Learning from Andy Pettitte

I wanted to post this article for you guys because I believe there is a lot for us to learn from this man from a Christian perspective.

God bless!

http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2008_4516383

Learning from the Sloth

Update - Praise God that Pastor David Stone's test checked out good and is recovering from his recent minor heart attack. Here is one of his recent "Morning Mannas".

The sloth is a weird looking creature that lives in Central and South America. It spends most of its life hanging upside down in trees. It got its name from the fact that it moves so slowly and sleeps so much. They don't seem to get in a hurry for anything and that's OK--that's precisely how God designed them ( and you thought God doesn't have a sense of humor). It does what God designed it to do. We should be so smart! But when God's people act like a sloth it is a serious matter. It is a sin for us to not do what God designed us to do. Regina Barreca wrote the following humorous, yet sad, article that makes the point: "Sloth is insidious. It whispers that you might as well do it tomorrow, that nobody will know if you cut corners here and there to save yourself some trouble. Sloth says, "Don't strain yourself," "What's the big hurry?" and "Just give me five more minutes." Sloth hits the snooze alarm, hits the remote control and hits the road when the going gets tough...Sloth cheats on exams, drinks straight from the milk carton and leaves exactly two sheets on the toilet roll so that it will have to be replaced by the next poor soul who finds out too late that the remaining paper is nothing more than a mirage. Sloth does slightly less than the right thing. It doesn't tell the clerk he has undercharged. Sloth has never written a thank-you note, sent a birthday card on time or entertained angels. All this simple asks too much effort. " Regina Barteca (Chicago Tribune, 1996). We who claim to be followers of Christ need to think about that and remember the words of Solomon: "By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through" ( Ecclesiastes 10:18). THINK ABOUT IT! - DAVID STONE

God Wills Us to be Holy

Please pray for the dear man that I mentioned in the last column, Pastor David Stone. I have been told that he has suffered a mild heart attack and is now having some tests run. Please pray that the Lord will comfort and heal this man who loves Him dearly.

God Wills Us to be Holy

by Mike Ratliff

Holiness is commanded by God. He wills it. Our Lord Jesus Christ requires it and the Word of God calls for it. The goal of our redemption is that we become Holy as God is Holy. Our Lord died on the cross in order that all of His people would be justified. This justification is God's declaration that we are righteous having Christ's righteousness imputed to our account. This had to come first in order that we may be sanctified and made Holy.

"To be a saint means to be separated. But it means more than that. The saint also is to be involved in a vital process of sanctification. We are to be purified daily in the growing pursuit of holiness. If we are justified, we must also be sanctified." (R.C. Sproul)

The believer can become quite confused about this condition. On one hand, they are called to be Holy by God, but their flesh and the enemy seems to continually pull and push them into sin. They are driven back and forth between gross sin and tearful repentance. They read in the New Testament that they are called to become Christ-like, to become conformed to Jesus. That means that they must first begin to think as Jesus did. This is what is called, "having the mind of Christ." Having the mind of Christ means valuing what our Lord values while despising what He despises. It means having the same priorities that He has. How does this happen?

It can only happen as believers develop a mastery of God's Word. The key to spiritual growth unto Christ-likeness is in-depth Christian education that requires commitment and a serious level of sacrifice.

"Let us therefore look diligently whereunto we are called, that we deceive not ourselves. We are called, not to dispute as the Pope's disciples do, but to die with Christ that we may live with him, and to suffer with him that we may reign with him. We be called unto a kingdom that must be won with suffering only, as a sick man winneth health. God is he that doeth all things for us and fighteth for us and we do but suffer only. Christ saith (John 20), As my father sent me, so sent I you. And (John 15), If they persecute me then shall they persecute you. And (Matthew 10), saith Christ, I sent you forth as sheep among wolves. The sheep fight not: but the shepherd fighteth for them and careth for them. Be harmless as doves therefore, saith Christ, and wise as serpents. The doves imagine no defence nor seek to avenge themselves. The serpent's wisdom is to keep his head and those parts wherein his life resteth. Christ is our head and God's word is that where our life resteth. So cleave therefore fast unto Christ and unto those promises which God hath made us for his sake is our wisdom."(William Tyndale, 1528)

God is sovereign. His sovereignty is complete. He is the one directing our paths and guiding us into the circumstances and situations wherein we must exercise our faith in either trusting Him in obedience or fleeing from the fires of sanctification in our self-centered, flesh-driven disobedience. This is why it is imperative that we become masters of the Word of God. We must get it into us, learn it, know it, and apply it in every part of our lives. As Tyndale said, "God's word is that where our life resteth." We must cling to Christ and those promises which God has made us for his sake in our wisdom. How can we do this if we don't know His word?

Instead of wasting your life on self-gratification why not invest it by getting God's Word into you as you immerse yourself in it. The byproduct of this will be a life that is growing strong in its likeness of our Lord. The state of being Spirit-filled will not happen unless God's Word takes precedence in the heart. As this process does its work, the believer will find that the mind of Christ is taking form in them. They find themselves submitting to more and more people, even the unreasonable ones, for Christ's sake. Their relationships with everyone around them become colored by this new profound character development within them.

