Satan = Weak

Satan had it going pretty good up until about the time Jesus was baptized and received the Holy Spirit. Satan had plenty of Demons and they could live in anybody they wanted to with few restrictions. Satan had turned one of the 12 disciples (Judas) who would do whatever Satan wanted and Satan had received permission to test Peter who failed the test and denied Jesus three times. Satan did have a setback in his failure to induce Jesus to sin and his demons were starting to be exorcised. But he did have Judas in his pocket and was about to chop Peter’s legs out from under him hoping to destroy him with depression and inaction after his failure. Satan also was in control of the Chief Priest and the Jewish rulers and even though he hadn’t been able to tempt Jesus he was going to have the son of God… killed. So, all-in-all, Satan must have been pretty happy with himself. Little did he know that he was playing right into God’s hands and in killing Jesus allowed God to restore life to Jesus and hope to humanity and to limit Satan’s powers and effectiveness by the giving of His Holy Spirit to those who believed. Don’t be afraid of Satan we have God. Thank you God for what you did.

Homosexuality is a Sin

I see a lot of people on the media talking about different “brands” of Christianity… That there is a homosexual brand of Christianity that allows the active practice of homosexuality and the Bible is so vague about homosexuality that it could easily be interpreted one way or the other. The reality is that God’s position about Homosexuality is as clear as God’s position on murder. Romans 1:26-27… “… In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion” Could God have made his position on Homosexuality any more clear? This position about a homosexual “brand” of Christianity does not come from God but comes from the enemy of God. 2 Corinthians 11:14 “… for Satan masquerades as an Angel…” Don’t be fooled.

The Elephant in the Room

One of the last verbal exchanges Jesus had with Peter was when he told Peter he would deny him three times.

The last non-verbal communication Jesus had with Peter was when the rooster crowed and Jesus made eye contact with Peter. Message sent and received.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection Jesus meets with Peter again… nothing is ever said about Peter’s rejection of Jesus… directly. However, some of the last words Jesus directs toward Peter are found in John 21 where Jesus asks Peter three times “Peter do you truly love me”. Peter answers in the affirmative each time but is “hurt” that Jesus keeps asking the same question.

Jesus never said anything directly about Peter’s three fold denial of Jesus but I believe Jesus got the message across when he induced Peter to affirm three fold his love for Jesus.

Jesus is in Control

Jesus and the Jewish leadership had the same idea… the Jewish leadership planned to arrest Jesus and kill him at the Passover feast and Jesus planned to give himself up and die at the Passover feast.

Jesus was in complete control over the events that surrounded his arrest, interrogation and death. Jesus planned the exact day he was going to die… Thursday, the 14th day of Nisan (Jewish calendar), the day when the Passover lamb was to be killed for the sins of Israel would be the same day Jesus would be killed for the sins of the world.

Jesus knew the exact hour that he would die and instead of his life ebbing from his body and slipping into unconsciousness, Jesus with a strong voice announced his death, stating, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”. Then he bowed his head and died well before he was expected to die.

The Jewish murderers of Jesus thought they were in control of everything but instead were in control of nothing. Their efforts to preserve their political standing with the Roman government by eliminating Jesus would have the opposite effect. Forty years later in AD 70, God would send the Roman armies to annihilate the Jews in retribution for their rejection of Jesus. Remember… God is in control of everything.

Emilio Sanchez Funeral

We were able to go to the viewing for Emilio and his funeral. The viewing was more emotional… Tabby and Trey both got up and said some things about their Dad. Of course, we dismissed services at the building on Wednesday evening and had our service at the funeral home. Walker led singing and David had some very fine scripturally based things to say about Emilio. If we had kept the service at the building that would have been like studying the theory of Christianity… By having it at the funeral home it was more like practicing Christianity, i.e. comforting some of our grieving members.

Most of you know that the Sanchez family had been through some trying times. Emilio and Liz divorced and both remarried. Emilio divorced his second wife about the time he was diagnosed with cancer. From that moment in time Liz took over primary care of Emilio. After all she said Emilio was the father of her children. She either took him to the doctors, to MD Anderson or to San Antonio for treatment or she recruited people to do it for her. She made sure he was eating right and made sure he was taking his medications. She even moved him into the apartment complex she managed so he could be closer to receive better care. All of this with the consent of her second husband… Such incredible people.

I got to visit Emilio some but David Smitherman did more. During the last six months of his life Emilio was penitent and worked to repair the damage to God and to his family. I’m convinced that he’s with God even now.

I was impressed with all the cops at the funeral. I’ll bet there were about 150-200. Many of them filed down the aisle and one after another paid their respects at the coffin and then to the family. All dressed in their dress uniforms with their side arms on their belts… Somber faced working men… a brother-hood of cops. Our Christian-hood was there as well, soldiers of Christ paying our last respects to our fellow soldier in Christ and to his family… our family.

Remember Emilio and don’t forget to care and comfort for his children… Trey and Tabby.

I’ll never forget Emilio because we share a day… Nov 17 the day he was reborn is also my birthday. God bless you Emilio.

The Parable of the The Athletic Club

There were three men who were plagued with being over-weight and its attended side effects; Type II Diabetes, Cardiovascular problems and just not being able to live the kind of lives physically that they wanted to.

They all three joined a gym. The first one started controlling his diet and seven days a week was on the Elliptical machine. By the end of the year he had lost all his weight, his Diabetes went away and his Cardiovascular symptoms were greatly improved. He had a problem though… he had not done anything to improve the quality of his muscles and looked like a walking stick. He was still physically weak.

The second guy changed his diet and was drinking and eating a lot of protein and limiting his carbs and fats. He spent all his time lifting weight and building muscle mass. At the end of the year he had transformed himself… his diabetes went away and his Cardiovascular symptoms were improved. His problem though was he was almost grotesque in the muscle mass he had accumulated and with the smallest amount of exertion got “winded”. He had neglected doing “cardio.”

The third guy listened to his trainer and on even days lifted weights and on odd days did his cardio. At the end of the year he was the perfect combination of form and function. His Diabetes and cardiovascular symptoms went away and physically he could do what he wanted.

The parable is this. All three guys had lived their lives without God. Their spiritual health was near zero. They determined to change that and went looking for God visited three different churches.

The first church emphasized Bible study but gave no encouragement or example in interacting with sinners and performing works of service. Its members by and large were giants in Bible knowledge but midgets in works of service, i.e. the skinny guy.

The second church emphasized works and were socially active but had minimal Bible study and doctrinally accepted anything. They were by and large giants in works of service but midgets in the knowledge of God, i.e. the muscle bound guy.

The third church took a balanced approach. They emphasized Bible study but also encouraged, by word and by example, works of service. It had an incredibly symbiotic effect. Works of service helped in the understanding of God’s word and created an individual that mimicked Jesus Christ himself… perfect in form and in function. Who do you want to be?

