Pas Graphe

Rain Rain Go Away

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:37:11 PST

Have you ever walked outside on a cloudy or rainy day and said "Man I wish the sun were shining!" I do not like cloudy, rainy days. I remember a few years ago I had to take a trip to Boston for a few days. When I boarded the airplane it was cloudy and raining. As we taxied down the runway I could see the rain soaking everything. The baggage guys and the baggage looked like it was getting soaked, the maintenance guys were getting wet, no one looked excited about the weather.

A few minutes later we were in the air. As the plane rose we began to pass through the clouds, they were thick and gray. You could not see anything below and you still could not see the sun, we were surrounded by the gloom of the clouds. However, as the plane continued to climb we broke through the clouds and it was an incredible sight. We were above the clouds and the sun was no long blocked by anything. It was shining so bright I almost needed to pull the shade down.

As I thought about this riding to work this morning in the rain, I realized that the sun is always shining, the sun is always there. I know I am stating the obvious to some of you but there are times when I think we forget that. We wonder, where is the sun. It's right where it always is, 92,955,887.6 miles from the earth. There are clouds that move in and block the sun but it is still there, still shining and still burning at 9941 degrees.

I say all of this to point out that when we go through cloudy days internally, when we feel as though life is cloudy and rainy, when we say where is God, he is right where he always is. He is reining and ruling from his throne.

Psalm 33: 13 From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

He has always been on his throne and he will always be on his throne:

Revelation 4: 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever.

Revelation 22: 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

When the clouds of life roll in and the days seem to get darker and darker, we have to remind ourselves that the Son is still shining and God is still in control. He has not forgotten us, he has not left us, he is perfecting us, he is refining us, he is loving us. There are times when we will look around and see nothing but clouds but try to remember some of these verses that teach us that God is and always will be in complete control.

I wanna go back

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:46:51 PST

Are you old enough to look back on your life and remember a time when you were young and living a life much different than you are now? I am in my mid forties and spent my high school and college days growing up in the 80's. Many times I will hear a song from back then that reminds me of friends I used to hang out with, an old flame or an event where the particular song was playing. The other day I heard Eddie Money's song I wanna go back. It struck a chord with me because I too sometimes find myself wanting to go back and do some things over. Take a look at the chorus:

I wanna go back
And do it all over again
But I can't go back I know
I wanna go back
Cause I'm feeling so much older
But I can't go back I know

This past Sunday our pastor read a verse that got this thought rolling around in my head. Here is what he read:

Philippians 3: 12-14 - 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The second part of vs 13 says "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead". We don't know exactly what Paul was forgetting but maybe we are given a few clues.

Acts 7:59 - 8:1 - 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. 8:1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.

Acts 9: 1,2 - 1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Do you think Paul, on occasion, wanted to go back and do it all over again? Do you think he was reminded over and over from the crowds and the leaders in the synagogues of who he was, and what he did? Again, we don't know for sure but it is possible that if he looked back at who he was and who he became it may have been something the Holy Spirit used when Paul penned some of his most incredible verses on the grace of God.

I Corinthians 6: 9-11 - 9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

I Timothy 1: 12-16 - 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

The Bible teaches over and over that God will not remember our sins if we confess them and ask for forgiveness:

Jeremiah 31: 34 ...“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Isaiah 43: 25 - “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Micah 7: 19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

One of the most difficult things for us to do is to try and forget the past. Try to let go of the mistakes that happened back then whether it was last week or 25 years ago. If God will forgive and forget our past sins we are to do the same. We've got to stop singing Eddie Money's song over and over, dredging up past mistakes and issues. What's done is done, it's time to look forward and see all that God has prepared for us.

Ramen noodles and Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:30:45 PST

Most of the time when I am in my car I listen to 80's rock and roll. I have written several blogs related to 80's songs but this one is not an 80's song, it is a contemporary Christian song by Jaci Velasques. I was riding to work the other day and the song was playing. I did not pay it much attention until it got to the following verses. These verses immediately grabbed my attention, take a look and I will continue below.

I wanna cross a border line
And walk on dusty floors
Give up two weeks of my life
Feed the hungry, clothe the poor
I wanna drive up to a homeless man
Holding up a sign
Hand him my only twenty
God bless him as I say good-bye
But more than this...

I wanna give them hope
I wanna give them peace
I wanna give the greatest of these
Give them love, love
I wanna tell the truth
And lead them to the light
And tell them everything will be alright
Give them love, Give them Jesus

Why did these verses strike a chord with me? I think it is because I and several friends work at a local mission outreach that ministers to the homeless, the poor and the downtrodden. When I first got involved we simply brought can goods and other non-perishables and handed them out to whoever showed up. After several months of doing this we looked at each other and asked a simple question. Is this it? Is this all we have to offer these folks, a can of beans and a bag of Ramen noodles? What good are we doing if we feed them physically while they are starving spiritually. Will they simply enter the gates of hell with a full stomach!?

We decided that we would show up a few minutes earlier than the rest of the crowd, bring some coffee and read God's word. We started out with maybe five people showing up for coffee and the Word. Now we are seeing over 40 people show up to an empty parking lot, have coffee and hear the word of God spoken into their lives every Saturday morning. We are getting to know these people and the issues they are struggling with. We are now meeting their needs both physically and spiritually. We are helping guys like Jerome get a bike so he can get around town. We are try to help Vern who has a problem with the bottle. We are getting men like Clifford get back in school so he can get an education and get back on his feet. We are getting Ricky a new watch after he was beaten by some fellow homeless guys and had much of his stuff taken. But we are also praying for and with these guys. We are sharing the Gospel with them every Saturday.

A verse that sums up the feelings I had at the time comes from Mark 6:

Mark 6: 34 - When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

God has shown me that yes he does want us to take care of the physical needs of those around us but not at the expense of the spiritual needs. I want to do what Jaci sings about in that last verse of her song. We want to give them all these things but the most important thing we can give them is Jesus.

My intention is not to pat myself on the back or boast about what we are doing. My hope is that some of you who read this will realize this is not the pastor's responsibility, this is not something you have to be trained to do, this is not something you have to be gifted at. This is simply looking around your community and seeing where you can get plugged in and show people the truth, the light and the love of Jesus.

If you are already doing this,I would love to hear from you, hear some of your stories and what you are involved with in your local communities.

The Faker, The Taker or The Maker

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:03:05 PST

If you go to church do you ever take a few minutes to look around on Sunday morning? Do you ever look at people you do not know and wonder who they are and what their story or situation is? Why are they there? What are they looking for? What do they do outside the walls of the church? I believe we can put "church people" into one of three categories. - Fakers, Takers or Makers. Let me explain and see if you can determine into which category you might fit.

