What is That in Your Hand?

2nd Corinthians chapter 8 communicates the principle that we are to abound in good works, as the Lord enables us:
7 But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also.  (this refers to participating in ministry to Macedonia)He goes on to say:  8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.


Think with me:  the Corinthians were being challenged to devote their resources - spiritual and physical to another group of people, recognizing that Jesus gave His all, laying down His life, so that we might become partakers of spiritual riches in Him - and out of our blessings, the gifts He has given us, He is calling us to surrender to Him so that He might enrich other lives.   He enables us by His Spirit to bring Him glory!

Here's a story from the book of Exodus 4 as the Lord was reinforcing His call on the life of Moses:
2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has appeared to you."   This...is so that they may believe - the Lord used a meager staff to demonstrate a powerful truth, that we can apply to our own lives.
There has been quite a bit of attention paid to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, as he has dropped out of the top 40 - that would be the Bloomberg Billionaires Index - he has now fallen to #41 on the daily, yes daily, scale that tracks the wealth of the world's richest people.   At #1, by the way, it's Mexican businessman Carlos Slim Helu, followed by Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Ingvar Kamprad of Sweden, and Amancio Ortega Gaona of Spain.   
Just for fun, I thought I'd cross-reference the Bloomberg index with the Chronicle of Philanthropy's listing of top givers - it's called the Philanthropy 50, tracking the top 50 most generous Americans.   There are 17 Americans in the Bloomberg index, and 4 of them show up on the Chronicle's rankings.   The #1 donor died in 2006, but her family's fortune continues to be involved in charitable work - that would be Margaret A. Cargill of the foundation that bears her name.   
So, it's about a 25-30% overlap between the two lists.   Should it be?   Perhaps...because I believe that God gives us resources - financial and otherwise - that are to be used to serve others and to glorify Him.  If He is the owner of everything, then we recognize that our finances and material possessions are in His hands, and we can develop, by His Spirit, an attitude of generosity.
But, there are other resources - talents, that can be used of God.   And, if God has placed in us certain desires that can be used for His glory, certain passions, then He can develop those and provide opportunities to use those, as well.    Gregg Hunter, for instance, came to Christ at a summer camp, it changed his life, and he is using that passion for Christian camping to head a large organization that serves Christian camps and those who wish to attend.    Tim Hawkins was given gifts of story-telling and humor, and he uses those to inspire and entertain large crowds all across the country, including Dothan on June 1st.   
So what is that in your hand?   What's in your heart?   As we recognize that we belong to Christ, that He lives in our hearts if we are saved, then we surrender our resources for the sake of His Kingdom, so that we might be used in the way that He would intend so that He might be glorified.

Honoring the One Most Deserving

The Bible tells us to "ascribe" to the Lord various components of His nature, and in Psalm 29 we see some of His attributes which we can honor: 1 Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters...  10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. 11 The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.  We honor the Lord because of who He is - His nature and character; He is full of glory and majesty and He is love, full of lovingkindness toward us.   He is totally faithful, and we can trust Him with our very lives because He knows what is best for us.  And, we honor Him because of His deeds - because of who He is, He does marvelous things, and we can single those out and give Him the glory.   1st Corinthians 6 reminds us that since we belong to God and are the temple of His Spirit, we are called to honor Him:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.  Yesterday in Washington, President Obama presented 13 recipients with the Presidential Medal of Honor, which is designed to be given to those who have made major contributions to the security of the UnitedUnited States, or world peace, or culture or who have undertaken “other significant public or private endeavors.”  It's the nation's highest civilian honor.
  Some of the award winners were, as you might say, a "slam dunk".  How about John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth?   Check.   There's long-time Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt.  Check.  And, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens - yes, politically and ideologically aligned with the President, but still worthy recipients.  You have others that may be lesser known or who you might not think of - such as Delores Huerta, who founded the United Farm Workers and is an honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.   There's Girl Scouts founder Juliette Low - what took so long?  Then, you have novelist Toni Morrison, former Department of Justice civil rights lawyer John Doar, epidemiologist William Foege, Gordon Hirabayashi, who fought against the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II; Jan Karski, an officer in the Polish Underground in the war; and Israeli President Shimon Peres, who didn't attend yesterday's ceremony, but will receive his award later this year.    And, there is the prolific and even prophetic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

I began to think about honoring God and how we do that.   Just as these recipients, I believe, to a certain extent, had something in their nature or identity that propelled them to create, to achieve, and to excel.   We honor Him because of WHO He is AND for His achievements - what He has done in our lives.  

I believe we do this by our verbal recognition, as we come before Him, we enter His courts with praise.   And, we also honor Him in the way we live our lives.   If we are children of the King and we love and are devoted to Him, then our lives will reflect that we are serving Him.   As we recognize that our bodies are the temple, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, then we honor God by surrendering to His Spirit and allowing Him to give us life.   We seek to allow the desires of the Lord to become our own, so that we are One with Him.   And, where the Spirit of the Lord is in complete control, we experience true freedom from the power of sin.   He is worthy and deserving of all of our praise!
 

