Ecclesiastes 12:10

   Leonard Bernstein was once asked which instrument he considered to be the most difficult to play. After a moment, he responded, “Second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who can play second fiddle with enthusiasm—that’s a problem.”   Most folks don’t want to be the lesser. That is what is so amazing about John the Baptist. John was the most popular man of his day (Mark 1:5). His reach was so great that it caused men of power to be afraid of him (Matthew 21:25-26, Mark 16:20).   Yet in John 3, his disciples were worried that the crowds were all turning to Jesus. Was John worried about losing his luster? No, he saw it as exactly what must happen. That was his mission.  As he said it in verse 30, " He must increase, but I must decrease .”   His job wasn’t to build himself up, but to build up Jesus.   And that is our mission as well.   In a world that is all about ‘building your brand’ and self-promotio...

  There was a rancher in Oregon named Bill Brown. He was known for often writing checks on any paper available. This included things like envelopes, soup can labels, and newspaper margins. Now, most banks wouldn’t accept his kind of check, but Bill Brown was a very rich, therefore very important customer, so the banks in his area would cash the checks without question.   It wasn’t the surface the name was written on that mattered, but the name written on the surface.  In 2 nd Corinthians 4, Paul speaks about the privilege we have because of our involvement in the ministry of Christ. Yet he warns us that we, “ do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake . In fact, he tells us “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves ”  It is not about the person the message is written on but the person that has written the message....

  I guess everyone else has it all figured out.   It seems whenever we have some tragedy, some problem some crisis happens, folks come out of the woodwork absolutely convinced that know what will fix it. Pass this law, revoke this act, get rid of this guy, buy this product, start doing this, stop doing that.   Whatever the solution is, people seem to be really sure that it is the way even if another fellow thinks the exact opposite is just as true.   I just don’t know.   I’d like to think it is humility on my part but that is probably not. Thinking you are humble usually means you are not.   I do however know that the older I get the more I realize I have no clue how lots of things are and even less about how they should be.   Yet it seems our world today is so sure of itself. We have an opinion on everything and feel that our solutions are the solutions, even if we have no more to go on that a flimsy news report and second-han...

  Reggie Miller is one of my all-time favorite basketball players. All my buddies loved Michael Jordan but I was a Reggie man. I think it was his ability to shoot the three. He had the high arching shot that seemed to rain down into the basket. The reason for his shot was his sister, it was the only way he could get over her.   Reggie was the younger sibling to his big-time basketball star sister, Cheryl Miller. She was an All-America for four straight years at Riverside Polytechnic High School. Reggie was just known as Cheryl’s little brother.   Finally, in high school, he had his chance to shine.  Midway through his sophomore year, he became a starter on the varsity team. On that first night he got the start, he had a big game. His family had gone to Cheryl’s game, so when they picked him up it was time to brag.   Reggie recapped the victory. “I got to start, even went for forty”. Cheryl was happy for him. “That’s great” she exclaimed! The...

  Years ago Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed his dream to live in a world where people are not judged by the color of our skin but the content of our character.  I’m not sure if we live in that world today, but I’ve noticed one thing about it, we'd rather not be judged by either.   The absurdity and ignorance of judging by something as superficial of one’s skin is something we should strive to eliminate. However, there is a reason to not want to abandon judgment of ourselves altogether.   When Jesus told us not to judge, it was the judgment with impure thought and motive. The hypocritical, unfair, bias, judging that is all too common in our world today. We are to judge rather as he says in John 7:24 " Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment ."  Still, folks wish we didn’t have to be judged even by that standard.   We don’t like it when our sin is pointed out.  We don’t like to be shown the inco...

