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The Conscience Fund

Several years ago, I heard of a fund called “The Conscience Fund.” Perhaps, it is an urban legend, but supposedly, our government maintains this fund now holding over 3 million dollars.

The people who fund it are those who cheat on their income tax. The fund was founded in 1811 when a gentleman sent six bucks. The highest gift has been $14,250 from a person in London.

The best statement I read was from one guy who said he sent fifty bucks in. He said, "I can't sleep; my conscience is bothering me. Enclosed you will find a check for fifty dollars. If I still can't sleep, I'll send the balance.”

When I think about that story, I think of Hebrews 9:13-14: Labels: conscience fund, Heb. 9:13-14


Fear of Opportunity

I read, with interest, in WORLD magazine this week about a 28-year-old man named Joseph M. Velardo. Joseph was arrested in Port St. Lucie, FL for stealing two computer batteries from a local Staples store.

This was no accident. Velardo plotted this. It seems, Joseph stole the batteries because he was hoping to be caught. He hoped to be caught because he understood that to be caught and convicted of a third-degree felony would make him ineligible for law school.

So, Joseph stole the batteries from Staples, walked outside, turned around and walked back in, confessed his crime to store employees, and asked them to call the police. Velardo’s plan worked to perfection except for one thing—the value of the batteries was only $276.88. To receive a felony charge, a person has to steal more than $300.00 worth of merchandise. Evidently, Joseph needs to attend law school so he can learn how much he must steal to be charged with a felony.

Now Joseph is stuck with two things he does not want: 1) a misdemeanor charge and 2) a law school waiting to receive him for this fall’s classes.

Joseph’s story reminds me of so many people in the Bible upon whom God granted the privilege of participating in his work. Moses tried to talk God out of it. Gideon did not want to fight the Midianites. Jonah got on a boat—and headed in the wrong direction. A lot people, deep down inside, fear opportunity. Nothing arrives bringing more opportunity than an invitation from God to participate in His Kingdom work.
Posted by Mark's Remarks at 10:57 AM No comments: 

Are They Live, or Are They Memorex? 

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:21 AM No comments: Will Science Eradicate Faith?

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 10:56 AM No comments: In the book HOOKED, Joe McIlhaney and Frida McKissick Bush offer a gripping illustration. An individual can take a Band-Aid and put it on a wound. A Band-Aid is a wonderful tool to help in a fallen world. It is literally a band of flexible material that offers aid and comfort. The gauze of the Band-Aid protects the wound. The adhesive of the Band-Aid, attaches to the skin of an individual, thus allowing him to cope with his wound and begin the process of healing.

It became one means of coping with a fallen world. Ever after, a man and woman could marry and literally attach themselves spiritually, socially, emotionally, and, of course, physically with each other. This relationship became one of God’s blessings to help us heal from the wounds a world of sin brings.

God wired us to attach ourselves sexually to one other person—our spouse. And, as new imaging technology is now showing us, our brain emits chemicals during our sexual experiences that help us attach to another person. This is great if that other person is our spouse. However, if we attach to someone, detach ourselves, and then attach our selves to another person, detach ourselves from that person…, then we ultimately, chemically, begin losing our ability to attach ourselves socially, emotionally, and spiritually to another person.

It is important to note that our brains do not simply release these chemicals during sexual intercourse, it releases the chemicals any time it senses we are engaging in a sexual experience.

All of this information reinforces in my mind the importance of guarding our hearts, reserving them for our spouses, either future or present. Perhaps, the Bible’s teaching on our sexuality reflects the fact that God truly understands us.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:16 AM No comments: Labels: Frida McKissick Bush, Hooked, Joe McIlhaney, purity, relationships, sex


What Is The Name of that Song? 



Grantland Rice was a famous American sportswriter during the first half of the twentieth century. It was Rice who, in his poem ALUMNUS FOOTBALL, wrote,

Two Sides of War

All wars are planned by older men

In council rooms apart,

Who call for greater armament

And map the battle chart.

But out along the shattered field

Where golden dreams turn gray,

How very young the faces were

Where all the dead men lay.

Portly and solemn in their pride,

The elders cast their vote

For this or that, or something else,

That sounds the martial note.

But where their sightless eyes stare out

Beyond life's vanished toys,

I've noticed nearly all the dead

Were hardly more than boys.

~Grantland Rice

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:45 AM No comments: Labels: Grantland Rice, two sides of war, war


“I Have Cussing on Number 18”

What is hypocrisy? It is trying to fool people into thinking you are acting in one way, when in reality you are acting in another.

I'm going to courageously offer you an example from my sandlot days. When I was sixteen, I was fighting for the starting quarterback slot on the mighty Winnsboro Red Raider football team. I say I was fighting for it—officially I had lost the position before the start of the season and was thus sitting on the bench. I was number 18 in the program, but I wanted to be number one in the coaches’ hearts.

