Wandering, Wondering Minds

My mind will wander today.  I already know it.  I have never been diagnosed and, believe me, I am not making light of it, but I know I have Attention Deficit Disorder.  There is not a doubt about it.  However, I grew up in a time when it was not medicated.  I got paddlings at school.  I had to go home and write 'I will not talk.'  thousands of times.  (I tried the two pencil stuff and all the different concepts.  The 'I,I,I,I...will, will, will, will...not, not, not.....'down the page was the quickest concept for me.  I pass that on just in case someone still requires that of their students.  I don't think they do.)
However, I, sometimes, have a hard time staying on task and I know when my head moves from one thing to another. 

I have one of the greatest challenges for us attention deficit guys over the next two days.  I am sitting for eight hours today in a seminar as part of my orientation to serve on our local school board. I promise that I will do all that I can to absorb as much of it as possible, however, I already know that my mind will wander. 

Yours probably will too today, at least at some point.  The question is: Where will your mind wander to?  The apostle Paul gives us more than a suggestion.  Paul gives us good, inspired, Godly instruction in Colossians 3.2- Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (www.lifejournal.cc)

When we wander off course today, let's really just wander on course- on the course of keeping God in the midst of our thoughts. 

That is both a challenge and a delight.

Some Boots and A Cup of Coffee

When NYPD Officer Larry DePrimo was walking the beat in subfreezing weather last week and saw a homeless man without shoes, it immediately cut him to the heart.  He went into a local store, picked out some Skeecher boots, asked for a discount, and then paid $75 to give the man some boots.  A tourist took a photo of Officer DePrimo giving the generous gift and since the story has went viral.

Officer DePrimo said that he did not think twice about it.  His own feet were cold and he had two pairs of socks on.  He also offered the man a cup of coffee, but after the boots, the man went on his way.  They never exchanged names. 

We need a little more....a lot more...of this kind of kindness in our world.  Whether it is the homeless or those at home with us, let's not be selfish today.  Let's put others before ourselves.  Whether it makes the media or not, let's shock our little world as the love of Jesus flows out of our lives to impact those around us. 


As the apostle Paul put it in Philippians 2.3-4- Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Let that mark your day and you may leave His mark on others.

Understanding the Opponent

I was recently flying to Kansas City, MO for a Board of Trustees meeting at Midwestern Seminary and met Matt Millen, who was waiting on the same plane to Atlanta.  Matt played linebacker for the Raiders back in my football card collecting days (early 80's).  He then worked in football management and rose to become the president of the Detroit Lions.  All I remember about that is that it was dismal.  He now is an announcer for ESPN and had covered the MSU and Tennessee game the night before.  He had tried all day to fly out  but these were the Hurricane Sandy days up north and Florida storms down south and everything was thrown off.  Our plane had problems and we had a good delay at the two terminal airport of Columbus, MS.  A great place to fly out of quickly....that is unless...Sandy and storms and plane problems come.  The airport brought in pizza for us to eat for supper and I warmed up next to him and dropped a line- Do you come in here often?  Not really.  I did ask him about how he enjoyed his stress free life of good wages for talking about football, or something like that.  I really asked him how long he had been in Starkville and how did he prepare.  He said he came in on the Wednesday before and had simply watched film of the teams' games.  He said, "Coaches will lie to you.  Players will lie to you.  Film shows everything.  I just watch film." I have given that a lot of thought since that day.  I have watched games he has covered since and thought about his preparation.  If you know the schemes of football teams and know their approaches and know how they attack and how they defend and understand their game, you can know how to play against them, commentate about them, and even how to defeat them. 

My friend, we are involved in much more than a game.  We are in a battle.  The battle is unseen but the ramifications are not.  It is guerilla warfare and is sometimes hard to recognize, but it is very real.  It is more real than what we see.  Paul warned us this way in Ephesians 6.12-13-For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Understand the battle.  Prepare for the battle (not with films but in the Word) and as they say in football, 'Leave it all on the field.'  In other words, hold nothing back.  You do not get another shot at standing for Christ in this world beyond this life.   Let's be strong today for His Glory!

Thankfully Undeserved

You did not develop it.  You did not earn it.  It could not be manufactured.  It could not be maintained.  Our salvation is a gift from God.  True gifts are not earned.  They are simply given.  Sometimes they are deserving, but when it comes to salvation, this great gift was not deserved.  It was given none the less. 
There is never a need for us to get 'high and mighty' about who we are in Christ.  All of it has been given to us undeservedly.

So the question is: How do you respond to such a gift?  You respond with gratitude....gratitude that is shown in how we live our lives, how we grow in Christ, how we work on His Behalf.  Paul put it this way in Ephesians 2.8-10- For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Now, let's live this day as we should all days, with gratitude toward God, and showing that thankfulness in our testimony of Christ that we build by doing good works, saying good things, and leaving good marks everywhere we go.

Keeping It In Perspective

Two things that you ought to keep in mind today.  It will help you keep everything in perspective.
Both were found as I was reading Romans today (www.lifejournal.cc). 
The first is found in Romans 13.7-  Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Try your best not to owe anybody anything...whether it is taxes or honor...don't you love that.  I guess in some ways we always owe others something.  We just don't need to be negligent with it.

Do you feel defeated today?  If you are in Christ, you should not.  Listen to Romans 16.20- The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  Don't be overwhelmed today by Satan's ploys.  We win in Christ!  Hang on to that promise!

And have a blessed day...owing no one anything....

Let's Worship

Will you worship with me?  Worship is more than just attending 'services' together....much more.  Notice what Paul says in Romans 12.1-2- I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

There is a lot to worship.  There might even be more than you have ever thought of.

Worship is a lifestyle.  An hour or two or three on Sunday is limited in how much it can do to revolutionize our life.   Sunday morning worship ought to be the cherry on top instead of the whole sundae.  Worship is something that we do everyday.  When Christians spend daily time with God in His Word and in prayer and then come together for the sole purpose of worshiping with other believers- Katy bar the door!  God moves in such as that!  The effectiveness of corporate worship, however, often depends on the life that comes with the attender.

Worship is a mindset. Notice Paul tells us not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing our minds in the Lord.  We need to have a Christian mindset that will stand up in the midst of a world that does not agree.  We need to have a steady mindset on Christ in a world with evershifting morals and values.  Worship is standing against the tides of the evil one's everchanging strategies.

Worship is a practice.  The more you do it, the better you get at it.  Spend time with God daily.  Don't give up.  The more you do it, the better you get at it.  Refocus your mind throughout the day back upon the Lord.  Allow Him to transform you everyday.  Don't give up. The more you do it, the better you get at it.  Come to worship this morning.  Don't conform to the pattern of others, but let God speak and move in your life leading you to worship Him without limitations.  Go ahead...you will influence others.  The more you do it, the better you get at it! 

Let's worship today!  Not just sing some songs and hear a sermon, but truly worship. 

A Christmas Season Delivery

Romans 7.24-25  -Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (www.lifejournal.cc)

The only hope I have today for victory is in Christ.  The only hope that YOU have today for victory is in Christ.  Focus on Him today instead of the things that so easily entangle us. 

His Delivery is one that will make a season right....a life right!  Have a great one!