The last three columns I have wrote about life in difficult times. I could guess and say that most folks don’t want to talk about difficult times. We had all rather focus on positive things, happy times, and not the trying moments of life. Difficult times get the “bad rap” and the assumption is that nothing good can come from difficult events, or difficult situations. Most people accept as fact that peer pressure is bad. I don’t believe that to be true but nevertheless many would agree with that statement that peer pressure is bad without ever considering that peer pressure can be positive too.
For example, inviting someone to church is pressure and calling to ask someone to join you in attending a women’s conference or a men’s meeting is peer pressure, but its positive pressure. We think of peer pressure as negative and most examples would be asking someone to drink alcoholic beverages, taking drugs or jus staying out a “partying” all night long. It is generally accepted as fact that if you are out late at night it cannot be good. You are up to mischief, or simply said, “no good”. While this could be true, the opposite could also be true, but this is not the considered possibility.
Changing our thoughts and positions is not easy, but giving way to possibilities is important and being willing to look at things in new views is also a key to being able to press forward through difficult times. The scripture says that “all things are possible through Jesus Christ”, and I believe acceptance of that position give us a chance to change things. I’ve mentioned change and that’s a bad word in most churches not to mention the other bad language, looking at things differently. A famous quote from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is: “If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always gotten”. When it comes to truth in statements, I don’t know how you can spread more truth or honestly in a single statement. Yes, we want things to change, but we are not willing to do anything to help that change happen. We all want to see the best occur in our lives, but we don’t believe this can happen unless it happens the way we want things to happen. Talk about being narrow minded, hard to be more set in a negative way then this huh?
Writing this column, addressing this issue of difficult times is not easy. I feel qualified to address this subject matter because of the experiences I have in life. I believe I make life look because I smile and I am not someone that generally complains. I must share that life is good because I have hope and faith, and this causes me to be able to smile and not complain. Have I experienced difficult times, absolutely. Have I had crushing moments and situations, yes totally. Do I believe I have always been treated fairly? No, and forgiving is not the easiest Christian trait to practice. I can say that forgiving will set you free and that freedom allows you to stand back up after being knocked down.
Difficult times will eventually make it to your door steps. Difficult times will arrive via the mail or through a phone call. Prepare today for challenging moments that will stretch and pull your emotions, and beliefs. When you wonder what the best answer will be I can make a suggestion that has proven true for me. In difficult times Galatians 6:9 works for me. “Don’t grow weary in doing good, for in due season you will reap if you faint not”.
Until then
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
In difficult times....go back
In difficult times there are many considerations that must be made. Making decisions and choosing directions can become complicated without a base to measure all things against. Witnessing the choices of individuals is not always easy. Every choice has a reaction by others and all our decisions have consequences. Sometimes people believe that their life is theirs to live and they do so without respect to anyone around them. Others live their lives with high regards as to what others think and believe, yet they still find themselves held in low regards and respect by others.
Finding the base in which one can measure their decisions from is not easy with all the options available today. We can use our friends, or we can value theories and philosophies for just a few of our available options. The problem I have discovered in my search for that foundation to use for measuring decisions against is the failure in those choices to even pan out. That failure causes you to stop believing and it creates an atmosphere that leads you to believe the negative side of life is final and the only choice is to just survive and accept things as they are.
If you have discovered yourself in this condition of accepting things without hope for a change that would bring about your dreams and hopes, then please continue to read…there is a safe base. Most people who consider themselves to be on the downside of life and her experiences don’t like to talk about spiritual things because they already feel let down. Often they believe Jesus was going to fix everything that was wrong in their life, or that Jesus was going to deliver them from some experience they dreaded and they have never forgiven Him for that happening. Most people who consider themselves to be on the upside of life, with all her many pleasures consider they actually are a benefit to Jesus because of who they are, and in so doing they miss totally the only base we can truly trust.
Ministry has been a blessing for me. It’s the daily opportunity to share my experiences and to help others who are attempting to discover that base from which we can spring board our lives forward. The greatest thing I discovered in my base line of faith is that Jesus Christ provides me with options of restoration, grace and mercy. This I have not discovered in my other options I once thought to be the savior—if you will. The difficult times we have in life is that we are automatically going to make errors and wrong decisions that will have consequences and reactions that we would wish to avoid. That is life, but there is an answer and it can only be found in the only sure base from which we can positively evaluate our lives from.
In difficult times…the answer is Jesus Christ. When you have lost all faith and hope you must revisit the base that you believed once worked. The great news is that the spot where you last remembered His presence, He remains there still. Your journey is simple. Just go back to that spot and you will again discover the base you need is still working.
