What is Your Goal?

Pursuing Your Goals?

what are your goals

What Are Your Goals?

As an avid Ohio State Buckeyes fan I was delighted that “we” won the National Championship last Monday night against the University of Oregon. In a three game stretch the Buckeyes shutout the Wisconsin Badgers 56 – 0 in the Big Ten Championship; defeated the then #1 team in the nation, the University of Alabama, in the Sugar Bowl 42 – 35; and then defeated the Ducks 42 – 20. What impressed most people about this amazing finish to the Buckeye’s season was that they won all three games with their third string quarterback, Cardale Jones. The most impressive thing however was that these three games were not only the three biggest games of Cardale’s college career, they were the only games he had ever started for the Buckeyes. On the largest stages of collegiate athletics Cardale Jones not only won those games, but did so with such skill and poise that many thought he would forgo any further time in college to enter the pro football draft.

Cardale had said, “In my personal opinion, I’m not ready for that level.” But as is the case with many young people when faced with the prospect of fame and fortune one’s judgment can become quickly blurred. It was announced (via his own twitter feed) on Thursday, the deadline by which Cardale had to declare whether or not he would make himself available for the NFL draft, that there would be a press conference that he would be announcing a “Life changing decision at 4pm.” This lead to a fury of speculation that the young quarterback was bolting for the NFL. My friend Terry wrote on Facebook that he seemed inevitable now that Cardale was leaving (As I write this I checked Terry’s Facebook page and his prognostication has since been deleted).

His decision? “My decision was very simple,” Jones said. “I’m gonna return next year for school.” WHAT?! How could you pass up all that fame and fortune? Cardale said he wanted to finish his education. And when the time came to play in the NFL, if it does come, he will be able to concentrate on the job at hand. “I want to make sure I meet all my goals,” Jones said. A more mature press conference I have never seen.

As Christians today, many become distracted by the fleeting rewards of this life. Many too quickly give up an eternal reward for the temporal fame and fortune of this life. Paul said, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8 – 14).

This past week I was also inspired by two fine young Christian men who took a stand against worldliness and gave up roles in a school play that would have caused them to compromise their Christianity. Both are talented actors and singers and would certainly have been lauded for their performances, but at what cost? I am reminded of the Hebrew writer who spoke of Moses saying that he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24 – 26).

The goal of every Christian, indeed every man, should be to live a life that is pleasing to God and which is rewarded with eternal life in heaven. I certainly want to be the best husband, father, friend, brother and neighbor that I can be. But I cannot be any of those things if I am not first, and foremost, the Christian God expects me to be (Ecclesiastes 12:13). My goal? I want to hear those sweet words of welcome, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21, 23). What is your goal?

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Give Me Coffee!

Give Me Coffee!

coffee brings dark to light

Coffee brings dark to light!

What was life like without coffee? Before coffee found its way to Europe and the America’s the people in those regions were very sleepy and depressed because they did not have coffee to drink. (Historical “fact” I just made up.) Coffee had been, up until the 1700’s, a very tightly controlled commodity that was monopolized by the kingdom of Arabia. It originated in Ethiopia and as the legend goes it was discovered by an Ethiopian goat-herder who noticed that his goats seemed like they were full of energy and would dance around every time they ate these little red berries off of a certain type of shrub. So apparently he ate some of the berries too and from that experience he, or someone else, decided to dry and roast the seeds (beans) that were in the berries and grind them up to steep in hot water and thus coffee was born! (What a great day that was!) They traded these beans to Arab traders who were quick to notice the potential financial windfall that would result from cornering the market on this marvelous bean! For many years, they maintained the secret of where these beans came from and would not allow any “green” coffee beans (non-roasted; still fertile) to leave their shores. Another legend is that the wife of the Swedish ambassador to Arabia became enamored with coffee (and also it seems a certain prince of the royal house) and was given a single “green” coffee bean nestled in a bouquet of flowers as a parting gift from her special “friend.” And it is from this single green coffee bean, that the majority of the world’s supply of Arabica coffee derives.

