PastorTim

FOR THE LOVE OF ATHEISTS EVERYWHERE!

I have met them from time to time but not to often, those that claim to be atheist. Some probably just toss the title at me to try and push the conversation away from the topic at hand, which often has something to do with Jesus. So the title atheist is used just to as a shield or excuse. In all my travels I have only come across one person that I would classify as a sincere atheist. (Not sure about the guy I met in Detroit last week at the Henry Ford Museum, Picture below) Allow me to share some definition of the subject at hand before going any farther. According to Wikepedia Atheism, is an explicit position, either affirms the nonexistence of gods or rejects theism. When defined more broadly, atheism is the absence of belief in deities, alternatively called nontheism. In practical, or pragmatic, atheism, also known as apatheism, individuals live as if there are no gods and explain natural phenomena without resorting to the divine. The existence of gods is not denied, but may be designated unnecessary or useless; gods neither provide purpose to life, nor influence everyday life, according to this view. Historically, practical atheism was considered by some people to be associated with moral failure, willful ignorance and impiety. Those considered practical atheists were said to behave as though God, ethics and social responsibility did not exist; they abandoned duty and embraced hedonism. According to the French Catholic philosopher Étienne Borne, "Practical atheism is not the denial of the existence of God, but complete godlessness of action; it is a moral evil, implying not the denial of the absolute validity of the moral law but simply rebellion against that law." During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, ... The term 'atheist' was an insult. Nobody would have dreamed of calling himself an atheist. Interesting overview isn’t it. So why even discuss it?
I gotta tell ya, my heart literally breaks for those who have been blinded by Satan and his tactics for infiltrating the minds of our culture. The minds of those we know and live by the way. Listen to Paul’s words to the church, “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. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.” I sense a measure of compassion and genuine concern in those lines don’t you?
Many of the problems facing our culture today (terrorism, disease, injustice etc…) aren’t the fault of God as some like to list as the reasoning for their unbelief, but the result of godless society. Charles Colson writes, “Have you not heard of the madman who lit a lamp in the bright morning and went to the marketplace crying ceaselessly, "I seek God! I seek God!" There were many among those standing there who didn't believe in God so he made them laugh. "Is God lost?" one of them said. "Has he gone astray like a child?" said another. "Or is he hiding? Has he gone on board ship and emigrated?" So they laughed and shouted to one another. The man sprang into their midst and looked daggers at them. "Where is God?" he cried. "I will tell you. We have killed him--you and I We are all his killers! But how have we done this? How could we swallow up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the horizon? What will we do as the earth is set loose from its sun?" Friedrich Nietzsche, 1889. “Nietzsche's point was not that God does not exist, but that God has become irrelevant. Men and women may assert that God exists or that He does not, but it makes little difference either way. God is dead not because He doesn't exist, but because we live, play, procreate, govern, and die as though He doesn't.” I was intrigued by an article I read recently in Relevant Magazine by Phil White, “Book releases such as God is not Great: How religion poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchen and God Delusion by Richard Dawkins are making the New York Times best seller lists. There has also been an increase in atheistic dialog on university campuses across the country. So how should Christians respond to the New Atheism discussion? Writer/speaker Alistar McGrath of Oxford offers this: ‘We can reach out to new atheists in Love and break their stereotypes about Christians. It’s our responsibility to show the grace of Christ’s presence to atheists. It shouldn’t be a vicious back and forth exchange, because we must hold ourselves to a higher standard-God’s standard.” I strongly believe that every soul longs for a personal relationship with their creator. Pascal said there is within every person a "God-shaped vacuum." He's right. Historians Will and Ariel Durant observed in their summery volume, The Lessons of History, that There never has been a significant example of morality apart from belief in God." It doesn’t matter, whether atheist, or simply a non-believer. Whether prostitute or drug addict, whether a skeptic or just plain apathetic. God longs to embrace you in his Love, forgive all your past and give you hope for tomorrow!
Let me close by saying to you who fall into the category of atheist or non believer, there is a God in Heaven who Loves you more than you can know even if you don’t believe, and a Christ follower here on earth who does as well!

