I was in the grocery store the other day and I got to contemplating the top of the little tin which held the black spice known as pepper. I discovered it had three openings and that I could select any one of them, depending on the amount of powder I wanted to dispense. They were labeled, "Lift to Sift," "Lift to Spoon," and "Lift to Pour."
Continuing my investigation, I pried open the first to reveal a dozen or so tiny perforations which would permit a fine sprinkling of pepper to escape. The second flap covered a hole just barely large enough for about a quarter-teaspoon scoop. under the third cover, however, I found a gaping mouth from which the pepper would pour like Niagra Falls!
And I thought of 2 Kings 13:14-20.
No, really! In that chapter of the Bible, Elisha the prophet is about to die. King Joash of Israel comes to see him, and the seer tells the sovereign to take some arrows and "smite" the ground (when you are the King, I suppose you don't just "hit" or "beat" things). It seems like an odd request, but his majesty takes three smacks at the floor just to humor the old guy. But it isn't humerous to Elisha. He becomes "wroth" (which is King James English for really ticked off) and Elisha tells King Joash that each smack with the arrows gained a victory over the Syrians, Israel's chief enemy. Because Joash only hit the arrows against the ground three times, instead of wiping Syria out, God's people would now win only three battles.
Poor dumb Joash. When he really needed "Lift to Pour," he settled for "Lift to Sift."
I wonder what setting ("Lift to Sift," "Lift to Spoon," or "Lift to Pour") is on our own Christian walk? Are we "Lift to Sift" Christians, happy with a powder-puff victory now and then, or are we "Lift to Pour" Saints who want to bury ourselves in the blessings of our Heavenly Father? We know His desire for us and we only need to surrender our will and desires to Him to have the best (Psalm 84:11; Romans 12:1,2)! Let's open the spout where God's blessings come out and learn to live in the zest of a well-spiced Christian walk!
'Tis The Seasoning,
Pastor David Blevins
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
I'm Excited About Jesus!
It seems very hard to believe that the month of December will soon be over and we will soon be starting into 2012! It does seem to me that the older I get, the quicker time flies by. As a matter of fact, today (December 22nd) is my 38th spiritual birthday! It was on December 22, 1973 that I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord of my life. That was and is the greatest decision that I have ever made in my life! I have never regretted giving my heart and life to Jesus Christ and never will. It also just seems like yesterday that I began my gospel ministry for the Lord Jesus Christ when I was only 18 years old (I preached my first message in April of 1974). And now, it has been almost 37 3/4 years!
The rapid passing of time reminds me of what James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in James 4:14, "...For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." The NIV says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." My dear beloved friends, it should be our heart's desire to make every moment count for Jesus Christ! We should live with an eternal perspective, realizing that this life will soon be over and we who are saved will live in the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords forever and ever! What a glorious and everlasting joy that will be! I would say to you that based upon the brevity of time, if we are going to do anything for Jesus, we need to do it quickly! What a privilege to know and serve Jesus Christ, the One who saved us for time and eternity! Glory to God!
The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful Christian wife, Randi, whom I love with all of my heart. Thank you for the wonderful life we have had together, Randi! God has gifted us with two great children, Bethany and Rusty. They are the joy of their Dad's heart. I am also very proud of my new son-in-law, Brandon. He is a great Christian young man and he is soooo good to our daughter. We (Randi and I) are patiently waiting for grand-children so that we can spoil them rotten and send them home on a sugar high as revenge against our children for when they were little!
Please let me close by telling the members of Clover Hill Baptist Church that I count it a great privilege to be your Pastor. Thank you for your prayers for me (and my family) and your support of my spiritual leadership. I sincerely look forward to what the Lord Jesus Christ has in store for us in 2012!
I'm Excited About Jesus!
Pastor David Blevins
The rapid passing of time reminds me of what James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in James 4:14, "...For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." The NIV says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." My dear beloved friends, it should be our heart's desire to make every moment count for Jesus Christ! We should live with an eternal perspective, realizing that this life will soon be over and we who are saved will live in the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords forever and ever! What a glorious and everlasting joy that will be! I would say to you that based upon the brevity of time, if we are going to do anything for Jesus, we need to do it quickly! What a privilege to know and serve Jesus Christ, the One who saved us for time and eternity! Glory to God!
The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful Christian wife, Randi, whom I love with all of my heart. Thank you for the wonderful life we have had together, Randi! God has gifted us with two great children, Bethany and Rusty. They are the joy of their Dad's heart. I am also very proud of my new son-in-law, Brandon. He is a great Christian young man and he is soooo good to our daughter. We (Randi and I) are patiently waiting for grand-children so that we can spoil them rotten and send them home on a sugar high as revenge against our children for when they were little!
Please let me close by telling the members of Clover Hill Baptist Church that I count it a great privilege to be your Pastor. Thank you for your prayers for me (and my family) and your support of my spiritual leadership. I sincerely look forward to what the Lord Jesus Christ has in store for us in 2012!
I'm Excited About Jesus!
Pastor David Blevins
Monday, December 19, 2011
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Christmas is really going to cost you this year, especially if you are a traditionalist. According to Jim Dunigan, managing executive for PNC Wealth Management (affiliated with Provident National Bank in Philadelphia), a person wishing to give his true love the standard "Twelve Days of Christmas" assortment (one set of each verse in the song) is looking at a total bill of $24,263! I am also sure that it will come as a huge surprise to all of the many "tekkies" out there that shopping on line will not bring you any kind of a bargain price. As a matter of fact, it will cost you almost $40,000 to buy the same gifts on line! Why is that? Because of the high cost to ship live birds.
The reason? Well, don't blame the partridge, which remains the cheapest item at $15. Maids-a-milking have a weak union, so you can still get them for minimum wage, however piping and drumming are on the rise. Behind the Christmas inflation were three factors: 1. The price of swans doubled from last year to a whopping $6,300. 2. It seems that the Philadelphia Dance Company rents its lords and ladies by the hour, so all that leaping and dancing drove the cost to a 50% increase. 3. The obvious arch-villain is the five golden rings, since the price of gold has doubled since 2008.
If all that isn't bad enough, it must be pointed out that this total is for the twelfth day only! If you figure all the repeat gifts, you end up with a bill for $101,119.84! Ho, Ho, Ho!
But if you think Christmas really costs you and me, stop for a minute to think what the first Christmas, the real Christmas, cost the Ones who really gave.
Of course, it cost the Heavenly Father His only Son. But did you ever stop to think that this was also true in reverse? Bethlehem, or Nazareth for that matter, wasn't any bargain even by earthly standards, and yet Jesus traded His seat at the right hand of the Father for it. And before you tell me that you won't be at church the Sunday's around Christmas because you want to spend the holidays with your family, consider that Jesus Christ, the reason for this season, lived on this Earth for over thirty-three years and never spent a single December 25th with His Father! That sort of puts the whole thing in perspective, doesn't it? Especially when you remember that no gifts were exchanged under a brightly lit tree during His life on Earth. If we are really celebrating the birth (day) of Jesus Christ, why are we the only ones getting the presents?
So go easy on the plastic credit cards this year, and lavishly give the same gift that God gave to us that first Christmas: "A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Be quick to tell others why Jesus really came to this world (Luke 19:10).
"I'll Be Home For Christmas",
Pastor David Blevins
The reason? Well, don't blame the partridge, which remains the cheapest item at $15. Maids-a-milking have a weak union, so you can still get them for minimum wage, however piping and drumming are on the rise. Behind the Christmas inflation were three factors: 1. The price of swans doubled from last year to a whopping $6,300. 2. It seems that the Philadelphia Dance Company rents its lords and ladies by the hour, so all that leaping and dancing drove the cost to a 50% increase. 3. The obvious arch-villain is the five golden rings, since the price of gold has doubled since 2008.
If all that isn't bad enough, it must be pointed out that this total is for the twelfth day only! If you figure all the repeat gifts, you end up with a bill for $101,119.84! Ho, Ho, Ho!
But if you think Christmas really costs you and me, stop for a minute to think what the first Christmas, the real Christmas, cost the Ones who really gave.
Of course, it cost the Heavenly Father His only Son. But did you ever stop to think that this was also true in reverse? Bethlehem, or Nazareth for that matter, wasn't any bargain even by earthly standards, and yet Jesus traded His seat at the right hand of the Father for it. And before you tell me that you won't be at church the Sunday's around Christmas because you want to spend the holidays with your family, consider that Jesus Christ, the reason for this season, lived on this Earth for over thirty-three years and never spent a single December 25th with His Father! That sort of puts the whole thing in perspective, doesn't it? Especially when you remember that no gifts were exchanged under a brightly lit tree during His life on Earth. If we are really celebrating the birth (day) of Jesus Christ, why are we the only ones getting the presents?
So go easy on the plastic credit cards this year, and lavishly give the same gift that God gave to us that first Christmas: "A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Be quick to tell others why Jesus really came to this world (Luke 19:10).
"I'll Be Home For Christmas",
Pastor David Blevins
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Attractively Yours
It has been a while since I finished reading Dr. Stephen Hawking's book, A Brief History Of Time; however, I can tell you that his book finished with me well before I was done with it!
Yes, I will freely admit that the famous British theoretical physicist's "simplified" explanation of black holes, quantum theory, and E=MC squared left me flailing for one non-mathematical shred of reality on which to rest my weary (or was that weird?) mind. Still, I did manage to rise from the Euclidean ooze on brief occasions, struggling to the surface long enough to grasp a few simple concepts.
One of these moments taught me a valuable lesson about the true nature of power. It seems that there are four physical forces in the universe, excluding Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Harrison Ford. They are: gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and strong nuclear. Listen, this is great stuff to keep in mind when balancing your checkbook or making out a grocery shopping list! At any rate, gravity is the weakest of the four. Oddly enough, however, it is also the one that exerts the most influence in our daily lives. It makes certain that our cars will stay where we park them, keeps the Earth going around the Sun, and provides enough friction between our feet and terra firma to allow walking.
How is it you may ask (you very well may not ask, but I will tell you anyway), that the weakest force in the universe is the most prominent? For two reasons: first of all, gravity has the ability to act over large distances; secondly, it is always attractive in nature. That is to say, each particle in the mass of the Earth pulls in the same direction; gravity never fights itself.
...And now, class,we come to the point of our lesson: one does not need a lot of power; one simply needs to exert the power over long distances, and to see that everyone pulls together!
The secrets of Outer Space befuddle me, but I think that I may have some insight here into the inner workings of the Body of Christ. As the Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 1:26-29, 31 God has never made a habit of finding the strongest, smartest, and most talented people to be His servants. Yet, the true church of Jesus Christ, despit its weakness, can be the most potent force on the face of this planet. All we have to do is commit ourselves to spreading the Gospel over any distance, across oceans or across the street, and see to it that we all pull in the same direction (I Cor. 1:10)!
