Be Careful What You Pray For

The stock market tanked yesterday on news that we have "officially" been in a recession since last fall.  I admit ignorance as to how the market works, but why was this considered news?  I would think that these financial "experts" would have already known that.

____________________  

One of my daily prayers is that God will do WHATEVER it takes to make me like Jesus. I ask Him to cut out of my life anything that does not resemble His Son. I know as I pray it that such a prayer can result in pain. Tozer discussed this in today's devo:

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. --Hebrews 12:11

If God has singled you out to be a special object of His grace you may expect Him to honor you with stricter discipline and greater suffering than less favored ones are called upon to endure....

If God sets out to make you an unusual Christian He is not likely to be as gentle as He is usually pictured by the popular teachers. A sculptor does not use a manicure set to reduce the rude, unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. The saw, the hammer and the chisel are cruel tools, but without them the rough stone must remain forever formless and unbeautiful.

To do His supreme work of grace within you He will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be. That Incredible Christian, pp. 122-124

So I am reminded today: Be careful what you pray for!  But I will continue to pray for radical transformation in my life.

"Unethical" National Championship and Ethics

A huge thank-you goes out to my daughter-in-law, Kayci, for updating my blog picture.  It has been a joy to Beverly and me to have our family with us for the last week.

____________________

Oklahoma jumps Texas (who beat OU by 10 points) to represent the Big 12 South in next week's conference championship game. So the number 2 (or 3, depending on the poll) team in the country will be snubbed in national championship talk, while 7-4 Missouri plays for a conference championship. Go figure. Why not just take the two top teams in the conference and let them play each other?

IT'S WAY PAST TIME FOR A PLAYOFF!!!

Here is hoping that Colt McCoy wins the Heisman.
____________________

The results of a recent survey on high school aged students' ethics was published over the weekend. The findings show that 30% of students have stolen from a store in the last year. 64% have cheated on a test. 36% have used the internet to plagiarize an assignment. And get this: 93% said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character, with 77% saying that "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."

I am not reporting this to say that the current group of teens is worse than in the past. I don't know what similar polls would have shown from when I was a teenager, for instance.  I would guess cheating was a problem then as well.  And while we didn't plagiarize from the internet (Al Gore hadn't invented it yet), I know that plagiarism was not uncommon.  

However, there is one area that baffles me. In my own experience in recent years with premarital counseling, I have been amazed how many young people think there is nothing immoral about living together before marriage. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since movies and TV present it as the norm.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish all of you and your families a happy, peace-filled Thanksgiving.  I count the Decatur Church of Christ, behind Jesus and my family, as my greatest blessing.  

I went to a Mavs' game last night with my three sons (Yes, David is my son, too).  We had a great time!  And the Mavs won!

Today we head to the greens.

____________________

Enjoy this one from A. W. Tozer:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. --Romans 8:1

God knows that sin is a terrible thing-and the devil knows it, too. So he follows us around and as long as we will permit it, he will taunt us about our past sins.

As for myself, I have learned to talk back to him on this score. I say, "Yes, Devil, sin is terrible-but I remind you that I got it from you! And I remind you, Devil, that everything good-- forgiveness and cleansing and blessing-everything that is good I have freely received from Jesus Christ!"

Everything that is bad and that is against me I got from the devil--so why should he have the effrontery and the brass to argue with me about it? Yet he will do it because he is the devil, and he is committed to keeping God's children shut up in a little cage, their wings clipped so that they can never fly! I Talk Back to the Devil, 6.

Pushing 400!

Update:  As of about 1:10, we had given out over 380 turkeys!

W.A.R.M. Up Those Turkeys

Today is a busy day at W.A.R.M.  We will give away 300 turkeys, along with pies.  I plan to go help this afternoon.  I LOVE being involved there.

Also, our church will open a clothes closet for the county -- with a startup date of February 1. Decatur does not currently have one.  The Bridgeport Church of Christ operates one.  We have a number of people here at our church that are excited to be involved in this ministry.

