Christ's Influence on the World via St. Patrick - Larry Lilly Live

Overcoming Tribal Defeatism

1/29/2017

One of the most encouraging verses in the Bible is this one from Paul:

1Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

The “therefore” refers to several miracles including the resurrection of Christ and of our coming one. If the things referred to are true, then we should, in all faith and courage, face troublesome times with rock solid courage.

Often, for men and women of high dreams, a tough decision faces us, and the obstacles have nothing to do with devils or Russia or even whatever idiocy is going on in D.C. Some of the toughest struggles in my adult life for the last 55 years have been, and continue to be, trusting the Lord Jesus for the inner courage to break tribal or group shackles. These often well intentioned hindrances were mentioned by the author of Jungle Book, among other great stories. Note his statement:

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.”
Rudyard Kipling.

Do not jump to the conclusion that Larry’s tribe of Monacans must be pressuring him, as this is not true. I doubt if more than 5 or 10 members of the tribe of my father would even know my name. I speak of whatever tribe you find yourself among and there are thousands of them. The “tribe” may be a group of writers of similar mind, or preachers of a group or sub-group, the sub being particularly of a controlling nature. Ford VS Chevy Groups are notorious for their shunning members of the other group. As to religion, to say you are a Baptist, immediately a flag goes up as to “what brand of Baptist?” The same is true within any large group, the sub group wants your total submission, or ELSE. If you are religious, you know the caps are understatement.

Rather than surrender to Tribal Tyranny, why not really raise eyebrows and simply trust and follow Jesus? You better have “Ironclad” feelings when you do, but I offer, God bless, as you walk beside Him along your path.

Copyright © 2017 Larry Lilly
Defeat IT problems! Oral Deckard

Benefits of a Flinty Face

1/25/2017

Have you tried anything new lately? How about retrying an old idea with a few new wrinkles? Proceeding with one of these suggestions may add a few years to your life while also adding a little satisfaction in your daily walk with the Lord.

In years gone by it was common for youths to learn from the truth Robert the Bruce learned from a spider while hiding in a cave. Here’s a brief:

“According to a legend, at some point while he was on the run during the winter of 1306–07, Bruce hid in a cave on Rathlin Island off the north coast of Ireland, where he observed a spider spinning a web, trying to make a connection from one area of the cave's roof to another. It tried and failed twice, but began again and succeeded on the third attempt. Inspired by this, Bruce returned to inflict a series of defeats on the English, thus winning him more supporters and eventual victory. The story serves to illustrate the maxim: "if at first you don't succeed, try try try again." Other versions have Bruce in a small house watching the spider try to make its connection between two roof beams. [95]”

Our generation seems to carry the mark, that one failure is enough to quit and move on to yet another failure. Empires, careers and a productive life are built around Bruce’s concept, try, try, try again. This formula is also essential in bringing marriage to full bloom. It also is essential to the growing of a church. Modern times have developed the saying to this: “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.” Here’s another one, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” One of the most successful men of the era just behind said it this way:

“Every time a man makes a new experiment, he always learns more. He cannot learn less.”
R. Buckminster Fuller.

Most attribute the following to our Suffering Savior:
Isa 50:6 “I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
7 "For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.”

Learn to follow Jesus with your face set like a flint, (determined) and proceed toward God’s will despite set-backs.

Copyright © 2017 Larry Lilly
Bruce like IT work. Oral Deckard

From The Sinking Sand of Yesterday

1/22/2017

From time to time I permit my mind to wander back to the days of my youth, especially to the spot along a dirt road called home during those years. The neighborhood was plowed under many years ago, at the order of Homeland Security, at the time supervised by the man who would become my son in law. The place would never be permitted to come into existence in today’s world. Poverty would have been an upgrade. Sanitary? You’re kidding? Safety? Several families lost a spouse or children to homemade chunk stoves. Many who survived the stoves suffered horribly as adults to varied respiratory diseases. Alcoholism was the order of the day, at least the week-end. It was the worst of Appalachia transported to Maryland.

Yet, some of the finest people came from that environment. Most took a few years to overcome the baggage collected during their time of living there, but I recall several men and women, not all by any means, as I have been gone from there for a little over sixty years, who are outstanding. No names. I admire their courage as well as their tenacity. When I think of them, a statement from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow floods my mind:

“Live up to the best that is in you: Live noble lives, as you all may, in whatever condition you may find yourselves.”

Many did the best they could despite… the list is long. My salvation came at the age of twenty when Jesus lifted me from the sinking sand and into the new life founded on the Solid Rock.

