Just the Word

Something To Think About, It's Living and Powerful:

I'll give you a warning up front.  This STTA is preacher-oriented.  I think it is relevant to you non-preachers, but I'm a preacher.  I'm prejudiced.  You have been warned. Over my years of preaching there have been a few times--as I look back, way too few--when I have, instead of preaching from the Bible, read or recited the Word.  It's more work than you might think.  Anyone who is thinking about just showing up and reading should stay home.  Reading the word well takes preparation and effort.  But, that's not my point today. What impresses me, every time I share "just the scripture" with a group of people, is I see the power of the Word of God reflected in the faces and body language of the audience.  Last night was one of those occasions; as someone said, "You could hear a pin drop."  We ought not be surprised at that response. For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.   (Hebrews 4:12–13, NLT) Not everyone has the privilege of standing before a group of people and reading the Word of God.  All of us, though, have the opportunity to read or listen to the Bible.  It is something that we ought to do on a daily basis  Here is a good place to start:  Biblegateway.com.   There you'll find searchable copies of the Bible in many languages, including a number of English translations.  I'll share some recommendations on translations, tomorrow.  A number of the translations even have an audio option available, so you can listen to the Bible being read aloud.  There are reading plans and various other features.  Whether you get into the Bible online, or by the more traditional method of turning the pages in a book, if you open your heart to God's Word, you will find it to be powerful, so powerful, that if you open your heart, it will change your life. It's STTA.   Here is a link to a message I've been privileged to share several times that uses only the words of Scripture to share God's Story, in His Own Words. For you preacher-types, here is an article about that message and about preaching "just the word," in general.

It Tolls for Me.

Something To Think About, The Tolling of the Bell:

(Please forgive the lateness of this email.  I wrote it yesterday when these events were even fresher than today.  The reality is ongoing.) They weren't really neighbors, but Alison Parker and Adam Ward used to appear on the local news, the same news that sometimes included stories about my little town nestled in the lovely Alleghany Highlands.  A friend of mine--almost a relative--had recently been shopping at the mall where the reporter and the cameraman were gunned down by a former colleague seeking some warped vengeance. A friend from another part of the world but familiar with the area where the crime took place commented, "If you aren't safe there, where are you safe?"  His question was rhetorical, but the answer is, "No where." John Donne observed, No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thy friend's Or of thine own were: Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind, And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;  It tolls for thee.  (Emphasis added) I pray for Alison and Adam's families. I pray for the family of shooter.  Their sorrow must be profound. I am aware, though, that what happened this morning in a lovely resort area does not only impact those directly involved.  It has to do with us all. I am reminded that life is short, this world is full of wickedness, and people need the Lord.  Lord, as I hear the bell tolling, announcing that two more children of Adam have been ushered into eternity, help me to hear it not only as a bell ringing the grief of loss, but as an alarm calling me to service.  Lord, You have made your children ambassadors for You.  We get to proclaim that there is reconciliation in Jesus Christ.  There is peace, there is hope, no where else. Oh, faithful and true one, make me faithful to your call. Amen It's STTA.   You can find out about hope in Christ on this page.

Replacement Parts I Won't Need Any More

Something To Think About, Scrap Metal I'll Leave Behind:

My Siblings and I are accumulating quite an array of new parts.  My little brother is having a new hip installed this morning.  Among the four of us we have a couple of bionic knees--with at least one more highly likely--a bunch of screws, some parts for thumbs, and some pieces that look a lot like strips of plumbers strap to me.   I'm thankful.  My mind goes back to my childhood when one of the chores of being on vacation was going to see some of my older relatives.  Several of them were bed-fast with broken hips, others walked with great difficulty.  I figure I'd be there were it not for the wonders of modern medicine.   I pray that my brother does as well with his hip as I have with my knee. The fact is, though, that we Merrells will be done with these various high-dollar after-market parts in just a short time.  We have children and grandkids in need of college tuition, not to mention shoes and backpacks.  Maybe someone would be interested in investing in Merrell spare parts futures.  I'm thinking you could pay us now, for the privilege of selling all this scrap metal later.  Just make sure you have a big truck before you bid.  Obviously, we won't deliver. My wife doesn't even know I'm writing this, yet somehow I can hear her yelling, "No!"  So don't bother to send your bids.  Instead let me give you a tip.  Everything about this life is temporary.  It won't last.  With poetic beauty James reminds us, "[Y]ou do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."  (James 4:14)  It is likely that my titanium will go to the grave with me.  If the Lord takes me without sending me to the undertaker, He'll deal with the scrap metal and plastic as He sees fit.  Vaporize?  Let it hit the ground where I used to walk?  I don't know.  I just know I won't need those parts anymore. When you see a gray haired guy with a long scar on his knee or an athletic lady with her arm in a sling, recovering from shoulder surgery, be reminded that just like those bones and sinews wore out, so is everything else in this world.  If my life consists only of what is down here, I am sure to be disappointed. If you need a new part, or need an old one fixed, go get it taken care of.  But know that all that is part of this world is passing away  (here, here, & here), so make sure you prepare what lies beyond. There is more! It's STTA. You can find out about that which is eternal on this page.

