Appearances Can be Deceiving

Have you ever had an instant urge to buy something because you were enticed by its appearance?  Or has something really looked good to you and the salesperson just told you how much you needed the item?  Maybe someone said how good you looked when you just came out of the hair salon.

Many people make their livelihood by getting you to buy something based on its appearance.  One area I was drawn into is that of the dreaded “timeshare”. Within 90 minutes the salesperson convinces you that you will impress others by being seen on the balcony of “YOUR” condo.  Then they add that this special deal is available only to you today.  So, do you crumble or do you stand your ground?  

Many of us allow “impulse” buying to take the upper hand in our lives.  The same is true about our decisions regarding people we know and those we see for the first time.

While directing a Christian Camp and Retreat Center, one of the leaders for a Senior High week planned this event.  It was Sunday night and the kids had gathered around in the chapel area for their icebreaker.  When the leader began his first thought, a young man walked in the back of the room.  It appeared that he had very little clothing to his name and was greasy and dirty from the lack of hygiene.  He walked halfway up to the center of the room and found an empty chair.  Immediately kids began moving away from him and gave him looks that could kill.  After about three minutes the leader stopped and quoted Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:7 - “The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance.”  Then the leader introduced his friend, who was the freshmen student president of a large university.  The campers were silent as the leader explained how we should not make any judgment calls based on appearances.

We draw conclusions about people we know very little about.  We see an action in public and determine that it is their lifestyle.  Without knowing the real story and details, we make a judgment based upon appearance only.

 

When you meet someone for the first time, try not to make an impulse judgment based solely upon their appearance. Take the time to get to know them.  Find out their strengths and weaknesses. Love them where they are today.  In showing God’s love and grace to them, you will make a friend, learn a new truth about life and grow in wisdom.  Something that you might not have otherwise ever experienced because appearances can be deceiving.  

Why?

I know you are not suppose to ask “Why” questions as it is really a low level accusing question, but this is one I have never understood.

You sign up for a conference or convention, pay your fee, make travel plans, and anticipate how you will gain knowledge, peace, growth, and direction, whether  it is if for a business, ministry, or any other things that you want as part of your life.  

The leaders plan a full day, two, or even three day event that is designed to meet the needs of the attendees.  So my question is “Why do people not stay for the WHOLE conference?”  Any conference planners always save the very best for last.  Yet I was at a conference yesterday and was once again disappointed that in the last session, there were about 30% empty seats that weren’t there before the last session.

Not knowing the reason for their early departure, things run through my mind.  Did they have a plane to catch?  Did they set an appointment too close to the end of the conference?  Did they need to get a good spot at a restaurant?  Were they mad?  Were they bored?   So many scenarios run through my mind. 

I feel for the last speaker, as he walked out on the stage to see those empty seats.   But the best part was that his thoughts, message, and direction were dynamic for each person that did stay. 

So here I am this morning wondering “why”.  No answers, but feel like those who left missed the thoughts that tied the whole day together and gave great direction for the next steps were the really big losers.   Someday the WILL encounter what was presented and could help them in their journey.    Sad but they will not have answers,  just more questions, frustrations, and sadness.

If you go to a conference, plan on being there until the end.  Your biggest take away will be because you stayed.  Conferences are just planned that way.  For your growth!

It's Time to Catch On

During my junior high and high school years, I would go down in the basement and see our first television sitting in the corner. It doesn’t take much to remember when we first received this black and white wonder. The picture was fuzzy but it was our first real electronic marvel. At certain times of the evening, someone would have to stand near the antenna. We learned quickly that the body is a great signal booster for the television, so I watched a lot of the programs from a close angle as one hand held the end of the antenna to get the best signal. I recall Dad having something to say if I moved too much and made the picture go fuzzy.