Because the other three forces in the universe sometimes cause particles to pull against one another, they tend to cancel themselves out. God grant us the spiritual wisdom to remember that our calling is not to push ourselves away from each other in the church, but to pull those who are on the outside to Jesus John 12:32; (2 Cor. 3:2,3).
If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, a word of warning: none of the Christians you may know may be very powerful, but there are plenty of us, and we are all pulling for you to come to Jesus Christ for salvation! Let go, and fall upward into the eternal pull of the gravity of God's love for you!
Attractively Yours,
Pastor David Blevins
Yes, I will freely admit that the famous British theoretical physicist's "simplified" explanation of black holes, quantum theory, and E=MC squared left me flailing for one non-mathematical shred of reality on which to rest my weary (or was that weird?) mind. Still, I did manage to rise from the Euclidean ooze on brief occasions, struggling to the surface long enough to grasp a few simple concepts.
One of these moments taught me a valuable lesson about the true nature of power. It seems that there are four physical forces in the universe, excluding Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Harrison Ford. They are: gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and strong nuclear. Listen, this is great stuff to keep in mind when balancing your checkbook or making out a grocery shopping list! At any rate, gravity is the weakest of the four. Oddly enough, however, it is also the one that exerts the most influence in our daily lives. It makes certain that our cars will stay where we park them, keeps the Earth going around the Sun, and provides enough friction between our feet and terra firma to allow walking.
How is it you may ask (you very well may not ask, but I will tell you anyway), that the weakest force in the universe is the most prominent? For two reasons: first of all, gravity has the ability to act over large distances; secondly, it is always attractive in nature. That is to say, each particle in the mass of the Earth pulls in the same direction; gravity never fights itself.
...And now, class,we come to the point of our lesson: one does not need a lot of power; one simply needs to exert the power over long distances, and to see that everyone pulls together!
The secrets of Outer Space befuddle me, but I think that I may have some insight here into the inner workings of the Body of Christ. As the Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 1:26-29, 31 God has never made a habit of finding the strongest, smartest, and most talented people to be His servants. Yet, the true church of Jesus Christ, despit its weakness, can be the most potent force on the face of this planet. All we have to do is commit ourselves to spreading the Gospel over any distance, across oceans or across the street, and see to it that we all pull in the same direction (I Cor. 1:10)!
Because the other three forces in the universe sometimes cause particles to pull against one another, they tend to cancel themselves out. God grant us the spiritual wisdom to remember that our calling is not to push ourselves away from each other in the church, but to pull those who are on the outside to Jesus John 12:32; (2 Cor. 3:2,3).
If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, a word of warning: none of the Christians you may know may be very powerful, but there are plenty of us, and we are all pulling for you to come to Jesus Christ for salvation! Let go, and fall upward into the eternal pull of the gravity of God's love for you!
Attractively Yours,
Pastor David Blevins
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
It All Adds Up
The good news is that Fermat's Last Theorem was finally solved.
The bad news is that this development probably will never have the slightest impact on your life! It has seemed to have had an impact on the life of Andrew Wiles who claimed in 1995 to have solved the 358-year old brain-buster posed in 1637 by Pierre de Fermat, a 15th Century Frenchman.
The theorem, just in case you are interested, stated that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation a to the nth power + b to the nth power = c to the nth power, for any integer value of n greater than two. The real issue here, however, is, "WHO CARES?!"
Now, I should admit that my high school algebra, geometry, and trigonometry grades were very good; however, for several decades now I have been busily attempting to prove that the "new math" is a communist-inspired plot, so my views on this subject may not be completely objective. Still, I really wonder about a world where so many people spend so much time attempting to answer questions that nobody is asking!
It certainly makes me think of the crowd that the Apostle Paul faced on Mars Hill. They basically just wanted to hear some new thing (Acts 17:15-34 - especially note vs. 18-21). Paul shared with them about the death and resurrection of God's Son, Jesus Christ and some did believe on Him, but the majority laughed and went back, no doubt, to debating such idiotic and nonsensical ideas as the possibility of a peanut butter that would not stick to the roof of your mouth.
I could never have solved Fermat's Last Theorem. If I knew his first one, I doubt that I could have solved it either. I can, however, tell you that Jesus Christ is the Unknown Factor that makes sense of and is the perfect solution for every equation in our troubled lives! Whatever the question, Jesus Christ is the best answer! Let Him work it all out (Rom. 8:28; Phil.1:6).
It All Adds Up,
Pastor David Blevins
The bad news is that this development probably will never have the slightest impact on your life! It has seemed to have had an impact on the life of Andrew Wiles who claimed in 1995 to have solved the 358-year old brain-buster posed in 1637 by Pierre de Fermat, a 15th Century Frenchman.
The theorem, just in case you are interested, stated that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation a to the nth power + b to the nth power = c to the nth power, for any integer value of n greater than two. The real issue here, however, is, "WHO CARES?!"
Now, I should admit that my high school algebra, geometry, and trigonometry grades were very good; however, for several decades now I have been busily attempting to prove that the "new math" is a communist-inspired plot, so my views on this subject may not be completely objective. Still, I really wonder about a world where so many people spend so much time attempting to answer questions that nobody is asking!
It certainly makes me think of the crowd that the Apostle Paul faced on Mars Hill. They basically just wanted to hear some new thing (Acts 17:15-34 - especially note vs. 18-21). Paul shared with them about the death and resurrection of God's Son, Jesus Christ and some did believe on Him, but the majority laughed and went back, no doubt, to debating such idiotic and nonsensical ideas as the possibility of a peanut butter that would not stick to the roof of your mouth.
I could never have solved Fermat's Last Theorem. If I knew his first one, I doubt that I could have solved it either. I can, however, tell you that Jesus Christ is the Unknown Factor that makes sense of and is the perfect solution for every equation in our troubled lives! Whatever the question, Jesus Christ is the best answer! Let Him work it all out (Rom. 8:28; Phil.1:6).
It All Adds Up,
Pastor David Blevins
Monday, November 21, 2011
True Thanksgiving Is Thanksliving
In my early days in the gospel ministry, I had some wonderful examples in regard to the matter of practicing thanksgiving. My pastor, Rev. Ray Carpenter, always responded to the kindness and help of others by expressing his thankfulness. Many times I remember seeing him jot a note to someone or make a telephone call to express his gratitude for something that was done.
The Scriptures are replete with admonitions about giving thanks: "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20). "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6). I often try to begin my day by giving the Lord God thanks and praise. Sometimes I will just sit down and write down all the things and all the people that I am thankful to God for. It is amazing how long the list can become when you think of all the spiritual blessings we have in Christ Jesus plus the physical and material blessings that we have from the Lord! Without His provision and protection, we would be destitute and destroyed.
Giving the Lord thanks will bring a joyful outlook into your life. We may have experienced sorrow or we may have heavy burdens upon our hearts, but when we give thanks to the Lord it lifts our spirits and encourages us!
Let me encourage you to practice thanksgiving "to the Lord and to others." Not only do I try to have a time regularly to express thanksgiving to the Lord, but I also try to be alert and prompt in expressing thanks to others who have helped me along life's road. It certainly can edify someone else when they know that they are loved and appreciated!
Let me share just a thought of a Thanksgiving sermon that I have been working on. It is from the text in Acts 28, when Paul is on his journey toward Rome and is met by some of the Christian brethren at a place called "Three Taverns." It says in Acts 28:15, "...when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage." What does this passage mean?
1. Paul had a VISION that helped him in thanksgiving. When Paul saw these brethren, he gave the Lord thanks. We
need to open our eyes to the blessings of the Lord through our brothers and sisters in Christ so that we might give
give the Lord thanks.
2. Paul VERBALIZED his thanksgiving to the Lord. Every blessing that we receive is from the Lord's hand (James 1:
17). Whether it be some brethren who encourage us or God's provision and protection for us, we need to give the
Lord thanks.
3. Paul received VALOR from his thanksgiving. By being thankful, it helped the Apostle to be courageous as he
faced his trial, imprisonment, and impending death in Rome. There is something about thanksgiving that helps us
to be brave in facing the trials of life.
True Thanksgiving Is Thanksliving,
Pastor David Blevins
The Scriptures are replete with admonitions about giving thanks: "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20). "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6). I often try to begin my day by giving the Lord God thanks and praise. Sometimes I will just sit down and write down all the things and all the people that I am thankful to God for. It is amazing how long the list can become when you think of all the spiritual blessings we have in Christ Jesus plus the physical and material blessings that we have from the Lord! Without His provision and protection, we would be destitute and destroyed.
Giving the Lord thanks will bring a joyful outlook into your life. We may have experienced sorrow or we may have heavy burdens upon our hearts, but when we give thanks to the Lord it lifts our spirits and encourages us!
Let me encourage you to practice thanksgiving "to the Lord and to others." Not only do I try to have a time regularly to express thanksgiving to the Lord, but I also try to be alert and prompt in expressing thanks to others who have helped me along life's road. It certainly can edify someone else when they know that they are loved and appreciated!
Let me share just a thought of a Thanksgiving sermon that I have been working on. It is from the text in Acts 28, when Paul is on his journey toward Rome and is met by some of the Christian brethren at a place called "Three Taverns." It says in Acts 28:15, "...when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage." What does this passage mean?
1. Paul had a VISION that helped him in thanksgiving. When Paul saw these brethren, he gave the Lord thanks. We
need to open our eyes to the blessings of the Lord through our brothers and sisters in Christ so that we might give
give the Lord thanks.
2. Paul VERBALIZED his thanksgiving to the Lord. Every blessing that we receive is from the Lord's hand (James 1:
17). Whether it be some brethren who encourage us or God's provision and protection for us, we need to give the
Lord thanks.
3. Paul received VALOR from his thanksgiving. By being thankful, it helped the Apostle to be courageous as he
faced his trial, imprisonment, and impending death in Rome. There is something about thanksgiving that helps us
to be brave in facing the trials of life.
True Thanksgiving Is Thanksliving,
Pastor David Blevins
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Let's Be Civil
Take a moment to consider two stories from the American Civil War. The bloody conflict began in earnest when, on July 21, 1861, Confederate forces routed the North at Manassas (in upstate Virginia) in what became known as the First Battle of Bull Run. Much of the battle took place on the farm of a man named Wilmer McLean. When a Union shell exploded in his kitchen, McLean decided he disliked living in a war zone and moved his family south, away from the fighting. His new home? Appomattox Court House, where, almost four years later, General Robert E. Lee would offer his surrender to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. Mr. McLean used to say that the Civil War began in his front yard and ended in his front parlor.
The second story comes from the Battle of Shiloh, fought on April 6th and 7th of 1862. It seems that a wounded soldier was told to lay down his rifle and go to the rear for medical treatment. He followed orders, but returned several minutes later and growled, "Gimme another gun. This blame fight ain't got any rear!"
