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Wednesday, September 4th, 2024
For over a decade the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a ratings juggernaut. Iron Man. Captain America. Spider Man. Ant Man. The Hulk. Thor. Captain Marvel. The Avengers. And more. They seemed like an unstoppable force. Like all fads, however, they got old. Creativity sometimes goes downhill. Sometimes the crowd changes. Sometimes “watch fatigue” sets in. The man behind MCU was a smiling man wearing sunglasses who always had some type of cameo in the movie. His name was Stan Lee. Stan had a personal catch-phrase he used to sign off with in his monthly columns in Marvel comics for decades-the word excelsior. If you look up excelsior in the dictionary it has quite a history. Here is a brief explanation of its history:
Onward and Upward With Excelsior. In 1778 the state of New York adopted a coat of arms incorporating the motto “Excelsior,” Latin for “Higher.” Decades later, the motto sparked the imagination of the young Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and in 1842 he used it as the title of an allegorical poem of doomed idealism. (Merriam-Webster).
That is an interesting use of a term by Stan Lee. I have no clue whether he was a Christ-follower or not, that is not my purpose in this post. Instead, I prefer to take that word excelsior and apply it to the life of the Christ-follower. Stan once tweeted, “Upward and onward to greater glory! That’s what I wish you whenever I finish tweeting! Excelsior!” Again, I don’t know Stan’s eternal state, but those words strike a chord with me. Is that not what the Christian walk is all about? Upward and onward? Is that not what the Apostle Paul was expressing when he said, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things (to know Christ, the power of His resurrection and experience the power of His resurrection from verses 10-11) or that I have already reached perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and received the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling me.” (Phil. 3:12-14) (The previously mentioned verses 10-11 were also from Phil. 3).
All that growth is possible because of what Paul also writes in Colossians 2:7: “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Upward and onward happens when we go downward and deeper. I was recently talking to someone who was having to replace fence posts because the original were not placed deep enough and were breaking off. The same principle applies to a Christ-follower. Can you imagine the Empire State Building still standing if it had been built with a standard footer used to build a house? Think Leaning Tower of Pisa. For the follower of Christ He is our firm foundation. He is the rock on which we stand. Psalm 71:3 says, “Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.”
Where are you planted today? Remember Excelsior, but also remember that happening relies on your foundation.
{Note: All Scripture is from the New Living Translation}
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God's Plan, God's Word, Grounded deep, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Moving forward, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Wednesday, August 21st, 2024
I’m thinking this morning about control. In a moment I’ll tell you why, but first let’s consider what I mean.
Control can be seen in a variety of ways-both good and bad:
- An employer “controls” the atmosphere at work by the way an employee(s) are treated.
- A parent “controls” the behavior of a child by certain “rules of the house” that are to be obeyed.
- A teacher “controls” the classroom by threats or by a little black book with check marks for daily actions.
- A coach “controls” the team by extra practice or punishment for work not done or plays not run.
- Churches or pastors “control” their church by rules and regulations.
It is the latter that concerns me. Last night I spent considerable time on the phone with a couple struggling with the legalism and “control tactics” of his parents. Scriptures taken out of context were being used to demean and undermine them and their marriage. The parents live several states away and belong to a cult that uses control to force submission on people. Hence the control tactics of the parents. The details are not important at the moment but suffice it to say that laying the guilt on thick is one of their tactics. Rules and regulations taken out of context are used to manipulate control over others. They were seeking guidance on how to handle the newest slam by the parents.
One characteristic of control is a pastor or a church using rules and regulations of their own making to control the narrative. If they can get a person to live up to their rules-go to church, tithe, dress a certain way, etc-the control factor is big. Sadly, a person’s commitment to Christ is judged on keeping their rules. What they really have is law, not grace. What we really have is a perversion of the Gospel.
Jesus once said, “These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” (Mk.7:6-6 NLT) (And yes, I am a heretic because I didn’t quote the King James Bible).
All Jesus said was “Love me first.” That’s it! Love Him first. Not “Keep these rules and I will know you love me.” Love Him first. ‘Nuff said.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Church, God's Word, Legalism, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look
Wednesday, August 14th, 2024
The gift of forgiveness is one of, if not the greatest gift we can give someone…AND OURSELVES.
