Joel Stiff's Adventure

I am seeing an outpouring of sympathy for the Syrian people who are seeking asylum in the United States.

Some good Christians are of the opinion that we should be willing to open the border and allow them into the country to find safety from all that ails their country.

Other good Christians believe that opening the border to the influx is a dangerous move and we should consider the ramifications of such an act.

I tend to hold to the opinion of the latter.  I realize that some will not agree and say that this position is unChristlike and lacking compassion.

The arguments I have heard include the following:

“There are women and children who are seeking to flee to safety.  How can we not accept them in?”

I would ask you, did Jesus heal every sick person He encountered?  Did He raise every deceased child and bring him back to life?  Did every leper get cleansed who came to hear Him preach?  Since the answer to these questions is no, was Jesus lacking in compassion?

“Christianity is a religion that teaches us to turn the other cheek and forgive our enemies.  Therefore, we should accept these people in although most of them hold an antagonistic if not downright hateful attitude toward western life and the United States.”

Does turning the other cheek mean inviting personal harm into your life?  Does forgiving enemies mean opening your borders without a proper vetting procedure in place risking the security of your citizenry?  Did Jesus not say that those who would not receive you should be abandoned and the dust shaken from your feet?  Why did Jesus tell His disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword?  To pit olives?  Why did He say that the thief would have to overcome the strongman of the house before he could spoil the goods if we are not to defend ourselves?

“Bringing the Syrians here would give us an opportunity to be a witness for Christ.”

How many middle easterners/muslims are you currently involved in evangelizing?  Would you be willing to surrender to be a missionary to the middle east and preach the gospel of Christ?  If not you, maybe send your children?  Would you at least make a trip to Dearborn or Hamtramck, Michigan and begin to preach the gospel to the largest group of muslims currently in the U.S.?  How about just tell your neighbor about Jesus?

Methinks the compassion crowd needs to involve themselves more in some compassionate acts than social media politics.

 

I have been a preacher of the gospel for some twenty-eight years now.

I preached my first sermon at fifteen on the occasion of my great grandfather’s eightieth birthday celebration.  I’m sure it was terrible.

In fact, when I listen to anything that I preached five years ago, it sounds terrible.  I’m sure that in five more years, my messages now will sound terrible.

But why would we assess it as such?  Preaching is simply communicating a message.  If the message is communicated, hasn’t the goal been attained.

Sure, some methods of communicating are better than others, but if the meaning of the message has gotten across, isn’t it successful?

Of all things, it is interesting to me that preaching can become prideful.

The medium itself was called foolish by the apostle Paul.  How then can we find ourselves proud in our practicing of it?

Things such as eloquence and alliteration have crept in.  Not to mention whether or not a message is considered “deep” or “meat”.  Let me help.  It is “deep” or “meat” if I have never heard the truth before or a friend of mine is the preacher.  It is “shallow” or “milk” if it’s old territory for me or I don’t like you.

As I look back, the preachers who I enjoyed the most were the ones who helped me the most.  They weren’t as interested in their outline or their alliteration of points as they were in passionately trying to help me.

I’d rather have a mechanic that is covered in grease, but is passionate about fixing my car, than a guy in a white lab coat with a clipboard that can read me the schematic, but can’t tell me how I’m going to get to work tomorrow.

 

 

Someone very close to me has never blown his or her nose.

I cannot imagine this.  Blowing my nose brings me great pleasure.  It clears my nasal passages and helps me breathe easier.  It is quite the delight.

There are times when I feel I absolutely must blow my nose.. If I can’t find a tissue, I get frantic.  Just writing about it now makes me feel the need for a good blow.

I have discussed this with my friend.  I have explained the benefits and sheer joy of a hearty olefactory cleansing.  He or she would not be convinced.

It saddens me that such an amazing gift is going completely unnoticed.

To his or her credit, this person has a broad palate.  He or she will try any food at least once.  On many occasions, he or she has told me, “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

I imagine, we all have something that we are closed off to trying.

But why?

It’s all any of us can do.

It’s not your location, race, economic class, looks, eye color or any other imagined obstacle holding you back.

When we get stuck, it’s because we perceive an unmovable obstacle in front of us.

