PastorTim

SO CLOSE BUT YET SO FAR

The year was 1980 and my darling fiancé and I were going out for pizza with her sister’s family somewhere in Columbus. Now keep in mind this was back when my familiarity with the States Capital was null and void. We ended up at a pizza place somewhere downtown and I must tell you that over 30 years later I can still remember the taste of that pizza! It was delicious, it was unique and believe it or not it was the topic of conversation between Terri and I for years to come. We were married the next year and from time to time we mentioned that pizza, even asking her sister where it was although she had forgotten the name of the place. Years passed and the memory had faded a bit but still from time to time that pizza from Columbus came up in a conversation. Not long ago the subject came up after a meeting with Pastor friends in the Columbus area and in passing I shared my memory of that night and that incredible pizza. Without hesitation one of my colleagues’ spoke up and said, “I know the place you are describing.”What? Could it be? After all these years? “Planks Pizza on Parsons is the place,” he announced. So last week, I googled it, I ordered it, I picked it up and eureka I have found it!!!! Let me tell you, it tasted just as good last week as it did 30 years ago! But here’s the rub. Plank’s is located on Parsons Ave., which is real close to Children’s hospital. Not only did we live in Columbus in the early 80’s, not only did we take our own children to Children’s over the years, but as a Pastor in Central Ohio I’ve been there maybe a hundred times in the last 30 yrs!!! Oh the pain…so close but yet so far! The same memorable taste, the exceptional culinary experience was right there all the time and… yet so far away.

You know, as I think about it, it kind of reminds me of many a persons experience or missed opportunity with Jesus. My mind goes to an event in the latter days of Jesus life when he enters Jerusalem for the last time and is hailed as a king yet in his heart he is aware they really don’t know him for who he is. And worse yet the entire world is actually missing him altogether. Luke records it this way, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadest known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” He was there and they missed Him. So close and yet so far.

Some years ago an energetic young man began as a clerk in a hardware store. Like many old- time hardware stores, the inventory included thousands of dollars' worth of items that were obsolete or seldom called for by customers. The young man was smart enough to know that no thriving business could carry such an inventory and still show a healthy profit. He proposed a sale to get rid of the stuff. The owner was reluctant but finally agreed to let him set up a table in the middle of the store and try to sell off a few of the oldest items. Every product was priced at ten cents. The sale was a success and the young fellow got permission to run a second sale. It, too, went over just as well as the first. This gave the young clerk an idea. Why not open a store that would sell only nickel and dime items? He could run the store and his boss could supply the capital. The young man's boss was not enthusiastic. "The plan will never work," he said, "because you can't find enough items to sell at a nickel and a dime." The young man was disappointed but eventually went ahead on his own and made a fortune out of the idea. His name was F.W. Woolworth. Years later his old boss lamented, "As near as I can figure it, every word I used in turning Woolworth down has cost me about a million dollars!" Missing out on tasting a certain pizza for thirty years is not a big deal really. And in the realm of eternity, even millions of dollars won’t matter that much, but I do believe this, that missing Jesus in this life and in the life to come would be more of a tragedy that any word’s could describe. The good news is you don’t have to!

 

 

THAT BACKWARD FEELING

Did you ever get the feeling you were headed in the wrong direction? I did recently when I pulled into one of those nice automatic car washes. You know the ones with rainbow colored soap that makes you feel like you are buried alive in a tie dyed shirt! It’s like driving through a lawn sprinkler test facility. At any rate, I pull into the wash, put my car in park and out of habit, I glance down at my I-phone. This is when the sensation begins. I see out of the corner of my eye some movement. Panic immediately grips me; the car is moving backwards isn’t it? But how? So I instinctively slam on the brakes! But wait, I wasn’t moving at all! It was just the sprayers moving down both sides of my car gently pre soaking it’s exterior. By the way next time you are waiting in line at a car wash, just watch the brake lights flash on as the car wash begins for the car in front of you! It’s hilarious! But my point, yes back to my point. Have you ever experienced the feeling of moving in the wrong direction? Car washes aren’t the only place that feeling occurs.

It happens in careers all the time. You are cruising along your journey to the top rung of the corporate ladder and one day you look around and you are no longer headed in the direction you had planned. Momentum has slowed so gradually that you didn’t even noticed until it was too late. Panic takes over and you respond hopefully with the right decision to correct the course. The same sensation can be experienced in the arena of relationships. Through the course of time, lack of communication, miss-placed priorities, and a once thriving relationship can begin to slide in the wrong direction with devastating consequences. Just ask the couple who has grown apart and are filing for divorce. Ask the couple whose marriage has failed and looking back they were so busy they can’t even remember when the shift in direction took place. The brakes are applied, but often it is too late.