Longfellow’s words are worth considering as a non-Christian and even more so for those who carry Christ’s Name. Paul talked about this when thanking the saints for helping him. Get this:

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Copyright (2017) Larry Lilly
Rock Solid IT work. Oral Deckard

Comments welcome larrylilly@larrylilly.net

Impatience: The Killer of Dreams

1/18/2017

This week has been marked by a speech containing the phrase, “I Have a Dream.” The writer of the speech, delivered at the Republican National Convention in 1952, Archibald Carey Jr, is one of the grandest ever given. You can hear parts of Mr. Carey’s speech here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-yI7QF5BHg

The speech became famous when Dr. Martin Luther King used it in 1962. I have read, re-read and quoted parts of the speech for years, always crediting the original author. I learned early on that when I use quotes, which I do most every article, to legally give the author’s name. It really is the only fair way to use the child of someone else’s pen.

As we live life, we come to periods where about all we have is a dream or dreams of something better to keep us going, therefore the phrase, “I have a dream” is powerful beyond comprehension.

It is said of the Father of the Faithful, Abraham, that had a dream as expressed here:

Hebrews 11:10 “for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Abraham spent most his life living in tents wandering about the land. Yet we are assured that deep in his heart lay the golden dream of something better. It’s ok to dream big about something that sets your spirit ablaze with hope. It is also helpful to understand the importance of patience as you march upward toward the prize. One of my all-time favorite writers put it like this:

“Sometimes we have the dream but we are not ourselves ready for the dream. We have to grow to meet it.” Louis L'Amour.

Refuse to let the waiting kill your dream!

Copyright © 2017 Larry Lilly

Quality IT Work. Oral Deckard

Comments are appreciated. larrylilly@larrylilly.net

Where to Get Help When Needed

1/15/2017

One of my favorite writers, Leo Tolstoy, who had spent a time of wallowing about the slew of despondency concerning faith in Christ, eventually coming to a vibrant grasp of the faith, wrote:

“Everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself.”

The line rings true along the biblical lines of personal growth in the aspects of faith as we walk alongside Jesus Christ during our earthly journey. Most religious articles give insight on how to get others to make changes, when often the writer/speaker could use quite a bit of the improvement posited. I have been blessed in many ways along the lines of growth in that I know the Bible is a mirror that shows me to me. If I happen to miss a few facial “warts” the dear wife of my youth graciously points them out to me. Her Sainted Mother pointed out most of my “warts” prior to Joyce marrying me, and now, fifty some years later, I often hear, “Mom warned me about this trait in you.” Between God’s Word and my mother in law I never had a chance.

Though my faults, shortcomings and outright sins are pointed out, I still deeply love and enjoy both God’s Word and the nit picking of my dear wife. Such helps me to grow in the grace of God. This, in the long run, strengthens me to be not only courageous in life, but also a wee bit more like Jesus, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Rather than viewing my life as a form of Chinese Water Torture I see it as Jesus leading me to a more wholesome life. The pain from verses and voices has driven me to my knees and each of the many Bibles I possess shows much wearing down at this verse:

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

I attest that the verse really works. For me. Probably for you too.

Copyright © 2017 Larry Lilly
Up to date IT work. Oral Deckard

God is Good Anyway

1/11/2017

The article on new problems demanding new thinking, with the quote from President Lincoln touched many hearts and generated a ton of response from many quarters. One that especially caught my eye was from an email friend of several years. I have prayed with this pastors brother who is suffering from cancer while continuing to pastor. Lo, and behold, my initial friend sent the following to me:

“This is a good one for me as I found out a month ago, I have cancer of the esophagus! I am starting radiation and chemo (6wks) on the 17th and then later on surgery to remove it! With all this, I have had total peace with it all and that only comes from the Lord! It has opened many more doors of witness! I have been able to share with Drs. and nurses how good God is anyway and that He is preparing a place in Heaven with me, but I am not quite ready to take up occupancy unless He says it's time! Also, that I have been preaching on faith for years and now the rubber meets the road!
God bless!”

The quote from President Lincoln during the early stages of the Civil War in case you don’t recall it:

“As our case is new, so we must think anew.”

Pastor Doctor has dealt with many cancer patients over the years and now he is putting into practice in his “new” case, his own suffering, and discovering first hand the value of knowing and trusting Christ, for this old thing to others, but new to him.

Romans 8:37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Copyright © 2017 Larry Lilly

It work by Oral Deckard

Watcha Doing When No One is Watching

1/8/2017

Bobby Jones was one of the greatest golfers to ever compete, uniquely known for winning the "Grand Slam" of golf, winning all four major tournaments in the U.S. and Britain in a single year. In 1925, early in his career, having reached the final playoff in the U.S. Open, at a certain point in the match, Jones was setting up to strike his ball which was in the rough just off the fairway. His iron accidentally touched the ball. He immediately became angry with himself, turned to the marshals, and called a penalty on himself.