The Faker: The faker is someone who shows up because they think it makes them look good. Maybe they think that going to church will get them in good with God. Maybe he will be impressed with their church attendance. Maybe they are looking for complements on their new suit, new dress or new hairdo. Maybe they have found church to be a place where they can put on a mask and make people believe they are someone they are not. The faker usually appears one way in church but completely different outside the walls of the church. The faker might even be your pastor!

Matthew23: 25-28 - 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

The Taker: The taker is someone who shows up asking what's in this for me? What can I get out of this meeting? Are there some potential customers for my business? Are there some potential voters for my upcoming campaign? Maybe I can meet my future mate at church. Maybe someone in the church will offer me a job. Maybe I can serve as an elder or deacon and be publicly recognized for my service and position of authority. Many times the taker wants to be the center of attention, whether they have a loud and gregarious personality or a woe is me personality. Either way they want something.

Acts 8: 18-23 - 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

The Maker: The maker is someone who shows up looking for someone to pour into. They truly understand what we as Christians are called to do. Go and make disciples. The maker is someone who looks at the church as a tremendous investment opportunity. The maker shows up looking for a way to get plugged in, a way to get involved with the sole purpose of carrying out the great commission. Many times you do not know who the maker is because they realize it is not all about them. They are, many times, behind the scenes people realizing that their greatest recognition will come from God and not man.

Matthew 28: 18-20 - 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 6: 6 - But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

II Timothy 2: 1, 2 - 1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

As you look around on Sunday mornings trying to figure out who some of these people around you are make sure you do a self-check and see who you are; The Faker, The Taker or The Maker?

The amazing 5 minute workout!

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:20:04 PST

Have you made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight or to get in better shape? How's it going? Are you hanging in there after the first couple of weeks? If I told you I had a magic workout that only took 5 minutes a day and you would look like a superstar celebrity would you believe me? What if I told you if you did not have 5 minutes a day but could spare one hour, once a week you could achieve the body you have always wanted, would you believe me? Even if you believed me and tried working out for five minutes a day or one hour once a week do you really think you would see any dramatic results? Of course not.

My questions above might seem like a joke and you may have thought what moron would believe that nonsense! But let me ask you this. Do we attempt to do the very thing that we know will not work physically hoping it will work spiritually? If our lives are in chaos, if things seem to be going from bad to worse, if you seem to be taking one step forward and two back, let me ask you a simple question. How much quality time are you spending in God's word and in prayer. Many people would laugh at the thought of exercising for five minutes a day and expecting great results but we read a quick verse someone posted on their facebook page or go to church for one hour a week and think our lives should be worry free. Why do we tend to think that makes any sense?

Take a look at what God's word says about this:

Joshua 1: 8 - Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1: 1, 2 - 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,and on his law he meditates day and night.

Acts 17: 11 - Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 - 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

I could list more but I think you get the picture. Spending time in God's word along with constant, thoughtful prayer should be a priority, it is something that should happen daily. It should not be an afterthought, it should not be something we do if we have a few minutes to spare. If we want to see true spiritual change in our lives, we need to approach this the same way we would if we wanted to see physical change take place with our body. We need to commit time and effort to it, we need to get into a routine, maybe even find someone to hold us accountable.

Joseph Pilates, the inventor of the physical fitness method that bears his name, said "Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase." I think the same can be said of our spiritual fitness. It's time to get serious about our spiritual fitness.

Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinking Rich

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:01:37 PST

As I have said many times on this blog I grew up in the 80's and was, and still am, heavily influenced by the music of that decade. As I was riding in to the office this morning I heard Warrant's Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich or D.R.F.S.R. This song was written by Janie Lane, the lead singer at the peak of their career and was on the album Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinking Rich. This album produced three top forty hits and sold over 2 million copies. Take a look at the lyrics from the title track. These were written by Janie Lane and probably described his attitude at the time; an I want it all attitude that was so prevalent back then. (My thoughts continue below the song.)

Italian cars as long as my street
I'm gonna wear exotic animals
On my feet
Pretty rocks on my fingers
Pretty bells on my toes
Lots of caviar for my mouth
Maybe I'll even pierce my nose

Give me, give me just half a chance
To lead you in this corporate dance
And I'll be dirty rotten filthy $tinking rich
Hu Huu Ha Huu Ho Huu

Sign it all in the palm of my hand
Nothing gonna get in the way
Do you understand
I got a house
I got a jet
I got a Rolls Royce painted blue
The only thing that's left
Is for me to own you too

I'm gonna have more money than you have ever seen
Baby I just want all the frills
I'm gonna insulate my body in green (mee too)
I'm going to light my cigarettes with $100 bills

I told you what I want
I want bank accounts
And I want cd's
I want early term roll overs
I want everything!

Janie went through a lot over the years and eventually died from alcohol poisoning last year. If the above song were an indication of how he ended his life it would have been a sad life with a sad ending but the end of his life was much different from the beginning. Yes he did succumb to alcohol but in the end he was victorious. Janie Lane put his faith in Christ. Based on his conversion, he wrote one of his last songs called Sin.

Living in our dark side- Idle hands at play
The apple of our eyes- Mistress hid away

In the valley of our choices- Where we drown in our own shame
Tempted by desires- Choking you back everyday

I'm aware of what I've done
Am I afraid like Adam
Hiding from the light

Let me be the man I could've been
The one you first breathed your life into
My soul in your embrace- Deliver me
Deliver me from my sins

A breath above the fire- Battered soul cries Lord
And despite the confusion- My heart cries out for more

In my mind so child like- Always twisted up and torn
On a hill called Calvary- I repent and end this war

I'm aware of what I've done
Am I afraid like Adam
Hiding from the light

In the book of Mark, Jesus asks a very important question:

Mark 8:36, 37 - 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Janie seemed to realize the lie. The world is offering us a lot but it is all empty and temporary. King Solomon realized this as well. He was the wealthiest man who ever lived and truly was Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinking Rich and look at what he said:

Ecclesiastes 2: 4-11 - 4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.

The world tries to lure us in with riches, success and material things but in the end it is meaningless and many tend to find themselves Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinking Broke.

The Bad News Bears of the Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:27:38 PST

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my nickname being given to me based on one of the Bad News Bears characters. As I was reading through I Samuel last week I came across a passage that reminded me again of the Bad News Bears. Take a look and see if you can imagine them in this scene.

I Samuel 22: 1, 2 -1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

This was the beginning of King David's army. There was no way these guys were going to win anything, not a baseball game not a battle not even a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors! That is unless God is involved. Take a look at this rag-tag group of misfits first battle:

I Samuel 23: 1-5 - 1 When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” 2 he inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” 4 Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.

The Bad News Bears of the Old Testament were victorious, not because of their skill with a bow, sword or spear but because, as verse 4 says, the Lord was going to give them into David's hand.

