The State Fair
8-7-2024
We didn’t go to the State Fair when I was a kid, and I didn’t go in my early adulthood either…except for a concert or two. But about 20(?) years ago, one of my friends worked at the State Fair and he invited me to come up and ride around on his assigned golf cart with him. So I did. And I loved it!! I’ve been going ever since.
He has long since ceased working at the fair, but my wife and I still go every year….multiple times. There is just something about the state fair. For some, I’m guessing it’s the rides, but I’m way too old for that. For others it’s seeing all of the livestock. C’mon, the biggest bull? The biggest boar? There’s a lot of hamburger and pepperoni right there! For still others it’s the machinery, or maybe the displays or the concerts or maybe even the food. I know it isn’t, but maybe the motto of the fair should be, “If you can fry it, you can eat it!”
I like all of those things and so much more (except, perhaps, all of the fried foods……there is such a thing as too much HA HA). One more thing I enjoy is – are you ready for this – all of the people who come together to laugh and celebrate family, heritage and culture. What could be better than getting to hang out with 100,000 of your closest friends on any given day? I like to see parents pushing babies in strollers, children dancing with excitement, grey haired men and women smiling at memories, couples sharing a funnel cake and everyone marveling at the butter cow.
I know that God loves people, and like Bob Goff, I’m convinced that He must like laughter.
If the laughter of children thrills us, how much more does our laughter thrill Him? God likes to see people coming together to enjoy one another. Maybe that’s why Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding feast, providing new wine when the wine ran out, or the reason His teaching is filled with references to banquet feasts and parties, like the fatted calf killed and cooked to celebrate the prodigal’s return. Heaven is described as a great banquet feast, a mansion with many rooms, a place where all peoples, cultures and languages of the world gather in celebration and joy.
The state fair, of course, isn’t heaven. It certainly isn’t perfect. But heaven is.
Our moments of celebration and enjoyment – at the fair or anywhere else – give us just a tiny glimpse of what God has prepared in Heaven. The New Testament book of Revelation, chapter 21, reminds us of this:
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
(Revelation 21:3-4, NLT)
I look forward to the state fair each year, but not like I look forward to heaven. The state fair is great……..but heaven is greater. And heaven is the ultimate destination of all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Until we arrive there, well, there’s the state fair, and so many other things where we can find joy until we arrive in His presence for all eternity.
Until that happens, I’m off to the fair………..again!
About That Opening Ceremony…..
July 29, 2024
By now I imagine you’re aware of the huge controversy surrounding the opening ceremony of the Olympics in France. I’m going to throw in my 2 cents worth here……and you might want to put on your steel toed boots because I might just step on a few toes.
Christians that get online and spew hate toward nonbelievers anger me much more than nonbelievers spewing hate toward Christianity.
There have been multiple “explanations” of what the table at the Olympics was supposed to represent. The overwhelming majority of people saw it as a mockery of Jesus’ last supper with His disciples. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. For the sake or argument, let’s assume that it was. Even so, Jesus would have eaten a meal with every single person at the Olympics ceremony. Perhaps not at the Passover celebration, but He would have shared a meal with any or all of them.
Think about it: Jesus spent a lot of His time on earth with sinners. He invited them to the table over and over again. Sinners, prostitutes, Jesus welcomed all of them to His table. In fact, that’s one of the reasons the religious people hated Him and wanted Him dead.
People who are not Christians are not our responsibility to regulate. Sinners are going to sin. We should expect nothing less. And we shouldn’t be offended by that. What we should be offended by is the way Christians treat sinners who sin……after all, that’s what offended Jesus. He was far more upset with the religious people who mistreated sinners than He ever was with those who sinned. Instead, Jesus welcomed them and pointed them to His Heavenly Father. Remember that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance, not to the shouting of His angry “followers.”
To be clear: I do not condone any religion (especially my own) being mocked. It’s wrong. But my heart doesn’t hurt for what they portrayed. My heart hurts for people who are not in a loving relationship with their Creator. Jesus doesn’t need me to shout about sinners sinning. He wants me to shout about the hope and the love they are missing out on. After all, He died for them just as much as He died for you and me. Angrily shouting at people that don’t know Jesus is in direct contradiction to the command to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Instead, let me suggest that we let this drive us to be more forthcoming with our faith – not in an arrogant, condemning way, but in an encouraging, loving and hope filled way. “For God so loved the world…..”, even those who produced and participated in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. And He’s not willing that any should perish, but that all…..ALL should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
And by the way, wasn’t it at Jesus’ last supper that He instructed His disciples to love others the way He loved them? Read that again.
Remember, we’re in this world but not of it. Let’s rise above it and show the love of Jesus to everyone!
Selling Pencils
7-11-2024
John Maxwell tells a story about a young boy selling pencils door-to-door in his neighborhood for a nickel apiece. One prospective buyer asked him what he planned to do with the money.
He said, “I’m trying to raise a million dollars to help build a new hospital.”
The buyer said, “That’s a big job for just one boy, isn’t it?”
“It’s not so hard,” the boy said. “I’ve got a friend helping me.”
It’s amazing how much smaller even the biggest tasks become when you’ve got someone beside you. Too many times we tackle challenges alone and try to solve problems on our own – and ultimately we learn that working this way makes us vulnerable to discouragement and defeat.
As you well know, this world we live in and this life we live can become quite complicated at times. That’s why you would do well to have someone alongside you on the journey – someone to help you get the job done.
I challenge you to consider a few things.
• Take a minute to identify your partners. In each project, think about their role and your role, how you complement one another, and how you can build on one another’s strengths. Make it a point to focus on what’s right in the relationship, not what’s wrong.
