Bad Brakes/ Good Breaks

 A few days ago I was helping my son, Josh, change the brakes on his ’97 Maxima. Neither of us had ever done a brake job before.

"How hard could it be?"

How hard could it be? (Frightening words, I know).

Well, in no time we had the car on jacks and the wheels off and we were staring at the brakes. I got the Haynes Service Manual out and Josh got out his smart phone to dial up a How-To You Tube video (it’s a generational thing). About the time I decided there was no further benefit in scratching my head I heard a sound. Sure, it was a distant, muffled rumble, but it seemed to be moving nearer to us. And it was. It got louder and louder, until—the Calvary arrived!

"The brake's up here, near the wheel, right?"

Chuck McMurray arrived on his Harley. Since he is an expert in all things mechanical, the day was saved. “You already have the wheels off? You’ve done the hardest part.”

Thirty-five minutes later, it was all over—except for bragging on ourselves!

It’s amazing what a difference it makes when someone arrives who has been there before.

Chuck, AKA, The Calvary

Jesus understands how we fear the enemy of death. So, just before his crucifixion he tries to comfort the disciples, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (Jn. 14:2). When it comes to the territory of death, Jesus has already been there. And he has borne the full impact of death on Himself. It is a comfort to be in the presence of One who has been there before. Death has no power over us anymore. It has lost its sting. We’re freed to live with confidence and serenity.

How do we know this?

It’s all in the Service Manual!

Wow! and Wow! Again

I heard about a man who was an executive who did a lot of business traveling. One day when he was on a flight, he commented to himself, “I cannot believe this flight crew. They are the most attentive, responsive flight crew that I’ve ever seen." So, toward the end of the flight, he stopped one of the flight crew members and said, “Excuse me, I don’t mean to bother you, but I fly a lot, and I have never seen a flight crew like this. You are the most engaged, enthusiastic, service-oriented flight crew I’ve ever seen.”

The female flight attendant got a little smile on her face as she bent down and whispered to him, “Thank you, sir, but for that you can thank the woman seated back there in 12B.” She paused, nodded her head slightly towards seat 12B, and continued: “You see, sir, the woman in seat 12B is the head supervisor for all of the flight attendants for our airline. And she’s on our flight!”

When we really know that Jesus is in our midst, that he is “on our flight,” it has a profound way of changing the way we serve other people. Well, Jesus was on our flight Sunday and it made our service a beautiful thing.

I was so proud of our church.

There were hundreds of believers swarming over the Belmont Hills Elementary School Sunday, March 17, cleaning, painting, building, landscaping, coordinating and delivering throughout the day. Young and old, black and white, working side by side in the name of Jesus. I believe God was honored by our service. Not only this, but we had scores of preschoolers back on campus working under the direction of Miss Cindi and senior adults undergirding the whole effort with prayer under the direction of Pastor Chuck.

It was a great day all around. This was the largest FIA group we’ve had (approximately 700 among the several churches) and the smallest project-footprint. More than 100 people worked all day Saturday just getting ready for us to arrive! The project wasn’t small by any means, but the footprint in which it all transpired was relatively small. So—we got up close and personal with all the other believers serving here in Smyrna!

Many thanks to Carole Fouts for her organizational acumen, our incredibly competent Team Captains, and many, many volunteers. It was a sight to behold and a wonderful day to remember.

To God be the glory!

Here’s a recap of this year’s activity:

FIA 2013 Work Projects at Belmont Hills Elementary School

Cafeteria:

3 murals

Awning redone

Bear Claw Café (sign, flooring and patio furniture)

2—36ft valances for wall of windows

Artwork on valances

Cafeteria completely painted and blue highlight line added

Cleaning baseboards

Main Hallway

Blue border

Bathrooms

Cleaned, Bear claw murals in all

Whole school

Baseboards, walls and windows cleaned

Playground Equipment

Power washed and painted

Basketball Court

Lines painted, spectator benches built and installed

Central Courtyard

Installed paver pathway

Office area

Bookshelves built and painted

Principal office makeover

Dance Studio

6 wall murals

1^st Grade Courtyard

Block walls painted

Mural painted

Flowers installed

Bird bath and seat added

Mulched area

Fence door

Nature trail area

2 bridges built and installed

Water drainage re-directed

Path mulched

All woods cleared and cleaned out

All trimmings mulched and installed

Teachers’ Workroom

Total Makeover—Cabinets built, murals created, paint, shelving)