Fast forward several hundred years and we can see this same idea of God using the unskilled to carry out his plan.

Acts 4: 1-4 - 1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

I would say that was quite a victory. How many pastors today would love to have five thousand people give their lives to Christ. But were these guys, Peter and John, well educated, articulate, professional speakers?

Acts 4:13 - 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Unschooled, ordinary men. If you look at the Greek meaning of these words you will see that it means they were illiterate, idiots. Nice way to describe someone right?! Could you imagine being introduced at a church service this way if you were the guest speaker. The key to their victory is the end of the verse "they took note that these men had been with Jesus." The bottom line is that God uses people who will be obedient to his calling and leave the victories up to him. He is the coach who will take the Bad News Bears to the Little League World Series.

If you find yourself doubting your skills and abilities, if you find yourself thinking you have nothing to offer the Lord, you are exactly who he wants on his team. It's time to grab a bat and step up to the plate.

God is so good...really He is!

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:55:34 PST

How many times have you heard someone say something like "My mother's cancer is in remission, God is so good!" or "My child's surgery went well and he is going to be fine, God is so good!" or maybe "Our daughter got into the prestigious college she so desperately wanted to attend, God is so good!" At first glance it seems like these people are truly giving god the glory for whatever good comes into their life, and they probably are truly thankful.

I guess my question for them and for me is what would they say if the doctors came into the waiting room and said "The cancer has spread and seems to be even more aggressive than we initially thought." or if the doctor came into the waiting room and said "You child did not make it through the surgery." or what if the rejection letter came from all of your daughter's top five colleges and she ended up at the local community college. Would God still be "so good"? Obviously the answer is yes. God's goodness has nothing to do with how many good things he allows us to experience. God's goodness is simply who he is. We could all be sick and dying, we could all have bad things happen to us and it would not change the fact that God is good.

What I/we tend to forget is that God is working on our character, our faith, on our perseverance, not on our happiness.

James 1: 2-4 - 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

II Corinthians 4: 16-18 - 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

II Corinthians 12: 7-10 - 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

We need to remember that God does whatever will bring him glory. God allowed his only son to be stripped, beaten, nailed to a cross and ultimately killed. From a purely human perspective this did not appear to be a good thing. However, this was God's ultimate display of his love and goodness. Had he not allowed this to happen we would all die in our sins without any hope of forgiveness.

If you are a follower of Christ you cannot choose what trails or difficulties come into your life but you can choose how you will respond. Will it be with "How could God do this !" or with a "God is still good!"?

Jesus in a box 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:15:02 PST

This is a post I republished each year as a reminder to keep my priorities in order.

Well, I packed Jesus away last week. I did like many Americans and put away my Nativity scene. I put the animals back in the box, I put the wise men away, I put Mary and Joseph in the package and lastly I put Jesus back in his box. I did so with care, I made sure he was wrapped in the tissue as to not get broken or damaged while he spends the next 11 months or so in a box in the attic. As I did this I wondered how many people will do the same with the real Jesus. How many will put Jesus away for a few months until it is time to bring him out again. Maybe some will bring him out at Easter. They will put more emphasis on the Easter bunny, the colored eggs and the new outfits, but Jesus will get an honorable mention I'm sure.

Now that the feel good season is gone, no more Salvation Army bell ringers reminding us to help the needy, no more Christmas music helping us get into the Christmas spirit, no more empty stocking fund reminder on the front page of the news paper, we easily slip back into the "Jesus in a box" routine. I am not trying to be Mr. Scrooge but the idea of Santa Clause is only as recent as the 1800's. Believe it or not, Santa and the Easter bunny are not found in scripture! Neither is the idea of December being the only month for helping those in need. It seems like I keep going back to the same passages in Acts over and over again:

Acts 2: 42-47 42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Take a look at vs 46, every day they met together and in vs 47 every day the Lord added to their numbers. They did not meet together once a month or only at Pentecost or Passover or Christmas or Easter, they met together daily. Take a look at the second familiar passage from Acts:

Acts 4: 32-35 32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Did you notice the phrase in vs 34, from time to time, this is not a once a year practice. This happened on a regular basis. It may not have happened every day but if someone was in need during the month of March, someone would sell some land or a home and make the money available to those in need. If someone was in need during the month of July, someone else would sell the land or home and make the money available.

Yet another passage from Acts about the daily walk of the Believer:

Acts 17: 11 - Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Every day they spent time in God's word and as a result of this Luke says they were more noble than the Thessalonians. Do you ever wonder how much time the Thessalonians spent in God's word? Did they search the scriptures on Sunday mornings from 10:00 - 11:00? Did they search the scriptures on Christmas Eve or on Easter Sunday? We are not told, the only thing we know is that it must not have been every day.

How quickly we can put the "spirit of Christmas" behind us and settle back into our normal routines. Let me encourage you to pull Jesus back out of the box, take the tissue off and keep his example of how we should live our lives in a prominent place in your life this year. From time to time look for opportunities to help others. You're probably not going to find a single mom stressing about Christmas for her kids in June but she may be stressing about her rent. You may not hear of a child needing a warm jacket in August but he may need a ride to and from ball practice because his dad is no longer around. I hope you and I will make the most of every opportunity God sends our way.

Tebow vs Goliath

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:31:35 PST

I have been watching the news surrounding Tim Tebow and his first year in the NFL. He has been a lightening rod of controversy with his unconventional playing style as well as his desire to stand firm in his faith and give God the glory. As I watch, read and listen to everyone who has an opinion or a suggestion, and there are many who do, I cannot help but think of the story of David and Goliath. Tebow is David and the media plays an academy award winning role of Goliath. Take a look at the comparison:

I Samuel 17: 37-40 -37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.” 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Saul wanted David to be a conventional soldier. He wanted David to fight the way everyone else did. The same can be said about Tebow. Take a look at what was said about Tim during the NFL draft process:

NFL analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. believes Tebow does not have the intangibles to play quarterback in the NFL. "I don't think he can be a fulltime quarterback. I don't think he can be the quarterback of the future for you, but I do think in the third round, maybe the second round, he'll be the same as Pat White"

Tebow doesn't have Vick's legs, and he doesn't have Ben's (or Vick's) arm. So he's a Ben with a lower caliber arm. Which makes him the Jared Lorenzen of the NFL. Or Payton Hillis under center. Sure, he'll muscle his way in for a few rushing touchdowns, but he just doesn't have the skills to be a premier NFL quarterback.

God tends to use unconventional men and women in unconventional ways. David fought Goliath using the skills he developed while shepherding his sheep, not the conventional fighting skills the soldiers had been taught. I believe God does this so that he will get the glory, not man. Had David gone out and defeated Goliath with the sword and shield he could have simply said "Thanks Saul for sending me to soldier school, your teachers are the best!"

