...understand

The story is told of the only survivor of a shipwreck who was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened -- everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried. 

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is so very difficult to find anything good in the midst of tragedy. If we could look into the future to see how things turn out in the end, we could have peace of mind, but all we can see is the bad that is happening in our lives right now. Part of faith, though, is trusting that God will work everything out in time.

I think of Bible characters who must have struggled with this. Joseph, for example. Do you suppose Joseph ever said, "God, why is this happening?" After being sold into slavery by his brothers, shipped to a foreign country where eventually he was thrown into jail for a crime he didn't commit, don't you suppose Joseph ever prayed to God and said, "I don't understand"? We understand but, of course, we have the benefit of seeing how the story turned out.  

I don't think it's wrong to ask God tough questions (there certainly were plenty of great Bible characters who did that!). But even if we don't receive any answers, we maintain our faith in a God who is bigger than our trials. We need to allow God to be the Lord of the good days and the bad days.

Habakkuk was one of those Bible characters who wanted to know, "Why?" He was given some explanation, but ultimately he was led to close his prophecy with this beautiful expression of faith:

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls -- Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation." (Habakkuk 3:17-18) 

Allow God to be the Lord of the good days and the bad days.

...enemies

The following is an old Gaelic blessing:

May those who love us, love us,

And those who don't love us,

May God turn their hearts,

And if he doesn't turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles

So we'll know them by their limping.

I think it's safe to say that we all struggle with our attitude toward our enemies. We know what Jesus said:

"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matt. 5:44). (and I don't think the prayer above was what Jesus had in mind!)

But, there are, throughout scripture, a number of examples of righteous men calling God to act against their enemies. The Psalms are filled with such pleas. And even in the New Testament,

"...The souls of those who had been slain for the word of God.....cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' " (Rev. 6:9-10).

When we see great evil being carried out, I think there should be a part of us that cries out for justice. We want to see God avenge those who defiantly oppose Him (and we know that He will).

But, as difficult as it may be at times, we also pray that God will help us to respond personally to those who are our "enemies" in such a way that they may eventually be led to be our friends and, more importantly, friends of God.

dessert

Imagine what it would have been like if the Old Testament law covered such things as eating of dessert:

For we judge between the plate that is unclean and the plate that is clean, saying first, if the plate is clean, then you shall have dessert. But of the unclean plate, the laws are these:

If you have eaten most of your meat, and two bites of your peas with each bite consisting of not less than three peas each, or in total six peas, eaten where I can see, and you have also eaten enough of your potatoes to fill two forks, both forkfuls eaten where I can see, then you shall have dessert.

But if you eat a lesser number of peas, and yet you eat the potatoes, still you shall not have dessert; and if you eat the peas, yet leave the potatoes uneaten, you shall not have dessert, no, not even a small portion thereof.

And if you try to deceive by moving the potatoes or peas around with a fork, that it may appear you have eaten what you have not, you will fall into iniquity. And I will know, and you shall have no dessert.

No, those verses are not to be found in Exodus, Leviticus, or Deuteronomy. But something similar is in the "lawbook" of almost every parent. As children, we thought the "rules" were terribly unfair, almost bordering on "cruel and unusual punishment". But, as we became parents ourselves, we began to understand the need for setting guidelines for the behavior of our children, both in matters as mundane as the eating of dessert and as crucial as having a faith in Jesus Christ.

"And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:1).

all-knowing

The following questions are actual reference queries reported by American and Canadian library reference desk workers.

"Do you have books here?"

"Do you have a list of all the books written in the English language?"

"Do you have a list of all the books I've ever read?"

"I'm looking for Robert James Waller's book, Waltzing through Grand Rapids." (Actual title wanted: "Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend.")

"Where is the reference desk?" This was asked of a person sitting at a desk who had a sign hanging above her head. The sign said "REFERENCE DESK"!

"I was here about three weeks ago looking at a cookbook that cost $39.95. Do you know which one it is?"

"Which outlets in the library are appropriate for my hairdryer?"

"Do you have any books with photographs of dinosaurs?"

"I need a color photograph of George Washington [Christopher Columbus, King Arthur, Moses, Socrates, etc.]"

"I need to find out Ibid's first name for my bibliography."

"Why don't you have any books by Ibid? He's written a lot of important stuff."

