Out of the Valley

The Craft Fair

2007-08-04T15:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend was the Annual Craft Fair. There were hundreds of booths with crafters and dealers from all over the country. It's always on the first Friday and Saturday in August, so we all know it's going to be either very hot, very wet, or both. This year was hot. As we wandered through the various booths we could hear the singing going on from the stage set in the middle of the town square; gospel, country, and bluegrass. Sitting and standing on the square, under the trees (if they could fit), was a large crowd of visitors and a sprinkling of locals.
My wife and I stopped under a tree to escape the heat for a moment and stayed to listen to one group singing some wonderful gospel songs. They proclaimed their love for God and for Jesus in song and spoken words. It was really nice to see someone unashamedly standing up for what they believe.
What struck me was with all those people sitting and standing around, none of them protested the idea of publicly proclaiming the glory of God. It reminded me of the first Christmas we lived here. Our son was in middle school, and we went to the Christmas program at the school. The principle came out to open the program carrying a Bible. He opened it to the gospel of Luke and read the story of that first Christmas. I turned to my wife and asked if he knew that was against the law. It turned out he didn't care, and no one in the auditorium cared, either. The local football and basketball games always opened with a prayer for the safety of the players. Even after 20 years here, nothing has changed, and I love it.
There is nothing coercive about a prayer, or the Bible stories, or the words "in God we trust." What these things do is assert the feelings of the majority of our population. The foundation of our country has been built on a belief in God and the freedom to worship Him in any way that you choose. We even allow those that don't believe in God to worship their own deities; self, money, trees, Gaia, or whatever. However, it seems that they object to us worshipping as we please. We allow the minority to control the majority, because we who do believe in God seem to be embarrassed to state it in public. That is why it was so refreshing to see a musical group singing and praising God in a public square.

Point of view

2007-07-28T23:21:00.000-04:00

I had two interesting experiences this last week.
The first one was an hour spent standing in the vegetable section of the grocery store talking religion with an atheist friend of mine. It was interesting in two ways. First of all I was surprised at his depth of belief in "chaos theory." It shouldn't have surprised me, since I found out he did his doctoral thesis on it. In brief chaos theory believes that all things are connected, not through God, but just through chance. The most popular statement of it is that if a butterfly waves its wings in the Amazon basin the results can be a typhoon in Japan. At least that is my understanding of it, but since I never completed my Master's thesis, I may be wrong. The main thrust of our conversation was that he doesn't believe in an almighty God Who created the universe(s) and I do. I'm not sure that I moved him from his stance, and I know he didn't move me from my faith. However, he did bring me two popular books written by and about atheists. I'm reading one right now. Very interesting, if you ignore the statements that don't take the context into account and miss the actual meanings of the words. But then there have been many supposed Christians who have taken the bits and pieces out of the Bible that they wanted and ignored the rest, so I guess it works just as well for those that profess to be atheists. The interesting thing about the hour we spent was not so much the topic, but the fact that I stood there quietly and rationally disagreed with his statements, even offering statements of my own that refuted what he said. There was a time in my life when I would have stood there at a loss for words. What a wonderful feeling.

The second interesting thing occurred after Bible Study Wednesday night. We were talking about the study we had gone over that night, and how we could present the Word of God to others. One of the ladies said that I could spend all of my time preaching about "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." If I did that, she said, then I would be able to preach the same message every Sunday, and people would still listen. It reminded me of an interview with Billy Graham. The interviewer asked Mr. Graham what he was going to preach on that night, and he answered, “The same thing I always preach on, John 3:16.”

Any comments from anyone out there in cyber world?

Handle With Care

2007-05-09T16:36:00.000-04:00

John 15:9-17

I’ve noticed that most of the sermons I’ve given and many of those that I’ve heard over the years have been built around the love that God has for us. The word love is used 232 times in the New Testament, and 319 times in the Old Testament. We have talked before about repetition in the Bible. When something is repeated more than once it points up its importance to the message God wishes to deliver to us. I would think that repeating something 551 times definitely shows us the importance of the word love.

The concept of love is a slippery one, especially in English. When speaking of love among people I’ve noticed that we tend to have to talk all around it to get to the main point. In the English language we are restricted to one word, whereas Hebrew and Greek have many words to cover the idea of love.

In the Hebrew the words translated as love are ahab, ahabah, chashaq, racham and others. These words in Hebrew, or in Greek, agape, eros and filios, are used to mean specific types of love. It can mean a strong emotional attachment to and a desire for someone or an object; or the love of a man for a woman or a woman for a man. Or the love between a husband and wife as a general concept, including the sexual side of marriage; the joining of two people into one union. Or it can mean to have compassion toward someone, or feelings of mercy or pity.

The idea of love is like looking at a painting. Now, I may not have any idea of what makes up a good painting, but I know what I like. It may not fit the image in the mind of an art critic, or the painter, but when I look at a painting I know if I like it or not. I may not be able to put it into words, sometimes, but inside I know what is good from my point of view. It’s the same with the idea of love. I may not be able to describe it, but I know it when I see it. Love is a very personal emotion.

