April, 2021

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#EyesWideOpen#Compassion

Friday, April 30th, 2021

When I was a young boy, we had a TV.  In an age of multiple TVs in a household; where some TVs are as big as a wall; where hued colors so vivid it seems unbelievable; I was privileged to watch a black and white TV with rabbit ears. There was no such thing as cable TV or satellite TV or internet.

There were some fantastic shows back then. Perry Mason. Red Skelton.  There were the “hero” shows like Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Sea Hunt, and Superman (who looked anything but super).  One show was really popular: Eliot Ness and the Untouchables.  Kevin Costner did a movie version of that a good number of years ago.

In the days of Jesus, Israel had their own set of untouchables. It wasn’t because of social or moral status. There were literally untouchable. This week’s sermon is titled Eyes of Compassion from Luke 5: 12-16 and Mark 1:40-45. It kicks off my new series called EYES WIDE OPEN. I will be looking at people who entered Jesus’ life and how He treated them and talked to them and met their needs. I have never done a series like this before. I’m looking forward to it.

I hope you will join me either in person or online. As always, your prayers would be appreciated.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Compassion, Faith, Jesus, Opinion, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | 2 Responses »

#BadtoGood#God’sProtection

Tuesday, April 27th, 2021

Every week I write a Midweek Message to the folks here at OVCF and Diana emails it on Wednesday. I started writing it when Covid hit as a way to stay in touch during the week. I have fun with it, but also try to keep the folks informed about comings and goings and happenings around the church fellowship. This week (tomorrow/Wednesday) the following will be included in the MM. You ought to feel really important since you will get to see it before the church folks do. I don’t have to worry about the cat being out of the bag too much since probably 90+% of the folks don’t read my blogs. 🙁  Anyway, here is what I wrote:

Have you ever had one of those “this could have been a very bad thing but it has turned out to be a good thing” events?  I had one this past Friday that still blows me away when I think about it. Every year I have my bike serviced by Bicycle Garage Indy in Greenwood. That is where I bought the last two and so I tend to be faithful to where I bought something. This past Friday I took my bike to Greenwood to have two new tires put on it and to have a tune-up so that it is safe and ready for the summer riding season. I had an early appointment with the intention of taking Jo to lunch and hanging around Greenwood for a couple of hours so I could take it home with me when it was done. We were sitting at lunch when the store manager called me with bad news. I thought he was going to say it needed more than tires and a tune-up. Nope. I needed a whole new frame. There was a crack on the inside of the frame down by the rear shifters and derailleur. There would have been no way I would have ever seen that until the frame busted and sent me spiraling or worse. The frame is under warranty but my size is a detriment, as has been COVID. Bike makers are so far behind that if I ordered a bike today, it would not be available until the end of 2022. Fortunately, Trek had some frames available for warranty claims and hopefully, will get it to them to build me a bike soon.

How could that be good given how much I like to ride? If that frame had failed while coming down a hill; if that frame had failed while on 43 (the state road I have to ride on before I find side roads) and cars coming up from behind me; if that frame had failed when I was all alone…well, I don’t even want to think about it. Jo says I told her after my last wreck (the one that broke my collarbone, three ribs, and split my helmet in three places) that if I had another wreck I was done. I think I was delusional and under the influence when she says I said that. 🙂  But the truth is I may very well have been done. I still shudder when I think about it. And I am immensely grateful to God for His watchful eye while I was riding and having me get it to the shop as soon as I did. I have always believed that God does not do evil or make His children suffer.  God’s goodness and protection overwhelm me.  {Note: I’m sorry honey. I’m not quite ready to retire the bike just yet. And I still think I was under the influence when you said I said that}. 🙂

Never forget God does not do evil to His children. Someone else is responsible for that.   With that simple truth in mind, why would anyone want to serve him?

Posted in Cycling, Family, God, Grace, Health, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Story | 4 Responses »

#That’sIt?#LifeMatters

Friday, April 23rd, 2021

There is always a sense of satisfaction when you come to the end of a book or project. I know what it is like to be reading a book and reading that last page, especially if it has been a tough go. We come to the end of Ecclesiastes this week with a sermon I have titled Is That All There Is?

My purpose this week is to remind the folks what Solomon has taught us over the past 4 months (with a 4 week break for Easter). I’ve been able to weed down each sermon into a short lesson that I think will make it easier to see Ecclesiastes as a whole with tremendous lessons (if we are listening).

