George H. W. Bush perhaps lost the election in 1992 but he continues to gain fans even today. Maybe you read the article or saw on a broadcast of his latest act of kindness. One of his Secret Service agents has a two year old son undergoing treatment for cancer. The boy lost his hair which led his dad and some other agents to shave their heads in unity. Seems that Bush 41 could not let them show solidarity alone. He also had his head shaved in support of this child. Even those with nothing good to say about Republicans have to salute the heart of such a man. Many people do not realize that he and his wife lost a daughter many years ago to a similar form of this illness. He says that such an act is only the right thing to do if you are a caring person. No wonder a few now look back on this man and wish for his grace in public life.
Samuel was a man much like Bush 41. We talked today about how Samuel would stand before people who rejected him with a humility we do not see much in these times. His words would be a declaration of his integrity along with direction on how these people should live. You do not become a person worth imitating by accident. It takes a conscious choice on who you wish to be. You do not make this decision when the moment of crisis arrives. Such a life is one born of a concrete decision that you will be God's person no matter the situation. Samuel opted early in his life that God would be his priority even if others rejected him. He expresses such a value to it that even his critics recognize he did not go about injuring others in any way. That cannot be said about far too many of us.
When your values of mind and heart are shaped by a relationship with God then you take serious ever obstacle to that view. Samuel will warn his listeners about being complacent in their dealing with sin. Our usual definition of sin is whatever the other person is doing that is bad. Being ruthless in our own self examination is rare. Sin may not always be the visible ugliness some project. Subtle is the normal pattern of evil. This is why the enemy is often described as a liar or deceiver. He operates in our blind spots so we do not notice his handiwork. To allow God to deal with our sin will be painful at the start. Remember that the healing that follows that process will last eternally.
Our world could use many more people like Bush 41 or Samuel. This goes beyond being President or a great prophet. To have the everyday person that no one may ever read about living such a life would transform our society. To have families that radiate with God's presence would leave a legacy for a lifetime. To become churches that major more on character than our conduct would bring about authentic renewal. These two men make such a choice on how to live. Why don't we?
Bro. Trey
Sunday mornings continue to revolve around the stories and events in 1 Samuel. Maybe some of the material didn't go as well as I wanted but it's been a good study so far. We still are not quite yet to David but we are going there soon. One more message may be needed to fill out the failures of Saul then we get to another new section. People really do not change over time. What drives some to do good or bad things can be found in the biblical history about 3000 years ago. All we do is change the symptoms but the core reality remains constant. Some media elites tell us how much superior we are for our education or refinement. My response is we still bog down in the same muck as in years gone by. The need of people in the day of Samuel is unchanged today. God longs to be involved with His people on a daily basis. He is our only hope then and now.
It is in the 8th chapter where we read the people want a King to do what God wants to do. Our prophet warns them of great cost but that really doesn't matter to them. The heart relationship with God was lost before the request was made. I saw a great interview this evening dealing with the Arab countries and the recent revolutions. The response was that people may know what they want to be changed from but not what they want to be changed to. What we want may be very different than what we think. Believers are not immune to this cycle. We may not want God to be free to do as He wishes but we just want something or someone to make things better than they are. We will wake up one day to discover what we wanted was not what we needed.
Another lesson to learn is about how God is at work in our world to do His best. We do not often think about such things until a time of calamity. Then our mind wonders how God let life get so out of control. How often do we look to Him for guidance on what God wants to do on a regular basis? Quoting scripture becomes a substitute for a mature relationship with the Almighty. Most times it sounds as if we believe more in fate than faith. It is more about stuff going as we wish more than our being in relation to God as He works in our heart and mind. Saul is introduced to us not as a future king but as a guy chasing some donkeys. He cannot see God at work to bless his life. Chasing donkeys is not a great call to life but it seems he never leaves that mentality behind.
All of this goes back to the truth of people never really changing with God's help. One of the first things we said about 1 Samuel is these people are just like us. Perhaps they are part of scripture but their lives are very much like ours. Flesh and blood issues measure how we relate to God. Here is one of the huge reasons for Jesus. He understands humanity yet is capable of forgiving and filling our hearts. Being in 1 Samuel is one surprise discovery after another for me. I can only hope others hear what God wants to say to them as we move on in the journey.
Bro. Trey
Some people refer to me as a sports fanatic. Let me correct that falsehood. I am a recovering sports fanatic! But sports will be part of my world always for whatever reason it happened. Don't get me wrong here. Athletics and such are still things I very much enjoy. But you may be surprised to know that me sitting down to just watch hours of games isn't something I do much. A person can choose between all types of outlets today but mine is still limited. My world doesn't end when the Cowboys lose. It does come close when the Rangers lose but that's allowed! Some sports do not get my attention. Consider me mostly a football and baseball guy. Lacrosse looks like a fun sport but it still escapes me.