Retreat and neutrality are not the way of success in Christian spiritual warfare. When the nation of Israel sought spiritual neutrality, Joshua demanded a decision (Joshua 24:14-16). When the nation of Israel vacillated on Mt. Carmel, Elijah called for a showdown (I Kings 17:17-24). Jesus Christ told His hearers, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" (Matthew 12:30).We are either the servant of Jesus Christ OR the enemies of Christ, and there can be no separate place!
So, heed the trumpet that blasts out our call to arms and fall in with God's mighty army, marching forth with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some may choose to hang back, and cower before the enemy, but as for me, "Gimme my Bible. This blame fight ain't got any rear!"
Let's Be Civil,
Pastor David Blevins
The second story comes from the Battle of Shiloh, fought on April 6th and 7th of 1862. It seems that a wounded soldier was told to lay down his rifle and go to the rear for medical treatment. He followed orders, but returned several minutes later and growled, "Gimme another gun. This blame fight ain't got any rear!"
Retreat and neutrality are not the way of success in Christian spiritual warfare. When the nation of Israel sought spiritual neutrality, Joshua demanded a decision (Joshua 24:14-16). When the nation of Israel vacillated on Mt. Carmel, Elijah called for a showdown (I Kings 17:17-24). Jesus Christ told His hearers, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" (Matthew 12:30).We are either the servant of Jesus Christ OR the enemies of Christ, and there can be no separate place!
So, heed the trumpet that blasts out our call to arms and fall in with God's mighty army, marching forth with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some may choose to hang back, and cower before the enemy, but as for me, "Gimme my Bible. This blame fight ain't got any rear!"
Let's Be Civil,
Pastor David Blevins
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Stop And Stair
The "Miraculous Stairs" housed in the Chapel of San Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico, have an interesting history.
The chapel was built in 1873 to serve an all-girl academy operated by nuns of the Sisters of Loretto. Only after the building was completed did anyone realize that it lacked a stairwell to the choir loft that spanned the rear of the nave. Workmen had used a ladder, but that seemed undignified to the sisters, and a traditional set of stairs would have taken up too much space, necessitating the removal of many different seats.
Into the midst of this quandary came an old man leading a donkey laden with wood. Obtaining permission from the Sister Superior, he set to work, reportedly using only a hammer, saw, and T-square. Then he disappeared, without asking for payment.
In the chapel the women found a 33-step staircase, constructed in two tight, 360-degree spirals; a design so economical that almost no seating was lost. The most amazing thing was its bolster: there wasn't one! Architects say the steps should have collapsed the first time that they were used. They did not collapse the first time, nor the second, nor over all these years.
Those steps, however, are not a miracle; they are only an illustration of the daily miracle of the Christian life.
If we span the gap between Heaven and earth, executing the double-turn of emphatic repentance, it is only by the grace of God. According to earthly reason, we stand, like a shiftless relative, with no visible means of support. According to the world, God's church should have collapsed the first time it felt the pressure of persecution or even of ministry. But it did not fall the first time, nor the second, nor for two thousand years.
How will we live godly in such a fallen world? How will we ever be able to raise godly children? Don't worry! Though we look completely vulnerable to the unknowing world, we stand fast, the miraculous work of the Master Carpenter from Nazareth and Eternity (Eph. 2:8-10; Phil.1 :6)!
And why does a staircase exist? To help people ascend! We speak of certain people as being the "pillars of the church", but I much prefer staircases, even though they tend to get stepped on, and become scuffed and worn, because they help people to be edified in their faith. If you are still stuck at ground level, may we invite you to climb, to keep pressing on the upward way (Heb.6:1)?
Stop And Stair,
Pastor David Blevins
The chapel was built in 1873 to serve an all-girl academy operated by nuns of the Sisters of Loretto. Only after the building was completed did anyone realize that it lacked a stairwell to the choir loft that spanned the rear of the nave. Workmen had used a ladder, but that seemed undignified to the sisters, and a traditional set of stairs would have taken up too much space, necessitating the removal of many different seats.
Into the midst of this quandary came an old man leading a donkey laden with wood. Obtaining permission from the Sister Superior, he set to work, reportedly using only a hammer, saw, and T-square. Then he disappeared, without asking for payment.
In the chapel the women found a 33-step staircase, constructed in two tight, 360-degree spirals; a design so economical that almost no seating was lost. The most amazing thing was its bolster: there wasn't one! Architects say the steps should have collapsed the first time that they were used. They did not collapse the first time, nor the second, nor over all these years.
Those steps, however, are not a miracle; they are only an illustration of the daily miracle of the Christian life.
If we span the gap between Heaven and earth, executing the double-turn of emphatic repentance, it is only by the grace of God. According to earthly reason, we stand, like a shiftless relative, with no visible means of support. According to the world, God's church should have collapsed the first time it felt the pressure of persecution or even of ministry. But it did not fall the first time, nor the second, nor for two thousand years.
How will we live godly in such a fallen world? How will we ever be able to raise godly children? Don't worry! Though we look completely vulnerable to the unknowing world, we stand fast, the miraculous work of the Master Carpenter from Nazareth and Eternity (Eph. 2:8-10; Phil.1 :6)!
And why does a staircase exist? To help people ascend! We speak of certain people as being the "pillars of the church", but I much prefer staircases, even though they tend to get stepped on, and become scuffed and worn, because they help people to be edified in their faith. If you are still stuck at ground level, may we invite you to climb, to keep pressing on the upward way (Heb.6:1)?
Stop And Stair,
Pastor David Blevins
Friday, November 4, 2011
Chow Down!
On Alexander Solzhenitsyn's first day in a Soviet prison camp, he spied two prisoners rummaging through a coal pile. The men unearthed some grimy lumps, then sat down and ate them. "It's sea clay," they explained. "The doctor doesn't forbid it. It doesn't do any good, but it really doesn't do any harm either. And if you add a kilo of it a day to your rations, it is as if you had really eaten."
Knowing that I have to lose a lot of weight, I recently read an article on fat-free dieting that offers basically the same advice. The body burns carbohydrates much faster than fat, causing that empty feeling often associated with Chinese food. The author of the article recommends pectin, a non-fattening fiber used to thicken jams and jellies. It has no real nutritional value, but it does slow down digestion, making you feel fuller for a longer period of time.
Sea clay for starving prisoners and pectin for paunchy Americans: the best you can say is that they don't do any harm and they stave off craving for true food.
I wonder if we could not identify or diagnose something called the "Sea Clay Christian Syndrome"? All week long we stuff ourselves with non-nutrient amusements: magazines, books, television talk shows like Dr. Phil and Oprah, advice from television sitcoms, radio advice from people we have never met (let alone knowing the kind of life they live day by day), etc. The Great Physician (Jesus Christ) does not forbid such pastimes and, taken in small discerning doses, they do have their place. But come sundown, we often find that we have no appetite for the true food of fellowship with Jesus Christ! By Sunday, we have so pumped ourselves with "worldly pectin" that we can barely choke down another hour of worship and Bible study or we don't partake at all. We truly are spiritually malnourished, but we don't feel hungry, so we just shrug it off as our spiritual emaciation grows exponentially (Amos 8:11).
One of my prayers for Clover Hill Baptist Church is that God will grant all of us a hunger, a burning desire for the real meat of God's Word (Job 23:12; Psalm 119: 97, 113, 140; John 4:4; 2 Timothy 2:15 ). " I am the bread of life," Jesus says, and He promises to fill all who come to Him empty (John 6:35, 48). "So, dear Lord, please purify all of us from our pectin and make us seasick of sea clay; may we come to you famished for your Word, and go away satisfied and truly full of hot loaves from Heaven!"
"Chow Down",
Pastor David Blevins
Knowing that I have to lose a lot of weight, I recently read an article on fat-free dieting that offers basically the same advice. The body burns carbohydrates much faster than fat, causing that empty feeling often associated with Chinese food. The author of the article recommends pectin, a non-fattening fiber used to thicken jams and jellies. It has no real nutritional value, but it does slow down digestion, making you feel fuller for a longer period of time.
Sea clay for starving prisoners and pectin for paunchy Americans: the best you can say is that they don't do any harm and they stave off craving for true food.
I wonder if we could not identify or diagnose something called the "Sea Clay Christian Syndrome"? All week long we stuff ourselves with non-nutrient amusements: magazines, books, television talk shows like Dr. Phil and Oprah, advice from television sitcoms, radio advice from people we have never met (let alone knowing the kind of life they live day by day), etc. The Great Physician (Jesus Christ) does not forbid such pastimes and, taken in small discerning doses, they do have their place. But come sundown, we often find that we have no appetite for the true food of fellowship with Jesus Christ! By Sunday, we have so pumped ourselves with "worldly pectin" that we can barely choke down another hour of worship and Bible study or we don't partake at all. We truly are spiritually malnourished, but we don't feel hungry, so we just shrug it off as our spiritual emaciation grows exponentially (Amos 8:11).
One of my prayers for Clover Hill Baptist Church is that God will grant all of us a hunger, a burning desire for the real meat of God's Word (Job 23:12; Psalm 119: 97, 113, 140; John 4:4; 2 Timothy 2:15 ). " I am the bread of life," Jesus says, and He promises to fill all who come to Him empty (John 6:35, 48). "So, dear Lord, please purify all of us from our pectin and make us seasick of sea clay; may we come to you famished for your Word, and go away satisfied and truly full of hot loaves from Heaven!"
"Chow Down",
Pastor David Blevins
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Go Fish
There is a body of water in Massachusetts called Lake Char. That, at any rate, is its' English name taken from a species of trout. The Indians, however, gave it a different moniker, a 44-letter word meaning, "You-fish-on-your-side-I-fish-on-my-side-nobody-fishes-in-the-middle." The United States Board of Geographic Names reports that it intends to stick with "Lake Char." Too bad, I say.
What I mean by that is that even though the Native American name is unwieldly, it certainly has character! It also says something about the culture that once surrounded the lake. I wonder if we could play a similar game with church names? We give them nice, presentable titles, usually something about God, the Bible, or the street where the church building is located, but what if we gave them titles that really describe what goes on in those churches?
How about, "You-sit-in-your-pew-I-sit-in-my-pew-nobody-sits-on-the-front-pew"? It would certainly tell us something about the boundaries that often throttle our brotherhood/fellowship and leaves visitors on the outside with nowhere to sit at all. What do you think of, "You-have-your-friends-I-have-my-friends-nobody-makes-new-friends"? That one might help us figure out why visitors or even new members sometimes fail to be tied into, assimilated into the Body of Christ, our local New Testament Baptist Church. Here is an interesting one, "You-will-not-forgive-me-I-will-not-forgive-you-everybody-else-needs-to-choose-sides"? This one would help us to understand why some churches dry up spiritually, become stagnant and die.
