We NEED a Bailout!!!!!

We NEED a bailout!
Dateline Wednesday, November 26, 2008. The Federal Government announced today a massive bailout of the banking giant First Applegate Savings Trust (FAST). Pending regulator and lobbyist approval, the Federal Reserve Bank will pump approximately $25 Billion Dollars into the struggling financial entity in hopes of averting a disastrous failure.
Flashback to Monday, November 24th… FAST CEO Mark Applegate, in an attempt to cinch up Federal funds for his institution, arranges to fly the entire Congress with families and staff to the Swiss Alps for a skiing and shopping junket. No expense is spared in this trip. While the $10 Billion price tag may seem steep, it seemed a necessary expense to secure funding to insure liquidity for the next month.
Flashback to the First Century…the Apostle Paul states in Colossians 2:13-5 (ESV) “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made a live together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
America, and indeed the world as a whole, is in a tremendously perilous debt situation. We are powerless to rectify the damage done by the recklessness of generations of unconcerned debtors. Amazingly, we flaunt our debt, pretending that it is not a big deal and that it will be paid at some distant period of time. We assume that as long as our laboring is sufficient to fulfill the minimum obligation of the debt, the big picture really doesn’t matter. On a personal level, we assume that as long as we can pay our minimum payment on time, we are fine.
The answer? More government cash? Barack Obama to the rescue?? Not for this problem. See, this ominous problem is much bigger than money. The problem is our sin debt. Romans 6:23 (ESV) says “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Who sins? Romans 1-2 spend paragraph after paragraph thoroughly explaining that we are all hopeless debtors concluding with Romans 3:23 (ESV) saying “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are drowning in debt, and there will be a day that it will all come due.
Don’t believe me? Read Exodus 20. God lays out the Ten Commandments, the summary of God’s Moral Law, in clear detail. I have spent the last half a year writing about these Commandments and stating the obvious that I, like you, have broken them all in word or deed. Just like CEOs who don’t seem to take debt seriously, we don’t weep over sin if we acknowledge it at all. Take blasphemy for example (the breaking of the Third Commandment). As chronicled on previous columns, how many times a day do we hear blatant blasphemy? Oh My Gxx is as common as any other phrase these days. Even when we change the words to make them less egregious, we replace them often with an attribute of God. (Oh my goodness, good gracious, and the like. The amazing part of this is that we replace God’s Holy Name with a dirty word. The offense is directly to him. He is the intended target. Even if we don’t want to offend, we do. We are hopeless to pay the debt for the bill we have racked up.
The solution is to find someone to pay our debt. Indeed, we desperately need a bailout, and the government is part of the problem, not the solution, in this realm. The good things we do as a response to God’s Goodness can’t save us. God, Himself, is the only one that can save us. The Good News of the Bible is that 2000 years ago Jesus Christ took the punishment on the cross for our sins when we repent and trust Him. He had the debt record nailed to the cross with Him of all who turn from their sin and let Him be Lord. What an amazing and loving act done by one that we have done little more than blaspheme in our society.
Thanksgiving is upon us again. Spend the holiday with me thanking Jesus for dying for our sins. Does it seem clichéd? At times, even as a Christian, it seems that I don’t “esteem the sacrifice” He made on my behalf. I, like you, need to spend more time praising Him this season than racking up debt then trying to repay Him (as if that is possible anyway). Doing good things for others in His name are the logical response to such an amazing God. It should be done as an act of worship, not as an attempt to bribe Him for forgiveness. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) says “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” What an amazing substitute debt payer we serve!

Verses for the week: James 1:26-7; 2:14-26 Ephesians 2:8-9. Does your Faith produce works? If it isn’t the type that does, it isn’t the type that saves either. These aren’t conflicting verses, they are clarifying verses. How does your faith reveal itself through your life? If there is no difference, or if you do what you do for the wrong reason, you are likely as well off flying God to the Alps He created at judgment. He will not be bribed!

First Commandment

“And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me’”. (Exodus 20:1-3)

It has been months since our trip through the Ten Commandments began. I have been sidetracked with two jobs and going to school full-time, along with raising three great kids, serving several roles in my church, and a fount of other busy body activities. I would like to formally apologize to my three regular readers who undoubtedly have been waiting on the edge of their chairs for the final chapter in this discourse on God’s Moral Law. That being said, in all sincerity, we begin.
First, what does “You shall have no other gods before me” mean to you? I have given this a lot of thought the last six months working with you through the Decalogue. We have been blasted by a barrage of laws that we, at surface level, think we have pretty much obeyed. Then as we have dug a little deeper into each, we both realize that we have actually broken all nine of the previously mentioned Commandments. Recall Jesus’ clarification of God’s Moral Law in Matthew 5. Looking with lust is equal to adultery and anger is equal to murder are two nice examples. We both established that we are actually zero for nine in our ability to obey God’s Law. Surely we can find one of the ten we can obey. (Read my blog www.uturnrequired.blogspot.com or call the paper for back issues for a recap.) Maybe the First Commandment has some promise for us.
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Well, I don’t believe in Buddha, Zeus, or the flying spaghetti monster, the current false god of choice to militant God haters. Therefore I pass, right? Hardly. At the risk of blaspheming God’s holy name, I would like to rephrase this Commandment for clarification, in modern vernacular. Is God precious to you? Is God your main thing? If someone was to summarize your life in a single phrase, would it be “God was his/her life”? Do you wake thinking of Christ’s sacrifice as a punishment for your sins? Do you thank God for every breath of air we are allowed to borrow from Him? Luke 14:25-7 (ESV) explains the extent, in hyperbole, to which we should love God saying “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.’” I have been so lazy the last few months, I have put my before mentioned laundry list of activities ahead of finishing this series of columns. Does this expose yet another Commandment I have broken? Clearly and sadly yes. Even my diet has been a competition for God’s primary affection in my life.
Can you relate? Perfectly good things in your life, by themselves are not the least bit sinful, become your “big deal”. Have you missed worship to golf? Do you stay up so late working to support your family that you are too tired to take them to church? Is church activity so important to you that you fail to worship when you do devoutly attend? OR...do you even give God a thought during the week? Have you ever stolen, coveted, lied, committed adultery, blasphemed, committed idolatry, failed to honor your parents, or other sins? If so, they bear witness to the fact that, like your formerly morbidly obese writer, you really haven’t made God number one in your life.
This point relates perfectly with my diet. As a matter of update, I celebrated my one year anniversary on the diet. I have lost 138 pounds, 14 inches off my waist, and even lost 2 inches on the lengths of my sleeves...figure out that one?!?! I have had people speak of the “transformation” of my life because of this diet. What they are not aware of is that it has, at times, competed for first place in my life, and has been a source of breaking the First Commandment. While I do look dramatically different, minus the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the sins I have committed, I am nothing more than a “whitewashed tomb” as Jesus called the Pharisees in Matthew 23. I look clean and skinnier on the outside, but perish the thought of what’s inside! God did a much bigger work on my heart than any diet has done for the outside! See, God didn’t give us these Commandments thinking we could follow them and earn our way to Heaven. He gave us these laws to show us that we can’t. In the end, Jesus Christ gets all the Glory for the Cross for saving us not because of what WE did, but IN SPITE OF IT. What a wonderful, merciful, and Holy God we serve!
I am so thankful for the opportunity to write this column. I am also thankful for all of you that read it. Promise me you will consider yourself in light of the Ten Commandments written in Exodus 20. I badly want to see Stockton, Missouri populating heaven when I get there. Thanks for your prayers for my diet. They made a substantial difference and they mean more to me than you know! As we finish off 2008, let us hold each other accountable if we see each other letting God slip below His rightful place...number one.
Final weight update: 200lbs...and holding since October. God is Good, all the time!
Verse of the week: Galatians 2:17-21. Memorize this one...it is worth your time!