THANK YOU LORD FOR GOOD FRIENDS…

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.” As I walk through this life I find myself from time to time having to let go of things that are precious to me. Valuables I’ve lost, positions and careers I’ve seen come and go, and most difficult for me, friends. Some of those who have grown dear to me have had the privilege of graduating from this life to the next. Souls I have loved and labored in the ministry with have moved on to a heavenly residence. Others though have just moved! Taken new positions, relocated to other assignments, or in the case of my focus this morning, retired. Ah retirement, that elusive bandit that rides on the horizon of life that if we are blessed, we’ll catch him and hitch a ride. My family has been blessed for the past fourteen years to work with and labor along side our friends Richard and Linda. At the end of this month they will retire to “their other Eden”, which in He and Linda’s case is the Great State of North Carolina! This Southern Gentleman and his precious wife for the last 13 years have been a Pastor to my family and me. That’s a big statement if you’re in the ministry you understand. Pastors don’t always have a pastor themselves, and trust me, they do need them! C.S. Lewis. Said friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What! You, too? I thought I was the only one."
When I first met Richard and Linda I was the interim Pastor of the Rarden church of the Nazarene. Not long after that came the call to Pastor The Plymouth Heights church where I have been for the past 11 plus years. During that time we have traveled around the world on missions trips together. We have laughed, cried and often prayed together. I can still remember the first time they visited our home, I believe it was during our first year at Plymouth Heights. Richard was to preach the next morning at our church so on Saturday evening they came by for dinner. Picture this if you will, a prominent figure in denominational leadership coming to dinner in a young inexperienced preachers home. I was a little intimidated I’ll tell ya. But what happened soon after they arrived would set the tone for our friendship for many years to come. It wasn’t a minute into the visit until Richard was on the floor of our living room looking at baseball cards with my 11-year-old daughter! Here this guy was, genuinely interested in what my little girl thought was important. It was as if I wasn’t even in the room. He made an impression on her, and me as well. That friendship with that same little girl would one day lead to my friend Richard praying the Pastoral prayer at her wedding. Someone once said, “Prosperity begets friends, adversity proves them.” As the years have rolled along there have been good days and bad, parties and funerals, but one lasting common denominator. Our friends Richard & Linda. Solomon aptly said “A friend loveth at all times”
That friendship has also been a help and encouragement to me as I have meandered through the beginning years of full time ministry. From encouraging words to just taking the time to simply listen when I was going through a difficult time. Chuck Swindoll in his book “The Grace Awakening” writes these words… “During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river, which had left its banks because of a recent downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who was not part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side. As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, "Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favor of?" The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him. "All I know," he said, "Is that on some of your faces was written the answer 'No,' and on some of them was the answer 'yes.' His was a 'Yes' face." It is true, prosperity begets friends, adversity proves them. It was also Solomon who said, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend”. I want to be that kind of friend to many.
These friends of ours are known to many as the District Superintendent of the Central Ohio District Church of the Nazarene, Dr. Richard Jordan and his wife Linda. So as I close this column I hope to have accomplished two things. First, to give roses to my friends now while they can enjoy them from their new digs way down yonder in the Tar Heel State. And second, to remind myself that I still have many years to enjoy this precious couple who God has made a part of our lives. Richard & Linda, Happy retirement and you better have some Starbucks in your cupboards; Terri and I are planning a trip south!

IS YOUR BELT FASTENED?