Until then
Finding the base in which one can measure their decisions from is not easy with all the options available today. We can use our friends, or we can value theories and philosophies for just a few of our available options. The problem I have discovered in my search for that foundation to use for measuring decisions against is the failure in those choices to even pan out. That failure causes you to stop believing and it creates an atmosphere that leads you to believe the negative side of life is final and the only choice is to just survive and accept things as they are.
If you have discovered yourself in this condition of accepting things without hope for a change that would bring about your dreams and hopes, then please continue to read…there is a safe base. Most people who consider themselves to be on the downside of life and her experiences don’t like to talk about spiritual things because they already feel let down. Often they believe Jesus was going to fix everything that was wrong in their life, or that Jesus was going to deliver them from some experience they dreaded and they have never forgiven Him for that happening. Most people who consider themselves to be on the upside of life, with all her many pleasures consider they actually are a benefit to Jesus because of who they are, and in so doing they miss totally the only base we can truly trust.
Ministry has been a blessing for me. It’s the daily opportunity to share my experiences and to help others who are attempting to discover that base from which we can spring board our lives forward. The greatest thing I discovered in my base line of faith is that Jesus Christ provides me with options of restoration, grace and mercy. This I have not discovered in my other options I once thought to be the savior—if you will. The difficult times we have in life is that we are automatically going to make errors and wrong decisions that will have consequences and reactions that we would wish to avoid. That is life, but there is an answer and it can only be found in the only sure base from which we can positively evaluate our lives from.
In difficult times…the answer is Jesus Christ. When you have lost all faith and hope you must revisit the base that you believed once worked. The great news is that the spot where you last remembered His presence, He remains there still. Your journey is simple. Just go back to that spot and you will again discover the base you need is still working.
Until then
Sunday, February 28, 2010
In difficult times...who do you trust?
When I think about all the questions I have been asked in life, one question comes to my mind as more important then others. That one question is, “In whom do you place your trust”? There are many great politically correct answers an individual could share. Depending upon the context the questioned is asked would have some barring as to the answer. Just imagine you are facing an unknown path. Imagine you have been struggling for help looking for answers but you have yet to discover what you believe you are looking for. So who do you trust in those types of situations?
I answered that very first question with a very simple three letter word, I said God. God to me is Jesus Christ. He is the one I trust when I don’t know the direction to go or turn and He is the one I trust when I am standing still listening for the answer to come. Jesus Christ is the one I place my trust in when I have been butting my head up against a wall because everything I do seems to be wrong and nothing I do seems to ever work out. This situation can be frustrating and it may very well make you want to quit, stop believing and just go and hide. The discipline of placing your trust in Jesus is easy at the beginning of that relationship with Him, but when you get some of life’s adult experiences under your belt and you get that bitter taste in your mouth that’s when the question becomes one that matters for your daily steps of faith.
As a pastor and minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I know that not everyone likes me. Not everyone likes positions I have taken on issues, or things I believe should be the daily practice of those professing the name of Christ. Sometimes you don’t even have to say a single word as some individuals will not like you because of where you are from, who you married, or even the friends you have. People don’t like others because of the types of automobiles someone else might drive, or there maybe dislike because you just simple heard something and you base your entire opinion on that ‘hear say’ as the final evidence you needed before you planted in concrete your disposition.
In dealing with people remembering that folks are human is important. 28 years of ministry has taught me that most folks that will not forgive another have a difficult time sharing the name of anyone they have ever personally forgiven. They live and walk their lives in a bitterness that robs them of peace and the ability to smile. Trusting people is a practice we must exercise. Will you experience let downs because folks are human, absolutely. Are there consequences because of our actions, yes. Can we expect that we will hurt people, totally. Will such moments be easily identified by ourselves, sometimes but not always. What is the best approach to living life and who should people trust? My advice: Live life that allows you to experience hurts and to see failures as those moments that occur and that require us to work diligently to minimize. Live life loving people, working to the good of others believing that God has an abundant plan for each of us always, in every situation. If this is or becomes your position you too will be able to say when asked in whom you believe, you can simply say, in God.
Until then
I answered that very first question with a very simple three letter word, I said God. God to me is Jesus Christ. He is the one I trust when I don’t know the direction to go or turn and He is the one I trust when I am standing still listening for the answer to come. Jesus Christ is the one I place my trust in when I have been butting my head up against a wall because everything I do seems to be wrong and nothing I do seems to ever work out. This situation can be frustrating and it may very well make you want to quit, stop believing and just go and hide. The discipline of placing your trust in Jesus is easy at the beginning of that relationship with Him, but when you get some of life’s adult experiences under your belt and you get that bitter taste in your mouth that’s when the question becomes one that matters for your daily steps of faith.
