Weekend Survey

I hope everyone has had a great week. In honor of it being so hot, I am going to offer free advertising space this weekend. (That really makes a lot of sense doesn’t it?)

If you would like to, take a moment and tell us about your blog and provide us with a link.

Just make sure the blog is family friendly, otherwise I will tell Al Gore about you and he will yank your internet privileges.

Be blessed.

The Defilement of Bitterness

Have you ever tripped over a root? Perhaps it was hidden under the leaves or concealed by darkness. Maybe it was in plain sight all the time but your attention was elsewhere. Regardless of why didn’t see it, the result is almost always the same, you are going down.

In Hebrews 12:15, we are cautioned to be, Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.

Notice that this bitterness is a result of our failure to appropriate the grace of God in our life. This root may come from painful experience. It may come from a grudge that we carry in our heart. It may even come from unconfessed sin that we try to pretend isn’t there. The bottom line is that it is there because we did not rely on God’s grace to remove it.

Here are some thoughts on roots.

Roots Spread
While we may think we can keep bitterness or sin confined to one area of our life, roots of bitterness know no boundaries. They keep spreading and infiltrating other parts of our worship, relationships and thoughts. They reach out and become intertwined with other roots, creating a labyrinth of corruption and defilement in our hearts.

Roots Drive Deep
The longer the root is allowed to remain, the deeper it will grow making it increasingly more difficult to remove. These roots, if left alone will become a part of who we are until we will become convinced that we are stronger for having them. How tragic it is when we think that we can draw more strength from bitterness than we can from the grace of God. So many people cling to their bitterness as if it is their most treasured possession.

Roots Bring Fruit
Whatever we sow, we will reap. That is both biblical and natural law. Dear friend, be assurred that root of bitterness will at some point bring forth fruit that is characteristic of its source. The bitterness will grow in your heart like a cancer and then suddenly one day it will come pouring out like evil bile revealing the secrets of your innermost thoughts.

The problem with this, is often many are defiled by our bitterness. How many children are deprived of the stability of a normal home because of bitterness in the hearts of their parents?How many of our friends are robbed of the blessing of full fellowship with us because of walls of unforgiveness or lack of trust that we build? How many families miss the joy of worshipping together in church because someone in the family has bitterness toward God or His people?

God promises that His grace is sufficient to remove any roots of bitterness. Don’t fail to use it. Lay the axe of grace to those roots and enjoy the fragrant glory of the blossoms of God’s grace in your life.

Back in the Saddle

Thanks so much to all who participated in the Weekend Survey while I was away. My family and I had a great vacation in Florida, visiting some of my wife’s family and she and I had a little getaway to St. Augustine for four days.

We ate well, relaxed, got a little sun and generally had a great time. It suddenly occurred to me on the way home yesterday, that since the previous Sunday night until that time, I had worn socks for a grand total of 1 1/2 hours (to church on Sunday morning). This is very unusual for me and now I have a nice criss-cross suntan on the tops of my feet where the sun shone through the webbing of my sandals.

It was nice to see Amy’s family and celebrate Clay’s 10th birthday with them. We went to church with them Sunday and my friend Barry Beauchamp preached an inspiring message.

I plan to resume regular posting now that the busy part of the summer is over. I want you, my readers, to know just how much of a blessing and an encouragement all of you are to me. Making so many “on-line” friends has definitely made blogging worthwhile.

Weekend Survey

It’s a little late, but today has been pretty busy. Just to let everyone know, I’m going to be on vacation from July 17-23. Posting will be slow during that time, but when I get back I am going to be back on a regular schedule.

For this weekend’s survey, why not tell everyone what your three favorite summertime activities are?

Here are mine, not necessarily in order.

1. Cooking out (okay, maybe that really is number one).

2. Baseball

3. Swimming

Thanks to all who stop by and participate. I hope the next few days are good to you.

The Lonely Seed

Have you ever considered the purpose of seed? While it may have many uses ranging from feeding birds to decorations, it has but one purpose.

Jesus said in John 12:24, Verily, verily I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

A seed has no will of its own, but is at the mercy of the one who is holding it. The planter can place the seed wherever he sees fit to do so. The seed will be planted in a place that is foreign to it and will be buried to die. As it dies, there is something released inside it that brings forth new life and the production of much fruit. The seed does not have to work to produce the fruit, but the fruit is result of the death of the seed.

Picture yourself as a seed in the Kingdom of God. God has ordained that we are to produce much fruit. You cannot produce this fruit in the strength of your own flesh. Instead, we must be willing to die to our selfish desires, deny our own will and submit ourselves wholly to God. As we do so, we will see something marvelous occuring. God will begin to produce fruit through us.