Teachers’ Lounge

Area created with furniture, walls painted, organized

Conference Room

Walls painted

Wall to wall book shelves built and painted

Landscaping

Areas mulched and trees pruned and flowers and shrubs planted

Hallway Murals

Picnic Tables built

All Property picked up and trash containers filled

Painting and more painting. Misc. small repair projects

Parking and child care provided

Food and water distribution for vol. and registration team

On-Campus prayer warriors undergirding project throughout the day
Preschoolers served our Police and Fireworkers

Word of the Year

Word of the Year

The moment has finally come. The judges’ decision is in.

The envelope please.

Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year for 2012 is …

OMNISHAMBLES!

I realize this is really a British thing, but the template sure does overlay the US scene very nicely.

Omnishambles is defined as “a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations.” In short, it’s a first-class mess!

Each year the Oxford University Press tracks how the English language is changing and chooses a word that reflects the personality of the year. The word was coined by writers of the dark political comedy “The Thick of It,” which takes place in the halls of British government.

To be fair, omnishambles wouldn’t merely overlay the American landscape, but would describe many, many places around our world.

Things are clearly a mess—near and far. Consider…

▪ Legislative gridlock. Most think this is an example of omnishambles. I don’t. I’m just including it for the fun of it. Were it not for our occasional legislative gridlock, I assure you, our omnishambles would be far greater than it is. It’s when they agree that I really worry.

▪ Fiscal Cliff. This one is an omnishambles. However, bear in mind that whether we get a Grand Bargain that is exactly what the Democrats want or exactly what the Republicans want it will barely make a dent in a deficit created by a government that is addicted to selling (and a people who are addicted to buying) $10 worth of services for $6. You don’t make up for that in volume.

▪ Civil War in Syria

▪ A nuclear-armed Iran.

▪ World-wide terrorism threats.

▪ And how else to explain the fact that Honey Boo Boo is a star?

You got it—Omnishambles!

But the truth is, the world has always been an omnishambles.

Start in the garden and wend your way through the Scriptures all the way to the end. In the midst of the mess men and women have made of things, you’ll see the thread of God’s redemptive activity.

Paul said it like this, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rm5:8). Even while, and even though, we’d made an omnishambles of everything, Christ willingly paid our sin debt to a holy God.

The conclusion of it all is this. God will bring order to our fallen world—eventually. But he can bring order to your fallen world—today.

Found Faithful

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I sure did. Both of the kids/ spouses spent Wednesday evening with us. We had a great time together. Dale fixed a traditional Thanksgiving meal with a big, fat turkey, dressing and the whole nine yards! Each of us shared special words of gratitude, I read Scripture, and we prayed together. And then we ate! It was a real feast.



STAND BACK!



It’s always been my job to carve the turkey. In the photograph you’ll see that I’m about to get to work. Which brings me to “the knife.” We have this electric knife we got as a wedding gift—35 years ago. I know, I know. I look much too young to have been married 35 years! Even when new, this knife was an ordinary appliance—nothing high tech or high end.

But… it got the job done. And still does.

My electric knife doesn’t get many “Wows!” But it sure can make the turkey look good.

And as I cleaned it up to put it away, I thought, “I want to be like that knife.” Not the latest and greatest—and the packaging is starting to look a little rough. But I want to continue to be faithful, useful in serving the Lord. I realize I’m not describing established fact; I’m describing my aspirations. My problem is that my ego wants to get in the way.

But I certainly aspire to be useful. The resurrected Christ said to the church in Smyrna, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). That’s how long my knife is going to be faithful. That’s how long I want to be faithful.