"I'm looking for information on carpal tunnel syndrome. I think I'm having trouble with it in my neck."

"Is the basement upstairs?" (asked at First Floor Reference Desk)

"I am looking for a list of laws that I can break that would send me back to jail for a couple of months."

Makes you wonder if folks are out to disprove the saying, "There's no such thing as a stupid question"! Seriously, though, working at a reference desk has to be a bit intimidating. After all, anyone is allowed to ask you any question, and you are supposed to be able to find the answer! So, I guess one of the qualifications for the job is that you have to be omniscient! That would leave us all out.

But there is someone who is qualified, someone who knows "all the answers". In Revelation 2 and 3, Christ includes in each of the letters to the seven churches the words "I know your works". God knows us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows our needs. He knows the answer to every question in our heart. He is the ultimate "reference desk worker". What a great God we serve and worship!

"O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it." (Psalm 139:1-6).

craving

An old man goes to a diner every day for lunch. 

He always orders the soup du jour. 

One day the manager asks him how he liked his meal. T

he old man replies, "Wass goot, but you could give a little more bread."

So the next day the manager tells the waitress to give him four slices of bread. "How was your meal, sir?" the manager asks. "Wass goot, but you could give a little more bread," comes the reply.

So the next day the manager tells the waitress to give him eight slices of bread. "How was your meal today, sir?" the manager asks. "Wass goot, but you could give a little more bread," comes the reply.

So ... the next day the manager tells the waitress to give him a whole loaf of bread with his soup. "How was your meal, sir?" the manager asks, when he comes to pay. "Wass goot, but you could give just a little more bread," comes the reply once again.

The manager is now obsessed with wanting to hear this customer say that he is satisfied with his meal, so he goes to the bakery, and orders a six-foot-long loaf of bread. When the man comes in as usual the next day, the waitress and the manager cut the loaf in half, butter the entire length of each half, and lay it out along the counter, right next to his bowl of soup. The old man sits down, and devours his bowl of soup and both halves of the six-foot-long loaf of bread.

The manager now thinks he will get the answer he is looking for, and when the old man comes up to pay for his meal, the manager asks in the usual way: "How was your meal TODAY, sir?"

The old man replies: "It wass goot as usual, but I see you are back to giving only two slices of bread!"

Now there's a man with an insatiable craving for bread! We consider that unnatural, but oh that we had that kind of craving for a relationship with God! Perhaps the reason many of us don't have the relationship with God that we think we ought to have is that we truly don't desire it enough. Listen to David:

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42:1-2a).

rule

A father took his two sons, ages seven and five to the playground. The seven-year-old was very proud as he was able to read the sign with all the rules to his brother. "Do not jump on the merry-go-round when in motion." "Go down the slide while sitting only." "Only one child on a swing at a time." There were about twenty rules and the boys promised to obey them all, if the father would trust them and let them play without standing by. They said that they were too old to be watched and their friends would tease them calling them babies if Dad stayed. He made them promise to be good and obey the rules, and left them.

When it was time to get the children, the father decided to watch them at a distance for a while to see how reliable they were in following his instructions. He found that they obeyed most of the printed instructions. That is, all but one. They would get on the tall semicircular slide and go down head first or backward. Angrily, he picked up the children and took them over to the posted regulations and made his seven-year-old read them aloud again. Then he asked them what they had to say for themselves. The five-year-old answered immediately: "Don't be silly Dad, you're the one who told us there's no use for a slide rule anymore."

Things have changed. There isn't much use for a slide rule anymore, any more than we need an abacus to count. Some things don't change, though. Numbers are the same, whether they are calculated on a slide rule or a scientific calculator.

It's much the same way in religion. Our methods of teaching people may change. We may use television or radio (or e-mail!), methods that were unheard of 100 years ago. But the message cannot change. It must be God's Word.

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because 'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever.' " (I Peter 1:22-25a).

-alan smith

foolish

Several years ago, the dazed crew members of a Japanese trawler were plucked out of the Sea of Japan clinging to the wreckage of their sunken ship. Their rescue, however, was followed by immediate imprisonment once authorities questioned the sailors on their ship's loss. Every single one of them claimed that a cow, falling out of a clear blue sky, had struck the trawler amidships, shattering its hull and sinking the vessel within minutes. Impossible!

