Month: February 2016

Valentine’s Day: Spoiler Alert

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hqdefaultTHE WORLD ENDS TOMORROW!  If you want to do something special for your sweetie, you better do it today.

You may ask: “Why has Stan become a prognosticator of end time events?”  The answer is easy, and I’ll give it to you in one word:  “Ghostbusters.”

If you have about 12 seconds, you can watch the 1989 prediction that is the inspiration for this post.

 

While I have serious doubts about Ghostbusters ability to see into the future and the credibility of the movie’s prophecy, I do place great value on a time-related statement from Proverbs 27:1:  Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

I agree with Solomon: It’s best to make the most of today and don’t waste time in a boast about what you will do tomorrow. 

 

Ferhoodlums On The Loose

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Truth-or-Lies_thumbThere’s a difference between blending for clarity and mixing things up for the purpose of confusion.  Ferhoodlum is a case in point.  Although you won’t find this word in the dictionary, you can find the two words I have blended to create it:

  • Ferhoodle: To confuse, tangle, or perplex
  • Hoodlum: a thug associated with crime or theft

A ferhoodlum is a person who engages in the premeditated confusion of the facts.  If you’ve watched any of the political debates, you’ve heard the voices of ferhoodlums.  Were these slips of the tongue, honest mistakes, or the crass acts of ferhoodlums?

  • Clinton exaggerated the facts when she claimed Bernie Sanders had benefitted directly from donations from Wall Street.
  • Trump exaggerated the unemployment statistics.
  • Cruz distorted Rubio’s position on immigration.
  • Clinton made misleading statements when discussing Sanders health care plan.

Ferhoodlums are not a phenomenon of 2016, they’ve been misrepresenting the truth for ages, including the New Testament era.  Paul warned the Ephesians of their deceitful tactics: Don’t be “tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].  But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ (Ephesians 4:14-15 Amplified Bible).”

Unwilling to compromise the integrity of the Gospel, Paul was determined to speak the truth: “Since we are joined together in this ministry as a result of the mercy shown to all of us by God, we do not become discouraged.  Instead, we have renounced all the things that hide in shame; we refuse to live deceptively or use trickery; we do not pollute God’s Word with any other agenda. Instead, we aim to tell the truth plainly, appealing to the conscience of every person under God’s watchful eye (2 Corinthians 4:1-2).”

Proverbs 12 is a clear contrast between those who speak the truth and those who lie: “Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness, deceit. There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue, only a moment. Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy (17-20).”

Ferhoodlums should give some careful consideration to Psalm 15: “Lord, who can dwell in Your tent? Who can live on Your holy mountain? The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart—who does not slander with his tongue, who does not harm his friend or discredit his neighbor, but honors those who fear the Lord, and one who keeps his word whatever the cost.”

Mind Over Mouth

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monkey-hand-over-mouth1Socrates once said that, “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”  This reminds me of the old adage, mind over matter and the power of the mind to manage or overcome physical obstacles.

Along with mind over matter, I think there is a need to consider mind over mouth.  As a gifted speaker, Paul knew the power of the spoken word, and he encouraged people to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Words are either swords that wound a person and tears him down or seeds that blossom and build him up.

Solomon said:

  • With his mouth the ungodly destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous are rescued (Proverbs 11:9)
  • A soft, gentle, and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, but harsh, painful, and careless words stir up anger . . . the evil plans and thoughts of the wicked are exceedingly vile and offensive to the Lord, but pure words are pleasant words to Him (Proverbs 15:1, 26).

While there are a limited number of words in your vocabulary, each of them are pregnant with the potential to heal or humiliate. It may be an act of labor and pain to do so, but give some thought to what you think and say.

Will you be thoughtless, rude, disrespectful, and angry or will you speak encouraging words of kindness? Make this a mind over mouth day that is full of wholesome thoughts, and deeds of compassion.

To help you mind your mouth, you can use Psalm 19:14 as a prayer: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Standing Fast and Running Slow

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standing-tallI’ve always be thankful for some of the wording in I Corinthians 16: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love (13-14).”

