Just Because...

Friends,

From my father-in-law...bless him -- changed a bit to protect the innocent... :-)

A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night, one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of an eight-point buck. "Where's Henry?" the others asked. "Henry had a health issue of some kind...he's a couple of miles back up the trail," the successful hunter replied. "You left Henry laying out there and carried the deer back?" they inquired. "A tough call," nodded the hunter, "But I figured no one is going to steal Henry!"

Blessings,

Don

Come to the Table

Friends

One of the things that I love about John's gospel is that it is not so much a chronology of many of the events in Jesus life, as related in Matthew, Mark and Luke’s gospels. Rather, it is more like picture frames of Jesus’ life…critical events that take place…some of them corresponding with the other gospels, while others that do not. For example, John gives us the wedding at Cana in Galilee (2:1-11), where Jesus changes the water into wine. He did this, ultimately, in order to reveal that He would shed the wine of His most precious blood on the cross. Also, Jesus took some time to feed 5000 men and likely women and children, as well (John 6:1-14)…a story found in all four gospels. However, only John expands upon Jesus message concerning the fact that He is the Bread of Life (6:26-40). What we come to understand when we consider what John is trying tell us is in relationship to fruit of the vine and bread…it is the foundation for what Jesus shares with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion – the Last Supper, which is seen in some form in all four gospels. It is also is the background for what Paul teaches the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 11:23-34) concerning the Lord’s Supper which we partake of every Lord’s Day.

When we come to the table, it is an important time. Often, in our churches, it seems that the Lord’s Supper is something that we do as a part of our worship, but which has no more significance than anything else that we do…perhaps, even less. In writing to the Corinthians, Paul seeks to teach concerning this very misconception that affects even them. He wants them, and us, to understand the importance of the Lord’s Supper…and that it is not something that we should treat passively or frivolously in any way. For the Corinthians, the Supper was a source of disunity, rather than unity, as some were coming in and taking it early and not waiting for their brethren, while others were coming to the table having had too much to drink, and yet others were dressing in a way that was causing others to stumble…wrong, wrong, wrong. They were treating the Lord’s Supper with a lack of intent and seriousness…some of them simply were not taking it in a worthy manner. They may have had a certain commitment, but it was not sincere and secure in any respect, as their lack of focus revealed.

The Lord’s Supper is not a casual commitment, but is a participation in what Jesus has done in having His body broken and His blood shed on the cross. When Jesus, Himself, takes bread and the fruit of the vine, a common meal, He presents them in a way that is a meaningful spiritual experience for believers. As we often speak about it, the broken bread symbolizes and reminds us of the body of Jesus Christ broken for us; the cup of juice symbolizes and reminds us of His blood shed for us. This is a commitment of our hearts, souls and minds. We choose to do this as often as we come together, following the example of the early Christians (Acts 2:42, 20:7). The Lord’s Supper allows us an opportunity for spiritual growth and blessing...if we approach it with the correct mindset.

No worship assembly should be a time where we take a few minutes out of our service in order to fulfill our obligation to partake of the Supper. It should be the focal point and climax of our time together…whether we are partaking of it at the beginning, middle or end of our time together…although the end would seem to be most appropriate. The Supper should be what we are continually focusing upon as we worship in our praying, singing, hearing the message, contributing…and whatever else we choose to do in our worship time. I thank the Lord that He gives us the opportunity to come together on a weekly basis and “look around,” not to judge what others are doing, but in order to participate with the church family in our Lord’s Supper, building up the unity of the body. And not only this, but to look back…“to remember Jesus’ death burial and resurrection”, to look ahead…“to anticipate our Lord’s coming again”, and to look inside…“to consider your own situation as to whether or not you are in a right relationship with the Lord.” It is my hope that we will consider all of these things as we come to the Table. Blessings,

Don

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- 2009 NFL Week 10

Friends,

Week 10 Update...
The Good: Saints (This Bush was burning); Colts (Would you like a ribbon on that gift?...complements of BB); Bengals (5-0 in their division...proving to be doggone tough); Chargers (LT playing like his old self all of the sudden); Cardinals (Playing more like last year's version); Titans (3 in a row...owner needs to chill); Cheeseheads ("D" makes its occasional appearance); Skins (Betts they can't do this regularly); Banana Girl's Team (114 pts...CTCC FFL record)

