KennethBow's Blog

Aesop was born a slave in Phrygia, a country of Asia minor during the golden age of Greece. He learned to read and write and won his freedom by means of his wit and skill with words.

His name means “Eternal voice” or “Timeless word”.

He wrote several fables that you are probably familiar with. He wrote the goose that laid the golden egg. He wrote the tortoise and the hare. He wrote the boy who cried wolf. He also wrote one that is not as well known called the Eagle and the Arrow.

There are different versions you can read. This is my favorite version:

One day a bowman saw an eagle in the sky. Quickly he notched an arrow and sent it whizzing after the bird. It found it’s mark and the eagle felt itself wounded to death. As it slowly fluttered to earth, it saw that the arrow which had pierced it’s breast was fitted with one of his own feathers.

I have plumed my own destruction.

Most of us know that a young eagle must plume himself to become mature. If the eagle does not pull his baby feathers he will never grow into a full grown eagle. Aesop realized thousands of years ago that the things we discard to grow and mature can potentially be the arrow of destruction.

He plucked the feather to grow and mature, and that which he discarded became the arrow of his destruction.

Many today are discarding things in order to grow and have larger numbers. They discard worship, holiness, and true separation from the world, only to find that what they discarded comes back to destroy them in the final tabulation of life.

Be careful what you discard in the name of growth and maturity.

Thanks for reading today.

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The Butterfly Effect

How significant is my life? Do I make a difference? When I move…when I act…when I do something…does the universe notice? Do I really matter?

In 1963, Edward Lorenz presented a hypothesis to the New York Academy of Science. His theory, stated simply, was that: A butterfly could flap its wings and set molecules of air in motion, which would move other molecules of air, in turn moving more molecules of air – eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet. Lorenz and his ideas were literally laughed out of the conference. What he had proposed was ridiculous. It was preposterous. But it was fascinating! Therefore, because of the idea’s charm and intrigue, the so-called “butterfly effect” became a staple of science fiction, remaining for decades a combination of myth and legend spread only by comic books and bad movies. So imagine the scientific community’s shock and surprise when, more than thirty years after the possibility was introduced, physics professors working from colleges and universities worldwide came to the conclusion that the butterfly effect was authentic, accurate, and viable. Soon after, it was accorded the status of a “law.” Now known as The Law of Sensitive Dependence Upon Initial Conditions, this principle has proven to be a force encompassing more than mere butterfly wings. Science has shown the butterfly effect to engage with the first movement of any form of matter – including people.

