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A Heavy Mettle Discussion

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867bfc01-5e47-4d5f-a8e9-9a3d2f48f421_zps40643497I heard the sad story of a man who died recently. He had crawled under a house to steal the copper wiring and was electrocuted.

This is sad for a couple of reasons:

  • Copper prices are at historic lows, and this man lost his precious life trying to take something so cheap.
  • His attempt to steal was evidence of a steel less and easily tempted character

This copper incident reminds me of the judgment discussion that Paul had with the Christians at Corinth:

“You are God’s building.  As a skilled and experienced builder, I used the gift that God gave me to lay the foundation for that building. However, someone else is building on it. Each person must be careful how he builds on it.  After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.  People may build on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw.  The day will make what each one does clearly visible because fire will reveal it. That fire will determine what kind of work each person has done.  If what a person has built survives, he will receive a reward.  If his work is burned up, he will suffer the loss. However, he will be saved, though it will be like going through a fire.”               ~I Corinthians 3:9-15

In the verses above Paul offers a  Double M Lesson:

  • The first M is Metal or the gold and silver.
  • The second M is Meddle or the wood, hay, and straw.
  • Paul uses these objects to frame his argument in the context of a quality of life versus a quantity of life perspective.

The metal and meddle aspects of your life will be judged by fire which “will determine what kind of work each person has done.”  The difference between your metal and meddle may be your mettle or the manner in which you confront the challenges of life and faithfully persevere.

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy he engaged in a little heavy mettle discussion:  “When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.”  ~2 Timothy 2:3-5

I encourage you to do what Paul admonished Timothy to do in the verses above:  “Think it over.”

The Nasty Secret of Bloodshot Eyes

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article-2358570-1A9F7641000005DC-522_634x378It’s enough to make you cry!   You know what I mean . . the stinging sensation when your eyes began to burn after jumping into a swimming pool. Up to this point, you may have attributed the red eyes and stinging to chlorine in the water. I hate to be the one who breaks the news to you, but chlorine isn’t the chemical culprit:  It’s urine.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that when pool goers go in the pool, the urine binds with the chlorine and produces chloramine.  Not only is chloramine an eye irritant, it is also a derivative of ammonia that can cause respiratory problems among some swimmers.

If you find the thought of little tykes tinkling in the pool a bit disgusting, think about your stream of sins from God’s perspective.  Jesus said, “It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution (Mark 7:20-23 from The Message).”

Are the habits that define you ones of pollution or purity?  Are they mortifying to God or glorifying to Him?  I encourage you to live a life that glorifies God by clothing yourself “with a holy way of life: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).”

Falling In The Fallout Shelter

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IMG_0547 (1)They’ve hung there for over 50 years, and they’ve become so commonplace that they are hardly noticed.  For some reason though, my eyes focused on the FALLOUT SHELTER sign when I entered the church yesterday.

During the 50’s and 60’s, shelters of this kind were stocked with crackers, candy and water to sustain people if their fears of a nuclear holocaust became a reality.  In some districts, public schools would have practice drills, so the students would know what to do in case of an attack.

As an adult, I realize that the viability of some structures was more than just questionable.  There is, however, a shelter is that is much more reliable, and it is found in Psalm 91:4:  “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge. His truth is your shield and armor.”

Whenever I read this Psalm and think of being covered with “his feathers,” I’m reminded of the protective behavior of a pigeon that is sitting on a nest of eggs.  My brothers and I raised pigeons when we were kids, and our curious hands were spanked more than once by a hen who was protecting her squabs.

God does the same for us:  He covers us with His feathers; hides us under His wings; and, He is our refuge, truth, and shield of armor.  This is the same God who said He would never leave or forsake you.

When trouble comes your way, you can be confident that God is your fallout shelter or refuge.  You can fall in to his nest of care by using Psalm 57:1 as a prayer to God:

Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in You.

I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings until danger passes.

Are You Among the 21%?

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21percent_in_red_and_3d_NLI doubt there are many of us that number ourselves among the elite 1% of the world’s wealthiest people.  You may, however, find yourself among those who will be changed by the 21%.

What is the significance of 21%?  If you add it to your situation, it can make a big difference:

  • If you are concerned with your IQ, you probably already know that 50% of IQ scores fall between 90 and 110. If you add 21% to a score of 100 you become a person with very superior intelligence.  If you subtract 21% from 100, you will find yourself among the ranks of those who are classified as having a “borderline deficiency in intelligence.”
  • The average life expectancy is 71. If you add 21%, you would live to be 86.  If you subtracted 21%, you would only live to be 56.
  • If you are 71 inches tall you might be able to play basketball by adding 21% to your height. At 86 inches tall, you would be taller than LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers  If you subtract 21% from 71, you would be about 4 ½ foot tall, but still taller than Eddie Gaedel.  At 3 foot 7 inches, Gaedel was the shortest player to ever play in an MLB game; and, he did it in 1951 when he played for the St. Louis Browns.
  • If you weigh 171 pounds, 21% would be the difference between tipping the scales at 207 pounds and weighing only 135 pounds.

If you are a person who likes to travel on an airplane, 21% means you may have to buy new luggage. The International Air Transport Association has set some new guidelines for carry-on bags.  The IATA is recommending that bags should be 21.5 inches tall by 13.5 inches wide and 7.5 inches deep which is 21% smaller than current standards.