The Bad: Pats (Not trusting the "D" is costly...but then again, it is Peyton we're talking about with 2 minutes left); Falcons (Ryan experiencing Sophomore jinx); Broncos (Three's a trend this way, as well...no Orton means no "O," but "D" has been the real problem of late); Lions (Stafford was reasonable...but until he finds Megatron, they will stink); Roy Williams (The receiver -- not the DB or UNC Coach...although either of them could have probably made some of the catches that he didn't); Cowboys (Get trapped by a trap game...and they shouldn't have)

The Ugly: Brownies (Ugliest offense I have seen in watching 40 years of football...this team has no clue); Commitment to (HA!) Excellence Team (Run over by the Chefs...stinky -- tied for biggest circus with Brownies); Mice of the Midway (Way too many pics for this to work...Cut-it-out-ler continues); Bills (What...T.O. is now making noise?)

The Somebody-Please-Put-Them-Out-of-Our-Misery Award -- Brownies
The Lone Star Hope: (Brief NCAA note) Texas vs. TCU National Championship (Still alive for another week)

Super Bowl: Vikings vs. Colts
Stupor Bowl: Brownies vs. Cut-it-out-lers

Blessings,
Don

Moon Water

Friends,

You probably heard that NASA launched a fascinating $79 million probe about a month ago in order to discern if there was any water on the moon. The idea was for one portion of the probe to blast the moon with explosive force, causing a geyser (hopefully) to rise up into the air, and then the second part of the probe would collect a sample of any water that might be there. Well... bingo! It was official, as of a few days ago -- water has been discovered on the moon.

The NASA probe discovered beds of water ice at the lunar south pole when it impacted the moon last month, mission scientists announced. And this is not just some small amount, but a significant amount of water has been "unmooned." Ultimately, the goal is to return astronauts back to the moon by the year 2020 in order to do further checking on the lunar surface to see what the future might hold. If mankind is ever going to be able to colonize the moon in the form of establishing a lunar base, finding water that could be usable was an important step in the process. So...to this point -- mission accomplished! Blessings,

Don

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- 2009 NFL Week 9

Friends,

Week 9 Update...
The Good: Saints (The Comeback Kids ride again); Colts (Dodged one thanks to Texans kicker); Steelers (Here you go, Erik -- look complete right now...grudge match with 85's team this week); Cowboys (Big time win against Eagles...the faithful are becoming believers again); Cardinals (Roller coaster was up for last week...hope it is back down at home against 'hawks); Titans (Nothing spectacular with Vince...just inspiration, I guess); Pats (Heading toward another showdown with Colts); Good Bay (Yuccaneers?)

The Bad: NFC Least -- Ugglees (Hahahahahaha!), Mutants (Defense seems to have quit on new DC), Skinned (Riggo says owner has "dark heart"...getting uglier in the capital); Niners (Lose four in a row?...you're on the bad list); Broncos (Two smack downs in a row...but 'skins should be good medicine this weekend); Bad Bay (And we thought it was Tampa...not! How long before Rodgers gets hurt with his OL giving up record sacks?)

The Ugly: Brownies (At least they had a bye week to ease the pain...now BQ is the new hero, once again -- YAY!); Mice of the Midway (If not for the TE, the Cards game would have been REALLY ugly); Lovable Losing Lions (The Lions had me nervous...up 17-0 against 'hawks, but thankfully, they reverted to their old form -- 5 pics works just fine :-); Dirty Birds (Only 7 points for the vaunted Baltimore O? Uh oh)

The Going to Make Someone Mad Award (Ha ha) -- Me...Go Bengals! (Only because I have two of their receivers ;-)
The Lone Star Hope: (Brief NCAA note) Texas vs. TCU National Championship (BTW...Iowa finally got what they had coming to them...a loss, and they will get another one this weekend).

