by David Scott Robertson
Is it possible to enjoy life even though your body doesn't work properly? What if somebody doesn't like you? Is there joy available despite the fact that you don't have everything you want?
What if things in your own life, things in the lives of your loved ones, things in politics, things in the economy, things in the environment, things in the church, things all around just don't line up and aren't in the balance you think they ought to be? What then?
If this is the situation, is it possible to rejoice, to be filled with joy, and to be content? The biblical answer is yes.
The sad reality is, though, as Christians, we don't always embrace the biblical answer. We don't always rely on God's resources. We don't always manifest the "fruit of the Spirit." We don't always "walk in the Spirit." We don't always deny the lusts of the flesh. We don't always hide His exceedingly great and precious promises in our hearts. Sometimes, quite frankly, we forget some of His benefits. Often, we permit our emotions to overshadow and override our prayer life. Intentional or not, to our own hurt, we live far below our privileges as children of God. When we allow one or all of these things to happen, we become imbalanced.
Until Almighty God sets all things right at the consummation of the age and ushers in a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness rules, there will always be imbalance throughout the world and in our relationships. It can be no other way.
But the good news is that our attitude is a different story. It's an inside job. Our faith is just that - OUR faith. Nobody can take it away from us unless we allow it. No one can make us dislike or hate anybody. These are all personal choices that we make.
You and I are responsible for maintaining our own "inner balance." We must submit to the Holy Spirit inside us and allow Him to lead and guide us into all truth in all our thoughts, words, and actions.
Being born again by the Spirit of God and having Him actually take up residence inside our hearts and lives makes all the difference in the world! You may want to say the following three phrases out loud:
Living in me is the key to being FREE! Living in me is the key to walk in VICTORY! Living in me is the key to my DESTINY!
The Holy Spirit is the key to a balanced life! Tap into the genius of Jesus to live in freedom and victory and fulfill God's destiny for your life. Thousands of years ago, a man named Paul discovered the truth of the balanced life and penned these words:
Philip. 4:11-13 (NLT)
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. [12] I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. [13] For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
-- The Apostle Paul, written from a prison cell
DSR
7/31/05
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The RIGHT TIME
by David Scott Robertson
"You see, at just the RIGHT TIME, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).
* * *
Yesterday I dropped my wife off at the Nashville International Airport to catch a flight to Orlando, Florida to attend a job-related conference. The flight converts a 12-hour drive into a 2-hour flight. We had to time it just right to leave home, make the drive from Murfreesboro to Nashville, and drop her off in time to meet all the security check requirements.
Sometimes, life is a lot like catching a flight at an airport. We do our best to manage and balance the "hurry up" versus "wait patiently" aspects of our busy lives. Jesus had to contend with the same 24-hour periods of time that we do every day of our lives. Unlike us, however, Jesus was able to pull off being on time, all the time, every time.
ARRIVALS - ON TIME - At the RIGHT TIME in human history, Jesus arrived. Not a day early, not a day late, but at just the RIGHT TIME.
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…" (1 Timothy 1:15).
POSSIBLE DELAYS AHEAD - Many had tried to get Jesus off Father God's timetable. His birth would not wait until a sterile hospital birthing room was invented and Mary could have an epidural to relieve the pain.
"…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7).
BOARDING CALL - Later on, Jesus' own mother tried to jump-start His public ministry by asking Him to perform a miracle.
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come" (John 2:4).
LET'S GET THIS THING OFF THE GROUND - His brothers tried get Him to prematurely become a celebrity.
"Jesus' brothers said to him, 'You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.' For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, 'The RIGHT TIME for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the RIGHT TIME has not yet come'" (John 7:3-8).
THIS FLIGHT MAY BE CANCELLED - Jealous religious leaders of the day incited zealous but misguided laymen to try to terminate the Messiah's mission.
"All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way" (Luke 4:28-30).
And this they tried on more than one occasion.
"At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds" (John 8:59).
RIGHT ON TIME - In spite of all the human (and demonic) attempts to get Jesus off track, it never happened. Jesus was never in a hurry and never late.
- He sat at a well to get a drink at just the RIGHT TIME so He could meet a woman and reach a city (John 4:6-29).
- He approached a town gate at just the RIGHT TIME and gave back a dead son to his mother (Luke 7:12-15).