Holiness is the substance of which happiness is the product. If we chase happiness by pursuing self-gratification we miss it. However, if we pursue holiness through the grace of Christ, happiness of spirit comes unasked. This is joy and it is our strength to continue in the journey, cleaving fast unto Christ and unto those promises which God hath made us for his sake which is our wisdom.-----(by Mike Ratliff, posted in Christian Authenticity).

Honking for Jesus!

I'd like to thank my fellow brother and elder in Christ, Pastor David Stone of Northway Baptist church for inspiring many of the recent "P22" columns.

"Churchianity" Revealed
by Dr. J. Vernon McGee

To some church members, religion is a rite or a ritual or a legalistic and lifeless form, a liturgical system marked by meaningless and wearisome verbiage. There is a lot of religious garbage in our so-called conservative and evangelical churches also. There is a ceaseless quoting of tired adjectives and a jumble of pious platitudes. We so often hear people say, "We want to share our faith." My friend, most people don't have enough faith to share. It's not your faith when you share about how wonderful you are or what wonderful things God did for you. You are to witness to Jesus Christ, who He is and what He did for you.

In talking about salvation, people say, "Commit your life to Him." If you ask them what they mean, they say, "Yield your life to Him." Do you really think He wants your life? He says that our righteousness and even our so-called good deeds are filthy rags in His sight. God doesn't want your dirty laundry, my friend. I am afraid that we have gotten into the habit of using words that take away the real meaning of the gospel.

There is another word that is surely being worn out and whose tread is really becoming thin. Love is a high word of Scripture, but it has been worn out on the freeway of present-day usage. It has been emasculated of its rich, vital, virile, and vigorous Bible meaning. It's been degraded to the level of a bumper sticker which says, "Honk if you love Jesus!" If you love Jesus, you don't run around honking your horn. If you love Jesus you're going to live a life of obedience to Him.

My point is that today there is a great deal of "churchianity" that is bland and bloodless, tasteless and colorless. It is devoid of warmth and feeling. There is no personal relationship with Christ that is meaningful and productive. One liberal pastor wrote that it made him sick to hear people talk of a personal relationship with Christ. I would surely make him sick if he would listen to me, because the thing you have to have, my friend, is a personal relationship with Christ. Your ritual and your liturgy are not worth the snap of your fingers unless you have a life that is related to Jesus Christ.

If there is no deep yearning for a life that is well pleasing to Him, if there is no stimulating desire to know Him and His Word, church membership is just like a young man falling in love with a furnished apartment and marrying an electric stove, a refrigerator, a vacuum cleaner, a garbage disposal, and a wet mop! That is just about all it amounts to. Let's stop playing church today and start loving Christ and living for Him!

Recently, a company advertised a "huggable, washable, and talking" Jesus doll that recites "actual Scripture verses to introduce children of all ages to the wisdom of the Bible." Its sayings include, "I have an exciting plan for your life," and "Your life matters so much to Me." Who wouldn't want to follow a Jesus like this?

Jesus does offer a wonderful plan for our lives. But He doesn't serve as a cosmic genie or cuddly doll to meet our every whim. John 6 gives us a picture of a Jesus who is not so cuddly—in fact, He's often offensive. Instead of fulfilling the selfish desires of His followers, He disturbed their expectations. He offered Himself as spiritual bread from heaven and said, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life" (v.54).

This message was offensive and difficult. The image of eating flesh and drinking blood did not give His hearers "warm fuzzies." Many stopped following Him (v.66). He wasn't the conquering Messiah-King they had expected.

Sometimes we want a Jesus who meets our selfish needs. But the wonderful life He offers is found only in radical obedience to His commands. Let's ask Jesus to show us what His words mean, and for the courage to act on His truth. —Marvin Williams

"We love You, Lord Jesus," we often may say,
But are we as ready His will to obey?
Let's heed what God's Spirit would have us to do,
For that's how we show Him a love that is true. —DJD

God Lives Under The Bed

GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED

I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. Atleast that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen,

"Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed.."

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. "That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.

His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.

His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care. Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a b! oy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won't be surprised at all!

God and Shrek

When it comes to love and acceptance, our world says, "look a certain way, or act a certain way and you'll be loved." Our culture teaches us that love is something that can be earned. The trouble with that is many of us don't have what it takes to be loved.

Years ago, singer/songwriter Janice Ian made the same observation in her song entitled, "Seventeen." The song says, "I learned the truth at seventeen; That love was made for beauty queens, And high school girls with clear skinned smiles... And those of us with ravaged faces, Lacking in the social graces, Desperately remained at home, Inventing lovers on the phone..." She finished by dedicating the song "To those of us who knew the pain Of Valentines that never came, And those whose names were never called When choosing sides for basketball."

There are no beauty contests when it comes to God's love. There is nothing you can do to earn God's love. He knows me for who I really am, and loves me--warts and all. I think that's one reason why the animation movies Shreck and Shreck 2 are so popular. Fiona was once a beautiful princess who lost her beauty. But ugly old Shrek loves her for who she is on the inside, not on the outside. And in a way, his love makes her beautiful.

That's the kind of love Jesus has for you. The Bible says," Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."(1 Samuel 16:7) Yet when God looks at our heart, He doesn't see anything there that deserves His love. But He loves us anyway. It is His love that makes us beautiful.

God loves you, but don't miss the point: God doesn't love you because you're valuable: you're vauable because God loves you.

-----from the sermon "Is There Hope When I've Messed Up" by David Dykes