Did you know that there once existed a single man who, more than a century ago, made one move…that still dramatically affects how you live today? He was a thirty-four year old schoolteacher, but on the hot, humid day of July 2, 1863, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was in the fight of his life. A former professor of rhetoric from Bowdwin College in Maine, he was now a Colonel in the Union Army. Chamberlain stood at the far left edge of a group of eighty thousand men strung out in a line across fields and hills, stretching all the way to a little town called Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Earlier that day, a Colonel Vincent had placed Chamberlain and his men of the 20th Maine at the end of that line, saying, “Whatever you do, you can’t let them come through here.” Chamberlain couldn’t withdraw and he knew it. If the Confederate Army overran them, the rebels would gain the high ground, and the Union Army would be quickly defeated. In essence, eighty thousand men would be caught from behind on a downhill charge with no protection. To win, the grey clad Confederates would have to come through Chamberlain. At 2:30 p.m., the first charge came from the 15th and 47th Alabama regiments. They attacked uphill, running as fast as they could and firing at Chamberlain’s men who were stationed behind a rock wall they had thrown up that very morning. The 20th Maine stopped the rebel charge and pushed them back down the slope…only to face a second then a third charge! On the fourth assault, Chamberlain was knocked down by a bullet that hit him dead center – in the belt buckle. Realizing that he wasn’t seriously hurt, the Colonel scrambled to his feet, continuing to fight. Again, they halted the enemy’s charge and again, the rebels retreated down the hill. At that time in history, battles were fought with artillery and small arms ammunition. The struggles were close, face-to-face affairs. With their fourth charge, the Confederates almost made it to the wall – a thigh high stack of flat rocks that ran almost one hundred and ten yards in length. As they waited for the next charge, Chamberlain felt sorry for his men. He later recalled, “Their leader had no real knowledge of warfare or tactics. I was only a stubborn man and that was my greatest advantage in this fight. I had, deep within me, the inability to do nothing.” Chamberlain continued, “I knew I may die, but I also knew that I would not die with a bullet in my back. I would not die in retreat. I am, at least, like the apostle Paul who wrote, ‘This one thing I do, I press toward the mark.’” The attack came again. On this, the fifth charge, the 15th and 47th Alabama broke open the wall and fighting raged on both sides. Without time to reload, the men were swinging their rifles at each other and brawling with fists and knives. Somehow, the 20th main pushed the rebels downhill another time. After that fifth broken charge, Chamberlain’s younger brother, Tom, appeared with Sergeant Tozier, an old, hard-nosed soldier. Tozier had a thick wad of torn shirt stuck into a hole in his shoulder where he had been wounded. “No help from the 83rd,” the Sergeant said. “They’re shot to ribbons and all they can do is extend the line a bit. We’re getting murdered on our flank.” “Can we extend?” Chamberlain asked. “There’s nothing to extend,” Tom answered. “More than half our men are down.” It was true. Chamberlain’s command had started in Bangor, Maine, six months earlier, with a thousand men. They’d started that morning with three hundred. Now they were down to eighty. “How are we for ammunition?” the Colonel asked. “We’ve been shooting a lot,” was his brother’s answer. “I know we’ve been shooting a lot,” Chamberlain snapped. “I want to know how we’re holding out. How much ammunition do we have left?” As Tom ran to check, a twelve-year-old lookout had climbed a tree. He