One thing I am learning is that the things that God expects of me are the things that He wants to do through me. This can only happen when I yield to Him and let Him “plant” me where He will.

I must be willing to accept His will as my own.

Otherwise, I will only be a lonely seed.

Weekend Survey

It seems to have been a very busy summer for most everyone on the blogosphere thus far. Why not tell us what has been going on in your neck of the woods?

Mine has been Vacation Bible School, committee meetings, funerals, weddings (one at which I called the groom by the wrong name, OUCH!), putting up fresh veggies, and trying to make sure I keep enough time for sermon preparation and family. I plan to take a vacation in a couple of weeks before the fall blitz hits.

For the person who can convince me they are the busiest, I will give a special recognition.

Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend.

Americana

My family and I had a wonderful day yesterday. To celebrate the Fourth of July, we first went to my Mom’s house for lunch. Several relatives and friends gathered there for a fine meal of pork barbecue, ribs, baked beans, potato salad and Brunswick stew. We ate until we couldn’t hold another bite then waddled into the living room to watch the launch of the space shuttle.

Later that afternoon, my boys went over to my mom’s neighbor’s house and went swimming with her grandchildren. They had such a great time. When they came back, we had boiled peanuts and watermelon. It was great.

After that I took my boys out to my grandma’s farm because they wanted to do some target shooting with their .22 rifles. They raised watermelons on the farm this year and their were quite a few rotten ones laying around that made great targets. Have you ever seen what kind of effect a hollow-point slug has on a watermelon that has been baking in 100 degree heat all day? The results are really quite spectacular.

Last night we went to Faceville, GA, for fireworks. You probably have never heard of this place, it actually makes Mayberry look like a big city, but there are some good folks there. In the fellowship hall of the Baptist church, they were serving fried chicken dinners. The chicken looked wonderful but we were too full of peanuts, watermelon and ribs to even think about eating, so we just got a big ol’ glass of ice tea and went outside to watch the fireworks. There was maybe 100 or so people there and we sat around the bleachers of the old sandlot while the fire department shot the fireworks from foul territory in left field. Before the show started, a little nine-year-old girl sang the hound out of the national anthem over the loudspeaker on the firetruck. As soon as she finished, there were four Civil War re-enactors there who thought it would be funny to sneak up behind everyone and fire their muskets. After everyone got over that, the fireworks began. Because of the small area, the fireworks were literally exploding directly overhead. The crowd would clap, whistle and cheer after every shot. It wasn’t the biggest fireworks display I have ever seen, but I don’t think I have ever enjoyed one any more than I did that one.

We went back to grandma’s where my dad fired off some bottle rockets he had bought for the boys. After my grandma loaded us down with tomatoes and a watermelon, we left and went home.

It was a great day and one that made me very thankful to be an American.

Patriotism in the Church

As we have approached the July 4, holiday, I have read many blogs that have expressed a concern over infusing patriotic songs, displays, etc. into Sunday morning services. Perhaps it is putting it a bit mildly to say they “expressed a concern”. Some have described it as “wicked, ” “sickening” and “unholy”. One comment even said that America had no right to celebrate anything because we were born out of a rebellion and were therefore sinful.

I have written in the past about this subject. Those who know me know that I believe we are to worship God and Him alone. They also know that I am very thankful to be an American. I do not believe the two are necessarily exclusive of one another. As my brother often says, “I hope that being a good Christian will cause me to be a better American”.

The fact is, the Bible commands us to be patriotic in a Christian sense. Allegiance to our government is mandated by scripture. (And let me point out that there is obviously a difference between allegiance and worship). The Apostle Paul himself, expressed a strong feeling for his countrymen and their need for the Gospel. Jesus observed traditions that were distinctly Jewish in their origin and nature. I think it is safe to say that PATRIOTISM IS NOT A SIN.

Does patriotism have a place in worship? You bet it does. Now let me clarify that nothing is ever to replace or supercede my love for God. Anything that does is idolatrous. But I am not being idolatrous to express my love of country in juxtaposition with my love of God if I am doing so in a way that gives thanks to God for the blessings of liberty.

Some seem to think that we can compartmentalize our life. They think that is okay to observe patriotic practices as long as it doesn’t mingle with our “worship”. Let me ask you, is our worship to be confined to one hour on Sunday morning? Is the Great Commandment only applicable at certain times or are we to love God all the time? If we are to love God all the time (and of course, we are) then we cannot draw lines between times of “worship” and times of anything else.

Yes, first and foremost, I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God, but a part of that citizenship is acting like a good citizen in my earthly country. By blending patriotism into worship services, I am not driven to idolize America, but I am reminded that I am to influence my country for God. I am reminded that the blessings I enjoy as an American come from God and that a righteous nation will be one that is exalted by God.

With that in mind, what can we do to influence our country for God?