John Denver has always been a man of tremendous insight, because as you know - - "Sunshine, on my shoulder...well...it really does makes me happy!"
Especially after a winter like we just had, I don't mind it a bit if God decides to crank up the thermostat outside to...85...or even 95...that would make me really happy. I have always been someone who likes to sweat in the hot sun. My dad and I couldn't wait for the hot & muggy July & August days of summer. Sometimes when it was really humid, we would climb up into the garage attic, sit on the rafters surrounded by pink fiberglass insulation, and sweat. He convinced me that you actually got a much better sweat up in the attic than you could ever get from the high priced sauna down at the local fitness center. As we sat there, large beads of salty water would roll off our foreheads and arms and drip, drip, drip onto the cement floor down below. My dad told me that spending a good 20 minutes up in the rafters had to burn off at least 5 pounds of fat. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed my dad's honyak sauna. Another reason I like the summertime heat is because the blazing sun always makes cold drinks taste better. There is nothing like the experience of playing hours of basketball on hot black asphalt, running to our large red Coleman cooler, reaching my hand deep down in the icy water, and grabbing a long neck bottle of the "real thing" ... ice cold Coca-Cola. Ain't nothing like the "real thing." But sometimes, what you think is the "real thing" turns out only to be a poor substitute. On one particularly hot day, I ran inside to get something cool to drink from the fridge. There hidden in the back, was a half-full, 2 liter bottle of Coke. I am not sure how long it was in there, but I decided to try it anyway. I poured some of the brown liquid into a glass and immediately I knew something was wrong...no fizz! I tried to gulp it down...but I couldn't, it wasn't the same... it wasn't the "real thing!" My dad noticed the sorrowful look on my face after I took a sip and said, "Here, try this, my drink has a lot of fizz." I looked at what he was drinking and then asked him, "Schweppes, what kind of drink is that?" He said "Tonic water." I gave it a try....yuck! It was all fizz, no substance! That definitely was not the "real thing." So what exactly makes something the "real thing"? I thought long and hard on this. I used all kind of soda pop algorithms to figure the answer out, and here is my conclusion: You need both "fizz" and "substance." Have you ever been to a church with only fizz? Have you ever met a Christian that does all he or she can to avoid having any fizz whatsoever? You need both! Jesus came to bring us abundant life: Full of joy, and love and fulfillment. As one writer said, "a true Christian is a man fully alive!" In other words, true Christians must have fizz. But fizz isn't enough. Church isn't just about singing, or hearing exciting testimonies, or trying to produce edgy happening events run by the good looking smiling people who constantly tell you, "God is good, all the time!" Christianity also needs to have substance: Jesus, the Son of God himself, living in your life. When he is in your life there will be life. Substance does not mean reading the bible in a monotone hush, it does not mean you must walk around with somber looks of solemn boredom. Substance isn't suffering for suffering 's sake! Substance is Christ. This Sunday we are going to be reading about the most famous miracle of Jesus' career: the feeding of the 5000. Wow, could you imagine watching Jesus satisfy the hunger of more than 5000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? Now that my friends, is some amazing fizz! But as it says in John's account in 6:26, the feeding happened for a purpose, it was meant to be a sign. A sign points you to the real thing, it is not the real thing itself! Sadly, most people who came to Jesus that day only wanted the fizz: "We want to see more miracles, give us some more bread, heal me, put on a more grand fireworks display!" But the fizz is meant to serve the substance, that is what really matters. Jesus is the "real thing." Enjoying worship music is a good thing, but it is not the "real thing." Listening to a good speaker preach is a good thing, but it is not the "real thing." Having a prayer service where people are healed, or a powerful testimony is shared is a good thing, but don't just come for that, Jesus is the "real thing." True connection with Jesus happens when you respond to the promises of his word by active faith. "Believe" what he says and then "step out" in obedience and live as if they are true! And when you do, you will actually taste the substance of Jesus' life because His Spirit will abide in your soul - - and you will start displaying joyful, vibrant fizz as the Spirit produces His fruit in your life. Now, that my dear reader, is the "real thing!" Do you have both? Excuse me for now, I see that the sun is out! And you know what that means? The garage attic is ready for some good old-fashioned sweating!
