“LOW VALUE PROBLEM SOLVING” – Feb. 3

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.  Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!”  Psalm 72:18-19

The following is a devotion I was allowed to share with students at a recent NCFCA National Open tournament in Spokane, WA.  I hope you find it encouraging.

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I have been reading a book by Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel, called “High Output Management”.  It is not a Christian book and I don’t know if Andy Grove was a Christian.  This is, as the title suggests, a book on management.

I read a statement in his book regarding the manufacturing process that I found profound enough to post it on Instagram (@blom.jd), which is the true measurement of a quote.  I believe this singular sentence encapsulates a truth that goes beyond the production of widgets or the motivation of employees.  He stated:

 A common rule we should always try to heed is to detect and fix any problem in a production process at the lowest-value stage possible.

Obviously, the context of his statement is manufacturing.  Simply, it is better to remedy a problem as close to the raw materials of a manufacturing process as possible.  It really is a common-sense statement.  It is always better to discover a problem before you make continued investments of time, money, intellect, and a myriad of resources.

However, there is a universality of this simple principle that goes beyond business.  Simply change the words, production process, and you may see a much wider application.

A common rule we should always try to heed is to detect and fix a problem in our relationships, friendships, school studies, debate case, speeches, at the lowest-value stage possible.  Doesn’t that make sense?

When is the best time to dump a problematic debate case or a cluttered speech?

At the last tournament, after you have invested much time and effort or
before the season even begins?

Obviously, it will be far better to address the problem before the season starts,
at the lowest-value stage.

It makes sense.

This morning I look out and see a crowd of individuals who are at a very low-value stage.  Now, don’t be offended; “he called me low-value”.  I did not.  I am observing that most of you are at the beginning of your potential.  You are at the starting line of a myriad of different paths.  Soon, you will be making massive investments in the subsequent steps on your individual paths that we call life.

Therefore, is it not sensible to try to detect and
fix any problems at this early stage in your life?

I can tell you as a middle-aged man who has had to address problems later in life, at “higher value” stages of life, that it gets much more difficult and messy the longer you wait to address a problem.  Therefore, my first advice to you this morning is to live by the simple principle:

It is far better to detect and fix problems when they are small and manageable,
before they become difficult and messy problems.

My next advice is associated with how to detect and fix these small problems in our lives, which leads me to another book I am reading, the Complete works of Jonathan Edwards.  The other day I posted this quote from my readings to Instagram.

Let us endeavor to obtain, and increase in, a sensibleness of our great dependence on God, to have our eye to him alone, to mortify a self-dependent and self-righteous disposition.

I look out upon you all this morning, and I see the sovereign hand of God.  I see a generation being raised in the power of the Holy Spirit for the challenges of a time yet to come.  I see excellence elicited, skills sharpened, intellect ignited for what, I do not know but I do know that it is for a purpose.

This is all for a purpose.

Therefore, I implore you this morning hear Jonathan Edwards’ advice because I know of few problems that have a greater potential to seep into your life and ruin all of this wonderful potential then problems from the seeds of self-dependence and self-righteousness.  If you do not detect them early then they will manifest themselves later in your life, at higher-value stages, when it will be much more painful and destructive.

• Take on an attitude of imperfection; continually, daily, seeking out problems before they are difficult and messy problems.
• Endeavor to obtain and increase in the sensibleness of your complete dependence on God; it truly is sensible – learn what that means and increase in that understanding.
• Start a practice of setting your eyes on Him alone. Learn how to control your mind.
• Start a practice of mercilessly putting to death an attitude of self-dependence.  You are who you are by the grace of God alone.
• Prune every bud of self-righteousness, before you and others are forced to taste its bitter fruit.

I earnestly encourage you, today, to live a life that endeavors to set your mind on the things of the Spirit.  Allow the Spirit today, through the grace of God, to increase your dependence on the one who has rescued your soul and be obedient to your calling.