I do so hope that none of those reading this column are State Patrolmen for the Great State of Ohio and know who I am and what I drive, or the roads I travel often for that matter. If Terri has told me once she has told me a hundred times to FASTEN MY SEAT BELT! Now I do wear my seat belt, I just don’t always fasten it before I start moving. Now I am sure that not a single one of you husbands out there are guilty of such a thing, but here I sit, guilty as charged. As I confess to you today I am reminded of an incident that happened last year in Chicago. I fly Southwest Airlines when I go to St. Louis or Kansas City where our denomination is headquartered and inevitably I find my self making a connection in Chicago’s Midway airport. This time was no different really from many others except… well, you know that moment when the plane begins to move, you’ve got your reading material all ready, you bags in the overhead or tucked neatly under the seat in front of you and it is time to get your belt on. The time had come and as I pulled the belt around my waist to fasten it I thought it felt, uh a little loose. OK by me, I don’t like it so tight my eye’s bulge anyway so I thought, I’m good to go. Chicago has the well-earned nickname, the windy city and it had been storming so the runways were a little wet. The pilot thought it prudent to test the brakes for whatever reason. So he would roll forward on the way to our departure runway and he would tap the brakes. It was during the taping of the brakes that I slid forward a little to far. Wait a minute, I’ve got my belt on, Terri would be so proud, but yet I found my knees making quick and immediate contact with the back of the seat in front of me. Shouldn’t have happened, my belt is on. Sure enough, looking down I could see it securely fasted in my lap, and yet another tap of the brakes, another knee or two in the back of the passenger in front of me. Now at this point, the tapping of the brakes was finished and we were quickly taxiing toward our runway and I was sure it was gonna be one of those hit the runway moving and don’t stop till your airborne kind of take offs, well it was. Still I am looking at my belt trying to figure out my problem. Alas there it was, my belt had come loose from the side of the seat, I mean where it’s not supposed to come loose if you know what I’m trying to say. You may have heard about a cracked wing or two in Southwest’s fleet, but I know of a seatbelt problem on one 727! “Uh, little help here!” NOW WHAT? Here I am taking off in the windy city, and it was windy. With a defective seat belt no less. Honestly, I’m not really worried about the belt helping me if we crash, but I’ve been in a lot of turbulence before and those belts do come in handy when you’re flopping around and trying to climb to your cruising altitude! Just picture me bouncing off the ceiling and landing a few rows back in the lap of a some grumpy tractor salesman from De Moines who’s tired and weighs about 300 lbs! Hey friend, it pays to have your belt fastened!
Living in a world of many dangers we are often reminded that we need to be prepared. From wearing a seat belt faithfully to protecting our nation from dangers foreign or domestic. From locking your doors at night to washing your hands before you eat. Being ready just in case just makes good sense. This is in the truest sense important when we begin to discuss the condition of the soul of man, and the reality of eternity. So let me ask you, do you have your seat belt on spiritually? I have long loved Paul’s words to the little church at Philippi on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Paul speaks of a life that is so confident in it’s experience with God so that whatever comes, that person is reminded that what God has begun, he will finish. I love that! The belt is fastened so let the winds blow, we can be confident. Let the turbulence rock the vessel, we can be confident. Let the problems come our way, let the trials block our path, let the things that go wrong go wrong and in the midst of it all, with our belts of faith fastened tight, we can have the confidence that God is still there!

Two Stories and I’m done here. John McKay, of the NFL, tells a story illustrating the supreme confidence of University of Alabama football coach Bear Bryant: "We were out shooting ducks, and finally, after about three hours, here comes one lonely duck. The Bear fires. And that duck is still flying today. But Bear watched the duck flap away, looked at me and said, 'John, you are witnessing a genuine miracle. There flies a dead duck!'" there’s confidence for ya! Story number two, In July, 1911, a stuntman named Bobby Leach went over Niagara Falls in a specially designed steel drum and lived to tell about it. Although he suffered minor injuries, he survived because he recognized the tremendous dangers involved in the feat, and because he had done everything he could to protect himself from harm. Several years after that incident, while skipping down the street in New Zealand, Bobby Leach slipped on an orange peeling, fell, and badly fractured his leg. He was taken to a hospital where he later died of complications from that fall. He received a greater injury walking down the street than he sustained in going over Niagara. He was not prepared for danger in what he assumed to be a safe situation. Is your belt fastened?

