April Fools’ Day

Ok, first things first, we all know April Fools’ Day is coming.  And if you have anyone who is young or even young-at-heart around you, then just expect some kind of prank.  Please consider yourself warned .

Even though April Fools’ Day is not a national holiday, it is recognized by many nations around the world as a day to play jokes on each other.  As you might imagine, some countries have different customs.  In Canada, they traditionally play jokes on people only until noon.  If a person plays a joke after that point, everyone else will call him an “April fool!”  In France and Italy, people will secretly try to tack paper fish on each other’s backs and will shout, “April fish,” if accomplished.

April Fools’ Day certainly is a silly but fun day.  It’s funny that we are always trying to make each other look like “fools” on this day.  Interestingly, as I thought about this holiday, I came to realize that God actually talks about April Fools’ Day.  Even stranger is the fact that there are people who will “celebrate” it every day of their lives.  What day am I talking about?  It is the day when a person blatantly refuses to believe that God exists!  Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 proclaim, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines the word fool as “a person lacking in judgment or prudence.”  We may play jokes and call each other “fools,” but the real fools in this life or those who refuse to look at the staggering amount of evidence around us and still proclaims, “There is no God!”  These are truly people who “lack judgment and prudence.”

Unfortunately, even believers of God can forget about Him and ignore the evidence.  When we forget and ignore God, it often results in falling away and turning to evil (Psalm 14:1ff, 53:1ff).  Just take a look at the nation of Israel in the book of Judges!

Let’s never deny or forget God.  We would be foolish to do so.  This is why it is so important to keep reminding ourselves of what God did for us (John 3:16) and what He wants from us (Acts 2:37-38; Matthew 7:21-27).

Please enjoy a safe and fun April Fools’ Day, but by all means, let’s never become the fools that God talks about (Psalm 14, Psalm 53).

Colorado Forest Fire

The picture above is what most people in the Denver Metro area witnessed yesterday evening.  Seeing the plume of smoke was quite surreal.  It was hard to imagine that a forest fire was responsible for this and not some volcano hiding behind the mountains.  As of this afternoon, the fire was 0% contained.  High winds also made the situation worse since air support was unable to lend a hand until today.  In fact, about 3,000 acres went ablaze in a matter of hours during yesterday’s high winds.  So far, at least 2 people have died, 16 structures torched, 4,500 acres of forest have burned, 900 homes have been evacuated, and another 6,500 have been warned.

It’s quite hard to grasp the power of nature until it is growling on your doorstep.  The power of a forest fire is simply astonishing.  When we keep this situation in mind, it makes the words of James 3:5b-6 resound like never before:

“…See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.”

James is specifically speaking to teachers here, but there is application for all of us.  Far too often we start small fires when we let our words hurt others.  If we are not careful, the fires we start can quickly become uncontrollable when the winds of gossip, lies, anger, and hate come blowing through.  The next thing we know, our words have “defiled our bodies,” and “set our lives on fire.”  There is no way to completely heal the damage we cause when we allow our tongues to go free.

Forest fires are bad enough.  We don’t need any “family fires,” “congregational fires,” “gossip fires,” or fires of any kind for that matter.  Too many people have been driven away from the Lord because of nasty, harsh, and hurtful words.  We must be more careful with the words we speak.  Not only can it jeopardize others’ salvation, but our own as well.

The Bird That Shouldn’t Be Able To Fly

Hummingbirds have been baffling scientists for years. Matt Ransford commented, “The hummingbird is an animal that by all rights shouldn’t be able to fly” (Popular Science). But not only can this bird fly, it is the only bird able to fly forwards, backward, up, down, sideways, upside down, and even hover. UAV once tried to make a robotic hummingbird. Head researcher Matt Keennon stated, “It was never our intention to copy what nature has done; it’s just too daunting” (Popular Science). Daunting is right. Let’s take a closer look at just what make the hummingbird one-of-a-kind.

