Repeat

 

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Psalm 119:105-112

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.  I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again:  I will obey your righteous regulations.  I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised.  Lord, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations.  My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions.  The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments.  Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.  I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.

There is an expression most of us have used when we recognize a truth we have learned and relearned, and want to share:  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again!  The Psalmist’s companion to that is I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again….

One of the chief slams against “church” is the repetitive nature of worship.  Songs, prayers, and all sorts of rituals are repeated.  Even sermons (oh my!) are repeated.  But, as always, when you examine the reason behind the practice, you once again must conclude differently than first glance…the repetition works!  Consider the athelete who gets up early every morning to hit the track, the gym, the road, the punching bag, the batting cage, the tee box.  In every sport, business, human habit, or relationship, what we have done before helps memory help us do it again…and better (hopefully).

Now, I’ve said this before, so I have the memory bytes to say it again, what is true in the physical realm, is often reality in the spiritual realm.  That is certainly not a stretch when comparing creating the memory of a good golf swing, so you can repeat it the next time.  The goal in golf is to have the same swing, so you achieve a dependable, desired result.  The boxer slamming his fists into the workout dummy is teaching his body how to use maximum force to damage his opponent.  If it’s true that practice makes perfect, we understand the reason why school is important, and many hours in a flight simulator is important, and why the discipline of a strong devotional life is important…even listening to sermons.

Check that out in the Psalmist’s life:

          ·       He Promised:  I will obey your righteous regulations.  

          ·       He Prayed:  I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised.  

          ·       He Praised:  Lord, accept my offering of praise,

          ·       He Prepared:  teach me your regulations.  

          ·       He Prospered:  Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.  

And here’s the bottom line – in all the repetition of the Scriptures, even in the monotony of the begets, where you learn the unpronouncable names of obscure, ancient families, there is deep wisdom to be had.  But, as James says, if you just glance at it, and never do the reps of committing it to memory, as well as putting it in practice in your life by obeying the Word, it will pass through your mind, and slip away like a fading mist.

But don’t just listen to God’s word.  You must do what it says.  Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  James 1:22-24

God’s Word is like shampoo in that sense; if you want it to do any good at all you’ve got to grab the bottle, pour it out, lather it in good, rinse off anything leftover, and, (do I need to say it?)…repeat!

Let’s Pray Together:

Father, when we get a little too bored with worship, help us to remember this image that our worship, study, and obedience, even in the small things, are like shampooing regularly; it may be tedious, but our lives will shine.

For You Today

I’m still in love with what I heard the African American preacher tell us preachers at a conference about how he goes about helping the repeat/learning skills of his congregation:

When I preach a sermon, I preach it three times:

·       I tell ‘em what I’m gonna tell ‘em…then…

·       I tell ‘em…then…

·       I tell ‘em what I tol’ ‘em!

Got it? …. or should I repeat?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO                                                                                                                  

Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For other posts on Psalm 119 see God's Word; Light for My Path - Lamp for My Feet and                              The Light On My Path

Reaction Time

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Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth!  Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.  Psalm 86:11^(NLT)

Third base is affectionately known as the hot corner.  When a right-handed hitter hits a screamer at the third baseman there isn’t much time to think; you simply react.  You react according to the coaching you’ve received and the training you’ve done.  I know this from some painful and embarrassing experience!  The embarrassing experience came in a high school game against our arch rival.  Their third baseman launched a rocket off his bat that kissed the ground as it skipped right between my feet and into the outfield!  I was frozen in time; hardly saw it!  The painful experience was years later in a church softball game.  One of our board members hit a preacher-seeking missile towards third base.  Unlike the one in high school, this one found its target, my right ankle.  The blood clot that ensued meant three days in the hospital.  Never did find out why that board member didn’t like me!

Much like the action/reaction nature of sports are the moral and ethical dilemmas of this life which come at you broadside, blind-side and all-sides.  David prayed for God to teach him God’s ways so he could make decisions that were according to God’s truth.   He wanted a clean heart, pure enough so he would recognize the blackness of sin when confronted with a choice between righteousness and evil.

That’s a good prayer, but how does that play out in real time?

Several ways:

·       In school – you have a teacher who is loose on security, so you’re tempted to cheat on that chemistry test because you didn’t study.

·       At work – you underestimated the cost of that project, but you could make up the shortfall by getting sub-standard materials that would be buried; nobody would know.

·       Shopping – the clerk didn’t realize she had put a $100 bill in with the $1’s and she gave it to you by mistake with your change.

