Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Seek the Lord While He May Be Found

In the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah says in chapter 55 verses 6-11,
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the Earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 "so shall My word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah reminds us in verse 6 above to “Seek the Lord while He may be found.” It is true, so abundantly true, that our Lord is a patient God, but it is equally as true that His patience does have an end. Eventually, our chance for repentance and returning to Him will come to an end, which is why Isaiah pleads with us in verse 7 above to, “ . . . let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord.” Such an interruption in the Lord’s patience is not a matter of "if," but "when." That is why we are encouraged by Isaiah and others in the Holy Scriptures to seek the Lord while He may be found, and to repent of our sinful ways that have separated us from our God. Many times throughout God’s word we find the writers of the Scriptures intermittently referring to God's patience as something that "waits" for us. The Apostle Peter was no exception. He writes of those, " . . . that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:” (1 Peter 3:20) When the Deluge arrived according to God’s timetable, many who perished most likely felt that God "owed" them just a little more time to do what was right. But the truth of the matter is that God had given them sufficient time in which to repent of their evil ways, but due to their own stubbornness and rebellion they had no desire to change their wicked ways. Similarly, if we do not seek the Lord while He may be found then we, too, will have no grounds to lodge any complaints against God on the Day of Judgment. So why do you not take advantage today of the opportunity that God has given you to come to Him while you may find him? Or are you one of those whom the Apostle Paul asks, "Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4).
May the Lord bless you!

Friday, July 25, 2008

VBS 2008: A Huge Success!

I have not posted anything new here in a few days, although I did add a bit to my article Is God A Baseball Fan? I Believe He Is! I hope you will take time to read it again. I also added a new slide show presentation from our just concluded 2008 Vacation Bible School. Additionally, I have been working at upgrading our church's website each day with updates from our VBS. These can be accessed by clicking on lakelandchurchofchrist.org.
By any standard of measurement, our Vacation Bible School this year has been a tremendous success. We have more than exceeded our goal of having 35 kids participate. By the time all was said and done, we had 47 kids be a part of our Vacation Bible School.
Everyone who has been a part of this outreach program needs to be commended. One of our deacons and his wife did an outstanding job organizing the event, those who brought in refreshments and stayed to lend a hand serving were very helpful and instrumental in achieving our goals, and the teachers and their assistants all worked very well together in doing a fantastic job of instructing their classes! One of our elders did a great job at the cookout Thursday evening, and the food was enjoyed immensely. I am also happy to report that all of our elders attended the VBS, which speaks highly of them and their duties of overseeing the flock. In fact, two of the elders were there with their wives every day of our VBS, and they need to be commended for that. All of the kids have learned much, and the joy in their hearts was manifested in the smiles upon their faces and the jubilant sound of their exuberant singing! We have no idea just how much good was accomplished, or how much fruit will be produced, but I would like to share with you all a story from this past week that may be indicative of good things to come.
As a tie-in to our Vacation Bible School theme of service to others, the children brought in items from their own homes each day to give to the Shults-Lewis Children’s Home. One of these little boys, who is a neighbor of some of our members and who only recently began attending our assemblies with them due to their befriending and inviting him, also participated in our VBS each night. On Tuesday evening, this young boy was seen proudly carrying in a great, big bag full of items to give to the home that his mother had given him to bring in. And was he ever so pleased to do it! As far as I know, this boy’s mother has not ever attended any of our assemblies. But it seems to me that something has moved her to do this. Is it possible that she is seeing in our efforts that we are trying to be a “ . . . light of the world . . . before men”? Is she seeing our “ . . . good works . . .” that “ . . . glorify your Father Who is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16)? Has she been exposed to the word of God through her son, and seen in him the joy he has experienced by being around those who are in Christ and living each day for Him, and seeing first hand “ . . . the peace of God, which passes all understanding . . . ” (Philippians 4:6)? I may not be able to state it unequivocally as being so, but it seems to me that our efforts have made a difference in her life, which in turn is going to make a difference in the lives of others through her generosity. What I do know, though, is had we not put forth this effort to hold our Vacation Bible School this outpouring of generosity would not have taken place. We now need to have faith that the Lord will bless not only us, but all the parents who have helped make this such a wonderful VBS. As Jesus is quoted as saying in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Thank you all so much!
May the Lord bless you!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Our God Is A Loving God

