Life has its way of throwing at us the unexpected. We may think we have everything mapped out, and as long as we stay the course it will be smooth sailing ahead. And sometimes, it indeed goes as planned. But from my personal observations through the years of my life, I have come to realize that to be the exception rather than the norm. We do the best we can do to come up with a strategic plan which we feel will get us from where we are now to where we desire to be, but the problem is that so often we don't take into account the obstacles that could very easily get us off course.
Just a couple of examples will be sufficient to illustrate my point. Through many sessions of pre-marital counseling, I have asked couples how many children they hope to have. Simple question that usually leads to a simple answer. After the answer is given, I then begin to ask the more difficult "what if" questions. What if you can't conceive? What if you can conceive, but can never carry to term? What if the road you have mapped comes to a detour and sends you in a totally different direction?
I also, in pre-marital counseling, try to get the couple to think about other possibilities that might arise in their relationship. What if one or the other develops a dibilitating, crippling disease? What if one is involved in an accident that leaves him/her paralyzed from the neck down? The vow states that we are committed to this relationship until we are parted by death. Do we really mean what we say?
But it is not just about marriage. There are so many other "what ifs" in life. You establish educational goals, but something comes up that causes a detour and you never get the degree you sought. You establish financial goals, but something happens that wipes out your nest egg and you are left struggling just to get by week to week.
Yes, life has its way of throwing curves. Three months ago I did not expect to be going into surgery. But, here comes one of life's curves. After going through three sinus infections back to back to back, my family doctor decided I should see an ENT specialist, just to make sure there was nothing serious going on. So, after a visit to the ENT, I was then sent for a scan of my sinuses to try to determine the problem. The scan showed "something" in my sinus cavaties. However, a scan does not determine what that "something" is, so surgery is needed to be able to make a proper diagnosis.
I have been through nasal surgery once before, so I sort of know what to expect, even though this surgery will be a little more extensive than the previous. And I realize that surgery of this type is a common occurrence in hospitals and surgical centers across the country pretty much every day. But, surgery is surgery. Sometimes, the unexpected happens, even in the most common of surgical procedures.
Now, please understand that what I am about to say may sound a bit morbid, but I don't mean for it to be. I just want to make a point of a matter of grave importance. I know that anytime a person is put under anesthesia for any reason, there is the possibility that he/she will not wake up again - at least not here. So, as I have done every time I have had surgery (this will be my fourth surgical procedure), I have sat down with my wife and had a serious talk about that "eventuality". No, she didn't want to have the conversation, and, honestly, neither did I. But it is a matter of grave importance that I make sure she knows what to do in the event that I don't wake up. So, we had the conversation.
But now, to the point. There is actually something of much more grave importance than having that conversation with my wife. That is, I need to make sure that I am ready for the eventuality of going to sleep under anesthesia, and not waking up again on this side of eternity. I need to make sure that I am ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ. I need to make sure that I have met Him on His terms, and not tried to meet Him on mine. It's not enough to have tried to be a good husband, and a good father, and even a good preacher and teacher. You see, I am not prepared for my eternal destiny because of what I have done.
Meeting God on His terms means that I accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as my personal Lord and Savior. It means that I have acknowleged that I am a sinner, deserving of God's just punishment of eternal damnation. It means that I acknowledge the fact that His Son, Jesus, died in my place, paying the penalty of my sin - a penalty that I deserve. It means that I accept the offer of His forgiving grace that saves me, and makes me a child of the King.
Since I learned of my impending surgery, I have once again made certain of my relationship with Jesus Christ. I have not reminded Him of all that I have done for Him, but I have once again thanked Him for what He so graciously did for me.
Friend, this is a matter of grave importance. Not just because I am facing surgery, but because I am not certain of my future. I may not make to surgery. I may die in an accident on the way to the hospital. I need to be ready at every moment of every day to meet my Savior. Will you think seriously about your eternal destiny, and make sure you are on the right road? Regardless of when we go, I hope we all go to the same place that has been provided by the simply amazing grace of God!
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Love? Really!?!