yelled, “They’re forming up again, Colonel!” Chamberlain looked up to see the boy pointing down the hill. “They’re forming up right now. And they’ve been reinforced. Sir, there’s a lot more of them this time.” At that moment, a messenger stumbled into their midst. Out of breath, he said, “Sir! Colonel Chamberlain, sir! Colonel Vincent is dead.” “Are you sure, soldier?” “Yes, sir,” he gasped. “He was shot right at the first of the fight. They were firmed up by Weeds Brigade, but now Weeds is dead. They moved Hazlett’s Battery up top. Hazlett’s dead, too.” Chamberlain’s brother came running back. “Joshua,” he said, “we’re out! One…two rounds per man at the most. Some of the men don’t have anything at all!” Chamberlain turned to a thin man standing on his right. It was First Sergeant Ellis Spear. “Spear,” he ordered, “tell the boys to take the ammunition from the wounded and the dead.” “We did that last time, sir,” Spear replied. “Maybe we should think about pulling out.” Chamberlain responded grimly, “We will not be pulling out, Sergeant. Carry out my orders please.” “Colonel!” Sergeant Tozier spoke up. “We won’t hold them again, sir. You know we won’t!” “Joshua!” It was his brother. “Here they come! Here they come!” Chamberlain stepped to the top of the wall in full view, crossing his arms and starring down at the advancing enemy. The 15th and 47th Alabama with their pale, yellow-gray uniforms, now reinforced by a Texas regiment, moved up the hill as their high pitched shriek – the rebel yell – coursed up toward Chamberlain and his men. Sergeant Spear was standing at the Colonel’s feet. Sergeant Tozier, Chamberlain’s brother Tom, and Lieutenant Melcher, the flag bearer, were huddled below. “Joshua!” his brother said. “Do something! Give an order!” Chamberlain stood there for a moment, deep in thought, quickly sorting the situation. “We can’t retreat,” he thought. “We can’t stay here.” When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act. He turned his back on the advancing rebels, looked down at his men, and said, “Fix bayonets!” At first, no one moved. They just stared at him with their mouths open. “Fix your bayonets now!” he commanded again. “Execute a great right wheel of the entire regiment. Swing the left first. Do it now!” Lieutenant Melcher spoke first, confused. “Sir,” he asked, “What is a great right wheel?” But the Colonel had already jumped from the wall and was moving to the next group of men. Sergeant Tozier answered the question. “He means to charge, son. A great right wheel is an all-out charge.” Then, turning, the Colonel pointed his sword directly downhill. Facing overwhelming odds, Chamberlain slashed his blade through the air and with the power born of courage and fear, the schoolteacher from Maine roared, “Charge! Charge! Charge!” to his men. The remaining eighty fighting men lifted their voices to match that of their leader. “Charge! Charge!” they cried tumbling over the wall into a history about which most people in our country have never heard. When the Confederate troops saw Chamberlain, the leader of the opposition, mount the wall they immediately stopped, unsure as to what was happening. And when the Colonel pointed his sword toward them and commanded his men to charge, they turned and ran. Many threw down their loaded weapons. The rebels were certain that these were not the same soldiers they had been facing. Surely these men had been reinforced, they thought. A beaten regiment would not charge. In less than five minutes, Chamberlain had his sword on the collarbone of a Confederate captain. “You, sir, are my prisoner,” he stated. The man turned around a fully loaded Navy Colt revolver and offered it to Chamberlain. “Yes sir,” he answered. “I am.” Within five more minutes, that ragged group of eighty men under Chamberlain’s command – without any ammunition – captured over four hundred soldiers of the enemy.