I Corinthians 1: 27 -29 - 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

Running into battle David gave God all of the credit for the victory:

I Samuel 17: - 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Tim Tebow does much the same thing drawing criticism from many inside and outside the media.

During the Bronco's win over Chicago Tim prayed the following on the sideline:

“Dear Jesus, I need you. Please come through for me. No matter what, win or lose Lord, give me the strength to honor you.”

A New York City rabbi wrote a column on the website of The Jewish Week warning that Tebow success could “emboldened faithful can do insane things, like burning mosques, bashing gays and indiscriminately banishing immigrants. While America has become more inclusive since Jerry Falwell's first political forays, a Tebow triumph could set those efforts back considerably.”

In the end David killed Goliath with a simple stone and sling silencing all of his critics. We will have to wait and see if Tim Tebow is going to silence his critics. One thing is sure any time someone tends to approach things a little differently, if they tend to swim upstream or if they give God too much credit people will always have something to say. In the end the only thing that really matters is what God will say. My hope for me is that he will say "Well done my good and faithful servant".

Happy Birthday Jesus!

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:08:14 PST

I have three kids, a son and two daughters, when you throw me and my wife in the mix we have a total of five people in our family. That means we have five birthdays we have to celebrate during the year. It just so happens that four of us have our birthdays in back to back months over the summer. We call it the summer of birthdays (real creative right!). My son's birthday is in June, mine is in July, my youngest daughters birthday is in August and my middle daughter's birthday is in September. The non-summer birthday is my wife's and hers is in March. As we celebrate birthdays we rarely sit around and focus on their infancy. We tend to focus on how fast they are growing up. We tend to say things like "Wow, next year you will be starting first grade." or Next year you will be starting high school." or "You are now old enough to get your driver's license." Many times you will hear people say "My how you have grown up!" It is not often that we focus on them being a baby.

I say all of that to make a point. This is the season when Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. We celebrate the fact that God loved his created, sinful beings so much that he sent his son to earth, born of a virgin with the purpose of one day being nailed to a cross paying the ultimate price for my sin and yours. It seems that the way we celebrate the birth of Christ is to put a nativity scene our yard, church or business. They all look similar, Mary and Joseph with a few animals focusing on a baby lying in a bed of hay or straw. We tend to focus on the Jesus of the past. We focus on a Jesus who is a helpless little baby. We focus on a Jesus who is completely dependent on his mother and father to take care of him.

Although we remember the birth of Christ during this time of year we need to remember that he is no longer a helpless little baby. Jesus grew up and became the man who would go toe to toe with the Pharisees, the man who would cleanse the temple, the man who would stand before Pontius Pilate, the man who endured severe beatings, the man who would be nailed to a cross and ultimately the man who would rise from the grave. Christ fulfilled the divine task God prepared in advance for him to do. Christ was a man. He is no longer a helpless little baby in a bed of straw. Now, as a man, he is sitting at the right hand of God with all power and authority. In the book of Revelation we get a glimpse of what is going on through the eyes of John.

Revelation 5: 11-14

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

This is the Christ who's birth we celebrate. This is the Christ who grew up and fulfilled all that God had prepared for him. This is the Christ who grew up and finished the task of preparing a way for sinful man to have a right standing before God. This is the Christ who grew up and now wants to have a personal relationship with you and me. This is the Christ who will one day come back to earth to establish his permanent kingdom.

Happy Birthday Jesus, my how you have grown up!

Cleanup on Isle 4!

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:27:19 PST

Growing up I can remember going to the grocery store and occasionally hearing someone come on the microphone saying "Clean up on isle 4." Someone dropped a jar of jelly or a bag of rice and it made a mess that someone else had to clean up. We live in a society that seems to be drifting farther and farther away from doing what is right, as difficult as it may be, in order not to hurt anyone's feelings or not offend anyone. I believe we have taken this approach into the church as well. Many leaders in the church seem to turn a blind eye to things that need to be addressed creating a mess that someone will one day have to clean up. It seems as though many churches have bought into the idea that the church needs to be a warm and inviting place where no one is offended, either by our preaching or our practices. As I read God's word I see a very different take on obedience. Take a look at a story in the book of I Samuel where disobedience created a big mess at the end:

I Samuel 15: 2,3 - 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

To put this bluntly God tells Saul to kill em all! So what does Saul do?

I Samuel 15: 13-15 - 13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” 15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” 16 “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. 17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?” 20 “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

Saul disobeys the Lord. Some might say he partially obeyed the Lord. Partial obedience is still disobedience. What do you think would happen if this took place today? In our current feel good churches where almost no one is called out for being wrong and everyone seems to have a "valid" excuse for doing what they did, my guess is that Saul would be praised. He would be cheered by many for doing something good for the Lord. Surely his motives were well-intentioned, surely God would say "Great idea Saul, why didn't I think of that!" Let's see what happens:

I Samuel 15: 22,23
22 But Samuel replied:
“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.”

It appears that God was not very happy with Saul's partial obedience. God judged Saul and took away his kingship and in the following verses we see where Saul was grieved by this. Saul's disobedience led to God's judgment which also led to Samuel having to step in and clean up Saul's mess. Take a look:

I Samuel 15: 32,33 - 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Talk about a mess! Samuel hacked Agag to pieces! Any time we disobey or partially obey the Lord we are creating a mess that someone will one day have to deal with whether it is in our churches, our homes or our jobs. We have to obey God's word even when it looks like things will get messy. Don't wait, don't partially obey, don't try to do it your way. All this will lead to is someone else having to hear "Cleanup on isle 4"!

Leftovers

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:02:38 PST

We are in the middle of the holiday season. We just finished Thanksgiving and we are moving quickly towards Christmas. There is something I love about the holidays and it's not the lights, it's not the music, it's not the eggnog, and it's not the tacky Christmas sweaters. I love the leftovers. I love leftovers almost more than the fresh out of the oven turkey or fresh out of the oven dressing. One of my favorite leftovers is spaghetti. I know that is not a Thanksgiving or Christmas dish but I love it nevertheless. When the sauce has a night or two to sit in the refrigerator something magical seems to happen. The herbs and spices get busy and spread their goodness all through the sauce! Anyone getting hungry right now!

What brought this thought to mind was a passage I read this morning. I decided to read through the book of Malachi. I only made it through chapter 1 due to the heaviness of the content and the thoughts that ran through my mind as I was reading it. Let me share just a few verses as it relates to this topic of leftovers. See if God is as big of a fan of leftovers as I am.

Malachi 1:6 - 14 - 6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ 7 “You place defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible. 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty. 9 “Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the LORD Almighty. 10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “But you profane it by saying of the Lord’s table, ‘It is defiled,’ and of its food, ‘It is contemptible.’ 13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the LORD Almighty. “When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the LORD. 14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the LORD Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.

