And Now For The Retainer!

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ou can learn a lot in an orthodontist’s office.  I know from personal experience.  Like so many other teenagers, I wore braces on my teeth for almost three years.  I had a cross-bite that needed to be repaired and so I sat still while my orthodontist wrapped my pearly whites in tinsel and wire.  At first, they were a novelty but I soon understood why they told me to get something to eat as quickly as possible.  In just a matter of a few hours, my mouth was very sore; so sore that chewing bread was impossible.  What had I gotten myself into, I wondered.

For the next three years, I visited the orthodontist regularly and endured all the changes and adjustments he made to my teeth as we marched toward that elusive day when the braces would be removed and my teeth would at last be straight.  Finally, the long-awaited day came.  The braces were removed, my teeth were cleaned, and I was able to eat apples—not apple slices—once again.  I remember biting into a big Granny Smith apple, sinking my teeth in and pulling a huge chunk away from the core.  It felt great!!

But my ordeal wasn’t quite over. On my next visit to the orthodontist I was fitted with a retainero

I was I that I wore for the next two years.  As I understood it, the retainer’s job was to hold my teeth in the proper position, discouraging and preventing them from moving back toward the wayward condition in which we found them.  It all came down to my willingness and my faithfulness to wear that retainer.  The success of all the hard work done beforehand rested on that retainer and my decision to heed the instructions of my orthodontist.

It should come as no surprise to us that Jesus spoke about the importance of the retainer.  He knew the value of learning and retaining the truths of God’s word.  Without the retention of these truths, the Christian is tempted to move back toward the wayward condition of sin in which he existed before he accepted Jesus as savior and lord.  Jesus’ words concerning this truth are found in his parable about the farmer who sowed seed and the types of soil into which the seed fell.

This parable is found in Luke 8:1-15.  However, it is verse 15 which is the focus on today’s devotional.  In Luke 8:15, we read this explanation of believers who are considered to be good soil into which God’s word is planted, “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”  Please take a moment to read this verse in the context of the parable and then read it again by itself.  Don’t read through it too quickly but let the truth of Jesus’ words sink deep into your heart and soul.

Notice that Jesus says the good soil represents those who have a noble and good heart.  He continues by explaining just what those of a good and noble heart do.  They do three distinct things.  1) They hear the word.  Believers in this category listen to God’s word. When they pray, they focus on what God has to say to them rather than on what they to tell Him.  They enter into prayer and into their daily walk with the Lord eagerly anticipating all that He has for them both to learn and to do.  2)  Those in this group retain the word.  They don’t merely read God’s word to feel better about themselves.  They don’t memorize God’s word to impress others, quoting chapter and verse in any and every situation.  These individuals, internalize God’s word.  They meditate on it, the obey it, and they apply it to their lives.  It becomes a part of them so that instead of quoting it, they live it!  There is a vast difference in quoting the Word and in living the Word!!  3)  They produce a crop by persevering.  They trust God in all things, knowing that He is always faithful and that He is always in the process of conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ, even when life is at its most difficult and most challenging.

Of these three steps, the second, I believe, is the most important.  Many people hear God’s word but go no further.  They never make it an integral part of their lives.  They never internalize it or apply it.  They simply open their Bibles, read a passage, say a quick prayer, and go about their lives.  The seed falls on the ground but never enters into the soil!  In addition, unless the word is retained, believers have no incentive or desire to persevere and produce a crop.  It is God’s word in us, applied to our lives, that is the bedrock of our very existence. It causes us to persevere and produce a crop for Him.  But no crop will grow where no seed has been planted!!  It’s just that simple.

Yes, you can learn a lot in an orthodontist’s office.  The work and labor of the braces and the wires is all but lost if the patient refuses to wear the retainer to preserve all the work that has gone on before.  The same is true of the believer.  God has done all the work beforehand.    The question is: Are we now ready to submit to the discipline of the retainer?  The answer is either yes, or no!!

Only One Wish

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he wisdom of older adults never ceases to amaze me.  They can take any situation, any set of circumstances, any of life's challenges and find wonderful and profound life applications.  As I grow older myself, the things my parents and my grandparents told me and the life lessons they tried to teach me at a young age continually affect the way I perceive and understand this thing called life.

A story I heard as a young teacher illustrates this point very well.  A young man and his grandfather went fishing in order to spend some quality time together.  As they continued to cast their lines and reel them in, the young man took the opportunity to ask his grandfather several questions about life.  Inevitably, the young man wanted to know how he could get ahead in life and what it would take to be successful.

The older gentleman dropped his rod and reel and invited his grandson into the water with him.  The young man didn't hesitate but was understandably curious as he entered the water.  What could the old man possibly teach him in the middle of the pond?  As he came near to his grandfather, the older gentleman grabbed his grandson and plunged him under the water.  He held him there, not allowing him to rise to the surface.  The young man didn't struggle at first but as his need for air grew, he began to fight.  Finally, with no regard for his grandfather's safety, the young man wrestled his way to the surface for air.  When he had regained his composure he asked his grandfather why he had held him under the water and refused to let him breathe.  The old man simply smiled at his grandson and asked him what his only thought was while he was under the water.  The young man said that all he could think of and all he wanted was air.  His grandfather told him he would succeed in life when the desire for excellence was as important to him as the desire for air had been while he was under the water.

