Friday, August 31, 2007

Support

Friends,

During these challenging times, we recognize that God is in control! We acknowledge this daily. Our family just wants to thank all of you who have been so lovingly supportive of us. Our Christian family in Hamilton is simply exceptional. Your spirits are truly in tune with the Spirit of the Lord. We are at peace. We know that God will reveal His plans to us and we look forward to His leading. God bless you all!!

Don, Kim and family

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Wazzup

Hello Fans! ;-)

I haven't disappeared -- just taking a break. I just want to let you know that I love you all. God is good...all the time! All the time...God is good!

Don

P.S. Did anyone see the lunar eclipse yesterday?

Friday, August 24, 2007

Fellowship is a Staple

Friends,

We had a wonderful time Wednesday evening with the pleasant folks at the Airport Freeway Church of Christ. It was a blessing for our family to be able to be there and for me to be able to share a message from the Word of God. The fellowship was great -- we had a nice visit with our friends Paul & Feydra Gorsline and their wonderful little boys, Fisher and London. An interesting side note is that I met a fellow named Rich who is a member there. (I hope that I have the facts right). He, along with his partner Roger, began operating a small office supply store in the metroplex and were in business for a few decades. After twenty years or so, some Japanese businessmen were looking for some office products and happened upon their store. These business men were impressed by the store and the service and offered to invest and help them spread their business. The name of the store operated by Rich and Roger? Staples...and you know the rest of the story. Hope you have a great weekend!

Don

Rangers?

Friends,

Nevermind the "home run pitcher," who were those guys who scored 30 runs the other night, and what did they do with the Rangers?

Don

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Acappella Youth Rally

Friends,

After soaking it in for a couple of days, I have to say... what an excellent event we had Sunday! It was so cool to have so many people in our auditorium singing praises to God. Sitting up front to hear the hundreds of voices resonate was a thrill! We had friends from all over the region as well as a host of people from our community here. The crowd doubled for what was an inspirational concert by our friends Acappella. They were terrific! We have developed a special bond with this group and it is a blessing from the Lord. Thank you to all of you who helped to make this a joyous event. Thank the Lord for such a great opportunity to share in countless blessings with many people -- the joy of the Lord is indeed wonderful! Take care and God bless y'all.

