"The Scales Don’t Lie"

Posted on November 9, 2009 by garywfiggins

When you walk into the doctors office, one of the first things that the nurse asks of you is to step on the scales. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that for most all of us, we dread doing that. We don’t want to read those numbers that “squeal on us” about those bowls of ice cream we have before bedtime each night. Most of the time we wish those scales had read at least 20 pounds lighter. However, I want to speak to those few other times.
For example, there’s not a mom out there who doesn’t know what her child weighed upon birth. Then comes that first doctor visit when the infant is weighed to check on his/her growth to see if all is normal. There is the expectation that weight has been gained if all is well. For there to be no change in the childs weight in cause for alarm.
In Colossians, Paul writes to a church and tells them he has been praying that growth would take place in them. In Col. 1:9 he shares “We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, …”
Paul is in prayer that the church he planted is one that is healthy and spiritually growing, that God is changing them every day. He is hoping that is what will happen. It is to be expected.
Compare that to what he says in another letter to a different church, the one in Thessalonia:
“We remember before our God and Father you work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope. . .you became imitators of us . . . and you became a model to all the believers . . .your faith in God has become known everywhere.”
Wow! The Thessalonians didn’t have to be afraid to step on the scales. They were not afraid of its reading, because their health was evident. They had been taking care of spiritual business. They were eating the right things and exercising in the right way (spiritually speaking). But you see, for those who are in Christ, that is a natural occurrence. Just as sure as an infant is expected to gain weight, it is expected that a newborn Christian would progress toward maturity. Paul is saying to Thessalonia, with a pinch on the cheek, “My how you have grown.”
In 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul delivers a challenge to another church. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you., unless, of course, you fail the test?”
So come on folks, let’s all line up at the scales. You know, the truth be told, most times we know what those scales are going to say before we reluctantly step on them. We are all too aware of the excessive calories and the lack of exercise. We know we have strayed too long and too far from the Word of God and that our actions and attitudes of recent days betray that fact.
Let’s get back to time in the Word and serving in the Lord that health may return.
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"Keep Out"

Posted on November 3, 2009 by garywfiggins

I remember watching “Little Rascals” when I was a kid. They were a rag-tag group of kids that were kind of their own gang; not the inner-city stuff of today, but just street kids looking for a place to belong. They had a secret club house with a sign on the door similar to the one above; “Keep Out”.
Maybe you had a secret club when you were a kid. Perhaps a special tree house, or sometimes just the bedroom; but there was a sign on the door that said, “Keep Out”, or “No Boys Allowed”, or “No Girls Allowed”. Perhaps your club had a secret phrase or password, or an innitiation ritual. You just didn’t want anyone to belong. You had to be exclusive in some way.
That was fun, and for the most part harmless as a kid, but it is a little more tragic when in adulthood.
I’ll try not to fan the flames too much, because I don’t want some secret society seeking me out, thinking I am out to do away with them. But, there are still thousands of clubs today that are exclusive in many different ways. Some still have handshakes and innitiations. For some, exclusivity is in finances, as membership comes with a pretty steep price tag. Some, perhaps all, have rules you must abide by, or contributions you must make.
It was clubs like this that came to mind when reading in Ephesians the other day. The Jewish people of the church were having a hard time letting the Gentiles into their club. “They are not like us.” They wanted these new people to do the rituals, the handshake, if you will. “Before you can be a part of this church, you have to become like us. You have to keep the rituals.”
Paul said, “Wait a minute.” Jesus came to do away with the division and the secret handshake. Jesus said finances, gender, social status, former religion, is no longer a reason for exclusion. He has come to break down the “dividing wall” and to bring the two groups together as one. “There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism…”
Are there perhaps still attitudes of exclusivity that exist in the church today that Christ removed a long time ago. Do we expect people to become good “Americans” to be a real part of the church? Do we expect appearances and customs to comply with the way we think and do things?
Honestly, for all of us, me as well, it is hard not to let those attitudes run amuck sometimes. We must refrain from looking down our noses at those we consider eccentric or different.
Jesus has broken down all the barriers. There is only one left really, those that in faith have made Him their Lord, and those who, as yet, have not.
We should be making it easier for people to get into this club, not harder. Membership (not meaning to oversimplify, but for brevity) is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaiming Him Lord of your life.
Join me in looking around here at Fairview. Let’s be on the lookout for signs that say “Keep Out” or that say, “Sinners need not Apply.” Those are certainly signs that Jesus would not want to be there.
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"Intensely Intentional"

Posted on October 28, 2009 by garywfiggins

I believe this photo, and videos like it, are the depiction of intensity. No half hearted effort here. That is what I find intriguing about the Apostle Paul. He was totally sold out to Jesus and the Church. His letters are intense. His method of evangelism was intentional. It consumed him.

