The celebrations are over; the children aren’t quite as nice as they were yesterday; the cards have been opened; all the masculine gifts now sit unwrapped…
It’s the day after Father’s Day.
Now, go be the kind of dad described in those cards.
Category Archives: Christian Maturity
Ten Ways to Fail As a Father
Happy Father’s Day!
There is a portrait of my family hanging in our living room with the following verse written below it.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. – Joshua 24:15 KJV
There is a lot to be said about a father who will say such things. There’s a lot to be said about a father who won’t.
Tuff Stuff
I want to share with you a list I found in a sermon by a Wesleyan pastor, Bruce Howell. I don’t know if he came up with it or if he found it somewhere else. All I know is that it is convicting.
There will be a lot of people talking about how to be a better dad, but if you want to know how to fail, here are 10 sure-fire ways to screw up.
Ten Ways to Fail As a Father
1. Have fights in front of your children. Then when guests come, turn around and act affectionate toward one another.
2. Stifle your children’squestions by saying, “Don’t bother me now; I’m busy.”
3. Take no interest in your children’s friends. Let them run around with whomever they choose.
4. Never discipline your children; try to use psychology instead.
5. Nag them about their schoolwork; never compliment them on their achievements.
6. Demonstrate your love for them with material things. Give them everything their little hearts desire.
7. Never discuss the facts of life with them. Instead, let them learn about sex from their friends, public school, or pornographic literature.
8. Set a bad example so the children will not want to grow up to be like you.
9. Absolutely refuse to believe it if you are told that your children have done something wrong.
10. Let your children make their own choices in the matter of religion. Be careful not to influence them in any way.
Help us, Father God, to be more like you.
Decaffeinated Christianity
Like vs. Love
I like coffee, but I wouldn’t say I love it. My wife and kids, on the other hand, are worth dying for. I love them. I only like coffee. I’m not going to jump in front of a moving train to save an espresso.
But there are times when I like coffee more than I like my wife. Every once in a while I want a cup of coffee more than a kiss or a hug. I still love my wife, but she won’t fit into the French press.
Now, it must be said that I also like tea. Thanks to the influence of certain English folk, my tea consumption has increased a thousand fold! Yet, tea is not coffee. Sometimes I want coffee more than tea. Sometimes tea needs to leaf me alone. There’s a big difference between loose-leaf anything and some medium roast Jamaican Blue Mountain. That’s real coffee, and I really like it.
What is Real?
But wait! That raises a question. What is real coffee? What is the difference between freshly brewed coffee and let’s say, uh, freeze-dried instant? Both are real, aren’t they?
Fake coffee. Whoever still drinks that stuff on purpose should be psychologically evaluated. Coffee is only coffee if it comes about as the result of gently ground coffee beans being caressed by steaming hot water. Chicory is of the Devil.
Instant coffee. It comes packaged in a jar, but it is made from real coffee. It may not taste as good as fresh-brewed, but it’s real, nevertheless. The worst instant coffee is still better than dandelion tea, believe me.
Nasty coffee. Even the stuff you find in a gas station, an army mess tent, or a crazy relative’s thermos is still coffee. Coffee is coffee, even if it tastes like road tar.
“Unleaded.” What I don’t understand is decaffeinated coffee. Sure, it tastes the same to most people, but why would anyone want it? Without the caffeine coffee is…well…it’s just not coffee. It has the look and taste, but no umph, no kick, no power.
Powerless
Decaffeinated Christianity is the same way. It looks like the real thing. It smells like the real thing. It tastes like the real thing. For crying out loud, it even outsells full-strength, real Christianity 10 to 1! People love it! They wear t-shirts promoting their favorite brand. Yet, decaffeinated Christianity is no better than decaffeinated coffee without the Power.
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! – 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT
What are you drinking?
A Small Observation
A version of this story can be found in my book, Life Lessons from the School Bus.
Politically Incorrect
OK, I will admit it, once you read what this is all about you will tell me that I am being politically incorrect, insensitive, or mean-spirited. You will say that the title of this post is inappropriate and beneath me (well, the beneath part is right). You may tell me that I should not make fun of those who are “vertically challenged.”
