Majority Truth

On a recent trip to Walmart, an aisle display for Gillette Fusion Proglide shavers caught my eye.  It was not the need for a new shaver that made me stop.  It was the wording on the advertising.  Blazoned across the display, in big, bold lettering, was this phrase: “Millions Of Guys Can’t Be Wrong.”  My first (tongue-in-cheek) thought was this: “Obviously there are no women in the advertising department of Gillette.  If there had been, such a blatantly false statement would never have seen the light of day.  Only a room full of men could delude themselves into believing such a thing!”  Right, ladies?

But further, more serious, reflection on the matter still led me to the same conclusion.  The statement is still a lie.  Millions of men can be wrong.  Millions of women also can be wrong.  Truth is not determined by popular consensus.  If a vote were to be taken tomorrow and 99.9 percent of the people on earth voted to repeal the law of gravity, that still would not keep me from falling to my death if I jumped off a skyscraper!

The majority can be right.  But the majority can also be wrong.  The Bible testifies often to that fact.  Nearly everyone was in favor of wickedness and evil thinking in Noah’s day, but that didn’t make it right.  The majority was wrong.  Apparently everyone but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bowed down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol, but that didn’t make it right.  The majority was wrong.  When Pilate appealed to the crowd regarding the fate of Jesus, most called for His crucifixion.  But that didn’t make it right.  The majority was wrong.

When it comes to spiritual truth, don’t be swayed by the popular vote.  Seek the counsel of those around you whom you trust but always compare their words with God’s words.  And when the majority disagrees with God, the rightl choice is to “...obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).  After all, millions of guys CAN be wrong!

God loves you!

Mike

Pretenders

“Mississippi police fear that a killer posing as a police officer is pulling over motorists late at night on dark highways and then shooting them.  Authorities suspect the shooter may be pretending to be a cop because the perpetrator may have been driving a white, unmarked Crown Victoria sedan, which can resemble a police car.  One driver, a 74-year-old Nebraska man, was found in his car on Interstate 55 in Panola County on May 8 about 1:30 a.m. A 48-year-old Mississippi woman was found near her car on Mississippi Highway 713 in nearby Tunica County about 2:15 a.m., three days later.  The shootings appear to be random and there is no known connection between the victims. The Nebraska man was en route to Florida to get his grandson, and the female victim worked at nearby casino. Police are analyzing shell casings discovered at both scenes.  Authorities have launched a dragnet, saturating the area, looking for clues and a possible suspect” (yahoo.com, 5-16-12).  If the suspicions of law enforcement in Mississippi prove to be true, it only serves to make a terrible crime even more heinous.  To pretend to be someone that can be trusted so that evil can be committed is diabolical.

There is biblical evidence for that last statement.  In 2 Corinthians, Paul had to defend himself against pretenders who were maliciously attacking his ministry.  In doing so, he claimed that these “false apostles” were merely following the example of their leader, Satan, who is the master of disguise.  “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Not every “angel of light” has your best interests at heart.  Entrust your soul only to PROVEN servants of righteousness.  Your most dangerous adversaries are those who are pretending to be on your side.

God loves you!

Mike

A New Name

“He really is the lizard king.  A 23-year-old Nebraska man walked into a courtroom in York County Monday afternoon as Tyler Gold -- and walked out as Tyrannosaurus Rex, the York News-Times reported.  Gold said he wanted to change his name “because the (T-Rex designation) is cooler,” according to an official filing he made with court. “Also, as an entrepreneur, name recognition is important and the new name is more recognizable.”  Gold repeated this line of thought aloud during the court proceedings from the witness stand, the York News-Times said.  Judge Alan Gless asked Gold if he was hiding from creditors or law enforcement. Gold said none of those factors were involved in his request.  And just like that, a new Tyrannosaurus Rex was born” (foxnews.com, 5-8-12).

New names are sought for various reasons.  Some are trying to hide from their past.  Others seek a fresh start for the future.  A few choose bizarre names in the hope of attracting attention.  Some choose a plain name to avoid an odd one. Here are some examples:  Alphonso D'Abruzzo became Alan Alda.  Google was once known as BackRub.  Samuel Langhorne Clemens is better known as Mark Twain.  Her many fans knew Dianne Desiree Belmont as Lucille Ball.  Pepsi-Cola was once called Brad’s Drink.  Professional basketball player Ron Artest is now known as Metta World Peace.

Faithful followers of God are promised a new name (Isaiah 62:2; Revelation 2:17; 3:12).  That’s good news because the names I earned before becoming a disciple are not very flattering.  Names like sinner, enemy, rebel, and loser.  Names I am not proud of, but deserved, none the less.  But because of Jesus Christ, no one can use those names for me anymore!  Call me forgiven instead of sinner.  Call me friend instead of enemy.  Call me follower instead of rebel.  Call me winner instead of loser.

Please do not use my old names.  I used to answer to them but I don’t any longer.  My Father has given me a new name!

God loves you!

Mike

The Road To Victory

Wilma didn't get much of a head start in life. A bout with polio left her left leg crooked and her foot twisted inward so she had to wear leg braces. After seven years of painful therapy, she could walk without her braces. At age 12 Wilma tried out for a girls basketball team, but didn't make it. Determined, she practiced with a girlfriend and two boys every day. The next year she made the team. When a college track coach saw her during a game, he talked her into letting him train her as a runner. By age 14 she had outrun the fastest sprinters in the U.S. In 1956 Wilma made the U.S. Olympic team, but showed poorly. That bitter disappointment motivated her to work harder for the 1960 Olympics in Rome--and there Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals, the most a woman had ever won (Today In The Word, Moody Bible Institute, Jan. 1992, p. 10).

Victory is not just for the strongest, smartest, or most talented.  Often, it is reserved for those who persistently pursue their goals, even in the midst of struggles and disappointments.  People who increase their strength through bearing heavy burdens.  People who become smarter through learning from their mistakes.  People who develop their abilities through sheer repetition.

People like Joseph.  He didn’t become second-in-command in Egypt and rescuer of his extended family the easy way.  The road to success for Joseph ran through death-threats, a dark hole in the ground, and being sold by his own brothers into slavery.  His path to victory was detoured through the fires of temptation and an undeserved stint in prison.  He endured the potholes of disappointment over being forgotten by those whom he helped.  But through it all, Joseph kept running toward the goal.  And, ultimately, he was victorious.

Let’s “...lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus...” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

God loves you!

Mike