Soon Dad discovered that a copper wire that was twisted to the top of the rabbit ear antenna and strung to the outside gave the best reception. Some of you may remember late in the evening when the stations would sign off. They would always play the “Star Spangled Banner” with an American flag waving in the breeze and then place a symbol on the screen with a continual hum. Our first color television did not have tint but rather a red, green, and yellow knob called “Technicolor”. Each program required you to turn the knobs in order to get what was called color television. If the signal was not strong the picture would move from black and white to color to a fuzzy mixture of color mixed with black and white. Nevertheless we thought it was great. Fast forward 50 years and we were looking at purchasing the next generation of television. There are so many questions as to what is best: Plasma, HD, 3D, LCD, 16 x 9, 4 x 3, digital vs. analog. Mercy, I am confused.

Even after getting on the Internet and searching for what is the best picture for the best value, I just stand in front of the screens in the store with my mouth open. The high definition screens allow these old eyes to watch a baseball game like I was there in the stands. Add surround sound and I am awestruck. Even though it was comfortable in past years to just have color television I have realized that maybe it’s time to catch on to the next level.

Living in the mountains of Tennessee, I love the slow life that the area affords. Many places and events remind me of the days gone by when life was simple. For the longest time I have looked forward to retiring and just “kicking back” to doing nothing.  Shame that is not me and so I keep going hard each day.

Last year, we went to a local high school football game. There over 1000 young people mingled among themselves, like they were lost. They were there just to have something to do. 

We are seeing so many churches that are just like the age of television. Some enjoy the black and white era of only anthems and dirges, while others have gone to simple hymns and gospel melodies. Still others try to mix the old and the new together. The problem is that they just don’t reach today’s and tomorrow’s generation.

Have you ever had the Lord show or tell you something and you respond, “Lord you really don’t want me to get involved, I just don’t fit in?” The Lord’s response is always, “Trust me. Catch up and hang on”.

Lynnette and I are looking forward now, even in our future years of being high definition people who strives for an impact to changing lives, even in a little mountain community, particularly to a generation that has nothing to do.

Maybe it’s time we all catch up to what the Lord is asking us to do. Don’t think about retirement, but run this race of life hard. Give your life away to others and the Lord’s work every day.   Why?  "For the sake of the call" (song by Steven Curtis Chapman).

No matter what your age, catch up to being a high definition person to others. 

Luke 12:19-21 I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life! Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barn full of goods - who gets it?' That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God. 

So What's the Excitment?

The other night I had a conversation with a close friend in Florida and we began talking about church.  For the next few minutes, I went on about life change that I witnessed each week, the excitement of their vision with the statement that "we're going to make it hard to go to hell in East Tennessee".

Growing up in an extremely conservative church, meant you had to follow the rules that were given by Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone, Elias Smith, Thomas Campbell, and Walter Scott.  Yes I was taught from their teachings.  During that time there was very little discussed about "Grace".  It was following their church guidelines in doing the "work" of the Church.  It was not until 13 years ago that I examined a contemporary church that spoke on the grace of the Lord and not the works in the church.

Then when we moved to Tennessee, we searched for a church that met that criteria and vision for reaching the lost.  After some search, Lynnette said, "Guess we are just going to have to start a church here."  Note - BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE LORD'S CHURCH.

So our goal for these years here in Tennessee has been to partner with a church who carries the vision for expanding the kingdom and help the lost find eternal life in heaven. 

Having degrees so there can have great discussions on one sentence in the Bible does not help a person far from a relationship with the Lord to make a decision.  It has to come from your excitement in seeing the Lord work in a mighty way.    That is found in faith for the Lord to work in you for making the first step of seeing someone come to the Lord and witness life change.

I believe you are never too old to dream BIG.  If the Lord is calling you to more ministry or a new area of ministry, quit rationalizing your response and go for it.  You will be amazed the peace, joy, excitement, fulfillment, and many other adjectives that comes from faithful service in seeing that the lost in your area do not go to hell.

Read, listen, and  building a daily relationship with the Lord will give you  understanding for His place in your life.

Reading the Instructions!

Anyone who knows me realizes that I am a man that doesn’t generally read instruction manuals.

When my son was eight, I recall getting him a ten-speed bicycle for Christmas. The box had a number of parts located within two big plastic bags. After the children had gone to sleep it was time to assemble the bicycle.