It is an amazing story, isn’t it? And absolutely true. But here’s what most people never consider…
Historians have determined that had Chamberlain not charged that day, the rebels would have won at Gettysburg. Further, historians tell us, had the rebels won at Gettysburg, the South would have won the war…and the war itself would have been over by the end of the summer. Most people assume that had the South won the war, today we would exist as two countries, the Union and the Confederacy. Historians however, insist that if the South had won the war, we would now live on a territorially fragmented continent much like Europe – North America would be divided into nine to thirteen countries.
Which means: when Hitler swept across Europe in the 1940’s, had Chamberlain not charged on that afternoon so long ago, there would not have existed a United States of America to stand in the breach. When Hirohito systematically invaded the islands of the South Pacific, there would not have been a country big enough, strong enough, wealthy enough, and populous enough, to fight and win two wars on two fronts at the same time. The United States of America exists as it does today because of a single man: one thirty-four year old schoolteacher and one move he made more than a century ago.
Don’t you see? Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is a human example of the butterfly effect. One man who made one move whose effects still ripple through your life today. And you are no less an example of the butterfly effect than Chamberlain was. Everything you do matters. Every move you make, every action you take…matters. Not just to you, or your family, or your business or hometown. Everything you do matters to all of us forever.
On Friday, April 2, 2004, ABC News honored a man who, at that time, was ninety-one years old. The news program was running a regular segment called “Person of the Week.” Usually, the honoree’s accomplishments are listed in advance and by the time the name is announced, most folks have already guessed the identity of that week’s recipient. In this instance, however, the pronouncement left many viewers puzzled. “And so…our Person of the Week is…” the anchorman finally said, “…Norman Borlaug!” One can only imagine the frowns. Who? Who did he say? Norman…what was the last name? Yet, despite our unfamiliarity, Norman Borlaug is a man who is personally responsible for drastically and dramatically changing the world in which we live. You see, in the early 1940’s, Norman Borlaug hybridized high yield, disease resistant corn and wheat for arid climates. From the dust bowl of Western Africa to our own desert Southwest…from South and Central America to the plains of Siberia…across Europe and Asia…Borlaug’s specific seed product flourished and regenerated where no seed had ever thrived before. Through the years, it has now been calculated that Norman Borlaug’s work saved from famine more than two billion lives. Actually, it was never reported, but the anchorman was misinformed. It was not Norman Borlaug who saved the two billion people, though very few caught the mistake. It was a man named Henry Wallace. Henry Wallace was the Vice President of the United States under Franklin Roosevelt. “Wait a minute!” you might exclaim. “I thought Harry Truman was the Vice President under Roosevelt.” That is very true, but remember, Roosevelt served four terms. He had three different Vice Presidents and the second man to serve as Roosevelt’s Vice President, from 1941-1945 was Henry Wallace. Wallace was the former Secretary of Agriculture who, after his one term as Vice President, was dumped from the ticket in favor of Truman. While Wallace was Vice President, however, he used the power of that office to create a station in Mexico whose sole purpose was to hybridize corn and wheat for arid climates. And he hired a young man named Norman Borlaug to run it. So Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Prize. And Norman Borlaug was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. But considering the connection…it was really Henry Wallace that saved the two billion people! Or was it George Washington Carver? You remember Carver, don’t you? The peanut…? But here’s something that very few people know… When Carver was nineteen years old and a student at Iowa State University, he had a dairy sciences professor who, on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, would allow his six-year-old boy to go on “botanical expeditions” with the brilliant student. It was George Washington Carver who took that boy and instilled in him a love for plants and a vision for what they could do for humanity. It was George Washington Carver who pointed six-year-old Henry Wallace’s life in a specific direction – long before he ever became Vice President of the United States. It is amazing to contemplate, isn’t it? George Washington Carver flapping his butterfly wings with the peanut… There are currently 266 things he developed from the peanut that we still use today. He flapped his wings with the sweet potato… There are 88 things Carver originated from the sweet potato that we still use today. And while no one was even looking, George Washington Carver flapped his wings a couple of times with a six-year-old boy… And just happened to save the lives of more than two billion people…(and counting). So maybe it should have been George Washington Carver – Person of the Week! Or the farmer from Diamond, Missouri? Moses and his wife Susan lived in a slave state, but they didn’t believe in slavery. This was a problem for psychopath’s like Quantrill’s Raiders who terrorized the area by destroying property, burning and killing. And sure enough, one cold January night, Quantrill’s Raiders rode through Moses and Susan’s farm. The outlaws burned the barn, shot several people, and dragged off a woman named Mary Washington who refused to let go of her infant son, George. Mary Washington was Susan’s best friend and with his wife distraught, Moses quickly sent word out through neighbors and towns and two days later managed to secure a meeting with the bandits. On a black horse, Moses rode several hours north to a crossroads in Kansas. There, at the appointed time, in the middle of the night, he met four of Quantill’s Raiders. They were on horseback, carrying torches, and flour sacks tied over their heads with holes cut out for their eyes. There, Moses traded the only horse he had left on his farm for what they threw him in a dirty burlap bag. As they thundered off on their horses, Moses fell to his knees and there, alone on that dark winter night, the farmer pulled from the bag a cold…naked…almost dead…baby boy. Quickly, he jerked open his coat and his shirts and placed the child next to his skin. Covering him then with his own clothes and relying on the warmth from his own body, the man turned…and walked that baby out. Moses walked through the night and into the next morning to get the child to safety. He sang to the child and told him he would care for him. He promised the boy he would educate him to honor his mother, whom they knew was already dead. That was the night that the farmer gave that baby his name. And that is how Moses and Susan Carver came to raise that little baby, George Washington.
So when you think about it, maybe it was the farmer from Diamond, Missouri who saved the two billion people. Unless…
Is there an ending to this story? Exactly who was it that saved the two billion lives? Is there a specific person to whom we could point? How far back would we have to go? How many lives would we need to examine in order to determine who it really was whose action saved two billion people…a number that continues to increase every minute? And how far forward would we need to go in your life to show the difference you make? There are generations yet unborn whose very lives will be shifted and shaped by the moves you make and the actions you take today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. On the planet Earth, there has never been one like you…and there never will be again. Your spirit, your thoughts and feelings, your ability to reason and act all exist in no one else. The rarities that make you special are no mere accident or quirk of fate. You have been created in order that you might make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world. Know that your actions cannot be hoarded, saved for later, or used selectively. By your hand, millions – billions – of lives will be altered, caught up in a chain of events begun by you this day. The very beating of your heart has meaning and purpose. Your actions have value for greater than silver or gold. Your life… And what you do with it today… Matters Forever.