We had lost our first game and were losing 18-0 to the dreaded Hughes Springs Mustangs late in our second game when our coach sent me in during the fourth quarter. As luck would have it, we immediately began a long drive down field until we were deep into enemy territory.

It had been raining quite a bit so the field was completely muddy. Because of this, I fumbled a hand off to our halfback. As soon as the ball hit the ground, I dove for it. In spite of the fact that I stretched my body as far as it could go, the ball lay just out of the reach of my fingertips and someone from the other team recovered the ball.

I was devastated. The way we were moving the ball, I had thought that if we scored, I would have won the starting position at quarterback. But lying there on the ground, all I could think of was that I had the quarterback position within my fingertips and then blew it.

Upon that realization, I became very angry. I then did something that I had never done before during a football game—at least out loud—I cussed. Lying there on the ground, face down, I raised my right hand and brought it crashing to the ground shouting "Bleep!"

All was fine and dandy until I happened to look about two feet in front of my face. There, directly ahead of me, was a pair of shoes and socks that looked kind of different. Looking a little higher I noticed that the pants were not football pants. I then saw a yellow object made of cloth come floating to the ground. The human being standing in front of me was the referee.

It was at that point that I heard him say the awful words to another official that I wish I could forget, "I have a personal foul on #18 (that was me!) for cussing."

I don't know about you, but whenever I do something stupid, I begin to think irrationally. For instance, sometimes I see newspaper headlines in my mind. In this moment, I could see a variety of headlines in our local newspaper: "Youth Group Member Penalized for Cussing", "Everyone in the World Made Aware of Young Church Member's Cussing—What other Cuss Words has He Said?", and "Young Footballer Disowned By Disgraced Family!" In light of my tragic future, I did the one thing I knew to do—I panicked.

The only thing I could think of was that if I ran and hid behind the bench and pretended like nothing had happened, maybe no one would ever find out. So I ran to the bench, calmly drank some water, sat down by some of my teammates.

My plan was working great! But then my coach did the unthinkable; he stopped the game and went out on the field to find out why we received our penalty! At that moment my plan was shattered because everybody in the stadium wanted to know why our coach was on the field.

Finally our coach came off the field, and in one of those rare moments when there was a lull in the stadium noise, my coach yelled out with the voice of a cannon, "Where's Mark Edge?" Now I was convinced that everyone was going to know. I was surely going to have to go forward in church on Sunday morning. My humiliation was total.

My coach gave one of those speeches on how he was disappointed in me for doing something like I did. Everything was a total disaster.

As it worked out, although I didn't know it at the time, I won the quarterback position that night anyway. My cussing was all for naught. And, I'm thankful to say I was not banished from my hometown forever.

Yet, what we have here is a miniature illustration of a hypocritical life. You see, I was guilty of cussing and was penalized for it. I did not want anyone to know this. For this reason I went and hid out with the substitutes. I wanted to blend in with them. However stupid my idea was, I wanted people to think that I was one of them, away from the field of play. If people believed that I was one of the benchwarmers, then they would not have known that I was guilty of cussing.

To put it bluntly, I had acted in one way and had attempted to deceive people into thinking that I had acted in another. That's hypocrisy.

Now, here’s the point I really want to drive home. Feelings do not determine hypocrisy. If our aim is honoring God, and we choose to do so in a sacrificial way, and we do not feel good emotions while we are doing the virtuous thing, our feelings do not condemn us to hypocrisy. As a matter of fact, we could offer an even more sacrificial gift to God, since we are acting in spite of our feelings.

The question is, what is our motive, not what are our feelings?

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:44 AM No comments: 

When You Surrender Your Dream*

"He was born in upstate New York in 1856.... He was one of the many wandering Americans of his generation. The late 1880s found him in Aberdeen, SD, first opening a department store and then working on a newspaper. A few years later he popped up in Chicago; he eventually settled in California. Along the way, he failed in the axle grease business, managed an opera house and a baseball team..., was a traveling salesman and a buyer for a department store before becoming the editor of THE STORE WINDOW for the National Association of Window Trimmers….

"After the publication of his first children's book, MOTHER GOOSE IN PROSE, the 39-year-old author inscribed a copy to his sister; it may well reveal the true disposition of [his] heart. 'My dear Mary, when I was young I longed to write a great novel that should win me fame. Now that I am getting old my first book is written to amuse children. For, aside from my evident inability to do anything [great], I have learned to regard fame as a will-o'-the-wisp, which, when caught, is not worth the possession; but to please a child is a sweet and lovely thing that warms one's heart and brings its own reward."

