How to Avoid Speeding Tickets

I remember my first, and only, speeding ticket.  I was 16-years-old and had four friends in the car.  I was doing about 15 over the speed limit when the blue lights started flashing behind me.  My hopes of getting off with a warning vanished with the slip of paper the officer handed to me.  Not only was I embarrassed in front of my friends, but also the thought of facing my parents when I got home just about killed me.

No one likes getting a speeding ticket, or any ticket for that matter.  For this reason, a recent article titled, “10 Tips to Avoid Speeding Tickets” caught my attention.  As the article explains, motorists are often looked at as a source of revenue since 54 percent of all tickets are for speeding and add up to an estimated $2 billion in revenue every year.  Since this is the case, the article listed off ten ways to help avoid speeding tickets.  Some of them were to having situation awareness, being ready for speed traps, driving a less flashy car in the “slow lane,” and fighting every ticket in court.

Interestingly, there was one very important tip missing from this list.  If people want to avoid speeding tickets, then don’t speed.  It’s that simple.  Yes, there are some times when the speed limit drastically changes without warning with a cop waiting to nail you, but this is very rare.  The vast majority of people who get speeding tickets deserve them.  I know I deserved mine.

This article displays a sad mindset in our society.  Many are no longer concerned with “right and wrong” but simply if they get caught or not.  The article and other objects such as dash mounted radar detectors are designed to allow people to continue breaking the law without the consequences.  People are looking for ways they can get away with doing wrong.

Unfortunately, this mindset is creeping into the church as well.  Sometimes people do anything they can to sin without getting caught.  2 Corinthians talks about two different reactions people have towards doing wrong.  Listen to these words,  “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (7:10).

The “sorrow of the world” is talking about people who are just sorry they were caught.  They aren’t sorry they sinned.  Scripture says this type of sorrow produces death.  On the other side, “Godly sorrow” is talking about people who are deeply sorry they have sinned against God.  In this case, their sorrow causes them change their ways, whether they were actually caught and punished or not.  This type of sorrow leads to salvation.

Certainly we want to do everything we can to receive salvation.  Therefore, let’s choose Godly sorrow.  May we never be people who are trying to get away with doing wrong.  Let’s be people who are genuinely sorry, but also dedicated to changing our ways when we do wrong.

The Name of Jesus

Jesus--Oh what a name!

There is none other who has such fame.

This is more than just a title we speak.

His name is the epitome of the word, unique.

Throughout history, no one so wonderful can we find.

He is truly one-of-a-kind.

Because of Him God’s beautiful love was revealed (Acts 2:38).

In His name people were even healed (Acts 3:6).

Above all, eternal life through Him came (1 John 2:25).

No wonder God gave Jesus the name above every name (Philippians 2:9).

Sadly, many in this life deny Him, living for the hear and now,

But whether it’s today or soon after, every knee to Jesus will bow (Philippians 2:10).

Peter and John said, “We cannot stop speaking” about His name (Acts 4:17-20).

Since there is no name like Jesus Christ, let’s also have the boldness to do the same.

A Must-Have Tool for Every Christian

“Automaker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt
 and the repairmen couldn't find the problem.  So, Ford called Steinmetz,
 who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the 
switch.  The generators whirred to life.  Later,  Ford got a bill for $10,000 
from Steinmetz.  Flabbergasted, the tightfisted carmaker inquired
 why the bill was so high.  Steinmetz's reply: ‘For tinkering with the
 generators - $10.  For knowing where to tinker - $9,990.’ Ford paid the
 bill” (Today in the Word, MBI, April, 1990, p. 27).

Wisdom is an invaluable tool.  For mechanics, wisdom helps them to identify and repair a problem quickly.  For athletes, wisdom guides them to the exact right position on the field to make a spectacular play.  For doctors, wisdom can prove to be the difference in the life or death of a patient.

Similarly, wisdom is a tool every Christian must have.  Its value is priceless.  It helps us to battle sin and avoid situations where me might fail.  It guides us to say the right words to encourage and keep others faithful.  It aids us in bringing sinners to Christ.  It helps us to respond to those who challenge our faith.