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Isaiah

In the eighth century BC while Homer was writing the Iliad and the Odyssey, and Lao Tse was writing the Tao de Ching, Isaiah wrote the book that bears his name.

The prophet Isaiah was a giant of Jewish history. He is considered the Shakespeare of Hebrew literature. The New Testament quotes him more than all the other prophets added together. No author in the Bible can match his eloquence and mastery of style and imagery.

He lived midway through the founding of the nation and it’s final destruction. He lived on the border between the Northern and Southern kingdom. He was one of the prophets who observed first hand the fall and captivity of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

The Rabbis say that he was first cousin to King Uzziah. Isaiah’s father, and Uzziah’s father, were brothers. This would mean he was of royal lineage, and familiar with the palace and court life. He certainly was the confidant and advisor to at least 5 kings.

Isaiah was not a “yes” man to these kings. He stood against the popular tide of optimism. His name meant “The Lord saves”. He warned Kings repeatedly that to depend on military power or wealth or alliances or anything but God would bring disaster.

Isaiah outlived four of the kings he advised, but finally offended one King beyond the King’s tolerance. Manasseh is said to have placed Isaiah between two planks and had him sawed in half. Thus ending the life of one of Israel’s greatest heroes.

Isaiah’s writings are about the nature of God. It is a collection of many messages on many subjects.

His writings break down like this:
• Chapters 1-12 warnings to Judah during their prosperous days
• Chapters 13-23 messages to surrounding nations
• Chapters 24-35 earth’s future and the imminent invasion of Assyria
• Chapters 36-39 an interlude telling of crisis Judah faced
• Chapters 40-48 prophesies 200 years into the future (Babylon)
• Chapters 49-55 The nation’s final deliverance through the suffering servant
• Chapters 56-66 warnings to Judah and a view of the future

These are quick bullet references to Isaiah:
• Began preaching before he was 20 years old
• A contemporary of Amos and Hosea
• Born during Uzziah’s reign
• Called in the year Uzziah died
• Saw the Glory of Jeroboam II (Israel)
• Observed the fall of Israel in 721 BC
• Influenced Hezekiah
• Foretold the rise of Babylon
• Killed by Manasseh
• His book a mini Bible (66 chapter, 39,27)
• Proclaims the coming Messiah
• Quoted more in New Testament than all other prophets combined
• Shakespeare of Hebrew literature
• First cousin to Uzziah
• Giant of Jewish history
• Lived exactly in the middle of the founding of the nation and it’s destruction
• His name means “the Lord saves”
• Prophesied during 5 kings
• Wrote same time as Iliad, Odyssey and Tao de Ching
• Looks into the nature of God
• He was Hezekiah’s “song in the night”

His supreme contribution was his fore telling Messiah is coming! The nation hung onto this thread of hope until Jesus arrived. It helped keep them through the 400 silent years of despair. When the New Testament opens they are on point looking for Messiah.

Because he looks into the nature of God, He is our “One God” preacher! Verses like, 9.6, 7.14, 43.10-11, 44.6, 44.8, 45.15, as well as chapters 12, 35, and 53, are favorite one God passages. When an Apostolic preacher preaches on Oneness, he invariably visits the book of Isaiah!

When Assyria threatened the nation, after conquering 200 walled cities and leading away 200,000 captives from the northern nation, it was Isaiah who stayed calm while Hezekiah panicked. Isaiah was the song in the night with a word from the Lord. The next morning 185,000 Assyrians lay dead, Judah was saved, and Isaiah was right!

Isaiah had heard from God and the Angel of the Lord went through the camp of Assyria and slew 185,000 men while Israel slept and never lifted a finger!

The Devil was not alone in using Giants to do great exploits! God answered with some Giants of his own!

Of these, none stands taller than Isaiah.

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I read the story of a Hasidic rabbi renowned for his piety. He was unexpectedly confronted one day by one of his devoted followers. In a burst of feeling, the young disciple exclaimed “My master, I love you!”

The rabbi looked up from his books and asked his fervent disciple, “Do you know what hurts me my son?”

The young man was puzzled. Composing himself he stammered “I don’t understand rabbi. I am trying to tell you how much you mean to me, and you confuse me with irrelevant questions.”

The rabbi replied, “My question is neither confusing or irrelevant, for if you do not know what hurts me, how can you truly love me?”

Who do you love?

Thanks for reading today.

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The “Current” Problem.

It all started so innocently. I was barely awake, about to make a cup of coffee. I looked over at the new fridge the church had bought me for my birthday.

For some unknown, idiotic reason, I mumbled out loud “Maybe I will cook something”.

Now that probably sounds like so innocent a statement, but….I have not cooked anything since Jimmy Carter was president and interest hit 22 %.