As we study the life of Jesus Christ as it is recorded for us in the Gospels and the writings of the apostles of our Lord, one thing stands out above all others, and that is that love is vitally important. In fact, we are told by the Apostle Paul that love is the most important thing of all (1 Corinthians 13:13). I believe there is a very good reason for this, and it has to do with God Himself and His very nature.
God created the human race out of love, and in love He pleaded with His chosen people, Israel, to return to Him in repentance. It was the love of God that produced the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, to bring a world of lost sinners back to Him and His family. In fact, God is so much in love with us that the Apostle John gives a definition of God as “God is love.” As John writes in 1 John 4:7-11, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
“God is love.” How simple and yet so eloquently put are those three words. How beautiful and movingly powerful a statement it is! The God of the universe Who made us, the God Who gave us life, this same Person loves each and every one of us. We are the result of the love of God, not simply the accident of some “Big bang”. It is apparent, then, why God was hurt so much, why He was hurt so badly, when His creation turned against Him in the Garden of Eden. The loving touch for His creation by the hand of the Almighty is seen in the very first chapter of the Bible as Moses describes how the Lord first formed man and woman: “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” (Genesis 1:27)
Paul instructs us to be patient and longsuffering in Galatians 5:22 as part of the fruit of the Spirit we are to be producing as disciples of Christ, but no one has ever come near being as indefatigable as the Lord. He has patiently put up with a lot of nonsense out of us, waiting and waiting for us to return to Him and His wonderful love. He does not want any of us to perish, and neither does He desire to condemn us. As Jesus tells us in John 3:17, He was not sent to condemn us, but to save us.
The love of God towards those who inhabit the Earth is so manifestly great that it is beyond mere mortal comprehension. But when we look upon Him as our Heavenly Father Whom He truly is then and only then do we come close to grasping just how great and wonderful is the love of God!
May the Lord bless you!

The Night the Ghouls Came Knocking

The following is a true story, although I have changed the names of individuals to protect their privacy. I hope you find it as enjoyable to read as I did to write.
My aunt recently passed away. As it is in most families, sometimes the passing of loved ones rekindles relationships and friendships with our relatives from our childhood and the bygone days of our youth that have long ago ceased through the passage of time. Such is true with a cousin of mine. Although we were quite close as small children, through the ensuing years, as is often the case, time has slipped through our fingers, and we had drifted apart. As I reflect upon that time in my life, however, it only seems just a moment ago that my cousin, Katy, and her brother, James, were visiting with us as they did every summer . . . but that seeming "moment ago" has turned into three and a half decades.
It was always a time of great joy and excitement whenever James and Katy came to visit us in our small town home in central Illinois. You see, they were from the big city of Chicago, and we all looked forward to them coming to stay with us for those two weeks each year, for inevitably something invigorating, something adventurous, something glorious, was bound to happen . . . or so we thought. My recent correspondence with my dear, cousin Katy has brought back a plethora of memories from those days of yore when thrills, exploits, and youthful, foolish indiscretions awaited us just around the next corner. Katy reminded me recently that one of the things she used to love most about coming to our house to see us as a child was how we used to scare her so! But as she was quick to add, it was such a delicious and such a delightful fear at the time, as it came from our holding seances and walking the table.
Although I hate to admit it now, my family had been drawn into all the hype and mania that had swept the country at that time when vampire Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows fame was all the rage, and we found ourselves conducting seances just as we had seen them conducted on our favorite daily soap opera. (We actually got to meet Jonathan Frid, the man who played Barnabas Collins, in person in our town one day as he was coming out of a restaurant located on our town square. Our little farming community had a theater that brought stars to our part of the world every summer where Broadway plays could be performed and the actors could hone their skills, and Frid was the lead actor in a production of Dial M for Murder that September. I am delighted to report that he was a very nice, kind man, and he took the time to speak to all of us. We even had our picture taken with him and a story of our encounter was ran in our local newspaper, as well as the paper from Decatur, IL. This was indeed a great thrill and honor for a small boy from a small town in central Illinois!)
Yes, it is true that we had veered into territory that is best left uncharted, and Katy would become so frightened, and more often than not her evenings would end with my mother and two sisters accompanying my young cousin, as the tears of fright streamed down her face, upstairs to their bedroom for the night . . . albeit, a night with the lights left on! – and this is the true story of one of those times.
We did, indeed, put the fear into cousin Katy on many, many occasions, but believe me when I tell you this, we put the fear not only in her but in ourselves and the entire neighborhood of kids (and their parents, I might add) as well!
I will never forget one evening when, in our foolishness, we were holding a seance, and my cousin, James, was given the honors of officiating over our efforts at necromancy and seeking (for some unknown reason) the wisdom from those beyond the grave that dreary gloaming as dusk was falling about us. It was not too long before James could be heard pleading, cajoling and begging for those spirits from beyond the grave, "Please, spirits, give us a sign of your presence!"
Well, no sooner had those words left his lips to hover in the shadowy air above us, air that was filled with the aroma of our burning candles, than there came an immediate rap, rap, rapping upon our front door!
Boy, oh boy, did the screams ever fill that desolate room, especially those emanating from my brother, Paul, who was two years older than I! I could feel my own heart within me thumping away, and when I looked down at my chest in the gloom, wondering how my heart could be beating so swiftly, so loudly, and yet still remain inside, I saw it pounding against my chest! Once the screaming and shrieking and crying had subsided after what seemed to be an eternity trapped in utter horror and dread, truly believing the spirits had been provoked into anger over our disturbing their rest, and wholly convinced they were coming to get us right then, and right now! (I believe I was hoarse the next day from my own bout of screeching), we finally summoned up enough courage to face our dire fears, and we ever so slowly opened the door as it creaked upon its rusty hinges . . . and what did we find? Was it a ghoul we feared standing at our door, the remnants of its burial shroud hanging languidly over what was left of its decomposing flesh? Was it the decapitated corpse we just knew was on the other side of that door, carrying its blackened head next to its decaying, putrid body?
No, what had come to disturb our proceedings into the realms of the nether world was none other than the mother of some neighborhood kids who lived down the street from us, and who had come to journey and foray into the dark underworld with us. As she peered timidly within the confines of our shadowy living room which had been transformed into what we thought was a portal for the dead, she asked in a quiet, stammering voice, "Are Bill and Bobby here?" Oh, what blessed relief was felt by all!
Can you picture what that scene must have been like from her perspective? Can you imagine what must have been going through her mind? Just visualize, for a moment, as she walked quietly down the street that evening, traversing the block from her house to ours, finally arriving at the house where her children were supposed to be, her children to whom she had given birth, and to whom she dearly loved, the same children she had entrusted into our care, safety and protection, and what does she find? She found a house darkened with only the dimly flickering of candlelight visible from behind the drawn curtains! And when she simply knocked upon the door she found herself greeted by the sound of blood-curdling screams piercing the night that seemingly would not cease!
To be honest, to this very day I am surprised she ever let those boys back into our house again!

