Do You Really Believe That Stuff?

Not long ago---just before I retired from full time employment---my boss came to work with me for two hectic days.  I was a sales rep for an equipment manufacturer and I traveled heavily.  I picked him up at the airport and we began our journey---a pounding drive that would take us to three states and seven sales calls.

We were scarcely on the highway when he reached over and picked up a little 1 1/2" high silver cross I keep in the storage area of my car, where it was intermingled with some loose change.  He stared at it a second before flipping it back into the coinage.

"You believe that stuff?", he probed.

I paused a few seconds, trying to consider why he would ask such a question.  I sensed that he was possibly struggling with his own faith.

"Yes", I answered.  "Why do you ask?"

Now it was his turn to get in touch with his true self.  "Well, I dunno......It just seems so far-fetched".

"What seems far-fetched?"

"Well....you know....all that Adam and Eve stuff and that Ark story and Jesus coming back to life.......You don't really believe that stuff really happened, do you?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well.........there isn't any proof any of that happened."

"Look, Joe (I'll call him Joe)---What do you know about the Christian religion?"

"Well, my wife and I took our children to church for a few years---until they were teenagers, because we thought it would be good for them.  But I am no expert on religion.  I never could get past the fact that the bible seems to be just one big short story book and the stories are all like hocus pocus stuff that can't be verified or proven."

This conversation continued for the entire time we were together.  It was obvious to me that the man was struggling with his faith.  In short, if he couldn't see something with his own eyes or read a scientific investigation of it that proved its existence, he was unable to allow himself to believe.

I quietly did my best to point out that Christians "live by faith, not by sight", as the apostle Paul wrote (2 Corinthians 5:7).  I made sure Joe understood what this meant...that if one truly believes, one will truly see.  This was hard for Joe to grasp.  I mentioned "faith" over and over, and we discussed what that word means.

The discussion was long and the discussion was pleasing to me.  I know God put Joe in that car with me for two days because Joe was struggling with his faith, and God wanted me to help Joe.

I recall the last words I said to Joe upon returning home---the words of Jesus after he had returned to the disciples following the resurrection:  "Blessed are those who have seen and believe.  More blessed are those who have come to believe and have not seen."  (John 20:29)

I only saw Joe one more time---a brief encounter right before my retirement.  I do not know where Joe ended on his journey of seeking his faith.  But I am thankful to God for giving me the chance to perhaps make a small difference to another pilgrim seeking salvation.

Facing Your Giants

I was up early. I was looking forward to my Tuesday morning meeting with my tight-knit group of men friends for our prayer breakfast.  It seemed I got stopped at every stop light on my way, but I still arrived at the Corner Bakery ahead of everyone else at 6:45.

Aaaahhhhhhh!......My First Hot, Strong Mug Of Black Coffee

Bill and Chuck couldn't make it today, but Terry, Darrel, Paul and Michael joined me.  Most of them ordered a paninni to go with their morning joe, but I was content to make quiet love to my mug of hot, bubbly, strong black coffee as we chatted.

Max Lucado's Book Tells Us How To Beat The Unbeatable Giants in Our Lives

After catching up on what we all had been doing since we last met, we began our discussion of the first two chapters of Max Lucado's book, "Facing Your Giants".

Michael Brought His NOOK, With "Facing Your Giants" Downloaded and Stored

This is a wonderful read.  We began by recounting the story of David and his battle with Goliath.  Mr Lucado points out that this complete mismatch would have been over with very quickly except for one deciding factor:  David's complete disregard for Goliath and his complete faith in God.

In short, when we put our faith in God and not in our own "abilities", we allow miracles to happen in our lives. 

Goliath was a seemingly unbeatable giant.  What are the unbeatable giants in your life?

Does Prayer Really Work?

When a strip joint opened just down the road from the Nazareth Baptist Church in Bishop, Oklahoma, the enraged congregation tried every way they knew to have the establishment legally closed down.

After talking with the mayor, the town council and the chief of police, they found that there really was no legal way to make the sex business close.

So, the congregation turned to prayer, asking the Lord to intervene on their behalf and shut the strip club down by Providence.

Three days later, at 2:00 AM, a raging fire destroyed the strip club completely. 

The congregation, of course, was happy that their prayer had been answered, and that no one had been injured in the inferno, and were proud to tell everyone who would listen that God had intervened on their behalf.

But, the owner of the strip club was not stupid.  He got lawyered up and sued the Baptist church for asking God to destroy the club.

The church lawyer responded by stating unequivocably that the church congregation had had nothing whatever to do with the fire that destroyed the building, and that it was not possible that their prayer had caused the fire.

After deliberating the case, the judge stated that, while she did not approve in any fashion of the kind of business in which the strip club engaged, it was very curious to her that "Here we have a church, whose members obviously believe in God and the power of prayer, who now deny the possibility of God's intervention on their behalf after He had answered their prayer."

Christmas Presents....

Over the years, our country has allowed Christmas Day to evolve into a shameful orgy of gift-giving.  I don't think I know anyone who would disagree with this.  Of course, I freely admit that for many years I was a part of the problem.  If you have children, you want them to feel the love of the holiday, and you do not want them to be looked upon as less fortunate than their friends.

Fortunately, I am older now, and (hopefully) wiser.  All those gifts we gave our children over the years did not in any way make them better people or, more importantly, bring them closer to God or foster a relationship with Jesus.