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:40 AM No comments: Labels: Inspirational stories, L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz


Sister Andrea 

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 7:56 PM No comments: 


Breaking Into Jail

On March 29, 20-year-old Ricky Flowers was stopped by a member of the Garfield Heights, Ohio police department for a traffic violation. (Garfield Heights is a suburb of Cleveland.) Perhaps, knowing he was about to be cited for driving with a suspended license, Flowers fled the scene.

A high-speed chase followed. Suddenly, Flowers pulled his car over, hopped out, and climbed a fence thinking he had escaped. Little did he realize, he was jumping into a women’s prison.

I think a lot of people have had this experience. They think they are escaping a pressing problem, but what they are doing is jumping into Satan’s prison. They are under bondage. Satan’s prison varies. It could be alcohol, it could be drugs, it could be greed, materialism, worry, anxiety, the list goes on and on.

We don’t have to live this way. We can be free from bondage. Paul writes, 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (Rom. 6:16-18.)

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 10:31 AM No comments: Labels: addictions, Ricky Flowers, Rom. 6:16-18, Satan


The Mobro 4000

On March 22, 1987, the barge Mobro 4000 set sail from Islip, New York. It’s destination was Morehead City, North Carolina. There, it would turn over its cargo to the proper authorities. The mission failed.

A WRAL-TV news crew had flown by helicopter to investigate and on April 1, 1987, revealed in a newscast the contents of the Mobro 4000’s cargo. Outrage required that the Mobro 4000 sail on. The barge sailed along the Atlantic coast all the way to Belize. In port after port, the ship was not allowed to unload its load.

Back up the coast the Mobro 4000 sailed, finally arriving at the New York City suburb of Brooklyn in October—seven months later. What was the Mobro 4000 carrying that caused every port to reject her entry? 3,168 tons of… garbage.

I wish Satan had it that hard. Every day he seeks to unload garbage in our minds and hearts. He transports his garbage on vessels as big as billboards, and as minute as a mass media messages in our email accounts.

If we stopped him there, things would not be so bad. Instead, if we are not on guard, we invite him into our ports and invite him to unload his garbage—and leave it behind. We promise to take care of it. But too often, we never get around to incinerating it.

Lowell Harrelson and Salvatore Avellino were the two who contracted with the owners of the barge named Mobro 4000. Maybe next time they would have better success contracting with the devil.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:06 AM No comments: Labels: James 4:7-8, Mobro 4000, purity, Satan


We’ve Got Them Where We Want Them

During the Korean War, the United Nations’ forces at one point seemed to be in a strong position. This was miraculous considering the devastation incurred by the North Koreans in their surprise attack in July, 1950. However, the future for the UN Forces, consisting largely of troops from the United States, seemed strong by November 1950. Then, an army of 300,000 troops from Communist China attacked. Disaster ensued.

Colonel Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller and his regiment were among those facing catastrophe. According to historian William Manchester, his troops were completely surrounded. There was no way out. I

I almost cheered out loud the first time I read about the way Puller responded to this crisis. He announced to his men, “The enemy is in front of us, behind us, to the left of us, and to the right of us. They won’t escape this time.” Yes, Puller’s regiment suffered heavy casualties, but the majority cut through the Chinese army and made it out.

I love the spirit of optimism and courage Puller displayed in the face of what seemed to be a hopeless situation. God’s people have faced a number of “hopeless” situations throughout history, and they still do. I doubt it is coincidence that one of the most repeated commands in scripture is, “Fear not.”

In light of Jesus resurrection, and in view of the fact that God is moving history toward His desired outcome, we of all people, when we are “surrounded”, should be able to say, “Fear not.”

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:36 AM No comments: Labels: Chesty Puller, Fear not, Korean War, Lewis B. Puller


The Intruded Upon Intruder

Last month, police in Kennewick, Washington received a report of a break-in in a local office furniture business. It did not take the police long to discover who the invader was—a 17-year-old young man.

It did not take the authorities long because he left a clear electronic trail. It seems that once inside, the young man logged onto the company computer and accessed several websites—including his MySpace page. Even worse, he attempted to sell items online that he planned to steal from the store.

The young man made the same mistake most people make. What he assumed was done in secret, in reality, was seen by a much larger audience. It is the same for all of us. Even in secret, our deeds, even our thoughts, are being seen by a larger audience. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit see all.

I am not asking this reminder make us more legalistic, avoiding wrong simply to avoid getting caught. I do hope it will cause us to be respectful of God, and to remember Scripture does not hesitate to remind us that God will hold us accountable for our thoughts and actions.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 11:31 AM No comments: Labels: accountability, Kennewick, secrets, Washington


Impersonating an Officer

“Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Mt. 6:1.)

Recently I read about a man named David Word. He served his community by turning on the siren and lights mounted on his black Ford Victoria and pulling over people. They were guilty, or perceived guilty, of various traffic violations.

