Hug a Veteran

Wednesday November 11^th is Veteran's Day. The following are a few thoughts of mine as I reflect upon an event we held at the Waynesboro church of Christ. My only desire for this post is that you may be inspired to say, "thank you" to a veteran you know.

Saturday evening marked the third annual Veterans Day Celebration at Waynesboro church of Christ and it was amazing! We had good food, celebrated with great friends, and most of all God was glorified. This event has become a favorite among our members as well as with members of the community. Some people came for the southern fried catfish but left with so much more.

This celebration is one of my favorites because of the people we are celebrating. Our Veterans are a special group of men and women. If not for them, we most certainly would not enjoy the freedoms we take for granted every day. A persons feelings about a particular war or war in general should not restrain them from honoring the individuals who have been asked to sacrifice on their behalf. One particular Vietnam veteran told me Saturday that he appreciated this event and others like it because, "It gives me the opportunity to make sure that none of our veterans ever feel unappreciated. . ." As he said this, his eyes began to tear and he finished, "like I felt when I came home." Powerful stuff.

We were also honored to have in attendance, members from the Waynesboro National Guard unit who are set to deploy to Iraq in January. Seeing these men and women in uniform reminded us, that even at this very moment, the sacrifice continues.

The next time you see a veteran or a current member of the armed forces tell them how much you appreciate their service.

Mitchell

Thankful for Temptation

As Christians, we realize that temptation is an inevitable occurrence. Satan is always lurking, always planning, and always scheming. I think most of us look at temptation as a hindrance. Temptation is something we must endure and certainly, we pray for God's aid in overcoming temptation but how many of us ever thank God for allowing temptation in our lives?
In the gospel accounts of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, we get a glimpse into how God uses the trials of Satan to benefit the believer. In Mark's gospel, the temptation of Jesus is played out in just two verses, yet they tell us so much. "At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him." (Mark 1:12-13) Did you notice that? Mark says that the Spirit "sent" Jesus out to be tempted. One thing we can learn from this is that if Jesus could not escape temptation then certainly it is impossible for us to escape being tempted. More than that, we learn that it is part of God's plan to use temptation to better the lives of those he loves.
God allows temptation as part of his plan for our lives. He doesn't allow temptation to come upon us so we will fail, quite to the contrary, he promises that we will not be tempted beyond what we can stand. Temptation is allowed in our lives to make us stronger. It is part of the transformation of becoming Christ-like. When Jesus faced Satan in the desert his temptations were real, the things Satan was offering were appealing to him. After fasting for forty days, Jesus was famished so the devil enticed him to turn rocks into bread. "Come on Jesus, you created those rocks! Use your power to stop the hunger." After a long month of solitude, no doubt Jesus was feeling an urgent desire to begin his ministry so the devil offers up a "solution" to jump-start the process. "Throw yourself from the top of the temple, God won't let you get hurt, and people will be amazed!" With Jesus' desire for everyone to believe in him in overdrive, Satan throws down the gauntlet. "You want them, you got them. Just bow down and worship me." Jesus was tempted body, soul, and spirit yet emerged unscathed because of his use of three powerful words, "It is written. . ."
When we face temptation, we can learn from Christ and emerge victorious by relying on the word of God to help us navigate Satan's snares. God allows temptation in our lives as a testing/refining process. Temptation, and how we deal with it, is meant to make us stronger. Even when we make a mistake and succumb to temptation, we can still rise from the ash heap with the power of God's grace. This is why Paul writes in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. . ." By allowing temptation in our lives, God is strengthening us for the journey. I think we should thank God that he loves us enough to desire that we have a stronger, deeper faith.

Ruminations on Grace

I think most Christians, if asked, would say that they are sure of their standing with God. All one needs to do is read 1 John to hear his constant confident reiterations of assurance concerning our eternal destiny. We can know without doubt that we have eternal life! However, the devil has done a number on us and we doubt. We question ourselves. We know what the bible says, we know we've been forgiven, but we also know all we've done and our deepest, innermost thoughts.

It's tough to reconcile God's forgiveness with the reality of our sinfulness. Even after we experience that initial forgiveness when we first give our lives to Christ, we soon realize that sin remains part of our life. We think, "How can I be heaven bound and do such things, think such thoughts?" God never intended for his children to think this way.

This is why it is so important to understand grace. Grace sets the record straight. Grace balances the scales. Grace clears the muddy water. Grace is God saying, "I know you aren't worthy, but my Son is." No matter how righteous we live, no matter how many things we do in the name of Jesus, no matter how many people we lead to Christ we don't deserve salvation. We will never be able to examine our lives and feel "worthy" because of things we have done yet, grace says that we need not feel "unworthy" because of things we have done.

The next time you or one of your Christian friends question your standing with God, remember the words of Paul. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

Vacation Surprise

          Vacation is a great time of relaxation and renewal.  It is always good to get away from the normal routine, spend time with your family, and recharge the batteries.  My family along with Mom and Dad just returned from vacation Saturday.  We expected to return relaxed and renewed, however, what we found upon return left us humbled.  You see we missed the big storms that rolled through Waynesboro this week.  We had talked to several people back here at home and knew the extent of the damage left in the storms wake.  Fortunately, our homes were spared any damage from the winds, however, we expected to come home and have plenty of work to do cleaning up from all the scattered debris.

            We were absolutely taken aback when we pulled in to our driveway and saw that all the branches blown from the trees had been removed!  As we began to question our neighbors about what had taken place we soon discovered that members of our GREAT church family had taken it upon themselves to clean up for us while we were away.  You guys are awesome and an example of what church actually means.

            Thank You to the Sam Haines and Ronnie Mathis Families!  (For those of you who don’t know, these great people are Sam, Angel, Samantha and Cooper Haines, Ronnie, Shelia, Zack, Cassie, and Dawson Mathis.)

You make me proud to be a part of the family of God in Waynesboro.

CYC '09 - Fellowship, Friends, and Fun

Christian Youth Conference is an annual event that takes place in Gatlinburg, TN put on by members of the churches of Christ.  This year was my first year attending CYC and the first year that the church at Waynesboro has ever sent a group, it will not be our last.  CYC was a positive and motivating experience for everyone who attended, not just the young people.  I highly recommend that you make plans now to attend next year.

Our trip afforded us with many opportunities I never imagined at first.  My first surprise was running into so many of you who are regular readers of this blog.  It was great to finally meet you all!  Blogging has added a new dimension to my ministry and has expanded my circle of friends (more about blogging in a few days).

We left Waynesboro on Thursday afternoon immediately following school, with the time change encountered as we hit east Tennessee is was past midnight when we finally got to our cabin.  This was the first "bonus" of the weekend, our cabin was awesome!  This thing was nice, it was big, and it had a pool table, air hockey, and foosball table; the kids (and some of the adults) kept those things hot all weekend!  Friday morning we all got ready and went to eat breakfast at the Log Cabin Restaurant (I recommend the Caribbean pancakes).  Following breakfast we went up the mountain to Ober Gatlinburg for some ice skating, we had a blast.  The rest of the day the kids and ladies all walked the streets of downtown Gatlinburg for the all important shopping session.  My friend, Sam Haines, and I hung out in lieu of shopping and just talked; we learned a lot about each other and became closer friends as a result.  Friday night was the first session of CYC and it started with a bang!  My favorite part was the singing, very moving!

Saturday was an early morning as we were in session by 8:00 AM for more motivational speakers and awesome singing until the lunch break at 11:30 AM.  We were so wore out from the day of travel on Thursday and our all day fun fest on Friday that we went back to the cabin, ordered pizza for lunch and basically "vegged out" the entire afternoon.  Saturday nights session of CYC was the best, more great singing capped off by a sermon by Lonnie Jones.  Lonnie is always great and this night he was exceptional.  I don't think I'll ever forget his story about the snake and the .45 pistol!  Hilarious! (Ask me or one of the others and we will be more than glad to share it with you.)  After the session we were invited to one of our Wayne County sister congregation's cabin for a devotional. (Collinwood's group was also invited.)  This was a great way to cap off the night, Clifton was a great host and this was a spectacular way of promoting unity within neighboring congregations.  I love all the brethren at Clifton and Collinwood, both congregations have been good to me and I always love speaking for them.  Hopefully, our efforts toward unity will continue and God will be glorified as a result.  Jake Wilbanks, one of Collinwood's teenagers and my cousin, spoke at the devotional.  I was taken aback by Jake's speaking ability!  He did an outstanding job and I pray that he continues to use his talents for the Lord.