What about your relationship with the Lord? Have you ever sensed that you were growing farther away instead of closer to Him? Maybe it’s time to slam on the brakes and ponder with me the words of Jesus from Luke’s gospel, “And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him.” One paraphrase says, “After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.” Now what stands out to me as I listen to Jesus call on Levi’s life is the word follow. This particular word according to Webster is listed as a verb, which means in essence to go, or to proceed. It implies motion in a forward direction. Now I know I’m not the smartest cookie in the jar, but I do believe I understand enough to know the difference between moving forward and going backward. And I also believe that Jesus intends for us to be moving in the forward direction as we follow Him.

Moving in the wrong direction can be bad, real bad in fact. Such as the story of the failed escape attempt in Mexico. In November 1975, 75 convicts started digging a secret tunnel designed to bring them up at the other side of the wall of Saltillo Prison in northern Mexico. On April 18, 1976, guided by pure genius, they tunneled up into the nearby courtroom in which many of them had been sentenced. The surprised judges returned all 75 to jail. Like I said, the direction you are moving matters! The truth of the matter is that you and I are headed spiritually in one direction or another. The sad fact is that many don’t realize they are going in the wrong direction until it is too late. The brakes are applied but the damage has been done. The enemy of our soul would have us oblivious to our direction until out of the corner of our eye we catch a glimpse we are not accustomed to and we panic. Let me encourage you today to look around and see which direction you are headed and respond accordingly.

Life is a great teacher isn’t it? I remember reading about former pro basketball star Bill Bradley sharing that at the age of 15 he attended a summer basketball camp that was run by Easy Ed Macauley, a former college and pro star. "Just remember that if you're not working at your game to the utmost of your ability," Macauley told his assembled campers, "there will be someone out there somewhere with equal ability who will be working to the utmost of his ability. And one day you'll play each other, and he'll have the advantage." I must say that my little incident in the car wash was funny and uneventful, but sadly, many have applied the brakes only to find it was too late. This is probably why the scriptures admonish us to, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” The great news is that we don’t have to go in the wrong direction! Don’t wait to late too discover which way you are headed.

 

 

 

 

 

THOSE PESKY MAYANS

Perhaps you have heard “although I am not really sure how you could have missed it,” that according to an ancient Mexican civilization called the Mayans the world is set to come an end on December the 21^st, 2012. Now that we find ourselves using the numbers 2012 on our checks and other documents we sign, many an ear has perked up! The Mayan civilization, which reached its height from 300 A.D. to 900 A.D., are credited with the doomsday theories which stem from a stone tablet discovered in the 1960s at the archaeological site of Tortuguero in the Gulf of Mexico state of Tabasco that describes the return of a Mayan god at the end of a 13th period. What one might be able to predict with an air of certainty is that Mexico’s tourism industry will have a real good year! For some the prospects of this year being the last will cause a clear level of discomfort. There are quite a few unfinished tasks still undone out there! Projects to complete, sock drawers to organize and who knows, this might have just been the year for the Cubs! I would like to say though that if perchance those pesky Mayans are correct in their prediction, it will not be because they figured this out themselves, it will be because God, the Creator, says it’s time! You see, the real question is not whether or not the world will come to and end in 2012; the real question is that if it does, are you ready?

 

In April 1988 the evening news reported on a photographer who was also a skydiver. He had jumped from a plane along with several other skydivers and filmed the group as they individually dove out of the plane and opened their parachutes. As the video was being shown of each member of the crew jumping out and then pulling their rip chord so that their parachute opened to the wind, the final skydiver opened his chute and then the picture went berserk. The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without a parachute. It wasn’t until he reached for the ripcord that he realized he was free falling without a parachute. Up until then, he was enjoying himself and was absorbed in what he was doing. But tragically, he was unprepared for the jump. It did not matter how many times he had done it before or what skill he had. By forgetting the parachute he made a foolish and deadly mistake. Nothing could save him, because his faith was in a parachute, which he had never taken the trouble to buckle on. It is a story not unlike the parable, which Jesus told about the foolish bridesmaids forgetting to bring something very important and necessary. He was not ready. He was unprepared. It would do no good to try and borrow a parachute of someone else’s on their way to meet the ground. He was not prepared and he passed the point of no return. The story, which is found in Matthew 25, reveals to us a few very relevant points.

