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Measuring the love in Granny's biscuits

"And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends." (John 15:13 NLT)

When Robin and I first got married I wanted her to learn how to make biscuits like my Granny's. My Granny's biscuits were amazing! So thick and fluffy... with a pad of real butter melting within and leaking down the sides... Ahh... ecstasy!

"Granny" was my my mother's mother. She was a farmer's daughter, a coal miner's wife, the mother of five children, and grandmother of 21 (as she proudly proclaimed to anyone who would ask). She was a powerful presence in my life. Her faith in God, her daily habit of Bible reading and prayer, her gospel singing, her gentle touch, her firm correction, and ... her homemade biscuits made indelible marks on me.

In my mind's eye, I can still see her in that old farmhouse kitchen with flour on her hands and apron as she laughed, talked and rolled out dough with a wooden rolling pin. She cut out the biscuits and placed them in a baking pan with the practiced hand of an artist. And make no mistake, her biscuits were works of art.

And they were works of love. When Robin mustered up the courage to ask my Granny about her biscuit recipe, there was a sparkle in Granny's eye as she answered.

"Why honey." She laughed. "There ain't no recipe. I just make them from scratch. Come on the in the kitchen and I'll show you how."

After Robin watched Granny gather her ingredients and begin the mixing process, she asked, "What are the measurements of those last ingredients, Granny?"

"Measurement?" Granny laughed. "I use a pinch of this and a sprinkle of that and touch of this over here and..."

"Oh no." Robin sighed. "I don't think I'll ever be able to make biscuits like you, Granny."

"Sure you will." Granny answered, while patting her on the hand. "Just remember my secret ingredient."

"What's that, Granny?"

"Love, Honey. Love." She replied.

This week as I prepare to talk about loving God with all of our strength. I'm reminded of how my Granny loved God and her family with all of her strength and ability. But most of all I'm reminded of the measure of the love that Jesus Christ poured out for us.

What measure will we use to show our love for Him?

While I was thinking about thinking

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ...Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. (Romans 1:20-21, 28 NIV) 

While I was thinking about thinking, I came across this promo for an upcoming movie that I want to see. It looks like a very interesting expose on the closed mindedness of the scientific elite when it comes to allowing a debate concerning Darwinism and the possibility of Intelligent Design.

Since college I've been intrigued by this topic. Of course, the prevailing doctrine of evolution is the foundational belief for nearly every "ology" and "ism" in the university today. After all, as one prominent atheist has said, "Darwin made atheism respectable."

There was a time when Theology (the study of God) was considered the "Queen of the Sciences." No more. It has been relegated to a subset of the school of philosphy. Science without God is supreme. There is no room for divine explanation when the worldview is materialistic and closed to anything beyond or above nature (Supernatural).

To me, the humanity we see today is not the result of evolution. No, it's more like de-volution. We have fallen from God's original intent. The image of God has fallen. We are not getting better, we are getting worse. Our minds are not growing wiser. They are becoming ever more "futile" and "foolish" in their thinking.

The university system, that was founded by a generation that believed that knowledge and knowing were from God, has become unhinged. It is adrift without any connection to the Intellect that produced man's intelligence.

The mind that seeks Truth has been "expelled."

Thinking aloud

"Come now, let us reason together,"says the Lord. (Isaiah 1:18 NIV). 

"Daddy, why is the sky blue? What is glass made of? Why do the clouds move? How much longer before we get there?"

I remember asking these questions of my father as we traveled along the highway in his big Buick. My seven year old mind was filled with questions. It burned with an insatiable curiosity. Traveling along at 60 MPH, my mind raced as I scanned the images passing by. My father never disappointed with his answers.

"Sunlight bouncing off of air molecules, sand, wind, and five minutes less than when you asked before." He answered patiently, his eyes making contact with mine via the rearview mirror.

Of course, his answers only provoked more questions and sometimes doubts. After all, my dad sometimes liked to joke with me. So, I had to make sure.

"Sand? Come on Daddy. Glass is made of sand? Are you trying to trick me?"

"No, son. It's made from lots of sand that's been heated at great temperature and poured into a mold."

"OK, Daddy." I said, as I thought of a dozen more questions to ask.

A couple of years later I was chosen to represent my school on a TV game show for third graders called "Kiddie Kollege." Our school team was in a close match when we were given an extra hard question during the "huddle round," a round that we could get advice from our team members. The question was asked of a little blond on our team named Becky. The question: "What is glass made of?"

As we huddled together I whispered to my teammates "Sand, glass is made of sand."

The looks that my fellow third graders gave me were incredulous. "Are you kidding?" Their faces shouted.

Becky was so perturbed that she looked at me and asked aloud "Glass???"

To which the game show host immediately shouted, "You're right! Sand is the main material used in glass making. That's for 50 points and you win the game!"

We won that game and appeared on TV for three straight weeks. That night when I got home from the WCYB studio, I called my Dad on the phone. He wasn't able to attend in person because he was in the hospital.

"Hey Daddy, did you see me on TV?" I asked.

"I sure did, Son!" He answered with pride in his voice.

"Did you hear the question about glass?" I wondered.

