GIVE THE AD A BREAK

I've heard a few pro-life folks complaining about the Focus on the Family Tim Tebow ad on the Super Bowl telecast.  I have to admit when I first saw it, I was a bit disappointed.  But upon further review (clever football analogy), I had a change of heart.  I think my disappointment stemmed from all of the pre-ad hype.  There was plenty of press coverage, there were threats and accusations, and the pro-abortion crowd was saying that CBS should not run the ad because it was dangerous and anti-women.   All of the controversy got me in a fighting mood, I couldn't wait for Sunday, and not because of the game.  I knew the ad was running in the first quarter, so I sat a little nervous waiting for Tim and his mom to come out throwing pro-life blows.  I anticipated an aggressive attack on abortion, sort of a counter-punch for all the pro-abortion antics I'd been subjected to for the past two weeks.  What I then saw was a sweet, loving mom telling us that life is precious, not one punch was thrown, and abortion wasn't even mentioned.  I'm not an expert on using mass-media to reach people, but I'm sure that those who did the commercial know more about it than me, they took a step of faith and chose a subtle approach.  My disappointment came because I was told there was going to be a fight at the bike racks and one of the kids wouldn't fight, he had a better idea.  By the way, Focus on the Family never said there would be a fight, they just said don't judge the ad until you see it.  Focus didn't cop out, and they aren't afraid.  They have taken the lead in the battle against same-sex marriage, pornography, gambling, and most certainly abortion.  They have been at this a long while, and I trust that they put a great deal of prayer into it, so let's cut them some slack.  I believe if I hadn't heard all of the hoopla beforehand and saw the ad fresh, that I would have been thrilled that Tim and his mom, in the midst of screaming chickens, go daddy, and beer can houses, were able to share a brief message of life.  Focus on the Family and the Tebow's took a big step of faith.  I'm praying that through that faith many eyes will be opened, and little lives saved.

Wise Love

Philippians 1:9 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment."

The grocery store is a great place to witness interesting parenting skills.  It seems most times I'm in some local store I'll be treated to a parent either over disciplining or under disciplining or entertaining a child.  Poor mom or dad are just doing whatever they can to quickly get enough for dinner, and get out of the store with some sanity intact.  Now that my kids are grown it's fun to observe.  I forget what aisle I was on, but I saw a round little boy tugging at his mom wanting some snack he was holding.  The boy was very tenacious and kept asking, even though mom was saying no and trying to ignore him.  I kept my eyes on the shelves but was paying close attention to the drama, because I wanted to see if mom would stick to her guns.  I was rooting for mom not to give in, so I was a bit disappointed when she caved.  The worst thing about her letting him get the snack was what she said to him.  She said something like this..."well ok you can have it but only because I love you".  I know when it comes down to it, it was none of my business, but I was so tempted to pull mom aside and give her a little advice.  I wanted to tell her that to say no to your son is very loving, and sometimes more loving than saying yes.  I would have liked to explain how a simple "no" might be hard right now, but would pay dividends later down the line.  If I was feeling extra bold I would have quoted the above verse and given her a mini Bible study, right there in Ralphs.  The lesson would have been simple, and would have applied to us all.  We need to learn and discern how best to love.  Love can be difficult, it's not always warm and fuzzy.  Love says no, love rebukes and confronts, and love at times may appear unloving to the person to whom it is extended.  The most powerful love requires a heavenly discernment, so that we might know how best to love.  I didn't give mom a sermon, and I'm sure she loves her son, it just seemed at that moment that her love was not in knowledge and all discernment.  Lord, teach us how to love, give us the wisdom we need to love as You would love.

I Need To Workout

The hardest part of me doing my physical exercise, whether it's going for a run or hitting the gym, is getting out the front door.  I love working out, in fact I can't think of a time, after the gym or a run, that I was disappointed that I went.  Once I take that first step and get going, I'm glad, and seem to always be energized and healthy afterwards.  Knowing these things, why in the world do I find it so hard to take that first step out the front door?  I have in fact become quite good at making excuses, and would share some with you,  but I don't want you to use them yourself.  This in the forefront of my thoughts today, because the cold and rainy weather has made my excuse making far to easy, and my workouts have slacked off a bit.  Now, I'm not sharing this because I think you care about my exercise habits.  I'm sharing this because I see clear application in our spiritual lives.  As with physical workouts, so it is with our spiritual workouts, it seems the hardest thing is getting started, taking that first step.  We know once we get started and open the Word or begin to pray, we''ll be blessed.  How is it that excuses can be made for not doing something so needful and healthy?  I guess there is no easy or soft way of looking at this, the bottom line is, we need to be disciplined and just do what we need to do.  Turn off the big screen, set aside the I pod, the I phone, the I pad, and the I anything else, and open our Bible.  We all know there is no good excuse, so take the first step, begin your spiritual workout and I know you will be blessed.

Search Me

Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

I was at the Dermatologist today when the above verse came to mind.  I find it necessary to visit the Dermatologist on a regular basis.  It seems my bald head and Irish complexion attract nasty sun rays, and this makes me a prime candidate for skin cancer.  My appointments are usually the same, I arrive and ask the doctor to search me, and try me, and see if there is any wicked cancer in me.  The doctor thankfully is very diligent in the searching, and when something suspicious is found, she brings out a device that looks like a blowtorch and burns it away.  I've never been a big fan of these doctor visits, but I make the appointments because the stinging of the blowtorch is much better than cancer.  In Psalm 139 David does an important and scary thing, he invites God to be like a Dermatologist and search his heart, and try him, to see if there is any wicked way in him.  David knew what we all know, that we are all prime candidates to fall into sin.  He also had a clear understanding of the danger and deadliness of sin, and thus he boldly asked God to examine him and remove any trace of the cancer.  We all know the wisdom of regular check-ups at the doctors that can detect a deadly disease.  How much more than, do we need to invite God and His blowtorch, to search, and try, and cleanse, that we might be free from the deadliest of all diseases.

Guide With The Eyes

A sure sign that you know someone well, is that you are able to communicate with them without speaking.  My wife and have known each other long enough to become pretty adept at "speaking" non-verbally.  It comes it handy in telegraphing from across rooms or tables, or most especially from the front row to the pulpit!  The eyes are key in communicating without words.  How amazing that sentences can be found in a glance or a wink.  A lecture can be given in a scowl, or a poem in a twinkle.  I'm sure you will agree with me that it is hard to properly define the words coming from ones mouth if you can't see the persons eyes.  In Psalm 32:8, the Lord says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."  Don't you find it amazing that the Lord desires to establish non-verbal communication with us.  He wants our relationship with Him to be such that we might be able to discern His will by just looking at His eyes.  Now, clearly He is not calling us to stare up toward heaven, looking for a big eye in the sky.  But He is calling us to set our gaze toward Him, through spending time in the word, through communion in prayer, and intimacy in worship.  What a privileged call we have, God has invited us to be such friends with Him, that He can guide us with His eyes.  There have been too many times that the Lord has had to flick my ear or pull out a megaphone to get me to move.  Oh how I desire that my friendship with the Lord would be such, that at the slightest glance I'm able to discern His heart and amen His will.

Count Those Days

I always get a little sad when I take down Christmas decorations.  I'm not one who puts things off, so if the decorations make it to New Years day that's pretty long for me.  I'm not a Grinch or anything but when Christmas is over its over, and when Christmas is over the decorations should come down.  Is there anything as sorry as a house still decked out for Christmas around Valentines day?  I've gone through a fair number of holiday seasons, and one consistent thought I have while "un-decorating", is how quickly I'll be putting this stuff back up again.  Isn't it amazing how rapidly time takes us from year to year, and from Holiday to Holiday?  The other day as I was putting away decorations and pondering the speed of our years, I was reminded of the words of Moses in Psalm 90.  He said, "So teach us to number or days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom".  Moses lived to be 120 years old, and in this psalm he speaks of how quickly life goes by, wow!  We should learn that our days are few, and each is a gift from the Lord.  Time seems to have accelerated, so let's make the most of each day.  What a powerful 2010 we can all have, if we count every day as dear, and use every day to love and serve the Lord.

World's Worst Wrapper

Once again this Christmas I have realized that I am probably the world's worst gift wrapper.  It's not that I choose ugly paper or ribbons, it's that my hands don't work properly.  I can't seem to fit or fold or cut just right, thus the gifts I wrap don't look nearly as appealing as the others around the tree.  I'm not really ashamed of being the world's worst gift wrapper, because we all know spiritually speaking that the gift inside is always much more important than the wrapping.  The paper that wraps the gift is torn up and tossed out, while the gift is treasured.  In Jesus, God has given us the greatest gift of all time.  I wonder how much time was spent in wrapping this most precious gift?  Scripture actually indicates that Jesus' "looks" or His "packaging", were not very important at all.  The latter part of Isaiah 53:2 says: "He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him."  This is amazing to me, Jesus being God could have chosen to be the most incredibly handsome dude ever, with cut abs and great hair!  But God in flesh chose to wrap Himself so simply, that man would hardly take note of the package.  The application of this is evident and convicting.  How much time do we spend on our outward adornment, versus the inward gift of Jesus?  How much thought and worry over that which will perish while neglecting that which is eternal?  I am convinced of this, that our spiritual lives will be so much richer if we would give greater priority to the gift than the wrapping.