When someone tells me about a problem like this, even before I look to scripture for a specific answer, I suggest praying. I think most believers will do what’s right if they allow the Holy Spirit to lead them, assuming they’ve been spending time reading the Bible. After all, isn’t that one of the reasons we read Scripture? Aren’t we supposed to hide it in our heart, even if we don’t have it memorized by book, chapter, and verse? Aren’t we supposed to know the lessons of the Bible before we actually need them?

So the first thing I suggested to my friend was to pray. But his response surprised me. He said that prayer wasn’t going to help in his situation because he didn’t have any idea of what he should do and until then he didn’t know what he should pray for.

I wonder how many people think like this. How many people wait until they’ve got it “figured out” before they go to God in prayer? I know I’ve been guilty of this. I wait until I know what I think is the desired outcome and then I pray for God’s help to get to that outcome. After all, the world says we’re supposed to handle our own problems. “Cowboy up,” “don’t be a cry baby,” and “just deal with it” are the kinds of worldly counsel you’re likely to get when facing challenges. So even as a Christian we think we’re at least supposed to know what to do and then pray to God for His help in putting our plan into action.

Boy, does the world have it backwards! I’ve heard it said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans!” God’s plans always trump our plans, so why not go directly to Him and just get on with it? In James 1:5, we’re told, “If you need wisdom–if you want to know what God wants you to do–ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.” (NLT) James then goes on to say in verse 6, “But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer.”

I know I get irritated at work when I’m brought in to manage a project after all the preliminary decisions have been made and the problems that result from bad decisions start to pile up. And I bet God gets a little miffed with us when we don’t bring Him into our lives until we’ve made a mess bigger than it needs to be. Perhaps, we should try Plan A first. Now, there’s a concept. Maybe, if we go to God to start with, we’d never need a Plan B.

Thom Fishow

February 20, 2011

Several months later when I was meeting a gentleman for a business-related lunch, I asked him after he joined me at the table if it would be okay if I prayed. (To be honest, I would have prayed regardless of his response, but I always ask first.) After I prayed, he volunteered that he never prayed at a restaurant while he was sitting at the table, but prayed as he was walking to the table since he felt a little awkward praying in a public place. Although I didn’t say anything, I questioned the part about praying as he was walking to the table and I was honestly disappointed by his apparent embarrassment to be seen praying in public.

I wondered about this man: If he was ever confronted, would he back down if someone “accused” him of being a Christian? Would he deny Jesus as Peter did if he felt threatened? (John 18:25-27) I wondered if I could trust this man enough to do business with him. Would I be able to depend on someone like this “to have my back” if I ever needed to count on him during difficult times?

Jesus said, “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26) Was this man with whom I ate lunch afraid of what people might think of him for taking a minute to thank God for His blessings? He told me he was a believer. But was he ashamed of our Lord?

I wonder: Are there other people who give thanks before a meal at home but forgo this “ritual” when eating out because they feel self-conscious praying in public. I wonder if more people were to start praying at restaurants, would it feel a little less awkward. I never thought of praying in public as being a particularly bold thing to do; but if it is bold, aren’t we supposed to be bold? Maybe a prayer is a statement of our faith when done in public. Maybe we should make that statement every chance we get before we’re told we can’t pray in public anymore because it makes other people feel uncomfortable. Maybe we should think about how we would feel if Jesus was embarrassed to know us. Maybe we should be ashamed, not of Jesus but of ourselves, if we’re not setting the right example for others to follow. Now that I think about it, maybe a prayer isn’t just a prayer.

Thom Fishow

February 13, 2011

It was good to hear about my old friend, but it got me to thinking. I wonder what people say about me when someone asks, “What is Thom doing?” Do people say I’m Information Technology working at the State Employees’ Credit Union? Or that I’m married with four children and five grandchildren? Or, perhaps, that I’m the director of the Welcome Ministry at Richland Creek Community Church? Exactly what do people say about me?

And I wonder if there are any who would say, “He’s in the ministry?” In 2 Corinthians 9:1 as well as other passages in Corinthians, Paul makes reference to the Corinthians’ “ministry to the saints.” Well, shouldn’t you and I also be ministering to the saints in our own churches as well as to others, including non-believers with whom we either have shared or hope to share the Gospel? The fact is, the people to whom we should be ministering could literally be anywhere.

