In the Zone

Enough is enough. Just today I read the Apple is pulling Civil War video games from their app store because the Confederate soldiers have Confederate flags. Yes, you read that right.  Apple is pulling Civil War video games because soldiers have authentic, time period, historical flags on their uniforms.  We have become so obsessed with not offending others that we are removing historical images from historical games. No matter what side of this debate you are on, we must agree that historical placement of images and symbols are not related to any argument on race or race relations.  It is a historical fact that southern soldiers had Confederate flags because they fought for the Confederate States of America.  When we erase these type of images, all we do is erase our history and that is never a good thing.  We must not forget the past and the lessons we learn from it. In Malachi 1:1-5, the Israelites accuse God of not loving them.  The past was n...

Nine people are dead in Charleston, S.C.  We have no words to express the outrage and the grief.  The questions and the pain. The horror and the shock. We only know this one truth: it hurts. It hurts because nine lives were suddenly snuffed out for no reason.  They gathered for a Bible study, something we do here each Wednesday at our church.  While they looked over scripture and prayed, a crazed person entered the church and took their lives.  I trust that those who died were believers, and that brings comfort in knowing they are in the presence of Jesus.  However, we hurt because their families must not grieve them on Earth. It hurts because it happened in a place of love and peace.  Churches, which used to be open and unlocked all hours of the day for prayer and meditation, now keep their doors sealed shut and keep security teams on alert.  A place of love and peace met the horrible disease of violence and it reminds us again of how ...

Dinner guests are a big deal. When my wife and I host someone for dinner, we make sure we thoroughly clean the house.  We carefully select the menu to include some of our favorite and best foods.  We find entertainment for the kids so the adults can talk after the meal.  We go out of our way to make sure dinner goes well. When someone comes for dinner, it's a special occasion.  As my parents would say, we have company.  That meant the night was specifically reserved for someone and that should not be interrupted.  In the same way, the Lord's Supper is a special dinner.  It's not a meal, but a remembrance.  We remember what Jesus did on the cross for us, and we also remember the promise he gives us to return again. The communion was made for us, as believers in Christ, to celebrate the risen Christ and to anticipate his second coming to usher in the kingdom of God. As believer, we take the communion together, as the body of Christ.  ...

We toss the word hero around quite a lot in our society today.  Sports stars are labeled heroes. Actors portray heroes.  Hollywood blockbusters feature superheroes. On patriotic holidays we speak of the heroic acts of soldiers. When a daring rescue happens, we proclaim first responders as heroes.  As someone battles cancer, we call it a heroic effort. Every once in a while, our pride beams when our sons and daughters call us heroes. Recently, that monicker got put on Bruce Jenner, the former Olympic athlete and reality TV star who had a sex change operation to become a woman.  The media were quick to laud him as a hero for making this decision and being true to himself. If I may, let me interject.  Bruce Jenner is not a hero. Heroes do things that take real courage, risk their lives, fight against the odds and do something that benefits others, if not a host of others.  They stay and fight when others run or rush in when others flee.  They co...