Did I look over the instruction sheets? No way. It’s not natural for an “ADHD” personality, like me, to read the instructions until I encounter a problem. Within thirty minutes the bicycle was assembled.

Proudly, I turned the pedal only to have the chain fall off. I looked around on the garage floor and found about ten extra parts. Then I glanced at the instruction booklet and saw where a few of the extra parts were supposed to go. I had to disassemble it and begin again. Once again I finished the bicycle and was ready to test it. There were still a few extra parts, but I just imagined that the manufacturer was just being considerate of the “dumb” consumer by adding parts.

Wrong! The bicycle did not work properly, again. Finally, I sat down on the garage floor at 1:00 in the morning and read the instruction booklet from cover to cover. Amazingly, it went together exactly like it was designed. As you can tell, I’ve learned the hard way to read the instructions.

My wife, Lynnette, is exceptional at this task. I appreciate the fact that she reads every label and instruction booklet before beginning a project. And because she does, her efforts are successful. It drives my personality crazy, but I appreciate that she does it every time.

In Proverbs King Solomon encourages us to seek wisdom, and throughout the Scriptures, the Lord has given us instructions on how to live successful lives. Yet, too often we do not read the Bible or heed His advice until we have made terrible mistakes.

It’s only then that we remember His instruction book.

Don’t you think it is time for us to pull out the instruction manual and see what He has to say about living successful lives?   Maybe not wealthy lives, but successful lives!

Proverbs 8:33-34 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me.

Shortcut to a Relationship

Everywhere you look, there are shortcuts.  I use several one click shortcuts from my desktop screen in order to save time, when in reality I am only two clicks away in the first place.  Then there are "APS" or Applications for the phone and other devices.  You see that are shortcuts for most everything we do.

Last summer I went out and bought a push plow.  As a boy I was trained to walk behind and use this garden device that has a big front wheel, steer it with your upper body, and plow tongs in the lower back.  My Dad explained it as a shortcut for hoeing the ground around plants.  He taught me that if you lean the handles over while pushing  you can throw fresh dirt around the plant stems, kill weeds, and give them new soil nutrients.  I hated doing this but I was reminded that this helped the crops and gave me muscles.  At 150 lbs. I could use the muscles so I learned to love and hate this device.

Even when we broke down and bought a rototiller, I would have to go back down the rows and throw the fresh soil against the plants.  So much for shortcuts.

On-line dating or Cyber Dating is big today with one commercial noting that one in five relationships come from on line dating.  Yet you can put anything down on a profile and can get that date even though you do not reveal your true self.   I know of people who have invested several dates and a lot of time into an on-line relationship only to discover that it is not the real person they seeked.

Now I read on the Internet that churches are offering shortcuts for every aspect of religion.  Drive-in churches have been around for many years where you sit in your car with your coffee, pj's or whatever and get the service on your car radio.  Then they have men and women who go car to car to give out bulletins, take up offering, and hand out communion.  One church in Nashville took over a bank building and open it on Saturday and Sunday to offer drive up prayers.   Another church has drive up confessionals, while another has drive up communion.  So what is missing?  You get every aspect of Religion but void of anything else.

With all these shortcuts, people are missing out on the most important part of community.  Relationships!    If you just "GO" to church for one hour each week are you developing a friendship that is there for you when you have a problem or tragedy?   

As I have said before, the Creator of the Universe is passionately in love with YOU and all He wants is a relationship with you.  The Old Testament is about the Religion and rules to have a relationship with God.  But Jesus came to give you that personal relationship - One on One.  It is in this personal relationship with no shortcuts that gives your life direction, success, and fulfillment.

You can try any shortcut to a relationship with God, but all shortcuts are missing the most important need in our lives. If you are feeling alone you should take the time to build a personal one on one time with this Creator and look for others who walk beside you each day.   You'll see that personal relationships are so much better than any shortcut.

A "Blast" from the Past to Give Hope to the Future

It is strange how we tend to forget events from our childhood years until something triggers those memories. Even though some of them were tied to unpleasant tasks, or events within our families, or things such as planting crops by moonlight, we still had a life lesson to learn.