All of this will make more sense if we remember our main purpose in life. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (a creed we don’t really know or follow as a church body with regular recitations) opens with the words, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to worship Him forever.”  Bottom line: that is our purpose.  With that as the main idea, I am going to review the lessons Solomon has taught us throughout his book.

I’d love it if you would join me-in person or online. If not, then please pray for me, for us. I need that more than anything.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Faith, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | 4 Responses »

#TrueWords#ConvictingWords

Thursday, April 22nd, 2021

As my readers know, I am not on FaceBook or Twitter or Insta or any other social media. I have enough trouble keeping up two blogs and my daily work (plus spend time with Jo) to have to worry about social media and keeping up with the latest trends, wacky and whacked-out thoughts posted on modern media. I have no patience for ignorance espoused as “brain food” and definitely no stomach for liberal politics. Or maybe politics in general.

I recently read an interview with Carl Trueman, the author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self  and a professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania.  He was being asked what books are on his nightstand these days. After answering the questions he said some profound words that I want to copy below for you to read and think about:

Question: What are you learning about life and following Jesus?

Life is short. Now in my mid-50s I am increasingly conscious that time is limited and that as a Christian I need to be very careful about my personal and professional priorities. Private time with family and close friends means so much to me these days. An evening in the company of loved ones is a precious gift that I have too seldom appreciated in the past. And professional time has to be focused on things that count: the classroom, reading things that matter, writing articles and books on topics of serious moment.

I am amazed at how many Christians spend their days on Twitter and Facebook—too often platforms for ephemeral trivia and unpleasantness. I do not believe Jesus wants me to use my remaining years in exchanging insults with other Christians. I think he wants all his people to witness to the world by using the time and talents he has given them to edify the body of Christ and to help the rising generation think clearly about the challenges we all face.

Well, now you know I am not alone in my thoughts. It feels good to have someone so intelligent say it so much better than I can.

Posted in Christian living, Faith, Family, Just Wondering, Miscellaneous, Opinion | 6 Responses »

#Vaxxer#Non-Vaxxer

Monday, April 12th, 2021

I read a blog written by James Emery White that I want to share with you. But before I do I want to say something. I will go on record as saying that I thought COVID was a passing thing. I will even admit to saying that as the election drew near that it was too politicized, that one side was using it as a weapon against another side. There was tons of misinformation floating around. I went 9 months avoiding the “plague” and it finally caught up with me on December 21 when I tested positive. But it wasn’t done. After an incident on Christmas morning (which I will defer on telling you), I literally went from 223 pretty solid pounds honed on a bicycle and weights at the Y, and in three weeks I was looking straight in the mirror at a 175 pound refugee body.  It had attacked my digestive system, ruining my ability to keep food in or down. After a long and eventful 3-4 weeks which included several surgeries, I am on the mend. I am riding by bike again and working out at the Y.

On April 19th Jo and I get our second vaccine.

I worked out. I took tons of immune support vitamins. I exercised. I thought I was “bullet proof” with all that I did. But I still got COVID, worse than anyone in my personal space. Even Jo who has compromised health (diabetes) did not experience what I did.

To be honest, I still didn’t want to take the vaccine. I was concerned about being kicked backwards by it. I also thought since I had COVID I thought, “I’m good.” But then I started thinking about the example I am setting. I thought about how the folks will feel more comfortable around me knowing I am vaccinated.  So I chose to get the Moderna vaccine. Time will tell its end results.

But I know there is a lot of misinformation still floating around…about the vaccine…about COVID. So I am simply asking you to read James Emery White’s blog about the vaccine. Click here to read.

Maybe it will help you make a decision.

Posted in Christian living, Faith, Family, Health, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Story | 6 Responses »

#Worry#Don’t!

Friday, April 9th, 2021

If I were to do a random walk through a town or a mall and asked what one thing amped up during the recent pandemic, I suspect worry would be the list.  Maybe even tops.

Worry is not a respecter of persons. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old. White or black or any other color. Rich or poor.  Living in a mansion or homeless.  Good job or no job. Married or single. Male or female.  White collar or blue collar.

There are three weeks left in the series on Ecclesiastes. I took a 4 week break for Easter so I could preach on the cross and the Resurrection. Ecclesiastes 11 is all about putting worry to bed.  Well…it doesn’t say that specifically but it does talk a whole lot about accepting life as it is.  The adage of AA is “Lord, help me to accept the things I cannot change; to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”  We are all faced with the issue of “Do I or do I not worry?”