American Idol? or Aliens examine our passions!

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6 NASB)

On board Starship Kollobbtsktsk:

Brig. General Yunge: “Status First Lieutenant Will-E”

Lieutenant Will-E: “We will arrive at the third planet from the sun in about 3 Kollobonian minutintsk. It is fortunate that the only beings on this planet who know of us are widely held as what they refer to as “whack-jobs and loons.”

Brig. General Yunge: “Precisely... Chief Religion Officer Joewerkinferit...what’s the status on the understanding of God on this planet?”

Officer Joewerkinferit: “We have discovered a copy of their primary Moral Law. It is called by modern theologians The Ten Commandments.”

Brig. General Yunge: “Summarize in layman’s terms.”

Officer Joewerkinferit: “It seems that the first four Commandments relate in general to the people’s relationship with God. The rest seem to deal more with their relationship with each other.”

Brig. General Yunge: “How are they doing following these Commandments?”

Officer Joewerkinferit: “They seem to break them all. Take the 2nd one for instance. It says not to create an idol for themselves. It says God is a jealous God and extends His punishment to those who do this for generations. Even with this very specific instruction, idols are everywhere. This is especially so in America, that powerful nation that houses Mark Applegate, the most brilliant, attractive and modest writer on the planet.”

Brig. General Yunge: “The houses have little shrines?”

Officer Joewerkinferit: “Not really shrines. It’s something much more sinister yet subtle. In fact, they often don’t realize they have them. Take Sunday, the day they worship God. Instead of being in their house of worship, many of them do peculiar things. Some walk around a neatly groomed field and whack a ball with a metal rod until it lands in one of 18 mini-shrines. Others offer sacrifices by casting them into a lake or river on the end of a string. Still others watch their metallic house shrine as it entertains them with sport. They have a place to worship God, yet they follow idols. Worst of all, I don’t think God likes it at all. In their sacred text it says in Revelation 21:8 ‘But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’ Idolaters aren’t just those who worship other recognized deities...they are those who make one up for themselves! It can be as subtle as saying about God “My god would never send someone to Hell...or...My god takes into account the good I have done with the bad, puts it on a scale and if I do more good than bad I go to heaven...or...My god adds new stuff to the Bible all the time as dictated by our current religious leaders.” These people might as well rename their god Yoda!

Brig. General Yunge: “Why doesn’t God come to Earth and show Himself as He is?”

Officer Joewerkinferit: “That’s just it...He did!”

Brig. General Yunge: “What did the people do when their Creator came?”

Officer Joewerkinferit “They killed Him!”

Brig. General Yunge: “Interesting! No wonder they have little shrines everywhere. They don’t fear their God.”

Officer Joewerkinferit: “I have read their book. They will fear Him later...when He comes back.”

Meanwhile...on Earth... writing genius Mark Applegate offers this commentary:

Ok...there is no such thing as aliens. I know... most of us have seen the poll that says more modern college students believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life than believe they will get Social Security benefits when they turn 65. Bad news...neither is true! Either way, it is a sobering reality to know that God is mad about the fact that we are idolaters. I have often failed on this one as well. I don’t have a Buddha on my mantle or a sacred cow on my fridge. I do, however, justify my personal sin by rationalizing it in my mind, making the God of my mind different than the one in the Bible. When we do that, we might as well be worshipping some dude name Frank. Don’t write this Commandment off as one that heathens do in other countries. Instead add it to the list of Commandments that both of us break. Look at the Commandments, and think of how frequently we break them. Then think of God coming to the Earth as a perfect, sinless man, dying on the cross as a substitute punishment-taker for the many sins (including this one) we have committed against Him, and rising again to defeat death. We should remind ourselves that He did this knowing what kind of folks we really are. What a great and merciful God we serve!
By the way...If you don’t know this God about which I speak, in a personal way, or if you have made for yourself one that is comfortable to you instead of one strictly expressed in the Bible, humbly call out to Him. Say to Him something like “God, I know I have blown it. I have broken every Commandment in the Book. You should throw me in Hell, and be perfectly justified in doing so. I ask you, instead, to forgive my sins. I know Jesus died as a substitute for the punishment my sins have deserved. I want to turn from my old life with me in charge and let you be my boss in every way. While I can never earn your forgiveness, I want to live for you forever. Amen.” There is no magic prayer or posture necessary, just a humble heart who wants to know God. Email me any time if you have questions. God Bless!

Weight updates: 214.8 down 2 lbs from last week. Total lost: 121. Goal: 24.8 lbs away. Ancient Chinese Secret to huge weight loss...The man who lose lot of weight must first be of really fat! No charge for the advice!

Bible verse: Colossians 1:21-2

3rd Commandment

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7 NASB)