What brought this to mind was a little trip I made the other day. There is a gentleman at the Grassy Creek Mall, located in the old Roses store, in Spruce Pine, NC. He will mix up personalized perfumes and let you try it before you buy. He used to do this on a street corner, but now he’s inside. He also sells things like incense and incense burners, and other stuff. He gives everyone who visits his booth a gift.

He said he used to give away worry stones, but he didn’t like the name. He didn’t want to give away worry. So now he gives away little red hearts made of glass. They can serve the purpose of the worry stone, because they are very smooth, but they don’t have the stigma of the name. With each one he advises the recipient to carry it around until they have someone special to give it to. Then, he says, give them your heart and your love.

I have visited with him several times, and he has given me two of these hearts. The first one I gave to Betty, of course, for she is my love. I know to whom I’m going to give the second one, and have carried it waiting for the right occasion.

When I pulled it out of my pocket the other day, I noticed that it had become chipped and scratched bouncing around among all the other stuff I carry in that pocket. I had wanted to give it away while it was still unmarked. Then I realized that we never give away our heart without scratches and chips in it.

Sometimes the scratches and chips come before we give it away and sometimes the person we give it to is careless with it and causes the scratches and chips. Just like this little red heart, our heart is very tough. I could rub on it for years without making a serious mark in it. But, just like this heart, our heart is also very fragile. This one is made of glass and if handled carelessly it could break, just like our own heart. Most of us have had our hearts broken once or twice and remember what it felt like.

But, when a heart is given in love, and received in love, it doesn’t break; it grows stronger.

Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

The true fulfillment of the law of God came when He sent his only begotten son to us. God gave His heart to us. He gave it to us unbroken, unscratched, and without any chips in it. However, when we received His love, His heart, we didn’t handle it with love and we broke it, scratched it and chipped it.

Jesus, the Christ, came to us as a gift. Freely given, as we give our hearts to others. Given with love, as we give ours to another person. When we give our heart, our love, to another person we expect them to treat it with care. God knew that His heart, His Son, would not be treated carefully. He knew that He would be scourged and beaten and hung from a cross. But, still he gave us His love, His heart, His Son.

We are the children of God. And, just like our children have done to us from time to time, and we did to our parents, we broke God’s heart. We took His Son and treated Him cruelly. I say we, even though we were not there in person, it was our sins that caused Him to be given in sacrifice. And, as God’s heart hung on the cross, He lifted His eyes toward heaven and said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

But, just as parent can still love their children when they do wrong, God still loves us. Just as a mother waits at home for her wandering child, God waits for us to return to Him. He waited for thousands of years for the children of Israel to come back to Him. Time after time, they wandered away and then, after they had been taken as slaves to a foreign land, God would rescue them and they would return to Him, only to wander again.

Finally, after all that time, He sent His heart, His Son, to us.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

He knew that His heart would be broken. But, He gave us the chance to return to Him cleansed of all sin. To do this He took all of our sin and placed it on His Son, offered as a blood sacrifice for our salvation. He accepted the broken heart because He knew that it would lead us back to Him. Just as parents we accepted our broken hearts, and prayed to God that our children would return to us.

Whenever I see this glass heart I think of the sacrifice that was given for me and for you. I think of the pure unmarked heart, sinless and pure, that was nailed to that cross so many years ago. When I give this heart away, it will be to someone I love. It may be scarred and marked with tiny chips from bouncing around in my pocket, but it will still be given in love.

Whenever I see this heart, it reminds me of my mother, waiting up at night until we boys came home. She gave her heart to me, and I carried it around with me all these years. It took me a long time to learn to handle the heart with care, not to just slip in into my pocket to bounce around with my spare change and my pocket knife.

Hopefully, by learning to care for the heart my mother gave me, I can also care for the heart that God has given to me. I don’t want to put any more scars on it. I don’t want to chip it any more. I especially don’t want to break it.

The heart my mother gave me was precious. The heart that God has given me is infinitely more precious. He gives this heart to you, also. Handle it with care. Hold it close with your love that you give to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We learn as we age that giving our heart to someone can sometimes be a chancy situation. But let us return what God gave us, and give our hearts into His care. He will not chip it, He will not break it, but, instead, He will fix it and hold it close in the palm of His hand.

Accept God’s heart, our Savior Jesus Christ, and give Him your heart in exchange. It’s a win-win situation, for no one will care for your heart more tenderly, or with more love than our God.

Parts is parts

2007-04-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

I have never blogged before, but I have read a few. Since this is supposed to be my way of expressing myself, I figured I'd do it my way and see what happens. If nothing else it should be interesting.
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1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. {13} For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. {14} Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. {15} If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. {16} And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. {17} If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? {18} But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. {19} If they were all one part, where would the body be? {20} As it is, there are many parts, but one body. {21} The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!” {22} On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, {23} and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, {24} while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, {25} so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. {26} If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. {27} Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Christ and His church form one body. Christ is the head and we are the parts of the body. Have you ever thought about which part you are?

