To Everything There is a Season

Solomon said to everything there is a season. The passage I am speaking about is found in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. Days follow one after another, and as I get older, they seem to be picking up speed; but this is the day that we focus on starting a New Year. It seems such a short time ago that we changed centuries. Solomon describes times of great joy and great sorrow, and times of building and times of tearing down. The awesome joy of a birth, followed by the terrible lament of a death. Beginnings and ends, to everything there is a season. I have experienced both the painful loss of my father, and the joy of welcoming a niece and a nephew. I try to make the things that I loved about him to be true about me; especially when I am around the little ones.
One thing that I do know is that time continues to press on, and there will be times of great joy and times of great sadness. So if you want a goal to shoot for this New Year: make the things that you loved best about those who have gone on to their reward, true about you. God bless you and keep you in this New Year.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

It is a fearful thing for a sinner to meet his end. I recently read Jonathan Edwards sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." It was delivered in the July of 1741. The theme of the message is that there is nothing that keeps God from destroying a sinner at any moment. The only thing that stands between a sinner and eternity is the will of God. If you are an unrepentant sinner who hasn't accepted Christ, these words should rightly terrify you.
As a Christian, the impact of this profound sermon has stirred in me a desire to reach people with the gospel of Christ. Because Edwards got it right, there isn't anything standing between a sinner and eternal destruction but the mere pleasure of God. You see that is why Paul said "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;" because it is a terrible thing for a sinner to meet with his end. We earnestly need to be about the business of witnessing to people, because regardless of health or anything the we mortals do to stave off death, no one is promised a tomorrow. It is the job of we Christians, to reach these souls who are at every moment on the brink of eternity. So, if you know someone who needs Christ; it's time to go and share your faith with them.
Here's a link to Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God if you would like to read it.

God knows everything we need.

I know it has been a few days since I have blogged. You might think this a little strange considering it is the Christmas season. Well, I've have been in the Smokey Mountains in Gatlinburg, with no internet connection.
It always amazes me how things come along just when you need them. A few weeks ago, I wasn't sure I was going to do for my next meal. In the last week I have been in the Presidential suite at the Hermitage Hotel (working, but at $3000 per night how many people can say they have been there), and I spent two days in a cabin in Gatlinburg. I spent time photographing the great outdoors with my two brothers. (I'll post some pictures later, still shooting film.) I spent some time in a jacuzzi with a spectacular view of the mountains, and spent some more time at the peak of the mountains. It might sound like I am bragging, but the fact of business is that I can't take credit for any of it. It has been through the graciousness of others that I have been able to experience these things. Ultimately, it has been God who has given me a wonderful time, when I really needed it. God bless you all, and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

The Time I've Lost

Thomas Moore was a poet who was born in Ireland. He lived from the time of the Revolutionary War to about ten years prior to our Civil War. He wrote some wonderful poetry. So, nothing profound or earth-shattering today; I just thought you might like to see one of his poems that gave me a laugh. Some things change and some things remain the same. Enjoy.

The Time I've Lost
by Thomas Moore

The time I've lost in wooing,
In watching and pursuing
The light that lies
In woman's eyes,
Has been my heart's undoing.
Tho' Wisdom oft has sought me,
I scorn'd the lore she brought me,
My only books
Were women's looks,
And folly's all they taught me.

Her smile when Beauty granted,
I hung with gaze enchanted,
Like him the Sprite
Whom maids by night
Oft meet in glen that's haunted.
Like him, too, Beauty won me;
But when the spell was on me,
If once their ray
Was turn'd away,
O! winds could not outrun me.

And are those follies going?
And is my proud heart growing
Too cold or wise
For brillant eyes
Again to set it glowing?
No -- vain, alas! th' endeavour
From bonds so sweet to sever:
Poor Wisdom's chance
Against a glance
Is now as weak as ever.

God's amazing goodness

God is so incredibly good. It is such an awesome thing when God uses one person or a group of people to bless one of His children. It causes an outbreak of rejoicing, which is exactly what giving is meant to do.

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

What does all this mean? God literally enriches you in everything, so that you can be more liberal in your giving. Why is being liberal in your giving so important? You are sharing with the person to whom you are giving, the picture of a benevolent God who is rich beyond measure, and in His riches gave the most precious thing that He had to purchase our sinful souls, His only Son. When you give, you cause people to glorify God, because you demonstrate the grace that God extended to you. Here's another benefit: you tie their heart to yours, very much in the same way, as the King James puts it, "that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Because of his good conversation, Jonathan loved David as his own soul. Conversation is meant to mean more than just the words we speak. Jonathan loved David because his actions gave weight to the words he used. So in giving, you add weight to your words of love, what Paul calls "the proof of this ministry." When you give generously, you hold up a mirror that reflects the Beautiful God who gave up His Precious Son for you and me, and in so doing you cause an outbreak of rejoicing.