But the term "church", as we have it in the New Testament, really means "the called ones" or "called out assembly." The true confession and position of the Body of Christ is "You-leave-your-side-I-leave-my-side-everybody-meets-in-the-middle-with-God's-love-and-let's-serve-the-Lord-together." May God make us just such a church! When that happens, we will quit worrying about protecting our favorite spot - we will quit worrying about showing off our catch and we can start looking around for someone to help us haul it in (Luke 5:1-11)!
Go Fish,
Pastor David Blevins
What I mean by that is that even though the Native American name is unwieldly, it certainly has character! It also says something about the culture that once surrounded the lake. I wonder if we could play a similar game with church names? We give them nice, presentable titles, usually something about God, the Bible, or the street where the church building is located, but what if we gave them titles that really describe what goes on in those churches?
How about, "You-sit-in-your-pew-I-sit-in-my-pew-nobody-sits-on-the-front-pew"? It would certainly tell us something about the boundaries that often throttle our brotherhood/fellowship and leaves visitors on the outside with nowhere to sit at all. What do you think of, "You-have-your-friends-I-have-my-friends-nobody-makes-new-friends"? That one might help us figure out why visitors or even new members sometimes fail to be tied into, assimilated into the Body of Christ, our local New Testament Baptist Church. Here is an interesting one, "You-will-not-forgive-me-I-will-not-forgive-you-everybody-else-needs-to-choose-sides"? This one would help us to understand why some churches dry up spiritually, become stagnant and die.
But the term "church", as we have it in the New Testament, really means "the called ones" or "called out assembly." The true confession and position of the Body of Christ is "You-leave-your-side-I-leave-my-side-everybody-meets-in-the-middle-with-God's-love-and-let's-serve-the-Lord-together." May God make us just such a church! When that happens, we will quit worrying about protecting our favorite spot - we will quit worrying about showing off our catch and we can start looking around for someone to help us haul it in (Luke 5:1-11)!
Go Fish,
Pastor David Blevins
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Smile, You're On Candid Camera!
I was thinking about Jehu not long ago. Do you remember Jehu? He was the man who was very anxious to show his "zeal for the LORD." According to the text in 2 Kings 10:15,16 this evidently involved taking a chariot ride with the future monarch. Put that alongside 2 Kings 9:20, and we get some insight into what this zealot considered religious behavior: "The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously."
Well, based on that standard, we Baptists ought to be right smack dab in the middle of one great revival for we love to think we are in a NASCAR race when we drive!
This Old Testament passage occurs to me almost every time that I am cruising the highways around Richmond. I guess you could even call it a religious experience, since the four-lanes are filled with crazy drivers of the Jehu-variety!
That is, until they spy the Photocop.
Do you know about the Photocop? It is a camera set at license plate level or higher and rigged to a radar device, stop light, or toll booth. If you drive faster than the posted speed limit, run a red light, or try to skip out on paying the toll fee, a switch is flipped and the machine photographs your license plate number. The department of Motor Vehicles will then send you a ticket along with a nice note and no, you cannot order 8x10 glossies or even wallet size!
That makes me think of another Bible text - Revelation 20:12, which says, "and the books were opened...and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
God is sort of like the ultimate Photocop and He is not limited to one intersection in one city, nor only to traffic violations (Prov. 5:21; Prov. 15:3).
Like the Photocop machine, God's judgment is delayed, but no less certain (Heb. 9:27). However, the Good News is that God the Father is willing to expunge your record - to expose the sin negatives of your life to the dazzling light of His Son's (Jesus) love. So, let me ask you - is the film clean? Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? If not, then please trust Him and get saved today by repenting of your sins, asking Him to cleanse you from every one of your sins, and inviting Him to live in your heart!
Smile, and say...Jesus,
Pastor David Blevins
Well, based on that standard, we Baptists ought to be right smack dab in the middle of one great revival for we love to think we are in a NASCAR race when we drive!
This Old Testament passage occurs to me almost every time that I am cruising the highways around Richmond. I guess you could even call it a religious experience, since the four-lanes are filled with crazy drivers of the Jehu-variety!
That is, until they spy the Photocop.
Do you know about the Photocop? It is a camera set at license plate level or higher and rigged to a radar device, stop light, or toll booth. If you drive faster than the posted speed limit, run a red light, or try to skip out on paying the toll fee, a switch is flipped and the machine photographs your license plate number. The department of Motor Vehicles will then send you a ticket along with a nice note and no, you cannot order 8x10 glossies or even wallet size!
That makes me think of another Bible text - Revelation 20:12, which says, "and the books were opened...and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
God is sort of like the ultimate Photocop and He is not limited to one intersection in one city, nor only to traffic violations (Prov. 5:21; Prov. 15:3).
Like the Photocop machine, God's judgment is delayed, but no less certain (Heb. 9:27). However, the Good News is that God the Father is willing to expunge your record - to expose the sin negatives of your life to the dazzling light of His Son's (Jesus) love. So, let me ask you - is the film clean? Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? If not, then please trust Him and get saved today by repenting of your sins, asking Him to cleanse you from every one of your sins, and inviting Him to live in your heart!
Smile, and say...Jesus,
Pastor David Blevins
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Running For God
In Homer's Iliad, there is a scene where Achilles, hero of the Greeks, faces Hector, the Trojan general, in battle. Hector loses his nerve and makes a run for it so that the two warriors end up staging a three-lap footrace around the walls of Troy.
Describing the scene, the blind poet writes, "good was the man that fled, but far better was he that followed after, and swiftly indeed did they run, for the prize was no mere beast fro sacrifice or bullock's hide, as it might be for a common footrace, but they ran for the life of Hector."
That particular line reminds me of Paul's words to the Corinthians in I Corinthians 9:24, 25. Using the image of the Greek games the Apostle Paul makes a couple of statements that parallel the scene from the Iliad.
First of all, a race can only have one winner. Either Achilles will slice Hector's head off, or Hector will disappear into the city gates, out of danger. In the Christian life, we either gain the prize or we leave the field to the enemy, Satan.
Secondly, the prize motivates the effort. Hector ran harder than he might have under other circumstances; Paul realizes that an athlete might be able to live without a crown of laurel leaves. However, we run for an imperishable crown for the glory of God!
So the Christian is highly motivated in both directions. Negatively, the price of defeat looms large, while the positive prize drives us forward. A final thought: Hector loses in the end because the wily goddess Minerva tricks him into stopping when he should have continued to run. How blessed we are to know that we serve the true God (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18) who never leads us astray; who gives us strength to continue rather than an excuse for quitting (Isa. 40:31).
So, lace up your shoes and run to win. Refuse to slacken your pace until the gates of that glorious eternal city close about you!
Don't Walk With The Devil - Run For God,
Pastor David Blevins
Describing the scene, the blind poet writes, "good was the man that fled, but far better was he that followed after, and swiftly indeed did they run, for the prize was no mere beast fro sacrifice or bullock's hide, as it might be for a common footrace, but they ran for the life of Hector."
That particular line reminds me of Paul's words to the Corinthians in I Corinthians 9:24, 25. Using the image of the Greek games the Apostle Paul makes a couple of statements that parallel the scene from the Iliad.
First of all, a race can only have one winner. Either Achilles will slice Hector's head off, or Hector will disappear into the city gates, out of danger. In the Christian life, we either gain the prize or we leave the field to the enemy, Satan.
Secondly, the prize motivates the effort. Hector ran harder than he might have under other circumstances; Paul realizes that an athlete might be able to live without a crown of laurel leaves. However, we run for an imperishable crown for the glory of God!
So the Christian is highly motivated in both directions. Negatively, the price of defeat looms large, while the positive prize drives us forward. A final thought: Hector loses in the end because the wily goddess Minerva tricks him into stopping when he should have continued to run. How blessed we are to know that we serve the true God (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18) who never leads us astray; who gives us strength to continue rather than an excuse for quitting (Isa. 40:31).
So, lace up your shoes and run to win. Refuse to slacken your pace until the gates of that glorious eternal city close about you!
Don't Walk With The Devil - Run For God,
Pastor David Blevins
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Pining For You
In "Big Two-Hearted River", Ernest Hemingway pictures his hero, Nick Adams, tramping through a fire-gutted forest, seeking a spot for trout fishing. When Nick gains the edge of the burned-over swath, the first vegetation that greets his eyes is pine trees - jack pines to be exact.
Susan Schmidt of the University of South Carolina commented on this detail in an article that would be found in a past issue of The Hemingway Review. She writes, "Jack pines...are well adapted to fire ecology; in fact, jack pines need fire to be able to re-seed. A forest fire may kill individual trees but the continuation of the forest depends upon periodic fires. Seed cones can stay at the top of the trees as long as twenty-five years waiting for a fire. The extreme heat melts the pine cones so that the seeds can be released." She goes on to describe the custom of French Canadian woodsmen, who used to believe that jack pines poisoned the soil. "No superstitious woodsman would chop down a jack pine, but would burn it to 'kill it', thereby allowing it to re-seed."
All of this makes me think of verses like James 1:3, 4 which tells us that the trying (the Greek word means "to burn") of our faith produces patience which leads to maturity in our Christian walk. From time to time, faith fires crackle across the life of a believer, leaving him with the "burnt-out" feeling so common in our stressful time. We tend to react (or even over react) with sorrow, and we are very quick on the draw to complain to God about the crisis. We should learn our lesson well and be just as quick to realize that the Master Forester knows His business, and He is engaging in some jack pine faith ecology. There are seed cones of faith, talent, prayer, and ministry perched high atop our lives somewhere, and only the fires of trial can release them. An individual blaze may destroy a cherished dream, but it is so vital to the continuation of the Kingdom work as a whole.
So, if you feel burned up, burned out, or just plain burned - glorify God! You and I often only see the tree - But God looks at the pine cones and sees the forest. Even if the enemy (Satan) were to set a blaze in an attempt to destroy you, he did the one thing that assures spiritual survival on your part! Why? Because the flames of persecution and the blood of the martyrs have always been a driving catalyst in the growth of the church (Read the book of Acts and The Martyr's Mirror).
Pining For You,
Pastor David Blevins
Susan Schmidt of the University of South Carolina commented on this detail in an article that would be found in a past issue of The Hemingway Review. She writes, "Jack pines...are well adapted to fire ecology; in fact, jack pines need fire to be able to re-seed. A forest fire may kill individual trees but the continuation of the forest depends upon periodic fires. Seed cones can stay at the top of the trees as long as twenty-five years waiting for a fire. The extreme heat melts the pine cones so that the seeds can be released." She goes on to describe the custom of French Canadian woodsmen, who used to believe that jack pines poisoned the soil. "No superstitious woodsman would chop down a jack pine, but would burn it to 'kill it', thereby allowing it to re-seed."