I'm no Biblical scholar but I think that passage is, in essence, saying God does not like leftovers. The Jews were taking their leftover animals and trying to use them as an acceptable offering to the Lord. It was almost as though the Jews had the thought I know this lamb has a blemish but I am sure God would rather have a blemished lamb (leftovers) rather than no lamb at all. I think we can see from the verse above that if God cannot have our best then we don't even need to come into the temple.

As I sat there this morning I though about the practical application for my life. What do I offer God, the best I have or leftovers? Do I spend quality time reading his word and praying or do I try to send up a quick prayer as I doze off in the bed? Do I offer him my full tithes and offerings or do I throw a few bucks in the offering plate because that is all I have left after spending most of my paycheck on stuff where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:19)? Do I really care about the poor the way God does or do I think that putting a few cans of soup in a food drive basket is going to get me a "well done my good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25: 21) one day?

God wants the best for us and he wants the best from us. Are we willing to give him what he wants, what he deserves or are we simply going to our spiritual refrigerator to see what's leftover?

My Nickname

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:31:51 PST

Do any of you have a nickname? I have one but no one ever uses it any more. My nickname was given to me by my Pony League baseball coach, Coach Tim. He was the coolest coach ever and was a young version of Morris Buttermaker of the Bad News Bears. I played for him back in 1979, just a couple of years after The Bad News Bears came out. I watched a few minutes of it a year or so ago and did not realize how rough the language was. Coach Buttermaker used to cuss like a sailor and drink beer during practice. Coach Tim used to let us chew tobacco during practice and the games and we were only 13 or 14 years old. Those were the good old days! But back to my point.

My nickname was given to me by Coach Tim one day during practice. He was hitting balls to me in the outfield and I kept missing them. He finally yelled to the team "If Lamar misses this next fly ball I will start calling him Looper." (Funny how you never forget some things in life!) Looper was the kid in the Bad News Bears who could not catch or stop the ball. I would tell you to watch the movie bus as I mentioned it is pretty rough! My point in all of this is that we do not choose our nickname. We are typically given nicknames by people who observe us and our actions and then find a name that fits.

As I was reading the other day I came across a passage that describes a group of people who were given a nickname.

Acts 11: 25, 26 - 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

As I thought about that passage I wondered if I have ever been nicknamed a Christian by anyone or if I am the only person who thinks of myself as one. In the passage above it was not the disciples who called themselves Christians but it was those who were observing their actions. They did not ask to be called Christians, they did not have a public relations or marketing team trying to come up with a trademark name or a cool name that would eventually catch on. They were given the nickname based on what those around them observed. They were living a life that modeled the teachings of Christ.

I guess my question is are we busy trying to convince others that we are Christians based on what we say about ourselves or are we living out our faith letting others around us give us an appropriate nickname of Christian? There is a big difference between the two.

Playing Hide and Seek with God

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:23:58 PST

Have you ever tried to hide from someone and did a really bad job, they found you without even looking very hard? My youngest daughter loves to try and hide from me at night when it is time for her to get in bed. She usually climbs under the sheets and starts giggling. I walk into her room and see this giggling, jiggling mound under her bed spread and know right away where she is. I usually drag things out by looking in the closet saying "nope, she's not in there." or looking under her bed saying "Where in the world is she?" The giggles get louder and she finally throws the sheet back and says "Here I am!"

As I was reading this morning I came across a passage I have somehow missed. I was in I Samuel and have read the book several times but never remember seeing this particular passage.

I Samuel 10: 20-22 - 20 When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the LORD said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

Wow, is that passage loaded! Here is a man appointed by God to lead Israel. Not just any man, I Samuel 9 describes him as handsome and tall. Seeing as how he was from the middle east my guess is that he was dark complected so you could say Saul was tall, dark and handsome. Sounds like who a lot of guys want to look like and a lot of women want to be with! But look at what Saul did, he hid among the baggage. We are not given any more than that but I had to ask, where was the baggage, how much baggage was there, and did he really think he could hide from God?

I found myself laughing at Saul just like I laugh at my daughter when she tries to hide from me. But I realized I do the same thing. I try to hide from God by not spending time with him, by sometimes thinking that if I am really quiet and do not ask for anything or do not stir anything or anyone up God will forget about me. But when I stop to really think about this I have to laugh at myself.

Jeremiah 23: 24 - Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Job 34:21 "His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step.

Job 34:22 There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.

Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

These passages can be both a comfort and a warning. We cannot go anywhere to escape the eyes of God, he can always find us, he can always rescue us regardless of how far we have strayed from him. But, he can also see all that we do and think. He will not allow us to continue living in sin and get away with it. There is coming a day when we will have to give an account.

Regardless of how well you think you have hidden yourself or your actions from God just remember he is right there saying "I see you!"

Black Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:26:58 PST

This Friday is Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. The term Black Friday comes from the idea that many retailers are operating in the Red for much of the year, their business is struggling. However, beginning on Black Friday many business are able to erase the Red deficit in their bank accounts and the numbers become Black meaning they are now making money.

As I think about Black Friday and look back at some of the news surrounding the Black Fridays of the past I think the term is a better description of man's heart. Look back if you want at some of the news stories of people fighting to get in a store, people getting trampled to death by people who want to get a toy doll so badly that they have no concern for those around them. People are fighting over a toy that their kids will play with for a day or two and either get tired of it or break it. We want, so desperately, to see the good in others especially this time of year but too many times we see the depravity of man's heart. We want people to think we are good people but just watching the news recap of what took place on Black Friday will remind us that we are not good people.

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Ecclesiastes 9:3 - This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.

I'm not trying to pull a Debby Downer on everyone this season but the reality is that we are a society in pursuit of things that will not matter in eternity, we are pursuing things that will one day be destroyed. I have wondered in the past and still wonder how many of those people who are waking up at 4:00 am or even camping out to get a "great deal" would be willing to get up at 4:00 am to start cooking at the local soup kitchen for the less fortunate. How many would be willing to show up at church at 4:00 am to participate in an all night prayer vigil for the persecuted church? We are reminded to stay focused on the things that really matter, we are reminded over and over that riches and possessions are not going to save you or make you happy.

"One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Mark 10:21).

"A person’s life does not consist in the possessions that he has" (Luke 12:15).

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." (Luke 12:33).

"Zacchaeus . . . said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. . . .’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house" (Luke 19:8-9).

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" (Matthew 13:44).

Jesus "saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them" (Luke 21:1).

"But God said to [the man who built even bigger barns], ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:20-21).

As you go about your business this shopping season keep your focus on things above and not on the things this world has to offer. Don't just think about the less fortunate, step up and do something for the less fortunate.Thinking about the homeless will not keep them warm this winter but buying a sleeping bag or blanket will. Thinking about the guy on the street will not take away his hunger pains but buying him a $20 gift card to a local grocery store or restaurant will. I will close with a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.

