9/29/09

YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS DON’T EXIST!
Recently, you’ve probably seen footage of those two college students in their twenties who secretly taped ACORN workers promoting the most horrible of offenses. Now ACORN is suing those two individuals for breaching their privacy rights.

Yesterday, I read an article about residents in the parts of the UK who were recently horrified to learn that their town councils had hired people to go through their trash cans in order see what kinds of “waste” were being thrown out rather than recycled. The residents are now worried about their government knowing too much, with terms like “Big Brother” being used to charge the various town councils for overstepping the privacy rights of the residents.

Last Saturday, someone posted a poll on Facebook that asked the question, “Should President Obama be assassinated?” Facebook has since removed the poll, and secret service agents are said to be investigating the situation. No doubt, whoever posted the poll is going to have his or her life investigated to the max; that person can forget about any privacy rights that are usually afforded to those who post things on the internet.

So what about you and your privacy rights? When it comes to God’s knowledge of your thoughts and dealings, there is no such thing as privacy rights – they just don’t exist! If you’ve been involved in something horrible, there’s no need for two college students to catch you in the act with their cameras – God knows! Nobody needs to go through the waste pockets of your mind where nasty and filthy things have been thought and planned – God knows! Even when you think you’ve said something or posted something for only a certain audience to hear or see, there’s no need for secret service agents to investigate you – because God already knows all about it! God breaches all the privacy rights you THOUGHT you might have had; he sees and hears everything you do, and he knows the very thoughts that run through your head (whether good or ugly). You can’t hide anything from him! (Psalm 139) GOD KNOWS IT ALL!

So what do you do about it? You can either get angry with God for knowing things about you that you wish he didn’t (which would be plain foolish on your part, because he’s GOD – it’s his prerogative to know everything about you), or you can choose to humble yourself immediately and ask God to forgive you and purify you of your heinous acts and thoughts! Hopefully, you will choose the latter.

Read what David said to God when he realized that his (David’s) privacy rights didn’t exist – that indeed God knew EVERYTHING about his terrible ordeal with Bathsheba. Psalm 51 tells the story! Read the entire passage here!

God ‘knows what you did last summer’ (as the stupid movie title would put it), and he knows what you did last month, last night, and within the last few minutes! Your privacy has been (and will continue to be) breached by God! Don’t get mad about it! – Instead, get forgiveness and restoration! (1 John 1:9)

9/28/09

CONAN O'BRIEN GETS KNOCKED OUT
Conan O’Brien, host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” accidentally hit his head during a stunt while filming for last Friday’s show. (The show was then cancelled and a rerun was aired last Friday). O’Brien says the last thing he remembers was enjoying a sketch, only to wake up later being served juice and cookies in the hospital. While the details of the stunt that caused the accident have not been released, O’Brien is said to be just fine now. Despite this brief interruption in show programming, O’Brien is expected to resume filming today for the “Tonight Show.”

As O’Brien learned well, sometimes out of-the-blue interruptions take place and mess up our plans. Things that we don’t expect to happen, and sometimes things that we actually hope NEVER happen, often take place and throw our plans all out of kilter.

Once, the Bible’s Paul experienced an interruption that trumps O’Brien’s hit on the head by a long shot. As Acts 20:7-12 explains, Paul was preaching to a group of people in a crowded room on the third floor of a building. Paul had been preaching most of the day, and midnight finally rolled around. A young man who was sitting in the window opening began to fall asleep as Paul talked “on and on.” When the young man was finally in a deep sleep, he fell out of the window and dropped three floors to his death. Talk about “interruptions,” this was of the worst kind!

The cool part of the story is how Paul responded to the interruption. The Bible says that Paul stopped speaking, ran down to the ground and threw himself on the young man (no doubt to pray for him), and the young man miraculously came back to life. But check out what happened next – Paul then went back upstairs, he ate with those he had been speaking to, and then he went right back to his preaching – which lasted until daybreak that morning. The interruption, while unexpected, unwanted, tragic, and huge in magnitude, did NOT take Paul off course! It only sent in a ripple in his plans, and Paul then took care of the unexpected interruption and got right back on focus!