I am finally starting to realize that I must be getting old. I have said and thought a few times recently something I believed reserved only for the elderly. I thought (and quietly verbalized) the infamous phrase “I wonder if that punk can hear that stinkin’ music” as his car thumped by. Irritating music, albeit disruptive to my fragile and tenuous thought process at times, doesn’t irritate me nearly as much as blasphemy...the violation of the Third Commandment. As we continue my perusal through the Commandments of Exodus 20, I would like to look this one over closely. If I sound a smidge on the Pharisaical side, pray about it...you’ll come around. In an understatement tantamount to calling my public speaking skill only slightly less intelligible than Ronald Reagan’s, I think God hates sin. This sin of Blasphemy may be the most popular one of our time. More than irritating God like a thumping subwoofer, I believe God becomes righteously furious at blasphemy. Briefly, I would like to point out a few ways we commit this sin, and then discuss its remedy with you today.
We all know examples of using the Lord’s name in vain. “Oh My Gxx” or “Gxx Dxxx!” are only scratching the surface. O.M.G., Holy Cow, Heck, Gosh, Golly, Dang, Jeez, Jeezo-Pete, Criminy, Lord, and Gahhh are some substitutes for Jesus, God, or religious themes we commonly sub for the real thing. I could go on all the way to the sports section of the paper with a complete list. These words are a natural part of our vocabulary. We piously use them as Christians, thinking that the action is what counts, not our intention. Luke 16:15 (NASB) states this clearly saying “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Ray Comfort, in his television show “Way of the Master”, explains it this way. “Blasphemy is substituting a four letter filth word of disgust with the Holy name of God.” Rather than spouting out an angry synonym of excrement, we insert the Holy name of God. Have you also noticed that no one screams “Buddha!” or “Mohammad!” when they hit their thumb with a hammer?
Another manifestation of this sin in our culture is our willingness to watch blasphemous movies and television shows. Visit www.pluggedinonline.com for movie summaries including a count of times God’s name was used in vain. Examples... Evan Almighty used blasphemy 9 times (in a “family friendly” movie), and “Momma Mia!” does it 18 times. Rated R movies are infinitely higher. Would you pay $25 to watch a movie that called your Mom crude swear words? Why then would we pay to watch as people slander the Savior and Creator of the world? Interestingly enough, censors on television shows will often leave the God part and bleep the Dxxx part out. This example is amazing yet insightful commentary on the misunderstanding of blasphemy. The website www.hollywoodandgod.com is another excellent, and quite persuasive, website relating to this subject.
So...why on Earth do we do this? I believe it is clear to me the more I look at it. You can boil it down to two possibilities. Either we don’t fear God or we don’t believe in Him. I challenge you to find me a different spin. The early Jewish scribes of the Bible were so concerned with not spelling Yahweh’s name right that they spelled it YHWH, hoping that by abbreviating it with reverence, perhaps God would not hold it against them. Incidentally, these same scribes would destroy copies of the Law that were less than 100% perfectly written without “typos”, stray marks, or anything that would bring shame to God. Today we only care enough to slightly veil the word with a similar sounding word, and then pat ourselves on the back for our devotion to God. My... have we come a long way?? We show the extent of our true devotion to God in the little stuff like this. As for me...guilty again! I am zero for eight on the Commandments we have looked at thus far. I don’t use the really bad versions of the words, but the substitutes fly off my tongue with ease. I watch movies that freely blaspheme as well. Amazingly, Jesus Christ died for me anyway! What a Savior! I am thankful for the Ten Commandments as a gazing pool to see and dispose of self-righteousness. I need all the help I can get!
It is time for all believers to revere the name of the Lord. Join me in correcting this inadequacy in ourselves. God is Holy and deserves better. Be intentional this week in what you say. Take inventory and make corrections, for His name’s sake! Email comments or suggestions to markapplegate@alltel.net.

Diet update: Currently 216.8 lbs... I have lost a total of 119.2 lbs. God is good, all the time!

Verse of the week: Psalm 86:11.

4th Commandment (0 for 6 and Counting!!!)

I am sorry for leaving you hanging on the edge of your seats waiting for “insight” into the rest of the 10 Commandments. I realize my three avid readers have been left wandering aimlessly for a month waiting for another pearl of wisdom. At last, the time has arrived! For the rest of you...hey...this is better than a filler piece about watering your marigolds too much... be nice!
Commandment number four says “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11).
There are many ways to look at this one. As is my standard methodology, I will discuss the Commandment in light of my failure to keep it. First things first, however...I must clarify how I understand this Commandment. In my simplistic ability to discern, I believe the Fourth Commandment applies to modern people in many ways like it did the Jews of antiquity. The Sabbath day, like to those of old, is to be set aside for worship and rest. Jesus clarified the meaning of the Sabbath in the same way He redefined many pharisitical definitions. One of the beautiful ways Christ did this was recorded in Luke 6:6-11 saying “And it came to pass also on another Sabbath that He entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the Sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, ‘Rise up, and stand forth in the midst.’ And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, ‘I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?’ And looking round about upon them all, He said unto the man, ‘Stretch forth thy hand.’ And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.”
I see the Sabbath as a day set aside to celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection and the freedom from the penalty of the Law. The Jews of antiquity were burdened by a law they couldn’t possibly keep. Enter Jesus and the New Covenant. Now we can rest in Him. Every week we can celebrate Easter Sunday and retell our soul the Greatest Story Ever Told. In the process of celebrating Christ (performing sacraments, having fellowship, growing in faith with other believers, etc...) we grow closer to Him. Our heart and motives for our actions are, as always, transparent to God’s sight. In short, we need to worship with a body of believers to grow closer to God. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us, as do other passages, to value corporate worship.
How have I done? Early in my pre-Christian days, I was a Christmas and Easter church attendee. I didn’t even consider the one who gave me life worthy of extra thought on Sundays. Football, sleeping in, the thick Springfield newspaper, and food were among my favorite excuses to skip worship. No real worship, no growing in faith, and, when I did go to church, I performed sacraments in an unworthy, flippant manner. In short, I was a typical, worldly church person who was far from Christ.
Fast-forward me twenty plus years since becoming a Christian and the flip side happened. I periodically have turned Pharisee. At times in my Christian walk I have kept the Sabbath in a proud way with poor motives. “Look at those men on the golf course! I’d never miss church for something so worldly!” I might say, with a heart no better than those in the Luke passage who “communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.”. Would I drive by a stranded motorist to get to church on time? “Surely they have called AAA!” my self righteous heart would likely tell me as I rush to church. I, like the rest of folks, often miss Jesus in the details of life. In this way I still fail!
Up to now in the column I am “0 for 6” on following Commandments....as are all of us. Do you see how the Commandments make a nice mirror to show us that we are hopeless without a Savior? We are so unworthy of Heaven based on what we have done. God would be completely just sending us to Hell for eternity despite what “good things” we do. What an awesome God to instead die as a substitute for us. I will forever be grateful! Will I do better on this Commandment in the future? The more I grow closer to Him, the more my impure motives are replaced, the better I will do. I’ll never be perfect this side of eternity, but I want nothing more than to live like Sunday all week long. I hope you will join me. Check your motives, evaluate your heart with Exodus 20, and join me in being thankful for a Savior all week long.

Diet update... 223.4 lbs. I have now lost 112.6 lbs. My goal is just 33.4 lbs away. God is so very good. He is worthy of me taking care of the body He gave me in a way that brings Him honor!
Prayer request...my church does VBS in the park this week and sends 50+ on a mission trip the next week. God is doing great things and we are blessed to get to go along for the ride!!!

10 Commandments Diet Plan

Today I take a brief break from our tiptoe through the Ten Commandments to discuss dieting and how my Savior relates to my diet. In the process, I will be introducing what I have come to know as the Ten Commandments Diet Plan. Before you boil me with oil or scoff at me as a heretic, hear me out.

The story of Mark Applegate’s obesity began in 1982. I had always been a pretty large kid, but really began to grow out during my Junior High years. I struggled with self-confidence issues throughout my childhood. A verbally abusive step-father saying I would never amount to anything combined with an uber-popular, athletic brother the girls swooned over to the point of asking me “why I couldn’t be cute like my brother”, among other issues compounded the weight problem. Looking back, however, excuses abound.
Fast forward ahead to 2004. I was approximately 380 pounds. I am not exactly sure what weight I topped out at, but I remember three moments in my life that really stick out relating to the extent and shame of my obesity. First I remember reading on my doctor’s chart on me that he referred to me as “morbidly obese”. I have come to learn later that this is a medical term, not a value judgment, but at the time seemed like I was being made fun of by my doctor. I had been the target of fat jokes for years, but it was particularly hurtful to see a third party writing to his peers making fun of me.

The second low point of my corpulence was subtle, yet painful. It was when I outgrew the regular scale. When the balance scale, regardless of how far I scoot it to the right, still doesn’t budge, it was a painful event. My spring scale nearly took 2 revolutions. Scales were not my friend.

The third low point was at my first cardio-stress test. As I grew into the enormous person I was, my health declined. My blood pressure was extremely high, compounded by a stressful business life and a busy schedule. Heart palpitations were common and my overall health was terrible. I finally went to the doctor to get my heart checked. I was required to get a stress test. If you haven’t been privileged to have one of these, it is when they shave your chest and tape probes all over it, then run you on a treadmill and watch your heart medically. I am a private man, and having an attractive nurse pushing my obesity from side to side to shave me was a new low point.

Upon reflection it is easy for me to see how I got to nearly (?) 400 pounds. Three reasons jump out to me....pardon their simplicity. The first reason is I love to eat. Food tastes good to me. It still does. Pretty simple... yum...I love it. I could go for an ice cream right now as I type! The second reason I gained weight is similar. I ate a lot of calories and was lazy. Liking food is one thing. Eating by the bucket is another thing altogether. I enjoyed food so much that I ate it a lot. I was so big that I was exhausted at the end of a work day. Exercise was minimal. Simple calories economics 101 says that if you put in more than you burn, you gain weight. I ate a bunch and laid on the couch a lot too. (No charge for today’s complex dietician lessons.) The third reason I gained the weight is that I just didn’t care. The stress of life combined with a low self-confidence led me to not see the value of caring for my health. Ironically I didn’t piece together how my relationship with Jesus Christ related to something as unspiritual as my weight. I was just living life without consideration to my weight. A year ago things began to change.
I want to point out three events that changed my take on my weight. First, as my health rapidly declined, fear of leaving my family behind because of premature death, was a strong motivator. Please note that I am a Christian. I am going to heaven when I die, not because of any merit in my life (actually in spite of the lack of it!), but because of the unmerited favor of an awesome God. I don’t fear dying in the least. Paul, in Philippians 1:21-6 explains the dichotomy of death writing “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.” Despite being infinitely less spiritually mature than Paul, I can still relate. Death scares me for my family’s sake. I have a beautiful and far more gracious than I deserve wife and three awesome kids. I would hate to think of them mourning over my death caused by my poor decisions.
The second watershed event in my life was crucial as well. It started when my pastor began a study on repentance of sin and personal spiritual cleansing. As you know, I have written about sin often in my column, but at times I am thick-skulled. It was during this study when I gave my life a good spiritual check up. I shaved my flabby chest, if you will, and hopped on the treadmill with the probes on. I am a pretty decent guy, by many standards. I don’t kick the cat, I pay my taxes, and I go to church as often as possible. I am a Christian, and am forgiven for all of my past, present, and future sins. Despite this glowing self-appraisal, I came to realize that there is a lot more to personal “goodness” (Romans 3:10) than repenting of the “big sins”. The more I think of how amazing of a God that I serve is, and how awe-inspiring the love of Jesus Christ dying on the cross as a substitute for the punishment I deserved, the more I want to root all the sin out of my life. My obesity, defined biblically as gluttony, is one of the many sins in my life I have targeted for battle. The thought of sinning and not esteeming the sacrifice of Jesus Christ made me sick the more I thought and prayed about it. In addition, seriously evaluating myself in the light of the 10 Commandments furthered this feeling (hence the name 10 Commandments Diet). Do I still sin? Yes. Am I at war with it on many fronts? Yes. God is wonderfully patient with me.
The last event was a Bible study led by Ken Spurgeon from Proverbs. We spent part of a couple classes discussing being a sloth. I am the poster child of “sloth-kind”. My weight, and the corresponding exhaustion, became an excuse to not serve God with all of my strength (see Luke 10:27). I want to serve Him in the best way possible. Obesity is a hindrance. Excuses abound.
How does my diet plan work? 2 steps.... First examine yourself spiritually. Compare yourself only to Jesus Christ. Hold up the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20) as a mirror. Pray, read the Bible, and root out the sin in your life. Second, eat less and exercise more. Simple economics... eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. I am using Weight Watchers, and I like it. Most other diets work too. Do the math, count the costs of your sin, and lose the weight...it is that simple. Your doctor can help more with the logistics of what to eat than I can, but you have to ask. At the same time think about Jesus on the cross dying for folks like you and me. Are the “small”(?) sins like gluttony really worth it anyway???
Diet update... 230.6 lbs. Total loss 105.4 lbs since November 13th. 39.6 lbs. to go. My yearly physical this week revealed a clean bill of health with dramatic improvements in every category of health. I am off of all medications and on the road to much better shape. I appreciate your prayers!!!