2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

It was a very exciting baseball game to watch this past Tuesday evening as the National League and the American League met and played in the 79th edition of the Midsummer Classic, the Major League All-Star Game. But it seems in this fan's mind that the managers have yet to figure it out as to how to manage this game to win.
Now this may seem as if I am second guessing or "Monday night quarterbacking," but this is what I told my kids the other night during the game. I said if I was manager I would not take Lance Berkman, Albert Pujols or Chipper Jones out of the game. If the powers that be in Major League Baseball (translation: Bud Selig and the FOX network) have decided that the All-Star game is going to determine what team has home field advantage in the World Series, and since this rule was made precisely because the game played in Milwaukee in 2002 went into extra innings in which all the players were used and the game resulted in a 7-7 tie, then why on Earth would the manager for the National League team lift the three best hitters in baseball, not just the National League (Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman), especially when the game was playing out to be a pitcher's duel? Statistically, it makes no sense whatsoever to have removed those three since they have shown themselves to be the best hitters in baseball. You needed hitters to win the game!
I recall many times during the 70s when the game supposedly did not matter that players such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Pete Rose and Roberto Clemente routinely played the entire game because they were the best players. It was not unusual at all for this to happen, which meant that sometimes some players did not play. It just seems ironic to me that in a time when the game supposedly did not matter the players played as if it did, and the managers managed as if it did. And now when an exhibition game is the determining factor in what team is awarded home field advantage for the World Series, the ultimate series that does matter, the managers still have not figured out how to manage to win, when it is not complicated at all: You use your best players, and you use them as long as they are needed. That means your starting pitcher pitches until he gets into trouble, just as you do each and every game of the baseball season. And if that means he throws a nine inning shut out, so be it.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Is God A Baseball Fan? I Believe He Is!