There is a reality to sports you cannot find in other places. You meet all types of characters among the coaches and players. A single game cannot define the fate of the human race but we could learn a thing or two from that world. Traits such as loyalty, perseverance and even caring go a long way to determine the success of a team. Racism is the hot topic in the media today. I remember facing the huddle with both black and white faces among the mix. All of us had to act as one to make any single play work. Our coaches reflected the mixture of ethnicity. We were taught not to see a skin color but to have respect for those who led us. I watch our local teams today with the same reality but now with Hispanics joining in the huddles. Athletes still have to cooperate with others they might not usually associate with.
Mariano Rivera pitched just last night in the baseball All-Star game. This is his last year as he will retire when the season ends. He is not only a great player but he is a man of character. Not a single player took the field when he ran in from the bullpen to pitch. Each team stood in applause to recognize his contributions to the sport. Then the entire stadium rose to its feet for an extended standing ovation. Even an old guy like me got the goosebumps watching that moment. It was real. It was from the heart. It was very much deserved. It was another reason why sports will continue to matter. I can recall moments with friends or family that connect to sport when something bigger than us took place. I would not trade those times for anything in the world.
I fully realize that games or competitions are only a part of life. I get that there are bad people in athletics as there are in any area of our society. We can indeed use sports to escape far beyond where we should. Count me guilty of that on occasions in the past. But remember there are biblical comments or terms used that relate back to the sports of those days. Even the great apostle Paul refers to boxing and running as metaphors in the spiritual life. All of us enjoy different things as an outlet for the usual monotony of life. Reading, being outside, doing crafts and other stuff take the place of sports in a few. This is just one of my personal areas of enjoyment. It's part of the way I am wired.
So let us all keep our life in perspective. Let's enjoy who we are even if different from another person. God gives us this one life to do all we can for His purpose. We can weave our interests into our mission to better fulfill that task. We may even enjoy it more along the way.
Bro. Trey
What are you to do when God takes an idea then blesses it beyond expectation? That is what a group of us struggled with tonight. You know our recent community services went far better than I could imagine. Records may not be broken in terms of attendance and such but my view is there is a dent being made through our gathering. What seemed to me to be a simple idea for getting through the summer became far more than that. Now do not read this and take away the wrong conclusion. In no way could I ever begin to take any credit for this outcome. No person can ever do that in times when God exceeds our expectations. Well, no right thinking person could do that. If you ever have God moments and do not end up humble then you got it all wrong.
We do not normally have many such experiences. To be honest, the odds are against us in this world. That thought seldom crosses our mind but it is true. We live in a world that is in constant rebellion against God. To be a believer is to swim upstream against the tide. Sin lurks everywhere we look. Suffering is part of the give and take of this world. Evil continues to expose more of its ugliness each passing day. This is not to limit God on what He can or cannot do. We just need to keep both realities in focus. How ironic is it that a world created by the power and the grace of God would rebel against its creator? We do not throw up our hands in defeat but we can keep striving to be part of what God would want to do.
Believers live in two worlds. One is God's great creation with the hope of redemption personally and collectively. The other world is this ugly place where people continue to make wrong choices. Humanity can easily be swept up in the wake of such insanity. Fairness is a foreign concept in such a reality. Now you know why grace is the great equalizer along with being our best hope. Nothing can make a mark in our life like grace. Nothing is more rare in our world than grace. People do not know what to do with grace when it is offered. Most are happier trying to make their own path while playing by their own rules. Let no person get in the way of such an individual. Wreckage from such a collision can be traumatic.
So let's return to the original question. What do you do when God does something in His power. Our first solution is to pray for His direction. That sounds like doing nothing but it is indeed doing a lot. One of the prayers is to be ready to act as we find His will. We also felt a great deal of humility about the recent days. My view is that humility which leads to obedience is crucial. Odds are also good it will call for deeper examination of our walk with God. Getting out of His way can only lead to a greater sense of His presence. No human being is perfect. To let God be God is one of our best remedies for our sinfulness. That would seem to be the most natural desire for a believer. Maybe it will become much more the norm than the exception.
Bro. Trey
7/14/2013
Today got off to a great start then ended on another high note. My son and I had some togetherness before heading off to church. Neither of my children are young any longer so any time like that is welcome. Those moments are rare as I grow older so each one counts a little more. After our morning service we met my mother and sister at the house. It's a birthday weekend for my siblings so it seemed right to celebrate. Hopefully a good time was had by all. Squeezing in time to walk and jog was tough since there was an afternoon meeting to attend. We got through that with a little time to spare. The end of my day was another community wide service in our building. Who knew these gatherings would be such a blessing to me much less anyone else?
