Heartlight Articles - Just for Men

Beyond Barely Saved?

mbarres@dnet.net (Mike Barres) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

All too often, I hear people talk about how they are what might be called "barely saved." They say things like, "Don't use me as an example. I fall short in so many ways." People like this often have a strange kind of pride in their spiritual humility -- or should we say, their spiritual shortcomings. I love and appreciate the simplicity of salvation and I know we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). The thing that concerns me is our overall lack of desire for spiritual maturity. Where is that transformation of our lives that makes us daily more and more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18)?

Some people almost seem to be afraid of seeking spiritual maturity. Maybe they think it is some kind of goal that is not attainable for them. Maybe they think that spiritual maturity is reserved for a special few. Some may even worry that if they become spiritually mature that people will think that they are trying to be superior or better than everyone else.

We have plenty of "barely saved" Christians. We need a lot more spiritually mature people that are living a consistent Biblical lifestyle and are examples for others to follow. Children need to see solid mature Christian adults. Young boys especially need to see some Godly men, so they can follow their example.

Remember the slogan, "I don't want to grow up, I'm a 'Toys Are Us' kid." I asked our adult Bible study why some didn't want to grow up spiritually. They said that some don't want the responsibility. Growing up does require more of us. Some of us would rather stay a spiritual child and not accept the responsibilities of the spiritually mature.

We need to hear the Word of God call us to be mature examples for others.

Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature (1 Corinthians 14:20 NKJV).

Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern (Philippians 3:17).

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14).

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

Face the Mirror and Face the Music

p.d.odum@gmail.com (Patrick D. Odum) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

[John said,] "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same" (Luke 3:8-11 TNIV).

Ever had one of those days that just seemed to go from bad to worse? Some folks in Kane County, Illinois, had a Wednesday in September that was a day like that.

Truth be told, though, their bad days were largely of their own making.

It started out as a day in traffic court for ten people who had been previously identified as having suspended or revoked licenses. They had company when they left the courthouse after their appearances -- undercover police officers followed them to the parking lot and signaled other officers in unmarked cars. When these ten folks got into their cars and drove -- drove -- away from the courthouse, the police pulled them over, wrote them tickets, and had their vehicles towed.

Some of the red-handed complained. One guy said his sister was supposed to drive him to court, but hadn't shown up. "If I didn't appear, there'd be a warrant out for my arrest. I'm in trouble either way." Poor guy. When pressed, though, he did have to admit that he hadn't possessed a valid driver's license in 27 years.

Really, though, what do you say in a situation like that, watching your car being towed away and knowing you really have no defense? It's not like these drivers didn't know they were breaking the law. They had just gotten away with it long enough that they got comfortable. Complacent. It probably never occurred to them that they might get busted.

That's the path of least resistance, to not give your habits and choices much thought until the consequences turn and take a bite out of you like a mongrel dog you've grown accustomed to scratching between the ears.

It's the path of least resistance, which I guess explains why a husband doesn't give his temper much thought until his wife takes the kids and leaves. Or why the stories and confidences you pass on regularly don't seem like such a big deal until you're face to face with a friend who's angry and hurt. It's why we can convince ourselves that an online "friendship" is no big deal -- until a marriage implodes. It's why we can throw our weight and attitude belligerently around a church and never really see ourselves until someone holds up a mirror and makes us look. Recovering addicts talk about needing to hit rock bottom before they decided to get some help, but rock bottom isn't just for alcoholics or drug addicts or sexual compulsives.

God asks us, though, to not let things get that far out of hand. That's what repentance is about.

Repentance isn't for God so we can let him know that we're really sorry for our sins. He knows how sorry we really are -- or really aren't. And it isn't to pay for our sins, to somehow right the balances. He did that for us, in Jesus. And besides, we couldn't do it even if he asked us to. Repentance isn't for God at all, actually.

Repentance is for us. God knows our tendency to take the path of least resistance and not spend very much time at all in honest appraisal of our behavior, thoughts, values, and priorities. In asking us to repent, he asks us to look in the mirror to see if who we really are is anything at all like what we imagine ourselves to be.

"We're children of Abraham," said the religious people proudly in John the Baptist's day. John dared to suggest that God wasn't all that impressed with their professed pedigree. "God can find children of Abraham under any old rock," he sniffed at them. "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."

Repentance is the place where we bring our walk in line with our talk. To be the "children of Abraham" that they imagined themselves to be, John said that the haves needed to share with the have-nots. The tax collectors needed to stop enriching themselves at the expense of their brothers and sisters. The soldiers needed to stop using their power to extort the people they were supposed to protect. Repentance is where practice is made to match profession.