Maybe you’ve experienced a recent interruption of sorts. Perhaps you have been doing something that God has called you do, only to be sidelined by an interruption (whether tragic or otherwise) that you NEVER would have expected or hoped for. Here’s the challenge: Respond the way Paul did! – Seek God’s help in order to handle the interruption swiftly, and then don’t lose one step in getting back to business! Life’s interruptions don’t have to be game enders that put you in a stalemate situation; God can actually use them for the best (his glory) – if you let him! When Paul’s prayers led to God’s healing of the young man who had died, the Bible says the people were “greatly comforted” – and no doubt, a mighty impression of the Lord’s power and grace had been ingrained upon their minds forever! Life’s interruptions can be a good thing, when dealt with swiftly and properly – with God’s divine hand on the situation!

Don’t let interruptions get you down. Just as O’Brien will be back on the tube tonight, and just as Paul was back upstairs preaching moments after his interruption, you can be right back where God wants you to be after your interruption!

9/24/09

16-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Allegedly Rolling Joint with Bible Page
Yesterday, an Ohio mother reported her teenage son to the police after catching him “smoking a marijuana cigarette using a page from his Bible.” The teen (whose name has not been released since he is a minor) was charged with drug possession, and his pot was confiscated by the police.

No doubt some readers of this article may be quick to say, “How dare he use a BIBLE to do such a thing!” Well the sad fact of the matter is this: this pot-smoking teenager was using his Bible for something, which unfortunately is a lot more than can be said by a lot of people these days. You tell me what’s worse – a teen who uses pages of the Bible to help himself indulge in his sinful habits or a person who lets their Bible sit untouched (as it collects dust) for weeks or months at a time. I would suggest to you that both are equally as troubling! Sure, smoking pot is illegal, but neglecting to delve into God’s word on a consistent basis is likewise in a realm of spiritual illegality!

The Bible’s David knew exactly how important it was to study Scripture; he said to God, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). When was the last time you did a little word-hiding of your own? It’s kinda’ hard to do without USING your Bible. So be a Bible-user! – Only, use it to obtain the “God-breathed” instructions within (2 Timothy 3:16) instead of the way this teenager used his, or even worse – to use it as a dust-collector, a ticket-repellant that permanently sits in the window of your car, or a book-shelf filler!

9/22/09 (2)

Plaxico Burress Gets Two Years
Former New York Giants player (and Super Bowl star) Plaxico Burress was recently sentenced to two years in prison for weapon possession and reckless endangerment. Last November, Burress entered a night club in Manhattan with a hidden gun tucked in his pants; he did not have a concealed weapons permit. Unfortunately, the gun somehow wiggled free, slid down the pants of Burress, and fired a bullet into his thigh. The pain and suffering involved in recovering from a bullet wound will now be followed by an even greater pain – caused by the two year separation from his wife and young child that Burress will have to endure in prison. All of this because Burress’ little secret managed to escape.

This is how it always goes down. Dirty little secrets come to light, and pain (both for those who sinned and hid it away, as well as for others around them) begins to mount up! Remember the biblical story of Achan (Joshua 7); he sinned against God and literally tried to hide his sin (the stolen plunder) in the ground within his tent. Achan’s sin couldn’t remain hidden, as it brought forth the deaths of many innocent people. In fact, Achan and his entire family were ultimately killed when Achan’s hidden sin became known to all!

Remember King David. He had an affair with Bathsheba, and he tried time and again to hide it from the world, which ultimately turned him into a murderer. But David’s sins (adultery and murder) certainly couldn’t stay hidden forever, and of course they raised their ugly heads when the prophet Nathan let the cat out of the bag. As a result, David lost an innocent son because of his secret sins (2 Samuel 11+12)!