PRAYER: Lord, I pray that you will reveal the roots of self-dependence, the buds of self-righteousness that we are harboring unaware.  Show us how sensible it is to depend upon you.  Empower us in our endeavor to live a life that is killing self-dependence and self-righteousness and glorifies you in all that we do.  I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

 

WORSHIP WEDNESDAY (Kristene DiMarco)

The first step of a child of God is to follow Jesus.
The last step of a child of God is to follow Jesus.
Every intermediate step a decision to follow and not stray.

I worshiped this morning to this reminder from Kristene DiMarco to be resolute and decisive in ever one of our intermediate steps of faith.  The lyrics of the song are:

My heart is steadfast oh God, and I won’t be led astray
by the things that, simply will fade before Your face Oh,
And I will follow You, I’m wrapped up in You, I belong to You

I was made for this, one thing is to see and to seek Your goodness
Take me by the hand and lead me

And I will follow You, I wrapped up in You, I belong to You

I have decided, and I have resolved in my heart
that I will go anywhere, anywhere just to see Your face
I have decided, and I have resolved in my heart
that I will go anywhere, anywhere, anywhere
just to see Your face

I will follow You, I wrapped up in You, I belong to You

Moments may come when I feel so afraid but
I rest in the promise you made that You will remain forever faithful and

I will follow You, I wrapped up in You, I belong to You

I belong to You

~ Kristene DiMarco, I will Follow You

 “I claim no right to myself, no right to this understanding,
this will, these affections that are in me.
Neither do I have any right to this body or its members,
no right to this tongue, to these hands, feet, ears or eyes.
I have given myself clear away and
not retained anything of my own.”
― Jonathan Edwards

 

“HORROR OF THE GOSPEL” – Dec 10

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”  Revelation 21:10-11

I ran across a website the other day that uses a statistical analysis tool to analyze your word choice and writing style and compares them with those of the famous writers.  It then tells you the famous writer you write like. (I Write Like)  I was intrigued to discover what famous writer had seeped into my psyche to influence my writing.  I read my writing and am without any reasonable explanation as to the influence in the style and words I use.

I cut and pasted the text from my last blog post, Spiritual Thermodynamics, into the analysis tool on the website.  As I completed the menial task, I imagined which names might emerge from the analysis.

C.S. Lewis … John Steinbeck … Nathaniel Hawthorne … J.R.R. Tolkien…
Robert Frost … Daniel Silva … Mark Buchanan … Edmund Morris…
David McCullough … Louis L’Amour… John Piper…
Tom Clancy … Jerry Bridges … Joel Rosenberg…

I have read multiple books by these authors.  Surely, their style has crept into how I put words to computer screen.

I finished the cutting and pasting of the text of my writing and with anticipation clicked the Analyze button.  I had wanted the program to take some time in processing its work but it immediately provided its analysis:

H. P. Lovecraft (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

H. P. Lovecraft

Yeah!???

I had no idea who H. P. Lovecraft was.  Therefore, I did what every modern scholar does.  I Googled him.  According to H.P Lovecraft Archieves, “HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT (20 August 1890–15 March 1937) is probably best known as a writer of weird fiction…”.  He is universally consider the father of modern horror and the inspiration for modern-day stories of success such as Stephen King (“The Shining”), John Carpenter (“In the Mouth of Madness”), Robert Bloch (“Psycho”), Clive Barker (“Hellraiser”) and Anne Rice (“Interview with the Vampire”).  (H.P. Lovecraft – Biography)

This was not the famous writer that I thought might be lurking in my style, particularly since I have never read any of his writing.

I realize that there is a difference between writing style and genre.  However, it strikes me as a little strange that a horror writer and a devotional writer would have the same writing style.  Although, the similarities of our writing may actually extend beyond mere word choice and style.