The first is: You must be spiritually ready. If there is one thing I could get across to Christians here in America it would be this: Spiritual readiness, preparation and growth does not just happen. It comes as a result of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is interesting that in the parable the bridesmaids all appeared to be alike. They all thought of themselves as bridesmaids. They all dressed alike. They were all expecting the bridegroom. When the bridegroom was delayed they all fell asleep. They all had lamps. All of them trimmed their lamps. They all wanted to be a part of the wedding feast. But not all of them were prepared. The second lesson of the parable is: No one can do it for you. No one can wear a parachute in your place. It doesn’t work that way. You need your own. Don’t try to borrow someone else’s oil, be sure to have some of your own. Character cannot be borrowed. Neither can a relationship with God be borrowed. William Barclay says, “We cannot always be living on the spiritual capital which others have amassed. There are certain things we must acquire for ourselves.” A third point of the parable is: There is a time called “Too Late.” The experience of death is the great hope of the Christian and the great fear of the world — likewise the return to earth of Jesus Christ. The second coming of Christ will be with finality and power.

The Chicago Tribune carried a story titled “Man Electrocuted After Ignoring Warnings .” Jason Grisham shouldn’t be alive. During his attempt to scale an electrical tower, the 22-year-old man received a shock that is usually fatal. Partway up the tower, 69,000 volts of electricity coursed through his body, knocking Grisham to the ground. Despite suffering burns to his chest and having his pants explode, the newspaper said the young man was admitted to the hospital in good condition. (I’m not sure who made that assessment, or if Grisham would agree with it.) How did Grisham get into such a predicament? One thing is for sure: it was no accident. A seven-foot-tall fence, topped with barbed wire, surrounded the electrical tower. Electric company spokeswoman Angeline Protegere said the spot where Grisham climbed over the fence was bracketed by signs saying “Danger/High Voltage. With all that’s happening in the Middle East and in the world in general there are a number of warning signs. Which leads me to say again, the real question is not whether or not the world will come to and end in 2012; the real question is that if it does, are you ready?

 

 

LIKE SANDS THROUGH THE HOUR GLASS…

You were probably expecting that phrase to be followed by, “These are the days of our lives”. After thousands of episodes since 1965 many have heard those words during the afternoon hours. By the way, though I don’t watch soap operas, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Bo and Hope are still alive and well in Salem in 2012! How is it possible to look that good after all these years? Anyway, I digress.  Even though no one said it as well as MacDonald Carey, we all experience life. Christmas 2011 has come and gone and all that remains is the reflection and of course, the clean up. The wrapping paper strewn about the tree, the kitchen and dining room all cluttered up and of course the Christmas tree. Now when it comes to the Christmas tree in our family, we are taker downers as opposed to leaver uppers. So we pull out the boxes and begin to carefully place the ornaments and decorations inside to await their re-appearance next Christmas season. Now whether you’re a taker downer or a leaver upper let me encourage you when you do pack away your Yuletide reminders, don’t pack away Jesus also! So let me encourage you as you begin your after Christmas clean up and prepare to begin a new year to keep these three things in mind when it comes to Jesus. First, don’t pack him away. Jesus is a year round gift. In fact the Birth of Jesus in the manger points us to the redeeming work of Christ on Calvary. Secondly, don’t mark him down. Funny isn’t it how that the value of gifts decrease after the holidays. That pair of gloves is now 50% off, the toy you paid full price for is now 60% off. And of course the Christmas decorations that you needed after thanksgiving are now a whopping 75% off! Please don’t let that happen with Jesus in your life. The timeless Gift God gave to us in his Son is priceless and not to be taken lightly. Don’t cheapen the Lord by the way you live your life. And lastly don’t forget he exists. It can be rather comical when the primary things are made secondary. Victor Borge told about a couple going on vacation, standing in line waiting to check their bags at the airline counter. The husband said to the wife, "I wish we had brought the piano." The wife said, "Why? We've got sixteen bags already!" The husband said, "Yes, I know-- but the tickets are on the piano!" Leaving Jesus out of your entire year is just as hard as trying to hammer without a nail, cook without heat and of course fly without a ticket.

I was singing an old song recently that if I remember correctly was inspired by, would you believe it, John Wayne! It was said that the he was talking to a good friend of his by the name of Stuart Hamblen. Something the Duke said inspired Hamblen to write these words, “It is no secret what God can do, What He's done for others, He'll do for you, With arms wide open, He'll pardon you, It is no secret what God can do.” What an incredible thought as we prepare to journey from one year to the next don’t you think? To be reminded that it’s not a secret is what stands out to me. The wonderful Grace of God is extended to everyone, and for everyone to know. From the testimony of the shepherds to you and I today, what we know, we are to tell. Listen to the verses of Hamblen’s song, “The chimes of time ring out the news, another day is through, someone slipped and fell. Was that someone you? You may have longed for added strength, your courage to renew

Do not be disheartened, for I have news for you. There is no night for in His light, you never walk alone. Always feel at home, wherever you may go. There is no power can conquer you, While God is on your side, Take Him at His promise, don’t run away and hide. It is no secret what God can do, What He's done for others, He'll do for you. With arms wide open, He'll pardon you, It is no secret what God can do” What a song! What a message for that matter! There is another interesting side note to that tune. It was said that a dear saint who met Stuart Hamblen remarked, “Mr. Hamblen, you didn’t write that song, you just got to hold the pen!” I love that! What a truth that is. The good news of the gospel is not and was not our invention; we simply get to share the story. So with Christmas over and a new year before us, may we endeavor to share the best-kept secret that the world has ever known! Paul reminded us in the letter he wrote to a church in Corinth, “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” And Jesus mandate to every Christ Follower is clear, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” As the world turns, as years begin and end and as we each journey on through our lives we have our marching orders do we not? Tell the story, live the story, and whatever you do, don’t keep it a secret. It is no secret what God can do, if we’ll just let him. Happy New Year!

