Dealing with Adversity

 In the 14^th century, Julian of Norwich wrote, “He said not, thou shall not be tempested or thou shall not be afflicted. He did said, Thou shall not be overcome.” Our task is not to live our life in such a way that there are never any difficult days, but to live so that we can overcome the hard days.

Somewhere I read, “If you would be successful, do the things that are hard and lonely.” Everyone can do the fun things, the social things, or the easy things. Anyone can watch a football game with a friend or go to a movie with a special person. These things are fun and social for most of us. Doing them will bring us no lasting success in life. Few people are willing to do the hard things, the lonely things. Few people are willing to spend time alone memorizing math formulas so those who do are thought of as smart. Few people are willing to sit up at night with the television off and memorize passages from God’s word. To get ahead in your job or any part of your life, be willing to do the hard and lonely things. The fact that they are hard will mean you will be lonely in doing them, but doing these things will set you apart from the crowd. Do not curse the hard circumstances, but rather relish them as opportunities for victory.

Abraham Lincoln was reared in deep poverty. It was hard, but he was willing to overcome it. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a victim of polio. Beethoven, one of the true musical geniuses of the world, was completely deaf. Their problems, their almost impossible circumstances simply meant they must work harder. They did the hard and lonely things. We will always remember them. Never give in just because something is hard. The fact that circumstances are hard is what allows your victory to be great.

In the 17^th century, Anne Bradstreet put it beautifully, “If we had no winter; the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

Lonnie Davis

Before He Was Born

 John 1:1-2

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

When Abraham Lincoln was elected President, Jesus was there. When Abraham of the Old Testament was childless, Jesus was there. When Noah started building the ark, Jesus was there. When Adam was created, Jesus was there.

In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Who do you think He was talking to when he said that? Who is the “us” of that verse? John 1:1-2 make that clear. Jesus is the one who made everything that has been made. Jesus is not just the carpenter from Nazareth. He is also the Great Carpenter of the universe.

He made the sun, the moon, and the stars. He made the cattle and the birds and the fish. He made man and woman. He made the angels. He made me and He made you.

What was His name before it was Jesus? No one really knows. Some commentators think he is the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, but Jesus is not an angel.

He is one of the three in the Godhead.

• “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 28:19-20
• “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” – 2 Corinthians 13:14

He always was. He always is. He always will be. That is the definition of an eternal God. Our minds are unable to imagine the possibility of a place where time does not exist, where time is irrelevant, where there are no clocks or calendars. Such a place is where Jesus was, where Jesus is, where Jesus always will be.

Since He is there and I am going there, then there will never be another time when I will not exist.  This is because of who Jesus is and who He was before He was born on earth.

Lonnie Davis

Death by Hardening of Our Ways

In Fort Worth, Texas, there is a famous old golf course called “Glen Garden Golf and Country Club.” If you read any old golf books, you may come across this course. Started in 1912, it was been around for nearly 100 years. By any standard that is an old course in America.

My kids learned to play golf on that course, but that is not what makes it famous. It used to be a stop on the PGA tour, but that is not what makes it famous. It is the course where Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan learned to play the game.

It is a short, unchallenging course. Many courses start out that way, but over the years the course changes and the members spend money to upgrade and improve it. In the 1930s, a man named Marvin Leonard came to Glen Garden and offered to plan and finance the upgrades necessary to make Glen Garden a better course. The members rejected his plans. They did not want anything to change. Rejected at Glen Garden and at another course, Mr. Leonard decided to build his own course. He built the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Today it is arguable the most famous course in all of Texas.

In the years since, I have played many rounds on the Glen Garden course. It is still the same basic course it was in the 1930s. Other men have tried to update the course, but the members did not want anything to change. The old-timers liked things just as they were.

Since it was the course of his youth, my son played it again not too long ago. Everything was just as he remembered some ten years earlier. Well, there was one thing different. It was almost exclusively played by old golfers. I have no problem with that since most of them can beat me. It does, however, serve to remind me that if we want things like they always were, we will never reach people of another generation and we will never be all that we can be.

Paul said, “I become all things to all people.” He did not mean that he became a liar to liars or a cheat to cheaters, but rather than he could adjust his customs to fit those around him. He did not insist that others adjust their traditions to fit in with his.

For each new custom that comes along, we must ask two questions: (1) Does God care? If He does not then we cannot let a custom stand in our way. We must become all things. (2) Does this new “custom” stand in the way of reaching out to other people? If it does, then we must refer back to number 1.

The church of Jesus Christ must not fall into the behavior of a dying, old golf course. It is a disease that causes death by hardening of our ways.

Lonnie Davis