Foolishness for April Fools’ Day

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25, ESV)

Today of all days we ought to charge the world with the message that is to them foolishness. Instead of attacking others with pranks and backhanded compliments, we ought to approach the world outside the church with the wisdom of the gospel. How often we try to impress the world with our intelligence. I recall the time a young man commenting on a movie that a group was watching together. “This is set in Seattle,” he announced. “You can go anywhere by bus in Seattle.” Most of us were from a more southerly environment and had no knowledge of the great coffee city of the northwest. In fact we were in awe of the metropolitan knowledge of the young man.

And then another of the group intoned, “No, you can’t.” and a minor argument followed.

“Yes, you can,” the first speaker insisted. “In Seattle, you can go anywhere by bus.”

“No,” his opponent countered, “you can’t go to Sidney.”

Suddenly the intelligence of the first young man was deflated. His wisdom turned into foolishness right in front of him. Of course, everyone understood (as you do) that the well-traveled young man was speaking about traveling within the city of Seattle. And quite possibly they have such a spectacular mass transit system that no part of the city is unreached by the web of bus routes. Sadly, whenever both young men were at a gathering after that the first young man was afraid to speak because he would be made to look foolish by the second.

Too often this is our own approach to sharing Christ with the world around us. We are afraid of appearing foolish. Think of the message—the sinless one would leave all the comforts of heaven (not just a comfy position, but heaven), become a man with limits heretofore unknown to Him, die to pay for the sins that others committed, and offer the payment so that the actual sinners might avoid death. It bears a strong resemblance to the three-dollar bill. But this foolishness is just what we are called to spread.

How about it? Have you been foolish today? Will you?

Father, strengthen our resolve to be willing to look foolish for your wisdom that others might know you. Amen.

Advent – Week 1: Hope

[On Saturdays for the next few weeks, I hope you will enjoy these thoughts in preparation for the Advent season (traditionally we light one candle of the Advent Wreath each Sunday leading up to Christmas, and the center candle on Christmas Eve).]



Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." (Matthew 2:1-2, ESV)



The wise men, we call them Magi, were experts in hope. They followed a star from the East. The star appeared in their night sky signaling a new king. They knew nothing about this new king except that he would be great. After all he was heralded by the appearance of a brand new star – one that had never been seen before.

In hope of a new and special day, they came to Jerusalem from a country far away. Some experts estimate that the trip might have taken up to three years. When the star appeared announcing Jesus’ birth, they began to excitedly make preparations. They gathered together a caravan that would be a worthy envoy to the new royal whose star it was. They then searched far and wide for presents fit for a king. Recorded for us are gold, frankincense and myrrh. Who knows what other rich gifts were brought in anticipation of this new king. Then they traveled no one knows how many miles to greet this new king.

Hope springs eternal when we see these wise men. They held hope for something grand to happen in their time, so they watched the sky. They saw hope represented in a star that appeared in the nighttime sky. They rushed toward hope by making the arduous journey to a foreign land to greet and bring appropriate gifts to the king. They lived on in hope by obeying the warning dream that instructed them to avoid Herod in their journey home.

We might take a lesson from these men who found hope to be so strong in their lives, especially during this season of hope.

Father, renew in us the spirit of hope that was brought to wise men in the form of a star. Amen.

Procrastination Is Making Me Wait, Keeping Me Waiting

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

It occasionally strikes me that I have been waiting ‘til the last minute to do things again. I’ve made a commitment to do this, write that, speak here, go there, and I’ve wasted precious time before addressing the commitment. When we wait until the very last minute to start on the way to an appointment, we often find that we’re not prepared for the flat tire, the wreck just ahead, or the road construction that was supposed to be completed two days ago. We walk into the meeting late with an apology hanging on the tip of our tongue.