Lead Wisely

Proverbs 31:1-9. This section of scripture contains words (chosen by the Holy Spirit) that are the words of a mother giving advice to her son who is a King… King Lemuel. She tells him (among other things) not to drink “wine or strong drink”. The reason is that the King might forget what has been decreed in the laws of the land and give a judgment that is incorrect and oppresses the innocent. She does not warn him not to get drunk but to avoid “wine and strong drink”. The text goes on to say that “wine and strong drink” has its place. Namely, to aid those who are dying and need relief from pain and to help those who are in “bitter distress” We’re a little short on Kings nowadays but I think these verses have application for leaders of the family. Fathers/husbands, after all, have the responsibility to lead the family and to make wise decisions for their families. Leading a family is a man’s greatest responsibility it is given to him by God. Anything that might compromise that responsibility including “wine and strong” drink should be avoided so that we don’t displease God and bring harm to our families. Husbands listen closely to the wise words of King Lemuel’s mother and lead your families wisely.

Of Swords and Fighting

Imagine the scene… Jesus Christ at night in the garden of Gethsemane juxtapositioned between two groups of highly agitated men armed with swords. On one side his own followers who have already stated that they are willing to die for him or follow him to prison.

On the other side are the soldiers of the Jewish authority also equipped with swords and clubs ready to take Jesus by force if necessary.

Judas, apparently in an attempt to appear innocent, identifies Jesus with a pre-arranged signal… a kiss. Jesus foils Judas’ attempt at secret betrayal by revealing Judas’ true intent to everyone observing. Then he asks the armed soldiers who they are looking for and upon receiving their answer unashamedly and without fear identifies himself as “Jesus of Nazareth”… So much for the need for betrayal.

The soldiers seize Jesus. Peter and the disciples are ready to fight asking, “Shall we attack with our swords?” Two armed highly agitated groups of men ready to start fighting each other… A fire ready to erupt just waiting for a spark. And then Peter not waiting for Jesus’ answer draws his sword and strikes and draws first blood. Aha… the spark.

Quickly Jesus turns to his disciples to diffuse the situation and tells them “no more of this”. He heals the man who was struck and then turns his attention to his captors and chides them for their methods of arresting him secretly and their threat of force with “swords and clubs”. Jesus, the master of every situation, calms both groups down.

Jesus goes with his captors peacefully and his disciples scatter upon the four winds. Moments before this scene Jesus had been praying privately in great sorrow and anguish that God would spare him the torture that he had to go through. God sent an Angel to strengthen Jesus and even though Jesus’ disciples offered him a way out by fighting for him Jesus knew the course he had to follow.

I admire the disciples for being willing to “fight to the death” for Jesus. What they didn’t know was that they would “serve to the death” for Jesus the Christ. I also admire Jesus for paying the full price in giving up his life. Can we give anything less in return?

Don't Get Drunk

Ephesians 5:15-21

The letter to the Ephesians contains Paul’s instructions to the Christians who lived in the city of Ephesus as to how to live their lives as Christians. Christians are supposed to live humble lives that serve others and not proud lives that serves self.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”

Christians must live their lives carefully and wisely consider the results of their actions.

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery”

Debauchery means… extreme indulgence in sensual pleasures. Drunkenness is self- serving. It feeds our desire to have a good time and make idiots of ourselves. Drunkenness leads to sexual exploitation of ourselves and others. It is a destructive behavior.

“Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Instead of being filled with alcohol we should be filled with the Spirit of God which leads to non-destructive behaviors… behaviors that build others. Being filled with the Spirit of God leads us to sing about God, to remember him and build a spirit of thankfulness. Be careful how you live, don’t place yourself in an atmosphere of drunkenness. Surround yourself with spiritual people so you can be spiritual.

Making Grapes

Prior to his crucifixion Jesus had a long conversation with his disciples. He was preparing them for when he would be gone and for what their duties would be after he was gone.

In, John 15:1-8, he told them that he had some expectations of them… they would need to be productive. He explained this by comparing them to grape vines. In the vineyard the master gardener evaluated the productivity of different branches of the grape plant. If a branch was not productive it would be removed. If a branch was producing a lot of grapes it could be pruned so that it would produce even more grapes. God is the gardener. Jesus is the plant. We are the branches.

One can be a grape branch that is producing a lot of leaves, is robust and is pleasing to the eye. One can also be a grape branch that may not have many leaves but is loaded up with grapes.

God is not interested in people who just look like good Christians. Our works of service to others is the most beautiful thing to him. Let’s make some grapes.

Shall We Sin?

Ephesians 4:17-19, describes the lifestyle of those who had rejected the teachings about Jesus.

- Their thinking was confused

- Their understanding was clouded

- They were excluded from the blessings of God because of their ignorance.

- They were hard headed

- They became callous and as a result engaged in every form of “sensuality” and “impurity”

These are also characteristics of people today. They reject God because they are unwilling to give up their… sexual misconduct, alcoholism, drug use and other forms of “sensuality” and “impurity”.

Even so called Christians confuse themselves by believing the lie that it is OK to sin every once in a while and God’s grace will cover whatever sins that we might occasionally engage in. God calls for us to hate sin and ruthlessly eliminate it from our lives. We are in fact to transform ourselves into the very picture of Jesus Christ.

Don’t let our society confuse you about how to live. Look with clarity into God’s revealed word and receive all his blessings.

Spiritual Cripple or Spiritual Giant?

On the occasion of Jesus taking the Last Supper with the twelve disciples, Jesus informs Peter that Satan has asked for permission to “test” Peter. Jesus granted that permission and told Peter that he would not pass the “test”. That, in fact, despite Peters assertion that he was willing to die for Jesus or be imprisoned with him, Peter would do neither of those things but would, In fact, deny that he even knew Jesus. Jesus, additionally, informed Peter that even though he was going to fail… his faith did not need to fail and he had prayed to God that it would not. Furthermore he charged Peter with strengthening the other disciples after his failure. A few points… Satan saw a weakness in Peter and wanted the opportunity to exploit it. Jesus granted that because he knew Peter would be made stronger for it. Sometimes failure can lead to a loss of faith. Satan wins twice; he wins by creating an episode for failure and he wins when we become so despondent by our failure that our faith becomes crippled. And then we need a spiritual ”handicapped parking sticker”. There are three medicines for faith problems that Jesus employed 1) He predicted Peter’s failure. That’s huge. If someone wiser can identify the results of unrighteous behavior for an individual, the individual can look back on those words and think “if only I had listened”. 2) Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. Christians should be active in their prayer on behalf of others. It worked for Peter and it can work for your loved ones. 3) Jesus gave Peter a job to do… strengthen the other disciples. Wait a minute, wasn’t Peter the one who needed to be strengthened? Yes he was but we are made stronger when we are helping others. Know someone whose faith has been crippled? Get them back to work for God. Work makes us strong. Sitting on our rear ends makes us weak. Satan’s tests can make us stronger even if we fail them. They did for Peter and Jesus allowed those tests because he needed for Peter to be stronger. He needs for us to be stronger too.

