It's hard to be me

The best friendships have some of the strangest qualities.

I had lunch today with Guy. As we were discussing life, he sniffed out a mildly shameful secret of mine (this in itself is a great quality in a friend: their ability to figure out what you aren't telling them).

His reaction?

He laughed at me.

Coming from most people, I would have probably been a little hurt by his laughter. He had discovered one of my character flaws and proceeded to laugh at it.

Was I hurt?

Not in the slightest.

His laughter meant "Yeah, you're a fool. You know it as well as I do. But you know me well enough to know that I'm also a fool. I'm still in your corner."

At least that's how I interpreted it. He did apologize, saying he shouldn't have laughed. I told him he can always laugh at me. He said "Likewise."

One of the many reasons I'm also in his corner.

He returns to the computer abashedly

A) Way too long since I last blogged. Sorry, devoted followers, I have mistreated you. Mea culpa.

B) A plan is in its infancy for a new blog this fall including me and a close friend and fellow blogger. Hopefully more to come soon.

C) I'm speaking at Camp this weekend for Super Kids 4. Pray for me. I need it. I very much want it to go well. Pray that I would speak the Truth clearly and that the kids would have ears to receive it.

I am trusting the promise of Psalm 139:4-5 "Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me." If that's true, and it is, I'm in good hands.

That's all for now, thanks for your prayers and for putting up with my nonexistent blogging.

The Gospel, as seen in the Old Testament

Psalm 16

¹Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. ²I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."

³As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

⁴The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

⁵The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
⁶ The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
⁸ I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
¹⁰For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Verse 6 has been running through my head recently: "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance."

This is a preposterous statement, and is not born of comfortable prosperity theology. Verse 1 starts with the cry "Preserve me!" Verse 10 demonstrates a confidence that the Lord will not "let your holy one see corruption."

Nevertheless, in the Lord's presence "there is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore." If this is true, and it is, then regardless of circumstance we are able to say that the lines have fallen for us in pleasant places, and that our inheritance is beautiful.

Mark 9:24 "I believe; help my unbelief!"

An abortion doctor, Dr. George Tiller, was murdered on Sunday in Wichita, Kansas. Abortion is wrong. Unspeakably wrong. Killing an abortion doctor is also wrong. Al Mohler (president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) wrote an article about his murder, explaining very well why this action was wrong and should be condemned as such. I recommend it.

One thing stood out to me about this event. Tiller was murdered in a church. Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, where he was serving as an usher.

Mohler described Tiller thus: For many years, Dr. George Tiller has represented the horrific reality of the abortion industry in this nation. Infamously known to the pro-life movement in America, Tiller was known as "Tiller the Killer" because of his well-known willingness to perform late-term abortions almost no other doctor in the nation would perform. Because of Dr. George Tiller, Wichita became the destination of choice for women seeking abortions in the late third trimester.

What does it say about that church that a doctor who performed late-term abortions served on Sundays as an usher?

Ephesians 5:11 "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."

Shakes his fist

I took a dose and a half of cough syrup in an attempt to stem the tide.

My incessant, unproductive hack merely glanced in my direction disapprovingly, insulted that that's the best I can do.

I wish he would treat me with more respect.

Let's see how he likes a steady diet of cough drops.

That was awkward

The other day I made a phone call, and got an automated message. The voice asked me to enter the phone number I was trying to contact. I began to enter the number and accidentally misdialed. I pushed # thinking that would perhaps allow me to start over. Instead, the voice said "thank you."

I think I inadvertently flirted with the automated voice.

I mean, we've crossed paths a few times and she sounds nice and everything, but I barely know her. I hope she didn't get the wrong impression. I'm afraid I'm sending mixed signals.

It's not her, it's me. I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment, and I'd rather keep the relationship professional. That's reasonable, isn't it?

I hope she takes it well. She's always been so polite.

Next time I'll try the * key.

Sin and grace in 1 Samuel

<sup>I'm reading through 1 Samuel right now, and the following passage from chapter 12 stood out.

1 Samuel 12:19-22
19</sup>And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king." ²⁰And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. ²² For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.

As you can see in verse 19, this is when Israel demands a king. In so doing, they reject God as their king (1 Sam. 8:7). Major sin. THE major sin, as a matter of fact.

One that I repeatedly commit. We all do. In chapter 12, the Israelites finally come to see what it is they have done, and acknowledge that it is sin, so they ask Samuel, who as judge and prophet of Israel is their mediator with God, to pray for them.

Samuel's response is what stood out to me. He doesn't downplay their sin in an attempt to soothe their guilt. "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil." Yeah, you screwed up. You have rejected God.

But then he tells them to go back to doing what is right. "Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart." Pick yourselves up, turn from this evil, and do not do it again. It reminds me of John 8:11, where Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery, saying "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." So often when we fail, we give up, supposing that there is no use in going on. That's not a valid reaction.

Next Samuel calls a spade a spade. ^"21And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty." Anything with which we replace God is empty; for the Israelites a human king, for me tv or sleep or comfort or any number of other things, and you know your own replacements. Samuel points out that these empty things cannot profit or deliver. Because they are empty. So don't turn aside after them. Duh. We can be so blind.

Finally, in verse 22 Samuel grounds everything on an infinitely precious truth: "For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself." You can't serve God on your own. You never could. He's chosen you for himself. For his own name's sake.

This passage is such a great picture of how God responds to our sin. Yep, you sinned. Against me. It's bad. Now stop. Don't do it anymore. Serve me instead, with all your heart. Those things with which you are trying to replace me are empty. They're worthless. They have nothing to offer you but death. Even though you deserve it, I'm not going to forsake you. I'm going to keep you. And make you mine. Make you what you can't make yourself. And I'm going to do it for my own glory, because I'm the only one worthy of it.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.