Wonder what he'd say to us, church people, who strut around wearing labels like "New Testament Church" or "Evangelical" or even "Christian," and forget to look at ourselves long and hard enough to make sure that who we really are matches the labels we wear? God, after all, can still raise up New Testament Churches or Evangelicals or Christians from the rocks, if need be. He doesn't need our glowing self-characterizations and wordy professions of faith, which are more useful for hiding what we don't want to face about ourselves than bringing about the lives of faith and devotion that he really wants.

I think he says the same thing now that he said then: "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." Sync your walk up with your talk. Look for the places in your life where conflict exists, and honestly ask yourself what you have to do with creating that conflict. Do you need to reconcile with someone? Change some relational habits? Make restitution for something you've done? Show more love, patience, and gentleness? Back off on the fault-finding?

Look for places in your own heart and conscience where there's conflict -- conflict between what you claim to be and what you often are? What habits do you need to change? What impulses do you need to say "no" to? What values and priorities need to change? What kind of help might you need?

Cultivate an attitude of repentance, and I'm convinced that the Holy Spirit will make the specific areas where you need it clear to you. Repentance isn't something we only do at church on Sunday morning. It's for the office on Tuesday morning and home on Thursday night and the basketball court on Saturday afternoon. It's worked out in relationships and choices and habits that affect every part of your life.

"The axe is at the root of the tree," warns John, not really to scare us, but to remind us of the urgency of repentance. God will call us to account. He's not looking for completely pure hearts, but he is looking for penitent ones. He's looking for people who are willing to look in the mirror and own up to what's there without defense, pretense, or self-justification. He can work with people like that. He can shape them and mold them into the people he wants them to be.

So face the mirror, and face the music. And watch with joy the transformation he'll bring about in you.

Patrick Odum lives in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, Laura and son, Joshua. He is one of the ministers at Northwest Church of Christ, and an avid Heartlight fan. He enjoys writing and maintains a website of his work called Faith Web where you can find all of his articles. Email Patrick

Website: Faith Web

Big Rig Ministry: Test Track

drpousche@comcast.net (Dr. Tom Pousche) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Arriving at Freightliner one early morning, I was informed that I would be involved in a truck test. This would take place in Central Oregon, roughly a four hour drive from Portland, Oregon. Actually, the test track was an abandoned air base used back in World War II that Freightliner was now leasing. They cleverly re-purposed it into a three-mile oval racetrack by attaching both ends of the two parallel runways.

This racetrack had everything from rumble strips (grooves on freeways to wake up sleepy drivers) to street bumps, which ran a quarter of a mile paralleling the inside of the racetrack where these big rigs were put through a grueling test.

At lunchtime, I began reminiscing about the Israelites marching through their wilderness experience. If you remember, God's prophetic leader, Moses, gained their release from Pharaoh's cruel captivity in Egypt through God's sovereign intervention.

As Moses and the Israelites wandered through the desert, there was much whining and grumbling that covered issues from the staple diet of manna to their discomfort with a hot desert. Historically, besides Job's suffering, this is one of the longest tests recorded in Biblical times.

I am convinced after reading the 'zigzags' of this Wilderness journey (Exodus 13:17-22), God not only used those switch-backs for their good, but used that period of testing to demonstrate His Goodness to them as well.

There were 3 possible routes to the Promise Land:

Route #1
Involved a straight northeasterly trail through the land of the Philistines to Canaan. Even though this was the fastest, most logical route to take, it was also a precarious pathway filled with Egyptian garrisons (cruel robbers and killers) -- those who preyed upon the innocent and the vulnerable.

Route #2
Involved cutting across the middle of the Negev (Beersheba), thus making their way to the Promise Land. Again, God did not allow them to go that direction, due to trouble and war they would no doubt encounter on this route.

Route #3
Involved them heading further south, going around Midian where they eventually headed North to the Promised Land. Why would God send a multitude of disorderly people through a hot desert where they would spend the next 40 years going in circles (something like a racetrack)?

Well, it is like the engineers at Freightliner. They develop the tests for these massive machines in the worst of circumstances, thus perfecting the integrity of the truck. Our loyal, loving God does the same with our lives.

Perhaps this is why Moses carried the box of Joseph's bones (Exodus 13:19) with him. It was a constant reminder that God had made a covenant with His people, and has only good intentions toward them, even when circumstances do not make any sense.

God simply allows His people to be on the racetracks of life. This not only prepares them for other challenges ahead, but it also irons out the obstacles in building godly character. Being inconvenienced is often only a divine interruption for our good. It's where the rubber meets the road.

See you around the next lap!

Besides counseling, and pastoring, he drives part-time for RMI International testing Freightliner trucks, writing, and taking long walks with his wife, Kathy. You can email Tom by clicking on this link.