General Facts:

As you probably know, the hummingbird is the smallest bird in nature. The smallest species of hummingbird weights about 2 grams. As a point of comparison, the penny in your pocket weights 2.5 grams. The hummingbird’s heart can beat up to 1,260 times per minute and down to 250 when at rest. A hummingbird’s body temperature often reaches temperatures of about 107 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wings:

The wings on a hummingbird are quite unique. All feathers have a quill. The quill is essentially the center part of a feather that holds it together and gives it strength. The hummingbird’s quill is, for its weight, considered stronger than any other man-made structure (Sharp). It needs this strength in its wings because of how vigorously it moves them. Hummingbirds’ wings will beat about 70 times per second and up to 200 times per second when diving at 60 mph. The way the hummingbird moves its wings is different as well. Most birds flap their wings but hummingbirds move them in a type of circular, figure-8 type motion. Subtle changes in this motion allow it to move in all directions.

Feeding and Metabolism:

Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of all animals. Hummingbirds will fly around and visit around 1,000 flowers for nectar per day as well as feeding on tiny insects. They need to eat about 7 times every single hour to keep up with the energy demand. If our metabolisms were as high as a hummingbird, we would have to eat 155,000 calories per day (How-Come.net). With such a needy metabolism, how are hummingbirds able to live through the night? Hummingbirds can’t feed at night because they do not have the rods in their eyes that are necessary for night vision (Sharp). So, when it begins getting dark the hummingbird will fly to a safe location and enter into a state of hibernation called “torpor.” It will do this every night. During torpor, the hummingbird can lower its heart rate to 50 beats per minute and its body temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (Sciencemag.org)! What a massive change from 1,260 beats per minute and 107 degrees Fahrenheit.   This lowers the caloric intake and allows it to survive the night.

Respiratory System:

For everything to function at such a high rate, it needs an advanced respiratory system. Most people and animals inhale and then exhale. Most birds do not. Instead, they are able to receive an almost continuous supply of oxygen. Hummingbirds will inhale air into an air sac. When it goes to exhale from one of two lungs, the oxygen in the air sac will move into one lung, providing fresh oxygen. Once it is done exhaling, it will inhale more fresh air into the air sac as the body is using the previous breath. This airflow continues in this circular process, and allows the bird to receive fresh air almost constantly. This process is incredibly complicated (Click Here For More Info On This). Breathing this way does more than just provide oxygen though. The air sacs that fill up with air make the bird lighter for flying. In addition, this continuous air supply cools the hummingbird off by bringing in cool air and venting out body heat. In other words, the hummingbird’s respiratory system provides oxygen, helps with flight, and is an air conditioner! And to top it all off, hummingbirds will breathe up to 250 times per minute.

Could all of these features have evolved? Douglas Sharp said it best, “It is unreasonable to suggest that the hummingbird “developed” all of these features as a product of evolution gradually over millions of years. Time and chance cannot produce such design and order. Only God can!”

Jeremiah 10:12 says, “It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom; and by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.” It is astonishing what it takes for the hummingbird to live, breath, and fly. In the end, the hummingbird is just one more awesome example of the powerful God who made this earth and everything on it!

 ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

• http://howtoenjoyhummingbirds.com/
• http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/facts.php
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird
• http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/humm/Torpor.html
• Sharp, Douglas B. The Revolution Against Evolution.

Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning

Denver has been through a rollercoaster of emotions that last few days, especially in the sports world.  On Monday, the Broncos signed one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Peyton Manning.  I listened on the radio as caller after caller cheered and yelled with excitement.  But today, Tim Tebow was traded to the New York Jets.  The trade hit a couple of roadblocks and the Jets could lose the trade, but the bottom line is Tebow will no longer be a Denver Bronco.  Despite the fact that we received Hall of Fame bound, 4-Time MVP, 11-time Pro Bowler, and Super Bowl XLI Champion Peyton Manning, I found myself feeling sad, gloomy, and disappointed over the loss of Tim Tebow.  I felt more sad over the loss of Tebow than happy with the gain of Manning.  I began questioning why I was feeling this way.  Tebow hasn’t won a super bowl or been to the Pro Bowl, and he may not ever be as great of a player as Peyton Manning.  It was at this point that I realized what I am ACTUALLY a fan of.  Above all else, I am a fan of high character and morals.

