Limited-time Offer

Imagine that you are on your way out the door to spend a lifetime in prison for committing a crime, when the richest and most prominent man in the entire world shows up at your house bringing the following:

**a complete pardon for your crime

**an immeasurable amount of money to cancel all your debts

**all his secret remedies that can heal any disease or sickness

**his personal counselor to help you overcome all your fears, shame, hurts, worries, etc

**the money and means to restore everything that was ever stolen from you or that you were cheated of

**the ability to bring peace and joy into your life like you couldn’t even fathom

Now imagine that this man told you to go get EVERY person you could find, and he would do the same for them. You will have only 60 days, though, because then he leaves for good (taking you with him), and the offer expires.

What do you do?

Duty

Luke 17:7-10 records a short yet powerful parable about duty. (You can read it at the bottom of this blog). The words are red, thus belonging to Jesus, so take them to heart then ask yourself: Am I expecting special thanks for doing something that is expected of me—for my duty?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word duty means something that is done as part of a job or because it is morally right or the law requires it. Basically it is a responsibility that we are accountable for. We all have duties whether they be at home, work, school, etc. As Christians, we have Kingdom duties, too, such as love others, be fruitful, subdue the earth, pray, and give. Sometimes, we go over and above our basic duty and do favors for people.

When our daughter was younger, we assigned the chore of washing dishes to her. The first time she stepped into this new assignment, she grumbled around afterwards. When asked why, she said because we didn't thank her for her actions. I promptly thanked and praised her, not thinking anymore about it. The next several times she completed her chore, though, she continued to expect the same response from us. I thanked her each time and pondered the stirring in my spirit until I came to the conclusion that I had failed in explaining the concept of duty to her. She was wanting me to thank her because she was doing a favor for me by cleaning the dishes. What she didn't understand was that she wasn't doing me a favor because the responsibility of the dishes wasn't mine—it was hers. She thought she was filling in for me and wanted thanks for her special help. We had to explain to her that the chore was reassigned and no longer mine. It had become her duty and she wasn't filling in for anyone but herself.

 
Are we so different from this young girl? How many times do we sit around and grumble because we are waiting on the Lord to thank us for our efforts? As if it were His duty to pray with people and we just filled in for Him. And what about work? If our job is to shred paper and we spend the day doing it, are we expecting a thank you at the end of the day for performing a basic duty?

Many people claim burnout these days, and if you don’t believe me, then check out your social media wall. A wise man once said that burnout isn't caused from working too hard; it's caused from not seeing enough results. I'd like to add to this observation and take it a step further. What if the "results" we are waiting on are these misplaced expectations of praise and gratitude for doing our duties? I think burnout for many folks is self-induced. They do a duty but expect the response/reward of a favor, and when they don't get the emotional results, they feel burned out. The situation can be remedied by focusing their blurry line between duty and favor.

For proper understanding of the difference between duty and favor in your own life, make a list of your duties. Be sure to include those related to work, career, home and family, church, school, sports, etc. When you do something on this list, vow to not anticipate gratitude and praise from others. But if you do receive it, then count it as a blessing instead of an expectation.

When you take ownership your duties and perform them for the simple reason that they are your responsibility, you will get immediate satisfaction from the accomplishment instead of waiting for praise that may never come. Duty and favors are not the same, and you have a duty to know the difference.

Luke 17:7-10 from The Message

“Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, ‘Sit down and eat’? Wouldn’t you be more likely to say, ‘Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I’ve finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper’? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him? It’s the same with you. When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.’”

 

I Want To Be Like That

Since tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday, a time when celebrities and role models become hot topics, I’d like to tell you about two people whom I highly esteem, and who certainly are not your run-of-the-mill kind of folk.

In our local area, there are twin brothers, both seemingly vagabonds, who have peppered my life with their presence over the past several years.  I can remember the first time I meet them.  I was managing the ShadeTree Publishing booth at a local book fair when one of the brothers stopped by to chat.  Shortly after leaving, “he” returned again to talk some more; however, I couldn’t figure out why he didn’t recall any of our previous conversation.  It wasn’t until later that I realized “he” was actually a set of twin brothers.  While other people may remember these two men by their somewhat comedic appearance, I have a totally different reason – they inspire me to be a better person. Not because of what they have or have not. No. It’s because of what they give.