Seek ye first . . .

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God. You're either thinking about the song or the passage in Matthew. I remember a time before I answered the call to preach. I got to a point that I just had to get away from everything. I went camping. I went to Fall Creek Falls, a lovely place. So, I thought I would go for a bike ride and take it all in. When I left it was daylight, and I rode about five miles, and then I realized that dark would soon catch me. So, I did my best to get back to my camp site before dark, with no tent set up. Since I hadn't camped before, I didn't have any idea how to set up a tent. Fortunately, the neighbors up the way helped me set up my tent, and invited me to sit by their fire for a while. Oh yeah, all of this was in late October. In my whole family, we only had two sleeping bags; one with a busted zipper. Guess which one I took with me. It got down to forty degrees that night. The ground was cold an hard, needless to say I didn't sleep much that night. To say that I was unprepared would be a huge understatement. I had no idea what I was doing. But eventually, my long cold night ended. As the day started breaking through the trees, having abandoned my tent and trying to warm up in my car, I read the sixth chapter of Matthew. Then I read, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." The next day I surrendered to preach and lived happily ever after. Not exactly, but I realized that I needed to put what God wanted ahead of what I wanted. And I did, and that eventually led to my answering the call to preach, and that led to a complete change in my life. God is good, and I still need to put what He wants ahead of what I want.

God bless the friend. . .

There is nothing like having a friend that you can always count on. Someone that you can share any problem with. I have enjoyed the blessing of having friends that I could call at two o'clock in the morning, and if need be, we would meet me for coffee and I could share with them what was in my heart. They would share their counsel and pray for me; sometimes they would just be there. Friends like this are a blessing from God. We all need this kind of help from time to time; because even when there is a smile on your face, there can still be sorrow in your heart. The best friends understand this and they know how to just be there. So, as I am prone to do, I will leave you with a poem that talks about that kind of friend.

The Friend Who Just Stands By
by B. Y. Williams

When trouble comes your soul to try
You love the friend who just "stands by."
Perhaps there's nothing he can do-
The thing is strictly up to you;
For there are troubles all your own,
And paths the soul must tread alone;
Times when love cannot smooth the road
Nor friendship lift the heavy load,
But just to know you have a friend
Who will "stand by" until the end,
Whose sympathy through all endures,
Whose warm handclasp is always yours-
It helps, someday, to pull you through,
Although there's nothing he can do,
And so with fervent heart you cry
"God bless the friend who just 'stands by!'"

The Little Drummer Boy

Christmas is coming, a time we all think about giving. Everyone thinks about what they are going to give to everyone else, but do we really think about what we are going to give God. I remember when I was a kid there were certain Christmas songs that I wasn't all that fond of. The Little Drummer Boy was a song that I didn't like because of the repetitive "pa rum pum pum pum." As I have gotten older, I listen to the lyrics more and more. The lyrics of this song finally got a hold of me. What beautiful words, "I have no gift to bring. . . That's fit to give the King." Sounds very much like us, doesn't it. Then the little boy offers to play his drum, all that he has to offer. The lyrics then say, "I played my drum for Him. . . I played my best for him." The little boy didn't have anything except his drum, and he played his heart out. The little boy with little to offer gave it all that he had. "Then He smiled at me pa rum pum pum pum. . . Me and my drum."

Check your grip.

Probably none of you know that in my younger days, I studied the game of golf. I read everything I could find on the subject. I enjoyed it, when I practiced. There is nothing that replaces the feeling of hitting a great shot. When it is done correctly, it feels almost effortless. Well, during my reading, I found Greg Norman describing one of his first big tournament wins. It was the night before the last round, and he said that Jack Nicklaus sought him out to give him some words of encouragement, and then some advice: he told him to check his grip pressure before every shot. Anybody who has hacked his way around a golf course will know why. If you grip the club to tightly, you will almost of certainty hit a bad shot. The proper grip is using just enough pressure to keep the club from flying out of your hand when you swing. Greg Norman won the tournament, because the pressure to win the tournament didn't make it into his grip.

