How Did That Happen?

You may have seen the commercial in which the little kid asks his mom that question. He asked her why her stomach was big and she told him there was a baby in it and that is when he asked the question. I am not sure what the advertisement was even for but this part got my attention. I remember a story in the Readers Digest once where a lady had said her 4 year old son asked the same question and she told him she swallowed a watermelon seed! The next week she had a Tupperware party and one of her guests was pregnant. When she introduced her to her son the little boy said, “I know what you did!”

Telling the truth is hard to do sometimes isn’t it? We calculate the question and try to determine how to answer based on the person’s ability to receive the answer, or our fear of repercussions if we tell them something they may not want to hear! I know many people who do not use tact when answering sensitive questions and just spill it out. I, on the other hand, use too much tact sometimes. Most of us remember the famous line Jack Nicholson blurted out on the witness stand in the movie A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth!” I have told some people the truth who did not believe it and I am sure you have too. There are those who say there is no absolute truth; but there is. I think the biggest problem Jesus had to deal with was getting people to trust in the truth. One of them told Him, [1]“We know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.” Now my question would be the same as the one Jesus asked, “Then why don’t you believe Me?”

They knew it was the truth but did not want to believe it by choice. It is one thing to be uncertain of an answer but still another to be unwilling to accept it. The little boy did not understand how the baby got inside his mom but he believed her anyway because he never said, “Aw, ain’t no way!”

 

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[1] Matthew 22:16, New International Version.

First Century Football

First Century Football

Here we go! Friday night high school football and the NFL are back! I was in the stadium at the Fort for our first home game and it was almost a “spiritual” experience. We played a county rival and we wanted victory this year. The hunger for a win was so thick you could feel it in the air.  When our team scored first the place exploded with noise! Our guys ended up winning the game and we all left full of the Pioneer pride. Whether you like football or not your life in some way is impacted by it either by those of us who watch it or those who play it. Very few people can name the [1]Secretary of Defense but it would be hard to find someone that has never heard of the Washington Redskins or Dallas Cowboys.

What if football had existed in the first century? Maybe they would have had the Jerusalem Cruzers or the Galatian Gladiators. Rome would have had a team as well. Perhaps they would have been called the Roman Crushers. I know it is thinking outside the box and it is a little far-fetched but if football had existed in that day it would have been as prevalent in that society as it is in ours. I feel sure it would have made its way into the Bible because the Apostle Paul made several references to the games of their day, especially the races, when he was trying to drive home certain points. When trying to figure out why the people in the Galatian church had changed their minds about Christ he wrote, [2]“You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?”  If football had been the national sport then he may have wrote something like, “You guys were headed to the Super Bowl; what happened? Who came on board and changed your game plan?”

Of course the church and the football stadium are two entirely different settings but we are the same people in both. We go to the stadium to enjoy a game and we go to church to worship our God. I enter a stadium hoping my team wins but I enter our church knowing I am a winner. I am a fan of football but I am a servant of Christ. Fans just watch the games but the servants are on the field.  I am not the only one though, I saw a church sign that read; Come over to My house before the game   ~ God.

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[1] Chuck Hagel

[2] Galatians 5:7 The New International Version (NIV)

How a Death Caused a Birth

I had the opportunity this past week to preach a funeral service for a dear friend. He won his battle with cancer by going to heaven! Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints, but it is not so precious to the hearts of those who love them to see them go. It is good they suffer no longer but it is hard to part with them.

When praying and preparing for the message I was drawn to the story of the rebellious son who ran away and came crawling back home; you have heard it called the parable of the lost son, or the prodigal son. Now in my study of the parable the Holy Spirit drew my attention to the father in the story instead of the son. A father which never gave up hope that his son would come back home. I explained to the congregation that I believed every day after breakfast and just before he went in for the night, the father would go out on a big front porch and look down the road toward the horizon hoping that today would be the day. That day finally came for him.