One day, David Word ordered Matt Lydic to the side of the road. He warned Lydic to slow down and pulled away. Interestingly enough, Lydic was a police officer who was off duty. Lydic became suspicious and wrote down David Word’s license plate number. On March 16, David Word was convicted of impersonating a police officer.

I think there have been times in my life when I have impersonated Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus warns against performing godly acts before men, I think what he is saying is godly hearts should match godly acts.

May the day arrive when I consistently and constantly behave like Jesus. May the day arrive when my heart matches that Christ-like behavior.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:37 AM No comments: 

Let Them Fly Commercial!

This is one of those I clipped and saved a few years ago out of the newspaper from the late ANN LANDERS’ column:

During the pre-season, the team’s plane was scheduled to leave for Nashville at 4 p.m. Two of the players, Travis Best and Dale Davis, were nowhere to be found. The stairs had been pulled up, and the plane was just about to take off.

Suddenly, one of the players who was on the plane and looking out the window yelled, “Travis and Dale are out there on the passenger cart. Somebody should tell the pilot to lower the stairs.” Larry Bird shouted, “No way. It’s after 4 p.m. Those guys are tardy. They’ll have to go commercial.”

I was shocked when I heard about this on TV. How could a guy be so mean to his own players? It just doesn’t make sense. I hope you will print this.

--A former Larry Bird Fan

Way to go, Ann.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 10:29 AM No comments: Labels: Ann Landers, discipline, larry bird


Where Seldom is Heard

Many years ago, a Roman Catholic nun was teaching a math class at a junior high school in Minnesota. Not pleased with the way things were going, she interrupted class one day and asked the students in the room to take out two sheets of paper and list the names of the other students present. Then, she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each classmate and write it down. The assignment took up the remaining period of the class, but the students turned their papers in and departed.

All this was too much for the nun. She sat down and began to weep, moved by the realization that the seemingly, small exercise had made an impact on so many people for so many years.

Perhaps we underestimate the value of encouragement. The NIV contains over 58 references to the word “encouragement.” God understands its value and need; we should as well.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 11:24 AM 1 comment: 

The Cannon Inside

Years ago, I heard Rick Atchley in sermon revive a story from the literature of Victor Hugo. A sailing ship is caught in a storm out on the high seas. The waves toss the ship back and forth when, suddenly, the sailors hear this terrible sound coming from beneath the deck. They know immediately what it is. A cannon has broken lose from it's moorings and is rolling back and forth pounding the walls of the ship.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 11:30 AM No comments: Labels: Attitude, Rick Atchley, Tim Henderson, Victor Hugo


The Clank 

I dare to believe the answer is—yes.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 10:58 AM No comments: 


The Housekeeper

In your job, how would you like to always be remembered in a negative way? That happened to the White House housekeeper, Henrietta Nesbitt.

Posted by Mark's Remarks at 11:00 PM No comments: Labels: Col. 3:23-24, Franklin Roosevelt, Grace Tulley, Henrietta Nesbitt, Work


Back Taxes

I read in WORLD magazine this week something that made me crack up. Aaron Zeff was sitting in his office, when two dark-suited men approached.

Aaron owns a car wash business in Sacramento California. The two men were IRS agents. They were there to collect delinquent taxes. Hearing this, Aaron’s heart sank. However, fear turned to mirth when he opened the agents’ envelope. Inside was his tax bill the agents had come to collect – the grand total was four cents.

I laughed until I thought about Jesus’ story of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18. In spite of God’s forgiveness, how often do I hunt somebody down to pay the "four cents" he owes me?

Remember the slogan, "More Taste--Less Filling"?

" Maybe ours should be, "Less Bitterness--More Forgiveness!"
Posted by Mark's Remarks at 11:16 PM No comments: Labels: Aaron Zeff, bitterness, IRS, Matt. 18, mercy

Sue the Fisherman--He Hurt the Fish!

Antoine Goetschel finally carried things too far. In the past, he had enjoyed tremendous success as an animal rights attorney, suing citizens on behalf of the animals, including a recent case, in which he sued a local angler for torture because it took the fisherman ten minutes to reel in a Pike.

On March 7, voters in Switzerland voted against Goetschel’s initiative to extend legal representation for animals beyond dogs, fish, birds, and chickens. Even Goetschel admitted that his lawsuit, on behalf of the pike, may have created a voter backlash.

All of this reminded me of the question the psalmist asked:

While we Christians are certainly called to be stewards of this great earth, I do not see the elevation of animals to the level of humans in Scripture like I see in culture.

God’s Word, such as we see in Psalm eight, seems to emphasize over and over again how God’s crowning creation is the human being. Maybe we, in culture, should invest as much in protecting the human as we do the animal.
Posted by Mark's Remarks at 9:13 AM 1 comment: Labels: animal rights, Antoine Goetschel, Ps. 8:3-5