This is a wonderful lesson and very true.  Focus is the most important thing in any goal.  Without it, failure is assured.  The same is true for us in the Christian life. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ.  He must be our ultimate goal, our ultimate reason for living, and the ultimate desire of our hearts.  In all ways and at all times we must seek to be like him, to follow his example, and to obey his command. 

In John 12:21, a group of Greek men came to Jesus' disciples with a simple, focused request.  John records their words for us, “Sir, we would see Jesus."  In this small statement lies the secret of success for the Christian.  These men had only one wish, only one desire, only one purpose, and only one thought.  With all their hearts and minds they wanted to see Jesus.

Is that the desire of your heart today?  Do you long to see Jesus?  Are you willing to wait patiently and to search diligently until you find him?  Today we will become hungry and we will search for food.  We will grow thirsty and we will search for something to drink.  We will grow tired and we will search for rest.  At our jobs we will seek approval from our bosses, we will seek acceptance from our co-workers, and we will focus on our jobs.  But what about Jesus?  Will we focus on him today?  Can we say with all our hearts that we would see him?  When we desire him as badly as we desire food, water, and air we will find that our walk with God will become more intimate and more meaningful.  When Jesus becomes the sole purpose of our being then, and only then, will we succeed in being what God wants us to be.  What is your one wish today?

To Make A Better Life

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ecently, while flipping through the channels trying to find something entertaining and informative to watch on TV, I stopped to watch a short infomercial.  This particular show advertised computer classes to help you get ahead in the job market and to help you make a wonderful salary.  One of the interviews was with a young man who talked on and on about how great the program was and how his increased salary had helped him afford things he never had before.  When the interviewer asked him what his motivation for taking the classes was, he didn’t hesitate one instant but answered straightforwardly, “To make a better life for my family and myself!”

I sat there and let that statement sink in for just a few minutes.  From what I could observe from the infomercial, this man had increased his salary, purchased a nice home, owned two cars, and wore beautiful clothes.   For all intents and purposes, society would say that he had definitely arrived and was in a position to improve his lifestyle as well as that of his family.  But had he really made a better life for himself?  That was the question.

When I was growing up, I remember my dad telling me that all parents wished a better life for their children.  While I knew he wanted me to avail myself of opportunities he didn’t have, I could never figure out what about my life needed improving.  I had my own bed, I had my own clothes, I had a wonderful family, I had plenty to eat, and I was warm and dry. 

As I grew older, however, I began to understand that the choices I made could determine just how good my life would be.  If I made wise selections, I would be able to enjoy life more fully than if I squandered my choices and acted foolishly.  Still, I learned that the quality of life is not based on the things we can afford to keep but on the things we can’t afford to lose!

The children of Israel had a similar choice during their Exodus from Egypt.  They had an opportunity to make a better life for themselves and for their children.  However, their success would depend on the choices they made and Moses wanted to make sure they understood how to choose wisely.

In Deuteronomy 30:18-20, Moses gives the people explicit instructions about securing and making a better life for themselves:  “I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”    

After wandering in the wilderness for forty years, the people are ready to cross over into the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Notice the choice Moses gives the people.  It is a choice between life and death, between curses and blessings.  His advice to the people is to choose life.  It would seem that this choice was evident but given the track record of the people coming out of Egypt, Moses wanted to make sure they understood the consequences of choosing poorly.  He tells the people to choose life and continues by saying that the Lord is their life.  In other words, we choose a better life when we choose God.  This choice would not only bring life to the people but to their children as well.

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he same choice is ours today.  We are free to choose so we must choose wisely.   The only choice we have, the only choice that leads to life, is God.  We come to Him through the knowledge of Jesus Christ who promised life to all who believed in Him.  Do you want to make and have a better life?  God is waiting for you to make your decision for Him.  What choice will you make today?

Fire Starters

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chool children, it seems, are always selling something.  No sooner does the school year begin than students are out in droves, peddling their wares from home to home like door-to-door salesman.   The merchandise varies from fruit, to doughnuts, to cookies, to flags, to popcorn, to wrapping paper for the holidays.  I remember selling, candy, spices, and magazines to help fund various projects for the different schools I attended at home.

While most of the merchandise is designed to grab the buyer’s attention, very few of these products are created with long-term usefulness in mind.  The candy is meant to be consumed, the wrapping paper can only be used during a particular season, and knick knacks for the home soon find their way onto back shelves in closets or are boxed up in the attic until a “place” can be found to display them later.

But every once in a while a useful product comes along that is both practical and designed to make life just a little bit easier.  This small miracle occurred at my sister’s school.  Each year her school, like all the other schools in all the other counties, sold items to raise money for certain needs not addressed by the school’s allotted budget.  Instead of going door-to-door, however, the school held a bazaar where people visited and purchased items, most of them made by the students themselves.

One of the biggest hits at the bazaar was fire starters.  These were simple and useful little gadgets that made building a fire during the winter months much easer.  The students simply took a small milk carton, cut off the top, filled it with paraffin wax, and inserted a small piece of twine in the center.  When the wax cooled, it conformed to the shape of the milk carton and provided enough fuel to last until the wood in the fireplace grew into a warm, glowing blaze.  All you had to do was arrange the wood and the kindling, place the fire starter underneath, light it, and voila!  Instant fire!  As the fire starter burned and used its fuel, it ignited the wood in the grate which grew from a small, single flame into a roaring, blazing fire that gave light and warmth to everyone in the room.