Every year, I look forward to the annual book fair because I know that I will get to visit with these brothers.  They are unlike any other people who stop by our booth.  They never come with personal agendas or manipulating conversations aimed at convincing me to either buy or publish something.  They simply stop by to visit, and when our chats are over, they leave me feeling refreshed and like they genuinely enjoyed my fellowship. I want to be like that. I want to be someone who lifts up others and leaves them feeling like they have a true friend and not one who feigns friendship for hidden personal gain.

During one of the many book fairs, the brothers made their annual stop at our booth.  One of them showed an interest in my books.  Now normally, I would have flipped my salesman switch and gone for the gold; however, this time I couldn’t bring myself to do it because I presumed that they needed what little money they had for food instead of my books.  Despite my attempts to dissuade him, he insisted on purchasing the book and wouldn’t accept it for free.  Simply put – he wanted to bless me and encourage me in my early writing career. I want to be like that. I want to be willing to sacrifice personal things to encourage others, especially when they are just getting started on their journey.

So today I had the pleasure of running across these brothers again in a local gas station. After chatting with them briefly (and walking away yet blessed again), I made my way to the candy aisle to appease my sweet tooth. After much contemplation and negotiation with my better judgment, I chose my delight and headed to the checkout where I found one of the brothers declining his purchase because he didn’t have enough money to cover the cost. I immediately thought, Ah ha! Here is my chance to bless them in return for the many times they blessed me.  I added their item to my own purchases and happily paid the bill. The brother was beyond himself with gratitude. My heart began to swell as he thanked me with such tenderness. But alas, in this moment when I thought I would get to bless him, his watery eyes brimming with gratitude melted my heart, and there I stood, blessed again, this time by his appreciative soul. I want to be like that. I want to be someone whose overflow of genuine thankfulness touches others.

I’m looking forward to my next chance encounter with these two mysterious gents.  I have no idea whether they are Christians or not, but I can say one thing – every time I encounter them, they show me the love of Christ, and I really want to be like that.

How We Are Seen

When we look at each other what do we see first?

More often than not, we look for one another’s faults. It’s human nature. By reveling in someone else’s downfall or misfortune, we artificially inflate our own self-worth. If we could illustrate the amount of our sins versus the extent of our faith and good works, we could use a simple vertical bar. For example, take a look at the following group of folks. With one glance, you immediately glean what kind of people they are. This is how we see each other. Well, sort of…

Listen to some of the secret thoughts below to realize how we really see each other.

Becky thinks: "What a loser Carol is. She drinks all the time and the few times she comes to Church, she smells like booze. Glad I'm not like her. I'm in church every week, I pray all the time, and I read my Bible every day."

Ted thinks: "Wow, look how bad Sue is! I bet that's why her husband was broken at the altar last Sunday. She's probably cheating on him."

Greg thinks: " Sue thinks she is so much better than me. At least I don't do as many bad things as she does."

Bill thinks: "It seems like for every step forward, I take a step back. At least I'm trying harder than George, though."

So how does God see us??

If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and have asked for forgiveness of our sins, then God sees us through the righteous blood of Jesus Christ. We are redeemed only through His blood, which cleanses us from our sins. The blood of Jesus should purge our minds of the dead works of ourselves and others so that we can better serve God.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7 KJV)

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14 KJV)

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 KJV).

How should we see each other?

If the Bible says there is no condemnation, then should we continue to condemn the people around us? No!! But, exactly how do we change our perception? By looking at the good in people instead of the bad.  

 Lord, please take the precious blood of Jesus and wash our eyes so that we may see more clearly. Amen.

 

 

Got Any Good Dirt?

Successful gardening depends on good soil, and one of the best ways to improve soil quality is to add organic material (dead and decaying matter). Basically, dead dirt is good dirt.

The Bible says that good soil will produce crops that are thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown (Mark 4:8). Well, I don’t know about you, but I want my life to be fertile soil that the Lord can use. I want those things that I sow into the Kingdom of God (whether it be one hour or one dollar) to be multiplied a hundred fold. If it all starts with good dirt, then spiritually speaking, how do we know whether we have it -- and if not, how do we get some?

