Heartlight Articles - A Taste of Home

A Moron?

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The blog title read, "Moron turns in $140,000.00." What this title references is the news story that broke last month. Eli Estrada, a 40 year-old Palm Beach resident found a bag containing $140,000.00 in unmarked $20.00 bills.

Mr. Estrada certainly could have used the money. About six months ago, he opened a landscaping and artificial-grass business and is in debt; he says his child support payments are tough to make; and he supports his mother, who moved in with him last year after she lost her house to a fumbled refinancing plan. Yet, Mr. Estrada went straight to the police and turned in all $140,000.00.

Apparently a Brinks armored truck somehow lost the money. Brinks rewarded Mr. Estrada for his good deed by giving him $2,000.00.

So now, was Mr. Estrada a really a "moron"? Only if one views such values as honesty, integrity, and the "golden rule" as foolish. But what about the cheap reward that was offered? Some on this blog said that if they knew the reward for turning in the money would have been so small, they would have kept it. But do we have to be financially rewarded for doing the right thing? Are our values so degraded that we feel we deserve a "reward" for doing what we're supposed to do?

A moron? Hardly. Here's a man who has demonstrated that he had sufficient intelligence to know that some things are more valuable than money ... things like integrity, honesty, and doing the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Estrada, for your example. May your tribe increase!

Now then, truthfully, what would you do if you found money? Give it some thought.

But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me (Psalm 26:11 NASB).
© Steve Higginbotham

Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the South Green Street congregation in Glasgow, Kentucky. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.

Website: MERCeMAIL

Eggstravaganza

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Our church parking lot and the nearby park were full of happy children. They came for the air castles, games, train rides, egg hunts, and lots of good ol' family fun -- it is called Eggstravaganza. In a large, roped-off area, eggs are basically spread all over the ground and children, in age-appropriate groups, are given the opportunity to pick up as many as they can. Some of the eggs are specially labeled. These prize eggs entitle the finder to a neat prize.

The children come and claim these special prize egg gifts with great delight. The gifts are cool! However, they never would have found the special prize eggs if they had not searched among all the eggs. It is only when they picked up all their eggs, and then looked at them closely, that they could see they had found one of the special prize eggs.

Over the last several days, I've been doing my daily Bible reading in 2 Timothy. Now I don't know about you, but I haven't had anyone, ever, volunteer that 2 Timothy was his or her favorite book of the Bible. In some "scholarly" circles, 2 Timothy is part of what is called "The Pastoral Epistles" -- an often overlooked and sometimes belittled part of the New Testament. Even among the most devoted believers, 2 Timothy doesn't compare in popularity to Philippians or the Gospel of John.

Using a different translation than I normally use, several passages jumped off the page at me. Not only were they powerful messages for me, they were also especially appropriate for this weekend. As I read them, I remembered the excitement and joy of the children who realized they had found the special prize eggs. I hope that you will claim your gift found inside them and find great delight in God's good news!

He [Christ Jesus] destroyed death and showed us the way to have life. Yes, through the good News Jesus showed us the way to have life that cannot be destroyed (2 Timothy 1:10 b ERV).

Remember Jesus Christ. He is from the family of David. After Jesus died, he was raised from death. This is the Good news that I tell people (2 Timothy 2:8).

My life is being given as an offering for God. The time has come for me to leave this life here. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have served the Lord faithfully. Now, a prize is waiting for me -- the crown that will show I am right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give it to me on that Day. Yes, he will give it to me and to everyone else who is eagerly looking forward to his coming (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

The Scriptures are full of surprises if we are willing to look. Some of these surprises are small. Some of them are perfectly timed for us. Some of them are prizes of grace, just waiting to be claimed by those who are willing to spend a little time looking!

So why not pick up the Scriptures, ask God to speak to you, and do a little looking and listening. You might be surprised at prizes that you can find!

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: Southern Hills Church of Christ

I Trust in Your Unfailing Love

tomnorvell@mac.com (Tom Norvell) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Do these words from David ring true for you today?

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?
How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
Don't let my enemies gloat, saying, 'We have defeated him!'
Don't let them rejoice at my downfall. (Psalm 13:1-4 NLT)

Are you feeling forgotten by God? Do you find yourself wondering where He is while you are in the midst of battle and struggle and hurt and disappointment? Are you wishing God would do something to help, but not sure your prayers are getting through?

That's apparently what David was feeling. Alone. Forgotten. Ignored. Weak. Almost defeated. Constantly hassled by his enemies.