Do you realize that Christians are to the world what the fire starter is to the wood and kindling in the fireplace?  Did you know that Jesus commissioned us to be spiritual pyromaniacs with the sole purpose of intentionally setting the world on fire for him?  It’s true; and we need look no further than one of the last commands Jesus gave his disciples before ascending into heaven.

Matthew 28:19-20 is generally referred to as The Great Commission because it is in this passage of scripture that Jesus instructs his followers to go out into the world and conquer it for him. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Not only did Jesus command his followers—and that includes us today—to go out and set fires; he gave them the necessary tools with which to do it.  Notice the distinct similarities between believers and those fire starters my sister’s school sold.  First, they were small compared to the task.  Second, they had a distinct shape and were filled with fuel and a wick.  Third, once they were lit, they gave of themselves totally until a roaring fire was set ablaze.  Fourth, they received their fire from another source. Fifth, had it not been for them, there would have been no fire.

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t doesn’t take much to understand the comparison, does it?  The world is a big place filled with billions of people.  By ourselves we are not match for the challenge, we are very small when placed side-by-side with Christ’s command.  The scriptures tell us that we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, taking on his shape, and we are to be filled with the Spirit which produces in us the means of sharing the gospel message with the world.  However, unless we give of ourselves totally and unselfishly, we are of no use to God.  The fire starter is no good without a flame and it will not achieve its purpose if it goes out before the task is completed.  But when we allow God to work through us so that we share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world, we can truly ignite a flame in those around us.  How many fires have you started lately?  

Deed Or Mortgage?

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ost anyone would have loved to have been in Tom’s position.  For most people the dream of home ownership can become a reality with the help of a hefty mortgage from any reputable and established financial institution.  Since Tom had a good job and earned a respectable salary, this option was available to him. His credit was good for just about any home that suited his fancy.  The problem wasn’t financing; it was selection.

When he was just a toddler, Tom’s grandfather bought a home to live in.  He determined that when the time came for Tom to purchase a home, he would give him the deed to this house and Tom could have a nice place to live with no debt.  He would own the home outright and could start making a life instead of earning a living.  The promise of the house was always in Tom’s mind.  As soon as he was out of college, had a decent job and a wife, he would settle down in that house and make it a home.

Now the time had come.  Tom had the degree, he had the job, he had the money, and he had the girl.  All that remained was selecting the home and therein lay Tom’s dilemma.  He was attracted to very large and ornate houses that were being built in a nearby development.  These homes offered the latest trends, the most recent conveniences, and they were ready for occupancy. 

The house his grandfather had promised him was a nice house but it needed work.  It required new paint, new plumbing, new carpet, a new heating/air conditioning/ventilation system, a new roof, and some work on the foundation.  The job looked overwhelming.  It would be so much easier to move into a newly built home even though it would cost him a considerable sum.  So, as he walked past several new houses carrying that deed in his hand, Tom made the decision, a decision he would eventually regret.  He bought that new house!

There are two schools of thought concerning Tom’s decision.  One is that he did the right thing.  The new house required no work, it was ready for him to occupy, and even though he had to borrow the money, he could write the interest off of his taxes.  This is the practical approach most of us take and the advice we would give to someone looking for a home.  On the other hand, Tom held the deed to a house outright.  The house would have cost him nothing and the repairs would have been a mere fraction of the cost of a new home.  True, it would have required some work on his part and a little patience until the job was done, but, when finished, he would be financially better off.

Would it surprise you to discover that this very situation occurred several thousand years ago and is to be found in the books of Genesis and Exodus?  Years before the children of Israel entered Egypt, God made a covenant with Abram in which He promised to give him the land where the Lord had called him.  This transaction is recorded in Genesis 15:18, “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.”  Notice the word “give” in the latter part of this verse.  God gave Abram a deed to the land.  The deed was good not only for Abraham but for his descendants as well.

And what about Abram’s descendants?  What did they do when it came time to claim that deed?  The land was occupied and God told the Israelites they would have to conquer the land but that He would be with them and the land was theirs.  What did they do at this moment of decision?  What choice did they make?  Were they willing to enter the land, do the conquests, make the improvements and claim it as their home? 

Sadly, the Scriptures tell us they did not. Numbers 14:1-4 gives us the account of their decision, “That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.  All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!  Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"  And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."

Sad isn’t it?  Just like Tom the people saw all the work required to make the place a home and they chose to reject the deed and take out a mortgage.  And what a price they paid.  Because they refused to accept God’s provision, because they insisted on doing things their own way and working according to their plan, they missed the Promised Land and died in the wilderness.  They took out a 40-year mortgage and had nothing of appreciable value to show for their decision.

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here is a lesson for us here as well.  God offers us a deed through His son, Jesus Christ.  Christ paid the price for our salvation so that we could inherit eternal life and the kingdom of Heaven.  Why is it then that we insist on trying to work our way into God’s salvation?  Why do we insist on having things our own way when God has already made the way for us?  Instead of being obedient to His commands, we determine to take control of our lives and work our way to Heaven.  Unfortunately, this is not possible yet so many Christians have this understanding of God’s plan of salvation.  We must ask ourselves if we are taking out a mortgage when God is offering us a deed.  The choice is ours and so are the results of our decision.  Which one are you making today?