Well, it has come and gone once again - the holiday that is second only to Christmas for money spent on gifts in the form of flowers, candy, jewelry, etc. etc. ad nauseum. I hope yours was a meaningful holiday, and you were truly blessed by being the giver and receiver of gifts of love!
Enough for the sarcasm, right? And especially since I am one of those who fit the above mentioned description. Yes, I gave my wife gifts, I gave my daughter gifts, and I took them out to eat - all for the sake of love! I hope they knew I loved them before the gifts and the meal, but I had to make sure, you know. You can never take this love thing for granted.
But oh, how often we do take it for granted. My wife and I have been married 38 1/2 years now. I have been married much longer than not. As a matter of fact, I am getting awfully close to having been married two thirds of my life! And yes, to the same woman! Now, some would say that is a remarkable feat, especially in light of the present day attitude toward marriage, divorce and remarriage. It is not unusual these days to meet individuals who have been married two, three, four, five or even more times. Now please don't misunderstand what I am saying: I am not casting stones, but rather only making an observation.
Because, you see, I could just as easily have been one of those statistics. Early on in our marriage, my wife and I had our share of explosions! Verbal assaults that could be heard down the street - way down the street! Early on in our marriage it was all about me. I made decisions based on my wants and desires. Oh, yes, I would tell Teresa regularly that I loved her (there is that word again), and I guess I meant it, as far as I could understand it. But our "love" relationship was all one-sided. My side! So, four years in, we decided it was over, if it had ever really gotten started. And again, this was pretty much a one-sided decision. I wanted out. I wanted to live my life the way I wanted to live with no strings attached. So, we had talked about who would get what (out of the paultry little we had - I was really good at wasting all the money we had for my satisfaction!).
But then, something really amazing happened. I heard God speak! Yes, I mean exactly what I said. I heard Him. It was on a Thursday morning, the date was September 8th, 1977. I heard Him so clearly that I was overcome with His message to me - yes, God had a personal message for me! I went home that Thursday evening and told Teresa about my divine encounter. She laughed! Imagine that - she laughed about my message from God! Of course, the reason she laughed is because she thought I was undoubtedly joking. Surely, God would not speak to a jerk like I was back then.
But, I persisted. I told her I was going to church on Sunday. She laughed again. You see, we really weren't much interested in the whole church scene. However, by Saturday night she was convinced that I was serious about going to church. She still refused to join me, so I went alone. I sat on the back pew. I sat alone, even though I know most of the people at this particular church. The pastor knew me well: he had been to my house on many previous occasions trying to share with me the amazing love of Jesus Christ.
I told him I needed to be saved, but that I was not going to make that decision without my wife. So, we made an appointment for him to come to my house on Tuesday, September 13, 1977. He came, more importantly, God came, right there to my house! And after three hours and forty-five minutes of answering question after question, my wife and I both committed our lives to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (I'm still working on that Lord part!)
That is when I first understood the word "Love." It is a word we throw around pretty casually: I love you, honey; I love my dog; I love pizza, etc. Now I am smart enough to figure out that we don't feel the same way about pizza as we do about our spouse (even though I have to admit, the way I see some treat their spouse I sometimes wonder!), but the fact of the matter is that we throw that word around without really thinking about what we are conveying.
Well, here goes an attempt. I love my wife more today that ever before. My love for her grows with each passing day, month after month, year after year. She is without question my best friend, my comforter when I am sick, my encourager when I am discouraged - yes, Teresa is my soul mate.
But Teresa knows that there is someone I love more than her. And I know there is someone she loves more than me. You see, that night 35 years ago when Jesus came into our lives, He also came into our home. He did the unspeakable and unthinkable to secure our salvation - He gave His life, paying the penalty for my sin, taking the punishment of my hell. How could I not love Him more than any person on earth.
The fact of the matter is, I did not know what the word "love" meant until I experienced His love. His is the really thing. Nothing selfish about His love. Nothing self-seeking, narcissistic about His love. His is pure, undefiled, unadulterated love. He gives freely to any who will receive His gift.
I hope you already know His love. And I hope that having His love as a reality in your life has enabled you to show more love to those in your circle. And, I hope that we are all trying to give His love away to those who, like me those many years ago, spoke the word, but knew nothing about the reality.
