Lessons from at Dentist's Chair

Yesterday I reluctantly drove myself to see the dentist. I was going not because of a toothache or any problems that I was aware of ... I was simply going because my 6 month checkup was ... uhm ... let's say several months over due! So I went through the routine of xrays and cleaning. Then the dentist came in and the conversation went something like this (my real thoughts are included in parenthesis):

Dentist - "Hello, John I see it's been quite some time since you have been here. What brought you In?"

Me - "Well, for one I knew I was long overdue for a checkup (Yep Doc, I hate people fooling with my teeth!) .... and I am heading to Africa at the end of August and so I thought I should get my teeth checked (Sure don't want to see the inside of a dentist's office in Africa!).

Dentist - "There's good news and bad news. The good news is you have only one cavity. The bad news is that it is a lulu. The actual decay in the molar is very close to the pulp. Once we remove the current filling (Remove filling? That sounds like pain to me!), we will be able to see if a root canal is needed (Ouch! More pain, more time, more money!) But I am guessing that there is an 80% probability that you will need a root canal" (God, make the 20% a reality ... PLEASE!).

Me - "OK, Dr. You have to do what you have to do!" (Why me? Why couldn't this visit have been easy in and easy out ... see you back here in 6 months!)

Dentist - "Looking at the xrays from your last visit, the decay wasn't here. If you had come in earlier, we might have been able to fix this before it became a problem (Yeah, I should have been back here sooner, I know! Just pour on the guilt!). We will set you up for an appointment soon and get this started so you can be all done before you go to Africa.

So on July 20th at 10 AM I go back. Yea!

Now did I learn anything from this visit? Yep! For starters I learned that procrastination can lead to serious problems. If I had not procrastinated seeing my dentist for so long, I probably would not be looking down the barrel of a possible root canal. In addition, I learned that Galatians 6:7 is a reality. This verse reads, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." The bad news I got was due to my actions (or in this case inaction) and I was simply reaping what I had sown. SOOO .... all this to say - beware of procrastination AND always remember that the choices you make today will lead to consequence tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Trashy Case!

John W. Mallgren and his son, John R. Mallgren of Mastic Beach, NY are in a ton of trouble ... or should I say in TONS of trouble. Recently authorities hauled away 42 tons of trash from their property. The two now face fines and fees totaling close to $20,000! 42 tons! That is 84,000 pounds of rubbish! Wow!

Now I do not know why they had accumulated such a huge amount of trash. Perhaps they truly believed in the axiom that someone's trash is someone else's treasure! But whatever the reason, they are now paying for their trashy habit!

How many of us do the same? We allow "trash" to accumulate in our lives. Stuff that hinders us in our walk with God. Stuff like visiting pornographic sites on the Internet, entertaining and feeding sinful thoughts of envy or greed, or practicing the all too "acceptable*" sins of gossip and pride. All of us (me included) need to spend time daily ... "putting the trash out!" Let's get rid of the sin in our lives and other things that will tear us down as we seek to live for God. Keep in mind the words of Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

*Acceptable to us ... but NOT to God!

The Golden Arches and the Cross . . .

Logos. Companies spend billions of dollars developing and then marketing them. It's all about positioning themselves and their products in a highly competitive marketplace. Among the more familiar corporate logos would be the Nike "swoosh," popular soft drink logos (Coca Cola and Pepsi), shipping logos (UPS and FedEx) and eatery-beverage place logos (Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Subway and KFC). But of all the company logos littering the landscape of America's market place (and the world's for that matter!) the one that I believe is recognized by more people are the Golden Arches of MacDonald's. One glimpse of these and the average person knows that a MacDonald's is just around the corner!

Just as companies, stores, shipping companies and restaurants have logos that represent them, our faith also has a universal symbol that represents it. Unlike the corporate logos mentioned above, the symbol of the Christian faith is not man-made. Rather, it is a part of God's plan and making. I am talking of course about the cross. Please take a moment to read the following quote from R.C. Sproul's new book, The Truth of the Cross:

"One of the most important subdivisions of theology is Christology, which is the study of the person and work of Christ. Within that field of study, when we want to get at the aspect that is most crucial, the aspect that we may call the 'crux' of the matter of Jesus' person and work, we go immediately to the cross. The words crucial and crux both have their root in the Latin word for 'cross,' crux, and they have come into the English language with their current meaning because the concept of the cross is at the very center and core of biblical Christianity. In a very real sense, the cross crystallizes the essence of the ministry of Jesus" (see 1 Corinthians 2:1-1 to see the Apostle's Paul "take" on the cross).