All of this makes me think of verses like James 1:3, 4 which tells us that the trying (the Greek word means "to burn") of our faith produces patience which leads to maturity in our Christian walk. From time to time, faith fires crackle across the life of a believer, leaving him with the "burnt-out" feeling so common in our stressful time. We tend to react (or even over react) with sorrow, and we are very quick on the draw to complain to God about the crisis. We should learn our lesson well and be just as quick to realize that the Master Forester knows His business, and He is engaging in some jack pine faith ecology. There are seed cones of faith, talent, prayer, and ministry perched high atop our lives somewhere, and only the fires of trial can release them. An individual blaze may destroy a cherished dream, but it is so vital to the continuation of the Kingdom work as a whole.
So, if you feel burned up, burned out, or just plain burned - glorify God! You and I often only see the tree - But God looks at the pine cones and sees the forest. Even if the enemy (Satan) were to set a blaze in an attempt to destroy you, he did the one thing that assures spiritual survival on your part! Why? Because the flames of persecution and the blood of the martyrs have always been a driving catalyst in the growth of the church (Read the book of Acts and The Martyr's Mirror).
Pining For You,
Pastor David Blevins
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Fruitfully Yours
You learn something new every day, and what I learned recently is that you should never overwater your orange trees. I feel so much better just knowing I have that one stashed away on a mental micro chip!
Citrus trees, if given an over supply of ground water, will expand their root systems to lap up the extra bounty. As a result, the roots get wider, but not much deeper, and very little nourishment goes up the trunk of the tree to produce leaves and fruit. Therefore, it is best to irrigate the tree at intervals, pausing between dousings to force it to absorb and use what it is given.
I think that really helps me understand some other things that greatly trouble me from time to time.
For instance, I have often wondered why God seems to alternate the times of great spiritual blessing with times of spiritual drought. In my prayer life, it seems that on one day God is so near that I take my shoes off; the next day He seems so far away that I want to put my shoes back on and walk around looking for Him. There are times when the people I witness to open the doors of their heart to Jesus Christ and trust Him as their Savior; at other times, they slam the doors of their homes on me. Why is that?
C.S. Lewis called it "The Law of Undulation". Our Heavenly Father alternates spiritual blessings and challenges in such a way as to ensure that we invest His gifts to us in ministry to others rather than just absorbing them. John 15:8, 16 and Galatians 5:22, 23 indicate to us that God demands spiritual fruit in our lives, not just roots, the former being merely a tool to reach the latter. As a matter of fact, THE PROOF OF THE ROOT IS IN THE FRUIT!! Too many of us are Matthew 13: 5,6 (also see verses 20, 21) Christians, whose roots flourish at the surface level, but have no tap root beneath and no blossoms (or fruit) above.
So, the next time you seem to be more barren than blessed, remember that God the Master Gardner knows what He is doing (John 15:1). Dig deep and wait for the latter rain (James 5:7), and draw His spiritual blessings and challenges upward into spiritual fruit!
Fruitfully Yours,
Pastor David Blevins
Citrus trees, if given an over supply of ground water, will expand their root systems to lap up the extra bounty. As a result, the roots get wider, but not much deeper, and very little nourishment goes up the trunk of the tree to produce leaves and fruit. Therefore, it is best to irrigate the tree at intervals, pausing between dousings to force it to absorb and use what it is given.
I think that really helps me understand some other things that greatly trouble me from time to time.
For instance, I have often wondered why God seems to alternate the times of great spiritual blessing with times of spiritual drought. In my prayer life, it seems that on one day God is so near that I take my shoes off; the next day He seems so far away that I want to put my shoes back on and walk around looking for Him. There are times when the people I witness to open the doors of their heart to Jesus Christ and trust Him as their Savior; at other times, they slam the doors of their homes on me. Why is that?
C.S. Lewis called it "The Law of Undulation". Our Heavenly Father alternates spiritual blessings and challenges in such a way as to ensure that we invest His gifts to us in ministry to others rather than just absorbing them. John 15:8, 16 and Galatians 5:22, 23 indicate to us that God demands spiritual fruit in our lives, not just roots, the former being merely a tool to reach the latter. As a matter of fact, THE PROOF OF THE ROOT IS IN THE FRUIT!! Too many of us are Matthew 13: 5,6 (also see verses 20, 21) Christians, whose roots flourish at the surface level, but have no tap root beneath and no blossoms (or fruit) above.
So, the next time you seem to be more barren than blessed, remember that God the Master Gardner knows what He is doing (John 15:1). Dig deep and wait for the latter rain (James 5:7), and draw His spiritual blessings and challenges upward into spiritual fruit!
Fruitfully Yours,
Pastor David Blevins
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Mercy Me
Her name is Marilyn Vos Savant, and the Guiness Book of World Records at one point said that she was the smartest person alive (they no longer have that category in their book). Her I.Q. clocked in somewhere just north of Einstein. So, I dare to disagree with one of her pronouncements? You had better believe that I do!
Not very long ago, someone asked Marilyn this question, "If you had a wish for mankind, what would it be?" The Guiness Guru replied, "Sometimes I simply wish that we would all get what we deserve." Well, why not just ask for a worldwide dose of bubonic plague and call it a day?! As William Shakespeare asked, "Treat each man as he deserves and who should 'scape whipping?"
Even better than Shakespearean question is the comment of an unknown Southern soldier during the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee commanded the Great Army of Northren Virginia. General Lee was also a West Point graduate who survived that strict institution without accumulating a single demerit. Classmates called him "The Marble Man." During the Civil War, a buck private stood before "Massa Robert" for an infraction of the rules.
The General, seeing the man tremble before him, said, "You don't need to be afraid, son. You'll get justice here."
To which Johnny Reb replied, "I know it, General Lee. That's just what I am afraid of."
Let me ask you, dear friend, do you really think that you will make it to heaven someday based on your good works? Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8,9 teach us otherwise! One day you will stand before Jesus Christ, Marble Man Who had no sin (I John 3:5), Who knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21), and Who did no sin (I Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15). He will judge everyone of us by His perfect standard of sinlessness. We all have fallen short of that perfection of righteousness (Ecc. 7:20; Rom. 3:23).
But praise God that, because of the Cross of Calvary, justice has yielded to love, grace, mercy and forgiveness! To those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, His words will be, "You don't need to be afraid, child. You'll get grace here."
Seeking Some "Lee-Way"
Pastor David Blevins
Not very long ago, someone asked Marilyn this question, "If you had a wish for mankind, what would it be?" The Guiness Guru replied, "Sometimes I simply wish that we would all get what we deserve." Well, why not just ask for a worldwide dose of bubonic plague and call it a day?! As William Shakespeare asked, "Treat each man as he deserves and who should 'scape whipping?"
Even better than Shakespearean question is the comment of an unknown Southern soldier during the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee commanded the Great Army of Northren Virginia. General Lee was also a West Point graduate who survived that strict institution without accumulating a single demerit. Classmates called him "The Marble Man." During the Civil War, a buck private stood before "Massa Robert" for an infraction of the rules.
The General, seeing the man tremble before him, said, "You don't need to be afraid, son. You'll get justice here."
To which Johnny Reb replied, "I know it, General Lee. That's just what I am afraid of."
Let me ask you, dear friend, do you really think that you will make it to heaven someday based on your good works? Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8,9 teach us otherwise! One day you will stand before Jesus Christ, Marble Man Who had no sin (I John 3:5), Who knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21), and Who did no sin (I Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15). He will judge everyone of us by His perfect standard of sinlessness. We all have fallen short of that perfection of righteousness (Ecc. 7:20; Rom. 3:23).
But praise God that, because of the Cross of Calvary, justice has yielded to love, grace, mercy and forgiveness! To those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, His words will be, "You don't need to be afraid, child. You'll get grace here."
Seeking Some "Lee-Way"
Pastor David Blevins
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Dial 911
Fred Bowers reminded me of God.
Some time ago I read about Fred who worked the night shift in the Deck Park Tunnel, a half-mile section of Interstate 10 between Third Street and Third Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. It took more than 5 years and 700 million dollars to build and a good deal of that went into the subterranean control booth where Fred took up his lonely vigil. From this booth he could...
...monitor traffic flow using 20 closed-circuit cameras and a bank of plasma screen monitors that gave him a constant view of the whole tunnel.
...alert motorists of accidents or traffic jams by tapping out warnings which appeared on message boards throughout the tunnel roadway.
...determine if smoke or carbon monoxide was being released in harmful levels, and literally blow it away by starting up several 750 horsepower fans to create 70 miles per hour winds.
...do everything, in fact, but contact the stranded motorists who could have talked to him just by picking up one of the emergency phones that were located at regular intervals (every 150 ft.). For that conversation to take place, they had to call him.
Yes, Fred reminded me of God. Think about it. God did not simply create State Route Straight and Narrow and then retire to His office to get away from the traffic jams of humanity. Instead, He wired Himself into His creation and the lives of His creatures. From the throne room of Heaven, He can...
...watch every soul on Earth as we pursue our seperate paths (Prov. 5:21; Prov. 15:3).
...use His Book, the Bible, to warn us of danger or trouble ahead so that we can avoid fatal collisions with sin (Psalm 119:9, 11, 105).
....send the mighty blast of the Holy Spirit to blow away the noxious fumes of sin (Gal. 5:16, 25).
...do everything but initiate the call for help. Actually, He can do that one too, if He so chooses, but He gives us the honor and responsibilty of making a choice.
Fred Bowers often fumed in frustration as a hapless motorist stumbled by phone after phone, too proud to make the call or not knowing what the phone was for. Just think, my friend, how often God must weep with compassion as stranded sinners stagger from heartbreak to heartbreak, leaving the phone of prayer useless on the hook of grace. God sees your need, and He has infinite power to meet it...but He waits for you to call (Psalm 120:1; Jer. 33:3; James 4:2).
Dial 911,
Pastor David Blevins
Some time ago I read about Fred who worked the night shift in the Deck Park Tunnel, a half-mile section of Interstate 10 between Third Street and Third Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. It took more than 5 years and 700 million dollars to build and a good deal of that went into the subterranean control booth where Fred took up his lonely vigil. From this booth he could...
...monitor traffic flow using 20 closed-circuit cameras and a bank of plasma screen monitors that gave him a constant view of the whole tunnel.
...alert motorists of accidents or traffic jams by tapping out warnings which appeared on message boards throughout the tunnel roadway.
...determine if smoke or carbon monoxide was being released in harmful levels, and literally blow it away by starting up several 750 horsepower fans to create 70 miles per hour winds.
...do everything, in fact, but contact the stranded motorists who could have talked to him just by picking up one of the emergency phones that were located at regular intervals (every 150 ft.). For that conversation to take place, they had to call him.
Yes, Fred reminded me of God. Think about it. God did not simply create State Route Straight and Narrow and then retire to His office to get away from the traffic jams of humanity. Instead, He wired Himself into His creation and the lives of His creatures. From the throne room of Heaven, He can...
...watch every soul on Earth as we pursue our seperate paths (Prov. 5:21; Prov. 15:3).