A LITTLE TOO COMFORTABLE

It all happened so fast. There we were, my sweet wife and I enjoying a nice hot cup of, would you believe it, coffee? Sitting on lawn chairs enjoying the smell of fresh cut grass, noticing the hostas as they begin peeking through the freshly applied mulch and admiring the birds feeding in the surrounding bird feeders placed strategically throughout the yard, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted the cutest little toad sitting on the edge of an old planter my grandfather had built that was now almost overtaken by ivy. "pictures below allow you to see the setting" The little fella was just sitting there in the sun and so as we began to discuss how cute he looked sitting there with the backdrop of the ivy, out of nowhere BAM! And no Emeril didn’t show up, it was a snake! Don’t ask me what kind; because I don’t care…it was a snake! I don’t know what color, it was to fast. Don’t ask me what shape its head was, I wasn’t paying attention. All I know is, one second the cute little toad was there and the next second BAM he was gone! Poor little guy, he didn’t have a chance, and he didn’t see it coming.
I believe there is a lesson or two that we can learn from the untimely demise of this unfortunate little reptile. First off getting a little too comfortable can be dangerous. Ronald Meredith, in his book Hurryin' Big For Little Reasons, describes one quiet night in early spring: Suddenly out of the night came the sound of wild geese flying. I ran to the house and breathlessly announced the excitement I felt. What is to compare with wild geese across the moon? It might have ended there except for the sight of our tame mallards on the pond. They heard the wild call they had once known. The honking out of the night sent little arrows of prompting deep into their wild yesterdays. Their wings fluttered a feeble response. The urge to fly--to take their place in the sky for which God made them-- was sounding in their feathered breasts, but they never raised from the water. The matter had been settled long ago. The corn of the barnyard was too tempting! Now their desire to fly only made them uncomfortable. Temptation is always enjoyed at the price of losing the capacity for flight. But not just dangerous getting a little too comfortable can be deadly.
Listen with me to stirring words that the Apostle Paul shared with the early church.. “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” And again “But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,” interesting choice of words here especially. The word circumspectly literally means to be aware of your surroundings always, watch where you are stepping; there are things you need to be aware of for your safety’s sake.
True story, in 1969, in Pass Christian, Mississippi, a group of people were preparing to have a "hurricane party" in the face of a storm named Camille. Were they ignorant of the dangers? Could they have been overconfident? Did they let their egos and pride influence their decision? We'll never know. What we do know is that the wind was howling outside the posh Richelieu Apartments when Police Chief Jerry Peralta pulled up sometime after dark. Facing the Beach less than 250 feet from the surf, the apartments were directly in the line of danger. A man with a drink in his hand came out to the second-floor balcony and waved. Peralta yelled up, "You all need to clear out of here as quickly as you can. The storm's getting worse." But as others joined the man on the balcony, they just laughed at Peralta's order to leave. "This is my land," one of them yelled back. "If you want me off, you'll have to arrest me." Peralta didn't arrest anyone, but he wasn't able to persuade them to leave either. He wrote down the names of the next of kin of the twenty or so people who gathered there to party through the storm. They laughed as he took their names. They had been warned, but they had no intention of leaving. It was 10:15 p.m. when the front wall of the storm came ashore. Scientists clocked Camille's wind speed at more than 205 miles-per-hour, the strongest on record. Raindrops hit with the force of bullets, and waves off the Gulf Coast crested between twenty-two and twenty-eight feet high. News reports later showed that the worst damage came at the little settlement of motels, go-go bars, and gambling houses known as Pass Christian, Mississippi, where some twenty people were killed at a hurricane party in the Richelieu Apartments. Nothing was left of that three-story structure but the foundation; the only survivor was a five-year-old boy found clinging to a mattress the following day. Yes its true, getting a little too comfortable can be dangerous, even deadly. So is there anything in your life that you’ve gotten a little too comfortable with? A habit, something that’s addicting, an attitude, or maybe even a way of life is not safe? Whatever it may be, don’t get comfortable where you are. Remember the lesson of that little toad and go to where it is safe, come to Jesus.

