"Hold Money With a Very Loose Hand"

It blew my mind to read that Mark Zuckerberg lost 15 billion....BILLION (!)...dollars in one day last week!!  (And by the way, when I left Facebook about 9 months ago I always believed Facebook was on its way out, ANYway.  Go ahead, call me a "rat deserting a sinking ship"....I don't mind, Lol!!)

Getting back to Zuckerberg, I can't even imagine having that kind of money, never mind LOSING it.  But his experience is a great reminder of things God says in the Bible....don't trust in the uncertainty of riches...riches take to themselves wings, and so on.  Money itself is not evil, but the LOVE of money...the lust for it...the idolatry of it...can lead us away from God and into all kinds of sin. 

Read Psalm 37 and 73.  When this brief life is over,  those who have untold wealth without God will find that they've gained the world, and lost their eternal souls.  PITY them, don't envy them!!

Money can be used to do much good for the glory of God and benefit of others, but most often it is MISused and winds up to be a curse, not a blessing.  I took this pic of myself with (mostly obsolete) coins from all over the world to illustrate the point that WE MUST HOLD MONEY WITH A VERY LOOSE HAND.  If we hold it too tightly, that means it "holds" US in its grip, you see.

In my devotions this morning, Spurgeon said it well: "It is a very difficult thing to handle gold without allowing it to adhere to your fingers and, when it gets into your purse, you need much grace to prevent it getting into your heart."  As for Zuckerberg, we should pray that God will bring him low enough that he will seek HIM (not money) for meaning in his life...but not SO low that he will jump off of a building, or something.

He still has over 60 Billion...BILLION (!)...left, so both possible results seem a long way off from ever happening.  But may he learn from his loss last week to hold what he has left very, very loosely.

"My Hopes for the 2018 Yankees"

I first became a New York Yankees' fan 40 years ago, in 1978. At that time, the team was so white that one of the few black players had the last name "White" (ROY White)!  That had nothing to do with "adopting" them as "my" team, however.  I became a Yankee fan because of the stunning way they overtook the first-place Boston Red Sox in the second half of the season.  I could care less about "what" the players were, just that they were an inspiring, tough and gritty bunch who pulled together when it counted and pulled off perhaps the greatest comeback in baseball history.

My Yankees THIS season, 40 years later, are a very diverse group.  On their current 25 man roster there are players from the U.S., Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan and Venezuela.  There is a very white guy (newly acquired Zach Britton) who has a Dominican mom and a very black guy (Didi Gregorious) who was born in the Netherlands.

(Lol) and whereas the '78 Yanks had a black guy named "White," the 2018 group has two white pitchers, one with the last name of "Gray" and one with the last name of "Green."

There is simply no other team that is as diverse as these current Yanks! Why, to underscore this even further, though the 2018 squad has three with the first name of "Aaron" (a first in baseball history), even THEY are a diverse lot!  Aaron BOONE (white) is the manager, Aaron HICKS (black) is an outfielder and so is Aaron JUDGE (who is mixed race...one parent was white, one was black!)

Superficalities aside, what the 2018 Yanks DO have in common with the '78 group is that they, too, are chasing the seemingly unbeatable Boston Red Sox in the second half of the season.

Mind you, ALL baseball teams celebrate in a sea of togetherness when they win, but it is special to see THIS group do it because they are so incredibly diverse.

It inspires me to see men of all different colors and backgrounds working, and celebrating, together as one. And I'm hoping that the 2018 Yanks will overtake the 2018 Red Sox, and inspire ALL of us with the sight of those who come together despite many external differences.

"Why The USPS Is In Trouble---Part 10,253"

I'm old enough to remember when a very inexpensive stamp could get your letter anywhere in America, in two short days.  And you didn't need "Certified Return Receipt" to be assured it arrived safely, either.  Those days are gone!!

On the 18th, I paid over $7.00 to send something Certified Return Receipt to Kansas (from New Jersey.)