5th Commandment

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” (Exodus 20:12 NASB)
“3And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.' "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God," he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.’BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'" (Matthew 15: 3-9 NASB)
Today I resume our float trip down the Rio de 10 Commandments with a subject I, more so than ever, am hardly qualified to write about...the Fifth Commandment is to honor your Father and your Mother. I also want to springboard onto a rabbit trail that relates to this subject and how it relates to tradition. Join as the blind leads the blind on this one.
I am the baby of my family in more ways than one. The youngest of three kids, I became adept at whining my way into and out of trouble. My older sister, the firstborn of the Applegate brood, was a typical co-parent type growing up. I looked up to (and still do) her maturity and strength. She was the trailblazer of the Applegate kids... first to drive, get a job, and the like. She also moderated trouble among the ranks of the siblings. Next came my brother. He is a genius, yet with the “turtle-running-across-interstate” risk-taking gene. He is extroverted and winsome in personality and, in many ways, my idol. In his teen years, unable to be challenged by teachers and parents intellectually, creatively found himself in trouble often. Then came yours truly... I was the baby. I am the baby. I even married the baby of another family. My sister would usually relent rather than hearing me whine to get my way. My brother would, rightfully, whack me to shut me up, thereby getting himself in trouble. I was in a nice triangular insulation from parenting because of this arrangement. I was successful in the “kid game” if I could get in trouble less than my brother. Piece of cake.
I suspect we drove my parents crazy (and were on the short list of reasons why their marriage failed). When they would try to go on a date, we would terrorize our “babysitter of the week”. I remember vividly (as does she) when we played a game with one of them. Never play the Houdini game with an Applegate kid! A simple game... tie me in a chair and see if I can escape. The first round is easy. The second round we tied her up and left...for the afternoon. Three hours and six bucks worth of Pac Man quarters later, we freed the poor babysitter (Is that a felony Mr. Starbuck? I hope I have passed the statute of limitations!). We had a different babysitter the next week. The Fifth Commandment never entered our mind. God gave us parents, assigned them to raising us, and we would do this kind of stuff to reward them! It was, and is, so easy to sin.
This is the pin point tip of the iceberg of my breaching the 5th Commandment. But enough about me... How about you? Did you always obey the first time asked as a child? Did you bring honor to your family name through your school work, your service to mankind, and your good character...all the time? Have you ever called your parents a name to or behind their back? What was your attitude toward obeying? God’s standard is perfection, not an easy competition of behaving better than yours truly. Obeying externally and rebelling inside is not honoring your parents. I think we are both zero for the first five Commandments! Yet, despite breaking this and the other Commandments a plethora of times, God made a way for us to be forgiven. Stacks of my and your sins forgiven by an amazing God dying on a cross as a substitute penalty for the crimes we committed. All we have to do is repent (turn from them never to return) of the sins in our life, let Him be our absolute boss (Lord), and know that He is the only way to go to heaven. If you need more info about this process, email me. I am happy to help!
As for the before-mentioned rabbit trail, I direct you to the Matthew 15 verse above. There was a tradition in the day of Christ that Pharisees would dedicate things to God so they wouldn’t have to show it as an asset. It was, in a way, like a loophole in the right thing to do scale. Jesus, as he was wont to do, exposed this, and others like it. Their stuff was no more “given to God” than that “business lunch” write-off at Hammons Park was for business purposes. God cares about reality, not perception. Honoring God with our mouth while denying in our heart is as useless a screen door in a submarine (so says the song). I am trying to reign in my motives these days. I put on a decent show on the outside, but have found sin hiding in the motives. Join me in rooting this one out.

Bible verse... Proverbs 10:1. I know a story of a man who became a Christian in jail after a journey that largely began with the reading this verse.
Diet update...I have lost 97.4 pounds now, after another really good month. I weigh 239.6, about 50 pounds from my goal. I appreciate your prayers!

Me, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Family Feud

“You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13 (NASB)
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment'. But I tell you that anyone who is angry at his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother,'Raca', is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says 'You Fool!' will be in danger of the fire of Hell!” Matthew 5:21-2 (NASB)
“One hundred people surveyed, top four answers on the board...looking for the number one answer. Here's the question... 'What is the first thing you do when someone cuts you off in traffic?'” inquires Richard Karn, host of my favorite game show, Family Feud. Can you guess? What would you say? America gave these answers. Number four answer “Honk”; number three answer “Flip off the driver”; number two answer “Ignore them”; and the number one answer “Scream and Yell at the driver”. I guess all those who said “Lock and Load!” are either too busy watching Dale Jr. turn left or still awaiting parole?! I would likely fall on the number one answer except not so much audibly, but, boy, if they could hear me think!!! The road was paved for Mark Applegate...everyone else is just using my road!
As we continue our hop, skip and jump through God's moral law, the Ten Commandments, we delve into the 6th Commandment...”You shall not murder.” (The number six is shaped kinda like a bomb if you need a memory aid to remember which one it is.) If you do a quick survey of your “good-ness” using the Ten Commandments, the 6th seems like a safe one for most of us. I wouldn't have a clue how to shoot a gun, being the city slicker that I am. I am a wuss when it comes to fighting. I can't cook well enough to hide poison in my food. I can't even beat Bowser in my kid's video game! A murderer I am not...or so I thought until I read the words of Jesus in Matthew 5. Alas, Jesus clarifies the Commandment in the above verse in Matthew to include our thought life. When we hate someone , we commit murder in our heart. When we physically or mentally extend the middle finger of friendship to a driver in traffic, we are in danger of judgment. When the restaurant gives us pickles when we expressly said no pickles, and we fume...we break the commandment! When the chubby writer in the paper says something stupid, and we grumble about him, we kill him in our heart. With this in mind, we are all left like O.J. Simpson, murderers who have, thus far, got away with it. Or have we??? God's judgment is so perfect, it leaves us all in a pickle when we die. Is forgiveness available for physical or mental murderers? Boy do I have good news...read on!
I was reading yet again from one of my favorite books in Christendom, In the Grip of Grace, by Max Lucado, when he dropped this bomb on me. “Do you know what disturbs me most about Jeffrey Dahmer? What disturbs me most are not his acts, though they are disgusting. Dahmer was convicted of seventeen murders. Eleven corpses were found in his apartment. He cut off arms. He ate body parts. My thesaurus has 204 synonyms for vile, but each falls short of describing a man who kept human skulls in his refrigerator and hoarded a human heart. He redefined the boundary for brutality. The Milwaukee monster dangled from the lowest rung of human conduct and then dropped. But that's not what troubled me the most.... Not His trial, disturbing as it was, with all those pictures of him sitting serenely in court, face frozen, motionless. No sign of remorse, no hint of regret....Not his punishment, though life with no parole is hardly an exchange for his actions. How many years would it take to satisfy justice? A lifetime in jail for every life he took? But that's another matter, and that's not what troubles me most about Jeffrey Dahmer. May I tell you what does? His conversion.” (p. 35-6)
By every account I have read, Dahmer became a Christian shortly before he was killed in prison. He was treated, realized what kind of monster he was and threw himself at the feet of Jesus Christ to save him. He is, if all indications were correct, going to be sharing the same heaven as the Apostle Paul. Does that trouble you? Does it anger you? Do you doubt the power of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross? Surely a filthy sinner like Dahmer is on the fast track to Hell, if anyone is?!?! Three verses, among others, speak otherwise!
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NASB)
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10 NASB)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NASB)
God has a tough standard. We all have broken every commandment, whether in a physical sense or an emotional/internal/thought-realm sense. There is someone that all of us hate. God treats it as murder, yet forgives completely anyone who comes to Him with a humble spirit and asks. Does he grade sin's seriousness on some sort of scale? He may but the absence of conclusive evidence scripturally leaves me to expect that either way God treats all sin extremely seriously. Our only hope is to do what Dahmer did, apparently, and throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus for forgiveness. What an amazing God who forgives wretches like me and Jeffrey!
Weekly Scripture Verse: 2 Timothy 2:15...hold me to that standard too!
Diet update: I am at 253 after gaining very small amounts in each of the last 2 weeks. I am working out 6 days a week now and still doing fine on the diet part...hopefully I am adding muscle weight. I have established a long-range goal of running a marathon within the next couple years. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement!