Philippians 4: 6-7  says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (NLT)

Wise counsel. I’m going to open my sermon Sunday by using Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34 to see what He has to say about worry. Then I’m taking Eccl. 11 and taking verses 1-6 to show what we shouldn’t worry about and verses 7-10 to show what we can be happy about.

Join me/us if you have a chance to do so. I would be honored. If not, then please pray. Thanks.

Posted in Christian living, Faith, Family, God, Health, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | 7 Responses »

#Heresy#FalseDoctrine#SayWhat?

Wednesday, April 7th, 2021

I prefer to stay out of politics. I think I do pretty well with that. So what I am about to post has NOTHING at all to do with politics, even though it involves a politician (who probably ought to stick to his wretched politics).

Raphael Warnock, who calls himself Reverend Raphael Warnock, is the “pastor” of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Historically, it is the church Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was the pastor of before his death. On Easter Sunday Mr. Warnock tweeted the following:

The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others, we are able to save ourselves.

All I can say is, “Say what?” The blowback was quick and strong.

“With all due respect, this is literally the opposite of what the Gospel says. Ephesians 2 states that clearly. Faith alone, Christ alone,” tweeted Jason Romano, an author and the director of media at Sports Spectrum. “Love God, Love others. We should always help others. But … that’s [not] how we’re saved. Romans, Ephesians, the Gospels all make it clear we can’t save ourselves. If we could, then Jesus dying on the cross for nothing.”

Mark Jackson, the pastor of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Clarksdale, Miss., responded to Warnock by tweeting, “You sir have totally missed the meaning of this day. Without the resurrection of Christ, there is no hope of salvation at all. There is no greater meaning of this day than that of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

And here is one I totally agree with:

Another person tweeted, “This is a false gospel and heresy. We cannot save ourselves.”

First, Mr Warnock campaigned on the idea the Bible condones abortion. Now he says this. Seriously? Mr. Warnock should stick to politics rather than spread around the kind of false messages he is busy doing.  This latter one is just sheer poppycock. And blatant false teaching.

Now you know how I really feel. 🙂

Posted in Church, Doctrine, Easter, Faith, Resurrection, Scripture look, The Cross | 5 Responses »

#GreatestEvent#Celebration

Saturday, April 3rd, 2021

Oddly enough there is one thing atheists and Christ-followers can agree on.  I believe you can say we have a common ground. That common ground has been summed up very well by Billy Graham: “If I were an enemy of Christianity, I would aim right at the Resurrection, because that is the heart of Christianity.” 

I found an interesting quote recently by a man named Jaroslav Pelikan:

If Christ is risen, nothing else matter. And if Christ is not risen-nothing else matters.

All that to say this: the validity of Christianity rises and falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  By an outward look, the cross is the final blow to Jesus and the life He offered. But ONLY IF the resurrection is not true. However, if the resurrection is true, the finality of the cross is done. It is defeated.

Of course, I believe very strongly that the resurrection of Jesus Christ physically from the tomb is true. If I didn’t I would quit my job, find another job, and live in despair for the rest of my life.  In a book called Moorings in a World Adrift, the late Clayton Bell wrote the following words:

The fact of Jesus’ resurrection is the benchmark from which we measure everything about Jesus Christ: his birth, his life, his teachings, his miracles, and even his death.”

Sunday if, of course, Resurrection Sunday. The day we celebrate the greatest event in history.  My purpose is to show why I believe the resurrection is true.  I invite you to join us in person or online. And I’ll close this post with a quote from N.T. Wright:

It is impossible to account for the early Christian belief in Jesus as Messiah without the resurrection.

 

Posted in Church, Doctrine, Easter, hope, Jesus, Preaching, Resurrection, Sermon Series/Topic, Truth | 4 Responses »

#NeverTooLate#Song

Thursday, April 1st, 2021

I was on my way to the office this morning (Thursday) and was listening to Kutless. I have been listening to them lately and I’m sure I heard this song but never paid much attention.

Until this morning.

I realized how pertinent it was given the meaning of this whole week. The day we honor tomorrow (Good Friday). The day we celebrate on Sunday (Resurrection).

And the ache we have in our hearts for those we know and/or love who have continued to push Jesus away.  I know I do.  I offer this to you to be encouraged to not stop praying and hoping. It is never too late until that last breath is breathed. Until then…

Here is the song.

Posted in Christian living, Compassion, Death, Doctrine, Easter, Family, Forgiveness, Friendship, Grace, Opinion, Pick me Up, Resurrection, Story, The Cross | 2 Responses »