If you say these things because you think I am making fun of short, small, or otherwise non-tall people, then think again. I am only being humorous at their expense to make a point. Actually, it won’t be at their expense for long. I am going to pay the bill.
Children Can be Cruel
You know it’s true – children can be cruel, especially around people who are “different.” When driving around a bus load of elementary children, one can hear a lot of cruel comments come from their little, angelic, crumb-crunching mouths.
Little girls, as well as little boys, can get downright mean with the things that they say. However, they have no idea of the lasting consequences of their teasing. They have yet to sit through months or years of counseling.
Because kids can be cruel, even when they don’t mean to be, I try to steer them (literally) away from opportunity. But on one occasion, even though I did the best I could, the kids jumped at the chance to gawk and laugh. I will never forget what I saw.
Choosing Not to Hear
One day I was driving my school bus down a two-lane road when just ahead of me I spotted a dwarf…a short guy…a midget…walking by the curb. Immediately, I knew what was about to happen.
Right ahead of where this guy was walking was a place I had to make a stop. Sadly, I could not just speed on by, but had to slow down. When the first child saw this little man it didn’t take long for the 20+ others to shift over to that side of the bus to take a look. In an instant there was laughter.
But in all honesty, the laughter was not all that loud. My kids are aware that stuff like that makes me angry, so they try not to get caught. So, only if one had been really listening or paying attention could that person have heard the giggles and jokes. The little man on the road didn’t want to take any chances.
As soon as I started to pass by this 3ft-tall little bald guy with biker tattoos (wearing a tank top and little jeans), he did something that really broke my heart -he put his finger in his ear. He knew what was coming, and he didn’t want to hear.
That simple action said a whole lot.
- He had heard cruel laughter before
- He expected to hear it again
- He knew what kinds of things would be said
- He did not have the will, nor the ability to defend himself
- He decided to not listen, but to close his ears
Sadly, many are convinced what other people say about them is true.
The jeers and the laughter not only offend, but they cut deeply, causing irreparable scarring and pain. How many have given up? How many have quit defending themselves?
One of the characteristics of a true Christian should be that he defends the defenseless, the ones who can not speak up for themselves. Psalm 82:3 says that we should “defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.” Couldn’t this also apply to standing up for those who are made fun of or mocked unjustly?
Consider the words of Jesus: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:31). What kind of person would want to be laughed at because of something he/she could not help?
Be Considerate
The next time you are tempted, consider what you are doing. The next time you are around someone, even a child, who makes fun of another person, stop and take the time to “defend” and “do justice.”
Don’t walk around with a finger in your ear.
Filed under Christian Maturity, Do not judge, General Observations, self-worth
When All Else Fails
Once again, because I’m on Spring Break and doing some other things, what better time to repost something? Therefore, here is something I posted exactly 3 years ago TODAY! Fortunately, I don’t have any more problems recording at home. On the other hand, I did record in the studio on that old equipment 2 weeks ago…I just ran out of time.
Go to the Studio
Almost every Sunday I am a part of a radio broadcast. The program goes out over am radio to at least a few thousand people each week. It can be fun, but it can also be a challenge.
Even though some things are supposed to be as simple as breathing, “stuff” happens. Today, in a crunch for time, nothing wanted to work correctly. You see, I have to record my 15 minute sermon in advance, and I usually do that at home. The problem today was that nothing would record. The mic wouldn’t work. The computer kept locking up. You name it, it happened.
That is when I got the idea to go to the radio station.
Now, I have been in multi-million dollar recording studios in Nashville. I have recorded radio spots in modern, FM stations. But this was a first for me – vintage equipment older than me (I think). It was like I had walked into a museum of broadcasting.
Amazingly, everything worked. As a matter of fact, it was far simpler to use, not mention harder to break, than the finicky software on my laptop. When all else failed, I went back to the basics – and let someone else push all the buttons.
Go to the Lord
You know, I have heard it said so many times, “When all else fails, pray.”
Why is that? Why do we wait till “all else fails?” He never fails! Why don’t we just go to God first? Why don’t we let Him push the buttons?
If I had only gone to the radio station first, things would have been a lot less stressful. I would not have yelled at my wife, kicked the dog, etc. (yes, I’m joking). But when will we understand that going to God first will not only save time and spare the dog, but it will keep us from experiencing unnecessary heartache and stress?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
Update (3/29/16): I don’t know about you, but I need to pray. It wasn’t by chance this selection came up for a repost.
General Survey of Understanding and Belief
In the twentieth chapter of Acts, the Apostle Paul called for a meeting with the elders of the church at Ephesus. Knowing the dangers posed by “wolves” from the outside and perverse deceivers on the inside (vs 29-30), He warned them to pay close attention to the things he had taught them. After all, they were responsible for flocks purchased by God with his own blood (v28) – what a thought!
Paul said (v27), “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Well, folks, I’ve been pastoring this little flock for nearly 8 years, and I’m afraid I might have left something out. Therefore, I thought this little survey (conducted anonymously) might help me determine some areas where I need to do some “declaring.” I don’t want to be guilty of shunning any of God’s counsel.
Glance over the following survey. How would you answer? (The “U” is for “unsure”)
2o16 General Survey of Understanding and Belief
- Jesus became God
- When born of a virgin
- When filled with the Holy Ghost
- When resurrected from the dead
- None of the above
- How many books in the Bible
- 55
- 66
- 100
- There are errors in the Bible because it was written by men. T / F / U
- God is
- One God, but with three names
- Three Gods with one Name.
- One God in three Persons.
- Jeremiah fought the battle of
- Jericho
- Nineveh
- None of the above
- Because Jesus prayed to the Father, that made him less than the Father. T / F / U
- You have to be filled with the Holy Ghost to be saved. T / F / U
- Where does the Bible say, “Cleanliness is next to godliness”?
- Matthew 7:19
- Romans 12:1
- None of the above.
- Unsure
- Have you determined your own spiritual gifts? Y / N
- Do miracles still happen today? Y / N / U
- Christians and Muslims worship the same God, but by different names. T / F / U
- Jesus was the first “born again” Christian. T / F / U
- Adam and Eve were literal people. T / F / U
- Salvation can be lost because man has a free will. T / F / U
- We become angels when we die. T / F / U
- Everyone will eventually go to heaven, sooner or later. T / F / U
- Jesus didn’t physically rise from the dead; He was a spiritual being. T / F / U
- Those who have died are
- Asleep until the resurrection
- In heaven or hell right now
- No more – they ceased to exist
- The proper day to worship is the Sabbath, but it was changed to Sunday by the Catholic Church. T / F / U
- You must be baptized to be saved. T/ F/ U
- Abortion is OK until the baby can breathe on its own. T / F / U
- The only difference between the religions of the world is how we choose to worship God T / F / U
- It is a sin to drink or smoke. T / F / U
- The King James Version of the Bible is the only one given by God to the English-speaking world. T / F / U
- Modern translations of the Bible deny the Virgin birth and divinity of Christ. T / F / U
- God’s power on earth is limited when we don’t give Him permission to use us. T / F / U
- We should only pray to God the Father or Jesus, not the Holy Ghost. T / F / U
- I feel God is angry or disappointed with me most of the time. T / F / U
- It doesn’t matter how you live as long as you love God. T / F / U
- Preaching and teaching are pretty much the same thing. T / F / U
- There’s a difference between the God of the OT and the God of the NT. T / F / U
- I am sure of my salvation. T / F / U
- Things I’ve done in the past keep me from being used by God. T / F / U
- I feel confident I could show another person how to be saved. T / F / U
- People who answer surveys in Church are guaranteed a blessing. T
Filed under baptist, Christian Maturity, Christianity, Church, ministry, Preaching, Theology, translations
And the Verdict Is…
But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. – Job 23:10
Our Example
Whenever things get bad, who is it that we think of? We think of old Job, the man who endured the worst the Devil had to offer, yet without losing his faith in God.
Job lost everything he owned, plus his children, and even ended up sitting in a pile of ash while he scraped boils with broken pieces of pottery. Even his wife, probably out of a combination of desperate pity and blame, said, “Curse God, and die” (Job 2:9).
But what made it worse was Job’s friends! Yes, his own friends, trying to help, assumed everything he was enduring was a judgment from God, because surely Job must have done something terribly wrong, right? Why else would God be doing all this to him?
Nevertheless, Job was faithful; he never cursed God. As a matter of fact, Job said, “Though he (God) slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). What an example to follow!
The First One
But what most people tend to miss is this: Job didn’t have a Job-like example to follow. No, Job was the first of his kind.
When Job said “when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold,” he wasn’t talking from experience, or from the learned lessons of others. If you’ll look back to the first chapter, Satan had never done all this “sifting” before. So, Job had no precedent on which to base his assumption that the circumstances he endured would produce a 24-Karat ending.
All Job really had going was his faith in a good and faithful God. Actually, he had no idea that what he was enduring was a trial by fire. A careful study of the context of Job 23:10 will show that all Job wanted was an audience with God – the God who couldn’t be found – so that he could plead his innocence. “If I could ever get the chance,” thought Job, “I’d argue my case, He would try me, and I’d be proven innocent – I’d come forth as gold.”
God Is Working
But God was working on Job, only Job didn’t know it! Even though he couldn’t find God (Job 23:3-4), Job was in the cradle of God’s hand. The trial was removing all traces of dross, refining Job, and he was well on the way to becoming “pure gold.”
So, consider Job, the one who never gave up or blamed God, even when his world was collapsing. It may not seem like it, but the furnace you’re enduring right now could be nothing more than the Refiner’s fire.
Like Job, God “knows your way” – He knows all about you. So remain faithful, remain hopeful, and rest assured that one day you will come forth as gold.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” – James 1:2-4 NLT
Filed under Christian Maturity, Faith
At Least It’s Not 107 Degrees!
Cold
It’s cold in Chattanooga. How cold is it? I put ice cubes down my shirt just to warm up.
Seriously, this morning schools are delayed two hours because it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s just stupid cold for this part of the country.
My daddy used to say, “It’s as cold as a witch’s upper torso.” If you can figure out what that means, more power to ya’.
Heat
The funny thing is that no matter what the temperature, whether cold or hot, people are always going to wish it was the opposite. When it’s hot outside people complain. When it’s cold outside people complain. The only people I never hear complain are the ones who have the same climate year round, like the North Pole or Hawaii.
So, as you down here in the South complain about how cold it is, just remember the heat wave of 2012. That was when we would have welcomed a cold snap. I mean, 107 degrees and humid is hot no matter where you live!
“I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content — whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:11-13 HCSB
Maybe we should just take a cue from the Apostle Paul and learn to be content – no matter what temperature life may bring.
Filed under Christian Maturity, current events
Why Complain About Lemons?
Why is it that people say, “When life gives you lemons…”? What is wrong with lemons?
Why not cherries? Or grapes? Why not suggest what to do when life gives us avocados? I hate avocados!
What if life gave you tomatoes for your iced tea? You’d be wishing you had some lemons, I bet.
No, it’s always the poor lemon. It’s like everyone is prejujuiced. What’s wrong with a little sourness every once in a while? Why did “tart” have to become linked to women with questionable moral standards?
The fact is that God doesn’t just allow lemons, He sends them as a gift! Unfortunately, most people never take the time to recognize the benefits of a little acidity.
So, the next time when life gives you lemons instead of strawberries, don’t be so negative; you might have been spared an allergic reaction from hell without knowing it.
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
If nothing else, add the lemon to your tea.
Filed under Christian Maturity, Food, General Observations, wisdom
Trying to Understand the Undead 2.0
Halloween
I hate Halloween. But if you are a big fan, one who looks forward to the glorification of death, evil, and the grotesque, then ghoul for you. My minimal desire for bags of candy and apples bobbed for in spit-filled water is not enough to make me dress up like a satanic mass murderer, which is what most costumes seem to portray.