Zombie Bees



Real-Life Zombie Bee



Here’s an effective (though somewhat creepy) way to illustrate the need for spiritual discipline and the need to renew your mind. In 2008, scientists spotted what they called “zombie bees.” These bees showed strange behaviors, like flying at night (almost unheard of in healthy bees), moving erratically and then dying.

Investigators found that the bees were victims of a parasitic fly that invaded the bees’ minds and induced their hosts to make a “flight of the living dead.” The article notes other examples of parasites that not only feed on its host, but also alter the host’s behavior in a way that benefits the parasite. The technical phrase is “host manipulation.”

Is this just a creepy extension of our fascination with zombies? The article seems to suggest that humans might be the victims of host manipulation as well, giving rise to the question, “Who’s in charge inside your head?” Of course the jury may still be out on how “host manipulation” works on a physical level, but it’s sure a powerful reality in the spiritual realm.

So, who’s in charge inside your head? Well, as fallen people, we are highly susceptible to the leadership of the Evil one. After all, it’s only natural. But we don’t want to be bound by natural limitations. We want more. That’s why God offers new life through our faith in Christ.

Paul challenges us, “Whatever we do, it is because Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live” (2C5:14, NLT). What’s the explanation for all of your erratic, self-destructive behavior? You may be under the control of the wrong host!

How do you limit the influence of our fallen world and leverage the influence of the risen Christ? Exercise spiritual discipline. Engage in personal prayer; join in Bible study with other believers; gather for worship each week; give yourself in service to others.

Paul’s language was, put off the old self, put on the new self and [Steve’s language] fly right!

For Christ,

SLK

Remembering 9-11



"Blessed is the nation..."



In our Men’s Prayer Group this morning we sang, America the Beautiful. The less familiar third verse says, “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!” I thought, in general, of the 3000 people who were murdered eleven years ago. But I thought, in particular, of the many first responders—all those people who voluntarily placed themselves in harm’s way.

For all of us who were adults on this day eleven years ago, we will never forget their valor.

It’s remarkable to think back to how the country responded. We were united and we were humbled. There was wide-spread acknowledgment that—we need God. And people turned to God in prayer. Even our politicians. Even in Washington!

Eleven years later, in the midst of relative prosperity and safety, the old self-sufficiency has crept back in. There is not nearly as keen a national sense that we need God. And we are solidly in the grip of disunity.

Hmm? I wonder if there’s a pattern here? Humility and a wide-spread open recognition of our need for God produces—unity. Self-reliance, self-sufficiency and even eschewing God diminishes our national sense that we need God, and results in—disunity.

But I will always struggle to understand.

As the Islamist leaders openly acknowledge, “You love life; we love death.” Meanwhile, people continue to flock to this land of freedom and life. People continue to flee (or strive to) the oppressive, death loving regimes of the world.

In humility, and with a profound sense of reliance on God, the Psalmist said, “God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).

Come Home

This post is from the current edition of The Message.

Have you ever noticed that when you are separated from your normal routine you miss some people or things more than others? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. Absence will cause you to miss some things intensely, such as your husband or wife, your kids, high calorie/ high fat desserts. Absence will cause you to miss other things less and less. You didn’t miss not going to the dentist, did you? We say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  But does it?

  It all depends on your personal passion.

  The observation is true, “Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, just as the wind blows out a candle and fans a fire.” Some who once had a passion for the Lord and His church are absent from both. Whether the wind of absence extinguishes your fire or fans it depends on your passion for God. If your passion for God, His people, and His activity is a little passion, you may already be growing comfortable in your absence. You may already be comfortable in filling the Lord’s day with the newspaper, reruns, and ball games.

  But if your passion for God, His people, and His activity is a great passion, you may already be growing increasingly uncomfortable in your absence. You may be continuously pressed with the nagging conclusion that you’re missing out on something meaningful, missing out on experiences and relationships that are irreplaceable. If you are, it is because you still have a great passion for God.

  So come back home. It’s never too late. It says in the Bible, “‘Return to me and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Mal.3:7). So come back home. You’ll find friends here. And you’ll find people who share your passion for God.