Adultery...the 7th Commandment

"Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery." Exodus 20:14
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matthew 5:27-8 (KJV)
"I have looked on many women with lust. I have committed adultery in my heart many times. God knows I will do this and forgives me." Former President Jimmy Carter (Playboy Magazine November 1976 as quoted on www.notable-quotes.com...I don't read the articles or look at the pictures.)
As we continue out tiptoe through the "I am a Good Person!!"-minefield that is the Ten Commandments, I point us to the Seventh Commandment which forbids Adultery. I could start with some shocking statistics about STD's, huge numbers of sexual partners of typical Americans, or statistical similarities of those who go to church with those who don't (a topic for another day). I could beat you with a Golden Club for your past indiscretions, while hiding mine. I could just pull a Nancy Reagan and say "just say no!" All would be good ice breakers. All would in a way expose the subject. Ever the one to think outside the box, I will spin in another direction. I will aim my plea at two groups...just try to hide!
To the married members of the vast audience...can we talk for a minute? How much do you love your spouse? Remember the days when things were fresh, exciting, and new? Remember fighting over who would be forced to say Goodbye first on the phone during your calls. (Maybe I am the only one that started dating their spouse when I was 16?!?!) Remember (currently, too, I would hope) when the thought of someone hurting the one you love would make you shake with anger to protect them? Remember learning what she liked, what "Hair Band" he dreams of looking like with his mullet spruced up for you, or where she liked to eat ice cream? Remember the fear of losing the one you love after the first big fight? The same God who gave your spouse to you is using them to grow you today. Stop using any character trait of theirs as an excuse to commit adultery. Men especially, you don't have to physically cheat on her to commit adultery. Pornography rates are astronomical. Love your wife. Simple. Ladies...no more romance novels. We don't look like Fabio. (I look closer to Chris Farley.) We seldom sweep you off to the sunset. Love your husband anyway. God has linked you together for His glory as a picture of what your relationship with Him looks like. Live like it.
To singles... I can imagine that it is hard. Thank God that you have more time to devote to His service. You have a special gift...undivided love and attention for God, that many married people, regrettably, don't have. Stay pure. Stay accountable to others when things are easy and when they are difficult! You will grow from the position God has put you in and God will get a tremendous amount of Glory from your life!
Lastly, to everyone who carries the banner of Christianity...prepare to be annoyed with the slightly less fat writer. Stop dancing with the Devil. Pornography is not OK. Gawking at the other sex, or the same for that matter, is not ok! Other things in our life are a slap at God as well. Think of Christ like the Bible lists as our Bridegroom. We are, presumably, growing toward Christlikeness in a way to show ourselves a Bride to Christ when He returns someday. (I know, for macho men this concept can be a challenge. ) We, as one wanting to be spotless for our wedding day, have preparation to do. Given this, why would we do things that are effectively committing adultery on our Bridegroom? Why would we do Yoga? Yoga is a highly spiritual ritual to bring about a sense of closeness with a specific Hindu Goddess. Would you make eyes at the groom's brother on your wedding day? How about Horoscopes? I can find 21 instances of how angry God is at divination. Is Jesus Christ, your Bridegroom, not trustworthy enough to trust with the future? "Oh, chunky scribe, it is just for fun!" you might say. I say you are cheating on your first love. How about that cute, chubby Buddha statue? It's not a decoration, it is competition for your affection. Might as well be a Brad Pitt nude sculpture!
A special note to Jimmy Carter... Mr. President, we all struggle with sin. Many of us, including myself at times, struggle with lust. However, it is just that... a struggle. Your sad attempt at explanation in your infamous quote not only exposes your heretical, Universalist thinking (that everyone gets to go to heaven regardless of all factors), it exposes something much more sad. It shows that you are not sorry for your sin, a sin against primarily God (Psalm 51), and that you plan to do it again. I wish you were even as good with religious doctrine as you were with the economy (said in the spirit of kindness and generosity). Repenting of sexual sin means much more than sorrow for being caught or sorrow to look like a spiritual man. It means disgust at the old self. We may fall, but it will be against our will.
God is so kind to forgive us in this area. I see this as a huge area of hidden concern to most people. God can and will forgive from past sin and grant you His Holy Spirit to help along the way, if you are willing to repent (Turn away from) adultery, in all its forms. Questions, concerns, or accountability, email me. God Bless!
Weight update... 249.4! Through God's Mercy, I have lost 15+ pounds since last we talked two weeks ago. I have lost a total of 86.6 pounds. My goal is 177, so I have 72.4 to go. Moving right along!!!

Strawberry Swipecake

Isn't it kind of funny that we hit the Eighth Commandment this week, being so close to the National Day of Mourning, also known as Tax Day. The Eight Commandment forbids stealing. Whom is stealing from whom is a matter of opinion during this fun tax season. Regardless, I would like to examine this Commandment briefly so as not to steal too much of your time.
Have you ever stole anything, regardless of value? I have never shoplifted or committed grand theft auto. Does that make me exempt from thievery? Hardly. Allow me to count the ways...and see if you relate to any of these for yourself.
I ate nearly one thousand times the body weight of a pregnant yak of ripe strawberries from the commercial strawberry field across the street from my house in the early teen years of my life. Proverbs 9:17 (Revised Mark's Childhood Version) says “Stolen strawberries (NASB says “water is”)are sweet; shortcake (NASB says “food”) eaten in secret is delicious.” We, with the owner's knowledge, swiped enough berries to feed an African nation. Guilty!
I have goofed off for countless hours at jobs I have had over the years...all of which are stealing payroll from my employer. Colossians 3:23a says “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men...”. Guilty!
I, with a partner in crime, stole the goldfish out of the 10th hole water hazard at Putt Putt golf on Prom Night 1989.

I have stolen from God by not tithing for a large part of the early days of my Christian walk. Read Acts 5 for the story of a married couple's experience with stealing from God. Seriously guilty!!
We take approximately 24000 breaths of air each day, each comprising approximately 3000 gallons of air. In a 78 year life I will have swiped 85,410,000 gallons of air. Deut. 10:14 among other places, states that everything, including my stolen air, belongs to God... I haven't even said thanks for it! Exponentially guilty!
These are a few examples, some serious, some not so much, of my lifelong relationship to the sin of stealing. I strongly believe that nearly everyone, if honest, would recognize that they have stolen something in their life. Add this one to the previous two Commandments I am guilty of breaking from the last two weeks' column, and I am typical. Does God care? Yes. Does He forgive? Depends...have you repented of lifelong patterns? Are you sorry? Have you asked for forgiveness? If these are answered correctly, I believe God not only can but will forgive this and every other sin in our lives.
I would like to also address one other aspect of stealing this week. This is sure to make some grab stones to throw at me. Nearly every mainstream world religion, and some branches of Christianity as well as many a cult, requires some “work” of ours to go to Heaven when we die. Many well-meaning people believe we must clean up our lives and do more good than bad to go to heaven. We are weighed on a cosmic “good verses bad” scale and which ever side the arrow points is where we go. Like on the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the geese that lay the golden eggs put their egg on a egg checker which determines whether they are good or bad, we are weighed as good or bad . Good eggs go to heaven, bad ones hell. This, my friends, is stealing glory from Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB) says “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” If you did anything to supplement the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, dying as a substitute punishment for the sins you have committed, you steal the credit from Christ. What kind of monster of a God would send His Son to die for you as one possible means of your salvation, to go with other potential ways? No, it took a perfect sacrifice, and He gave it. How dare we try to steal the Glory from the only one deserving! Pray honestly today... “What is my part of my salvation?”. If you answer anything more than “I submitted myself to a Holy God as an unworthy sinner”, examine yourself. Was Jesus' painful death on the cross enough? Did He need my help?
The reason I love to look at the Commandments, and will be working through them for the next month and a half, is that they make for a beautiful list of self-reflecting thoughts to consider. We aren't saved because of our skill in keeping them, that's for sure. Call out to God today, and ask for forgiveness and let Him be Boss. If you have questions, email me. I will be praying for you as always! I don't want your money, I just want to see you in heaven someday!
Weight Update...262. I lost 3.4 this week for a total loss of 74 lbs. Only 76 to go. Thanks for your prayers! God is so patient and good!
Memory Verse: 1 Peter 1:14-6.

