Monthly Archives June 2009

Earlier today I was out shopping with my kids at our local mall. We passed one particular store where my son knows there is an elaborate toy train set that he loves to play with. He asked me if he could play with it before we left the mall and I agreed. A few minutes later he asked again…and again and again and again. The entire time we were in the mall his incessant requisition persisted until finally I stopped procrastinating the inevitable and I said, “Okay let’s go play with the trains.” He was elated. As we were walking towards the store he said, “Dad, I just keep asking because I REALLY want to play with the trains…can I have a drink?”

I know that I am not the only parent who has a persistent child…they all seem to come with this built in quality. But believe it or not, it does not annoy me. In fact I think we could all learn from this…Jesus seemed to think so.

Today was a busy day for news outlets around the world. It began with the sad passing of Farrah Fawcett; the beautiful actress from Charlie’s Angels, after a three-year battle with cancer. Her death was eclipsed, however, this afternoon, with the shocking and unexpected death of Michael Jackson who had a sudden, massive cardiac arrest. Both celebrities died today; June 25, 2009.

Everyone seems to have an opinion of Michael Jackson’s controversial life. Whether they hate him for his bizarre and contemptible behavior with children or worship him for his extraordinary musical talent, there is a gushing of emotions from all sides. I think that these expressions are little more then pretenses for deeper emotions that people feel, but no one will admit to.

I heard a minister recently talking about the rapture and trying to make the point that every prophecy necessary to the return of Christ has already been fulfilled. One of his points was that the Gospel has already been preached in all the world according to the promise of Jesus in Matt 24:14 (And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.), “Now” he said, “We’re just waiting for Jesus to come back.”

If you are one of those standing in line waiting for the rapture like a ride at Disney World, consider these statistics on world evangelism that I have collected from a variety of sources. As you read these keep in mind that in the United States there is 1 ordained minister for every 200 people. Yet…

Many preachers lose their children while rescuing other people’s kids. I have prayed, “Lord, don’t let me win the whole world and lose my family.” I feel like the Lord showed me one of the reasons why this happens so often and how to avoid it. It is especially applicable to those in ministry, but the principle is true for all parents. I want to share it with you this Father’s Day.

Imagine being the son of a prostitute. This is the stigma that Jephthah carried all of his life. The rest of his brothers were all legitimate children that had no intention of sharing their inheritance with a bastard son. So they kicked him out of the family and he fled – face red with shame – to the land of Tob. The rejection of his childhood produced within Jephthah an insatiable desire to prove himself. His background meant that he had to try a little harder, be a little better and stand a little taller then normal people if he wanted to break even. His ambitious predisposition led him to quick success in Tob. He became a mighty warrior, renown for his valorous exploits. He became popular and powerful and infamous, but in spite of all his success there was a gnawing void in his heart left over from his childhood. He wanted more than anything to be accepted by his father and by his brothers. For them to accept him, as the rest of the world had done, would have been the greatest honor of all and the crowning gratification of all his life’s ambition.

I just heard a news report out of Bernalillo, New Mexico where police interviewed a man who had been involved in a bizarre single car accident. When they asked him what had happened he told them that he had swerved off the road and wrecked his car while trying to attach a lucky shamrock emblem to his key ring. I guess it’s official…lucky charms aren’t so lucky (although the edible ones are very yummy☺)

Most of the “gods” in ancient heathen religions were hardly more then a lucky shamrock. They were personifications of some particular thing; usually a human interest, passion or fascination, in which people put confidence and trust. For instance there is Hike, the god of magic and medicine. There is Imhotep the god of science and thought. Thoth is the god of wisdom. Eros is the god of passion and lust, Ares is the god of war…and the list goes on and on.