by David Scott Robertson
Mark 1:4,6,7,8 (NKJV)
(4)John came baptizing in the wilderness [INCONVENIENT LOCATION] and preaching a baptism of repentance [UNPOPULAR MESSAGE] for the remission of sins [IN YOUR FACE PREACHING].
(6)Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist [ECCENTRIC DRESSER], and he ate locusts and wild honey [CAN YOU SAY “WEIRD?”].
(7)And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I [“I’M NOT EVEN THE MAIN EVENT”], whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose [LOW SELF ESTEEM PROBLEM?].
(8)I indeed baptized you with water [A WATERLOGGED WALK HOME], but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit [AN ENTIRELY NEW CONCEPT]."
John the Baptist.
An unusual character,
With an unprecedented message about the coming Messiah
Delivered with convicting boldness,
Preached in an unlikely location,
To a diverse people group –
All without the benefits of modern church communication and conveniences.
No sound system.
No multimedia.
No musicians.
No praise team.
No banners and flags.
No bulletins.
No email.
No phones.
No product table.
No marketing or advertising.
No ushers.
No warm baptismal tank.
No padded pews or metal chairs.
No air conditioning or heat.
No bathrooms.
No new convert literature.
No Bibles.
The results?
Mark 1:5 - "Then all [HOW MANY?] the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all [HOW MANY?] baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
Now tell me why is it that you feel you can’t win souls and make disciples like Jesus told you to (Matthew 28:18-20)?
"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:11 (NKJV)
DSR
10/28/02
Monday, October 28, 2002
Monday, October 21, 2002
The Flagman
by David Scott Robertson
I don't know why I noticed him but I did.
An African-American man standing on the side of the road in work clothes
Complete with a hard-hat, a fluorescent vest, and a flag in his hand.
I see this man about four times each day on weekdays.
First, early in the mornings as I drive and return from taking my daughter Abbey to school,
And then later in the day when I drive and return from exercising at the local university.
Each time I pass, there he is,
Faithfully holding that flag out,
Hour after hour after hour standing in the hot sun (or in the rain).
The crew has been contracted to install a pipeline next to the roadway.
It's a small crew of about four persons running heavy equipment plus a flagman.
But it's the flagman that has riveted my attention.
The flagman stands there all day with a flag in his hand.
Apparently, his job is to warn people of impending construction and to encourage them to slow down in their cars.
I don't exactly know why,
But I find myself wondering what would it be like to be a flagman for a living?
How does he endure standing there, virtually in one spot, hour after hour, day after day, as the crew slowly makes its way down the roadway?
Does he have a family? Children? Grandkids?
Is lunchtime the high point of his day for the mental and physical break of the monotony?
How much does a flagman make per hour?
Does he consider it "easy money" or "the hardest job I've ever had" having to stand in one spot all day long?
How does he pass the time?
What is he thinking?
Is he praying?
Does he daydream?
Does he consider what might have been or fantasize of might be?
How does he cope with standing there like a soldier at attention for great lengths of time?
Is he this patient at home?
Please understand that on every occasion that I have seen the flagman -
Four times a day, mind you, week after week -
He has been in one spot doing the same thing each time - just standing there.
This particular construction situation does not require him to get out in the road and direct traffic.
As the crew continues working their way down the long stretch of road installing pipe,
The flagman literally is just standing there for 8 hours (or more) per day
Holding a rolled up flag in his hand.
Why does that boggle my mind so?
Why do I find myself thinking of what I would do if I were in his shoes?
Why have I recently found myself praying for this man as I drive by?
Do I stop one day and give him a copy of this thought to let him know he's inspired me?
Do I stop one day and give him $10 to buy his lunch just to give him something to talk about at home at suppertime?
Do I stop one day and ask him a few questions about himself so I can pray more effectively?
One day I waved at him as I drove by and he returned my wave only with a bewildered look on his face.
I wonder if he notices my unusual red sports car go by four times a day and is curious about the driver?
Once again, I have to ask myself, why does this guy cause me to think?
Not sure, but I have established a few facts:
Is the flagman gainfully employed?
Yes. He is earning a living.
Is he an important part of the crew?
Yes. Perhaps the law requires a flagman on all such roadside projects.
Is he an important individual?