Don

Monday, August 20, 2007

Spiritual Balance

Friends

I had a friend ask me if I see my self as "the Middle Man", which is the name attached to my blog. The answer is, undeniably, "yes". It is not simply a title, but a description not only concerning philosophy but also theology. Someone once said, "the truth is generally found somewhere between the two extremes," and I believe that this is proven over and over gain by circumstances, people and just life itself. Another wise saying is "moderation in all things." Yet, why do you hear it more in relationship to dieting than anything else? Hmmm. Many of the things that I am going to share are observations about life and godliness -- they are not "the rule of thumb" or "the law," just a perspective.
We may not understand or appreciate "balance" as much until we see matters that are "out of balance." When you drive your automobile down the road and the tires become "out of balance" what happens? Your car starts to wobble some and it is very annoying. So it is with life -- when people become out of balance, they begin to wobble and it creates multiple difficulties for them and for those around them.
In relationship to the principle of balance -- reason, passion and ethics are all areas that affect us as we seek to live the Christian life. I believe that God made all people to be logical, passionate, ethical to one degree or another. As it relates to "how we live our lives as Christians," I believe that these principles naturally, and spiritually apply to us. I would view passion and ethic as matters to be gauged vertically -- to be likened to a thermostat. As it pertains to passion and ethic, there is "no place to go but up" -- we need to "be burning bright at the top of the thermostat;" we must be all for Jesus in relationship to this principle. Reason is a matter to be gauged more horizontally -- to be likened to a scale. As it relates to most issues found in the Scriptures, I believe that we need to be balanced in our reasoning. There are a few exceptions to this -- I would call them "essentials." (See Acts 2:38-39, 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 for example.) There are certain passages that set reasonable precedents for us, as well. (See Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2, 1 Timothy 2:8-15 for example). But for the most part, our reasoning (as well as our ethic, passion) needs to be founded in prayer and wisdom (as learned from the Word of God). I believe that wisdom and experience teach us that being "extreme" or "dogmatic" as it relates to most issues only leads to contention and division for the church...and in this, there is no wisdom. Paul teaches Timothy concerning such matters in 2 Timothy chapters 2, 3. Paul also shares with the Roman Christians in chapter 14 that Christians need to be reasonable with each other as it relates to most issues (matters of opinion). Some may want to do things one way, while others may wish to do things another way. Paul indicates that there is room for all! There is room in the church to believe, practice, worship in more than one particular way and it is okay. What Paul does indicate is that when one group imposes on the other group(s) that their way is "the only way" that it leads to trouble.
The person who goes far to the "right" philosophically and religiously becomes self-righteous, leaning on his own understanding. He takes "law" to an extreme and it becomes his rule. He insists that all there is -- is authority, and that it is all objective. "I have it figured out" and "everyone must agree with me" is his perspective; you have to believe exactly the way he believes in order to be acceptable (there is an overemphasis on objectivity). He becomes controlling and dictatorial in his extreme. In essence, his wisdom becomes the rule.
The person going to the far "left" philosophically and religiously also leans on his own understanding, but it is from a different perspective. He takes "freedom" to the extreme and it becomes his rule. For the person who goes to the extreme left there really is no law (anything goes); he insists that there is "no authority" but that everything is subjective. For this person, you cannot be certain to believe in anything authoritatively in order to be acceptable (there is an overemphasis on subjectivity). He becomes carefree and dictatorial in his extreme. In essence, his wisdom also becomes the rule.
Both of these represent extreme perspectives concerning life and godliness and neither are balanced -- this is not wisdom. Both of these types of people will tell you that they "find freedom" in their beliefs, but in reality, they are truly bound. To ignore the commands of God makes us lawless and puts us in bondage. (For example, see John 14:15-31). To add laws where God does not do so makes us law-bound, and likewise, puts us in bondage. (For example, see Matthew 15:1-20). Neither is correct. There is no balance... and true freedom is found in a genuine balance. We must be "set free from having to live according to law" truly, in order to experience -- genuine Christian liberty (Galatians 5:1ff). At the same time we must pay attention to those critical principles which Jesus reveals in order to experience genuine Christian liberty (Mark 16:16ff). As it has been revealed, it is not possible to have unity with those on the far left or the far right; unity is only possible where there is love, wisdom, and certain moderation.
Some of the best wisdom found in the Bible has to do with "balance". The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon are filled with information concerning the wisdom of "balance." In Ecclesiastes, He says there is a time for everything (3:1-8); He also says not to be excessively "righteous" or "wicked" (7:16-17). What does he mean by this? Does this mean it is okay to be a "little wicked" or not altogether "righteous?" It is symbolic -- and it means, be balanced as it relates to life. Many of the Proverbs reveal the wisdom of following God and the folly of leaning on one’s own understanding. Life is for the righteous man and death for the wicked. There is a balance in this. "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight" (11:1). "A just balance and scales belong to the Lord..." (16:11) -- figurative expressions with eternal value.
Jesus challenges those around Him to do what is right, with balance as a key component. His wisdom reflects a balanced perspective -- "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s" is a reply he makes to those who seek to trap Him at one point (Matthew 22:17ff). His Sermon on the Mount reflects "balance." "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit" -- why? "They shall inherit the kingdom of God" (Matthew 5:3). When Jesus talks with Nicodemus in John 3:3ff concerning what is necessary to be "born again," He says that he must be born "of water and Spirit" -- two elements, one birth. In this, there is balance. When Jesus talks with the Samaritian woman in John 4:1ff, He tells her that those who worship God must do so "in Spirit and in truth." Both elements are necessary for life and godliness. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we take both the bread (representing His body) and the fruit of the vine (representing His blood); in this there is balance. In one of my Psychology classes, a professor whom I greatly admire said, Jesus was the most balanced individual ever to live -- intellectually, philosophically, theologically. If He had taken a personality test, this would have proven to be true; it would reveal a perfectly balanced personality and life.
Balancing the tensions of the roles we play in our lives: Husband, Father, Counselor, Minister, Preacher, Friend, likewise, is important; we need to be able to "bend" without "breaking" – "blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." It is arrogance to assume that we have all of the answers – we need to exercise humility and faith in the Lord and not be dependent upon self-sufficiency. Other tensions needing to be balanced in our lives are: Immanence and transcendence; sovereignty (God rules) and free will (God gives us freedom of choice); grace and obedience; and unity and doctrinal purity.
Balance is the key to individual and church growth. Paul says that we Christians must "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesisans 4:4), which is an excellent reflection of the balance required for us to experience growth as a body of believers. We must value both unity and peace if we are going to arrive at growth. A church, like Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7ff), that has the maturity to live according to unity and peace is going to receive the blessing and the praise of the Lord. We have numerous examples of how we should conduct ourselves in relationship to "balance." I believe that we will be wise to consider these principles and make them our own individually and corporately.