Again, this is how it always goes down; people sin and think they can hide it from the world (including God himself), and then the sin comes to light and gets fired off like a bullet in the sinner’s own thigh, and all hell breaks loose! People get hurt! Innocent people suffer! The consequences of the previously “hidden” sin last a long time!

What might you be hiding? What areas of your life are sin and guilt ridden that you hope nobody (let alone God) is privy to? Before it’s too late, confess that sin immediately (1 John 1:9) and pray that the wake of the damage isn’t as bad as it could be! Don’t wait until the gun goes off. Don’t wait until your sin is exposed and the consequences are severe. Take care of it now, while you still can! God already knows everything you’ve done (and are doing) anyway, so why delay? You can’t hide anything from him, so come clean … before it’s forced upon you.

9/22/09

*Warning: Foul language is referenced in a quote.

Megan Fox Curses Christians

Last week at the premier of Jennifer’s Body, the star of the dark comedy film, Megan Fox (of Transformers and Mean Girls) publicly complained about Christians who used to “bully” her when she attended a Christian middle school years ago, before she became famous. She talked about how she chose to eat her lunch in the bathroom instead of in the cafeteria in order to hide from those who picked on her, and she explained how the Christian girls at the school were cliquish and did not like her. As the crowd listened to Fox, someone yelled, “I’m sorry!” (just after Fox had confessed to going to a ‘Christian’ school), and Fox snapped back, “Me too! It’s okay! F**k ‘em!”

I happen to know that Fox is not lying or exaggerating when she talks about being bullied at a Christian school. It’s because I was hired as the campus pastor at that very school a few years after Fox had left to attend public school – before ultimately leaving the public school to pursue her acting career. Fox’s former classmates were my students, and I actually witnessed many of my “Christian” female students degrade Fox and pick her apart, per se – and this even after Fox had been gone for a few years. They were judgmental to the highest degree, and I surmised that many of these girls were incredibly jealous of Fox for a number of reasons (perhaps her looks and acting successes being the utmost).

While I was the campus pastor at this Christian school (in Port St. Lucie, Florida, by the way), a male student who had graduated the year before I had arrived died in a car wreck; this student had been one of Fox’s boyfriends in the past. The funeral was held at the church that operated the school, and Megan Fox actually flew in from California to be there. It was all I could do to get students to stop talking about her in the days that followed the funeral. The female students had a field day with her! – They constantly talked about how “terrible” Fox was, and they said many horrible things about her, the least of which was “I bet she only came to the funeral to make an appearance and rub [her success] in our faces!” But little do they know that when the funeral was completed, Fox walked into her former youth pastor’s office at the church and had a heart-to-heart discussion with him about life and her desire to “get back on the right track” (as it was told to me by the youth pastor, who I worked with).

Obviously, Fox’s “desire to get back on the right track” was short lived. Maybe this is partially because of “Christians” who rubbed her the wrong way, lambasted her, judged her, and jealously hated her. All I know is this: If the Christ-followers who were around her when she was at the Christian school had lovingly befriended her, which is what Christ calls us to do, instead of hating on her and bullying her, perhaps Fox would not be where she is today – making trash movies and using expletives to describe her thoughts towards Christians. While it’s true that everyone makes their own decisions (and I’m not trying to take away from Fox’s own role in going down the wrong path in life, when she knows better), Christians are likewise to blame for not setting their own pride and selfishness aside (cliques and all) and reaching out to her as they should have.

