Comparison

I was working out on the treadmill the other day at the gym when a little lady came shuffling by. She was carrying her portable oxygen tank with the clear, plastic tube running from the tank, around her head, and under her nose bringing the oxygen that she so much needed just to breathe. She climbed up into the treadmill a couple of machines down and started exercising. Now, I'm going at such a pace that I'm sweating (I'm sorry, perspiring) profusely. I'm smug in my attitude thinking that this lady just cannot keep up with the athlete that I am. She began her exercising and they had to put up a post next to her just to see if she was really moving. I mean, I've seen calendars move faster than she was.
After a few minutes, she was huffing and puffing and she had to climb down out of the treadmill. I, on the other hand, continued my vigorous pace and easily outdistanced her not only in speed, but in time. After finishing a grueling work-out on the treadmill, I went over to the stationary bikes. And what to my surpise and excitement, Miss Oxygen Tank 2009 was on one of the bikes near me. She was reading while (barely) pedaling her bike. Now I have a theorem here. If you can read a book or work a crossword puzzle while exercising on your bike, you're not getting any exercise. I felt she was getting more exercise by carrying around her oxygen tank. Once again, I pedalled hard as I ate away those calories.
Now my natural instinct was to get off my bike and jump in front of this lady and say something like, "In your face woman! I am an athlete. I am awesome! I have worked out for 50 minutes and you are only at a snail's pace. Take that! If you had done what I'm doing when you were my age, perhaps you wouldn't have needed that oxygen tank now!"
That's what I wanted to say. Until I saw him. I don't know his name, but when I'm talking to my wife I say, "Did you see "him?" I think his name is Adonis. He has broad shoulders, a narrow waist, his thighs are as big as tree trunks. And when he works out on the eliptical, he goes on and on and on and on. He hardly breaks a sweat and he doesn't even breathe hard. It takes him 30 minutes just to stretch all those muscles. He deservedly could get into my face and say, "In your face. I am an athlete. I am awesome! I have worked out for 2 hours and you are only at a snail's pace. Take that!" In his presence, I feel like the woman with the oxygen tank.
There is a passage of Scripture that speaks to this. We tend to spend our lives comparing ourselves to others. "I'm not that bad. Why, just look at...." You can always find someone worse than you. And vice versa, you can always find someone better than you. Paul said, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own burden." Really we can't get into the comparison game because whatever we do, we will all find ourselves comparing ourselves to Jesus. There is not one who can even hold a candle to Him. When we realize that He is the one who created our bodies from nothing. He spoke and the universe came into existence and I sit here saying, "I can walk on the treadmill longer that you!" Then it really becomes silly, doesn't it?
Let's not waste our time comparing ourselves with others. Instead, let's strive to become more like Him. Not, not Adonis. Him. Adonai. The Lord Jesus Christ. I hope your day is a good one.

It's Sunday!

I like being up early on Sunday mornings. It's at this time I contemplate what is about to happen. The sermon has been finished since Thursday although preparation has been going on for a long time. The anticipation builds because something good is about to happen.
There is someone today who needs this sermon. That's the beauty of it. I don't know who it is and may never know. And I really don't care who it is. When God is totally in control, the seed falls on the hearts and I don't have to worry about anything.
I'll preach and try to stay completely out of the way. That's hard to do for some preachers (and I have to admit, it's hard for me). See, we want the credit. I want someone to come along and give me some credit. Yeah, it's God's message and God's words. But I want someone to come up and say, "That was the best sermon..." "Preacher, how do you do it week in and week out?" "That was awesome!" Instead, I have to pray each week that God take my feeble words and make them into what He wants said. I have to ask to take me completely out of the picture. And I often pray that I get no response complimenting me...just make sure that God is honored and glorified and praised. At the end of each sermon, as I walk to the back, I apologize that my little effort hasn't matched up to the greatness of God's majesty. But he took a little stone and killed a giant, he can take little words and do great things for His glory.
Sound strange coming from a preacher? I imagine that goes through the mind of many, many preachers each week. It's time to go now. Great things are about to happen. God's people are getting ready to meet. God is in their midst. Have a great day! JW

Sam Thomsen--One Year Past

June 11, 2009, exactly one year ago I learned of the death of a young 13, almost 14 year old Boy Scout. Not just any Boy Scout. But a vibrant, active, funny, friend of mine who attended my church. He was killed at the Little Sioux Boy Scout Ranch when the tornado hit last year. These things only happen out there. They don't happen in Omaha, NE. Oh, yes, we have tornadoes, but they pass by, do a little damage, and if someone is hurt, it's no one I know. This one was different. Everyone wanted to know about him. Larry King, Good Morning American, The New York Times, NPR, and all the local news stations.
Sam Thomsen began life having to fight. He was premature. He was adopted by one of our families. He had to work at everything. And just about the time it seemed that he was overcoming everything and doing so well, a tornado killed him. That's not fair. It's not fair to him. It's not fair to his family who loved him and miss him dearly. It's not fair to his friends. And we still are struggling with his death. In the grand scheme of things, I still want to ask "Why?". I haven't answered that one. Nor do I think I ever will. Yes, I'll see good things, and have seen good things that have come from this. But will I understand it? Nope, probably not.
I will, however, worship Him in the storm. I wasn't there when He layed the foundations of the earth. I don't know where He keeps the storehouses of hail and snow. I do know that He is God and He will make all things right. This fallen world confuses, destroys, and batters. But I refuse to despair. "The steadfast of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is they faithfulness. The Lord is my portion says my soul. Therefore I will hope in him." So says Jeremiah in the ruins of Jerusalem. So say I. Please keep Larry, Sharon, Lindsey, and Sarah Thomsen in your prayers...at all times...especially today.

