Dolly Parton was unable to receive her 1999 Grammy Award in person because she had other plans. What could be so important that she couldn't make it to the award's ceremony? She had promised a friend she would go to her shower and she wasn't about to break her word, not even for a Grammy.

"But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; and anything beyond these is of evil." Matthew 5:37 NASB

In his book, Too Christian, Too Pagan, Dick Staub says, “…most Christians are either too Christian or too pagan and that if you truly follow Jesus you will seem both too Christian for your pagan friends and too pagan for your Christian friends.” Think about his observation for a moment. If you are a true follower of Jesus—a world changer, you’ll have to be in the world interacting and ministering to non-believers—the publicans and the sinners to use Biblical language. Your religious friends might not like that.

But then again, your friends who are non-believers might not understand why there are some jokes you won’t laugh at or places you won’t go or things you won’t do. They might not understand why things like Worship or spending extended time with your family are so important to you—they’ll think you’re taking the Christian thing too far.

A person who does more than invite the world to come into the church, but also invites the church to come into the world will be misunderstood, and at times lonely. Staub continues, “Your forays into the world will displease many Christians. Your spiritual attentiveness will discomfort many pagans. The road less traveled requires persistence and the endurance of suffering.” Then he ends the thought by saying, “I want to urge you to endure to the end.”

—Too Christian, Too Pagan, p. 205 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

When all is said and done, all the spiritual fervor in the world will not make a lasting impact if it fizzles out. Enduring to the end—staying committed to the cause is what changes the world. Never underestimate what doing the right thing—no matter how small it may seem at the time—will accomplish, given enough time.

For more information on Too Christian, Too Pagan, go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310233151/fm082-20

What would you give for the opportunity to see your favorite team play in a championship game? Some fans of the Philadelphia Eagles were willing to mortgage their futures to get to Superbowl XXXIX, where the Patriots won their third title in the last four years with a 24-21 victory over the Eagles.

Kevin O'Donoghue was 11 years-old the last time the Eagles made a Superbowl appearance and promised himself that he would be there if the team ever went to the championship game again. After the Eagles advanced to their first Superbowl in 24 years, O'Donoghue told his wife, "I don't care if we have to mortgage our house, I'm going." She agreed and O'Donoghue paid $4,000 for a package including round trip airfare, four nights in a hotel, and one ticket to the game. The trip was financed through a home equity loan requiring the couple to put up their house as collateral on the loan.

Mortgage banks in the area say that many Eagles fans have asked about refinancing mortgages, or taking out home equity loans to pay for a trip that O'Donoghue called "the chance of a lifetime."

Eric Reeber, a mortgage banker from nearby New Jersey, said his office has gotten at least a dozen calls from fans looking for quick cash. He said, "Some people don't care if it costs them $100 more a month. But I'll stand by it, if they want it." O'Donoghue feels the investment is worth it. He told reporters, "I can't wait. It feels like Christmas Eve."

—Associated Press, Eagles Fans Borrow Against Homes For Game, February 1, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Maybe if you are a hard-core football fanatic, this makes sense. But you have to be a fanatic to really understand. Casual football fans are happy to watch the big game on their TV's, while others are content to hear who won on the ten o'clock news. A person would really have to care deeply about a team to put their financial future at risk just to see one game.

Is anything that important to you? How about your commitment to follow Christ? Are you casual about it, or are you willing to put everything on the line to follow Him?

Matthew 13:46 (KJV) "Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

COMMITMENT/CHALLENGE

With the growing popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, terms like FAN and FOLLOWER have become very common. Pastor Kyle Idleman of the Southwest Christian Church has launched a website asking believers to decide which category they fit into. Idleman conducted an experiment by sending out 600 people wearing black t-shirts with bold white lettering stating, “Not a Fan.”He asked the individuals to post pictures of themselves in places and doing things to illustrate why it is not enough just to be a fan of Jesus. The pictures demonstrate what it takes to be a follower, a person who is a completely committed to following Jesus every day. Idleman defines a fan as an enthusiastic admirer.