Enough for the sarcasm, right? And especially since I am one of those who fit the above mentioned description. Yes, I gave my wife gifts, I gave my daughter gifts, and I took them out to eat - all for the sake of love! I hope they knew I loved them before the gifts and the meal, but I had to make sure, you know. You can never take this love thing for granted.
But oh, how often we do take it for granted. My wife and I have been married 38 1/2 years now. I have been married much longer than not. As a matter of fact, I am getting awfully close to having been married two thirds of my life! And yes, to the same woman! Now, some would say that is a remarkable feat, especially in light of the present day attitude toward marriage, divorce and remarriage. It is not unusual these days to meet individuals who have been married two, three, four, five or even more times. Now please don't misunderstand what I am saying: I am not casting stones, but rather only making an observation.
Because, you see, I could just as easily have been one of those statistics. Early on in our marriage, my wife and I had our share of explosions! Verbal assaults that could be heard down the street - way down the street! Early on in our marriage it was all about me. I made decisions based on my wants and desires. Oh, yes, I would tell Teresa regularly that I loved her (there is that word again), and I guess I meant it, as far as I could understand it. But our "love" relationship was all one-sided. My side! So, four years in, we decided it was over, if it had ever really gotten started. And again, this was pretty much a one-sided decision. I wanted out. I wanted to live my life the way I wanted to live with no strings attached. So, we had talked about who would get what (out of the paultry little we had - I was really good at wasting all the money we had for my satisfaction!).
But then, something really amazing happened. I heard God speak! Yes, I mean exactly what I said. I heard Him. It was on a Thursday morning, the date was September 8th, 1977. I heard Him so clearly that I was overcome with His message to me - yes, God had a personal message for me! I went home that Thursday evening and told Teresa about my divine encounter. She laughed! Imagine that - she laughed about my message from God! Of course, the reason she laughed is because she thought I was undoubtedly joking. Surely, God would not speak to a jerk like I was back then.
But, I persisted. I told her I was going to church on Sunday. She laughed again. You see, we really weren't much interested in the whole church scene. However, by Saturday night she was convinced that I was serious about going to church. She still refused to join me, so I went alone. I sat on the back pew. I sat alone, even though I know most of the people at this particular church. The pastor knew me well: he had been to my house on many previous occasions trying to share with me the amazing love of Jesus Christ.
I told him I needed to be saved, but that I was not going to make that decision without my wife. So, we made an appointment for him to come to my house on Tuesday, September 13, 1977. He came, more importantly, God came, right there to my house! And after three hours and forty-five minutes of answering question after question, my wife and I both committed our lives to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (I'm still working on that Lord part!)
That is when I first understood the word "Love." It is a word we throw around pretty casually: I love you, honey; I love my dog; I love pizza, etc. Now I am smart enough to figure out that we don't feel the same way about pizza as we do about our spouse (even though I have to admit, the way I see some treat their spouse I sometimes wonder!), but the fact of the matter is that we throw that word around without really thinking about what we are conveying.
Well, here goes an attempt. I love my wife more today that ever before. My love for her grows with each passing day, month after month, year after year. She is without question my best friend, my comforter when I am sick, my encourager when I am discouraged - yes, Teresa is my soul mate.
But Teresa knows that there is someone I love more than her. And I know there is someone she loves more than me. You see, that night 35 years ago when Jesus came into our lives, He also came into our home. He did the unspeakable and unthinkable to secure our salvation - He gave His life, paying the penalty for my sin, taking the punishment of my hell. How could I not love Him more than any person on earth.
The fact of the matter is, I did not know what the word "love" meant until I experienced His love. His is the really thing. Nothing selfish about His love. Nothing self-seeking, narcissistic about His love. His is pure, undefiled, unadulterated love. He gives freely to any who will receive His gift.
I hope you already know His love. And I hope that having His love as a reality in your life has enabled you to show more love to those in your circle. And, I hope that we are all trying to give His love away to those who, like me those many years ago, spoke the word, but knew nothing about the reality.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Big Game
Well, for all those Tarheel and Blue Devil fans, tonight is the big night! UNC and Duke will make their way onto the court this evening at nine o'clock for the clash of the ACC titans. There is no middle ground for this one: UNC fans (of which I am one!) always pull for UNC and ANYONE playing Duke, and the same is true of Duke fans. Loyalty is the name of the game, and we are all about OUR team.