I love baseball! As much as I can let it frustrate me at times when my favorite team winds up on the losing end of a contest, when all is said and done I love baseball!
One of my earliest memories I have is that of walking up to my mom when I was still just four years old while carrying a baseball bat and ball in my hand and asking her on a daily basis in that summer of 1965, "Mom, will you pitch to me?" She spent many hours that summer tossing ball after ball to me, and I loved every minute of it!
All of my own four children love baseball, too, and I am glad that I have been blessed where I can still play the game with them. And because my boys have been raised wisely, I can say with pride that they are all St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans, and we love to watch their games together during the summer.
Tonight is the 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and I know that in my household we will be tuning in to this midsummer classic. Just last night while watching the Home Run Derby I commented to my son, Daniel, that the All-Star Game was always something I looked forward to so much when I was younger. I can still see Pete Rose racing towards home plate with the winning run following a single off the bat of Jim Hickman in the bottom of the 12th inning at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, the year the vote was given back to the fans. Or who could ever forget the big blasts hit out of the park at Tigers Stadium in Detroit in 1971 by six future members of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame (Johnny Bench, Henry Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente), with Jackson's monstrous shot sailing into the light tower on the roof of the stadium being measured at 520 feet? Killebrew's home run came off a pitch thrown from yet another future member of Cooperstown in that classic, Ferguson Jenkins.
I can not help but believe that God Himself is a big baseball fan, for twice in the Bible we can find references to rallies having taken place: "In the big inning," (Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1). We also can find that God was a professional baseball fan because He would bless the man who built a ball field to play on, and the price paid for the homers hit by Barley was set at fifty shekels of silver: "And if a man shall sanctify unto Jehovah part of the field of his possession, then your estimation shall be according to the sowing thereof: the sowing of a homer of Barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver." (Leviticus 27:16) If the man gave up his field following the winning of the World Series, a jubilant and joyous occasion, indeed, the price paid for the land was to go up, though: "If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to your estimation it shall stand. But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain unto the year of jubilee; and an abatement shall be made from your estimation." (Leviticus 27-17-18) In the case of the Cubs, we see that the value is really piling up, for the year of jubilee now stands at 100 years and counting for Cubs fans! God also understood the value of having players who are willing to make the other team’s pitchers work, which is why He was so fond of players who walked with Him (1 John 1:7). One of the best at walking was a scrappy ballplayer named Enoch, and God took him as a first round pick (Genesis 5:24). Enoch knew that walks meant runs, and he had a really long career of 300 years walking with God. The purpose of getting on base, as you all know, is to make it home, and Enoch surely did (Hebrews 11:5). And finally, we see that God really enjoys knowing just how far those monster shots go, for we are told in Ezekiel 45:11, " . . . the measure thereof shall be after the homer." And we can see God is a big baseball fan because He sent His Son to throw out the most famous pitch of all time, the Sermon on the Mound! He was also the best reliever the game has ever seen with the greatest endurance of all time, amassing an amazing 3,000 saves in one day alone (Acts 2:41)! But He did not sit back and rest on His laurels for He broke His own record by getting 5,000 saves in one day later on (Acts 4:4)!
Jesus had a few encounters with His major opponents at the time, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and they were always trying to steal signs from Him (Matthew 12:39). But as He always did, He shut them down. The only sign He said He would give them was the sign of Jonah, who was a whale of a ballplayer in his own day as well! The Sadducees might as well have given up in the first place even before trying to take on the pitches of Jesus. Why, they did not even believe in Angels, one of God’s favorite teams, so they did not stand a ghost of a chance against the Lord!
We can also see how the Children of Israel formed a power hitting ball club of their own during spring training one year, the Wilderness Wandering Quails: "And the people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the Quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp." (Numbers 11:32) The Quails eventually relocated to Missouri and changed their name to become the Saint Louis Cardinals, which are one of God's two favorite teams, the other being the Los Angeles Angels.
Jesus showed He could handle the bat as well. The crafty pitcher, Satan, tried tempting Jesus with some alluring pitches of his own, but after Jesus drove his best three pitches out of the park, Satan left the Lord for a whole season (Luke 4:13), and the Angels team ministered to Him (Matthew 4:1)!
I found an interesting poem by a man named Arthur Longbrake, a man who also has clearly studied God's word and understands himself how baseball is God's favorite game. I present it to you now, and it is called Brother Noah Gave Out Checks For Rain.

"My sermon today," said Reverend Jones,
"is baseball and whence it came.
"Now, if you take the Good Book and you take a good look,
"you will find the first Baseball Game.

"It says Eve stole first, Adam second;
"Solomon umpired the game.
"Rebecca went to the well with a pitcher,
"And Ruth in the field made a name.

"Goliath was struck out by David —
"A base hit was made on Abel by Cain,
"And the Prodigal Son made a great home-run.
"Brother Noah gave checks out for rain.

"Jonah wailed — went down swinging.
"Later he popped up again.
"A lion-drive by ole Nebuchadnezzar
"Made Daniel warm-up in the pen.

"Delilah was pitching to Samson,
"When he brought down the house with a clout,
"And the Angels that day made a double-play
"That's when Adam and Eve were thrown out.

