Timely Advice

I haven't posted any Tozier for a couple of months. Remember: This guy wrote over 50 years ago. He sometimes comes across as a little grumpy. But most prophetic voices do. In a world that's prevailing messages are so different, he has a way of bringing me back to what is of ultimate importance.

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.... --1 Timothy 6:20-21

The crowds-at-any-price mania has taken a firm grip on American Christianity and is the motivating power back of a shockingly high percentage of all religious activity. Men and churches compete for the attention of the paying multitudes who are brought in by means of any currently popular gadget or gimmick ostensibly to have their souls saved, but, if the truth were told, often for reasons not so praiseworthy as this....

Our constant effort should be to reach as many persons as possible with the Christian message, and for that reason numbers are critically important. But our first responsibility is not to make converts but to uphold the honor of God in a world given over to the glory of fallen man. No matter how many persons we touch with the gospel we have failed unless, along with the message of invitation, we have boldly declared the exceeding sinfulness of man and the transcendent holiness of the Most High God. They who degrade or compromise the truth in order to reach larger numbers, dishonor God and deeply injure the souls of men.

The temptation to modify the teachings of Christ with the hope that larger numbers may "accept" Him is cruelly strong in this day of speed, size, noise, and crowds. But if we know what is good for us, we'll resist it with every power at our command. The Size of the Soul, 117-119.

SWARM!

Today we are being blessed with more rain. While most of the metroplex is probably wishing it would go away, we still need it here in the northwestern section. Lake Bridgeport is still pretty low.

____________________

For the last few days, we have had a couple of wasps that come out in the late afternoon and invade our den. We had this a couple of years ago, and they went away. I never have been able to figure out where they came from. They stay up toward the ceiling (20 feet in our den), so I can't swat them.

So, Monday night I went to the store and got some foggers that will kill wasps. I set one off yesterday morning when we left the house. By lunchtime, we had two dead wasps.

Late yesterday afternoon, when Beverly had come home before her meeting, she called me to tell me there were two more "nearly dead" ones. She put a glass on top of each one:) I got home and ate, and then settled in to do some studying. Suddenly it was like a Hitchcock movie (well, nearly). Wasps begin buzzing all over the place! As they weakened, they would fall out of the sky. Then I would attack!

As of this morning, the count is up to 28. I don't know what the bag limit is. I just hope I get all of them.

Gullible

Looks like the perpitrater of the runaway balloon story of last week is going to pay dearly for his few moments of "publicity." I'm not sure what he was thinking he would gain from this.

____________________

I watched a few minutes of two shows this weekend that caught my attention -- both on The History Channel. One was about the conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln. I found it fascinating. This conspiracy went much further than the killing of the president. That night, the vice president and several other high-level government people were also targeted. Only Booth was able to pull his part off.

This story raised the question as to if Dr. Mudd, who set Booth's broken leg and was a Confederate sympathizer, had actually at one time been a part of the plot.

The other show was about the supposed government cover-up of 9/11. There are actually people who think this whole thing was a government plot. What is scary is that they seem to be relatively intelligent people.

Of course, there are people who deny the Holacaust, who claim that the moon landing actually occurred in the desert Southwest, who say that JFK actually survived the assassination attempt and lived in South America, and that Elvis is still alive. Scary.

Strange Happenings

Surely you have heard the story of the "balloon boy" by now. As the story unfolds, it is sounding more and more like it may have been nothing more than a publicity stunt on the part of the father. If that is the case, I hope there is some way he can be held liable to pay for all the tax-payer funded planes and helicopters that had to be scrambled in an attempt to "rescue" the balloon.

____________________

I'm still trying to learn how to link things onto my blog. Sometimes I can. But I could not find the option for linking this video. Paste the below link into your address line and then watch the accompanying video (nobody was hurt):

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-stroller-subway-101609,0,2805301.story

Intimacy with God

"I want a close relationship with God." "I want to feel the presence of the Lord." This is the heartcry of many Christians. I am one of them.

I preach about such things a lot: Intimacy / relationship with Jesus. But what does that really mean? What does it look like? How does it feel?

I get glimpses of it as I spend time in prayer. Or as I serve others in the name of Jesus.

But I want to WALLOW in it! I want to be immersed in it!

Now, what I'm about to say is going to sound a lot like Paul in Romans 7, but while I want it -- do I really want it? I want it -- but it involves time. I want it -- but it involves discipline. And my time is already allotted to other "stuff." I want it to come easier than it does.

So I often end up settling for being an acquaintance rather than being intimate. And my daily prayers for greater intimacy come across as suggesting that God is more to blame than I am. "Lord, why don't I feel your presence? I want to sense your warmth. Draw me closer." But little is changed in my daily pursuit.

So I am going public, and I invite you to hold me accountable. I want to be more disciplined. I want to spend more time in communion with my Father. To sit quietly over His word. To drink deep. To let Him speak to me.

Because the truth is: He IS with me. It's not that I need to pursue Him -- as if He is running ahead of me. Rather, I need to stop running -- and relax into His embrace.

I feel better already.

Pray for Marriages

I have such a great admiration for Beverly's work! I don't know how she does what she does. I am aware of marriages that are hurting and in crisis, and I hurt so much for them. Yet, her day is filled from morning to evening with that. What a blessing she is! God has affirmed her work here in Wise County so clearly.

I pray daily for hurting marriages. I would ask you to join me in that as well. And I pray that the Father will hold up my woman. I don't know where her energy comes from -- but I know it is fueled by the Holy Spirit.

_____________________

Speaking of Beverly, I hope you have all seen what is now known as "the giant Beverly." She is doing a depression seminar for women at the Richland Hills Church of Christ next week, and they have her picture on their billboard. A 15-foot Beverly overlooking north Tarrant County! Ominous.

I wish I had a picture.

Sports Recap

I'm kind of going through a dry spell in blogging ideas right now. Yet, I like the discipline of posting something fairly regularly. So with nothing much on my mind, here goes:

I can't ever remember actually rooting for the Cowboys to lose -- but I was yesterday. JJones has absolutely turned me against a life-long allegiance. And while I don't think even a loss to the lowly Chiefs would wake him up to how he has wrecked this team, there is always hope. He is an opportunist who is taking advantage of a loyal fan base. But that fan base may be eroding for him.

As the Cowboys scored in overtime, you would have thought they had just won the Super Bowl the way he was so ecstatic. If that had been MY team, barely squeaking out a win against one of the worst teams in the league -- I don't think I would have been celebrating. There are definitely problems with this team.

____________________

ACU holds onto its #2 national ranking with a victory Saturday. Go Wildcats!

____________________

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Presidents' Cup. Tiger and Phil are both at the top of their games, which hopefully will make for an interesting 2010. The 18-year old budding star from Japan looks like the real deal. As Beverly and I watched some of it, I commented that I don't know of another sport where there is such a large percentage of guys committed to family and faith. It is really refreshing. And yet the irony is that the captains for both sides were anything but that.

Presidents Cup

Today begins the Presidents Cup, in which 12 of the USA's best golfers take on an international field (excluding Europe, who participates in the Ryder Cup). I love these kinds of competitions. We get to see guys partnering with each other in different formats. Golf is usually a very individualistic sport, but these competitions place them as a team.

The Ryder Cup has been going on for a long time, and there is a much more intense rivalry. In fact, it often gets a little smash-mouthing. The Presidents Cup is not there yet. It has only been played 8 times (each event is played every other year), beginning in 1993. The Internationals have only won once -- so it has not developed much of a rivalry yet. I guess the closest thing was when Vejay Singh's caddie showed up on the 1st tee in a match against Tiger Woods with a cap that said, "Tiger Who?" Not the smartest person.

