VOLUME III

VOLUME III, Number 50

Stealing Baby Jesus

NBC News:

“When Baby Jesus disappeared … from a Nativity scene on the lawn of the Wellington, Fla., community center, village officials didn't follow a star to locate him. A GPS device mounted inside the life-size ceramic figurine led sheriff's deputies to a nearby apartment, where it was found face down on the carpet. An 18-year-old woman was arrested in the theft.”

It's a sign of the times. Holiday display theft is on the rise, and Baby Jesus is a particularly common target. At First United Methodist Church in Kittanning, PA., a baby Jesus was stolen and replaced with a pumpkin. In Eureka Springs, AK., someone took off with a plastic baby Jesus from a public display, as well as the concrete block and chain that was supposed to keep it locked down. In Meridian Hills, IN, a couple stole the figurine, and then led police on a high-speed chase in an effort to keep their loot.

"Stealing" Jesus isn't just a "seasonal" threat. Everyday, whether at the hands of false religions, pseudo-Christian cults, false prophets, or even secular humanists and atheists, Jesus is being plucked from his place of prominence in the Gospel message.

Materialists and commercialists pluck him from the center of the Christmas season and replace Him with Santas and sleighs and gifts and gadgets galore. Secular humanists and atheists rob Him of His divinity, reducing Him to mere human, or worse yet, a mythical status.

Take whatever security measures are necessary to keep Jesus in your Christmas this holiday season, giving Him, in all His glory, His place of preeminence.

“Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”
Colossians 1:12-18

VOLUME III, Number 49

12 Words that Changed Everything

After an opening set of songs for his Glory In The Highest Christmas Tour in Houston, Chris Tomlin introduced his friend Louie Giglio. The founder of Passion and pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia brought a large package onstage while searching for a volunteer from the audience.

A 9-year-old boy named Nathan hustled up front and said his family came to see "Chris something," to which everyone erupted in laughter. Giglio handed Nathan the wrapped present and let him tear in to it. It was loaded with Tomlin's merchandise and backstage passes for his whole family to meet "Tomlin."

The excited youngster rushed back to his seat with the package full of spoils while the audience cheered. When the applause died down, Giglio reminded Nathan to always dig to the bottom of the box to make sure you find all of the gifts. Hidden among the paper was Giglio's personal Bible. After retrieving it, Giglio read from the second chapter of Luke and reminded the crowd that Jesus came on what seemed like one of the worst days for Mary and Joseph.

He went on to explain what he called the Bible's 12 life-changing words of Christmas: "A Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord." Giglio stated, "I don't think the 12 Days of Christmas song has changed anyone, but these 12 words change everything!"

Truly these twelve words have changed everything. Once we had no hope, now we look forward to eternity. Once we were slave to sin, now we are set free from that bondage. Once we were dead, now we are alive.

Don’t forget these twelve words this Christmas because without them we would be nothing.

VOLUME III, Number 48

Christmas Gifts

Some years back, Lil Blosfield was involved in a leadership program that required participation in a local feeding center. She was seated by a 3-year-old girl named Sam and her grandmother. As the conversation unfolded, Lil learned that Sam's mother was working long hours as a temporary hire for the holidays. Even though Sam understood it was not a permanent situation, she still missed her mother terribly.

When they began talking about Christmas gifts, Lil wondered what Sam had on her wish list. The grandmother surprisingly noted that she only hoped for one thing, a quarter. No toys, dolls or games, just 25¢. The older woman explained that Sam wanted to visit her mother at work and knew from experience that a bus ride costs a quarter.

A lump formed in Lil's throat as she thought of her own daughter's two-page Christmas list and then pondered how this little girl in tattered clothes only wanted bus fare to see her mom. And to top it off, she didn't even have her purse to grant the wish.

Since that day her family has established a tradition of placing a shiny quarter in each stocking to remember little Sam and everyone else who faces much harsher challenges in life. With one small coin gratitude is stirred each Christmas for the opportunity they have to be together during the holidays.

I challenge you, this Christmas season, to stop and be grateful for the many blessings that you have. Don’t get so caught up in the rush of Christmas that you forget to be thankful for the true meaning of Christmas; Jesus Christ, the greatest gift ever given.

VOLUME III, Number 47

What’s In a Kiss?

Sharing affection can be a germy, dangerous thing. So says the results of a recent Dutch study published in the journal Microbiome. The more intimate the affectionate display, the germier the exchange.

A similar study out of the University of West Virginia says that a simple fist bump is the least hazardous of contact displays of affections.

"Knocking knuckles measured 20 times less germy than a handshake."

A quick high five will trim 75% of the germs off those exchanged in a shake, while an actual handshake can "transport up to 124 million colony-forming units of E. coli bacteria -- and that's assuming clean hands. More bacteria changed hands with a firmer grip and longer squeeze."

The Dutch study concluded that a simple peck on the lips will result in the exchange of over 1000 different kinds of germs.

But it's the full-on French kiss that's the killer. "Swapping spit for about 10-seconds transfers up to 80 million bacteria between lovers. The shorter partner in the smooch may take on even more germs because, as the researchers helpfully noted, saliva travels downward."

This was, perhaps, more information than you cared to know. It just goes to show that even the most wonderful things we share among ourselves are flawed. But there was one kiss that was absolutely perfect. It's described in Psalm 85:10 where we read, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed" (KJV).

In the sacrificial life and death of Jesus, in that great show of ultimate love and affection, God came near to us, and exposed Himself intimately to our germiness. In that exchange, we infected Him with our sin, while He infected us with His righteousness.

So what's in a kiss? Salvation!

VOLUME III, Number 46

The Value of a Human Being

On Sunday, December 22, 1996, Carnell Taylor was working on a paving crew repairing the Interstate 64 bridge over the Elizabeth River in Virginia. The road was icy, and a pickup truck slid out of control and hit Taylor, knocking him off the bridge. He fell seventy feet and hit the cold waters of the river below. His pelvis and some of the bones in his face were broken.

Joseph J. Brisson, the captain of a barge passing by at that moment, saw Taylor fall and quickly had to make a life-or-death decision. He knew Taylor would drown before he and his crew could launch their small boat and reach him. The numbingly cold water and strong currents of the river could kill him if he dived in to rescue Taylor. He had a family, and Christmas was three days away.

Brisson decided to risk his life for a man he had never met. He dived into the river, swam to Taylor, and grabbed hold of him. “Don’t worry, buddy,” he said, “I got you.” Brisson held Taylor’s face above the water and encouraged him to keep talking. Then he took hold of a piece of wood in the water and slid it under Taylor to help keep him afloat. The current was too strong for them to swim to safety, and eventually the cold caused Brisson to lose his grip on Taylor. So Brisson wrapped his legs around the injured man’s waist and held on.

After nearly thirty minutes the crew from the barge was finally able to reach the two men and pull them from the water into the small boat. Taylor was hospitalized for broken bones. Brisson, the hero, was treated for mild hypothermia.

Brisson later told the Associated Press he knew what he had to do when he saw the man fall. “I have a family,” he said. “I thought about that. But I thought about how life is very important. I’m a Christian man, and I couldn’t let anything happen to him.”

In this perilous rescue, Joseph Brisson shows us the heart of God. The God of love knows better than anyone the tremendous value of a human being and his or her eternal soul. For even one person Jesus was willing to leave the safety and joy of his family in heaven and give himself to save others.

VOLUME III, Number 45

The Taj Mahal Tombs

The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and costly tombs ever built, but there is something fascinating about its beginnings. In 1629, when the favorite wife of Indian ruler Shah Jahan died, he ordered that a magnificent tomb be built as a memorial for her. The shah placed his wife’s casket in the middle of a parcel of land, and construction of the temple literally began around it.

