Diary of a Journeyman A Selection of Thoughts, Parables, Anecdotes, and Analogies Volume II By Pastor Edward J. Collins www.pastoredcollins.org Table of Contents DISCIPLINE AND PRIORITIES Man Up The New Average "Practice Makes Perfect!" Starting Your Day Off Right Zoo Tycoon EMOTIONAL STABILITY Beautiful Things Be Anxious For Nothing Burned Out Happiness The Last One In Syndrome Options FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE Do You Love Me, Dad? God Comforts the Depressed Is It OK to Question My Faith? Living For Others My Friend Bill Not Far From Love What Is Compassion? What Murderers Don't Understand THE FLESH AND OTHER ENEMIES The Practical Side To Self-Absorption Showing One's True Colors The Sign Says "Home Sweet Home", But... Wally Cleaver's Nose GRACE AND SANCTIFICATION Elegance Good Shoes and Mattresses The Positive and Negative Sides Of Grace GOOD VERSUS EVIL "Equal Rights" Diary of a Journeyman How Do I Know? Loyalty Rather Than Sacrifice THE GOSPEL Admission Is Not Submission The Dance The Great Chowder Cook-Off Guest Blogger: The Eternal Cookie How To Prepare Farmland For Planting One Kingdom, One Gospel Perspective On Justification and Salvation Repentance: An Issue of Life and Death Salvation Is Not a Destination The Strangest Wrestling Match Ever! Why Don't They "Get It"? HUMILITY VERSUS ARROGANCE God and His Artists God Doesn't Answer To Man I'm Proud of You Trying To Extract a Little Leaven INDIVIDUALITY I Can't "Be" Everything To Everyone "It's OK, I was born this way!" People Are People Are People "What Color Are You?" INTEGRITY AND JUDGING A Love Letter To My Enemies Being Really Honest With God Character and Integrity History Repeats Itself Profession Is Not Confession This Is How Judgement Works MINISTRY AND LEADERSHIP The Advantageous Estate of Brokenness A Punch To the Throat 3 Table of Contents Duty or Desire? Good Stewards How To Engage A Sinner How To Join the Perfect Church M.A.S.H. MONEY MATTERS America's Greatest Export A Waiter's Conclusion Death and Taxes Equal Pay PATIENCE, PREPARATION, AND PRAYER Effective Prayer Guest Blogger: What's Your Carb? The Last Five Percent Thank God For His Patience With Us! What, Exactly, Are We Resting From??? PERSPECTIVE Black and White Photography Election Perspective Embrace the Suck Just Eat Whatever You Want! The Son of Man The Value Of Failure RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY, AND KIDS A Woman's Touch The Bible Says To Run Away!!! Erosion Getting Married The Golden Rule How To Carry a Cup of Coffee Without Spilling It Ladies and Gentlemen, You Can't Save Them! Momma Bears Parents Need To Be Good Investors Practicing Being Present Diary of a Journeyman The Voice of My Father "Want to pray with me...?" Wedding Vows SUFFERING AND PERSEVERANCE I'm Exhausted. Where's the Spirit? Stress Fractures Sufferin' Fer MEEEsus! THE WORD OF GOD The Bible Is God's Testimony Dear Abby Man Wrote It, But God Authored the Bible Nutrition and Ingredients Labels Refilling Our Gas Tanks WORLDLY LIES Don't Be a "Martha" The Great Land Rush of 1893 No One Sets Out To Be An Addict PART 1 - "Oh, Deep Down They Are a Good Person"...Really? PART 2 - "Oh, Deep Down They Are a Good Person"...Really? The Sobering Truth About Demons Take Me Out To the Ballgame... 5 Introduction As was the case with Volume 1 of what is now rightly called a series, this book is a collection of blog entries that I’ve written over the course of more than a year. I have attempted to organize the entries into chapters that aim to make a topical search easier for my readers. Please forgive me if I have failed in any way on this (it’s harder than it looks, I assure you). Reading tips: • A kindle or eBook reader with a search function is recommended, but not necessary • If not doing a word search, the Table of Contents is a great place to find topics of interest • A person could read this book from cover to cover, making a “daily devotional” out of it. However a reader chooses to use this book, it is a tremendous resource for encouragement, learning, practical application, and even sharing amongst friends. There is enough breadth in this book to generate hours and hours of discussion, either between a believer and God, or between believers. Happy reading! Love in Christ, Ed Collins DISCIPLINE AND PRIORITIES The Root and Meanings of discipline. Discipline comes from discipulus, the Latin word for pupil, which also provided the source of the word disciple (albeit by way of a Late Latin sense-shift to “a follower of Jesus Christ in his lifetime”). — Merriam-Webster To be a disciple is to be disciplined. In the case of a believer, the person is a disciple of Jesus Christ. Given the simple facts that Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1:14) and that the Word instructs us, as disciples we are to be disciplined. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. — 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 The apostle Paul was highlighting discipline, including the implication of having one’s priorities straight. If we fail this latter test, God will discipline us (the verbal form of the word) in an attempt to reorient us to active discipleship. “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” 7 DISCIPLINE AND PRIORITIES It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. — Hebrews 12:5b-13 A person with good priorities makes good decisions as a true disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact, they seek to be pleasing to God under all circumstances (2 Corinthians 5:9). A disciplined person seeks knowledge, whereas an undisciplined person rejects it. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid. — Proverbs 12:1 Wisdom teaches us that discipleship has a cost. We must “take up our cross and follow [Jesus]” (Matthew 16:24). A person who rejects this doesn’t have their priorities set appropriately and will be disciplined by the Lord (Galatians 6:7). My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Diary of a Journeyman Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. — Proverbs 3:11-14 9 Man Up “I can’t stand wimpy men!” I’m quoting my wife here. I giggle whenever I hear her share that sentiment. I mean, I totally agree, but there’s just something about those words rolling off the tongue of a reserved woman. If you don’t know her, you might be taken aback. In any case, she brings up a good point. You might be saying, “Who cares about what your wife thinks!” I’d respond to you by saying, while her opinion ultimately really doesn’t matter, her emotions aren’t incongruous with the Word of God. In fact, taken in the context of our current world, her disgust is justified. I imagine it stinks being a woman surrounded by a bunch of wimps. I suppose it elicits feelings of insecurity, of feeling unprotected by those who should be standing guard. Jesus Christ is often referred to as The Lion and the Lamb. It’s a wonderful way to think of Him because while He’s unconquerable (remember, He chose the Cross, He conquered death - 2 Timothy 1:10), He’s also as gentle as a lamb (John 1:36). The closer any man is to being these things simultaneously, the more Christlike he is. The problem with most men is that they like to beat an empty chest. In fact, most talk without any action. They are vapid - mere vessels lacking the grace, love, power, and discipline to get beyond their own selfish desires.