Tag Archives: newspaper

Taking Out the Trash | Bible Gleanings September 5-6, 2020

September 5, 2020 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

Taking Out the Trash

Anything can happen in 2020—even the transformation of a landfill to a recreational park. An article in the New York Times titled Huge Landfill’s Long Road to Renewal, documents how Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island went from a garbage dump to a grassy landscape, and is set to open as a park by next spring. Fresh Kills was once an ecological eyesore due to the tons of trash that arrived there every day by barge. In the late 1970s, an estimated 28,000 tons of garbage were unloaded daily. The waste at Fresh Kills is so massive that giant trash hills formed over time and were named as though they were natural landmarks. In 2001, however, the dumping ceased and the process of renewal began.

They compacted waste, flushed out harmful chemicals, and capped the garbage mounts with plastic. After they essentially “took out the trash,” they brought in soil and seeds, and let nature do its thing. Now the landfill once dominated by repugnant filth is characterized by life and beauty. Looking at Fresh Kills today, you’d never know it was once a literal wasteland. It is still a work-in-progress, but it is far more useful and beautiful than ever before.

Did you know this is what God has been doing in you since you were first saved by grace? On the day of your conversion, God started the process of beautifying you by taking the garbage out of your heart and life. As an unbeliever, your life was a landfill of sin. You were characterized by the garbage and filth of sinful desires and deeds (Romans 1:18-32). In fact, your iniquities formed mounts which reached to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).

Now, God is taking out the trash and transforming you into something useful and beautiful. To be sure, this is an ongoing process that requires your obedience. That is why Paul said, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry . . . Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:5, 12). The old has to be removed so the new can take its place. Old earthly desires and deeds, the garbage of your former life, must be put to death so that your life can be identified by new virtues. God calls you to kill off your old inclinations and actions so that He can plant new things in your life. He wants you to be characterized by new and beautiful virtues so that old and repulsive vices are out of sight. Will you yield to the Spirit and walk with the Lord so He can continue taking out the trash?

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it will be posted for reading here.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (Aussiedor), and Dot (beagle).

devotions, Other

Start With Prayer | Bible Gleanings August 29-30, 2020

August 27, 2020 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

Start With Prayer

Without question, science and experience affirm that how you start your day is vitally important. What you do or don’t do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. According to several mental health studies, the first twenty minutes of the day are the most crucial. An article by the Entrepreneur confirms this, saying, “whether you get out of bed at 5 a.m. or 3 p.m., it’s the first 20 minutes of your day that can set you up for success.” Most people don’t take the time to get mornings right and waste a great opportunity to get started on the right foot.

One man who always started His day on the right foot was Jesus Christ, the Lord. He would begin His long days of preaching and healing on His knees. As John Mark tells us in his Gospel, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35).

There are several elements of Jesus’ “morning routine” that, if incorporated into our own lives, would set up each day for the blessing of God. Here are a few things about Jesus’ prayer that will set the right tone for the rest of your day, if you imitate His example.

(1) Jesus prayed even when exhausted. Granted, Mark doesn’t say Jesus was tired. However, we know from the context that Jesus couldn’t have enjoyed a full night of sleep. On the previous day, He was healing the sick and casting out demons—beginning at evening and ending possibly until midnight (Mark 1:32-34). Although He was tired, He woke up early and prayed anyway. You will pray when you hunger for God’s presence, no matter how tired you are or how busy you are. Learn to pray when you are tired—even if it’s only for a few minutes. God will grant you spiritual and emotional rest that is far greater than physical rest.

(2) Jesus prayed early. When Christ prayed, it was so early that the sun hadn’t yet risen. He knew prayer was the best way to start the day. Practically speaking, given Jesus’ busy life in ministry, this may have been His only opportunity to spend alone time with His Father. We should learn to pray early as well. While the mind is refreshed and the world is still waking up, we should wake up with prayer.

(3) Jesus prayed alone. Jesus often prayed in public and with His disciples, but He also prayed in desolate places so He could talk to the Father free of distraction or disturbance. In our prayer lives, we also need to pray as often as we can alone, one-on-one with the Father.

