stain. Leave a good taste in their mouth, not an unpleasant one. When you fellowship and share try to make others better, not bitter.

A story is told of a young sailor who called his parents from San Diego upon his return from Vietnam. He said he was bringing his buddy home with him. “Mom”, he began, “My buddy is pretty broken up. He was severely wounded, has only one leg, one arm, and one eye.” After a long pause, his mother said, “Of course, son, he can stay with us – a little while.” Her voice carried the note that she would not like to be burdened for long with such a handicapped person. Three days later the parents received word that their son had jumped to his death from a hotel window. When they received his body for burial, they discovered their son had only one leg… one arm… and one eye.

[1 Peter 3:8-16] There’s a lot of bad news out there. The stock market is in trouble, thousands of jobs are on the line, and threats of terrorism are shadowed in the background. And we each have our own personal pain and problems to contend with – financial, physical, medical, and relationship problems touch us all from time to time. Bad news always comes from the world and always will as long as the earth exists.

The good news is, God’s “Good News” lasts forever! And we should rejoice in it always (Philippians 4:4). The good news takes care of life’s biggest problem: sin and its terrible results. The Bible says that love should be our highest aim in life, which will help keep us from sinning. Love is the basic need of human nature. God’s love gives us hope, and the promise of eternal joy. When we share God’s love with others, we honestly share His grace with a clear conscience, improving the lives of others as well as our own. So be encouraged. God’s “Good News” is victorious over all bad news. Love and live as Christ.

Caring Less Without Dad

 

The two-ton elephant in the room today is the socialized technological WWIII we are all engaged in, whether one wants to admit it or not. The top three deplorable practices of this war are propaganda, euthanasia, and abortion - all aimed at population control. I guess it’s true – “Those who do not learn history (or choose to ignore it) are doomed to repeat it.”

Alexander the Great, Rome, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, China’s Mao Tse Tung, Cambodia’s Pol Pot, Castro, Che Guevara, Nicolae Ceausescu...all have innocent blood on their hands and are rightly denounced. We correctly condemn their butchery. Yet, in the United States, since 1973, over 70 million innocent lives have been killed by abortion!!!!!

The abortion issue seems to center upon whether the fetus is a living person or just a part of the mother. If it is a person, aborting the fetus is murder. If it is just a part of the mother, aborting the fetus is just a procedure. There is a broad gap between the two ideas.

Questions? * Does a body part resemble an entire human being and have a tiny little face? * Does a body part have a heart and a brain? * Does a body part cry out when it is cut out? * Does a body part live after it is removed? * Does a body part have a soul - a spirit? * Does a body part get a name before it is removed? * Does a body part kick its "mother" in the womb and look like a human in an ultrasound? * Does a body part cry for help with a mother wanting to hold and nurture it? * Does a body part, being removed, cause guilt and shame? * Does a body part have millions fighting for its right to live? Who can honestly answer these questions and say that a fetus (child) removed from the mother's womb through abortion is just a body part? That is a lie, and everyone knows it. The baby in the womb is as much a child as an eagle is an eagle while still in the egg. Yet we make laws to protect eagle eggs and make other laws to allow the murder of our children.

 [Proverbs 6:16-19] Our elected officials who make the laws and those who support them ought to be ashamed. The doctors and nurses who carry out the abortion procedures should be ashamed. Any mother who aborts her child should be ashamed. We are a confused and evil nation. We need to repent of this national disgrace and fight for the lives of those tiny, unborn human beings.

Empathy is the ability to feel for others. It’s what makes us care about each other as people and forms the roots of compassion and love. In a world that struggles with bullying, anger, and coldness, you could imagine why people want to know how to build it. Richard Koestner, a psychologist at McGill University was attempting to do just that. He looked and found a study that had been conducted at Yale University back in the 1950s. It involved 75 men and women who had been part of a study when they were children. When Koestner and his colleagues examined all the factors in the children's lives that might have affected how empathetic they became as adults, one factor dwarfed all others—how much time their fathers spent with them. They were expecting other factors, such as how affectionate parents were with their children, would have been a key factor. In reality, it made no difference. Just spending time with Dad did. Fathers play a vital role in the lives of their children. Many of the issues our world faces today are directly related to the lack fathers have in the lives of their children. Fathers are to be examples of discipline (Hebrews 12:9-11) and spiritual instruction (Ephesians 6:4) to their offspring. Fathers can’t do it if they aren’t around. If we what to have quality children, it starts with quality time - with them. You can’t have quality time without quantity time. If you want children to care, you need to show them how much you care. When children care, unwanted pregnancies will cease, and abortion will be un-needed.