Trying to Swim from Europe to the U.S.

 

Olympic swimming is incredibly exciting to watch.  Such as watching the young Missy Franklin come from behind to win the gold and seeing if Michael Phelps still has some speed left in him.  All of this swimming excitement has made some people (myself included) desire to jump in the pool and swim as fast as possible, just for the fun it.  One man took these excited feelings a bit too far.

A 34-year-old British man was overtaken with Olympic fever while at the beach in Biarritz, France.  He told his friends that he was going to swim across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City to show his excitement for the games.  His friends knew he was a strong swimmer, so they let him jump in the water thinking he was joking and would turn around soon enough.  Before long, the man was out of sight.

This man’s ambitious goal was soon interrupted by a rescue helicopter.  A diver jumped down, swam over to the man, and reminded him that the distance from Biarritz to New York City was 3,595 miles.  Despite the warning, the man boasted of his awesome aquatic skills and kept on swimming.  As a point of comparison, the average Olympic swimmer swims at about 5 mph (and they are swimming as hard as they can by the way).  Swimming 3,595 miles at an incredible 5 mph would still take 30 days!  Thankfully, the man eventually came to his senses and was rescued.

This man reminded me of the examples Jesus gave in Luke 14:27-32.  Jesus speaks of a man who tries to build a tower without calculating if he can afford it and of the king who takes his army into battle without considering if he can win.  Scripture consistently encourages us to think before we speak or act (Proverbs 3:5-6; 11:14; 15:22; etc).  Of all the advice given, some of the best is stated in Proverbs 16:1-3, “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.  All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives.  Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.”

It can be hard to remember to make good decisions, especially when that Olympic fever comes.  So, here is a little tip to guide us in making better decisions.  I call it the 3 P’s of good decisions: (1) Pray, (2) Ponder, and (3) Prepare.  Following these 3 easy steps can be the difference between a making bad decision and following God’s plan for you.  So, next time we feel like swimming across the Atlantic, changing jobs, moving, or even a small decision, let’s remember the 3 P’s of good decisions.

Who'll Go?

Neal Pollard

The Master calleth through the word,

"Get in the harvest field!"

He says, "Go plant the precious seed,

And I'll provide the yield!"

To whom saith He, "Go plant the seed"?

Who hath th'eternal task?

Who must give answer, "Here am I"?

For, sure, the Lord doth ask.

As we are going, we must strew

The seed in the hearts of neighbors,

With kindness and firmness and love of God,

We must be about such labors.

And, with our substance from our toils,

We must give a liberal yield,

To send our brothers and our sisters

To the worldwide mission field.

For those who tread the narrow road

In strange and foreign lands,

Who lay down luxuries and give up ease

To dirty their own hands.

By planting seed in new ground,

Where yet God's word must go,

Pray for these harvest laborers,

Who all over the world seed sow.

Chick-Fil-A and Boy Scouts

What does Chick-Fil-A and the Boy Scouts of America have in common?  If you have kept up with the buzz lately, both of these groups are receiving heavy backlash for their stance against homosexuality.  In response, Eagle Scouts have mailed in their medals to voice their disapproval.  Others have vowed to no longer eat at Chick-Fil-A.  There has been a huge amount of pressure put on by our culture lately to accept homosexuality.  Such messages have come from videos, news cites, and even President Obama.  Is our culture right?  Has Chick-Fil-A and the Boy Scouts of America gone too far?  As some are claiming, is this anti-gay stance just growing a new generation of prejudice and hate?

Determining which side is “right” and “wrong” can be slippery.  Hopefully we can all agree that there is a right and wrong answer and the ultimate authority on this topic is God.  After all, He said in Isaiah 55:8-9, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”  God determines what is right and wrong, not men, not the President, and not our culture.  It is ultimately His words we must follow (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3).  So, where should we stand?

Here is what God has said on this topic:

• The only approved intimate, sexual, and marital relationship is between a man and a woman (Genesis 1-2; 2:18f; 2:24; Matthew 19:1f; 1 Corinthians 3:18f; Ephesians 5:22f; 1 Peter 3:1f; etc).
• Homosexuality was condemned in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:22, 29; etc).
• Homosexuality was punished by death in the Old Testament (Leviticus 20:13).
• Entire cities were destroyed by God because of homosexuality (Genesis 19; 2 Peter 2:6-8; Jude 5-7).
• Homosexuality is a choice that can be changed and controlled (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, especially vs. 11 – “such were some of you”).
• Homosexuality is called unnatural and condemned in the New Testament (Romans 1:26-28; 1 Timothy 1:9-11; etc).