Fussing and Fighting

Hebrews 12 outlines the combination of personal holiness and our relationships with others:
14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.   The Bible exhorts us here to pursue peace - and that's a theme we see throughout Scripture - and the engine to bring about that peace is found in the remainder of verse 14:  be holy.   If our vertical relationship with God is right, if we have peace with God through Jesus Christ, then we will see evidence of His hand and His character in the way we relate to others.   If we have bitterness, anger, and resentment in our horizontal relationships, then our walk with God is stymied.
In Romans 12, we get a glimpse into some of the factors that hinder our earthly relationships and hamper our relationship with God:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.   The History Channel has begun its much-ballyhooed mini-series starring Kevin Costner on the famous family feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families in the area of Kentucky and West Virginia.  This relationship between two families included murder, pride in the form of control of territory, and even a hog that sparked conflict.   As the generations proceeded, the tensions apparently thawed - even to the point that descendants were able to compete on the TV show, "Family Feud".
But, this feud really does illustrate for us how NOT to pursue peace with others - there was a great amount of bloodshed, and even political officials felt the need to get involved to try to mitigate the conflict.   The whole situation offers valuable lessons for us:1)  As Hebrews 12 says, we are to pursue peace with all men, in the power of Christ 2)  It is not up to us to exact revenge when we feel we have been wronged - there may a time for confrontation, but to attempt to repay evil for evil is not consistent with Scriptural instruction3)  We are not going to agree with everyone we meet or interact with - even the closest of families will experience disagreements from time to time; but when there is conflict or tension, we are to take steps to resolve them in an agreeable, even diplomatic, manner4)  Bitterness and resentment are detrimental to our relationship with God - if we have unforgiveness toward another in our hearts, we cannot experience the fullness of His presence and His forgiveness that He desires for us to have.5)  A root of bitterness can produce fruit that is inconsistent with a godly life - if we allow the root to bear fruit, then it is harder to eradicate than if we had dealt with it swiftly at the first sign of conflict.
While your conflicts may not have developed to a Hatfield-McCoy level, still if we are walking at odds with others, maybe in a family, or a church, or workplace situation, its important that we lay down pride and pursue peace in the power of the Spirit.

Fleet Week and God's Glory

We have been created to honor and glorify God, and we read in Philippians chapter 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

So, we seek ways that we can honor God - to worship Him, as well as to life a life pleasing to Him, so that His glory, His nature may be seen in us.   As we serve the Lord with joy and radiate the light of Christ, we are drawn closer to Him and we testify to His presence in us - we call attention to a great and mighty King, we put Him on display!!

In Psalm 72, we see the desire of God expressed:
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.    He wants to display His glory and majesty to the entire earth - and He has placed us here so that people might be reminded of the works of God.   On Memorial Day, we remember not only the immense sacrifices of those who have bravely served our country, but also the work of Almighty God, who has established our nation, who has sustained it and blessed it.  And, He calls us, His people to display His righteousness through the way we live our lives, so that people may see His glory through us.
John Piper writes on his Desiring God website:

Probably no text in the Bible reveals the passion of God for his own glory more clearly and bluntly as Isaiah 48:9-11 where God says,

For my name’s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

I have found that for many people these words come like six hammer blows to a man-centered way of looking at the world:

For my name’s sake!
For the sake of my praise!
For my own sake!
For my own sake!
How should my name be profaned!
My glory I will not give to another!

What this text hammers home to us is the centrality of God in his own affections. The most passionate heart for the glorification of God is God’s heart. God’s ultimate goal is to uphold and display the glory of his name.

I was struck by an incredible image from New York City this week - a host of mighty sailing vessels, used by our Armed Forces, sailing into the city, honoring those who have served and reminding us of the strength of our nation's military.   And, in the background, the Statue of Liberty, which serves as a powerful symbol of the freedom that our military have fought to preserve.  Not to mention the drama of the Blue Angels flying overhead.  It's Fleet Week, which this year also coincides with the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, which was fought as a protective measure to preserve American sovereignty against British provocation.

I enjoy parades, and Fleet Week is a seafaring parade, a majestic display of America's history and glory.  And, it can serve to remind us to honor those who have served our country - if you have the opportunity this weekend, please take the time to thank those in our military for what they do for all of us.

And, give praise and honor to God for His preservation of our nation!   People came to America to establish religious freedom, to honor God, and I believe this nation was founded on Christian principles, and has been preserved and blessed because collectively we have dared to acknowledge Him.   

God calls us to honor Him, to call attention to His presence and His works in our lives, to make Him famous, in essence.   And, He uses us, His people, to display His glory - in fact, He has created us for that very purpose, so that His glory may be shown through us.    If we cognizant of that purpose, I believe it will affect the way we live our lives, and it will have a dramatic impact on the world around us.   So be careful to honor God - with our individual and corporate worship, as well as our lifestyles.  

Singing the Phone Book and Other Idol Observations

We serve a reliable God, and the Psalmist reflects on God's faithfulness in Psalm 44:
4 You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. 5 Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. 6 I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; 7 but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. 8 In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.

We look to all sorts of sources for answers, but so much of what we place our trust in results in empty promises - verse 6 reminds us that, as believers in Christ, we don't place our trust in humanity's ingenuity or invention, but on the strength of our Creator God, the one in whom we can boast all day long - we give God the praise; He is reliable.

Regarding our source of wisdom, to make good decisions, to acquire the true answers we seek, Proverbs 4 says:
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. 6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. 7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. And, elsewhere in Proverbs, Solomon writes that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.   

Not unexpectedly, I wanted to put a punctuation mark on this season of American Idol,  which we've been covering some on TMH, with the help of Chuck Harvey of The One21 Music and former finalist Scott MacIntyre.    First of all, congratulations to Phillip Phillips, a talented, innovative musician from South Georgia, who embraces some of the qualities I appreciate - creativity, a strong love of family, and a sense of charity, as evidence by his involvement in Albany's Mission:Change organization, that partners with churches and other non-profit organizations to reach out to their community.   And, he has displayed an amazing amount of endurance in battling through some health problems.