- He walked past a blind fellow named Bartimaeus at just the RIGHT TIME and the man went home seeing (Mark 10:46-52).
- He told Peter to cast a line into a fishing hole at just the RIGHT TIME so he could hook the exact fish swimming by with a coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:27).
- And on and on it goes, story after story, of Jesus showing up and all of heaven breaking loose.
UNEXPECTED DELAYS - Even when He was accused of being late, He was on time.
- "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21).
- "While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" ((Mark 5:35).
Turns out even His delays had meaning and purpose and glorified His Father in heaven.
ALL FLIGHTS ON TIME - We stand on solid ground when we say that Jesus Christ was at the right place at the RIGHT TIME all the time.
Knowing what we know now, we can readily see that wherever Jesus happened to be and whatever Jesus happened to be doing, He was doing the right thing at the right time. He was always on schedule, on track, and on target with the will of His Father in heaven.
Storms didn't stop Him, demons didn't delay Him, detours didn't hinder Him, working one-on-one with people didn't set Him back; even times of rest didn't prevent Him, not even once, from being in the right place at the right time. Nothing at any time impeded, obstructed, interrupted, or even postponed God's plan for His life. Jesus truly lived in the center of God's will and timing. And to beat all, even His death was on time.
DEPARTURE - ON TIME - At the RIGHT TIME in human history, Jesus departed. Not a day early, not a day late, but at just the RIGHT TIME.
"I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4).
"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (John 19:30).
Amazing! Even though Jesus died a young man, he did not die prematurely. He actually "finished the work" that God had called Him to do. He is the ultimate example of a purpose-driven life.
Fast-forward to our society today, most particularly the American culture. We are driven by time. It's not just catching a plane that brings time management to the forefront of our thinking either , it filters down to mundane, routine things like catching a meal. Fast food restaurants, microwave ovens, pizza delivery, "heat it up and eat it up" is where many of us really live.
This cycle of fighting to be on time invades many other areas of our lives. Overnight package delivery, day planners and hand-held computers all have their part to play in a culture that wants what it wants when it wants it.
Ironically, most people procrastinate on life's most vital issues. The urgent intercepts the important. Soccer practice is urgent; getting your child saved is important. Fighting rush hour traffic to meet friends after work at the restaurant is urgent; introducing friends to Christ is important. Getting to your aerobics class three times a week by 6am to work on your body temple is urgent; getting to church Sunday by 10am to get your spiritual house in order is important.
In conclusion, I suggest that we do our best to align our life schedules up with the timetable of Father God. Accept delays and part of His plan. Tolerate detours as unexpected opportunities. If your steps are ordered of the Lord (Psalm 37:23), then don't freak out if you fail to finish your daily to-do list. Expect the unexpected and consider that those interruptions, delays, and detours just may be divinely inspired.
Settle in your heart that God is never late but rarely early. Good things come to those who wait…on the Lord. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord as you face rugged circumstances. Resist the temptation to accuse God of being "out of the loop" of your life when it comes to a hundred practical things that didn't happen when you wanted them to happen.
I said it before but I want to say it again: we stand on solid ground when we say that Jesus Christ was at the right place at the RIGHT TIME all the time - on schedule, on track, and on target with the will of His Father in heaven. And since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), why not expect and receive a miracle today of being in sync with God's plan for your day/week/month/quarter/year/life?
DSR
7/17/05
"You see, at just the RIGHT TIME, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).
* * *
Yesterday I dropped my wife off at the Nashville International Airport to catch a flight to Orlando, Florida to attend a job-related conference. The flight converts a 12-hour drive into a 2-hour flight. We had to time it just right to leave home, make the drive from Murfreesboro to Nashville, and drop her off in time to meet all the security check requirements.
Sometimes, life is a lot like catching a flight at an airport. We do our best to manage and balance the "hurry up" versus "wait patiently" aspects of our busy lives. Jesus had to contend with the same 24-hour periods of time that we do every day of our lives. Unlike us, however, Jesus was able to pull off being on time, all the time, every time.
ARRIVALS - ON TIME - At the RIGHT TIME in human history, Jesus arrived. Not a day early, not a day late, but at just the RIGHT TIME.