The Point Of No Return

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hey’ve just reached the point of no return. There’ll be no turning back now!” The announcer’s voice boomed over the television set as the Saturn V rocket hurled heavenward, ferrying its cargo of three men and a landing craft toward the moon. 

Those few short words, spoken just moments before, indicated the crew had reached a critical milestone in the flight.  Attached to the very top of the rocket was a small tower equipped with three engines.  This attachment was known as the escape tower.  During launch, the commander of the flight kept his hand on a handle inside the command module.  At the first sign of danger, he could pull that lever and fire the escape tower’s rockets.  The tower would then pull the command module away from the rest of the rocket and land the astronauts safely in the ocean. 

There was, however, one catch to this procedure.  The escape tower could only be used if a problem occurred in the lower atmosphere.  Once the rocket reached a certain altitude the tower was useless. At that point, the commanding astronaut jettisoned the tower from the space craft, severing any possibility of a safe return to Earth. That is why the announcer’s words were at once both wonderful and ominous.  The announcement meant the astronauts were on their way out of earth’s orbit and headed toward their lunar destination. It also meant the crew was committed! The completion of their mission was the only safe way to return to Earth.

The disciples were faced with the same situation as the astronauts above.  They were faced with a moment of truth, a life-or-death-decision, and a choice to commit to Christ or to jettison him. The difference was the disciples had no escape tower and no guarantee of a safe return if they bailed out!

In John 6:66-69 we read these words of Jesus, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’”

Wow! Way to go Peter! Jesus gave him the choice.  Peter’s hand was on the escape lever.  He could have pulled it, he could have separated from Christ, and he could have decided to bail out right then and there.  But Peter didn’t and neither did the other disciples. Instead, they passed the point of no return, they committed themselves to the mission, knowing the only way home was to accept and complete the assignment Jesus had for them.

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nd what about us?  We all face moments of truth.  As Christians, there will be a point of no return when Jesus asks us specifically if we will follow him or reject him.  The choice is ours. Our hands are on the escape lever as we hurl full speed ahead into life.  At a certain moment in our flight God will inform us that we have reached the time of commitment, the point of no return.  On this side of that point we can pull the escape lever and bail out.  But where will we go?  We can also take our hand off that lever and commit to the mission ahead.  The choice is ours.  What will our decision be?  Bail or commit?  Think about it!  

Residence Visa

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ince the advent of 9/11 and the terrorist attacks on the United States, greater scrutiny has been given to all those traveling both domestically and internationally.  People coming to the United States from abroad find it more challenging to enter the country and the process of acquiring a visa has become more taxing.

I understand a little bit of this process.  In 1983, as I prepared to leave for a year-long sojourn in France, there were several things I had to do.  The most important of these was obtaining a passport and then applying for a student visa.  I obtained the passport from the American government.  However, in order to legally reside in France for a year, I had to apply for a visa from the French embassy in Washington.  Without that visa, I would be unable to stay in France legally.

When my passport arrived, I called the French embassy and obtained the necessary forms to apply for a visa. I sent my passport to the French embassy in Washington and in a few short weeks, it was returned with an official seal attached to it.  That seal gave me the legal right to stay in the country for a year.

Sound familiar?  This process of obtaining a visa has wonderful applications to our spiritual lives as well.  All around us we hear people speaking about God and in light of recent world events religion has suddenly become very popular and very “politically correct.”  However, we must have a right understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.  We have to receive him as our savior and no other.  We must carry his seal and seek permanent residence in his kingdom.  That means receiving a residence visa from God giving us the right to live in his kingdom forever.  The seal on that visa is the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  Without that seal, we have no legal right to call ourselves God’s children.

In one of his most revealing statements about God’s kingdom, Jesus addressed this very idea of legal residence.  Matthew 7:21 records a very sobering statement by our Lord and one we need to read and understand. “Not every one who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” 

In other words, Jesus was saying that the mere outward appearance of being a Christian is not enough.  All the good deeds we do, all the church services we attend, all the good intentions we have, all the nice cards and flowers we send, and all the visits we make do not make us followers of Jesus Christ.  We must have his seal of salvation upon our hearts and accept him as Lord of our lives.  This is the only way to become a child of God.

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hen I was in France, the outside of my passport gave the impression I was there legally.  However, the inside of the passport bore the official document and seal granting me the legal right to remain in the country, to study there, and to live there.  We must ask ourselves what we look like on the inside.  Do we bear seal of Jesus Christ on our hearts?  Do we have the legal right to live in his kingdom for all eternity?  Are we doing the will of God, serving him faithfully from our hearts?  Have we obtained our visas for permanent residence in God’s kingdom?

No Parking!

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owntown Fort Worth is a wonderful place to visit.  There are all types of shops, numerous restaurants, wonderful bookstores, great places to get a cup of coffee, a superb performance hall, and good movie theaters where you can catch the latest flick.  Yes, it is a wonderful place, provided you can find a parking space!  This is especially true in the evenings and on the weekends when the entire population, it seems, pours into the downtown area to enjoy all it has to offer.

