Several years ago I was driving along U.S. Highway 67 through Arkansas. I noticed an out of state car in front of me which was loaded down with luggage. I followed this car for some distance then exited on one of the small rural roads. The car that was behind me also exited and began driving down this small rural road. The car behind me also had several bags of luggage attached to the top of the car. I surmised that they must be close to the end of their journey because of the smallness of the road. It dawned on me that there was a possibility that the car had been following the out of state car that was in front of me. They were not paying close attention, since they were following, and just exited when I did. You should have seen the look on the driver's face when I pulled to the side of the road and stopped. He also stopped. Sure enough he had been following the other car. I directed him back to the place and the direction he should go in order to catch up with his fellow traveler.
Something like that happens all the time in the real world. We have those that are leaders and those that are followers. If you are a leader, be careful where you lead. If you are a follower be careful who you follow.
Jesus boldly stated, "My sheep hear my voice, and follow me, and a stranger they will not follow."
Far too frequently Christians follow trends, fads and customs that lead them away from the direction that Jesus would like for them to go. It is so vital that we study the Word of God in order to know they ways of God and the will of God.
Each Christian should be aware of the fact that there is someone who is watching your life and using your life and decisions as pattern for their own lifestyle. Years ago my youngest daughter rode home with a couple of the church members. When the car stopped at the member's house, my youngest daughter pre-school age, exited the car with her sweater draped over her shoulder and said, "This is how Ms. Barbara wears her sweater." The church member exclaimed, "I never new that anyone was watching me and noticing, even to how I wear my clothes."
Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of the leaders would be like the Apostle Paul. His concept of leadership would be, "You can follow me as I follow the Lord." Such a contrast to the modern day leader who would lead by saying, "Don't do like I do, do like I say do."
You have a choice, lead or follow, but get out of the way!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Christians are committed, but to what?
The annual community Fourth of July picnic was coming up and the hen and the hog were discussing what they might contribute to the festival. The hen said, "Mr. Hog, I think it would be well if we contributed ham and eggs to the festival this year."
The hog responded to the hen, "Mrs. Hen, for you that would be a contribution, but for me it would be a commitment!"
It seems as if far too often we find that more church members are content to just be a contributor instead of being committed to the cause of Christ. That is difficult to understand when most church members who have had a definite experience with Christ will readily admit that the personal experience with Christ was the greatest thing that ever happened to them.
So often we find that church members are committed to the house payment, the car payment, former loans that have to be paid--committed, committed, committed. We are committed to things of lesser importance than what should be our commitment to Christ. After all, we contribute our time to the church on Sunday morning, some even contribute Sunday night and Wednesday night also. We contribute our offerings to the church, even though many actually fail to contribute anything since the first ten percent already belongs to Him.
Perhaps the one thing that puts everything else in it's proper perspective is the failure of the average Christian to make a commitment to win others to Christ. If the statement is true, the greatest thing that every happened to me was when I came to know Jesus as my personal saviour then, the greatest thing I can do for someone else is to introduce them to Jesus Christ as their saviour.
A children's poem went something like this, "What can I give him, as poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would give Him a lamb; If I were a wise man, I would do my part, What can I give him? I give him my heart."
What will you give? Ham or eggs?
The hog responded to the hen, "Mrs. Hen, for you that would be a contribution, but for me it would be a commitment!"
It seems as if far too often we find that more church members are content to just be a contributor instead of being committed to the cause of Christ. That is difficult to understand when most church members who have had a definite experience with Christ will readily admit that the personal experience with Christ was the greatest thing that ever happened to them.
So often we find that church members are committed to the house payment, the car payment, former loans that have to be paid--committed, committed, committed. We are committed to things of lesser importance than what should be our commitment to Christ. After all, we contribute our time to the church on Sunday morning, some even contribute Sunday night and Wednesday night also. We contribute our offerings to the church, even though many actually fail to contribute anything since the first ten percent already belongs to Him.
Perhaps the one thing that puts everything else in it's proper perspective is the failure of the average Christian to make a commitment to win others to Christ. If the statement is true, the greatest thing that every happened to me was when I came to know Jesus as my personal saviour then, the greatest thing I can do for someone else is to introduce them to Jesus Christ as their saviour.
A children's poem went something like this, "What can I give him, as poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would give Him a lamb; If I were a wise man, I would do my part, What can I give him? I give him my heart."
What will you give? Ham or eggs?
Sunday, June 19, 2011
The Judgement Is Not a Joke
What do you say upon leaving a church service and shaking the preacher's hand? Some say, "I really enjoyed your sermon today, Reverend. However, it really was not the intent for the individual to "enjoy" the sermon. One gentleman always said upon exiting the church, "Preacher, you really preached to them today." He was never included in those to which the message was preached. There came the Sunday evening when a torrential downpour and sever lighting struck just at the time for church. No one showed up except the one gentleman, who thought the message was always for "them". The preacher seized the opportunity and delivered a message especially designed for the needs and the faults of that gentleman. After the conclusion of the sermon the gentleman, standing with the preacher in the vestibule said, "Preacher, if they had been here tonight you would have really give it to them."