But several years into the venture, the Shah’s grief gave way to a passion for the project. One day while he was surveying the sight, he reportedly stumbled over a wooden box, and he had some workers throw it out. It was months before he realized that his wife’s casket had been destroyed. The original purpose for the memorial became lost in the details of construction.

Often times we do the same thing around the holiday season. We get so caught up trying to make the turkey and all the fixings that we forget to stop and be thankful for all the things God has blessed us with. We get so caught up in buying gifts and decorating our houses for Christmas that we forget why we celebrate Christmas to begin with.

So let’s not get so caught up in the details surrounding the holidays that we forget why we celebrate them in the first place.

VOLUME III, Number 44

A Father’s Letter

Paul Brand is a brilliant medical doctor who did pioneering work in the treatment of leprosy. He has received the Albert Lasker Award, been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen, served as the only Westerner on the Mahatma Ghandi foundation, and had medical procedures named after him.

Brand grew up in India, where his parents were missionaries. At the age of nine he was sent to boarding school in England. Five years later, while a 14 year old student there, he received a telegram informing him that his beloved father had died of blackwater fever. Brand cherished fond memories of his father, a man who had a great love for people and a great love for the natural world around him.

A short time after he received news of his father’s death Paul Brand received a letter from his father. It had been posted prior to his father’s death but took some time to reach Brand as it came by ship. It’s words impacted deeply upon the young son. Paul’s father described the hills around their home and then finished with these words: “God means us to delight in his world. It isn’t necessary to know botany or zoology or biology in order to enjoy the manifold life of nature. Just observe. And remember. And compare. And be always looking to God with thankfulness and worship for having placed you in such a delightful corner of the universe as the planet Earth.”

There is truly nothing as beautiful as God’s creation. One of the worst mistakes we can make is to go about our busy lives and never stop to appreciate the beauty of His handiwork.

This week take some time to look around you or go outside, at night, and look at the stars. Then spend a few moments thanking God for this stunning masterpiece called creation because he made it just for you.

“I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praises to the name of the LORD most High.” (Psalm 7:17)

VOLUME III, Number 43

Animal Sentinels

Early coalmines did not feature ventilation systems. Since canaries are especially sensitive to methane and carbon monoxide, the miners would bring along caged canaries into new coal seams. The birds' rapid breathing rate, small size and high metabolism made them ideal for detecting any dangerous gas build-ups. As long as the birds kept singing, the miners knew their air supply was safe. When the canaries stopped singing--or worse, died--the miners knew it was time for an immediate evacuation. The birds became tiny sentinels of safety.

Animal sentinels are commonly used to detect risks to humans by providing advance warnings of impending danger. By virtue of their heightened sensitivity to a variety of dangers, they can serve to make us aware of myriad perils.

Other animal sentinels include: honey bees, which are susceptible to air pollution; bats, which have been used to monitor pesticide contamination; and pigeons, which have been used to detect atmospheric lead.

We walk around as oblivious to sin as coal miners do of the presence of dangerous gasses. What we need is a sentinel--someone who can detect this danger for us before it's too late.

Who is more sensitive to the presence and danger of sin than God?

That's why Jesus--God incarnate--came into this world. He came to warn us all of our exposure to the deadly threat of sin. Not only this, but He willingly exposed Himself--to the point of death--that we might be warned and be saved from sin's power and peril.

Jesus is our Divine Sentinel.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

VOLUME III, Number 42

Sign Away Your Soul for WiFi

The WASHINGTON POST reports on a recent study of how flippantly people regard the terms and conditions of even the most basic of contracts:

In an experiment sponsored by security firm F-Secure, an open Wi-Fi network was set up in a busy public area. When people connected, they were presented with lengthy terms and conditions.

But to see just how little attention we pay when checking that agreement box, F-Secure included a "Herod clause" -- one that offered up free Wi-Fi in exchange for the company's permanent ownership of the user's firstborn child.

A company would probably have trouble getting you to hand over your pride and joy (even if you were technically contractually obligated), so don't panic. But this hapless agreement to terms is pretty common: A 2011 survey found that 58 percent of adults would rather read an instruction manual ... than go through online terms and conditions. Even the phone book was a more palatable read for 12 percent of those surveyed. …

This new study isn't the first of its kind: On April Fool's Day in 2010, a host of U.K. shoppers were tricked into signing away their immortal souls.

Did you know that the term The New Testament actually means The New Contract? That being said, how much attention have you given to the terms and conditions of God's contract with you?

When it comes to a relationship with God, far too many of us would rather read the phone book than read the Bible, wherein we'd discover that no amount of religiosity, morality, or good deeds are sufficient to gain an eternal relationship with God.

No, we must come to God on His terms: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). These are the terms of His contract, the new covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20).

Ignore these terms and conditions and you actually could end up signing away your immortal soul.

VOLUME III, Number 41:

Thanking Dad

Imagine this scene: a man of around 35 has been to a men’s movement weekend. While away he realizes that he’s never told his father he loves him, so he decides when he gets home he’ll do it. He gets home, picks up the phone and calls home. Dad answers the phone.

“Hi Dad, it’s me.”

“Oh, um, hi son! I’ll go get your mother…”

“No don’t get mum. It’s you I want to talk to.”

There’s a pause then, “Why? Do you need money.”

“No, dad. It’s just I’ve been remembering a lot about you, Dad, and the things you did for me, working all those years to put me through college, supporting us. My life is going well now and it’s because of what you did you get me started. I just thought about it and realized I’d never really said ‘Thanks…’”

Silence on the other end of the phone. The son continues, “I want to tell you thanks, and that I love you.”

“Son, you been drinking?…”

Since the son never told his father he loved him it came as a complete surprise, almost unbelievable.

Never miss the opportunity to tell those closest to you how much they mean to you and how much you love them.

VOLUME III, Number 40

How Gullible Are We?

In 1997, Nathan Zohner took home the winner's ribbon for his science project on dihydrogen monoxide. The 14-year-old established petitions to warn against the dangers of this substance and told people about the concerns. He noted that it is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect, can cause severe burns, accelerates corrosion, rust & erosion, plays a significant role in electrical failures and decreases effectiveness of automobiles and other modes of transportation. Dihydrogen monoxide has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients and can cause death if inhaled excessively.

Yet despite these known dangers, it continues to be used as an industrial solvent and coolant. Nuclear plants still use it and it's used in the production of Styrofoam and pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated with dihydrogen monoxide. Amazingly, this same substance is not only an additive for the junk-food industry but it's utilized as a fire retardant as well.

After Zohner shared these concerns about dihydrogen monoxide, the vast majority of people were alarmed at the implications of such a dangerous chemical being used so pervasively. Once it was understood that dihydrogen monoxide is H2O (water) it's easy to see why he titled it, "How Gullible Are We?"

Alarmism and gullibility can be more dangerous than dihydrogen monoxide. Be careful when these alarmists starts screaming about the end times. Jesus says in Mark 13:32, “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” All I can tell you is that the end times began when Christ ascended to heaven almost two thousand years ago. So is it getting closer? Yes, by almost two thousand years but the end times shouldn’t be something we are scared of but rather something we look forward to because that’s when Christ will return and we will live with Him forever more.

The Powerful Force of Influence
VOLUME III, Number 39:

The passing of S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chic-fil-A, on September 9, 2014 (b.1921) certainly warrants tribute for an amazing life. He was named after two ministers. Samuel was a pastor friend of his parents, and Truett came from the highly esteemed George W. Truett of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. Truett Cathy was a dedicated Christian that was able to keep his morals even in light of his success.