"Ole St. Pete was checking errors,
"Also had charge of the gate.
"Salome sacrificed Big John the Baptist
"Who wound up ahead on the plate.

"Satan was pitching that apple
"And looked as though he might fan 'em all,
"But then Joshua let go a mighty blow
"And blasted one right at the wall.

"And then the Lord wound up and took good aim,
"And started the very First Baseball Game.
"And, now we all know the way that the game was begun,
"And to this very day — It's still Number One!"

Jesus Christ, Our Hope


For those who are outside of Jesus Christ and living in rebellion due to their continued disobedience to follow His Gospel plan of salvation, they have no hope for any enduring epitaph for good, for those outside of Christ have no hope of eternal life. But for those of us who are in Jesus Christ we alone are able to have that " . . . peace of God, which passes all understanding . . . " (Philippians 4:7). Why? Because only those who are clothed in the garments of the Savior (Galatians 3:27) have hope of eternity spent with the Creator of the universe, for they alone are no longer considered to be enemies of God (James 4:4)! In fact, we have such a loving and forgiving God that not only are we no longer considered His enemy, we are considered His children! We have been adopted as His sons and daughters (Ephesians 1:5), and we can call out to Him as our Abba, Father (Romans 8:15). But He does not even stop there, which was boundlessly much more than ever we could have hoped. No, our Father is so loving, He is so kind, He is so merciful, and He is so gracious that He makes us joint-heirs with His one and only truly begotten Son, and as His children we, too, can share in the glorification of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17)! So let us examine the hope we have in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our hope in Christ refers to our expectations of reconciliation with God through His divine atonement as a blessed expectation for eternity. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:5, "And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who is given unto us." Paul also stated in 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now He that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God; Who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
Such expectation of the righteous in Christ’s perfect obedience is the source of our great joy and hope. As the Wise Writer stated in Proverbs 10:28, "The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish." Unfortunately, many people today, particularly those who are caught up in the New Age movements, speak of "Mother Nature" as the cause and effect of all that comes upon them in this life. But if our eye is fixed upon the Person of Jesus Christ we will see Him as He is on the throne of God as King of kings and Lord of lords. We will understand truly that God is sovereign, and He is in control. And this understanding sweetens all such mercies to see how they came to us. They come from such a loving, nail-pierced hand – a hand that bore the scars that our sins inflicted – and it should bring us to shame to see the great price He paid in our behalf when we gaze upon that hand held out so lovingly, so pleadingly, for us to surrender our lives to Him! As we are told in Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." That is what comes of true discipleship! We remember the name of our Redeemer, and we call out to Him in faithful obedience!
May the Lord bless you!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

What Will You Leave Behind?

It has been a few days since I have been able to post anything new here, and the reason is is that I have been busy visiting people in hospitals and officiating at two funerals this week. One of the members of the congregation I attend passed away suddenly on July 1, while my aunt was called by the Lord on June 27. There is probably nothing in this post that you have not heard before, but I submit it to you nonetheless. I hope you will give the words below serious consideration.
Our deeds upon this Earth most assuredly will follow us, even into death, according to the beloved Apostle John in Revelation 14:13. Tabitha Dorcas was a much-loved servant of the Lord by the people of Joppa. When she passed away she was mourned greatly by the disciples who remembered the tunics she had made so lovingly for them, and the widows tenderly displayed these garments Tabitha had made by hand to the Apostle Peter as the tears streamed down their faces in mourning (Acts 9:36-40). Today, while our minds are centered upon death, I want you to ask yourself, "What will I leave behind at my own death? What do I want people to remember about me?"
First of all, you will leave every worldly possession behind. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we will carry nothing out (1 Timothy 6:7). Since we can take nothing with us, why should we get so wrapped up with worldly "things"? Jesus said, "If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26) If you gained the whole world for your own, what would you really have? You would have nothing that would be of any value in eternity.
In the hour of death, those of us who are married will also leave our spouse behind. What will they have left? Pictures and memories. Please do not wait until your spouse is sick or dying to express your love. Flowers are sent as an expression of sympathy to let the family of the deceased know that our thoughts and prayers are with them, even at this time of death. But for those of you who are husbands, your wife would appreciate flowers now more than at her death. For those of you who are wives, your husband will appreciate a few words of kindness now far more than rivers of tears shed by his tombstone. It was in the Book of Proverbs that we find Solomon admonishing his son to " . . . rejoice in the wife of his youth" (Proverbs 5:18). Let us not wait until it is too late to express our love for our spouse, for none of us are guaranteed another moment.
We will also leave our children behind. As God tells us in His holy word, our " . . . children are a heritage from the Lord . . . " (Psalm 127:3). What are you going to leave your kids? Money? There are a lot of things that all the money in the world just can not buy. One million dollars will not dry a single tear from your children's eyes once you are gone. Money can not buy your children new parents who love them. The most valuable things you can give your children are your time and a love and desire for the Lord. Psalms 90 contains the prayer of Moses who bids us to " . . . number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." We need to do that numbering when our children are young, for it will be too late when they leave home for good.
All of your friends will also be left behind. What will they think when they read your obituary in the paper? Will they be surprised to learn that you were a Christian? Will the name of the church be harmed because of how you lived your life? Romans 14:7-8 tells us that none of us live to ourselves, and no one dies to himself. Our actions have a great deal of bearing upon other people, and our influence is much greater than we believe it is. A line from one of my favorite hymns reminds us that, "We are the only Bible the careless world will read, we are the sinners’ gospel, we are the scoffers creed; we are the Lord's last message, given in deed and word, what if the type is crooked, what if the print is blurred?"
What do you want the preacher to say at your funeral? What do you want him to say to your family? Will he be able to comfort them with the hope of a future reunion in that glorious abode of the soul? Like Joshua of old, I know not what course others might take, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:14-15).
As the wise King Solomon reflected upon his own life, he said, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole mater: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Yes, the Lord knows all about each and every one of us. It is only natural at the time of death to consider one's own mortality. I would encourage and implore each and every one of you to examine your own life, crack open your dusty Bibles, and if you find that you are not living your life in service to the Lord, then you should begin to do so now, for life is fleeting. As James, the brother of the Lord, said in James 4:13-14, "Come now, you that say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain’: whereas you do not know what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away."
Please, for your own sake, do not wait until it is too late for you to choose to serve the Lord.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Reflections on the Fruit of the Spirit