I am SO grateful to be in a place where we are concerned about the poor.  I have been reminded in recent years of just how important this is to God.  The prophets stress this theme over and over again.  Jesus has SO much to say about it, as well.  In fact, in two weeks I am going to begin a series (it may turn into more of an epic) on the Gospel of Luke.  Of the 4 Gospels, this one tells us more about Jesus' emphasis upon ministry to the poor and disenfranchised.

____________________

A sign of tough times:  Buick has dropped Tiger Woods.  He has been receiving $7 million a year for his endorsement (commercials, golf bag logo).  I hope he doesn't have to let his house go back as a result of this financial setback.

____________________

Three finalists for the Davey O'brien Award (given to the top college QB):  Colt McCoy, Graham Harrell and Sam Bradford.  ALL from the Big 12.  What a turnaround for this conference.  It seems like only a couple of years ago that pundits were saying it was one of the weakest conferences.  Now it has 3 teams ranked in the top 10 (Texas, Tech, and OU), and others hanging around (Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma State).      

____________________

This is a late addition to my blog:  I just received word that Prentice Meader, longtime minister at Prestoncrest Church of Christ, passed away this morning in Nashville.  Prentice was a good example to me of how much more positive our influence can be when we emphasize Jesus in our preaching.  Our prayers go out to the family.    

No, It Wasn't Basketball

Do you want to build up your upper body in only three hours?  Go to an ACU football game and follow the Aggie tradition of doing a pushup for every point scored -- after every score.  Last Saturday you would have done several hundred, since the final score was 93-68.

It reminds me of the old Aggie joke.  It seems that A&M bribed the head referee into sounding the final gun to end the game early in the 4rd quarter with Texas leading 7-0.  The Longhorns left the field, thinking the game was over.  Three plays later, A&M scored.  But they lost 7-6 when they went for 2 and didn't make it.

(Aggie fans:  Save your wrath.  I love the Aggies.)     

How do two teams score 161 points in one game?  That's 23 touchdowns!  Nearly 6 every quarter.  A score every 2-1/2 minutes!  The paper said ACU scored every time they had the ball, except once when they missed a field goal.  I'm told that West Texas A&M started kicking on-side kicks after their scores, hoping they might keep the ball out of ACU's hands. 

____________________

Yesterday we had a memorial service at our church for my friend Jerry Nicholas.  His life was an inspiration for many as he battled cancer with such dignity and peace.  I think my favorite story was when he had his leg amputated, the family went home and dressed as pirates for a family picture.  It was his "amputation celebration" picture.  He sat in front as the peg-legged pirate.  What class! 

Football Weekend

I have real mixed feelings about the big game tomorrow between Oklahoma and Tech.  I really want Texas to be in a better position for the BCS, but I love the Tech story this year too.  I really admire Leach and what he is able to do in Lubbock.   And I have NEVER rooted for OU.  So that's my great dilemma for today.

Also, here's a shout-out to ACU, who earned a bye last week in the NCAA II playoffs.  They are playing their 1st playoff game this weekend, ranked #2 in the nation.  GO WILDCATS!  I never thought I would see this day again. 

And the Cowboys?  Pac-Man is back.  Can you believe it?

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

Maybe it's the cynic in me.  If what I am about to say is wrong to you -- or if I am missing something, I welcome your comments.  

Yesterday the CEOs of the Big 3 Automakers appeared before Congress to request a bailout.  The media exposed how these men had flown to Washington on private jets at a cost of $20,000 round trip.  I'm thinking, "Bad PR move, guys."

But here's what got me:  Congress then wanted to beat these guys up over this.  They had them on the hot seat -- continuously questioning them about this.  Was it a big blunder?  Yes.  Should it be addressed?  Yes.  But by Congress -- the greatest wasteful spenders anywhere?  Spare me the utter hypocrisy.

Extra! Extra! The Daily Paper

I grew up in a home in which I would get up and get ready for school, then sit down to a quick breakfast and the sports page.  I would pour over the stats -- be it baseball box scores or football and basketball game stats.  I guess I have begun my days like that for 40+ years.  

As an adult, the order goes like this:  sports page to business page to front page to section B to Lifestyle (and comics) to crossword puzzle.  It throws me into confusion when my kids are at home.  I go for a section -- AND ONE OF THEM HAS IT!  Do you know what that does to someone who borders on obsessive-compulsive? 