To this day, I recall the Christmas of 1954.  I was ten years old.  And my parents, trying their best to make sure I had a wonderful day, spent much more money than they could afford to give me a great Christmas.  They gave me a set of World Book encyclopedias.  I later found out that this set of books cost them $100.  This was a very large amount of money 56 years ago.  There were other gifts, as well.  I thought I had a very nice Christmas until I went outside and found out that my friend Walter had got a football and a BB gun; and my friend Tony had got a baseball, bat and glove.  In my wisdom and maturity I stomped inside the house and informed my parents that I had been "gypped".  My dad would have killed me on the spot if my mom had not intervened.

Years later, I asked my dad what kind of gifts his family gave each other when he was a boy.  He said they usually gave things like fruit---apples, oranges and bananas and such.  He said they had wonderful Christmases back then, and no one even thought about gifts that much.  The day was more about Jesus and celebrating Him.

My, how far we've come!  Here is hoping we can begin to return to celebrating Christmas for the right reasons. 

The fact is, I neither need nor want anything for Christmas in the way of gifts.  Most of the people I know have no real needs, either.  The bottom line for me is this:  God has given me far more in this world than I deserve, and I shall be thanking Him for that on Christmas Day, just as I do every other day.

The Armor of God....

It is 5:00 AM, and even with the "falling back" of the clock on this Sunday morning, it is very dark outside as I begin my morning walk.

The night is quiet and still and cold and clear.  I am clothed in my full length jogging pants and a double layered shirt.  I am wearing gloves for the first time since last winter.

My pace quickens and becomes a steady drumbeat against the pavement.  In the magic of the early morning, my thoughts turn to the Lord.  The wonder of it all.  All of His grace that has enabled an undeserving soul like me to achieve happiness and fulfillment.  And the knowledge that all we have to do to be saved is to believe, confess, ask forgiveness, have faith, and love God and love our neighbor.  The wonder of it all.

For me, the hardest thing is loving my neighbor (Who is my neighbor?---everyone!).  All day long---everyday---it seems that rudeness and arrogance and just plain meanness are all around us.  At home.  At work. On the highway.  At church.

My thoughts turn to Ephesians 6:10-18.  What beautiful words to address this problem of Satan in our relationships!

Especially verse 12--- "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

And then, verse 11:  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

Thank you, Paul!  Arriving home in the stillness, I have wrapped His armor around me, and I am ready to meet the day.

Fanny Crosby

Francis Jane Crosby was born in New York in 1820.  She was 16 years old when she saw the fall of the Alamo and Texas' rise to independence.  Then, she saw that terrible period in American history known as the Civil War.  Then, she saw the rise of America as a world power.  And all of those wonderful inventions she saw---the automobile, the radio, the light bulb, the airplane.

But, oh...sadly, Francis Jane Crosby, better known to her adoring admirers as "Fanny", didn't really see any of that.  She was blinded by a quack physician when she was just a toddler.

In later years, she would often remark that she was glad God had chosen to make her blind, because it helped her develop that talent that defined her.  She began to show that talent at an early age, when, as a young schoolgirl, she wrote:

I loathe, abhor, it makes me sick,
To hear the word, arithmetic!

Fanny Crosby went on to become the most prolific of Christan hymn writers, penning over 8,000 Christian songs.  Her most famous, of course, is "Blessed Assurance".  Indeed, on her tombstone in Bridgeport, Connecticut are inscribed these words:

Blessed Assurance---Jesus is Mine!

Fanny Crosby died in 1915 at the age of 95.  During her lifetime, she became one of the most famous Americans.  She counted presidents of the U. S. and foreign leaders as her personal friends.

One of my favorite of her hymns is "Near the Cross".  I hope you like it.

Jesus keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvry's mountain.

Chorus:

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever.
'Til my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me.
There, the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Chorus

Near the cross, oh Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me.
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadows o'er me.

Chorus

Near the cross I'll watch and wait
Hoping, trusting ever,
'TilI I reach that golden strand
Just beyond the river.

The Picnic....

We had a Sunday school picnic. They said, "Be at the park at 4:30 Saturday. Bring your supper and we'll furnish the tea."

Well, I came home at the last minute, and when I got ready to pack my lunch, all I could find in the refrigerator was one dried up piece of bologna and just enough mustard in the bottom of the jar so that I got it all over my knuckles when I tried to get it out.

And there were just two stale pieces of bread. So.......I made my bologna sandwich and wrapped it in a brown paper bag and took off for the picnic.

When it came time to eat, I sat at the end of the table and took out my sandwich. But the people next to me, well---the lady was a good cook. And she had cooked all day and she had fried chicken and potato salad and baked beans and home made rolls and sliced tomatoes and stuffed celery and deviled eggs and pickles and olives---and to top it off, two great big homemade chocolate pies.

And they spread it all out beside me, and there I was---with my bologna sandwich.

But they said to me, "Why don't we just put it all together?"

"Oh, no---I couldn't do that---I couldn't even think of it"---and I was embarrassed.

"Oh, come on.......there's plenty of chicken and pie---plenty of everything---and we just LOVE bologna sandwiches. Let's just put it all together."

So I did. And there I sat. Eating like a king when I came like a pauper.

And I get to thinking. I think of ME---sharing in the very being of God. When I think of how little I bring, and how much He brings---and that He invites me to share.

I know I should be shouting from the house tops, but I'm so filled with awe and wonder that I can hardly be heard.

I know I don't have enough love or faith or grace or mercy or wisdom---but He has.

He has all those things in abundance, and He says, "Let's just put it all together. Everything that I possess is available to you. Everything that I am and can be to a person, I will be to you."

And, when I think about it like that, it really amuses me---to see somebody running around through life hanging on to their dumb bag and their stale bologna sandwich---saying "God's not gonna get MY sandwich, no siree---not mine!"

Did you ever see anybody like that? Just so needy and about half starved to death, hanging on for dear life?

It's not that He needs your sandwich.

You need His chicken.