I must admit that I am a huge sports fan, especially for the sports of basketball and football. I have been a Tarheel fan, and a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the age of 10. I have never wavered! You could call me a true blue fan, and at my present age, I see no need to consider changing. However, I have been giving some serious consideration lately as to why I am so enamored with these teams. I have reached a very serious conclusion: I don't have a clue! My father was not a sports fan at all - I don't recall ever seeing him watch a ball game of any kind. My brother and I were so different when we were young that I know beyond any doubt that I did not get my love for sports from him, because if he had watched it, I would have gone out of my way to ignore it, just to be obnoxious! So, it was not passed down to me from seeing family members watch, and hearing them talk about, their favorite teams.
So, I guess it would be true to say that I developed a love for these two sports all on my own. But, I still don't really know why I chose these particular teams to be my favorites. I just know that I have been a faithful fan for almost 50 years!
But please note that I used the word "fan." I watch them play on TV every chance I get. I even went so far as to purchase NFL Sunday ticket a couple of years so I would not miss a single Cowboys game. I watch every televised Tarheel game. I have seen the Cowboys play several times in person in the past, when I had the privilege of living in the Dallas area for 11 years.
Lately, however, even though I am still a fan, I am not the avid fanatic I once was. I will not pay the exorbitant cost of NFL Sunday ticket - I only watch the games televised locally. I do occasionally miss a Tarhill basketball game, because I don't check the TV schedule as avidly as I once did. I guess you could say I am just not as hyped up about it as I was earlier in my life.
Now, to the point. Our church recently went through a study entitled "Not a Fan." It forced us to ask ourselves the question: "Am I a true follower of Jesus, or merely a fan?" I was reminded that the big game is really not about what happens on a basketball court, or a football field, but about what happens in life! As a professing believer in Jesus Christ, I was forced to examine my life and ask some really difficult questions pertaining to my relationship with Him.
Is my relationship with Jesus nothing more than that of a fan, who watches from a comfortable distance and never really gets involved in the game? Do I stand back and cheer Him on, but do nothing myself to become more personally involved in the big game? Jesus called us to be followers: real, committed, followers. He does not want fans who simply sit in the stands and cheer, but He wants followers who are willing to get in the game and follow Him wherever He leads.
Radical? Absolutely! But it shouldn't take us by surprise. It was, after all, Jesus Himself who made those outlandish demands of those who would follow Him. He did say that we must deny self, die to self daily, and come after Him. He did say that anyone who would not put Him absolutely first in their life could not be a true follower. He did say that anyone who put his hand to the plow (anyone who made a decision to follow Him), and then turned back, was not fit for His Kingdom. Strong words to be sure. And please note, this is not what He expects of the ultra-committed. This is what Jesus expects of every person who claims to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.
I am excited about the big game tonight. I really look forward to watching the Tarheels take down the Blue Devils. But, in all reality, in the REAL big game - my life being lived out in the arena in which He has given me the privilege to live and serve - I am the player, and I am expected to give my all for the team on which I play, His team, and I am to do all to bring glory to Him, never to draw attention to myself.
So, the big question about the REAL big game is simply this: are you a true follower of Jesus Christ, or merely a fan?
I must admit that I am a huge sports fan, especially for the sports of basketball and football. I have been a Tarheel fan, and a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the age of 10. I have never wavered! You could call me a true blue fan, and at my present age, I see no need to consider changing. However, I have been giving some serious consideration lately as to why I am so enamored with these teams. I have reached a very serious conclusion: I don't have a clue! My father was not a sports fan at all - I don't recall ever seeing him watch a ball game of any kind. My brother and I were so different when we were young that I know beyond any doubt that I did not get my love for sports from him, because if he had watched it, I would have gone out of my way to ignore it, just to be obnoxious! So, it was not passed down to me from seeing family members watch, and hearing them talk about, their favorite teams.