Here’s my point. When we go about our normal activities of the day, do others see us as Christians working at our jobs, ready to share our testimony and to serve with a Christian heart whenever the opportunity arises? Or, are we seen as someone who’s doing pretty well in his or her chosen profession and who also goes to church on Sunday? In other words, does our ministry carry over from Sunday to the rest of the week in such a way that others see our “ministry” as the most important characteristic defining who we are?

God doesn’t call us all to be Pastors, Elders, or Deacons. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the body of the church and the importance of the various roles the members play and the gifts they are given. It is clear that every member of the church body can’t be a Pastor. Simply put, we’re not all expected to be “in the ministry” as my old friend was described which really meant having a profession in a religious field.

With all of that said, we are all called to ministry. Some are called specifically to the mission field. Others to work with children or with seniors. And still others, the vast majority, to work at jobs usually referred to as secular. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t first and foremost in ministry to expand God’s Kingdom. The last thing Jesus said in His time on earth was, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19) Yes, we can do that in our churches. But the truth is, there are many people in the workplace who never step foot inside a church. That’s a field ripe for a harvest. But before we can reap that harvest, we need people “in the ministry” willing to work in the field. It’s a different ministry, but no less important than working within the confines of the church.

So, are you in the ministry?

Thom Fishow

January 6, 2011

Let me give you an example and I’m sure you’ll see my point. My four year old granddaughter can now write her name, her brother’s name, and the names of several other members of the family. And she’s learned this just by watching her mother do it.

But, I have to be honest, this is just a beginning compared to my two older grandsons (my granddaughter’s cousins) who are really smart and creative, as well. My oldest grandson just skipped a grade and is now in high school. And his younger brother is so smart that I really think school bores him.

And, then I got to thinking. These two oldest grandsons started out like their younger cousin by simply copying their parents’ example and writing words that they clearly did not fully understand when they first wrote them down. But, the fact is, they started out by simply copying what someone else did and now look where they are. I guess this is a pretty good indicator that my granddaughter will follow in their footsteps.

But, you say, your children or grandchildren learned the same way. “It’s not special,” you say. “That’s how kids start out writing and reading and even speaking,” you say. They just copy what someone else does until they figure it out and then expand this knowledge until they really understand what they’re doing. And, of course, you’re right. That’s how we all learn. We start out as nothing more than copycats until we can figure out all the details and actually know what we’re doing.

In the same way, we learn our faith. We start out by imitating those who have gone before us and who are more mature in their faith. We are, in effect, copycats. In Hebrews 6:12 we are told that if we want to “realize the full assurance of hope until the end,” we should “not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Like my granddaughter who has not reached the level of her cousins, she is following in a tried and true method to reach maturity. She is simply copying the example set by her parents and by others. I know she wants to excel like her cousins. And those of us who want to excel in our faith can use her example. In Hebrews 13:7 it says, “remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” In other words, as I do with many of the leaders in my church, I look to the men who have fruit on the vine and I imitate them.

Yes, I’m older and more mature than my granddaughter. But we’re never too old or too mature to grow and learn from others even while others are learning from us. So, are you a copycat? I know I am. And I’m glad to say, because I am, I’m learning more about God’s grace every day.

Thom Fishow

January 30, 2011

But I am glad I have my GPS even with these uncertainties. It has helped me many times to be able to keep moving. I’d rather go out of my way a little if I can keep from sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. And I really do need my GPS since there are many possible routes to my office–some better than others. But they all work.

As I was on one of my alternate routes the other day, I got behind a car that had about 20 bumper stickers. One read “coexist” in symbols representing a bunch of different religions. I was able to identify Islam, Wicca, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity. I even think science was in there.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think we should get along with everyone regardless of their beliefs. But based on the other bumper stickers on this car I’m of the opinion that people who display the “coexist” bumper sticker actually believe that all religions (including science?!) are equal. I think there are people who believe that if you just pick a religion and get real good at it, then you’ll be okay. If you do all the things “they” tell you to do, then you can get into heaven or paradise or nirvana or wherever it is you’re trying to get. And if you don’t like one religion, then just try another until you find one you do like.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) He didn’t say we could get directions to heaven by asking Mohammad or Buddha (both dead, I might add). He didn’t say we could consult the stars or wait for a spaceship to come by to pick us up. He said, “I am the way,” not a way. And because He loves us so much, God made it easy for us to follow His directions. He gave us Jesus to be our GPS. All we have to do is follow Him and He will get us to our destination. (I’m paraphrasing. I’d suggest reading John 3:16 and Romans 10:9 to see exactly what the Bible says.)