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As a pastor I strive to be a cultural pacesetter. It is imperative in my role to stay relevant & informed. So I monitor the news, follow political and popular happenings, and try to keep up with what is trending socially. To my great surprise I have learned that over the last couple years a major war has been waging in the United States...and I never even realized it. Did you know white American males are waging a "war on women?" This new revelation really caught me off guard, and honestly, it confuses me. How can I be at war with the very same people who I thought were my greatest allies & friends? In fact, the people on this earth that I trust the most are capable, caring, brilliant women: My wife is my best friend, my mom is the smartest person I know, my two daughters are my life, my four sisters are my heroes, and the church I currently serve at stays strong and vibrant primarily because of faithful, God-fearing women. So if we really are at war; me and a boatload of my male friends are the biggest fools and worst wartime strategists ever! Most of our hard-earned money goes directly to women; our wives and daughters have swindled us out of our resources that we could be using to make ammo and tanks! They daily are confiscating all our wartime capital by getting us to buy them groceries, candles and lipstick! We have been aiding and abetting the enemy, we are traitors to the cause. And personally speaking, I have been committing the ultimate crime in this war, I am ashamed to admit it but "I have been sleeping with the enemy!" Now you see why I am so confused? This news that I am currently fighting a "war on women" has turned the world as I know it, upside down! C'mon, lets be honest, there is no war. It's all bogus propaganda created by a group of disgruntled people who want you to feel sorry for them. I know, I know, men are "evil" and if we would only be honest and fess-up that our main goal in life is to control and subjugate all women...turn them all into slaves & "Stepford Wives"...we would have the world just as we want it. Can't you hear the passionate cries for justice from the women who are daily victimized? - "we want equal pay for equal work!" - "every woman should have the right to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions; because half of those unwanted fetuses are no more than just tiny little worms anyway! Don't tread on my body." - "we demand to fight like a man, go to war like a man, drink like a man, and have relationships with whoever we want just like a man." - "and if we don't like the men who want to have a relationship with us: they better not harass me, whistle at me, call me cutie at work, or oogle at my bikini while I am chilling with my girlfriends on spring break chugging down beer bongs. How dare rotten men treat me as an object when all girls "just a wanna have fun." (but I still want to have the right to treat Magic Mike as an object and oogle bare chested Abercrombie boys)." - "we want to be able to be the president, the pastor, the professor, and the boss without a fuss or argument from men. We are going to break down that glass ceiling...no one can stop us!" So men, beware, and back off - this is one war you will not win! But here is the funny thing, most men I know quit fighting loud mouthed women a long time ago. Instead of getting yelled at by angry, red faced ladies, men these days hide out in their basement to watch football and play video games. Don't you see, they are waving the white flag of surrender all over the vast fruited plains. Women have won! But there still is a real battle raging, and men are not a part of it (We are not allowed to be by popular media). Women are at war with other Women. I think the battle should be called "Women of Strength" vs. "Women of Strife." For years and years "Women of Strength" have lived their lives in relative peace. They really do love their husbands, they enjoy raising families, find satisfaction in working hard and worshiping loud. They have nothing to prove because they are content, and they are busy living their life. And when times get hard they get through them by working with the people around them, including men. I know this personally because I have walked hand-in-hand through dark times with my wife, I have watched my my mom struggle raising the six kids she adores, I have listened to ladies in our church lean on their God in times of famine, I have cried with my sisters, and been invited to discuss future dreams with my daughters. And I have found that all these "Women of Strength" are wonderful human beings! But there is one major problem with this group of women: they rarely raise their voice in the public square. They are no where near as loud as the "Women of Strife" are when jockeying for position. "Women of Strife" seem to always have something to prove. For various reasons they