Something We Can Learn From a Dog

    Last fall, there was an incredible story in the news about a dog that found his deceased master’s grave in a distant cemetery, and stood guard over it for six years.
    Shortly after Miguel Guzman passed away, his German Shepherd, Capitan, ran away from home. The family looked everywhere to no avail. They assumed he had been hit by a car. Then the following Sunday, when the family visited their father’s grave, Capitan came running to meet them in the cemetery, barking and wagging his tail, then running back to Miguel’s grave site.
    The odd part...they had never brought the dog to the cemetery, let alone the grave. Everyone is totally confused as to how the dog was able to locate it.
    Dogs have incredible scent. Some speculate that he somehow followed the scent of his master’s body from the house, to the hospital, to the funeral home, and then to the cemetery. But what is amazing is that each leg of the journey, Miguel’s body would have been transported by car. It’s still a mystery how he was able to do it.
    But once Capitan found his master’s resting place, there was no leaving, at least, not for long. The family took him home, and he was OK with that. But he was back in the cemetery by nightfall. Bare in mind, this is in Argentina, where non-aggressive dogs are allowed to run free.
    The family took Capitan home again, he was back at the grave by 6:00 pm. They took him home the next day, and again, he stayed till the evening, but was back by the time Miguel used to return home every night at 6:00. Eventually, the cemetery caretakers began to feed the dog and view him as the graveyard mascot. For six years, he’s lived in the cemetery. He roams the park during the day, but always returns to Miguel’s grave at 6:00 pm and remains there until the next morning.
    There is quite a lesson in loyalty for us in that story. Dogs are known for their loyalty.
    But sadly, people are not. Too many people are quick to sell their friends and even family for the cheap thrill of a laugh or an interested listening ear. We often refuse to stand up against gossip for fear that we might wind up being the target. We’re there for others, so long as they are there for us. But once the potential of returned favor is gone, are we?
    Miguel couldn’t be there for Capitan. He was dead. But it didn’t matter to the German Shepherd. Miguel was his master and he would be there for him for the rest of his life, even if that meant after Miguel’s death.
    And then I consider the lack of loyalty many have for the one who sacrificed his life for them. Sure, they’ll sing in church and talk about God like he means something to them, until disappointment. Then it’s, “Where is God?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the stories of difficult trials in a person’s life as an explanation for why they turned their backs on God. They were there for God, as long as he would be there for them (and they want to define what that means).
    Jesus is looking for those with the loyalty of Capitan. Those who will say, “No matter what, I’ll serve him for the rest of my life!”
    Will you?

The Big One Got Away, But the Little One Didn't

    Did you hear about the near miss last week? If you were watching the news, you knew it was coming, but we also knew it was going miss us by about 1,700 miles. That may seem like a long ways away, but not when it comes to meteors the size of a Wal-Mart, hurtling towards us at forty times the speed of sound. An impact from something like that would destroy a city, and could possibly cause global weather catastrophe. So obviously, even though it was going to miss us, scientists were watching it closely, and studying every detail they could surmise.
    And in doing so, they totally missed the one that didn’t miss us!
    That very day, a 50 ton meteor exploded in the sky over Russia, creating an explosion with the strength of an atomic bomb, destroying buildings below and injuring nearly a thousand people. And not a single scientist saw it coming.
    Why? They were too busy watching the big one, the one that wasn’t going to hit us anyway. In doing so, they didn’t see the little one (comparatively little, that is). The one that did enter our atmosphere and exploded about 25 miles above the Chelyabinsk region of Russia, was estimated to be about 50 feet in diameter, and between 30-60 tons. Below, glass was broken out of buildings, some buildings collapsed, and 985 people reported injury, with dozens being hospitalized.
    It was completely missed, because those who do the looking were distracted by the bigger intrigue.
    And that’s why I keep letting through the “little sins” in my life.
    We tend to be so fixated on the major sins that could potentially destroy our lives, and maybe even intent on steering clear from, that we forget about the damage done by those lesser noticeable vices that seemingly slip in under the radar.
    So you haven’t murdered, cheated on your spouse, or embezzled from your company, but what about envy, lust, deception, resentment and gossip? As we are pointing at the big sins of others, and feeling pretty good that we’ve kept our distances from them, have we allowed the hidden sins of the heart to creep in and take over? It’s those “little sins,” what Solomon called “the little foxes,” that destroy a character and implode a life. Suddenly there is this sonic boom and we ask, “What happened?” We were distracted by the big, and taken down by the little.
    After all, every sin has the same source. It’s why Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
    In other words, he was saying, “You might be feeling pretty good about not murdering, but the root sin of murder is the same as animosity. If you are guilty of one, you are guilty of the other.”
    So, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, and don’t steal. But don’t be distracted by those things either. Better yet, be on guard against the inner attitudes of anger, lust, and greed. If you stay clean from these hidden heart attitudes, you’ll have no trouble with the major issues that they lead to.