They remained in prison for several weeks, until the Russian Air Force reluctantly informed Japanese authorities that the crew of one of its cargo planes had apparently stolen a cow wandering at the edge of a Siberian airfield, forced the cow into the plane's hold and hastily taken off for home. Unprepared for live cargo, the Russian crew was ill-equipped to manage a rampaging cow within its hold. To save the aircraft and themselves, they shoved the animal out of the cargo hold as they crossed the Sea of Japan at an altitude of 30,000 feet.

Some things sound foolish, but turn out to be true. That includes much of what we believe as Christians. "You believe that God somehow caused a virgin to bear a child, a boy who was fully man and yet fully God? You believe that he actually raised people from the dead and walked on water and fed thousands of people with a plateful of food? You believe that, after being crucified and buried, he somehow managed to raise himself from the dead?"

To many people it sounds too foolish to be believed. But it's all true!

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God....For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.....Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (I Cor. 1:18,21,25)

combat

I do not know the author of this list of "Rules of Combat", but you may find it helpful:

1. If the enemy is in range, so are you.

2. Don't look conspicuous: it draws fire.

3. The easy way is always mined.

4. Try to look unimportant, they may be low on ammo.

5. The enemy invariably attacks on one of two occasions:

a. When you're ready for them.

b. When you're not ready for them.

6. Teamwork is essential; it gives the enemy someone else to

shoot at.

7. If your attack is going well, you have walked into an ambush.

8. Don't draw fire, it irritates the people around you.

9. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is

incoming friendly fire.

10. When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is *not* our friend.

11. If it's stupid but works, it isn't stupid.

12. When in doubt, empty the magazine.

13. Anything you do can get you shot -- including doing nothing.

14. Make it too tough for the enemy to get in and you can't get

out.

15. Mines are equal opportunity weapons.

16. A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to

think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough

to survive.

17. Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last and don't

ever volunteer to do anything.

18. The quartermaster has only two sizes: too large and too small.

19. Five second fuses only last three seconds.

20. It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you

just bombed.

The Bible has a set of "rules for combat" as well. Rules such as, "Place high priority on making things right" (Matt. 5:23-24), "Stand ready to forgive" (Matt. 18:21-22), "Don't go to sleep angry" (Eph. 4:26), "Avoid strife whenever possible" (Prov. 20:3), "Don't lose your temper" (Prov. 15:18), "Keep your mouth shut" (Prov. 21:23), and "Don't argue with a fool" (Prov. 23:4).

We'd like for our lives to be filled only with peace, but times of combat are bound to come. However, the outcome doesn't have to be devastating if we follow God's rules!

importance

Several years ago, a magazine ran a "Dilbert Quotes" contest. The writers were looking for people to submit quotes from their real-life Dilbert-type managers. Here are some of the submissions:

1. As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and employees will receive their cards in two weeks. This was the winning entry; Fred Dales at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, WA)

2. What I need is a list of specific unknown problems we will encounter. (Lykes Lines Shipping)

3. E-mail is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be used only for company business. (Accounting Mgr., Electric Boat Company)

4. Quote from the boss: "Teamwork is a lot of people doing what 'I' say." (Mktg. executive, Citrix Corporation)

5. We know that communication is a problem, but the company is not going to discuss it with the employees. (AT&T Long Lines Division)

6. We recently received a memo from senior management saying, "This is to inform you that a memo will be issued today regarding the subject mentioned above." (Microsoft, Legal Affairs Division)

7. One day my boss asked me to submit a status report to him concerning a project I was working on. I asked him if tomorrow would be soon enough. He said, "If I wanted it tomorrow, I would have waited until tomorrow to ask for it!" (New Business Mgr., Hallmark Cards)

8. This project is so important, we can't let things that are more important interfere with it. (Advertising/Mktg. Mgr., UPS)

Even though that last statement doesn't make any sense, it suggests the truth that there are some things so important that nothing else should get in the way. Unfortunately for UPS (and other employers who may not realize it), that level of importance will never be attached to any project at work. It can only be attached to matters of spiritual commitment.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33).

There is only one thing that is of "primary importance", and that should be our desire to do God's will. May God bless you in your efforts to put "first things first" today.

debt

In March 1992 a man living in Newtown near Boston, Massachusetts received a bill for his as yet unused credit card stating that he owed $0.00. He ignored it and threw it away. In April he received another and threw that one away too.