We cannot just decide to be more loving or more joyful or more peaceful and suddenly we are! It does not work that way. We gain these attributes by growing in Christ, for the fruit of the Spirit is never dispensed apart from Him. The more I have of Christ, the more His fruit will flow through my life. Our responsibility is clear from Galatians 5:25: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." This is a military phraseology meaning that I must march in a straight line, taking my orders only from Him. After all, He is my King! And as I yield to the Spirit His fruit will ripen in my life.
In what has been described as the Christian virtues, Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:5-7, "Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control patience; and in your patience godliness; and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness love." We should avoid thinking of these virtues as somehow our own individual possessions. Rather, as His called out people we are to embody before the entire world the kind of reconciled and transformed life that God desires for all of His creation. As you and I keep in step with the Spirit, we will bear fruit, the church will reflect the Spirit-life as it is intended, and others will desire what we have.
The Apostle John stated in 1 John 2:9-11 that the one who loves his brother abides in the light. And he added in 1 John 4:8 that the one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. The Apostle Peter taught us in 1 Peter 1:22 that we are to " . . . love one another from the heart fervently. . . ." He said in 1 Peter 4:8, " . . . above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves." This is in reference to the brotherhood. If you are not sure, then listen to what Peter said in 1 Peter 2:17: "Love the brotherhood." We are to love one another, and it is not to be done secretly, for Jesus Christ said in John 13:35, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another." It was no accident that Jesus said this, and it is not mere happenstance that we who are followers of Christ are commanded and expected to love one another and to grow in the Christian virtues, the fruit of the Spirit. Yes, we are to have faith and hope, too, but without love, and without our love being made manifest towards our brethren, we are nothing, and all of our works are in vain. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13, "But now abides faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love." The fruit of the Spirit should be the result of living the normal Christian life. These character qualities are not meant to be the exception for believers, but rather, the norm! It should not be extraordinary or unusual when Christ’s followers live in peace and harmony with each other or treat others with kindness. Sadly, many of us don’t reflect these virtues on a regular basis.
May the Lord bless you as you grow in the Fruit of the Spirit!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Pray for Our Nation and Its Leaders

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened." The power of prayer is a wonderful gift from God, so let us not refuse it! As the Apostle Paul said to the Galatians, "And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9). Let us reap a huge harvest for the Lord, and let us grow spiritually in the Lord's body. As His brother, James, said,"Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man avails much in its working." (James 5:16)

I believe at this time of year in which we are celebrating the birthday of this great nation, a nation that God has chosen to bless richly in such wonderful ways, that we take the time out of our busy schedules to give Him thanks for all that He has done for us, and to pray for our nation and its leaders, regardless of their political persuasion. Paul wrote to his protege and young preacher friend, Timothy, "I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity." (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Why did Paul say this? He answers this question in the very next two verses: "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-4) You see, God wants everyone to be saved because He loves us so much! That is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the atonement, the perfect sacrifice, for the sins of all of mankind. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