  

On more than one occasion I have ventured downtown and found myself in a battle to find an empty space to park my car.  The lots are either full or I find myself confronted with ever-present and all-to-familiar information sign, “No Parking!”  One Saturday afternoon, I decided to spend some time looking through the various shops downtown.  I got in my car and took the fifteen-minute drive into the city.  But there was no where to park!  All the lots were full, all the spaces were taken, and there literally was no available space to be seen.

After several minutes of circling the city, after putting several miles on my car, and after wearing down the tread on my tires, I gave up in desperation and decided to return home to bandage my wounds.  I was frustrated and angry.  Everywhere I looked I saw a “No Parking” sign so I just kept driving until I returned home!  Have you ever been there?  Have you ever been frustrated by a traffic sign?  To top it all off, someone had written me a nice letter requesting that I pay my phone bill!  What a day!  All I wanted was a parking space, not a headache!

But after I returned home and cooled down a little bit, I realized there was actually a blessing in my little afternoon adventure.  Had I found a parking space downtown, I would have been tempted to stroll into the shops, get some coffee, buy a book, or see movie and spend more money than I had anticipated.  Then I would have been hard-pressed to pay the phone bill which was more of a priority than a cup of coffee.  Now, please don’t get me wrong. I can afford a cup of coffee and my phone bill, the question here is one of priority.

The Apostle Paul understood the idea of not parking in the Christian life.  He knew that following hard after Jesus and walking with God is the single most important priority of life.  Parking spaces, Paul knew, sometimes lead to trouble.  They get us off the road; they stop our forward progress for a while, and allow our minds to wonder through all the shops life has to offer.  When we are in the shops, it is easy for us to get our priorities skewed and out of balance.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes, “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b-14). This is the great secret of the Christian life—forward motion!  Notice that Paul admonishes his readers to keep pressing on toward the goal.  The one focus, the one goal, the one aim of our lives must be Jesus Christ who alone can supply all our needs and satisfy our souls.

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ut in modern terms, Paul would be telling his readers to take notice of the “No Parking” signs and to keep moving forward.  The world offers many things but these things can never fulfill us in the way God does.  Browsing among the world’s shops, drinking from its fountains, and walking idly along can lead us to confuse our priorities and to get our eyes off of Christ!  However, if we keep our eyes on him, if we keep moving forward, we will find that our priorities are in the right place, that our needs are met, and our souls will be satisfied.  Are you looking for a parking place today?  Pay attention to those “No Parking” signs!  They just might be blessings in disguise!

High Fidelity

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he teenage years mark a milestone in a child’s development.  This era of life is filled with firsts—the first crush, the first date, the first driving experience, and the all-important first stereo. Now, I don’t mean a clock radio that plays cassettes, I mean a full-blown sound system that keeps parents knocking on the door with instructions to “Turn that thing down!”  Yes, all of these are proof that the teenage years have arrived in full force and that life for the typical family is about to change.

Now, back to that stereo system.  The selection of a stereo is a serious matter.  The name brand is important and of course, the bigger the system, the better it is, or so teenagers think.  There is nothing more impressive than walking into a guy’s room and seeing nothing but speakers!!!  The first reaction is that this must be one connoisseur of music.  However, the most important aspect of the speaker is not its size but how effectively and how clearly it produces sound.  The measure of any speaker rests solely in its ability to reproduce sound that is faithful to the original source.  Speakers that produce quality, undistorted sound are described with two words—high fidelity!

Now stop and think about that for just a minute.  That label guarantees that the sound produced by the speaker is exactly the same sound as the original.  The speaker remains faithful to its source (hence, the term high fidelity) and reproduces it so the listener receives the full measure, color, and mood of the original sound.  Speakers true to the sounds of an orchestra will produce not only the high and low sounds of the instruments, but will also communicate the full body of the entire musical score. They will relay the emotions and the attitude of both the composer and the conductor, giving the listener the total experience of a musical work.

As Christians, we can take a lesson from the stereo speaker. God has entrusted us with sharing the good news of salvation and the person of Jesus Christ with those around us.  The question we must ask ourselves is how effectively are we sharing his word with others?  Are we faithful to the original source, communicating God’s love and concern for all those who are not saved?  Can it be said of us that our sharing of God’s word is accurate and faithful?  If we were stereo speakers, would the words “High Fidelity” be attributed to us?

Psalm 15 gives great insight into the kind of person God permits to stand in his presence.  There is a long list of requirements but Psalm 15:2 addresses the message we send and how effectively we represent God to the world. “He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart…” Notice that God requires us to speak the truth from our hearts.  It is with the heart that we truly understand and communicate with God.  It is with the heart that we have a relationship with him because it is the heart of man that most interests God.  King Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.”

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es, the quality of a stereo system is judged by the quality of sound produced by its speakers.  The decision to accept or reject the entire stereo is based on the sound produced by the speakers and their faithfulness in remaining true to the source.  When people listen to us, what are they hearing?  What message are we sending out about God?  Are we remaining faithful to his word or are we distorting it?  We are either doing one or the other. Based on what people hear from our speakers, do they accept or reject God’s message?  Do we deserve the label “high fidelity” today?

