Spinning Stories

  Political parties are known for putting a “spin” on stories that favor their stances on issues or personalities.  In fact, we all kind of like to do that-- put ourselves in the most favorable light.

Pastor Dan Betzer once told the story about a guy who lived in Tennessee in 1889.  His name was Chadsworth.  He apparently was a scoundrel and was finally caught and hanged for horse stealing and train robbery.  The only known photo of him shows him standing on the gallows.  The inscription informs us: “Chadsworth, horse thief, sent to prison in 1885, escaped in 1887, robbed the Tennessee Flyer train six times, caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged.”

Well, the family didn’t really want that on the record, so they changed the story just a bit.

The new story read: “Chadsworth was a famous rancher in early Tennessee history.  His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Tennessee railroad.  Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad.

“In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency.  In 1889, Chadsworth passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed.”

You see, the family didn’t really change any of the facts-- they just put a different “spin” on them.

Well, the Bible doesn’t do that.  It simply shows each of us exactly the way we are.  No polish, no shine, no “spin.”  Maybe that’s why some people don’t like to read God’s Word.  It’s like a mirror showing us our true selves.  The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:12= “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing and dividing apart the soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  In other words, the Bible is the only book that can take you apart and put you back together as a brand-new person! 

A minister once said, “When I read the Bible it’s like the Bible is reading me.”  That’s what makes the Bible different from any other book. 

No romance novel can give you a love story like the books of Ruth or Song of Solomon.  No sci-fi thriller can hold a candle to the end-time prophecies contained in the books of Revelation and Daniel.  No action/adventure series can grab your attention like the stories found in Genesis, Exodus and Jonah.  These are just a few reasons why the Bible is still the number one best-selling book of all time. 

But the Bible is more than just a book of stories.  For the Christian it is a guidebook for daily living.  For those who have lost their way it is a road map pointing the way home.  The Bible brings hope to the hopeless, strength for the weary, comfort for the grieving and forgiveness for the repentant.         

No, you won’t find any “spin” in this book… just the truth.  And it’s the truth that will set you free!  So, have you read your Bible today? 

Rev. Doug Johnson, Senior Pastor, Lexington First Assembly of God in Lexington, KY.

www.LexingtonFirst.org