The Three “R’s”

We all have places of comfort.  Favorite restaurants, favorite rooms, and even favorite chairs – places we just like to go and spend some time.  Comfort is good, unless of course we get too comfortable with what’s wrong.  You see, it’s easy for us to become very comforatble in our sin and rebellousness.  Our culture not only encourages it, but it also excuses it.  When I was a kid, people used to talk about the three “r’s” – you know, “readin’, ‘ritin’, and ‘rithmetic.”  Well, the Bible has it’s own three “r’s.”  They are found, of all places, in the book of Revelation.

Jesus tells the church in Ephesus to “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5, ESV).  He says to first of all, remember.  Remember where you were and what you were doing before you became comfortable with doing what is wrong (or not doing what is right).  Look back and see the impact of all the negative changes in your lives.  Look back and see what it was like to have a heart for the things of God.  Look back in order to get a clearer perspective.  When I look in a mirror, I never see the pound or two (or maybe three or four) weight gain.  It’s when I look back at a snapshot in time do I see just how far I am from where I was.  Looking back reminds me of where I want to be.

Second, he says to repent.  We don’t talk much about repentance anymore.  It doesn’t seem to fit the contemporary religious dialogue.  It’s dated, stilted, and downright judgmental, and of course we are too sophisticated for anything so archaic.  Well, repentance is something we all need to do on a regular basis.  It simply means to turn around.  To stop going one way and begin going in a different way.  In other words, we need to quit the inappropriate behavior, the sinful behavior, and turn back to God.  It’s there we find forgiveness and restoration.

Finally, Jesus says to return.  He told the church to do the things they “did at first.”  Sin has a way of pulling us away from right living and right doing.  Get back to living right.  Get back to serving right.  Get back to loving right.  Get back to what God calls us to do.  Get busy.  Too many of us are resting on yesterday’s accomplishments.  Roll up your sleeves and begin doing the right things again.

It’s easy for us to drift from where we need to be.  It’s not so easy getting back on track.  We can do it with God’s grace.  We simply need to let God restore and revive us.  The ball is in our court.  Forgiveness is available.  Restoration is waiting.  A renewed sense of purpose is there.  God’s power is waiting to flow.  It can happen if we are willing to follow God’s three “r’s.” 

Five Things You Need to Know About The Superbowl

The Superbowl is this Sunday.  I know, you probably haven’t heard that yet.  Since kickoff is a little more than twenty-four hours away, here’s a little bit of fun before the upcoming game.

1. The Superbowl is the biggest party day of the year next to New Year’s Eve – it has become an unofficial holiday and an official killer of Sunday evening church services.
2. The NFL won’t let anybody use the word “Superbowl”- no kidding, it’s a copyright infringement.  I can understand the league’s policy.  After all, they are struggling to make ends meet in this tough economic environment.
3. By the time the game actually kicks off, you’ll be relieved more than excited – they talk about the game so much, you are almost sick of it before it gets here.  I was out of town for four days, and did not see a single report on the Superbowl, and somehow I survived.  I still know more than I need to, and more than I want to, about people’s careers, injuries, and favorite foods.
4. Someone from one of the teams is due to get arrested between now and kickoff- tragic, but true.  It’s a sad state of affairs today.  It seems like every year, someone does something stupid and finds himself in jail.  Hopefully, we can get to the game without someone do the “perp-walk.”
5. The Steelers will probably win (UGH!)- hate to say it, ’cause I can’t stand ‘em (sorry Steeler Nation).  Defense usually trumps offense, except of course when it’s the Dolphins, and they can’t tackle cotton pickin’ John Riggins on fourth down, but I’m over that now.