...use His Book, the Bible, to warn us of danger or trouble ahead so that we can avoid fatal collisions with sin (Psalm 119:9, 11, 105).
....send the mighty blast of the Holy Spirit to blow away the noxious fumes of sin (Gal. 5:16, 25).
...do everything but initiate the call for help. Actually, He can do that one too, if He so chooses, but He gives us the honor and responsibilty of making a choice.
Fred Bowers often fumed in frustration as a hapless motorist stumbled by phone after phone, too proud to make the call or not knowing what the phone was for. Just think, my friend, how often God must weep with compassion as stranded sinners stagger from heartbreak to heartbreak, leaving the phone of prayer useless on the hook of grace. God sees your need, and He has infinite power to meet it...but He waits for you to call (Psalm 120:1; Jer. 33:3; James 4:2).
Dial 911,
Pastor David Blevins
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wanna Make Something Of It?
Lewis Carroll's poem, "Father William", describes a conversation between an old man and his son. The son interrogates the father as to the reason for his uncommon physical vigor. One of his questions concerns his father's ability to eat meat, though at his age, one would think him incapable of chewing it. Consider the reply:
"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, and argued each case with my wife; and the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw, has lasted the rest of my life."
Well, if a love of argument strengthens the jaw, I know some people who should be able to bite through steel! Do you know anyone like that? Hmmm.
What does the Bible say about this business of "argument aerobics"? Well, consider the words of Solomon in Proverbs 18:2, "A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself." The NIV states this passage of scripture this way, "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions." I wonder how often we talk just for the pleasure of hearing ourselves, and how many of us love argument for its own sake? Former NFL Football great Jerry Kramer once said of Dave Robinson, his teammate on the Green Bay Packers, "Robby'll argue any side of any question, just for practice. I once heard him argue for half-an-hour that black-eyed peas are really black-eyed beans. Maybe they are, but who cares?!"
I sometimes think that we Christians have developed a whole subculture of this sort of thing. "Did Adam have a naval?" "Where did Cain get his wife, what with the shortage of computer or on-line dating services?" "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or the brain of a Christian who asks questions like that, both of which are about the same size?"
Someone has said that people will not care about how much we know (or think that we know) until they know how much we care. So, give it a rest. Focus on the big issues of being conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28, 29) and leading others to know Him (Matt. 4:19; Mark 16:15)! Don't love to argue; drop the modifier and just learn to love (Matt. 22:36-39).
"Wanna Make Something Of It?"
Pastor David Blevins
"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, and argued each case with my wife; and the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw, has lasted the rest of my life."
Well, if a love of argument strengthens the jaw, I know some people who should be able to bite through steel! Do you know anyone like that? Hmmm.
What does the Bible say about this business of "argument aerobics"? Well, consider the words of Solomon in Proverbs 18:2, "A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself." The NIV states this passage of scripture this way, "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions." I wonder how often we talk just for the pleasure of hearing ourselves, and how many of us love argument for its own sake? Former NFL Football great Jerry Kramer once said of Dave Robinson, his teammate on the Green Bay Packers, "Robby'll argue any side of any question, just for practice. I once heard him argue for half-an-hour that black-eyed peas are really black-eyed beans. Maybe they are, but who cares?!"
I sometimes think that we Christians have developed a whole subculture of this sort of thing. "Did Adam have a naval?" "Where did Cain get his wife, what with the shortage of computer or on-line dating services?" "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or the brain of a Christian who asks questions like that, both of which are about the same size?"
Someone has said that people will not care about how much we know (or think that we know) until they know how much we care. So, give it a rest. Focus on the big issues of being conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28, 29) and leading others to know Him (Matt. 4:19; Mark 16:15)! Don't love to argue; drop the modifier and just learn to love (Matt. 22:36-39).
"Wanna Make Something Of It?"
Pastor David Blevins
Friday, September 2, 2011
What's A Matta, U?
What should the New Testament church be like? The best example I have read about in quite a while is Valenti's, an Italian restaurant in South Miami, Florida.
When Hurricane Andrew hit a number of years ago, Valenti's survived. The storm skirted the building, and a wiring fluke kept electricity flowing to the restaurant when the rest of the area went dark. As the owner, Charlie Valenti, Jr. crouched on the floor watching entire palm trees blow by, his only thought was how soon he could open his restaurant back up and how he could help the people caught in this crisis. He found several ways.
He could feed them, and he did, even though it meant spending hours on the phone to scrounge up tomatoes and cheese. Diabetic and Dialysis patients needed to chill their medication, so Valenti's provided ice. Babies needed fresh milk, and Valenti's gave it for free to all comers. A paraplegic needed power for her electric wheelchair, and Valenti's offered her a wall socket to plug into. Perhaps most importantly, shocked, storm-tossed people needed a quiet, clean place to sit and eat. Valenti's fed them all.
Not without sacrifices, of course! The first thing to go was the profits. Charlie Valenti never raised his prices, even though he had to pay five times the normal rate for Pepsi and boil his pasta in $3.25 bottles of Evian water. Convenience was another casualty: only four waiters could get to the restaurant and the boss himself helped them to serve the swollen crowd. The dress code suffered also, as people tramped in shoeless, with mud clinging to their clothing. The sick, the storm-shocked, and the soiled: Valenti's took them all.
How is that like the church? Hurricane Adam (Rom. 5:12) has made a mess of mankind (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23), but the church is hooked up to the Eternal Power Supply (Psalm 62:11) and our one thought must ever be of spiritual service to those in need. It takes lots of money; we have to work very hard; and most of those we reach out to don't dress or act as we would like. But our calling is to serve, no matter the cost, and to provide a place of peace and refuge in the midst of disaster.
So church, let's get to work! God has not spared us by our own merit or for our own amusement (I Cor. 6:19,20). We are warm and well-fed in a cold, wet sinful world that is in constant turmoil: at all costs we must spiritually help those who stand outside.
"What's A Matta U?"
Pastor David Blevins
When Hurricane Andrew hit a number of years ago, Valenti's survived. The storm skirted the building, and a wiring fluke kept electricity flowing to the restaurant when the rest of the area went dark. As the owner, Charlie Valenti, Jr. crouched on the floor watching entire palm trees blow by, his only thought was how soon he could open his restaurant back up and how he could help the people caught in this crisis. He found several ways.
He could feed them, and he did, even though it meant spending hours on the phone to scrounge up tomatoes and cheese. Diabetic and Dialysis patients needed to chill their medication, so Valenti's provided ice. Babies needed fresh milk, and Valenti's gave it for free to all comers. A paraplegic needed power for her electric wheelchair, and Valenti's offered her a wall socket to plug into. Perhaps most importantly, shocked, storm-tossed people needed a quiet, clean place to sit and eat. Valenti's fed them all.
Not without sacrifices, of course! The first thing to go was the profits. Charlie Valenti never raised his prices, even though he had to pay five times the normal rate for Pepsi and boil his pasta in $3.25 bottles of Evian water. Convenience was another casualty: only four waiters could get to the restaurant and the boss himself helped them to serve the swollen crowd. The dress code suffered also, as people tramped in shoeless, with mud clinging to their clothing. The sick, the storm-shocked, and the soiled: Valenti's took them all.
How is that like the church? Hurricane Adam (Rom. 5:12) has made a mess of mankind (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23), but the church is hooked up to the Eternal Power Supply (Psalm 62:11) and our one thought must ever be of spiritual service to those in need. It takes lots of money; we have to work very hard; and most of those we reach out to don't dress or act as we would like. But our calling is to serve, no matter the cost, and to provide a place of peace and refuge in the midst of disaster.
So church, let's get to work! God has not spared us by our own merit or for our own amusement (I Cor. 6:19,20). We are warm and well-fed in a cold, wet sinful world that is in constant turmoil: at all costs we must spiritually help those who stand outside.
"What's A Matta U?"
Pastor David Blevins
Monday, August 22, 2011
Faithful In Little Things
Frank A. Bergman sold products for International Business Machines (IBM) back in the 1940's and 1950's. He truly believed that IBM had the best devices around, but he also knew that a client could find fairly comparable machines elsewhere. Consequently, Bergman emphasized customer service in his sales pitch. William Rodgers, in his book, Think, quotes Frank Bergman as saying, "I sold them the blue sky with a gold frame around it. You never sold the product, you sold the blue sky."
Once he sold the blue sky to the General Motors Corporation. Along with that heavenly real estate went an order for 3,000 electric typewriters! At $90 commission per machine, Mr. Bergman stood to make a whopping $270,000! That was more than ten year's salary for him and an all-time IBM record for a single-sale commission!
IT NEVER HAPPENED!
WHY?!
A few days before all the necessary papers were to be signed, a GMC executive called one of Bergman's junior salesmen. He wanted the man to come and see him about "a couple" of typewriters. The ambitious but not too intelligent rookie told the GMC executive to send an order by mail; he didn't have the time to run all the way up to Tarrytown for a puny little two-machine order. The giant automobile company bought those two typewriters elsewhere. They also bought the other 3,000 typewriters that Bergman had received an order for, elsewhere! "That junior salesman forgot the blue sky, " lamented Frank Bergman.
We Christians have the best, greatest, most wonderful "product" to offer a lost world! Everyone needs salvation, the forgiveness of all their sins, and everlasting life; and they can't get it anywhere except through Jesus Christ (John 3:16,36; I John 1:7)! However, our enemy (Satan) has flooded the market with cheap imitations, and the competition for men's souls remains fierce. We literally offer the blue heavens with golden streets beneath, but people will look elsewhere if they are given the impression that we do not live what we talk about or that we really do not care about them.
None of us would miss church or visitation if we had the guarantee of another Pentecost where 3,000 souls would come to Christ. But how many of us refuse to drive across town or even go across the street because "only" one person needed the Savior? I think that the two are related, and that big blessings depend upon faithfulness in the small things (Zech. 4:10; Luke 16:10). So be aware (soul-conscious) of every person each day, and win them one at a time for Jesus' sake (Psalm 126:5,6; Prov.11:30; Matt. 4:19)!
Individuals Beget Multitudes,
Pastor David Blevins
Once he sold the blue sky to the General Motors Corporation. Along with that heavenly real estate went an order for 3,000 electric typewriters! At $90 commission per machine, Mr. Bergman stood to make a whopping $270,000! That was more than ten year's salary for him and an all-time IBM record for a single-sale commission!
IT NEVER HAPPENED!
WHY?!
A few days before all the necessary papers were to be signed, a GMC executive called one of Bergman's junior salesmen. He wanted the man to come and see him about "a couple" of typewriters. The ambitious but not too intelligent rookie told the GMC executive to send an order by mail; he didn't have the time to run all the way up to Tarrytown for a puny little two-machine order. The giant automobile company bought those two typewriters elsewhere. They also bought the other 3,000 typewriters that Bergman had received an order for, elsewhere! "That junior salesman forgot the blue sky, " lamented Frank Bergman.
