MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HE'S THINKING. THAT GOD'S NOT THE BOSS OF HIM

Why else would noted author Ray Bradbury, age 88, say in this month's AARP magazine, "I believe the universe created us--we are an audience for miracles. In that sense, I guess I'm religious."

In other words, he has not a bone of religion in him. A man as astute, a man with tremendous gifts and powers of observation and who cannot see God at work in the universe; a man who thinks the universe just created itself, well, that man is a fool. When I read the quote, I was disgusted as I am when I read anything inflammatory or degrading Christianity. I'll never look at Bradbury the same way again.

And it made me think. Maybe our response to non-Christians should be, "How stupid can you be? Are you serious? You're going to make the stupidest decision of your life in rejecting Jesus. Do you ever pick up the Holy Bible? C'mon. Eternity is for a long time, man."

I mean we've tried the Christian approach, if we've made an effort at all. We've handed out tracts and invited people to church. We've been charitable, hospitable, kind. And we're living in a world that's secular. That makes no distinction between Saturday or Sunday. They're the same.

There have been a few movies about people who went over the edge. One was where the guy in the office building exploded, yelling out the window, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." Maybe that kind of attitude is needed. A modern day turning over of the tables at the temple. Good old fashioned anger for the sake of religion.

Then think maybe it didn't work too well for Jonathan Edwards and some of the Colonial, Puritanical preachers who used "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" as their sermons.

Is my frustration showing? No doubt. But from time to time, a healthy dose of spiritual boil over is cleansing.

IN YOUR FACE

That's not a very nice title. Mainly because when someone utters that statement in common speech today, it's meant in a confrontational setting. That is, I'm not afraid to get right up into your face, and what are you going to do about it?

Well, sometimes, actually all too often, what we see in our own faces is not something we're proud of. We see failure. We see disappointment. We see ourselves as something that not only do we not approve, but what must God think about us? How patient and forgiving and faithful can He be?

This morning in our men's bible study, Pastor Hal asked a question. Who's in your wallet? He proceeded to open his and reveal pictures of his wife and granddaughter. His response," In God's wallet, He has a picture of us. It's the best picture that He keeps. Just like in our wallets, we keep the best."

What a great image. What a great message. Once we become Christians, once we belong to God Our Father, He sees us in favorable light. He sees the best of us.

And if He can see us that way, then who are we to dwell on or failures? And who would not want to hear, "Well done, My good and faithful servant?"

RANDY, OVER HERE. YOU REMEMBER--IT'S THE MOUND

I still think of the Diamondbacks wearing the purple and teal. I never really cared for the look. And I think pinstripes should be reserved only for the Yankees. Certainly not by an expansion team. But I have trouble relating to the new Sedona red uniforms. Even when they try to hide them by wearing black jerseys as they did Saturday night.

But that's about my only complaint. Well, I do have one more. Keep that roof open unless it's raining hard. I don't care what Randy or Schilling prefer.

Otherwise, what a nice team this organization has put together for 2008. With the addition of Dan Haren on the mound, to go along with Webb, and an ever improving Micah Owings, the DBax have quite a pitching staff. With young, emerging hitters such as Young, Upton, Jackson, and Reynolds, I expect a great year for the local guys.

If our paths were only that clear for our Christian walk. God has put together a great team starting at the top. The Trinity might not work in managerial ranks of the major leagues in baseball, but it working perfectly in The Major League.

But why should that surprise me? God makes no Plan B. As The Sovereign One, He doesn't have to. And His is perfect the first time every time. He's even provided the manual for us to follow. It was The Word and The Word was made flesh in His Son. And when He left, He left us with the Holy Spirit.

It's all too amazing to comprehend. And what we can't comprehend, God has provided faith for us to believe.

When Randy or Micah, Brandon or Doug, Dan or Max have a problem, there's a meeting on the mound. Usually involving the catcher, the manager, and an infielder. For direction. For support. Or for relief when the hurler has had enough.

Sometimes we need all three spiritually. And sometimes, we can't even find the mound on our own. But we, too, have a director, a supporter, and a reliever. All rolled into ONE. Praise God!

WHAT WE MUST LOOK LIKE TO ONE WHO LOVES US

We live on a golf course. Literally. Well, not exactly. Our house borders the fifth hole of a golf course. The cart path comes to within a few yards of our wall. Just close enough to hear more than we want.

Yesterday while I was out in the back yard, I heard loud voices on the fifth hole. For a minute, I thought it might have been friends taking to my wife. After closer concentration, I knew that was not the case. I heard a woman's voice, but also some very crude, yes vulgar language, being used by one of the men.

They were within earshot for seemingly a long time. I walked to the other side of the yard and looked through an opening in our fence to see them talking to a cart girl. Just after she left, more foul language filled the air.

"C'mon, give me a break," I said loudly. But he was talking so loudly himself, he couldn't hear me. "What a bunch of jerks," I responded. Again out loud, again very angrily.

And, I thought, "Do you think God ever looks at us that way?" How many times must we seem like jerks, like aliens to Him. How many times are we profane? How many times do we sicken Him?

It didn't make me feel good. And I thought, "What's the difference?" I knew the answer. God loves us. I had no love whatsoever for my fellow man. Did I break the second most important commandment that Jesus gave?

I did. Am I worse than the guys' loud profanity? Well, no. God doesn't rank one sin worse than the others. They are all unacceptable to Him. Did I ask forgiveness? Yes. Was I sincere? I think so. Was I forgiving?

Man, this obedience is tough.

SAYING AND SAVING GRACE

Maybe that's why we say grace before our meals. Because God is so gracious to us. Certainly it's nothing we've done. It's nothing we deserve. We were not better than anyone else when God selected us. And that's what makes it all the more precious.

