He was a careful man.  Careful of his walk, careful of the way he dressed, careful when he handled guns, and careful in the care of his horse.  Every morning he brushed the dust from his clothes, and every morning he combed his hair.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (To Tame a Land)

    “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”
              –John 17:18 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know that we ourselves are children of God, and we also know that the world around us is under the power of the evil one.”   –1 John 5:19 (Phillips)

It is important to realize that God does not ask the impossible.  When He says “love not the world” it is something that He expects us to do.  Look closely at 1 John 2:15-17.

         “Never give your hearts to this world or to any of the things in it. A man cannot love the Father and love the world at the same time. For the whole world-system, based as it is on men’s primitive desires, their greedy ambitions and the glamour of all that they think splendid, is not derived from the Father at all, but from the world itself. The world and all its passionate desires will one day disappear. But the man who is following God’s will is part of the permanent and cannot die.”  (Phillips)

These are solemn Scriptures, and yet the Lord expects us to abide by them.  
    One of our problems is that this passage of Scripture is often misinterpreted.  Some say that these verses mean that we are to segregate from society.  There is a religious life and there is a secular life; almost as if a person had a split personality.  The far extreme of this interpretation is monasticism, but there are many who practice it, such as the Amish, Old Order Mennonites and others.  Separate from society.
    Then there are those who have a partial interpretation–they define worldliness as they desire.  They have the “don’t do,” or “we will not do”–the choosing of certain things and by not doing these things they are not worldly.  There are some who say that they should not be interested in the things of the world, such as politics, social activities, economics…they say, “no Christian should ever be concerned about political matters because that is of the world.”  Some of them will become modern-day monks but shutting themselves up and shutting their eyes to the beauty of nature.
    Francis Schaeffer said, “True spirituality covers all of reality.”  Now, I want to take your attention to John 4:24.  It is a very common verse, one that we all know, yet few have the understanding of it.

         “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

We get stuck on the word “truth” in this passage.  What is truth in this verse?  J.B. Phillips does a better job of translating this.

         “God is spirit, and those who worship him can only worship in spirit and in reality.”

Truth here is reality.  We are to worship in reality!  That means whatever we do in life we should be able to worship.  Let me ask:  Do you worship at work?  Do you worship driving to and from work?  Do you worship at school, at activities, at sports?  We should be able to worship God wherever we are and if we cannot we should check where we are.  

       “If God is not in your typewriter as well as your hymnbook,
             there is something wrong with your religion.
    If your God does not enter your kitchen
          there is something the matter with your kitchen.
    If you can’t take God into your recreation
           there is something wrong with the way you play.
    If God, for you, does not smile,
          there is something wrong with your idea of God.”
                      –Peter Marshall

    I see that most Christians have two real difficulties.  First, they do not have an understanding of who God is.  True, we will never understand all, but we need the basic doctrines of God, and attempt to understand His attributes for us to worship properly.  Second, most do not comprehend what true worship is.  It is not only on a Sunday; it is not only singing up front; it is not just listening to praise music.  It is a way of life!  Paul shows us what true worship is.

         “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him…  And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”
                   –Colossians 3:17,23 (NKJV)

         I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
                   –Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

Phillips says, “intelligent worship”, the HCSB “your spiritual worship”, the Amplified ” your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.”
    Don’t be fearful of the world, but be able to worship in spite of the world.  Our heart belongs to God, therefore so does our worship.  “A man cannot love the Father and love the world at the same time.”  People get frustrated, and are unhappy in their Christian life because they do not want to face this text.  They want the world and God at the same time.  Then there are those who are so afraid to take a step in life that they are unhappy.  God wants us to be joyful people (go back and read 1 John 1).

It was better to have no friend than to have one and betray him.”
              –Charles A. Seltzer  (The Boss of the Lazy Y)

    “A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,”
              –Proverbs 6:18 (two of the seven things that are an abomination to the Lord in Proverbs 6)
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I’m posting quite a bit of verses from Psalm 55 this morning.  Take time to read them, ponder them and contemplate them.  Remember that God’s Word is food for the soul.

         9 – Destroy them, Lord, and confuse their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.
        10 – Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city.
        11 – Murder and robbery are everywhere there; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.
        12 – It is not an enemy who taunts me–I could bear that.  It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me–I could have hidden from them.
        13 – Instead, it is you–my equal, my companion and close friend.
        14 – What good fellowship we enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.
        15 – Let death seize my enemies by surprise; let the grave swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them.
        16 – But I will call on God and the LORD will rescue me.
        17 – Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice.
        18 – He rescues me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, even though many still oppose me.
        19 – God, who is king forever, will hear me and will humble them.   Interlude (Selah)
             For my enemies refuse to change their ways; they do not fear God.
        20 – As for this friend of mine, he betrayed me; he broke his promises.
        21 – His words are as smooth as cream, but in his heart is war.  His words are as soothing as lotion, but underneath are daggers!
        22 – Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you.  He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
        23 – But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction.  Murderers and liars will die young.” (NLT)

No, part of this is not from today’s newspaper.  It is life of David and he is showing two situations that he faces:  first is the external danger of the culture around him.  Cities, society, people are facing destruction.  The world is in a mess and David sees it and does not know what to do about it.  Lies, cheating, murder, robbery, violence, strife and terror–the real dangers lie within the city not from an outside enemy.
    The second issue that David is facing is betrayal–betrayal by a close friend.  This person went to “church” with him.  They did things together, they went places together, now the friend has turned against him.  David was angry, but he does not fall into sin with his anger; he does not take revenge.  Even through the trials and the emotional wringer, David is steady.  George O. Wood states this, “The Lord gives permission to express that anger to Him, but it is not acceptable for us to act on the anger.  Maturity in Christ takes us along an even higher and more difficult path:  forgiveness and overcoming evil with good.”
    One more thought.  Think of the Last Supper, the disciples in the room around the table with the Lord.  They are celebrating the Passover–the atoning sacrifice.  It is probably subdued giving to the circumstance, and then Jesus cast his eyes upon Judas.  A friend, a man who has shared the dust of the roads with Him, and shared the nights camped in the wilderness with Him–the betrayer.  Judas slipped out quietly, what did the others think?  But, Jesus knew.  Jesus truly felt the words of Psalm 55.

         “Cast thy burden upon the Lord,
          Only lean upon His Word;
          Thou wilt soon have cause to bless
          His unchanging faithfulness.”
                 –unknown

Voices From the Diamond
                                             May 7, 2021

    “What a great day for baseball.  Let’s play two.”
              –Ernie Banks

    “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
              –Philippians 2:3 (NKJV)
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No, you’re at the right place, and no I’m not changing the name of the morning devotion, except for today.  I have pondered since Monday about playing baseball.  Not dwelling on it, mind you, but thinking about it.  Maybe it is because of my birthday, and I’m older than the wood in some of those bats.  Perhaps it’s because of the book I’m reading about Bobby Richardson: Impact Player, or maybe just plain old nostalgia.
    From the time I was ten years old, all I ever wanted to do was play baseball.  If I wasn’t playing in a game, or practicing on a team I could always find a game going on at a school yard.  I would throw my glove on the handlebars of my bike and ride through the town of Boulder looking for a game.  If none was to be found I went to the back yard.  We had back steps, three of them and I would throw a tennis ball against them then field it playing an imaginary game.  Once in a while the ball would jump backward and hit the screen.  That wasn’t a problem until the screen broke and the ball would go up and hit the back door.  When I was fourteen we moved and the house had a stone foundation about four feet high–perfect for throwing a ball against hit for I had no idea where it would carom and I moved from a tennis ball to handballs and sometimes golf balls.  If it was raining I had developed a game with dice and I would play games between teams.  I had at least half the major league teams memorized.
    I was fortunate for Boulder was a baseball town.  I played, when I was twelve, on the All-Star team, the Boulder Skyline Larks.  We were able to take the state title, and then traveled by train to Cedar City, UT.  Now if that wasn’t an experience for a twelve year old and all because of baseball.  I was instrumental in defeating a team from Nevada by hitting two homeruns and driving in five.  We won a second game, then on to Salt Lake City where we were defeated by a team from Arizona in extra innings.  Talk about tears in the dugout.
    I was able to make the team in junior high where I played third base, and then made the team in high school where I played second, my normal position.  Through the years I played a lot at shortstop but second was my favorite position.  The shortstop and I practiced hours upon hours of different ways of turning a double play.  I learned that you don’t catch the ball but let it hit an open glove.  I was proud of my letter jacket–high school letterman, whooeee.
    Then on to college where I played four years.  That was the beginning of the change.  A change that was slow in coming because of my dreams, my desires.  No, I really didn’t worship baseball, but that’s all I wanted to do.  I had a good college career, even if we always didn’t have the greatest team, we had a good team.  I had a few scouts looking at me, and I talked with a couple.  In the summer I played semi-pro baseball after American Legion.  Like I said, Boulder was a great baseball town back then, and there was the awesome, powerful semi-pro team, the Boulder Collegians.  I played on the other Boulder semi-pro team, the Boulder Nuggets, consisting primarily of local talent.
    During my sophomore year in college, then my second year with the Nuggets, I could feel something deep-down gnawing at my heart.  It had always been baseball, baseball, baseball.  Ernie Banks once said, “Generate happiness within yourself,” and that’s what baseball was able to do.  I served the Lord, I wanted to serve the Lord.  I was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in college and was able to attend one of their camps in Estes Park.
    Baseball began to dwindle.  At the time I couldn’t tell you why.  A coach came my way with whom I didn’t get along with very well and that was unusual for me.  I still played as hard, for I took the Scriptures for a “motto” play as unto the Lord.  Which I was.  But was I giving my life totally to Him?  Little things happened.  But finally, it was while playing for the Nuggets that I realized I was in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing.  I had always played with kids who were not Christian, but now I was with adults and that is total different lifestyle.  The Lord was gently showing me that I was laying up treasures in the wrong places.
    To shorten the story, I tell people that I was finally drafted.  No, it wasn’t by the Tigers or the Red, the two teams that talked to me the most, but it was by Uncle Sam.  Vietnam was going hot and heavy, and I knew that as soon as I graduated, I would be drafted so I enlisted before I graduated and left for basic training one week after graduation.  In the Air Force I played fast pitch softball, which was fun, but it wasn’t like good old hardball, and back to the realization that I didn’t belong with those men.  The Lord took baseball from me; no, He didn’t grab me by the shoulders and said, “No, you can’t play!” but my little nudges along the way.  If was over a dozen years before I picked up a baseball and I was fortunate to coach a high school team in Louisiana.
    The game has changed so much.  Attitudes have changed, the game has changed, doubleheaders are almost a thing of the past (wouldn’t Ernie be disappointed?), now there is analytical baseball.  In other words, the computer tells you where to play.  Gone are the days of reading the hitter, how he stood in the batter’s box, what our pitcher was throwing.  (Sorry, I got side-lined for a moment shaking my head.)
    The Lord gave me wonderful opportunities.  I learned confidence, I learned to speak before people, I learned the importance of team.  I learned that there are more important things in life, such as the Lord Himself, family, and friends.  I was given a great ministry of teaching and discipling students for the Lord and for twenty-eight years I was able to coach.  Ha, but only a few of those years was I able to coach baseball.  I will finish this little biographical sketch (and I’m sorry to be long today, but I could have gone on) with the words from the other DiMaggio–Dom.

         “With us, the game and the desire to play it were the number one priority.  We took a tremendous pride in what we did and in how the public viewed us.  The money was well down on the list, maybe the third or fourth or fifth reason we were major league baseball players in 1941.” (or I could day 1968)
                   –Dom DiMaggio

    Today players want the money, but back in the day we would have paid to play.  If you would go to my university and look at the field no one could tell you how it came to be.  Everyday, after practice, and in the off season, about a half dozen of us players would take the time to work on the field–lay it out, mark it, put in the mound, make sure it was dragged, etc.  Come on, Ernie–let’s play two!

There was always a new ridge and a new canyon, and appreciation of them was heightened by a sense of expectancy.”
              –Luke Short  (Last Hunt)

    “For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].”
              –Philippians 1:21(Amplified)
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How To Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”  –1 John 5:19 (NASB)

Sometimes this old world gets us down.  When we look around at all of the evil and stupidity a person can get somewhat discouraged.  The devil would like to fill your heart with fear, and if that doesn’t work, he will just inject a bit of fear, of anxiety, of question.  These few verses from 1 John are to uplift us.  The enemy is out there, but we are overcomers.  We once walked in the darkness, but now we walk in the light.

         12 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”
                   –1 John 2:12-14(NASB)

    I have heard people say, good people, Christian people–“I can’t help it, I’m only human” as if that give an excuse.  There is a tendency nowadays to stop seeking to do the will of God.  People still live in the past, they say “I’m a sinner, but saved.”  Instead it should be, “I’m a saint, who sometimes lives with sin.”  Listen we strive to be holy, to do our best to keep His commandments.  Yes, it is a high standard, and we moan when we fail that we can’t do it.  Yes, we can, after we first get up and continue along the way.  The Holy Spirit is there to help us.
    These few verses show us the essentials of life.  Our sins have been forgiven, we know the Father, we have overcome the evil one.  We are strong in the Lord, and we have the Word of God to help us overcome.  We have the means, the power, and the victory–now we should live in it.  There is really no excuse for failure.  We no longer live in sin.  Provision has been made for salvation; provision has been made if we do sin (1 John 1:9).
    The past is there, we cannot erase the past, but we must be clear about the past.  We do not, we must not live in regret, but realize the love of Jesus for us and His provision for our daily walk and for the future.  We overcome sin because we have the Word of God in our hearts.

         “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”
                   –1 Peter 1:23 (NASB)

         “Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”
                   –James 1:21

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states, “If we feel that the demands of this Christian life are too high or impossible, it is nothing but sheer ignorance, a sheer lack of faith.”  Read the verses at the top again–we are victors, we are overcomers.
    True, as we go through this Christian journey of life, circumstances change.  Obstacles change as we grow in Christ.  It’s just like a baby growing–they are given tasks that fit their age and life, as they grow the tasks change.  As in our physical life, the spiritual life is much the same, as an adult we must work harder.  The struggles you have as you mature in Christ are different from when you first accepted Him into your life.