He must have been some kin to the lady who remarked as the band passed by, "Would you just look at that. Everyone is out of step except my son, John.
Their ancestors lived in Jesus day, and He scolded them in what must have been a humorous application of a very serious problem. What He said, in today's language, went something like this: I do not believe you are standing there with a 2 by 4 beam sticking out of your eye and criticizing the man who has a small splinter in his.
We have blindly closed our eyes to the actual extend of sin. We have different levels of sin, as to their severity. First, there are the smallest of sins. These are the sins I sometimes commit. Secondly there are slightly larger sins than what I commit, and my friends are those who commit this type of sin. Lastly, there are the extremely gross sins, which neither I nor my friends commit. These are sins that when I mention them I always say that "they" commit.
Even looking at a list of the ten commandments, I find that the sins we usually consider the more vile and terrible sins come in the second half of the list. In the order that God listed them, number one was having no other God before him. Then he cautioned them about making graven images, taking his name in vain, remembering to keep the Sabbath, and even honoring our parents; all of those before he gets to our most important list.
If that reasoning is not enough to capture our attention, consider He also said, "He that offends in one point is guilty of the whole law." Could that possibly mean that my small sins which I commit make me as guilty as "they" and their enormous sins? I think so.
When each of us square off before God at the judgement, our thoughts of our own goodness or our judgemental attitude toward others will make no difference. The books will be opened and we will be judged according to the things written in the books. But, thanks be to God, your eternal home is not dependent upon how good you were or how bad someone else was; it is determined when the Book of Life is opened. Whosoever's name is not written in that book is cast into the lake of fire. Your name is not written there if you die without accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
The judgement is not a joke.
He must have been some kin to the lady who remarked as the band passed by, "Would you just look at that. Everyone is out of step except my son, John.
Their ancestors lived in Jesus day, and He scolded them in what must have been a humorous application of a very serious problem. What He said, in today's language, went something like this: I do not believe you are standing there with a 2 by 4 beam sticking out of your eye and criticizing the man who has a small splinter in his.
We have blindly closed our eyes to the actual extend of sin. We have different levels of sin, as to their severity. First, there are the smallest of sins. These are the sins I sometimes commit. Secondly there are slightly larger sins than what I commit, and my friends are those who commit this type of sin. Lastly, there are the extremely gross sins, which neither I nor my friends commit. These are sins that when I mention them I always say that "they" commit.
Even looking at a list of the ten commandments, I find that the sins we usually consider the more vile and terrible sins come in the second half of the list. In the order that God listed them, number one was having no other God before him. Then he cautioned them about making graven images, taking his name in vain, remembering to keep the Sabbath, and even honoring our parents; all of those before he gets to our most important list.
If that reasoning is not enough to capture our attention, consider He also said, "He that offends in one point is guilty of the whole law." Could that possibly mean that my small sins which I commit make me as guilty as "they" and their enormous sins? I think so.
When each of us square off before God at the judgement, our thoughts of our own goodness or our judgemental attitude toward others will make no difference. The books will be opened and we will be judged according to the things written in the books. But, thanks be to God, your eternal home is not dependent upon how good you were or how bad someone else was; it is determined when the Book of Life is opened. Whosoever's name is not written in that book is cast into the lake of fire. Your name is not written there if you die without accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
The judgement is not a joke.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Do you attend a church or belong to a church?
Bill's name came up in a discussion around the village coffee table. Someone then asked the pastor of the First Baptist Church if Bill belonged to First Baptist Church. The pastor responded, "Bill does not support any of the outside activities of the church, so his influence does not belong to the church. He does not give any offerings to the church, so his money does not belong to the church. He never attends, except Easter and Christmas, so his time does not belong to the church. His name is on the church roll, but I can truthfully say, Bill does not belong to First Baptist Church."
There is something special about the sense of "belonging". The young man says to the young woman, "From this day forward, I belong to you." There is a special feeling of being a part of a team, whether it be a sports team or some other form of unified effort. Oh, just to be a part of something; to have the feeling of belonging.
I fear that there are far too many "things" to which we may belong. It very well could be that Bill belonged to several organizations or groups, to the detriment of the church. God will not share first place in the life of an individual any more than he will take second place. Remember, you can not serve two masters for you will love the one and turn away from the other. Most people are going to have a master. Either Christ will be your master or sin will be your master. Which shall it be with you?
I know from experience in my own life and from observing those around me, if you become a servant to sin it will destroy your life. Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.