Cookie...Me Want Cookie!!!!

“One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others By the time I finish my song?”
I love Cookie Monster! I can relate to the furry blue, snack food inhaling resident of Sesame Street. Growing up I can remember vividly holding the thermometer to the light bulb on my lamp in my living room so as to appear to have a fever so I could watch Sesame Street, Electric Company, and Villa Allegre. Looking back, I wonder if my parents were concerned with my 150 degree fevers I would get at times...but boy did I outsmart them! Regardless, I sat watching PBS like most pre-cable, faking sickness-type school kids daydreaming as I learned with the colorful creatures on the show. Funny how we learn to lie at a young age. White lies are so natural, most of us don't even think twice. Starts young and gets easier as we get better at it.
Shifting gears clumsily, a relevant verse comes to mind. Revelation 21:8 (NASB) says “But the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” 1 Timothy 1:9-10 has a similar list with liars grouped in with a list of “worse sins”.
“One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which sin is not like the others, by the time I finish my...uh, newspaper column?”
Today, with much clanging on cymbals, we delve into the Ninth Commandment from Exodus 20: Thou shalt not bear false witness. You ain't supposta lie, for those in bordering counties. A recent highly scientific study in Great Britain by the Daily Mail in conjunction with the WKD brand name alcoholic drink company (obviously a trusted name) asserted that the average person lies 4 times a day. 116880 times including leap days for an 80 year old lying at that rate. Please don't patronize me with your “There are some GOOD LIES” logic...we all know the difference...they are not all good and we all know it! Or consider your “Babies don't lie” rants...anyone who says that needs to put new batteries in their Wanda Wetsy doll, because their kid isn't real! They figure it out quickly! The numbers of lies start early and build quickly!
So, let's break the list from Revelation down and give a quick thumbs up/down as co-judge of the universe.
Cowardly...this is the same word as Jesus used to describe His “followers” when He calmed the storm in Matthew 8:26. Yes...they were too worried for their own well being to be a Christian.
Unbelieving...see cowardly.
Abominable...not a commonly used word beyond snowmen lexicon, but it means really bad!
Murderers...boo hiss.
Immoral persons...those sinners deserve what comes to them!
Sorcerers... take one cat whisker, one horny toad leg, and one tablespoon of Sweet and Low then throw them into the fiery pit!
Idolaters...chuck them with their little false altar to the hot place!
And ALL Liars. Wait...I lie sometimes. Hey, wait...one of these things is NOT like the others....or is it? If you are a regular of this column, like I know you four are, you know from my previous columns that King David sorrowfully announced in Psalm 51 that he had sinned primarily against God with his lulu affair with Bathsheba. The event resulted in murder, illegitimate and angry kids, and a host of other problems. David recognized that every single sin against God is a direct slap at our Creator. Multiply that 116880 times in our life. Yikes. Why God doesn't whack us after the first ten thousand or so is testimony to His patience and desire to have us in heaven with Him someday. Lying once is enough. James 2:10 (NIV) says “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Jesus died for us knowing full well we would probably hit six figures in this sin category. Consistency says “Grab a stone...let's whack the sinner!” Christ's grace says “I'll take the stoning for you!” Sure God's system will punish those bad sinners...you know, murderers and rapists. It also makes it clear liars get lumped with this group along with the rest of us. Jesus' taking the punishment we deserved is the most amazing offer of our life. Consider it wisely, then give the rest of your life saying thanks for His amazing patience and kindness! Email me questions or concerns.
Weight loss update...current weight is 265.4. Lost 1.4 pounds this week. (Is it lying to try to stand skinny on a scale at your weigh-in?) Total weight loss... 70.6 pounds. God is patient and good!
Memory verse: Galatians 5:22.

Tsunami Warning!