Two years ago, the event was in Canada. It was the site of the famous "Woody Austin taking a dive" moment.

I'm looking forward to watching.

____________________

Interesting interview on the Golf Channel yesterday with Bill Clinton. He was asked if he could have anyone in history, who would his 4 dinner guests be. One of them was Jesus. He said this (not a quote, but a paraphrase): "As the founder of my faith, I would like to ask him what he meant by 'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.'" He said he would like to know where Jesus would actually fall in the "separation of church and state."

The Name of Jesus

I'm rereading another Yancey book, The Jesus I Thought I Knew. I love this:

When I switched on my computer this morning, Microsoft Windows flashed the date, implicitly acknowledging that, whatever you may believe about it, the birth of Jesus was so important that it split history into two parts. Everything that has ever happened on this planet falls into a category of before Christ or after Christ.

Richard Nixon got carried away with excitement in 1969 when Apollo astronauts first landed on the moon. "It's the greatest day since Creation!" crowed the president, until Billy Graham solemnly reminded him of Christmas and Easter. By any measure of history Graham was right. This Galilean, who in his lifetime spoke to fewer people than would fill just one of the many stadia Graham has filled, changed the world more than any other person. He introduced a new force field into history, and now holds the allegiance of a third of all people on earth.

Today, people even use Jesus' name to curse by. How strange it would sound if, when a businessman missed a golf putt, he yelled, "Thomas Jefferson!" or if a plumber screamed "Mahatma Gandhi!" when his pipe wrench mashed a finger. We cannot get away from this man Jesus.

(H)e positioned himself as the dividing point of life -- my life . . . According to Jesus, what I think about him and how I respond will determine my destiny for all eternity.

Letterman Revisited

The following comments were on a Smartmarriages email last week.  I know that Letterman has made a public confession and asked his wife to forgive him, and I commend him for that.  He has also said he is going to work hard to save his marriage.  Yet, I found these comments to be enlightening as to our times:  

A reader wrote the following:   The public reaction to the latest admission of extramarital affairs - this time by David Letterman - may signify a new level of acceptance (or even approval) of affairs. Up until now, there has been a generally critical reaction from the public to the exposure of an affair. But this time - after Dave used his show to turn this admission into a 'funny story' - the audience laughed throughout and actually applauded several times!

Diane, who oversees the website, responded:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              This was last night and it's all over the news this morning. Peggy pegs it - it's the changing of the social consciousness (or conscience) -- normalizing this behavior and lowering our expectations of monogamy -- that does the damage. Or as Scott Stanley, commitment researcher, might put it, there goes another External Constraint as the social stigma against infidelity is further undermined -- as infidelity is turned into one big joke, as something so cool. Boys being boys. Employers with power, being employers with power. 

Letterman effectively reduces the moral question to, *What's worse blackmail or infidelity?* Turns the blackmailer into the moron while he casts himself as the protector of the reputations of his prey - of the women who worked for him. Amazing. Bet his wife isn't laughing. Wonder if Harry (his son) will get the message. Daddy my hero: the cool, funny guy and the protector of women. 
___________________
Beverly reminds us that research done even by secular marriage "experts" repeatedly confirms that monogamous marriages result in greater happiness, fulfillment, sexual satisfaction and peace.  That is not the message of Hollywood or the media.  But it is a message that needs to be heard.  

Monday Memos

I have no way of measuring this for certain, but my guess is that the once-overflowing Romo bandwagon now has some vacant seating. 

____________________

I saw this quote from Robert Fulghum on my Smartmarriages email.  It is certainly worth thinking about: 

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are
always watching you.

____________________

We began LifeGroups last night at our church.  I am SO excited about the potential this has for building relationships and meeting needs among us.  I am grateful to our elders for their vision.  May the Lord be glorified through them! 

Letterman's Confession

I saw a clip this morning from David Letterman's show last night. Apparently someone was trying to blackmail him with information about him having had affairs with female staff members. So he candidly admitted on his show that he had. To his credit, he did not make light of it or act proud of it. But what I found incredible was that when he said, "Yes, I have had sex with female staff members," the audience erupted in applause!

Isn't this the kind of thing that politicians have had to resign over? Why the double standard?

Actually, whether politicians or TV celebrities or average Joe's, this is a sad statement on where we are as a culture. Not that I am surprised. Only another reminder of the depths to which we have fallen.

WWJD?

What would Jesus do? The phrase, unfortunately, has become trite. Yet in actuality, it has lost NONE of its meaning. It should influence EVERYTHING we do.

Our nation is at a place politically like I cannot remember in my lifetime: extreme partisanship. Oh, I'm not saying it hasn't always existed -- but I think more so now than I can ever remember. But there is a new twist now. Both parties want to be the WWJD party. Each has selected its two or three issues that they think they are being more like Jesus about. For Republicans, it's key issues are abortion, homosexual rights and displays of the 10 commandments. For Democrats, it's concern for the poor and health care.

I am reminded of an old Bob Dylan song entitled, "With God on Our Side." It was a commentary on war, and how both sides always think they are on the righteous side. That seems to be where we as a nation are politically.

So, WWJD? As I consider His life, He lived in a day in which politics was heated. The Jews were incensed at the Romans' occupation of their land, levying of taxes, lack of morals and attempts to control their religion (sounds fairly familiar, doesn't it?). The Romans were just as bull-headed in imposing their rule. The situation was becoming volatile . Within just a few years after Jesus' resurrection, it erupted into open rebellion and revolution.

This would have been a perfect time for Jesus to make a divine statement on politics, yet He virtually remained silent. Pretty much what comes to my mind is that He said to pay your taxes. Paul came along and said to honor the emperor (yeah, the one who would have him killed) and to live a submissive lifestyle.

Why such a passive response? Because we are citizens of another kingdom. And when we become too caught up in the pursuits of worldly kingdoms, we have little left to give to the eternal one. The kingdom of God is not advanced so much by weaving it into the fabric of any earthly kingdom as it is advanced through its uniqueness -- its counter-cultural priorities.

I am not saying we must take David Lipscomb's view and totally remove ourselves from worldly politics. But perhaps he was onto something. Our kingdom IS NOT of this world. And I think THAT is the answer to WWJD.

Fed-Ex Cup and the U.N.

I'm not sure this FedEx Cup "playoff" is ever going to be what those who came up with it envisioned. Tiger Woods won it yesterday. He had six tournament wins this year, and was the most consistent finisher in the 4 playoff tournaments -- winning one. But it just seems anticlimactic that he wins the $10 million prize as he limps in to finish 2nd yesterday.

I am looking forward to the President's Cup in two weeks.

____________________

The world always has some mega-maniac to contend with. I can't think of a time in my life when we haven't. But right now, we have at least 4. There is Kim Jong-il, the dictator of North Korea, Hugo Chavez, the leader of Venezuela, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader of Iran, and Moammar , and Moammar Gadhafi, the leader of Libya. Which one is the most dangerous to world security?

And here's something I don't get: Why does the U.N. allow these guys to come speak to them? Is it in hopes that allowing them to vent to the world on a stage like that for up to an hour will bring them around? They made total fools of themselves, and made a mockery of the U.N. Has this tactic EVER worked?

What a World!

Today I am conducting the funeral of a 27-year old man who leaves behind a wife, 2-year old son and another child due in December. He was killed in a car wreck. So tragic. I know we preachers are always expected to have the right words, but there are no easy answers for some situations. My prayer is that the Spirit will just use me as a receptacle today to bring peace and the presence of God.

____________________

What is with some of these leaders who are speaking at the U.N.? And why does the U.N. give them an international audience to spread their poison and idiocy? How deranged does someone have to be to deny the Holocaust?