We all have pressure, some external and some we create. There is such a big tendency to hold on to things too tightly. After all, I did this or that, or I worked for all of this. All of what? After Solomon had surveyed everything that he had worked to achieve, he found it all to be worthless. Chasing the wind is a pretty good description, when you consider everything that you have in the light of eternity. Remember, you have to lose your life to save it. Matthew 10:39, in case your wondering. So, ribbon and bow time. It seems so illogical that you loosen your grip to hit the ball further and straighter. But that is what it takes. In the same way you have to let go of what seems so natural to hold on to so tightly, to be what it is God truly wants you to be. And if you want to be a success in God's plan, that's what it takes.

Two boats and a helicopter. . .

You have probably heard this one several times, but in case you didn't: There was a flood. As the water rose, a boat came to a man's house and they said get in and we will carry you to safety. The man said, "I have faith in God, move on." The water continued to rise, and another boat came to rescue him. Again he replied, "I have faith in God, move on." The water continued to rise, and now the man was standing on the roof of his house. This time a helicopter came, and they pleaded for the man to let them carry him to safety. He replied, "I have faith in God, move on." Long story short, the man drowned. When the man got to heaven, he asked God why with all of his faith and prayers the flood was allowed to take his life; to which God replied, "I sent two boats and a helicopter." So, why the tired old joke? Be patient.

I drive a 1994 F-150, perhaps the finest vehicle ever made, which has both a front and a rear tank. Well, last night (the coldest night of the year thus far) the tank ran out as I was going up a slight incline about a fourth of a mile from my house. Thinking I could make it farther than I did, I hesitated to flip the switch to the other tank; using up the gas that remained in the fuel line. (I'll try to tone it down for you non-gear heads.) So, the engined died: truck pointing up hill on a narrow street. With in a minute, a good Samaritan stopped to see if I needed some help. I thanked him for stopping and sent him on his way, thinking the truck would start any second. Five minutes later, a police man stopped to see if I needed help, thinking the truck would be over its bout of stubbornness any minute, I said thank you, but I'll be fine. Shortly after that, I ran the battery down trying get the engine restarted. About an hour after my truck died, my brother came to my rescue, and I was able to make it the final quarter of a mile to my house. What's the moral of this story: I turned help away twice and I spent an hour in the cold, less than a quarter of a mile from my house; because things didn't happen the way I thought they would.

Attitudinal adjustment

If I had started writing this a few minutes ago, it wouldn't have been near as up beat. Sometimes I think about all the things that are going on in my life and to be honest, I get too focused on what is going on with me. I couldn't help but notice that none of my thoughts were that cheery today. Thankfully, I started thinking before I started writing; I know you would hope that it is that way every time, but it's not. I began to think about the words of the apostle Paul, in closing his letter to the Philippians. He said to think on things that have virtue and things that are praise worthy. Well, I did. Within a matter of minutes, I was smiling. I stopped thinking about things I couldn't help anyway, and started thinking about the blessings God has given me. We all need an attitude adjustment now and again. So in closing, I will leave you a poem from Ella Wheeler Wilcox and pray that you are thinking about good things today.

One ship drives east, and another west
With the self-same winds that blow;
'Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
That decides the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As they voyage along through life;
'Tis the will of the soul
That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.

Of all of the hopes and dreams . . .

We all imagine our future, and seldom in a way that we don't get what we want. The life that I imagined I would have, and the life that I live every day are not the same. That is not such a bad thing; lets face it, if we all got what we wanted what kind of people would be? So this is the way my life has turned out so far. No excuses and no apologies for what I thought my life was supposed to be.
I have recently been working in Nashville with my brother, and I can't recall ever seeing so many homeless people. You barely travel a block of downtown without seeing someone who has little more than the clothes on their back. Of all of the hopes and dreams, who would have ever thought that this is how their life would turn out. Paul said, "I know how to be abased . . . and to suffer need." God's apostle who carried the gospel, knew what it was like to go hungry. He understood going without. The one thing that is different now: when I see these homeless people, I see people who aren't that different from me.

Living by faith

Faith, the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not yet seen. Sometimes we think that it is all on us; if I don't do this or that something tragic will happen. Well, it might or might not. We have to strike a balance between our faith and our works. James said show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works. To be clear James was not talking about works for salvation: he is talking about a saved person whose works were produced from a heart that was changed by the grace of God. Do we need works? Absolutely, but that is not all that we need; we need faith to be pleasing to God. It is impossible to please God without faith, because anyone who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Sometimes we have to get out of the way, so that God can work in our lives. It is easier to get out of the way when we realize that "I" can't do much on my own, but God can do amazing things when we put Him first. Put your trust in God and allow Him to work in your life.