But God will not accept us if we reject His Son. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes unto the Father, but by Me." As the Apostle Peter said as he stood before Annas the high priest and the rest of the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:12, "And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under Heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved." So have some fun with your friends and families this Fourth of July weekend. But please also remember to take some time out from your jubilation to remember to pray for our nation and its leaders, with these words of the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:9 in your mind: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. "

May the Lord bless you, your family and our nation!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

First National Bank's Combined No Hitter Ousts Sold Rush

It was a beautilfully pleasant evening in every sense (unless one is a Sold Rush fan) as First National Bank defeated Sold Rush 4-0 on Tuesday, July 1, 2008. Jacob Stephens, Payton Hartbank and Alex Gowin all combined to pitch a no run, no hit game shutout of their opponents, giving First National a 15-2 record for the season overall and a chance to play one more time.

Jacob Stephens was the starting pitcher for First National, and he walked lead off hitter Sam Lodes. Mitch Godden grounded back to Stephens on a 3-1 count, and Stephens' throw to second base pulled shortstop Nixon Doughty off the bag, the errant throw allowing both runners to reach base safely. Luke Beavers fanned for out number one, and Andrew Deremiah was caught looking for out number two. Brody Warren then grounded out to third baseman Wyatt Krikie who stepped on third base to force out Lodes to end the top of the first.

As it turned out, First National scored all the runs they needed in the bottom of the first. Pitcher Mitch Godden struck out leadoff hitter Creighton Simmonds, but Alex Gowin was able to coax a walk on a full count. Payton Hartbank lined out to short. Alex Gowin swiped second base to put himself in scoring position and he came home on a single to right off the bat of Jacob Stephens for the first run of the game. Nixon Doughty hit what appeared to be an inning-ending bouncer to the pitcher but Godden's throw was very wild to first base, which allowed Stephens to score the unearned run all the way from first base as Nixon Doughty took third on the play. Doughty then came home for the third run of the inning as Godden uncorked a wild pitch before striking out Wyatt Krikie to end the first inning.

Payton Hartbank took the mound in the top of the second, getting Cooper Collings, Alec Smith and Dylan Bynum to take strike three as Hartbank really threw off their timing with his mix of off-speed pitches. He did have one walk in the inning, a two out pass given to Lucas Carpenter on a 3-2 pitch that just missed hitting the outside corner of the plate.

Shyler Bryant walked to start things off for First National in the bottom of the second. Alex Carey was called out on strikes as a fastball from Godden painted the outside corner. Daniel Ferguson followed with the first of his two base hits as he legged out an infield single hit to the second baseman who was surprised to see Daniel race to first ahead of his throw, and Bryant took second. Both runners were stranded as Bobby Pearson and Chris Butler struck ot.

Stephens was back pitching in the top of the third. Will Padgett could not catch up to a Stephens fastball for out number one and Sam Lodes could do no better as he swung and missed at strike three for out number two. Mitch Godden reached safely as shortstop Payton Hartbank mishandled the ball hit to him for a two out error, but no damage was done as Luke Beavers could not pull the trigger on another fastball from Stephens, this one right down the middle as Sold Rush's inning came to a close.

Dylan McBride led off with a walk on a 3-2 pitch to start the bottom of the third. Creighton Simmonds flew out deep into right field for out number one and Alex Gowin was called out on strikes on a changeup from Godden for out number two. Payton Hartbank hit a double down the right field line, but the tall, unmowed grass slowed the ball down enough to keep McBride from scoring. Jacob Stephens took a 2-2 fastball for strike three as the third inning was history.

Alex Gowin, the third pitcher for First National, went to the mound in the top of the fourth, striking out Andrew Deremiah, Brody Warren, and Alec Smith. Copper Collings was issued a two out base on balls, but he was left at second base following a steal.

Nixon Doughty popped out to shortstop to lead things off for First National in their half of the fourth inning, and Wyatt Krikie walked. Skyler Bryant popped out to first for out number two to bring up Alex Carey, who was called out on strikes as he was frozen on a fastball from pitcher Sam Lodes.

The top of the fifth inning was the only time either team went down 1-2-3. Gowin induced Lucas Carpenter to hit an easy grounder to first baseman Skyler Bryant for out number one and Dylan Bynum and Will Padgett were both strikeout victims, each whiffing on fastballs thrown from Gowin.