And three terrorist plots thwarted this week! For some, that may make them feel safer. For me, it brings home the fact that there are a lot of people out there that want to see us struck again. I pray that will not happen.

I often pray for the downfall of Islam. I make it clear in my prayer that I am not praying for a violent overthrow. Rather, I pray that people's eyes might be opened to its violence, as well as its inconsistencies and falsehoods. And I pray that Islam might implode because Jesus is made real to these people.

Heaven

I am speaking in generalizations here: I don't know what to make of us Christians' lack of thinking about heaven. Is it because we are too busy and time-stressed here to slow down and ponder it? Is it that we are afraid it will not be better than what we know here? Is it because we have too many things to arrest our attention now (TV, Ipods, car radio, computer, etc.)? Is it that we are simply afraid?

I realize that a person can become so obsessed with heaven that he / she is of no earthly good. But that doesn't seem to be a problem with anyone I know. I do know that in my own life, when I keep a healthy eye on heaven -- I live with more peace now.

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, TO GAZE UPON THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD and to seek him in his temple." (Psalm 27: 4)

Am I Just Lucky?

I don't believe in predestination in the strict Calvinist sense. But I do sometimes think about how different my life might be if, having no choice in the matter, I had been born in, let's say, Sri Lanka. In a Hindu culture surrounded by poverty. Wow. Each day being simply a matter of survival.

What hope would I have for the future? How could I face each day without Jesus' Spirit living in me?

It's a reminder to me that this precious message we have is not one to be hoarded -- but to be shared.

Weekend Recap

Observations from the weekend of sports:

• I like Colt McCoy. A lot. But he did himself no favors in his bid for a Heisman Trophy Saturday night. Oh, well. Maybe if that pressure were removed from his back, he could focus on the bigger prize -- a national championship.
• Nebraska experienced deja vu Saturday. They outplayed Virginia Tech throughout the game only to loose by one point on the final play. The same thing happened last year.
• How long before the Cow-sheep start jumping off of the Tony "Oh-no" Romo bandwagon? He scored a lot of points last night! 30 for his team, and 17 for the Giants.
• Demarcus Ware is a GREAT football player, and I doubt we have even seen his best. Ditto Jason Witten.
• Flozell Adams is the kind of professional athlete that makes me dislike professional sports. He is a thug. How does this guy make the Pro Bowl? He misses a lot of blocks -- thus the league-leading holding penalties. And last night's cowardly leg-whip that injured a Giants player made me sick. Is he Eric Williams' clone?
• Jerry Jones probably doesn't care a whole lot about last night's score. He packed his monument with over 105,000 people. At an average ticket of $180, that's nearly $19 million dollars -- just in ticket sales! That does not include concessions and $50 parking. He is a shrewd businessman (actually, snake-oil salesman is more accurate). If only he would realize -- after 12 years of mediocrity --that he is NOT a football man. But megamaniacs seldom see the truth about themselves.
• The Rangers pulled their disappearing act again this year. They just waited until September instead of late July.
• Am I sounding kind of cynical today?
• FedEx Cup week! I want to see it come down to Tiger or Steve Stricker. Either one of them winning it would make me happy.

___________________

I read with interest an article yesterday about where Texas would fit within the world if we were to secede from the United States. We would rank right behind Canada in national economies! I'm not predicting that this secession idea is going to gain huge momentum, but there are now at least 15 states that have some level of activity in this.

Read This

No blog of my own today. I would encourage you to go to my son's blog that is linked here: Josh Ross. I loved his blog today. I am excited about the way the Kingdom of God is being stirred to see, feel and hear the way our Father does. Could it be that much of the animosity that the world feels toward Christ followers would melt if we were more consistently living out the Jesus life among them?

Congressman WIlson is a Racist?

Beverly and I were having a discussion this morning concerning the over-the-top, out-of-line behavior of Congressman Joe Wilson, who called President Obama a liar last week. I absolutely agree that his behavior was embarrassing and unacceptable. I am disappointed that many of our Texas Republican representatives did not agree with the vote to censure his remarks. But when I heard Jimmy Carter this morning say that the comment was motivated by racism -- to me THAT was also over the top.

In my opinion, we are currently reaping the seeds that were sown during the Clinton years. When the Republicans attempted to impeach him over his perjury (and wound his presidency), the Democrats rallied the troops. They were determined to get their pound of flesh. So when George Bush became president, they were on him like ravenous dogs. Harry Reid called him a loser and a liar. He later apologized for the "loser" comment -- but not the "liar." This went on for 8 years.

Now, the Republicans are wanting to extract revenge for that. It is an ugly cycle, and it makes me wonder when it will end and they can actually get about the business of SERVING the American public.

I fear that the Democrats' defense for any charge brought against Obama is going to be, "Those comments were racially motivated." That is a cheap shot. I don't know, maybe Congressman WIson is a racist. I have heard nothing to support that other than Carter's and some other's accusations. But I am hopeful that President Obama's ideas can be discussed -- and disagreed with if necessary -- without the person in question being labeled a racist.

Mocking God

How gullible are people today? Billboards like the one on the right are being posted along I-30 between Dallas and Fort Worth. There are at least 5 in the series -- each quoting a Scripture meant to validate the message.

In the one on the right, the passage cited is when Jesus healed a Centurion's servant (Matthew 8: 5-13). I see nothing in the text to even hint that this involves any homosexual activity. This is a total revision (and abuse) of God's Word.

Another billboard says, "Ruth loved Naomi as Adam loved Eve." It cites Genesis 2: 24 and Ruth 1: 14. The first passage says that "a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife." The 2nd passage says that as Naomi is about to leave Ruth, that she kissed her goodbye, and "clung to her." This is a common practice in the East, and would not even be unusual in the West. Are we going to assume that any time a daughter-in-law hugs her mother-in-law, that there is homosexual activity?

The 3rd billboard says "Jesus said some are born gay." Jesus said that? It cites Matthew 19: 10-12, where Jesus says some people are born as eunuchs (celibate) while others are MADE eunuchs. How does being celibate equate to homosexuality? And then to make that leap that Jesus SAID some are born gay?

The 4th billboard says "The early church welcomed a gay man." This one cites Acts 8: 26-40, the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Apparently these people do not understand the role of a eunuch in ancient history. Eunuch DOES NOT equal homosexual. The reason men were made eunuchs was to insure that they would not have sex with an official's WIFE.

And finally the old, worn-out one: "David loved Jonathan more than women." This refers to 2 Samuel 1: 26, where these two dear friends are parting and know they will never see each other again. So they cry and hug one another. If this suggests homosexuality, then all of the East and even Western Europe must be homosexual.

What blatant dishonesty! This is an offense to the Gospel and to any thinking person's intelligence. In a court of law, these people could be held guilty of libel and slander.

Let me conclude by saying that there was a time I considered homosexuality a much bigger sin than adultery, fornication or violating one's marriage covenant. I have changed in my thinking on that. ALL are violations of God's intended purposes. Where I am today, I would be equally upset if someone tried to twist Scriptures to justify cheating on his / her wife or living in sexual sin.

Let us be aware of this: God WILL NOT be mocked. I pray for hearts to be broken and relationships to be restored to the Father. May that be the ultimate outcome of this.

The King Turns 80

He only dominated his sport for a few years -- from about 1958 to 1964. He won his last major championship in '64, at the young age of 34. And yet, through the strength of his charisma and sincere love for people and his game -- 44 years later he is still referred to as "the king." He humbly says that he does not deserve that title; but rather he is an ambassador for the game.