Actually, this time of year gets on my nerves, and one of the biggest reasons is the proliferation of horror movies. Horror movies don’t scare me that much; they tick me off! They are always full of idiots walking into the dark asking, “Buffy, is that you?” And what’s worse, so many of today’s horror flicks involve ghostly, demonic hauntings by creepy dead kids. HINT: if a soaking-wet dead girl crawls out of a well and starts climbing through your TV, change the channel (preferably to a Christian station).
On a side note, has it ever occurred to anyone that all the demonic activity pictured in horror movies is nothing more than an attempt to convince us that the spiritual realm is real?
Really, I hate Halloween. I find no pleasure celebrating the very Enemy taking my friends and loved ones to hell.
The Undead
But what I really don’t get is the “undead”…zombies…Michael Jackson’s dance partners. Can somebody help me understand the logic behind the capabilities and actions of walking corpses?
English: A participant of a Zombie walk, Asbury Park NJ, USA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There has been so much talk about zombies, lately. There have been a lot of movies and television programs devoted to grossing us out with their nastiness and appetite for human flesh. What’s the deal? Is it just an attempt to shift our attention away from the spiritual to the natural or animalistic? Who knows?
All I know is that the walking dead make no sense. Consider the following:
- Health. Why is it that when I have the flu I feel as good as dead, yet when a zombie is dead he feels more alive than me? If I break a bone I can’t function, but a zombie can have all his bones broken and break into an armored car! Have you seen what people die from? Why is it they have more energy once they’ve rotted away than when they were still exfoliating?
- Appetite. Why is it that the walking dead never seem to recognize that their fellow walkers are also human, and edible? And why are humans the only meat worth eating? Why don’t the walking dead break into grocery stores, butcher shops, and kennels? Seriously, don’t the dead understand that there is far more meat and brains in a cow?! Why eat the farmer???
- Blood. I’ve had too much experience in funeral homes to buy the idea that zombies coming out of graves have bright, red, flowing blood. How many walking dead have you seen dripping embalming fluid? Hmmm?
- Speed. Why can’t healthy people, including clumsy women in high heels, outrun people with muscles falling off the bone? Bones don’t work alone to cause movement; limbs need muscles to function. Even if one tripped over every blade of grass in an attempt to flee a rotting granny, how fast could granny be?
- Practicalities. If old people become zombies, do they have to keep their false teeth in order to chew their neighbor? Also, what is the life expectancy of something that is already dead? Oh, and when a zombie eats a human, where does the meat go? Do zombies poop?
The Real Undead
To be very honest, I am more afraid of my own stinking flesh than some dancer from Thriller.
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24)
I must crucify it on a daily basis and live in the life of Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14). For if I live in the power of my own zombie-like self, I will die: but if through the Spirit I put to death the deeds of this stinking body, I shall live (Romans 8:13).
That “2.0″ Part
What you just read was originally written in 2013, so it might interest you to learn what has happened since then. The girl from “The Ring” might be living in my house!
Actually, this year we decided to host a foreign exchange student from South Korea. She is a totally adorable teenager with a great sense of humor, and we love her bunches. However, I don’t think she’s ever seen “The Ring,” nor is she familiar with the black-haired, demonic ghost-girl that disjointedly crawls out of a well and through the television screen to kill people.
Credit: “The Ring”
If she had seen the movie, and if she really didn’t want to creep me out, then maybe she would stop coming out of the shower at night, on the way to her room, with her long black hair covering her entire face.
Maybe…just maybe…when getting on my school bus in the morning, when it is dark, and sitting in a seat behind me, like she did this morning, she could uncover her sleepy face and have a smile on it when I look into the mirror!
I’ll just keep telling myself she’s never seen the movie. She hates scary movies.
Or does she?
Filed under Christian Maturity, current events, General Observations, Humor, World View
The Recovering Legalist 