The Journey

Tonight, we unfortunately happened to tune into a program entitled: “World’s Dumbest Thrill-seekers.” I must admit that the title was true. One man did a back flip off the roof of his house (looked to be about 30 feet up). Another attempted to fly off a mountain (in one those flying suits) seeking to catch a balloon tied to a rock. He crashed into the rock and broke his leg. There were many other things that these people were tempted to do which absolutely boggles the mind.

There are times when all of us are tempted to do things that aren’t real smart. Shirley, Camile (who was my girlfriend and Shirley’s best friend at the time) and I were in the front seat of Camille’s Corvair. We had the really bright thought that one would steer, another would change gears, while the third would work the peddles. I think we were seventeen. You would have thought our brains should have been more developed by that age… guess not.

We proved that none of us ever escape some form of temptation. Of course, some of us are tempted more dramatically than others.

William Willimon tells an amusing and yet sad story about something that occurred in a Women’s Thursday Morning Bible Study he was leading in his church. The group was studying Jesus’ temptations. Dr. Willimon asked the group, “Have any of you ever been faced with temptation and, with Jesus’ help resisted?”

A young woman who was attending her first Bible Study raised her hand. Verleen was different from the rest of the women present; she grew up differently and had a different set of values. She began: “A couple of years ago I was into cocaine really big. You know what that’s like! (I am sure the ladies in the Bible study shook their heads in agreement – yeah, we know what that is like). You know how that stuff makes you crazy.” She told the women that a few years before she and her boyfriend robbed a gas station. “It was as simple as taking candy from a baby,” she said. That night her boyfriend also wanted to rob a convenience store, but something inside of Verleen told her it was wrong. Her boyfriend beat her up for refusing to go along with him, but she felt good saying no, “because that was the only time in my life, I ever said no to anything,” she told the group.

Through the stunned silence Dr. Willimon muttered, “Well, er, uh, that’s resisting temptation. That’s sort of what this text is about.” He then led the group in the closing prayer.

Temptation is relative. All of us are tempted. Some to do what could have been a tragic stunt with a car. Some might even go so far as being extreme thrill-seekers. But there are others who are tempted to do things we would not even imagine. We need to be aware that there are people who are tempted daily with situations that you and I cannot even imagine… and we need to pray with them and for them that they may see the error of their thinking before they go so far that they hurt someone else or themselves. 

Dear Jesus, help us, your people, to win the battle with temptation. And when we read about people who do some awfully foolish things… we need to remember the old saying… “there but for the grace of God go I.” In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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A few years ago I found another version of this story of the “Cracked Pot.” I share it with you this morning because we all need to be reminded that God holds us in his heart. And this is a good reminder…

“An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

‘I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.’

The old woman smiled, ‘Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?’

‘That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.’

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.’ Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.”SO, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path! 

Dear Lord, thank you for using my flaws to do good or make something beautiful as I journey through this life. In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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It has always been a source of amazement to me to hear about the ridiculous things people will believe.

Not so long ago, while I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, I noticed people buying tabloids. Some of the more sensational headlines were these:

• “Dinosaurs Honked Like Buicks”
• “WWII Bomber Found On The Moon”
• “Woman Gives Birth To A Two-Year-Old Baby”
• “Adam & Eve’s Bones Found In Asia”
• “Eve Was A Space Alien”

Because these stories were in print, a great many people seemed to think they were true. On the plus side, those stories probably don’t do too much damage… Maybe?

The same cannot be said about the other lies people believe.

All too often people put their trust in human wisdom and earthly agencies. Many times, these same people find themselves being let down, hurt and without any person or idea worthy of their trust.

If you have found it more and more difficult to trust anyone — to be anchored in any kind of truth — may I suggest you try trusting the Lord?

For thousands of years, He has made it a point to always tell the truth. He wants people who have been disappointed elsewhere to know they can trust Him who has loved us enough to send His Son to ransom us.

Skeptical? If so, let me say trusting God is a wonderful way to live a day or spend a life. Trusting God gives a solid and secure sense of security. How could it not do that? After all, you are leaning on Someone who won’t let you down.

And believing in the Lord is certainly more meaningful than believing dinosaurs honked like Buicks.

Gracious Lord help me to keep my faith focus on Your Son, Jesus, who is the Way, the real Truth, and the Life. In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve 

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Is there anyone reading this today who has felt dumb in front of a computer? It’s happened to all of us at one time or another, I suspect. And it happens more and more each day. And I am getting worse as each day goes by.