In Colossians you find these words. “For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power that works within me.” Also he shares; “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf.” and, “Praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which we have been imprisoned.” Certainly no loping around here.

Too often our lives pale in comparison.

It delights me to think what my world would be like if you and I would be as intense in our efforts to reach the world for Christ as this gazelle is to escape the clutches of it’s captor. The Lion that is after us all is certainly just as intense and his zeal must be met with equal force.

Feel yourself getting tired in the chase? Remember Pauls’ use of the words, “His power that works within me.” God will supply the strength. He will also steer us in the right direction. Our job is not to get sidetracked, not to let ourselves be worn out by the destractions.

Put yourself in the place of the gazelle. What extra stuff are you carrying right now that is slowing you down, making you easy prey. Will you not decide with me today to renew your efforts to (1.) grow in Christ and (2.) reach another for Christ. To fail in this will certainly be disastrous.

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Posted on October 6, 2009 by garywfiggins

A very fond memory from early childhood was being at my grandmothers house. In the afternoon we would sit down at the table and have a cup of coffee. The cups were not simply placed on a table but in matching saucers. I don’t know why, but when she poured the coffee, she always poured more than the cup would hold. The coffee would run down the sides of the cup into the saucer. It’s probably not proper etiquette, but when we finished with the contents of the cup, we always drank from the saucer as well.
Every time I read the Psalmist’s words, “My cup overflows,” that is the image that comes to mind.

I’m afraid that in todays’ world, that is not a phrase that we identify with very often. The news media is constantly reminding us of what is wrong with the world and how we should be afraid. We are bombarded with negativity and constantly reminded of how we are being “short-changed”. There are certainly a whole host of things that we could think on to depress us. I certainly deal with them every week and I know I don’t have to convince you.

That’s why “My cup overflows”, is such a memorable statement. It gets my attention. Last week I overheard a young lady respond to “How are you doing?” with “I am blessed.” Memorable, don’t you think. Answers like, “better and better”, “awesome”, “couldn’t be better” are all head turners. They cause people to think. They are reminders to us all that our cup is surely overflowing Try singing that song, “Count Your Blessings”, and put it into practice and, if you give it even 10% effort, you’ll be considerably amazed.

Yea, my blessings have certainly spilled over into the saucer. I close with this poem to that effect.

I’ve never made a fortune,
and I’ll never make one now,
But it really doesn’t matter’
cause I’m happy anyhow.
As I go along my journey
I’m reaping better than I’ve showed.
I’m drinking from the saucer’
Cause my cup has overflowed.
I don’t have a lot of riches,
And sometimes the going’s tough
But with kin and friends to love me
I think I’m rich enough.
I thank God for the blessings
That His mercy has bestowed.
I’m drinking from the saucer’
Cause my cup has overflowed.
He gives me strength and courage
When the way grows steep and rough,
I’ll not ask for other blessings
forI’m already blessed enough.
May we never be too busy
To help bear another load;
Then we’ll all be drinking from the saucer
When our cups have overflowed.
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"NO WORRIES"

Posted on September 22, 2009 by garywfiggins

Now that’s a prepared table!

No card table here. No TV trays and folding chairs. No paper plates and sporks. No paper towels for napkins. There are no styrophone cups, No scrunched up seating, with the constant “excuse me” as someone bumps into you as they try to get through the line. Oh yea, and no line! You are sitting down at the table and being waited upon.
Dare I mention what’s on the menu. I’ll tell you what’s not. You’ll find no tater tots here, No reconsituted anything, No chicken nuggets, No turkey breast that’s been ground up and squished into a tube to be sliced and hidden in green gravy. It’s all being prepared by the greatest chef of all time. It’s the ultimate feasting experience. Oh yea, and a very important part, someone else has picked up the tab.
Man, I can sure get excited about that. I really like that “Thou preparest a table before me,” part in the Shepherd’s Psalm. What I have said above can’t even hold a candle to the preparation that’s really going on. God said it hasn’t even entered into the mind of man, the things He has prepared for us.
But wait, there’s more. (not meaning to sound like an infomercial.) The more part is where the banquet table is. “In the presence of my enemies.” Oh Oh!
Now it could be that this table is in a banquet hall, but since a warrior shepherd is writing this, I forsee the above mentioned table set out on a grassy plain with hordes of metal clad, war-cry shouting, giant philistines on the horizon. Who could possibly enjoy even a scrumptious meal in such a setting. As a dean at a children’s camp, I found I had to take my meals to an adjacent, quiet room because their innocent noise gave me indigestion. I can’t imagine being able to enjoy anything with hordes of people screaming for my head. . . Kind of like President Obama at a Republican fund -raiser.
But, the great part of it all is, there are no worries here. It matters not who is in the room or on the horizon that is out to get you. There dastardly plans will come to naught because you are in perfect peace in the presence of the master chef/shepherd. He has come to give us peace and an abundant life.
I like that Philippians passage that says. “in no way alarmed by your opponents — which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God” Phil. 1:28 . NASU
Dinner is served. Let’s eat!
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Life Is Like a Tomtom