The Postal Service said, in writing, that they expected it to be delivered on the 21st, but thanks to the Tracking service they provide I was able to see how utterly inept they are.

You see, on Saturday the 21st, my package was in ORLANDO, FLORIDA where it sat till Monday morning.  (Lol, do these people know that Kansas is WEST, and Florida is SOUTH, of New Jersey??)

The best case scenario is that my package will arrive in Kansas TODAY.

"What's the big deal, Chet?," you may say. "That's only three short days past the point they promised.  God is Sovereign over all, and maybe He is teaching you patience."  To that I respond, God IS Sovereign but that cherished doctrine does not negate man's responsibility.  And the issue is not that they are 'only three days late' but rather that it is taking them TWICE the amount of time they projected to deliver my item....that is, ***IF*** it even arrives today.  Maybe instead of 'helping' us work on our patience, the USPS needs to work on their efficiency for a change?

We have become too tolerant of mediocrity in this country, people.

And it's up to those who can remember how it USED to be to speak up and say enough is enough!!

"Disappointment in 'The Dolly Mama' "

Confession Time: from the late 1970s to the late 1990s I liked Dolly Parton, and bought many of her records and CDs!!  Finally, I got sick of the suggestive themes of some of her self-penned songs and the "bad" outweighed the "good." In 1997, after her remake of "Walkin' On Sunshine," I gave her up.

Then 20 years later, last year (2017), I saw Dolly's newest CD "I Believe in You" (pictured above.) 

It was her first-ever CHILDREN'S album and I bought it hoping that the songs Dolly wrote, to kids, were pure and filled with good advice.  They were, and    1.) that CD,    2.) her two recent, excellent Christmas movies, and    3.) my recent visit to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on my honeymoon (and seeing how "Dollywood" has brought jobs to SO many people in the area Dolly was born) made me a fan of hers again.  Why, I even nicknamed her The Dolly Mama for her excellent children's CD and for the great, inspirational songs on it!!  I was hoping that, now in her seventies, Dolly was trying to alter the legacy she's leaving behind and now trying to influence the next generation for GOOD.

Well, The Dolly Mama has disappointed me again, sad to say.

See, encouraged by what I thought, in the judgment of charity, was a "change of heart in the right direction" on Dolly's part, I just bought the OTHER disc pictured above, "Pure and Simple" (2016).

The blurb I saw marketed it as a romantic tribute to Dolly's hubby on their 50th anniversary.

Thankfully, I got it off of eBay for only 4 bucks and change, because this CD is "simple," but it sure ain't "PURE."  One example of the impurity of it is a song celebrating adultery entitled "Can't Be that Wrong."

Here's a sample of the wicked lyrics Dolly wrote and sang to her adulterous lover, whoever he or she may be...



"To Hell with Heaven if it means I'll lose you,

Anything that feels this right can't be that wrong, 

It just can't be."



What a stinking tribute to Carl, on their 50th!! The song makes other statements where Dolly in essence blames GOD for her sin because He made sex pleasurable (!), says she can't (translate: WON'T) ask for forgiveness for committing adultery (!), quotes Scripture to acknowledge adultery is sin but then tries to excuse the sin by misapplying the verse about "the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (!) and (to top it off) admits she should be singing classic Christian songs, but then yields to secular ones which encourage adultery (!)  This is someone who knows what she's doing, has some sense that it's wrong but is brazen enough to KEEP doing it and try to justify her sin.

Perhaps her fans, and HUBBY, find this song innocent...but I find it extremely INappropriate and the Lord God of Holy Scripture does, as well.

What makes me really sad is that Dolly had the nerve to do her first children's CD the year AFTER this wicked song came out (and there is OTHER raunchy stuff on "Pure and Simple," as well.)

The Dolly Mama, in essence, has made herself a teacher of children and yet her life is still...STILL...promoting sin.  Worse than ever before, in fact.  The Scriptures' warning that not many should become teachers because they will incur stricter judgment and Jesus' warning about what will happen to those who cause little ones to stumble should really make Dolly tremble.

