GPS

On a recent trip to Gettysburg, PA to visit the Civil War battlefield and tour the area, I had my first experience with a GPS in a car. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. GPS provides specially coded satellite signals that can be processed in a GPS receiver, enabling the receiver to compute position, velocity and time. As we traveled down the road we would program the address and Linda (the female voice of the GPS) would tell us of an upcoming turn or split alerting us to a change in our route. What an instrument. Men will never get lost again - well yes they will - they won't use it. Men never get lost.

When thinking about this remarkable device I was contemplating a spiritual application. That's what preacher do. I was speaking to some people about how God will always be there for us and that His Word will always guide us. That is when I came up with GPS. God, Prayer and Service.

One of the issues of our time is that people have lost their spiritual direction. They have no direction and many lack the insight or tools to even determine where they are now. They need a spiritual GPS - God centered lives, prayer continually and a life of service for the kingdom. That will guarantee that the person is not only never lost, it will also provide a glorious road map to take them on the journey that God wants all of us on.

Try it - GPS - God, Prayer, Service. I bet you will never get lost spiritually.

Sid

Dog Fighting

Michael Vick is in trouble. With three associates prepared to testify that he brutally executed dogs and bankrolled gambling, the NFL star agreed Monday to "accept full responsibility" for his role in a dogfighting ring and plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges.*

This is truly sad. Another very talented athlete is heading to jail. It appears that he bought into a mentality that he was above the law because of his celebrity status. This is not the case. There are some things even in our society of "accepting anything" we don't accept.

That got me thinking. People are ready to string him up for what he did to some dogs and this is truly wrong. But why are we upset more about what people are doing to people? We publicize this cruelty as one that even a hard-nosed convict would shed a tear when thinking about the cruelty done to these dogs. But what about people? Cold shoulder? Neglect? Abuse both verbal and physical? Domination? Exploitation? Murder? War? Abandonment? What we do to each other can never be compared to any other creature made by God!

Man is the only creature made in the image of God. We are special. We have a soul and no other animal does. Yet we are more concerned about the cruelty shown some dogs than the injustice of our world toward each other. And we will be judged by our Creator on how we treat each other. Remember the two greatest commands? It is how we treat/view God and how we treat/view each other.

Don't be cruel to animals, but more important than that - love God and each other - when we do, God will be proud.

Sid

*Associated Press (Fox Sports on MSN)

Keep Your Nose Clean

My grandfather Ernest Pollock was bigger than life for me. He was so special in all the interesting things that he did and the way that he did them. Even though he has been gone for more than 25 years his influence continues. One of the things that he would tell me when I was leaving his house both as a youngster and an adult was "keep your nose clean." I have found that I now tell my kids and others the same thing. It is a special reminder to do what is right or good.

This is good theology. We need to "keep our noses clean." Not with a handkerchief, but with a relationship with God. We cannot do that on our own. We need steady reminders of this need by church folk, family and God's Holy Spirit. May we all encourage each other and even make each other accountable to do what is good and right. God will be proud. Keep your nose clean!

Sid