The Final Chapter

tomnorvell@mac.com (Tom Norvell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It occurs to me that our lives are made up of individual books that will eventually become a collection of books telling the complete story of the life we live. For instance, there is the book of our childhood that tells the story from birth through our early teen years. This book is filled with stories and examples of learning and growing and innocence (for most people). There is the book of adolescence that picks up in our early teen years to describe the turbulence that accompanies our struggle for independence and individuality. The book of adolescence is followed by the book that covers our young adult life that documents our choice of a career, decisions about family, and our introduction to full-time work, responsibility, and caring for others. Next are the books that take us through the different phases of our adult years. The library of our lives expands here as books that focus on the life of a child, a marriage, an illness, a struggle, and the transitions from location to location take place.

As we explore the books on our life shelf we may discover that we are living in more than one book at a time. Parents with multiple children find themselves at a different place with each child. One may be evolving in the book of adolescence while another is enjoying the playful book of childhood, and yet another may be struggling through the young adult years.

Regardless of the book we are currently in, eventually we will come to the final chapter. The final chapter of high school days is filled with emotion, excitement, and anxiety. The final chapter of the young adult years can be thrilling, full of surprise, and perhaps disillusionment. The final chapter of any phase may include a sense of loss, a feeling of remorse, or the contentment of knowing that you have lived in such a way that the book can be closed with as little regret as possible.

For some, the final chapter is a chapter of joy. For some, it is a chapter of hope. Some books end with tragic sorrow and disappointment. Others may include a mixture of all of these ... and more. Like with any good book, we do not know how it ends until we get to the final chapter.

Two things are certain. First, a final chapter will be written. Children grow up and leave home. The carefree years of college come to an end. For those who choose to marry, the final chapter may reveal hearts, souls, bodies, and spirits that are blended into one. Some books end according to plan, some end by catching us totally by surprise. "We never saw that coming." Some end with great fanfare. Some end almost unnoticed. But all end.

Second, as one ends another begins. There's always another book.

So we ask: how will the final chapter read?

Perhaps Paul's description of his final earthly chapter can be a model for us to follow:

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8 NIV).

Are you in the process of writing the final chapter of one of the books of your life? Is the final chapter what you expected it would be? Or, is it taking a strange and unexpected turn? Are you ready to see the final chapter, or would you prefer to read a little longer? What will the final chapter reveal about you?

As each final chapter of the many books of my life is written I want to be able to say like Paul:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

The final chapter is yours to write.

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

Website: A Norvell Note

Desires & Imagination

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

What do you dream about? Now, I don't mean the dreams you have while you are asleep necessarily, but what is it you "day dream" about? What occupies your thoughts, what is the center of your focus or your attention?

It's amazing where we can find words of wisdom, if we would only listen. My wonderful wife Melody shared a quote with me this weekend. She is a big fan of the old black and white movies, which is where she heard this gem. The quote is this: "Man's desires are his prayers; everything in the realm of imagination is also in the realm of possibility" (From 1954 Movie "Riders to the Stars").

That phrase, "Man's desires are his prayers" really struck a cord with me. It proclaims a great truth about who we are and about what is really important to us if we will but think about it. I have known people throughout the years for whom it was quite easy to understand just what their dreams were. You didn't have to be around them very long, before you knew what was really important to them.

As I think back on my own life I can see a progression and hopefully a growth in my life. When I was a preteen I read every adventure book I could find. I really thought I might like to be a forest ranger. Then I discovered a larger world and became very interested in flight and outer space. Then, as is typical in teen years, I first focused on cars and then came to notice girls. Then of course I focused upon one girl, who's been my girl for the past 41 years.

In my early 20's all of the teaching my parents had been doing kicked in and Melody and I began to focus more on God and serving him. I quit my job and we traveled a thousand miles to go to school and learn better how to serve God and his people. That's been my focus now for close to 40 years. I may have some side interests, but my focus is serving God and his people. Someone once commented, "All you guys talk about is church and church stuff." We took it as a great complement, though that was not the way they meant it.

Our focus and our dream has taken us on many great adventures! We have lived in and visited places in our world which many people only see in the movies, all the time following the dream. Our dream which became our focus and the center of our prayers changed our lives, "Man's desires are his prayers; everything in the realm of imagination is also in the realm of possibility."

Notice what Jesus tells us about reaching for our dreams and prayers:

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26 NKJV).

Maybe it's time for you to think about what is really important in your life. It is (or should be) your focus and your prayer and it is in the realm of possibility; Jesus said so!

Russ Lawson is a former missionary to Africa and minister in Ohio. He now works with World Christian Literature Outreach and writes a weekly email devotional, Messages from the Heart. For more information about Russ, click here.

Website: Messages from the Heart

Playing Through Your Pain

rshelly@rc.edu (Rubel Shelly) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Whether you play golf or not, you surely know the name Tiger Woods. So bear with me. This week's article (from FAX of Life) isn't so much about golf as life.