Yes, when things don’t go according to my plan on the highway, I like to change some of the parameters on my GPS. I like to try to improve my odds. But with my other GPS, with Jesus–God’s Plan for Salvation, I know enough to leave the settings exactly as He explains them in the manual. I’m sure if I try to find an alternate route I will be able to find one. But I know that every other route is a dead end in a lake of fire and at some point in time, there will be no turning around.

Thom Fishow

January 23, 2011

Now, it should be easy to look to the earth’s past and see that temperature changes are normal and that they have been occurring since well before the industrial revolution, automobiles, and air conditioning. But, for some reason, some people don’t feel complete unless they can blame (or credit?) man with these fluctuations in the weather.

So, just when did man become so powerful? Did I fall asleep and wake up in a world where man took over God’s role in controlling the weather? Have I been teleported to an alternate universe where the human population is powerful enough to destroy what God created? (A world population, I should add, that’s small enough to fit into a land mass the size of Wake County with room to spare.)

The Bible says God controls the weather. It says He turns the rain on and He turns it off as He sees fit (Deuteronomy 11:17, Genesis 7:4); He produces hail and snow if either are needed to make His point (Exodus 9:18, Job 37:6); He makes the thunder and lightning at His command (1 Samuel 12:18; Job 37:3); and not only does He make the storms, He calms them as well (Psalm 83:15; Psalm 107:29). And in case you were wondering, God uses the weather to both bless (Leviticus 26:14, Deuteronomy 11:14) and punish His people (1 Kings 8:35; Job 24:19, Exodus 9:18, Psalm 78:47).

But here’s what I find interesting. I have yet to discover anything that indicates that man has ever been able create a thunderstorm or that he has succeeded in stopping the rain when it was about to overflow a riverbank and destroy a city. I haven’t seen where man has created lightning or thunder outside of a laboratory experiment. Try as he may, man has never been able to change the weather.

Listen, God has only loaned us planet Earth and all it has to offer (1 Corinthians 10:26). And while we are called to be good stewards and should take care of our environment, God doesn’t stop us from misusing what He has entrusted to us. But we are not powerful enough, even with a coordinated effort, to destroy what He has created. (Remember what God did to the City of Babel? See Genesis 11:1-9 for a refresher.)

As I said, the Earth’s temperature does indeed change. The temperature is cyclical as is the weather in general. It changes daily; it changes by the season; and it changes by generation. But man doesn’t change it. The temperature of God’s creation is fully under His control. If there’s going to be a disruption in the global climate, we need to look for a finger much bigger than man’s turning the dial on that great thermostat in the sky.

Thom Fishow

January 16, 2011

But in North Carolina where snow is an “event” people either love the snow or they hate it. And it usually depends on what they have to do in it. If they have to take that “white knuckle” drive to work, snow is something to be despised. But if there’s enough snow that they can justify staying home, people love the break from the daily routine. So, depending on the situation, snow can be either positive or negative.

There are many things in life like that. Jobs, for example. If you have a great job, you probably love it. If you have a bad job, you may hate it. Money is another example. Money can be good or evil. It depends on what you do with it. (Remember, it’s the “love of money” that’s wrong. – 1 Timothy 6:10) If money is used to do good things, we think of it as good. If it’s used for bad, . . . Well, you get the picture.

What we think of scripture can be like that, too. Let me show you.

If you’re like me and you’re fortunate enough to have a Pastor who preaches the hard lessons, not just the easy ones, you’ve probably been made to feel uncomfortable more than once in your life sitting in the sanctuary. I remember during one of my Pastor’s hard lessons, he said that we could let the message either convict us or condemn us. In other words, we could either love the message or hate the message. Since all of the Bible is good for teaching (2 Timothy 3:16), when the Pastor said we could let the message convict us, he was saying we could let it change us.

On the other hand, if we let the message condemn us, he meant we could get angry and refuse to believe we need to change. I’ve done that. We all probably have. Sometimes we listen to the message thinking of all the “other” people who need to be hearing it, not believing that it was written for “me.”

You see, it’s not good when we think we’re exempt from the teaching of any part of scripture. I think in 2011, when it comes to God’s Word, we all need to “take it personally.” I think God wrote the whole thing for each one of us individually and He’s waiting for us to “just do it.” Maybe if we do take it personally, then when someone asks why God doesn’t speak to us anymore, we can say, “I don’t know about you, but He speaks to me.” And with this, my final column of 2010, I wish you a blessed new year.

Thom Fishow

December 26, 2010

So, I asked myself, “Shouldn’t we have that same kind of passion when it comes to our faith?” After all, when it comes to right vs. wrong, we don’t have to just think we’re right when we profess the Gospel; we are right. Shouldn’t we profess our religious beliefs with the same intensity as we do our political beliefs?

So, I went to the Bible to see what Jesus did. I saw that, for the most part, Jesus remained calm in His discussions, using the right words (frequently quoting from scripture–now, there’s a good tip) to make His point which usually resulted in leaving His adversaries speechless. However, I did see when He drove the money changers out of the temple (John 2:15) that when He came face to face with something that was blatantly wrong He responded with a fervor that made it clear just how strongly He felt. But then, I also realized that He’s Jesus and there are things He can do that we shouldn’t do. In other words, the example He set most of the time is the one we should follow, which would be quiet, reasonable discourse. I think His example in the temple is best used to show us how strongly we should hold to our convictions.

Listen, in all of His examples, Jesus makes it clear we should not back down from our beliefs. And these beliefs are clearly spelled out and defensible using the Bible. We should do as He did by not compromising just to get along. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Truth is true and lies are not. But, by the same token, we should be prepared to suffer consequences as the result of being outspoken. In Matthew 5:11-12a, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” From this statement, I read that Jesus knew that if we really stand up for the truth, we will be unpopular and we will be attacked. I guess that says if we’re never unpopular, we probably aren’t being outspoken enough in our defense of what’s right.

So, my birthday present to Jesus this year is the gift of my unwavering defense of the truth. I will do it with love, of course, and will do it with scripture, but this year I vow to be just a little unpopular and will be prepared for the consequences that follow. After all, Jesus gave His life for me. Making my life count for Him is the least I can do. Happy Birthday, Jesus.

Thom Fishow

December 19, 2010

Now I understand that each parent has to define the role Santa will play in their child’s life and I frequently see that role redefined once the child is born, but I got to wondering: Is it possible there’s no place for Santa Claus in Christmas? Is there something wrong with Santa?

I thought back to the phrase that was so popular several years ago, “What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD)” and wondered if perhaps Santa Claus is simply a fictional character who turns this sentiment into actions.

After all, didn’t Jesus tell His disciples to bring the children to Him after these same disciples had just rebuked the children for trying to approach Jesus? This very visual story of Jesus laying His hands on the children must be important because it appears in three of the Gospels (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-14, and Luke 18:15-16). And doesn’t Santa represent someone doing, not only what Jesus would do, but what He did do as he lifts the children onto his lap and listens as they tell him of their hopes and dreams?

And doesn’t Santa bring gifts to children who haven’t done anything to deserve those gifts? Isn’t this a little like what Jesus did for us? After all, He gave us the greatest gift ever. He gave us forgiveness and salvation. He gave us eternal life with our heavenly Father and while we never earned this most precious gift (Romans 6:23), it is ours just the same with no strings attached and with no risk of ever losing it. Doesn’t Santa do the same thing, albeit on a much smaller scale? He delivers gifts to the children without conditions and he never takes the gifts back.

And while Santa makes his list, separating the naughty boys and girls from the nice ones, in my experience, I have never seen a child actually excluded from receiving undeserved gifts at Christmas just because he was naughty. In the same way, Jesus does not exclude us from His free gift because we are sinners. He does, however, teach us by His example, the importance of obedience (Romans 5:19). And Santa, in his way–letting the children know that he is always watching–encourages children to be obedient.

So maybe the question shouldn’t be, “What’s wrong with Santa Claus?” Perhaps the question should be, “What’s right with Santa Claus?” Can’t we use what Santa represents as an example of the way we should live our lives in a Christ-like fashion? And don’t get me wrong; without Jesus, I believe Santa Claus could easily be used as an example of the greed and commercialism that Christmas has become in the secular world. But as God loving adults who know “the reason for the season,” I think we can use Santa to teach about Jesus. And if it makes it easier for the little ones to grasp, then if you ask me, I say, “Yes, Virginia, there is a place for Santa Claus in Christmas.”

Thom Fishow

December 12, 2010