The finale show was, well, pretty uninspiring to me.  There were some OK vocal performances, some a bit cheesy and contrived, and a couple outright scary.  There was a raunch factor, mostly centered around Steven Tyler.   There was a marriage proposal between 2 former finalists, which unfortunately followed that typical Hollywood narrative - Ryan Seacrest announced they had already "moved in" together, and deemed that to be good.    But, that timeline is not only contrary to Biblical teaching, the data shows that couples who cohabit are less likely to have a successful.

But, probably the most notable aspect of the whole two-hour indulgence, which will probably be #1 in the ratings - again, even though viewership has fallen off this season, was the musical number based on a Randy Jackson cliche that he uses to describe excellent singers - he has repeatedly said that a contestant could "sing the phone book" and sound good.   So, you had the finalist dressed in choir robes singing a song based on - the phone book!   Not bad.   It was really driven home at my house because during the show, we were actually looking for - our phone book.    Someone online pointed out that many of the Idol finalists may never have used a phone book.

This prompted me to think about where we go for our information.   Once the phone book was a valuable source to find out how to contact people - but now, you can go to Google, you can speak into a smartphone, and if you have Siri, it will even talk back to you.    You can even click on a link and the number will be dialed for you. 

But answers are only as reliable as the person or machine that has entered the data.   That's why sites such as Yahoo! Answers or Ask.com can provide you with a lot of opinions.   And, in the culture today, there are tons of people looking for answers, but sometimes answers are just someone else's opinion.  

And, we realize as Christians that many of the answers to questions people have can be found in God's Word.  As people seek for truth, they need reliable answers, rock-solid information, and in the pages of the Scriptures, people can find a firm foundation.    And, just like the ol' phone book, even though the delivery methods may change, we can be confident that He never changes, He is faithful and true, and His Word provides the power and principles upon which to build our lives.

Training Days

1st Timothy 4 reminds of being diligent to be involved in spiritual training:
(7b) train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Another translation says that "godliness is profitable for all things", and it's true - if our spiritual life is correct, then there are implications in other areas - not that the most mature Christian will be the best competitor, but in areas of character, respect, good decision-making, and a reputation for excellence - those important intangibles - we can see the life of Christ flow.

In 1st Corinthians 9, Paul writes about the importance of training in the Christian life:
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

On Friday's MH program, Terry Veazey, an evangelist based in Montgomery who travels the world sharing the gospel of Christ, opened up our conversation saying that he was in training for the Olympics - in Lanett, Alabama!    You see, he will be part of a team that will be witnessing in London during the Games this year...and spiritual training is very important - even though he's preached across the globe, he still sees the need to prepare, to become even more equipped to win souls for Jesus.

We are called by God to be in a training process - once we figure we've arrived spiritually, we become vulnerable to moving backward in our spiritual life.   And, if we have a casual approach to spiritual growth, we will not become the Christian and the witness that He desires for us to become.

The apostle Paul drew the parallel between physical training and spiritual training.   The athlete understands the importance of being disciplined, of practicing, of applying his or her skills - and talents - to becoming fit for the competition and excelling in it. 

I think Donald Driver of the Green Bay Pavkers can testify to the importance of training - not only is he at the top of his game in the NFL, but he was crowned the winner of "Dancing With the Stars" last night.  Athletes seem to do well in that show, because I believe they are adequately prepared for the physical, as well as the mental aspects of the competition - control over the body, precision, long practices, and self-control are just some of the characteristics that can be important.   Look at the number of athletes who have won - Hines Ward, Shawn Johnson, Kristi Yamaguchi, Helio Castroneves, Apolo Ohno, and Emmitt Smith.

Well-trained athletes have the competitive edge; and well-trained Christians have an edge, too - those who not only hear God's word but "do" it - applying it to a variety of areas in their lives.   In a world where temptation is prevalent and spiritual complacency seems to rule, if we are willing to practice our faith and diligently learn and apply His principles, then we can have a victorious life.   Faith Radio can, in a sense, be a spiritual trainer for you, with strong Biblical teaching from a world-class lineup of speakers, and songs that can draw us into experiencing God's presence through worship...but we have do more than listen - we must take time to practice and develop our spiritual skills, if you will, so that we can be a well-trained competitor - strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Counting the Stars

Psalm 147 gives us some insight into the greatness of God's love and His power:3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. 6 The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.  In this passage, we see a God who is intimately involved in the struggles that we face, the trials that hold us captive and the hurts that keeps us bound.    He is the One who can lift us up as we humble ourselves before Him.   Interestingly enough, the Psalmist reminds us of how big our God is - and how wise!   He counts and names the stars, His understanding is infinite, and He is great and mighty.   We can depend on our big God in the midst of our trials and tragedies.
In Psalm 136, we read this incredible song of worship, which offers a pattern by which we can give praise to God:4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; 5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; 6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; 7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever-- 8 The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; 9 The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.

A private company, called SpaceX, sent an unmanned space vehicle loaded with 1200 pounds of supplies to the International Space Station early today, marking the beginning of a new era of private space exploration and travel.   If SpaceX successfully docks, it becomes the initial journey in a $1.6 billion contract. The other company with a NASA cargo contract is Orbital Sciences Corp., which is set to test launch its rocket this summer.   

So NASA, which has held the monopoly on the U.S. space program since its inception, is allowing other contractors to work with it.   And, a NASA employee, er, former NASA employee, at the Jet Propulsion Lab, David Coppedge, has some great insights for us coming up.   David  was on the Cassini mission to Saturn for 14 years before he lost his job, and has sued NASA to get his job back - he claims that he was removed from his job in 2011 because he was sharing elements intelligent design with his co-workers.

And, by the way, on the Tuesday edition of my radio show, a gentleman who was demoted from his position filed suit against his employer, saying that his religious freedom rights in the workplace had been restricted.   A settlement has been reached in the case, and the attorney for the employee will join me.