We Christians have the best, greatest, most wonderful "product" to offer a lost world! Everyone needs salvation, the forgiveness of all their sins, and everlasting life; and they can't get it anywhere except through Jesus Christ (John 3:16,36; I John 1:7)! However, our enemy (Satan) has flooded the market with cheap imitations, and the competition for men's souls remains fierce. We literally offer the blue heavens with golden streets beneath, but people will look elsewhere if they are given the impression that we do not live what we talk about or that we really do not care about them.
None of us would miss church or visitation if we had the guarantee of another Pentecost where 3,000 souls would come to Christ. But how many of us refuse to drive across town or even go across the street because "only" one person needed the Savior? I think that the two are related, and that big blessings depend upon faithfulness in the small things (Zech. 4:10; Luke 16:10). So be aware (soul-conscious) of every person each day, and win them one at a time for Jesus' sake (Psalm 126:5,6; Prov.11:30; Matt. 4:19)!
Individuals Beget Multitudes,
Pastor David Blevins
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Take Two Aspirin...
I had a headache last week. I mean a monster of a headache! The only reason it did not have "Excedrin" written all over it was because that space was occupied by a sign reading "Wide Load". It was the Moby Dick of headaches; I kept waiting for Donald Trump to offer to buy it and name it after himself. At first, I was afraid that I wouldn't live; then I was afraid that I would! It was some headache, folks!
What causes them, I wonder? Improper diet? Tension? Too much caffeine? A problem with my faith walk? I don't know what always causes a headache, but I take a certain amount of comfort in knowing that neither do the white frock-coated high priests of the medical profession!
I did remember one theory, which I heard mentioned several years ago, by comedian Bill Cosby. He explained the origin of headaches this way: "The little dudes in your head get bored. In an effort to relieve this boredom," he reasoned, "these tiny, little men take out axes, hammers, and drills and start thrashing your skull in an effort to escape." And why not? Forbes Magazine says that Bill Cosby has a net worth of $450 million plus as of 2009; maybe he deserves a hearing on this subject.
I wonder if churches get headaches for the same reason? The little men and women who compose the Body of Christ stop seeking to win the lost (Psalm 126:5,6; Matt. 4:19), to love the loveless (Matt. 22:36-29; I John 4:7,8), to meet the needs of the needy (James 2:15,16; I John 3:17,18), and we get bored. With "nothing to do", we take out our Bibles and our bats and turn on one another, thrashing away, resulting in massive contusions and fractured fellowship (Gal. 5:15).
Are you a "bored little dude" in the Body of Christ? Don't give the church a headache (Eph. 5:31,32)! You will find plenty to do (Ecc. 9:10; Col. 3:23), plenty of legitimate spiritual enemies to fight (Eph. 6:12), if only you will look around (Eph. 5:15; I Pet. 5:8). Remember to be "heads-up", not a headache.
Aspirin(g) To Serve,
Pastor David Blevins
What causes them, I wonder? Improper diet? Tension? Too much caffeine? A problem with my faith walk? I don't know what always causes a headache, but I take a certain amount of comfort in knowing that neither do the white frock-coated high priests of the medical profession!
I did remember one theory, which I heard mentioned several years ago, by comedian Bill Cosby. He explained the origin of headaches this way: "The little dudes in your head get bored. In an effort to relieve this boredom," he reasoned, "these tiny, little men take out axes, hammers, and drills and start thrashing your skull in an effort to escape." And why not? Forbes Magazine says that Bill Cosby has a net worth of $450 million plus as of 2009; maybe he deserves a hearing on this subject.
I wonder if churches get headaches for the same reason? The little men and women who compose the Body of Christ stop seeking to win the lost (Psalm 126:5,6; Matt. 4:19), to love the loveless (Matt. 22:36-29; I John 4:7,8), to meet the needs of the needy (James 2:15,16; I John 3:17,18), and we get bored. With "nothing to do", we take out our Bibles and our bats and turn on one another, thrashing away, resulting in massive contusions and fractured fellowship (Gal. 5:15).
Are you a "bored little dude" in the Body of Christ? Don't give the church a headache (Eph. 5:31,32)! You will find plenty to do (Ecc. 9:10; Col. 3:23), plenty of legitimate spiritual enemies to fight (Eph. 6:12), if only you will look around (Eph. 5:15; I Pet. 5:8). Remember to be "heads-up", not a headache.
Aspirin(g) To Serve,
Pastor David Blevins
Monday, August 8, 2011
Aw, Nuts!
Technically, it is the "main rotor retention nut", but savy helicopter jockeys refer to it as the "Jesus nut". By whatever name it is called, it is the device that secures the front rotor-blades to the mast. They call it the "Jesus nut" because, the reasoning goes, if it fails you had better start praying to Jesus as it would take a miracle to survive!
A helicopter is an amazing piece of aeronautics. If a pilot loses power completely, he can still land safely by means of a maneuver called "auto rotation" in which the momentum of the whirling props and the upward rush of air give him enough lift to descend under control. He can fly for a very short distance without power, but not without rotor-blades! Everything hinges on the "Jesus nut"!
I wonder - what is your "Jesus nut"? You know - that thing that has to go wrong before you will throw away the self-help manuals and get down on your knees in prayer? Too many times in our lives, prayer is a last resort when in reality, it should be our first resort! Though we may have lost all power, we can, for a short time "auto-rotate" letting momentum and casual breezes be a poor substitute for the mighty rushing wind of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit (John 6:63a). We are descending - crashing actually - but seemingly maintaining the illusion of control.
I have learned a very important lesson that every Christian needs to learn and practice - God is NOT my co-pilot! He wants to be in charge and will periodically snafu the "Jesus nut" in my life to remind me of this fact as I am driven to my knees in prayer. But I have also learned that my life does not have to be a series of white-knuckle supplications, shouted at high decibels as I hurtle earthward. If I will pray when all is well, I can avoid the need of periodic terror as a stimulus to what should be my daily Bible reading and prayer (Psalm 119:105; Matt. 4:4; Luke 18:1; Rom.12:12c; I Thess.5:17)!
So, what is your "Jesus nut"? What has to go wrong before you will seek the face of our Heavenly Father? Let me give you a helpful word of advice: don't shut yourself up to failure-driven prayer. Pray now - don't wait for your life to go nuts!
Aw, Nuts!
Pastor David Blevins
A helicopter is an amazing piece of aeronautics. If a pilot loses power completely, he can still land safely by means of a maneuver called "auto rotation" in which the momentum of the whirling props and the upward rush of air give him enough lift to descend under control. He can fly for a very short distance without power, but not without rotor-blades! Everything hinges on the "Jesus nut"!
I wonder - what is your "Jesus nut"? You know - that thing that has to go wrong before you will throw away the self-help manuals and get down on your knees in prayer? Too many times in our lives, prayer is a last resort when in reality, it should be our first resort! Though we may have lost all power, we can, for a short time "auto-rotate" letting momentum and casual breezes be a poor substitute for the mighty rushing wind of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit (John 6:63a). We are descending - crashing actually - but seemingly maintaining the illusion of control.
I have learned a very important lesson that every Christian needs to learn and practice - God is NOT my co-pilot! He wants to be in charge and will periodically snafu the "Jesus nut" in my life to remind me of this fact as I am driven to my knees in prayer. But I have also learned that my life does not have to be a series of white-knuckle supplications, shouted at high decibels as I hurtle earthward. If I will pray when all is well, I can avoid the need of periodic terror as a stimulus to what should be my daily Bible reading and prayer (Psalm 119:105; Matt. 4:4; Luke 18:1; Rom.12:12c; I Thess.5:17)!
So, what is your "Jesus nut"? What has to go wrong before you will seek the face of our Heavenly Father? Let me give you a helpful word of advice: don't shut yourself up to failure-driven prayer. Pray now - don't wait for your life to go nuts!
Aw, Nuts!
Pastor David Blevins
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Messy Mugs
Last week I devoted an unbelievable amount of time to cleaning out my coffee cup. Imagine Alaska's coast after the Exxon Valdez and the Gulf coast after the huge BP oil spill. Imagine your teenager's room converted to porcelain. Get the idea?
It isn't that I am a slob. I simply forgot to empty the last swallow of coffee before the weekend hit and the water evaporated, leaving a resinous goop about a half-an-inch thick in the bottom of the cup. Adding to my disgust and revulsion was the fact that some helpless insect with a caffeine addiction had fluttered down and gotten mired in that muck. Eeew!!
The frightening thing to me is that I almost drank from that cup! You see, I discovered the residue while in the act of pouring in a fresh cupful of coffee on Monday. How could I have missed such a mess? Simple - the outside was clean. Had I not glanced within before drinking, I could have seriously fouled my stomach!
I have always suspected that drinking coffee must be a spiritual thing, if for no other reason than the sheer number of Baptists who do it. Now I have proof. Jesus, in Matthew 23:25,26, spoke about the surface religionists who keep a clean cup on the outside, while allowing scum and tar and dead bugs to lie a foot thick on the interior. Christianity in our day abounds with cup-scouring scribes who use the Bible as their personal Brillo pad against others. Envy, anger, lust, and deception may adhere to their hearts, but, armed with a "clean" surface and a few chosen Scriptures, they set up as "legitimate" dispensers of the pure water of life.
While scrubbing my messy mug, I pondered another passage, Mark 7:14-23, where Jesus says that what defiles us is not what goes into our mouths, but what comes out. In other words, drinking coffee from that dirty cup would have done a lot less harm than dispensing the gospel from a dirty heart. I then asked the Lord God Almighty to clean me up - insects and all - from the inside out with the washing of the water of His Word (Psalm 119:9,11; John 15:3; Eph.5:26). How about you, my friend?!
Bottoms Up,
Pastor David Blevins
It isn't that I am a slob. I simply forgot to empty the last swallow of coffee before the weekend hit and the water evaporated, leaving a resinous goop about a half-an-inch thick in the bottom of the cup. Adding to my disgust and revulsion was the fact that some helpless insect with a caffeine addiction had fluttered down and gotten mired in that muck. Eeew!!
The frightening thing to me is that I almost drank from that cup! You see, I discovered the residue while in the act of pouring in a fresh cupful of coffee on Monday. How could I have missed such a mess? Simple - the outside was clean. Had I not glanced within before drinking, I could have seriously fouled my stomach!
I have always suspected that drinking coffee must be a spiritual thing, if for no other reason than the sheer number of Baptists who do it. Now I have proof. Jesus, in Matthew 23:25,26, spoke about the surface religionists who keep a clean cup on the outside, while allowing scum and tar and dead bugs to lie a foot thick on the interior. Christianity in our day abounds with cup-scouring scribes who use the Bible as their personal Brillo pad against others. Envy, anger, lust, and deception may adhere to their hearts, but, armed with a "clean" surface and a few chosen Scriptures, they set up as "legitimate" dispensers of the pure water of life.