When he came along, TV was just becoming popular. And he was a perfect fit. Aggressive. Expressive. Interactive. And the nation -- yes, even the world -- fell in love with him. I was about 10 years old when I began following golf. By that time, he had already taken a backseat to Jack Nicklaus in his ability to dominate on the golf course. While Nicklaus would become the greatest golfer ever (Tiger is admittedly closing in), he could never knock "the king" from his throne. Even in losing to Jack, Arnie was still the fans' favorite. And he was my childhood idol. I could not count the number of times I stood over a putt, pretending I was Arnold Palmer putting to win the Masters. I never got to actually watch him win much. But I got to see a man who did much more than that.

Lee Trevino recently shook his head as he thought back on watching Arnie work the crowds. He said no matter how poorly he played or how tired he was, he always made time for the people. Trevino said, "I would have been rushing to the car. But not Arnie. He just loved the people so much."

You could argue who is the most influential athlete in history. Who most impacted his or her particular sport the most? You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who did more than Arnold Palmer.

Today my childhood idol turns 80. I still get a lump in my throat when I see him interviewed or watch reruns of an old match in which he played. He defines integrity, charity and grace. He has been an inspiration for me. Thank you, Mr. Palmer. And happy birthday.

The Beatles

The Beatles have been in the news a lot lately. I find it interesting the way some music transcends the generations.

I occasionally listen to stuff I thought was great music back in the 70s (Grand Funk Railroad), and now it makes me cringe. Other music that I thought was OK back then, I now appreciate much more (for instance, the Eagles).

Elvis continues to live on, too. To be honest, I never cared for any of his music. I am not knocking you Elvis fans; just a different preference. But I do still love the Beatles -- especially their pre-drug years. I find it amazing, as I look back, that they basically wrote all those songs in a 6-year span. They hit it big in 1963, and by 1970 they were no more.

Is there really any better rock singer than John Lennon's "Twist and Shout"? And Paul McCartney singing just makes you want to smile. George Harrison took a back seat to Lennon-McCartney, but he wrote a few of their biggest hits. And then, there's Ringo. Not a flashy drummer -- but one of the best at laying down a back beat.

I don't know that I could pick a favorite Beatles' song. "Twist and Shout." "Help." "I Feel Fine." "Come Together." And I'm probably leaving out my favorite.

Noah James

Here is a picture of my newest grandson, Noah James Ross. This is his 17-day old picture. He is in deep thought, mulling over the theory of relativity.

We were able to spend some time this weekend with our oldest grandchild. When Beverly met her parents halfway to Keller last night to drop her off, she began crying. Her mother said she cried for hours because she missed us. What can I say? I'm just a wild and crazy guy!

We are planning to be with our Houston grandkids for a couple of days at the end of this week. Last time, Jonathan and I took Jed golfing with us. On the 1st hole, he grabbed his shortened driver, walked up on the tee -- and said, "Where's the hole." I like that!

____________________

You know how much I admire Tiger Woods. Great golfer. Great humanitarian. Can be a little testy at times when he's not playing well. But I wonder how any of us would handle scrutiny of every move we make. Anyway, I have been hoping someone would come along to challenge him. Mickelson has given us glimpses of that. Els, Singh, Garcia and Scott have not.

But maybe we have found the guy: Steve Stricker. When he first came along, there were some high expectations from him. But he disappeared into mediocrity for several years. About 4 years ago, he got his game (and mental outlook) together, and he has been playing great since. With yesterday's gutsy win, he has moved up to #2 in the world golf rankings. He and Tiger are good friends, and it is said that he and Kenny Perry are considered the nicest guys on the tour. That is being salt and light -- as both are very open about their being disciples of Jesus.

I look forward to seeing how the last two tournaments in the chase for the FedEx cup play out. Tiger and Stricker will be paired together for the 1st two rounds this week. Should be fun.

A Moral Quandary

If you read Jeff Jones' blog from yesterday. then you will figure out that he and I had lunch together. As we were talking, a waiter (not ours) turned to us to tell a joke. I never like those situations to begin with. You know, where you feel obligated to laugh so as not to appear rude. Well, it was one of those awkward moments, as he delivered the punchline, where I hadn't yet gotten the joke -- but it was where one is supposed to laugh. A half-laugh came out -- when I realized that he had just told me a racial joke! Then he was gone.

For a moment, I was sick. I looked over at Jeff, and he was looking back at me with a similar expression. Now I am in a quandary. I don't know what to do. As a minister and a board member of WARM -- someone who wants to draw our community to racial equality -- I don't feel like I can stay silent about this.

I think at this point I will write the restaurant a letter and express to them my revulsion at this waiter's joke. Any advice?

More on Discipleship

Let me return to the subject of discipleship this morning. Jacob came in 1st thing and said that the fall youth retreat was going to be centered on that topic. So we discussed discipleship for a few minutes.

I am coming to realize that I have heard the words of Jesus so much that they had lost their punch. But currently, I am walking through a period in my life in which I am hearing them afresh. They are SO convicting -- His call to a sold-out, different-from-the-world life.

A disciple is more than just a learner. With our Western minds, we think of a learner as someone sitting at a desk taking notes from a lecturing teacher. In the Eastern world, learning took place at a different level. I loved the illustration that Rob Bell used in his book Velvet Elvis as he discussed the meaning of "disciple." Young Jewish boys would choose to become disciples of a particular rabbi. They would follow him everywhere -- even staying close as he went to the bathroom. In the Jewish rabbinical teachings, it states that a disciple should "wear the dust of his rabbi." In other words, he stayed so close to him -- learning from him, becoming like him -- that at the end of the day, he was covered by the dust kicked up by the rabbi as he walked.

This is the way Beverly and I "learned" on our trip to Israel. We stayed so close to our guide, Anton, that if it had been dusty, we would have been covered. We didn't want to miss a word. We dialoged with him as we walked. Something like that of an Eastern disciple.

In my prayer time this morning, I had prayed that today I might "wear the dust of Jesus." And then Jacob coming in to talk about discipleship just reinforced that. Oh, how I want to be like Jesus -- to my wife, to the waiter at the restaurant tonight, to the guy who cuts me off in traffic. Let me be covered with the dust of Jesus.

The Sports Page

The final score was 18-10. No, it was not a football game. It was the final to the Rangers' game last night. I think the pitchers forgot to show up. There are still a lot of games left, but the Rangers are in a bit of a funk right now.

____________________

Jack Nicklaus has agreed to join Arnold Palmer as honorary starters for the Master. I wish they would add Gary Player to the mix. As someone who begin following golf in the 60s, that will be a goosebump moment for sure. Hard to believe Palmer will be 80 years old on September 10th.

____________________

I used to keep up with hunting seasons, but haven't now for several years. I am assuming that dove season opened this morning. Either that or Decatur is being invaded. I could hear lots of shooting from my house. I don't know why I thought dove season opened after Labor Day.

Sunday night Beverly and I were sitting on the patio enjoying the unseasonably "cool" evening, and we heard some people practicing shooting (I am assuming). Someone had a gun that sounded like a machine gun -- reeling off 20 rounds or so in a matter of seconds. Shouldn't take long to bag their limit with that.

The Demand of Discipleship

My mind has been on discipleship a lot lately, after having journeyed through Luke 14. Jesus' call to discipleship is a far cry from the discounted version that is so popular today, where Jesus is offered as fire insurance. A Savior -- but not a Lord. So Tozer's dailly devotional from the weekend was very timely.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. --Ephesians 2:10

Therefore, I must be frank in my feeling that a notable heresy has come into being throughout our evangelical Christian circles--the widely accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need Him as Savior and we have the right to postpone our obedience to Him as Lord as long as we want to!

I think the following is a fair statement of what I was taught in my early Christian experience and it certainly needs a lot of modifying and a great many qualifiers to save us from being in error.

"We are saved by accepting Christ as our Savior; we are sanctified by accepting Christ as our Lord; we may do the first without doing the second!"