Are you an eye, looking out at the world and seeing the problems that abound?

Without the eyes we would not know what was happening around us. We couldn’t see those who need help, or those who are looking for the grace that only belief in God can bring. But, if you are an eye, are you looking at the wrong things, seeing problems where there are none, or turning blindly away from things that you can do to change the heart of someone? Whenever you close your eyes to the need that surrounds us, imagine what it would be like to be blind, and not able to see the wonder of God’s grace in the world.

Or are you an ear, listening to the words of God and hearing when He speaks to us, telling us that we are needed in this world? Or, do you only hear the bad things and block out the good that is there? Do you ignore the cries for help that you hear, or do you turn toward the hurting and give of yourself? Remember that there are many in this world who are deaf and cannot hear the words of God. Others can hear, but don’t hear the word of God. Part of our job as members of the body of Christ is to insure that all hear the word.

Are you a hand? The hand is a very useful part of the body. We use our hands to feed ourselves, to reach out and bring things closer so our eyes can examine them, and to work so we can earn a living. How do we use them as a hand on the body of Christ? Do we reach out and give comfort to the poor, the ill, and the unloved? Or does our hand reach out to take from others? The hand is a remarkable instrument. It can comfort, it can give to others, or it can grasp and take, hurting others. What kind of hand are you?

Are you a foot, or a leg or a knee? Our legs can be used to carry us toward someone in need, or they can carry us away. We can sit back and put our feet up, close our ears and eyes and ignore the problems there are in this world. If we are the rear end, then that just may be what we do.

Paul is telling us that we are all part of the body of Christ. We were all baptized into one body. Which part we are doesn’t really matter, because Christ is the head. In the human body every member has its place and its use. None of the parts of the body are to be ignored; all of them must be cared for. Whether you look at the parts of our human body, or the body of the church, we see that some parts are weaker than others. This doesn’t mean that they can be dispensed with or ignored. As we study these verses we need to think about which part we are, and how that part is used to further the goals of the body of Christ.

Are you a little toe? The little toe is just as important to our well being as our hands, or our ears. It seems to be insignificant, doing nothing. After all we can’t pick up anything with our little toe. It doesn’t hear cries for help, or compliments. It isn’t able to see where we are going. But, have you ever hurt your little toe? If it hurts we limp. If we limp, this puts extra strain on the joints in our legs and our back. Pains start up in places you wouldn’t think were connected to the little toe. When that insignificant appendage is hurt, it can affect our perspective on life. We can find ourselves snapping at other people over minor problems that usually we ignore. That little pain can take over our entire lives and all of our attention is focused on our little toe.

I remember going on long marches in the Army. We would leave early in the morning, march all day, bivouac that night, and march back the next day. Twenty-five miles out and twenty-five miles back, averaging four miles an hour. If any part of your feet hurt, it was torture. A small blister on the little toe was agony. But, if your feet had been toughened, then the march was not that hard. We cared for that little toe, and all the other parts of our feet. This little toe, which seems to be so weak, so insignificant, was indispensable.

Each part of the body of Christ is also indispensable, no matter how insignificant it seems. Each part of the body of Christ deserves the same concern as any other part. If we ignore any part, it can become injured or ill, and when any part is injured or ill, the entire body suffers.

Some parts are well known, popular, willing to do anything for the body of Christ, the church. Other parts are quieter, more laid back. Some parts are flamboyant, other parts are shy. But all the parts need to work together to accomplish the mission given us by Christ to go out and spread His word across the world.

Which part of the body of Christ are you? Which part is your neighbor? Are you a hand, or a brain, or an eye? Is your neighbor a little toe, or a piece of tendon? It doesn’t matter, because we are all parts of the body. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” If any one of our brothers or sisters is suffering, all of us are suffering. If any part of the body of Christ receives recognition for deeds well done, then all of us rejoice.

Not all of us can, or want to, stand up in front and speak. Not all of us are suited for mission work. Not everyone can handle a Sunday school class. Some of us don’t like to clean and vacuum. But that doesn’t make any part less significant than any other. Each of us is a part of the body of Christ, and each part is crucial to the job we have before us. Sometimes we can’t see why this part or that part is important, but it’s not important that we see it. Christ knows all of us and knows what part we play in His plan for the church.

Each member of the church of Christ has different powers and different places to fill in the church as a whole. We all need to do the part that is given us, and not complain or quarrel. Each of us is necessary and useful. All Christians are dependent on one another, each is to expect and receive help from the rest. Let us then have more of the spirit of union in our religion. Instead of coveting the highest stations, or the most splendid gifts, let us leave the appointment of his instruments to God, and those in whom he works by his providence. Remember, he who is first will be last, and he who is last shall be first, but we are all part of the body of Christ.