My Dad worked a full time job in the city during the day so when he got home at night he had to tend to the farm. But he always used some country psychology that worked quite well to get us to help him. Each spring my sister and I had to help plant crops. My sister would always find a way to step her foot in the water bucket and get sent to the house.  But that's for another day.

One evening we would plow the fields. The next night would include the final preparation of fertilizing and tilling the soil.   Then I had the mental preparation for being in the fields until 3:00 a.m. the following morning. You have no idea how many times I would go to bed praying for rain the next day for planting time.

Soon, I realized that those prayers would only put off the agony. I recall my father giving me the rationale for planting at night. “It is cooler at night so the plants get a better start before the heat of the sun wilts them”, he would say. Pop also said "Another reason for planting at night was that the moonlight made the plants grow taller." Dumb response that a child would believe?   It wasn’t until recently that I recalled the entire ordeal of spring planting time.

It was dusk on the mountain and as I walked outside the house I heard a sound that flooded me with those memories. The green water frogs were out in full chorus. I paused and listened and then recalled him say, “It’s not time to plant the first crops of spring until the water frogs are quieted three times”.  I remembered in my excitement to get plants into the ground one year I did not pay attention to his words of experience and numerous plants froze. 

God gives us signs each day that HE repeats day in and day out.  Year in and year out.  We are so busy with our technology that we forget what the Father is saying.   We just have to stop and look for them.

The Bible is filled with similar life experiences. But so often we wait until we fail before we fall back on the Scriptures for guidance. Jesus used these life lessons quite well to teach spiritual truths through common events. In Matthew 13, Jesus took an event found in everyday life and applied it to the kingdom of God. Likewise we need to open our eyes to the life events around us.

There is a message that the Lord has revealed to every one of us that should be passed on to our children and others. Those events can change lives and give us hope in a world that is becoming so twisted by people seeking their own agenda rather than God’s.

Isn’t there something you need to tell your friends, like a story from the past that will give hope and direction for their relationship with the Lord?

“A blast from the past to give a hope in the future”? (60’s term)

I Know How You Feel

As a young man, I recall going with my pastor to make calls on the sick. One such call will always remain in my memory. The lady we were visiting was about 40 and had a very aggressive and painful cancer.

As we entered her house, it was all I could do to not stare. She had been so full of life and active within the church yet now her body was now failing her. As the lady explained how she was handling the treatment for her cancer, the pastor sat down and within a very short time I heard him say, "I know just how you feel." When we left, I asked him if he had experienced that type of cancer. He said that he had not experienced any cancer. So I asked, "Then what gives you the right to tell her that you knew how she felt?"

He tried to explain that it was just a "saying" and a way to show compassion to the sick. It was then that I became determined to develop true compassion for the sick without saying things I didn't mean or couldn't know.

Several years ago, I faced the experience of a total thryoidectomy. The surgeons are required by law to tell you everything that could happen during and after surgery including the "C" word.   Their frank discussion resulted in one good thing to ten bad things that could happen.

Shortly after that meeting in the surgeon's office, a lady in our small group told me she knew what to expect. Jane had experienced the same surgery just months before, and as I witnessed her frustrations and progress, it gave me encouragement because I was now comfortable and now knew what to expect.  Her e-mail notes, cards, and hugs at church meant so much because, based on her own experience, I trusted what she had to say.

Jesus came to the earth for the purpose of building a relationship with each of us. His earthly struggles, from Bethlehem to Golgotha, gave him first hand experience that is of benefit to us. As a result, we can all trust that the Lord knows how we feel. No matter what is taking place in our lives, he can relate. And help.

Sometimes his help comes in a supernatural way. Sometimes he uses a friend who has already walked the journey we are about to embark. Either way, His help reflects the love God has for each of us.

Know that the Lord uses our trials, happiness and experiences so that we may lift someone we pass by to build on their relationship with the Lord.  The Lord WILL bring you along side of someone needing your experience just like Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. (Acts 8:26-40).  The question is, “will you walk by or stop and be that friend who can lead someone to a relationship with the Savior of the Universe”?