"Absolutely, and I'm glad you were there to help that little girl get it right. Son, I'm so proud of you." He said.

"Thanks Daddy. But if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have even known the answer." I said.

It was only a few weeks later that my dad went to be with the Lord. He died of cancer at the age of 39. I was eight.

I still miss my Dad sometimes. He was never afraid of my questions. He seemed to genuinely enjoy talking to me. Even though he was a grown up and much wiser, he always made me feel smart. He never made me feel as though my thoughts or questions were beneath him. That was such a gift.

I think God is like that. He isn't afraid of our questions. He genuinely enjoys talking with us. He doesn't make us feel unworthy of His fellowship. He is patient and wise. He really desires to have a meeting of the minds with us.

I don't believe that following Christ is intellectual suicide. Quite the contrary, I think God lifts our minds up and increases our wisdom. I understand Kierkegaard's idea that we can't discover God through reason, that we must take a "leap of faith." But I prefer C. S. Lewis' view that Christianity is more than a " blind leap of faith," that it is a reasonable response to the revelation of God through His Word and supremely through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He says that we are to love God with our minds.

I'm glad that my father taught me that it was fun to think and ask questions. I loved talking to my Dad.

I'm even more pleased that my Heavenly Father invites me to come reason with Him. He invites me to think aloud with Him and to express my love for Him with my thoughts.

The more I think aloud with Him, the more I have His mind on things.

"For... we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV) .

Out of gas

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1 NIV).

Did you know that motorcycles don't have gas gauges?

Last Saturday afternoon I took my new bike out for a ride in the country. I really needed to get out and clear my head after a very busy week. I've found that riding my Honda down some two-laned road can really do the trick. I can see and smell the world as it passes by. I feel the wind on my face. It's good.

But it's not so good when the bike starts sputtering and stalling out in the middle of nowhere. One minute I was going 50, the next I was coasting and looking for a place to pull over. Have you ever noticed that most country roads don't have a decent shoulder for you to pull off?

As the hum of the motor was replaced by the sound of the bike's tires coasting down the road, I noticed a car riding right on top of me in my rear view. At the same time I was desperately trying to shift the gas lever below the tank from "on" to "reserve." But to no avail. The motor wouldn't reignite. I had to find a place to land.

I stood alone on the side of the road next to my quiet bike (the car riding my bumper never even paused as they accelerated past). I tried to start it several times, but it obviously wasn't getting any fuel.  I took off my helmet and gloves and reached for my cell phone. I hated to admit it. But I was going to have to call for help.

Before I called I thought what if it's not the gas? I've already switched to reserve and it still won't start. Maybe, I should wait a little longer. Maybe it takes awhile for the gas to get from the reserve tank to the engine.

I was right. After about a five minute (seemed longer) wait, the motor started right up. I put my gear back on and headed home, determined to never let my bike run out of gas again. I was glad I had reserve fuel to get me to the gas station, but I really didn't want to have to use the reserve ever again. It's too scary being on the highway when you lose all power.

After filling up, I decided to start setting the odometer to zero. Motorcycles don't have fuel gauges, but they do have odometers. By thinking back to the last time I had gased up, I was able to compute that my bike could go about 130 miles on a tank of gas.

"Now," I told myself. "I will remember to get gas way before that odometer hits anywhere near 130 miles!"

The human soul has something in common with motorcycles. The soul has no fuel gauge, but it does have an odometer. It's called the week. And every seven days God has told us that we need rest. We need a Sabbath.

We don't know that our souls are on empty until they start sputtering and running out of power. But we can start watching our spiritual odometers. We can start recognizing the need of our souls for weekly nourishment and rest that only God can give.

That's why the Psalmist David said, "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him" (Psalm 62:1 NIV).

See you at the gas station... this Sunday. Don't wait. You might already be on "reserve."

Your hot tub is here

"Hey, you Mr. Combs?" announced a big fellow in a Federal Express uniform as he entered the church office.

"Yes." I replied.

"With Wilson Community Church?" he continued.

"Yes, that's right." I said.

"Well, I got your hot tub here. Where do you want it dropped off?" He asked.

"Hot tub? I don't think... Wait a minute. Let me see your invoice." I asked. "This is not a hot tub. It's our portable baptismal!" I said with a laugh.

"Ohhh." He said. "Now, that makes better sense."

"We think it does too." I replied.

Our portable baptismal arrived this week. We went in together with two other portable churches to share the cost of this $3400 "hot tub." In the past we've waited for warm weather to hold our baptism services, but we wanted to start letting people follow in obedience as quickly as they committed. Plus, we thought it would be great to have the baptisms during our regular Sunday services.

This baptismal is really cool. It holds 400 gallons of water, has a pump, and a water heater. It has room for 2 or 3 people at a time. And it's easy to assemble and take apart and fits in a closet for storage.

Discovery Church in Greenville will be "baptizing" our baptismal on Sunday, February 17th. Since they're going to use it first, we've asked them to figure out the best setup/take-down procedure. They also will be building storage cases for us to transport and store it in.

"As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him." (Acts 8:36-38 NIV)

We already have five people waiting for baptism. Now, we can tell them, "Look, here is water! Why shouldn't you be baptized?"