Posted on September 8, 2009 by garywfiggins

The fog was thick on the drive into work this morning. In places the visibility was less than 200 feet so I had to pay close attention to what I was doing and what few surroundings that were visible. A person stays especially focused in such situations. There is not a lot of surrounding scenery to take your mind off of what you are doing.
Similarly, I have a device in my car that enables me to get to whatever address I punch into it. There are many such gizmo’s but mine is called a Tomtom. Now this particular device contains just the basic, no nonsense information. The bottom line is that it shows me where I am, where the road is in front of me, and shows me the approaching intersections a few hundred feet before I get to them. It will do a little more than that, but the point here is, it doesn’t show me what’s going on ten miles down the road. The screen is so small and I don’t have the opportunity to look at the big picture. I need to be content with the fact of “this is where you are” on your journey.
That makes me uncomfortable at times. What if this thing is taking me in the wrong direction? I want to see the big picture so I can decide if I wish to go that way or not. Sometimes, when I’m just playing around with it in my own home town, it tries to take me in directions that I know there are better ways. What if it is also doing that when I am totally lost? What if there is a better way?
My spiritual life is like that a lot of times as well. I like to know the big picture. “God, where are you taking me?” I’m not too keen on that “One day at a time, sweet Jesus . . .” song. No, I prefer a year in advance notice. I want to know where I am, where I am going, how best to get there, and how long it’s going to take. I want to unfold the big map, get out the atlas and look at the big picuture. But sometimes God says, “This little picture is all you get.” “Take no thought for tomorrow . . .”
It was a lot like that in Exodus, when God said to the Israelites, “Follow this.” and He put a pillar of fire in front of them to lead them. There was no “big picture”, but rather, Here is where you are, and here is where we stop for the night. There was no thinking, “Oh come one, lets go a little further today.” No sir. Tomorrow will be another day.
Man, that’s tough! That is trust indeed; trust that God’s timing and directions are always best; trust that He will always steer me in the right direction and at the right time; trust that He will tell me what I need to know when I need to know it. My responsibilty is to stay focused on where I am and make sure that God is still in front of me. My job is to be ready for “Turn here!” and then to turn, immediately and unquestioningly in the direction that He leads me.
My prayer for today, “Lord, let the little picture be enough.”
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"Righteous Paths"

Posted on August 31, 2009 by garywfiggins

Years ago, as a kid, I went to the University of Kentucky with a 4-H team from Bracken County. It’s a long story, but I wasn’t even in 4-H at the time and went as a favor/friend to someone who was on a livestock judging team. The next thing I knew, I had my hands all over sheep, steers, and hogs, judging groups of 4 animals and placing them in order of best, second, and so on. I had no idea what I was doing. I was watching what everyone else was doing and attempting to look the part of a judge. Then I picked out which animal I thought looked best to me. All was going kind of OK until we had to meet with one of the advisors and explain why we placed the animals in the placement positions that we did. I remember the advisor saying, “Well, I placed the animals in all the same ranks that you did, but for totally different reasons.” I think the cat was out of the bag. I had no idea what I was doing.
I have learned in all such contests that the judge is comparing the animal to an “ideal” specimen. The ideal specimen would be what the perfect animal would look like. The trouble is that the absolute “ideal animal” does not exist. The judment of the animals at best is a comparison of that animals qualities to the ideal qualities. There may be pictures to illustrate and compare to, but there are no “perfect animal” pictures.
Similar to that story is the way we live our lives. Some are going through the motions and doing things they see others doing without knowing why. Ask them about “goodness” or “righteousness” and they may not know how to describe what that is. “Righteousness” can perhaps best be described as “rightness”.
The problem is, have any of us ever been right all of the time. You or I may appear “more right” than our neigbors. We may compare ourselves to the rightness of others, but the problem is, there are no neighbors who are “ideally right” or righteous. Paul said in the book of Romans that there are “None Righteous.”
Yet the Psalmist writes, “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” It’s more involved than time and space allow me today, but I can’t walk in righteousness alone. I haven’t the slightest capabiltiy of doing so, nor do you. But, in Christ, who is our righteousness, I am able. As I have accepted the price he paid for my unrighteousness I am declared righteous by God. As I allow Him to work in me and lead me; as I look to Him in my decision making, I am also able to comparatively and gradually live more righteously day after day.
No in the animal kingdom, the perfect ideal may not exist, but in humanity it does. It does in Christ Jesus, the only one to ever live truly righteously.
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Posted on August 26, 2009 by garywfiggins