You have been given a unique opportunity to help someone.  Are you looking down at your feet or looking around to be that friend to someone in real need?

Kicking Up Our Heels

Malachi 4: 2   “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.  And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall”.

You have probably guessed by now that if a Bible passage had to do with farming or animals, I could relate to that message.  

In early February or March, cows would give birth to their spring calves. As a result of the cold weather, the baby calves had to be kept in the stalls of the barn so they would stay warm.  During the weeks that followed their births, they would grow strong and healthy in the warmth and security of the tiny stalls.

During the first few warm days of spring, I would open the doors of the stalls to let the calves go outside for the first time.  It was always fun to watch them leave the stall.  First they would just stick their heads out the door and then pull back into the safety of the stall.  Then once they got outside, each one would kick up its hoofs, leap sideways, and run until their young legs would no longer carry them. 

Many times, our lives are confined by the strife of emotional pain, life’s failures, sickness, or giving in to sin.  We think we will never know happiness or have a healthy relationship with others or God.  But as the scripture above tells us, by always loving, honoring, and respecting the Lord’s name, He will send healing our way.  

Anyone who has ever experienced God’s spiritual, emotional, or physical healing can relate to this verse.  Knowing that the Lord has so powerfully touched you makes you want to jump for joy in praise and thanksgiving.  

We should start today by revering the Lord’s name, by faith knowing that He will heal us.

Isn’t it about time for you to kick up your heels?  It's not about offending a religion but celebrating a relationship with the creator of the Universe. 

Celebrate Today!

Our Personal Worlds

 Sometimes our conversations to ourselves and with God are like these expressions:

“Weeds!   I hate weeds. They grow in the yard and in the garden and make it so hard to have beautiful plants and shrubs around the house.”

“Cleaning!   Dirt is everywhere.  As soon as I get done with one area of the house, it seems like I have to go back and start over again. I’m tired of cleaning.”

"Allergies!  Spring and Fall are the worse times of the year because I cough and sneeze way too much."

 “Rain!   I know Lord that I prayed for rain for the crops, but the grass just keeps growing and your rain will not let me mow.  Now I have limbs to pick up and trees to saw into firewood.”

“Kids! They won’t pick up their clothes. They argue with me all the time. I’ll be glad when they are grown.”

"Restaurants!  I hate the food there and will tell everyone about how bad the food and service are."

Then we hear a soft voice of the Lord call back to us.

“If you have weeds, it is because you have been blessed with a yard and garden to grow my beautiful plants. Be happy that you have the health to pull those weeds.

 If you are cleaning, then you are blessed with a home for comfort and protection.  Be happy that you can see the dust. 

If you have allergies and coughing then you are breathing the air I provide each day.  I may have pollen in the air but without that there are so many medicines that you would never have to stay well or the great honey that my bees produce.  Also in coughing, you know your lungs are working properly.

You know that without rain, there would be no grass to grow. Don’t you trust that I am in control for the showers to bless you.

Be careful what you ask for in your children. They WILL be grown too fast and today need your love and tolerance to show them a Christ follower’s example."

(Personal note)   Having matured, I constantly encourage parents to enjoy their children and love them for the creation God has entrusted to a parent, step-parent, or foster parent.  I watch at a distance our grandchildren growing and pray fro them and their parents to enjoy their time together because it will be gone way too fast.  My heart goes out to those who have lost children because their joy was stopped by Satan himself.

(Back to The Lord)

"My child, why do you use the word 'hate' so freely?  You were given taste buds for choices in food, but why do you seem so ungrateful for the richness that I have given you in choices for food and bounty.   So many throughout the world have not been blessed like you."

So when we get caught up in our personal worlds, we often turn our eyes away from the giver of everything and focus on ourselves. We complain about so many things that we forget to thank the Lord for everything.

Today we should take stock of our complaints and change those complaints into thanksgiving for the blessings we may not quickly see each day.