Good Neighbors: Borrowing and Lending

I’ve reaches the age where I don’t really like to borrow things from people. Oh, I’m a good lender… and if you borrow from me I’ll make you feel like I’m your best friend… but me borrowing… that’s a different story.

Today I was riding my lawnmower and noticed that it was gouging my yard. I didn’t really want to go buy another lawn mower so I called my friend Juan. Juan repairs small engines and he and I have developed a friendship. He’s one of the few people I will borrow from. So I called Juan and told him about my problem and asked him if he had a riding lawnmower I could rent. Juan replied, “I’ve got one you can use”. That’s Juan-talk for he won’t take any money.

I mowed my two acres with Juan’s riding mower and when I was finished I blew all the dust off of it, sprayed it down with a pressure washer and filled the gas tank up all the way. I’m returning that mower better than I received it. That’s being a good neighbor. Be a good neighbor when you borrow something. Don’t return borrowed equipment back with only one drop of gasoline left in it and so caked with dirt you can’t recognize it.

I know Juan won’t take money from me but I’ll tell him something like… “take your wife out to eat on me” or if that doesn’t work I’ll give him some flea products for his dogs (he’s got 14 of them). Good friends take care of each other.

Problems with the Disciples

Jesus had a big problem… his disciples. He had chosen them, lived with them, instructed them and prepared them for the day when they would be without him but even on the brink of his crucifixion they still a nagging issue that plagued them. Let’s look at the record to see what the issue was. The day after Jesus was Transfigured on the mountain the disciples were arguing with each other about which one of them was the greatest. To be fair, Jesus might have played a role in that. After all he invited only Peter, James and John to go up on the mountain with him. Nevertheless, Jesus on this occasion taught the disciples that if they truly wanted to be great they would have to be servants to each other. It didn’t really sink in. A few days later two of the Transfiguration attendants, James and John, approached Jesus and asked for the two highest of positions in Jesus’ Kingdom… to sit at his right and left sides. When the other disciples heard about this they became very indignant. Jesus again calmed the storm by stating that if they wanted to be great they had to serve each other. Still it didn’t really sink in. At the Last Supper when Jesus informed them that one of them would betray him they started wondering who it might be and then that discussion morphed into a discussion on… you guessed it… who would be the greatest… Division and acrimony between the disciples just days before he would be crucified. Again Jesus answered with his same answer. If you want to be great then you must learn to be servants. But then Jesus did something truly magnificent. He got on his hands and knees and washed twelve pair of feet. What words alone had not been able previously to accomplish was accomplished now with words reinforced by action. Never again would the disciples argue about who was the greatest. Finally Jesus was able to pray to the Father that his disciples would have a oneness with each other that mimicked the oneness between Jesus the Son and God the Father. A oneness that would be the primary evidence that Jesus came from God. Imagine, if the disciples had been continually trying to one up each other and to exert authority over each other, what the church would look like. Thank God for his transforming message and its effect on his Apostles.

Big Weekend... Very Big.

It was a big weekend in Houston at my mom’s house. Scott, Greg and I met up at mom’s house to meet up with my cousin Mark Perkins who had some appointments at MD Anderson for his cancer therapy. While we were in Houston Scott’s two youngest were baptized into Christ. Charlie and Charlotte have been talking about being baptized and my brother Greg is an essential ingredient in that recipe. He has done a lot for them spiritually including financing their way to FC Camp. It’s quite an interesting story.

Thursday afternoon we went to a gym and were playing Volleyball and Basketball. We met a young man named Seth who had known Greg from FC Camps (Greg is a counselor at the junior camp). He has been in Houston for a week and would be attending at Bellaire Church of Christ. OK? Park that piece of information for a moment.

That night we ate at Pappadeaux’s we had an engaging young waitress and when she served our meal Mark asked her if she would like to pray with us and asked me to lead the prayer. During the course of the meal Mark started talking to her about Jesus and she accepted an invitation to come to mom’s house for a Bible study. Lo and behold she showed up the next day and Mark did his lesson “The Big Picture”. Greg commented to her that she was very daring to come to a stranger’s house for a Bible study and she replied she had been praying to God for help and saw it as an answer to her prayers. She was not ready to make a commitment at that time because, as she put it, she had some things in her life she wasn’t ready to give up yet.

The next day, Greg, Scott and I were working outside on some projects that mom had for us and Mark did his Bible study with Charlie and Charlotte. To be fair, Charlie and Charlotte had been talking about being baptized but hesitated to because they didn’t have a way to church. After the lesson Mark came to where we were and said that Charlie and Charlotte wanted to be baptized but were hesitant because they didn’t have a way to go to church services… the same problem.

Now get this… Mark said he had talked to Seth (the basketball player we had met the day before) and he had agreed to give them rides to Bellaire. He made a quick call to Seth who confirmed that he could give them rides. Then we went next door and baptized them in the neighbor’s pool.

That my friends is “5 Talent” thinking. Mark knew that Charlie and Charlotte were interested. He met the guy at the gym, got his phone number and mentioned he might need a ride for Charlie and Charlotte and then engaged Charlie and Charlotte in the Bible class. Mark was told a year ago that he had 1-2 two years to live. With your prayers and the doctor’s treatment he is doing much better. He said he went from preparing himself to die to preparing himself to live. My brother Scott says the best thing about Mark’s illness is that the three brothers are getting together again on a regular basis and of course Mark is like a fourth brother. Thanks you God for blessing Mark and for the great things he is doing for our family.

Non-Saving Faith

John 12:42-50 describes an interesting situation… some of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus and had faith in him but would not “confess their faith”. They were afraid of the consequences that would come from confessing faith in Jesus, i.e. they would be unable to participate in Synagogue activities. Later in the text Jesus says that those who do not “confess their faith”… will be condemned in the last day. Imagine losing salvation because you love the Synagogue and its activities. Don’t be fooled by the people who say you are saved by “belief only” or “faith only”. Jesus said you must be willing to confess your faith to be saved. The text explains that “confessing faith” is the same as “keeping the words” that Jesus teaches. Confess your faith by living the teachings of Jesus and receive Eternal Life. Have belief and faith and live how you want to live and receive Eternal Condemnation.

Let's Party

In Matthew 24 Jesus’ disciples asked him when he would come again and what would be the signs of his coming. He told them no one knew the exact time but all would need to be ready when that time would come. Then he told a few stories to illustrate what it meant to be ready.

He described a wedding feast with 10 young women whose job it was to wait for the groom to come and lead him in with oil fed lamps. Five of these brought extra fuel and five brought only what fuel was in their lamps. They didn’t anticipate correctly when the groom would come. The five who had prepared themselves with extra fuel were allowed into the feast the other five were not.