Daniel Ferguson led off for First National in the bottom of the fifth inning as Sam Lodes resumed pitching. Ferguson took the first four pitches he saw to find himself facing a 2-2 situation. He then spoiled three high and outside pitches from Lodes as Ferguson protected the plate. On the eighth pitch of the at bat Ferguson turned on a fasball and sent it deep over the left fielder's head for a leadoff triple. Bobby Pearson followed with a walk. Chris Butler struck out, but then Ferguson and Pearson pulled off the successful double steal to give First National a 4-0 lead. Dylan McBride was called out on strikes for out number two before Creighton Simmonds was issued the free two out pass. Alex Gowin then grounded out to first unassisted to end the fifth.

Sold Rush had the top of the order to face and the no hitter on the line as the sixth inning began. Payton Hartbank was back again pitching, and he walked Sam Lodes. Mitch Godden hit a grounder to second baseman Creighton Simmonds, who made a fine play on the ball as he tagged out Lodes for out number one before firing a strke over to first to complete the double play. Luke Beavers was then walked on a 3-1 count, bringing up cleanup hitter Andrew Deremiah. Hartbank made short work of Deremiah, striking him out on three pitches to complete the gem.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Barack Obama and the Misuse of Scripture

The following article is being published here with the author's permission. This article is written by Richard Mansel, and the following link will take you to his site: http://www.forthright.net/square_one/barack_obama_and_the_misuse_of_scripture_1.html


By Richard Mansel, assistant editor (March 11, 2008)
by Richard Mansel
Democratic Presidential candidate, Barack Obama, recently said that while he did not believe in "gay marriage," he did believe in same sex civil unions. He said, "If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans."/1Mr. Obama's flawed use of Scripture is common and evidences the complete lack of Biblical knowledge existent today (cf. 2 Peter 3:15,16). Obscure is defined as, "not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain; hard to perceive."/2 Not one of these definitions fits what Paul wrote in Romans. However, we fear being labeled bigots and homophobes, so we succumb to political pressure to accept a sinful practice as being acceptable. However, we must fear God rather than activists ( Acts 5:29).
The Apostle Paul wrote by inspiration that homosexuality is "against nature," which means that it is contrary to the plan of God ( Romans 1:26,27) /3 Scripture says, "God gave them up to 'vile passions' ( Romans 1:26, NKJV); 'dishonorable passions' (RSV); 'degrading passions' (NEB, NASB, NRSB, NAB); 'vile affections' (KJV, Amplified Bible); 'shameful lusts' (NIV); 'shameful affections' (Rheims). Thayer defines it as "base lusts, vile passions."/4 Bauer translates it as "shameful passions."/5Paul clearly denounces homosexuality in this passage and others ( 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; e tal). There is nothing obscure about what the New Testament says about the sinfulness of homosexuality. Mr. Obama's reference to the Sermon on the Mount validating homosexual behavior is completely without merit. Jesus is God and therefore the author of Scripture ( 2 Timothy 3:16,17; John 1:1). He did not have to address homosexuality explicitly because whenever the New Testament denounces it, Jesus speaks clearly ( John 14:10; John 1:1-3). Perusing the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7, we find two passages that Mr. Obama might have been alluding to in Jesus' sermon. Neither one is used properly. First, Matthew 7:1 reads, "Judge not, that you be not judged." This is one of the more abused passages in the New Testament. It becomes the favored weapon of the rationalizing and desperate. This verse condemns unrighteous judging. "For what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you" ( Matthew 7:2).
Jesus never offered a wholesale denunciation of all judging. "Courts must judge whether a crime has been committed ( Romans 13). Churches must judge whether a member has become disorderly and between sound and false teachers ( 1 Corinthians 15:1-13; 2 Peter 2:1; Titus 3:10,11; 1 John 4:1)."/6
Second, Matthew 7:5 reads, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye." Despite the rationalizations of men, this verse does not say that if we have any sin in our lives that we cannot charge others with sin. God says that all have sinned ( Romans 3:23). However, Christians are commanded to evangelize those who are lost in sin ( Matthew 28:20). We are told to help save brethren who are lost in sin ( James 5:19,20). It is clear that man's interpretation of Matthew 7:5 is erroneous.
Curiously, Mr. Obama overlooks a salient point. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" ( Matthew 7:21; cf. Revelation 20:12-15). In short, not everyone who speaks of the Bible, knows what they are talking about.

__________
3/http://preacherpages.net/2006/10/21/is-homosexuality-natural/
4/Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Broadman: Nashville, 1977), 660.
5/Walter Bauer, William F. Ardnt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), 869.
6/ http://www.forthright.net/square_one/how_dare_you_judge_me.html