 

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BABY

Some of you who read this will know exactly what I am talking about when I say that a grandchild has quite an effect on a person! For me it began small but in a matter of months if she’s in the room I can let a Western Burger get cold, a cup of delicious Starbucks coffee go unnoticed and here’s the kicker, if she spits up on a $60.00 Brooks Brothers tie, who cares! I tell you, I’ve got it bad! It all becomes glaringly apparent on Christmas morning though. We were blessed this year to have our sweet little granddaughter with us on Christmas morning and though everyone in the house had presents with tags bearing their names on them, yet the coffee got cold and the gifts remained unopened. Nothing mattered, but the baby! It was then I said to myself…It’s all about the baby!

 

As I pondered that phrase for a few seconds I realized, that it’s really true of Christmas! This season, this day, and this story we celebrate, the Christmas story… its all about the baby! Ask the shepherds, they could tell you. They probably would have described in great detail the angels appearing to them as they watched their flocks. The amazing message and the heavenly music would have been the topic of many a conversation throughout the remainder of their lifetimes, but at some point as they shared the events of that night with family and friends they would have gotten to the baby, oh the baby. The moment they beheld him, the scene when they arrived at the manger. Everything is easily eclipsed by the baby. You could ask the magi. Ask them about the moment they first saw the star in the east, ask them about the royal treatment they received in the palace of Herod the king, they may even share the excitement of the moment they drew near to the small town of Bethlehem. They would gladly share the story but at some point their words would focus on the moment they saw the baby. They had witnessed much in their travels but nothing to compare to the Christ Child. Oh but can you just imagine the first glimpse of the Messiah by Mary and Joseph? They of all people knew that he was truly God’s son. Promised to Mary in her meeting with Gabriel and confirmed to Joseph in a dream. But that moment they saw him. That first moment they saw the baby. God’s promise fulfilled, God’s dream come true, and mankind’s greatest hope laying there looking into their eyes. The wonderful and joyous truth is that promise is still real, the hope is still alive and those eyes are still looking.

 

The Promise has come to pass. In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies regarding Christ. He says, "The chance that any man might have ...fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10 to the 17th. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.” (one hundred quadrillion) Stoner suggests that "we take 10 to the 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly... Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?" Stoner concludes, "Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man...providing they wrote them in their own wisdom." Hey, in a day where we hear the words billion and trillion bantered about without hesitation, quadrillion is a bit staggering! But that’s what God does when he keeps His promise. What is impossible with man is possible with God! And though it is staggering and overwhelming for the world to comprehend it is true!

Not only is the promise still true, but hope is still alive! George Bernard Shaw is perhaps most renowned as a free thinker and liberal philosopher. In his last writings we read, "The science to which I pinned my faith is bankrupt. Its counsels, which should have established the millennium, led, instead, directly to the suicide of Europe. I believed them once. In their name I helped to destroy the faith of millions of worshippers in the temples of a thousand creeds. And now they look at me and witness the great tragedy of an atheist who has lost his faith." You see friend because of the baby it doesn’t have to be so. We have His promise and we can experience His Hope. G.K. Chesterton once said, “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all...As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.” Lastly those eyes are still looking. Though many have forgotten or perhaps have never been taught, Jesus still looks their way. Though many have tried to deny his existence or defeat His purpose He still casts a watchful gaze. You see, that is why He came. For me and for you, for the seeking and for the satisfied, for the rich and for the poor he watches and longs for each of His creation to experience Him. Himself, the baby, the gift of God given to a needy and searching world. It really is all about the baby you see. If you miss the baby you miss Him. So as the paper is cleaned up and the decorations are put away, as the resolutions are considered and the weight is lost, and as the world gets back into a normal kind of swing may we never forget and may our lives always reflect the truth…that it is all about the baby!

