Our Foolish Ways

I’ve found that there are all kinds of different workers in this world. There’s the perfectionist, me. If a job isn’t worth doing right the first time, just leave it be. Of course the perfectionist is hard to work with, but there’s a greater satisfaction in a job well done. Then there’s the person who thinks they know what their doing, but have no clue. Yeh, they have some knowledge of the area in which they are working, but leave them alone to do a specific task and generally you’ll wish you hadn’t. The worker that always did the most griping and complaining was the one who is constantly inventing ways to get out of work, all the while complaining of not enough pay. Of course there was always a gossiper, or story-teller, in among the workforce, who always had a new piece of information to share about someone else. One learns to be very careful what parts of your life you share with this sort of comrade. But, the worker I totally detest is the prankster. This is the guy who always showed up to bump your arm, or pinches the back of your leg, or sneaks up to make a loud noise at the most inopportune times. I’ve been locked in airplanes, had a dead snake tossed at me while I was literally standing on my head working under the dashboard of a car, (not a good scene), and many other pranks inflicted, resulting in personal injury or job interruption, much to my chagrin and their laughter. Pranksters have no regard for safety, thus I have no use for them.
In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that the atheist had no such recognized days, looking to abolish all religious noted days and holidays in the country. The case was brought to the courts being passed on until it reached the state supreme court. After listening to the passionate presentation by the complainant’s lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, “Case dismissed!” The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling, saying, “Your honor, how could you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays…” The judge leaned forward in his chair and interrupted, “Oh, but they do! Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant.” The lawyer replied, “Your honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists…” Again the judge interrupted, “The calendar says that April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God’. Thus it is the opinion of this court that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st of each year is his day. Court is adjourned!” You gotta love a judge who knows his scripture.
[Psalm 14; Psalm 53; Romans 3] “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Psalm 14 and 53 are nearly twins. Whenever I think as a perfectionist that I can do it all on my own, I am a fool. When I think I know it all, I am a fool. When I complain about life and how it should be better, I am a fool. Whenever I tear up or run down another’s work in the Lord, I am a fool. Whenever I totally disregard God’s law, I am a fool. I’m not perfect, but when I push God aside, I am a fool. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but through Jesus we have forgiveness of sins, and we can set aside our foolish ways.

Have a Good Laugh

I think the world is so messed up at this time, we all need a little lift of spirit and the best way I know to lift my spirit is to have a good laugh. So this week, with tongue in cheek, I think I’ll present a little Bible history lesson. I’m still going to close with a sincere thought or two. Just remember the famous words of Abraham Lincoln; "The problem with quotes on the Internet is, you can never be certain they're authentic."
In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader called “Abraham of Com” did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot. And “Dot of Com” was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she had often been called “Amazon Dot Com”. And she said to Abraham, her husband, “Why dost thou travel far from town to town with thy goods when thou can trade without ever leaving thy tent?” And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddlebags short of a camel load, but simply said, “How might I do that my dear?” And Dot replied, “I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale and they will reply telling you which hath the best price. And then the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah’s Pony Stable (UPS).” Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever moving from his tent. But this success did arouse envy. A man named Maccabia did secrete (look it up, it means to hide) himself inside Abraham’s drum and the young man did take to Dot Com’s trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. He was soon discovered and was accused of insider trading. And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed a band of rebels called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Siderites, or NERDS for short, trying to hack into the service and above all, no one noticed that the real riches were going to the drum maker, one Brother William of Gates, who bought up every drum company in the land. And indeed he did insist on making drums that would work only with Brother Gates’ drumheads and drumsticks. And Dot did say, “Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others.” And as Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or as it came to be known, eBay, he said, “We need a name that reflects what we are.” And Dot replied, “Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators.” “YAHOO!”, exclaimed Abraham. And that’s how it all got started.
[Matthew 19: 13-15; Mark 10: 13-16; Luke 18: 15-17] I think God has the greatest sense of humor. I look at what he has made in wonder and amazement, some things common in appearance, some frightening and some only a mother can love. I stand in awe of the wonders of this world and yet I can see the humor involved in the task of making it all. I think God thoroughly enjoyed himself for six days as he put together the wonders we now enjoy. I can only imagine the smiling face of my redeemer, the laughter he exhaled as a child and as an adult. Children were drawn to Jesus and parents brought their babies and children for him to touch and bless. This is a man with an inviting smile and open receptive arms for the innocence of children. He listened to them and laughed with them. Jesus says we must become as little children to enter the kingdom. We must be innocent, care free and dependent. We need to laugh with God.