Maybe the obstacle is supposed to be part of the plan.

Going into this Sunday, the Detroit Lions season record was 1 – 7.  This weeks game was against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, home advantage to the Packers.  By any reasonable assessment, the Packers should have soundly defeated the Lions.

But they didn’t.  The Lions pulled out an 18 – 16 win over the Packers.  Something no one saw coming and something that under normal circumstances shouldn’t have happened.

And that’s just the point.

On any given day, anything can happen.

Just when you think it won’t.  Just when you think it can’t.  What you need to have happen, does.

I bet the Lions were glad they suited up and went out on the field Sunday.

 

I saw a couple minutes of the Neil Cavuto interview with Keely Mullen.

She expressed the desires of some college students in three demands:

1. Free college – a degree without a bill.
2. Immediate forgiveness of all student loans for those currently holding them.
3. $15 minimum wage for all students working.

Neil asked the question that needed to be asked, “Who then will pay for all of this?”

See, what Keely and her friends fail to understand is that adulthood comes with bills.  Parents take care of the financial needs of their children until they become adults.  Once mature, people are responsible for their own care, upkeep and improvement.

These poor college students are just trying to delay adulthood.  They do not want to be responsible for their own bills.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to their parents.  This is the most babied generation of any our nation has seen.  There has been as one comedian called it, “the most successful civil rights campaign on behalf of children.”  Kids these days are not allowed to grow up and become independent.  They are hovered over by mommy and daddy and not allowed to feel pain or struggle.

Is it any wonder they continue to expect someone else to shoulder the burden?

Oh, and while we’re here.  Be careful about being too hard on these kids.  I’m sure some of the righteously indignant crowd were cheering for the students at Kent State, marching on Washington, spitting on returning Vietnam War vets and burning their bras back in their day.

We just need to help them grow up.

As the old saying goes, “If you aren’t a liberal when you’re young, you don’t have a heart.  If you’re not a conservative when you get older, you don’t have a brain.”

So high school grads and college students want free college, huh?

Completely out of the question.  There is no way this is going to be accomplished.  Nothing is free.  Someone has to pay.

The web page for the University of Michigan Flint shows a tuition / room and board schedule of $23,516.00 for this fall semester.  So four years of college would cost upwards of $200,000.00  After student loan interest is calculated, you’re looking at another $50,000.00.  That’s at the low rate of 4.29%, but with a whopping payment of over $2000.00 a month.

Instead of asking ourselves how we can pay such a loan, shouldn’t we instead be asking, isn’t there a better way to learn a profession?  In 2013, it was determined that 31% of graduates never hold a job in their field of study.

What would that be like to owe a quarter million dollars and never use the degree it purchased?

The system is broken, but the fix is most certainly not free college.

Dare I say, it may be no college.

After all, Sal Khan is interested in teaching you for free.

When you’re discouraged, you need a win.

Something that takes your mind off of the trouble.  Something that distracts you from the losses.

There is still something in your control right now.  Apply yourself and get a win.

It’ll change your outlook and give you hope that the troubles can’t last forever.

He kept getting up.

When he got hit, he kept fighting.

When he got cut, he kept fighting.

When he was tired he kept fighting.

When he couldn’t find his corner, he kept fighting.

When he was pummeled with one punch after another until he was knocked to the ground, he got back up.

Sometimes the punches keep coming.  Sometimes you keep taking a beating.  Sometimes you get knocked on your can over and over and over.

When you’re there, get back up.

You can’t win on your back.

And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.  But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace. – I Samuel 10:26, 27

Saul was anointed as king of Israel by Samuel.  The news had been revealed to everyone.  Immediately, people chose sides.  It was his first day and some people hated him while others loved him.  Some celebrated him while others went out of their way to express their displeasure.

How can you hate someone if they haven’t made a single decision yet?  For that matter, how can you love them?  People are emotional creatures.  We make judgments purely on feelings and limited input.  Input that really has no bearing on the job.

All of this was out of Saul’s control.  He could not make anyone love him or hate him.  It was on them.

He could, however, control his response to their feelings.

What was his response?  He held his peace.

The one who reacts to the irrational one is just as irrational.

Security, confidence and assuredness can withstand the negative emotions of the irrational ones.