 

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

Maybe it’s because I am now a “papaw” or it’s because I’m just getting old. At any rate I just love that cute Hallmark commercial with the sweet little girl who is enamored with the cunningly devised Christmas Tree ornament that has a LED screen that counts down the days to Christmas. I absolutely love the expressions on her face as the days get closer to zero hour. Christmas morning, the big kahuna, the whole enchilada… you know, that moment that children everywhere wait for with baited breath. Then it’s finally here, in all its glory no less. Then as the young-un’s bask in the glow of the Christmas tree lights and the smell of shredded wrapping paper the gifts are enjoyed, the coffee is made and parents everywhere breath a sigh of relief before slipping off to a well deserved nap… that is of course unless you have five stops to make at an assortment of relatives throughout the day! Tis the season, remember? I remember the excitement myself. That moment when my eyes beheld the presents under the tree. I remember the looks on my children’s faces as dreams came true and wishes were realized. 

Part of me wonders if Mary and Joseph must have felt it too. Of course they were not beholding a tree, but a small bundle of joy wrapped in swaddling clothes. There were no presents or wrapping paper, but what their eyes gazed upon was the greatest gift ever given. I mean ever! The shepherd’s lives would never be the same again; all their plans and dreams for the future were now refocused because of this gift. The wise men would not only find the king they were seeking but would because of their obedience to the sign that led them to a small town they too would never be the same. Why even Herod knew something was up, and this gift to all mankind would drastically upset his world as well. It is good to remember as we once again count down the days until Christmas a few thoughts that allow us to keep this special time of year in it’s proper perspective. First, God alone chose to do this. I love that even John 3:16 becomes a Christmas verse this time of year, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Next may we remember that God alone is to be thanked! Paul said it this way, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” He is the giver, we the receiver. This gift came not from the government, the department stores or even our family, it came from God himself. Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn't. Instead he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!" The King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, gave himself to you and me.  Perhaps the greatest truth that needs remembering is the fact that the Gift is still available today! A few years ago I was interviewing Gordon Mote on Daystar’s Tri State Celebration and in the middle of the summer he shared this song that I have grown to love. It goes like this, “There was a star in the Eastern sky, That shone down on Bethlehem, A few had recognized the sign A King was born to them, And it drew them to a manger, To a virgin mother's son, Who would draw us to salvation, God's gift to everyone. In these crazy troubled times, The world seems so out of tune, Sometime's it's like we're living, Without a flame to light the room. If you're feeling faithless, and you think you've lost your way, Oh there is a hope that's bright enough to turn your night to day. And the star still shines, After all this time, as a light for you and me. It beckons us to seek him, Wise men still do, Wise men still do. It won't go out after Christmas, like a candle in the wind, it's a light that shines forever, not just every now and then. And the star still shines, After all this time, as a light for me and you. It beckons us to seek him, Wise men still do, Wise men still do, Wise men still do.” Those words ring so very true once again this Christmas, don’t they? For their entire careers, wireless operators onboard US Navy and merchant ships had only heard Morse code coming through their headphones. However, a few days before Christmas in 1906, operators from the shore informed the ships' crews to listen at 9 PM on Christmas Eve for something special. With curiosity, the ships' operators--affectionately known as "sparks"--tuned in as was suggested. Suddenly, they heard something that made them think they were dreaming. They heard singing and a violin solo, then a man speaking. Some called their captain and ship's officers to come and listen along with them. The genius responsible was Reginald Fessenden. He had succeeded in transmitting voice and music over the air. Fessenden played a violin solo of "O Holy Night" as he sang the last verse. He also read about the birth of Jesus from Luke. Luke's account of the angels' song "Glory to God in the Highest--and on Earth--Peace to Men of Goodwill" was heard as if by miracle. Fessenden concluded his broadcast by wishing all a Merry Christmas. So allow me to end with the timeless message that was first heralded abroad by the shepherds, Merry Christmas!

 

YOU JUST CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!

While driving to work early this morning I heard the news that Christmas carolers were asked to leave a Post Office in Maryland this week. JP Duffy writes regarding the incident he along with his wife and daughter Audrey experienced personally, “The three of us stood in line along with dozens of other customers at the U.S. Post Office located in the Aspen Hill Shopping Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. We were preparing our packages when Audrey tugged on my sleeve, saying, “Daddy, Daddy, look.” I turned to see a bright smile on her face as she pointed to a trio of Christmas carolers entering the post office who looked like they had stepped off the theatre stage of “A Christmas Carol.” The gentleman of the group wore a top hat and the ladies were arrayed with shawls and bonnets. Dickens would be proud. Everyone turned their attention to the carolers in anticipation of that annual tradition that we’ve all experienced. They were only a few notes into their carol when suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I saw a scowling postal manager rushing to confront the carolers.  He angrily told them that they had to leave immediately because they were “violating the post office’s policy against solicitation.” Here we go again!