So, I guess it would be true to say that I developed a love for these two sports all on my own. But, I still don't really know why I chose these particular teams to be my favorites. I just know that I have been a faithful fan for almost 50 years!
But please note that I used the word "fan." I watch them play on TV every chance I get. I even went so far as to purchase NFL Sunday ticket a couple of years so I would not miss a single Cowboys game. I watch every televised Tarheel game. I have seen the Cowboys play several times in person in the past, when I had the privilege of living in the Dallas area for 11 years.
Lately, however, even though I am still a fan, I am not the avid fanatic I once was. I will not pay the exorbitant cost of NFL Sunday ticket - I only watch the games televised locally. I do occasionally miss a Tarhill basketball game, because I don't check the TV schedule as avidly as I once did. I guess you could say I am just not as hyped up about it as I was earlier in my life.
Now, to the point. Our church recently went through a study entitled "Not a Fan." It forced us to ask ourselves the question: "Am I a true follower of Jesus, or merely a fan?" I was reminded that the big game is really not about what happens on a basketball court, or a football field, but about what happens in life! As a professing believer in Jesus Christ, I was forced to examine my life and ask some really difficult questions pertaining to my relationship with Him.
Is my relationship with Jesus nothing more than that of a fan, who watches from a comfortable distance and never really gets involved in the game? Do I stand back and cheer Him on, but do nothing myself to become more personally involved in the big game? Jesus called us to be followers: real, committed, followers. He does not want fans who simply sit in the stands and cheer, but He wants followers who are willing to get in the game and follow Him wherever He leads.
Radical? Absolutely! But it shouldn't take us by surprise. It was, after all, Jesus Himself who made those outlandish demands of those who would follow Him. He did say that we must deny self, die to self daily, and come after Him. He did say that anyone who would not put Him absolutely first in their life could not be a true follower. He did say that anyone who put his hand to the plow (anyone who made a decision to follow Him), and then turned back, was not fit for His Kingdom. Strong words to be sure. And please note, this is not what He expects of the ultra-committed. This is what Jesus expects of every person who claims to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.
I am excited about the big game tonight. I really look forward to watching the Tarheels take down the Blue Devils. But, in all reality, in the REAL big game - my life being lived out in the arena in which He has given me the privilege to live and serve - I am the player, and I am expected to give my all for the team on which I play, His team, and I am to do all to bring glory to Him, never to draw attention to myself.
So, the big question about the REAL big game is simply this: are you a true follower of Jesus Christ, or merely a fan?
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Well, Punxsutawney Phil has once again made his appearance, and his prediction - six more weeks of winter! As I sat this morning, drinking my coffee and watching the morning news, I sat and watched with a bit of amusement as this story took precedence over all the other news of the day. Fox News cut away, right in the middle of a news story which seemed to be of much more importance than the announcement of a rodent, who, somehow, mysteriously, speaks to the one holding the magic walking cane, and he actually understands what the rodent says! Now, this is noteworthy news, to be sure.
As I watched this spectacle, and looked over the vast crowd of onlookers who had gathered for this newsworthy event, I could not help but think of how we have become such an entertainment oriented society. We fill our minds, and waste our time, with such trivial, useless junk as to watch a ground hog supposedly forecast the weather for the next few weeks.
So, you might be wondering, where in the world is he going with this? Well, I will hasten to my point. I remember as a young boy watching Clyde "Cloudy" McLean give his weather forecast on the nightly news. He had a flip chart, if my memory serves me correctly, upon which he would draw an outline of the area, and then he would make all kinds of squiggly lines to show weather fronts that were coming our way. Back then, in Cloudy's day, there was not a lot of sophisticated technology like we have today, so his forecasts were sometimes on target, and other times completely off base.
Well, we have come a long way, haven't we? We now have all that sophisticated technology, and because of that the forecasts are quite a bit more accurate. However, if you pay close attention to the extended forecast on any given day, and keep up with the predicted temperatures and day to day weather patterns, you will notice something very interesting: the extended forecast tends to change from one day to the next. Now, yes, by the time we get to that seventh day, the day to day forecast has changed enough to be pretty accurate. But from seven days out - not so much!