Back to David Coppedge - in addition to inviting co-workers to view materials supporting the theory of intelligent design - he has also written some creation-oriented pieces for the Institute for Creation Research.   One of them is entitled, "How Big is God?", in which he says:

In our imagination (and ignoring relativistic effects) let's aim for the nearest star at light speed...Only after 4.3 years would Alpha Centauri appear larger than a pinpoint of light. Star-hopping within our galaxy, we would be amazed at how much is empty space.

Turning up out of the plane of the Milky Way, it would take 100,000 years for the full spiral of our galaxy to become visible. Though stars at our sun's radius orbit the center at nearly 500,000 mph, the galaxy would appear motionless. A whole human lifetime would pass with no apparent change except for the rare supernova.  As for the earth—if the galaxy were represented as the size of North America, our entire solar system would fit in a coffee cup somewhere in Idaho.

Astronomers estimate that there are as many galaxies outside the Milky Way as there are stars in it. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field, taken in 2004, imaged 10,000 galaxies in a cone of space so slim you could cover it with a grain of sand held at arm's length. Integrated over the entire sky, that would mean there are more than 100 billion galaxies in the visible universe, many with more than 100 billion stars each. According to Psalm 147:4, God calls them all by name.

So, how big is God?   He is the Creator of the universe, setting the worlds in motion.   And, in all his magnificent greatness and wisdom, He has brought about a plan for you and I to know Him intimately through His Son.   And, when we consider the power He has, then perhaps the tedious struggles that keep us frustrated and even afraid can appear quite small, minute, by comparison.  We serve a big God, and He desires for us to pray about all things, big and small, realizing we have someone who can and will answer our prayers as we pray according to His will.

A Passion for Purity

In Psalm 101, we read the psalmist's response to the mercies of God:(1) I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. 2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. 4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. 
Because we have been saved, in response to the love of God, we have the desire to please Him.   We allow the Spirit of God to govern what comes into our spirit through our mind and we make the choice to walk before God with a clean heart.   What we allow into our consciousness will either support or contradict the indwelling nature of the Spirit of Christ within us, so it's important that we choose to walk in purity.

Ephesians 5 reminds us of the importance of raising a standard for purity in thought and action:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.


Congratulations to the winners in the Christian music category of the Billboard Music Awards last night - Casting Crowns, who won the Artist award, as well as the Album award for "Come to the Well".  And, Laura Story added another accolade for her song, "Blessings", which also has won Grammy and Dove Awards.   These and so many other Christian artists see music as a powerful way to communicate truth, to encourage, and to influence culture.

And, when you look at so many of the other nominees, there is a desire to make good music, and a profit motive, sure, but there is also the capability to influence culture, and not necessarily for good.   While I don't endorse the music or the person of Adele, the big winner of the night, she does stand in contrast to the persona and the sensual image of artists such as Katy Perry or...Lady Gaga.   And, I would encourage you to pray for some of these artists, whose musical lyrics and concert performances reflect values that are not consistent with Biblical truth.

Lady Gaga was not at the awards last night - she is on a tour of Southeast Asia, where in some places, she has not been exactly welcomed with open arms.   In the nation of Indonesia, her concert there was cancelled because her highly sexualized performance and lyrical content offended the predominantly Muslim authorities - there were even the threats of violence there. In the Philippines, a heavily Catholic country, religious officials protested her performing there, and while officials are letting her shows go on, security is being beefed up.  In South Korea, those below the ages of 18 were prevented from viewing her concert.  In light of these responses in other countries, so of whom I cannot endorse, it is interesting that in America, the land of the free, Lady Gaga and other objectionable performers travel from town to town and you don't hear of any civic opposition to her shows...I am not aware of any ratings for concerts - that's why parents are so important in monitoring and regulating the content of music and other forms of entertainment that their children and teens are consuming.

I do believe that the exhortation of Jesus to be salt and light includes acting as a preservative for the culture.   And, it starts in each of our hearts - are we regulating our consumption of media and discarding images and sounds that do not please God?   And, we as adults are the gatekeepers of our home - are we promoting a lifestyle of purity in our young people and discussing their entertainment choices, including musical selections, with them?   And, in the spheres of influence in which we interface, are we holding up a standard of purity, goodness, and wholesomeness - so that we're known not necessarily by the things we're against, but because of the light that we uphold?    And, there may be a time when we are called to speak out against performers and events that are not consistent with our values - spreading a sense of common grace and recognizing that some cultural influences can be destructive - to individual lives, to family units, to the stability of our society.  

The Power to Change

In Acts 26, the apostle Paul is standing before King Agrippa, relating the story of his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus.   Paul shared that the Lord told him to...
16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'

The power of a transformed life is compelling evidence of the reality of God - as people see us living for Christ, I believe that they will be drawn to Him as He is lifted up through our lives.   And, reflecting on our own change from darkness to light can help us when those difficult times come and we are vulnerable to losing our way, not able to see clearly and to experience Him - we can be strengthened as we recognize what He has done in our hearts.

Colossians 1 says:
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.  
This week, a very special memorial service was held at Washington's National Cathedral for Chuck Colson.  As Dr. Timothy George noted in his remarks, the news of Colson's conversion to Christianity was met with skepticism.   When news of Colson's conversion to Christianity leaked to the press in 1973, the Boston Globe reported, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everybody."   You see, Chuck had the reputation of being a hard-core political operative, a White House "hatchet man", and someone who admittedly took part in "dirty tricks".   While it may have been hard to handle for some, the presence of Christ in and through Chuck became a winning force for good in our culture.

