Steve Sikes Blog  

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“For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Colossians 3:13-14
God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

Copper was my horse.  He was a beautiful appaloosa, brown with white markings.  He loved to run and strut and “show his stuff” and I loved to be on his back when he did it!  But Copper had a problem: he didn’t like to slow down or turn when I wanted him to – especially when headed for home!  Many a time as a teenager, when riding Copper back to the barn at full gallop, he would attempt to brush me off at the telephone pole by our house.  Perilous?  Well, “sortof” but I didn’t think about it back then because I had a plan.
As Copper would angle for the telephone pole at top speed, I would pull my right foot out of the saddle stirrup and swing my leg out of the way.  The stirrup would hit the pole as we went flying past and then I’d swing my leg back over, put my boot in the stirrup and finish our ride to the barn.  Over the years of riding Copper, the above was repeated again and again.  It became a game.  I was the rider and supposedly the one in control of the horse, but when we headed for the barn – we both knew who was in control!  My bridle and bit had little effect on Copper at this time; I was just along for the ride.  Telephone pole – here we come!
Copper became an expert in “taking the bit” (controlling the bit instead of the bit controlling him)!  Plus, it didn’t help matters any that I allowed Copper to play the “telephone pole” game with me repeatedly.  Ultimately, Copper developed into the horse nobody wanted to ride at full throttle.  Well, almost nobody!
Come to think about it, my Dad didn’t have trouble riding Copper!  Dad was 220 pounds of hardened sinew and muscle and years of experience as a rider of horses.  All kinds of horses!  When Dad got in the saddle, he stayed in the saddle; when Dad wanted a horse to obey, he obeyed.  Copper knew his master – his only master, and it wasn’t me!  Dad wasn’t about to play that telephone pole game with Copper, and Copper knew it!  The same bridle and bit that didn’t work for me, worked for Dad.  Hmmmm.
When I read the book of James, I sometimes imagine the author in his youth who quite possibly loved to ride horses (or donkeys) around Nazareth!  Look out, Jesus!  Years later, James writes about horses and bits.  Listen:

“Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well…For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race.  But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”  (James 3:3, 7-8)
Did you hear that!  (Read all of James 3!)  After telling us all the horrific effects of the tongue, James says that NO ONE can tame it!  It won’t stop when we want it to stop!  It won’t turn when we want it to turn!  Telephone pole – here we come!  Right?  Wrong!
Remember how James begins his book?

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith without any doubting…”  (James 1:5-6)
ames says that if we want wisdom – we should ask for it in faith (nothing doubting) and our Father will give it to us.  Later, James brings the topic of wisdom back up again – right in the middle of his two long discourses on the negative effects of the tongue (chapters 3 & 4)!  James describes this wisdom from above as:

“…first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”  (James 3:18)
Now let me ask you, who is the wisest person you have ever met?  Not the smartest but the WISEST!  All of the truly wise women and men I have ever known have all been sons and daughters of God!  And, although not perfect, they have all been pure in their thinking, peacemakers in their actions, gentle in their demeanor, full of mercy and good fruits, and completely genuine without hypocrisy!  OK, Steve, so what’s your point?
James just says WE can’t tame the tongue!  But James strongly implies there is One who can!  We desperately need our wise Heavenly Father in the saddle controlling the reins on our tongues!  Now that’s wisdom from above!  It’s been years since I’ve ridden a horse of any kind.  However, when I “take the bit” in my own mouth and say what I want to say instead of what the Holy Spirit wants me to say… I’m reminded of Copper. <u>Telephone poles aren’t meant to be brushed by – they’re meant to keep communication lines open!</u>  Are yours?

Yesterday I ate lunch with Matt Fortunato and Rachel Cooper.
We spent over an hour planning our upcoming Collingswood – Pitman Young Adults’ LIFE Group. During our conversation, Matt reminded us of the meaning of the Greek word hospitality:philoxenos (a “lover of strangers” 1 Peter 4:9) or “a love of strangers” Romans 12:13).
Job was a lover of strangers! “The alien has not lodged outside, for
I have opened my doors to the traveler.” (Job 31:32)

This past week’s online Christian Chronicle shared a “lover of strangers” story concerning twenty-five New Orleans’ evacuees fleeing from hurricane Gustav. When they fled New Orleans three years ago and
were housed by our brethren in West Monroe, Louisiana, they were
strangers. Last week they were welcomed back as family!
Some “hurricanes” that take place in our lives are not physical, and guests are not all “strangers.” I thank God for you as a church family
for your ongoing hospitality. Right now, the Coopers have opened up
their home to five guests! Go, God! Hurricane Hospitality is among
us! God is good all the time!

In 1958 the Everly Brothers recorded a song called “Dream.”  The song begins with the words – “Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream…”  Last Sunday Night was the finale of our six summer dream sessions.  Great stuff! The following synopsis is what I heard:
*Body over building: “Our church body (family) is so much more important than a new church building.  We are so gifted, so diversified and yet so unified.  Let’s grow via each member using his/her giftedness for the Lord (Romans 12); in our diversification, let’s keep pursuing unity (Ephesians 4); and let’s keep serving God and one another, no matter where we move or what we build.”
*Faith over feeling:  “Faith is what God wants.  We all have feelings concerning what we would like to do, but let’s keep walking by faith and see where God leads.”
*Love over all:  “To many, the Pitman church is known for her love for God and one another (John 13:34-35).  Let’s keep love a priority and grow even more in this area.”
*Outreach/Inreach:  I was particularly intrigued and encouraged by Charles Peterson’s 19 word dream statement: “My vision for the Pitman Church of Christ is that our desire for outreach matches our desire for inreach.”  Talk about a church without walls!
NOW WHAT?  Remember… when God gives a dream, He expects action – NOT as the song says, “I’m dreaming my life away!” CHH: Dream, Decide, Dare, Do It!  GIG!