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…" (1 Timothy 1:15).
POSSIBLE DELAYS AHEAD - Many had tried to get Jesus off Father God's timetable. His birth would not wait until a sterile hospital birthing room was invented and Mary could have an epidural to relieve the pain.
"…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7).
BOARDING CALL - Later on, Jesus' own mother tried to jump-start His public ministry by asking Him to perform a miracle.
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come" (John 2:4).
LET'S GET THIS THING OFF THE GROUND - His brothers tried get Him to prematurely become a celebrity.
"Jesus' brothers said to him, 'You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.' For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, 'The RIGHT TIME for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the RIGHT TIME has not yet come'" (John 7:3-8).
THIS FLIGHT MAY BE CANCELLED - Jealous religious leaders of the day incited zealous but misguided laymen to try to terminate the Messiah's mission.
"All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way" (Luke 4:28-30).
And this they tried on more than one occasion.
"At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds" (John 8:59).
RIGHT ON TIME - In spite of all the human (and demonic) attempts to get Jesus off track, it never happened. Jesus was never in a hurry and never late.
- He sat at a well to get a drink at just the RIGHT TIME so He could meet a woman and reach a city (John 4:6-29).
- He approached a town gate at just the RIGHT TIME and gave back a dead son to his mother (Luke 7:12-15).
- He walked past a blind fellow named Bartimaeus at just the RIGHT TIME and the man went home seeing (Mark 10:46-52).
- He told Peter to cast a line into a fishing hole at just the RIGHT TIME so he could hook the exact fish swimming by with a coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:27).
- And on and on it goes, story after story, of Jesus showing up and all of heaven breaking loose.
UNEXPECTED DELAYS - Even when He was accused of being late, He was on time.
- "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21).
- "While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" ((Mark 5:35).
Turns out even His delays had meaning and purpose and glorified His Father in heaven.
ALL FLIGHTS ON TIME - We stand on solid ground when we say that Jesus Christ was at the right place at the RIGHT TIME all the time.
Knowing what we know now, we can readily see that wherever Jesus happened to be and whatever Jesus happened to be doing, He was doing the right thing at the right time. He was always on schedule, on track, and on target with the will of His Father in heaven.
Storms didn't stop Him, demons didn't delay Him, detours didn't hinder Him, working one-on-one with people didn't set Him back; even times of rest didn't prevent Him, not even once, from being in the right place at the right time. Nothing at any time impeded, obstructed, interrupted, or even postponed God's plan for His life. Jesus truly lived in the center of God's will and timing. And to beat all, even His death was on time.
DEPARTURE - ON TIME - At the RIGHT TIME in human history, Jesus departed. Not a day early, not a day late, but at just the RIGHT TIME.
"I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4).
"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (John 19:30).
Amazing! Even though Jesus died a young man, he did not die prematurely. He actually "finished the work" that God had called Him to do. He is the ultimate example of a purpose-driven life.
Fast-forward to our society today, most particularly the American culture. We are driven by time. It's not just catching a plane that brings time management to the forefront of our thinking either , it filters down to mundane, routine things like catching a meal. Fast food restaurants, microwave ovens, pizza delivery, "heat it up and eat it up" is where many of us really live.
This cycle of fighting to be on time invades many other areas of our lives. Overnight package delivery, day planners and hand-held computers all have their part to play in a culture that wants what it wants when it wants it.
Ironically, most people procrastinate on life's most vital issues. The urgent intercepts the important. Soccer practice is urgent; getting your child saved is important. Fighting rush hour traffic to meet friends after work at the restaurant is urgent; introducing friends to Christ is important. Getting to your aerobics class three times a week by 6am to work on your body temple is urgent; getting to church Sunday by 10am to get your spiritual house in order is important.
In conclusion, I suggest that we do our best to align our life schedules up with the timetable of Father God. Accept delays and part of His plan. Tolerate detours as unexpected opportunities. If your steps are ordered of the Lord (Psalm 37:23), then don't freak out if you fail to finish your daily to-do list. Expect the unexpected and consider that those interruptions, delays, and detours just may be divinely inspired.
Settle in your heart that God is never late but rarely early. Good things come to those who wait…on the Lord. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord as you face rugged circumstances. Resist the temptation to accuse God of being "out of the loop" of your life when it comes to a hundred practical things that didn't happen when you wanted them to happen.