AN ODE TO ZEKE

“Love my wife, love my baby, love my biscuits sopped in gravy, uh huh, you bet I do” To everyone in the tri state area those words are synonymous with one name only…. Zeke Mullins. A 51-year career in radio came to and end recently as Zeke hung up his headphones and turned off the microphone for the last time. I guess 86 years is a ripe old age to retire wouldn’t you say? What a blessing Zeke has been to this area with his down home wholesome radio shows that have touched millions. I practically grew up listening to him although he was certainly at it long before I came along and was able to tune a radio. He will always be a part of my childhood memories. Many a winter morning I waited anxiously to hear whether Zeke was going to call off school for us when snow blanketed our area. And when Zeke gave the word that class had been canceled it was going to be a good day for sure. Zeke’s boy Scotty played on the same little league team as I did a way back in my McDermott Little League days. I remember visiting their home once. Scotty had been sick I believe and we are taking him the game ball. I remember that they had a real live monkey in the garage someone had given Scotty. I thought at the time, this Zeke fella must be a pretty cool Dad! Then as the years passed by I recall being introduced to Lum & Abner as I would drive to work in the mornings as a young father raising a family and listening to Zeke’s show, he was still at it! Well thought of? You bet! A dying breed? Well maybe. Our old cornbread eatin buddy? You bet your gumboots! The times I have been privileged to meet and talk with Zeke have been a delight. He is warm, humble and genuine. So Zeke, thanks for how you have touched my life.
As I thought about Zeke and his retirement from radio I was drawn to a man in the scripture who was well thought of by his friends and neighbors. Nameless in Luke’s account we know him only as a certain centurion. Here’s his story… “Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.” Someone has said that each person has three spectators of their life: how others see us, how we see ourselves, and how God sees us. Lets take a few lines and explore this centurion and who was observing his life and maybe take some time to look at ourselves.
First we notice how the people saw him. They had quite a high opinion of him. In verse four they told Jesus that this man was worthy of his help and even in verse five they revealed that they felt he loved their nation and even built them a place to worship. You know, the society and culture may not like our convictions or our faith as Christ followers, but they should never doubt our lives. What do people see in us? Secondly notice what he thought of himself. Did you hear him say that he wasn’t worthy for Jesus even to come to his house or to even approach him for that matter? Others had high opinions of him but he had humble opinions of himself. It is said of a restored monastery in Pennsylvania that all it’s doorways are low. Often, people touring the monastery bang their heads against the doorways. The guide points out that the low openings are to teach humility. Maybe we need our heads “banged” occasionally to teach us to be a little more humble. Lastly lets notice what Jesus thought of him. The scriptures go so far as to say that Jesus marveled at this man. Only two times does the bible tell us that Jesus marveled once at the unbelief of the Jews and here in this case involving this man. He saw that the centurion recognized that the one he was addressing was no ordinary person, and that he was acknowledging what he believed Jesus could do. Even before healing this mans servant Jesus would say that he had not seen this kind of faith in all of Israel. What others thought of him was important, what he thought of himself was inspiring, but what Jesus thought of him was thought provoking to be sure.
The smile in Zeke’s voice, the homespun humor and approachability, his warmness, always a part of what we will think of when his name comes up in a conversation. How will people remember me, or you for that matter? What’s that noise? Zeke will you tell Ro Ho to quiet down?