To "belong" to the church puts you in the same group with the greatest names in the history of the world. There has never been a movement as great as the church. No other organization (though the church is more of an organism) has involved the movement of angels in such a manner as the church. At the birth of the church's founder, angels announced his arrival. At his death, angel's watched over his borrowed tomb much better than the Roman guards. Shortly after his resurrection an angel announced that fact. When he ascended into heaven, angels stood by and reminded the disciples he would come back in like manner.
Our life will count for naught until we do what we ought. WHERE DO YOU BELONG?
There is something special about the sense of "belonging". The young man says to the young woman, "From this day forward, I belong to you." There is a special feeling of being a part of a team, whether it be a sports team or some other form of unified effort. Oh, just to be a part of something; to have the feeling of belonging.
I fear that there are far too many "things" to which we may belong. It very well could be that Bill belonged to several organizations or groups, to the detriment of the church. God will not share first place in the life of an individual any more than he will take second place. Remember, you can not serve two masters for you will love the one and turn away from the other. Most people are going to have a master. Either Christ will be your master or sin will be your master. Which shall it be with you?
I know from experience in my own life and from observing those around me, if you become a servant to sin it will destroy your life. Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.
To "belong" to the church puts you in the same group with the greatest names in the history of the world. There has never been a movement as great as the church. No other organization (though the church is more of an organism) has involved the movement of angels in such a manner as the church. At the birth of the church's founder, angels announced his arrival. At his death, angel's watched over his borrowed tomb much better than the Roman guards. Shortly after his resurrection an angel announced that fact. When he ascended into heaven, angels stood by and reminded the disciples he would come back in like manner.
Our life will count for naught until we do what we ought. WHERE DO YOU BELONG?
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Special Education Is not Education
An elderly farmer was seen standing in the middle of the road, staring intently at a piece of rope which he held in his hand. Another gentleman walking by, stopped,, and inquired of the farmer, "What seems to be the problem you have?"
The farmer, still staring at the rope responded, "I don't know whether I have lost a mule or found a rope."
Something similiar to this situation is happening today in education. Educational leaders are looking at what should be a good program and trying to decide if special education is either special or if it's even education. What could have been a stepping stone to enable students to take an active part in society after school has become a stumbling block.
In many situations the only thing "special" about special education is the treatment that the student receives and the manner in which he is entitled to behave. There should never be a case in which a special education student is allowed to be a disruptive force in the school system. In far too many cases, the majority of discipline problems are the problems caused by special education students. When asked about this situation, one special education teacher said their behaviorial problem was part of the learning disability. Hogwash! In the days prior to special education this was not so. Go back even before integration, in both the black and white schools, you had students that did not learn as easily as others, yet they were not discipline problems.
A prime example of the problem would be as follows: A student in the nineth grade is in special education in math. He/she is supposed to take algebra, but is given a course in math that would be equivalent to a third or fourth grade student. Consider, this student cannot fail! He/she is given a grade for performing at a third or fourth grade level in algebra. Next year, we will put them in algebra II (they have not worked an algebra problem yet), and they will repeat the same third or fourth grade math content. Repeat this for the next year in geometry, "graduate" him/her, give them pell grants, and send them on to college.
The student may or may not attend school half of the time, but that makes no difference--they are in special ed! Call it what you wish, but the student has not received an education. We have failed the student in all of the special services that we have provided; we failed to provide an education. The student has become dependent upon the system to give him/her an "education" and chances are he/she will be dependent upon society to provide the necessities of life.
The farmer, still staring at the rope responded, "I don't know whether I have lost a mule or found a rope."
Something similiar to this situation is happening today in education. Educational leaders are looking at what should be a good program and trying to decide if special education is either special or if it's even education. What could have been a stepping stone to enable students to take an active part in society after school has become a stumbling block.
In many situations the only thing "special" about special education is the treatment that the student receives and the manner in which he is entitled to behave. There should never be a case in which a special education student is allowed to be a disruptive force in the school system. In far too many cases, the majority of discipline problems are the problems caused by special education students. When asked about this situation, one special education teacher said their behaviorial problem was part of the learning disability. Hogwash! In the days prior to special education this was not so. Go back even before integration, in both the black and white schools, you had students that did not learn as easily as others, yet they were not discipline problems.
A prime example of the problem would be as follows: A student in the nineth grade is in special education in math. He/she is supposed to take algebra, but is given a course in math that would be equivalent to a third or fourth grade student. Consider, this student cannot fail! He/she is given a grade for performing at a third or fourth grade level in algebra. Next year, we will put them in algebra II (they have not worked an algebra problem yet), and they will repeat the same third or fourth grade math content. Repeat this for the next year in geometry, "graduate" him/her, give them pell grants, and send them on to college.
The student may or may not attend school half of the time, but that makes no difference--they are in special ed! Call it what you wish, but the student has not received an education. We have failed the student in all of the special services that we have provided; we failed to provide an education. The student has become dependent upon the system to give him/her an "education" and chances are he/she will be dependent upon society to provide the necessities of life.
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