Typically in the natural world, finding a dead body buried in dirt requires forensic techniques such as cadaver-sniffing dogs or ground-penetrating sonar. However, a new technique developed by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology just made the search easier. These scientists have created a simple probe that can be inserted into the ground to find decaying flesh by detecting chemical changes in the dirt.

In the spiritual world, soil is symbolic of our lives. Good soil stands for a noble and good heart, for one who hears the word and retains it (Luke 8:15). However, just like in the natural world, the more death in our dirt, the more fertile it is. The quality of our soil can be tested by using techniques similar to those used by forensic scientists:

1. By Smell: Our lifestyle should be full of praise and worship-- a sacrifice to God. The aroma of it is pleasing to Him (Gen 8:21). How do we smell?
2. By Sound: We are not to let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs (Eph 4:29). How do we sound?
3. By Changes: We are not to be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2). Can changes be detected in us?

If we test our soil and find that it isn’t good, then we need to add some death to it. The Bible says to count ourselves dead to sin but alive in Christ (Rom 6:11). We can improve our dirt by putting to death the misdeeds of our body and our earthly nature such as sexual immorality, impurity, lust, greed, and idolatry (Rom 8:13, Col 3:5). We must die to sin, live in Christ, grow in the knowledge of God, and bear fruit of the Holy Spirit.

A Hunting He Will Go

Bats emit an ultrasonic call and then locate their prey by the echoes they hear in return. While many moths can hear this call and skirt an attack, there is one species of bat they don’t often escape. The barbastelle bat is a very successful hunter that consumes large numbers of moths daily. Until recently, many researchers assumed that these moths were earless and thus unable to hear their enemy approaching. As it turns out, though, the barbastelle preys almost exclusively on moths that have ears.

A team of researchers uncovered the secret of barbastelle's success. This bat uses a sneaky hunting strategy to catch its prey–it whispers. Whereas moths can detect other bats more than 30 meters away, the barbastelle can get as close as 3.5 meters to the moth without being detected. By whispering, the bat can hear the echo from an unsuspecting moth before it even becomes aware of its hunter.

Our enemy uses this technique on us too. He especially seeks those with ears to hear his rhetoric. Listen how our adversary tried to consume Job by whispering lies that God didn’t care about him (Job 4): "A word was secretly brought to me; my ears caught a whisper of it. A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end. I heard a hushed voice: If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error, how much more those who live in houses of clay, who are crushed more readily than a moth! Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever."

Sometimes as Christians, we put on our armor and stand with our hands on our hips; we dare the enemy speak death over us. And as we proudly stand there with our fists in the air, rebuking his calls, and evading his obvious attacks, we fall prey to the whispers. The Bible says that all of our enemies whisper together against us; they imagine the worst for us (Psa 41:7-8).

So what are we to do in these times when we’re standing firm yet being hunted by the enemy? We listen for another voice. Whether we turn to the right or left, our ears will hear a voice behind us saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Is 30:21) And as we walk with God, let the only echo the enemy hears be the Holy Spirit resonating in our lives.

Fishing in the Dark

Psychoactive drugs include antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and painkillers. Abuse of these drugs continues to increase, and as a result, the drugs excreted in urine and feces are making their way through waste water and into our rivers and estuaries. This drug migration into our coastal areas is causing shrimp and other marine life to become drug users too.

A recent study investigated changes in shrimp behavior when they were exposed to various psychoactive drugs at the same levels found in waste water. The results of the study were astounding and showed that shrimp behavior was dramatically affected. In fact, the shrimp were five times more likely to swim toward light following exposure to the drug. According to these findings, drugs make shrimp swim toward light, thus making them more likely to be eaten by fish or birds.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the light of the world. He said that whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). In addition, the Bible often uses the sea to represent humanity. Jesus was using this symbolism when He said, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt 4:19) We know that there are people lost in a sea of darkness. So, how can we as Christian use this information in conjunction with the research?

Just like the intoxicated shrimp who swim toward the light, drug abusers seek a seemingly lighter life that’s free of cares, and this make them more likely to be swallowed up by death. Every day, folks are drowning in the sea of humanity; they are being poisoned by toxic waste waters. We need to give these people something other than drugs – something that will draw them to Jesus instead of death. We need to turn on His light in us and fish them out of their darkness.