EXTREME IS IN

A few weeks back while in Columbus visiting my Daughter, my son in law shared with me an extraordinary catalogue he had laying in his office called “Extreme Geek”. Although I don’t really fit the profile of a geek there were a few items that I just found totally interesting. For example there was the retro had set for your cell phone that attached to your existing phone and produced an old fashioned coil phone cord attached to one of those old black hands sets. So while drive down the road, illegally now if I’m not mistaken you can look like you are talking on an old landline… WHY? I did like to TV remote that was shaped like a colt 45, probably designed with sporting or political events in mind. I immediately thought of my son Joe when I saw the “Sonic Boom” alarm clock complete with deafening sound and a bed shaker attached. Why couldn’t we have had one of these when the kids were little? But my favorite item I believe was “Clocky the runaway Alarm Clock” this little piece of fast moving technology is a real alarm with all terrain wheels that jumps off your nightstand loud and with one mission in mind, you gotta catch me to shut me up! It flies across the floor and won’t stop blaring until you catch it an turn it off. This catalogue is great!
It got me to thinking about what kind of items that could be designed for Christ followers. Think of this….. How about a Bible that reminds you daily of how much scripture you’ve read, or haven’t read! Or maybe a floor sensor by your bedside that counts the number of times you have knelt there. Perhaps bumper stickers with personal information on them so unbelievers can compare your road behavior with your Christian bumper stickers! You know, “How’s my Testimony? Call ……….” Well you get the Idea. I guess all this rambling begs the question do we need all that? Or maybe I should ask, should we need any of those devices to encourage a believer to read the word of God, to pray or to live a life that honors God and shows the world that Christianity is real? Our associate Pastor, Shady Mays recently shared an experience he had a few years back with a Jewish friend of his. His friend asked him “If Christians really believe that Christ is the Messiah, then why are you so quiet about it?” WOW!

Now I’ve thought a lot about that question since then and the only answers I have come up with aren’t very good. In fact if we claim to know Jesus Christ as our Savior there are ways we are to live and love and those watching have every right to expect it out of us. Listen to God’s admonition to his children, “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, …….
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;”. Pretty simple eh? God loves us so much, and He wants the best for us, therefore we should love and honor Him
with our lives.
Now listen into Jesus words from the sermon on the mount….. “ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Sounds like maybe we worry to much about the things we shouldn’t and not enough about the things we should. And through it all I don’t think a new kind of technology is what it will take to make us more genuine or effective do you?
Earlier I used the phrase “Extreme”, which Webster defines as …. “Being or attaining the greatest or highest degree; very intense”. Extreme Christ Follower, Very intense Followers of Christ… I think I like it! Mark Twain said it well, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” How extreme are you?

THE OTHER REASON

We were driving back to our daughter’s apartment last night after a wonderful dinner. We had found a way to slip into Columbus for a few hours of Stephy time. Her med student hubby was studying and so we captured her for a few hours, had a wonderful meal and then headed back with a carry home meal for TJ in tow. As we pulled up to the corner of North Broadway and High Streets Steph made a remark about a power line pole that was next to the street that has since wedged it’s way into my mind. “Look at all the staples in that pole, there must be thousands!” sure enough looking to my right I noticed an old utility pole peppered with, yes thousands of old staples, nails and other sign and poster hanging instruments. I suppose that this pole, located in the northern section of Ohio’s largest college campus had been the recipient of concert posters, want ads, protest signs, and a plethora of other proclamations for who knows how many years. Can you imagine how much information this pole has helped to pass along? How many chose to respond to one of its announcements? How many attended an event because of what they saw displayed on its weathered walls? And how many have paid no absolutely no attention whatsoever? The last being probably the largest category. What really struck me though was this, that’s not even why the pole is there in the first place! It’s a utility pole! And if it were one of those metal poles staples would be the last problem it would have. The bumpers of careless drivers maybe, but not staples! The purpose of the pole is to hold up utility lines such as power, phone and other information technology. That’s why it was built, that’s what it was designed for, that’s what it does best. Yet at the same time, there it is cover with little pieces staple fragments and broken nails. So let me ask, what is your purpose? Why were you created? And more importantly, what are you doing with what you were created for? What were you made for anyway?
The book of Genesis says to us…. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them….. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Well, we do notice that it was God that made us. Contrary to the opinion of many! Now listen in with me to Paul’s words to a church family in Ephesus….. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” So let me sort this out a little. We are made by God and we are made for good works and lastly God expects us to walk in those good works. God made us, and he does do good work. God wants us to be about the business of doing things that are good, and he expects us to be busy with what he’s made us for. I Think I’ve got it now. We miss the true meaning of our lives when we miss what God has planned for us.
One of golf's immortal moments came when a Scotchman demonstrated the new game to President Ulysses Grant. Carefully placing the ball on the tee, he took a mighty swing. The club hit the turf and scattered dirt all over the President's beard and surrounding vicinity, while the ball placidly waited on the tee. Again the Scotchman swung, and again he missed. Our President waited patiently through six tries and then quietly stated, "There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball! Thomas Carlyle wrote, “A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder--a waif, a nothing, a no man. Have a purpose in life, and, having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.” Does your life resemble the purpose God has for you? C. S. Lewis so aptly said, “The glory of God, and, as our only means to glorifying Him, the salvation of human souls, is the real business of life.” AMEN!