He often liked to quote his friend Charlie "Tremendous" Jones. The late motivational speaker would end his talks with this statement: "You'll be the same person five years from now as you are today except for the books you read and the people you associate yourself with."

Influence is a powerful force for good or for bad. Often times the person we become is shaped by the things we allow to influences our lives. So what are you allow to influence you? Are these influences helping you become the person you want to become? If not, then you might want to have a good hard look at your life and determine what influences you need to remove.

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” 1 Corinthians 15:33

VOLUME III, Number 38:

Taste Them again for the First Time

There have been some pretty memorable commercial catch phrases for cereals over the years. Among them is the 1990s ad campaign for Kellogg's Corn Flakes: "Kellogg's Corn Flakes - Taste them again for the first time."

It's genius, really--a call to go back to relive the pleasure, the delight, the satisfaction of a product which may have lost its luster in your mind, and its place in your pantry.

When it comes to your spiritual life, have you lost the pleasure, the delight, the satisfaction you once found in the Savior? Has walking with Him lost its luster? Has He lost His place in your heart?

Jesus calls you to return to your first love--to "taste" Him again, as though for the first time.

"Taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8).

"But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent" (Revelation 2:4-5, NASB).

VOLUME III, Number 37

Dog’s Give Us a Great Picture of What Sin Looks Like

A 3-year-old Great Dane from Portland, Oregon may have given us a great picture of sin. In February of 2014, the big guy was rushed to a vet with life-threatening problems. He was retching miserably but couldn't expel anything so X-rays were taken. A large mass was discovered in his stomach, so Dr. Ashley Magee performed surgery.

Several hours later the owners knew why their dog was so sick. He had swallowed 43 & 1/2 socks. The situation was so strange that the DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital entered the case in Veterinary Practice News' annual X-ray contest aptly titled, "They Ate What?" and won a prize.

News of the bizarre occurrence broke when the contest winners were announced at the end of August 2014, but the owners chose to keep themselves and their Great Dane anonymous.

Sin always appeals to our appetites but the immediate gratification is invariably followed by pain and regret. It seems like we would learn our lesson the first time, but that’s not always the case. Often times, even after all the pain and regret, we return to that same sin. The Bible also uses a dog analogy to show how reviling this is. Proverbs 26:11 says, “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.”

Let’s try to learn from our mistakes the first time and not go running back for more pain and regret.

VOLUME III, Number 36:

Why Be Good?

Byron Sherwin, in his book WHY BE GOOD, sarcastically recalls, "Once I was browsing in a bookstore when I saw a huge volume with an intriguing title: WALL STREET ETHICS. I opened it eagerly only to find that each of its hundreds of pages was blank."

When I read this I was a little skeptical. So I did a little research and it turned out the book is real. It's entitled THE COMPLETE BOOK OF WALL STREET ETHICS by Jay L. Walker and was published by William Morrow & Co., April 1987.

One reviewer wrote, "If you are not familiar with this book, it is a joke, and a pretty good one. The pages are all blank. … Today, [after so many new Wall Street scandals], it probably needs to be updated with a new edition with more blank pages."

How would a book that recorded all of the things that you have done to earn your place in heaven read? The only possible answer is that its pages would all be blank. Not only that, but no matter how hard you tried, all of the updated editions would only add more blank pages. That's because nothing that we do with the motive of self-justification will ever be acceptable to God. Rather, earning the prize of heaven requires a righteousness that is perfect, not only in every action, but in every motive behind every action. It requires the righteousness of Christ.

"As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous--not even one" (Romans 3:10, NLT).

VOLUME III, Number 35

God’s Manual

Vince D'Acchioli has written about a life lesson from his encounter with tech support. He found himself staring at a computer screen full of error messages so he called in for help. The technician listened attentively while Vince explained his problem and then asked, "Sir, do you have your manual handy?"

After locating his manual, the tech guru instructed him to find page 974 and asked Vince if it showed a picture of the problem he was experiencing. Vince was thrilled to see the exact same problem diagramed on the page so he exclaimed, "Yes!" The technician then continued, "See the instructions just below the diagram? If you follow them, you won't have this problem again."

Feeling rather foolish, Vince thanked him for the help and hung up with a new understanding of Scripture. God's manual has a remedy for the problems we face each day if we'll just take the time to read it.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

VOLUME III, Number 34

How Does Your Gas Gauge Really Work?

Terry Shea, writing for AOL Autos, attempts to dispel the mystery of the ever inaccurate, auto gas gauge:

Have you ever noticed that your gas gauge stays on full for quite a while before the needle even moves, and then it moves faster and faster as it approaches empty? And then when it gets to 'E' it sort of stays there for a while until the low warning light comes on …?

It turns out it’s partially your fault that gas gauges work that way.

The engineers calibrate them to do that. Why? Because you, the customer, have told them that’s the way you like it. We spoke with Phil Pierron, an engineer at Ford (his title is actually “Technical Expert for Systems Engineering in Core Fuel Systems), who told us, “Our customers really didn’t want to run out of fuel when they hit 'E.' Customers do want some amount of fuel when they get to 'E.'"

Apparently, consumer surveys indicate that people don’t like seeing the needle depart from “F” right away either .... According to Pierron, “[Customers] want it to stay on full for an amount of time.” This gives them the illusion that they are getting better fuel mileage or at least not immediately burning through that expensive tank of petrol they just bought, even if they quite literally are. …  [And] while customers want there to be a “reserve” of gasoline available when they reach the empty mark … [they] don’t want too much of a reserve. Otherwise, they will complain that their 20-gallon tank only takes 15 gallons when filling up from empty. Apparently, there is a sweet spot where customers are happy to be fooled by their gas gauges, but not too much. We customers sure are a fickle bunch.

The engineer’s job should be to make things more accurate and efficient, but in this case he has to play psychologist to keep customers happy.

What could possibly be more straight forward than a gas gauge? You'd think people would be thrilled to have one that simply provided them with accurate information. Not so in our "have it your way" world.

Most church leaders today can identify with the pressure to accommodate an increasingly fickle clientele. To suggest that it is challenging in an age of relativism and theological compromise to preach the absolute, uncompromising truths of the Gospel is a gross understatement. Sadly, too many have succumbed to the pressure to accommodate the customer. Or put another way, they lie to them!

They present a re-engineered Gospel with no trials to endure, none of the sufferings of Christ to share, no call to humility or sacrifice, and certainly no coming judgment. These pulpits strive for that "sweet spot where customers are happy to be fooled" by their ministers.

Let’s never be that way.

"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Timothy 4:3).

VOLUME III, Number 33

What Pastors Can Learn from 007

A few months back I read an article in the February 2014 edition of the Leadership Journal. I thought it was very appropriate for our churches today because I think most church members lose sight on what the church leader’s job is.

So here’s the article. It’s by Skye Jethani entitled, What Pastors Can Learn from 007.

“While the popular model of ministry today views pastors more like M- the organizational chief who determines the agents’ missions-the New Testament presents a model of church leadership that looks more like Q [the Quartermaster responsible for supplying Bond with needed equipment for his missions].

“…Like Bond’s quartermaster, leaders are to ‘equip’ Christ’s people. This equipping is first applied to our common calling to ‘[build] up the body of Christ.’ In other words, leaders equip us to serve one another within the community of Christians so that we may all grow in our communion with Christ. Here’s another way of thinking about church leaders: the pastor’s specific calling (to equip the saints) allows us to accomplish our common calling (to build up the church family), so that we all attain our highest calling (to live in unity with Christ).”