The following month the credit card company sent him a very nasty note stating they were going to cancel his card if he didn't send them $0.00 by return of post. He called them, talked to them, they said it was a computer error and told him they'd take care of it.

The following month he decided that it was about time that he tried out the troublesome credit card figuring that if there were purchases on his account it would put an end to his ridiculous predicament. However, in the first store that he produced his credit card in payment for his purchases he found that his card had been canceled. He called the credit card company who apologized for the computer error once again and said that they would take care of it.

The next day he got a bill for $0.00 stating that payment was now overdue. Assuming that having spoken to the credit card company only the previous day and that the latest bill was yet another mistake, he ignored it, trusting that the company would be as good as their word and sort the problem out.

The next month he got a bill for $0.00 stating that he had 10 days to pay his account or the company would have to take steps to recover the debt.

Finally giving in, he thought he would play the company at their own game and mailed them a check for $0.00. The computer duly processed his account and returned a statement to the effect that he now owed the credit card company nothing at all.

A week later, the man's bank called him asking him what he was doing writing a check for $0.00. After a lengthy explanation, the bank replied that the $0.00 check had caused their check processing software to fail. The bank could not now process ANY checks from ANY of their customers that day because the check for $0.00 was causing the computer to crash.

The following month the man received a letter from the credit card company claiming that his check had bounced and that he now owed them $0.00 and unless he sent a check by return of post they would be taking steps to recover the debt.

The man, who had been considering buying his wife a computer for her birthday, bought her a typewriter instead.

As I read that story, I couldn't help but think of the debt that we owe because of our sin. "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). But, for those who are in Christ, that debt has been canceled -- we owe nothing. "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Rom. 8:1).

Despite that fact, though, Satan continues to make us feel that we still owe something (he's not called "the accuser" for nothing!). But listen to these words of comfort:

"Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.' And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Rev. 12:10-11).

Praise be to the Lamb whose blood makes it possible for us to have a debt of $0.00!

-author unknown

effort

An instructor was sitting in his office one afternoon when an attractive, sexy-looking lady knocked on his door.

"Yes?", he replied, "how may I help you?"

The lady said "I need to talk to you about my grade in your class."

"Come in and have a seat," said the instructor.

Is there anything I can do to get an "A" in your class?

"What do you mean by anything?", he replied.

"Anything", she said.

"Anything?", he asked again.

She said, in her best sultry voice, "I mean anything."

The instructor got up from behind his desk, sat down beside her and whispered in her ear, "Would you study?"

There are many goals that we want to achieve -- better grades, lower weight, a place on an athletic team, success in business, greater Bible knowledge, a closer relationship with God. The question is, "Are we willing the put forth the necessary effort to achieve our goals? Are we truly willing to do anything?"

I heard once about a Christian who approached a great man of God (I believe it was Gus Nichols) and said, "I'd give my life to know the Bible as well as you do." His reply was, "That's what it took." We want the end result, but we often don't want to put forth the effort to achieve that result.

Paul exhorted the young man Timothy with these words: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15).

The word "diligence" suggests a great deal of effort and dedication on our part. May God grant you the strength to accomplish your goals as you supply the diligence.

choose

The following is "reported" to be a "true story" someone found regarding exams at Cambridge University. It seems that during an examination one day a bright young student popped up and asked the proctor to bring him Cakes and Ale. The following dialog ensued:

Proctor: I beg your pardon?

Student: Sir, I request that you bring me Cakes and Ale.

Proctor: Sorry, no.

Student: Sir, I really must insist. I request and require that you bring me Cakes and Ale.

At this point, the student produced a copy of the four-hundred-year old laws of Cambridge, written in Latin and still nominally in effect, and pointed to the section which read (roughly translated): "Gentlemen sitting examinations may request and require Cakes and Ale." Pepsi and hamburgers were judged the modern equivalent, and the student sat there, writing his examination and happily slurping away.

Three weeks later, the student was fined five pounds for not wearing a sword to the examination.

When we are study the law, we sometimes are careful to find those things which may benefit us, while trying to ignore the rest. It happens with the Bible all the time. Ever known anybody who only quoted the Bible when it was convenient for them ("Judge not that ye be not judged")? They want to get their "cakes and ale" but ignore the part about "wearing a sword"? God's Word isn't like a cafeteria. We don't get to go through and pick out which parts we want and which parts we don't like.