The next story revealed that people have different amounts of ability. Those who are faithful and used their abilities received blessing and reward. Those who were not faithful in their abilities were cursed and sent into “darkness where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth”.

Then Jesus described a scene where he was seated on a throne and all of humanity was gathered before him. He proceeded to separate them into two groups; those who had treated strangers with hospitality, fed the hungry, tended to the sick, and visited criminals in prison and those who… had not. Those who had not would be cast into “the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels”

Like the 5 young women we have to have our lamps well supplied with oil (fuel). That oil is “Treating strangers with hospitality, feeding the hungry, tending to the sick, and visiting criminals in prison.” We manufacture that oil by living sacrificial lives of service to each other according to our ability. We cannot produce that oil for a set period of time and conclude that we have enough oil to enter into the wedding feast. As long as we are on this earth we must be producing oil, according to our ability, to fuel our lamps.

You don’t want to miss out on the “Wedding Party” that God has prepared for us.

Linda Magana Funeral

I had the opportunity this morning to attend the funeral of Linda Magana at Kostoryz Road Church of Christ. Linda was 58 years old… same as me. I didn’t know her very well but know her parents, Salvador & Ruth Magana, quite well. Of course Ruth and her daughter Doris were members at Parkway many years ago.

I love the Hispanic culture. I love the South Texas ranching culture, the Mariachi bands, the food, the people and the pride that they take in their heritage. I like listening to Tex-Mex as it flows from Spanish to English in the same conversation. There was standing room only at the funeral today. I got to see a lot of old friends some of whom have been members at Parkway like Tony & Sulema Vasquez and Adolfo & Yole Lerma and Raul & Gina Torres. I got to see some of our friends from Cheyenne street Church of Christ like Luis & Sylvia Torres and Jesse & Ophelia Guzman… and many others. I got to see Eddie “Poncho” Rodriguez who preaches at Norton Street Church of Christ.

I also like that at Parkway we have Anglo, Hispanic, Black and Asian people. For me it illustrates what God’s Word does… it makes it so that people don’t look at the outside physical characteristics but inwardly at the hearts of people. That’s how God looks at people and that’s how God’s children look at each other. It’s a wonderful testimony to Christ’s deity… the miracle of changed lives. I’m glad I got to go. God bless the Lord’s church and God bless the Magana family.

Hypocrites are Sons of Hell

In Mt. 23, Jesus said this, “Woe to you teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are”. Sobering words. The Pharisees were very religious and evangelistic… they wanted to share their religion with others and weren’t afraid to go long distances to do so. However in their religiosity they were guilty of hypocrisy. They judged certain classes of people as unworthy of God’s grace. Specifically, they condemned Jesus for doing what they would not do… socialize with the dregs of their society… prostitutes and tax-collectors. The Pharisees were too good for that, they would rather traverse land and sea to locate morally good people and convert them to Judaism. Unlike God… they were “respecters of persons”. We can make the same kind of mistake today if we ignore the morally bankrupt in our own neighborhoods and focus our attention on supporting Evangelists in China, Mexico, Africa and other far- away places. It’s not wrong to support Evangelists in foreign countries but it is wrong to give up on those who live around us who are in desperate need of God’s grace. Hypocrisy makes us “sons of hell”.

Let Your Light Shine

1 Tim 3:15. “… that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

In this text the Apostle Paul is instructing the young preacher Timothy on how Christians are to behave themselves “in the Church”. This is important because as we learn in John 17:20-23 how Christians treat each other and behave towards each other is the primary evidence that Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father into the world.

So then, the church is not some private club with secret meetings and passwords and secret handshakes, but is supposed to be open to all so that all may see how Christians behave to each other. Our assemblies are open to all for that very purpose. Unfortunately many do not avail themselves of the opportunity to view what is going on in those assemblies.

Parkway Church of Christ also exists in a virtual format through its Facebook page. The Parkway Church of Christ Facebook page has 163 “likes”. Of those about 40 are our members. The rest are former members, family members, international students and complete strangers (to me). On that page, which I manage, there is a link to my blog where I write Bible based articles, pictures of our members and news that is important to the congregation. When that information goes out 123 people who are not our members get to view what is going on in our congregation which testifies to the deity of Jesus Christ.

But wait… a lot more people see it. In the week July 10-16, 1,112 viewed what we posted on the Parkway Facebook page. We have never had that many “visitors” to any of our assemblies. How does that happen?

Whenever someone “likes”, “comments on” or “shares” the things we post, then that info. is shared with that persons “friends”. That’s how we get 1,112 views on our page, which is 1,112 opportunities for viewers to conclude that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

One of our former members posted a prayer request on our page on June 5. It generated 22 comments and had a lot of exposure.

What can you do to improve the visibility of our congregation? Certainly attend our services and invite your friends but also “like” our Parkway Facebook page and if you see a post that you agree with “like” it, comment on it or share it. Also, like the former member who posted the prayer request, be active on our page.

Let your light shine.

What Can I Get For a Rib?

There is an old joke about Adam in the Garden of Eden. God comes to visit Adam and recognizes that there is something wrong and asks Adam what the matter is. Adam says, I don’t know… it’s kind of like an empty feeling… I’ve never felt it before. God says, Adam I know what’s wrong with you and I have the cure. It’s a creation called woman; she will love you, fix all your meals, take care of all your needs and make you happy all the days of your life. Adam says… yes God I’d like one of those. God said, OK Adam but for everything there is a price and if I make woman for you it will cost you your right leg. Adam pondered that for a minute and responded… what can I get for a rib? …Obviously something less. In Ephesians 5 we learned that Christ gave up everything for his bride including his life so that he might have an exquisite wife. Husbands are supposed to do the same thing. Unfortunately many don’t and end up with wives who feel under-appreciated and under-loved and don’t live up to their full potential as wives. Husbands the joke is on you if you don’t pay the full price.

Three Shepherds

A successful sheep rancher called his three Shepherds together and assigned them 100 sheep each. He sent them out into the countryside to pasture their sheep with instructions to report back in a year. The first Shepherd found forage for his sheep, cared for the occasional illness or injury that came up, protected them from predators and when the occasional sheep got lost he searched diligently until he found it… dead or alive. He loved his sheep. The second Shepherd behaved in a similar fashion except that when one of his sheep strayed off he would make a cursory sweep for it and call for it by name but if it failed to show up he figured he had made the effort and went back to tending the rest of the sheep and soon forgot about the lost sheep. The third Shepherd found pasture for his sheep but was kind of a “hands off” guy. The sheep needed to learn to tend for themselves and be responsible for themselves. If a sheep strayed off he didn’t look for it. He figured if the sheep didn’t appreciate the benefits of the flock then it could do what it wanted. If it came back… fine but if it stayed away… fine. At the end of the year the Shepherds returned for an accounting of their flocks. The first Shepherds sheep were in good shape and the Ewes had all “lambed” and the flock had increased to 175 sheep. He had lost a few sheep due to predation and health related issues but all in all he had done a good job and managed everything under his control. The second Shepherds flock tallied in at 143 head of sheep. The third Shepherd’s flock had decreased in size to 88 head of sheep due to his faulty philosophy of individual responsibility and a “hands off” approach. The Sheep Rancher fired the third Shepherd for losing so many sheep due to his negligence. The Sheep Rancher is Jesus. The Shepherds are his appointed Elders/Bishops. The sheep are the church. The roundup and tally are the Judgment day.