• Take on a partner. In the areas where you struggle – personal, spiritual, career – ask yourself, “Who can I bring in to help me make this better?” Whatever you’re trying to accomplish, having a team member can get you there faster.
• Lend a hand. Is there someone you know in the midst of a massive pencil selling campaign? Maybe you can pitch in long enough to help them bring their project to the finish line.
Israel’s king Solomon talked about this idea in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. He talks about how futile it is to work alone. He reminds us…
Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. (Ecclesiastes 4:9)
More importantly, Solomon reminds us that working with a team helps one bounce back more quickly from defeat.
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. (Ecclesiastes 4:10)
Solomon finishes this thought by saying…
Two can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
One of the things we say at LifePoint Church all the time is this: Following Jesus will make your life better, and it will make you better at life. And it will. So will bringing someone alongside on this journey we call life. As you do, you’ll see how much more quickly you move down the road of accomplishment.
The Lord Words in Mysterious Ways
5-24-2024
It’s been said that, “….the Lord works in mysterious ways.” This begs the question: Is this a biblical truth or a myth? Interestingly, there’s not one verse the specifically says this in the Bible, yet, (I’ve been told) that if you search this on the interwebs, you will find 52,000,000 results +/-. You can check that out if you like. I’m going to pass. But while there isn’t a verse that specifically says this, there is ample evidence in Scripture that this is true. For instance, the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah, speaking for God, said this:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)
As we read passages such as this, we quickly realize that the way God does things, or even the way that God directs us to do things is not always how we would have done them. The matter of grace and forgiveness and Salvation is a beautiful revelation of how different God thinks and acts than we would have.
For salvation to become available for man, God Himself took on human flesh and had to die. Wow! I’m not sure that any of us would have done it that way. I’m a dad and I can’t imagine the thought of sacrificing the life of one of my children so someone else could live. And before you judge me, I’m guessing you feel the same. That goes against everything that is embedded in the parental DNA, right?
That is one of countless examples. C’mon, when someone is hurting or persecuting someone you love, is your first thought to tell them to love that other person? …..to pray for that other person? What about when someone says, “How many times should I forgive someone?” We’d probably say, “Once or twice”. Or we might say, “Forgive? Are you nuts? Punch ‘em!” Yet, Jesus said, “No. Not 7 times, but 70 times 7.” Or what about, “How am I supposed to treat other people?” We’d probably go the, “an eye for an eye” route. Jesus said, “Love others like your Heavenly Father loves you.”
See, Jesus was ALWAYS raising the bar. People would approach Him and say things like, “Look what I’ve done! I’ve kept the law. I’ve followed the commandments,” and even more such things. Then Jesus would say, “…..but I tell you…..”, and then He’d raise the bar. Every. Single. Time. Mysterious, eh?
Not only are God’s ways different from ours but they are on a higher plane. Simply put, God thinks at a level far superior to our thinking. We see the beginning from the end, but God sees the end from the beginning. He knows the outcome before we do anything. I am not saying, He forces us to do His will (that’s an entirely different discussion), but He knows the choices we will make. If you watched a ball game where you already knew the final score, you would watch it differently because you know. That’s the advantage God has over us, He KNOWS!
But back to the question at hand: Does that mean that God really does work in mysterious ways? The dictionary defines, “mysterious” as: “difficult or impossible to understand, explain, or identify.” If we use that definition, then we’d have to agree that, in deed, God works in mysterious ways.
Perhaps this is why Proverbs 14 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death.” and why Proverbs 3 says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding”.
Those are wise words, particularly in the confusing and ever changing world that we live in. There is no specific verse telling us that God works in mysterious ways, but the evidence is there. It’s found throughout Scripture, and if we’re honest, it’s found in our every day lives. And here’s the thing:
You WANT the ways of God to be “mysterious”!
Why? If you and I could figure everything out about God, they why bother following Him? He’d be just like any other person on social media. So embrace “the mysteriousness” of our God! Exercise your faith in Him. Embark on the journey, and see where He will lead you…..
Bold Prayers
4-24-2024
Big Bold Prayers
It’s been awhile back, but someone said this in a sermon (actually, it might have been a testimony), “If I had realized all along that my prayers would be answered, I would have prayed better prayers.” He was being facetious, a little. But there is also some truth to what he said.
We have a tendency to pray safe prayers, small prayers, never presuming to ask for too much. And we’re careful to include the qualifier, “If it be thy will,” just in case nothing happens. Of course, praying within the boundaries of God’s will is a fundamental element of prayer; we know this. [1 John 5:14]
Our problem, however, if we’re honest, is that we often pray for less than God’s will, with something less than an attitude of faith. For example:
*We pray for a cabin in the corner of Glory Land, while God is offering us a mansion of our very own.
*We ask for the ability to accept defeat, so to speak, while God has promised us victory. (Our next message series…..)
*We’re asking for the courage to cope when he is ready to give us the power to overcome.
God has promised us great things. We often respond by asking for small things.
What if we were to zero in on one or two requests that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt are surely part of God’s will for our lives — and what if we made these areas a target of our biggest and boldest prayers of faith? Things such as:
Holiness
Victory
Joy
Courage
Motivation
Patience
Purpose
Power
Self-Control
And so on……
These are the birth-right of every believer. If they’re lacking in any of our lives, there is arguably only one reason:
You do not have because you do not ask. (James 4:2)
So let’s be sure to ask.
This is our challenge: Pray within the boundaries of God’s perfect will — but keep in mind those are huge boundaries.
And then pray big and bold prayers.
And pray like you know your prayers will be answered.
I’m praying for you, LifePoint!
Chuck