I heard this deep growl from my stove. “What are you grinning about”. Before I could really focus, I hear the fridge say, “It is because of me he is going to cook”.

It just started. This huge argument from my appliances. They all began yelling while I stood there speechless and slack jawed.

The dish washer began crowing about how I never stopped using him! He still was appreciated!

To which the washer and dryer yelled get a life you liar, he still uses us more than you.

It was like a riot!

The clock ticked everyone off!

The heater woke up, it had been asleep all summer, and immediately got hot!

The vacumn was screaming he uses me more than any of you clueless idiots.

I was stunned.

The computer and the iPad were saying horrible things to each other. Calling each other the “M” word. I heard one say you’re as dumb as Microsoft and your processor is slow as christmas.

The Bose sound system blared on and began trying to drown out the cacophony of screaming appliances.

I was dumbfounded. All I was going to do is scramble an egg! Now this house has turned into a Stephen King novel look alike, wanna be!

The stove was hot, the fridge had gone cold, the dishwasher had started spitting. The washer was yelling at the dryer to shut it’s lint trap.

The vacume was venting, the Bose Music system was trying to be heard, the clock chimed in!

The alarm system went off. Now the cops would be coming. What a mess! Now the stuff in the garage had heard through the alarm system all the noise and I thought great! I thought, now the Jeep and motorcycles will all “Start up.” Oh brother!

The heater was fuming, and I had had enough! I ran to the fuse panel and killed the current! Yep I did. I turned off the current.

That’s when I heard a small humming. It was my little blue razor vibrating and spinning in circles.

I locked it in a drawer and blew out a frustrated breath. Man what a zoo. What a total mess.

I went back and the coffee maker was smiling at me, so I took a chance. She winked as I made a cup.

As I turned away she said “This goes on all the time when you are gone!”

The coffee maker continued, “Have you ever read the story ‘The house that had enough’?”

I stupidly nodded no.

“Well big boy, that is where you live.”

I could still hear a buzzing. I woke up. It was the alarm!

Whew. That was my “current” dream and I am glad it is not my “current” problem!

But I am very thankful for the new fridge. Thank you FPC!

P. S. The washer is still agitated!

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Sola Scriptura

Sola scriptura (Latin ablative, “by scripture alone”) is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid deductive reasoning from scripture.

Sola scriptura, however, does not ignore Christian history and tradition when seeking to understand the Bible. Rather, it sees the Bible as the only final authority in matters of faith and practice.

As Martin Luther said, “The true rule is this: God’s Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel can do so.

Divine authority

Holy Scripture, the Word of God, carries the full authority of God.

Every single statement of the Bible calls for instant, unqualified and unrestricted acceptance.

Every doctrine of the Bible is the teaching of God and therefore requires full agreement.

Every promise of the Bible calls for unshakable trust in its fulfillment.

Every command of the Bible is the directive of God himself and therefore demands willing observance.

Sufficient

The Bible contains everything that one needs to know in order to obtain salvation and to live a Christian life.

There are no deficiencies in Scripture that need to be filled with by tradition, pronouncements of the Pope, new revelations, or present-day development of doctrine

Authority

John Wesley stated in the 18th century, “In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church.

Sola Scriptura was the foundation of the Protestant reformation!

I am proudly a Sola Scripturian!

One Response »

I believe in “Give outside your life”.

I had a wonderful thing happen today.

I lost something very special to me recently. It was a Mont Blanc pen. I had owned one of these sometime back. It was a gift from a friend and I really liked it. Back then they cost about $185. Since then they have gone up to around $300.

Well I lost my original one so I shopped Ebay and bought me another one. I determined to be very very careful with this one so as not to lose another one. I only carried it when I wore a suit and tie.

Well, somehow I managed to lose it also. I was so angry at myself for this stupidity. I know that most would say just forget it, it is no big deal. To me it was so frustrating because I had already lost one, and I had made such effort to be so careful with the new one.

I looked and looked for three days. Turned my house inside out, checked all my suit pockets, all my vehicles, the couches, church office. It was gone. I was so angry with myself about this small thing. I know it is not much in the course of a lifetime, but it was big to me at the time.

Finally I prayed about it. God would you help me find that pen. Nothing. Days went by.