By Another Way

            

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ne of the things my dad passed on to me was a good sense of direction.  He taught me at a very early age that knowing where you are at all times is vitally important.  Even when you are lost, if you know the four basic points of the compass, you can find your way to your destination even if the road you take is different from the one you initially intended.

Now dad never sat down with me and grilled me on the finer points of reading a map. He never called me over and lectured me on how to get my bearings if I were ever lost.  His method of teaching me was much more practical.  Daddy taught me by example, which is far superior to lectures and tests.

Whenever we traveled, dad never took the same route twice. Instead, he would go one way and come home another.  It drove my mother crazy (and it still does) because she often thought he was lost.  But dad wasn’t lost, even if he had never traveled the road he was driving.  He depended on his knowledge of direction to assist him when the way ahead was unknown. 

The location of the sun and the time of day told him the directions for east or west.  From there, he could easily determine the remaining directions and could plot his course accordingly.  It always amazed me how he knew things like this.  We never got totally lost, we always arrived at our destination and in the process, I learned several new ways to get where I was going.

This knowledge became very useful for me while I lived in Europe.  I had never been to Paris, nor had dad for that matter.  But the lessons he had instilled in me at an early age gave me the confidence I needed to strike out on my own.  I bought a map, found my location, oriented myself to the four points of the compass, and away I went.  I even took different routes back to my hotel just to prove I could do it.  The lessons dad taught me were solid and I have used the many times since.

Occasionally along life’s road, we find ourselves forced to take another route.  Sometimes the path ahead is blocked, sometimes there is a detour, and sometimes the road ahead is under construction.  All these instances force us to change direction, to run aside, and to tread a path unknown to us.  At such times we may feel a little uneasy, but we should never be afraid because our heavenly father knows where he is going.  He will not get lost and he will never lead us in the wrong direction.

However, we must learn to orient our lives in such a way that we can easily discern the right direction to take.  Jesus has taught us by example to spend time in prayer with God, to trust him, and to follow his commands.  Even when the path ahead is uncertain and unknown to us, our ability to discern God’s presence and his direction will keep us on the right path every time.

When wise men came to worship Jesus, they took a familiar road to Bethlehem.  However, the scriptures tell us they didn’t take the same road home.  Matthew 2:12 says, “And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”

 Here we see God’s divine intervention in human affairs.  Herod’s request to worship Jesus was a lie; he intended to kill the child.  So, he changed the wise men’s route home.  They did not argue, they did not complain, and they did not question God’s purpose. They simply oriented themselves to his command, they changed direction, and they went home another way!

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od has promised to make a way for us.  It is not always the way we would choose and it isn’t always smooth and easy.  Sometimes he has us change direction and has us take a road that is less smooth and more difficult.  Although we don’t understand his reasons, we can always trust his heart.  Remember, even though the wise men took another road, they made it safely home.  That is God’s promise to us today if we continue to walk obediently with him.

Busted!

            

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ost people would never associate mining with North Carolina. In fact when most people think of North Carolina, they imagine rolling hills, lush forests, vast tracts of pasture lands, sand dunes along the coast, and trees of every variety.  This is all true and very accurately describes my home state, but there are other things about the area that people just don’t consider.

Very close to my hometown, was a large mine which removed lithium ore from the ground.  North Carolina is one of the leading states for the production of this mineral.  The mine employed many people in our area and provided for an interesting field trip for the local school children. I will never forget seeing that large hole in the ground nor the size of the equipment needed for removing the huge boulders left after blasting occurred.

One of the by-products of the mine was gravel.  Large boulders were crushed into smaller rock which was sold to companies and individuals to be used for various reasons.  I went with my dad once to the mine to get a load of gravel.  The parking lot behind his business used to be gravel and after so much wear and tear on the lot, it was time to replenish the old gravel with new.

We took a large dump truck, drove to the mine, paid for a load of gravel, and waited for it to be loaded.  While we were there, I watched them make gravel.  It was a very interesting process.  Large boulders were placed into a heavy piece of machinery which proceeded to break the large chunk into millions of small fragments and shards.  The noise was deafening but when it was over, the large boulder had been rendered into very small pieces which could then be used for driveways, flowerbeds, drainage ditches, etc.  The large rock was useless; but once broken into pieces, it had many new and useful applications.

This is a wonderful lesson for us today.  Many times in the Christian life, we feel as if God is breaking us into smaller pieces.  He digs

deep, pulls out a large chunk of our hearts, and then places it in the grinder.  Just when we feel we have nothing left to give, God takes what we have and crushes it into smaller pieces.  Although we don’t understand why, his purpose is to make us more useful for him.

Jesus demonstrated this at the feeding of the five thousand.  A little boy brought him five loaves and two fish.  Among so many people, they were nothing.  They would hardly feed a little boy, much less a throng of five thousand people.  Yet, when Jesus took those items in his hands, he fed the multitude, until all of them had as much as they wanted.

Matthew 14:19 shows how Jesus accomplished this task, “And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”  Jesus gave thanks for the fish and the bread and then he broke them.  That is the secret we need to see today.

In their original form, these loaves and fish could only feed one little boy.  They were meant for his lunch, to sustain him until he arrived home for dinner.  However, when Jesus began to break them, they took on much more ability.  Not only did they feed the little lad, they fed the entire group with twelve baskets full of pieces left over.