don't seem to be content, they often want things their way, and when they succeed they love to stick it in your face. And above all else, they sure know how to use the "victim card" to shut men up. And so most men do shut-up, grab their guns and knife and head to the woods to be left alone. "Women of Strife" also have one major problem... they lie. They claim to represent all women, but they don't...it's not even close. > Most women in America do not want to kill life growing in the womb. Real women have been designed to nurture and love; they cherish children. Recently, I learned that a female friend of mine had an abortion when she was young. Over time she grew to understand the severity of her decision and bemoaned her decision to allow a "supposed doctor" to take a life from her. She was and still is heart-broken. And what is worse, complications arose through the abortive procedure and she is no longer physically able to conceive. This "Women of Strength" would now give everything she had to just have her very own child resting in her arms. I challenge any loud mouthed "Woman of Strife" to tell her that the child she lost was no more than an "unwanted" lump of tissue! I guarantee, she will rip your head off. (Sorry for using such violent language - but how is that more violent than ripping an innocent baby out of their mother's womb?) > Most women I have talked to would not always choose a woman over a man to be their boss (In fact, it is often just the opposite!) Most women I know don't want women going into hand-to-hand combat with men from other countries in trying to defend our country. Most women don't want a woman to carry out their wounded brother or son from the front lines. > Most women are sick and tired of irresponsible young women giving up their bodies so easily to drunk and irresponsible adolescent men. Women are tired of other women choosing men who they know have no ability to provide or "man-up" in raising a family. Yes, men are a fault for failing as fathers; but ladies, don't you bare some of the responsibility for choosing to be with a man who walks around in droopy pants and has that Justin Bieber bad-boy attitude? I know strong women are sick of you being a foolish woman! > Most women I know are sickened by any man in power who solicits 18 year old interns. Just ask my mom how she feels about Bill Clinton...enough said. The day is coming when "Women of Strength" are going to rise up and take on the loud-mouthed "Women of Strife." And when they do, they will find the most formidable, intelligent and powerful army. I would love for men to step up and reclaim our culture; but women have been given the stage. Step up, speak out and lead. One last thing, if you are reading this and you consider yourself to be a "Woman of Strife," I have a question for you to think about. Would you really like to know what group of men treat women the worst? Would you really like to wage a war against a group that doesn't see the intrinsic worth of women? This group of men, by their actions, show no respect for the role motherhood and a the need of a mom in a child's life. In fact, this group of men have replaced you with other men...and instead of cheering them on and calling them courageous...be honest and tell them to shut up and be a man! Who is this group of men that have no use for women? The Homosexual male community. This is a group of males who don't even think a women is good enough to share a bed with...And if you ask me...a homosexual male is the sorriest replacement for a real woman that I ever have seen. They don't even compare (So ladies, why do you let them?) So "Women of Strength", let the war begin! Have you ever heard of "Mountain Day?" Japan has just instituted a new holiday that is trying to promote the importance of "Taking time off of work...Go visit a mountain...use your paid vacation days... because it is good for you!"
Do you believe rest is good for you? Or is it just slowing you down from getting your "oh, so important" work done? In the article about Japan's concern for the overworked, the research proves that vacation and rest actually makes you more productive, it says: "The workaholic approach may not even be as effective as some think. After all, French workers have the largest amount of guaranteed time off of any major industrialized nation yet their worker productivity is also amongst the world's highest. 