Since I’m a little slow of foot, I don’t run much; but, I’m a Gold Medal winner when it comes to standing.  If Paul would have said “run fast,” I’d be in serious trouble.

The word stand is grēgoreō, and it means “to be vigilant and attentive.” There are several things that demand your attention, and Peter issues a warning about two of them.  One is pride and the other one is the adversary:

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’. So, humble yourselves under God’s strong hand, and in his own good time he will lift you up. You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern. Resist the devil: you are in God’s hands.

Be self-controlled and vigilant always, for your enemy the devil is always about, prowling like a lion roaring for its prey. Resist him, standing firm in your faith.

What is the link between the pride and the adversary?  In the Proverbs, pride is listed as one of the seven deadly sins, and it’s characterized as a “My way, not Thy way” attitude.  This was the case when Lucifer rebelled against God:

“I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High(Isaiah 14:13-14).”  

To borrow a phrase from Zig Ziglar, this is “stinkin thinkin,”and Paul warned of it: “I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one (Romans 12:3).”

Pride is thinking too highly of yourself, and it always separates you from God. The Bible says, “In his pride the wicked does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God (Psalm 10:4).

C.S. Lewis defined pride as, “the complete anti-God state of mind.”

Instead of trying to lift yourself up in the false bravado of pride, humble yourself before God, and He will lift you up.  This is one of several paradoxes of Christianity:

  • To find, you must lose—Matthew 10:39
  • To receive, you must give—Luke 6:38
  • To be exalted, you must be humble—Matthew 23:12
  • To be great you must be small—Matthew 18:4
  • To be strong, you must be weak—2 Corinthians 12:9,10
  • To rule, you must serve—Mark 10:42-45
  • To live, you must die—Galatians 2:20

The key to this is found in the last nine words of I Corinthians 16: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love (13-14).”

Paul’s “key” was a statement, but you might understand it better in the form of a question: Who do you love the most, self or the Savior?

Wisdom: Guidelines and Lifelines For Life

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life-preserverI have never thought of myself as one of the smartest people in the world, and my GPA from high school is the evidence that proves it.  This may be why the book of James is a favorite of mine.

Like the book of Proverbs, James provides guidelines for life; and, for those of us who lack wisdom, it extends an invitation: “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).”

Later in the book, James lists seven characteristics of wisdom: “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical (3:17).”

I find it interesting that when Solomon spoke of wisdom he also listed seven and referred to them as the Seven Pillars of Wisdom: “Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out its seven pillars (9:1).” Solomon’s list is found in Proverbs 8:12-14:

  • Prudence
  • Knowledge
  • Fear of the Lord
  • Counsel
  • Sound Wisdom
  • Understanding
  • Strength

The Message describes these seven attributes:

“I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity; Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street. The Fear-of-God means hating Evil, whose ways I hate with a passion—pride and arrogance and crooked talk. Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics; I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out. With my help, leaders rule, and lawmakers legislate fairly; With my help, governors govern, along with all in legitimate authority. I love those who love me; those who look for me find me.”

Wisdom has been defined as the right use of knowledge, and, in the biblical sense, it’s the ability to judge correctly and to take the best course of action, based on your knowledge and understanding of God’s principles.

This concept of wisdom is in complete harmony with Solomon’s conclusion to Proverbs 8:

“Blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction so that you may be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching at my doors day by day, waiting beside my doorway. For the one who finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. But the one who does not find me brings harm to himself; all who hate me love death (32-36).”

I’ll close with three thoughts, and I hope there enough to keep you thinking:

  • Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who obtains understanding. ~Proverbs 3:13
  • An intelligent man believes only half of what he hears, a wise man knows which half.
  • Knowledge is knowing the difference between a donut and a life preserver. Wisdom is knowing which one to grab when you are drowning.