Many years ago I was meeting with a group of elders in a public restaurant. Another man had asked if he could join us and one of the men said Yes. After a chatty and lighthearted lunch, this man man launched into a vindictive and accusatory castigation of me and my ministry. He asked accusatory questions (not moral ones) about my time and what I did with it. (I did not answer him since it was none of his business). More questions. And then his coup de grace was telling me I should resign and move back to Ohio. Then, as was his modus operandi after a making a scene, he got up and left. I was not the only one who sat in stunned silence. I broke the ice and simple asked one question, a question that would seal what I would decide to do. I asked them if they agreed with him and did they want me to resign. “If you do,” I said, “You have my resignation today. I will not work with men who do not support me. I will not put up with such groundless accusations.” To a man they said, “No.” They all felt he was way off base and the man who approved him coming apologized never expecting that. They proved it the next meeting when he showed up (thanks to the yes from the same man who thought he was going to apologize). Instead, he came loaded for bear and made the same proposition: “Move back to Ohio where you belong.” They said after he left (again the same way), “Absolutely not.”
Several factors came into play. First, he was ticked off that his proposed building project that would have cost in the $5-600k range was rejected by the leadership. (Good thing too since factors soon took place that changed the trajectory of our direction).
Second, and more importantly, what was I going to do? You may find this hard to believe but I chose the path of forgiveness. I have seen enough lives ruined by refusing to forgive than I care to talk about. Marriages have crumbled; friendships have fallen apart never to be repaired; churches split; physical infirmities as a result of holding a grudge; all as a result of refusing to forgive.
I chose to forgive. I greeted him with outstretched hand and a smile. I asked him to help out with things (but was turned down). Why? Not because I’m a super saint. Far from it. My natural instinct was to defend myself. Instead, I tried to practice Colossians 3:12-13- “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Was I perfect in it? Nope. There were times I struggled with my anger and emotions. There were times I wanted to tell others and have them defend me, i.e. boost my ego. I also knew this: the failure to forgive makes us that person’s slave. They own us. We hurt no one but ourselves when we refuse to forgive.
I have no idea how he feels, even to this day. But I know how I feel. Not vindicated. Not holier-than-thou. I do feel peace. I am not suffering from poor health from holding a grudge. And I do know Jesus stands even taller in my eyes when I read that He said, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” He had it much rougher than me, that’s for sure.
What about you? Are you carrying a grudge you need to dump? Are you seeking to get even? Dump it. Excuse my French: IT. AIN’T. WORTH. IT!
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Forgiveness, God's Plan, God's Word, Grace, Humility, Jesus, Love, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Wednesday, July 31st, 2024
I have met people who feel they are too far gone to be useful to God or for God’s work.
“Oh Pastor Bill. You don’t know how bad I’ve been. You don’t know what I’ve done. I’m too far gone and God could never forgive me for what I have done.” A similar thought is them asking me if they could be forgiven.
There’s truth and false in that statement. It is (most likely) true that I don’t know what they have done (but in the course of the conversation will probably be told). The false part of that statement is the biggest mistake of all: that he or she has done something so big and so bad that God cannot forgive.
Let me put it very clearly: NO. ONE. IS. OUT. OF. THE. REACH. OF. GOD’S. LOVE. AND. FORGIVENESS. I could repeat that statement but you get the drift. NO MATTER how far down we have gone; no matter how far out we have strayed; no matter how bad we feel we have acted; no matter how far we feel we have drifted; God’s love is greater.
The Apostle Paul put it this way: “I pray from His glorious unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wise, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.” (Eph. 3:16-19 NLT)
My emphasis whenever I read that passage is on that phrase “how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.” The reality is I cannot know. You cannot know. What I DO know is that His love was wide enough, long enough, high enough and deep enough until it included me.
May you know and be aware of the magnificence and reach of God’s love today.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Forgiveness, God, God's Love, God's Word, Jesus, Love, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story
Thursday, July 18th, 2024
I am posting this later than I usually do. I got to the office at 5:00 as I normally do and all the power was out-all the businesses, stoplights, etc. So I went back home until I called the business next to us and she said they had full power. I apologize for being late.