Yesterday, the world of entertainment was stunned by the announcement that the so-called "Queen of Disco" had died of cancer at the age of 63.   She was known by the overt sensuality that was present in songs such as "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", and "Love to Love You Baby".  According to the New York Times, she became so depressed that in late 1976 she attempted suicide, she wrote in her 2003 autobiography, “Ordinary Girl: The Journey,” written with Marc Eliot. She began taking medication for depression and became a born-again Christian in 1979.   That decision was apparently greeted by skepticism by some.

Michael Levine, who was Summer's publicist at one time, said her Christian faith played an important role in her as she got older.  Levine said she even held Bible study at her home every week.  "She was very committed to God, spirituality, and religion," he said. "Her passion in her life, besides music, was God, spirituality and religion."

There was certainly skepticism when a well-known persecutor of the new Christians after the death of Jesus claimed to have converted to Christianity.   The apostle Paul had a dramatic experience on the road to Damascus, and became a great missionary, travelling from city to city establishing churches, and the work of God through him became compelling regarding the authentication of his ministry - he wrote much of the New Testament.   Ananias was certainly skeptical when he was directed by the Lord to minister to Paul.   In Acts 9, we read:

Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel."

Life change is dramatic and powerful evidence of the reality of Christ.   When you think of Chuck Colson, Donna Summer, and the apostle Paul, who some may have regarded as beyond saving, you can also be encouraged that God isn't finished, and that He is continuing to seek and save the lost.  There is hope for the person, no matter who far he or she has wandered from God, who will come to the Lord in humility and repentance, confessing Christ as Lord and receiving His forgiveness.   And, we can be thankful for the life change that He is working in our lives - He never gives up on us!!

 

Cleansing Agents in a Fallen World

Let's think together on the cleansing power of Jesus Christ - from 1st John 1:
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The blood of Jesus is a cleansing agent, and His truth can help us build up the ability to resist temptation, to renounce sinful desires and tendencies, and to walk in triumph in a manner pleasing to God.   Even though we are in this flesh, we are called to a higher standard, because we have been born of the Spirit.

From Psalm 24:

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?  
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.  
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face.

Perhaps you've been following the story of 24-year-old Aimee Copeland, who was infected with a flesh-eating bacteria, necrotizing fasciitis, after receiving a cut from riding a home-made zipline in Georgia. She still remains in intensive care, and has had her leg amputated at the hip, and surgeons say she may lose her fingers.

Now, in an unrelated case, Lana Kuykendall, a Greenville, S.C. resident, started to experience leg cramps a day after she gave birth to her babies.  The delivery was normal, but the new mother needed a blood transfusion.  Soon, she was in so much pain that she couldn't walk, but tests revealed nothing was wrong.

The next morning, Kuykendall discovered what she thought was a blood clot at the back of her leg and it had begun to grow, spreading a quarter of an inch in half an hour. Within 90 minutes of returning to the hospital, Kuykendall underwent surgery for the flesh-eating bacteria.

According to CNN, many different types of bacteria cause the condition known as necrotizing fasciitis, in which the bug attacks healthy tissue and destroys it.  The bacteria that can cause the condition exist normally in the environment and are even found in the body, but a person's immune system is usually able to fight off infection.  Occasionally, however, the bacteria find their way into the bloodstream.  There are reportedly only about 250 cases per year of this particular condition.

It reminds us there are a lot of unseen elements in this world, and God has made our bodies in such a way that we can fight off these biological agents that, if allowed to run unchecked, could cause us illness or death.   And, through modern medicine, we have powerful antibiotics that can help us to recover when we do suffer bacterial infections.

In thinking about my conversation yesterday with Craig Groeschel and my upcoming conversation with Todd Hunter, we not only inhabit a physical world where there is the potential for harm, but in the spiritual realm, we are in a fallen world that is steeped in sin.   And, even though we were born apart from God and inhabit this sinful world, we can access His cleansing agents and seek to build up an immunity to sin in areas of our lives.   Not that we will ever stop sinning, but by having Jesus as our Savior, as we confess our sins, we know that He forgives us and His blood cleanses us.   And, in areas where we are vulnerable and perhaps have developed a pattern of sin or habitual sin, we can use God's Word and the power of His Spirit to help us to ward off the desires of the flesh that would lure us into sin.   God wants to make us pure and triumphant - He gives us the tools to make that happen, but we have to be willing to submit ourselves to the cleansing power of the blood of Christ.

Being Well-Read in the Word

Psalm 1 gives us a profile of the person who reveres, digests, and applies God's Word to his or her life:
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 
3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

God desires for us to delight in His word - and that means that we not only read the Word regularly - a two-dimensional sense of ink on paper - but that we also study, memorize, meditate, perhaps even speak God's Word in prayer and praise - so that it becomes multi-dimensional and comes to life in our hearts and flows through our actions.

In 2nd Timothy 3, Paul writes to Timothy about the authority of God's Word and its purpose:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 


Amazon has released its list of "Most Well-Read Cities in America", determined by compiling sales data of all book, magazine and newspaper sales in both print and Kindle format since June 1, 2011, on a per capita basis in cities with more than 100,000 residents.   So, this list is really those that buy reading materials online from Amazon, but I digress.   You want to know who's on the list...so here goes:

10. Salt Lake City
9. Washington, DC
8. Gainesville, FL
7. Arlington, VA
6. Miami
5. Boulder, CO
4. Ann Arbor, MI
3. Berkeley, CA
2. Cambridge, MA
And the #1 Most Well-Read City: Alexandria, Virginia!


Also notable:  Atlanta is #19, Columbia, SC is #15, Orlando #14, and Knoxville is at #12.