So should Jesus' warning about those who gain the world, yet lose their soul because sadly, unless she repents, that's what's going to happen to Dolly Parton.  Her money and her "Success Story" won't save her...only true repentance and turning to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith will!!

"Are You Ready?"

Saturday I was asked to preach once again at our local Nursing Home ministry (yes, I know they are called "Assisted Living" now, but I still think "Nursing Home," Lol!!)

Now, I did not have much advance notice this time so I was not able to prep a brand-new sermon as I'd done previously (see my June 8th blog).  However, I prayed about it and the Lord led me to rework the contents of one of my old tracts into a 10 minute message. Here is that tract:



https://mwtb.org/products/pmt-jfk-fifty-years-later-nkjv?variant=27602372871



Obviously, I tweaked this tract a bit (it is now 55 years since JFK was killed, not 50, for example.
And I reworked the title of the message to be "Are You Ready?," rather than the title of the tract.)



So, on Saturday, there were only two others from our church besides myself able to make it, and only 6 sweet little old ladies (average age of 80-plus) attending the service.  As I rose to speak I must confess I wondered if the message was appropriate, considering the frailty of the audience.  I certainly did not want to needlessly alarm anyone, but this message was the one God laid on my heart.  I spoke as gently and softly as possible, while at the same time making sure my elderly listeners could HEAR me (Lol).  I was surprised at how attentive they were once I mentioned JFK, and the message concluded with the exhortation to make sure that each of them were ready, trusting in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins should death come unexpectedly like it did for JFK (and, I might add, for a friend of my son's who died suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack that very week.)

I must admit, I secretly wondered if I'd pushed them too hard but I chatted with each one afterwardv and everyone seemed fine.

That's not the end of the story, though.

On Sunday morning at church, our pastor asked prayer for that same Nursing Home because fire trucks and other emergency vehicles were headed to the scene.

As I prayed silently for all of  the residents to be safe, I was thinking of the faces of those six sweet, elderly ladies and hoping each of them has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

I was praying each of them would be Ready, you see, in case the worst occurred.

Thankfully, the problem was not as bad as feared and no one was hurt in the incident.  And I'm glad now that I brought the message that I did, because a preacher never knows if the appeal he brings will be the last appeal his hearers ever hear.

In that spirit, I close with the question "Are YOU ready, dear reader?" If not, seek the Lord TODAY because none of us knows what tomorrow may bring.

"Consistency"

My very first pastor (from when I got saved in 1975) came out with his new book recently.  I ordered one and can't wait for its arrival.

Albert N. Martin is a true Man of God...not just a great preacher, but one whose life oozes with godly, Biblical consistency.  He'd be the first to tell you he's only a sinner saved by grace, but he's also someone God has used mightily in His Church, and yes, in MY life as WELL.  I will treasure this book and the 7 volumes which will follow.

About 4 years ago I compiled a tribute book to him for his 80th birthday, working with about 100 contributors.  The book is entitled "A Tribute to Pastor A. N. Martin For His 80th" and you may review the entire book online, for FREE, by going here....

http://www.blurb.com/b/5817337-a-tribute-to-pastor-a-n-martin

"Heaven and America"

Ironically, this is post #45 here and it's about our 45th President.

As for the meme, I doubt if Trump actually SAID these words, but they're pretty wise words, indeed.

One qualification: You cannot PAY your way into Heaven like you can to America.  Only Christ's Blood can get you in!!

"Cursing and Promise-Breaking"

Before moving to a new study next week (Lord Willing), these are notes for my FINAL lesson out of "Watch Your Mouth" THIS Sunday, in my Men's Sunday School class!!  I thought it might make a good blog.

"July 4th"

My July 4th "Chetitorial" blog is simply to show the sign I put up this week at our church.  (The sign is my design.) 'Nuff Said!!