To nail his point down even farther lets look at Ephesians 4:11-13, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God…”

I think often times many church members lose sight on the true mission of church leaders. Often times they place the burden of church growth and church health completely upon the church leaders. “They are the ones who is suppose to go out and evangelize”, they will say. While as Christian we should all be evangelizing, the main role of church leadership is to equip the lay members to serve. So don’t miss your calling to serve because your expecting someone else to do it.

VOLUME III, Number 32

Man Burns His House Down Trying to Kill a Spider

A Seattle man accidentally burnt his house to the ground recently after trying to kill a spider with a cigarette lighter and a can of spray paint. The man later told police that the spider had been lurking in the laundry, and he had accidentally lit the wall on fire with his makeshift flame thrower.

Surprisingly, this happens more often than you might think! Just a few weeks earlier, Ginny Griffith of Hutchinson, Kansas, lit her laundry on fire after seeing a spider crawl into a pile of towels. The fire quickly got out of hand, and her home went up in flames. She's been charged with aggravated arson.

Too often, we tend to overreact to problems. As believers, we need to remember that even in the midst of trouble, it's possible to have a trouble-free heart. Jesus didn't say we wouldn't have problems, but He did say: Let not your heart be troubled.

Don't take a flamethrower to the spiders that lurk in your life. Remember that it is more important to experience God's peace than it is to rid yourself of life's annoyances.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).

VOLUME III, Number 31

Selflessness

Christian maturity should be continuously leading us away from selfishness and Kaitlin Boyda is an amazing portrait of what that looks like. Kaitlin was a vivacious 16-year-old when she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2009. The final year-and-a-half of her life was spent fighting against cancer's affects.

In 2010, the Children's Wish Foundation gave her the opportunity to do something special with her family. Kaitlin loved to snowboard and considered a boarding trip to New Zealand, but ultimately decided to use her wish to help impoverished children in Uganda. She asked that the money set-aside for her be used to dig a well so these children could have clean water. Her selfless generosity inspired others to give and 21 water projects were completed to help thousands of people in Uganda.

Before she died at the age of 17, Kaitlin said, "Even though I don't want to be sick, if I wasn't, I wouldn't have received this wish and others wouldn't have wanted to help and all of these children wouldn't have benefited. We are only on earth for so long, and we need to make an effort for other people."

Her mother, Brenda Boyda, said, "Everyone always thinks in order to change the world you have to be someone who stands out in a crowd, be the best in school or the one who wins all the races, but Kaitlin has changed the world for more than 40,000 lives just by being obedient to God."

Ian Lawson, her pastor at E-Free Church in Lethbridge, Alberta described Kaitlin as "the picture of true Godly humility - she was not thinking about herself, but was thinking of others."

As Kaitlin said toward the end of her life, "Don't take any day for granted."

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)

VOLUME III, Number 30

Listening is Foundational

One generation knows Henry Winkler as the actor who played Fonzie in Happy Days and another generation recognizes him as Eddie Lawson from Royal Pains. Through all these years of acting, Winkler has been married to the same woman. He and his wife Stacey shared their wedding vows in 1978 so interviewer Walter Scott naturally asked about the secret to their marital success. Winkler replied, "The ear is the center of all relationships. Listening is the beginning and the end."

Those who remember him as The Fonz would flash his trademark thumbs-up and voice his signature reply, "Aaayyy." Listening is a foundational trait of enduring relationships.

The Scriptures also remind us to “be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19).

For most of us this does not come easy. We are more apt to be quick to speak, quick to become angry and slow to hear. But if we are going to have the type of love that God has called us to have toward one another then we must put away our old selves and put on our new nature, which comes from Christ.

So this coming week make a point to truly listen to others. Not just hearing what they are saying but truly listening to them. Not already thinking about what your reply is going to be but truly listening.

If we apply this to all our relationships I am convinced that those relationships will flourish but if we don’t apply this then I am sure there will be trouble that could have been avoided.

VOLUME III, Number 29

Love or Pride

In Beth Moore’s book, Praying God’s Word, she writes:

My name is Pride. I am a cheater. I cheat you of your God-given destiny… because you demand your own way. I cheat you of contentment… because you “deserve better than this.” I cheat you of knowledge… because you already know it all. I cheat you of healing… because you are too full of you to forgive. I cheat you of holiness… because you refuse to admit when you are wrong. I cheat you of vision… because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window. I cheat you of genuine friendship… because nobody’s going to know the real you. I cheat you of love… because real romance demands sacrifice. I cheat you of greatness in heaven… because you refuse to wash another’s feet on earth. I cheat you of God’s glory… because I convinced you to seek your own.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater. You like me because you think I’m always looking out for you. Untrue. I’m looking to make a fool of you. God has so much for you, I admit, but don’t worry… If you stick with me you’ll never know. (59-60)

Instead of pride and secret selfish ambition, God desires that we be motivated as He is, by a pure Love. Living by the motivation and power of God's Love assures us of all the things that pride would steal from us. But God knows that a pure Love will never be our true motive until we have first been fully and perfectly Loved by Him.

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10).

VOLUME III, Number 28

Expressing Love with our Whole Being:

Rodney Holmstrom, a Celebrate Recovery National Assimilation Coach, made this interesting observation about expressing our love for others:

A few weeks ago I visited another CR where a group of women were picking up their graduation coins. Each lady shared about what the process has meant to them in the step study group. It was so sweet to hear what the Lord has done in their [lives].

One of the ladies though was sharing in sign language, so that her husband, who was deaf, could take part in the celebration of all the ladies sharing life change stories.

What a beautiful picture as she expressed in many different ways what God had done. I loved seeing the husband's smile come over his face as she shared in these ways. She expressed using her hands, her facial expressions, her words, and most importantly, her big and grateful heart.

"This got me to thinking," said Holmstrom, "about how this is exactly what God desires from us:

He asks us to express our gratitude to him by loving Him and serving in His name, using our hands to give a brother or sister a big hug, a high five, or a helping hand in need. Our feet to walk someone toward healing. A warm smile toward someone who is a hurting soul. Using our eyes to make eye contact with someone that has never before been acknowledged as someone of value. Our ears to be a listener for a tough situation going on in a dear friends life. Our mouth to share the Good News and life change that has taken place in our own life. And yes, especially our heart that shows an overall love and compassion for those God puts in our path."

“Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18  

Don't just "speak" your gratitude; "express" it with your whole being!

VOLUME III, Number 27

1 Corinthians 13 for Parents:

I came across this article the other day and I think it is appropriate for every parent.

“I Corinthians 13 for the Parent: If I speak to my children with remarkable words of wisdom and have no love, I’m a two-year-old banging on a dishpan. If I spend all of my salary providing the best for them, but have not love, I gain nothing.

“Love waits with incredible patience for children to develop self-discipline. Love does not puff up in arrogance and pride when an adolescent daughter tests the limits of her newfound independence. Love does not resort to violence when a teenage son talks back. It does not overreact when a child fails to listen or resent the rebellious youth who refuses to accept the message or the messenger. Love does not laugh contemptuously when the child gets what he deserves, but glows with contentment at every small accomplishment. It carries its own burden yet stoops to pick up a tired child. It believes the best about each child, hopes the best for that child, and endures the pain inflicted by the child. Love simply never quits.”

According to the Apostle Paul, there is a “more excellent way”, and that is love, even love for our children. It is the law of love, the way of Christ. It is the way that Jesus has loved us! "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34).

