Admirer vs. Follower

Who do you really admire?  I admired former President Ronald Reagan growing up for his ability to "mean what you say and say what you mean." I admired Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, who for the better part of my childhood played 1st base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a devastating left handed power hitter who at one time had the longest ball hit in 6 major league stadiums. Stargell was a great baseball player but he was better man, raising 1000’s of dollars for sickle cell research and the under privileged of Pittsburgh area. I admire Former Marshall University President Donald Dedmon. An unsung hero of my Marshall University. Who despite overwhelming pressure brought by some continued the football program at Marshall because it was the right thing to do. That’s easy to see now, it wasn’t so easy back in 1970. But all the people I admire aren’t so famous.

I admire former Mayor of Hurricane Raymond Peak, a man who loved this community so much that he served as Mayor for nearly 40 years. If you think your job is thank-less be mayor for day. I know Raymond had his share of people that disagreed with him but in 45 years I’ve known him I’ve never heard him speak a harsh word of any of them. I admire my parents, my Mom showing me what love through sacrifice really was and is to this day. And my Dad for the value of tough and yes sometimes brutal honesty. I admired my MaMaw Stricklin for her ability to be not only content but truly happy for what God had given her even when it didn’t seem like very much to me. And I admire my wife who has shown mer the meaning of grace over and over again the last 21years.

As much as I admire some people being and admirer and follower are two different things. I admired President Reagan but I’m not likely to be President of anything than a church camp or my fantasy football league anytime soon. I admired Willie Stargell but if I get a hit and walk to 1st base anymore on the ball field I feel pretty good about myself. John Ortberg said the difference between an admirer and a follower is this, "an admirer is impressed. A follower is devoted. An admirer applauds. A follower surrenders his life.”

A lot of people admired Martin Luther King. Some marched with him, a few went to jail with him, and a very few got their houses bombed like he did. But he alone was shot on April 4th, 1968 in Memphis. A lot of people admired and still admire MLK but there were few true followers who walked in his shoes. Many people admired Mother Theresa but not many people followed her to live among the destitute and dying. We admire Jesus, I have no doubt about that. We sing praises to him, we teach about him we pray to him. Jesus has never had a shortage of admirers in this world. Even people who do not believe he is the Son of God. But you know something, you can read every verse in the Bible, and you will not come across a single verse in which Jesus comes even close to saying,” Come admire me”, or “unless you admire me, you cannot be my disciple.”

Folks, Jesus doesn’t need admirers, he needs followers! We need to learn that!

Thanksgiving 2010

Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When asked, "Why is that there?" Haley answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words and think that they are wonderful, and begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post and remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help."

Maybe the times when God feels the least appreciated are the same times when I feel the best about what I’ve accomplished. This Thanksgiving I need to remember "I didn't get there on my own."

Psalm 107:1"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Scott and Cindy Pickett

I had the honor this weekend to officiate the wedding of an old friend. Scott Pickett asked Debi and I to spend the weekend at the Ashby Inn a B&B in Paris VA and today along with 50 close friends and family Scott and Cindy pledge their love to each other in one of the most beautiful settings for a wedding I have ever been around. As with most great weddings, I (the minister) had a small speaking part and the spotlight was on Scott and Cindy who wrote their own vows and most of the rest of the ceremony as well. The following was my heartfelt remarks to the happy couple just before the vows.

6000 years Moses wrote these words and they are still applicable to couples pledging the sacred covenant of marriage today. This is Genesis 2:23-24 ²³ The man (Adam said of Eve),  “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” ²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

The last phrase is key "they become one flesh." This is a picture of something much greater than just a physical oneness. The oneness that happens between bodies should happen on every level of human marriage experience. Your souls become one, your spirits become one. Your thinking is joined, your memories are joined.

It is God's work to make two into one in this remarkable way. Some say that you can be in an emotional relationship and not have it affect you spiritually, or that in some other way the experiences of body and soul and spirit can be separated from each other. The Scriptures know nothing of that kind of married relationship. Scott & Cindy you are in all parts as God made you, and in marriage the total sum of you is married to the total sum of the other. Scott & Cindy today your heart, your spirit, your future, and everything else about you belongs to other and in fact are one, joined together by God.

Scott & Cindy, Thank you for allowing us to be a small part of your wonderful weekend. May God Bless your new life together! We love you!

Toney & Deb

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy is going to fall!  Scientists travel yearly to measure the building's slow descent. They report that the 179-foot tower moves about one-twentieth of an inch a year, and is now 17 feet out of plumb. They further estimate that by the year 2040 the 810-year old tower will have leaned too far and will collapse. Quite significantly, the word "Pisa" means "marshy land," in French which gives some clue as to why the tower began to lean even before it was completed. But to add to that the towers foundation is only 10 feet deep! The cornerstones are weak and not deeply rooted.

And so it is with the Christian morality in America today. Indeed, if we don’t strengthen and rely on our cornerstones of God’s word and a close relationship with Him we are headed for the same fate. Do you want to strenghten your foundation, your relationship. GET IN CHURCH! Be encouraged and be a encourager, you can't do either sitting at home watching Wheel of Fortune. Study your Bible everyday, read a book written by someone with a different spiritual perspective than yours at least twice a year (with a open mind :))and set aside times to pray several times a day, even if its for 10 seconds.

Sounds simple? Good, we have no excuses.

The Right Person at the Right Time!

All baptisms are special but this one was really special, a special young man at a special time.

Branson Martin asked his Grandpa Dallas White to go to church when he was just a little guy. Dallas had not gone to church for anyone else, several had ask but it just wasn't the right person or the right time. But he couldn't resist an invitation from his Grandson Branson so Dallas went to church and never left. He became a vital Deacon at his church and was constantly doing the Lord's work, thanks to the simple request of one little guy. Dallas went to be Lord the first of last week and his Grandson Branson received the deposit, the seal, and the guarantee of the Holy Spirit when I had the honor of baptizing him on Sunday. The right person at the right time! Now Branson knows he will see his Grandpa again, just the start of a legacy for an amazing 13 year old young man to build on.

Veteran's Day

This is my favorite writing about America, it was read on Paul Harvey's radio show during the late 80's & early 90's. Being a proud Dad of a young man who will one day be a veteran I wanted to share it with you. It was written by a Canadian journalist.
This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth.
Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
When the France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped.
The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.
I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes?
Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technology, and you get radios. You talk about German technology, and you get automobiles.
You talk about American technology, and you find men on the moon - not once, but several times - and safely home again.
You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.
I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is darned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those."
Stand proud, America!

Just Call Me Barabbas

Yesterday I had the pleasure of having a small roll in Kanawha Valley Unity Worship Service at West Virginia State University. Cross Lanes, Hurricane, Griffithsville & Kanawha City Churches of Christ came together for the second time in 3 months to worship, fellowship and share the love of the Lord. Steve Fox, the minister at Kanawha City, gave a wonderful message about Barabbas and how every Christian on the planet could identify with him. It was an awesome Sunday!

Several years back the local singing group " Barnabas" sang a song that really resonated with people. The song was titled "Barabbas." And the chorus went something like this.... "Just call me Barabbas because He died instead of me." How true, I was sitting in a prison cell condemned to hell with no hope but Jesus took my place so I could be with Him in heaven forever. If that message doesn't spark unity nothing will.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4 "be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." That was a great message 2000 years ago, sounds like a better one in 2010. Maybe we took a baby step in that direction yesterday. I hope so, we should be the most unified people on the planet.