The truth is that salvation apart from obedience is unknown in the sacred Scriptures. Peter makes it plain that we are "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit for obedience" (1 Peter 1:2). I Call It Heresy, 1-2.

Small Groups

At the Decatur Church of Christ, we are introducing small groups beginning in October. Jacob and I are sharing the sermon time to inform our congregation about how that will look for us. I am REALLY excited about this new direction for our church. This is not simply another program or activity. I believe it to be vital to who we want to be as disciples of Jesus.

As a product of the "American Restoration Movement," part of my DNA is to want to restore the simplicity of the early church. There are many in our movement who believe that restoration occurred at a particular point in the 1930s or 1950s. Yet through my study of church history, I am becoming more and more aware of how grossly short we have fallen. What 1st brought that to my attention was the realization of how we were among the most racist religious groups in those years. How can anyone possibly think they have "restored" the church of Jesus when we practiced segregation?

But then, as I read about Constantine's declaration of a "Holy Roman Empire" that ushered in the Roman Catholic Church, I realized that we are still settling for much of its form. The way we "do church" is a mixture of Roman influence and apostolic example.

Small groups is a step in the right direction of returning to the intimacy of the early church. And I am hopeful that every member of our church will be a part. I do believe that this will go a long way in keeping people from falling through the cracks or being able to say that they never found a place.

This is my dream.

Edward Kennedy

Ted Kennedy passed away last night. I have long held a love-love less (hate is too strong a word) feeling toward him. Seldom have I agreed with Senator Kennedy on the issues. Yet there was something in the way he was so passionate about what he did believe in that I found admirable.

America has been obsessed with the Kennedy family for 50 years or more. There was Joe, the war hero shot down in a mission. Then John, the returning war hero who became president and ushered in "Camelot" -- also gunned down in his prime. Following John was Bobby -- a visionary who probably would have been president in 1968 had he not been murdered.

And then there was "Teddy." He seemed to live in his brothers' shadows. He had severe personal problems -- drinking and carousing. The death of Mary Kopechne still remains a mystery -- and cost him dearly as a serious candidate for president. But he trudged on.

I have often wondered at the Kennedy family's passion for helping the downtrodden. After all, here is a family of rich aristocrats. You would think they would be concerned about higher taxes, etc. But they all seemed to have a deep-seated concern for the poor and disenfranchised. My cynical side has asked what they had to gain by this. And although I struggle with how far government's role should go, I keep coming up with the same answer for the Kennedys: I cannot think of anything they had to gain -- other than the satisfaction of trying to help improve the life of those who are "lesser."

____________________

Tonight I will be speaking in Crockett. It is always a little bit like going home. Our 5 years of ministry there were SO rewarding. And even though we see most of them only once a year -- it seems as if we have never left. Old friendships are immediately new again.

Home Again

Beverly and I arrived home late last night after a hectic few days of travel. I spoke in Houston last Wednesday night. On Thursday we received the call from Memphis that Noah would be leaving the ark on Friday. So we left Houston Thursday afternoon and arrived in Memphis at about 2 AM. Next morning, we headed to the hospital, with Noah disembARKing at about 11:40. He is perfect! 7 lbs., 15 ozs. and 21-1/2 inches. His first word was "Grampy." You can see pictures of him by clicking on Josh Ross' link on my blog. I imagine our anniversary (August 21) will now take a back seat to Noah's birthday. But that is OK. We can celebrate our anniversary "season."

Yesterday morning we took Truitt to the Memphis zoo. It is now rated as the best zoo in the USA. I have been to San Diego's zoo, and have to admit that Memphis is right there with it. There was a lot of shade -- making for a nice walk. I don't think the temperature even made it to 80 while we were there. Truitt LOVED the pandas.

We left after lunch, and got home last night about 10:45. I am reminded daily how blessed I am. My three kids and their wonderful spouses have blessed Beverly and me with 5 wonderful grandkids. Life is sweet.

Tomorrow we hit the road again. I speak in Crockett tomorrow night. So we will go down tomorrow afternoon and return tomorrow night. I used to LOVE to drive. Not so much any more. But Crockett is always a treat.

I Hope I Have Another 33

Thirty-three years ago today, I thought I was SO mature. 19 years old (I was quick to add that I would be 20 in October) -- and two days away from getting married. In retrospect, taking in most factors -- I was nowhere near ready for marriage. And I was about to learn a lot about myself.

On this side of it, as we approach our 33rd anniversary, I can see how God matured me after the fact. Fortunately I married an INCREDIBLE woman who, next to God Himself, showed me so much grace. She encouraged me and was patient with me as I grew into a man.

At this point in our lives, I cannot imagine life without my best friend and soulmate. I still get excited in the evenings when I hear the garage door open -- knowing that she is home. I love to see her smile -- because I take credit for it. And even to this day, aside from the Holy Spirit (actually in partnership with Him), she is my greatest motivator to greater Christlikeness.

I am writing this two days early because I will be out of the office for a few days. But I just want Beverly and all bloggerland to know that I have lived a charmed life. Choosing a mate at 19 statistically is a HUGE mistake. But God not only protected me -- He gave me the best.

Marinating -- not Microwaving

Tomorrow, Lord willing, Beverly and I will go to Houston, where I will speak at Bammel Road Church of Christ. We will spend a couple of days with our son Jonathan's family.

This will quite likely be a SERIOUS travel week. I just have a feeling that we will leave Houston to go to Memphis for the arrival of our grandson Noah. That is probably how Beverly and I will celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary -- which is Friday. I'm excited!

____________________

I was reading an article by Joe McKeever entitled, "Why Sermon Preparation Takes Me So Long." Here is part of that article:

I once heard John Bisagno, veteran pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church at the time, say he did not understand why many pastors require so long to prepare a message. “Give me some privacy, my Bible and a note pad, and in two hours without interruptions, I have the sermon.” This, I might say, is just one of the five hundred reasons most of us who know Dr. Bisagno envy this gifted servant of the Lord.

To put it bluntly, few of us can produce the kind of sermon we ought to be preaching in that brief a time. In my case, this preparation time is not measured in hours, but in days or even weeks. Perhaps it has something to do with limited intellect, but a sermon has to grow in my mind—marinate as opposed to microwave, I sometimes put it.

I love that imagery of a sermon marinating rather than microwaving.

The Waiting Game

It's kind of hard to settle into my daily routines right now as Beverly and I await the arrival of our grandson Noah. Next week I preach on Wednesday night at my youngest son's church in Houston. We plan on staying to see him coach a football scrimmage on Friday. And that Sunday, Jacob and I will be co-preaching here as we introduce an exciting new opportunity to the Decatur church.

But all of that could be tabled if Noah decides to make his grand appearance. So we will try to go on as if he will wait until his due date. But we are also practicing the old Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.

____________________

Well, Jerry got what he wanted. After 13 years of mediocrity and hot-air promises which the "Cow-sheep" (Randy Galloway's term for blind followers of Jerry Jones' Cowboys) buy into every year -- he is opening his monument. I like the way Jeff Jones referred to it in his blog: Jerry's ego-plex.

How the mighty have fallen.

____________________

I have nothing personal against Tony Romo, but I tire of hearing him compared to Aikman and Staubach. How about let him win just one playoff game before he is enshrined in the Hall of Fame, please.