This week represents a shift in focus in our little column from Psalm 51, the beautiful song of repentance of King David, to a look at Exodus 20's Ten Commandments. I think it a natural, if backward, progression, as, unless we see where we stand before a Holy God, it is foolishness to repent of (turn away from) what we are unaware that we are doing wrong. In simpler terms, if you were splashing on a sandy beach and I swam out, grabbed you by the armpits, and dragged you to drier/higher ground, you would likely use a taser on me. Add one piece of information-that a Tsunami warning was just issued and soon one hundred foot waves would usher you to your Maker if you didn't find higher ground immediately-and instead of zapping me with your self-defense device you would love and thank me. Here's your Tsunami warning...Hebrews 9:27a says “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment...” . We die once then are judged by God according to a standard of absolute perfection. If we are seen by a Holy God as perfect, we go to Heaven. If not, we go to a place as real as the IRS office called Hell. Big problem! The wave is tall, our chances are that of a sand castle without someone to take our punishment. As a reminder, we are not saved by keeping the Ten Commandments as we would all perish if it were to be so. If we have broke one law, we have broke them all (read James 2:10)! They (The Ten Commandments) do, however, make a beautiful reflecting pool into which to gaze at our futile attempts at self-righteousness and realize our desperate need for a Savior....someone to somehow pay for our sins and save us from drowning in our sin debt (Romans 6:23).
This week I want to briefly hit on the Tenth Commandment...Thou shalt not covet. (We, for the next two months, will do a countdown on Exodus 20.) Coveting is wanting (badly) someone else's stuff. In my life, this one is a sort of a toughie. It manifests itself in the usual ways... “Boy would I love that Plasma TV for baseball season”, or “I sure wish I had Ken Spurgeon's stylish hairstyle!”. A new way I fail on this one recently surfaced in my prayer time in addition to these normal coveting ideas. I am not a vain person, but I would like to be in great physical shape some day. At times subconsciously, I covet the slenderness of others. (Desiring a healthy body is different than over evaluating your appearance.) In fact, I have recently came under conviction on this one as I evaluate my diet in general. As a point of review for the one or two new readers of my column who will join the three or four regulars (Hi Mom...send money!), I have been on Weight Watchers since November 13th. I have lost exactly 69.2 pounds in this time. I came to see my need to repent on this sin (strongly desiring a cosmetically ultra fit body) recently after having prayed about how my diet relates to God. I prayerfully pondered “Is God involved in my weight loss?” . “Is He causing the success, or is my diet the reason I have lost so much?” The logical extension led me to ask myself “Can I say to someone interested in Christianity 'Become a Christian to lose weight', and keep a clean conscience?” Though His Word and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God revealed to me that the answer is “yes”, but not how you might think if you watch televangelists on TV. Becoming a Christian to lose weight better is, bluntly, stupid. God is not a diet plan, He is a righteousness plan. (There is a one hundred foot wave coming, who cares about your weight anyway!) God showed me that my obesity is sinful. I won't trouble you with the plethora of verses speaking against gluttony, but trust me, they are there (Proverbs is full of them). Becoming a Christian helps you lose weight specifically because, like King David from our previous study, real Christians desperately don't want to sin. I hate my sin. I wish for all I am worth, I could eliminate it from my life! It is against the God who died to save me! Me wanting to look like a movie star is one of many violations of the Tenth Commandment. See how the mirror of the Commandments made me realize my need for Jesus? How do you look in this mirror? Have you broken this Commandment too? Remember what the James 2:10 passage said... If you broke one, you broke them all. You, like me, need Jesus. If we repent (turn from our sins and let Him be Boss) and trust Jesus alone for our Salvation, we are made to appear perfect to God when the wave of Judgment hits, not because of how great we were in our time alive on Earth, but because of how great Jesus is to take our punishment! He pays our fine, and gives us the keys to the Kingdom...what an amazing offer! Fellow Christians...Join me in repenting of this sin! Seekers...examine yourself in the mirror of God's moral standard found in a convenient way in Exodus 20. If you have questions, email me any time!
Weight Loss update I weigh 266.8. I lost a nifty 3.2 lbs this week. I passed losing 20% of my starting weight this week. God has been kind and gracious to me during this diet!
Memory verse: James 2:10.

Psalm 51: 16-7 What can wash away my sins?

“For you do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Psalm 51:16-7 NASB
“You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the Court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says 'You fool' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”
Matthew 5:21-2 NASB
Holy Week 2008 is upon us. Never have I written a more important piece for your attention than this one. I sense that if I can successfully bury the Mark Applegate part from this piece and shine the light on the One deserving of praise, it will fulfill its purpose. Like a cross between the one who long ago screamed from down by the river Jordan “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! (Matthew 3:2 NASB)” and a slightly more sane version of the homeless man on the streets of New York with a “The End is Near” sandwich board duct taped to his beat up Yankees sweatshirt, I come to you with an urgent request. Use this Easter as an opportunity to “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 13:5a NASB).
As we near the completion of David's humble psalm expressing sadness, embarrassment, and fear to the Lord, we come to a critical theological point. David was guilty of breaking every Commandment (see Exodus 20) in the events surrounding his affair with Bathsheba. Some would say the biggest violation was the fact that he sent Bathsheba's husband into a position of sure death in battle with the intent of covering up his own scandal. That theological red herring aside (what sins are the most sinful?!), David knows his predicament. Murder is horrendous. There were specific sacrifices available for most sins. Some were fairly basic dove-type offerings for minor offenses. Others were “an-eye-for-an-eye” type. Many laws, many payments/offerings available to have your sin covered. Alas, scour Leviticus or any Book of Moses for anything to cover Murder and Adultery and you will quickly be redirected to stoning techniques. David knew his only hope was to throw himself on the mercy of the court and hope the Judge would pardon him. He was a perfect storm of feelings between fearful of punishment and sad that he offended God. (The terms broken and contrite fit him well.)
Exit David's courtroom scene. Enter your own. “Hey! I have never killed a fly! Take your Bible-thumping to the real sinners!” you might say. I would have too, before I realized the reality of God's standard...absolute perfection even in our “hidden life”. Jesus, in Matthew 5, rocked the entire Jewish world. Not the least of which, Jesus “tightened”, if you will, the Sixth (Murder) and the Seventh (Adultery) Commandments. Have you ever externally or internally “flipped off” a driver who beat you to the good parking at the movie or cut you off in traffic? Have you ever screamed at the telemarketer working to support his/her family for calling during supper? Have you ever wailed at a referee for blowing a call? Join me in murderer's row. By the way, reread the adultery clarification as well. How do you really feel about Internet pornography? Read Matthew 5 again. If you need a modern example for these, I recently heard a good one on wayofthemasterradio.com. Have you seen Dateline NBC's special they do about once a sweeps week called “To Catch a Predator”? It is a special where police pretend to be teen girls on the Internet. Once the guy shows up for the expected illegal sex, the police jump him. The man hadn't committed the main crime yet, but already had in his heart. Throw the book at him! No one would say “Hey, he wouldn't have done anything, except possibly trying to lie his way out of his situation.” Same with us on Commandments Six, Seven, and the rest. Great shape externally, but filthy rags on the inside!
So, why do I bring this stuff up? There is nothing in your world more important than being sure you are a Christian. I am not after your money or your anything. I just care for you. Now... I want you to temporarily delete all you ever have known about church. Find a quiet place to think for a little bit, if it helps. Why did you become a Christian? Were you always one? What was your mindset like? What were you saved from? Were you happy before, during, and after? What is your part in the process? What was the sacrifice you made, that King David (you know, the guy people call the man after God's own heart) struggled to figure out, to gain pardon for your crimes against God? Have you been Born Again (See John 3)?
As you make your semi-yearly trip into church (I am not judging you...I skipped church for nearly five years when I first got married!), think about your sin. What have you done in public and secret? What have you thought of doing? Then think of Jesus Christ. He died as your Sacrifice. He paid for our sin on the cross. With a broken spirit and a broken/contrite heart, call on Him to be your Savior and let Him be Lord (Absolute Boss) going forward. If you pridefully say you are good enough to get to Heaven, you are not contrite. Dictionary.com defines contrite “Caused by or showing sincere remorse”. Are you sorry for your sins? Do they make you sick, not for fear of getting caught, but because they are directly against such a good God? Examine yourselves this week. See Jesus on the Cross and know it was for you and me that He died.
Verse for the week: 1 John 1:9 again.
Diet update: I now weigh 268.6 after a temporary? 10+ pound flu-induced weight loss this week. I have lost 67.4 pounds which surpasses 20% of my entire original body weight. I have 83.6 pounds to go. Almost half way there! I'll change my picture when I hit 100 pounds lost. FYI, at my biggest I was an unknown weight. I had to be weighed on the “special scale” because the doctor's 350 pound scale was not sufficient. I started this diet at 336 pounds.