What did people drink before coffee became widely available? Tea and hot chocolate, that’s what! When Europeans and Americans mainly drank tea, was there an industrial revolution? NO. Were the sciences advancing at any sort of rapid pace? NO. Am I saying that coffee is the reason for this rapid expansion in science and industry? YES, although very unscientifically! With coffee, people were more alert and more able to become more intellectual. Case in point – the Arabs were in the heyday of their “enlightenment” soon after discovering coffee while at the same time the Europeans were in the depths of the Dark Ages. Coincidence, maybe but I choose to believe not! (After all, this supports the point I am trying to make…!)

What is the point of all this rambling on about coffee? Without coffee the world was in darkness and there were none of the great advances in industry in science; and the human condition was fraught with pessimism and sleepiness. (I don’t know this, but it sounds good. I love coffee!)

Whether my conclusion about coffee is sure or not, I know one that that is sure: Without Jesus Christ and His coming to this world all would be darkness, pessimism and men would still be slumbering in spiritual ignorance and bondage to sin. Like the first drink of coffee opens the eyes in the morning, the Son of God opened the eyes of those who were in spiritual darkness and led them out into the sunshine, dispelling all spiritual slumber and giving those who would accept and OBEY Him the promise of eternal life.

“And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…” Matthew 4:13-17

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Getting Clean Dishes

How Are You at Washing Dishes?

getting clean dishes

Getting clean dishes?

There is a famous hymn in many church hymnals titled, “Purer In Heart, O God.”  The song itself is short and simple, but its message is weighty and piercing.  The main point of the hymn is found in the words “may I devote my life wholly to Thee.” This attitude of willing and total submission to God’s will is the key to the answer to all of life’s problems, struggles, and uncertainties.

To keep himself from sin, David pleaded with God, saying, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10).  You see, David understood the reward of having a pure heart; a reward that Jesus referred to in Matthew 5:8, saying, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Sadly, there are those who are more like the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees who did not “cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also” (Matt. 23:25-26).  Had they done so, they would have received the same reward as David.

Friends, if you want to see God, you better wash your dishes.

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Marriage Fantasy

Idolizing the Aisle

Look around your church auditorium. Chance are you have couples there who have been married more than fifty years. Some congregations even have couples that reach the 60-year mark! Parents please humbly and honestly consider this question: Do you hold these individuals up to your children? Do you really?

marriages based on fantasy just dont last

Marriages based on fantasy just don’t last.

The vast majority of Christian young people grow up idolizing Hollywood celebrities and pop stars, just like their worldly friends. Sadly, they watch their movies, shows, or listen to their music—and they see pictures of million dollar “fairy tale” weddings. But after the smoke clears most of those Hollywood marriages quickly go up in flames. The very marriages our children are idolizing don’t normally make the ten-year mark.

In 2012, Sir Paul Coleridge published a report carried out by Marriage Foundation, a group founded by Coleridge, that revealed after 10 years of marriage the divorce rate for celebrities is 40 percent, double the national average of 20 percent over the same period. The study looked at 572 celebrity couples who have tied the knot since 2000. One in ten had divorced within two years and a quarter of the marriages were over within five years. (See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/divorce/9686108/Judge-warns-against-idolising-celebrity-marriages-which-are-more-prone-to-fail.html.)

           Another study revealed that those expensive “fairy tale” weddings aren’t all they seem. Economics professors from Emory University surveyed 3,000 U.S. adults who had been married at some point in their lives and found that participants who spent large sums of money on engagement rings and/or their weddings were more likely to end up divorced. Here are the two main findings:

1. Men who spent $2,000 to $4,000 on engagement rings were 1.3 times more likely to end up divorced than men who spent $500 to $2,000. Women who received expensive engagement rings also experienced higher rates of divorce.

2. Women whose weddings cost $20,000 or more were 3.5 times more likely to end up divorced than women who spent $5,000 to $10,000. (According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is more than $30,000). [see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/03/expensive-weddings-study_n_5929056.html].

All that money and attention feeds narcissism—and does not prepare a newly wed person to be selfless or compromise. Yet, many young ladies do not feel like their lives will be complete unless they experience that Hollywood ‘fairy tale” wedding.