Our personal worlds can become more pleasant through the appreciation of weeds, cleaning, allergies, rain, our children, what and where we eat, or other areas of our lives.

Today ask for thanks for His mercies and forgiveness for our complaints. 

Psalms 136:1 Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits.

Where's the Miracle?

It was during my freshman year in high school that I encountered a science teacher who taught the “theory of evolution”. Never before had I been introduced to such “hogwash”. Instinctively, I began arguing from the Book of Genesis that God existed and was the Creator of all things. To my surprise, the teacher told me he also believed in God, but that God had nothing to do with the process of evolution.

When it came to test time, I had to answer the questions just like he taught. Hearing him present his so-called evidence still left me with the “missing link”. Even though at the year-end I was glad to be finished with that class, it did help me refocus on the miracle of creation. My son and his friend on the other hand did not fair so well. During their senior year in high school, they encountered an English teacher who was a “theistic evolutionist”. That is, she believed in God but felt that God’s method of creation included Darwin’s evolution. It was exciting to watch them intently study and read so many religious texts.

During each class for the rest of that semester, they did not discuss English, but forced class discussions on creationism versus evolution. When it came time for that grading period to end, the two guys knew that they had made an “A”. Then I got a call to come to the school office. It seemed that they both had a “D” average in the class. When I discussed the situation with my son, he knew he had been right. We then talked about understanding and respecting her position is spite of her misbeliefs. He had to believe that she would one day see God’s miracle of life and realize that it could not happen by accident. 

Take just a moment and realize how precious life is.

Find a friend who has just had a baby. Go to the hospital and just gaze at the newborns lying there. Look at their eyes, their little hands and feet. It’s not too difficult to see that God still creates miracles. Our very bodies are a testimony of God’s love, grace, and miraculous power.

If you have recovered from an illness or been healed of a sickness, then you too should know the miracle God has completed in your life.

Funny, but if evolution improves the species with the passing of time, what in the world has happened to my body.  Based on evolutionary process, by the time we get old we all should have that perfect body.  Guess I was behind the door when they were passing out the evolutionary process.

Thank Him today for the miracle of life. No one’s body is to full perfection, but God has given each of us an opportunity to reflect on His miracle in each life. It is also important that whenever we see or experience a miracle, we should tell everyone that God is the miracle maker. 

Have a Great Day!

Getting Through the Door

Luke 13: 22 And Jesus said, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you will try to enter and will not be able to."

On our farm there were many lessons that came to life each day for a young boy. One of my memories was the job of weaning calves from their mothers.

Oftentimes, we needed milk from the cows, so when a calf was three days old we would separate the cow from her calf and begin to feed it a special diet milk product through a bucket. I would mix the powder with warm water and then take the bucket to the barn. Since three-day old calves don't know how to drink from a bucket, I would set it in front of the calf, squat down, and stick my fingers into the mix.

At first the calf would just want to play, so I would get a little of the mixture in my palm and press the milk against its lips. Once the calf tasted the sweet fluid, I would dip my fingers into the bucket and then stick them into the calf's mouth. After about a dozen tries, the calf would begin drinking directly from the bucket. The calves quickly learned what the bucket in the stall was all about, and ran into the barn as soon as they heard me open the main door.

On the farm we had calves of all ages, but we only wanted to bucket feed the newborns. So my dad cut an opening in the stall door that was just large enough for the little calves to enter but too small for the bigger cattle. Since all the calves, both large and small, had gotten a taste of the sweet milk during the weaning process, it was comical to watch the larger ones try to get through the small door. 

They had grown too large for calf milk and needed to be on solid food.

In our lives, we often experience the salvation, grace, and love which the Lord offers, but never take the time to pray, read the scripture, or do the things that bring about spiritual maturity and a close walk with the Lord.  While many others have tasted the love, grace, and power which the Lord provides, but have never taken the time to develop a deep relationship with Him. Instead of following Christ's teachings and exercising love, forgiveness, patience, and peace, they have opted for what the world offers and get their "milk" doses from a Tweet or a once a week message at church or on the Internet. In doing so, they pass by the small gate but are so hungry for something more.