The Bible is clear about the boy coming to his senses in the middle of a pigpen; stinking and starving. I alluded to the fact that I too had come to my senses at a point in my life when I came to Christ. I then shared with them what the Lord had shown me about this story, how the father in the parable differs from our Heavenly Father. Oh, he was forgiving and merciful and rejoiced that his son came home but there is something he did not do that our Heavenly Father did for us that Jesus wanted His audience to acknowledge; He came to the pigpen looking for us. He left His home in Heaven and came to the pigpen, this world, in order to find us and lead us home. Jesus took our filth upon Himself that we may be cleansed and He became the Way for us to come back to God. I then challenged the congregation to examine their lives that evening. “Are you still in the pigpen this evening?” I asked. “Then climb over the fence and take hold of the hand of Christ that is outstretched toward you.”

The next day after the graveside service an out of town friend of the family came up to me and said, “You touched my heart last night with that sermon. I decided to climb over that fence!” I then told her, “Jesus touched your heart last night and you took hold of His hand.” A soul reborn at a funeral! My friend won someone to Christ via his death.

My Scripture for the message: “For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:24).

Let's Go Fishing

A pastor friend of mine and I had an opportunity to go fishing one day last week. We headed out to Rural Retreat Lake for some bass fishing. I happen to do more fishing than I do catching most of the time but I still enjoy being out there. I remember a story of two old boys who went fishing in a boat and caught a bunch. One of them told the other to mark the spot so they could come back next time and catch some more. After docking the boat the one asked, “Did you mark our spot?” The other said he did. When the one asked, “How did you mark it?” The guy said, “I put an “X” on the side of the boat.” The other was angry and said, “That was stupid! Now what if we don’t get to rent the same boat next time?” That was not my friend and I in case you are wondering.

We were in a boat and had a descent day but we never caught any that we would take a picture of. Coming back into the dock after several hours on the lake we encountered two boys fishing on the dock. They were about twelve I guess, I was ashamed to ask them their age. As we docked my friend went to get the truck and I struck up a conversation with them. They were very nice kids and as we were talking a fish jumped up under a bush along the shore near the dock. The smaller boy went after it; and caught it. He came around the bushes holding his fishing pole up in the air with a good size bass hanging on the end of his line! Much bigger than anything we had caught. I told him to make sure my friend in the truck got to see it, and he did. One of them then showed us a picture of a seven pound bass he had caught there earlier in the year with his dad. After telling us how to catch them and what to use my friend asked if they would be there next week and if so, if they would be willing to give us some fishing lessons if we paid them. They laughed of course, but I think he was serious. After all we had a boat, all kind of tackle and lures and still never did as good as they did.

When Jesus told a couple of fisherman to follow Him and that He would make them fishers of men I think they followed out of curiosity as much as obedience. They were professional fisherman so what could a carpenter’s son possibly teach them about fishing for anything? I think we sometimes think the same way today in that “catching men for Christ” can only be done by professionals. TV ministers and travelling evangelists, local pastors and counselors perhaps are considered to be soul winners it seems. We have forgotten the power of testimony! Telling others what Jesus has done for us. He has done different things for all of us and when we share our story with someone else, they may be going through the same thing that Christ brought us out of.

Fish don’t know if a professional fisherman hooks them or if it is a kid on his first time out. The fish just takes the bait. Quit over complicating witnessing. You don’t need to be a Bible scholar to win souls to Christ!  Just fish.

School Starts

Well, it’s that time again; school starts this week in our county. Summer has flown by it seems. My daughter enters her junior year.  Somehow time rocketed me from holding her in my arms as a baby and now riding with her as she learns to drive my car!