In taking a closer look at the data, Amazon also found that:

• Berkeley, Calif., is a city full of jet-setters – it topped the list by ordering the most Travel books.
• Boulder, Colo., keeps the closest eye on its waistline by topping the list of cities that order the most books in the Health, Fitness & Dieting category.
• Virginia is for lovers – Alexandria, Va., that is, which tops the charts in the Romance book category.
• Cambridge, Mass., grows the most budding entrepreneurs. These locals topped the list for ordering the most books in the Business & Investing category.

“As the summer reading season gets into full swing, we're excited to reveal our second annual Most Well-Read Cities list,” said Chris Schluep, Senior Editor of Books, Amazon.com. “It’s great to see that we are truly a nation of readers, with representation on this list from every region of the country.”

And, overall, we celebrate the Bible as the best-selling book of all time.  And, we rejoice with LifeChurch.tv, with its mobile app YouVersion.com, celebrating 50 million downloads!!   Craig Groeschel, Founding Pastor of LifeChurch.tv, will be a guest on The Meeting House on Wednesday,



God's Word is more than print on paper or on a screen - more than the two-dimensional.   The Word is actually living and active - and sharp, penetrating our hearts.   Faith Radio is one of the tools that God can use to bring the Word of God more alive in your life and to direct you in your application of His truth.   And, there are numerous resources that can help us grow spiritually, based on God's truth.  We emphasize the importance of regular Bible reading...and encourage you to experience the Bible multi-dimensionally by memorization, study, meditation, speaking God's Word, and generally reprogramming our minds with His truth.   Perhaps we can have a goal to be a more well-read saint - well-read in God's Word!

What's In A Name?

Jesus Christ, our Savior, is the One who, according to Philippians 2:
(8b) ...humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

His name is described as a strong tower, and as we call upon His name, we can be assured that we have access to the very throne of God.   As we embrace His name, we can experience His presence, His power, and know His peace.   A name is a very powerful thing, and His name is the most exalted of all.

Proverbs 22 discusses the building of a godly reputation:
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all. 3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. 4 By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.

The annual list of top baby names has been released by the Social Security Administration, and for the 13th straight year, Jacob is the top boy name.  Sophia replaced Isabella as the top name for girls.   Laura Wattenberg, creator of the website, babynamewizard.com, said, "It shows what we're paying attention to, what we're thinking about..."   Indeed, when you figure that the name Mason is #2, coinciding with the birth of Kourtney Kardashian's son, that is perhaps a reflection of pop culture.   And, Biblical names continue to be popular - for years, John, James, Mary, and Elizabeth were the most popular, and now, the top boy name, Jacob, as well as Noah, Eiljah, and Joshua are all in the top 15.

Religious and cultural factors contribute to the naming of a child, and so do family considerations.  I am named after both my grandfathers, and family influences are present in my wife's name, and our process of naming our own children.   And, names are important.   The furtherance of a family name is an important tradition and makes a lasting imprint on society.

Names are important, as well as what our names come to represent.  When someone hears our name, there is a certain impression that is made - so we build our name by the lives we live, by the reputations we establish.    So, when your name is spoken or written, will people think highly of you?  Perhaps will they associate your name and your life with the name that is above all names - Jesus Christ.    If we have built a good reputation, then if our name is used by someone else, it will carry some weight and influence; when we speak the name of Jesus, we can know that we have access to the resources of heaven - because we have accepted Him, we can speak to God the Father through Him.

What's in a name?   Plenty.  And through the power of Christ, we can build a good and godly reputation, infused with character that comes from Him.

3 Companies, 3 Trajectories

2nd Peter 3 gives us the encouragement to grow in our walk with the Lord:
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.   It's important that we recognize that God wants us to grow spiritually, and He has given us powerful tools to do that - tools such as His Word or the power of His Spirit, convicting us of sin and enabling us to exercise power over the sin that would cause us to be unproductive in our lives.    And through prayer, we can fellowship with God and gain a greater sense of His plan and presence for our lives.  Proverbs 4 can gives us some cause to reflect on the path of our lives:11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.   Three companies are in the news today:  first of all, there's Facebook, which will be issuing its Initial Public Offering, or IPO, this week, attempting to attract investors who are willing to purchase stock in a growing company.   There's also JP Morgan/Chase, that just took a $2 billion loss late last week.   And, there's Yahoo!, whose board of directors just fired their CEO, due in part to some false information about a degree that was included in his bio, but that he never actually received.  I think these 3 companies may can give us just a bit of inspiration as we evaluate our walk with Christ in various areas of our lives.   You have Facebook, which is on an upward trajectory - doing a lot of the right things and making progress.  And, I would hope that there are areas that we have identified that need some attention and we are seeing improvement.    JP Morgan reminds us that there are some areas where we're not seeing success, and we haven't yet made the necessary course corrections in order to reverse the downward trend or even the downward spiral - and if there are areas that aren't working for us spiritually, we have to identify them and take word-centered, Spirit-infused action.   And, as Yahoo! teaches us, if there are some areas where we have sinned, where we have "missed the mark", then we follow 1 John 1:9, confess our sins, receive Christ's forgiveness, and head in a different direction.    And, there may be areas which fall under all 3 of those categories currently in our lives - I am thankful that God's Word offers us the tools to identify, to grow, to adjust, and to enjoy the freedom we have in Christ. 

Stepping Up

In Ephesians 1, we read about how God desires to fulfill His purpose in us.11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

The Holy Spirit resides in us to seal us until the day we leave this earth and is the one who guides us and reminds us of the purposes to which God has called us - the Lord has a plan for our lives, and He calls us to step out, to turn to Him, and to follow His call.

In the book of Ruth, we see the story of two widows who were married to brothers - one chose to go back to her homeland, the other stayed with her mother-in law.
14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.