On his website, Idleman says, “In the gospels, Jesus never seemed too interested in fans.” He asks, “Is that how you define your relationship with Him? An enthusiastic admirer? Close enough to Jesus to get the benefits, but not so close to require sacrifice?” Idleman says, “There’s got to be more than just going to church, praying when in a jam, and volunteering at a shelter.”Idleman challenges believers, who visit his site, asking,

“How would things change if you lived as Jesus lived and loved the way He loved? Maybe you’re ready to join the hundreds of people who have stepped across a line and said, ‘I am not a fan. ’”

--www. notafan. com, June 18, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Matthew 16:24 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Peter Sheldon is a cleaning expert. As vice president of operations and development for Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System he gives some advice for travelers. “Do not use an airplane bathroom if you can at all help it.” Carry disinfectant wipes and use them on the seats, armrests, tray tables and any other surface you use. Leave the magazines in the seat back pockets untouched. In your hotel room, wipe down remotes and alarm clocks before touching them. In your rental car, wipe down the steering wheel and the gearshift lever. “Indeed, germs live everywhere,” the news article, warns.

--USA Today, March 4, 2011 p. 5D Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

He cannot be serious. After a whole page of warnings about what to wipe down and what not to touch, (don’t use the ice bucket or the glasses in your room) he tells us not to obsess about it.

I wish I had a whole church full of people who did not obsess about serving Jesus with that much commitment.

Matthew 7:21 (CEV) Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in.

Mark made a commitment back in 1989. It was not a commitment to devotionals though, it was a commitment to run. “The 55-year-old college professor from Mendham, N.M., says he has run every day since Dec. 31, 1989. Washburne’s streak has endured through illness, injury, ice storms, and a brief marriage. He has logged more than 33,000 miles.”

--USA Today April 28, 2011 p. 13D Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

According to the U.S. Running Streak Association, of which Washburne recently became president, his streak is 83rd in longevity. Mark Covert of Lancaster, California began his streak on July 23, 1968.

Matthew 16:24 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

“Bride-to-be Rachelle Friedman and her groom, Chris Chapman, give new meaning to the marriage vows pledging to love, honor and support one's partner "in sickness and in health." One year after the bride was paralyzed from a freak accident during her bachelorette party, the couple will marry.” Rachelle’s injury came just one month before her wedding when one of her bridesmaids playfully pushed her into the shallow end of the swimming pool. With the wedding so close, the couple postponed the nuptials. Now, a year and a few months later, Chris is keeping his vow to Rachelle and says he is excited to see her rolling down the aisle, pushed by her father. They plan to honeymoon in Fiji.

--http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/paralyzed-bride-marry-one-accident-175440457.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Ephesians 5:25 (NASB) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

Brad Pitt.says he suffers from a “psychological defect” that won’t let him go backward. He says that if “he is leaving his home and realizes he’s forgotten something, he is incapable of going back to get it.” He added, “if I’m driving down the road and I miss a turn, I have to keep going forward. I can’t reverse. For better or worse, I want to keep moving on.”

--The Week, October 14, 2011 p. 14 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

The Apostle Paul claims a continual forward progression toward the life God called him to in Christ Jesus. To be moving forward in spiritual growth is a tremendous challenge put before each Christian.

Philippians 3:12-14 (NASB) Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes we just lose focus. It is easy to be distracted from the main thing. Bonnie Miller, a 45-year-old resident of Benton Harbor, Michigan lost her focus. She was walking and became distracted by her smart phone. She was texting while walking and walked right off the pier and into Lake Michigan. Fortunately a passerby saw her and dove into the water while police threw them a life preserver.

--The Week, March 30, 2012 p. 8 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

It is easy to lose focus in the Christian walk as well. Trying to live for Jesus we can let distractions lead us off the deep end. It is important to continually exercise the spiritual disciplines and keep our focus on Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV) (13) Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The Cable Television network Oxygen proposed a new reality show called All My Babies’ Mamas. The show was about a rap artist who has 11 children with 10 women. Thankfully, public disgust was such that they pulled the show.

It is a sad commentary on the state of entertainment that they could even consider a program on the ultimate in infidelity. Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Genesis 2:25 (ESV) And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

How serious do we chase after the things we really want? A Palestinian in Gaza is willing to pay triple the normal price for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The delivery includes a border trip into Egypt to get the food. Then it is taken through a smuggling tunnel to a front door delivery in Gaza.