Broncos: More Than A One Horse Show

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Manning-with-quoteEverything about Peyton Manning speaks of a seasoned professional.  His off season regime, the extra hours of preparation during preseason, his pregame warm-up drills, and even the carb-filled meal he eats before the game, are all legendary.

Ask anyone on the team, especially the rookies and newbies, if Manning’s focus is just on Peyton, and they will tell you that no one works harder than Peyton; and, no one works them harder than Peyton.

Manning knows he must prepare himself; however, he also knows his preparation is inadequate and incomplete if it doesn’t include the team as a whole.

If you listened to the post game interview, the philosophy of the old pro was heard in the pronoun he used. Manning’s vocabulary was not filled with “me, myself, and nobody else;” instead, he spoke of “our” team, “our” effort, “our” coaches, and “our” win.  That’s not to say he never used the word “I.”

With a thought to the sky box where his family was huddled, Peyton said, “I want to give my wife a kiss and hug my family.”  While the win was nice, it paled in comparison to the love he has for his wife and family.

A serious neck injury sidelined Manning during the 2011 season, and it required a series of three surgeries.  Peyton thought his career was over, but Ashley, his wife, encouraged him to give it one more try.  Her urgings were not because the family needed money or because she wanted her husband to take some more bone-crushing hits.   She knew Peyton would have always wondered if he could have come back and would have regretted that he had not tried.

When the Lombardi trophy was given to the Denver Broncos and they were crowned champions of Super Bowl 50, it was because of teamwork.  The defense played an excellent game; the offensive lineman blocked; the receivers ran their routes; and Peyton called a strategic game with his trademark “Omaha” checkoff.

While I watched the game yesterday I kept thinking of Solomon’s teamwork philosophy, and I think they’re a fitting conclusion to this post:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).”

 

The Insanity of Profanity

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bad habitLearning a new skill can be difficult, but it might be even harder to break a bad habit. Learning how to tame your tongue can be a new skill that’s designed to manage a bad habit.

James addressed untidy tongues when he said:  “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body (3:2).”

When James used “word” in the verse above, he chose “logos.” In classical Greek “logos” was more than just the spoken word; it also included the inner thought that gave birth to the spoken word.

We live in a time when too much of our language is mono-syllabic, four letters, and laced with profanity.  James said the tongue is “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”  He went on to say that it’s not logical to think that you can bless God in one breath and spit out a steamy tirade of cussing that belittles your fellow man in your next breath:

No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.  Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?  Can a fig tree, bear olives? Can a grapevine bear a fig? No, and no spring yields both salt water and fresh (3:8-12).”

The first 6 words in the verses above hold the key to taming the tongue.  You can’t do it by focusing on what you say.  You need to concentrate on the thought that precedes the talk.

If you fail to focus on the thought your talk will continue to conform to the profanity of the world.  It’s when you begin to manage the mental component  of communication that you can begin to experience a transformation of your tongue.

When you read this section of James, the insanity of profanity includes more than just cussing.  The discussion also centers on any communication that’s vulgar, uncouth, and unrefined, and it includes gossip and lies.

Since “logos” takes into consideration both the spoken word and the thought behind the word, you can change your talk by changing your thought.  Here are some tongue-taming thoughts for your consideration:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. . . and the God of peace will be with you. ~Philippians 4:8

The words that spring out of your mouth will be less salty and more pristine if the thoughts that precede them are noble, just, and pure.  Take some time today to meditate on these things.

Life Principles: Square Knots and Loose Ends

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aid59208-728px-Tie-a-Square-Knot-Step-1-Version-4Proverbs is the one word suggestion I made last night.  The first Wednesday of each month is a night I have reserved to meet with the Elders of the church, and last night I suggested that we focus on reading through the book of Proverbs during the month of February.