Yesterday I decided to pray one last time in a different way. I prayed “God, I do not know where that pen is but you do. Would you get it and put it in a place where I can find it?”.

One of the church members forgot their ipad at the church and asked me to get it out of the church and hold it for them. I was too tired last night, so I walked over today to get it out of the church.

What I am about to tell you is either the coolest thing about God or the most insane coincidence in my life, ok?

As I walked along just enjoying the warmth and sunshine of a beautiful morning I looked down and in the wet grass, wet with dew, was my pen. Now before you say what is the big deal, listen.

How did my pen get out in the middle of the church yard back behind the church? But more than that, I just mowed that grass yesterday! If that pen was there yesterday, it would have been destroyed by the new mower we just bought! I mowed right over that spot.

There would at least would have been some evidence of the mower scaring the pen I would think!
The pen is in perfect condition. Not a single scratch!

So for all unbelievers, stop reading now! I think God heard my simple prayer of please put that pen where I can find it, and this morning an angel was watching and waiting with the pen.

When I started walking over to the church, a big old angel with a big old smile carefully placed that pen right in front of me. I would literally have stepped on it. No scratches from a mower. Listen, no dew on the pen. None. The grass was wet with the dew. The pen was completely dry!

So I shouted a little and thanked God for this seemingly small miracle to others that was big to me. A three hundred dollar pen now back in my hand, beautiful and unscratched!

I went back home and called on a doctor/lab report that had billed me for $300. They informed me the doctor had donated the lab cost. I did not owe the $300. The bill was paid in full. Another $300 blessing to me.

In 15 minutes, God gave me a $600 dollar blessing.

I believe in “Give outside your life”!

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Social media has burst on the American horizon in the last few years like an Atomic Bomb.

It has been a phenominal happening to all our lives!

We have enjoyed it’s benefits. We have reconnected with old friends. We now stay connected across the miles with large groups of people. Our world has expanded and exploded with new possibilities.

We are blessed in many ways for all Social Media brings to us.

I want to point out today that there is also a downside to this wonderful addition to our lives the last few years.

It is unfortunate that ease of access allows people to post things in cyberspace without any qualifications.

In the old days when it was your circle of friends with your daily life, it was easy to hear something and discard it as nonsense. That is no longer true with the advent of Social Media.

People you do not know well, far away, can hear things or read things and never really be able to consider the source. Once something is launched on cyberspace who among us can say where it will finally and ultimately end up?

I had a negative experience recently that brought this to light. Two years ago I went to my 40th class reunion. There were people there I remember, but most were vague memories that I had not seen or thought of in decades.

There was much sharing of information and giving emails, Facebook additions without a whole lot of thought. Into that pile of people, one evidently got on my Facebook friend list.

Nothing was said or posted for two years, then out of the blue they post an incredible and fallacious post.

When it was brought to my attention, of course I immediately deleted it and “Unfriended” the person. But I was left with this feeling of “Yuk”.

Not one of the several thousand people who are friends with me on Facebook would know the particulars of the person who posted. All they see are words.

People have no way of knowing if the person who posted is legitimate. Are they sane? Do they have mental problems? Are they an alcoholic? Have they been, or are they addicted to drugs? Have they ever been to rehab? A dozen scenarios can be inserted here.

The downside of Social Media is none of that accompanies the post. So the post takes wings and flies to the far corners of the world without the benefit of knowing anything about the person who posted.

I do not suppose there is anything we can do about this downside of Social Media.

Maybe just being aware of the potential of it tainting a reputation will help bring balance?

I do not have the answer, but I sure wish there was a good answer to this downside of Social Media!

Thanks for reading today.

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A Vanishing Species: The Apostolic Woman of 2012

Why is the Apostolic woman a vanishing species? Loss of habitat is one cause of a vanishing specie. Another cause is a shrinking population, hence repopulation shrinks at a commensurate rate. As time moves on there are fewer and fewer of the species alive to reproduce.

Our habitat is diminishing. Our world is reducing our Apostolic living space. There are fewer and fewer places where we find wholesome environment.