As you can imagine, I told my students this very thing (explained above) – and, fortunately, many of them agreed with me. This led to an idea I had to start an initiative in the cafeteria on Fridays that I called, ‘Freelance Fridays” – where students were challenged and encouraged to sit away from their friends during lunch, and to instead sit with people they didn’t know so well. This was a maneuver that I had hoped would help prevent the formation of nasty cliques and promote healthy relationships between students that would prevent students (similar to Fox) from feeling like they must eat their lunch in the bathroom. I pushed this “Freelance Friday” idea with the Bible’s Paul as the primary example. Paul said, “I make myself a slave to everyone … I have become all things to all people… so that I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). I am happy to tell you that the initiative was a success; God used many students (who were willing to step out of their comfort zone, put themselves aside, and reach out to others) to befriend other students and draw them closer to Christ in the process!

Will you put yourself aside for the sake of others? Will you show Christ to non-Christians, or will you embitter them with your judgmental and negative attitudes towards them? Will you “Freelance” and choose to become all things to all people … in order that, in so doing, God will use you to win some? Think about the people around you (your neighbors, your classmates, your coworkers) – will you watch them end up like Megan Fox, or will you be the light of the world – the city on a hill (Matthew 5:14-16) – pointing them towards Christ?

9/21/09

Girl Tosses Away Baseball Caught By Father

You probably saw a clip of it on the news. Last Tuesday, a young father in the stands of a Phillies game caught his first foul ball, as the nation watched. With cameras still trained on him, the father then handed his prize to his three-year-old daughter, Emily Monforto. Moments later, without knowing any better, little Emily tossed the ball back into the field. Emily’s father, Steve Monforto, was stunned to say the least – but he nevertheless took his little girl in his arms and hugged her, as he no doubt was thinking something like, “If only you knew how special that gift was before you threw it away!” LOL

No doubt our own heavenly father feels the same way towards us when we, without knowing any better, sometimes “toss away” the gifts he has given us. I’m talking about gifts of peace, comfort, direction, healing, and other blessings – gifts that we fail to utilize because we don’t realize they exist or we fail to understand their potency. When we fail to study God’s word and then seize our heavenly father’s blessings and promises, it’s like we’re tossing away those very gifts of his! For instance, how many times have God’s children been in a stressful and trying situation, only to pass-up God’s gift of peace to guard their hearts and minds (Phil 4:6+7) because they failed to present their requests to God? How many times have God’s gifts of healing been passed-up because we failed to pray for one another (James 5:16)? Often we toss away these wonderful gifts of God because (like little Emily) we’re oblivious to them! And God, being the loving heavenly father that he is, then wraps his arms around us and wishes, “If only he read my word – if only he knew what amazing gifts could be his right now!”

Here’s the challenge: Stop tossing away your heavenly father’s gifts! In other words, study his word, make note of his promises and decrees (gifts), and then appreciate them appropriately by keeping them for yourself (and seeing them come to fruition in your life) instead of tossing them by the wayside!

9/15/09

Teens Who Cry Blood
Maybe you’ve recently seen the story on National Geographic about the Indian girl, Twinkle, who cries blood and bleeds unexplainably from the hands and scalp. Or maybe you’ve recently read about Calvino Inman, a teenager in Tennessee, who likewise occasionally cries blood – and seemingly for no apparent reason. Well, it seems that these two cases can be medically explained. Doctors believe that Twinkle is most likely “faking” her symptoms; they say she has a factitious disorder causing her to crave attention and sympathy. On the other hand, doctors say that Inman may actually have a condition known as Haemolacria, which causes people to cry blood after having experienced extreme trauma or having suffered a major head injury.

Nevertheless, more outrageous and abnormal than crying blood is “sweating blood”. Luke tells us that Jesus was so distressed when he was praying on the Mount of Olives (just before he was to be arrested and later crucified), that his “sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Doctors have said that in fact there is a condition known as Hematidrosis, wherein a person is under such deep distress (usually at the prospect of death) that his blood vessels constrict and rupture, and then they are released out of the blood through the sweat glands. No doubt Jesus was under intense strain, as he knew what was coming; he knew that only moments separated him from the agony of torture and death on a cross. And yet through the thick of it all, with his blood and sweat falling to the ground as he prayed, Jesus said to his Father, “…Not my will, but yours be done.”