'When you have longer working days,' says French economist Renaud Bourles, 'at some point because of exhaustion, it decreases your productivity.'" Why do we need human experts to tell us this? God knew this truth all along, and he called this day, Sabbath. To many, Sabbath has almost become a dirty word: "Oh no, it is Sunday and I am required to have miserable day today. Sit on the couch and be quiet. NO FUN, NO LAUGHTER, NO ACTIVITY....just rest." But that isn't Sabbath at all. To me Sabbath is a day that offers us an opportunity to do three things: (1) Recognize that God is "The One" that keeps this world going; and in turn, my importance is really minimal in the large scheme of things. Psalm 127:1 says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain...In vain you rise up early, and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves." Read that again if you are a workaholic. God wants to refresh you! But if you think you are really that important, that the world will stop working if you stop; than you will never enjoy tasting the sweet delight of God's grace. Somehow we have bought the lie that my significance and importance is directly related to my output. NO...you are significant because you are made in God's image - - not because you make more money than your neighbor, or you accomplished 15 tasks on your to-do list. (2) God wants us to enjoy his world and find satisfaction in the life he gave us! This may sound sappy and sentimental, but it is still true, "Take time to smell the Roses." Why did God make this world? To have people produce things? To create a bunch of busy ants? Or to cause people to wonder, laugh, and sing about his glory? The New Testament gives us this as a directive for our life: "Make it your AMBITION to lead a peaceful and quiet life." Is God serious? Ambition and quiet don't seem to go together, do they? But in God's world, they are best friends. In other worlds, we should strive to find rest. (3) God wants us to have a day where we shut off the noise so we will hear his voice again. Worship is our chance to connect with our creator, the one who gives us life and sustains us; He really is the best thing for us. Read the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. To me, the most powerful verse is directed to the grumbling older brother who is upset that when his rotten, no-good brother comes home; and they have a party for him, "Unfair!" The older brother is boiling mad, so the dad comes up to him and says, "My son, you are always WITH ME, and everything I have is yours." In other words, the older brother always had at his disposal the best thing, the presence of his dad, and he never cherished it. Isn't the presence of God enough? Answer this question for yourself because it will shine a light on why you may be lacking: Isn't God enough? For most people the answer is "NO." And because God is not satisfying they must strive to fill the void that only God can fill. So people work, so they can buy, and the more the buy, the more empty they become. So they work harder....to buy more. And on and on it goes.... Sabbath forces our attention back to God - - he wants us to have the best, and sometimes Sabbath forces us to see what we have been missing. Sabbath is more than Sunday (And in fact the Jewish term Sabbath began on twilight Friday to twilight Saturday); Sabbath is a state of mind. Where is your mind today? Yes,I had no entry. Let me show you why... Any questions? Some times we all need a Sabbath rest! I hope you get yours this Memorial Day! I know how the song goes, "What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet love!" Yes, Dionne Warwick could melt your heart with her raspy voice when she sang it; the problem is, it's not that simple. There is something people desperately need prior to acquiring love - - because without this something, they will never adopt the right type of love. There are many types of love, and the most common understanding of "love" in the world is self-centered, Eros love. "I love something because of the way it makes me feel - and I deserve that something." This is not what the world needs; in fact, this kind of love is what causes heart-ache in families and marriages... because over time Eros fades and quits. So what trait do I need before I adopt the right kind of self-less, God honoring love? Honestly, you will not like my answer because this trait is next to impossible to promote, market or sell. Few people own it or want it, because to the normal American, it has no "pizzazz!" But... if you were ever able to catch a glimpse of this quality in the rough-n-tumble of real life, it is like finding a rare gem: though it is small & easy to miss, it shines! And that gem is... h u m i l i t y - t h e a b i l i t y t o s e e y o u r s e l f r i g h t l y My dad had his office down in our moldy basement, it was not too impressive, nor expensive - - mostly constructed out of unfinished drywall, plywood sheets and tack-board hanging haphazardly around the room. His beat-up desk, which took up most of the space in the office, looked like Radar O'Reily's mash unit: expense reports and weekly appointments stacked high and scattered. But what stood out to me the most on this desk was a 1970's-ish statue of a goofy bald guy that read, "It Is Hard To Be Humble When You Are As Great As I Am." My dad loved that statue because he told me "pride" was his hardest obstacle to overcome.
And he really meant it. So over the years he trained me in the art humility; and the number one lesson I learned from him was this axiom, "If you want to be liked, treat other people as an expert in their world." He practiced this all the time. Whenever anyone came over to our house, he would want to learn from them; he "genuinely" wanted to know new insights from their expertise. People were important to him, and it didn't matter if he was talking to a professional builder like my brother-in-law, or an amateur hopscotch playing neighbor - - my dad cared about people's opinion of their own unique world and experiences. And I must say, people loved him for it! I tried to follow his example and I have found people really like you when you are like this: It is rare to find someone who actually listens to you, and when listening they want to learn from what you have to say. If you were ever to acquire this skill, you will find that it reaps tremendous benefits. But it took me awhile to realize that this skill also has it's drawbacks, because...PEOPLE often LIE! When you treat people as experts, some times they aren't. And if you are not that good at discerning their lies, you will may be buying "a load of horse manure." We call this trait being "gullible." As a kid I would treat most people as experts, and I can still remember some of the horse manure I was sold: - My next door neighbor would always complain & moan about cutting the grass: "It is such hard work." So when my dad tried to get me to learn how to cut ours, I rebelled because I didn't want to be subjected to such harsh slavery. Over time I learned cutting grass was really a lot of fun and quite therapeutic for a weary mind. - The High School Players told the Junior Highers that football became drudgery at the higher levels: "You will hate practice, you will do nothing but run, and you may even die during two-a-days!" So entering my freshman year I considered not joining the team... it was my mom who demanded that I play. And after my first two-a-day practice I secretly checked my vital signs, and I found out that "I was not dying." In fact, I didn't tell anybody for fear of maybe being seen as arrogant and wrong-headed, but I loved it! - I worked with a guy that went to college before me and he told me that "Most people never make it through their first year and have to drop-out early." Boy did that affect me. I feared college like the plague. After my first year walking back to my dorm I dreaded opening my grades...I thought to myself, "I probably flunked because as my friend said, most people drop-out." To my surprise, all "A's" and one "B." I actually passed! I will never forget the vivid moment I realized the human tendency to puff-reality-up. I went to a party with a friend at college and this party was "Boooring." All we did was play cards, sit on the porch and watch ESPN. Not too impressive. As we came back to our dorm around midnight someone asked how the party was and my friend said, "It was crazy man, you missed a wild time!" He was dead serious. And in my mind, he was lying. Why do we do this? Why do people lie? I think there are many reasons why we do, but for the most part I think we all want to be seen as better than we really are. So we tell lies about ourselves, we exaggerate our experiences, and over time we actually start to believe the lies we have spun. Pride causes me to think I am more impressive than I man, more important, more deserving. Somehow pride has me believing my experiences "really are" better than other peoples, the church I go to has more of God's Spirit, my jump shot is smoother, my selfie is prettier. It IS hard to be humble when you are as great as I am! Last night I was awakened by a thunder-clap that shook our house. I looked outside and the lightning display lit up the sky. God's work is amazing, nature is powerful. I am so tiny! If I only had the guts to be honest: I am weak, needy and vulnerable. When I admit that to others, cast aside my pride, submit myself to God....life works! If the world was loaded full of people that didn't lie, worshiped God, and received his grace - - love would naturally result. You don't make the world better by self-willing love, you make it better by admitting your need for mercy and grace and love comes flowing out of you. In other words... "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up!" I really like good movies, sports, tv, and I love good music too. But let's be honest, there has to be a limit...doesn't there? Do you ever ask yourself General Maximus' probing question,"Are you not entertained?"
*list found from http://www.twotoosmartsmartassmommies.com/blog/how-many-gdamn-awards-shows.html It's pitch dark and you are led to a solitary chair in the middle of the room. "Sit!" A commanding voice shouts out from the pack of nameless murmurs in the dark. "You are here to be judged. The rules are simple: If three black balls are rolled out, you are out of the fraternity; you can no longer pledge. If you receive two or less ...you're in." The murmuring stops, and no questions from you, the accused, are allowed. So you sit, while one bright light shines on your face. Nothing but a blinding white beam. Your heart pounds in your chest. After a short while, someone kindly pats you on the back, "Get up Weeks, you made it!" So you stand, uh oh, a muted thud sounds on the wood floor...a black ball rolls to a stop next to your foot! "Weeks, I never liked you! You