Well, I came within days of canceling my daily newspaper this month.  I would not want to be someone that is mid-career in the newspaper business.  I can't see newspapers being around for too many more years.  We have that information too readily available in other places -- and on our electronic devices that we have such an infatuation with.

I had about convinced myself that canceling the paper would free up some time for me each day.  After all, my personality type is such that I can't get a daily paper -- and then not read it.  I had told Beverly that I would buy her a Sudoku book and I would get a crossword puzzle book.  But when push came to shove, I finally caved in.  I renewed my subscription.  So for at least three more months, I will continue my 40-year tradition.     

Obama On Family

I want to share with you some excerpts from an article I found to be interesting as well as encouraging.   Let us be praying for President-elect Obama and his family.

Atlanta Journal Constitution
November 16, 2008
Cynthia Tucker

President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, are members of a minority: They are a black married couple.

Wed 16 years in October, the Obamas conceived their two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, after the wedding. While that kind of traditional couplehood is losing popularity in every corner of the country, it has all but disappeared in black America, where more than 70 percent of children are born outside marriage.

BARACK OBAMA'S 2008 FATHER'S DAY SPEECH

Just in case you want to read it again, here are core remarks from the speech President-elect Obama made at The Apostolic Church of God in Chicago this Father's Day, June 15, 2008:

Good morning. It¹s good to be home on this Father's Day with my girls, and it's an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord. . .

. . . .Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it.

But if we are honest with ourselves, we¹ll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing -- missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.

You and I know how true this is in the African-American community. We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled -- doubled -- since we were children. We know the statistics -- that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and twenty times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home, or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.

How many times in the last year has this city lost a child at the hands of another child? How many times have our hearts stopped in the middle of the night with the sound of a gunshot or a siren? How many teenagers have we seen hanging around on street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working, or at least looking for a job? How many in this generation are we willing to lose to poverty or violence or addiction? How many?

Yes, we need more cops on the street. Yes, we need fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them. Yes, we need more money for our schools, and more outstanding teachers in the classroom, and more afterschool programs for our children. Yes, we need more jobs and more job training and more opportunity in our communities.

But we also need families to raise our children. We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child -- it's the courage to raise one.

We need to help all the mothers out there who are raising these kids by themselves; the mothers who drop them off at school, go to work, pick up them up in the afternoon, work another shift, get dinner, make lunches, pay the bills, fix the house, and all the other things it takes both parents to do. So many of these women are doing a heroic job, but they need support. They need another parent. Their children need another parent. That's what keeps their foundation strong. It¹s what keeps the foundation of our country strong. . . .

Al-Queda's "Victory"

I don't usually blog on weekends, but I read an interesting article this morning. It seems that al-Queda is taking credit for ruining the economies of the West, and feels that they are proving victorious in their cowardly acts of terrorism.

Now let me see if I understand this: The West (along with the rest of the world) is going through an economic downturn that is a part of the historical cycle. More severe? Yes. Many will have to curtail purchases and make some cuts in areas.

But al-Queda is hiding in caves -- staying one step ahead of being taken out. Many of their higher-ups already have been. And the price of crude has dropped -- drying up many of their resources. Also, the world seems to be committed to finding alternative fuel sources -- which will hurt al-Queda even more.

Seems like a hollow victory to me. Am I missing something?

Shalom

It's good to be back home.  We got in late yesterday afternoon, moved around like zombies until 8:30 last night when we both fell asleep.  But after a good night's rest, right now I'm feeling OK.

The trip was everything I had hoped for and more.  Moslems require that all of their faith try to make a trip to Mecca in their lifetime.  I think we Christians would do well to make a trip to the roots of our faith as well.  It is not a vacation; it's a pilgrimage.  But the rewards were life-changing.  

Today I just want to mention how much I was impacted by the idea of "shalom."  Our outstanding tour guide, Anton (an Arabic Christian who grew up near Nazareth) continually asked us to pray for "shalom" (peace) for his land.  He was a brilliant man and we were especially blessed to have him as our guide.

We met Sunday night for worship in our hotel.  Joining us was a preacher for an Arabic Church of Christ just outside of Jerusalem.  He shared with us the struggles he faces every day.  We asked him what he needed from us.  I was moved by his simple unselfish requests:  1.  Shalom for his land, and 2.  He needs money for Arabic bibles.