The practical wisdom that is found in this book provides life principles to help guide your life.  Some of them act as “knots” that provide strength and security, while others are “nots” that warn about loose living:

  • Principle 1–Let Not: Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart (Proverbs 3:3).
  • Principe 2—Lean Not: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5–6).
  • Principle 3—Lust Not: Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids (Proverbs 6:25).
  • Principle 4—Love Not: Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread (Proverbs 20:13).
  • Principle 5—Labor Not: Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven (Proverbs 23:4–5).
  • Principle 6—Look Not: Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moves itself aright. At the last it bites like a snake. Your eyes shall behold strange women, and your heart shall utter perverse things (Proverbs 23:31–33).

Proverbs is a gold mine that is rich in principles, and it is worthy of your attention.   Join me in reading through this book during February.

My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands within you, by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding, indeed, if you call out for discernment—raise your voice for understanding—if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity, to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way. For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.  ~Proverbs 2:1-10

Be Trendy and Live Trimly

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87273_genesis_fitness_clubI didn’t realize it at the time, but I was a trend setter in late 1971.  I joined an elite group of men in an exercise club.

Health and fitness clubs can be found in any town of any size today.  They’re easy to see with their bright signage that lures you in and smiling attendants who entice you with their catchy mottos: “Expanding wellness and extending lives through health.”

When I joined my club in 1971, it wasn’t Genesis or the YMCA, it was called boot camp.  There were no smiling faces, just sneers.  Words of welcome were usually limited to 4 colorful letters that would have made grandmother blush; and, the mottos were tirades about the history of my family that I’d never heard before.

You may be using some of the latest technological gadgets to enhance your time in the gym. So many people are purchasing devices to monitor their activity that PC Magazine ran an article that compares the different features of Fitbit, Mio Fuse, Vivosmart, Jawbone, and others.

The Be Trendy-Live Trimly Fitness Craze has found its way through the doors of Oral Roberts University.  Freshmen students at ORU must wear a Fitbit, and they’re required to average 10,000 steps a day and 150 minutes of intense activity each week.

Exercise and sports are common analogies found in the bible, and Paul used them, in I Corinthians 9: “So I run—but not without a clear goal ahead of me. So I box—but not as if I were just shadow boxing.  Rather, I toughen my body with punches and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified after I have spread the Good News to others.”

Paul was more concerned with a person’s spiritual health than he was their physical health.  Which one of the two is your greater focus? More importantly, how are you monitoring your spiritual activity?

What would a spiritual Fitbit say about you? Be Trendy, Live Trimly, and Think Theologically.

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roboThe year was 1987 and the title of the movie, RoboCop, was futuristic and ripe with sci-fi-intrigue.  The plot of the movie told the story of Alex Murphy, a Detroit cop, who was was brutally murdered by a gang of thugs.  Murphy becomes the experimental project of a tech company and he reappears as RoboCop, a superhuman cyborg with a conscience.  

When I did a “robo” search, the Top 10 results surprised me:

  • robots
  • robocop
  • robot chicken
  • robo craft
  • roboform
  • robot vacuum cleaner
  • robotech
  • robot games
  • robotic surgery
  • robots movie

I’m not surprised by the contents of this list; however, I do wonder about the absence of “robocall.”   Consumer Reports describes robocalls as “those prerecorded, unsolicited annoyances that are invading homes every day like a swarm of gnats.”

The Federal Trade Commission receives over 150,000 complaints each month from consumers asking for relief from this technological nightmare.  It’s estimated that scams related to robocalls rob consumers of about $350,000,000.00 a year.

I’m not suggesting that the church should adopt the techniques of the gods of the robocall; however, I do marvel at their zest and zeal to promote their product.  Why is it that those who live in the shadows are so energetic in the propagation of a lie while those who walk in the light are so lackadaisical in their stewardship of the truth?

Jesus warned us of the wolves who come in sheep’s clothing:  “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

The minions of darkness carefully lay a snare with the intent of trapping the naive with their lies.  Your task, is to brighten the path of the innocent, so they can see Jesus and live life more abundantly.

Think about that annual loss of $350 million.  What if we changed the scheme of things and translated that to 350 million prayers.  How would your part of the world be different if people like you would prayer more and say more about Jesus?