"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty." (James 2:10-12).

Take delight in those parts of God's law which give delight, but be ready to take the responsibility given by the rest of His law as well.

hardship

Temperatures here in Boone have already dipped into the 20's, so that means that ski season can't be that far away. For those of you who plan to do some skiing this winter, someone has composed the following list of exercises to get you prepared:

~ Visit your local butcher and pay $30 to sit in the walk-in freezer for

half an hour. Afterwards, burn two $50 dollar bills to warm up.

~ Soak your gloves and store them in the freezer after every use.

~ Fasten a small, wide rubber band around the top half of your head

before you go to bed each night.

~ If you wear glasses, begin wearing them with glue smeared on the

lenses.

~ Find the nearest ice rink and walk across the ice 20 times in your ski

boots carrying two pairs of skis, accessory bag and poles. Pretend you

are looking for your car. Sporadically drop things.

~ Place a small but angular pebble in your shoes, line them with crushed

ice, and then tighten a C-clamp around your toes.

~ Buy a new pair of gloves and IMMEDIATELY THROW ONE AWAY!

~ Secure one of your ankles to a bed post and ask a friend to run into

you at high speed.

~ Fill a blender with ice, hit the pulse button and let the spray blast

your face. Leave the ice on your face until it melts. Let it drip onto

your clothes.

~ Drink several ounces of water (or another beverage of choice), dress up

in as many clothes as you can; now, quickly take them off because you

REALLY, REALLY HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!

** Repeat all of the above every Friday and Saturday until you're ready for

the real thing.

I live in an area where skiing is a popular activity. There are several ski slopes within 30 minutes of my house. Before moving to Boone, I had never been skiing before, but it sure looked like fun, so several years ago I gave it a try. Will I do it again? Reread the list above for my answer! :-) Maybe I shouldn't have waited until I was 40, or maybe I'm just not coordinated enough (skiing was no problem -- it was the stopping that I had trouble with). I just know I spent several hours saying to myself, "People actually pay to go through this!"

Why do skiers endure such hardship? You need to ask them that question, but there is obviously a certain amount of pleasure that they find in skiing.

Some people, no doubt, wonder the same thing about Christians. They don't see the point of going to all the trouble of living the Christian life and denying what they perceive as the "pleasures of life". So why do Christians endure hardships? I'll let the apostle Paul answer that question:

"Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him." (2 Timothy 2:10-12a).

Do you find that living the Christian life is getting tough? It will help to remind yourself why you're doing what you're doing.

-alan smith

secure

A joke heard around the Pentagon goes like this:

One reason the Armed Services have trouble operating jointly is that they don't speak the same language.

For example, if you told Navy personnel to "secure a building," they would turn off the lights and lock the doors.

Army personnel would occupy the building so no one could enter.

Marines would assault the building, capture it, and defend it with suppressive fire and close combat.

The Air Force, on the other hand, would take out a three-year lease with an option to buy.

It seems to me that there was some misunderstanding regarding the "securing" of a location in Palestine in the first century as well.

"On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, 'Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, "After three days I will rise." Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, "He has risen from the dead." So the last deception will be worse than the first.' Pilate said to them, 'You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard." (Matthew 27:62-66).

The Jewish and Roman leaders' idea of "securing the tomb" meant putting a big rock in front of it. Unfortunately for them (but fortunately for us), Jesus' idea was to secure the tomb's place in history by rising from the dead. Mere rocks are unable to hold back the one who created the universe! What hope is ours because of what happened that glorious morning nearly 2,000 years ago! Praise God for the resurrection of His precious Son!

know...

The story is told of a Christian college where the preacher students took turns speaking in chapel every Thursday. There was one freshman preacher student, though, who had avoided the dreaded task of preaching at chapel long enough that it came to the attention of the Chapel Master. The following conversation ensued:

"I'm scheduling you to preach at chapel next Thursday."

"Oh, please. I'll do anything. I'll write a paper, do extra homework assignments, even clean the toilets. Just please don't make me speak in public yet."

"You are not getting out of this, and there will be no excuses."

Thursday rolled around and, with desperately quaking knees, the young student stood up to preach, and asked, "Do you know what I'm going to say?" Everyone shook their heads no. "Neither do I. Go in peace."