A technical support advisor received a call from a woman who had been told that her computer was infected by a virus! This alarmed her. She wanted to know how she could disinfect it. The tech advisor asked her what software she was using. She sounded a bit confused. What did he mean, software? After a few minutes on the phone, the tech support guy realized that she had dismantled her computer and was preparing to wipe everything down with Lysol, a disinfecting cleaner. It took him a minute to compose himself and tell her to stop before she ruined her computer. “You don’t disinfect a computer virus with Lysol,” he told her. He says he doesn’t know if she stopped or not. He never heard from her again, but it took him ten minutes to stop laughing.

Another support technician reported getting a call from another computer user. She told the support person that her computer was not working. She described the problem. The technician concluded that her computer needed to be brought in and serviced. He said, “Unplug the power cord and bring it up here and I’ll fix it for you.”

A short time later she showed up at his door . . . carrying only the electrical cord. No computer, just the cord. Well, that’s what the technician said, “Unplug the power cord and bring it up here.

People are amazing, aren’t we? Of course, some people don’t need a computer in front of them to act stupid.

Longtime Washington, D. C. news correspondent Helen Thomas tells an incredible story that she says is true. She says that shortly after the inauguration of President George W. Bush, someone in Danville, Kentucky, managed to pay for a $2 order at a fast‑food restaurant with a bogus $200 bill. This bill featured a picture of President George W. Bush on its face. There was also a picture of the White House with a sign in front of it that said, “We like broccoli” (harking back to Bush, Sr.’s admitted dislike for broccoli). On the back of the bill was a picture of an oil well.

Police said the cashier at the Dairy Queen not only accepted the bogus $200 bill for payment, she gave the culprit $198 in real money as change.

People are amazing. And sometimes they act foolishly. I say “they,” but actually all of us, do foolish things at some time in our lives. It is partially in our behalf that St. Paul writes to the church at Ephesus, “Be very careful . . . how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is… Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Dear Lord, I know that I make some dumb mistakes… many dumb mistakes throughout my life. Help me be a grown up (I learned this in the children’s message) when I grow up… so much so that I do, indeed, sing and make music from my heart which always gives thanks to you. In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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Can you imagine the jealousy people from the past would feel if they could somehow be transported from way back in the dark ages too today? They would be astounded at the many and varied blessings which we take for granted, but they might consider to be almost miraculous.

I happen to run across a story of something that might be high on their list of blessings; the kitchen match––the miracle of fire on demand.

Phosphorus, which makes a match light, was discovered in 1669 by a German chemist. Since the stuff could not help him turn lead into gold, the chemists forgot his phosphorus and moved on. English chemist Roger Boyle discovered if he rubbed phosphorus and sulfur together, he could get a fire almost every single time. since Boyle couldn’t think of a purpose for his interesting phenomenon, he also moved on.

Things changed when in 1827 Johnny Walker, an English pharmacist, stirred a batch of chemicals and set down his stirrer. By the time he picked up the stick again, the goop on the end of the stick had hardened. Purely by instinct Walker tried to scrape off the goop by rubbing the stick on the floor. You guessed it he got fire on demand. And the kitchen match was born.

Walker was only trying to clean up a stick, and he ended up with fire on demand. Light had come into the world.

When God created the world, he created light. That was good. When God wanted to save the world from the darkness of sin, he sent Jesus. And that was even better!

You know at one time we walked in the darkness, but for some reason, we walked into a church one day and was found by God’s light. That was a day of new beginning for us, a day that began a whole new process of light growing in our lives. May we continue to allow the light of God to shine through our living. May we covenant with God to be the light bearers to any who live in darkness.

Dear Lord, once we were in darkness, once we had no way of finding our way out. You saw us and found us and changed us with your light. In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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I have been remembering some of the tests I have gone through over the years. They usually come in the morning – way before breakfast – I have to go through one of those yearly things a person with heart problems has to face, a stress test. I want you to know they named that test correctly… it brings on great stress as I face the test and as I go through the test itself. 

I didn’t fear them as much back when I was doing the walking stress tests. Back then I was walking three-miles every day. But more heart problems caused them to stop me from doing the walking test. With my little short legs, I am almost running on the treadmill to get my heart rate to the prescribed number. Now they stress my heart with medication. I have renamed that part of the test the 500 lb. gorilla test. You see, they have this medication which when entering your veins stresses your heart as if you were walking on the treadmill. For me it feels like a 500 lb. gorilla comes in and sits on your chest.