FAMOUS LAST WORDS….

It’s a weird thing really, but I love to read epitaphs. You know, those carefully, well sometimes carefully chosen words that are found on tombstones. The world is filled with funny and thought provoking sayings littered throughout graveyards at home and abroad. "Below is a graveyard in Chambersburg Pa. from a recent trip" Some of my favorites include. “Here lies Butch, We planted him raw, He was quick on the trigger, But slow on the draw”. Here’s one of my favorites. “The Body of B. Franklin, Printer; like the Cover of an old Book, Its Contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Gilding, Lies here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be wholly lost; For it will, as he believ'd, appear once more, In a new & more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended By the Author.” How about this one… “Under the sod, under the trees, Lies the body of Solomon Pease, He is not here, there is only the pod, Pease shelled out and went home to God!” and lastly in a cemetery in England, “Remember me as you walk by, as you are now so once was I, remember this and follow me!” to the which someone replied by writing on the tombstone… “To follow you I’ll not consent, until I know which way you went!” Addicting isn’t it! Enough of tombstones for now, but with that last one in mind let me draw your attention to the resurrection chapter of the New Testament, First Corinthians chapter 15… listen with me to a few selected verses…. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Now to the end of the chapter…. Now here is an epitaph for you…. “55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Funny isn’t it how that some gravestones point to only the futility of this live and yet others point far beyond. I believe that Paul here is pointing us far ahead of what we see and experience today. To an eternal day of peace and joy in the presence of a Risen Savior. But to see him, you have to now him….Personally.
There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning, he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak. "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, " What you got there son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply. "What are you gonna do with them?" I asked. "Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?" "Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them." The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?" "Huh? Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing and they ain't even pretty!" "How much?" the pastor asked again. The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10." The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty birdcage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story. "One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked. Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!! "How much?" He asked again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price. The pastor picked up the cage, he opened the door, and he walked from the pulpit. Now allow me to ask you in closing, what would fit on your tombstone? How should your epitaph read? Jesus paid the price and rose from the dead so that our gravestone can confidently read as Annie Johnson Flint wrote “The way of the cross never stops at the cross 
and the way of the tomb leads on 
To victorious grace in the heavenly place 
where the risen Lord has gone.”