barely even known my name, you only came to my house once, and you did a horrible job cleaning the toilet with the tooth-brush we gave you. I don't want you here. Sit back down...you aren't getting in that easy." Some shouts can be heard in the room, arguing, pushing, and the commanding voice speaks, "Silence brothers, that's one. Any more?" Thud! Another ball rolls from the dark into the lighted circle on the floor. "Weeks, I like you, but there is something about you that isn't quite right. Maybe you're just too good, too clean. I am giving this to you because I want you to be more like the rest of us. I'm sure you wont get a third, but you need someone to scare some sense into you!" A fight breaks out around you! "You're an idiot John!" Smack, an unseen chair smashes. "Quiet! Weeks, that is two, if you get one more, your out." People mutter, "Let the guy in... he doesn't need this hassle... This is ridiculous..." A whisper to my right ear, "They are just trying to scare you, your in bro, no worries." One minute, two minutes, ... still silent. "Yes, Weeks get up, your in!" THUD!! A third ball comes rolling: Shouting and cursing, punches land their target. The person behind you shouts, "What's going on man?" "He's out! That's three!" Some protest, other chuckle. The commanding voice speaks, "Pledge Number 21, Chris Weeks, is hereby terminated!" "Na-na-na-na, Na-na-na-na, Hey Hey, Good-bye." You're led out of the house, down the stairs...while one single frat brother slurs out his sympathetic complaints, "They are all a bunch of idiots. You are better off not to pledge here after all. See ya Weeks, sorry man." So, left alone, you walk. Wondering, what just happened? What is wrong with me? I'm out... Rain falls After you are half-way down the block, five guys jump out of a bush and ambush you! "Dude, its a joke! You're still in...don't take it so hard, everyone has to go through it." As you are led back to the house, you are reassured of your belonging. You enter the house, the guys laugh, smile, point, "I really had you going man." Some stay away, others are aloof... you wonder, "Do I really?" For the next hour, you get to watch the other pledges face the comic tribunal. "Isn't this hilarious? Weeks you were one of the best, we totally fooled you!" So, I guess I was in. I made it. It was all a joke, but in the moment the capricious whims of the rabble own the day. Was the game of black-ball cruel? Not to drunk fraternity brothers. But this game is cruel when the church plays it. Hearts are broken when wives, sons, daughters, and dads are under the whims of a control heavy pastor, deacon board, or important families: - "No tie, what's wrong with you?" - "Is that a beer in your fridge? Don't you know that is a sin?" - "Why aren't you there Wednesday & Sunday nights? You are busy with your kids and work? God must not be that important to you?" On and on the black-balls are rolled, the looks are cold; but this game is no joke. Lives are actually destroyed. Paul calls these types of people as "false". Those who want to steal your joy are capricious fools; wanting to rule and control. "We had to do it, now it is your turn." Jesus is the true Judge and Jury; by his word alone is a man in or out! Why do we let people in the church have so much power? Thud! Do you hear it? Another condemning lie has just pushed someone far away from grace. What right do you have to roll the eight ball? "Quiet!" A commanding voice shouts, "Chris Weeks is in because he believed solely in my Word and in Him who sent me!" So let it be written, so let it be done!. I no longer wonder! (NIV): Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. (Living Bible): A fool is quick-tempered; a wise man stays cool when insulted. (Message): Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly; the prudent quietly shrug off insults. (*CJWV): Children vent; adults let peace rule their hearts. (Welcome to my mind, and enter at your own risk to a conversation I often have with myself. I wonder, does this sound familiar to you?)
First of all...You can tell the type of person you are by the type of person you let bother you. Why do you let other people bother you? In my dark hours, I wonder why I give people so much control over my emotions? "Oh no, someone doesn't like me!" Why do we care about how people think about us; especially when we know these same people usually only think about themselves? People want me to make them feel good about themselves; and when I don't they end up not thinking good about me. So really, it was never about me in the first place...it is about them. So why be bothered by people who only like you when you promote them? Wierd? Why do we care if other people think we are fat, ugly or stupid? Why does that make you mad? Anyone who thinks you are fat and ugly does not deserve to even be listened too in the first place. But we listen, and we let them steal a perfectly fine day from us. And then the people who never talk negatively about us, are the people whose opinion should matter the most to us; but for some reason we don't care about how they think about us. It is the critic we so often listen too and try to please. And yet after pleasing them, we still don't really trust them because we know the moment we stop pleasing them they will talk bad about us again. And the people we respect are there still loving us, expecting nothing in return. Why do we waste so much time performing for people who are