Monkey See, Monkey Say

Humans are imitators, whether they know it or not. We unintentionally mimic other folks, especially in terms of mannerisms, facial expressions, and speech (including voice inflections, talking speed, and style).

Researchers at the University of California recently investigated this unintentional imitation. They instructed a group of normal hearing individuals with no formal lip-reading experience to watch a silent video of someone speaking a list of words. After each word, the test subjects were to identify that word by saying it out loud clearly and quickly. They were never asked to imitate the silent person on the video. The researchers found that when people say aloud what they’ve lip read, their speech sounds like that of the talker. In fact, the words spoken by the test subjects sounded more like the lip-read words of the talker (whom was never heard and only seen) as compared with the words the subjects spoke when simply reading from a list.

While this interesting research will help to shed light on speech recognition, there is a deeper, more fundamental principle to be gleaned here. Basically, we sound like those around us act —and— they sound like we act.

Think about it. For example, if we are surrounded by people who act crabby and irritable, does our language sound upbeat and happy? Probably not. Chances are we sound more like them. We are mimickers by nature.

So, every now and then we all need a good sound check. We need to stop and ask ourselves what do I sound like and what do those around me sound like. If we don’t enjoy what we hear, then either we’re acting bad and causing others to mimic us by grumbling, or we’re mimicking the actions of other cranky folks with our speech. Either possibility requires us to refocus our attention.

The Bible warns us to not imitate the detestable ways of others (Deut 18:9). Instead, we are to remember our leaders who speak the word of God to us and imitate their faith (Heb 13:7). Ultimately, we should imitate the ways of Jesus so that when others watch and mimic us, they sound pleasing to the Lord.

Quiet Eye

Expert golfers use a technique called the Quiet Eye. They line up the putt using quick, alternating fixations between the ball and the hole. Then right before and during the stroke, they hold a steady gaze on the back of the ball for around 2 to 3 seconds. After putting the ball, the golfer continues to hold his eyes steady for a further half a second.

To assess the benefits of the Quiet Eye technique, researchers recently measured the putting performance of a group of golfers before and after learning the procedure. The golfers realized an immediate improvement in their putting accuracy; they sank 6% more of their putts and reduced their average number of putts by two per round.

The Quiet Eye technique is effective because it allows the golfer to notice only the necessary visual information required to make the shot. It also benefits novice golfers by improving their learning speed and helping them to maintain performance under pressure.

Well, I admit–I’m not a golfer. In fact, I’ve never played. However, I can see multiple uses for this Quiet Eye technique.

The Bible says that a discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth (Pro 17:24 NIV). In other words, keep your eye on the ball.

So many times we find ourselves in the same situation over and over again. We putt all around an important decision, never quite nailing the shot. Perhaps if we would use this Quiet Eye technique and focus on what is really important, we’d be able to sink the putt and decrease the number of bad attempts to get through the situation. By using this technique regularly, we could get out of messes more quickly and operate better when under pressure.

Golf training isn’t just for athletes; it can work for us too. The Bible says that everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever (1 Chron 9:25 NIV).

Christian Accents

In general, when we listen to people talk, we know where they come from. For example, people from London, New Jersey, or Tennessee are easily identified by their accents. Even those of royalty have distinct ones.

Different accents evoke different sentiments. Researchers at the University of Chicago recently published their findings on a study about accents and the influence they have on the perception of the speaker. The results indicated that a foreign accent undermines a person's credibility. Because an accent makes a person harder to understand, listeners are less likely to rate the speaker’s words as truthful. This credibility problem increases with the thickness of the accent.

The fact is--we all have an accent and whether we can hear it or not, other folks can. As Christians, what do we sound like? The words born again, spirit-filled, and washed in the blood are like a foreign accent to non-Christians who are unfamiliar with church vocabulary. If this scientific study is correct, then when we sound churchy, we lose our credibility.

So, how can we sound like a Christian without coming across as unbelievable or untrustworthy? Instead of trying to sound like a church-goer, we should spend more time sounding like a redeemed child of the King. People need to hear in our voices the hope that we have in Christ. When they listen to us speak, they should know that we come from the family of God.