Because of the delivery fee, the cost is triple the normal cost. But that doesn’t matter to a man who is brand loyal and is craving chicken. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell
World, June 15, 2013, p. 24

Titus 2:14 (CEV) He gave himself to rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right.

Hiroo Onoda died in January 2014. Onoda was a lieutenant in the Japanese army stationed on the Philippine island of Lubang during World War II. When his commander left the island he ordered Onoda to stay and fight. He carried out those orders faithfully for the next 29 years.

The Japanese government dropped leaflets to persuade him to come out of hiding but he dismissed them as Allied propaganda. In 1974 he encountered Norio Suzuki, a Japanese student who had gone in search of Onoda. Suzuki could not convince Onoda to come out of hiding. “The lieutenant rejected Suzuki’s pleas to go home, insisting he was still awaiting orders.”

Suzuki left but soon returned with Onoda’s former commander, who formally relieved the emaciated soldier of duty.

That is the commitment of a Christian disciple, continuing to keep our pledge to the Lord until He comes to relieve us of duty. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Luke 9:62 (ESV) (62) Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

In spite of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that “killed three people and injured more than 260 others,” Chicago expected approximately 45,000 runners and more than 1 million spectators to attend their 2013 marathon. Those who ran in the Boston Marathon told the Chicago marathon director, “We’re coming to Chicago; this is not going to deter us.” —Jim L. Wilson and Marla Harper

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) (58) Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Twin brothers, David and Jason Benham were five weeks into filming their reality TV show when HGTV decided to pull the plug on the house flipping series. A liberal activist group said the brothers had spoken out in favor of traditional marriage and that their father was a pro-life activist.

The brothers refused to give in to political correctness responding, “If our faith costs us a television show then so be it.” Just as Daniel refused to bend his knee to the false gods of his day, the brothers are standing for what they believe. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

World, May 31, 2014 p. 12
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/09/showbiz/benham-brothers-hgtv/

Daniel 1:8 (HCSB) (8) Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself.

Diane Van Deren was committed. Every evening she said good night to her husband and kids and left her home to run. She ran toward the mountains of the Pike National Forest while towing a 50-pound sandbag on a sled. She ran for 10-12 hours. Diane Van Deren was training to run the Yukon Artic Ultra, a series of races along northwest Canada’s Yukon Quest dogsled trail. Competitors can choose from a 100, 300, or 430 mile ultra marathon in temperatures as low as -50?.

In addition to the miles and the cold the racers also have to pull a sled carrying their equipment for survival in the cold weather. Van Deren won the 300 mile race in 2008 and she became the first woman to complete the 430 mile race in 2009. She isn’t competing this year, but she wishes she was. “Believe it or not, you miss it,” she says. “There is something about the vast whiteness and the challenge of it all that makes you want to go back.”

Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV) And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, (24) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

What are you willing to commit your life to? Over 200,000 people sent application to give their life for space research. They applied to make a journey to Mars in 2024. The catch: it is a one way trip. No one will be returning. Mars One, a group that plans to send humans to live on Mars, has narrowed the 200,000 down to 100. Twenty-four “lucky winners” will be chosen to die on Mars.

They will be leaving their families, friends, homes, and earth because of a commitment to adventure. Jesus asks us to have that kind of commitment to following Him. He doesn’t ask us to follow him to another planet, but to follow him with His cross.

His promise is that no one who leaves these things to follow him will go unrewarded in the next life. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Matthew 19:29 (NKJV) And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

commitment

In his book, The Great House of God, Max Lucado writes, “God wants to be your dwelling place. He has no interest in being a weekend getaway or a Sunday bungalow or a summer cottage. Don’t consider using God as a vacation cabin or an eventual retirement home. He wants you under his roof now and always. He wants to be your mailing address, your point of reference; he wants to be your home.”

John 14:23 (HCSB)“Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Commitment

After their eviction, Boo’s owners took the belongings they wanted to keep, but left Boo, their pit bulldog behind. Thirty days later, Boo was still waiting for his owners to come for him. That’s when Dustin Oliver, of the “Detroit Youth and Dog Rescue” discovered Boo’s plight and spent over 15 hours earning the dog’s trust so he would leave the other discarded belongings of his former owner.—Jim L. Wilson

I admire Boo’s misplaced commitment. I also admire the commitment of Oliver who patiently earned the dog’s trust, so he could find him a suitable home.