I plead guilty once again, for those few who have begun reading here. A few weeks ago, our ministerial alliance group divided the next several months (beginning with August) with the goal that each of us would post at least one devotional thought a week. I missed last week. Mea culpa, pardon moi, I’m so sorry. But doesn’t that illustrate what we all do all of the time—put it off until we’ve either missed the opportunity or turn in a shoddy, half-hearted attempt at the job? Of course, while the idea of “there is a time to wait and a time to go” included in the preacher’s words from Ecclesiastes 3, the assumption of “there is a time to put it off and a time to ‘git ‘r done’” doesn’t quite foot the bill.

Franklin suggested, “Why wait until tomorrow to do what you can do today?” We often turn it into, “Why do to day what you can put off until tomorrow?” There is a time for everything, and the time is now to do what we have committed to do.

Lord of all time, help me to use wisely the time you have given me. Thank you for the time to work, to play, and to live. Help me to be faithful to the commitments I have made.

“Have a Blessed Day”

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:3)

That’s how the waitress said good-bye to the patrons at the table near mine in the restaurant just this week. I like this greeting better than the one it seems to be replacing: “Have a good one.” After all, as believers in Christ we are to be blessed and be a blessing, are we not?

In thinking of this way to say good-bye, I began to think of ways that I am blessed. My family of origin (that’s my parents, my brothers and sister, the family into which I was born) is one in which God was important and church life was a natural succession. My family of choice (that’s my wife, the family I got to have a say in) is supportive of my ministry and loves me in spite of who I am. My children provide times of growth and pride for me. I can’t imagine life without them.

I’ve had experiences that have allowed me to grow closer to God along every step of the way. You may have had those, too. Mine are time spent as a public school teacher, time spent living overseas in service of the Lord and His work, and time spent on staff at a local church. That brings me to my next blessing: the church. We live in a place where church involvement is available at an easy rate. Even in our village with a population of 700, there are three churches within the city limits (not to mention those which are planted outside the city limits). We are a church saturated society. Do you want to be blessed? Get involved in one of the local churches on the corner of the street near you.

And the list goes on: health, safety, love, food. An old hymn says, “Count your many blessings name them one by one . . . And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” (“Count Your Blessings, Words: Johnson Oatman, Jr., Music: Edwin O. Excell)

Have a blessed day!

Father, thank you for my many blessings. Keep them coming, and keep me thankful. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

I Am Thankful . . .

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6, NIV)

I am thankful for the gift of life in this beautiful world that God ahs created and for parents and grandparents who taught me about God’s love and His promise of eternal life through His son Jesus.

I am thankful to be born in a country where we can live and worship in freedom and for those who have sacrificed and are still sacrificing for that freedom.

I am thankful for my home and family who have blessed my long and happy life.

I am thankful for the hard times and disappointments that have taught me to understand and appreciate the grace and comfort of the Lord.

I am thankful for each person who has blessed my life and given me a reason to live; my husband and our children and grandchildren and all the little ones yet to come.

God has given us so much of life
And love and health and such:
Little ones to bless our home,
Three boys and two girls of our own.
Wonderful, happy, busy days
For all of these we give You praise;
Some troubles, sorrows, disappointments, too
You’re always there to see us through.

Thank you, dear Lord, for Your presence with us here and now and for the promise fo a life everlasting in Heaven with You that You have given to all who believe Your word and receive You as Savior.

—Jaynece Dothager, First Baptist Church of Mulberry Grove

The Cream of the Crop

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." (Luke 8:5-8)

Planting season is in full swing, and we live in corn country. As I was driving through the countryside recently I noticed that some of the cornfields are beginning to sprout. Carefully cultivated rows are beginning to have small plants pop through the soil. On this particular day, I noticed that one field was rife with weeds cropping up between the rows. What was interesting was that the neighboring field was pristine—the corn was about three to four inches high, evenly distributed, and the soil was clean between the rows.

I was reminded of the way we treat God’s word in our lives. Some people are filled with distractions and struggles that take away from the focus on God’s word in their lives. At the same time, others are ordering their lives with the aid of God’s word. May we rid our lives of the distractions that fill our lives with weeds keeping our crop from growing strong.