Sunday Morning we again woke up early as we were hosting a worship service at our cabin.  Clifton's group came over to join us in worship as well as Will Tidwell and three students from Heritage Christian University.  Wes, one of the HCU students led singing for us, Jeff, another HCU student, led us in prayer, as well as Chad Love from Clifton.  I enjoyed speaking for the group in such a loving atmosphere.  We shared a meal and laughter before worship and the family feeling just seemed to carry over into the service.  It was great!

CYC provided an awesome opportunity for everyone involved to grow spiritually.  The structure of the conference provided the main spiritual food, however, the part I enjoyed the most was the fellowship with friends and learning more about my brothers and sisters in Christ.  If your congregation doesn't attend CYC then take it upon yourself to organize the trip next year, I guarantee it will be a huge success.  If you had the opportunity but didn't take it this year be sure not to miss it next year.  Just some "sage" advice from a one year CYC "veteran!"

Technorati Tags: blog,faith,Family Life Ministry,unity,youth,worship

Happy Anniversary!

Thirteen years ago today God blessed me beyond imagination by giving me Sheryl to be my wife. Sheryl has influenced me in more ways than I ever thought imaginable. She is my partner, my confidant, the love of my life, and the mother of my children. I value her counsel above all others because there is no one I trust more than her. Among my friends she has no equal for Sheryl is my best friend, no one else comes close. Thirteen years have flown by and my only regret is not stopping often enough to savor the simple moments. I can remember when I first contemplated asking Sheryl to marry me and the thought of being with someone for the rest of my life was daunting, to say the least. But today, as we eclipse thirteen years, "till death do us part" seems too close. I am thankful Sheryl and I share a common faith as I look forward to spending a literal eternity with her. I love my wife!

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

Proverbs 31

Happy Anniversary Sheryl!

Spiritual Mourning - Beatitudes #2

"Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4

The thought that happiness could be connected with mourning is diametrically opposed to the conventional wisdom of today's culture. If there is one thing that the world tries to avoid it is mourning. Everything that the world has to offer is designed to promote happiness. Yet the Lord said that happiness, even blessing, can come through mourning. How is this possible?   To understand we first need to understand what Jesus meant by mourning.

The bible speaks of three types of mourning; the type of mourning that results from sin, natural mourning (i.e. resulting from loss), and biblical mourning (like Jesus speaks of here). 

First, there is mourning that results from sin.  A good example of this is the account of Cain mourning over the consequences of the murder of his brother, Abel.  "Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."  (Genesis 4:13-14)  Cain is mourning over the situation he finds himself in as the result of his sin.

Next, we see mourning resulting from loss.  Mourning, as spoken of by the Lord in the Beatitudes, has nothing to do with the sorrow or sadness that we experience naturally at the loss of a loved one or some other tragedy.  It is quite natural to mourn over events that bring us sorrow and while the Lord's comfort does extend to these situations, there is a more specific application of this verse.

Finally, there is spiritual mourning.  As we learned in Poor in Spirit, the first step in the salvation process is acknowledging that we are totally poverty stricken spiritually.  The second Beatitude turns our attention to the result of seeing our own spiritual bankruptcy.  Isaiah exemplifies the idea of spiritual mourning in Isaiah 6:5, "Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” 

The bible shows two aspects of spiritual mourning.  The first aspect is that initial moment of mourning when we realize our sin.  The bible calls this "godly sorrow" as seen in 2 Corinthians 7:10, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."  Initial Mourning refers to "godly sorrow" that always precedes genuine conversion.  This "godly sorrow" is exemplified in Acts 2:37, "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