My son Jonathan and I were talking about this last time he was here. If you were to rank the all-time Cowboy quarterbacks, where would Romo fall? Here's mine:

1. Staubach (Two Super Bowls)

2. Aikman (Three Super Bowls)

3. Don Meredith (Two NFL championship games)

4. Danny White (Three NFC championship games. This guy was GOOD, but had the misfortune of following Mr. Cowboy)

5. Craig Morton, Eddie Lebaron, Tony Romo

For the Sake of the Call

As you read the following words from A. W. Tozer, remember that he wrote 50-60 years ago. He sometimes comes across a little harsh, but his passion for being a sincere disciple of Jesus cannot be questioned.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness and handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. --2 Corinthians 4:2

Here again is seen the glaring discrepancy between Biblical Christianity and that of present-day evangelicals, particularly in the United States....

To make converts here we are forced to play down the difficulties and play up the peace of mind and worldly success enjoyed by those who accept Christ. We must assure our hearers that Christianity is now a proper and respectable thing and that Christ has become quite popular with political bigwigs, well-to-do business tycoons and the Hollywood swimming pool set. Thus assured, hell-deserving sinners are coming in droves to "accept" Christ for what they can get out of Him; and though one now and again may drop a tear as proof of his sincerity, it is hard to escape the conclusion that most of them are stooping to patronize the Lord of glory much as a young couple might fawn on a boresome but rich old uncle in order to be mentioned in his will later on. Born After Midnight, 17.

I believe that in these difficult times, when the number of Jesus-followers is diminishing as a percentage of the population, we need a fresh approach. Now is not the time for more Joel Olsteen-type promises of prosperity and ease. Rather, now is the time for us to return to a call to discipleship. Jesus never sought quantity, but quality.

Way to Go, Tiger!

I love golf. But I bet you already knew that. One reason I love it so much is that it is a game of honor. What other sport or game do you know of where players will call penalties on themselves? A golfer addresses the ball and it moves. No one sees it move but the golfer. He calls an official over and tells him what happened -- and receives a 1-stroke penalty.

Another example of the greatness of golf happened Sunday -- although Tiger-bashers may not see it as that. Tiger was paired with Padraig Harrington in the final group on Sunday. As they came to the 16th hole, they were informed that because they were not keeping up with the group ahead of them -- they were being "put on the clock." A 2nd warning can result in a penalty.

Now think of the sense of this. Admittedly, Harrington is a SLOW player. I tire of waiting for him to get into a shot. But on Sunday, probably 75% of the gallery is following these two guys. Every hole, they are having to wade through people. Before each shot, they have to wait as the crowd gets into place. And yet, they are still on pace to finish in about 4 hours. Not a "slow" pace of play.

Besides that, they are in a head-to-head battle for the championship. No one else is really even in the hunt.

So as they arrived at 16, Harrington had a one-stroke lead over Tiger. And that is when the official informed him that they were timing his shots. He immediately hit his tee shot deep into the rough to the right -- but Tiger followed by hitting his shot deep into the left rough. The 2nd shot was Harrington's big mistake, as he tried to punch out into the fairway. He hit the ball through the fairway into the rough on the left side, leaving a difficult lie. Tiger punched out into the fairway, and then followed that with a highlight-reel shot -- a 182-yard 8 IRON to inside a foot. Harrington continued his meltdown from there -- finishing the hole with an 8. Tiger carded a 4 -- and went on to win the tournament by 4 shots.

So who took the officials to task after the round? Tiger. He said what happened on hole 16 was uncalled for, and it was especially unfair to Harrington. And guess what happened yesterday? Tiger was fined -- not for throwing a fit in his own defense. He was fined for speaking up FOR THE GUY HE WAS PLAYING AGAINST!

Now, Tiger Woods can afford whatever fine he was given. But I just tell that story to say that you won't find that kind of class in most any other sport. Please, I am not saying this to knock baseball, football, basketball, or whatever. I am just saying that golf is unique. And to me, that is part of its allure.

Gear Up? or Tear Up?

Yesterday may go down for me as the greatest day I have personally experienced in a church. From 4-7 PM, we had invited the community (through flyers handed out door-to-door and put in the food boxes as WARM) to come to our building for free school supplies, haircuts, clothes, and a number of other services. We did not know what to expect, but had premonitions that we had joined the Father in His activity.

I don't cry easily. But yesterday, I found myself stopping a number of times to dry my eyes. And this morning, I am still crying as I think about it. Because at 1:30 they started coming. By 3:30, they were lined out into our parking lot. By 4:30, there was not ONE empty parking place, and volunteers were parking people 2-deep on the grass.

We were prepared to hand out 400 backpacks of school supplies. We had NO idea what to expect. We were prepared to hand out another 100 "rainchecks." Well, we ended up giving out 272 rainchecks. We had bought 1,000 hotdogs, already having a plan B as to what we would do with the leftovers. Not one hotdog was left. Around 200 haircuts were given, with 6 incredible volunteers working NON-STOP for over three hours. Richard, a local hair stylist, cut 50 himself!

I couldn't tell who were the happiest -- the families being helped or our volunteers who were finding out the truth of how it is more blessed to give than to receive. The volunteers were INCREDIBLE -- around 130 strong. I have never experienced an atmosphere like that! The Spirit of Jesus was definitely evidenced (I'm crying right now as I write this).

I would estimate that over 800 people came to us yesterday (Jacob says he thinks there were 1,000). And while I am glad we were able to help, I cry for our county. We have a lot of wealth in Wise county. But there is SO MUCH poverty. 1/3rd of our county's residence come to WARM for assistance every year -- over 20,000 different individuals.

I am sure I will hear many moving stories about things that happened yesterday. But so far, this one has touched me the most. Donna Moon saw a cute little girl, about 6 or so, eating a hot dog. This was about 6 PM. Donna asked her how she was enjoying the day. She smiled and said it was really good. And then she said that the hotdog was the first food she had all day. That breaks my heart!

I can't wait until next year!

LATE NOTE: We preachers are often accused of "preacher counts" -- over-inflating numbers. But I am being told by many who were here yesterday that they would estimate the number were more like 1,200-1,500!

Examining Oneself

The following is borrowed from Edward Fudge's blog:

While an Oxford student in 1729-1730, John Wesley wrote a list of questions for his own self-examination, and later refined the questions for use in his small groups. This regular exercise in self-examination was one of Wesley's "methods" that gave rise to the nickname "methodist." Today, nearly three centuries later, Wesley's 21 questions are still as applicable and challenging as the day he first wrote them.

* * *

(1) Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite? (2) Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate? (3) Do I confidentially pass onto another what was told me in onfidence? (4) Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits? (5) Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying? (6) Did the Bible live in me today? (7) Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?

(8) Am I enjoying prayer? (9) When did I last speak to someone about my faith? (10) Do I pray about the money I spend? (11) Do I get to bed on time and get up on time? (12) Do I disobey God in anything? (13) Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy? (14) Am I defeated in any part of my life?

(15) Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful? (16) How do I spend my spare time? (17) Am I proud? (18) Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican? (19) Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it? (20) Do I grumble and complain constantly? (21) Is Christ real to me?

The Ross Report

Several news items this morning keep swirling around in my head:

1. The release of the two women being held by North Korea. Former President Bill Clinton helped to secure their release. The North Korean government said they had received a letter of apology from President Obama. Spokespeople for the President said no apology was sent. Of course, the claims of an apology letter come from one of the strangest (and scariest) leaders on this planet, Kim Jong II. This is a guy who claimed, after playing his first round of golf, that he shot an 18! That's right. He actually claimed he had 18 holes in one -- and expected the free world to believe it!

2. The massacre in the Pittsburgh area. I cannot understand why a person who wants to kill himself feels he must take others with him. Of course, Beverly reminds me that rational people cannot understand irrational thinking. I guess that bodes well for me.

3. The woman who was driving drunk and high with her 5 children in the car. She drove down the wrong lane of a highway for 2 mile before having a head-on collision. Eight people died. It ought to make us very defensive in our driving to realize that there are MANY people on the road who are driving impaired by drugs, alcohol or texting. I saw a lady driving the other day with her blackberry on her steering wheel, reading a map, and eating.