The President, A Little Boy in Africa, & Thousands More Doing God's Work

Something To Think About, Sunday School:

Yesterday a faithful band of folk all around the world stepped up and served the God of Heaven and people all around them with great effectiveness.  One of them is a former President of the United States. Sunday School teachers, what a powerful force they are.  Sunday School began in England.  Robert Raikes began teaching children who worked in the sweatshops.  It was the only education they received.  Sunday was the only day they could attend class.  Raikes' tradition was continued by Thomas Jackson.   Long before he was known as "Stonewall" he was breaking barriers.  Though it was against the law he met with a group of black children each Sunday afternoon.  Among other things he taught them to read. In my time Sunday School has been more spiritual than academic. I look back more than half a Century at people like a sweet lady in Harvey Illinois, though I don't remember her name, she was the first Sunday School teacher I remember.  With her encouragement l memorized the 23 Psalm and received a stapler as a prize.  The little stapler is long gone--though I remember I did cherish it--but the reminder I've carried with me for six decades that the Lord of heaven cares for me has been priceless.   Woody Hanson taught Sunday School when I was in elementary School.  A group of us used to meet in a '49 International bus, where Mr. Hanson taught us.  He helped give me the base on which my faith is founded.  My pastor, who later became my Father-in-law patiently answered questions, often offered not because we wanted to know, but in an attempt to make him squirm.  The fact that he loved us enough to put up with us made a great impression on me.  Sunday SchoolTeachers like Marrieta Sizemore, Sue Livick, Wendy Hinkle, and Tim Morse made a profound difference in the lives of my sons.  Last night I heard my two-year-old granddaughter recite her memory verse.  Even though they don't call it "Sunday School" at her church, she's learning about God and life in Sunday School.  Thanks to her teacher. A friend of mine, a single mom, serves the Lord at an orphanage in Africa.  Recently her son came rushing up to her,  "Mommy Tom, I need a Bible and an Eli Uyo (hymn book). The nursery's teachers are not there, so we are teaching them!"  The News media has made a big deal out of President Carter's faithfulness in teaching Sunday School.  It's not a task that most former world leaders take time for.  That Carter continues to teach though he is being treated for brain cancer is commendable.  What President Carter does in Plains Georgia is no more or less commendable than what a dedicated band of women and men, and at least one little boy, do every week in places big and small all around this globe.  I doubt that one of the President's class members ever honored him as one of my late Mother's students once honored her.  The little guy named his dog, Mrs. Merrell.  It doesn't get any better than that. If you and/or your children have a Sunday School teacher, take time to thank them.  If you don't, why don't you check in this coming Sunday.  From the plains of Africa to Plains Georgia, young and old, unknown and famous, faithful folk are sharing God's word, love and hope. I think we could use some more of that. It's STTA.   You can find several ways on this page to learn the greatest lesson taught in Sunday Schools that are true to God's word.

The Right Way Might Look Wrong

Something To Think About, The Right Way Looking Wrong:

I was traveling on a Pennsylvania highway doing about fifty-five when I saw ahorse and buggy approaching, going in the wrong direction.  Since I don't live in an area that has an Amish or Mennonite community I was a bit surprised to see the horse-drawn vehicle going north on the same side of the road on which I was travelling south.  I'm not sure what is legal at that particular place.  I do know there is a wide paved shoulder there, the places for crossing the road to get on the other side are few and far-between, and both the buggy driver and we who sped by in the opposite direction had plenty of room. I couldn't help but think, though, about the illustration the driver, of what most of consider an outdated rig, gave concerning the way all God's people ought to live.    “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.   For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14) The Amish and some other groups have chosen to live lives that are markedly different than the world around them.  When they dress in the morning, when they light their lamps at dusk, when they go out in their non-motorized vehicles, and in many far more important ways they are continually reminded, and they make clear to others, that they are not going in the same direction as others around them. I'm using a computer, sitting in an air-conditioned house, having just run some errands in my Honda.  I don't believe our faith ought to defined by what we wear or how we travel.  Still, in the ultimate sense, I need to be reminded that God has called me to a different life.  He wants me to be His in a particular way, dedicated to doing good deeds (Titus 2:14).   The Bible tells me that this world is not going they way God wants it to, I need to beware, andI'm not love it.   Last Saturday, it was very obvious that someone had chosen a different direction for their life.  I wonder, today, as people watch me go from place to place, and task to task, will there be anything that indicates to those around me, "Here is a man who has chosen to follow God?" It's STTA.