I said it before but I want to say it again: we stand on solid ground when we say that Jesus Christ was at the right place at the RIGHT TIME all the time - on schedule, on track, and on target with the will of His Father in heaven. And since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), why not expect and receive a miracle today of being in sync with God's plan for your day/week/month/quarter/year/life?
DSR
7/17/05
Thursday, July 14, 2005
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
by David Scott Robertson
A few weeks ago, I pulled out of my driveway early to drive to the local YMCA to workout.
As I approached the end of my street, there was a News Channel 5 truck with a TV camera set up in the front lawn of a house, a police car, and crime scene tape draped across the front yard of the house directly across the street from the television camera.
I found out later that morning that a 17-year-old boy had gotten into an argument around 2:00 a.m. with his stepfather and had taken a 30" sword and fatally stabbed the man.
When I heard the news, my heart ached. I thought about the older man's tragic death, but I also thought about what else died about 2am that morning.
There was an empty seat in English class at the local high school the next day. There will be two empty seats around the Thanksgiving table this year. There will be no presents under the tree for these two men - one has gone on and one has gone away.
The boy traded designer jeans for a prison uniform. He traded the gold chain around his neck and the cool bracelet for leg irons and handcuffs.
He will probably never marry, never vote, and never serve his country in the military. He won't make the yearbook or graduate with his class. More than likely he will never go to college.
He won't see most of his friends again. In an instant, he's off the team, out of the club, disqualified from everything and disassociated from nearly every friend and family member for a very long time.
I think the newspaper reported that he will be tried as an adult. The future of a felon, especially a murderer, is not an easy one. Some would say that his life is "over." A tragic waste; a crying shame. All because in the heat of the moment, it "seemed like a good idea at the time" to lash out in violence. Wrong.
The irony of the freedom to make choices is that many choose poorly. What seems like a good idea at the time ends up sealing our fate, altering our destiny, re-routing everything good and in an instant removing - for years or for life - the freedom to make choices.
Two major thoughts emerge as I write this: (1) think before you speak or act; and (2) it's not over until God says it's over.
When this young man becomes an old man in prison and his classmates are becoming grandparents, people may have long forgotten him but God will not have forgotten this old man. God alone can redeem a man. God alone can take what the devil meant for harm and convert it to good. God alone can take a man behind bars and set the captive free.
There are millions who have made choices that "seemed like a good idea at the time" but are now reaping the horrible, tragic, and expensive aftermath of their rash decision. These are not just murderers, felons, and cons. They are housewives, business executives, and people from all walks of life.
Many come to Christ when their choices have devastated their lives. What about you?
What's it going to take for you to let go and let God have His way with your life? When are you going to let God guide your thoughts, words, and deeds instead of taking matters into your own hands? What is it going to take before you abandon the age-old excuse, "well, it seemed like a good idea at the time" and begin to walk in the Spirit?
DSR
7/14/05
A few weeks ago, I pulled out of my driveway early to drive to the local YMCA to workout.
As I approached the end of my street, there was a News Channel 5 truck with a TV camera set up in the front lawn of a house, a police car, and crime scene tape draped across the front yard of the house directly across the street from the television camera.
I found out later that morning that a 17-year-old boy had gotten into an argument around 2:00 a.m. with his stepfather and had taken a 30" sword and fatally stabbed the man.
When I heard the news, my heart ached. I thought about the older man's tragic death, but I also thought about what else died about 2am that morning.
There was an empty seat in English class at the local high school the next day. There will be two empty seats around the Thanksgiving table this year. There will be no presents under the tree for these two men - one has gone on and one has gone away.
The boy traded designer jeans for a prison uniform. He traded the gold chain around his neck and the cool bracelet for leg irons and handcuffs.
He will probably never marry, never vote, and never serve his country in the military. He won't make the yearbook or graduate with his class. More than likely he will never go to college.
He won't see most of his friends again. In an instant, he's off the team, out of the club, disqualified from everything and disassociated from nearly every friend and family member for a very long time.
I think the newspaper reported that he will be tried as an adult. The future of a felon, especially a murderer, is not an easy one. Some would say that his life is "over." A tragic waste; a crying shame. All because in the heat of the moment, it "seemed like a good idea at the time" to lash out in violence. Wrong.
