Profoundly Mundane:

Something to Think About for December 24, 2014:

Something To Think About, Simplcity:

I often start my day, doing what I'm doing now, in the predawn on Christmas Eve.  I look for something that jogs the mind--the unexpected twist--or something cute--the kind of thing that brings an "aww," especially from the ladies--or the holy grail, something profound.  I'm not even sure how to adequately define profundity.  It has to do with great power and wisdom being packed into a few words.  The Book of Proverbs is packed with the profound.  To hijack Judge Potter Stewart's words.  "I know [profundity] when I see it."  This is what I mostly see:   Most of Life is not profound. The word mundane was invented to describe the day-to-day process that we call life. Some two Millennia ago the life into which God the Son enteredwas mundane, profoundly mundane.  Jesus' home was not one where daily existence could be taken for granted.  Later, when He taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."  He spoke not only from the perfect knowledge of Divinity--pray this way, because in the grand scheme of the universe this is what you should say--but from an understanding that came from human experience.  Joseph, and almost surely Jesus, after Joseph's death, knew the daily concern for making sure that there was food for the family.  I think Jesus had prayed that prayer on occasions when the cupboard was bare.  When He spoke of going the extra mile, rendering to Caesar his due, turning the other cheek, and being ready to forgive, profound as those concepts are, we need to remember that all of these virtues had been practiced thousands of times in the very mundane setting of a home and small business that had to deal with unreasonable people in a land controlled by foreigners. In describing the incarnation, here and here, the Bible presents no "wink,wink" version of God becoming man.  He was, and continues to be, in heaven, human.  As I think about the totality of that "emptying" (Philippians 2) of Himself, I find great encouragement to come to Him.  That is a point that is powerfully made in Hebrews 2 and 4. Jesus did not just come and visit the high-points of human existence.  At the end of most of His of His 12,000 or so days, the answer to the universal question was, "Not much." On Christmas Eve 2015, that's profound. It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.  covingtonbiblechurch.com

Protecting Those Who Protect Us:

Something To Think About, Angels:

It is hard to think about the murder of the two policemen in Brooklyn New York without using words like "senseless," "heinous," or "barbaric."  When those who protect us and enforce the law are attacked, not for anything they have done, but for who they are, it is a sign of trouble in our culture.  When people chant atpublic demonstrations that they want "dead cops," "now!" it is an indication that the rot is not limited to one deranged gun-man. The reality is that we live in a fallen world, and those of us who populate it are flawed.  One of the truths that the Bible puts forth is that in this world it is necessary that there be those who enforce the law, and hold lawbreakers accountable. In Romans 13 we read,  “. . . whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed the authority will receive condemnation upon themselves. "For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;” (Romans 13:2–3, NASB95).  Keep in mind who the Holy Spirit used to pen those words.  Paul was converted Jewish Rabbi.  He would eventually find himself a prisoner of the Roman government--not for doing anything wrong, but for preaching the truth.  I don't think there is any doubt that Paul knew there were problems with the Roman authority.  He certainly knew that not all Roman soldiers and officials were pure of heart.  In the First Century, as well as the Twenty-first, there were/are bad cops, but both Paul, Peter, and Jesus make clear that the default condition ought to be one of respect for, and obedience to authority (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2:13-17, Luke 20:25).  This isn't all that the Bible says on the subject, but this is foundational.  Those of us who claim to speak for the Lord need to make sure that we clearly make this point.  Maybe I'm prejudiced but I like the Apostle Paul's rhetoric, "Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same."  (Romans 13:3)  It may not chant well, and it might be too long for a sign, but it is what we need to hear. It's Something To Think About. Here are some thoughts I shared shortly after the violence in Ferguson MO began.  While I admit I don't understand it all, I, nevertheless, reinforce that we need sound and strong law enforcement, and a society that supports it.

Clarence, Gabby, and real angels.

Something To Think About, Angels:

A group of teens, with some help from some dedicated adults, presented a lovely Christmas play yesterday.  It was kind of a melding of A Christmas Carol, and It's A Wonderful Life with Lee Strobel brought in as a consultant. The Angel in our play was Gabriel, or "Gabby," because he talks a lot. Angels figure prominently in the Christmas story, Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2.  We see them fulfilling their role as "ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation."  (Hebrews 1:14)   Hebrews 13:2 gives evidence for the "undercover" nature of much of their work.  The main character in the play the teens presented yesterday channels the view of most moderns--angels are myth, figments of fervent imaginations.  Scripture, however, presents angels as a very real part of a very real spirit world. Angelology is a division of the study of God and His ways--Theology--and, no, I don't remember any time being devoted to how many of these amazing creatures could dance on the head of a pin.  Here are a couple of points to keep in mind about angels:   Angels are not to be worshiped.  Only God is to worthy of that devotion. Within the Spiritual realm are evil spirits, considered by many theologians to be angels who rebelled.  Chief among these spirits is the devil.  Though these spirits are powerful, their ultimate defeat is sure.  God is never overcome by them. Amazingly, as the Bible passage from Hebrews 1 indicates, these marvelous spirit-beings work on behalf of God's people. Angels are part of the wonder of this wonderful season.  They proclaimed to a group of shepherds that a Savior had been born.  Listen to their message It's Something To Think About. You can see the CBC Christmas program here. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.  covingtonbiblechurch.com

Using our resources to make the world more beautiful:

Something To Think About, Adding beauty to the world:

I don't know much about Sainsbury's.  I did find that it is a large grocery retailer in the United Kingdom.  I do know that I am very impressed with the ad, or as they say over there, "advert," that they put out for the 2014 Christmas season.  I encourage you to take four minutes and watch it. I think you'll be glad you did. I look at this ad and think this is what we as God's people ought to be doing.  Most of us don't have a large advertising budget at our disposal, that would enable us to make a high-quality video like this, but each of us can do something that will make our world better.  One of the members of the church I pastor recently posted this on her Facebook page, "I am a servant of the Lord masquerading as a bus driver and cake decorator."  That is a paradigm that all of God's people ought to adopt.  Whatever I may do to earn a living, I am first and foremost a representative of the King of Kings.  Whatever I do, I should do for His glory. I don't know if the owners of Sainsbury's share my faith in the Christ of Christmas.  I certainly thank them for not only making the world more beautiful, but for challenging me to do so, as well. And, I hope, in a small way, I'm doing the same for you. It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.  covingtonbiblechurch.com

Using What I know to keep from fearing what I don't:

Something To Think About, Holding to what I know:

Like you, I fear the unknown. Some of you are paralyzed by that fear.  We are like a child who has never eaten something, but who absolutely refuses to try it, because he is convinced that it will taste bad.  The realm of the unknown is a fertile patch for the growth of phobias.  When those frights come to maturity they shackle us to our little place, where we live in the foolish illusion that everything will be all-right as long as I don't. . . . The problem is, as I pointed out yesterday, that controlling fear is probably preventing us from engaging in some act of love.  I've known folk who didn't go to see loved ones, because they feared going out of their house.  I've talked to strong men who wanted to go and comfort a friend in their time of loss, but who "couldn't" because the tentacles of fear--"I don't do funeral homes"--had such a strong grip on them.  I could go on, but it would be better for you to come up with your own examples of love being crowded out by terror. I think Benaiah loved his King and his people.  As he looked down into that pit on a snowy day, at that killer-beast that threatened those he loved, the fear that any sensible man would have must have made the hair on his neck stand up.  Likely what you fear is not as spectacular as the king of beasts, but it is every bit as real, and it is just as important that you deal decisively with it. How do I deal with fear of the unknown? By holding more tightly to what I do know. Here are some knowns that help me deal with the unknowns that lurk in my path: God has promised to never forsake me. (Matthew 28:20 & Hebrews 13:5) Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I can have confidence that if I am faithful God will deliver me, whether by preserving me in this life, or through death.  (Daniel 3:16-18) Doing right and serving the Lord is more important than any consequence.  (Philippians 1:12-20) God will provide what I need to do what I need to do.  (1 Corinthians 10:13 & Philippians 4:10-14)  I'm not saying it's easy.  It's not.  Fears are like lions in pits on snowy days, but if you don't slay them, who will? It's Something To Think About. (My thoughts were encouraged by Chapter 6 in the book The Hard Corps, by Dai Hankey.)

Love and Fear:

Something to Think About for December 17, 2014:

Literature, movies, and certainly folklore are full of tales of people dealing with fear.  Some successfully and others, not so much. I've not served in the military, or been an explorer.  I've never had to land a plane with a dead engine, in the dark.  My life has been blessedly free of those terrorizing scenes that make one sit on the edge of his seat in a movie theater.  But, I have been afraid.  I have had to, and have to, fight fear.  I suspect you do as well. Getting ready for a Bible study this morning I read this brief account about a great warrior, Benaiah: " He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day." (2 Samuel 23:20).   If ever there were a situation that screamed, "Leave it alone!" this was it.  If it is wise to let sleeping dogs lie, how much more to allow pitted lions to stay in the hole--especially when there is snow on the ground.  Even more-so when you consider that Benaiah wasn't lion hunting with a high-powered rifle.  I figure his feat was accomplished hand to claw. In our little study we guys asked the question, "Why?"  We admitted that we don't have the data for a definitive answer, but we were given a hint when we looked at the rest of Benaiah's record.  Clearly he was a man of faithfulness who highly regarded duty.  He was David's body guard, and was key in making sure that David's chosen successor, Solomon ascended to the throne.  I have to figure there was a reason Benaiah went down into that pit on a snowy day to face a lion.  Maybe they had been hunting down a rogue beast.  It was cornered in a pit and someone had to finish the job at hand.  Maybe it was a random thing, but a lion in a pit is liable to get out, and when it does . . . Better take care of business while one can.  Bottom line: We don't why the lion was in the pit or why Benaiah had to join him there.  Though Benaiah was an incredible warrior--one of David's Mighty Men, he had to fight another foe, before he faced the lion, fear. I've not faced a lion, but I have stared into the eyes of fear.  Generally the fear I have faced didn't growl and threaten, it lurked, barely seen, but very real.  John says "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).  Jay Adams, a counselor and teacher of counselors, encourages asking this question, "What loving thing is my fear keeping me from doing?"  Love is worth going down into the pit to face that fear, even on a snowy day. It's Something To Think About. (My thoughts were encouraged by Chapter 6 in the book The Hard Corps, by Dai Hankey.)

Happy Hanukkah

Something To Think About, Faith & Courage:

I was just reminded that tonight is the first night of Hanukkah.  As a Jewish gentleman, I met earlier today, reminded me, Hanukkah is not just a holiday Jews made up as a substitute for Christmas.  Indeed Hanukkah predates Christmas by a couple of hundred years.  In John 10:22 we read, "It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication." (NLT)   You can find abundant material about Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights, or Feast/Festival of Dedication on the internet.  Here is one site with a video that gives the basic story.  Hanukkah celebrates the actions of the Maccabees, a group of freedom fighters who, in one of the greatest Guerrilla campaigns of all time, overthrew their oppressors and reestablished the worship of the One True God in the Temple.  I'll not rob you of the joy of discovery, but let me simply say that Hanukkah lasts eight days in remembrance of a miraculous event recorded in Jewish history. I'll not be celebrating Hanukkah, but I do appreciate the story behind the holiday.  In our day of comfort and dedication to ease, we would do well to look back at a group of people who dared to face incredible odds and great burdens in order to do what was right. It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.  covingtonbiblechurch.com

eroding Foundations, #2

Something To Think About, Learning from others failures:

"What should have been done?"  That was a question I posed for thought at the end of the last STTA.  When we see houses getting ready to slide into the sea--metaphorically, or in reality--we have an urge to do something.  The problem is about all we can do is put up props.  Knee-jerk reactions are generally ineffective.  Often they are downright dangerous.  So, when I suggest that we should ask what should have been done in the past, I'm suggesting more than historical curiosity.  The current storm isn't the last storm that will come.  Gravity, tides, wind, and rain are ongoing realities.  Clearly, someone failed to adequately reckon on these forces.  The fact that a house is falling into the ocean is clear evidence. In the ethical/moral realm as well as in the physical world, often the answer to the question is the structure should have been built in a different place.  This, of course, is the conclusion of Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount.   The house built on the sand was doomed from the beginning.  Those who build lives on personal pleasure, marriages on nothing more than physical beauty, or ethical systems on individual preference, are building edifices that are sure to crash.  When I was a kid a favorite pass-time was building "tree forts."  I can still remember visually inspecting the critical tree-limbs, even bouncing up and down on them, to see if they would bear the load.  Generally, my friends and I had instincts that were sufficient.  Our arboreal engineering marvel stayed in the tree.  I remember one time though, I think it was my little brother and his crowd, drove the final nail in a much abused apple tree.  The entire tree, tree fort, remainders of past constructions, and all, just toppled over. Don't build unless you are sure the foundation is secure. It's Something To Think About.

Eroding Foundations

Something To Think About, Foundations:

Incredible pictures from the West Coast have been getting a lot of play on TV & the Internet.  A video I just saw is of a house falling into the ocean.  The high-tides caused by extreme weather had undercut the building.  The video caught the house at the moment it reached the tipping point.  Like a huge, sad teeter-totter the sea-ward side of the house went down, the land-ward side up, and then the whole thing slipped into the sea.   As I watched I wondered, "How long ago had it been that the homeowner had entertained guests, who 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over the incredible view?"  No more. Being a DIY type I also wondered what could have been done to save the house.  Thoughts of props and jacks were quickly dismissed.  The raging ocean wouldn't allow one to work, and, more importantly, nothing solid was available against which to place a prop.  The only thing left was to get out the video camera and wait for the critical moment. We live in a world in which foundations are failing.  Families, churches, and other institutions that used to provide stability in our world are increasingly finding themselves suspended in mid-air.  That works in cartoons.  In the real world gravity rules.  Again and again we have watched some institution or key individual reach a moral/ethical tipping point and topple.  Again, I ask, "What can be done?"  Often times the answer is the same in the ethical, moral realm as it was for the homeowner on the West Coast, nothing.  No prop will suffice.  No cable can be rigged.  The pull of gravity, the rush of time, and lack of a solid place to stand leaves no alternative.  We have to admit this one is gone.   But, and make sure you stay with me as I turn this corner, BUT we need to ask at this point "What can we learn?" and, "What should have been done?" Stay tuned.. It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.  covingtonbiblechurch.com

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Satan & Christmas:

Something To Think About, The enemy of our faith:

Half-a-dozen times over the past weekend I was Satan--actually a caricature of the evil spirit-being.  We just concluded our annual presentation of a live nativity.  This year we had eight scenes that were part of our presentation.  We take guests on tours of the scenes.  Most of the scenes are populated with actors dressed in appropriate costumes, who act out the scene of which they are a part.  The guides are also characters "from" the Biblical account.  They have assumed the role of various Apostles, Mary, Elizabeth, a Roman soldier, Nicodemus, and even Judas.  At the suggestion of a veteran guide, this year I assumed the role of Satan, or as he identified himself to the guests on his tour, "Lou C. Fir." Lou is proud (Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:12-17), he is a creature of anger (Revelation 12:12, [he is able to take advantage of our unresolved anger, Ephesians 4:26-27]), He is a liar (John 8:44), and the devil is supremely selfish.  His minions, the demons use up and destroy those they possess.  He himself is described as "a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).  He, more than anyone I know of, fits the description of one who came to "steal, and kill, and destroy" (John 10:10).  I tried to pick up on these traits in my portrayal of our great enemy. There is no doubt that Satan is powerful and very smart.  There is also no doubt that his doom is sure.  I once heard a comedian describe Satan as the dumbest character in history--he thinks he is going to win. In the current configuration of things Satan does appear to making great progress.  In Job 1 he brags about his free movement in the world.  He is described in Ephesians 2 as the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  (Ephesians 2:2).  John says that the "whole world lies in the power of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19).  You can read about his doom in Revelation 20. By default we are part of the domain where Satan holds sway.  We must choose to follow Christ.  There is a link below that gives you more information. It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.

Humility:

Something To Think About, Humility:

Several of us spent some time this morning talking about humility.  It is a somewhat slippery concept.  False humility while it may bear some resemblance to the real thing is likely to end up being the opposite--pride.  We tend to appreciate humility in others, but we aren't so good at practicing it ourselves. The book we are using for our study says that humility is seeing one's self as God does. C. S. Lewis said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” When we are truly humble we have an uplifting influence on others around us.  "There is a loftier ambition than merely to stand high in the world.  It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little higher." A good bit of our discussion this morning had to do with knowing, and being content in the place we should occupy.  God has given each of abilities and opportunities.  To ignore those resources and with false humility claim that we can't do what we clearly can is not humility.  It is a refusal serve others, and thus to place a greater focus on self than we should. I do need to see myself as God does, and then act like it.  That's a lifetime task, and . . . It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know. We would love for you to make the Live Nativity a part of your Christmas Season.  It is a very family friendly activity. Click the picture for more information.

Family Heritage:

Something To Think About, Family:

I was privileged to hang out with my wife's family over the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Really, at this point in my life they are my family.  They are a remarkable group.  Their impact for the Lord's work is significant.  Their salt and light influence is clearly a result of God's grace, but beyond doubt one of the prime channels of Divine blessing were two parents who loved the Lord and were dedicated to bringing up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).  While I didn't grow up in their home, I am the recipient of God's grace that came through their dedicated parenting. It was uncanny.  We are a group of people in their 50s and 60s, yet our conversation clearly indicated that we have yet to get over our raising.  Parents, God has given you a powerful opportunity.  Make the most of it.  To all of us, if our parents gave us Book of Proverbs kind of resources to build on, let's make sure that we erect lives worthy of that foundation.  To those of you who look back and find that your parents didn't give you a good start, stay tuned.  We aren't doomed. It's Something To Think About.