My entry today is about saying grace. Friend Pastor Hal told the story of eating dinner at a girlfriend's house. When her father said grace, he prayed for the lions in Africa. Hal, being a religious guy from early on in life, thought to himself,"what kind of family is this? Praying for the lions in Africa?"

It seems the Lyons were missionary friends serving in Africa.

Another friend Boppy was blessing a meal. There were several people from out of state at the meal he had helped his wife Grandy prepare. He announced, "I'd like to say grace before we eat. I don't do this just because we have guests tonight. We always bless our food because we love the Lord who has been so good to us."

What a great chance to honor God. And to be a witness. To stand up for your faith.

We always bless our food. When Boppy and Jeff and I play golf, and when we happen to eat at the golf course, we always bless our food. Once there were some guys in the restaurant that had had a lot of beer after their round. (Of golf, not drinks) though I guess you could say both, for they had stacked one beer can on top of the other and was getting pretty high in to the air before one toppled (can not golfer). I'd like to have a better ending to the story, but I don't. We didn't say grace for them. But if they did notice us, then we were simply being salt and light to the world.

If you've gotten out of the habit of saying grace, get back into it today. It's the proper thing to do to show respect to the One whose saving grace was offered freely to us.

ASAP

The Rev. Billy Graham. I have admired him for so long.

Saturday nights at 7:00, I still watch his sermons from his crusades back in the 50's and 60's. He's timeless because God is timeless and he preaches God's Word.

I was so blessed to attend one of his crusades in St. Louis back in 2000, just after the Rams had won the Super Bowl. Quarterback Kurt Warner was on stage with the Rev. And as much as I respect him as a Christian and player, he was not the main attraction that evening. I'm sure he would agree.

As timeless as the Rev. Graham is, I'm certain he would appreciate the hurriedness, the busyness, the rush of today's society. I'm also sure that he has faced deadlines and time management problems. And, finally, I'm sure he's practiced ASAP.

Not the current abbreviation. Not As Soon As Possible. But this ASAP, the ASAP I'm talking about stands for Always Say A Prayer. (Don't think this originated with me. I heard it from a Navy Chaplin who read a poem with the ASAP title.)

That's scriptural, since we are told to pray without ceasing. (Luke 18:1, Eph 6:18, and 1 Thes 5:17). A pastor a long time ago told me not to bother to say "Amen" at the end of a prayer because you would be calling on God, you would be in prayer again all through the day, so don't break the connection.

Do you think there might just be fewer stressed people in the work place, a few happier people in the world if they practiced ASAP? I think both God and Billy Graham would concur.

TRIUNE

Three-in-one

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

What haven't You done?

Maker, Sustainer, Hallowed on High,

In-dweller, Creator, how You've sacrificed,

Royal deliverer, Guider of man,

You transcend us with Your power,

You're The Great I Am.

JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM WITH USA RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORD

Happy 60th birthday, Israel! Praise the Lord! Praise His name!

God's chosen was granted their own country 60 years ago, and that's plenty of reason to celebrate. As diversified as the city Jesus wept over is, it's still smack in the middle of Israel. Well, "at the top of the bottom third over to one side", as my wife explained. What's important is that God gave this land to the Israelites, and for the past 60 years, it's been proclaimed as such by man.

Others may claim it, others may try to give back in the name of peace in the Mideast, but it's not theirs to claim rightfully, nor is it anyone else's right to give something back that's not theirs.

Long live Israel. And long live her greatest ally, the USA.

SANCTITY

Holiness is the first word in the dictionary that begins the definition of sanctity. Yesterday was Sanctity of Life Sunday. Along with Ascension Sunday, 40 days after Easter when Jesus ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. To intercede for us. To return to His rightful place of authority.

This whole week is Sanctity of Life Week. Oh, you won't hear much about either. Not in our secular world today. And that's just it. As followers of Jesus, we are aliens in this world. Paul tells us in Philippians that we have our citizenship in Heaven. We're simply passing through in this world.

Look at the picture I posted again. Now tell me life doesn't begin until birth. When God spoke us into our mothers' wombs, tell me life didn't begin then. Ask a woman who felt her baby move and kick before he/she was born that life hadn't begun before birth. Ask any mother who has lost a baby by miscarriage or stillbirth that life hadn't begun yet.

And then ask our country how we can support pro-choice candidates for political offices. How as a nation we can allow infanticide in or out of the womb. A woman's right to her own body. That may be one thing. But no woman has a right to the body that she's carrying.

I won't just rant about abortion; I'll pray. Please join me this week especially.

HIGH AND LIFTED UP

When we repent of our sins, turn from our ways, and confess, we are forgiven. That's pretty much basic scriptural truth reflected in numerous passages.

DE Leonard Little of the St. Louis Rams ran a stop light after celebrating his birthday with teammates. His SUV hit and killed an area woman. Only recently, nine years or so after the incident, has he been able to talk openly about it. Last week he told students his story. A story of tragedy and forgiveness.

He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and probation. He, along with many others, thought he got off easy. He grieved, he attempted suicide, he suffered, and he forgave.

Not himself. He forgave the killer of his younger brother. "If I ever expect forgiveness, how could I not forgive the killer of my brother? " he told his school-age audience.

Forgiveness is difficult. The family that was ruined by Little's actions have not publicly forgiven him yet. While he wishes that would happen, it's out of his control. What a tough lesson for him to learn.

Forgiveness literally means to lift up, to take away. When God forgives, the stain of guilt and sin are taken away.(Lev 16:30) Little had it right. If he wants forgiveness, then he has to be able to forgive.

His testimony proves he has the second part down. And that's more difficult than the first part.