One of the times I took this test even my feet hurt when my heart was stressed. My breathing was short, I felt very weak, I hurt all over. The person administering the test realized the stress I was under and would stand beside me comforting me with words like; “…Only four more minutes. Only three more minutes. Only two more minutes. We are almost finished. You are doing ok.” Soon that gorilla will get up and I will feel better. Thankfully they have now changed the medication they are using, and it brings less pain.

I don’t know about you, but it really helps me to know that there is a trained professional by my side watching over me as I am in stress. She is someone who walks with me when the gorilla is bouncing on your chest, bringing back the feeling of calm.

Jesus is the one who is by our side through every stress-filled moment. He gives us the strength to deal with the gorilla and says to us; “Everything will be ok.”

Dear God, thank you for standing by my side in all the stresses of my life. You have been there from day one and I know you will be there beyond the last day.  Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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There is a great ship called “public relations” that moves throughout the world on a never-ending quest to change our viewpoint and draw our attention. Whatever the product, topic, political party, film, or music star, there is an opinion you are supposed to have which calls out to you and says, drive me, read me, order me, vote for me, cheer for me. Yet, when you stop and really think about it, both you and I stand at the helm of our own miniature version of that public relations ship as we walk through life trying to draw attention to ourselves by saying, “I’m important, too, so why not look at me, and listen to me?”

It’s interesting how it was no different in the time of Jesus, just over 2.000 years ago. Even then, everyone from political leaders, to religious leaders, to everyday fishermen clamored for attention in hopes that the people would follow. Then Christ had the amazing wisdom and fortitude to say, in Matthew 23:11, that “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant, and whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Not only did Jesus speak these words, He backs them up in John 13 by washing the feet of His disciples before saying, “If I, then, your Lord and teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

The challenge for us, today, is to send our mini-public relations ship away from ourselves and toward the needs of others. Our neighbor just lost a spouse; they need a friend now more than ever. That teenager, who walks around our block looking lonely, is lonely. We don’t have to stop at just writing a check and mailing it for some need halfway around the world. Loneliness and hurt reside in our very own neighborhood, and probably right next door. My friends, I think Jesus is saying “it’s time to go wash some feet.”

Here I am, Lord. Use me, lead me, guide me. Direct me to the person You want me to help. Show me how to make a difference in his or her life through You. I have ears to listen to those who are hurting, and a heart for those whose broken hearts need mending. Thank You, Lord, for letting me wash the feet of those around me just as You taught me to do. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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The weatherman tells me there are some storms hitting parts of our country. It won’t be the first time; it won’t be the last. Even so, that remark on our local news reminded me of another storm that took place several years ago.

A submarine had just returned from a rather long, very secret mission. When the captain of the sub came ashore, he was asked, “Did you suffer damage in the storm?” The officer was surprised at the silliness of the question. He shot back, “Man, don’t you know because of where we travel, we don’t even know if there is a storm?”

It was true. That submarine had been traveling so far beneath the sea’s surface it had reached the area known as “the cushion of the sea.” At that depth the waters are never stirred by what is happening on the surface.

Every person who lives in this sinful world has seen some kind of storm in his or her life. It may be a major storm like cancer or family problems. It may be a minor whipping of the waves caused by a sore tooth. Whatever your storm, no matter how much you are being rocked, let me tell you there is a place where you can be protected.

The Father who has sent His Son to live, suffer, die and rise has promised to keep his children safe — so safe the waves of life can have no lasting or permanent effect. Yes, I know it seems you are being rocked and buffeted, but when all is said and done the Lord will bring you through spiritually unscathed.

That’s because the Lord is always ready to help. Indeed, He is helping — helping and holding on to you, because you, my friend, never know when that next storm will hit.

Heavenly Father, grant me the grace and faith to bring my problems and concerns to You. Further, let me have the confidence to know You can still the storms of our lives and bring us safely through. In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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Recently a church youth group was on a wilderness back-packing expedition and got lost. It was supposed to be a half-day trip, so they soon ran out of water in the Texas heat. One boy especially became dehydrated and seriously ill. Another hiked miles to get help, then hiked back with rescue team to show them the location. A helicopter came and took him and this now seriously ill friend to a hospital over 100 miles away. The other hikers were provided supplies and were eventually trucked out. Fortunately, the rescue was in time – the young man’s life was saved.

