Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday June 25, 2009

Edward Teller, often called "the father of the hydrogen bomb" when asked if he thought President Ronald Reagan's Star Wars anti missile program would work, gave a thought provoking answer:

"I don't know. I do know if you work only on things you know will work you are going to get nowhere."

The path to success in any field is paved with the efforts of those who are not afraid to try the untried. The necessity of doing this is written in the tears of failure by those who shout from the roof tops, "But we always do it this way." Certainly there are tried and true principles, but more often than you think these principles in order to bring about the desired result must be re-packaged.

I know in the work I do I am always looking for new ways to replace the older version or in some cases try a "new" approach that failed earlier, because sometimes a "new" thing is out of touch with the time, the mind set of those you're trying to reach with your product of message. This could be the time. Give it a try.

As Christians we have to keep in mind that the message of the gospel started in a new and unique circumstance and has been perpetuated over 2000 years with an ever changing package containing the same message. Each day at the Post Office I am bombarded with information assuring me that I must have this gadget and that widget, and furthermore, I must use this or that musical approach. I chuckle, for in our town, and I'm sure yours, you can name five or six groups that are using each advertised product faithfully and failing to reach their objective miserably.

I found it refreshing to read of a fairly decent preacher who shows up three times on Sunday mornings, walks to the platform, opens his Bible and preaches. That's it, he preaches. No Broadway production, no Oprah histrionics, no Dr. Phil, no two headed men, just preaches. I admit he does preach. I thought how much irritation he avoids by doing it this way. I thought in passing prior to throwing the material that guaranteed the same success as he is enjoying to me, if I rushed the enclosed coupon with a sizable check to his headquarters, into the trash can, "Isn’t this the way Jesus did it?" Just show up by the Sea of Galilee and preach? How novel. No millionaire singers, no neutered choir from Vienna, and no dancing nymphs, just preaching in the power of the spirit and exhibiting changed lives.

Changed lives? Yep, The Master had a flock of them. So should we.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit

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