Tis the season once again for the “War on Christmas”. I thought of entitling this column, “HO HO HUMBUG!” or even “OH LITTLE TOWN OF BEDLAHM” but I found myself quickly averting to the obvious title YOU JUST CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP! Along with the previously mentioned episode this past week has brought to my attention an elementary school principal in Stockton, CA, who has banned Santa Claus and poinsettias from the classroom. When a local reporter asked why, a district official explained, "Teachers are encouraged to be respectful." Respectful of what? Poinsettias are now considered religious symbols that will offend non-Christians? Other schools in the Stockton area are also making sure there is a separation of church and state at holiday-themed school functions. At Pittman Charter School, there will be a Winter Ball instead of a Christmas Ball. “I think we have to be respectful to the Jewish kids, Muslims, all the different religions. Tom Uslan, the superintendent of the Lincoln Unified School District, said “there is a myriad of religious affiliations (in the community) … we don’t want a pervasive theme of a class to be representing one religious affiliation.” I do so wish for the sake of our nation’s future that these and other principles alike were aware that education in this nation began by not only including the Bible in classrooms and teaching the letters of the alphabet with scripture references and instructing our children to pray and memorize scripture. And as to the separation of church and state, I would suggest a clear understanding of Thomas Jefferson’s Danbury letter would help to clear up the unbelievable rhetoric and policy that permeates our culture today. Ah Well, enough of that. I don’t want to damper your Christmas spirit completely. The fact is this war on Christmas is neither new nor is it hopelessly lost.

Again this year as we wade into the CHRISTMAS season. Remember, this is just a front on a battle that has been waged from the beginning of time as we know it. The influences of our day are the result of the longstanding battle between good and evil, between God and Satan. You see there is a great truth about ones conversion to Christianity that we sometimes forget. When we are saved, Jesus longtime enemy now becomes our enemy. So know that the battle against Christmas today is a result of hatred by Satan of the Messiah who has come to us. Secondly, remember that this is a longstanding conflict. It began in Genesis chapter three with promise of a child that would be born and continues to this day with the battle to remove all traces of that birth from the public’s view. You see Satan failed; he couldn’t stop the plan, which leads me to another wonderfully thought and that is this. The message of Christ’s birth can never be stopped! Regardless of who opposes it, regardless of who protests it, and regardless of who fights it or who mocks it! “That includes certain news networks by the way!” Jesus was born of a virgin in a little town called Bethlehem and the world has never been the same since. I have always loved this recitation which came from an essay that was adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in 1926. “Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.  He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself... While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.” It’s true isn’t it? Nothing can stop this message, and nothing ever will. So with all that in mind allow me to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

 

THERE HAS GOT TO BE A LESSON HERE SOMEWHERE!

Oh the pain! I remember well the first scratch on my first new car.

I couldn’t believe it! Cars get scratched everyday…. But not mine! My mind cannot begin to fathom the “I can’t believe this happened” feeling some folks had this week in Japan. According to an Associated Press story out of Tokyo, “An outing of luxury sports car enthusiasts in Japan ended in an expensive freeway pileup — smashing a stunning eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and two Mercedes likely worth more than $1 million together. Police say they believe the accident Sunday was touched off when the driver of one of the Ferraris tried to change lanes and hit the median barrier. He spun across the freeway, and the other cars collided while trying to avoid hitting his car. Video of the crash aired by NTV, a major national network, showed several smashed, bright red Ferraris cluttering the freeway. Even a used Ferrari in Japan can fetch $100,000 or more, meaning the total damage may be $1 million or more. Police declined to comment on the total amount of damage, but said some of the vehicles were beyond repair. NTV quoted the driver of one of the tow trucks brought in to clear the scene as saying it was the most expensive crash site he had ever seen. No one was seriously injured, but police in Yamaguchi prefecture said 10 people were treated for bruises and cuts. Police say 14 cars were involved altogether.” Deep in the middle of insurance claims, car parts and bruised egos there has to be a lesson here somewhere!

It stands to reason that precious and expensive things are to be treated with the respect and honor they deserve. I remember the old sign that would hang in the window of a car that was carrying a baby, “Precious cargo on board!”. The Bible is full of admonitions regarding how we are to treat expensive items. The scriptures remind us to be cautious and not take for granted precious things, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” And “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” When we forget the true value of what we are blessed with we find ourselves in danger of not only causing damage but missing the beauty of the gift. Ah the danger of neglect. It’s not only dangerous but also costly as our afore mentioned car owners can attest. A story from the 1990’s underscores this truth. “Chicagoans who worked in the Loop, the booming downtown business district, could easily ignore the city's budget crisis; Washington's cutback of aid to cities didn't seem to hurt business. Last week, they learned one price of neglecting the underpinnings of all that economic growth. A quarter billion gallons of murky Chicago River water gushed into a 60-mile network of turn-of-the-century freight tunnels under the Loop and brought nearly all businesses to a soggy halt. It turned out that a top city official had known about the leak, but, acting for a cash-strapped government, had delayed repairs costing only about $50,000. The final cost of the damage could run higher than $1 billion. U.S. News & World Report, April 27, 1992.