4. A 101 year old man in Weatherford who still works full-time. He has been practicing law since the mid-30s. He will soon receive an award as the oldest full-time worker in America. He frankly admitted that if he didn't work, he would die within a year. Asked the secret to still being alive, he said, "I haven't died yet."

The Gift of Fatherhood

Thirty-one years ago today, August 3, 1978, we were living in Abilene, Texas. A tropical system came through, dumping FEET of rain. The town of Albany, north of Abilene, had nearly 30 inches that day.

During the early morning hours, Beverly, who was 9 months pregnant, began to feel very uncomfortable. So later that morning, we went to the doctor -- and then on to the hospital around lunchtime. Labor had set in.

But it was a slow process. And Beverly was SO uncomfortable. She only found relief by leaning against my back -- which I had to fold up like a lawn chair. (No, I'm not expecting any sympathy).

Finally early in the evening, the doctor found that things were not progressing -- and determined the reason why. He decided to take the baby by cesarian section. This was in the days when the dad had to bide his time out in the waiting room.

But I can remember it like it was yesterday. The nurse came out and informed me that Beverly was fine. And then those words that were music to my ears and forever changed my life: "It's a girl!" Talk about walking on air!

Today I am thanking THE Father for the gift of fatherhood. Happy birthday, Jennifer Laine Ross Bizaillion! Whether you like it or not, you will always be my little girl. But I could not be more proud of the woman you have become.

A Christian America?

As he so often has done, I came across some words from Philip Yancey (Finding God in Unexpected Places) that express feelings I have had over the last several years. People in Christian circles tend to assume that I am on the "religious right" bandwagon. For a while, I was. But my perspective has drastically changed. So let Yancey's words express for me better than I can myself:

I have often heard this verse quoted as a formula for national revival: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7: 14). Yet that promise was given as part of God's covenant relationship with the ancient Hebrews . . . Have we any reason to assume God has a similar covenant arrangement with the USA?

The New Testament seems to introduce a major shift: God is now working not primarily through nations, but through an invisible kingdom that transcends nations. Jesus stressed "the kingdom of Heaven" as the central focus of God's activity on earth, a kingdom that permeates society so as to gradually affect the whole, like salt sprinkled on meat.

As I now reflect on Jesus' stories of the kingdom, I sense that much uneasiness among Christians today stems from a confusion of the two kingdoms, visible and invisible. Each time an election rolls around, Christians debate whether this or that candidate is "God's man" for the White House. Projecting myself back into Jesus' time, I have difficulty imagining him pondering whether Tiberius, Octavius, or Julius Caesar -- not to mention Nero or Caligula -- was "God's man" for the empire. What took place in Rome was on another plane entirely from the kingdom of God.

At various points in U. S. history (the 1850s, the time of Prohibition, and more recently during the Moral Majority movement of the 1980s), the Christian church has marked an ascendancy into politics. Now, it appears, the church and politics may be heading in different directions. The more I understand Jesus' message of the kingdom of God, the less alarm I feel over that trend. Our real challenge, the focus of our energy, should not be to Christianize the United States (always a losing battle) but rather to strive to be Christ's church in an increasingly hostile world. As Karl Barth said, "[The Church] exists . . . to set up in the world a new sign which is radically dissimilar to [the world's] own manner and which contradicts it in a way which is full of promise."

When we have attempted to tie Christianity to America, we have left the impression in the world that financial corruption, materialism and graphic sex are "Christian." Thus much of the reason for Islam's rejection of Jesus. This is sad.

Weather, Michael and Junkers

OK, a couple of days ago I wrote complaining about the lack of rain here in Decatur. Well, last night we were blessed with 2-1/2 inches! Nice. This weather pattern has been a welcomed break from the normal late-July weather. Highs in the upper 80s and low 90s!

I feel badly for the people in south Texas who are in a SEVERE drought. There is hope on the horizon, however. An El Nino has developed that should bring more than normal rainfall to Texas over the coming months. Let's hope (and pray) so.

____________________

I have affirmed in an earlier blog that Michael Jackson was one of the most talented artists in my lifetime. However, it really is time to move on to something else, news people! GMA this morning was interviewing his chef! Come on!

____________________

Just curious, because I'm not REAL sure how I feel about it myself. How do you feel as a tax payer to know that you are subsidizing someone's clunker trade-in to the tune of $4,500 so that they can buy a new car?

____________________

I have changed the settings on my comment section of this blog. I had a filter in place to prevent spam, but as a result some people were having trouble posting a comment. So now, if you comment -- it will not appear until I can approve it. This way I can still prevent spammers from hitting my blog. But this should allow for anyone to comment.

Let me know if you try to comment, but can't.

Marriage and Culture

Years ago, J. D. Unwin wrote a book entitled Sex and Culture, in which he studied 86 different societies. His findings startled scholars. All 86 cultures demonstrated a direct tie between absolute monogamy and the "expansive energy" of civilization. In other words, sexual fidelity was the single most important predictor of a society's progress.

Unwin had no religious convictions and applied no moral judgments to his study. Here are his concluding words:

"I offer no opinion about rightness or wrongness. In human records there is no instance of a society retaining its energy after a complete new generation has inherited a tradition which does not insist on prenuptial and post-nuptial continence."

Will America be the exception? Or will we be wise enough to see where we are headed, and repent? Time will tell. But we Christians must be salt and light in living out a model designed by God. When we look and act and break covenant as regularly as the pagan, what hope does the world have?

Wii, Drought and Michael Vick

Previously I have mentioned that Beverly got me a Wii for Christmas. When Jed, Jocelyn and Malaya were here last week, Jed wanted to play Wii. I was at work at the time, so Jonathan got them fixed up to play bowling, and Beverly joined them. She has gotten so into it that now every evening, she and I head to the bowling alley (on the Wii in our bedroom). It really is fun.

____________________

Here in Decatur we are in the strangest weather pattern! Since May, we have had about 1/2 inch of rain. If you drew a 15-mile circle around us, you would find that everyone has had multiple inches of rain in that same time span. Yesterday as many areas had flash floods, I recorded 2/10ths of an inch. Very strange. We are desperately in need of a gully washer here.

____________________

So Michael Vick has been reinstated. Here's a shocker: PETA has threatened to boycott any team that signs him. I have a couple of thoughts about that:

1. I doubt members of PETA would be a huge fan base in any market.

2. Vick has paid his dues -- more severe than what many athletes have paid for crimes. I am certainly not defending what he did, but it seems that vehicular manslaughter or possibly being an accessory to a murder are not considered to be as serious of crimes as "dogfighting." Give the guy a 2nd chance.

What do you think?

Influencing the Nations

Chew on this observation from M. Scott Peck, author of A Road Less Traveled:

It is notable that two hundred years ago this new nation spent virtually no money and no energy attempting to control the behavior of the other nations of the world. Yet one by one, almost ten by ten, the peoples of these nations followed our spiritual and political example to seek the same freedoms for themselves. It is hard to escape the conclusion that in the years since, our political and spiritual leadership has declined in inverse proportion to the increasing amounts of money and effort we have expended to manipulate other countries . . . I wonder, if we in the United States were to concentrate -- as our overwhelmingly major priority -- on making ourselves the best possible society we can be, whether the nations of the world might once again, without any pressure except the influence of example, begin to emulate us.

Sounds like Jesus -- being salt and light.

It's LIke Christmas Eve

Tonight, my son Jonathan will be speaking at our church. He has been on staff at the Bammel Road Church of Christ in Houston for several years now. He is a worship leader, but also an excellent speaker. I am looking forward to seeing him and his family.