Peyton Manning is not a bad guy by any means (quite the opposite actually), but in the sports world, Tebow is one-of-a-kind.  No one has ever stood out in sports as a great person and man of faith like Tebow.  Today we live in a culture and sports world that is full of selfishness, riches, immorality, and sinfulness.  Almost everywhere we look we see immoral trash and wicked people.  It has been such an amazing breath of fresh air to have a celebrity that is actually a good moral example.

I may never be a fan of the Jets or any other team Tebow may end up with, but one thing is for sure; I will never stop being a fan of people with high character and morals like Tebow.  Especially in the culture we live in today, we need people who are going to stand out from the crowd and stand up for the Lord.  No matter what you are a fan of, or where your sports loyalties lie, I hope you will join with me and be a never-ending fan of people of high character and morals (2 Peter 1:4-7).

Strange Allergies

I am no stranger to allergies.  I have been allergic to things like chocolate, BBQ sauce, MSG, cow milk and cheese (including anything that has these in them, like pizza and ice-cream).  Some of these are past allergies and some are current.  You may be thinking, “How could you possibly live without _______?!?”  When eating these foods results in a migraine headache, it’s amazing how much less appealing they become.  On the bright side, I have never had animal or outdoor allergies.

My allergies are strange, but I recently learned of some that are even more bazaar.  There are people out there who are actually allergic to water!  People with this allergy are only able to be in contact with water for about 10 seconds per week before breaking out in hives (like showering).  Some people are even allergic to things like sunlight, excessive vibrations, money (specifically to the metal used), and even cell phones (because of the nickel content in them).  One kid is allergic to so many types of foods that he has to be fed through a tube and the only the he can ingest by himself is a certain brand of lemonade (Yahoo News).

People certainly have strange allergies, but there is one that tops them all.  It is the “allergy” to church and worship.  This is a very strange “allergy,” but it is one that is all too common.  It’s amazing how people are full of vibrant energy all week (even the night before), and then all of a sudden are “too tired” to make it to worship.  Then there are those who never seem to get sick, but when it’s time for church, suddenly they “don’t feel well enough to come.”  It also seems to effect memory, because people abruptly remember “tasks they had to get done” that day.

While some have developed this “church allergy,” ironically, what is needed to cure it is the church and worship!  The reason we come to church is to battle eternally threatening sicknesses.  One cannot stay spiritual healthy and be apart from the Lord’s Church.  We come to church to be fed spiritually (Romans 10:17; 2 Peter 3:18).  We come to church to glorify God and strengthen our relationship with Him (1 Corinthians 6:20; Psalm 50:22-23).  We come to church so the elders can more effectively watch over us and protect us (Hebrews 13:17).  All of this was put into place by God to keep us from falling away into sin and becoming spiritually sick.

Hopefully it’s understood that there is no such thing as a “church allergy.”  It’s really just an attitude problem.  Even though we develop this attitude sometimes, let’s keep focused the long-term health benefits (i.e. heaven, salvation, grace, etc).  For this reason, coming to worship should be viewed as a privilege.  We should WANT to come.  Let’s always try to imitate the attitude in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’”

Carrying a Sack of Potatoes For a Week

A story is told of a teacher who once asked her students to bring a clear trash bag and a sack of potatoes to school.  In class, she had each student take out a potatoes and write down the name of someone they hadn’t forgiven and then place it in the bag.  Some of the bags were light and others were quite heavy.  The teacher then instructed the students to carry this bag around with them everywhere for the next week.  It was to be with them at all times and they could only set it down when they had to (sleep, meals, etc).

After the week was up, the students brought back their potatoes.  Interestingly, the potatoes that were brought back looked nothing like they did at the start.  The potatoes had deteriorated into a nasty sight from being dropped, hit, baked in the sun, and a variety of other damaging influences.  Hauling around these nasty potatoes as well as the burden of carrying them made for a very powerful lesson for these students as well as us today.