Those are not uncommon feelings, even for the strong of faith. Sometimes life is like that. We experience attacks from all sides, and it seems that trouble and distress is around every corner. During those days of anxiety and sorrow, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that it will always be this way. We settle into the mindset that life will never get any better. When these times continue for long periods there is the potential to lose hope.

Those are dangerous times. Those are times when we must consider our steps very carefully and wisely. Nothing would please our enemy more than for us to lose hope, to give up, to accept defeat, and to lose the joy found in the Lord. Like David, you may be almost there. If so, do what David did.

In verse 4, David is dreading how his enemies will gloat and rejoice over his defeat. Then, suddenly, as the psalmist often does in the Psalms, the tone changes. He looks above his fears and throws himself into the arms of the Lord.

But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. (Psalm 13:5-6)

We must do the same. When we sink low into the despair and hopelessness of what seems certain defeat, we must look up to the Lord and say:

But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.

That's the power of our faith. That's a test of our faith. That's what can happen when we draw near to God. If we bring it all to Him and leave it there, through His grace and mercy He will enable us to sing again. He will rescue us.

Here's another version of David's prayer:

Lord, my life is hard right now. Nothing is turning out like I thought it would. Instead of victory, I'm experiencing defeat on every side. It seems like the Enemy is winning all the battles. I feel like a loser and I feel like my enemies see me as a loser. I'm not sure how long I can go on like this. Sometimes, when it gets really bad, I become afraid. I feel like You have left me here all alone. But, I know that's not true, because I trust You. I know You will never leave me. And I believe that one day I will again sing and rejoice because You are good to me. I trust in Your unfailing love.

Tom Norvell is the author of "A Norvell Note." He ministers at the Hermitage Church of Christ in Hermitage, Tennessee.

Website: A Norvell Note

Self-control and City Walls

rshelly@rc.edu (Rubel Shelly) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

"I wish it hadn't happened," she sobbed. "But I'd just had it. I lost my temper and said some really terrible things. I hope we can get past it now and make things like they used to be. I should have had more self-control."

Those could be the words of a wife about a situation at home. They could just as easily be spoken about a relationship in the office or with a client. It doesn't take much imagination to hear them being said about something that took place in the church parking lot last week.

Self-control is named in practically every list of virtues in the New Testament, but it is contrary to the spirit of our time. Citizens want lower taxes but not any loss of subsidies or services; thus the spectacle of a "what's-in-it-for-me" attitude dominates the political scene. We lament the breakdown of the family and its terrible consequences for children; yet a philandering husband and father expects us to understand that he "couldn't help it" when he fell in love with someone new.

The Bible says: "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control" (Proverbs 25:28 NIV). Ancient cities like Babylon or Jerusalem were protected from their enemies by fortified walls. One whose walls were broken down was a city inviting attack and plunder. In the same way, human beings without self-control are in danger of being ruined and humiliated by the blind pursuit of egocentric, self-indulgent, and forbidden desires.

While each of us may have particular areas of vulnerability such as food or alcohol, the "big three" where we must all keep some safeguards in place are money, sex, and power.

Advertisers work overtime to make you think you can't do without their products, and easy credit means you don't have to wait to buy them. Three loans and four maxed-out credit cards later, the young couple decides they need some help with money management. No, they need God's help to discipline their greed.

Lust can make an otherwise astute, sensible, and good man take leave of his senses and devastate the lives of everyone who once mattered to him. Pride and ego have taken over a part of his life that was once under God's sovereignty.

The devastating temptation for others is power. Authority goes to their heads and makes them insufferable. Power becomes control, and control turns into bellowing and bullying. They antagonize and alienate everyone.

Ancient cities needed walls. You and I need to pray for self-control.

Rubel Shelly preached for the Woodmont Hills Churchin Nashville for thirty years. He is the author of more than 20 books. He has accepted the position of President of Rochester College. For more details, click here or here to email.

Website: RubelShelly.com

New Wine and Old Skins

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

"He's old and stuck in his ways."

"She's never going to change."

There is an ingrained, all-too-often-proved-true, prejudice that when we get older we can't, or won't, change any more. This is despite some great examples in the Bible -- like Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and Caleb and that's just the first six books -- and some great passages of Scripture that challenge us to keep on changing to become more like Jesus:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate/reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

Two of my favorite people in the Bible are old in years, but fresh and new in faith. They are Anna and Simeon, who greeted the baby Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:22-38 TNIV). I wonder how many asked them, "Why can't you just act our age?" or "When are you going to be more realistic?" But they kept believing -- believing in the vision and the answer to their prayers.