The second aspect of spiritual mourning is continual mourning.  Spiritual mourning is not confined to that initial experience that leads us to repent of our sins. It is something that persists even after our initial salvation.  The truth of the matter is, the closer we get to God, the more mournful we become over our sin, knowing that it dishonors Him. "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge." (Psalm 51:3—4)

With this understanding of what Jesus was talking about when he said "blessed are those who mourn" is becomes more apparent how comfort comes to those who are motivated to do something about their sin.  There is comfort in salvation.  The sorrow and heaviness of heart that is found in the repentant sinner is soon replaced with comfort as this lost soul comes to Christ in faith and repentance.  This comfort comes as we experience the free and full pardon of sin.  Comfort is not only received at the time of salvation, but it is something the child of God continues to experience.  As the child of God finds himself guilty of sin, he mourns over that sin, which in turn leads him to confess and forsake his sin. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Poor in Spirit

Jesus began his monumental and earth changing "Sermon on the Mount" with what we now call "the Beatitudes." This group of sayings or teachings has brought hope, inspiration, comfort, and even a little bit of confusion to people from that day up until the present day. Over the next few days, I want to examine Jesus' Beatitudes and prayerfully, bring a little hope, inspiration, comfort, and clarity into your life.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

Once during a children's sermon the preacher asked his little listeners, "What must you do to receive God's forgiveness of your sins?" A child quickly declared, "First of all, you have to sin." How profound! If you have children, you already know that it does not take long for them to get right to the point. This young child has the right idea to understanding what Jesus meant when he said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Until a person realizes they are in sin, they will never turn to God for forgiveness. I know that may sound simple, so simple that it does not deserve to be examined but really, do we all realize that truth? As we look at our society today, we see many lines being blurred. What is the difference between Christians and the rest of the world? If I am a good person is that not good enough? I submit that the question we need to ask people is this, "How has Jesus changed your life?"

Some translations of the bible and a few paraphrases have suggested that instead of the word "blessed" we use the word "happy." In the case of Matthew 5:3 the bible would read, "Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." I will not deny that happiness is a true result of the transformation that comes through Jesus but I'm not sure that the word happy goes far enough in explaining what we receive when we give our lives to Christ. When Jesus said that the poor in spirit would be blessed he capped it off by telling us the blessing, which was the kingdom of heaven! To be blessed means supremely blessed and the promise to the poor in spirit is that they will be blessed by God with the Kingdom of Heaven. Happiness does not even begin to describe what Jesus is saying here and I'm not sure that this side of heaven any of us can explain it satisfactorily.

So what does Jesus mean when he says this blessing comes to those who are poor in spirit? Poorness in our vernacular acknowledges a lack of something, usually in our day and time, a lack of money. Poorness could also refer to lacking in aptitude or certain skills, weakness, being timid or passive, but rare is the occasion that we would equate being poor in something as the key to attaining anything. Yet there it is straight from Jesus himself, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Being poor in spirit is that moment when we acknowledge our total spiritual poverty before God. It is a personal acknowledgment of our own spiritual bankruptcy. It is that instant when one realizes, "I am nothing; I have nothing; I can do nothing; and I stand in need of all things." An example of this can be found in the life of Peter, while still a Galilean fisherman he experiences a life changing, paradigm shifting event, we call it the miracle of the great catch of fish. After fishing all night and catching nothing, Jesus encourages Peter and his fellow anglers to give it one more try. When they do, the results were astonishing! They caught so many fish their nets started breaking and their boats were filled to the point of sinking. The bible tells us that when Peter recognized what Jesus had done he exclaimed, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8) Peter recognized that he was poor in spirit.

Recognizing our poorness of spirit is fundamental to salvation. When we acknowledge that we have nothing to offer God, it is then and only then that we are open enough to allow God to fill our lives. Poorness of spirit is closely related to repentance. Repentance is what follows when we recognize that we are poor in spirit. Another good bible example is found in Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee stood to pray and talked on and on about all the good things he has done while the tax collector could not even bear to raise his head. The tax collector was broken and in need of God. He "beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." (Luke 18:13) We cannot be filled until we are empty, we cannot be made worthy until we recognize our unworthiness; we cannot live until we admit we are dead.