The irony of the freedom to make choices is that many choose poorly. What seems like a good idea at the time ends up sealing our fate, altering our destiny, re-routing everything good and in an instant removing - for years or for life - the freedom to make choices.
Two major thoughts emerge as I write this: (1) think before you speak or act; and (2) it's not over until God says it's over.
When this young man becomes an old man in prison and his classmates are becoming grandparents, people may have long forgotten him but God will not have forgotten this old man. God alone can redeem a man. God alone can take what the devil meant for harm and convert it to good. God alone can take a man behind bars and set the captive free.
There are millions who have made choices that "seemed like a good idea at the time" but are now reaping the horrible, tragic, and expensive aftermath of their rash decision. These are not just murderers, felons, and cons. They are housewives, business executives, and people from all walks of life.
Many come to Christ when their choices have devastated their lives. What about you?
What's it going to take for you to let go and let God have His way with your life? When are you going to let God guide your thoughts, words, and deeds instead of taking matters into your own hands? What is it going to take before you abandon the age-old excuse, "well, it seemed like a good idea at the time" and begin to walk in the Spirit?
DSR
7/14/05
Saturday, July 9, 2005
One-of-a-Kind
by David Scott Robertson
To celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary (July 4), my wife and daughter and I took a quick trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee to relax and play.
We stopped by Coolidge Park, one of the city's newest parks located next to the Tennessee River. At the park, there is a large fountain for the kids to run through, lots of greenery to stretch out on, and a pedestrian bridge crossing the river.
However, without question, the focal point of the park is the one-of-a-kind carousel, a machine that has a storied history and combines the old and new techniques of carousel carving.
In the early 1980's, a man named Bud Ellis founded "Friends of the Carousel" in Chattanooga and taught his friends and other supporters how to carve. When Coolidge Park opened, the carousel was its centerpiece. The ride utilized clear white lights, had a mirrored center column, beautiful round sweeps and fifty-two hand-carved animals that adorned it. In addition to the carvings, it featured two band organs, a Wurlitzer and a new Stinson organ.
The Coolidge Park Carousel combines 1895 carving techniques with 21st century technology to produce a one-of-a-kind ride. Painted on the bottom of the Stinson organ are the words, "Dedicated to Children of All Ages."
What impressed me about this unique carousel is that there is not another one like it in the world. These are not mass produced in an automated factory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There are not two of these carousels; there is one.
The story behind the labor of love, commitment, and dedication of a small army of men and women banded together for the cause of the preservation and restoration of a piece of history may never be fully told. And the best part of all this is that my wife and my daughter and I got to ride it! A priceless memory was made thanks to the efforts of people we will never know.
This carousel is a one-of-a-kind creation harvested from the imagination of man. In the same way, when God makes a human being, he or she is a one-of-a-kind creation originating from the very heart of God.
In many ways, the Coolidge Park Carousel and a human being are similar. Both are ingeniously designed. Both have been meticulously put together. Both require maintenance. Both bring joy and laughter and pleasure to those who interact with it.
To me, this unique carousel serves as an exclamation point to the fact that people are so personal, so individual, so one-of-a-kind.
We've probably heard the comparison of people to snowflakes--no two alike. It's common knowledge that everybody's finger prints, even footprints, are completely different, so much so that they are relied on as verifiable sources of identity.
The Psalmist, speaking of God, wrote, "Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours" (Psalm 86:8).
Mankind, created in God's image, shares this amazing quality. Truly, there is none like you, no deeds can compare with yours.
While the Coolidge Park Carousel serves as an excellent illustration of the one-of-a-kind aspect of the nature of man, as with all the things of earth, it too falls short of the full revelation.
The carousel is an inanimate, life-less machine that one day Bible prophecy declares will melt with fervent heat and revert to the basic elements (2 Peter 3:10). Mankind, on the other hand, was designed to exist forever. The only question is where.
Christ did not die for machines or animals or buildings or political ideologies. Jesus died to redeem people back to Creator God estranged by sin.
You are so loved by God! You are so unique! You are so special! You are so valuable! You're priceless! You are God's masterpiece! You were created by a loving father who wanted a son or daughter. Earth would be a little poorer without you and heaven a little richer with you.