You can learn a lot and be inspired from American Idol, and it's for that reason that you will hear Chuck Harvey of The One 21 Music giving analysis, or former finalist Scott McIntyre, who is legally blind and has written a new book, on the Meeting House program next Thursday.

Today, I discovered an organization that is doing a great work in the Albany, Georgia area, which is where Top 3 contestant Phillip Phillips is from.   It's called Mission:Change, and one of its founders and leaders happens to be Phillip's sister - apparently this family has a pretty strong church background.   Here is an organization that believes in reaching out to the less fortunate in their community, organizing a host of special events, partnering with churches and other charitable organizations to impact their area.

Each month, they choose an organization and hold a special outreach or event.   For instance, in April, they held a prom - for some of the elderly in the area.   They have also supported an outreach to the homeless.   If you look closely at some of the American Idol videos, Phillip is wearing a Mission:Change t-shirt.   

Here's yet another example of people in a certain city that chose to "step up" and help people.   On Monday's Meeting House, I'll talk with a lady who has gained quite a reputation for challenging Christians to be involved in ministry opportunities, large, medium, and small.   She has written a book called, "A Cup of Cold Water", and inspires us to step up and get involved in service.

This morning, I was reading from the book of Ruth.   After her husband died, Ruth could have chosen to just be comfortable in the shadows of her homeland of Moab.  Instead, she stepped up and stepped out of her comfort zone and went with her mother-in-law to Bethlehem.   There she took a step out in faith and met Boaz, who eventually became her husband.    They gave birth to a son, Obed, who had a son named Jesse, who was the father of....David.   Ruth, even though she was not a Jew, had a place in the lineage of Jesus, illustrating to us that all have a place at the cross.

So, is it time for you to step up - for a change?   Maybe to move outside where you are comfortable to be a comforter to those in need?    God delights in our service to others, because it demonstrates our love for Him, and we experience a sense of delight because we are taking our eyes off ourselves. 

Some Random Responses to a "New" Revelation

Jesus cautions us to keep our lives centered on His Word, so that we may enjoy His presence and display His character to the world around us.   Here's what He said in John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

In Christ, we are promised peace - even when the ways of the world tempt us to become angry, worried, and frustrated, we are assured that if our minds are stayed on Christ, we can experience perfect peace, the peace that passes all understanding.
 When we remember some of the trends in the culture that run counter to God's standards, let's remember to respond in accordance with Romans 14: 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

It was bound to happen - and we're being played!!   The headlines are dominated by the seemingly "new" revelation of the President regarding "gay marriage" - he's been saying that his view has been evolving, so I guess we've reached the pinnacle now.  However, he's merely returned to the position he held while in the Illinois State Senate, which was revised when he ran for President in 2008.

But, if it were reported all along that he favored gay marriage, yesterday's "exclusive" interview wouldn't have made news, would it.   In one statement, strategically placed, he has become the number one newsmaker and erased his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney from the stream of consciousness - his tepid response has been barely a blip on the media radar.  

So, how do you feel?   We can be exhilarated that North Carolina has become the 30th state to align itself with God's definition of marriage as one man for one woman.   By the way, although many say that Jesus didn't address the topic of homosexuality, I would submit he did give the definition of marriage, quoting Genesis 2:24 in Matthew chapter 19 - even though it was a passage on divorce, he did reinforce the clear definition of the marriage relationship.

And if we regard the laws of sexuality in Leviticus 18 as representative of God's heart, then, consistent with Romans chapter 1, God's position on the matter is crystal clear.  

But, when we see people accept gay marriage and declare that two people who love each other should have that "right" to marry, doesn't it make you frustrated?   And, don't you want to dig in and speak out - forcefully?    Chuck Colson had some thoughts on the nature of our response in a Breakpoint commentary from last year.  He said that:

...we believers are winning on the substance. But we’re not doing very well on style.

Study after study has shown that gay “marriage” undermines the institution of marriage. In those societies where homosexual “marriage” has been tried, traditional marriage is increasingly discarded. Furthermore, the research is nearly unanimous that children do best when they grow up with a mother and a father — which gay “marriage,” by definition, denies them.

Based on all this, you might think that we are winning the debate. And yet, the tide of public opinion appears to be turning against us.

He went on to make this very excellent point:

As frustrating as this debate can be, prudence dictates that we Christians be especially mindful of our responsibility to remain civil. First of all, it’s the right thing to do. Secondly, the supporters of gay rights are waiting for any opportunity to pounce on their opponents if we give them any opening.

But there’s another point I want to make here, one you’ll hear me to return to again and again. We Christians are very good at saying “No.” We’ve got to better saying “Yes”: showing how God’s plan for humanity is a blessing: That His ways — including faithful, live-giving marriage between one man and one woman — lead to human flourishing, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Collin Hansen, writing for The Gospel Coalition blog, says:

Many gay-rights advocates have excused themselves behind a professed love of God's Word. You won't likely win a debate with them by citing Bible verses they've been trained to explain away.  Rather, we're losing a more fundamental struggle over the very definition of God. Straight or gay...we're not satisfied with a God who calls us sinners. Who calls on us to deny ourselves. 

For presidents and paupers, gays and straights, there is no other way to true happiness than the one Jesus traveled, the way that ended in the agony of the Cross and the ecstasy of the Resurrection.

To deny ourselves is to welcome the God who delights in giving every good and perfect gift, especially freedom from the vain pursuit of self-fulfillment.

So, our position is to be of good cheer, to reflect righteousness, peace, and joy, to live lives pleasing to God, so that those who believe the myth that "I am my desires", will observe the character of Christ in us and be drawn to the Spirit who loves, who ministers, and who compels - through us.