One has to do a lot of twisting and contorting to get around all of God’s teaching on this topic.  God has clearly stated that homosexuality is wrong.  This doesn’t mean God hates the sinner, but He does hate the sin.  We should never act ugly and hateful towards homosexuals, but we most definitely should speak against this sin!  Therefore, we should show also support for the position Chick-Fil-A and the Boy Scouts have taken and applaud them for their boldness.  We should even join with them in proclaiming God’s truth about homosexuality.

Chances are very unlikely that taking this stance against homosexuality will be popular, but the truth has rarely been popular in the first place (Galatians 4:16).  Even God Son was persecuted, ridiculed, and killed for teaching the unpopular truth!  For this reason, I pray that we have the courage to repeat the apostles’ bold exclamation, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Lord, Please Give Me A Mouth Guard!

Neal Pollard

Greek Triple jumper, Voula Papachristou tweeted herself right out of a spot in the 2012 Olympics in London.  What she said was only 15 words long, followed by three exclamation points.  But the racial overtones of her statement were enough to get her ousted from the games.  At first she sloughed it off, but then she issued a series of apologies.  None were enough to save her from being banned.

In the long ago, King David prayed, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3).  This should be the daily prayer we all pray.  With twitter, Facebook, and other social media proliferating our words, this prayer extends to the words we type as well as speak.  We have become too comfortable with unguarded mouths and unwatched lips.  The damage of that is immeasurable.

Please give me a mouth guard when teaching or preaching.  May I give careful thought to say what is accurate and biblically true (cf. Js. 3:1).  May I humbly correct (2 Tim. 2:25), preach with great patience (2 Tim. 4:2), and speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).  May I neither add to nor take away from that Holy Word (cf. Rev. 22:18-19).

Please give me a mouth guard when speaking to the lost.  May my speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt (Col. 4:6).  May it be sound speech beyond reproach (Ti. 2:8), exemplary speech (1 Ti. 4:12), bold to share Jesus but gentle, patient, and kind (2 Ti. 2:24-26).

Please give me a mouth guard when speaking to other Christians.  May my words sustain weary brethren (Isa. 50:4).  May my words, filtered through thorough self-examination, gently restore the erring (Gal. 6:1). May it be what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers (Eph. 4:29).  May I reprove and rebuke (2 Ti. 4:2), moved by transparent, known love and care (cf. 1 Pe. 2:17).

Please give me a mouth guard when speaking to my family.  May I not treat them more harshly than I treat strangers, speaking cruel, bitter, or hateful words to them (cf. Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:19).  May I not neglect to speak wholesome, encouraging words to them. May I shudder to neglect speaking constantly to them of spiritual things (Dt. 6:1-6).

Voula is paying for her reckless speech.  My fervent prayer is that I may avoid that fate eternally.  Jesus says our every word will be judged (Mt. 12:36-37).  Lord, please give me a mouth guard!

THE UNOPENED DIARY

Neal Pollard

It appears that the perpetrator of last week’s massacre in Aurora sent his diary to a psychiatrist at the University of Colorado, from which college he had formally withdrawn the previous month.  It details meticulously what he intended to do.  It might have prevented the tragedy, a grievous, bitter thought in the aftermath of the carnage.  But, it was not opened until four days later!  It was found, still in the package, in the school’s mailroom.  Police said, “There were drawings of what he was going to do in it–drawings and illustrations of the massacre” (via TheDenverChannel.com).

We cannot know if the shooting could have been prevented, even if the package had been opened.  It depends on who would have opened it, when, and how motivated one might have been to alert police prior to the attack occurring.  But, in that the book was not opened, it had no chance of saving any of those who’s life was either ended or permanently changed.

There is another book that has gone unopened by the majority.  It is a book that details life rather than death.  It inspires hope and not fear.  It details, step by step, where we all came from, why we are here, what we are to do, and where we are going.  It has never failed to lead its readers to the best life now and the only desirable life to come.

If there is a tragedy greater than Aurora, this is it!  You and I have the opportunity to help people open the book by which they will one day be judged (cf. John 12:48; Rev. 20:12).  May we do whatever we can to help other people open the book of books.  May we open it ourselves, to govern and guide our own lives.  To do otherwise is the grossest neglect imaginable!