As a pastor and minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I know that not everyone likes me. Not everyone likes positions I have taken on issues, or things I believe should be the daily practice of those professing the name of Christ. Sometimes you don’t even have to say a single word as some individuals will not like you because of where you are from, who you married, or even the friends you have. People don’t like others because of the types of automobiles someone else might drive, or there maybe dislike because you just simple heard something and you base your entire opinion on that ‘hear say’ as the final evidence you needed before you planted in concrete your disposition.
In dealing with people remembering that folks are human is important. 28 years of ministry has taught me that most folks that will not forgive another have a difficult time sharing the name of anyone they have ever personally forgiven. They live and walk their lives in a bitterness that robs them of peace and the ability to smile. Trusting people is a practice we must exercise. Will you experience let downs because folks are human, absolutely. Are there consequences because of our actions, yes. Can we expect that we will hurt people, totally. Will such moments be easily identified by ourselves, sometimes but not always. What is the best approach to living life and who should people trust? My advice: Live life that allows you to experience hurts and to see failures as those moments that occur and that require us to work diligently to minimize. Live life loving people, working to the good of others believing that God has an abundant plan for each of us always, in every situation. If this is or becomes your position you too will be able to say when asked in whom you believe, you can simply say, in God.
Until then
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Jonathan Bundrick; Ken Fritz; Dorothy Eagle; BOOKS; PEOPLE; PLACES: EXPERIENCES
In attempting to motivate people in life, I have often used many different resources in pursuit of that goal. Not sure if everyone sitting in a church pew would describe what they hear from the pulpit as positive motivation or not, but the minister’s, pastor’s and friends that I have would want to believe, as I , that our messages are good motivations for those that tune in with their hearts and minds wanting to be encouraged and motivated.
Speaking to different settings and groups of people I have shared some of the same thoughts over and over throughout the years. I’m not one for repeating the exact same message over, but certainly the same thought lines with different emphasis has been a practice over these past 28 years of ministry. One of the recommendations I have shared over the years has been this challenging and motivating thought.
“You will be the exact same person you are today, 20 years from now, with these four exceptions: the books you read; the people you meet; the places you go; and the experiences you have;”
Over the years I have often asked individuals what is the last book they read? Currently I am reading Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and in Life, written by John Calipari. I have long practiced trust in friendship and when my friend Ken Fritz made the recommendation I purchased the book. Books you read will make a difference. Meeting people is easy for me, but you don’t have to be an outgoing social person to meet people nor does it need to be a celebrity, politician or a name that everyone would recognize. I’m writing about people you meet that have an impact, that create change in your life because of who they are! My first grade teacher, Mrs. Dorothy Eagle, she changed my life. She was tender, and compassionate. Amazing what you remember from an early age. Places you go will challenge our views. It allows us an opportunity to see different things, done different ways, in different styles and formats. Jonathan Bundrick served as an intern with me in ministry here in Southeastern Kentucky. He attended Wofford College then New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He also served our Country as an officer in the U.S. Army. He has been to a lot of places, but who would have thought coming to serve in Southeastern Kentucky first, would lead to service in Southern Africa? That’s where he serves today as a missionary. Experiences you have will make a difference. Before leaving to serve in Africa, Jonathan wrote this: “Seminary has been an incredible experience and a benchmark that will define my life from this point forward.” This is what I call motivating!
What experience have you had that is a positive benchmark that has changed your life? Books, people, places and experiences! If you could go out and buy this set of four you would have everything you need in one day. I wish I could write that it is that easy, but I can guarantee this. If you start today, you will be one step forward in being the person the world needs you to be tomorrow. 20 years will come quickly, let us not delay.
Until then
Speaking to different settings and groups of people I have shared some of the same thoughts over and over throughout the years. I’m not one for repeating the exact same message over, but certainly the same thought lines with different emphasis has been a practice over these past 28 years of ministry. One of the recommendations I have shared over the years has been this challenging and motivating thought.