MAKING THE CONNECTION…

It’s a common mis conception about life but the truth is, you only get one shot at this thing! There is the popular notion held in high regard by certain belief systems that are widely embraced by many in the public eye that you have as many chances as you need to get it right. Certain religions aspire to the thinking that says if you don’t get it right the first time, just do better in the next life and eventually you’ll arrive…. where I’m not sure, but you’ll get there! According to Wikipedia, “Reincarnation, literally "to be made flesh again", is a doctrine or metaphysical belief that some essential part of a living being (in some variations only human beings) survives death to be reborn in a new body. This essential part is often referred to as the spirit or soul, the "higher" or "true" self, "divine spark", or "I". According to such beliefs, a new personality is developed during each life in the physical world, but some part of the self remains constant throughout the successive lives. Belief in reincarnation is an ancient phenomenon. This doctrine is a central tenet within the majority of Indian religious traditions, such as Hinduism (including Yoga, Vaishnavism, and Shaivism), Jainism, and Sikhism. Many modern Pagans also believe in reincarnation as do some New Age movements, along with followers of Spiritism, practitioners of certain African traditions, and students of esoteric philosophies such as Kabbalah, Sufism and Gnostic and Esoteric Christianity.” The problem is, according to the Bible it ain’t so! I don’t care what Shirley McLain says; she isn’t coming back as a princess, an insect, or a brick for that matter! Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”. So what brought this to your mind Tim?
Glad you asked. Back in 2001 construction began on the U.S, Grant Bridge connecting South Shore Kentucky with downtown Portsmouth Ohio. I would drive by day after day on my way to the church office. Watching the new span under construction was amazing. It took a few years to finish this project. Construction was expected to be complete in June of 2004, but work fell behind schedule due to inclement weather, unusual flooding of the Ohio River, and the partial sinking of a floating construction barge, which carried one of the cranes, used to work on the center span of the bridge. The date of completion was moved to October 16, 2006. What was most amazing to me was how that the spans would come together to meet perfectly in mid air to complete the bridge. “Check out picture's on my bog”. There was no room for error here. It had to come together perfectly. The price that would be paid, the time that it took to bring it to completion, the benefit it would produce. Listen to Paul’s words from the Galatian letter “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” God went to a lot of effort to make connection with us. So, how’s your life lining up? Are you connected to Him? Are you aiming in the right direction? A bridge not lining up would be a catastrophe for sure, but a life missing the connection with God would be an even greater tragedy!
Listen in with me to a conversation between Jesus and a religious leader in His day…. “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” Not far, did you hear that?
True story, 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! Thomas a Kempis in his book Imitation of Christ wrote, “Thou oughtest so to order thyself in all thy thoughts and actions, as if today thou wert about to die. Labor now to live so, that at the hour of death thou mayest rather rejoice than fear. There are many lives that are not far from God’s Kingdom today. Almost connected, almost lined up. And the tragedy is, close isn’t enough! Are you connected to the Lord today?

OF BEAUTY AND BREVITY…

Not often do I have this much time to sit and think, and to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. It is Sunday morning and instead of being in church I am sitting at home enjoying the most amazing beauty. New fallen snow blankets our property with a breathtaking display that is almost heavenly. The dainty yet exquisite icicles that drape the house, garage and portico that connects the two. The white blanket of beauty that wraps everything in its embrace leaving only the outlines of what it has enveloped. And to top it all off, the company of my children to reminisce of snowstorms past. “Remember the time”, I’ll never forget”, and so ons fill the evening’s conversation. The only problem with all the reminiscing is that the icicles will fall, the snow will melt and the memories will fade. What I suppose is most important is what you are doing with the beauty of now.
The beauty of a snowy setting reminds me of the past. Memories of my childhood, Terri’s winter memories with her family, and of course those precious moments with Joe & Steph when they were little. I know of one particular sledding video that could win me a cool $1000.00 on AFV! These snowy days are what real memories are made of. Snow has the ability to call my attention to the amazing forgiveness of God. How as Isaiah puts it, can wash away the sinful past of a man and make it as pure as the driven snow…come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Icicles remind me of the brevity of life those things appear out of nowhere, you admire them for a while and poof they’re gone. Life’s like that isn’t it? I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said,
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for it is the stuff life is made of.”
Many moments in scripture remind us of the passing of time. King David said, “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.” David’s son Solomon would write, “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:” Jesus himself points out the need for all of us to take advantage of the moments we have “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” So, what are you doing with the beauty of now? The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom is wise counsel from the book of Psalms. Carl Sandburg wrote, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” I am sure that many of you have read this before but let it’s truth remind you again of the necessity of taking advantage of the moments before you. “ If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,000 that carried over no balance from day to day...Allowed you to keep no cash in your account, and every evening cancelled whatever part of the amount you failed to use during the day, what would you do? Draw out every cent every day, of course, and use it to your advantage! Well, you have such a bank, and its name is TIME! Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it rules off as lost whatever of this you failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balances, it allows no overdrafts. Each day it opens a new account with you. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against tomorrow. The snow will melt the icicles will fall, and eventually the grass will begin to turn green again. What will you have done with the time in between?