The Lord is Blessing Me
Joe Slater
	Several years ago a man asked me to explain a Biblical text. It was a rather straight-forward passage that needed little elaboration. I soon realized, however, that his motive for asking was to prove that another person (who was listening a few feet away) was violating the teaching of that text. In response, the individual said, “Well, I must not be walking in disobedience, because the Lord is blessing me.”
	I am amazed at the faulty reasoning people use to justify whatever they want to do. I don’t know exactly what the person meant by saying, “The Lord is blessing me.” Maybe that meant, “I have good emotional feelings inside.” Or maybe the individual assumed that the Lord’s blessing was proven by the numerous people who approved. Whatever the case, this person used purely subjective criteria to conclude that something was pleasing to God – never mind that God’s word plainly said, “Don’t do that!” Solomon’s words come to mind: “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
	Think about Moses and Aaron when they angrily struck the rock to bring forth water at Kadesh (Numbers 20:9-11). The Lord had clearly commanded them to “speak to the rock” (20:8). Nevertheless, when Moses struck it, “water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank” (20:11). Can you feature Moses saying, “I must not have disobeyed, because the Lord blessed me”? Here is what the Lord Himself said: “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given to them” (20:12). Later, Moses would observe that “the Lord was angry with me” over this matter (Deuteronomy 1:37; 3:26; 4:21).
	Brethren, let us resist the temptation to use subjective standards in determining right and wrong! When Saul was persecuting Christ and His church, his conscience was clear – he honestly believed he was serving God (Acts 23:1; 26:9). Given the number of Christians he was successful in capturing, he probably would have said, “God is blessing me.” Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world; no doubt millions of devoted Muslims would say, “Allah is blessing us.” In neither case do feelings and/or visible results prove that God is pleased.
	Right and wrong are determined by Scripture, not by subjectivism!
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What If?
As a preacher, it is not my task to transform lives. It is my task to faithfully proclaim all of God’s word and only God’s word. God will take care of the transforming. He is in the business of transforming lives. When His word is faithfully preached, lives and hearts will be transformed. That is why it is so important for us to proclaim the word of God – nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.
	--Jeff Jenkins (Lewisville, TX)
Baseball and Life
	Baseball  is usually called  "America's Pastime."  Many people have said that it is the one sport that most resembles life.
	In baseball, like life, you get multiple chances to succeed. You get several "at bat" opportunities to perform,  and with each trip to the plate you get four balls or three strikes.  Many players who  end up in the hall of fame only succeeded 3 out of 10 times at bat.
	In baseball, like life, you can have your good days and bad. Sometimes pitchers bring their "good stuff" and sometimes they don't.  There are days when things just seem to go your way, and you feel on the  top of your game. At other times, you just can't seem to get in the groove and things don't gel.
	In baseball, like life, you play as an individual, and as a team. At one time, Paul wrote, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth" (I Corinthians 9:6). We are taught to bear one another's burdens, and also to bear our own load (Galatians 6:2, 5).
	In baseball, like life, you are many times asked to make a sacrifice for the good of the team. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3,4).
	In baseball, like life, you don't always get a fair call. The umpires don't always get the call right, but you can't let that keep you from excelling on the next play. True champions don't grumble.
	In baseball, like life, there is no time clock, and you never know exactly when  it's all going to end. 
		--Roger Holm (Tijeras, NM)