I Don’t know how well you can see this small picture. It was taken a few years ago by me on a trip to Switzerland. We spent 3 days in the Alps and happened to be camping in a valley with dozens of waterfalls all around us. These waterfalls are created by melting winter snows and fall literally hundreds of feet to the valley floor. Unless you have been there, you cannot imagine the sound.
One particular day I was hiking above 12,000 feet and walking along a huge stream to the point that it plummeted to the valley floor. I was surrounded by the chirping of the birds of spring as well as the sound of the raw power of the water and I thought, “So this is how the mountains do it. This is how they pour forth their praise to God.”
Do you remember Psalm 98? Verse 8 says, ” Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the LORD,” NIV
Remember when the Pharisees tried to get Jesus to stop the people from crying out “Hosanna”. Jesus reminded them that “Out of mouths of children and infants He would recieve praise.”
Wow! All creation is made to honor and praise the One who made it. No wonder our hearts swell, a lump grows in our throats, and our eyes get a little misty. I consider it a priveledge to join all creation in lifting praises in all ways I can to my Lord and King.
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"He Makes Me Lie Down"

Posted on August 20, 2009 by garywfiggins


I have a border collie. If you have ever had one you will know all too well what I say is true.

Charlie lives to herd things. Cats, cars, dogs, chickens, people, sheep, and anything else that moves. Charlie throws buckets in the air so they will roll and he can herd them if nothing else happens to be moving.

It matters not that it may be 100 degrees – humidity of 100%, and his tongue hanging two feet out of his mouth. He has to be moving. So sometimes, for his own well being, I have to pen Charlie up. Oh he chases his tail inside his dog-house for awhile as he attempts to herd himself, but eventually he lays down.

I am wondering how much like Charlie you and I are. I know I am guilty. I can’t or won’t stop. The really stupid thing is that I am acutally up at 4 am doing this article and getting ready for Sunday, a day of rest? Not for preachers/ nor most of the rest of you anymore.

God said we need rest; a day of it; 24 hours of it. The very thought of that seems unbearable to me. I would be like Charlie, chasing my tail. Yet, my creator who definitely knows me better than I know my dog says, “It’s time to lie down.” David said, “He makes me lie down”.

Max Lucado, in his book, Traveling Light, reminded me that God spent more time on the commandment to rest, than any of the other 9. And we still think that working all seven is a good – if not necessary – thing?

I have my work cut out for me on this one, as I suppose you do too. I need to learn to trust the Shepherd that the herding will get done even if I’m not the one doing it for a day. The world didn’t come apart when God rested for a day and it won’t if you or I do either.

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Posted on August 11, 2009 by garywfiggins

“The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”
That may have been what David said, but not me. I want. I want a lot, and I want it now! McDonalds has convinced me that “I deserve a break today.” Obama has convinced me that I am deserving of as much as my neighbors, that we are all in this together, so I want. I want my $4,500 for my clunker and my $8,000 for my house, and my free health care, and my “partridge in a pear tree.”
That’s the way I used to be, until almost 20 years ago when I went to Haiti and met my brothers and sisters down there. It was a long time after that before I could set down to a Thanksgiving meal and enjoy myself without feeling guilty. It takes a few months after returning from Haiti for the memories to fade of what I saw there. (I wish I could infuse the smells of constantly burning garbage and raw sewage into the above photo for you to experience.)
What I saw was unimaginable poverty. Yet in the midst of that poverty there was more joy than I find at home in the States standing in the middle of our Super Stores of Stuff.”
“Madison Avenue” does a great jobwith advertizing and convincing us that more things will produce more happiness, and so we buy, buy, buy. But it’s all a sham. Things do not bring happiness.
Returning from a place like Haiti, the statements of scripture scream at me with the reality of truth.
“A man’s life does not consist of the things he possesses.”
“I have learned the secret of being content with little or much.”
“The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”
Yes, before I knew in my head that I shouldn’t covet so many material things, but knowing not to want and not wanting are not the same thing. After seeing the hight of joy amidst the depth of poverty that so many had in Haiti, – – – well let’s just say it’s no longer just a head thing, It’s found its way deep into my soul. May God enable it to stay there for the rest of my days.
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