Proverbs 28:20 (HCSB)“A faithful man will have many blessings, but one in a hurry to get rich will not go unpunished.”

NFL all-star quarterback Tony Romo found himself without a place to play after his team, while he was recovering from his latest injury. There was interest from a couple of teams who could use a player of Romo’s stature. One of those teams was the Denver Broncos. If Bronco General Manager, John Elway was going to have much interest though, he needed to know that Romo was “harboring a single-minded obsession with winning a Super Bowl before retirement.”

Elway wanted assurances that other considerations such as money, geography, health, and television opportunities were secondary to embracing the chance to win in Denver. When word leaked that Romo was seriously weighing television offers, Elway had his answer.

Mike Klis of KUSA-TV in Denver said, "I think Elway wasn't sure how committed Tony Romo was to that all-consuming quest that he wanted from his quarterback."

That is the kind of commitment Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount. He was looking for disciples who hungered and thirsted for righteousness. They are the ones who will be filled. Perhaps we have too many disciples who are unsure of what they really want. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000797530/article/report-elway-only-wanted-romo-if-he-could-bring-title

Matthew 5:6 (CSB) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Theunis Wessels had just one thing on his mind. He was mowing his lawn while his wife was warning him about the massive tornado swirling in the background. Nothing was going to keep Wessels from completing his planned labor. He explained that he was keeping an eye on the tornado. After he finished the lawn Wessels and his wife Cecilia went indoors and waited for the threat to pass.

That is the kind of singlemindedness we are called to possess in our discipleship. We can be so focused on becoming what Jesus has called us for that nothing is urgent enough to call us away from our task. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

James 1:5–8 (CSB) “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.”

In Rocky III, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a different character in the first part of this movie than he was in the first two. He doesn’t take his training seriously, barely breaking a sweat while “exercising.” His trainer, Mickey, had to knock some sense into him about his challenger-opponent, the “wreckin’ machine.” Mickey tells Rocky “you ain’t been hungry since you won that belt.” He got comfortable and lost his edge until his trainer confronted him —Jim L. Wilson and Danny Stoops

Travaile Speller alerted officials at Mecklenburg County Jail that he would be observing Ramadan. Ramadan is that time of year when Muslims fast during daylight hours. When the North Carolina jail where he was serving neglected to bring him lunch, he sued. He is asking for $250,000 in damages for denying him lunch, which he calls “cruel and unusual punishment” based on his religion.—Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

When you make a vow to God, don’t delay fulfilling it, because he does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow.

Recently, Evangelist Greg Laurie said, “If we consumed God’s Word like we do social media, it would change our lives.” Too often we are consumed with who and what we are online and we miss the most important relationship we have, our time with God. —Jim L. Wilson and Doug Hixson

Be wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord our God to walk in his statutes and to keep his commands, as it is today.”

A 2017 study, conducted by Gallup, reported disengaged workers — those employees who are not really at work though they may be physically present — make up nearly 51% of the workforce, costing organizations between $450 and $550 billion annually in lost productivity. Effectively, this 51% of the workforce goes to work every day, showing their “commitment” to their employer, with little to no proof of their contributions or commitment. —Jim L. Wilson and C. Foster Payne

Carter, Brandon. “2017 Employee Engagement.” Access Perks. August 28, 2017. https://blog.accessperks.com/2017-employee-engagement-loyalty-statistics#1.

James 2:14–18 (CSB)“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,’ but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.’”

Beginning in 2021 it is going to take a bit more commitment to become a dog owner in Germany. The nation’s Agricultural minister is imposing new rules for owning a dog. Every dog owner will be required to take them outside for a least one hour per day. The law will also prohibit dogs from being left home alone all day without several visits from a human to check in on the animal’s well-being.

Making a commitment to Jesus Christ should require at least as much of a change of lifestyle as owning a dog does in Germany. The agricultural minister says dogs, “also have their own needs, which need to be taken into account.” The Christian should consider the needs of Christ, His people, His church, and His world.” —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”