Yes. To his family, there is no replacement.
Can he be used of God on the job?
Yes. His prayers from the side of the road have the potential to change the world. Also, he may be on assignment from God to witness to the other four people on his crew who might otherwise never have a chance to know the Lord. Or perhaps it's the other way around. Perhaps he is a "pre-saved" individual and a fellow crew member is working on him to come to know the Lord.
I don't know but one thing I do know is that all people,
From flagmen to surgeons
Play an important role in our economy and society.
No man or woman is greater than or less than anyone else in the eternal scheme of things.
God does not judge a man by what he does for a living,
But He judges them based on their relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ,
And the stewardship of the gifts and talents He has given them.
Therefore, I conclude that to be a saved flagman
Is a superior example of success in life
Than to be an unsaved surgeon.
DSR
10/21/02
I don't know why I noticed him but I did.
An African-American man standing on the side of the road in work clothes
Complete with a hard-hat, a fluorescent vest, and a flag in his hand.
I see this man about four times each day on weekdays.
First, early in the mornings as I drive and return from taking my daughter Abbey to school,
And then later in the day when I drive and return from exercising at the local university.
Each time I pass, there he is,
Faithfully holding that flag out,
Hour after hour after hour standing in the hot sun (or in the rain).
The crew has been contracted to install a pipeline next to the roadway.
It's a small crew of about four persons running heavy equipment plus a flagman.
But it's the flagman that has riveted my attention.
The flagman stands there all day with a flag in his hand.
Apparently, his job is to warn people of impending construction and to encourage them to slow down in their cars.
I don't exactly know why,
But I find myself wondering what would it be like to be a flagman for a living?
How does he endure standing there, virtually in one spot, hour after hour, day after day, as the crew slowly makes its way down the roadway?
Does he have a family? Children? Grandkids?
Is lunchtime the high point of his day for the mental and physical break of the monotony?
How much does a flagman make per hour?
Does he consider it "easy money" or "the hardest job I've ever had" having to stand in one spot all day long?
How does he pass the time?
What is he thinking?
Is he praying?
Does he daydream?
Does he consider what might have been or fantasize of might be?
How does he cope with standing there like a soldier at attention for great lengths of time?
Is he this patient at home?
Please understand that on every occasion that I have seen the flagman -
Four times a day, mind you, week after week -
He has been in one spot doing the same thing each time - just standing there.
This particular construction situation does not require him to get out in the road and direct traffic.
As the crew continues working their way down the long stretch of road installing pipe,
The flagman literally is just standing there for 8 hours (or more) per day
Holding a rolled up flag in his hand.
Why does that boggle my mind so?
Why do I find myself thinking of what I would do if I were in his shoes?
Why have I recently found myself praying for this man as I drive by?
Do I stop one day and give him a copy of this thought to let him know he's inspired me?
Do I stop one day and give him $10 to buy his lunch just to give him something to talk about at home at suppertime?
Do I stop one day and ask him a few questions about himself so I can pray more effectively?
One day I waved at him as I drove by and he returned my wave only with a bewildered look on his face.
I wonder if he notices my unusual red sports car go by four times a day and is curious about the driver?
Once again, I have to ask myself, why does this guy cause me to think?
Not sure, but I have established a few facts:
Is the flagman gainfully employed?
Yes. He is earning a living.
Is he an important part of the crew?
Yes. Perhaps the law requires a flagman on all such roadside projects.
Is he an important individual?
Yes. To his family, there is no replacement.
Can he be used of God on the job?
Yes. His prayers from the side of the road have the potential to change the world. Also, he may be on assignment from God to witness to the other four people on his crew who might otherwise never have a chance to know the Lord. Or perhaps it's the other way around. Perhaps he is a "pre-saved" individual and a fellow crew member is working on him to come to know the Lord.
I don't know but one thing I do know is that all people,
From flagmen to surgeons
Play an important role in our economy and society.
No man or woman is greater than or less than anyone else in the eternal scheme of things.
God does not judge a man by what he does for a living,
But He judges them based on their relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ,
And the stewardship of the gifts and talents He has given them.
Therefore, I conclude that to be a saved flagman
Is a superior example of success in life
Than to be an unsaved surgeon.