So, this morning, we once again watched with keen interest a rodent who is supposedly telling us that to expect for six weeks! Leaves me sort of awestruck and breathless - how about you?
Well, it's past time to get to the point. There is One, and only One, who knows the future. He needs no sophisticated technology to assist Him in His predictions. As a matter of fact, He gave us some predictions which were for much farther in the future than a mere seven days. His predictions were given hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of YEARS in advance. And His predictions are ALWAYS 100% ACCURATE! Pretty good record, don't you think?
No, He didn't give us a weather manual with weather patterns for the extended future. But He did give us a manual, with the course of human history laid out for any and all who will take time to read. Isn't it truly amazing that He "forecast" more than 700 years before the birth of Christ exactly where He would be born? Isn't it also amazing that more than a thousand years before the death of Christ He "forecast" the exact method of death penalty Christ would suffer, even though that particular form of death penalty had not even been practiced at the time of this prediction?
Needless to say, if we are going to listen to the prognostication of a rodent from Pennsylvania, or if we are going to pay attention to the predictions of those who use the advantages of every form of modern technology known to man, even though they miss about as much as they hit, wouldn't it be wise to listen to One who has a proven track record that extends over thousands of years, and hasn't been proven wrong even one time?
That, my friend, is simply amazing grace! God has revealed His plan to us so that we might read it, understand it, and accept it. Let me encourage you to read His plans and purposes for His creation, and be a part of His great future, with Him, for eternity.
As I watched this spectacle, and looked over the vast crowd of onlookers who had gathered for this newsworthy event, I could not help but think of how we have become such an entertainment oriented society. We fill our minds, and waste our time, with such trivial, useless junk as to watch a ground hog supposedly forecast the weather for the next few weeks.
So, you might be wondering, where in the world is he going with this? Well, I will hasten to my point. I remember as a young boy watching Clyde "Cloudy" McLean give his weather forecast on the nightly news. He had a flip chart, if my memory serves me correctly, upon which he would draw an outline of the area, and then he would make all kinds of squiggly lines to show weather fronts that were coming our way. Back then, in Cloudy's day, there was not a lot of sophisticated technology like we have today, so his forecasts were sometimes on target, and other times completely off base.
Well, we have come a long way, haven't we? We now have all that sophisticated technology, and because of that the forecasts are quite a bit more accurate. However, if you pay close attention to the extended forecast on any given day, and keep up with the predicted temperatures and day to day weather patterns, you will notice something very interesting: the extended forecast tends to change from one day to the next. Now, yes, by the time we get to that seventh day, the day to day forecast has changed enough to be pretty accurate. But from seven days out - not so much!
So, this morning, we once again watched with keen interest a rodent who is supposedly telling us that to expect for six weeks! Leaves me sort of awestruck and breathless - how about you?
Well, it's past time to get to the point. There is One, and only One, who knows the future. He needs no sophisticated technology to assist Him in His predictions. As a matter of fact, He gave us some predictions which were for much farther in the future than a mere seven days. His predictions were given hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of YEARS in advance. And His predictions are ALWAYS 100% ACCURATE! Pretty good record, don't you think?
No, He didn't give us a weather manual with weather patterns for the extended future. But He did give us a manual, with the course of human history laid out for any and all who will take time to read. Isn't it truly amazing that He "forecast" more than 700 years before the birth of Christ exactly where He would be born? Isn't it also amazing that more than a thousand years before the death of Christ He "forecast" the exact method of death penalty Christ would suffer, even though that particular form of death penalty had not even been practiced at the time of this prediction?
Needless to say, if we are going to listen to the prognostication of a rodent from Pennsylvania, or if we are going to pay attention to the predictions of those who use the advantages of every form of modern technology known to man, even though they miss about as much as they hit, wouldn't it be wise to listen to One who has a proven track record that extends over thousands of years, and hasn't been proven wrong even one time?
That, my friend, is simply amazing grace! God has revealed His plan to us so that we might read it, understand it, and accept it. Let me encourage you to read His plans and purposes for His creation, and be a part of His great future, with Him, for eternity.
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