I have written often about our speech and the power of the tongue. I think we all know of that danger. While I had another idea percolating in my head this morning, I was overwhelmed by what I found in Proverbs 18. I’ll write the Scripture out for you here in order to make it easier, but I’d like to suggest that you read your own Bible and highlight the following verses:
“Wise words are like deep water; wisdom blows from the wise like a bubbling brook.” (verse 4)
“Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating.” (verse 6
“The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.” (verse 7)
“Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.” (verse 8) {Note: we all know how rumors get passed on}
“Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” (verse 13)
“Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction.” (verse 20)
“The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” (verse 21)
“The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults.” (verse 23)
And then to top if off I also read from Matthew 12 this morning: “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” (verses 34-37)
That just closes the book on the seriousness of our words. Listen up! Be careful today (and always) of the words you say.
{All Scripture from the New Living Translation}
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Speech, Weighing Words
Wednesday, July 17th, 2024
Sometimes we simply make things too complicated (note play on words). 🙂 That is especially true when we talk to people about Jesus.
I was reading this morning in Matthew 11. It starts with John’s question to Jesus. John is in a dungeon (and will soon be beheaded) and while languishing in that dungeon his despair got the best of him. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the One (the Messiah) they were expecting or should they keep on looking? While it would be easy to “get all over” John for his seeming lack of faith, Jesus does no such thing. Instead, He says, “‘Go back and tell him what you have heard and seen-the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.’ And He added, ‘God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.'” (verses 4-6) In other words, the proof is in the pudding. Jesus was indeed here and the works just described are proof.
I’d like to “spiritualize” for a moment because I’m not sure this is a viable use of Scripture. As I said at the beginning, sometimes we make things way too complicated when talking to others about Jesus. Instead of laying out all the historical facts about Jesus; the cruel death on the cross proven by Roman historians; the historical truth of His resurrection; and proof He is the Messiah; and other subjects, unless they ask for all the above, the best proof we have is the proof of a changed life. Mine. Yours. Someone you know. “Once I was blind but now I see. Once I was lost but now I am found.” There is something beautiful about those simple words.
Don’t be too complicated when talking about Jesus. Share the simple story of a life changed by the marvelous grace of Jesus. People may be belligerent, and ready to argue even with the facts presented, but they can’t argue with a changed life. Not when it is staring right at them. That is the Good News people need to hear!
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God's Plan, God's Word, Grace, Jesus, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story, Testimony
Monday, June 24th, 2024
“Welcome to Pioneer Days.”
Those were the words I greeted people with yesterday. No, we didn’t have a dress-up Sunday. And no, Jesse James, Wild Bill, or any other cowboy came to visit. What made it like Pioneer Days was at 8:00 am
THE POWER WENT OUT.
I haven’t heard the exact cause although I have heard of a tree across a power line a few miles down the road, but then I heard of others who didn’t have power. One lives a good 10-15 miles from the church building and another lives a little over two the opposite direction. The people at the first service were real troopers and so we soldiered on. We sang with minimum instrumentation. We sang without the words on the screen (Power Point). I preached holding a little light in my hand so I could see my notes and Bible (that was weird). And by the time we were done the temperature and humidity in the building had become a sauna-like existence. It was so bad that even those who always come up to speak to me afterwards or to give me a hug left without doing either. I told someone I sure am glad I used deodorant and body spray! 🙂 Gail spoke to me. She said, “It used to be we didn’t have A/C in our houses and survived. Now we can barely function without it.” (Comments paraphrased). She’s right you know?
I am really proud of the folks from OVCF. I do feel bad for the first-time visitors we had. But then again, they did see us “trooper on.”
Back to my opening comment. It sure makes one wonder how in the world they did it back in Pioneer Days. No air. No fans. No electricity. Maybe because of that they could better manage a day like yesterday. Hot, humid, with temps in the 80s-90s. But we survived without power instruments. Without Power Point. Without air. Without lights. Without fans. I knew those bulletins we use are more than just to make our Bibles look thick. 🙂 Oh…five minutes after I gave the benediction the power came back on in time for a cool down for the second service.
Thankfully, our worship is not dependent on modern conveniences to be worship. Simple. Singularly focused. God-honoring. That is all we had…but that was enough.
{Note: There will be no meditation tomorrow. For a belated birthday present, we are taking Tami to see her beloved Atlanta Braves (cough cough) see the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis. We will be leaving this morning (Monday) and returning tomorrow. Your prayers for a safe trip would be appreciated). One good thing: I am wearing Pittsburgh Pirate shirt. 🙂 }
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Church, God's Plan, God's Word, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Worship
Thursday, June 20th, 2024
Jeremiah fought for all he was worth! No, not a UFC no-holds-barred kind of fight. Unless you are talking about a spiritual battle.