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oday, you may feel as if you are being broken and crushed.  From your perspective this brings confusion and frustration.  From God’s perspective, however, it makes perfect sense.  He is using you to touch the lives of countless others, others who are tired and hungry for spiritual food.  Who knows how many people your life will touch if you will yield yourself to the Master’s hand?  Won’t you let him break you today?

Basic Requirements

          

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 ne of my prized possessions is a large shadow box filled with various patches commemorating my trip through the scouting program.  All the badges are arranged in the order in which I earned them leading up to the highest level of achievement, the Eagle Scout patch and medal.

When I look at this display, I am reminded of all the work required to obtain that rank.  I remember each merit badge, each rank patch, and each skill award I earned.  At the time it seemed I would never finish the program.  Each time I   completed one level, it was time to start on another.  Each successive rank was more difficult and more challenging than the one before and sometimes I felt like giving up.

In order to move from one rank to the next, I had to fulfill several basic requirements laid out by the scouting organization’s handbook.  Each level required a certain number of merit badges, a certain amount of waiting, and a certain level of leadership.  In the upper ranks, participation in a service project was also required, making it more challenging to obtain that rank.

I vividly remember looking at all those requirements and being overwhelmed by them.  It seemed as though they wanted me to do the impossible in order to earn a small piece of cloth.  Reading the requirements always required a decision on my part.  That decision was to continue or to bail out of the program.  Although it wasn't always easy, I continued   and completed all the requirements for the Eagle rank.

Sometimes in our walk with God, we fall into the trap of trying to earn our way into a closer relationship with him.  We become dissatisfied and seek to fulfill more “requirements” in order to obtain a higher rank with God. 

Fortunately, God doesn't work like this.  His word does not lay out a series of requirements we must fulfill in order to gain his favor or to live a more holy life.  We could never do enough work to earn our salvation or to merit a relationship with God.  The Old Testament law

was proof of that.  It was impossible to meet all the requirements of the law and to live a perfect life before God.  That is why Jesus came and died so that we could experience God’s grace and accept his gift of salvation.

But there are certain things we must do according to God’s word. “Aha,” you say, “I knew there was a catch somewhere!”  God only has three requirements, however, that we must follow and they are found in Micah 6:8. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” 

First, we act justly when we live our lives and gauge our actions according to God’s word.  Every action, every motivation, every thought we have, and every word we speak must be in alignment with God’s word in order to be truly just. 

Second, we must be merciful.  Jesus himself said that if we would obtain mercy from God, we must show mercy to those around us.  God is merciful.  The fact that he sent Jesus to die for our sins and that he made a way for us to come to him and be his children is proof of his mercy and his justice.

Third, we must walk humbly with God. We do this by first accepting Jesus Christ as our savior and lord.  Then, we walk with God on a daily basis, remembering that we are saved by his grace and by that alone.  We cannot earn it, we cannot buy it, we cannot get it by our own efforts.  This keeps us humble before God, insuring the right heart attitude before him.

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hen we fulfill these three requirements, our reward is a wonderful relationship with our heavenly father.  He loves us so much, far more than we can even imagine.  He never intended for us to earn our salvation.  Instead, he wants us to accept his gift and to enter into a loving relationship with him today.  So, where are you in this process?  Can you fulfill the basic requirements or are you still trying to add patches to your collection?

Stand Still!

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hen we were young kids, my mom used to make our clothes.  She loved to sew and I remember her working way into the wee hours of the morning, making sure everything was just right.  Easter especially saw a bevy of activity around the Carpenter household. Mom would very methodically measure us, hold the patterns up to us to make sure they were the right size, cut out the material, and then start the sewing process.  We were very involved in the process and I was more than a little impatient at times. 

Mom would encourage us to play outside, out from under her feet, so she could actually get something done.  However, she didn't want us to stray too far so we could come in and try on our clothes in order for her to make any necessary adjustments.  I remember many Saturday afternoons as I played in our backyard while mom sat in the back hallway at her sewing machine making new clothes for me to wear.  She could call me to come in for "just a few minutes" which to me were an eternity.  She would hand me the clothes and then make the most impossible and least favorite of all requests, "Stand still!"

I hated standing still and I would jiggle and shift my weight from one foot to the other.  I would crack jokes and make her laugh which meant we stayed there longer.  She finally would tell me to be quiet, another impossible feat, while she checked the length of a sleeve or pants.  The hardest part was standing still for the hemming of a pair of pants.  I had to stand perfectly still while she made sure the pants were the correct length.  She would pin the pants to the desired length and then she would let me go.  While I was sleeping, however, she was working, hemming those pants until early in the morning.  She did the same for my brother and for my sister.  Honestly, I don't know where she found the time, but I am so glad she did.  I am so glad that she taught me that sometimes it's necessary to stand still.

In the Christian life, we want to be constantly in motion. We find it so hard to be still, to be inactive, and to let God do the work while we stand by and watch.  For us, standing still seems to have no useful purpose and seems to be counterproductive.  We must forever be doing something, we think, if anything is to be done to further God’s kingdom.  Yet, this is the exact opposite of what God would have us do.  David was right when he said that the battle belongs to God, and Moses hit the nail on the head when he declared that the Lord would do battle for his children.