“You will be the exact same person you are today, 20 years from now, with these four exceptions: the books you read; the people you meet; the places you go; and the experiences you have;”
Over the years I have often asked individuals what is the last book they read? Currently I am reading Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and in Life, written by John Calipari. I have long practiced trust in friendship and when my friend Ken Fritz made the recommendation I purchased the book. Books you read will make a difference. Meeting people is easy for me, but you don’t have to be an outgoing social person to meet people nor does it need to be a celebrity, politician or a name that everyone would recognize. I’m writing about people you meet that have an impact, that create change in your life because of who they are! My first grade teacher, Mrs. Dorothy Eagle, she changed my life. She was tender, and compassionate. Amazing what you remember from an early age. Places you go will challenge our views. It allows us an opportunity to see different things, done different ways, in different styles and formats. Jonathan Bundrick served as an intern with me in ministry here in Southeastern Kentucky. He attended Wofford College then New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He also served our Country as an officer in the U.S. Army. He has been to a lot of places, but who would have thought coming to serve in Southeastern Kentucky first, would lead to service in Southern Africa? That’s where he serves today as a missionary. Experiences you have will make a difference. Before leaving to serve in Africa, Jonathan wrote this: “Seminary has been an incredible experience and a benchmark that will define my life from this point forward.” This is what I call motivating!
What experience have you had that is a positive benchmark that has changed your life? Books, people, places and experiences! If you could go out and buy this set of four you would have everything you need in one day. I wish I could write that it is that easy, but I can guarantee this. If you start today, you will be one step forward in being the person the world needs you to be tomorrow. 20 years will come quickly, let us not delay.
Until then
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Christians and love - or just Valentine's Day?
If you mention the subject of love and special days, no doubt the first thought that comes to the mind of most folks will be Valentine’s Day or a wedding anniversary. I noticed this year the promotion of Valentine’s Day began in January and stores and shops were selling roses weeks before the 14th of February arrived. Celebrating love and remembering anniversaries that honor commitments and marriages is a milestone that deserves noting. I’m not worried at all about the advertising skills of corporate America, they seem to be in tip top shape, but I am worried about the promoters of authentic love and our skills in advertising and promoting.
The Bible is quite plain about the greatest gift in the world today. 1 Corinthians 13:13 states that faith and hope are great gifts but the greatest gift is clear, its love! As a Christians I know that the author of love is God, and it was best demonstrated in that he provided us His son to die in our place so anyone who wanted could experience forgiveness of their sins. For those that do not believe in faith this concept is foolishness and I respect those that believe differently then I, but it doesn’t change truth no matter what we accept or believe. As for hope, it is what most folks would say keeps them getting up in the morning and smiling throughout the day. Thoughts of a better day coming, we call that hope. Dreams that stimulate our thinking and cause us to see the best in ourselves and others, that is hope too. Yet, the greatest gift is love.
Again, as a Christian, I know the author of love and His name is Jesus Christ. I know Him personally and He has changed my life. Yes, it is because of faith that I discovered Him and yes, it is through faith that I too have discovered hope as a positive force in my life. However, I have learned that both faith and hope are products of love and one can only experience real faith and hope because they have first experienced real love.
On Valentine’s Day it’s all about buying a card and sending flowers for most folks, and if that’s you let me share this new advertisement that you might have missed. The commercial begins with a picture of a young man who grows throughout the 60 second commercial and is old age by the end. The commercial shows his attempt to discover the meaning of life and his hope of finding true love through his experiences of many things. In the middle of the commercial the music softens and in the stillness of the moment the individual who is the focus of the advertisement realizes the inner calling he has often heard himself was Jesus Christ calling out to him, by name.
For those who really enjoy Valentine’s Day, I would suggest that as a Christian you can celebrate that moment everyday, but especially at two different moment each year. First at Christmas, since that’s when love came down to us and then on Easter, because that’s when love arose for us.
Until then
The Bible is quite plain about the greatest gift in the world today. 1 Corinthians 13:13 states that faith and hope are great gifts but the greatest gift is clear, its love! As a Christians I know that the author of love is God, and it was best demonstrated in that he provided us His son to die in our place so anyone who wanted could experience forgiveness of their sins. For those that do not believe in faith this concept is foolishness and I respect those that believe differently then I, but it doesn’t change truth no matter what we accept or believe. As for hope, it is what most folks would say keeps them getting up in the morning and smiling throughout the day. Thoughts of a better day coming, we call that hope. Dreams that stimulate our thinking and cause us to see the best in ourselves and others, that is hope too. Yet, the greatest gift is love.
Again, as a Christian, I know the author of love and His name is Jesus Christ. I know Him personally and He has changed my life. Yes, it is because of faith that I discovered Him and yes, it is through faith that I too have discovered hope as a positive force in my life. However, I have learned that both faith and hope are products of love and one can only experience real faith and hope because they have first experienced real love.