Almost a month ago now, Tiger outlasted Rocco Mediate in this year's U.S. Open. Playing the course at Torrey Pines in San Diego, the two were tied after four days. They were still tied at the end of an 18-hole playoff. Tiger won on the first sudden death hole. Some say it was the greatest U.S. Open in history.

No, the score wasn't the lowest ever. No, it wasn't won by an eagle from the fairway. No, there was no miracle shot that ended things. The miracle was that the man who won was able to complete the competition.

Tiger Woods played the tournament with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and two stress fractures below the left knee. As I watched part of the Open on TV, it was obvious that the world's greatest golfer was in excruciating pain at times. His powerful swing would contort his whole body, wrench his injured knee in particular, and register quite dramatically on his ordinarily poised face.

Golf is only a game, but watching a professional athlete compete through such pain was inspiring. He could have simply withdrawn because of the injury. Fans would have been disappointed but would have understood. He could have played to his pain and hit the ball less aggressively. He might have fallen back into the pack and taken a high score and low finish. He would have none of it.

Tiger played through his pain. He wouldn't quit. He gave his best on every hole. He insisted on playing to his full potential -- even when that potential was putting both his body and mind under incredible stress. Hooray for him!

The winner of this year's U.S. Open had successful reconstructive surgery on his damaged knee about ten days later. He will miss the remainder of this year's PGA tournament events, of course, while he rehabs the knee. But few people doubt he will be ready to play the tour next year. He is, after all, Tiger Woods. He is the ultimate competitor. He doesn't quit.

There are pains of all kinds. Physical trauma, broken relationships, failed ventures, consequences of wrongs done -- all are different and all the same. And each of us has to decide about quitting, playing to the pain, or working through.

As you're deciding what to do with yours, think about why so many people are speaking of Tiger Woods with such admiration these days -- even the folks like me, who hardly know which end of a golf club to hold.

True courage isn't just outlasting difficulty, but turning it into triumph.

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

How Much Dirt?

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

How much dirt does it take to make something "Dirty"? Or perhaps I need to ask, "How dirty does something have to be before you notice it?" Now I realize that if you are talking about regular dirt most guys see it differently than do women. But what about this example:

Hygiene is in the eye of the beholder, I've decided. One lunch time I watched the woman in the sandwich shop spreading mayonnaise on my bread, and noticed part of her grubby work shirt was dragging across it. "Excuse me," I ventured, "your sleeve is in the mayo."

"No problem," she reassured me. "I need to wash it anyway." (Via Belief Net, submitted by Natalie Walker)

"Yuck!" we might think, "that's terrible." Or respond this way: "I would tell her to make me a new sandwich, I'd sure never eat that one!"

So, just how much dirt makes something dirty?

How much must something be contaminated before you reject it?

We know that our government allows for a certain amount of impurities to be found in most of the foods sold at the market, yet we still purchase them. We have learned to overlook those things by thinking, "They aren???t enough to hurt us or the government would have prevented them from being sold."

Well, how much is too much?

Of course we can make this application to areas of our life other than just food, can't we? Our televisions and movies are allowed to show certain things that would have been rejected in the past, yet they are considered acceptable to those in authority. Language we reject in our daily life comes into our homes and our minds through what is presented as "entertainment."

Did you know you can decide what you allow into your life? Our modern technology has made it possible to know the type of things which are contained in almost any form of "entertainment" in advance. There are a large number of television programs and movies which come and go and my wife and I never watch them. Why? Because we have decided we don't want filth being dragged through our minds. Each of us even has the ability to turn channels or shut the thing off, but will we? Will you?

A couple of years ago, someone recommended a movie to my wife and me. We did not check it out, but just went to see the movie. We stayed for the first five minutes and got up and walked out. Yes, we had paid for the ticket, but we refuse to allow ourselves to be subjected to filth if we have a choice.

Lots and lots of things are being presented in our world right now as being "OK" or "acceptable" when they really are not acceptable. People are making and presenting to others "life and lifestyle choices" which are ungodly.

So how much filth does it take to make something filthy?

How much filth is acceptable in your life?

Notice what God says through the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:21-23 about some folks who thought that "just a little" filth wouldn't hurt them:

They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness. They say they are wise, but they are fools; instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles. And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other (Romans 1:21-23 GNB).

So, what is the solution? Jesus brother, James, tells us, "So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you" (James 1:21 GNB).

How do you want your sandwich ... or your life? Is having a filthy sleeve drug through it acceptable or not? Is having just a little filth drug through your TV room or reading acceptable or not?

You see, ultimately, it doesn't matter what anyone says is acceptable, except God. Paul gives what is perhaps the best instruction on this matter, as he focuses on the positive and not the filth:
For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honor, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, center your thoughts on these things (Philippians 4:8).

Website: Messages from the Heart