Putting Others First:

O Henry's wonderful little  tale, The Gift of the Magi, about two people in love has amused, encouraged, and challenged folk for over a century.  If you haven't read the delightful short story, I don't want to spoil it for you.  You might want to stop reading this STTA and come back to it after you read this classic.  You can find a copy, here.  No doubt it is, at least in part, because of William Sydney Porter's--O. Henry's real name--

skill, but in part it is because of what I'm about to tell you, that before I got to the little tales closing lines, my eyes were moist.

 " But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi."  
 

If the temperature is below 99 my wife is convinced that one should open the windows and make-do with the breeze from the ceiling fan.  (A slight exaggeration, but cut me some slack.  I'm

competing with a master, here.)  I, on the other hand, if left to my own "judgment" would run the air conditioner anytime the temperature is above 55.  Yesterday Kathy and I went on an errand of mercy.  We knew we'd be gone six to eight hours.  I didn't know it, but before we left my Lovely made sure the windows were closed and set the AC at a level that she judged would be a good compromise between comfort, primarily mine, when we returned and economy, something at which she excels, while we were gone.  When we returned, while I was occupied in some pre-going-to-bed business, she adjusted the thermostat downward to a temperature she figured would be more to my liking.  Having just heard the weather, and knowing that the night's forecast was a bit less hot and humid than an equatorial rain-forest, and in deference to my wife's economical spirit, I, on my way to joining my bride in bed, turned the AC to off and opened the windows.

You'd think that after forty-three years we'd have it figured out.

I've seen a lot of marriage trouble in my time as pastor, but I've yet to have a wife tell me "I'm leaving him because the house is too cold, or a husband confess I had the affair because we couldn't agree on how to set the thermostat.

When we try to apply the Biblical injunction, "Outdo one another in showing honor." (Romans 12:10, ESV) we might get it wrong, and end up laughing at one another.  But, if more of us were like the James Dillingham Youngs we'd be laughing together.

It's STTA.

Mutually Beneficial Provocation:

Something To Think About, Comfort--It's Over-rated:

There is a cluster of exhortations in Hebrews 10 (you can read here).   At the end of these "Let us . . ." statements is one that can lead to considerable discomfort.   Hold on.  I'm going to start a verse later and back into it. Verse 25 of Hebrews ten is a favorite of preachers.  Any verse that tells people that they ought to come to church has to be popular with those of us who try to fill the pews.  Clearly, though, this verse is about much more than upward-trending attendance numbers.  When we come together we are to be those who are called-along-side-to-say-and-do-what-is-needed.  That is a very lame attempt to get at the basic meaning of the word that is translated, "encourage," or "exhort." The word is a very empathetic term.  A search of its use in the New Testament will reveal a wide range of meanings: to request, appeal, plead, or urge, as well as to exhort, encourage, or comfort.  Perhaps we best get at the meaning of the word by meeting two persons who are known for their ability to do what this word says.  Barnabas, who gave away his resources, reached out in kindness to the newly converted Saul of Tarsus and wanted to give John Mark one more chance, was called a "Son of this word."  Jesus promised that after He went back to heaven, He would send another basically this word.  The Didache, an early Christian book contains an encouragementsimilar to what we have here.  Perhaps it was drawn from this very text. “[B]e frequently gathered together seeking the things which are profitable for your souls." That brings us to this rather uncomfortable exhortation.  Working back from Hebrews 10:25, and clearly that is appropriate here, we find this:   "Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works."  (KJV) We Jesus-followers are to be mutually provocative.  Just be sure you are provoking in the right direction.  By nature that is not a comfortable process.  It would appear that in modern church-world we have it wrong.  We come to church to feel good.  I ought to show up to be provoked. It's STTA.

My Home, My Castle?

