Agreement

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)

10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

From the sentence above we can be led to believe there were divisions of thought among the members of the church. These divisions could easily lead to quarrels and problems within the body of members. Therefore The Apostle appealed to them to agree with one another and be united in their thoughts and efforts.

Spartacus is a classic movie that retells the historical account of the great Roman slave rebellion in 71 B.C. Spartacus was a highly trained gladiator who escaped and led other slaves to freedom. As news of his rebellion grew, thousands of slaves joined his cause and followed him through victories and defeats.

Near the end of the movie, a massive Roman army under the command of Senator Crassus (Laurance Olivier) captures the rebels. Although Crassus does not know what Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) looks like, he suspects that Spartacus is alive amongst the prisoners under guard. In full Roman uniform, Crassus gallops up to the mouth of the valley where the prisoners are being held and shouts an offer to them: they can escape death by crucifixion if they turn Spartacus over to him.

Spartacus studies the ground for a moment and then nobly gets to his feet, intending to turn himself in. But before he can do so, his comrade to the left stands and calls out, "I am Spartacus!" Then his comrade to the right also stands and calls out, "I am Spartacus!" As the real Spartacus looks on, comrade after comrade in his slave army rises to their feet and calls out, "I am Spartacus!" until there is a chorus of thousands united.

These slaves show what it means to be the church—standing as one and identifying with our Lord even though it could mean our own end. [Spartacus (Universal Pictures, 1960), directed by Stanley Kubrick; submitted by Bill White]

Keeping a pure heart

Proverbs 20:9 (NIV)

9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?

This question is not only a challenge to any man in the world to prove himself sinless, whatever he pretends, but a lamentation of the corruption of mankind, even that which remains in the best. Alas! Who can say, "I am sinless?' [Matthew Henry Commentary]

There is something terribly right about ... realizing that our struggle with sin is in many ways similar to an alcoholic's struggle with drinking. It's never over. How often I find myself talking about sin in the past tense as if being a sinner is something I'm beyond--a page turned in the book of my life. But sin is like alcoholism. Sinners are never cured; they simply decide to stop sinning ... and it's a daily decision.

[John Fischer in Contemporary Christian Music (Sept. 1987). Christianity Today, Vol. 31, no. 16.]

This is such a great illustration about sin. Anyone who understands alcoholism, understands that alcoholics may slip back into their old pattern of drinking. They may have wanted to keep a pure heart, but once the alcohol sucked them back in it takes over their life and leads them down sinful roads. I have heard men and women say, “Once I started drinking I lost my inhibitions and I found myself sleeping with anyone who came along.”

An alcoholic always considers them self an alcoholic. They may have put the bottle away for good, but there is always the temptation to go back. I have a friend who has not had a drink in over 30 years, but he said he knows if he were to even just take a sip of a drink that it might be enough to trigger a binge of drinking. So he maintains plans, rules and accountability to help him keep that from happening.

These actions are so much like sin. We can try to put sin away in our life, but there are times when the temptations come back and we fall back into our old patterns of sin.  We may have even found a way to put sin aside, but the temptation will always remain. The Apostle Peter told us, “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.”

A little wiser

James 3:17-18 (NLT)

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

True wisdom is God's gift. It is not gained by conversing with men, not by the knowledge of the world, but it comes from above. The wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, and easy to be heard. Wisdom is used by peacemakers who plant the seeds of peace to bring about a lasting peace, not just a temporary peace.

In the fall of 2011, Pete Richeson walked into the sheriff's office to turn himself in for something he did nearly six decades ago.

While attending the Iron Bowl, the annual college football game between rivals Auburn and Alabama, the Auburn student stole a "rat cap," a fraternity beanie, off the head of an Alabama freshman. Pete said he and his brother were walking to Legion Field with stealing a hat in mind. "That was one of the objectives, to go to the ballgame, but look for a suitable victim that you could attack," he said. Richeson said his plan worked perfectly as his brother blocked the Alabama freshman while he ran off with the hat.

"We took it back to Auburn and passed it around the dormitory at that time, and we nailed it to the wall, and it stayed there."

Now, sixty years later, Richeson tried to return the cap, but the local sheriff told him the statute of limitations had expired. But Pete would still like to return the rat cap to its rightful owner and make amends. He even provided a personal email for anyone who wants to claim the cap.