  Enzo Ferrari felt he made a pretty good car.  So when a customer had a complaint about a weak clutch in one of his high-end sports cars, he was a bit miffed. What did he know! The customer in question worked on tractors!  Ferrari responded to the man, “You may be able to drive a tractor but you will never be able to handle a Ferrari properly."   So that customer, Ferruccio Lamborghini, decided to make an even better car, the perfect car in his mind.  He made his first production car in 1964, the 350 GTV. Today that particular car can go for $300,000 at auction.   Maybe the tractor guy did know a thing or two…   It is easy when we have people point out faults to dismiss what they say. They don’t know what I know. They have not been in my shoes. Who do they think they are? While there is a lot of undue criticism, we would be foolish to think that there isn't something we can be doing better. A scoffer does not love one who reproves...

As comedian Demetri Martin put it:  “ I heard this guy on the subway say "I'm good at checkers" ...which is like saying "I'm not good at a lot of things ”   People tend to brag.  The funny thing is people brag about everything, even the things that are nothing to brag about.  Actions that make them look foolish, matters no one else really cares about, behavior they should be ashamed of not proud of.   We all want to be noticed even. Like little kids, we seek attention even if it isn’t the right kind of attention. Boasting is a way to elevate ourselves in at least some fashion.   Which makes Paul’s statement in 2 nd Corinthians 11:30 all that more interesting. If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness . 2 nd Corinthians 11:30   If Paul has to speak about himself it’s not the things that make him great. And he had plenty of that. Rather, he would speak of his weakness, the things he struggled with, his m...

  No one likes to be criticized. We don’t want to be the butt of the joke. We don’t enjoy being the punching bag for others. It hurts when it isn’t true. It really hurts when it is.  It might bruise our egos, hurt our feelings and make our faces red, but how much does it harm us.     Words can hurt but only damage us if we let them. And it might even help us.   It seems to me that folks today have much thinner skin than we used to. Maybe it’s because we have so many ways to talk about people, it’s worn down our skin. Maybe, we are a little wimpier since we have had not to suffer as many ‘real’ hardships.  Whatever the case, from the athletic field to the boardroom, to the capital, people seem to be much more oversensitive to the words of others.   I wonder if it is because we place too much concern on what others think of us. A lack of self-esteem is shown in how we respond to critics. A wise man listens to a critic and takes to he...

  The very nature of social media is about telling others about yourself.  You tell your likes, display your favorites, show where you have been and what you have been doing.  We talk of our children and grandchildren, post our vacation photos, and chart our accomplishment in the office or at the gym.  We exhibit the photos of our new ride, tell how our blog had a record number of hits or share our opinions on the latest matter.   We do that in part because we are “friends” and those bonds want to reach out to each other.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).  It can be fun and fulfilling way to share with others and share in their lives as well.   But can I give a bit of warning?   In those endeavors, it can be very easy to slip into the mentality of pride and boasting.  We think of ourselves a little higher than we ought.  We like to show off our accomplishments, our as...

  Why do we hurt the ones we love?  Maybe we just don't realize what we are doing.  I think you can see that in the story of Joseph.  Jacob had several sons but his favorite was Joseph (Genesis 37:3).  He spoiled the boy with unique gifts.  Joseph got preferential treatment.  Even as the younger child he had status over his older brothers.  When God revealed the boy would rise to the top of the family, Jacob beamed.    But his brothers brooded.    You see all the “special” treatment Joseph received caused his brothers to hate him. They hated he tattled on them. They hated his dreams. They hated he thought he was better than them. They hated him so much that when they had the chance they almost killed him and they did sell him off as a slave.  That’s a lot of hate.    I don’t believe Joseph was a bad person in all this but let’s be honest, I’m sure he didn’t help the situation.  I think Jos...

   There is a joke that is going around, “How can you tell if the person at the party is a vegan? Don’t worry, they will let you know.”    I guess that means vegans are not afraid to brag about themselves and their accomplishments. It’s not just the vegans however. It’s the ultra-informed voters or the organic market extremists or the five figure club members.  It is the super dads, the academic all-stars, the Bible thumpers, the healthy living fanatics, or the triple marathon runners.  Maybe it is the green police, the homeschool warriors, the extreme couponers, the grammar Nazi or just the “cool kids”.  Those that think because of x you are much better than all the y’s in life.    Now most of these things are not bad in and of themselves. If you want to teach your kid at home, eat a restrictive diet, exercise a lot and always use who and whom correctly, that’s great, more power to you.  That’s not the problem. The proble...