VOLUME III, Number 26

Are you a Swimming Tongue?

"A catfish just 6 inches long has more than a quarter-million taste buds on its body. … The mouth and gill rakers are packed with taste buds, and the sensory organs cover the outside of the catfish as well – the whiskers, fins, back, belly, sides and even the tail. If you were a catfish, you could taste a slice of pizza just by sitting on it. ‘Catfish’ says Dr. John Caprio of Louisiana State University, ‘are swimming tongues.’” - Game and Fish Magazine

As a catfish forages through the muck at the bottom of a pond, his mouth, his gills, his whiskers, his fins, his back, his belly, his sides, and even his tail are designed to sense the presence of the sustenance he seeks, just by brushing up against it.

The same is true of the believer. As we forage through life seeking greater communion with God, we are equipped with a comprehensive set of physical and spiritual sensory organs capable of sensing God's presence—in the beauty of the night sky, in the sound of the rushing wind or pounding surf, in the soft touch of a child's hand, in the promises of Scripture, or in the prayers of faithful friends. God can be found everywhere in His creation.

Like the catfish, be on alert for the true sustenance of life. Always be prepared to sense His presence, no matter how you might brush up against Him.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

VOLUME III, Number 25

Vicks Vaporub Cubs

There was an article published in a 1985 issue of the Reader’s Digest called, “Vicks Vaporub Cubs”. This is part of the article:

“Gary Alt [one of the nation's most respected wildlife experts] had a problem. The biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission often found lost or orphaned bear cubs, but he couldn’t persuade wild female bears to adopt the foundlings.

“A mother bear labels cubs as her own by licking them, and she uses the smell of her saliva to identify them later. If a female smells a cub that isn’t hers, she may kill it. Alt got around this with the help of Vicks VaopRub.

“He sedated a mother bear, smeared the decongestant ointment on her nose and then left an orphaned cub with her in her den. When the bear woke up, she couldn’t smell any difference between her own cubs and the stranger. By the time the Vicks wore off, she had already licked the new cub and so treated the orphan as one of her own.”

Appealing to a momma bear's sense of compassion is fruitless. You can plead with a momma bear all you want, you can tell her, “Hey, momma bear, we’ve got special circumstance here," but it will do little good. The momma bear needs a little help if she is going to respond properly to the needs of someone else's cub. She needs some Vicks VapoRub smeared on her nose to help her overcome her prejudices, her biases, her lack of unconditional love.

How do we overcome our prejudices, our biases, our lack of unconditional love? Wouldn't it be nice if we could smear a little Vicks on our faces and suddenly begin treating others the way we'd like to be treated? The truth is, we need more help than the momma bear if we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our need goes much deeper. We need a new heart. We need the very heart of God.

"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right" (James 2:8). "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us" (1 John 4:12). "And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows" (1 Thessalonians 3:12).

VOLUME III, Number 24:

I Know What You Did Last Sunday

A new Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) study, “I Know What You Did Last Sunday: Measuring Social Desirability Bias in Self-Reported Religious Behavior, Belief, and Belonging,” has concluded that Americans greatly exaggerate their religious affiliation and participation.

The PRRI study asked random samples of Americans identical questions on two surveys – one via telephone and the other online – and compared the results. Across the board, when shielded by the anonymity of the internet, respondents reported lower rates of affiliation and attendance than when engaged in personal interaction with a telephone interviewer.

Among the findings: 36 percent of telephone respondents claim they attend religious services weekly or more, compared to 31 percent of the online respondents, and only 30 percent of telephone respondents admit they seldom attend religious services compared to 43 percent of online respondents.

"Surprisingly," reports the PRRI, "the social desirability effects are strong [even] among the religiously unaffiliated."

If the religiously unaffiliated are tempted to pretend to be more religious than they really are, what about those who gladly affiliate themselves with the faith? As believers we must guard ourselves against the temptation to put on a show, pretending to be more spiritual than we really are in the eyes of others. We may fool our public, but we can't hide our duplicitous hearts from God.

" For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10).

VOLUME III, Number 23

Acting on Love

In the College Hill area near Cincinnati, there has been a story circulating for years. Some of it is verifiable; some of it not. It is the story of a man named John T. Crawford. Crawford was a Union soldier who spent time in a Confederate prison.

Some called Crawford an eccentric; others said he was insane. He lived frugally and was a lifelong bachelor. When he died, he was estimated to be worth what would have been around $2 million by today’s standards. He also willed his house to become a home for elderly African-American men, with preference for those who once had been slaves. It operated until the 1960s.

What is uncertain is why Crawford took such an interest in African-American men who had been slaves. The story told around town was that while in prison, Crawford was helped by the slaves in the prison. It was said they helped him escape. Evidently, he never forgot the kindness shown to him.

John Crawford didn’t just feel love in his heart for those who helped him but rather he acted on that love. He wanted to show them just how much he appreciated what they did for him and how much he loved them for it.

What would happen if we had that kind of gratitude and love in our church? What would our churches look like? Would it make more of an impact not only on our lives but also on our community? I believe it would. The only question is, “Why don’t we do it?”

If we really believe it would have an impact. If we really believe it would drastically change our church, for the better, then why don’t we do it? I believe the answer to that question is because acting on love and gratitude may cost me something or I may have to sacrifice something. Most people don’t want to have to make a sacrifice and because of that we never see change. We never see more lives touched. We never become the church God intended us to become.

“Let love me genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:9-10

VOLUME III, Number 22

God Created Fathers

I read this story this past week and I thought it was perfect for our Fathers:

On the day that God created fathers an angel of the Lord stood in the background & watched. "Lord," the angel asked, "are you sure you know what you are doing? If children are so close to the ground, why are you making fathers so high up? After all, they will have to kneel down if they ever shoot marbles with their children. They’ll have to lean way over to tuck them into bed at night, and they’ll have to bend so far down to kiss them."

The Heavenly Father said, "Don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m doing. If I didn’t make fathers so high, what would children have to look up to?"

Then the Lord made the hands of a father. They were big and sinewy and awkward. The angel asked, "Have you really thought this through? Those fingers are so big and clumsy. How will they be able to handle the pins of a diaper or unbutton a little button? They will never be able to take a rubber band off of a ponytail, or remove a splinter from a finger."

God replied, "Relax. They’ll be just fine. They’re big enough to hold all the things that a young boy takes out of his pocket at the end of the day, and they’re large enough to cup the face of a child."

God continued on and He made the legs of a father – long, bony, hairy and not very attractive. And then He made broad shoulders. The angel asked, "Lord, do you realize what you have done? You have just made a father without a lap. How is he ever going to be able to hold a child close to him without that child slipping through his legs?"

God answered, "Mothers need laps, fathers need broad shoulders so that they can pull a sled in the wintertime, balance a bicycle in the summertime, and cradle the sleeping head of a child on the way home from church."

Then, just as God was in the middle of creating two of the biggest feet that you have ever seen, the angel said, "It’s not fair. Do you really believe that those two big feet are going to get up in the middle of the night and respond to a crying child?"

God answered, "They’ll work, you will see. They are big enough to support a father who is pretending to be a horse while his child is riding to an imaginary castle. They’re big enough to wear two shoes that will be a challenge for any child to fill."

Then God gave the father a voice, strong and authoritative. He gave him eyes that could see everything and yet remain calm and in control. Last of all, God gave the father tears. Then He turned to the angel and asked, "Do you still doubt?" And the angel said no more.

God has truly made our Fathers special and unique and for that we thank Him.