How will you spend the first twenty minutes of the day tomorrow? Remember—the best way to start the day is to start to pray!

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it will be posted for reading here.

devotions

Actor Portrayal | BIBLE GLEANINGS AUGUST 22-23, 2020

August 21, 2020 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

Actor Portrayal

Many commercials on television promote new products and services with personal testimony from people who have benefited from the product themselves. When a new gadget hits the market, you’ll see someone in the commercial rave about how it has changed their lives for the better. When a new medicine is developed, the person in the commercial is seen enjoying their lives like never before. However, if you pay close attention you will often see the words ACTOR PORTRAYAL in tiny print near the bottom of the screen. That signals that the individual in the advertisement hasn’t actually used the product or service for themselves.

I don’t know about you, but I immediately question the effectiveness of whatever they’re advertising if the company has to hire an actor to promote it. In fact, it makes me think the product or service doesn’t work at all! The actors are real and so is their enthusiasm, but their claim about the proficiency of a product or service is repudiated when there is no real evidence that they themselves have been changed by it. It’s all acting.

The Bible talks about actor portrayal. The Lord Jesus sternly warned that it is possible to offer lip service to God while your heart is far from Him: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matt. 15:8). You can be enthusiastic about God and the gospel without actually being changed by the gospel or encountering God for yourself. Reading the Bible, going to church, singing hymns, and doing good works are just an actor portrayal if you haven’t experienced the life-changing power of the gospel firsthand. Even if you have genuinely trusted in Christ and believed the gospel, people will question the effectiveness of the gospel if you show little to no evidence that you’ve been changed by it. If you don’t practice what you preach, people will wonder whether or not the gospel works at all. When we live no differently than anyone else, it is as though “actor portrayal” has been visibly labeled upon our lives.

Hypocrisy always kills the appeal of the gospel. God doesn’t call you to act before men, but to live a genuinely righteous life before Him: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). Obviously, no Christian is perfect and there’ll even be times when you live hypocritically—it happens to all of us. The issue is not with occasional falls into the sin of hypocrisy. The issue is if you promote the effectiveness of the gospel but contradict that claim by living the same as everyone else. Have you been changed by the gospel or is your life an actor portrayal?

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it will be posted for reading here.

devotions

The Fiery Tongue | Bible Gleanings August 15-16, 2020

August 15, 2020 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

The Fiery Tongue

“Only you can prevent forest fires.” We are all familiar with this stern warning from Smokey Bear. The Forest Service created this advertising icon in the 1940’s to encourage the prevention of wildfires, since over 85% are caused by the neglect and carelessness of human beings. His famous catch phrase reminds us that we must never underestimate the destructive potential of fire. Even the smallest flame can consume an entire forest in a matter of days. As recently as 2016, thousands of acres in the Smoky Mountains went up in flames because of a fire started by two minors. To this day, wildfires continue to ravage our beautiful country, often because of unattended campfires, discarded cigarettes, and the burning of garbage and debris. The point is, you can never be too careful when it comes to fire safety in the outdoors. That’s what Smokey’s warning is all about.

“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell” (James 3:5b-6). Are we as familiar with this austere warning about the calamitous capability of the flame that lies caged behind our teeth? James the apostle said the tongue is like a small spark or flame that can set an entire forest ablaze. Although the tongue is small, it has the potential to burn down your life or the life of others. An ill-spoken word, a false rumor, a white lie, a crude joke, or any other sin of the tongue may bring destruction and damage that is irreparable. Your words can easily ignite a fire that will burn out of control.

How can you prevent a fire from breaking out of your mouth? (1) Think carefully about your words before you say them: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). (2) Pray for God’s help and yield to His Spirit: “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3). (3) By God’s grace, learn to use your tongue for good instead of evil: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). (4) Understand that without God’s power, you can never tame your tongue: “But no human being can tame the tongue” (James 3:8a).

Let the Lord have control of your words so He may extinguish the smallest spark before it grows. Only He can prevent a fire from breaking out of your mouth.

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it will be posted for reading here.