There are something like twenty-six gazillion other possibilities that can swamp you in a wave of unethical, immoral, and unlawful temptations.  And the worst are those which come silently and quickly, with little time to think. 

That’s why you pray David’s prayer early for God to teach your heart His ways, so when the reaction time calls for an immediate decision, it will be the ways of God’s truth that win the day. 

For You Today

A pure heart stays pure when you let God’s ways handle the hot ones that come from broadside, blind-side, and all sides.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

NOTES

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[i] Title Image: Pixabay.com

For Such a Time As This - Part 2

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Thursday, October 27, 2016

If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?  Esther 4:14^(NLT)

America's Parallel with Israel; Moral and Spiritual Decline

America’s political existence, power and prestige among the nations of the earth are a by-product of spiritual strength consistent with the founding of the land of the free and home of the brave.  The French poet Alexis de Tocqueville came to America in the early 19^th century to find the key to the new nation’s greatness; he wrote: 

Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.  America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!"

HAS AMERICA CEASED TO BE GOOD?        

In Edward Gibbon's The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire he lists five paths that so-called indestructible society followed which, unquestionably, led to its' crumbling:

1. The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home.

In days gone by, the children of America could typically expect a Mother and Father to be married, be faithful, and be there.  The crisis of the home and family in America is enough to make one agree with Thomas Jefferson who said:  Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.       

2. Increasing taxes and spending of public money for bread and circuses

America is now less characterized by the "working-man ethic” than the caricature of the human orchard pig.  Farmers turn their pigs loose in peach orchards to eat the windfalls.  All day long the pigs sit in the shade with one ear to the ground, waiting for a peach to fall off the tree.  When it does, they waddle over, eat it, and plop down in that very spot until the wind knocks another one out of the tree. 

3. The mad craze for pleasure, with sports becoming more exciting and more brutal.

If this is not a sports-crazed society we will never see one.  Violent movies, violence oriented child pornography, computer war games...America?  Rome?

4. The building of gigantic armaments, when the real enemy is the decadence of the people.

The downsizing of our military is a misnomer when you ask the question:  How many fingers does it take to push a nuclear-missile launch button?

5. The decay of religion, with faith fading into mere form.

Many of our candidates have a November spirituality that reveals a January carnality.  Newsweek magazine reported in 1989 on a sting operation to uncover graft in New York.  Rudy Giulliani, then New York's U.S. Attorney made the following report: 

On 106 occasions, bribes were offered or discussed.  On 105 of those occasions, the public official involved accepted the bribe.  And on the other occasion, he turned it down because he didn't think the amount was large enough.

Many of our contemporary church members have joined themselves to the culture rather than the Christ.  The carnality of church members in America has weakened the influence of the body of Christ in society.  Consistently the courts are making anti-Christian rulings. 

The culture in America thumbs its collective noses at the bride of Christ.  Like Haman they construct their gallows for the few who have the character of Mordecai to stand against ungodliness in our generation. 

For You Today

Tomorrow we will look at the Christian response to a crumbling culture.  Perhaps it is God’s plan that the church was made for such a time as this.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

NOTES

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[i] Title Images: Edwin Long [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Holy Huddle

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Monday, March 14, 2016

VIDEO

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.   Hebrews 10:24-25^(NLT)

…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  Hebrews 12:1^(NLT) 

If Paul was the author of this letter to the Hebrew Christians, then he was returning to one of his favorite metaphors – sports!  As a Roman citizen, Paul was naturally exposed to athletic games, and he used this common ground of boxing, running, racing and competition to help reach people for Christ in the Greco-Roman culture.

One of the key elements of team competition is the huddle before the next play.  The team decides how they will work together to defeat their opponent and win the prize. 

“Breaking the huddle” is more than a matter of getting ready to execute the plan in the heat of battle – it is also the encouragement ritual Paul was talking about.  I recall little about the details of high school football games in which I participated, but I remember vividly how the huddle was always the familiar place of plans and pats on the back.  There’s nothing better than the mutual assurance that you’re in this together; the other team members have your back and the struggle and victory will be shared. 

But there’s nothing worse than a team where that camaraderie and confidence has been shattered.  There is little hope for a team that doesn’t work together.