Don

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Big Man Pitcher

Friends,

What on earth? Hats off, big time to Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings. Remember, this is a pitcher -- he hit 4 for 5, with two mammoth home run blasts (both over 4oo ft), and had 6 RBI's. I have been following baseball since I was a kid, and I don't ever remember a pitcher having the hitter's dream day that he had today. On top of all of this, he won the game -- he's now 6-6. All in a day's work. Maybe the NFL's Arizona Cardinals should sign him to play linebacker!

Don

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Near Future Happenings

Friends,

A few bits of good news.

It appears that we have our house in Grandview rented as of Saturday; we will know Friday for certain. This is a blessed development and we are thankful. The house is still for sale and we still need to move it as soon as possible, but at least this helps us and our (future) tenant out for the meantime.

Acappella is coming back to be with us this weekend and perform at our youth rally. We are all very excited!!! They enjoy coming here which is really cool, and are planning on being with us Saturday through Monday morning, unless plans change. We are expecting 300 to 5oo or more folks from all over the area. This is a huge event for the church. We only hope that it will be as successful as last October's benefit for Heartgift.

I have the honor of speaking at the youth rally and am nervous about it and excited at the same time. Following this, we will be travelling up to Euless to the Airport Freeway Church of Christ where I will be speaking Wednesday evening, the 22nd for a meeting. A lot of studying in store.
Pray that the messages will bless those listening.

Big week ahead! Keep all of these matters in your prayers.

Don

Monday, August 13, 2007

Space Station Picture

Friends,

Since its original flight in 1981, the space shuttle has held my fascination. The first term paper I did when I went to college was concerning the shuttle. The shuttle has provided us with some valuable information over the years. At the same time, the tragedies involving the Challenger and Columbia will always be in our memories. Thanks to those involved with the shuttle program and working with the Russians and their space program, the International Space Station is in the process of being assembled. Beginning in 1998, it is slated to be finished in 2010. I am thankful that we have the ability to receive wonderful images from the ISS and spaces shuttles such as the one below -- Hurricane Flossie churning in the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy!

Don



Wrong is Always Wrong

Friends,

Although this is a different perspective from which to view concerns of righteousness, I though it was interesting, so here it is.