Have you thanked God for the cross today? Are you ready to tell someone else about the cross?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Celebrating FREEDOM! Happy Fourth of July to You All!

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence. In the opening words of that document's preamble are these:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

As I reflected on the unalienable (read "not to be given or taken away") rights cited by the framers of the Declaration, it struck me that all three of these, "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" are actually found in Christ. He is the Life (John 14:6), He brings freedom (John 8:36), and the path toward eternal joy is in His presence (Psalm 16:11; Revelation 7:15-17).

So on this day when we commemorate the freedom we enjoy as Americans, are you also enjoying the freedom (and life and joy) that come from being in relationship with Jesus Christ?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

For the Thrill of It!

I don't know if you heard about the new all glass balconies of the Sears Tower in Chicago. They extend out about four feet from the building's 103rd floor Skydeck. Since the ceiling, walls and floor are all made of glass, visitors who have nerve enough to venture out onto the balconies get the feeling that they are floating in air, 1335 feet above the street below! I don't know about you, but here is one guy that will never (and I do mean NEVER!!!!) experience that! Nope! Call me chicken ... call me scaredy cat ... call me anything you want - but you will never find me on the 103rd floor Skydeck of the Sears Tower ... let alone on those all glass balconies!

Now why would anyone want to venture onto these glass balconies suspended over the city of Chicago? For the thrill of it, I guess. Visitors who got an advanced tour of "The Ledge" (as the glass balconies have been labeled) talked of pounding hearts and breathless views. I have no doubt that they are right! But for Christians, there is coming a thrill that will leave all earthly thrills appear as non events in comparison. I am talking of the thrill of Heaven ... the thrill of seeing Jesus Christ face-to-face. The thrill of finally being home!

I hope you are looking forward to Heaven. And I especially hope that you have confidence that when you leave this earthly journey behind, you WILL find yourself in that glorious place. If you have any questions about what lies beyond earth's shores for you - PLEASE don't hesitate to contact me (jsmith@gracewv.org). I would be glad to "chat!"

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

The Heart of Christianity!

"The heart and soul of all Christianity is our relationship with Christ. Our salvation begins with Him, our sanctification progresses with Him, and our glorification ends with Him. He is the reason for our being, and thus He is more valuable to us than anyone or anything" (John MacArthur, The Power of Integrity). The Apostle Paul wrote something similar in his letter to the church at Philippi, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8).

How about YOU? Is Jesus Christ and your relationship to HIM more valuable to YOU than anything or anyone else??? And if you answer "Yes!" - what evidence in your life would back that up?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

PS - Our backyard wedding last night was beautiful! God-honoring, sunny and a very happy and blessed bride and groom!

Some Thoughts on Marriage. . .

In just a little over three hours, I will be officiating a wedding in my back yard (we are hoping the showers hold off!). Just before I lead the couple through their vows, I will remind them of three words ... words that if they understand and build into their marriage ... they will have a great chance to experience some of the oneness that God the creator desires for husbands and wives (cf. Genesis 2:24 which reads, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."). So for those of you who are married (or soon to be married), I thought I would share them with you as well.

- PRIORITY - If we are to get to a point in our marriages that we experience intimacy at the level God desires, then we must (read "ABSOLUTELY MUST!!!") make our relationship with our spouse the #2 priority of our lives - second only to our priority of our relationship with our God. Far too many marriages fail because the husband, the wife or both allow other priorities to usurp the place that their marriage should have in their scheme of priorities. Make your marriage the priority that it should be!

- SENSITIVITY - We will never experience anything close to marital "oneness" if we are not sensitive to one another as husband and wife. Husbands are told that they are to live with their wives in an "understanding way" (1 Peter 3:7). All too often, husbands (and wives) only understand one in their marriage - themselves. We all need to get our eyes off of our selves and commit ourselves to become students of our spouse!

- JESUS - Jesus must be at the center of the marriage relationship. He is the rock upon which we must build (see Matthew 7:24-27). When a husband and wife together go hard after Jesus, He will pull them together. You can count on it!

SOOO - How is your marriage today? I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions: Am I making my marriage the PRIORITY that it should be? Am I practicing SENSITIVITY toward my spouse - seeking to understand his or her needs and then do what I can to help meet those needs? And do we have a spiritual life together? A life in which we are pursuing Jesus Christ?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj