"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
—Matthew 5:16

Many Christians, when examining their life, often looks at our Lord Jesus Christ, and thinks to themselves, "How can a measure up to the perfect Son of God?" We cannot. We're sinners. Yet the Scripture painstakingly manifests his humanity. He was born a baby who cried, and shivered in the cold. He grew and experienced pain, suffering, hunger, and temptation (Heb. 4:15). Jesus lead by example, and though he bore the title king, yet he lived as a common-man on carpenter's pay. He dwelled with common folk, and amongst the poorest of poor. He exemplified servant leadership and taught his disciples.

For us fallible sinners, we sometimes find a message of hope in the lives of the disciples. We often look to Christ's disciples when we realize we fall short of Christ's glory, because it is a source of encouragement. We hear of their fallible nature from the Bible. James and John were nicknamed the "Sons of Thunder" because of their reckless, tempestuous nature. The esteemed among them even provoked arguments over which apostle was the greatest. In the Bible, the disciples and apostles are certainly not always the haloed saints they appear to be in the Byzantine icons. Take Simon Peter for example: Peter was always so adamant that he would stick with Jesus to the end, and in his life we find a fervor of devotion and yet Peter thrice denied Christ just as Christ said he would, when he feared for his safety. Likewise, Peter compromised on account of the Judaizers as he was rebuked by the Apostle Paul.
As believers, we should reflect upon our frailty, and affirm our sinfulness, and turn our sights squarely on the Cross. The Lord will finish the good work He starts in us however, and we await full sanctification in our day of glorification.

The Apostle of Small Things
John MacArthur's book Twelve Ordinary Men offers a look at the disciples who followed Jesus, and the eleven who persevered. One particular caption caught my attention related to the Apostle Andrew:

When it came to dealing with people, for example, Andrew fully appreciated the value of a single soul. He was known for bringing individuals, not crowds, to Jesus. Almost every time we see him in the Gospel accounts, he is bringing someone to Jesus.
—MacArthur, John. Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples For Greatness and What He Wants To Do With You (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Books, 2002.) p. 67.

Andrew never left any written epistles that we know of, he didn't speak to large throngs of people. He served nonetheless. It was Andrew who retrieved the many loaves of bread that Christ multiplied in abundance. Andrew served inconspicuously, but "not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart..." (Eph. 6:6)

It's not the accolades of men we should seek, but too often that is the case. It's the heirs of the Apostle Andrew in the church in our time that have the missionary spirit.

Thank God for people like Andrew. They're the quiet individuals laboring faithfully but inconspicuously, giving insignificant, sacrificial gifts, who accomplish the most for the Lord. They don't receive much recognition, but they don't seek it. They only want to hear the Lord say, "Well done."
—MacArthur, John. Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples For Greatness and What He Wants To Do With You (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Books, 2002.) p. 75.

Tradition says that in the years after Christ's Ascension, Andrew took the Gospel north. He was ultimately crucified and martyred for the cause of Christ. Eusebius, the church historian, in fact says he took the Gospel to Scythia.

Andrew is an apostle that we should learn from. No, we don't hurl ourselves on a sword of our own making and seek martyrdom, but every disciple has his cross to bear. What we do, we do out of love for the Lord and in service of the brethren, that we might one day hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant." He gives us the grace to accomplish what He has set out for us to accomplish. Our task is taking to the plough.

There are many life lessons to be learned. I have had two pastors tell me. My Christian walk shouldn't be spent complaining about things in church like the music, or grumbling about a minor doctrinal disagreement in Sunday School, but rather embracing discipleship, serving without getting extol, and taking heed to the small tasks at hand.

Learning from the Lives of the Disciples
Anyway, there are many interesting stories in this amazing book. The Lord chose his followers from among commoners. They were just ordinary men, and sometimes from backgrounds that were held in low esteem among the aristocrats. Matthew was a tax collector. Peter and Andrew were fishermen. Simon was an impulsive politico. They were ordinary. They were human. They were fallible. They were disciples of Jesus Christ. They doubted Christ again and again. They turned their backs on him. Yet the Lord was truly the author and perfector of their faith. Where they lacked faithfulness, He was faithful onto the end. It was in death, burial, and resurrection that our Lord truly made His glory and power known to these men, and impressed upon them the necessity of the Great Commission and the Good News of the Gospel to be carried out after Pentecost.

The messages is that Christ can use ordinary people like these men: people like you and me to accomplish His work.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
— 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Our desire should be to serve and take heed to the call of discipleship. Discipleship isn't simply praying away that the Lord would save someone, without trying and being patient in our Christian witness. It's not turning our backs on those in need (Jas. 1:27). As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him to come and die."

This is in memory of all the unfortunate victims of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and my native Virginia. My prayers are with the families in bereavement — including those of the civilians, paramedics, firefighters and police officers — who lost their lives that tragic day. May the good Lord comfort the widows, orphans, and mourners with His Holy Spirit, and draw them effectually to Him. We have conquered death through faith in Christ Jesus.

It's hard to believe it has been exactly five years since 9/11/01. I remember that day and the weeks that followed quite vividly. Tragedy hit America and reminds about what matters most: the intangibles, that is to say faith, family and good friends help define and giving meaning to life.

For those of faith in Jesus Christ, our solace and peace is that though the wicked men of this age may take our lives, repress us, discourage us, shatter our reputations, and plunder our goods, but such men cannot take our Salvation. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31)

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
—Psalm 91

Related Web Sites:
CNN In-Depth: September 11: A Memorial
Debunking 9/11 Conspiracy Theories
Pentagon Memorial
The September 11 Digital Archive
World Trade Center Memorial Foundation

This is untimely and unfortunate breaking news. I just heard that Animal Planet's famous wildlife adventurist and naturalist Steve Irwin was tragically killed by stingray while diving off the coast of Australia. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary at the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of the Queensland province. The provincial authorities issued this statement:

Australian wildlife personality Steve Irwin has died

The Queensland Police Service advise Australian wildlife personality Steve Irwin has died.

It is believed Mr Irwin collapsed after being stung by a sting-ray at Batt Reef, Low Isle off Port Douglas about 11am. He had been filming a documentary.

After being stung by the sting-ray, his crew called for medical treatment and the Emergency Management Queensland Helicopter responded however Mr Irwin had died.

Mr Irwin’s family has been advised.

CNN reports, "Irwin, 44 was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest, according to Cairns police sources. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary at the time." Frankly, it is extremely rare for such an incident to even occur. I used to mess with skates in Wilmington, North Carolina. Skates don't have toxic barbs like stingrays. Periodically, I would catch them while fishing, and usually I would throw them back. They are very interesting animals. Perhaps I probably shouldn't mess with either given that both rays and skates are sometimes hard to distinguish, and there are so many varieties.

I still find it hard to believe Steve got fatally stung, because generally stingrays are slow and docile, and do not generally attack or seek after people. I would wonder when the last documented case of a stingray fatality even occurred. The Australian Press at News.com.au speculates, "The fatal stingray attack on Steve Irwin may have occurred because the animal was startled or frightened, an expert said today." Perhaps so. Steve was an experienced diver.

Just a few weeks back, I watched a television special on the wildlife adventurer Timothy Treadwell who was fatally attacked by a bear, and thought what a dangerous job Steve Irwin had.

I have always liked the Crocodile Hunter, and my sympathies and prayer are with his surving family in bereavement. I look forward to viewing his documentaries that have yet to be released.

Related Stories:
Crocodile Hunter - Animal Planet
Crocodile Hunter - Official Web Site
Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' - CNN.com
Irwin's killer ray 'was probably startled' - News.com.au

We were just talking football on the Puritanboard.

Notre Dame edged past Georgia Tech 14-10. My father went to see that game, but conveniently didn't ask me to go. What a coincidence? It should be interesting to see which Big Ten team rises up, and which ones falter. I think Penn State might do the best this year. I hope to see the Irish do well this season. The Yellow Jackets might be underanked, but the Irish had a disappointing first season game. Though, they didn't come down in the rankings really.

This past September 2, the Wolverines of Michigan beat Vanderbilt.

Ohio State beat Northern Illinois. Big Deal! Next week they play a real team and are going to get their heads handed to them on a silver platter. Go Longhorns! Texas wallopped Southern Cal for the national championship this past season, and I like to see a Big Ten team knocked down a notch every now and then. I betcha that Texas will take 'em by two touchdowns. Incidentally, there are a lot of fiercely competitive knock-off games between titans early in the season. The three Big Ten teams have their knock-off games in the early seasons in the bid for highest rankings.

Sat 09/09/06 Penn State @ Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. NBC Sports
Sat 09/09/06 Ohio State @ Texas Austin, Texas ABC Sports
Sat 09/16/06 Michigan @ Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. NBC Sports

Also, Southern Cal is playing Nebraska next weekend too. I've always found Nebraska fans to be prideful, so I hope the Trojans take them down a notch. I believe Texas will carry the Big 12 once more. Florida State has pretty pansy schedule this year. FSU plays Troy, Clemson, Rice and Western Michigan.

I know some people that make an idol of football following the recruiting all season. Myself, I just like following the games from time-to-time. Though, in years past, when seasons have been bad for my favorite sons, and I was in school, football played second fiddle to my first priorities. Yet college football is hands down my favorite sport. No, we shouldn't make an idol out of athletic teams that distract from our spiritual life. Though, I have been prone to joking. At a church business meeting on Super Sunday, after the evening service, they asked if there was any new order of business to be made. I asked if we could go watch the game now. :-)