A Beautiful Bride

A man invited a woman to marry him. He told her that he expected to be the head of their family and that if she accepted his invitation she would have to respect his headship. In return he promised to take care of all her needs even if it meant working two or three jobs to do so and doing without himself… he would take care of her first.

She accepted his invitation and they were married. Through the years many trials assaulted their union but she remained faithful to him and he loved and provided for her. They became “one” in every sense of the word.

The man was Jesus. The wife was humanity. She was blemished and not pretty but Jesus saw the potential for true beauty in her. He washed all her sins away with his own blood and she became a pure and beautiful wife to him. Satan assaulted their marriage but even the “Gates of Hell could not prevail” against their union.

Jesus still offers the invitation to be transformed into something pure and beautiful. Accept his conditions and begin the process.

What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

In Mt. 19:16-22, a man asks Jesus a question,” What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That’s a great question… almost like a practice test before the Judgment Day. Imagine if Jesus could do a brief review of our spiritual condition and tell us what we have to work on. What a blessing! We potentially could be much better prepared to face the Judgment. Jesus’ first answer to the man was to tell him to follow the 10 Commandments as they relate to how we treat other people; Don’t murder anyone, don’t cheat on your wife, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat and give honor to your parents. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Then Jesus told the man something that is never mentioned in the 10 Commandments. Sell everything you have and become a Disciple and follow Jesus. The man had to think on that one and walked away with sorrow because he highly valued his possessions. Six out of seven things he was OK on. In school that would be an 86… definitely passing and above average but in the Kingdom not good enough to go to Heaven. Christians have to put greater value on compassion for the poor than for their personal financial well-being. Jesus after all gave up everything he had to help those in spiritual poverty and we are to be like him. If not then say Adios to eternal life. The only test we’re going to get before the Judgment Day is a self- test and it’s an open book test. Don’t neglect to make use of it.

Jo-Len's parents, Len and Connie Wright, here for the scheduled C-section on Tuesday.

How to be Poor

Proverbs 13 and 14 describe how people bring themselves into poverty.

- They are lazy

- They won’t listen to advice

- They won’t live according to God’s teachings (wicked

)

- Certain types of wives are foolish and destructive

- Some people spend more time talking than working.

It would seem natural then to have an attitude like…

- They made their own mess and now they have to find their own way out

- They have reaped what they have sown

- I’m going to let them “bottom out”

- They wouldn’t listen to me and I’ve done all I’m going to do for them

However, Proverbs states that to despise the poor is sinful behavior and it dishonors God. He says we are to be “gracious” to the poor. That being gracious brings honor to God.

God doesn’t want us to behave like humans. He wants us to behave like him, to be little gods. No one ever said it would be easy.

No Joke

There’s an old joke about a farmer who was going broke farming so he quit and started selling hammers. He would buy hammers for $3 apiece and sell them for $2 each. He was happy and doing a pretty good business but a friend advised him that for every hammer he sold he was losing $1. His reply? “it’s more profitable than farming”.

That joke is similar to what people sometimes do with their lives. Activities like drunkenness, sexual immorality, unfaithfulness to a spouse, etc. can cause folks to view their lives as being spiritually bankrupt. So they decide to go to church or pray or read the Bible every once in a while without actually correcting the behaviors that got them into such a big mess to begin with.

Going to church, praying and reading the Bible are good things to do but until we take some corrective action in our lives and commit ourselves fully to Jesus Christ and his teachings, we are still “going broke”… Like buying hammers for $3 and selling them for $2. Don’t make a joke out of your lives.

Spiritual Arrogance

Luke 18:9-14 records two prayers; a self-righteous prayer and a self-critical prayer. The two men were praying in the same place and at the same time. The one thanked God that he was not evil like other people and recounted to God the good things that he had done in his life. The other asked God for mercy for his short comings. Here’s the thing… we have all done some good in our lives and it would be easy to make a list of those things and carefully recite them to God. Almost as if God didn’t know those things already and needed to be reminded. The best approach is to have a short term memory of the good things we have done and to have a heightened sensitivity about our short comings and our need to be more Christ-like. Let’s face it, if we were in a contest with Jesus Christ and trying to best him with our good works we would come in second… every time. Realizing that let’s be truthful and self-critical in our prayers. The self-critical man went home “justified before God”.

Update on Mark Perkins

Dear Friends and Family, Once again, It has been quite a while since I provided an update. A lot happens in between, but the most relevant information is basically what comes from CAT scans. I recently had another MRI scan. Seems I will have them generally on a 3 month schedule The short story: 1) The radiologist reports the lymph nodes are overall "stable" and that the tumor is responding appropriately to chemo. My oncologist sees this as good news. Even so, the radiology reports are difficult to understand, some of the data might seem to point to the contrary and my oncologist admitted yesterday he is unclear on some of the specifics of the report himself. 2) I will have an endoscopy next Tuesday to obtain sufficent sample amount of the tumor to see if the tumor matches to any of the 236 recognized gene mutations. If it matches to one and there happens to be a drug for that mutation, it might be utilized at some point in my treatment. 3) My current treatment is FofFiri, it was Folfox. The difference is they swapped out oxalyplatin to irrinotecan in the mix. This happened in late January. The reason was to try to avoid neuropathy in hands and feet. That didn't exactly work. I have had increasing neuropathy effects subsequent to the change. My last Oxalyplatin was late December. Frustrating that there is no clear path to address the neuropathy, both from how to lessen effects and whether the true culprit is the oxalyplatin of the past, or 5FU.... which has no other replacement drug. 4) Overall, my main physical issue is the neuropathy in my hands and feet and secondly the fatigue that comes from the chemo. Still, I am able to do many things physically. I was able to visit Oahu at Mom and Al's invitation and generosity, went scuba diving one day and snorkeled basically every other day as well that I was there. Water is a great place for me to be, I'm very bouyant! :) 5) I haven't been all that happy with my current oncologist at UCSD. Too much to comment on here, but I am looking into other oncologists in the UCSD system and potentially moving into another system. I continue to receive cards, words of encouragement and messages of daily prayers going up for me from so many christians that either know me directly or have become aware of my situation. I thank you all for this and know that my updates are being passed on beyond this group to fellow christians in various cities and states. Thank you all for your love, encouragement and prayers. If anyone you know wants to be added to my direct email updates, feel free to have them contact me with that request. The picture attached was taken just days before my diagnosis last August. We now have another grandchild, Austin, who was born to Zach and Adrienne. That makes three boys for them. My aunt Geviene says any mother raising three sons gets an automatic ticket to heaven. :) Well, I just finished another day at the infusion center and will be back in two days to take my pump off. Time to vacate the chair for the next patient. Love, Mark

The Parable of the Lost Dog

An older widow woman had lost her dog. She had had that dog since it was a puppy. It had been with her when her husband got sick and after he died. When she got home from the funeral she sat on the couch and cried her eyes out. That little dog snuggled up to her and was a great comfort during her sorrow… and now it was gone. So she started walking the streets looking for it. She knocked on all her neighbor’s doors looking for it and couldn’t find it. She didn’t get much sleep that night.

The next morning she put out posters with a reward for anyone who would find her little dog. She went to the dog pound. She went to all the Veterinary offices… and she prayed. A few days later she had a knock on her door and there were three kids with a little dog in their arms. The little dog jumped into her arms and licked her in the face. The woman wept for joy. She grabbed that little dog and just held it and never wanted to let go of it.

That’s how we ought to act when a person is sorry for their sins. It shouldn’t matter what the sin was or who it might have hurt or how many times they might have failed before. We should rejoice and maybe cry and maybe just want to hold them because that’s how God feels about us when we come back to him.

Look for the lost with all your effort, don’t give up and when you find them don’t be ashamed to rejoice.

Anointing Jesus

Matthew 26:6-13, records the story of a woman who took a very costly aromatic ointment and applied it to Jesus head. The disciples complained that the ointment could have been sold and the money used to help the poor. Jesus defended the woman’s action and stated that her action would be spoken of “in the whole world” and it would be a “memorial” of her. There are several things that can be learned from these verses. The first is that sometimes you will be criticized when you do good. The disciples criticized the woman… not for doing bad but because they thought she could have done something better than what she did. At least one disciple, Judas, had an ulterior motive for criticizing her action… greed. He was the treasurer for the disciples (John 12). One also has to wonder why the disciples called her out publically. Were they intentionally trying to embarrass her or were they just thoughtless? It doesn’t really matter, the effect on her would be the same. The second thing we can learn from these verses is that sometimes we have to stand up for those who are being unfairly criticized. That’s what Jesus did. He commended her action and said she would be known and appreciated worldwide for it. Really, Jesus had to defend her. Criticism has a crippling effect on people and fosters inactivity. He also had to defend her because once that criticism thing gets going it’s hard to stop. The last thing the early church needed was Apostles who criticized people for doing good. Jesus wanted his leadership to build people up not… tear them down. The woman could have given the ointment away to help the poor, after all when we help the poor it is the same as helping Jesus (Matt. 25:40), but she wanted to do something very personal for Jesus... and that's OK. I can imagine the woman wilting under the public criticism but when Jesus spoke up for her I’ll bet her face was beaming with joy. Let’s continue to do good and also protect those who need it.

Grace and the Narrow Door

“Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many shall seek to enter in (to the Kingdom of God) and shall not be able to.” (Luke 13:23-30) “For you are saved by grace and not by works” (Eph. 2:8-10) Luke states that entry into the Kingdom of God takes some effort and likens it to passing through a narrow door. Ephesians says that salvation is a free gift that we cannot gain by working for. So how does God’s grace figure in to “working to enter into the narrow door to enter the Kingdom of God?” God’s grace is the door. It is a free gift that gives us access to heaven. We cannot work for to purchase and own the door because it is a free gift. You cannot work for to purchase and own a wife either… she freely gives herself to you. However, some kind of effort needs to be made to go through the door just like effort needs to be made to find a relationship with a wife. - We cannot carry a lot of luggage and fit through the door. We must commit ourselves to living sin free lives. Jealousy and sexual immorality and a lack of compassion will make us too big to fit through the door. - We cannot piggy back and carry in others who don’t belong there. Jesus said we must be willing to dispose of human relationships that might encumber us and hold us back from service to God. Only one person at a time can enter through the door. - The door and grace are not open and available forever. One day Jesus will close it and withdraw the free gift. - Some want to keep one foot inside the door and the other foot in the world. That won’t work either. We must work to enter the door completely while there is time. - There are fake doors. We must choose the right door. Look for God’s grace and when you find it commit yourself fully to entering into it.

Eldership (21June2009)

We were talking in the Sunday night class tonight about the qualifications for Elders found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. One of the things an Elder must be is a teacher, which implies that he has a good background in the scriptures. Another implication from this, which should be self evident, is that the one seeking to be an Elder must know, not only what the work/purpose of the church is, but also how the Elder oversees and manages that work.

I think there are other qualifications for an Elder other than what are found in 1 Timothy and Titus. Read the parable of the talents in Mt. 25:14-30. Three servants with differing amounts of abilities are given responsibility according to their abilities. A case can be made that the one talent man who had the least amount of ability could meet the qualifications found in 1 Timothy and Titus, but would God want a man of small ability (leadership) overseeing his precious church? I think not.

The one talent man feared God and was too careful with the responsibility that God gave him. He was cursed for his mis-management. When I think about a five talent man I think about Peter. Peter made some mistakes but he was always pushing and always out on the edge. Peter wasn’t afraid to make mistakes and Jesus wasn’t afraid to let Peter make mistakes. Jesus harnassed Peter’s ability and Peter became a great servant.

That’s what we need today… great servant-elders. Prepare yourselves and ask for God’s help.

Heaven: Easy or Hard?

Jesus was asked a question that has a great deal of relevance for us today. He was asked, “Are only a few going to be saved?” (Luke 13:22-30) Jesus answered the question by stating that many will not be saved and they will not be saved because they didn’t exert any effort to do so. On that great day, when Jesus gathers the few (who did make an effort), the many would be begging and pleading for Jesus to take them to heaven. In their pleas they would say… - We ate and drank and socialized with you - We listened to your teachings If Jesus returns in 2013 to gather his people what might people of today say? - I go to church on the major religious holy days; Christmas and Easter. - I have a family Bible and I read it every once in a while. - I say prayers. - I watch church on TV and listen to religious music on the radio. It takes effort to be a Christian, Jesus said we must be willing to give up everything to be one of his people and if we are not willing to do that he says we are evil and not worthy of him. He, after all, gave up everything for us. How could we do less?

Good Neighbors (2006)

Howdy. You know in David's class last night he asked the question, "Why aren't we saving more lost souls?" The answer was found in 1 Cor. 9...service...At the end of class I made the comment that another reason is that we aren't that different than non-christians.