impossible to please? Secondly...You can tell the type of person you are by how you act when you don't get your way. A man pulls in front of you on the highway; he cuts you off, you are mad. You notice he is talking on the phone. Do you think he is thinking about you? No, he doesn't even know you exist. But you chew on your anger for the next 45 minutes while he is probably pumping gas at the next exit chewing on a Butterfinger. You are making yourself angry, he is oblivious. Why do you let this happen? Why do you get offended so easily? Why do you get offended when people don't do things your way? Why do you get offended when you are not the star of the show? Who really cares, "I do!" Why? As a pastor why do I get offended when people go to another church and love it? Aren't they loving Christ? Yes, but I want them to love Chris. Why? Because...well...Chris is me...and I love a following. And when people stop following Chris for Christ, I feel insulted. The more I feel insulted the more I should be ashamed of myself. I don't know? That is the crazy thing, I don't know, but I care.... But how can you feel insulted having someone leave you for Jesus? The longer I live, the more I realize what I learned as a kid I should still live by, especially this: I'M RUBBER, YOUR GLUE, EVERYTHING YOU SAY BOUNCES RIGHT BACK TO YOU. Easier said than done! *CJWV - Christopher Joseph Weeks Version "Hanging around, nothing to do but frown, Rainy days and Mondays always get me down." Carpenters It's raining, it's Monday morning, my neck hurts, and I have a flat tire. Oh yeah, I also am a Cleveland Browns fan...I couldn't be happier! I know that all the naysayers are lambasting the pick, they keep mocking & smirking, "Johnny football will be a historic flop." Who cares? For years Cleveland football has been as dismal and disappointing as waking up to a flat tire and rain - - like I did this morning. But that's life, disappointment comes; and every once in awhile, so does Johnny football. A little glimmer of hope, some excitement, a signal that there may be better times just around the corner. Depression is easy to come by -- and in some warped way, sadness can be rather comforting. It is like having a sympathetic friend that is more than willing to lend perfect harmony when you need a partner for singing the "blues." This melancholy friend will always be the first to excuse you when you want to act cold and detached toward others; and depression becomes your best ally when you want to indulge. "Go ahead and eat those three pieces of rich sponge-cake, layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with thin caramel slices....mmmm....drive that fork in....you need something fun right now to take your mind off the rain." "Hey, let's hide out in the basement, grab a blanket and a bowl of popcorn, and watch all three 'Jason Borne' movies... you need to escape right now!" Oh sweet depression, an ever present help...to...trouble. Yep, that's right, he has some secrets. Depression has a hidden agenda for you. Sure he knows how to comfort you; but he is also hoping to get you drifting away from faith's shore. He loves to cut the moorings from the dock of hope when you're not looking; and then, if he can get you floating far enough away from the promises of God, you are positioned perfectly to be blasted by despair's hurricane winds. Depression, sadness, gloom...if they are not closely watched, just like paranoia, "will destroy ya." So enter stage right: Johnny Football! God always has some unforeseen player ready to blast away at the cold blue haze that depression has placed around your heart. Jesus loves to come to your rescue when you least expect it. For some people, God sends a real, flesh and blood friend, to listen and offer solid advice. Sometimes it is a check in the mail you forgot about. It can even be Johnny Manziel. You may think I am strange, but when you are sunk deep in depression, everything seems hopeless. "A flat tire, rain, a stiff neck, bills, bills and more bills, and the Monday blues to boot!" And then, like a shot out of the clear blue, you hear some news that reminds you, "God always, and I mean always, has a trick up his sleeve." So Chris, you mean God specifically sent Johnny Football? No, and maybe, for me personally, yes. Who knows? (With God, nothing is impossible.) But this I know: as a lot, human beings are notoriously simple minded, easily persuaded that there is no hope. Just read the story in Luke 8:22-25; a storm came up on the Sea of Galilee and Jesus' disciples screamed in fear, "We are going to die." Jesus, who was comfortably sleeping before their hysterics, woke up and said, "Storm, be quiet! And disciples, you have such little faith." We all have such little faith: and in our moments of darkness Jesus wakes us up with a quick rebuke to wind, sky and human hearts to say - - "I am in control, stop fearing!" Oh boy, how I need to hear that every single, solitary moment of my tiny frail life. It is still raining, my neck still hurts and yes, it is still Monday. But I have reasons to smile: My tire is fixed, Johnny Football is throwing the pigskin in Cleveland, and honestly, have you seen how gorgeous my wife is looking lately? (Guys, that is none of your business!) So back to normal life with a new breath of hope, and back to the delicious book I have been reading..."The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," page 155, life couldn't be better! I am for it!