VOLUME III, Number 21:

Unleash the Power of God

“Prayer,” says Brian Blount, a Princeton New Testament professor, “is not about getting what we want, or even what we oftentimes are sure is right for us and those around us; prayer is about unleashing the frightening, unstable, uncontrollable power of God.”

Such a description is enough to give us cause for pause in our prayer lives. Who wants to "unleash" anything that's "frightening, unstable" or "uncontrollable"? We would rather approach a predictable God. One who sees things the way we do and will act accordingly. To freely "unleash" a God like the one described by professor Blount, we must possess a supreme confidence in the superiority of His wisdom and goodness. We must trust that whatever God chooses to do in response to our petitions will be infinitely superior to anything we could even think or ask.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think…” Ephesians 3:20a

VOLUME III, Number 20

He Left the Splendor of Heaven

Take a few moments and think about the splendor of heaven. A place where there is no pain, no heartache, no tears, and no death. A place that is paved with streets of gold. A place where our one true love resides, God.

With that picture in your mind imagine leaving that to come to earth. A place where there is much pain, many broken hearts, tear stained faces, and death all around us. Could you make that sacrifice for someone else? That is exactly what Christ did for us.

When reading John chapter one it is easy to quickly read through verse fourteen, which says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” But instead of quickly reading past this verse ponder on it for a while. Try to understand the sacrifice Christ made by just leaving the splendors of heaven, not even counting the ultimate sacrifice he will make in just thirty-three years.

Why would Christ make such a sacrifice for us? Because he loves us. He loved us so much that he could not stand the fact that we were still separated from him because of our sins. So he left the splendor of heaven to come to earth and die a horrible death on the cross, paying for our sins and repairing that relationship in which we damaged. If that isn’t true love, then I don’t know what love is.

VOLUME III, Number 19:

Not So “Silly” Geese

When you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in a “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing that science has discovered why they fly that way. Research has revealed that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately behind it. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone. It quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the “V” and another goose flies the point.

The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. And finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunfire and falls out, two other geese fall out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the goose until it is either able to fly again or dead, and then they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their group. Whoever was the first to call another person a “silly goose” didn’t know enough about geese.

We all need help and encouragement from one another as we travel on the journey of life. Loner Christians don't stand a chance because God created us to be relational and to be dependent on one another.

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." (Hebrews 10:24)

VOLUME III, Number 18:

Zoom Out!

The next time life seems confusing and you feel that you've lost your bearings, ZOOM OUT!

Have you ever looked at a location on Google Maps and become a little confused of exactly where that location is? All you need to do is click on “zoom out” and the broader viewpoint will make all the difference. Understanding where you are in relationship to other key landmarks helps to put things into perspective.

So, the next time you find yourself a bit disoriented in your circumstances, step back and look at the broader view. Resist the temptation to focus on where you're stuck. Think about the broader context of your life. Think of how God has always provided for you. Think of how He has proved Himself faithful to you, again and again. Place your current moment in the context of the blessings of the rest of your life.

Realize that in Christ you have been granted an even greater capacity to zoom out. In light of God's promises, you have been given the ability to zoom out until eternity itself comes into view. From this vantage point your earthly concerns are finally placed in their proper perspective. When eternity is your point of reference, your earthly problems become pretty small. From here it becomes easy to see that God has provided you with more for which to be thankful than to regret, more you don't know about than you do, and more to come than has ever been.

As the Apostle Paul put it, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).

VOLUME III, Number 17

Love to Last a Lifetime

You may remember the August 16th, 1987 crash of a Northwest Airline jet (I don’t, of course, since I was only 1 but I have read some about it). It was reported that a Northwest Airlines jet had crashed just after take off from the Detroit airport, killing 155 people. As horrific as the report was, it wasn't the crash or the casualties that were the most surprising to most people it was what followed. The lone survivor of the crash was a four-year-old little girl.

Many were wondering how a small, frail, four year old could survive when everyone else had died. Was she sitting in just the right seat? Was it her size that helped her avoid the fate of the other passengers? Later everyone would learn the answer.

The little girl’s name was Cecelia and the first responders to the accident were so surprised to find her alive that they concluded she must have been a passenger in one of the vehicles on the highway where the plane had crashed. Though very young, Cecelia was old enough to tell the amazing story behind her miraculous survival.

According to the little girl’s testimony, as the plane was falling from the sky, her mother unbuckled her own seat belt, knelt down in front of her, wrapped her arms and body around her, and refused to let go! Cecelia’s mother had used her own body to shield her from death!

A mother’s love is indescribable. So this Mother’s Day, if you can, let your mother know just how much she means to you and how much you appreciate her love.

VOLUME III, Number 16

Put the Glass Down

How heavy does something have to be, to be too heavy? Consider the following story:

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued:

"The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).

VOLUME III, Number 15

Compassion

Bart Millard is the lead singer for MercyMe, and the composer of their signature song, I Can Only Imagine. In 2005, his son Sam was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. The artist wanted to give God glory in the midst of this heartache, just as he had done when he wrote Imagine as a result of his dad’s premature death. To help find a cure for his son’s disease, Millard launched Imagine A Cure.

When Sam was 5, he heard his dad talking about the organization and asked for more details. Bart explained, “Buddy, it’s just us trying to get you better.” Sam replied, “Aren’t there more kids sick than just me? I want kids who don’t have doctors to have doctors!”

This drove Millard to discover a way MercyMe could collaborate with Compassion International to get medical help for kids without doctors. Those who attend the band’s concerts will find that most of the Compassion packets they offer are for children with medical needs.

It all started with a little 5-year-old boy who, every day, endures three insulin shots and ten finger pricks, but thought more about less fortunate kids.

Where is your compassion? Are you more concerned with yourself or are you, like this 5-year-old boy, more concerned with the wellbeing of others? We should all learn a lesson from this brave young boy and start focusing outwardly rather than inwardly.

VOLUME III, Number 14

Satan’s Waterloo

From an old clipping, here is the way the news of the victory at Waterloo arrived in England.

There were no telegrams or telephones in those days, of course, but everyone knew that Wellington was facing Napoleon in a great battle, and that the future of England was in great uncertainty. A sailing ship semaphored (signaled with coded flags) the news to the signalman on top of Winchester Cathedral. He signaled to another man on a hill, and thus news of the battle was relayed by semaphore from station to station to London and all across the land.

When the ship came in, the signalman on board semaphored the first word: Wellington. The next word was defeated, and then the fog came down and the ship could not be seen. “Wellington Defeated” went across England, and there was a great gloom all over the countryside. After two or three hours, the fog lifted, and the signal came again: Wellington Defeated the Enemy. Then all England rejoiced.

There was that day, when they put the body of our Lord in the tomb, that the message appeared to be Christ Defeated…But three days later, the fog lifted and we can plainly see that Christ Defeated the Enemy.

“He is not here, for he has risen.” (Matthew 28:6)

VOLUME III, Number 13:

Of Morse Code and Easter Messages

As a young man, Samuel Morse set out to become a famous painter. His ambition was "to rival the genius of a Raphael, a Michelangelo, or a Titian." He studied at the Royal Academy in London and won acclaim by painting portraits of men such as President James Monroe and the Marquis de Lafayette.

In 1832, onboard a ship crossing the ocean, Morse heard another passenger describe how electricity could pass instantly over any length of wire. He began to wonder: Could messages be sent over wires with electricity? He rushed back to his cabin, took out his drawing book, and began to sketch out his idea for a telegraph.

He knew little about electricity, but he learned as he went. He used a homemade battery and parts from an old clock to build his first models. He developed a code of long and short electrical impulses-"dots" and "dashes"-to represent letters. His invention raised the interest of Alfred Vail, a machinist who became his partner.