Here is an example. My neighbor, Sam, mows 2 acres just like I do. I noticed the other day he was using his push mower. I talked to him and found out that his riding mower was broken and he was going to try to replace the engine on it. I told him he could use my riding mower any time he wanted. He said...no he would just keep using the push mower. I walked away feeling like I had done my duties as a neighbor and as a Christian.

Tonight about 7 pm I was out with my chain saw trimming up my oak trees when I noticed Sam pushing that mower through grass that was about 12 inches tall. I thought, "Sam really needs to buy a riding mower" and continued trimming my trees. Then I saw Sam's other neighbor, Frank come over with his riding mower and start helping Sam. I thought, "Doh... I wish that was me!" and I felt ashamed because Frank was a better neighbor than me. Julie came out and I related to her my feelings and she told me to get my mower and help...it wasn't too late...so I did.

See, Frank's not even a Christian. I never see him going to church. Usually he's sitting on his front porch with a can of beer in his hand. Often times in areas of service we're not any better than non-christians. We're going to have to really work hard to be different than the rest of the world.

Here's another lesson. You can offer to help someone but oftentimes it's better just to help without asking. See a need and fulfill it. The benefit of helping others is not primarily for them...it's for you and me...it turns us into better people and we might convert a lost soul along the way.

Church: Social Club or Hospital?

Someone told me awhile back that the church is not a social club for the spiritually elite but more like a hospital for the spiritually sick. Remember, the church is people. It's fun for Christians to associate with each other, to invite each other into our homes, to go to Gospel Meetings and Singings and see old friends. I guess those things are part of the joys and blessings of being a Christian and are to be valued, but not if in so doing we neglect to recognize and help those who are spiritually sick... whose lives may be in shambles because of the poor choices they have made. In Luke 5:30-32 the Pharisees, who thought they were the spiritually elite, asked Jesus why he ate with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus responded, "They that are in health have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Jesus compares being sick with being a sinner. He has the medicine that heals the disease. We are the physicians assistants who help with that healing process. Let's seek out the sick so they can be healed.

Two Women

Two women are contrasted in the book of Proverbs. The first woman is named “Wisdom” her voice is loud and persistent she calls for you to pay attention to her. She offers counsel and reproof. If you follow after Miss Wisdom you can lead a safe and secure life filled with blessings. The second woman is the adulterous woman. She is different from Miss Wisdom, she flatters, her words are smooth and enticing and seductive. If you follow after her your life will be miserable and destructive. It’s easier to listen to Miss Adultery than to Miss Wisdom but the easy path leads places we don’t want to go. Choose the harder path and walk up hill because Miss Wisdom offers a great life. You won’t be sorry. Uncle Rob

Two Ways Satan Wins

In 1 Cor. 5, the text reveals that one of the members of the Lord’s church is in a sexual relationship with his father’s wife. He is following his master… Satan. Paul condemns the members in that church for tolerating that sin and urged them to punish this member by casting him out of their Christian community… they were to have nothing to do with him. Satan was winning because he had won the individual who was committing the sin and he had damaged the church because outsiders looking in would ridicule God. Satan wins in this case because of their under-reaction to sin.

I don’t know why the congregation tolerated this overt sinful behavior. Perhaps they thought that listening to a Preacher every Sunday morning might eventually cause him to correct his behavior… I don’t know but it was the wrong approach.

Of course the punishment had a design to it… it was designed to create remorse in the individual so he would realize what he had lost and quit having sex with his father’s wife.

The second way Satan wins is by over-reaction to sin. 2 Cor. 2:7-11, has Paul warning the congregation not to over-do the punishment or the now sorrowful member might be overwhelmed by his sorrow and Satan wins again. The individual is so sorrowful that he becomes spiritually crippled and ineffective in his Christianity. He no longer is guilty of an active sin but is perhaps guilty of an inactive sin.

When a sheep is lost from the flock let’s go find it and when we find it let’s not berate and chastise it but build it up with a spirit of compassion.

Don’t let Satan win.

Humility (23 Sept 2007)

We were studying in 1 Peter this morning and I noticed this... "Yes all of clothe yourselves with humility, to serve one another for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble". 1 Peter 5:5. Sometimes when we think of humility we think of a quiet person who doesn't say very much. This verse defines humility as people serving each other... pride would be the opposite... not caring for the needs of others but serving our own needs. Jesus is our prime example in everything, even humility. And yet at times we see him as a very forceful and dynamic personality, both in his teachings and his actions. Remember in the Temple when Jesus flipped over the tables of the money exchangers and drove their livestock out with a whip? Yet Jesus was humble. "Who existing in the form of God, counted not the being the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a *servant*, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he *humbled* himself, becoming obedient even unto death." Philippians 2:6-9. Humility is service towards others.

Updated Website

http://www.parkwaychurchofchrist.us/ Thanks to Tim Graf.

Becoming Jesus

2 Corinthians 3:1-18 is a text that recalls when Moses was on Mt Sinai in the presence of God. That nearness had the effect of causing Moses’ face to shine like the sun. In fact when Moses came down off the mountain he had to wear a veil over his face it was so bright. That is compared to what happens is in the presence of Jesus Christ. It is like looking into a spiritual mirror and viewing Jesus Christ. As we gaze into that mirror we are transformed into the same spiritual image. There are at least three things involved in that transformation. 1 John 5:18 states that those begotten of God do not sin, Jesus had no sin in him and we cannot have sin in us. We have to develop such a hatred for sin that it becomes impossible for us to engage in it. Matthew 11:29, states that we are to take the “yoke” of Jesus and “learn” about him. If we’re going to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ we need to have a deep and intimate knowledge of who he is. Philippians 2:1-7, states that Jesus was a servant and we must also become servants to each other… a community of servants. We can be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ by committing ourselves to being free of sin, by learning of Jesus and by living lives of service to others. We are not called upon to evangelize the world. We are called upon to become Jesus Christ. Take care of that and the world will be evangelized.

The Humor of Jesus

In Matthew 23:24 Jesus told the Jewish religious leaders that they “strained out a gnat but swallowed a camel”. In Jesus' native Aramaic language a gnat was a “Galma” and a camel was a “”Gamla”. So Jesus said, “they strained out a Galma but swallowed a Gamla”. Jesus used a little play on words.

Auditorium

Kaleb took this today. it's a little distorted.

Arm Wrestling and Benevolence

I did a little benevolence work tonight. Julie and I were in the Luby’s parking lot after services tonight fixing to go in and get something to eat and a big black guy came up to me a little down on his luck and needing some work and some money. He had to be about 6’3” and pretty stout so I told him if he could beat me arm wrestling I would give him $10. He laughed and I don’t think he thought I was serious but I slapped my arm down on the hood of the car and we arm wrestled. Even though I beat him I still gave him the $10. But then he told me he needed work and he didn’t have the best of records. I gave him my name and phone number and got his name and phone number and I think I may have a job lined up for him. We’ll see. I do feel a special kinship with him though… arm wrestling does that for you. If you need a worker… call me.