“And so the first question that the priest asked -- the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"”

Only God can judge me...Not!

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:51:00 PST

How many times have you hear someone say "Only God can judge me!" Often times when you challenge someone on that they are quick to mention a couple of verses in Matthew.

Matthew 7: 1-5 - 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

If you are someone who would be quick to say yes I agree with this let me ask you a question. Who is Jesus speaking to in these verses? We have to go back a few chapters to figure it out.

Matthew 4: 23 - 5:2 - 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying...

So who is in this crowd? Seekers. Those who have not yet believed that Jesus is the Messiah. It does not say anywhere in this passage that they believed in him. Those of us who call ourselves Christians or Followers of Christ or whatever new hip term some people want to use "Christ Follower", "Jesus Lover", "Jesus Freak", "Servant to the Master", "Kingdom Builder" etc. would refer to these people as "the lost" or as I mentioned earlier "seekers". And this is a great concept for the world in general. We do not need to judge each other until we get our own house in order.

However, (yes there is that word again) there is another verse that relates to those of us who call ourselves Christians and are part of the Body of Christ and it almost seems to conflict to what the verses above teach. See if you have read this passage before:

I Corinthians 5: 1-12 - 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

This passage was written to the Church at Corinth, those who were gathering together in homes or synagogues or wherever they could meet. The Church is called the Bride of Christ and she is to be kept pure for The Groom, Christ himself. We are to judge others within the faith but we are to be careful that we have judged ourselves first before we start accusing others of wrongdoing. I have seen church leaders who have seemingly turned a blind eye to this passage and the church they were shepherding suffered greatly.

As Christians we have been called to a very high standard that can only be lived out with the power of the Holy Spirit. We must learn to draw on that power to help us know when to speak up and when to shut up.

Let me help you with that!

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:44:48 PST

Any newspaper puzzle solvers out there? Anyone complete the New York Times Crossword puzzle on Sunday mornings? Anyone successfully complete the Sudoku puzzle on a regular basis? My wife likes the Crossword puzzle and the Sudoku puzzle but I like the Celebrity Cipher. The what? The Celebrity Cipher by Luis Campos. Never heard of it, here is a link to one so you can see for yourself what is it and even try to solve it. It is not as easy as you might think but my wife says it is not nearly as hard as the puzzles she solves (yes she is smarter than I am). None of this is my point, let me get on to my point.

Last week I was sitting at the kitchen working on the puzzle when my 7 year old walks up, hops in my lap and says "Let me help you with that!" She began to read the letters for me and asked if she could hold my pencil. She began writing on the puzzle without having a clue what she was doing. I waited patiently for a few minutes just watching her make a mess of the puzzle. After a few minutes she was done, jumped out of my lap and went on to something else. As the Lord tends to do he said "I have a lesson in this for you!" Here is what I learned from that brief interaction with my daughter.

We often think we know what we are doing when we try to help God. Without even realizing it we often say "Let me help you with that!" to God. As if he needs our help. Let me give you an example. Lord heal my mother! Lord cure my illness! Lord stop the pain! In other words we are in essence saying "Lord fix this situation the way I want it fixed!" We tend to think that if God does it our way it will be fixed or the puzzle will be solved when in reality it would just end up as a mess. God is sovereign, God knows what is best, God has worked the puzzle out long before we decided to get involved.

One of the most difficult verses and yet also one of the most comforting verses for me is found in the book of Numbers:

Numbers 23: 19 - 19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

God does not change his mind. We cannot argue him out of a decision. We cannot persuade him to do it differently. He has made up his mind, his perfect, omnipotent mind and our imperfect, limited minds cannot argue with him. I know what a few of you are saying; there are verses where God changed his mind. Exodus 32: 14, Jeremiah 26:19 and others. But did he really change his mind? Did he not know what the outcome would be and had this planned out well in advance.

I think if we look at the character of God throughout the Bible and we did an in depth study on what the word change really means we will see that God is perfect, he has a perfect plan and does not veer from that no matter how much we want him to, no matter how many times we hop in his lap and say "Let me help you with that!" Rejoice in knowing that God is in control, he does not need our help but he finds joy in allowing us to partner with him in getting the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

The List

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:09:44 PST

Does anyone or anything ever get under your skin? Do you ever see someone doing something and it really ticks you off? Have you ever watched someone and said he should be ashamed of himself? Do you ever look at someone who has a different skin color or a different religion and roll your eyes in disgust? I don't know about you but I could raise my hand and say yes to all of these and then some.

I was reading the Bible the other day and I came across a very familiar passage, a passage I have read hundreds of times, a passage I have heard hundreds of times, a passage I have seen on bumper stickers, tattoos, t-shirts and bill boards. But I never quite saw it like I did the other day:

John 3: 16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

What I have failed to do in the past is realize just who "the world" is. Let me list a few of the people who came to my mind, these are people that seem to be looked at as if they do not deserve the mercy and forgiveness of God. These are people who many times are looked down on because they are not like us:

The world includes: The homeless guy who should "Just get a job!"
The world includes: The "idiot protester" on Wall Street.
The world includes: The "Tattooed Freak" in the mall.
The world includes: The CEO who made $20 million last year and kept it all for himself.
The world includes: The person in front of you at the grocery store using food stamps.
The world includes: The person who thinks George Bush was a great president.
The world includes: The person who voted for Obama.
The world includes: The preppy frat boy who wears bow ties.
The world includes: The fans who pull for the opposing sports team.
The world includes: The illegal immigrants who took your job.
The world includes: The people overseas who took your job.
The world includes: The person taking advantage of the system.
The world includes: The unwed teenager who just had her third child.
The world includes: The person who doesn't wear a suit to church.
The world includes: The husband who cheated on his wife...again.
The world includes: The co-worker who lied his/her way to the top.
The world includes: The bitchy little girl behind the counter with an attitude.
The world includes: The waiter who screwed up your order.
The world includes: The rich Hollywood actor who hates conservatives.
The world includes: The girl who just got an abortion.
The world includes: The gay couple pushing for equality in marriage.
The world includes: The straight couple opposing gay marriage.
The world includes: The members of Westboro Baptist Church.
The world includes: The members of First Baptist Church.
The world includes: The punks wandering the streets at night.
The world includes: The people who listen to rock and roll music.
The world includes: The "towel head" in the Middle East burning an American flag.
The world includes: The jerk who pulled out in front of you in traffic.
The world includes: The priest who abused children in his church.
The world includes: The murderer on death row.
The world includes: The arrogant atheist who knows there is no God.
The world includes: Hugh Hefner's girlfriends.
The world includes: Larry Flint of Hustler magazine.
The world includes: The idiot commentator on NPR.
The world includes: The arrogant commentator on FOX.
The world includes: The Jew.
The world includes: The Hindu.
The world includes: The Muslim.
The world includes: The Satanist.
The world includes: The church goer.
The world includes: You and me.

