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
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)