You have to be a fool, or a man with a cruel heart, to be against it. Tell me, who doesn't want their loved ones restored to full health? Who doesn't want their family to be well? Who doesn't want pain to end? I have a quiet sister. She is 53 years old and she hasn't said a word in 51 years. Her name is Laura Lee Weeks and she has Rett's Syndrome. I hate it! Rett's Syndrome has imprisoned my sister in a body that doesn't work: She can't walk, she grinds her teeth, she slobbers, and she wrings her hands. Laura has been like this ever since I knew her. Over the years my mom and dad have faithfully fed her, changed her, and wheeled her on and off her school bus - - they have shown me what unconditional love practically looks like through their daily, hands-on care for my sister Laura. About 25 years ago my dad brought over to our house a couple that believed strongly in the "gift of healing." In fact, they felt moved by God to pray for my sister to have a complete healing. As a family we gathered around and held hands while they prayed, cried, spoke in tongues and they even left an audio tape of the book of John to be played all night while she slept. They believed that God's word had healing power. My sister was never healed. I wondered why? If this couple had the gift of healing, why wasn't Laura healed? When Jesus healed, as in the case of the crippled man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-15), people were healed completely! But not my sister - - she still slobbered and sat. The couple told my dad that possibly someone in our family did not "have enough faith." "If there is a hint of doubt," they said, "faith won't heal." Really???? That is awfully cruel to tell a caring family; because that means my sister's predicament is our fault. We failed her, and every day she is left in that body to rot, our weak faith continues to fail her. Tell me, how do you live without doubt? My dad was not pleased...in fact he felt manipulated by this couple and didn't invite them back. Over the years the subject of healing has fascinated me, I want to know the truth of it; and also, as a pastor it is my duty to teach it correctly. And...I HATE MANIPULATION WITH A PASSION! Let me ask you... * How do you feel when you see people like Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland raking in dollars off the back's of the desperately ill by telling them to come to his "Miracle Crusade?" As I read the bible, Jesus just walked down the streets and touched people without fanfare, and without cool white suits. (Did you know, when Jesus died, he only owned the shirt off his back?) * How do you feel when the local mega-church offers secret biblical techniques to "increase health & wealth" in your life? Have you ever noticed, those same pastors who passionately preach total healing still seem to die? Rather ironic... * Snake handling pastor's consistently give up the ghost even though they are convinced rattlesnake poison won't kill them! http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/february/snake-salvation-pastor-dies-rattlesnake-bite-jamie-coots.html A few years after the incident with my sister, I was taking care of a wheel-chair bound man named Billy. He wanted to be healed so bad he could taste it - - it is all he talked about. In fact, he watched hours and hours of Christian TV, praying, weeping, crying, hoping he would be healed. He was convinced he had "enough" faith. I would care for him three days a week to try to help him strengthen his leg muscles to walk. But his effort were lack-luster because he was sure that the next Benny Hinn crusade was going to be the one. It wasn't. He was crushed. Some Charismatic Christians wonder why I don't preach more on healing? They actually have the gall to assume, "I think it is because you are scared of the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit." Scared? Why would I be scared? Why would anyone be frightened of seeing their broken & diminishing sister jump out of her wheel chair, smile, dance and talk? What is so scary about that? I would love that, "Bring it on!" But still, she sits! I think we have a bigger issue to deal with before we consider the topic of healing: SIN. It is killing all of us, and if a person does not deal with it directly they will never be healed in the future heaven. Those who die in Christ, will be raised in Christ. Those who die in sin, will remain in their sin. That is the real issue. My problem with the topic of physical healing is that it misses the mark. Sure you can attract a crowd by offering them the world; but will it end at the cost of losing their soul? Sure you can promise healing, but only God can produce it. And what if he doesn't, will people trust anymore of your promises? Probably not....just ask Billy. Some will ask: "Why can't you have the best of both worlds: sins forgiven and physical healing?" You can...but it must come in God's way and in his timing. Our job is to declare the gospel, his job is to forgive. If chooses not to heal, which he most likely wont (Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18), our job is to endure with joy. Romans 8:23 says we groan while we wait. Wait for what? Brand new bodies - - and let me tell you, I want to be first in line to trade my current one in. No, wait, my sister Laura should get to go first. She has waited long enough! |
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