Looking to blame in all the wrong places!

Did you hear the one about......? Oh, you heard that one already. I used to think there was so much material out there and so little time but as Solomon recorded in Ecclesiastes 1:9: "There's nothing new under the sun.", but welcome anyway to the only day we have at the moment, Thursday, June 3, 2010. That would be the very day you could insert into the psalmist's prayer: "This is the day, (insert Thursday, June 3, 2010 here), the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24) We at times wake up to a day where there's really not that much we can touch or feel to rejoice over, but I think perhaps the reason we can do exactly that is because we know who made the day and gave it to us. Knowing Him and knowing that He is Sovereign and He will never leave nor forsake us, well, that would be reason enough to rise and shine and give God the glory. The other day I mentioned the little boy praying loudly for a new bike. I read another one about the fellow who said he would pray for a bike but he knew God didn't work that way, so he stole one and then asked for forgiveness. If we are not careful we at times tend to make it up as we go and fill in the blanks with our own notions instead of following what we know God would have us to do. Many years ago I had this as the slogan for my organization one year: Doing the right things - RIGHT!" Now that's a tall order in the business world and it is also a very tall order for us as we seek to make our way through the maze of life.

Back in the day a comedian named Flip Wilson made popular the saying, "The devil made me do it." Whenever all else fails I suppose we can always blame the devil. And, while he certainly deserves and will receive justice for the evil he has propagated, you and I, as believers, cannot use this as an out. Why? Because we have living inside of us the greater is He that overcomes the influence and power of the evil one. But, we do slip and slide around. We do listen to wrong voices at times. We actually listen to the number one wrong advice at times, that would be the voice which emanates from me, myself, and I. God knew what He was doing when He compared us to sheep. Check it out folks, sheep are not the brightest of creatures who inhabit God's created earth. They are prone to do pretty dumb things. Because of this they need a Shepherd, one who will protect, lead, guide, and direct them, and come after them when they go running off to find what they believe to be greener pastures. Of course we learn in life what Erma Bombeck wrote about, how that the grass is greener only because it's growing on top of a septic tank. Sometimes our Shepherd uses His staff to gently lead us back into the place of safety. There are other times when He must bang us on the head to get our attention. The good news is that we need a Shepherd and we have one! The better news is that whatever He does is always in perfect love with a perfect plan and purpose in mind. (See John Chapter 10.)

The Apostle Paul was faced with some who said that if grace keeps on keeping on the more we sin, let's just have us one big old sinful time so that grace can be exalted. His response? The same as the sign that says: "Don't even think about parking in this spot!" (See Romans Chapter 3.) The blame game has been around ever since that incident in the garden. Adam was responsible. Adam knew better. When confronted by God Adam did what most us do, he pointed the finger at the other person, and since there was only one other person to point at, he said, "You know the woman you gave me Lord, she made me do it." (See Genesis Chapter 3.) Talk about passing down a legacy! We've heard quite a bit recently about that saying made famous by President Truman about how the buck stops here. This of course has to do with passing the buck which initially came from the game of poker where the buck horn knife was passed to indicate the next one responsible for dealing, hence, passing the buck. President Truman used it to state clearly that ultimate responsibility was his and his alone. That's the gist of how it is commonly used today. It's not a bad slogan when it comes to figuring out responsibility in the blame game. Who is the most responsible for me, myself, and I? The buck stops here. Like the old song says: "Not by mother, not my brother, but it's me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer." Well, friends and neighbors that ends another sermon going out on the airwaves today, absolutely free of charge, but please send your radio evangelist $10 to cover the weight of the postal money order." I had to throw that in. Have a blessed day and remember not to even think about parking in that spot! Amen. .....More later.