DSR
10/21/02
Monday, October 7, 2002
Cozy As Can Be
by David Scott Robertson
As I write these words,
Hurricane Lily (October, 2002) has made landfall.
Even deep into America’s southern heartland, Tennessee, the effects of this tropical storm are apparent.
Unpredictable gusts of wind combined with sheets of rain surround me.
Thankfully, I’m not in a coastal city having to face the full thrust of the hazardous hurricane.
For us in Tennessee, the hurricane is more of a messy nuisance
Than a threat to our lives and property.
But still, here I am sitting in my car writing this and the sense I get about the storm is
I’m as cozy as can be.
I’m in my car with the windows cracked,
Listening to the wind dance with the trees,
Watching the walls of water fall from angry clouds over my head
And I can’t help but feel safe, secure, content, and, in fact, cozy.
I am dry, safe,
I have a banana, a cup of yogurt,
My Bible and a cell phone,
Plus the ability to turn the key in my ignition and drive to safety if things get out of control.
The lessons of the storm are subtle but discernable:
1. A car is a castle in the mist of a downpour.
2. The birds, squirrels, and critters around me don’t seem to care what The Weather Channel said today about staying indoors.
3. What a profound blessing to know that I can press 911 on my cell phone 24 hours a day and the cavalry will come to my rescue.
4. Though winds howl and dangers lurk all around, the safest place in the world is in the center of God’s will.
5. Wherever you are, whatever storm rages around you today, please be confident that the Lord can work it out so that you can be cozy as can be in the midst of it all.
DSR
10/7/02
As I write these words,
Hurricane Lily (October, 2002) has made landfall.
Even deep into America’s southern heartland, Tennessee, the effects of this tropical storm are apparent.
Unpredictable gusts of wind combined with sheets of rain surround me.
Thankfully, I’m not in a coastal city having to face the full thrust of the hazardous hurricane.
For us in Tennessee, the hurricane is more of a messy nuisance
Than a threat to our lives and property.
But still, here I am sitting in my car writing this and the sense I get about the storm is
I’m as cozy as can be.
I’m in my car with the windows cracked,
Listening to the wind dance with the trees,
Watching the walls of water fall from angry clouds over my head
And I can’t help but feel safe, secure, content, and, in fact, cozy.
I am dry, safe,
I have a banana, a cup of yogurt,
My Bible and a cell phone,
Plus the ability to turn the key in my ignition and drive to safety if things get out of control.
The lessons of the storm are subtle but discernable:
1. A car is a castle in the mist of a downpour.
2. The birds, squirrels, and critters around me don’t seem to care what The Weather Channel said today about staying indoors.
3. What a profound blessing to know that I can press 911 on my cell phone 24 hours a day and the cavalry will come to my rescue.
4. Though winds howl and dangers lurk all around, the safest place in the world is in the center of God’s will.
5. Wherever you are, whatever storm rages around you today, please be confident that the Lord can work it out so that you can be cozy as can be in the midst of it all.
DSR
10/7/02
Saturday, October 5, 2002
Wordplay
by David Scott Robertson
Thank You, Lord, that I have access to…
Respiration,
Transportation,
Communication,
Medication,
Automation,
Innovation,
Sanitation,
Compensation,
Jubilation,
Vacation,
Transformation,
And a free nation.
Thank You, Lord, that I’m not held hostage by…
Allegation,
Discrimination,
Degradation,
Humiliation,
Starvation,
Decimation,
Desolation,
Incantation,
Procrastination,
Frustration,
Tribulation,
And deportation.
Homework assignment:
Get out a Bible concordance and look up the word “blessed” and see how many times the verses of blessings apply to your life.
DSR
10/5/02
Thank You, Lord, that I have access to…
Respiration,
Transportation,
Communication,
Medication,
Automation,
Innovation,
Sanitation,
Compensation,
Jubilation,
Vacation,
Transformation,
And a free nation.
Thank You, Lord, that I’m not held hostage by…
Allegation,
Discrimination,
Degradation,
Humiliation,
Starvation,
Decimation,
Desolation,
Incantation,
Procrastination,
Frustration,
Tribulation,
And deportation.
Homework assignment:
Get out a Bible concordance and look up the word “blessed” and see how many times the verses of blessings apply to your life.
DSR
10/5/02
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