The church’s worship and training are subject to the same competitive issues as team sports.  Of course the “huddle” of worship and Bible study is a holy huddle – or should be.  By that I mean, of course, that the subject matter is holy, giving praise and adoration to our God.  Working on plans to move forward in spreading the Gospel is like having the quarterback call the plays and direct the team’s movements.  We gather together in the holy huddle to train, plan and encourage one another towards that moment when we “break the huddle” to put the plans in motion. 

We get in the game!  The bell sounds for the next round.  The umpire calls, play ball!  The referee blows the whistle – and the team leaps into action.

There is a time when the planning, training and even encouraging must give way to the doing of playing the game.  There comes a time when the trigger must be pulled!

Imagine a team that meets daily, does warm-ups and body-conditioning, studies the playbook together, practices the rudiments of the game – but never plays a game.  It’s all been about the gathering, planning, practice, hugs, and going home. 

That kind of team may produce sports writers and critics…but none will ever wear a championship ring!

Paul, at the end of his days and ministry, could look back and say with a clear conscience:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  2 Timothy 4:7^(NLT)

Paul played to win – and he had his share of victory dances.  But, for Paul it was all about faithfully getting in the game, doing his best, and letting God have the glory.

For You Today

Think about your church’s holy huddle this past weekend. 

Did you be train to do something other than just head for the BBQ place at noon? 

When is game time for your team this week?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…and have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  By English: Staff Sgt. Christopher Griffin, via Wikimedia Commons

Say It Ain't So, Joe

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Thursday, June 4, 2015

Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.  Proverbs 11:3 ^(NLT)

Say it ain’t so, Joe was a phrase made famous for fallen heroes like Shoeless Joe Jackson, those whose reputations suffered because of the less-than-honest ways they made that reputation.  Shoeless Joe and the 1919 Chicago WhiteSox reportedly conspired to “throw” the World Series that year, causing 9 of the team members to be banned from baseball for life.

Professional sports and scandal are certainly old friends.

I know a little less than nothing about FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), but many news outlets are reporting this week on the scandal. 

According to the BBC[2], It seems a number of top level officials of the FIFA group that controls soccer’s “superbowl,” The World Cup, are under indictment for corruption, including ten million dollar bribes to fix where the next big event will be held; it’s the kind of intrigue which would make the court of Henry the 8^th proud.

Now, I’m a working-class guy, and in America football is played with helmets, huddles, audibles and lots of grunting.  I’m not sure where the line got crossed when we named our game "football"….European football (soccer) has been around a lot longer…and is a lot bigger on the world scene than the NFL.

Worldwide, however, the “scandal list[3]” is not short; start with:

       ·        Shoeless Joe Jackson and the White Sox in 1919

       ·        Mark McGwire’s 70 steroid home runs in 1998

       ·        Lance Armstrong’s 7 consecutive drug-driven Tour de France titles

       ·        World-class figure skater Tonya Harding paying a thug to break fellow skater Nancy     

              Kerrigan’s leg so she couldn’t compete against her in the ’92 Olympics

       ·        Ben Johnson’s drug-enhanced world sprinting records

       ·        Boxing, Horse racing, UFC (sorry Drew) and Stock cars…, well…enough said!

Back to the scandal of the hour at FIFA; it’s not unusual to find corruption in an organization.  If there’s big money at stake, there will always be those who will find a way to get more than their fair share.

This is as old as the serpent’s plot in the Garden of Eden to take God’s place (which was a LOT more than HIS share!

What really tweaks me is the trickle-down tarnish that comes out of this stuff.  You take a ball and a kid who likes to kick a ball, and run until he’s exhausted…a completely wholesome, body-building, character-building, mind-cleansing activity….dress it up with flashy uniforms, sports gloves and nets…put up gazillion-watt lights for night games, turn on the cameras, and pay for it all with beer commercials…and, voilà – the innocence of childhood disappears, as the money-grabbers kick into high gear!

And for what?  16 minutes of fame on Youtube or David Letterman? 

Is that what selling our childhood innocence (and the resultant non-existance of adulthood integrity) is worth?

Pass!

For You Today

If you have a tendency to grab for the brass ring in your trip on life’s merry-go-round, I really don’t want to rain on your parade; I would only suggest you study carefully what the end result will be, and what you have to do to wind up on top.

Once you’ve done that, measure what you’ve found against what your LORD said in His Sermon on the Mount:

 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  Matthew 6:33 ^(NLT)

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[1] Title image: By Charles M Conlon (Mears Auctions), via Wikimedia Commons

[2] See the BBC Sports News Report:  Who are the indicted Fifa officials?

[3] See Wikipedia List of Sporting Scandals