Mark 9:43-48 Illustrated

Today, Tom White is learning to run for the third time in his life.

The October 2008 issue of Runner's World tells his remarkable story. White, a medical doctor by trade arranged to have his left leg cut off. While over 3,500 limb amputations are performed every week in the United States, this one was different. You see it was not medically necessary. It is unlikely there was a doctor in the land who would have recommended it and I really doubt that insurance covered it.

A couple of decades ago White was a competitive runner, achieving a measurable amount of success at the collegiate level. But everything changed when he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident which nearly severed his leg. Remarkable for the time of the time accident, his leg was saved.

Several years later, he met and married a runner. He cheered for her as she competed, but he ached to run again himself. Eventually he taught himself how to run all over again.

However, the long term damage from his accident made running more and more difficult over the years. Even to the point that walking was becomiming painful at times. So much so that White became convinced that he would be better off without the leg. His desire to run again was so strong that he "he decided to pay a man to cut off his leg with a power saw." (The man was a noted surgeon, but you still get the point.) Today with the use of a high tech prostheses White is back on the road, running again.

Tom White would rather be a runner that have both his legs.

I am impressed by Tom's commitment....and to be honest, a little concerned about mine.

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and

the fire is not quenched.'

Mark 9:43-48 ESV

Quick Ike Update

We are watching local Houston coverage (Direct TV channel 361) and things look pretty rough. I don't know Houston well, but occasionally I visit MD Anderson hospital and I did run the Houston Marathon this past January, so I recognize some landmarks.

Personally, we seem to have weathered our distant edge of the storm quite well. Ike seemed a little noisier at home than Gustav did at church. (Storms in the night always seem worse than daylight ones.) But a quick look around this morning shows much less damage than Gustav. Gratefully, I do not hear the cacophony of generators that filled the air in the days that followed our last storm.

Thanks again for your concerns and prayers.

A Favorite Resource

For several years one of my favorite resources was the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary Set. (http://www.amazon.com/Zondervan-Illustrated-Bible-Backgrounds-Commentary/dp/0310217407) While I rarely used it as a primary reference work, I often used as a supplement to "meatier" commentaries.

But alas, the set did not belong to me. It belonged to the church library at my former church. However, in recent months the church I currently serve has begun a new church library. And it should come as a surprise to no one that one the first items I recommended was this four volume NT commentary set.

I had the pleasure of renewing acquaintances this week as I prepared a message from Ephesians 6 concerning God's Expectation that we be battle ready believers. In the ZIBBCS (the initials just shortened that right up didn't they) I learned about the Ephesia Grammata, six words commonly used by Ephesians as a verbal talisman when they sought extra strength and power. This could possibly color Paul emphasis on "being strong in the Lord" not in some pagan power.

What are some of your favorite resources that you consistently find meaningful?

Here we go again....

For the third consecutive weekend, we prepare for Sunday worship with storms close to the forefront of our minds. (If you are tired of reading about the storms, imagine how we feel living it.)

Two weeks ago we spent Sunday afternoon making final preps for Gustav. Last week we had just gotten our power back and were concerned about this storm named Ike that was headed our way. This weekend, it turns out Ike is not going to come directly to us. But we will be close enough to feel the inconveniences. I will be amazed if the storm passes and we do not lose power, possibly for a few days again.

Once again our little town is a major evacuation route, this time the traffic is heading east instead of north. We still have a major National Guard deployment in town and last night we noticed dozens of power trucks filling up an empty parking lot, presumably ready to leap into action after the storm. It was just in the last couple of days that our stores had finally restocked their perishable items. You can't help but wonder if we will go another week with empty shelves.

But like I said, this storm does not seem to have our name on it. But as those of you who live in the hurricane zone well know, there is a mental fog that eventually invades the mind in these days. So much to do. So little to do. Focus seems out of the question. (It is possible that is not true for vast numbers of people, but it seems true for me.) I am grateful for a couple of good days of study earlier in the week.

The up side is that our family will spend some extra time together, since there is not much else to do. And that's not bad at all.

Jeremiah 30 -- Hope for the Embattled Preacher

"Write these things down." That is God's Word to Jeremiah. This is interesting because to this point, all of the oracles Jeremiah has been given have been spoken words.

Even a cursory reading of the text demonstrates that these spoken words have not been well received and understandably Jeremiah has at times been wearied by the process of preaching to unresponsive people.

The funny thing is, a preacher rarely gets the response he believes the message deserves. In his hours of preparation and study the preacher has often been powerfully taken by the Word of LORD that has been revealed to him. It is not unusual to emerge from the study with the conviction that this week's message may be the most important or most timely message you have ever preached. You can not wait to break these words for your people. (If this is not happening in your life, I pray it will this week.)

But then we preach...and await the floodgates of response.

And at times nothing visible ever happens. Even when there is a trickle of response we are deeply grieved and puzzled that there was not more. Jeremiah knew the feeling well. In fact, he didn't seem to know any other feeling. (The stadium crusade with countless streams of people coming down the aisle would have been unfathomable for him.)

But God told Jeremiah, "write these words down."

It was a powerful reminder to Jeremiah (and to us) that we don't always just preach for today. God was telling Jeremiah that even though the people were not ready to listen then, a time was coming when his words would be heard, needed and deeply cherished. His preaching was not in vain. The Word would not return void.

We do not have any way to know how God's Word is used in the lives of those we preach to. We do not know how God will use those words years down the road. We do not just preach for today.

Jeremiah would likely never see that day himself. But it is likely that several million people read his words this week alone. And people responded.

So as you preach this week, remember we do not just preach for today. But also keep in mind as you prepare this week....you are not just preaching for today!

Preaching the Story of God

Ever since visiting my IMB missionary brother Andrew in Bolivia several years ago, I have been fascinated by “chronological Bible storying”. CBS is a strategy for communicating the gospel, using story primarily for those who are low in literacy and or have very little experience with the message of the Bible. The missionary/church planter will tell the story of God’s Word week by week culminating in an invitation to not just hear about this God, but to know Him through His Son Jesus.

Ironically, I think what attracts me to chronological Bible storying is the fact that I am literate (though this was a topic of debate in the halls of higher learning at one point) and I am very familiar with God’s Word. The truth is, I envy the experience of discovery and excitement that must unfold each week as new truth is unveiled about who God is as people hear it for the first time.

What would creation mean to me if I heard about it as though it were some just released secret? How would I relate to the trials, triumphs and failures of the people of Israel? What would I think of the incarnation of God as Christ…and his death? And then His resurrection! Would I even believe that a guy like Saul could become a man like Paul?

This past Sunday evening I began a new sermon series entitled “The Story of God” which will attempt to use the principles of CBS to help my literate and somewhat Biblically aware congregation be caught once again (or for the first time) by the wonder of God’s story. Working with my fellow staff members, we selected thirty eight key Biblical narratives that we will be sharing between now and the spring.

Here is the list I am using.



How would your list look? What would you include that we did not? What would you drop from the list?

Ministry on Cardboard

I found this at http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/.

Powerful.