Super Bowl: Cowboys vs. Steelers -- why not? Just like old times.
Stupor Bowl: Commitment to (Ha ha) Excellence Team vs. Lambs (Even on bye weeks, they can't escape)

Blessings,
Don

The Battlefield

Friends,

Our country celebrates Veteran's Day today, and this may be the most poignant time to remember in recent years...at least for our family. With the tragedy that took place at Ft. Hood this past week, and the ensuing lock down that affected our nephew's family, it brings the struggles for freedom and the threat of the enemy very close to home in may respects. In addition, our nephew, Dirk, who has been on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq, was seriously injured when the armored vehicle he was riding in struck a land mine this past Saturday. He is recovering and has been upgraded from serious condition...but, he will have to undergo back surgery in the near future. Dirk was fortunate...many people who experience what happened to his vehicle do not survive. I am thankful that he will be coming home soon and will not be going back.

However, there will be others who will go or go back and fight for us in Iraq and Afhanistan. I am grateful for the sacrifices that they and their families make on our behalf. The enemy terrorists that we fight are perhaps the most dangerous and deadly that we have ever fought, because they are so covert. It reminds me of the enemy we fight in the spiritual battle on a daily basis. He, too, is covert and seeks to cause us to stumble and destroy us by putting temptation and trial landmines in our path. There are times when we are able to steer clear of these, and at other times, we hit them and are damaged. We need, always, to humble ourselves before our almighty Lord who leads us and guides us through the darkness of this world...into His light. And, one day, we will not have to worry about the darkness at all, because we will be in His eternal light...for the battle will be over. Blessings,

Don

Bread from Heaven

Friends,

It is getting to be that time of year again…when soup tastes especially good. There is just something about soup and cooler weather. Whenever I have soup…there must always be “bread”. I don’t know what it is, but bread just goes well with soup. I don’t necessarily mind a slice of Wonder Bread, but, soup is so much better with one of Kim’s rolls. Under most circumstances, bread would be the secondary portion of the meal…but, not when it comes to Kim’s rolls (and many of you know what I am talking about). Soup becomes that which enhances the roll.

I think about this in relationship to John’s reference to Jesus as the Bread of Life (John 6:26ff). As that Bread, Jesus takes second place to nothing. We don’t take Jesus as any secondary portion, but everything else in our lives should enhance or glorify Him. Bread becomes a symbol for Jesus and His ministry. By grace, our Lord feeds some people who are hungry, but, in truth…He gives them the Word of God. The problem is that they want the food, but they are not necessarily interested in the truth. For certain, some would stay through the storm in order to seek Him, but Jesus…knowing their hearts…is not particularly impressed. In the end, most of these people would abandon Him. Jesus points out that there are two kinds of food – for the body, which is necessary, but not the most important…and food for the inner man or spirit, and it is this that is most essential. Jesus quotes “Isaiah 55:2 – “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.” What these people need is not so much “food” -- they need…life! Life is the greatest gift.

The crowd, being the persistent bunch that they are, once again, asks Jesus for a sign…to indicate that He really is who He says He is. Paul also says that the Jews are always looking for signs (1 Corinthians 1:22). The rabbis taught that when the Messiah would come, He would duplicate the miracle of the manna (Exodus 16) that came down from heaven...from God.
If Jesus is truly from God, then let Him prove it by causing manna to fall from heaven. They want to “see and believe.” Hello? Am I missing something here? Didn’t Jesus just do this for them, albeit in a different way? He just fed 5000 of them with “bread from heaven.” They miss the truth, because they are preoccupied with other things. Isn’t that just the way it is with us humans from time to time? It is a bummer to be at the airport when your ship comes in.

Faith that is based on signs alone, and not on the truth of the Word of God, can lead a person astray. Now, Jesus clearly identifies what, or rather, Who the bread is. He is the true Living Bread that has come down from heaven. He comes…not only for Israel…but for the whole world – and not only to sustain life, but to give life. The crowd wants the bread, but only so they would not have to work at living the life! They want to “take it easy.” In His response, Jesus uses two key words – come and believe. Believing is not merely an intellectual pursuit, as in giving assent to doctrine…it means to come to Him and yield our lives to Him. Just as we take in food or drink, we also must “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” as Jesus says in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:6).