I John 2: 2 - He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

The next time someone or something gets under your skin try to put him in this list and pray for him. And just think, he may need to do the same for you!

P.S. If I have left anyone off the list, which I know I have, feel free to put someone from your list in the comments section below.

A duck among chickens

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:38 PST

Have you ever driven by something that made you say "Did I just see what I thought I saw?" After I drop my kids off at school I head to work down a back road that has very little traffic. It winds through a sparsely developed part of town where you will see broken down cars, run down houses and the occasional yard animal, not a dog or cat but something you don't typically consider to be a family pet.

This week I drove past a house that has chickens in the yard. Apparently the chickens are out foraging and that in and of itself is not unusual, what is unusual, or at least to me, is that there is a duck right there in the middle of the chickens. There were four chickens and a duck wandering around in the yard like a brotherhood or a fraternity. I have driven by this a few times and the duck is right there with them quacking his beak like he is talking to them. My assumption is that the duck thinks he is a chicken. There is an old saying "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck!" In this case it is a duck, just don't tell him that, he thinks he is a chicken!

As I drove to work laughing to myself I thought about how many people in the church think they are Christians when in reality they are not. How many show up, sing a few songs, drop a check in the offering plate and leave thinking they are Christians. There are warnings about this in scripture.

Matthew 7: 21-23 - 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

II Corinthians 13: 5, 6 - 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.

So how do you know you are a Christian and not a duck among chickens? If we look at the professions of faith in the Bible one thing seems to jump out. What we see the lives of Peter, Paul, Zacchaeus and others was a transformed life. Paul persecuted the church before his conversion and afterwards he died for the church. Peter denied Christ and later he too died for his faith. Zacchaeus was a corrupt business man or tax collector. Once he saw the love and forgiveness that Christ offered him he immediately began to change his corrupt ways.

Another familiar passage that reiterates this thought is found in Galatians:

Galatians 5: 22, 23 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The fruit is the evidence. The evidence that a tree is an apple tree is that it produces apples. If it never produces apples it may not be an apple tree. If you are not seeing or did not see a transformation take place in your life you may need to do what Paul said and examine yourself to see if you truly are in the faith. Examine the Scriptures to see who Christ claimed to be. You can really only come to one of two conclusions, either Christ was a liar and a deceiver or he was who he claimed to be, the Son of God who provided a way for sinful man to have a right standing before a Holy God. It may be time to ask yourself are you quacking when everyone else is clucking?

Running your route

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:45:43 PDT

I am heading back to Clemson in about a week to watch the Tigers play Wake Forrest. One of the many takeaways from watching football is understanding that each player has a certain route that he has to run whether Tajh Boyd, the quarterback, is going to get the ball to him or not. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins has to run his route exactly as Coach Morris designed it. The running back, Andre Ellington has to run his route exactly how it was designed in order for the play to work. Tight-end Dwayne Allen also has a route he has to run in order for the offense to continue to progress towards their goal of getting into the end zone and scoring a touch down.

We too have a route to run in life. Each one of us has unique gifts and abilities that enable us to do what God has called us to do. We are a part of a team that has a much more important goal that scoring a touch down. We are to reach out to a world that is lost and dying. We are to share the message of hope to a world that is desperately looking for something to hope and believe in.

The author of the book of Hebrews speaks of a unique race path that we all have:

Hebrews 12: 1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

When I read this verse I think about a football game. There are 80,000 fans cheering on the team. They are cheering when each player is doing what the coach taught him to do and progressing down the field towards the end zone. Imagine the dysfunction that would ensue if there were no plans, no routes, no assignments for the players and everyone did whatever he wanted. What if the guys on the field started comparing themselves to the better players and decided that if they could not be superstars they were not going to contribute. It would be chaotic and an utter disaster on the field.

As a follower of Christ we have to understand that we worship a God who created us and designed each one of us for a unique purpose. The Apostle Paul understood this, look at what he wrote to the church in Galatia:

Galatians 1: 15, 16 - 15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,

Paul understood his route that God had marked out for him. He was to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles. He did not concern himself with what God called others to do, he never said he was not as eloquent as Peter or John, he never said he wished he could be doing something else. He had a route to run, a play called by God and Paul ran it faithfully. Are you running the route you were given by our Coach?

Where were you hiding?

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:25:13 PDT

I love 80's music. I love just about every genre of 80's music. I love the sound of the rock and roll hairbands like Motley Crue and Poison, I love the pop music from Loverboy and Rick Springfield and I even like the old school rap from the likes of Tone Loc and Biz Markie. But the one style I really like is the 80's alternative music, the international groups like U2, The Clash, The Cure and so many more. Within this style there was one particular band that was heralded as possible the next U2 but they just never really exploded like U2. The group was The Alarm. They recorded some great songs like sixty-eight guns, Rain in the summertime, and The Stand. Listening to the radio on my way home from work the other day I heard another one that was a great song but just never made it to the top of the charts. It was called "Where were you hiding when the storm broke?"

Born into a war and peace
Forced to choose between a right and wrong
Each man kills the thing he loves
For better or for worse
Face to face with a ragged truth
Mixed up and torn in two
And turned your back on the only thing
That could save you from yourself

WHERE WERE YOU HIDING
WHEN THE STORM BROKE
WHEN THE RAIN BEGAN TO FALL
WHEN THE THUNDER AND THE LIGHTNING STRUCK
AND THE RAIN AND THE FOUR WINDS DID HOWL

After all time building up
Comes inevitable knocking down
(ONE BY ONE )
Comes receivers liars gamblers
Pick pocket entourage
(TWO BY TWO)
Selling out is a cardinal sin
Sinning with a safety net (THREE BY THREE)
They say that all things come in threes
Here comes the third degree

WHERE WERE YOU HIDING
WHEN THE STORM BROKE
WHEN THE RAIN BEGAN TO FALL
WHEN THE THUNDER AND THE LIGHTNING STRUCK
AND THE RAIN AND THE FOUR WINDS DID HOWL

All cards are marked
And all fates will collide
The truth is the truth
Or the truth is surely a lie
Get back in your shelter
If you can't come down off the fence
And one more question
Where were you?
Where were you?

The chorus of this song is what got stuck in my head. It reminded me of a passage from the book of Psalms:

Psalms 139: 7-12

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

We cannot hide from God nor can God lose sight of where we are and what we are going through. He is a great God who sees us through the difficult times as well as a God who keeps an eye on us even when we don't want him to. Take comfort in knowing this is the God who reins and rules in Heaven and on Earth!