More devastating than damages to a car or even a city is the damage neglect can cause a soul. Though many could be listed at this point allow me to mention two things we cannot afford to neglect. The first is God’s grace! In the first letter that Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth he says, “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;” Grace can be defined in many ways but it’s essence suggests unmerited favor. G.W. Knight writes, “When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award--yet receives such a gift anyway--that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God.” Secondly may we never neglect the gift of God’s Love. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That verse has been shared and spoken in languages around the globe with the reminder to humankind that God’s gift of his son must not be ignored nor overlooked for there is not another path to an eternity with our creator to be found other than through accepting the free gift of salvation through Faith in Jesus Christ. On a plaque marking Abraham Lincoln's birthplace near Hodgenville, Kentucky, is recorded this scrap of conversation: "Any news down 't the village, Ezry?" "Well, Squire McLain's gone t' Washington t' see Madison swore in, and ol' Spellman tells me this Bonaparte fella has captured most o' Spain. What's new out here, neighbor?" "Nuthin' nuthin' a'tall, 'cept fer a new baby born t' Tom Lincoln's. Nothin' ever happens out here." Some events, whether birthdays in Hodgenville (or Bethlehem) or spiritual rebirth in a person's life, may not create much earthly splash, but those of lasting importance will eventually get the notice they deserve. So let’s not miss the lesson and let’s not overlook the gift!

 

IT’S TIME TO SYNC OUTSIDE THE BOX

Since at this point in my life I own two Chevy’s and a Dodge truck so when I say that I am syncing I am not talking about the voice activated technology in my car. Though since I am a MAC kinda guy and I believe that the afore mentioned technology is windows based. Anyway everyone knows that Apple is the official computer in heaven…right???? Not so sure? Sorry, a little Apple humor here. Sync from the word synchronization, which means harmony or harmonious relationship. For example, “Management wants to be in sync with the client's wishes.” My actual sync experience involves my Mac Book and my I-Phone when my pictures and my I-CAL become harmonious if you know what I mean. Everything gets brought up to date and the two really act as one. All the items I added in my I-Phone’s calendar are added to my Mac Book Pro’s calendar. My Music and Pictures are also updated. In the end though the most important syncing is not done electronically but spiritually.

 

We work together in harmony because in working together we can accomplish that which cannot otherwise be done! Chuck Swindoll wrote, “It's those stately geese I find especially impressive. Winging their way to a warmer climate, they often cover thousands of miles before reaching their destination. Have you ever studied why they fly as they do? It is fascinating to read what has been discovered about their flight pattern as well as their in-flight habits. Four come to mind. 1. Those in front rotate their leadership. When one lead goose gets tired, it changes places with one in the wing of the V-formation and another flies point. 
2. By flying as they do, the members of the flock create an upward air current for one another. Each flap of the wings literally creates uplift for the bird immediately following. One author states that by flying in a V-formation, the whole flock gets 71 percent greater flying range than if each goose flew on its own. 
3. When one goose gets sick or wounded, two fall out of formation with it and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the struggler until it's able to fly again. 
4. The geese in the rear of the formation are the ones who do the honking. I suppose it's their way of announcing that they're following and that all is well. For sure, the repeated honks encourage those in front to stay at it. As I think about all this, one lesson stands out above all others: it is the natural instinct of geese to work together. Whether it's rotating, flapping, helping, or simply honking, the flock is in it together...which enables them to accomplish what they set out to do. Oh what God wants to do and what God can do through a people who are willing to serve in sync with each other!

 

We work together in harmony because lives are at stake! Every year in Alaska, a 1000-mile dogsled race, a run for prize money and prestige, commemorates an original "race" run to save lives. Back in January of 1926, six-year-old Richard Stanley showed symptoms of diphtheria, signaling the possibility of an outbreak in the small town of Nome. When the boy passed away a day later, Dr. Curtis Welch began immunizing children and adults with an experimental but effective anti-diphtheria serum. But it wasn't long before Dr. Welch's supply ran out, and the nearest serum was in Nanina, Alaska--1000 miles of frozen wilderness away. Amazingly, a group of trappers and prospectors volunteered to cover the distance with their dog teams! Operating in relays from trading post to trapping station and beyond, one sled started out from Nome while another, carrying the serum, started from Nenana. Oblivious to frostbite, fatigue, and exhaustion, the teamsters mushed relentlessly until, after 144 hours in minus 50-degree winds, the serum was delivered to Nome. As a result, only one other life was lost to the potential epidemic. Their sacrifice had given an entire town the gift of life. Working and serving in sync are perhaps the difference between life and death. Which brings me to my last thought.