The great news is that God is offering to give us this awesome tool for free!  James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  This doesn’t mean God is going to make us a master mechanic or world famous surgeon, but He will give us the wisdom we need for our spiritual lives!

If this tool is missing from your spiritual tool belt, be sure to consistently ask to the Lord for it.

The Horrendous Stench

Welcome to my newly purchased home.  It’s complete with all of the sights and smells of a home that was thoroughly neglected, rejected, and infested.  The first step into our home welcomes you with a whiff of nauseating stench.  Evidently, the previous homeowner allowed her pets to excrete themselves throughout the house until it became the cesspool it now is.  Even though the house had been vacant for about a year, the floors were in such terrible condition that when I pulled up the carpet the floor underneath was still wet with pet fluids.

To some, the odor of a full trashcan would smell like sweet perfume in comparison to our floors.  Just walking through the house makes you feel the need for a shower.  Now, you might think my wife and I are completely out of our minds, but we welcomed the challenge, adventure, and potential this smelly house brings.

As I was removing the floors and cleaning out the kitchen cabinets, I came upon something very unexpected.  I found can after can of carpet cleaner, air freshener, and other similar products scattered around.  What an odd thing to find in a home as smelly as this one.  It then became clear to me that the previous homeowner was well aware of the horrendous stench inside her home.  Strangely, instead of taking care of the problem by replacing the carpets and training her pets, she apparently just tried to cover up the smell.

Many people are living lives that reek of sin.  Unfortunately, instead of taking care of the sin problem, people try to cover up the stench by living double lives and wearing forged smiles.  This may trick some people, but not God.  God has a great sense of smell.  The perfume of lies and air fresheners of deceit don’t fool the Lord.

If we truly want to smell good to God, the first step is to wash away all of our sins through baptism (Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21).  As long as we live faithfully, we then become a sweet and pleasing aroma before God (2 Corinthians 2:15).  This godly smell can even bring life those who are lost (2 Corinthians 2:16).

Are we spiritually clean?  When God smells the aroma coming from us, will He smell a horrendous stench, or sweet aroma?

It’s Raining What?

Most of us are familiar with the phrase, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” but what about “it’s raining fish and frogs”?  Apparently there have been several occasions when fish and frogs have actually rained down from the sky (Weather Bug).  Fish and frogs haven’t been the only odd things to fall out of the sky.  Here are some others.

Money – Several years ago a 24-year-old woman was driving down the road when she noticed money raining down and swirling around.  She collected a substantial amount and later turned it in to the police (Reuters).

Golf Balls – Back in 1969, dozens and dozens of actual golf balls, not golf ball sized hail, rained down in Punta Gorda, FL (Popular Mechanics).

Worms – Just a couple of years ago school children laughed and ran for cover when it began to rain worms during their PE class (STV News).

Spiders – In 2007 a bunch of spiders rained down on some unsuspecting hikers in Argentina.  I’m getting chills just thinking about it!

Sharks – Last year a shark fell from the sky and landed on the 12^th tee of a golf course in Southern California (Yahoo Travel).

In Scripture, there are also several accounts of strange things falling from the sky.  What fell from the sky often depended on the people’s spiritual state.  For the wicked, God rained down things like severe hail and fire (Exodus 9:23-25), powder and dust (Deuteronomy 28:24) or fire and brimstone (Luke 17:29; Genesis 19:24).  For the righteous people, God rained down manna and quail to provide for their needs (Exodus 16; Psalm 78:24, 27).

Today, the condition of our spiritual lives makes a huge difference as to what God will send our way.  If we are sinful, He will “pour out” His wrath and condemnation against us (2 Chronicles 34:21, 24-25).  For the godly, He has already “poured out” love and the precious saving blood of His Son for us (Romans 5:5; Matthew 26:28).

What God rains down on us largely hinges on the way we choose to live.  Let’s make sure we live in such a way so God rains blessings upon us (Hosea 10:12; Ephesians 1:3-10).