Verse 35 is the first of the seven great “I AM” statements recorded by John. When “Jesus uses the name “I AM,” He is definitively claiming to be God. Jesus concludes His message with hope – that those who would believe in Him and obey would see salvation. Our hope for life…spiritual and eternal…is in the Bread. Jesus says that, in the looking for “signs,” many people miss the “real deal.” Too many people get caught up in the trappings of religion…whether or not they have all of their i’s dotted and t’s crossed…and they miss the point. We can believe that we understand “all of the doctrine” and “still not know the doctrine-maker.” We must not major in eating that which does not sustain us, spiritually. The Bread of Life…His life and message…is the spiritual food that we need to sustain us. We need a relationship with the One who is able to save our souls…we cannot settle for any substitute. Blessings,

Don

Bat Men

Friends,

Tis the season for bats...and not just because of the holidays. The other evening (October 31st, of course), there was a bat swooping in on the Spurs as they were playing the Kings at home. Rather than continue to be bothered by the nuisance, Spurs player Manu Ginobli took matters into his own hands, literally. He swiped the bat out of the air and knocked it to the floor, in a feat of athletic agility that was remarkable. Now, there are a couple of things to consider here -- first...had Ginobli really thought it through, he might have allowed "the bat authorities" to come and take care of it. What is one primary thing that we associate with bats? Yes, that's right -- rabies. So, now Ginobli is having to undergo 16 rabies shots over the next 30 days...with long needles, no less. Yikes! Second...of course where would we be without some of the PETA folks getting involved...or in this case -- PETB...people for the ethical treatment of bats. I am being a bit sarcastic, to be certain, but once again it begs the question -- a rogue bat, really? I mean...c'mon man.

Transitioning from the furry type of bat to the wooden type...it has been quite a World Series. It is a shame that the Phillies are not winning the overall series, for a number of reasons. One...I tend to root for the Rangers, Mariners and anyone playing the Yankees...just the way it is. :-) Second...Chase Utley, the Phillies second baseman, is not going to get near the props that he deserves if the Phillies do not win...which looks unlikely...but, you never know, as there are still two games to go. (One is actually going on right now, but I have no idea what the score is, as I have not caught up to my DVR yet :-). Utley has nearly single-handedly carried the Phillies, having hit five home runs, which is remarkable...and he ties Reggie Jackson, Mr. October, for the most in a series. So...I guess we can now anoint Utley, Mr. November, right? Either way, he has had an amazing World Series and deserves a lot of respect and honor for his performance. Hats off to you, Mr. November.
Blessings,

Don

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- 2009 NFL Week 8

Friends,

Week 8 Update...The Good: Saints (Doing just enough to win...but is it good enough? -- probably); Colts (Like the Saints...a slow week, but still more than enough); Cowboys (Props to Romo, who looks like Favre the past three weeks -- good company); Vikings (Is Favre 40 or 30?); Titans (Look like last year's team...well, at least for one game); Texans (Can they be on the list? Sure...but losing Daniels hurts), Eagles (Sometimes...WOW, other times YOW)

The Bad: Cardinals (Just when we thought they were starting to peak?); J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets (Can't stop their mouths...or the Dolphins); Broncos (An excusable let down?); NFC LEAST --Giants (All of the sudden look, well...soft still -- hard to believe, but I'm still okay with it) and Skinned (Ahhh, the bye week...now for some more ugly beat downs); Bad Bay (MNF looks pretty good, eh JG?); Seahawks (Missing key players...seems like every year)

The Ugly: Brownies (Can it get much worse? Probably); Bills (T.O. Scores!); Lambs vs Lovable Losing Lions (The Stupor Bowl comes to life early...save for Stephen Jackson, who was great); Jags (How do you tank against the Titan-ics?)

The Back to the Future Award -- Vince Young
The Fortunate: (Brief NCAA note) Iowa (Cardiac) Hawkeyes -- five pics and still win big to stay undefeated -- team of destiny or density?

Super Bowl: (Been with it from the beginning...so far, so good) Saints vs. Colts
Stupor Bowl: Yuccaneers vs. Brownies

Blessings, Don