The Apostle Paul echoes these two great men of the Old Testament in his letter to the church at Ephesus.  In Ephesians 6:13, Paul speaks about the Christian life in terms that all people in the Roman world would have understood at that time.  "Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Rome conquered and held the known world through military might.  She did this by having the best equipped and best trained soldiers the world had ever known.  The Roman war machine was well respected and was built on the idea of the foot soldier.  Providing them with the best equipment was essential to conquering the known world.

In Ephesians6:11-17, Paul speaks about the various pieces of armor a soldier would wear.  He encourages and admonishes his readers to put on every piece of spiritual armor meticulously and, once ready for battle, he orders them to stand. He does not suggest they attack, march forward, or launch their weapons, but simply stand still.  The Roman solders wore sandals equipped with spikes in order to grip the ground and provide a firm stance.  The idea for a foot soldier is not to lose any ground but to hold position and advance when necessary as a unit.  This tactic ensured Rome's power for almost 1000 years.

Paul's advice is applicable to us today.  Every piece of the spiritual armor Paul describes is defensive in nature.  The only offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.  The shield is used to quench fiery darts launched at us, the belt, breastplate and helmet protect vital organs; the shoes help us stand our ground.  This is Paul's command to us, to hold our ground.  God is our general, he is out in front, and he is fighting all the battles for us.  Our job is to hold the line, to keep the enemy from advancing, to lock our shields, to dig in our heels, and to hold our position.  This is the job of the foot soldier who looks the enemy in the face and doesn't flinch, who has confidence in his general, who knows that ultimately the victory will be his because he held his ground. 

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o, if you feel you are making no forward progress, if you think God has left you in the line because you have no usefulness, if you feel your place is unimportant, hold on, dig in, stand firm.  It may be that the very position you are holding is preventing the enemy from encroaching on God's territory.  Your faithfulness in the fray, your willingness to be obedient, and your firm stance is what God is counting on.  Don't give up!  Hold that line! Stand still!

Over The Hill

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 took a Sunday afternoon drive through one of the many residential neighborhoods here in Fort Worth.  I passed by houses with sculpted flowerbeds, perfectly manicured lawns, and immaculately swept sidewalks.     As I crested one of the very few hills in Fort Worth, I came across a small boy who was laboriously pushing his bike up the hill.  I wondered why he just didn't hop on the bike and ride it.  Perhaps he was tired, perhaps he became bored, or perhaps the hill was too difficult.

Back in my hometown of Cherryville, NC, there is a hill very much like the one just described.  It is situated on Main Street just above the house where I grew up.  That hill was one of the greatest challenges I faced as a child, a source of constant frustration and defeat.  You see, I was born with a hole between the upper chambers of my heart that continued to enlarge as I grew older.  This defect made my heart work harder than normal and physical challenges, such as that hill, were very difficult for me to overcome. 

In order to go anywhere from our home, I had to climb that hill, I simply had no other choice.  So, every day, on my bike, I did battle with the hill; and every day it won.  The hill forced me to abandon my bike about half way up and, like the little boy I encountered, I had to push it to the top, get back on, and continue my journey.  How I longed for the time when I could take that hill without stopping, without getting off my bike, and without being winded or tired.

In 1975 I got that chance.  In June of that year, I had open-heart surgery to repair the hole that had given me such a fit for eleven years.  After surgery, my doctors restricted me from strenuous activity for three weeks.  However, after that time, I was free to go about my normal activities. 

For three long weeks, I contemplated getting on my bike and taking that hill.  I had to do it, to prove to myself the surgery had been worth it, and to prove to myself that my heart was new and strong.  I also wanted to ride up that hill because I was tired of being defeated.  Three weeks to the day, I jumped on my bike, worrying my poor mom to death, and I took that hill!!!!!!

The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to face difficulties and failures.  He knew what it was like to face overwhelming challenges and insurmountable obstacles.  He understood how tiring the road of life can become, how difficult its hills and valleys can be, and how one can easily be defeated.  Paul knew that mere human strength is no match for the curves life puts in our path.  In several of his letters, he speaks openly of the constant traps and snares he encountered while living the Christian life and working for the cause of Christ.

However, Paul also knew the utter joy that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  He knew what it was to receive God's strength when his energy was depleted.  Paul could witness to the faithfulness of God's hand upon his life while facing every challenging hill and obstacle it placed in his way.  And Paul would tell you and me today that we are able to face life through the power of the Holy Spirit and the presence of Christ in our hearts.  Paul demonstrates this when he writes in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

In June of 1975, I took that hill because my heart had been repaired. Before the surgery, my heart was weak, it made me tired, and it couldn't handle the strain of that hill.  However, after the surgery, it was new, it was strong, and it was capable of handling the stress placed upon it.  There was nothing I could do to repair my heart. It required the knowledge and the skill of a surgeon to repair it. 

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f my surgeon, a mere man, was able to give me new strength to tackle a hill on a bike, just think how much more our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can strengthen us to face any and every challenge today.  Paul did not say I can do some things through Christ; he said I can do ALL things through Christ.  So, what are you waiting for? Get back on that bike, pedal your heart out, and take that hill!