Father, use your word to till the soil and rid our lives of the weeds that distract us.

Something New in Things Familiar

Matthew 6:28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.”

The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. As a native Texan (transplanted to Illinois) I’ve always loved this wildflower. It thrives in hot, sunny areas and thrives in rocky soil.

The wildflowers that we see along the way are God’s way of creating beauty in a place where there would otherwise be desolation. Recently, God did something unique. When He was visiting our country—even our part here in Mulberry Grove—with a winter breeze when we’d already been welcoming Spring, a few inches of snow found its way to central Texas. The wildflowers in full bloom donned a quiet coat that they normally don’t even get to try on. The beauty and the message struck me—God is able to take those things that I count beautiful and make them new.

At Easter time, He did something totally new. The beauty of the spring wildflowers was joined by the beauty of winter’s frost. The result was breathtaking. Pause and thank Him for His care for you, and the reminders of that care in the beauty of a new moment.

Father, thank you for provision, for life that you breathe new each day. Help me not to forget that you make even the old seem new. Thanks for the reminders from your creation.

More Than a Legend

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The picture along with the post tells the story of the legend of Spook Hill in Lake Wales, Florida. Supposedly, if you pull your car up to the white line in the road and put it in neutral the car will roll backwards, apparently uphill. We got out of the car and watched as the driver put the little PT Cruiser in neutral and took his foot off of the brake. It most certainly began a backward roll that appeared to be up a small hill.

How can I, a preacher from Mulberry Grove, Illinois, explain what happened? I can't. I have been told that people have taken building levels and all sorts of tools to determine that what seemed to be happening indeed was. And it appears to be true. Of course, the story about an alligator and an Indian chief fighting makes a good story for something to supposedly happen.
Did you ever stop to consider how many people have real events in life which should lead them to faith in God and Jesus Christ, but somehow they don't? Many people have wonderful blessings coming their way. But they just can't believe there is a God or that they need a Savior, when in all reality they do. To them, it seems to be an impractical and unbelievable legend which piques the curiosity but offers nothing for them to live by.

Let me encourage you today to trust in Christ if you haven't done that all ready! It is not a legend. It is a reality that has stood the test of time. And I pray you will know the truth of Jesus in your life.

Father God, how thankful we are for the hope we can have in Jesus Christ! Thank you for His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead that were truly wonderful events, and not just glorified stories. May we trust in Him with all of our hearts! In Jesus Name, Amen!

How Has God Gotten Your Attention?

Exodus 3: 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

It was cold and silent as I walked onto the porch. Snow had been falling at a steady rate and the traffic was now quiet on the usually busy road. As I admired the winter wonderland, a strange noise made its way up the road. The clopping of the hooves grew steady. I expected to see horses making their way up the road. Perhaps riders were out for a winter ride with their trusty steeds.

As I looked, I was not ready for what I saw. Wild deer were making their way down the street in front of my Mulberry Grove home. Steadily the noise became louder. As the herd approached I silently counted and found there were 16 deer clopping past my house in the dark of the evening on the asphalt pavement. In the dim street light I could make out some of their features. Thirty-two eyes glistened in the dim light. Sixteen coats of brown fur laid back in the wind as some of the snow bounced off the sides of the animals. It was truly a reverend moment.

Watching this otherwise silent parade, God laid on my heart that what I was seeing was something no man could do. No man could create the marvelous creatures that mystified me on this brisk, snowy evening. No man could create the fur. No man could put the glisten in the eyes. No man could create the firm hooves which tromped the road.

I had to praise God for what I saw that only He could do. It prompted me to remember that God made me and all that I could see around me. He had really gotten my attention, which sometimes gets diverted with the worries of life! What has God been doing to get your attention? Has He got it?

Dear God: Thank you for the marvels of your creation. Thank you for taking the time to put them in front of me to make me think about you. Thank you for saving me through the death of Jesus, something else I could not do for myself. In Jesus name, Amen!