Today and everyday, let us remember what our hero Jesus Christ did when he placed the will of the Father above his own comfort and well-being. May we strive to imitate him, as we likewise seek God’s will over our own comfort and well-being. While we will never be faced with the circumstances that Jesus faced, and most likely none of us will ever be so anguished as to sweat blood, we would do well to remember the sacrifice that Christ made (which was brought to fruition on the cross) as we daily seek to set aside ourselves in order to follow God’s leading. No circumstance is so bad as to prevent us from doing so! Let’s say to God our Father today and everyday, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

9/14/09

Joe Wilson, President Obama, Serena Williams, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, and Habakkuk

People love to vent and express their disagreements when things don’t go their way. Take Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina for example. Last week, as President Obama was addressing congress and the nation regarding his plans for healthcare, Congressman Wilson defiantly interrupted the president’s speech when he unprecedentedly shouted “You lie!” as a result of his passionate disagreement with what the president was saying.

Take Serena Williams for example. Yesterday morning, during a tennis match, Williams cussed-out and even physically threatened a line judge because Williams vehemently disagreed with a call that was made.

Take Kanye West for example. Last night, during MTV’s Video Music Awards, West was so upset that Taylor Swift had won a VMA, which he felt should have gone to Beyoncé, that he stormed the stage, grabbed the microphone away from Swift (during the first few moments of her acceptance speech), and proceeded to tell the world what he thought about it.

Yes, indeed! – People love to vent and express their disagreements, and as the above stories reveal, people will sometimes say how they feel directly “in the faces” of those they disagree with! But lest you think it can’t get any worse than the stories mentioned above, as for being outrageous and shocking (not to mention rude and out of place), let me tell you about a guy who was so upset with someone that he did the unthinkable.

The Bible’s Habakkuk is the man I’m referring to, and he did exactly what Wilson, Williams, and West did! – Only, after seeing a situation that he didn’t like, he “blew up” and voiced his opinion towards “GOD!” (If you have the time, read the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, which will only take you a few minutes in total, as it is only three small chapters in length).

Habakkuk was upset with God because Habakkuk thought God was not listening to his prayers and because God was allowing injustice to occur all around him. Habakkuk was so outraged with God that he said, “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what [God] will say to me” (Habakkuk 2:1). In other words, Habakkuk was getting in God’s face, per se. He was venting towards God!

It wasn’t until Habakkuk simmered down and came to his senses (after some much needed conversation with God) that he was able to finally say, “[Even though bad things are happening all around me], I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my savior. The sovereign Lord is my strength. … He enables me to go to the heights.”

Perhaps you have been venting towards God lately – about things that he has allowed. You might have gotten in God’s face about your finances, or family problems, or any number of seemingly unanswered prayers …and perhaps you’re just waiting on God to come down off of his heavenly throne and explain himself to you. If this is you, don’t feel too bad; we’ve all been there (like Habakkuk).

The good news is this: God listens to our vents, and he understands where we’re coming from. The even better news is this: After spending some quality time in conversation with God (through prayer and the reading of his word), we too will be able to look at the negative circumstances around us and say, “I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my savior!”

9/9/09

Ben and Jerry’s Renames Ice Cream ‘Hubby Hubby’ in Celebration of Gay Marriage
The Vermont-based Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream has renamed its popular “Chubby Hubby” flavor in celebration of Vermont’s move to legalize gay marriage. The new name “Hubby Hubby,” will be used throughout the month of September. Moreover, the ice cream cartons will showcase a picture of a wedding cake with two men wearing tuxedos where the traditional bride and groom figurines appear.