Gluttony

Proverbs 23:19-21. “Listen my son and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. Do not be with the heavy drinkers of wine or with the gluttonous eaters of meat; for the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.” I don’t consider myself a glutton but I do eat a big lunch after Sunday services. It is the only meal I eat that day so it is usually a hearty one. Last Sunday I was planning to pick up Brandon (Little Brother) and do some things with him but after eating lunch I was having second thoughts. A nice long nap seemed to be more desirable. I shared my dilemma with Julie and she gave me the proper direction. So we picked up Brandon and went home. Brandon and I worked on his arithmetic, had a Bible lesson, practiced Volleyball and squeezed oranges to make juice and then went to evening services… we had quite a productive day. If I had listened to the big meal in my belly I would have taken a nap. Remember, “… the glutton will come to poverty”.

How to Work (1 July 07)

I work a lot of kids from time to time. Some kids aren't used to working and need supervision. Sometimes I give a job to do and when I get back the bare minimum has been done. Usually that has to do with how well the parents have trained them. I worked a kid last week whose family owns a ranch. He is used to building fence and really a lot of labor intensive work. Zach was working at the clinic last week and we needed a tool so I sent him to my house to get it. When he got back I noticed there were about six tools in the back of my truck. Later we needed to air up a tire on a wheelbarrow so I sent him back for my portable air compressor. When I checked on him later I didn't see my air compressor... I saw my other wheelbarrow. The best kind of workers are those who don't need supervision and those who look ahead and try to anticipate what we might need next. I like workers who do not just follow orders but who also try to understand the job and make meaningful suggestions. The Lord's work is a lot like that. The Lord gives us work to do and really not much supervision... we'll give account of ourselves at the end of the job. To those who work hard he will bless with more ability and responsibility... make them better, more efficient workers. As a loving Father he realizes we may make mistakes in our labors, and I think overlook those mistakes. The one mistake he won't overlook is... not trying. Read the parable of the talents in Mt. 25. What kind of worker are you? Doc Mayfield told me that his dad was a plumber and when he was a kid his dad told him to dig a trench that had a quarter inch drop every foot. I think Doc was 10 or 11 at the time. When Doc's dad got back and saw Doc just sitting around and the job not done... he didn't say one word... he just got his belt out and whipped the tar out of him. When he came back the next time the job was done. Doc says he loved that old man.

Tax Time

In Mt. 17:24-27, the tax collectors asked Peter if Jesus was going to pay the Temple Tax. Peter replied “yes he will”. Before Peter could ask Jesus about this Jesus posed a question to Peter, “Do the Kings of the earth collect taxes from their own sons or from their subjects”. Peter correctly replied, “From their subjects, not their own sons.” Jesus then informed Peter that he was exempt, the implication being that Jesus was the Son of God who created Kings and kingdoms. Peter answered the tax collectors incorrectly. He should have said, “My master does not pay the tax… he is the son of God”. Jesus should have been collecting the tax not paying it.

Choices

King Hezekiah of Judah was one of the greatest kings of Judah. He worked tirelessly to reform Judah and turn Judah back to God. Judah had neglected to celebrate the Passover feast under the reign of Hezekiah’s father King Ahaz. King Hezekiah worked to reinstitute the proper celebration of the Passover. He purified the temple of all the uncleanness his father had permitted, he purified the temple utensils and he purified the Levites and the Priests. But because it took time to do all these things the time to celebrate the Passover feast (first month) had come and gone. So Hezekiah decided to celebrate the Passover during the second month. One might think that because Hezekiah did not follow scriptural authority that God might have been angered and perhaps rained fire and brimstone upon Hezekiah, but such was not the case because 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 states, “…Hezekiah did what was good, right and faithful before the Lord his God, and every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and he prospered.” I’m sure if everything had been prepared on time that Hezekiah would have celebrated Passover at the right time but Hezekiah was afraid of insulting God by observing the Passover improperly. So Hezekiah had a dilemma; celebrate improperly but at the right time or celebrate properly but at the wrong time. Sometimes we are faced with dilemmas in God’s teachings. Whatever we choose to do we must be like Hezekiah we must do it with all of our hearts trying to please God. I’ve got a feeling that God would have been OK with either choice because Hezekiah’s heart was right.

Howdies or Hugs

I was thinking about Jesus’ relationship with his twelve disciples and especially Judas. Jesus knew that Judas was the “son of perdition”, that he was a thief and that he would be an accomplice in the murder of Jesus. And yet there is no evidence that Jesus treated Judas any differently than the rest of the disciples. It’s ironic that Judas was the “son of perdition” and yet Jesus called Peter, the man who would open the door to the Kingdom, “Satan”. In congregations of God’s children we certainly have our “favorite” people and our “less favorite” people and treat them accordingly. We talk and visit and go out to eat with our favorite people…our less favorite people? They may be lucky to get a handshake and a Howdy… certainly not a hug. John 17 teaches that the world would believe in Jesus through the “oneness” demonstrated by God’s people for each other in the type of love that sacrifices for the benefit of others. If we have a hard time getting along with each other then maybe God didn’t send Jesus after all. Judas wasn’t Jesus’ favorite person but he didn’t treat him any different than the rest of the disciples and we shouldn’t either.

Big Brother

Doc signed up for the Big Brother Program today.

Pets and People

One of the things I see in my business is a very close emotional attachment for a pet. That’s hard for some people to understand. However, when it comes time to put a beloved pet to “sleep” people frequently break down in tears and say that the emotions are so tough that they will never get another pet… they just can stand to be hurt that way again.

I think I see something similar in people. They reach an age where they have lost their parents, their spouses, perhaps a child or two and they just shut it down. The emotional investment is too tough, they seclude themselves and they are just waiting to check out of this world and inherit eternal life.

In the dog and cat world I always try to remind people about the joy they had with their pets when they were puppies and kittens and all the things that made that relationship so precious. And how that relationship kept them from being… alone.

In the Christian world we have a responsibility to live unselfish lives and to have an impact in the lives of others. An older person has a wealth of information gained from life’s experiences that they can share with a younger person. It is our Christian responsibility to share that knowledge and the relationship gained from that sharing… is precious.

I see a lot of funerals for older people and the only ones in attendance are older people. I want to see some funerals for old people that are attended by a bunch of weeping and sobbing young people.

Pets are God’s creation and his gift to us. Get a pet but don’t let that pet be a substitute for the affections that we should be sharing with others.

Service Opportunities - CASA

Howdy. I’m going to be sending out some opportunities to serve the community and make an impact in the lives of those who really need it. Be sure to watch the video link below. It’s about helping abused kids. It’s kind of like James 1:27 “to look after orphans and widows in their distress”. We could probably give a waiver on Wednesday night Bible study if you’re involved in this Cut and paste this… http://coastalbendcasa.wordpress.com/become-a-casa/