Nice story, so far. Right? Here is where it gets dicey. Our young hero is now in the hospital waiting room. He calls home to bring mom and dad up to date. So far so good. The boy continues his vigil, but soon realizes a predicament – he has no money, the rest of the group is still hours away, he needs food and a place to stay. The hospital staff suggests the local shelter for the night. He calls home again.

Dad goes ballistic. He calls the hospital, gives his credit card number and insists that his son be taken care of. Put him in nearby hotel till the parents can get there in the morning. Forget this Homeless Shelter stuff. Both father and son (who happened to be 17 years old and over 6′ 4″) are convinced that such a suggestion is insane. Why? The lad responds, “Hey, I don’t have anything against homeless people. I’ve done my service projects for church at the shelter at home, but I don’t need to stay with them or have them sleeping near me. Yuck!”

What do you think? I do not mean to pick on someone who is certainly a brave and courageous young man. But I don’t think it is proper to have an attitude that says it is all right, even GOOD, to HELP the “riff-raff” but that to actually stay overnight with them, receive the same help as them, be on the same level as they are, is dangerous and disgusting. Somewhere along the line, people hear the message that we are called to help, but then miss the part about Jesus identifying HIMSELF with those in need of that help. The real help… the help that offers the ability to overcome is brought about by people who take the time to really understand who these people are and what they are going through. Remember Matthew 25? “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to ME!” We find out who Jesus is when we find out who they are.

Dear Lord, I must admit that sometimes we have a problem with those in need of help… we wonder how they got there, what is keeping them there, are they really conning us, and even more. I don’t like thinking that way. I hope that is not part of my character. Help me, Lord to care, really care for all your children… no matter what. In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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This morning we were trying to keep in touch with our grandchildren as we watched them play soccer. Both have been playing soccer for some time now. Noah’s game was a nail biter as they won 3 to 2 in the very last seconds of the game. By the way, this is the first game they have won all season. Noah said they won because we were there. We proudly accepted his accolades. Abby, on the other hand did not receive the same lucky presence from her grandparents. I guess the rabbit’s foot got a little worn out between games. Abby’s team wins when we are not there and loses when we are… kinda makes you wonder?

Near the end of Abby’s game they are losing 5 to 2. On the sideline, sitting side by side, are four of her teammates, three little girls and one little boy, chanting as if cheerleaders in a low voice: “The game is almost over and we are going to lose.” Over and over and over they repeated this chant while their coach stood right next to them. He must really be focused or perhaps he was thinking the same thing. When the game finally ended this little squad cheered “Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaa”. I was with them… it was quite hot out there and I was ready to find some cool air.

It is fun to watch kids, young kids, play sports of any kind. Most of them have a completely different agenda. Some are more concerned with how they look in their uniform… this is usually the girls. Others run a little and walk a little… you know, not completely in the game. Then there are those kids that are very good and very aware of the game. They are the ones who are giving everything they have no matter what the score… winning or losing they are giving their best.

I have been all of those (except wondering how my uniform looked) over the years. When I first started playing sports, basketball in a Grey Y league in the fourth grade, I tried my best even though I didn’t know what I was doing. Over the years as I learned more about the sport I gave more of myself.

One of the things I learned in sports, something this little band of cheerleaders have yet to learn, is that no matter what, you do not give up. You continue to play, continue to hustle no matter what the score. It is called play till you hear the whistle.

That is also something we need to learn in our faith. Some of us just stand around without heads and hearts not completely in the game. Others of us wonder how good we look in our faith. Still others fight all the way through to the end.

When we stop fighting, we are giving up hope that things will ever be any different. We feel like we have already lost the game and there is no sense in putting anymore into a losing proposition.

Jesus turns to his disciples saying are you going to leave me too? Are you going to give up, quit giving your best? And they answer: “To whom can we go? You are the One who has the Word of life.” What are you chanting in your little group… the game is over… or let’s go team… Jesus is on our side. Your answer makes a world of difference.

Dear Lord, thank you for allowing us to enjoy our grandchildren playing sports and giving their best, as they see it. Help us to live a life before them that encourages them to give their very best and never, ever give up… especially when it comes to faith. In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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