When we refuse to forgive, it becomes quite a burden to carry.  For example, if the unforgiven person is seen somewhere, everything that was done and said in the past comes flooding back into the memory.  If the unforgiven person’s name comes up, even in a pleasant conversation, negative feels arise and it puts a noticeable awkwardness and cloud on the situation.  Every time we are reminded of the fact that the unforgiven person is still living, we are burdened by our own negative feelings, emotions, and speech towards him or her.

For whatever reason, we have come to think of forgiveness as a “gift” to the other person.  In reality, forgiving them is as much for ourselves as it is for the other person!

The potatoes that were carried around were burdensome.  The longer they were carried, the more of a stinky, rotten, nasty mess they became.  The same is true with unforgiven people in our lives.  The longer we refuse to forgive, the more burdensome and nasty it becomes.

Every word of Colossians 3:12-14 applies to this discussion: “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

God has forgiven us and we should forgive others as well.  Can you think of someone who needs your forgiveness?

The Blind Leading the Blind

Skiing can be challenging enough all by itself, but imagine doing it blind.  Every year blind skiers hit the slopes.  As you might envision, the only way this is possible is with a guide.  The guide will call out simple directions like, “Turn left.  Turn Right.  Slow down.  Stop.  Skier on your Right.”  Without someone guiding these blind skiers, it would be a death wish.  Thankfully, with the right guide, blind skiers are able to enjoy the slopes and have even been able to make it up to the Olympic level (i.e. Brian McKeever).

The thought of the blind leading the blind is a very unsettling one.  During Jesus time, He often called out the Pharisees and labeled them as blind guides (Matthew 15:14; 23:16, 24).  What made this so harsh and provocative was that the Pharisees were the ones who claimed to see and understand God’s law clearly!  The reality was much different.  They were guiding spiritually blind people even though they themselves were spiritually blind.

The Pharisees had great power and were highly feared and respected (John 12:42; 7:13; 9:22; 19:38).  Very few people would have thought the Pharisees were blind guides.  The problem is, similar things happen today as well.  This is why we must be all the more cautious who and what we let follow us.  There are many denominations and teachers that claim to “see clearly” and yet do not follow Scripture.  The Bible is the only God written, Divine given, inspired book (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Every other writing and creed book is made by man’s thoughts and man’s words.  Keeping Isaiah 55:9 in mind, why would one want to follow something so imperfect and inferior to God?  God has given us everything we need for life and godliness in the Bible (2 Peter 3:9).  If someone or something else says more than Scripture, it says too much; if it says less than Scripture, it doesn’t say enough; and if it says the same thing then it is irrelevant.  Putting our hope and trust into anything else is a pointless exercise and a waist of time.

Who and what is guiding our spiritual lives?  If it is anything other than God’s Word, then it becomes another situation were the blind are leading the blind.  I hope and pray that we will all trust in God and His guidebook.  He is the only perfect guide with perfect vision.

Turning Pain Into Pearls

 

Have you ever wondered how an oyster makes a pearl?  The process is astonishing!  It all starts when a foreign material, or a parasite, makes its way inside the shell and begins causing damage.  The intruder can threaten the life of the oyster, so something must be done.  To protect itself, the oyster seals off the threat by using the same material that lines the inside of its shell (called nacre).  It cannot reject the intruder, so it literally covers it with many layers of precious material.  In other words, the producing of a pearl is a defense mechanism.   The result?  The painful intruders are turned into the beautiful pearls we have today.

There is much we could learn from the oyster.  Too often, evil intruders like discouragement, lies, insults, and anger find their way into our lives.  So much good could be done if we could take these hurtful aspects and form them into pearls of love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and encouragement (Galatians 5:22-23; Hebrews 3:12-13).  Many of these are known as the “fruits of the spirit,” but maybe they could also be called the “pearls of the soul.”

As sad as it is, hurtful words and actions are going to enter our lives, but how we react to them is completely up to us.  We could counter with a sinful response, or we could turn the pain and insults into a beautiful pearl.  This discussion couldn’t be concluded any better than from God Himself through the apostle Peter:

“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9).