Something To Think About, My Home:

"A man's home is his castle." It's a proverb that indicates a person's dominion over their residence--particularly if they are a home owner.  Though often challenged in court and debate, in the United States this concept is a part of our legal system.  Our Bill of Rights prohibits "unreasonable searches and seizures."  Breaking and entering is a crime.   Men--the male of the species--are apt to quote the proverb with bluster.  "I call the shots, here.  I'm master in this house."  Women knowingly smile.  Part of the means by which they run things--in a Proverbs 31 sort of way--is to let we men think we are in control.  If we men really were in control our homes probably would be more castle-like, even resembling fortresses.  The women folk, it appears to me, are less interested in a home being a citadel and more interested in making it a palace.  We guys would build turrets; the fairer sex is more interested in coordinating the color of tower with the rest of the wall. A problem is both men and women are infected by sin.  High on the list of "What's wrong with us:" is selfishness.  Our home is a place where that sin, we condemn in others but excuse in ourselves is likely to flourish.  A desire for security can mutate into isolation, and an attitude of indifference or even hostility to those out there, on the other side of my moat.  Likewise self-expression and aesthetics can become the justification for extravagance and self-indulgence.  He can't be bothered with others, while she doesn't want others bothering her stuff. One of the virtues that the Bible extols is hospitality--"He must enjoy having guests in his home" (1 Timothy 3:2, NLT),  is one of the qualifications for church leadership.  It is likewise a desirable trait among the led (see here).  More important than my door keeping others out is my door being open to those I can help.  Rather than ask, "Does my welcome mat look like the picture in the magazine?"  I need to be concerned about whether Matt and Maddie are welcome.  As I write this I am blessed by being a guest in a lovely home.  It does look nice, but far more important it feels nice. Lord, my home is one of my greatest investments.  Help me to use it for your glory. It's STTA. You can find out our home in heaven and how to get there here.

On my anniversary, I'm thankful for that which is dependable.

Something To Think About, That which is solid:

My life has been remarkably stable--"boring," some would say.  I was privileged to serve as pastor of Covington Bible Church for all of my career.  I live in the same house where my bride and I settled some forty-two years ago.  On one side I've even had the same neighbors all that time.  As is inevitable, down here on this earth, though, change has accelerated, recently.  My job has changed.  I signed up for medicare.  I have a new knee.  The gradual changes that come with hanging around for sixty-five years have accumulated to the point that they can't be ignored.  More and more I find myself thinking of a loved-one or friend and remind myself that they are no longer with us.   Granted the scientists who did the study neglected to considersome information from outside the system, but, still, the observation they made is accurate.  If left to itself the world is running down (here).  Don't go out and buy extra blankets though, at the present rate of decline the lights will stay on for a long time.  Still the study is a macro illustration of what I observe in the micro of my life.  Change is inevitable.  Left to itself this momentum of mutation is not taking us in a positive direction. Warning: hard turn here, but I'm still on course: This morning while my lovely wife was out walking, I fixed breakfast.  When she returned we enjoyed the meal together.  We've been sharing breakfasts and life for forty-three years.  Next to my relationship with the Lord being married to Kathy is one of few steady states in my life.  As the pace of change surges I find it more important than ever to hold on to that which is reliable. I look around in my world and see that folk are abandoning what is secure.  They plant their feet firmly on a board that is surfing the latest big wave.  Just over the horizon is a tsunami ready to consume the current breaker as if it were but the ripple from a stone tossed into the surf.  As I see change in me and in my world, I am wonderfully thankful that there is that which doesn't change.  I'm grateful to my Lord, but today I say, "Thank you, Kathy.  Your love has been solid in the midst of the shifting reality of life." For the rest of you . . . It's STTA. You can find out more about the one completely solid relationship here.

Get the beam out!

Something To Think About, Seeing Clearly:

If you were sitting on a hillside listening--in the same time and place--to Jesus Christ, God the Son, preach a sermon, would you dare laugh? I think it would be hard to suppress a chuckle when Jesus using masterful hyperbole and ruthless ridicule of some of the religious leaders of His day said:   “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3–4)     The scene is ludicrous.  Yet, ridiculous as it is, the cartoon is played out in real life every day.   "Guilty as charged."  says the STTA guy. Let's think about this lumber in the eye for a moment.  In the context of Jesus Sermon on the Mount, He identifies the species of fence post this way:   In Matthew 7:1 He introduces His point with these often misquoted, and more often misunderstood words.  "Judge not."  Those who cherry pick these words to use as a shield against any criticism neglect to note that Jesus goes on, in the same breath to condemn this 2x4 in the optical syndrome.  If one is to apply what Jesus says in the rest of the chapter he must exercise judgment.  Jesus does not say to ignore the speck in a brother's eye.  Clearly one reason we ought to rid ourselves of excess lumber is so our sight will be clear enough to actually help our brother who really does need to be rid of the splinter in his own eye.  (v.5)  If we are not to put holy things in the dog's dish or throw our pearls into the hog pen we must first recognize the sacred, properly identify the precious, and make a roster of dogs and hogs.  (v. 6) Those are highly judgmental activities.  I'll let you peruse the rest of the chapter.  You'll find a number of commands and exhortations that require the exercise of judgment.  Even the"Golden Rule," v. 12, requires one to decide, based on how one concludes he would want to be treated--surely in the context of the words of Christ this cannot be "if it feels good do it"--and then treat the other person that way.  What if they have a warped view of what is good and want to be treated differently?  The application of this very charitable principle can be highly judgmental. While Jesus is not giving a blanket condemnation of all judgment, He does come down hard on hypocritical judgment.  When I judge another based on a standard that I will not accept for myself I am on the wrong side of Christ's standard.  Like the Pharisees we have gotten good at this.  You can get some idea of how the Pharisees did this, by reading Matthew 23.  The Apostle Paul condemns a version of this in 2 Corinthians 10:12.  We get very good at hiding our worst faults, and shining a light on what we perceive as the faults of others.  We do the reverse about virtues.  We find ways to explain away our sin--it's different, there are extenuating circumstances, etc. etc.--while we allow no cover for others. The result is we end up attempting the delicate procedure of removing splinters from eyes, with our vision grotesquely blocked with enough wood to build a porch.   It's STTA.

Un-blurring My Vision: Getting Self Out of the Way

Something To Think About, Un-blurring My Vision:

"Boy, did I get that wrong!" If you are like me, and I figure you are, you have often come to that conclusion in your dealings with people.  We are like someone looking at the world through a smudged lens. In Romans 12:3 the Apostle Paul diagnoses one of the causes of blurred vision and prescribes a remedy.   For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)    The Apostle uses a play on words that is tough to reproduce in translation.  Some form of the word phronein, think or mind, is found four times in this verse.  "Don't hyper-think; be level-headed."  All the translations I looked at indicate that what we ought to not over-think is ME--don't think more aboutyourself more than you ought to think.  This focus is made clear as we read the verses that follow.  When I view others around me asking, "What can they do for me, or what have they/might they/could they do for me?"  Or, "How can I use them to better myself?"  I'm looking through a lens smeared with the grease of selfishness.  "Don't do that." the Apostle counsels. Instead, think soberly.  "Hello, my name is Howard.  I'm addicted to thinking too highly of myself.  It's a bit complicated but Paul tells us that our thinking ought to be calibrated by faith.  In this context faith describes the way in which we are able to have a right relationship with the Lord.  Part of that new God-me relationship is the fact that God has gifted me so that I can "[b]e devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor."  (Romans 12:10)   More than half a century ago President Kennedy famously captured the thought, "Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country."   This is a metric that is often emphasized in Scripture. See Jesus' words known as theGolden Rule, Hissummary of the spirit of the law. or the example the Lord, Himself established in His coming to earth.   In our self-obsessed world the Bible challenges us to look on others with love--best defined as a determination to do that which will bring the highest good for the object of affection.  Think John 3:16. If you are like me, and, again, I figure you are, we've got some lens cleaning to do.    It's STTA.

Something To Think About, Blurry Vision:

It was a foggy day at the beach, where my family recently gathered for vacation.  The one souvenir my wife wanted to bring home from our gathering was a family photo.  Everyone packed the appropriate clothing.  We showed up at the appointed time.  The camera was set on ten-second delay and fog or no fog, Kathy got her picture. It would be a good time to use an "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." or "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," cliche'.     Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor fog of day stays grandma from getting her picture. But the truth is there wasn't any fog.  It was late.  A storm was on its way.  In our hurry I didn't notice that the lens on my camera was smudged--probably sun-screen.  When we quickly looked at the pictures, we just thought the view-screen was fogged by the humidity.  The lightning was flashing, so I took the baby--it's what grandpas do--and headed to the house. There are lots of ways I see things that aren't really there.  I suspect I'm not alone.  Here are just a few of smudges that cause our view to be skewed. Prejudice--"Don't confuse with me with the facts.  My mind is already made up. Projection--like when I project the way I think and feel onto you, and assume that is how you think, and feel. Pack-think--allowing my thoughts to be shaped by "my group" or by the way all "those people" are..   Perspective-blindness--that's when I assume that I am the completely unbiased viewer, and that my perspective is completely objective.  This is never true. Lord, sharpen my vision.  May I see things the way they really are, not the way my out of focus perception sees them. AMEN Stay tuned.  Lord  willing, tomorrow, I'll offer some lens cleaning suggestions. It's STTA.