The Chapel Master was really angry. "That is not acceptable. You are right back on the schedule for next Thursday, and this time you will preach, and it will be an example of diligent preparation, and there will be no excuses."

Thursday rolled around and, with yet more quaking, the young man stood up to preach and asked, "Do you know what I'm going to say?" Everybody nodded their heads yes. "Good. Go in peace."

The Chapel Master was absolutely outraged. "There will be no more of these shenanigans. You *will* preach the word of God next Thursday. You will not fail, or you will be removed from school immediately."

Thursday rolled around and, barely able to stand, the student got up to preach and asked, "Do you know what I'm going to say?"

Some shook their heads no; others nodded their heads yes.

"Good. Those who know, please tell those who don't. Go in peace."

Not a bad summary of the Great Commission and our task of evangelism. Those who know ought to tell those who don't.

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' " (Matthew 28:18-20).

If you are among those who know about the gospel, share it today with someone who doesn't.

...peace

The following story came to me by way of "Chicken Soul For the Soul". Its source is listed as "Gentle Spaces News".

A wise old gentleman retired and purchased a modest home near a junior high school. He spent the first few weeks of his retirement in peace and contentment . . . then a new school year began. The very next afternoon three young boys, full of youthful, after-school enthusiasm, came down his street, beating merrily on every trash can they encountered. The crashing percussion continued day after day, until finally the wise old man decided it was time to take some action.

The next afternoon, he walked out to meet the young percussionists as they banged their way down the street. Stopping them, he said, "You kids are a lot of fun. I like to see you express your exuberance like that. Used to do the same thing when I was your age. Will you do me a favor? I'll give you each a dollar if you'll promise to come around every day and do your thing."

The kids were elated and continued to do a bang-up job on the trash cans. After a few days, the old-timer greeted the kids again, but this time he had a sad smile on his face. "This recession's really putting a big dent in my income," he told them. "From now on, I'll only be able to pay you 50 cents to beat on the cans." The noisemakers were obviously displeased, but they did accept his offer and continued their afternoon ruckus.

A few days later, the wily retiree approached them again as they drummed their way down the street. "Look." he said, "I haven't received my Social Security check yet, so I'm not going to be able to give you more than 25 cents. Will that be okay?"

"A lousy quarter?" the drum leader exclaimed. "If you think we're going to waste our time, beating these cans around for a quarter, you're nuts! No way, mister. We quit!" And the old man enjoyed peace and serenity for the rest of his days.

A wise man indeed! He discovered something that most of us spend our whole lives searching for -- a way to make peace. Granted, his peace was a "peace and quiet", while we seek to bring about a deeper level of peace, but the principle is the same.

In the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:9), Jesus included peacemakers among those who would be blessed. I stand in awe of those who have the ability to reconcile people who have been fussing and fighting.

Allow these words of Paul to speak to us:

"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.....Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." (Romans 12:18; 14:19).

May God bless us with wisdom to find ways to do just that.

...accord

The following bit of humor comes from Roy Rivenburg:

"Most people assume WWJD stands for 'What would Jesus do?' But according to Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, the initials are shorthand for 'What would Jesus drive?'

"For centuries, theologians have squabbled over the type of transportation the Lord would use: Public transit or private car? Stick shift or automatic? A sport-utility vehicle roomy enough for all 12 apostles or an economy model?

"One of Ostler's readers theorized that Jesus would tool around in an old Plymouth because the Bible says God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden in a Fury.

"But our research department found several other scenarios. In Psalm 83, for example, the Almighty clearly owns a Pontiac and a Geo. The passage urges the Lord to 'pursue your enemies with your Tempest and terrify them with your Storm.' (We're not sure how a Geo Storm could be considered terrifying, unless it had those scary shooting flames painted on the sides.)

"Another scripture indicates that Yahweh favored Dodge pickup trucks. Moses' followers are warned not to go up a mountain until 'the Ram's horn sounds a long blast.'

"Some scholars insist that Jesus drove a Honda, but didn't like to talk about it. As proof, they cite a verse in John's gospel where Christ tells a crowd, 'For I did not speak of my own Accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say.' However, there is debate over whether the vehicle had bumper stickers such as 'Save the Humans,' 'My other car is a flaming chariot' or 'Honk if you love me.'