Other

A Guide for Thanksgiving

November 23, 2019 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, it’s important to remember the history of this holiday. The first Thanksgiving in America was celebrated among the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians in 1621. Over a century later, President George Washington proclaimed Thursday, the 26th of November 1789, a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. However, Thanksgiving became an official federal holiday when President Lincoln declared it as such during the Civil War, 156 years ago. Thanksgiving is rich with American history.

And while nothing is more American than abandoning our diets and fighting each other over discounts the day after we remember what we’re thankful for, Thanksgiving is not exclusively American. The Bible tells us that the Israelites celebrated their own “thanksgiving” nearly 3,000 years ago, and it was much more than a holiday—it was an act of worship.

Three millennia ago, Psalm 100 was written as a guide for the Jews as they gave thanks and expressed gratitude for their blessings, much like we do at Thanksgiving. It is, as the superscript of the psalm says, “A Psalm for giving thanks.” It provides guidance and instruction regarding thanksgiving. And as Thanksgiving approaches, you can use this psalm as a manual for how to give thanks to the Lord.

Psalm 100 tells us four things about thanksgiving:

(1) Giving thanks can be done through song. In the first two verses, it says, “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” Singing is essential to giving thanks (Acts 16:25; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; James 5:13). Sing a song to the Lord as an expression of your gratitude for who He is and what He has done.

(2) Giving thanks is personal. The psalm continues, “Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (v. 3). In order to give thanks to God, you must have a personal relationship with Him—you must know Him as Lord. You must be among His people—a sheep in His pasture.

(3) Giving thanks should be corporate: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (v. 4). You cannot fully give thanks to God unless you are in the presence of other believers. Thanksgiving happens in His “courts” and “gates.”

(4) Giving thanks should be done because of God: “For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever; and his faithfulness to all generations” (v. 5). You are to give thanks because God is good, loving, and faithful.

Let Psalm 100 guide you this week—honor the history of Thanksgiving by honoring the Lord with your thanksgiving.

Other

The Roaring Lion

November 16, 2019 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

There are thousands of good ideas in the world—entering into a lion enclosure at the zoo is not one of them. Earlier this year, a man miraculously survived a lion attack after doing just that. An employee at the Serengeti Zoo in Hamburg, Germany, entered into the enclosure to do a routine fence check. Usually, the lions are in their cages when employees enter, but not this time. One of the lions pounced and attacked the man and he sustained several serious injuries as a result. Needless to say, lions are dangerous whether they are in the wild or in zoos. They are territorial and always ready to fight anything that may challenge them. Not to mention, they are natural hunters that can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

Another bad idea is walking around as a Christian, unaware of the fact that a more dangerous lion lurks around, waiting to chow down on your life. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter gave a firm warning about this lion: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Peter says that Satan wants to devour and destroy you, just like a roaring and hungry lion.

Comparing the devil to a lion suggests at least four things about his nature and work. First, the devil wants to consume you just as lions consume their prey. Lions hunt by staying hidden so their prey will be inattentive to their presence. Once they get close enough to the unsuspecting animal, they chase them until they are caught. This is precisely what the devil does to believers. The devil is always hidden, disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). And he will attack when you are ignorant of his presence.

Second, like a lion, the devil attacks the weak. Lions don’t normally hunt elephants or giraffes because they are too challenging to kill—they are much larger than lions. Instead, lions will stalk smaller and weaker animals—antelopes, zebras, or wild hogs. Likewise, the devil hunts the spiritually weak. The devil will tear you apart when you are frail and defenseless without your spiritual armor (Eph. 6:10-20).

Third, the devil intimidates just as lions do. Lions roar to show how big they are—to scare their prey and competitors. The devil also roars to instill fear and he does so through persecution, fierce trials, and strong temptations.

Finally, the devil devours just as lions devour their prey. Lions don’t eat with silverware and neither does the devil. Like a lion, the devil wants to consume you until there is nothing left and he will leave a mess.

The best idea is to be sober-minded and watchful, alert and prepared to fight when he attacks.

Brandon's Desk