Redefinition and Reverence

Romans 13 says:
(12b) Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

This passage draws a clear contrast between light and darkness, right and wrong, the flesh and the spirit.   The Bible is full of absolutes, and God gives us the choice whether or not to align our ways and desires with His or to walk in disobedience.   I am thankful that God has given us His Spirit to enable us to walk in a manner pleasing to Him.

In Galatians 5, we read:
(16b)Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.   There is a clear contrast between right and wrong that is found in the Bible...in His words, we find truth.

Congratulations to the state of North Carolina - a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman passed with approximately 61 percent of voters in favor of it. Polls taken prior to the vote indicated it would pass with at least 58 percent.

"Now, the people have spoken," said Ron Baity, pastor of Berean Baptist Church in south Winston-Salem, quoted in the Christian Post.  He worked for years to get the amendment on the state ballot but wasn't successful until after Republicans won a majority in the General Assembly in 2010.

North Carolina becomes the 30th state to define marriage as one man and one woman in their state's Constitution.   I am thankful that over half of states have agreed with the Biblical definition of marriage and placed it into their law.   In a culture that seems to be fond of redefining areas in a manner contradicting the Bible, it's good to see that people across America are affirming traditional marriage. 

And why not?  The government, as we've discussed on The Meeting House, has an interest in preserving traditional marriage, and it's right for officials to endorse that definition, realizing it leads to a more stable society.   But, it was God's idea - of course, it's the best way, an institution ordained by Him, that is representative of Christ and the church.

There are other areas where cultural influences lead to redefinition of terms.   Even the word, "truth", which from a Biblical perspective means to affirm and live by God's absolutes, His certain principle, has been redefined to mean that whatever is true for you is OK - there is not an absolute standard.   And, so we are pressured to not adhere to clear definitions of right and wrong, good and evil, light and darkness.   We are called to tolerate, and if we do hold to a view or express a position that represents firm, Christian conviction, we are seen as intolerant, bigoted, and unduly rigid.

But, truth is still truth, and an accurate definition indicates that truth is found in the pages of the Scriptures.   If we make His definitions our own, then we won't be distracted by the redefinitions that occur in the culture.

God's Not Finished

In 2nd Timothy 4, Paul writes to his friend, Timothy about the importance of finishing strong:
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

I hope that when the days ordained for me by the Lord have concluded that I can say as I look back that I have fought the good fight, that I have finished strong.   So many in the Christian life begin well, but because of sin, distraction, preoccupation with past failures, lack of motivation, or other factors, we give up and don't finish well.   We can be encouraged that as we stay true to Christ, that He will lead us and empower us to live a complete, productive life for Him.

We're exploring the concept of finishing strong, realizing that when God takes us out of this world, that marks the moment when He is finished using us.  Here's what Philippians 3 says:
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

I like stories of people that attempt something that is not normally thought of for people in their age group.  One of the headlines over the past couple of days involves a 55-year-old woman who has decided to try out for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders - she wanted to when she was 22, but she was a single mom at the time and the opportunity just wasn't there for her.   Now, this particular activity may not be something you and I aspire to, or want to participate in, but it does cause us to think how God desires to produce fruit in our lives, and He's not finished until He says so.   Think about Mike Flynt, who wrote the book, The Senior - at the age of 59, he decided to try out for a slot on the football team at his old college.  He had been kicked off the team prior to his senior year, and he wanted a shot a redemption.    Mike, who is believer in Jesus Christ, says, "With every opportunity I now have, I stress to people that it's never too late to tackle your dreams".

You may have been off the field, maybe thinking that God can't use you, or maybe having strayed away fro the Lord.   And, there are those past sins and failures that can hold us captive and keep us from trying any more.   Remember, He's not finished with you until the day He calls you home, and He gives you his Holy Spirit to enable you to live a fruitful life for Him.

The Supermoon and Supernatural Wonders

From Psalm 8, we get some insight into the divine order of the universe:
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
 
So the Psalmist thinks about this wonderful, mighty Creator God, who is the initiator and designer of the universe, and He has set the worlds in motion, and given humanity a critical role - we are crowned with glory and honor and we are called to be custodians of nature.   What a glorious God we serve, and as we gaze at the natural wonders of creation, we can be reminded that it is He who is not only Creator of the universe, but the One who has designed us in His image.
 
Here are the words of Joel chapter 2:
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved
 
The Bible reminds us that in the last days, there will be an outpouring of God's Spirit, and there are many, including the participants in the National Day of Prayer and the One Cry Prayer Summit last week, who are crying for a dramatic move of God's Holy Spirit, to bring spiritual awakening, beginning in each of our hearts.   As the time draws near, we are also promised that there will be drama in the heavens and on the earth before He comes.   This will usher in an unprecendented time of people calling out to Jesus to save them.

The spectacular displays in the skies can remind us that there is Someone greater than ourselves - that we have been placed on this earth, in a unique spot in the cosmos, in order that we might glorify our Lord.  

This past weekend, we observed the so-called "supermoon", the biggest and brightest full moon of the year.

At 11:34 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday night, the moon was about 221,802 miles from Earth. That’s about 15,300 miles closer than average.   That makes the moon look about 15% larger, and will look even larger the closer that the moon is to the horizon.

And, those displays remind us that there will come a day when the heavens will be full of wonders.   Jesus talked about it in Matthew 24:
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be... 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

We can be confident that if we have called upon the name of the Lord and we are saved, that we will be with Jesus, safe in His arms and secure in His presence.   We have the promise of eternity in heaven with Christ, and even though this earth is passing away, we know that we will always be with Him.