Don


Wrong is Always Wrong
By Stephen R. Bradd

We live in an age of loose and sagging morals, and the world continually attempts to rationalize improper behavior. Christians must remember that wrong is always wrong--despite the temptation to make excuses for sinful actions in certain circumstances. Let me elaborate upon this theme by making five simple points.
1). Wrong is always wrong--even if you don't get caught. For instance, it is wrong to cheat on one's taxes, even if the chances of getting caught are minimal (Rom. 13:7). We need to remember "the eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Prov. 15:13). The fact of the matter is that when we sin we are always caught, for God sees all things! You may be able to hide some sins from others, but it is impossible to hide anything from the Lord. Just because you were not caught breaking the law (either civil or divine), doesn't mean you've gotten away with anything.
2). Wrong is always wrong--even if you do it for a good cause. Simply because you have an honorable purpose does not justify committing a dishonorable deed. The end never justifies the means. All sin is transgression of God's principles (I John 3:4). An example of sinning for a good cause would be stealing from the rich in order to give to the poor. It should be noted that one cannot truly give that which doesn't belong to him. Also, though giving to the poor is certainly good, it is always wrong to steal (Eph. 4:28). A much more common transgression in our society is that of couples living together before marriage. Some attempt to justify the practice thinking that it will help them determine if they're compatible or not. Friends, it doesn't work. Statistically, those who live together before marriage are nearly twice as likely to divorce after marriage than those who live separately until making their vows. Do not commit evil with the intent that good may result (Rom. 3:8).
3). Wrong is always wrong--even if others are doing things that are even worse. If you are sentenced to eternal destruction, you won't be comforted on the Day of Judgment knowing that others did things that you considered to be worse than your sins. If a man lusts after a woman (Matt. 5:28), he has committed sin. He is deceiving himself if he thinks that such is acceptable since other people are doing things much worse--like actually committing adultery and fornication. Lust, like any other sin if not forgiven, will result in an eternity in hell, period. Simply because you aren't as bad as someone else doesn't mean that you're living a life pleasing to God.
4). Wrong is always wrong--even if it doesn't bother your conscience. The conscience can be trained or educated to accept wrongdoing. Simply because a person commits an act in sincerity, and it doesn't bother his conscience, does not guarantee that it isn't a sin in God's eyes. In Acts 23:1, Paul said - "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." Did Paul, in good conscience, commit sin prior to that day? Indeed he did, especially when he persecuted the church! Imprisoning and killing Christians did not bother his conscience, but he was still sinning. Sins of revenge often fall into this category. Some feel justified in seeking vengeance when they have been wronged. Such ought to be left to God (Rom. 12:19). Just because a certain act doesn't make you feel guilty does not mean that you aren't guilty.
5). Wrong is always wrong--even if it is commonly considered acceptable. The Bible says -"You shall not follow a crowd to do evil..." (Exod. 23:2). The Christian should not be trying to blend in with the world. He should not conform to sin. Rather, he should stand out as a servant of God and against all sins, even those that society may deem acceptable. Abortion has been legal for over thirty years in America, but it is still wrong to shed innocent blood. Homosexuality becomes more acceptable in the minds of America everyday, but God still calls it a sinful perversion. Just because many believe something is okay doesn't mean that it is. Friends, let us never forget that wrong is always wrong, and let's live like we believe it.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Meteor Shower

Friends,

For you astronomy buffs...The Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend; it is so named because the meteors appear to originate from the constellation Perseus. The best time to see it will be Sunday evening to sunrise Monday morning. There may be as many as 60 meteors per hour. There will be no moon, so it will make it easier to see the show, which will come from all directions. The annual Perseid shower occurs when the Earth's orbit crosses the path of debris thrown off by Comet Swift-Tuttle. As the space pebbles, rocks and the like — many the size of a grain of sand — enter the atmosphere, they burn up in a flash, appearing as "shooting stars" across the sky. Take it in and enjoy!

Don

Friday, August 10, 2007

Yielding to the Lord

Friends,

"But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy; and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail. But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 'Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.' And upon hearing {this,} they entered into the temple about daybreak, and {began} to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates had come, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent {orders} to the prison house for them to be brought. But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned, and reported back, saying, 'We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside.' Now when the captain of the temple {guard} and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. But someone came and reported to them, 'Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!' Then the captain went along with the officers and {proceeded} to bring them {back} without violence (for they were afraid of the people, lest they should be stoned). And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, 'We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.' But Peter and the apostles answered and said, "We must obey God rather than men. 'The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.' He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 'And we are witnesses of these things; and {so is} the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.'But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and were intending to slay them. But a certain Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, 'Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody; and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. And he was slain; and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away {some} people after him, he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered.' And so in the present case, I say to you, 'stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action should be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.' And they took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, and {then} released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for {His} name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus {as} the Christ." (Acts 5:17-42, NAS)