Richeson said, "It's stayed with me for over sixty years, and I would like to give it back to the man it belongs to. I'm sure he had some consequences he had to face …. I must do something soon, because we're both close to 80-years-old, and I'm hoping he's still alive."  [Auburn alum in his late 70s trying to return rat cap stolen off Bama student at 1949 Iron Bowl, The War Eagle Reader (11-23-11);]

When I was a teenager I was the victim of a similar circumstance. A friend and I were selling concession souvenirs at a football game.  My friend had gone to watch the last few minutes of the football game as I tended the table of souvenirs. Just as the game was ending a man walked by and grabbed a University of South Carolinia hat off the table. He started walking off as I asked nicely for him to return the cap, but he kept going. Instead of leaving the table unattended I let him go in peace. It wasn’t worth risking the loss of other items; for we had to pay for any items missing out of our own funds. In this case God’s wisdom told me I needed to stay put. I wanted to run over and grab the hat off the man’s head, which most likely could have started a fight; and I could have lost more items. So I remained there peaceful, upset, but wiser in my understanding that there are people who are not concerned with the things of others.

God will not forget your love of others

Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Good works and labour proceeding from love to God are commendable; and what is done to any in the name of God shall not go unrewarded. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

In 2012, on a cold November night in Times Square, Officer Lawrence DePrimo was working a counterterrorism post when he encountered an older, barefooted homeless man. The police officer, who is normally assigned to different section of New York City, said, "I looked over and someone was laughing at this elderly [homeless] gentleman who had no socks (and) no shoes. You could see the blisters from a distance. I had two pairs of socks and I was still cold."

So, he asked the man if he had anything to cover his feet. "It's okay, Sir, I've never had a pair of shoes," the homeless man replied. "But God bless you." As the homeless man strolled away, DePrimo caught up to him and asked him his shoe size before walking into a Skechers on W. 42nd St. DiPrimo told a worker, "I'd like to buy a pair of boots, something that will last a while. I don't care what the price is." A few minutes later, the kindhearted cop bought a $100 pair of all-weather boots, size 12. A store manager later said, "We were just kind of shocked. Most of us are New Yorkers and we just kind of pass by that kind of thing. Especially in this neighborhood."

The act of kindness would have gone unnoticed and mostly forgotten, had it not been for Jennifer Foster, a tourist from Arizona. Foster said, "The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching." Her snapshot—taken with her cellphone and posted to the New York Police Department's official Facebook page—made Officer DePrimo an overnight Internet hero. As of June, 2014, the post had attracted over 600,000 "likes" and more than 48,000 comments—a runaway hit for the NYPD. Many comments have pointed to how this simple act of kindness has "restored my faith in humanity." [David Goodman, "Photo of Officer Giving Boots to Barefoot Man Warms Hearts Online," The New York Times (11-28-12); Amanda Mickelberg, "NYPD Officer Larry DePrimo immortalized in tourist's photo ..." New York Post (12-18-12)]

God has placed each one of us here for a purpose in life. Maybe that purpose is to teach or to lead or to buy a man a pair a boots. Whatever your purpose is know that God will not forget the love you have shown Him as you have helped others. God bless each one of you for good deeds done for another.

Waiting on God's answer

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NIV)

5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

There is much we do not understand; however God the creator knows and understands the works He has put in place.

In my early years as a pastor I would have admitted there was much about God I didn't know; in practice, though, I always felt I needed to have an answer when a grieving mother asked why God allowed a three-year-old to die, or an anguished student wanted to grasp the relationship between divine sovereignty and human freewill, or a teenager asked for an explanation of the Trinity. Too often this meant I assumed the role of God's defense attorney, trying my best to bolster God's public approval rating.

Now I'm more likely to say, "I don't know." And I feel as though I've changed from a sway-back workhorse into a winged Pegasus; not having to carry the crushing weight of theological omniscience has been like the freedom of flight.  [The Trivialization of God. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 12.]

As I have grown older, I have learned there is much I don’t know about God. There is much I do not understand in this world around me. There is much that I cannot fathom or comprehend. There are places in The Bible where I read a passage thinking I understand and then I come to another passage just to realize I don’t understand.