On January 6, 1838, the inventors were ready to test their device over two miles of wire at the Vail family ironworks in New Jersey. Vail's father scribbled "A patient waiter is no loser" on a piece of paper and handed it to his son. "If you can send this and Mr. Morse can read it at the other end, I shall be convinced," he said. A short time later, his words came out on the receiving end.

On May 24, 1844, an amazed crowd in the Supreme Court chambers in Washington, D.C., watched Samuel Morse demonstrate his telegraph by sending a message over a wire to Baltimore, 35 miles away. In Morse code, he tapped out a quote from the Bible: What hath God wrought! Soon telegraph lines linked countries and continents, and the world entered the age of modern communication.

The diehard skeptic Mr. Vail, who penned his message saying, "If you can send this and Mr. Morse can read it, I shall be convinced" was indeed convinced. At the time, it was the greatest communication either sent or received.

On Easter morning, an infinitely more powerful message was sent and has since been received by millions upon millions. "He is not here; He is risen!" (Matthew 28:6). Won't you allow yourself to be convinced? Place your faith and trust in God's message of redemption communicated so clearly through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

VOLUME III, Number 12:

Standing in for Tom Cruise

"I [once] read an interesting article ... all about movie stand-ins," says Bryson Smith. "They’re the people who replace movie stars in scenes that are dangerous or just uncomfortable. Like Glenn Duhigg, an ex-lawyer who worked as the stand-in for Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2. Glenn reckoned:

It sounds very glamorous saying you’re the stand-in for Tom Cruise but I don’t think many people realize the long hours and constant demands that deflate your ego very quickly. The days are long. Whatever scene Tom was in, I would be the one standing there, being him sometimes for ages as the crew set up the shot – getting the lighting just right and the props just so. I’d be standing there for hours out in the weather, getting drenched in the rain or sun stroke out in the heat. And then Tom would just walk on the set from his air-conditioned caravan or out of his beautiful sports car once the scene was ready.” As one of the other stand-ins said, “I realized very quickly the difference between being a star and being a stand-in.”

"But you see," says Smith, "on the cross, Jesus Christ was our stand-in. He endured the discomfort, the pain, the punishment from God, all in our place. He accepted God's anger on himself instead of us. He was our stand-in.

"Amazing that he would do that, because really he’s the important one. You wouldn’t expect Tom Cruise to stand-in for that bloke Glenn Duhigg. No, no. Tom’s the important one! And yet, even though Jesus is the important one, a divine king come to earth, yet he stood in for us."

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit" (1 Peter 3:18). "Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17).

VOLUME III, Number 11:

Follow the Right Path

Dr. Paul Chappell of the Lancaster Baptist Church reminds us of an infamous case of misguided direction:

There were 128 runners in the field for the cross-country race at the 1993 NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships.

As they set out on the 6.2 mile run, they were following a course that had been marked for them by the race officials. Toward the end of the course, one of the runners in the middle of the group realized something was wrong. Mike Delcavo of Western State College in Colorado saw that the main pack had missed the turn. "I was waving for them to follow me and yelling 'this is the right way,'" he told an interviewer after the race.

Delcavo was right -- but only four other runners followed him. The rest continued on the shortcut, which allowed them to run a shorter distance and finish the race sooner. In a widely criticized decision, race officials allowed the abbreviated route to stand as the "official course" and Delcavo officially finished 123rd.

The LA Times reports Delcavo saying, "I'm upset. If I had stayed on the wrong course, I would have finished respectably. But when you read the official results, I'm 123 out of 128 runners."

Have you ever noticed how the world determines the right path from the wrong path? It's whatever the majority chooses. What's considered the wrong path yesterday becomes "the official course" today, should enough people decide to take it. The moral direction of the world is ever changing and can only be anticipated by polls and surveys. Not true of God, or of the path that He calls us to take. God, the author of truth, is unchanging.

Don't follow the majority onto the wrong path expecting the way of the majority to change the rules in the end. If you do, you will be sorely disappointed at the outcome.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." (Matthew 7:13)

VOLUME III, Number 10:

An Eighty Thousand Dollar Slip of the Tongue

Careless words can be costly. That's the lesson Dana Snay learned when she violated a court "gag" order in a snarky Facebook status:

According to the Miami Herald, Patrick Snay, 69, was the headmaster at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami for several years, but in 2010, the school didn’t renew his contract. Snay sued his former employer for age discrimination and won a settlement of $80,000 in November 2011. The agreement contained a standard confidentiality clause, prohibiting Snay or the school from talking about the case.

However, Snay’s daughter, Dana, now at Boston College and a part-time Starbucks barista, couldn’t resist bragging about the case on Facebook. “Mama and Papa Snay won the case against Gulliver,” she wrote. “Gulliver is now officially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer. SUCK IT.”

Well, news travels fast on the internet, so it wasn't long before authorities were made aware of comment and Snay was promptly relieved of his $80K settlement.

In our age of social media, what was once mumbled in silence is now broadcast to millions.

If this story gives you cause for pause, consider Jesus' warning, given long before there were microphones, tape recorders, videos, or the internet: "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).

Hastily spoken words can be costly, indeed.

VOLUME III, Number 9

Our Loudspeaker

When doing sound tests, the audio engineer for the Republican Convention in July 2000 discovered that the noise the gavel actually made was not impressive enough to fill the huge hall in Philadelphia. So he recorded an “ideal gavel sound” that was played over the loudspeakers when the moderator struck the desk with the stand-in gavel, thereby signaling the start of the convention.

Likewise, we need to fill our own halls with the sound of Christ. Though our witness is weak, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will be our Loudspeaker if we will speak faithfully for him.

“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
John 16:8-11

VOLUME III, Number 8

Christians ARE Crazy

Christians are considered by many to be crazy, and, as A.W. Tozer suggests, with good reason:

“A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest ... He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge.”

Christians are definitely different. Some take offense to that fact, while others relish the opportunity to stand out. But isn’t being different what we have been called to be? We are to be different from this world because our hope does not lie in this world but rather our hope is in Christ. Paul tells us to not be conformed to this world but rather to be transformed by the renewal of our mind (Romans 12:2).

It is when we are not conformed to this world that we stand out and become a light in the darkness, a city on a hill. It is when we are not conformed to this world that we become the messengers of hope that God has called us to be.

“You are the light of the world. A city ser on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

VOLUME III, Number 7

Forgiveness

In October of 2004, Ameneh Bahrami spurned the marriage proposal of Majid Movahedi, who was a fellow student at the University of Tehran. In response to the rejection, Movahedi threw acid on Bahrami’s face, leaving her blind and disfigured. Under Sharia law, she appealed for similar retribution and he was sentenced to have acid drops placed in his eyes so that he would likewise lose his sight; literally an eye for an eye.

She endured 17 surgeries before the punishment was finally set to be carried out on July 31, 2011. Officials determined that the court-ordered retribution should be broadcast on Iran’s state television so that it would serve as a deterrent against such crimes.

But as the doctor was moving to carry out the procedure in an operating room, Bahrami halted the process at the last minute by asking the physician to spare him. She said, “I forgave him, I forgave him.” After this dramatic scene, the 31-year-old Bahrami stated, “It is best to pardon when you are in a position of power.”

Forgiveness is not always something that is easily achieved. Often times I don’t think it is possible without the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. But although it is not easily achieved it is something that we are called to do and the scary things is that Christ said if we do not forgive others neither will our heavenly Father forgive us.