 

We work together in harmony because with God’s help nothing is impossible! Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish composer-painist, was once scheduled to perform at a great American concert hall for a high-society extravaganza. In the audience was a mother with her fidgety nine-year-old son. Weary of waiting, the boy slipped away from her side, strangely drawn to the Steinway on the stage. Without much notice from the audience, he sat down at the stool and began playing "chopsticks." The roar of the crowd turned to shouts as hundreds yelled, "Get that boy away from there!" When Paderewski heard the uproar backstage, he grabbed his coat and rushed over behind the boy. Reaching around him from behind, the master began to improvise a countermelody to "Chopsticks." As the two of them played together, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy's ear, "Keep going. Don't quit, son...don't stop...don't stop." Can you imagine what God wants to accomplish in us with His help?

 

So my question for you is, do you need to get in sync? Are you in sync with others? Are you in sync with God?

 

 

 

PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE BENIFITS!

It was the day of the big “After Thanksgiving Day” sale. Rumors of the sale (and some advertising in the local paper) were the main reason for the long line that formed by 5:30, for the store's 6:00 A.M. opening time, in front of the store. A small man pushed his way to the front of the line, only to be pushed back, amid loud and colorful curses. On the man's second attempt, he was punched square in the jaw, and knocked around a bit, and then thrown to the end of the line again. As he got up the second time, he said to the person at the end of the line..."That does it! If they hit me one more time, I won't open the store!" Funny isn’t it, that the most important person was almost turned away. It can happen though, especially this time of year. A time when we think of family, turkey dinner, Thanksgiving Day parades and of course those after Thanksgiving sales. It is also a time when if we are not careful, we can forget about what we truly have to be thankful for. We can get so caught up in the commercial part of the holiday that we forget about others, we forget about the less fortunate, and we forget about the blessings of God.

         There is a beautiful picture that emerges in the book of Psalms chapter 103, and verses 1 to 5.  Now listen to this, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” What is before us in these verses is first of all a call to Bless God. Like so many other “religious“ words we use in our everyday talk, we have lost the value and the meaning of the word  “bless”. We tend to associate it with a mealtime prayer or what we say when someone sneezes. Folklore says, “always say bless you when someone sneezes, to keep the devil from flying down your throat.” But the scriptures teach of the word blessing. In Genesis 1:28 it says, “Then God blessed them….” I am sure that we have encountered the blessings of God time and again in our lives. God desires to bless his children. In Genesis 9:26 we hear Noah saying, “Blessed be the Lord….” George Sweeting suggests here that the blessing became a two way street. God blesses man and man in humble return blesses God. To bless God is to say good things about the Lord in an attitude of admiration, thankfulness and awe. So David extends a call to “Bless the Lord.” Then David goes on to tell us why we should and begins to list the benefits of the Lord. You see God’s benefits toward us are past, present and eternal. Let’s take a quick glance at these benefits. First of all we are reminded of His forgiveness. I don’t know of a thing that we can be more thankful for. And if you know this forgiveness today you know what I am saying. There is nothing like the joy it brings. David also mentions the Healing that comes from the Lord. There is Physical healing that only God can perform and there is also healing of the emotion and the spirit. I have heard it said that God is far more interested in doing something in us than for us.

         The psalmist also talks about the benefit of Redemption. Without a redeemer we are doomed. Colossians 1:13-14 says, “who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” Bless the Lord for his redemption! Let me ask you friend, are you in need of any of these benefits? David lists one more, and that is the satisfaction that only the Lord can give. “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;” Are you satisfied today? Years ago, Russell Conwell told of an ancient Persian, Ali Hafed, who "owned a very large farm that had orchards, grain fields, and gardens... and was a wealthy contented man." One day a wise man from the East told the farmer all about diamonds and how wealthy he would be if he owned a diamond mine. Ali Hafed went to bed that night a poor man--poor because he was discontented. Craving a mine of diamonds, he sold his farm to search for the rare stones. He traveled the world over, finally becoming so poor, broken, and defeated that he committed suicide. One day the man who purchased Ali Hafed's farm led his camel into the garden to drink. As his camel put its nose into the brook, the man saw a flash of light from the sands of the stream. He pulled out a stone that reflected all the hues of the rainbow. The man had discovered the diamond mine of Golcanda, the most magnificent mine in all history. Had Ali Hafed remained at home and dug in his own garden, and then instead of death in a strange land, he would have had acres of diamonds. Sometimes the greatest blessings are right before us and we don’t even see them.

         This holiday season let us be faithful to recognize just how much God has blessed us and to bless him for his benefits to us. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

"Terri's Table this year" The reason I am twice the man I was when Terri and I met!