Morality and sexual prominence in every way, like magazines, advertising, and entertainment, encroach on our living space more each day. Emphasis is daily placed on a woman’s body and appearance rather than on her spirit and demeanor. This is tragic because the world then sees women as a possession or a thing, something to be used, rather than her God given and elevated place of equality in God’s providence.

In the Bible women were honored, respected and cherished.
Proverbs 18:22 (KJV)
22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Many things have contributed to this denigration of women. Hollywood and Women’s movement are two things that have drastically affected our Apostolic lifestyle.

Women have played an immensely important role in the Bible. Names like Deborah, and Sarah, and Rachel, Job’s wife, Mary, Dorcas, Lydia, Eunice, all speak of Godly contributions to what we are today as an Apostolic.

2 Timothy 1:5 (KJV)
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

What makes a woman truly Apostolic?

First of all she must be of the faith. The new birth is a must.

She must second of all have an absolute commitment to live by the Word of God. She cannot accept the changing scenery of society as her way of life. Modern ideas, and modern rationale cannot be her measure of life. She has to have an old fashioned commitment to the Bible. If the Bible teaches it, then she embraces it without question.

Thirdly she must manifest a life defined by God and not by contemporary mores. (An example of this is her home life and her interaction with her husband).

Let’s discuss the characteristics of an Apostolic Woman.

1. She is not ashamed of her life! Everything from her demeanor to her appearance is guided by the Word and not by any other source.
2. She manifests to the world the spirit of Christ in several ways. (Ex: Shamefacedness)
3. She maintains her relationship with Jesus Christ at home, at church, and in the market place of the world.
4. She understands her role in God and is unwilling to be pushed into any role that violates her commitment to her Lord and savior.
5. She is not ashamed of her place in God’s kingdom. In fact she values it as a role only she can play! (As a wife, a mother, a saint of God, a prayer warrior).

6. She is unwilling to be conformed to this world. Her desire is to please God, not to “fit in” with her society.

7. She recognizes and embraces that God placed her under the protection of a head in her husband and her pastor. She sees this as protection and not bondage. Her husband and her pastor protect her and provide for her. This frees her to pursue the things God designed her for. She is free to be the woman God created her to be.

8. She is content with the beauty that God gave her. She desires to be beautiful and acceptable in the eyes of God, not in the eyes of this world. Her heart says God, what is it that you think is beautiful? She then proceeds to seek and achieve that.

Battles an Apostolic woman must contend with.

The workplace has become a battleground for women. The glass ceiling concept, the salary discrepancy issue, and others have created an antagonistic environment for women in general. Then the fallout of over reacting men who shout equal production for equal pay then muddies the water even more.

So what happens is the role of a woman is now so opaque that we cannot even raise up Godly young women!

The church is the representative of God in the earth. The church is likened to a bride. We will be God’s wife in the future. What attributes does God seek in us now?

Prayer
Humility
Honesty
Helpful
Godly

My prayer is that the Apostolic women of 2012 can have a wholesome self image of their self as they live in a world that gives them less and less of a chance to show their faith. That our ladies can have a true revelation on the inward and outward person of who an Apostolic lady is in 2012.

Proverbs 31:10-31 (MSG)
10 A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds.
11 Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it.
12 Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long.
13 She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing.
14 She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises.
15 She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day.
16 She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden.
17 First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
18 She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
19 She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking.
20 She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor.
21 She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
22 She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
23 Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers.
24 She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
25 Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
26 When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.
27 She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive.
28 Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise:
29 “Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!”
30 Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-GOD.
31 Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!

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Two words

Have you ever said “If only”?

If only I had not said that
If only I had not done that
If only I had saved that money
If only I had married the other one
If only I had not stopped at the store
If only I would have said I love you one more time
If only I had tried harder
If only I had been a better parent, or spouse, or….
If only, if only, if only

One psychologist said these are the two saddest words of the human language. They trap you in failure. If you allow them you will live the rest of your life repeating them.

To avoid this self imposed bondage may I suggest two different words.

Next time!

Next time I will use better judgment
Next time I will be more responsible
Next time I will try harder
Next time I will pray about it
Next time I will wait on God
Next time I will be slower to speak

For you see folks, “If only” focuses on past failures and sentences us to a lifetime of regret.

“Next time” turns our attention to the future and inspires us to try again!

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