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15

So learn how to forgive. If you are still holding something against someone else release it into the hands of our loving Father and allow Him to teach you and strengthen you while you are on the road toward forgiveness.

VOLUME III, Number 6

Facing Storms

Elaine Cannon wrote of an old cowboy who explained a great lesson he learned from Hereford cows. He’d spent a lifetime working on ranches where harsh winter storms exacted a heavy toll on the livestock. Temperatures would plummet, gale-force winds would drive razor-sharp freezing rain, and snow would pile into huge drifts.

In the onslaught of such storms, most cattle would turn their backs to the storm and drift downwind. They’d eventually hit a fence or a frozen creek and pile together against the barrier where they would die by the dozens.

But Herefords did the exact opposite. They would instinctively head into the storm and face it. With heads down, they’d stand shoulder to shoulder and challenge the wintry blast straight on.

The leathered cowhand said, “You always found the Herefords alive and well. I guess it’s the greatest lesson I ever learned on the prairies: just face life’s storms.”

When we are faced with storms in our lives we have two options. We can either allow the storm to beat us down and destroy us or we can face the storm and realize that it will not last forever.

Paul reminds us that these storms are just “light momentary affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17). He goes on to tell us that these light momentary afflictions are “preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17b-18).

So when the storms of life come realize that they do not last forever and if we withstand then the reward will be well worth it.

VOLUME III, Number 5:

When to Save a Drowning Man

Watchman Nee tells the story of his stay in China with twenty other Christians. The bathing accommodations were inadequate in the home where they were lodging, so they went for a daily dip in the river.   

On one occasion, one of the men got a cramp in his leg and began sinking fast. Mr. Nee motioned to one of the other men, who was an excellent swimmer, about the drowning man. To his astonishment, however, the man did not move. He just stood there and watched the drowning man.   

Mr. Nee was agitated, but the swimmer was calm and collected. Meanwhile, the voice of the drowning man grew fainter and more desperate. Mr. Nee hated the swimmer who just stood and watched on the shore when he could have jumped into the river and rescued the drowning man. As the drowning man went under for what looked like the last time, the swimmer was there in a moment, and both were soon safely on shore.   

After the rescue, Mr. Nee chewed out the swimmer, accusing him of loving his life too much and being selfish. The response of the swimmer revealed, however, he knew what he was doing. He told Watchman that if he had gone too soon, the drowning man would have put a death grip on him and they would have both drowned in the river, and he was right. He told Mr. Nee that a drowning man cannot be saved until he is utterly exhausted and ceases to make the slightest effort to save himself.   

Such is the case with our salvation. When we stop trying to save ourselves, then the Lord can step in and save us when we yield to Him.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

VOLUME III, Number 4

Spurgeon on Faith

When discussing the topic of faith Charles Spurgeon said, “Look at the faith of the master mariner! He losses his cable, he streams away from the land. For days, weeks, even months, he sees neither sail nor shore, yet on he goes day and night without fear, till one morning he finds himself exactly opposite the desired haven toward which he has been steering.

“How has he found his way over the trackless deep? He has trusted his compass, his nautical almanac, his glasses, and the heavenly bodies; and obeying their guidance, without sighting land, he has steered so accurately that he has not changed a point to enter port.

“It is a wonderful thing…It is glorious to be so far out on the ocean of Divine love, believing in God, and steering for Heaven straight away, by the direction of the Word of God.”

Truly how glorious would it be for us to be at that point where we have so much faith in God that we trust His guidance, through His word. We might not

understand every storm that comes our way. We might not know about every wave that will beat against our vessels but we trust God for the strength to

endure. This is the kind of faith God is looking for and without this kind of faith it is impossible to please God.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

VOLUME III, Number 3

Spurgeon on Faith

When discussing the topic of faith Charles Spurgeon said, “Look at the faith of the master mariner! He losses his cable, he streams away from the land. For days, weeks, even months, he sees neither sail nor shore, yet on he goes day and night without fear, till one morning he finds himself exactly opposite the desired haven toward which he has been steering.

“How has he found his way over the trackless deep? He has trusted his compass, his nautical almanac, his glasses, and the heavenly bodies; and obeying their guidance, without sighting land, he has steered so accurately that he has not changed a point to enter port.

“It is a wonderful thing…It is glorious to be so far out on the ocean of Divine love, believing in God, and steering for Heaven straight away, by the direction of the Word of God.”

Truly how glorious would it be for us to be at that point where we have so much faith in God that we trust His guidance, through His word. We might not understand every storm that comes our way. We might not know about every wave that will beat against our vessels but we trust God for the strength to endure. This is the kind of faith God is looking for and without this kind of faith it is impossible to please God.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

VOLUME III, Number 2

A Complaint Free World

Will Bowen, a Kansas City minister, has designed an innovative tool in the fight against negativity, murmuring, and complaining. It comes in the form of a simple purple bracelet, which he first offered to his congregation with a challenge to go 21 days without complaining. Each time one of them complained, they had to switch the bracelet to their other wrist and start again from day one.

"It was simple but an effective metacognitive awareness training," reports Tim Ferriss of the HUFFINGTON POST. "The effects were immediate and life-changing."

Complaining, Bowen suggests in his book A COMPLAINT FREE WORLD, is a habit that can be broken. And once broken, one can be liberated to enjoy a life of greater gratitude, contentment and happiness. According to his website, his idea struck a real chord. His organization has, to date, distributed more than 10 million purple Complaint Free bracelets to people in over 100 different countries.

According to research, it can take as little as 21 days to replace an old habit with a new one. Switching the bracelet from one wrist to the other after each complaint, until the bracelet eventually stays put for 21 days, is a simple and easy exercise that yields huge rewards.

As Pastor Bowen puts it, "Don't be an ouch looking for a hurt." Break the habit of whining and complaining about life. Take the 21day challenge to help reset your mind's default setting from the negative to the positive. As you speak fewer and fewer negative words, you'll generate fewer and fewer negative thoughts.

Note: You don't have to order the purple bracelets to take the challenge. Any easy-on/easy-off band will do. The power isn't in the bracelet; it's in the resolve!

"Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people" (Philippians 2:14-15, NLT).

VOLUME III, Number 1

2013 Word of the Year

As you look to the New Year, what's the single word that's had the greatest impact on YOUR life this past year? Dictionary.com has weighed the impact of several words in contention and has chosen its own 2013 Word of the Year. It's not "sequester" or "cronut." It's not even "Obamacare."

It's … "privacy." The dictionary website says it chose “privacy” over the other finalists in large part because of the recent debate over government surveillance programs led by such groups as the NSA.

Dictionary.com defines "privacy" as "the state of being free from intrusion or disturbance in one's private life and affairs.”

“Perhaps the current definition may need to be revised to address our freedom from intrusion by anyone, from governments to corporations to individuals,” Dictionary.com CEO Michele Turner told Yahoo News. “As we’ve considered how to update the definition of privacy, it became clear that it stands as the single word that had the biggest impact in 2013.”

While they’re revising their definition of privacy to include intrusion by "anyone, from governments to corporations to individuals," I wouldn’t be shocked if they including God in the mix? While they will claim that it's human nature to long to be "free of intrusion ... in one's private life," God knows better. He knows that it's in the most private part of our lives--our inner thoughts and motivations--where we require surveillance; that in our hearts we can be hopeless, helpless and lost.

For that reason there is another impactful word that deserves consideration. It's a word that, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edition), means "the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them." That's how the OED defines the word "grace."

What could be more impactful than the spirit of God operating to encourage and transform human hearts? No other concept has the power to bring hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless, or salvation to the lost.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life" (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT).

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