Dear Madam,
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of the state of Massachussetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar of freedom. Yours very sincerely and respectfully, Abraham Lincoln

Written during the Civil War.

In honor of all those who have served our country in the military and especially to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom.

Billy Joel and Womanhood

My wife and I went to a Billy Joel/Elton John concert the other night. Or was it Elton John/Billy Joel? The music was truly a blast from the past (did I really say that?) and other than all the slobbering drunk people, it was an enjoyable time. BJ sings a song that I find intriguing and I have included the words below. You probably know the song:

She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes,
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies,
And she only reveals what she wants you to see.
She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me.
She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you,
She can ask for the truth but she'll never believe you,
And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free,
Yeah, she steals like a thief but she's always a woman to me.

The song goes on with lines like, "...she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding."

Contrast these words with the ones below:

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confindence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

I think you get the picture. Billy Joel's idea of a woman and God's idea of a woman are vastly different. I think I'll go with God's idea. Have a great day.

Judgements and Pepperdine

So, I was sitting in church services with a killer sore throat and I could hardly speak two words without coughing uncontrollably. So I decided to just sit during the worship and not even try to sing. I decided to watch people as they participated. Most were singing along, but I spotted one person who wasn't. How dare they? How arrogant they were! Why, not even singing. This is the Lord's service and this person wasn't singing??? C'mon! Then I realized...neither was I. Maybe this person was looking at me and saying the same things I was about him/her. Then a verse popped into my head. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measure to you." Oh, let's be careful with our thoughts and judgements. Let's err on the side of grace instead on the side of judgement. We certainly don't want to Lord to be completely just with us, do we?

Pepperdine was as good as ever. The evening sessions were conducted by Monte Cox, Rich Little (no, not THAT Rich Little. Rich is the preacher at Naperville, IL), Curt Sparks, and Mike Cope. Not too shabby a line up. I also heard Rick Atchley and Rubel Shelley speak. Randy Harris, Jeff Walling, and many more were on the program. People ask me all the time if I learned anything when I go to lectures. Of course, I do. But this one seemed to affirm me more than anything. The things I have been talking about are the things they talked about. It made me think that perhaps I was listening to God's call in what He wanted me to be thinking. Holy Spirit, thank you for prompting me!
I also got to see Brian and Karen Koonce and three of their four kids. A good time was had by all. The singing, the fellowship, the feeding...and, oh yeah, Malibu...what a campus. It was so good to get home, though. Til next year. Have a great day.

Please pray for the Rines

Last Thursday night, my wife and I took our daughter out to eat to celebrate her 26th birthday. We had a nice meal and then the two of them duped me into going to one of the lovely malls we have here in Omaha. I thought that would be fine since they would only be gone a "few minutes." "We just want to check on one thing." I went to the sporting goods store and then the Apple Computer store and then to the Fossil watch store. That took about 5 minutes. I happened to catch them walking as I headed back to the car. "I"m just going to wait on you at the car," I said. My daughter gave me one of those smiles thinking that I was going back to the car to take a nap.
I sat there (and didn't sleep) and sat there and sat there and sat there. Finally, after quite a while (nearly an hour) they showed up. I let them know my displeasure and told them they should have at least let me know they were going to spend the time shopping while leaving me with nothing to do in the car.
At about the same time on that Thursday night, Micah Rine Pate was murdered. My friend Dennis and Terri Rine lost their child who was almost exactly the same age as my daughter. She was shot and her body dumped along the banks of the Loosahatchie River. She didn't deserve that. She was a sweet girl who loved God.
My daughter, Meredith, once bit Micah in first grade. You see, Micah took her chair and so she responded. Micah's birthday was at the end of April and Meredith's at the first of May. Each year we communicated to find out when there was a party so we didn't interfere with the other. Dennis was in my men's prayer group. My parents knew his parents. My parents knew his grandaparents. My parents knew Terri's parents.
It was my wife who pointed out to me that when I was complaining about my daughter shopping, the Rine's daughter was losing her life. And while I still have my daughter, they don't. O, Lord, please forgive me. Forgive my foolish ways. Help me to appreciate my family more even when they are doing things I don't enjoy. And help me to never....never take them for granted. Please comfort Dennis, Terri, and Casey. Help them to know that you hold them in the palm of your hand. Help them to know that this world is not our home. Father, bless them. Help them to know that you know and understand what it's like to lose a child. In Jesus name. Amen.