In a world that craves and often demands conformity, celebrate your individuality! Enjoy who you are and realize that God did not make a mistake when He made you. Scripture verifies that who you are, where you are, what ethnicity you share, and all the other details of you that are beyond your control were all part of God's master plan when He invented you.
My goal is to take all of me, just as I am, such as I am, and use everything I am to fulfill God's purposes for my life.
Let's consider today what God would have us do to make our unique, one-of-a-kind contribution to our world that no one else on earth can make in our place.
DSR
7/9/05
To celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary (July 4), my wife and daughter and I took a quick trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee to relax and play.
We stopped by Coolidge Park, one of the city's newest parks located next to the Tennessee River. At the park, there is a large fountain for the kids to run through, lots of greenery to stretch out on, and a pedestrian bridge crossing the river.
However, without question, the focal point of the park is the one-of-a-kind carousel, a machine that has a storied history and combines the old and new techniques of carousel carving.
In the early 1980's, a man named Bud Ellis founded "Friends of the Carousel" in Chattanooga and taught his friends and other supporters how to carve. When Coolidge Park opened, the carousel was its centerpiece. The ride utilized clear white lights, had a mirrored center column, beautiful round sweeps and fifty-two hand-carved animals that adorned it. In addition to the carvings, it featured two band organs, a Wurlitzer and a new Stinson organ.
The Coolidge Park Carousel combines 1895 carving techniques with 21st century technology to produce a one-of-a-kind ride. Painted on the bottom of the Stinson organ are the words, "Dedicated to Children of All Ages."
What impressed me about this unique carousel is that there is not another one like it in the world. These are not mass produced in an automated factory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There are not two of these carousels; there is one.
The story behind the labor of love, commitment, and dedication of a small army of men and women banded together for the cause of the preservation and restoration of a piece of history may never be fully told. And the best part of all this is that my wife and my daughter and I got to ride it! A priceless memory was made thanks to the efforts of people we will never know.
This carousel is a one-of-a-kind creation harvested from the imagination of man. In the same way, when God makes a human being, he or she is a one-of-a-kind creation originating from the very heart of God.
In many ways, the Coolidge Park Carousel and a human being are similar. Both are ingeniously designed. Both have been meticulously put together. Both require maintenance. Both bring joy and laughter and pleasure to those who interact with it.
To me, this unique carousel serves as an exclamation point to the fact that people are so personal, so individual, so one-of-a-kind.
We've probably heard the comparison of people to snowflakes--no two alike. It's common knowledge that everybody's finger prints, even footprints, are completely different, so much so that they are relied on as verifiable sources of identity.
The Psalmist, speaking of God, wrote, "Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours" (Psalm 86:8).
Mankind, created in God's image, shares this amazing quality. Truly, there is none like you, no deeds can compare with yours.
While the Coolidge Park Carousel serves as an excellent illustration of the one-of-a-kind aspect of the nature of man, as with all the things of earth, it too falls short of the full revelation.
The carousel is an inanimate, life-less machine that one day Bible prophecy declares will melt with fervent heat and revert to the basic elements (2 Peter 3:10). Mankind, on the other hand, was designed to exist forever. The only question is where.
Christ did not die for machines or animals or buildings or political ideologies. Jesus died to redeem people back to Creator God estranged by sin.
You are so loved by God! You are so unique! You are so special! You are so valuable! You're priceless! You are God's masterpiece! You were created by a loving father who wanted a son or daughter. Earth would be a little poorer without you and heaven a little richer with you.
In a world that craves and often demands conformity, celebrate your individuality! Enjoy who you are and realize that God did not make a mistake when He made you. Scripture verifies that who you are, where you are, what ethnicity you share, and all the other details of you that are beyond your control were all part of God's master plan when He invented you.
My goal is to take all of me, just as I am, such as I am, and use everything I am to fulfill God's purposes for my life.
Let's consider today what God would have us do to make our unique, one-of-a-kind contribution to our world that no one else on earth can make in our place.
DSR
7/9/05
Monday, July 4, 2005
I'm Ready
by David Scott Robertson
I'm ready.
I'm ready to let go of control of my life.