See the problem? Our children are looking up to an industry whose marriages are even worse than the national average. Most celebrities are not individuals who view love the way 1 Corinthians 13 describes it. Instead, these are individuals who pursue relationships based on their own selfish desires. Every time a movie star has a romantic scene with a new co-star tabloids report about their new-found romance. But what about fidelity? What about keeping the marriage bed pure and unspotted?

Is it possible we are preparing young people for the “Hollywood” wedding, but not a real-life marriage? How many young girls are looking forward to their wedding more than they are the marriage? Moms and dads, how about we start pointing our children to some real marriage role models? How about we look to faithful Christians in the church for examples of how we should pattern our lives?

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Hey Christians!

From One Christian to Another

christians keep diligent

Christians Keep Diligent!

Do not neglect your family. Great men and women of God do not neglect their responsibilities at home. Noah did not neglect his family (1 Pet. 3:20). Abraham did not neglect his family (Gen. 18:19). Joshua did not neglect his family (Josh. 24:15). Even with the arduous task that preachers have of evangelizing the world and edifying the brethren, these are not to annul our personal responsibilities at home to be husbands and fathers. Sometimes preachers (and other Christians) may rationalize that they are putting the kingdom of God first—this we all should do, but again, we cannot do so to the neglect of our own personal family. Brethren, Satan has had enough to do with creating havoc in our families! Are we not tired of watching families (even within the church of our Lord) crumble all around us? I know that I am! Do not neglect your family!

Do not quit studying. No one will ever get to the place where he or she knows the entire Bible, even preachers and elders. I believe that some Christians get to the point where they feel that they have a good general knowledge of the Bible, and then they become lazy and quit studying as much as they did when they first became Christians. I think of the late and lamented Franklin Camp, who noticed the study habits of Gus Nichols and decided to study even more (I believe it was six hours daily), which he did all the way up until his death. Christians, we do not know it all, yet! Do not quit studying!

Do not quit spreading the good news of the gospel. Teaching comes with times of great discouragement. We will not convert everybody; even God in the flesh did not convert everybody. When we get discouraged, do not quit teaching! How will the world come to know of the grace of their Savior without teaching? How will the world come to realize the consequences of their sins without teaching? The world needs teachers! Jesus said,

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall be all taught of God.’ Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. (John 6:44-45)

When we get discouraged, think of all of the mighty men of God who were discouraged and did not quit (Elijah, Jeremiah and such like). Do not quit evangelizing!

Do not ever forget about the ones who sacrificed for you to become the person you are today. Preacher students at schools of preaching (i.e., SWSBS, MSOP and SEIBS) should not ever forget the individuals and congregations who graciously gave to them so that they could sacrifice a few years to learn how to become an effective preacher. Christians should always remember with gratitude those who paved the way for them. I personally remember with fondness a little congregation in Verbena, AL (Midway Church of Christ). This small little congregation supported me meagerly for the final three years that I was a college student, but I would not trade those years of encouragement and opportunity for anything! They helped me then to become the person that I am today. I think of my parents and of other mentors along the way. As Christians, we ought to think of great preachers and elders from our past who sacrificed to allow the church to flourish as it does today. From cover to cover, the Bible teaches that godliness and gratitude go together; it also teaches that wickedness and ingratitude go together. As Christians, we ought always to demonstrate gratitude!

Do not think of yourselves more than you ought. The Bible repetitively teaches this principle (Rom. 12:3; Phil. 2:1-4; et. al). Pride is one of the most dangerous of all sins, and Christians are certainly susceptible to it. For example, whenever preachers get a taste of “success” (large congregations, multiple meetings, exposure from articles/books and such like), Satan will use that situation to tempt them with pride. I have been to many lectureships where some preachers of some esteem rarely talk to “the common preacher,” while others will relate personably. While I do not wish to embarrass anyone or leave anyone out, I can only think of some who have spoken to me as a young preacher with no reputation as if I was important to him. I do not know about you, but I will remember that for as long as I live. The fact of the matter is that Christians can often form cliques, and will only associate with those in their clique. As Christians, we should try to treat everyone the same, and think of ourselves as equals with everyone.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but it will serve to point out a few nuggets of wisdom that all Christians (and preachers especially) should follow.

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