This isn’t the first time Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream has let their social activism show on their ice cream products. Last November, after then Senator Obama had clenched the presidential nomination, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream renamed one of its nutty ice cream flavors, “Yes, Pecan!” … after the popular Obama/Biden campaign slogan, “Yes, we can!” (By the way, I guess that clears up the whole debate over how to say “pecan.” LOL)

While I don’t think it’s necessary at this point to get into what I think (or, more importantly, what GOD has already declared) about homosexuality and the sacred union of marriage, and while it’s really of no concern whether you or I happen to be fans of President Obama, I must give props to Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream for one thing: they aren’t ashamed to take their beliefs and unwaveringly stick them out there for all to see! This should be a big embarrassing slap in the face to us Christ-followers who sometimes choose to cowardly hide our beliefs as we fear the negative backlash and consequences that living a life for Christ (and proclaiming his word) sometimes solicits!

Too often we say our meal-time prayers in our heads with our eyes open because we think somebody might notice. Too often we hold our tongue when friends, family, co-workers, and classmates begin to ridicule God and his church, because (like Peter at one point) we’re afraid people might think, “He’s one of them! He’s a Christ-follower!” if we dare speak up. Too often we bring our conversation to a whisper in a crowded restaurant when we’re talking about godly topics and fellowshipping with fellow Christ-followers because we don’t want people to overhear us and thus recognize that we belong to Christ. Goodness, while Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is running with their beliefs and plainly sticking them in our faces, we feel good about ourselves if a stranger politely responds “thank you” (without taking offense) to one of our “GOD bless you’s” after they sneeze.

It’s high time we learn a lesson from Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream company; it’s time we proclaim Christ without hindrance … without fear …in the faces of those who oppose us, if necessary! Of course there may be a backlash, as Jesus himself warned us that people will persecute us just as they persecuted him (John 15:20). But to do anything less is to cowardly deny who we are and what we believe, and thus (ultimately) to shame the name of Christ at the same time. We should be willing to live Christ and speak Christ in the public squares, just a Paul and others did – even when it resulted in physical abuse and landed them in prison.

Unfortunately, we often cower to protect our selves – not so much from physical abuse or prison (although this certainly happens to Christ-followers from time to time), but we cower from possibly “upsetting” people, because we feel good when we can believe “everyone” likes us.

Maybe this explains why I watched Billy Graham cower on Larry King Live. Larry asked him, “What will happen to the Jews. What about the atheists. What about the billions who don’t believe in Christ the way you do? Will they go to heaven?” Billy Graham (being a man I greatly admire for many reasons, although this isn’t one of them) unfortunately cowered and said, “Larry, I don’t know. That’s not for me to say.” GOODNESS!!! – Talk about COWERING!!! Here’s a piece of advice for Billy Graham, Joel Osteen, and you and me included: SPEAK THE TRUTH AND LIVE CHRIST EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW IT’S GOING TO GET YOU IN TROUBLE! To do anything less is a disgrace!

God said that he will bless us when others persecute us; we’d do well to remember this. While Ben and Jerry’s is out there celebrating a move of the Vermont government, let’s get out there and unabashedly celebrate the mighty movement of God that he began in us when we placed our lives in him! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

9/8/09

1. Obama to Speak to School Children

Today, President Obama is going to formally address all grade students in the country. I understand that this has never been done before. Of course, some are appalled at the notion, and others are elated. Some say that it's nothing more than a gimmick to usher our students in the direction of liberalism, while still others say that it's mighty incredible for a president to take a few moments out of his busy schedule to encourage the children of our nation. Regardless of where you and I stand on this issue, the fact remains that a one of the most powerful people in the world is going to send his voice out over the airwaves, in hopes that students will listen attentively. This reminds me of what God does every single day. God, being the ULTIMATE of powers, sends his widsom and instruction out every day - towards those of us who are willing to listen and grasp what he is saying! Speak of being incredible, it doesn't get more incredible than this! Just check out today's Proverb (Proverbs 8), which declares that God's wisdom is calling out to all mankind. Proverbs 8 tells us that God's wisdom and understanding is always right and true, and it's more precious than the greatest wealth in the world. Moreover, Proverbs 8 declares that those who seek God's wisdom will find it! James 1:5 echos those same sentiments: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." God's word is always available to us, his throne is always open to us through prayer (Hebrews 4:16), and his Holy Spirit is always there to guide us. God's wisdom is available; it's at our spiritual fingertips, per se. Will we allow God to instruct us, or will we ignore what he's saying? Students will make that choice today, concerning President Obama. You and I make that choice everyday, concerning God's daily dishing of wisdom and guidance! God's wisdom is calling ....are you listening?