But the marshals had not seen the ball move, so they left the decision to Jones, whether to invoke the penalty -- a two-stroke penalty. Bobby called the penalty on himself, not knowing that he would lose the tournament by a single stroke.

When praised for his honesty, he replied, "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank!" Jones may have lost the tournament, but his character was legendary and today the United States Golf Association's award for sportsmanship is known as the "Bobby Jones Award."

Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

How different would your life and mine be if we always followed the principle stated above?

Note ONE thing Jesus said about Nathanael: John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Near as I can tell, this is the only man Jesus gave such praise to. Would you commit to being the next one?

Copyright © 2017 Larry Lilly
Simple/Complicated IT. Oral Deckard

A New Case Demands New Thinking

1/4/2017

Near the beginning of the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln met with some advisors and noted the uniqueness of the problem with this advice:

“As our case is new, so we must think anew.”

The quote comes from the pen of Larry P. Arnn, President of Hillsdale College in their magazine, Imprints. The article is worthwhile. I was especially moved by the Lincoln quote even though I am not a fervent fan of President Lincoln.

Think about how President Lincoln’s statement may apply to situations we each face along the way. In the last several years I have helped many people who are professing Christians deal with the pain, humiliation and financial setback of bankruptcy. Another group this applies to are the ones, who love Jesus, but are facing the agony of divorce, with visiting rights, child support or lack thereof ad infinitum. The “case” may be old hat for some, but for the ones of whom I speak these events are new and often terrifying beyond words.

How about that friend who went for his annual physical and the receptionist called with a message from the doctor, “Mr. Smith, Dr. Jones has read your report and you have stage 3 lung cancer. Please call and make another appointment as soon as possible.” Such compassion!

Millions of people are facing cancer, millions have recovered or are in remission, but this is brand new for you. Mr. Lincoln’s advice certainly comes into play when any of us are facing something new to us.

When Job, the sage of the Old Testament went through his long night of facing one thing right after another that he had never faced before, he had to change a lot of his ideas about things and about life in general, or about a specific problem. While he waited for God’s advice he came to grips with his reality with this paean of trust:

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job 13:15 first part.

We must learn to trust in Christ, even when we do not understand the why.

Copyright © 2017 Larry Lilly
New IT Thinking! Oral Deckard

A New Year for New Creatures

1/1/2017

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi a brief resume of his former position as a Pharisee, his loss of that prestige due to His conversion to Jesus Christ and the long list of his sufferings, capping the resume with this:

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14.

For more than five decades these New Year’s verses have encouraged me to keep plugging along as I attempt to run with patience the course the Lord has set for me.

I was blessed by a brief article from my friend, Dale Byers, quoting Chuck Swindoll, who always seems to have the right words:
     “Regardless of what you have done, no one is beyond hope. That's the great hope of the Christian message. No amount or depth of sin in your past can trump the grace of God. If you question that, remember Saul, the brash Pharisee of Tarsus. When the Lord saved him, He didn't put him on probation. The other disciples did that. No, God gave Saul a new name and, in the process, made him a new creation. That's what makes grace so amazing!
     Even though your past is soiled, anyone can find a new beginning with God. I've made the same statement throughout my ministry: It's never too late to start doing what is right. When Saul knelt before the living God, he finally faced the reality of his sin. Deep within the man, Christ transformed his life, and he started doing what was right. Grace provides that sort of new beginning.
     Don't get stuck on where you were. Don't waste your time focusing on what you used to be. Remember, the hope we have in Christ means there's a brighter tomorrow. Sins are forgiven. Shame is canceled out. We're no longer chained to a deep, dark pit of the past. Grace gives us wings to soar beyond it.
     Could it be that you are stuck because of something from your past? Perhaps it has pinned you to the ground with embarrassment, shame, and fear. You're crippled by it. The best you can do is to limp through each day, hoping for a painless end. That way of thinking is from the enemy, Satan. He loves to push your nose in the dirt, hoping to make you miss the marvelous claims of grace. Don't allow him that power in your life today. Around you are people who have no greater claim on grace than you do, and the Lord mercifully brought them out of their pit of sin. If He could turn a Saul of Tarsus, who was engaged in a murderous rampage, into a Paul the apostle, who preached and lived the message of grace, He can change your life too.”

The hope in this verse is far beyond politics, church affiliation, even the entire realm of humanity. As Christians, our hope is in Jesus Christ and we are assured that Jesus Christ trumps all the challenges of life.

Copyright © 2017 Larry Lilly

2017 IT work! Oral Deckard