I write short devotionals based upon my morning Bible reading.  To me, I am not writing horror stories but consider the message to those who reject my faith and beliefs.  I have once again finished reading through the entire Bible.  I love the completeness of scripture.  I love the fact that God’s redemptive plan can be seen in Genesis.  I love that the pattern for the forgiveness of sin is laid out in the Law of Moses.  I am comforted by God’s longsuffering patience with a rebellious people.   I am astounded by His abounding love in sending His Son as the lamb for propitiation of a sinful people.  I am speechlessly grateful for His grace and mercy in the creation of new life in those who are born again.  I am dumbfounded by the mysteries of sanctification.  I am fearful of His justice.

I am in awe of my God who has revealed Himself through this Word that I call the Bible.

I absolutely love Chapter 22 of Revelations because it is such a fitting manner to conclude the inspired words of Moses, the prophets, disciples and apostles.  All of scripture comes to a crescendo in what was shown to John:

…the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; … No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.  They will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads.  And night will be no more.  They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.  (Revelations 22:1-5)

Brent Nelson / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

That is a message of hope for me, but it is not a universal message of hope for all people.

I read Revelation 21:6 and am encouraged:

And He said to me, “It is done!  I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

Stuck in Customs / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

To those who reject Christ, they read Revelation 21:7:

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexual immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. 

That truly is a horror story.  The message of the gospel to me is eternal life with the God of love and mercy.  The message of the gospel is foolishness to those who stumble over God’s judgment as a horror story too harsh to believe.  They read Jonathan Edwards‘ sermon, Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God, and reject that God as a relic of a superstitious age.

Yet, there are real horror stories in this world.  The greatest horror story is the just punishment of those who reject the Son of God and the redemption from their sin.  We should never soften the reality of the horror of this fallen world.  Jonathan Edwards’ sermon was an instrumental spark for the Great Awakening.  The message of the Bible is “come”.  Come to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh for your sin and my sin, to condemn sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us (Romans 8:3).  No one needs to “come” if there is no horror to escape.  The good news remains that God has provided a way from all who come to Him to escape the horror of judgment.

Don’t stumble over the message of Jesus Christ.  Hear His words and respond:

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”  And let the one who hears say, “Come.”  And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.  (Revelation 22:17).

PRAYER: O Lord, thank you for opening my eyes to the good news of the Gospel.  Thank you for saving me from the horror of suffering the punishment that I have earned from my sin.  Jesus, I long for the day of your return.  May the day that you establish your kingdom here on earth come quickly.  Lord, thank you for your patience.  Thank you for granting more time for the lost to be drawn to you.  Father, call your children home; move them to respond to your voice and to come.   I pray this in the precious name of your Son,  Jesus Christ.   Amen.

LINGER NO MORE – Jan. 22

“Remember Lot’s wife.  Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” Luke 17:32-33

Shin Dong-hyuk grew up in a North Korean prison camp.  He was not serving a term in that camp due to crimes that he had committed.  He was born there.  He was serving a term called “three generations of punishment”.  This is a punishment for political prisoners in which parent, children, and grandchildren, serve life prison terms in these forced labor camps.

The only existence that Shin knew was that of the bleakness of Camp 14.

Shin told how he did not know there was a world outside the prison wires.  He did not know that the world was flat, round or square.  He did not know there was a United States of America or other countries.  All he knew was his existence of perpetual work in forced-labor factories, fields, or mines.  The only life he had ever known was one of constant hunger and exposure. A life where fellow prisoners were executed for “offences” such as hoarding a few kernels of corn and where inmates were starved to make them “repent”. It was a place where he was tortured at the age of 13 for his mother and brother being accused of trying to escape.

That was his life.  He said: “I just thought that those people who carry guns were born to carry guns and prisoners like me were born as prisoners.”

However, Shin’s existence changed in January 2005.  He and another inmate were gathering wood in a remote part of the camp that was near the electrified fence.  Shin’s partner made it to the fence first but was electrocuted as he pulled it down to escape.  Shin escaped that camp by crawling over the back of his dead partner.

When Shin got to the other side of the fence, he did not linger.  There were no nostalgic memories for him to reminisce over at the edge of that camp perimeter.  He ran.  He fled with all of his heart to escape the certain death that awaited him if he were caught.