"Ostler has uncovered several other religious theories: [One of them is that] Moses rode an old British motorcycle, as evidenced by a Bible passage declaring that 'the roar of Moses' Triumph is heard in the hills.' "

Someone else has suggested the apostles following Jesus' lead and carpooled in a Honda because Acts records that "the apostles were in one Accord".

I found it interesting that the phrase "one accord" appears 12 times in the book of Acts. Most of those passages refer to the unity of the early Christians. There was a harmony that existed in the early church, the result of Jesus' prayer in John 17. We all know the value of such unity. As David said long ago, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1). But seldom do we know the reality of that unity.

One thing I have noticed over the years is that unity is often the result of great adversity. We all saw it vividly in this country on a grand scale on September 11th. A nation divided quickly became a nation united. Petty squabbles were set aside and the people of the United States stood hand in hand -- "one nation under God."

I've seen the same things happen in families, and in churches. Sadly, sometimes it takes a disaster to help us to put things into perspective, to help us to realize that the insignificant things which we tend to argue about are not nearly as important as the things which bind us together. Wouldn't it be great if we could come to that realization without having to go through disastrous times?

"Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." (Phil 2:2)

future

listen to these people who tried to predict what the future held:

"That rainbow song's no good. Take it out." - MGM memo after first showing of The Wizard Of Oz.

"You'd better learn secretarial skills or else get married." - Modeling agency, rejecting Marilyn Monroe in 1944.

"Radio has no future." "X-rays are clearly a hoax". "The aeroplane is scientifically impossible." - Royal Society president Lord Kelvin, 1897-9.

"You ought to go back to driving a truck." - Concert manager, firing Elvis Presley in 1954.

"Forget it. No Civil War picture ever made a nickel." - MGM executive, advising against investing in Gone With The Wind.

"Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." - A film company's verdict on Fred Astaire's 1928 screen test.

"The atom bomb will never go off - and I speak as an expert in explosives." - U.S. Admiral William Leahy in 1945.

"Television won't matter in your lifetime or mine." - Radio Times editor Rex Lambert, 1936.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - director of the US Patent Office, 1899.

"And for the tourist who really wants to get away from it all, safaris in Vietnam." - Newsweek magazine, predicting popular holidays for the late 1960s.

Predicting the future is a difficult thing to do. And yet we often wonder, what does the future hold for me? What does God have in mind for my life? Who will I marry? What will happen to me when I grow old? How can I make it through the pain or sorrow I'm experiencing right now? Will things ever get better?

"Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings." (Psalm 61:1-3).

I like this quote (author unknown): "Christians don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future." May you take comfort in that knowledge this day.

if

The story is told of ten-year-old Johnny, who rushes home from school one day. He invades the fridge and is scooping out some cherry vanilla ice cream when his mother enters the kitchen.

She says, "Put that away, Johnny. You can't have ice cream now. It's too close to supper time. Go outside and play."

Johnny whimpers and says, "There's no one to play with."

Trying to pacify him, she says, "OK. I'll play with you. What do you want to play?"

He says, "I wanna play Mommy and Daddy."

To appease him, she says, "Fine, I'll play. What do I do?"

Johnny says, "You go in the living room and sit down."

Mom goes into the living room. Johnny, feeling a bit bold, swaggers down the hall and opens the utility closet. He dons his father's old fishing hat and overcoat. He goes into the living room, sits down, picks up the remote and starts changing channels.

His mother says, "What do I do now?"

In a gruff manner, Johnny says, "Go in the kitchen and get that kid some ice cream!"

Having three children, I hesitate to think what they might do if given the chance to be Mom or Dad for a while! But, suppose you could be God for a while. Ever played the game, "If I were God........"? If I were God, I suspect I would be tempted to be a bit like Johnny -- "Get that boy some money! Whatever he wants, you make sure he gets it! And take away all of those problems that make life difficult for him!"

Since that's what we think we would do, we don't understand it when God doesn't act that way. But like a ten-year-old who doesn't understand the wisdom of his parent's decisions, we seldom understand the wisdom of an Almighty God. That's really the point of the book of Job. Job spends chapter after chapter saying, "God, I don't understand why these things are happening!" God's response is, in essence, "You don't need to know why; you just need to know me."

"I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable." (Psalm 145:1-3).