The Power of Words

    The power of words is an amazing thing. Particularly the words that come from those who matter to us.
    I was 17 the first time I preached. The youth group I was attending had a special night for young guys who thought they might go into the ministry to preach to the youth group. There were three or four of us scheduled to speak that night and we were given 10 minutes a piece. I still remember the message that I gave (I think I even have my original notes), and I hate to admit it, but it was absolute heresy! But when I was about half-way into it, one of our youth leaders, who happened to also be my speech teacher, leaned over to her husband, who was my coach, and she whispered, “He’s a good preacher.” I think she was surprised because I wasn’t very good in speech class. Even though I was in the middle of my first sermon ever, I had enough awareness that I could read her lips–I knew what she said. And it changed my life. Before that, I felt that God was calling me into some kind of ministry. After that, I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life. And I’ve never looked back.
    I’m going to email her a link to this blog to see if she remembers it. Who knows, maybe she’ll correct me and say, “No, I said, ‘I have to go to the bathroom.’” Hahaha!
    Whatever she said, I at least thought her words were encouraging about me, and it set me on a course that I am still on thirty-five years later. That’s the power of words.
    How is that power being unleashed in your speech? Because the Apostle James wrote that the power of our words goes both ways. As they can be uplifting and encouraging, they often are destructive and damaging.
    A recent study of words that parents use with their children revealed that the participants in the study used 10 negative or critical words for every positive. This kind of overwhelming negativity not only destroys the effectiveness of constructive criticism. It creates an attitude of cynicism and defeatism in the home and children.
    A good rule of thumb is, “Three spoons full of sugar for every spoon full of medicine.” There are times when we must tell difficult truths. Some criticism is necessary. But it is only constructive if it is well received. And few of us receive criticism in a constructive way unless it is coming from encouraging people.
    So today...beginning right now, look around and see where the power of your words can be put to use. There are probably some in the same office as you, certainly those who live in your home, who need your honest encouragement. They need the power of your words to be unleashed in a good way, in them.
    You might be the one, this very day, to be instrumental in setting a course for someone, that will change their life. And it might be just because of something you say. That’s the power of words!

Does God Ever Lead Us?

    A couple of weeks ago, while examining the third commandment, I talked about the common practice of Christians attaching God’s name to their actions and choices, thereby claiming a kind of “divine endorsement” on their decisions. How often do we hear Christians say something like, “The Lord led me to __________.” And I sited a few examples where others claimed to be led by the Lord when clearly, God would not have have led anyone to contradict Scripture. There are also times when people will talk about God’s leading in their lives, and while they may not be violating something specific in the Bible, the actions they are claiming God’s leading on appear to be foolish. While I can’t judge in those cases whether or not that person had indeed heard from God, I cautioned the congregation to be very careful about attaching God’s name to anything we are doing, unless it is specific in Scripture or we are absolutely sure that God is speaking to us about the matter. To claim that the Lord is leading us, when it’s really our own emotions, or desires, or even logic, is to violate the third commandment.
    And I’ve heard from a number of you since. Because it would be difficult for me to answer each of you individually, let me respond here as best I can.
    First, God does speak to us at times outside of Scripture, and those who have received Jesus as Savior do have the Holy Spirit within them, who leads, teaches, convicts, and directs. God certainly does want us to go to him about the common things of life. If you are interested in a guy or a girl for a relationship, he wants you to talk to him and ask him for wisdom. He wants you to pray about things such as what job you take, what house you buy or apartment you rent. But he also enjoys seeing you make your own decisions. When my kids ask for my advice, I freely give it, but they make their own decisions (now that they are adults). Just as God wants us to include him in the choices we make (and his revealed will should be first and foremost), he also wants us to take responsibility for our decisions.
    Perhaps a better way to include God and yet take ownership of our actions, is to seek Biblical principles, ask for advice from mature believers who demonstrate wisdom in their own lives, pray and ask for promptings from the Holy Spirit, and then make the decision. And rather than insisting that God is the one who decided for us, let’s just admit that we did what we believe was right and best.
    If you insist that God brought you and your girlfriend together, how will you explain it if/when she breaks up with you? Will you insist that she is rebelling against God by ending the relationship that you claimed he brought about? Think of all the times we (myself included) have said, “The Lord is leading…” about something that didn’t work out. Where God leads, it works. And the fact is, sometimes we think it might be God, when it’s just what we want to do anyway. Think about this, in the Bible, when God led people to do something specific, it usually wasn’t very pleasant, and it wasn’t what they wanted to do (Moses, Jonah, Paul). Usually when we claim that the Lord is leading, it’s what we would want to do anyway. So you say the Lord is leading you to ask that girl out...but I’ll bet you have a crush on her anyway. ☺
    I know that it is often said that God has a very specific plan for everyone. But let’s remember, we are not biological robots. There are times where he gives very specific instructions. But most of the time, he enjoys interacting with us regarding our lives, and he enjoys seeing us make choices and taking responsibility for those choices. Always claiming the Lord’s leading cheapens the concept, and takes attention away from when he really is. Let’s all be careful to only attach God’s name to those things where we are absolutely sure he has spoken. Then, when we know he has, it is all the more meaningful!