We have to prepare our kids for school and I am not just talking about composition books, pencils and backpacks. Little by little we see the right to free speech being given only to those who talk about things other than Christ. When my daughter began high school three years ago, I went to the orientation, as I will do tomorrow, to meet the teachers. In one classroom we entered there was a young lady teacher which had a computer monitor facing the line of parents waiting to talk with her. Her background picture was a scantily clad young man lying on a lounge chair in a provocative pose. Several parents were raising eyebrows and some just smiled. When I got to talk to her, I called her over to the other side of her desk away from the line not to make a scene. I asked her, “Ma’am, with all the issues we have had in this county with students being busted for sexting (sending sexy pictures over cell phones), do you think this picture is appropriate in this classroom?” She immediately apologized, “I did not do that, some student did that and I do not know how to fix it.” I said, “I know how to fix it and will be glad to change it for you.” She said, “Oh, no, I have called the school computer techs and they are coming to fix it.” I said, “Well, in the mean time I would turn the monitor off or at least away from the public eye if it were me.” So she turned it around.

Our kids are not allowed to wear tee shirts that reflect their faith in Christ and Christian teachers are not allowed to express their belief in Christ to students, but some teachers can express anything else they want with them apparently. One teacher made it a point to tell the kids last year he was an atheist and the state has no problem with that, but let one tell the kids they are Christian and the school board calls them on the carpet and lawsuits are threatened!

 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” Jesus said. You and I as Christians are being labeled as haters today by those who oppose us. I have no intention of trying to force my faith or belief upon anyone and I have no intention of compromising the Word of God in order to please them either. Each passing year brings new battles to the public arena against Christ and His followers and will continue to do so until He comes back. I remember some of the last words Jesus spoke while here; “I do not pray that You (Father) take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one.” Pray for the teachers and the kids; Lord knows they need it.

Terrible Weekend

What a terrible weekend, especially for my best friend. I had to conduct the funeral for his wife. We have been friends, brothers I would say, for years. Fighting fires and running ambulance calls and even scuba diving to locate drowned victims, we have been through a lot together. His wife was a wonderful person and we are dear friends with them and their adult daughter. I never expected to have to do such things when I answered the call to pastor. I am not to be pitied however. My friend and his daughter are the ones who have suffered the blow. When I got the call I was shocked. Immediately asking God, “Oh Lord, what can I do? What do I say?” It took a while for it to sink in and after being with him in his home it was evident that the Holy Spirit was doing a great job of comforting him and his family.  

Death is certainly not a respecter of persons. Old and young, good and bad, healthy or sickly; it comes to each. Solomon said, “None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death.” God lets people die because He said He would. After putting Adam in the Garden of Eden God gave him this warning: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  It just does not seem fair that God would punish every human, by letting us die, just because one of us disobeyed Him! After all, my friend’s wife had nothing to do with Adam messing up, why should she die for it?

Well, God does not deal in fairness but He does deal in justice. Any Gospel that does not include Gods judgment is not a true gospel. In order to administer justice in the form of punishment for sin, death of the body was required; not death of our spirit. Although all human bodies will die, (or be changed from mortal to immortal), only the death of one human body paid the price of sin required by God in order that our spirit would be rescued from death (salvation). That was the body of the Lord Jesus, the Christ.

My friend’s wife believed in Christ, she trusted He would save her; and He did. Her body died but she lives on! Death no longer has reign over her. Were it not for the Cross and Calvary, death would be the final horrible state of humanity. Because Jesus lives, we will live; if the same Spirit that raised Him lives in us. It is like the church sign once read; “Born once, die twice. Born twice, die once.”

Making Promises You Can't Keep

Have you ever promised something that you could not do? We all have, whether we admit or not. The reason is that our intentions are good but sometimes things happen that are out of our control.

The Apostles promised Jesus they would never leave Him, in fact they all said as Peter did, “We will go with you and die for you if we have to.” They were sincere in their hearts, but fear of death got the best of them. Jesus asked them, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” He was praying in the garden and the enemy was on the way. “Watch for them,” He said. They went to sleep.

Jesus never fired them though. He came back to them just as the enemy was coming upon them. Have you ever denied Christ? Have you ever intended to do something for Him you never did? He will forgive you too. Be careful when making promises. St. James says that we should understand that we can only do what God will allow us to do.

Tune in next week for more truth: if you can handle it.