So, how has Jesus changed your life?

God's Set Purpose

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death" (Acts 2:22-23 NKJV).

In the first gospel sermon ever preached, the Apostle Peter gives us a glimpse into the mind of God. At first, you may read over it, but look carefully. "The determined purpose and foreknowledge of God," the New International Version calls it "God's set purpose and foreknowledge," regardless how you word it, the word of God remains the same, the cross was not an accident!

God's Love for You

God chose to create mankind. While he chose to create us, he did not require us to love him or to follow him. In the beginning, God created everything perfect (Genesis 1, 2). There was no disease, no death, and no sin. All of this changed in the moment that Adam and Eve made their fateful decisions to disobey God. The moment Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, disease, death and sin gained a foothold on the earth and we have ever since suffered the consequences (Romans 5:12-21).

A casual reader of the bible might say God suffered a set back in his plans that day in the garden but the bible tells a different story. God had a set purpose.

That day in the garden, God didn't call an emergency board meeting to decide what to do with this most pressing situation. There were no heated discussions between God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit on how best to deal with this state of affairs. He knew it would happen. It had already been decided.

His love for you had already caused him to make that most difficult but necessary decision to send his Son to the cross!

1000 Visitors Can't Be Wrong!

It's hard to believe but, sometime today "The Mind of Mitchell" blogsite will record it's 1000th guest. I started this blog in June of this year but didn't really get going until August/September (basically what that means is I didn't know what I was doing when I first started and it took me a good two months to figure things out).

One of the things I learned was how to gather and analyze statistics for my site. I am amazed every day at the number of people who read my blog as well as the reach I have made worldwide. Yes, worldwide! I have visitors from all over the United States, Racine, WI to Biloxi, MS; San Bernadino to San Marcos to Spring Hill; Nashville to Los Angeles; Pascagoula to Chicago and many points in between. I also have recorded visitors from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India, South America, Honduras, Germany, and England.

I reached another milestone today, since I began keeping stats(on Sept. 3rd), I have flirted with 100 guests in a day but never quite made it, today (Thursday) the site recorded 103!

When I started this blog I never dreamed of the impact and reach I could have on so many people, from so many different places. God willing I will continue to write with my purpose remaining to glorify God and Christ, to bring a little humor into your life and to help us all gain perspective on the things happening around us. Thank You for stopping by and reading. Let me know how I'm doing and what you would like to see me discuss in the future.

Blessed

I am truly blessed! This is not something I state on a whim, I truly can see God's hand working in my life.

Other than God's grace, which is first and foremost on the list of blessings, God has given me my wife. She is my partner in every aspect of life. I have foregone the standard reference to her as my "better half" an truthfully refer to her as my "better three-quarters." More than her outward appearance, which is beautiful, the beauty inside her always shines bright. She makes me a better father, minister, and Christian. I pray that God will bless my daughters and son with the quality of spouse that he has given me.

This brings me to my children. If you have children then you understand, my life is enmeshed with my children. Everything I do, everything I seek to become comes full circle to them and the example I desire to set for them.

Another way God has blessed me recently is with my new position at Waynesboro. I have a wonderful eldership to work under and learn from, which should be enough but God has not stopped with them. I am also blessed to work with a friend and colleague, Matthew Morine. Matthew and I are enough alike to be at ease around each other, yet different enough that we aren't running over each other trying to do the same things. Matthew's maturity despite being younger is something that inspires me, as well as his desire to see the Lord's church thrive. The constant encouragement and "gentle nudges" Matthew gives must be what it would have felt like to be in the company of Barnabas, the great encourager. Again, this should be enough, yet God has blessed me with the great members at Waynesboro who have tirelessly supported my efforts since coming here.

I could go on for ages and tell you about the titanic support of my parents or the way my brother is always looking out for his little brother, but I'll save that for another day.

My brother is always saying, "You can't out give God." Boy, is that ever true! My challenge to you is to stop right now and count your blessings. Think, then thank God for what he has done for you.