In Jeremiah 1:17-19 we find these words: “Get up and prepare for action…Do not be afraid of them. For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall…They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (I wrote about that in my June 18th post). But that was just the beginning. In 7:1-8:3, we find one of the biggest issues Jeremiah has to fight through: faulty religion. Strangely enough, what Jeremiah had to fight with is not a lot different than today.
Here is a short analysis:
- Faulty religion trusts in external observances and institutions. Too many today think going to church, maybe lifting their hands, or putting money in the coffer is all they need to do. Trouble is: one can do all of that, and more, without one bit of heart.
- Faulty religion exhibits ungodly behavior. I remember joking as a teenager with my classmates who were of a certain religion. They could party Friday night, go to church on Saturday morning and take care of things, then “go parking” on Saturday night and feel as thought they were alright. After all, they had “done their duty.” There is something wrong with that picture.
- Faulty religion turns its back on God instructions. Jer. 7:13 says, “While you were doing these wicked things, says the Lord, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but your refused to answer.” (NLT). How often do we do “our own thing”? God’s Word is seen as a killjoy to our lifestyle.
It’s easy to allow what could and should be a vibrant, alive, and life-changing faith to become old or even misdirected. Let’s challenge ourselves to not allow our faith to become an outward thing but to be a “heart thing.”
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God, God's Word, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Religion, Scripture look, Sin, Spiritual battle, Story
Wednesday, June 19th, 2024
In my daily reading through the New Testament, I have hit the book of Revelation. Ironically, I will finish a series of preaching on Revelation during the months of July and August. I’m not bragging. I started it in January of 2023. Yes, you read that right. 2023! 🙂 I interrupted it a lot but decided I need to finish it. Anyway…I read chapters 2 & 3 yesterday and today. If I had a guess I would say those two chapters may be the most preached-on section of Revelation.
Those two chapters contain the letters to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Here is a short synopsis:
- All have a pastor- “The the angel of church…”
- All but one (Laodicea) have something good said about them.
- Two have good but no wrong said about them (Smyrna and Philadelphia)
- All are fighting false teachers/teachings except Sardis and Laodicea.
I would suspect Laodicea hits us the hardest in our day and age. “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other. But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Rev. 3:15-16 (NLT)
When I cycle, I carry two insulated bottles on my bike. One is filled with water; the other is filled with some type of electrolyte drink. I freeze them ahead of time so I have a cold drink on the ride. Every once in a while I will misjudge the water thawing. The electrolyte replacement drink gets consumed first, then comes the water. But occasionally, the water has lost its ice and is lukewarm. I tell myself, “At least its wet,” but it is blah and so unsatisfying I can’t wait to finish and get a real drink of cold, fresh water.
The letter to the church at Ephesus was not a compliment, it was a judgment. But with the judgment comes a reminder: “Get with the program. Stop faking it. Stop riding the fence. I’m knocking asking you to let me in. If you do, and set your heart on me, I’ll be glad to have you join Me at a meal.”
To sit with Him at a meal, to chat with Him; to discuss life with Him, sounds really good! I think I’ll take Him up on His offer to catch fire.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Word, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Surrender
Wednesday, June 12th, 2024
My morning Encounter Time included reading Psalm 77. As I read and highlighted a thought developed and as I pursued it, it became clearer. It is not profound but I share it with you this morning. I’d like to ask you to open your Bible to Psalm 77 and read each section as I have delineated and then formulate your own thoughts.
The problem we face: Psalm 77:1-3
The questions that linger: Psalm 77:4-9
The scenario we replay: Psalm 77:10-12
The answer we remember: Psalm 77:13-15
Whether we are talking whatever B.C. (when this psalm was written) or 2024 A.D., times haven’t really changed. After listening to people say the Bible is outdated and not applicable to today’s world, I chuckle when I run across a passage like this and realize how contemporary it is. The problem, the questions, or the scenario hasn’t really changed. But most importantly, the ANSWER hasn’t changed. And that I can “take to the bank.”
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Tags: Christian Living, God, God's Plan, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Suffering, Trials