Join me in praying the blessing of shalom.  Our only hope for that in this world is the Prince of Shalom -- Jesus.         

We're Marching (Well, Flying) to Zion

News flash:  Exxon-Mobil set a record quarterly earnings figure last quarter -- while nearly  every other industry was down.  Trivia question:  Whose record did they break?  Answer at the end.

____________________

This will probably be my last blog for a couple of weeks.  We leave early Monday morning for Israel.  We fly into New York on Monday -- scheduled arrival is about 5 PM.  We leave from there for Tel Aviv at 11:50 -- flying all night.  We lose nearly a day -- arriving in Tel Aviv at about 5PM on Tuesday.  On Wednesday we begin our touring -- from Joppa to Caesarea to Mt. Carmel.  We stay in Tiberias for 2 nights (near the Sea of Galilee).  We will tour Capernaum, Nazareth and take a boat on the Sea of Galilee.

From there we travel along the Jordan River.  We will stay one night near the Dead Sea, and have an opportunity to swim there if we want.  We will view the Qumran community, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.  From there, we will go to Jericho.

We spend 4 nights in Jerusalem -- taking a side trip to Bethlehem.  In Jerusalem, we will see SO many things.  David's tomb, the Wailing Wall, the Temple mound, the Jewish Holocaust museum, the traditional site of the Upper Room, the Via Del Rosa, the traditional site of the Garden tomb, the Mt. of Olives, Mt. Calvary, another tomb site -- and much more.

We leave on Wednesday night -- and arrive home on Thursday afternoon.

I have been asked to lead devotional thoughts on Mt. Carmel and at the Garden Tomb.

I CAN'T WAIT!  I never thought I would be able to take this trip.

____________________

Answer (This will shock you.  Sarcasm is dripping here):  Exxon-Mobil.       

Marker Days and Halloween

It's hard to believe that my dad would have been 79 today.  He's been gone now for 13 years.  I can still hear his voice and see his mannerisms.  I wish I could talk to him again to try to find out the pain that was in him that led him to addiction.  And I would like to again hear him talk about his deliverance from it.

Yesterday marked 6 months since Beverly's dad passed away.  What a mark he left on his family!

____________________

I will be out of the office tomorrow.  So -- BOO!

Halloween has changed so much!  When I was a kid, we would set out at about 5:30 and hit neighborhoods steadily until about 8:30 or 9.  We had the old-fashioned paper grocery sacks.  I have no doubt mine would weigh at least 10 pounds by the end of the evening.  

Then I would go home and dump it all on my bed.  My older brother would come in and grab all the Bit-O-Honeys.  My favorites were popcorn balls and Almond Joys, followed by Butterfingers, Mr. Goodbars and Baby Ruths (I can't remember ever getting Heath bars, which are one of my very favorites).  As you can see, I wasn't too picky when it came to chocolate.

It was a dentist's dream.     

My Grandson the Priest

My daughter-in-law Kayci asked my grandson Truitt what he wanted to be for Halloween.  he said he wanted to be "Dad."  Well, she thought about that.  Dad is a preacher, but there is nothing in particular that stands out about that as far as his dress, etc.  So she decided on the next best thing -- and dressed him like a priest.  My guess is that he is extending his blessing in this picture.

What a cute kid!  I guess  you might say he is from a lineage of "priests" now.  

Have I told you -- I have 4 of them now!  Life is good.

Racism: Alive and Well

So two skin heads have made threats of assassinating Barak Obama.  I find it hard to believe that in 2008, racism is still alive and well.  So much for my naivety. 

I must say that I have sensed racism in the unjustified anger some people feel toward Obama.  I TOTALLY understand people opposing his political positions.  But Christians, let me ask again:  Why the hatred for the man?  Some of us need to ask ourselves if it is racially motivated.  And if it is, we need to get down on our knees and ask God to forgive us.

Am I passionate about this?  YES!  I grew up in racially-segregated Mississippi.  I have seen the ugliness of judging a person simply based on the color of his/her skin.  I have heard the cruel and ungodly jokes told and broad generalizations made.  I wish I could say that what I witnessed was outside of church.  But it was as common in church as out.  Even as we claimed to be "the right church."  How "right" is that?