The idea for getting together in these summer months came to my mind over a period of time. You might think this brainstorm came during some intense time of praying. It actually came to fruition while mowing my yard. You can probably guess that being cautious is woven into my personality. I really do not remember another idea that came to me that blossomed so fast. Getting together to break the monotony of the summertime was my first thought. To share that idea took a tiny amount or risk. We put the dates on the calendar with no clue what to expect. God can be totally surprising when He puts an event together.
Attendance is beyond what I initially imagined it would be. Thank you to those who make the time to join with us. The messages are excellent though mine last week may pale in comparison. To hear us sing together on hymns or songs is a blessed experience. We had some men who really carried us through tonight. Part of the fun is to spend time with people from other congregations. Food is always a great draw to get believers together. Another thank you should go to those who provided the meals. It is a little strange to see all of us together eating but it is also a great blessing.
There is a sense where my desire is to just not get in the way of what God may be doing. I am grateful and humbled by the response so far. In no way would I desire any credit for the last two Sunday evenings. Whatever is happening is long since out of my hands. One of the things I said tonight is my gut says these worship moments are putting a dent in the armor of the enemy. There is no empirical proof of this except for my gut. Maybe it is just gathering to worship as one body that causes this. Some of it could be that this is a God idea that He intends to work through. Now there is the intent to resist any or all efforts to mess this up. There are those occasions in the spiritual life where God decides to use our availability to do something fresh. Cherish those moments as holy and unique. My great hope is whatever He wishes to do can continue. It would be great to see God do awesome stuff in our fledgling efforts. May it be just that way.
Bro. Trey
7/7/2013
Summer doldrums can be the worst of all ailments. Sailors suffered from this when the winds would stop blowing on the seas. All ship traffic would come to a end when there was no power for the sails. We now use motors in our boats but the doldrums remain. Churches hit the month of July while ending up stuck from various reasons. People are in the middle of vacations. Others are away with one event or the other. School activities kick into gear in August but this month can be the longest of all. That's why when an idea came to my mind it seemed worth the effort to try something new. Never did it ever occur to me there would be the level of success experienced tonight.
One of my neighbors is actually a church. Their pastor and I usually meet as we mow our respective yards. It was while mowing that the thought came across my mind that perhaps we could get together for some Sunday evening worship and fellowship. I walked over after we completed our manual labor to ask him about that possibility. We agreed to give it a shot tonight and next Sunday. All went far better than one could ever expect this evening. Our four regular churches came together for a time to just encounter God in a new way on a summer Sunday. My task was to preach the sermon but the truth is it was mostly rambling from my mind and heart. What made the occasion great wasn't anything to do with my words but it was just being a united gathering.
Small towns do have some natural advantages. Getting together for special events is not nearly as difficult as it would be in a city. Counting the crowd is not too difficult but there is the plus of already knowing most people. Maybe it becomes easier to say some things in that setting than it is in others. So many of those who attended walk together in times of crisis or loss without regard for denominational ties. Most reared children together in the schools here. Relationships run deep after years of living in one place. We just made the time to be God's people and not just people who go to church.
It is true that we return to the real world once a time such as that is over. But for this one evening we got an extra lift from being together. We even get to do it again next week at my church. Duplicating what happened tonight is impossible. But we can hope and pray for whatever God may want to do then. My one desire is we learn to be unified in our hearts and minds. God does amazing things even when we start with nothing. Maybe this will be something He builds into a new renewing of hearts. Stranger things have happened.
Bro. Trey
July 4, 2013
I wanted to put a few things down in an effort to keep the writing going. My son and I got away for a few days to the Fort Worth area. Our first goal was to catch up with his sister who is doing an internship in the city. We also wanted to see two Texas Ranger games. We got good prices on great seats which is always a plus. The one drawback is we again saw them lose both games. I cannot recall the last time we saw them actually win a game while we were there. Perhaps the team will send me a letter requesting that I stay away. Nothing would surprise me at this point.
Everyone should try to see a major league game in person. Sitting behind home plate last night was great. You felt like the game was taking place right in front of you. Just settling for seats way up high is fine but you can miss the closeness from down below. Other posts on here describe how my son gets in his seat with no intention of moving. All of the lights and the music keep him more than entertained. He knows when to clap, cheer or dance to the music. Few things make me happier than sharing my favorite pastime with him.
Another thing on my agenda was to read the latest Stephen King novel. It is very different from most that he writes so it had me intrigued. Let me suggest you try it with the warning there are bad words in it. Most think of King as a scary writer and he is. What usually interests me about his work is an optimism or hope that can run through his work. This book is right up there in his views of humanity, goodness and evil. No, it is probably never going to be labeled a Christian book but it has its merits to make you think.
Now comes the time to slip back into a routine. My summer escapes are not nearly as dramatic as some take. Anytime away with my favorite son and daughter are enough for me.
Bro. Trey