This is a passage that we just read in our quiet time as a family…and it is fascinating and wonderful at the same time. The point of this message and what precedes it in Acts 4 (concerning Peter and John’s situation) is that God is going to do His will. It is not a matter of if, as many of us humans are prone to believe, but a matter of when. God is not just transcendent – He is not kicking back in some easy chair watching things unfold in His creation, rather, He is the LORD – He is active; He is near! If there is a consistent message throughout the Old and New Testaments concerning God’s activity, it is that He is continually working out His will among His people. God’s Spirit worked mightily in the lives of those who sought His direction at this important stage of the early church. Should we understand this principle any differently today?(While recognizing that none of us today have the capability to perform miraculous deeds as the apostles did.) God’s will is that his church should be spiritually focused, spiritually motivated and spiritually mature so that He can more easily work out His plan among his people. He is going to use His people to accomplish what it is that needs to be done in His church and in the world. I believe that vv.38-39 are particularly poignant in relationship to God’s will – "…for if this plan or action should be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God." I have thought about this principle in a number of situations and at a number of different times. All I can say (as I am sure that we all do) – is that I want to be on God’s side. No one wants to be one who would be considered to be in opposition to what is the working out of God’s will. If we are not careful to be honest in our evaluation of God’s message and in relationship to the working out of His will, we could indeed find ourselves in a place where we would rather not be. This is significant for us in terms of our spiritual health and in relationship to eternity. One of the key principles revealed in the Word in our relationship to God is yielding or submission. We have to be very careful that we do not force the Lord to conform to our presuppositions or thinking about life and godliness, because this is not an honest evaluation of our spirituality. We must routinely be willing to evaluate and reevaluate our thinking and actions by "looking in the spiritual mirror," so to speak, to see if we are indeed living according to the will of God and not our own will in God’s name (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Don

Friday, August 3, 2007

Thanksgiving

Friends,

It's thanksgiving! Maybe not the holiday, but for the spirit! I just saw "Be Thankful" in my documents folder and it reminded me of something that we need to consider more than once per year. I hear a lot of folks make excuses for grumbling and complaining and say, "well, it's just my human nature." I believe that we, particularly those of us who are in Christ, have a higher calling. We are to be spiritual! We do not need to be making excuses for the flesh. We need to be spiritually motivated, encouraging and edifying one another. In how many different passages does Paul (among other New Testament writers) speak about living up to our spiritual nature and not down to our carnal or fleshly nature? Grumbling, complaining or exercising condemning criticism appeals to that base desire of the flesh and it is not a blessing. This behavior is more divisive than it is unifying. We think that we feel better by grumbling or being critical, but do we really? The Spirit of God wants us to have His nature -- we are to be spirit-ual, not carnal. I have been sharing (what I believe are) some important messages concerning the Fruit of the Spirit over the past couple of months. The more that we seek to be spiritually motivated by allowing the Spirit of God to work out His Fruit in our lives -- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control -- the more we will be a blessing to those around us and not a curse. Jesus says, "what comes out of the mouth begins in the heart" (Matthew 15:1ff). God wants our hearts! Our hearts need to be focused on Him, not on our own selfish desires. This may require some significantly different thinking on our parts. And this has nothing to do with traditional or non-traditional issues -- just our hearts simply focused on how the Lord wants our spirits to be no matter what the situation that we may find ourselves in. It is an attitude! What once may have started as a habit (being a grumbler or being grateful) soon becomes our world view or lifestyle. Either way, we are typically in the mindset of grumbling or in the mindset of being grateful. It is possible that our entire world view may need to change from an attitude of grumbling to an attitude of gratitude. This single process is the healthiest thing that can take place in our lives from a spiritual perspective. But, it can only happen if we are willing to be submissive to the Spirit of God and what Fruit He is trying to work out in our lives. Paul tells the Roman Christians that "the Spirit of God bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16). Let's seek to live spiritually and not carnally; let's seek to be a blessing and not a curse to our brothers, sisters and to outsiders who want to get to know us; let's get in line with what the Spirit of God is trying to do in our lives individually and collectively and reap the blessings.

Don

Thursday, August 2, 2007

VBS

Friends,

We had a wonderful Vacation Bible School this week. We had 40 to 50 kids and a lot of adult helpers. Thanks to Shelley, Troy and so many others who made it a great event for the church and the community. I believe that the Lord is able to do marvelous things in the lives of the young children through VBS that they will never forget. Indeed, they will have many positive memories as they become adults. Thank you, Lord, for your blessings!

Don