I'm ready to abandon myself to the Lord Jesus Christ.
At long last I'm ready.
It's taken a lifetime, but I'm ready.
I'm ready to release my future and destiny to God.
I'm ready to yield and submit fully to the lordship of Christ Jesus.
I'm ready to get radical and fanatical.
I'm ready to be politically incorrect.
I'm ready to get crazy for Jesus.
I'm ready to get buck wild for the vision to win souls and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
I'm ready to allow the Holy Spirit free reign in me to be His witness (Acts 1:8).
I'm ready to walk in the power of a New Testament believer.
I'm ready to lay hands on the sick and see them recover (Mark 16:17-18).
I'm ready to forsake sin, resist temptation, take my own thoughts captive for the praise of His glory (2 Corinthians 10:5).
I'm ready to be fully delivered so I can work with the Spirit to get others delivered fully.
I'm ready to pay the cost of being a disciple.
I'm ready to pray the price of being a man of prayer.
I'm ready to be a man full of God's Holy Spirit.
I'm ready to study to show myself approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
I'm ready to take the promises of the Bible and walk them out in practical, daily life.
I'm ready to preach, teach, and prophesy--whenever, wherever, to whomever--as the Spirit leads.
I'm ready to open my heart to Jesus, open my life to sinners, and open the way of life to persons wandering aimlessly, lost and alone on life's highway.
I'm ready to pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and pray in the Spirit through His anointing.
I'm ready to believe God for the supernatural to work in and through my life.
I'm ready to be like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18).
I'm ready to walk in the authority of a deputized follower of Christ who will do even greater works than Jesus because He said so (John 14:12).
I'm ready to fulfill those good works that God has prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians. 2:10).
I'm ready to rise up and conquer, to be an overcomer and not be overcome; to be a victor and not a victim; to walk in abundance and not lack; to be prosperous and in good health even as my soul prospers (1 John 3:2).
I'm ready to be about my Father's business and occupy until Jesus returns to earth in power and great glory (Luke 19:13).
Are you ready?
I'm ready!
Ready or not, devil, here I come!
DSR
7/4/05
I'm ready.
I'm ready to let go of control of my life.
I'm ready to abandon myself to the Lord Jesus Christ.
At long last I'm ready.
It's taken a lifetime, but I'm ready.
I'm ready to release my future and destiny to God.
I'm ready to yield and submit fully to the lordship of Christ Jesus.
I'm ready to get radical and fanatical.
I'm ready to be politically incorrect.
I'm ready to get crazy for Jesus.
I'm ready to get buck wild for the vision to win souls and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
I'm ready to allow the Holy Spirit free reign in me to be His witness (Acts 1:8).
I'm ready to walk in the power of a New Testament believer.
I'm ready to lay hands on the sick and see them recover (Mark 16:17-18).
I'm ready to forsake sin, resist temptation, take my own thoughts captive for the praise of His glory (2 Corinthians 10:5).
I'm ready to be fully delivered so I can work with the Spirit to get others delivered fully.
I'm ready to pay the cost of being a disciple.
I'm ready to pray the price of being a man of prayer.
I'm ready to be a man full of God's Holy Spirit.
I'm ready to study to show myself approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
I'm ready to take the promises of the Bible and walk them out in practical, daily life.
I'm ready to preach, teach, and prophesy--whenever, wherever, to whomever--as the Spirit leads.
I'm ready to open my heart to Jesus, open my life to sinners, and open the way of life to persons wandering aimlessly, lost and alone on life's highway.
I'm ready to pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and pray in the Spirit through His anointing.
I'm ready to believe God for the supernatural to work in and through my life.
I'm ready to be like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18).
I'm ready to walk in the authority of a deputized follower of Christ who will do even greater works than Jesus because He said so (John 14:12).
I'm ready to fulfill those good works that God has prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians. 2:10).
I'm ready to rise up and conquer, to be an overcomer and not be overcome; to be a victor and not a victim; to walk in abundance and not lack; to be prosperous and in good health even as my soul prospers (1 John 3:2).
I'm ready to be about my Father's business and occupy until Jesus returns to earth in power and great glory (Luke 19:13).
Are you ready?
I'm ready!
Ready or not, devil, here I come!
DSR
7/4/05
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