What would happen if you made a 21% change in your life?  How would your life be different if you followed these old guidelines?

Let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us, and stay focused on Jesus, who designed and perfected our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Footwear Fit for Your Feet (With Thanks to Dorothy and Cinderella)

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Ruby-Red-Slippers1Dorothy had her ruby red slippers, and Cinderella had a famous pair made of glass, but Imelda Marcos had both of them beat.  Her massive closet had over 3,000 pairs of shoes.

You probably have several pairs of shoes that you wear based on the weather you will face or the work you will do.  While you may have many shoes, are you aware of the shu that God has for you? The shu is every bit as important as the shoe:

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

You see the shu in three words from the verse above:

  • Strengthen
  • Help
  • Uphold

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he spoke to them about the importance of correct footwear when he said you should have the “Gospel of peace firmly on your feet.” Your footwear may not be famous, but it can be faithful.  Give God a chance to strength you, to help you, and to uphold you.

To make sure you are fashionable in God’s eyes, I’ll share a couple of verses with you that reveal the appropriate dress code:

Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you. Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women (Ephesians 6)

Sesame Street: LINK 46 and Learning

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MuppetsOfSesameStreet2Before the proliferation of TV channels on cable TV, many American households played with rabbit ears to focus the image on their television sets.  In 1969, an educational program geared towards children was launched, and the characters of Sesame Street became friends to many children.

Because some children lived in areas where the broadcast signal could not be reached, a research project was also born.  In a study by Melissa Kearney (University of Maryland) and Phillip Levine (Wellesley College) it was discovered that children who watched the show are less likely to get behind at school and more likely to attend class at their appropriate age level.

Kearney and Levine believe Sesame Street has been proven to be more than just a key link in the field of academics.  They also assert it as a beneficial aid to family support, medical and dental health, and the development of emotional skills.

The key point of the study was the difference between children who could receive the signal as those who could not.  Receiving the signal was proven to be helpful.

The same is true for you, if you receive  LINK 46 which is based on Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Notice the acrostic below:

  • Listen: Read the Psalm and focus your mind on God:  Relax, and recognize His presence.
  • Inquire: Be curious about the verbs:  Am I to obey a principle; claim a promise; or am I to share a truth?
  • Note: Keep a notebook and pen handy, so you can write down the thoughts or names that come to your mind.
  • Know: Think about God’s goodness, grace and mercy, and then be honest with Him in regard to your aches, pains, and desires.

Paul said: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).” LINK 46 allows you to hear God as He speaks to you and as you speak to Him.

What part of today will you take to “be still” so you can LINK-up with God and get to know Him?

TV Time

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o-CHILDREN-TELEVISION-facebookAs I was watching the nightly news, I became curious about TV statistics.  Based on research by statistics brain, I found that:

  • 99% of households in the USA possess at least one television.
  • The average child will spend 1,480 minutes a week watching television.
  • By the time a child is 18, he/she will have seen 150,000 violent acts and viewed 16,000 thirty second commercials.

With these statistics in mind, answer the following questions:

  • Who or what is having the greatest influence in the life of your child or grandchild?
  • If 1,480 minutes are being spent in front of the TV, how much time is being spent reading the Bible, praying, or engaging people in a positive way?

There are two warnings from Paul that are worthy of mention:

  • He said you should not be like a child who is “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every false wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14).”
  • Make sure that “no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ (Colossians 2:8-9).”

The 1,480 minutes of TV wouldn’t be so bad if it was healthy and wholesome; however, I think much of it is detrimental to a person’s well-being.

 

Look at the language Paul used. How much of the 1,480 minutes is captivativing philosophy that can be describe as the “trickery of men, craftiness, deceitful scheming?”

Razorback Rage

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The news headline I read Tuesday morning caught me offguard.  I was surprised that it was happening in the the Bible-belt of Arkansas.   The situation I speak of involves the Arkansas Department of Human Services and their decision regarding the activities at state-funded preschools.

The activities of a preschool has become the focus of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.  This organization believes a preschool is  violating the First Amendment. 

How is this being done?  The preschool has religious pictures and Scripture hanging on the walls and even has the nerve to sing religious songs, read the Bible, and pray.  I seriously doubt this activity is detrimental to the health and well-being of these children. 

The action of the Arkansas DHS  is a corruption of the intent of the First Amendment.  If the State of Arkansas issued a mandate that required parents to send their children to a preschool that espoused religion, then the intent of the First Amendment would be violated. 

According to the Pew Foundation, Most legal scholars agree that the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment to the U.S.Constitution limits at least some government funding of religion, but they disagree sharply on exactly what is permissible.  Participants in the debate fall roughly into two camps: On the one side are “separationists,”who broadly interpret the Establishment Clause – which prohibits all laws “respecting an establishment of religion” – to require that government refrain from aiding or promoting religion or religious institutions. Strict separationists therefore claim that most, or even all, government funding of religion is unconstitutional. On the other side are those who interpret the Establishment Clause much more narrowly, contending that government funding of religion is constitutional as long as the funding is neutral, meaning it does not favor religion over non-religion or favor a particular faith over other faiths.

No one is forcing parents to send their children to this preschool and the state funding is not favoring religion over nonreligion.  So what is the problem?  What is the real motivation and agenda of the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State?

The philosophical bent of this group and the intent of President Adams are an interesting contrast.  It was Adams who said:  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

I think it is time to say, enough is enough, and I hope this is enough to keep you thinking.