Consider if Shin’s existence had not be so bleak.  What if Camp 14 had not been the residence of misery but a city of luxury?  What if the prison guards carried candy rather than guns?  What if those things that the prison had given to Shin were good, the food was cuisine, what he did was comfortable?  What if there was no torture?  What if all that he had ever known was a prison that fed his desires?  Would he have fled such a place?  Would he have crawled over a dead body to get away from such a place?

I don’t think that he would have been pressed to flee a city of luxury, particularly if that is all he had ever known.

The desire to linger at the edge of such a city would tempt us all.  There would be only one onus to leave, self-preservation.  The only reason any of us would flee a city of luxury would be if that place was certain death.  That would make you flee.  The imminence of that destruction would cause us to run and not look back.  Lot and his family were told to flee Sodom because its destruction was imminent.  Sodom was a city of craven luxuries.  That city was full of things that they loved and it was soon going to be destroyed.

Jonathan Edwards in his sermon, “The Folly of Looking Back in Fleeing Out of Sodom”, points out that “the chief reason also why Lot was directed to make such haste, and not to look behind; because his fleeing out of Sodom was designed on purpose to be a type of fleeing from that state of sin and misery which we naturally are.”

This world that we reside in is destined for a more terrible destruction than Sodom.  That is the initial reason for anyone to turn their back on this world we live in and flee from it to Christ.  They don’t know anything better than this world.  The tendency to linger at the perimeter is enticing.  However, lingering at the perimeter of this world is very risky.  No one knows the number of their days.  No one knows the time of the Lord’s return.  Those who linger and long for this world are in danger of being suddenly overtaken and seized with destruction.

Therefore, we should all make haste to get far away from the attachments of that former life.  We should flee those entanglements like our lives depend upon it because it does.

The reality is that the further away from the perimeter of this world’s entanglement that you get the more you will realize that there is a much better world in Christ Jesus.  You will realize that you have given up nothing.  The further away you get the more you will see this world for what it really is, a prison.  Those escaping this world are giving up bondage of a prison of sin for the un-estimable treasure of Christ.  It is like Shin escaping his prison.  He has now experienced a world that far surpasses Camp 14.

However, no one will ever be able to see or appreciate the treasures of Christ until they flee.  Those who linger on the perimeter will continue to be blinded by that prison of luxury.  They will not appreciate the sacrifice that Christ has given – the laying of his own life across the prison wires of this world to allow us to crawl across his back to eternal life.

Jonathan Edwards:

“Therefore it is foolish for any who are fleeing out of Sodom to hanker any more after them; for when they are burnt up, what good can they do? And is it worth the while for us to return back for the sake of a moment’s enjoyment of them, before they are burnt, and so expose ourselves to be burnt up with them?”

I have heard some speak of their former lives of sins with what appear to be fond memories.  I have seen people struggle with their affections for a life prior to their profession.  I can understand their affinity for this world but it is like Lot’s wife lingering outside of Sodom.

We need to understand the dangers of lingering over those reminiscing thoughts.  What are you trying to preserve?  We will never know the greater treasures that await us in Christ until we flee.  It is when we lose our lives that we will actually keep it.  It is when we flee for fear of our own destruction that a miraculous new life in Christ begins.  It is in that new life that we will see the reality of this world as a prison camp full of misery and death that it really is.

That is what we are giving up; we are giving up only that which will be destroyed and lost.  It you try to preserve that, then you will surely lose it.

Therefore, remember Lot’s wife and flee; linger no more.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you saving me from certain destruction.  Thank you for sending your Son to condemn sin in the flesh.  Thank you for the cross and freeing me from bondage.  Lord, forgive me for lingering at the edge of this world.  Forgive me for preserving little morsels of this world.  Father, please continue to give me the urgency of flight from this world.  Give me a heart that desires you more than anything else that the world may entice me with.  Open my eyes to see this world for what it really is.  Give me a heart that appreciates what you have done.  Amen

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