I have learned too that we must be careful in judgments. There are many places in The Bible that say we are not to consult with magicians, psychics, mediums or the dead. Yet there is a passage in The Bible that brings a question:  In Luke 9:29-31 it says of Jesus, “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” Moses was dead; and yet Jesus was communicating with him and Elijah about the most important event in human history about to take place – Salvation for man.

I too am reminded there are many who pray to Mother Mary and to The Saints making requests and asking for guidance. Are they too not dead and in heaven?

So let us be careful in our conclusions. I agree with the pastor above, it may be just appropriate to say, “I DON’T KNOW” and wait for God to provide an answer.

God's love for us

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

The engineer that designed a motor knows how it was created. The engineer understands how it works; what will affect it; what things are best for; what things can damage it; and what things can keep it running well. We are the works of God. God knows us from the inside out and understands every part of our being.

A pro-life legacy is a powerful thing to inherit. For Father Thomas Vander Woude, pastor at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, VA, that legacy is ingrained deeply in his life and his ministry for very personal reasons. Vander Woude's father, Thomas Sr., proved that every life is precious, regardless of how the world perceives it.

Thomas Sr. and his wife, Mary Ellen, devout Catholics, had seven children. By the time they were expecting their seventh, the couple was in their 40's. The chance of birth defects was high. Josie was born with Down syndrome. Chris Vander Woude, one of the sons, says, "It didn't matter [that Josie had down syndrome]. He was my father's son, and that was all the reason my father needed to love him."

Thomas Sr. demonstrated that love in 2008. One morning, Thomas Sr. and Josie were in the yard when Josie fell into a broken septic tank, which, at 8-feet deep, was extremely dangerous. Thomas Sr. tried to grab his son, but it was fruitless. Immediately, he lowered himself into the tank, and because he couldn't keep Josie's head above the water line, decided to hold his breath, dive under, and hoist Josie onto his shoulders to keep him breathing. By the time the rescuers arrived, Thomas Sr. had died saving the life of his son.

This story of a father giving his life for a son that the majority of parents would have aborted impacts Reverend Thomas Vander Woude in powerful ways. Today, he carries on his father's legacy by building his ministry on pro-life truths. At one point, he catalyzed an outpouring of love for a young couple expecting a baby with Down syndrome. Several of these families offered to adopt the baby, which miraculously, the couple agreed to. And Thomas Sr.'s inheritance of God's love lives on in this child.

[Bonnie McMaken, Carol Stream, Illinois; sources: John Stonestreet, "Inheriting Pro-Life," BreakPoint Commentaries (7-23-13); Jeffrey Goldberg, "A Father's Day Lesson about Children, and Life," Bloomberg View (06-17-11).]

I paused whether to share the story above because people have different beliefs, values, and political reasoning. Pro-life versus Abortion is always a controversial subject, but that is not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about the love of a father who gave his life for his son despite his birth defect and problems he might face in the future. This father loved his child and was willing to make a sacrifice for him, because he knew him and loved him.

Don't be deceived

Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

The fear of God is the beauty of the soul reigning in the heart.  

They say that beauty is only skin deep, but many studies have shown that we have an inherent bias to view attractive people as better, smarter, and more socially competent. This strong attractiveness bias impacts everything from hiring decisions, to how highly students rate professors, to how well students are treated by their teachers.

This bias is especially strong in our 21st century dating scene. As an example, the comedy writer Ali Reed created a fake profile on the dating site OK Cupid for a woman she called "AaronCarterFan." (Aaron Carter, for the uninitiated, is the younger brother of a Backstreet Boy.) Then she loaded her profile with despicable traits, including "enjoys kicking cups out of homeless people's hands," and "my parents think I'm in law school so they pay all my bills—LOL," and "you should message me if ur rich." But for the online photo Reed used the real photo of a friend who's a professional model.

What happened to the beautiful but decadent fake "AaronCarterFan"? Reed said, "[She] did very well. In the first 24 hours she got 150 messages. I had the profile up for two or three weeks, and she had close to 1000 men message her. She got probably 10 times the number of messages that my real profile got."

[Adapted from Freaknomics blog, "What You Don't Know About Online Dating: Full Transcript" (2-5-14)]

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting. Hebrews 3:13 says, “You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.”