  Carl Magee had a way of getting under people’s skin.  The newspaperman was known for his blistering editorials that help expose numerous scandals such as the famous Teapot Dome Scandal.  Those people he raked over often fought back against him with libel suit and sometimes with their fists.  Once an angry judge attacked Magee on the street over something he had done.  The scuffle resulted in Magee pulling a gun, winging the judge and killing a bystander.  Carl Magee wasn’t afraid to say what he thought was right and do what he thought should be done, even if it meant upsetting everything and everyone around him.  Probably even you!  What you say you never even heard of him, how could you already dislike him?   Well chances are you been upset by his famous invention.  You see when Magee was working as the editor of the Oklahoma News, he was on a committee that was trying to solve the problem parking problems in Oklahoma City. ...

  Ok I know it is dirty word to some.  Some folks might to get upset that I am talking about it but I think it something that must be taught in the Lord’s church.  It’s a Biblical concept that is you have to work to avoid in the New Testament. It is the idea of submission.   The Bible has a lot to say about submission.  It tells us we need to submit to God (James 4:7), human institutions like governments and police (1 Peter 2:13), our church leaders (Hebrews 13:17), our masters, like bosses and teachers (1st Peter 2:18, Titus 2:9).  It even commands submission on a personal level, wives to their husband (1 st Peter 3:1), young men to their elders (1 st Peter 5:5), and even to each other (Ephesians 5:21).   Now I know we live in a world that demands our “rights” and refuses to take a back seat to anyone, but for a true Christian submission isn't just a suggestion, it is a command.   I know what you’re thinking submission is need...

  There is an old joke about a man driving down the road. As he reached the top of a hill, he saw two ministers standing by the road with a sign that read, “Turn Back Now! Death and danger lie ahead.” The man rolled down his window and yelled at the pair, “Why don’t you two give it up. No one listens to that fire and brimstone talk anymore.” The two ministers looked at each other puzzled as the sound of screeching tires and crashing could be heard. The younger minister turned to the older one and said, "Maybe he is right, let’s just change the sign to “Bridge Out”     Proverbs 9:8 informs us:   "Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you."   Nobody likes to be told they are wrong but it is often times in our best interest. Instead of being the fool that attacks those that point out his mistakes, it is much better to be wise and allow others to show us areas of our life that may in wrong puting us in danger....

         In 1985, Jerome Moody drowned at pool party hosted by the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD). As tragic as the story was, it would have probably been forgotten if not for the unusual circumstance surrounding his death.  No one had seen him swimming and he was found fully dressed.  It was never known how he got in the water or when he drowned since his body was not discovered until lifeguards began cleaning out the pool at the close of the party and by then it was too late.  But what made this story even more peculiar was the party itself.  It had been thrown for the workers of NORD, which included over 100 lifeguards! The reason for the celebration; it had been the first summer without a drowning at a New Orleans city pool.  A pool full of life guards that had earned a reputation for good performance had all missed this obviously drowning man.      What happened in this tragedy is similar ...

          He approaches the podium in slow thoughtful walk.  He looks up and in deep stare says “Let’s pray”, even though the man before him just did that.  He softens his voice and pauses at just the right moment to let you know how much more meaningful this prayer is. Then he starts his talk. His message is about him, no Bible story, no focus on the scriptures.  He tells you about his successes, more than you could do, his problems, they are harder than yours, and how he has overcome them, better than you would have.   He gives more sacrificially than you, is a better parent than you, prays more than you, and cares more than you .  Oh, he never comes out and says any of those things, but in a very humble bragging sort of way he get the point across. You see everything everyone else is doing could be fixed if people were more like him.  When he is finished, he doesn't expect you to tell him how g...