Do you remember the feeling you had as a kid on Christmas eve? Let me tell you who are not yet grandparents: That is the same feeling I have when my grandkids are coming. Last night, Jonathan and his family stayed in Keller with my daughter, Jenny and her family. We are fortunate to have them closer, as we get to see Malaya (grandchild #1) fairly regularly. But we still get excited about that, too!

So, Beverly and I have been on pins and needles! They should arrive here around noon today. I can't wait to see Jed and Jocelyn!

And we are really missing Truitt! His brother will be joining us in a month or so -- due at the end of August. Noah James will be his name. Again, it's like Christmas eve. The trip to Memphis when we get word is going to seem like forever.

Grisham's Latest

I love John Grisham's books. Maybe I should say I used to. I just finished his latest one -- The Associate. I cannot stand to read a book and become connected with a character, and then have too many loose ends left. Grisham leaves the reader to wonder what in the world happened to Kyle -- the lead character. Too many possibilities are available -- and many not good ones.

This falls after his last book, The Appeal. An excellent story. But it ended so disappointingly for me that I teasingly threw the book across the room and told Beverly, "I hate that book!"

Maybe I just want too much predictability to stories. I want them to end happy and completed. I wonder if there is a correlation between that and actual life. Because I like when life goes that way, too. I like when things go according to script: predictable and optimistic.

Oh, well. There's always a ton more Louis L'amour books to read.

"That's One Small Step for Man . . ."

Well, I had my heart ripped out again yesterday. After Tom Watson birdied 17 and took a one-shot lead and then hit a perfect drive on 18, my eyes were already tearing up as I considered what an incredible moment I was watching. And then, before you could blink an eye -- it seemed that the dream was over.

Something in me is wanting to say, "Oh, well. Maybe next time." But that is not reality. When is the last time a 59 year old led a major championship into the 72nd hole? My guess is never.

____________________

For those of you over about 45, do you remember where you were 40 years ago today? I was 12 years old, living in Austin, Texas. I had stayed up late to watch the 1st step on the moon. The next morning, I played in a junior golf tournament.

In my growing up years, astronauts, along with athletes, were our heroes. I used to could name every Mercury, Gemini and Apollo crew. It was exciting times, as we Americans tried to beat the Russians in the space race. And on this day, 40 years ago, we won. As the Viet Nam War dragged one, this was something we could be proud of.

So, should we send a manned mission to Mars? I don't know. It seems like there are more pressing needs we have as a country. But if the decision was made -- I'd be watching.

Seeking HIS Kingdom

In the introduction to his book Finding God in Unexpected Places, Philip Yancey relates the following story:

Theologian John S. Dunne tells of a group of early Spanish sailors who reached the continent of South America after an arduous voyage. Their caravels sailed into the headwaters of the Amazon, an expanse of water so wide the sailors presumed it to be a continuation of the Atlantic Ocean. It never occurred to them to drink the water, since they expected it to be saline, and as a result some of these sailors died of thirst. That scene of men dying of thirst even as their ships floated on the world's largest source of freshwater has become for me a metaphor for our age. Some people starve to death spiritually while all around them manna rots.

People shake their heads in despair over the state of the world despite the fact that by many measures -- literacy, nutrition, clean water, housing -- things have decidedly improved in the past fifty years.

He goes on to mention the fall of the iron curtain, the ending of apartheid in South Africa, the great revival taking place in China (over 100 million Chinese now claim the name of Jesus).

We tend to get bogged down over a couple of issues in America -- and see nothing but gloom and doom. Please don't hear me saying those issues are not important. But let's not become so obsessed that we lose sight of the bigger picture. The Kingdom of God is advancing in this world. Let's look for His movement -- and join Him there.

T. B. Larimore

One of the books I read last week was Will The Cycle be Unbroken, by Douglas Foster. It deals with where we, Churches of Christ, are as a part of the American Restoration Movement. I was especially drawn to one of the Restoration leaders, T. B. Larimore (1843-1929). He lived in a time when there was great turbulence in the movement, and yet he refused to get involved in the "issues" of the day. He is one of my spiritual heros.

Larimore had a former student that tried to "guilt" him into taking sides on issues like instrumental music in worship, church conventions, located preachers, etc. These were, by the way, issues over which the Restoration Movement split about 100 years ago. I know it is fairly lengthy, but I want to share Larimore's response:

To which -- or what -- party do I belong in this unfortunate controversy? That's the question. Had I "spoken out" on "matters" mentioned in your "open letter," this question had never arisen; for all had known. Your letter is proof positive, then, that you and THOUSANDS of other friends before whom "my life is an open book" believe I have never "spoken out," have never expressed an opinion or a preference -- on ANY of these things. THAT IS TRUE. NEVER, publicly or privately, have I expressed opinion or preference relative to ANY of these "matters" . . . over which brethren are wrangling and disputing and dividing the church of Christ -- NEVER . . . I am sorry to disappoint any of my friends; but it is certainly clear my duty, to . . . leave the discussion of all such questions to wiser, better, abler men, and just simply "PREACH THE WORD," avoiding, always, all question that "do gender strifes" among the children of God. WIser and better men do otherwise, however, and some good brethren may deem it their duty to denounce, renounce, criticize, censure, condemn, boycott and abuse me, and refuse to recognize, fellowship or affiliate with me, because I am as I am, do as I do, and, especially, because I have written what I have written in answer to your "open letter." I shall certainly never retaliate. I shall simply do as I have ALWAYS done: "love the brethren"; be true to my convictions; endure as patiently as possible whatsoever may come upon me; go when and where I am wanted and called, if I can; carefully avoid all questions that "do gender strifes" among God's people; "PREACH THE WORD"; try to do MY WHOLE DUTY, and GLADLY leave ALL results with HIM from whom all blessings flow."

Oh, how I want to leave such a legacy! Larimore ended up as a man with no home -- as neither side accepted him. But he remained true to his convictions that sowing discord is one of the things God abhors.

I leave you with these words from Larimore: "If Christians thought they had to do something with the questions (meaning "issues"), it would be better to sit on them, and to stand on Christ and him crucified."

AMEN!

The Week in Florida

We are back in Texas after spending 8 days in Florida. It was a great week. The resort where Beverly's conference was held was beautiful. Our room faced a golf course (making this guy very happy).

Last Monday, my brother John and his wife and some friends came over from Bradenton (near Tampa). While Beverly was in conference, the ladies went to SeaWorld and the guys went to play golf. We then went out to dinner together. It was a great day.

On Tuesday, I rented a car and drove to Saint Augustine to the World Golf Hall of Fame. I really enjoyed my day there, and got back in time to hear Gary Chapman, a keynote speaker for the conference. I also got to hear the ministerial staff from the church that made the movie "Fireproof" at a Wednesday luncheon. What a story! And I went to a banquet on Thursday night and heard John Gray as well.

Each day I spent 6 hours or more with Philip Yancey (through his books), reading about American Restoration history, and finally a book on church history. It was great! Several evenings, I played golf.

Beverly was in conference from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM most days. On Saturday, she got out at 5:30, and wanted to go with me as I played golf. We got to the 3rd hole and it began to rain. So I drove the cart under a building at the far end of the course. The rain kept getting worse and worse until it was flooding. We finally decided to make a dash to the clubhouse. Bad mistake! I could not tell how deep the water was, and we got flooded out. Stuck halfway back in a monsoon! The water was coming up over the floor of the cart. So I took off my shoes and socks and got out in the water and pushed the cart out. Beverly just knows she felt an alligator brush her leg.

I called the pro shop, and they sent someone out to rescue us. We were soaked by the time we got back -- but were cracking up at the whole thing.

It was a great week, but it's always good to be home.