While scrubbing my messy mug, I pondered another passage, Mark 7:14-23, where Jesus says that what defiles us is not what goes into our mouths, but what comes out. In other words, drinking coffee from that dirty cup would have done a lot less harm than dispensing the gospel from a dirty heart. I then asked the Lord God Almighty to clean me up - insects and all - from the inside out with the washing of the water of His Word (Psalm 119:9,11; John 15:3; Eph.5:26). How about you, my friend?!
Bottoms Up,
Pastor David Blevins
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Dead Skunks
I remember a sight which confronted me on the way to Amelia earlier this summer. It reminded me of a wonderful, insightful piece of classical poetry by Loudon Wainwright that he wrote for a novelty song in 1972: "There's a dead skunk in the middle of the road, stinking to high heaven."
There he lay, curled up in the middle of Rt.360, the afternoon breeze ruffling his fur. Like the cars behind and ahead of me, I whizzed on by, rolling my windows up a little higher and tighter. Still, I felt a pang of conscience even as my nostrils felt the mind-buzzing twang of odor (Believe me, it was enough to make my teeth sweat!). Perhaps a brief Hamlet-like, skunk eulogy was in order. "Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well."
After all, skunks aren't such bad animals. They eat mice, rats, and a whole lot of pesky bugs. Also they have, for obvious reasons, virtually no enemies. As for their malodorous musk, they only spray when they are in danger, and they always give a warning by growling and stamping their forefeet. This useful, peaceful, and polite little animal, now was unmourned buzzard-bait.
Why so much sentiment, a couple of months later, for Pepe la Pew?
Well, I have been called a skunk a few times in my life. Sometimes out of camaraderie, ocasionally due to my hygiene (or lack of it!), and sometimes, even, by reason of my theology. You see, if life teaches us anything, it is that there is always someone around ready to call us names!
The thing to remember, then, is that most of the names we will be called, contain a seed of a compliment. We can truly believe these compliments, since the person who gave them meant to insult us, not flatter us. The cynics of Antioch branded the followers of Jesus Christ as "Christians" (Acts 11:26). What began as a term of derision, a slur by the enemies of Jesus Christ, has become our badge of honor!
So, hold your head up, and don't fear the name-callers! The next time that you run across what looks (or smells) like a skunk, four-legged or two-legged, remember this: all of God's creatures have a purpose, and yours may be to show the love of Jesus Christ to those that raise a stink and seem to be the least useful! It really does take God working on us, in us, and through us to love some people; Amen?
Aromatically Yours,
Pastor David Blevins
There he lay, curled up in the middle of Rt.360, the afternoon breeze ruffling his fur. Like the cars behind and ahead of me, I whizzed on by, rolling my windows up a little higher and tighter. Still, I felt a pang of conscience even as my nostrils felt the mind-buzzing twang of odor (Believe me, it was enough to make my teeth sweat!). Perhaps a brief Hamlet-like, skunk eulogy was in order. "Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well."
After all, skunks aren't such bad animals. They eat mice, rats, and a whole lot of pesky bugs. Also they have, for obvious reasons, virtually no enemies. As for their malodorous musk, they only spray when they are in danger, and they always give a warning by growling and stamping their forefeet. This useful, peaceful, and polite little animal, now was unmourned buzzard-bait.
Why so much sentiment, a couple of months later, for Pepe la Pew?
Well, I have been called a skunk a few times in my life. Sometimes out of camaraderie, ocasionally due to my hygiene (or lack of it!), and sometimes, even, by reason of my theology. You see, if life teaches us anything, it is that there is always someone around ready to call us names!
The thing to remember, then, is that most of the names we will be called, contain a seed of a compliment. We can truly believe these compliments, since the person who gave them meant to insult us, not flatter us. The cynics of Antioch branded the followers of Jesus Christ as "Christians" (Acts 11:26). What began as a term of derision, a slur by the enemies of Jesus Christ, has become our badge of honor!
So, hold your head up, and don't fear the name-callers! The next time that you run across what looks (or smells) like a skunk, four-legged or two-legged, remember this: all of God's creatures have a purpose, and yours may be to show the love of Jesus Christ to those that raise a stink and seem to be the least useful! It really does take God working on us, in us, and through us to love some people; Amen?
Aromatically Yours,
Pastor David Blevins
Monday, July 25, 2011
Mush On!
I added a new hero to my personal "Hall Of Fame" recently! I firmly believe in having heroes and I constantly stay on the lookout for new ones. My latest addition is Iditarod dogsled racer, Ellen Halverson.
On Sunday, March 20th, Ellen finished the Iditarod, the famous dogsled marathon across Alaska which began on Saturday, March 6th. Ellen did not win; that honor went to John Baker who completed the course on March 15th in the new record time of 8 days, 19 hours and 46 minutes. Ellen lost big time; she came in 47th out of 47! For her efforts, Ellen received the Red Lantern award, given to the last one to cross the finish line in each Iditarod race. As a matter of fact, Ellen became the only repeat Red Lantern winner in the history of the Iditarod, previously "winning" the award in 2007 as well.
So what makes Ellen a hero? Finishing, that is what! In addition to the 47 racers, there were also another 15 racers who scratched and never finished the race! For 13 days, 19 hours and 45 minutes through the snow and slicing cold during the 1,000-plus mile race between Anchorage and Nome, with no hope of winning, she gripped the handles of her sled, stared out at her line of dogs, and kept mushing. She brought home the Red Lantern; she finished; she refused to quit! I regard that as hero material!!
Ellen's expolit, in fact reminds me of that wonderful Bible word, "endurance". Now there is a word for you! It literally means "to stay underneath" and is used to describe such things as the adolescent Jesus refusing to leave His Father's business (Luke 2:43) or Timothy and Silas hanging on in Berea when being a Christian became a lethal endeavor (Acts 17:14). Jesus remarked twice that the character quality of endurance, more than eloquent words or mighty works, marked the true believer.
So, here is to all those Christian believers out there who are faithfully running the race! Stay your course! One day you will find laid up for you in eternity the "Red Lantern" award, the crown of glory which our Lord Jesus Christ reserves, not for the fastest; but for the finishers (2 Timothy 4:7,8)!
Mush On!
Pastor David Blevins
On Sunday, March 20th, Ellen finished the Iditarod, the famous dogsled marathon across Alaska which began on Saturday, March 6th. Ellen did not win; that honor went to John Baker who completed the course on March 15th in the new record time of 8 days, 19 hours and 46 minutes. Ellen lost big time; she came in 47th out of 47! For her efforts, Ellen received the Red Lantern award, given to the last one to cross the finish line in each Iditarod race. As a matter of fact, Ellen became the only repeat Red Lantern winner in the history of the Iditarod, previously "winning" the award in 2007 as well.
So what makes Ellen a hero? Finishing, that is what! In addition to the 47 racers, there were also another 15 racers who scratched and never finished the race! For 13 days, 19 hours and 45 minutes through the snow and slicing cold during the 1,000-plus mile race between Anchorage and Nome, with no hope of winning, she gripped the handles of her sled, stared out at her line of dogs, and kept mushing. She brought home the Red Lantern; she finished; she refused to quit! I regard that as hero material!!
Ellen's expolit, in fact reminds me of that wonderful Bible word, "endurance". Now there is a word for you! It literally means "to stay underneath" and is used to describe such things as the adolescent Jesus refusing to leave His Father's business (Luke 2:43) or Timothy and Silas hanging on in Berea when being a Christian became a lethal endeavor (Acts 17:14). Jesus remarked twice that the character quality of endurance, more than eloquent words or mighty works, marked the true believer.
So, here is to all those Christian believers out there who are faithfully running the race! Stay your course! One day you will find laid up for you in eternity the "Red Lantern" award, the crown of glory which our Lord Jesus Christ reserves, not for the fastest; but for the finishers (2 Timothy 4:7,8)!
Mush On!
Pastor David Blevins
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Zip My Lips!
Trenchmouth! No, that is not an insult. It is a disease, first diagnosed during World War I when soldiers in the trenches began developing foul breath, swollen glands, and gums spotted with a grayish-white film. The culprit: germs, normally killed off by the immune system, get the upperhand due to poor diet, stress, heavy smoking, and a person who neglects to brush their teeth after every meal. In short, the symptoms sound like something from a horror movie. Since reading about the disease, I have used Scope liberally after every brushing of my teeth!
Yet, for all of this looming dental disaster, I think that there is a worse form of trenchmouth - the spiritual variety!
James called the tongue "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8). Solomon described the lips of a negative talker as a "burning fire" (Proverbs 16:27). Such a person's gossip, the wisest man who ever lived warns, is enough to destroy the best friendship (Proverbs 16:27, 28). David, who was never defeated in honest, open combat, learned to fear the cowardice of this secret warfare and cried to God for protection from those who "have sharpened their tongues as a serpent" (Psalm 140:3).
Adding all of this up, I find that it is possible to swear without ever using a four-letter word! Simply begin to spread negative talk, and the grayish-white blisters of Satan cling to your mouth like leprosy. And while the physical trenchmouth is not contagious, the spiritual kind is! Nothing is so easy, or so honoring to Satan, as the spreading of spiritual death through evil talk (Proverbs 18:21)!
Yet there is a cure for spiritual trenchmouth. The key is good oral/spiritual hygiene. When the spiritually evil germs attack as we fight the good fight of faith in the trenches, all we need to do is whip out the dental floss of Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth...be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD..."; and then we need to ask God to "Set a watch (a guard), O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3) so that we won't sin with our mouth ( Psalm 17:3)!
"Zip My Lips!"
Pastor David Blevins
Yet, for all of this looming dental disaster, I think that there is a worse form of trenchmouth - the spiritual variety!
James called the tongue "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8). Solomon described the lips of a negative talker as a "burning fire" (Proverbs 16:27). Such a person's gossip, the wisest man who ever lived warns, is enough to destroy the best friendship (Proverbs 16:27, 28). David, who was never defeated in honest, open combat, learned to fear the cowardice of this secret warfare and cried to God for protection from those who "have sharpened their tongues as a serpent" (Psalm 140:3).
Adding all of this up, I find that it is possible to swear without ever using a four-letter word! Simply begin to spread negative talk, and the grayish-white blisters of Satan cling to your mouth like leprosy. And while the physical trenchmouth is not contagious, the spiritual kind is! Nothing is so easy, or so honoring to Satan, as the spreading of spiritual death through evil talk (Proverbs 18:21)!
Yet there is a cure for spiritual trenchmouth. The key is good oral/spiritual hygiene. When the spiritually evil germs attack as we fight the good fight of faith in the trenches, all we need to do is whip out the dental floss of Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth...be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD..."; and then we need to ask God to "Set a watch (a guard), O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3) so that we won't sin with our mouth ( Psalm 17:3)!
"Zip My Lips!"
Pastor David Blevins
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