God Is Always With Us

I would guess that on Friday evening last nearly everyone was once again counting their blessings and praying for earthquake ravaged Japan. The feared tsunami theory is now reality and it has many people sitting up straight in their cushy office chair taking notice. The Pacific west coast naysayers stood in awe as they watched their pleasure cabin cruisers and yachts get tossed about like toys in several harbors when the wave arrived from Japan. No, it wasn’t a big wave, but more a swell of ocean water by the time it traveled 5000 miles, nevertheless, destructive as had been predicted and promised by scientists. Japanese officials are equally surprised at the size of the tsunami as it entered their shores. The wave, about 35 feet high at the beach encroachment, traveled inland over 6 miles and destroyed everything in its wake. It is thought that some of this land had actually dropped in elevation and may never be dry again. 100,000 people plus have lost everything they ever possessed. Homes, businesses, farmlands, vehicles, animals and the lives of who knows how many people have been lost forever. Like a thief in the night and worse than an invading enemy, an earthquake has robbed and pillaged the northern sector of the island of Japan. What was once a productive region of commerce now lays waste. This is nothing new under the sun. We know fierce earthquakes and floods and tsunamis and tornadoes and whatever more evil destructive things you can think of, have existed since the birth of our planet and there’s nothing we can do about it. I’m sorry we keep multiplying and getting in the way. As usual the world will join hands in love and concern with whatever is needed to help the people of Japan recover from this devastating event in history. Do you now believe in the reality that tomorrow you too could lose it all?
Soon after Ralph died, his lawyer stood before the family and read Ralph’s Last Will and Testament. “To my dear wife Mary, I leave the house, 50 acres of land and 1 million dollars. To my son Michael, I leave my big Lexus and the Jaguar. To my daughter Suzy, I leave my yacht and $250,000. To my brother-in-law Jeff, who always insisted that health is more important than wealth, I leave my sunlamp.”
A Sunday school teacher asked the class to draw a picture illustrating a Bible story. Little Johnny drew a picture of a big car. An old man was driving, whiskers flying in the breeze. A man and a woman were sitting in the back seat of the car. Puzzled, the teacher asked Johnny to explain what Bible story he had in mind as he drew his picture. “That’s God in his car. He’s driving Adam and Eve out of the garden.”
[Ecclesiastes 5: 8 – 6: 12] Yes, even the first couple lost everything once. It was due to their disobedience true enough, but all was lost. If everyone in the world suddenly became righteous in God’s sight, would all the bad things of this world go away? I doubt it very much. Life is what it is, unpredictable. So, is it wrong to have gain and enjoy it? Not at all! Just don’t hold on to your stuff to tightly. The teacher reminds us, (v.15) “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs.” Job witnessed the same thing (Job 1:20-21) and added, “…The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (v.22) In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Where was God during the earthquake? The same place he was when his own son died. God is always with us, no matter the trial.

Mocking God

Oh boy, here we go again! The last time speculators ran amuck driving up the price of oil Bernie Madoff surfaced like a depth-charged submarine debris slick. I guess only time will tell what sort of surprise pops up after people get to a point where they can’t pay for basic necessities again. Those in Washington with “their thumb on the pulse of America” say this spike in oil and gasoline prices shouldn’t jump start inflation again. The guy with the nerve to say that probably doesn’t even own a car and can’t understand why the price of a cab ride keeps going up. Let’s talk about this. The price of diesel is higher than gasoline which is already high enough to fuel anybody’s greedy pocket. Look around your house right quick. Everything in your house, everything, at one time has been transported in a diesel powered vehicle of some kind (ship, train truck, etc). Every piece of equipment the American farmer uses, to grow the food in your foreign made refrigerator, is diesel powered. A barrel of oil produces plastics, motor fuel, heating oil, textile products and on and on, so when the price of oil is driven up for the sake of someone’s bottom line, the cost of everything to the consumer goes up simply because it costs more to manufacture goods and get them to your front door. That my friend is the formula for run-away inflation! Of course the biggest problem at the moment is how to fairly divide a few billion dollars among NFL players and coaches. That should stimulate the economy, feed the poor, lower health care costs and educate our children. At what price does the soul get recognized as valuable?
[Galatians 6: 7] “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Here are some men and women who mocked God. 1966 – Singer John Lennon, during an interview with an American magazine said: “Christianity will end; it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was okay, but his subjects were too simple. Today we are more famous than him.” After saying that the “Beatles” were more famous than Jesus Christ, Lennon was shot six times and died. Tancredo Neves, President of Brazil, during the presidential campaign said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God could remove him from office. He got the votes, got sick one day before taking office and died one month later never taking the oath of office. Cazuza, a bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet, during a show in Rio de Janeiro, while smoking a cigarette, with his head tilted back, he puffed out a big cloud of smoke and said, “God, that’s for you”. He died at the age of 32 of AIDS in a horrible manner. Of course we know about the man who designed and built the Titanic. He boldly claimed, “Not even God can sink it!” Ha! Billy Graham once visited Marilyn Monroe. He told her the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the preacher had to say, she said, “I don’t need your Jesus.” A week later she was found dead in her apartment. Bon Scott, lead singer of the band AC/DC, in one of his 1979 songs, sang, “Don’t stop me; I’m going down all the way, down the highway to hell”. On February 19, 1980 he was found dead in the back seat of a friend’s car, where he was sleeping off a night of drinking. He had chocked to death in his own vomit. Christine Hewitt, Jamaican journalist and entertainer, said the Bible was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was identified by a finger ring, burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle. God is at work in the Middle-East, no doubt.

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?