  

The truth of the matter is:  I don't see a HINT of Jesus in it.  And being Jesus to the world is the clearest evidence of being "the right church."     

Monday Morning Quarterbacking

OK, let's talk a little football this morning.

ACU is now ranked #2 in NCAA II.  They beat Tarleton State, who was also ranked, on Saturday at their homecoming 37-17.  They have three players that are projected to make it to the NFL.  They have a running back that must be incredible!  I really did not think I would ever see ACU return to prominence in football again.

____________________

Can you think of a college team that has played a tougher stretch of games than the Texas Longhorns?  Three weeks ago, they beat then-#1 Oklahoma.  The next week, they stomped 4th-ranked Missouri.  Last week, they hung on to beat #7 Oklahoma State.  And this week, they have #7 Texas Tech.

Speaking of that, my opinion of Mack Brown has really changed.  When he 1st came to Texas, he had the reputation of not being able to win the big game.  But did you know that his record speaks differently?  Against top 10 teams, he is something like 26-5!  And Bob Stoops, who was early-on hailed as the guy who could win the big ones?  Well, again -- the record speaks for itself.

Best coach in the country?  I don't know.  But I bet Texas is glad to have him.  They have increased the size of their stadium, and could probably fill it if they doubled the capacity.  

I heard some "experts" talking the other night about who they think the best coach in college football is.  While they put Brown up close to the top, they said they think Mike Leach of Texas Tech and Tom(?) Mangino of Kansas are the best.  Their reason:  Because of their remote locations, they only get category 2 and 3 recruits, and yet have winning programs year after year. 

____________________

For most of my life, I watched every play of every Cowboy game.  I have seen two games this year.  Yesterday I went home after lunch to watch the game.  I was asleep in a few minutes.  Talk about boring!

So Wade and Jerry are celebrating like they won a playoff game.  Wade even got the game ball (why?)  Suddenly the wiz kid Jason Garrett doesn't look so great.  I know, Romo is out.  But they weren't lighting it up his last couple of games.  Their best offense yesterday was the Bucs defensive penalties.  Without the four in one drive before the half, the Cowboys are hung with another loss.

I still say this team is WAY overhyped.  13 Pro Bowlers?  Right.  Give me Whitten and Ware.

____________________

In response to Donny, who replied on Friday's blog:  I thought Tina Fey was hilarious!  I was cracking up.  Will Farrell's George Bush was funny, but not nearly as funny as Fey.     

You Missed It!

I had written a blog for the ages (yeah, right).  Great insights about the Stock Market (sure!), Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin, and the joke of a team called the Cowboys.  But for some reason, my post failed.  So, have a good weekend. 

Message of the Prophets

I have been focused for most of three days in a study of the minor prophets.  Some of them, particularly Amos, spoke words that would be every bit as relevant today if they were spoken on the steps of Wall Street or in the halls of Congress.

Several messages seem to run like a thread throughout the prophets -- even as they spoke to different audiences about differing issues.  One theme is this:  God desires mercy -- not sacrifice.  Our obsession with what we do for one or two hours a week "in church" flies in the face of God's priority -- which is how do you treat people? 

Another theme is justice.  This is similar to the idea of mercy.  God wants us thinking communally.  What is best for the whole -- not just what is best for me and mine.  That's something to consider at election time.

Another theme is that God wants humble people.  As James wrote:  "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  This was played out in God's dealing with nations in the days of the prophets.

Maybe it boils down to this:  God wants people who reflect His heart.  He wants us to love people the way He loves people.  So there it is.  Summed up by Micah (6:8):  "He has shown you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  

Israel Trip

I haven't even been to Israel yet, but I already find myself thinking about actually being in those places I read and study about.  I can't wait!

I have been asked by John Scott, our tour host, to present devotional thoughts on Mt. Carmel and at the Garden tomb.  I've just finished a study on Sunday nights about Elijah, so Mt. Carmel has been on my mind a lot.  And the Garden tomb?  Wow!  What other person's tomb in the world do people visit where they walk into its emptiness?