2. UK Teenagers Accused of Plotting 'Greatest Massacre Ever'

I recently read that earlier this year, two UK teens were caught planning to imitate the Columbine massacre on the ten year anniversary of the tragic event. Evidence was found depicting the plans and ideas of these two students; they had wanted the massacre to include hundreds of deaths - to be bigger and much more devastating than the Columbine event. Also, they kept pictures of the Columbine murderers with them, as they disgustingly looked towards these two killers as their personal heroes. It amazes me who and what people choose to imitate nowadays, and who they make their heroes. We as Christ-followers are called to "imitate" what is "good instead of evil" (3 John 1:11). In fact, we should strive to imitate God, as he said, "Be holy, because I am holy. (1 Peter 5:16). Christ is our hero, and we should strive to clothe ourselves in him (Romans 13:14), make our attitudes like his (Philippians 2:5), and to do greater things (collectively) than Christ did when he was ministering in the flesh on this earth (John 14:12)! The two students arrested in the UK were planning to go all-out in memory of their heroes on a certain anniversary, but we should determine to live "all-out" for Christ on the daily anniversaries of the moment he first began his radical work within us (1 Corinthians 5:17). Don't just live for him only a couple of times a year (Eater and Christmas). Don't think you're doing well if you live for him one day a week (on Sundays). Live to imitate your hero everyday, and all the time!

3. Man Arrested for Slapping Stranger's Crying Child in WALMART

Recently, a mom and her young daughter were in WALMART, and the little girl (two or three years old, if I'm not mistaken) was being loud and whiney, as little ones can certainly be. Unfortunately, some maniac of a man walked up to the mother and said, "If you don't shut up your child, I'll do it for you!" The mom, for reasons I don't understand, ignored the man entirely. Moments later, the strange man walked over to the toddler and slapped her five times across the face, at which the child began to cry and scream even louder than before. The good news: the man is going to jail (maybe for many years, as it was reported), and the girl had no permanent injuries - just a very red face immediately after the incident. This terrible little story reminds me of how people let anger get the best of them sometimes. This man obviously had issues in addition to anger that he was dealing with, but sometimes the best of Christ-followers (who would certainly never come close to replicating the actions of the maniac in this story) do and say things out of anger because we allow our circumstances to frustrate us to the point of emotional upheaval! Perhaps this is why the Bible's Paul warns us: "In your anger, do not sin" (Ephesians 4:6). Too bad most of us (if not all of us) have slapped someone across the face emotionally, as we've uttered things we later wish we could take back. Sometimes we slap people across the face in a way much worse than physically when we do things that bring them such pain, disappointment, and incredible hurt. Perhaps we would do well to allow this crazy WALMART story to remind us to keep our anger (and our attitudes altogether) in check ...before circumstances that we don't like bring us to go over the top. Maybe you're thinking of someone you've recently slapped in the face with your words or deeds; maybe you're heartbroken about what you've done and you wish to "fix" the situation and make it like it never happened. Well, the Bible says that you should immediately reconcile with the person you've wronged. In fact, it should take predence above and beyond everything else - just look at Matthew 5:24! You can certainly go to the one you've wronged and try to make things right. Moreover, you can always seek forgiveness from God as well (1 John 1:9). If this is you, this morning you should put "reconciliation" on the very TOP of your to-do list!