If I die tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:01:53 PDT

Have you thought about death or dying any this week? My wife and I found out someone close to us has cancer. My wife spoke to him a few days ago and he said he cannot sleep at night because he imagines the cancer growing inside him. Death is not something we want to think about but it is something we will all face one day.

There is an old saying that goes - There are two things that are certain in life, death and taxes. I don't totally agree with that. I think the two things that are certain are death and judgment. The Bible is very clear on this. Everyone will die unless we are raptured away and everyone will face judgement, both Christians and non-Christians.

The decisions we make, the things we do and the things we say will all be laid out before God one day. There will be no excuses, no defense lawyers, no do overs. We get one shot at life and when it is over we will be held accountable for how we lived our life.

As I was thinking about this a song came to mind. It was not a popular song and when I mention it many of you will probably have no idea the group even recorded it. The song I am talking about is called "If I die tomorrow" by Motley Crue. Based on the lyrics it looks like the writer of the song is looking back on his life and wondering if he could have done anything differently or if he did everything he should have or wanted to do. (story continued below lyrics)

I wake up to find myself
After all these years
And where all the time has gone
Still seems so unclear
'Cause there's no one else
Since I found you
I know it's been so hard
You should know

It brings out the worst in me
When you're not around
I miss the sound of your voice
The silence seems so loud
'Cause there's no one else
Since I found you
I know it's been so hard
You should know

If I die tomorrow
As the minutes fade away
I can't remember
Have I said all I can say?
You're my everything
You make me feel so alive
If I die tomorrow

I spent all my life
Looking for a real sense!
I've got nothing to lose
One thing to prove
I won't make the same mistakes
Now I know
That everything will be ok
When I die tomorrow

If I die tomorrow
As the minutes fade away
I can't remember
Have I said all I can say?
You're my everything
You make me feel so alive
You're my everything
You make me feel so alive
If I die tomorrow

My hope is that when I do come to the end of my life I will not have to wonder these things. My hope is that I did say all I could say, that I did all I could have done. If we look at the life of Christ he said all he needed to say to say. The greatest questions the world has can be answered through Him. As he hung on the cross the last words he spoke were "It is finished!" - John 19:30 What a wonderful statement. He said all he needed to say and he did everything he needed to do. He knew his last day was coming, he knew he was born to die, he did not have to say "If I die tomorrow", he knew there was a day coming when he could say "When I die tomorrow!" Christ died after saying and doing everything the Father sent him to Earth to say and do.

We too have been given a task:

Matthew 28: 18-20 - 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Each day we are getting closer to our last day. Will we step out of this life saying I have said all I could say or will we repeat the lyrics to the song questioning the way we lived our life? The choice is yours and mine to make.

Stay thirsty my friend!

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:06:20 PDT

Have you seen the commercials about the most interesting man in the world? He is the spokesman for Dos Equis beer. The commercials are all over the television and the Internet. When talking about him the announcer will say things like "His charm is so contagious that vaccines have been developed for it." or "If you were to ask him for directions you would never get lost and would arrive five minutes early." At the end of the commercial he always raises a bottle of beer and says in a heavy Spanish accent "Stay thirsty my friends."

As I thought about this I started looking up verses on thirst. Here are just a few of what I found:

John 4: 13-15 - 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

John 7: 37-39 - 37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Revelation 22: 17 - 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

There are many others. What I see in these verses is that we are all spiritually thirsty. We may not realize it, we may think that there is some material thing that can satisfy just like the woman at the well. We look to relationships with others, we look to work and money, we look to our children, we look to material possessions, hoping that maybe these will satisfy our thirst. They may for a while but in the end we have to keep coming back to the well for more and more of something that will never completely satisfy.

Christ said that he was the water of life, that whoever takes the free gift of the water of life will never thirst again. How long are you going to "stay thirsty my friend"?

Let's go fishing.

noreply@blogger.com (Lamar Younginer) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:00:40 PDT

Have you ever had a friend call you and say "I hear they are tearing it up at Lake ________!" or "Friends are telling me the Spanish Mackerel are running offshore, you want to come?!" I am talking about fishing and last weekend this happened to me. My friend John called me and said he and his son and a couple of friends were headed to the beach to do some fishing and my son and I were invited. He then told me that the reports said that Red Drum and Spots were biting and there may even be some Spanish Mackerel if we want to go just off shore.

I mentioned this to my son and he was ready to go that minute. I told him we were leaving Friday after school and would get on the water around 6:00 Saturday morning. He was packed and ready Wednesday night. Needless to say, he was excited. We pulled out Friday afternoon and stopped by the male version of Target, Bass Pro Shop. We picked up a few "essentials" for the trip and finished our drive to the beach.

Saturday morning we woke up about 5:00 am and were on the water by 6:00. We prepped our rods the night before so we would not waste any time. We had minnows, shrimp, mullet, blood worms, fake worms of every color and size, we had fake shrimp, we had jigs, rigs and everything else we needed. We were ready for whatever was biting. We had our net close at hand and the live well just waiting on the fish. We timed it so that we were fishing as the tide was coming in and bringing with it a bounty of fish. We joked about where we were going to put all the fish, would we have enough room in the refrigerator, would we have a cooler big enough to get some back home, would we have to go and empty the live well and come back. We made it to the first stop, a creek where we felt like we would have some luck.

We started casting and we casted and we cast and we cast and we cast. Obviously this spot was not right so we moved on to a better spot and we started casting and we cast and we cast and we cast and we cast. We moved on and started casting and we cast and we cast and we cast and we cast. This went on all morning for almost six hours. We finally decided to take a brief break for lunch and a quick rest. We went back out around 3:00 and stayed out until dark, still no luck. We were not completely shut out, we caught a total of three fish that were just barely big enough to keep and those were caught by John's ten year old son. The rest of us caught fish that were either junk fish or fish that could have been used for bait they were so small!

I tell you all of this because as I was sitting on the boat for hours on end I was reminded of a passage of scripture.

I Corinthians 9: 19-23 - 19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Paul was fishing, in a sense, and he was using several different bait or lures to try to reach the lost. I am sure there were days when he was reeling them in and filling the cooler. But there were probably other days when he was not having any success. There are examples of both in scripture. Acts 14 tells the story of both extremes.

The bottom line in all of this is that we are to be fishing for the lost. Christ commanded us to make disciples of all nations. We are also taught that it is not up to us to determine who accepts the Gospel message, that is completely up to God.

I Corinthians 3: 6, 7 - 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

One more passage that came to mind was:

Matthew 7: 13, 14 - 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Very few will come to faith in Christ. Just like our fishing trip, we tried everything and ended up with very few fish. The same is true when it comes to reaching the lost. Very few will enter through the narrow gate no matter what the bait or lure is.

The waters are full of fish, are you ready to go fishing?