On top of the biblical examples are the modern ones. I have a friend who turned 80 about 18 months ago. Since his birthday, he has been on mission trips to Ghana and Central America. I have a sweet sister in Christ who is 101, and she prays the most moving prayers when I visit her. I have been blessed to baptize someone into Christ who was beyond his 80th birthday and have seen four of my shepherds each hold the leg of a chair so a lady over 90 could be baptized even though her legs were paralyzed. Each of these people was passionate to honor the Lord no matter where that path of honor might lead them.

All of these people are proof that you may not be able to put new wine in old wineskins, but can put new wine in open hearts! Jesus brings that new wine to all who are passionate to honor him and follow him.

It's a matter of heart, not age!

It's a matter of faith, not experience!

So as we stand on the edge of the New Year, no matter what age we are, let's make a commitment that we will never quit growing and reaching toward Jesus. While resolutions may come and go with each New Year, the commitment to grow with Jesus continues right up to the moment we meet him face-to-face.

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: Southern Hills Church of Christ

Why Pray When You Can Worry?

sherrill@cox-internet.com (Bill Sherrill) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

We are such a worrying people! Some of us certainly more than others. I can remember so clearly how my mother seemed to have perfected the art. I would receive a letter while away at school warning me to stay away from the water for a time because she had a bad dream. Of course it was a little difficult for me to oblige since one of my jobs was to care for the college pool as well as act as a water safety instructor. Mother was a good God-fearing woman, but she had a little trouble with "be not anxious."

Mother was not in a class by herself. Many today continue to find it difficult to trust the future to God. Perhaps some of that is from lack of faith, but I believe that some stems from misunderstanding the promises.

So often today we hear some preacher or teacher promising wonderful things if one can only trust God. When others try trust based on earthly rewards, they are often disappointed and sometimes lose their faith in God's control of their future. To trust in God is not a panacea for all life's troubles. Troubles may well be our lot -- remember our hero was hung on a cross and many of his earliest followers lost property, were thrown in jail, or gave their lives for Jesus' cause. Trust allows one to find peace in the midst of troubles and hope on the darkest nights.

In "Wringing Our Hands or Resting Our Hearts?" Mary Lou Redding describes her tendency to worry to a friend. Her friend replied back with the gentle tease, "Well of course! Why pray when you can worry?" Mary Lou said that caused her to reflect on what worrying says about how she approaches her daily situations in life. Her words cause me to reflect as well.

We are called to "peace which passes understanding." That means that we do not find that peace because of logic or circumstances. Our peace is the hope we hold. And that hope comes from trusting the good and loving nature of the God who is always in control.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13 TNIV).

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).

Bill is a long time minister in Nacogdoches, Texas who loves world missions. His passion for ministry has led him all over the world. In addition to his work as a minister, he is also a licensed professional counselor. Bill's family is also involved in ministry and service to the world and community.

Website: Bill Sherrill's Thought for the Week

How to Handle Criticism

rshelly@rc.edu (Rubel Shelly) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9 TNIV).

People who dream big dreams and proceed to put legs under them are always open to criticism. Some people don't grasp the dream. Others are jealous because they didn't have it first. And, I have come to suspect, there are some people who think their task in the world is to tear down the dreams of others.

You have a dream, don't you? It is a given, then, that you will face your share of criticism. What should you do about it?

If it is a legitimate criticism, learn from it.
The people and corporations that fail are the ones so thin-skinned they cannot hear valid complaints. A true friend will take the risk of speaking the truth because he cares about you. A legitimate complaint about some product or service can be an insight for improving it.

If the criticism is mistaken or mean-spirited, rise above it.
Maintain the high ground under fire. There is no victory worth winning that comes from picking up the mud thrown at you and slinging it back. If you must respond, just use facts. Try never to give in to the temptation to get even or to respond in kind. Jesus is the perfect example of turning the other cheek and returning good for evil.

When you are criticized, hold fast to your dream and continue pursuing it.
Critics win if you forsake the quest for it to fight them. Your best answer will always be to see your task through to completion. Theodore Roosevelt had a credo about the criticism leaders take for their daring and boldness:

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is not effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually try to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Today presents the chance to so something significant. Don't let critics turn you aside from doing your duty, finishing an open task, and pursuing your dream.

Website: RubelShelly.com