This scripture tells us to make every effort to enter through the narrow door to His kingdom. Perhaps it's time for some of us to go on a growth diet which comes from developing a close relationship (and NOT a Religion) with the Lord.

Contagious Faithfullness

Do you recall the last person that was faithful to you? In today’s society, those kinds of people seem to be rare. At the beginning of my business career in a large corporation, I experienced betrayal first hand. A couple of junior executives had become friends and one man confidentially related some personal issues that were taking place in his life and the struggles to work through them. Then one day a job promotion became available for which both men were qualified. The one candidate told the hiring manager all the details of the personal issues of the other candidate and of this man’s weakness for the job.

He broke every confidence that the one man had placed in him in order to try and get the job. Neither man was offered the position, and when co-workers found out about the incident, they were outraged at the one man’s betrayal of private conversations.

The man justified his actions by saying that no one should ever put their faith in anyone but themselves. It was their own fault. As sad as it may be, don’t we all do that today? We put our faith in our friends and they fail us.

We put our faith in marriage and many fail.  We put our faith in our job and it fails to satisfy us. We then become hardened to never trust or put our faith in anyone but ourselves. 

Wrong thing to do! 

Let’s take a look at the book of Ruth. Naomi experienced many disappointments including the death of her husband, a famine, and the death of her sons. Naomi and her two daughter-in-laws had moved away from their homeland to survive for a period of time. When times became good again in Judah, Naomi released her daughters-in-law to go back to their homeland and find happiness. Orpah was sad but went back to her people and to their gods, but Ruth was different. The famous words written in Ruth Chapter 1 verse 16 and 17 demonstrates her faithfulness to God and Ruth.

The Lord wants that kind of faithfulness from us because no matter how we treat Him he is faithful to us in every instance. When we are hurt or experiencing troubled times, He is faithful to love us and take care of us.

Realize that people are going to fail us. The key is to “love them where they are today” and remain faithful to them. No matter whether a loved one is sick and going through rough times, be faithful.

Be faithful to someone near you.

It’s contagious!

Getting on the Bandwagon

Slang terms and sayings we use so often today are from years ago and are passed from generation to generation. Many times they lose or have changed their meanings. Such is the term, “Get on the Bandwagon”. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English explains it from the 1930’s as: The bandwagon, full of musicians playing loud, catchy tunes, was used in the circus parade before the show to attract crowds to the circus ground, and was adopted for political parades.

People would follow or jump onto the wagon to the circus or to the political candidate’s headquarters. It became an American Colloquial cliche. To climb, jump, or get on the bandwagon was to join the popular party, support its candidate(s) or proposals, and be on the winning side. Wow, haven’t we all seen a lot of bandwagon jumping recently.

In these changing times of our world, we see one popular belief pick up steam into the thoughts and terms being thrown around daily. One term that we never heard in public three or four years ago but is pronounced by everyone today is “God Bless America”. Since the beginning of President Bush’s first speech we would hear him close his messages with those words. Anyone that knows the beliefs of this man know he chooses his words carefully and means each one.

At first reporters made fun of him and others said that he couldn’t say those words because it crossed the line between church and state. Yet he continued to use them. Then this week, we see nearly every announcer in radio, pasted on billboards, flowing on business signs, pronounced by television show personalities, and those in the press saying those three words. They have gotten on the bandwagon but had no substance to what they are saying.   I continue to pray that they get to know the One whom they are asking to bless this great country.

They can verbalize the first part of Psalms 67:1 (take a minute and look it up) but need to finish the rest of verse two. It should not be for selfish reasons that we ask God to bless our nation. It should be that we can show the world that salvation comes through our strength in believing in Him.

Each one of us should be proud to request for God to Bless America. We need to do it so we can help people in other nations around the world realize it goes farther than just might and power in tanks and weapons, but in the saving grace of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit that is with us.

When we realize why we want God to bless our great nation, then we will all want to be on that bandwagon for the rest of our lives!