On Valentine’s Day it’s all about buying a card and sending flowers for most folks, and if that’s you let me share this new advertisement that you might have missed. The commercial begins with a picture of a young man who grows throughout the 60 second commercial and is old age by the end. The commercial shows his attempt to discover the meaning of life and his hope of finding true love through his experiences of many things. In the middle of the commercial the music softens and in the stillness of the moment the individual who is the focus of the advertisement realizes the inner calling he has often heard himself was Jesus Christ calling out to him, by name.
For those who really enjoy Valentine’s Day, I would suggest that as a Christian you can celebrate that moment everyday, but especially at two different moment each year. First at Christmas, since that’s when love came down to us and then on Easter, because that’s when love arose for us.
Until then
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Haiti in perspective.....to us
It has often been asked by folks attempting to understanding a situation that things be put into a proper perspective. This is not always the easiest task but nevertheless it is a tool that helps individuals to grasp a true picture. The death toll in Haiti is now estimated to be at 150,000 individuals. This death toll number includes children and adults killed by or deaths that are the results of the earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010.
To understand the impact of these deaths just imagine if everyone in the following counties where suddenly killed. Bell 29,055; Knox 32,810; Whitley 38,668; Laurel County 57,586; Harlan 30,783; Total 158,119 deaths! If this happened here at home I believe it is clear the ciaos that we would leave behind. Just imagine no ambulances to come to our aid, no law enforcement officers to help secure things, and no medical services because there was no place safe to house those injured and no medical professional to render aid because there too were killed. No local church pastor’s or staff members to pray with us, no local elected officials coming out to survey damages, and those that survived find themselves at the total mercy of assistance from those in our surrounding counties. Lee County, VA has a population of 23,448 they could help some, Clairborne, TN has a population of 31,461 and they could help a little more. Moving north looking to Madison with 82,192 residents they could help and our best resource would be Fayette County with a population of 282,114. Given these facts, their close location to us would help in response time, but still they would need time to gather the necessaries required just to come to our aid.
Imagine all that to be true and think how it must be in Haiti facing the number of the dead and the condition they now find themselves in because of this earthquake. It seems hopeless right, and if that status isn’t correct, then we could certainly agree it would seem overwhelming for sure. Thinking about these conditions let’s just consider the added fact that you were the only surviving family member of your entire family, and you had no immediate cash or items of monetary value to sell or trade for goods or services. These conditions are hypothec for us today here in Southeastern Kentucky, but this is not a made up scenario for the people of Haiti, it’s reality.
We are thousands of miles away but we can help. If this type of catastrophic event happened here Southeastern Kentucky we would expect help from our neighbors and it is logical for us to understand the task would be too enormous for them alone. We would pray the State of Tennessee came to our aid, and that the Commonwealth of Virginia step up to send aid through the Cumberland Gap to assist us in our great hour of need. I cannot imagine being a Christian and not thinking I too must act. The time is now.
Until then
To understand the impact of these deaths just imagine if everyone in the following counties where suddenly killed. Bell 29,055; Knox 32,810; Whitley 38,668; Laurel County 57,586; Harlan 30,783; Total 158,119 deaths! If this happened here at home I believe it is clear the ciaos that we would leave behind. Just imagine no ambulances to come to our aid, no law enforcement officers to help secure things, and no medical services because there was no place safe to house those injured and no medical professional to render aid because there too were killed. No local church pastor’s or staff members to pray with us, no local elected officials coming out to survey damages, and those that survived find themselves at the total mercy of assistance from those in our surrounding counties. Lee County, VA has a population of 23,448 they could help some, Clairborne, TN has a population of 31,461 and they could help a little more. Moving north looking to Madison with 82,192 residents they could help and our best resource would be Fayette County with a population of 282,114. Given these facts, their close location to us would help in response time, but still they would need time to gather the necessaries required just to come to our aid.
Imagine all that to be true and think how it must be in Haiti facing the number of the dead and the condition they now find themselves in because of this earthquake. It seems hopeless right, and if that status isn’t correct, then we could certainly agree it would seem overwhelming for sure. Thinking about these conditions let’s just consider the added fact that you were the only surviving family member of your entire family, and you had no immediate cash or items of monetary value to sell or trade for goods or services. These conditions are hypothec for us today here in Southeastern Kentucky, but this is not a made up scenario for the people of Haiti, it’s reality.
We are thousands of miles away but we can help. If this type of catastrophic event happened here Southeastern Kentucky we would expect help from our neighbors and it is logical for us to understand the task would be too enormous for them alone. We would pray the State of Tennessee came to our aid, and that the Commonwealth of Virginia step up to send aid through the Cumberland Gap to assist us in our great hour of need. I cannot imagine being a Christian and not thinking I too must act. The time is now.
Until then
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