Good to be home. I look forward to being able to preach today. It is a privilege that never grows old.
I read Psalm 107 this morning and what a blessing it is. This Psalm is speaking of the blessings of the Lord and the need for the blessed to give Him credit to all. His care is vast, His blessing plenty, His Love boundless.
He will give a home to the homeless (v.4-9), will free the prisoner bringing sweet release ( v.10-16), will bring back the wayward (v.17-22), will calm the storm and bring rest to the soul (v.23-32), will bring water to the desert (v.33-38), will pick up the down and shut out the wicked (v.39-42). It may be best summarized in v.9- For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
What is it you said you needed of the Lord? What in the world are you worried about? He is faithful and able. If He would do it but couldn't, we would be in trouble. If He could do it but wouldn't, we would be in trouble. But He can and will, so what do we have to concern ourselves with?
It is a blessing to know that we serve a Risen Savior who LIVES to intercede for us. Enjoy Him in Worship today.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
My Fig Tree Moment
I guess nobody saw me. I don't really know and I didn't really care. I was wondering what was going on. I had moved to New Orleans to live in a dorm and go to seminary. I got down there and knew no one, although I did run into a friend of a friend that became a friend. I jumped into two summer classes that were intensives or rush courses to get through required hours. Not wise for a newcomer. I did alright but the whole experience was fairly overwhelming. One day it got the best of me and I started wandering around asking God questions. I finally rested on a bench in a courtyard behind the president's office. I looked up at the sky and asked Him if I had been right: Had God's call for me to go to N.O. for seminary led me to feel this loneliness? Or did I feel it because I was wrong? I laid it all out there before Him and asked Him to make known all that He would have for me. I guess nobody saw me sitting there. I bet a lot of guys have sat in a similiar spot on a similiar campus. However, at the time that was no concern to me.
I did not know that day that within 6 months I would be pastoring a church in a town where I would meet my loving and beautiful wife. I did not know that when the fall semester started back I would meet lifelong friends. I did not know that it was that day that probably led me to see and hear the direction of God as clearly as I have time and time again. I never would have thought that it was that day that I now include among my few spiritual markers, my Ebenezers, my memorial stones of faith. The day I thought was my lowest has actually been more of my highest, because I learned to look to Him and wait.
I thought about that this morning when I read about Jesus talking to Nathanael. John 1:48-49- Nathanael said to him (Jesus), "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!"
I don't know the story of the fig tree or when he was sitting there. I don't need to. Nathanael knew it. It was a poignant moment in his life. Maybe a time he thought no one saw him under that fig tree. It was big though because when Christ brought it up, it sank straight to the heart. No longer did he question who Christ was or what He knew or what "good He was" (v.46). He just knew from that day forward. The fig tree moments...the seminary courtyard moments...they will do that to you.
I hope today that if you are in a fig tree moment that God will bring you clarity. If you have had fig tree moments and look back on them as faith builders, that you will thank the Lord for being there. Being there, even when you thought He wasn't.
We are headed home today after a week in SC. Please pray for us as we travel.
I did not know that day that within 6 months I would be pastoring a church in a town where I would meet my loving and beautiful wife. I did not know that when the fall semester started back I would meet lifelong friends. I did not know that it was that day that probably led me to see and hear the direction of God as clearly as I have time and time again. I never would have thought that it was that day that I now include among my few spiritual markers, my Ebenezers, my memorial stones of faith. The day I thought was my lowest has actually been more of my highest, because I learned to look to Him and wait.
I thought about that this morning when I read about Jesus talking to Nathanael. John 1:48-49- Nathanael said to him (Jesus), "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!"
I don't know the story of the fig tree or when he was sitting there. I don't need to. Nathanael knew it. It was a poignant moment in his life. Maybe a time he thought no one saw him under that fig tree. It was big though because when Christ brought it up, it sank straight to the heart. No longer did he question who Christ was or what He knew or what "good He was" (v.46). He just knew from that day forward. The fig tree moments...the seminary courtyard moments...they will do that to you.
I hope today that if you are in a fig tree moment that God will bring you clarity. If you have had fig tree moments and look back on them as faith builders, that you will thank the Lord for being there. Being there, even when you thought He wasn't.
We are headed home today after a week in SC. Please pray for us as we travel.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Gone!
I have always loved some Southern Gospel music. My favorite has always been the Cathedrals. They are legendary and one of their great songs that I have leaned on is called "In the Depths of the Sea". Read the lyrics:
In the Depths of the Sea
Author: Phil & Carolyn CrossCopyright: Welcome Home Press (BMI). Used by permission.
Albums: I’ve Just Started Living (1989)
1. Man has climbed every mountain, no matter how high
He has conquered the planets from sky to sky
But there is a place where man has not been
And that’s where my Lord says He’s buried my sin
(Chorus)
In the depths of the sea of God’s forgetfulness
Removed as east is from west
Far away from all power and principality
My sins are in the depths of the sea
2. Gone are the shackles, gone are the stains
I’m free from the bondage, free from the chains
My sins are separated as darkness from dawn
Praise God, I’m forgiven, my sins are all gone
In the depths of the sea of God’s forgetfulness
Removed as east is from west
Far away from all power and principality
My sins are in the depths of the sea
I could not help but think about that song and sing it under my breath as I read Ps. 103:11-12 today- For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
They are gone!
Praise the Lord, they are gone!
Confess them today...agree with God today on the significance of your sin and praise the Lord, they will be gone!! Hallelujah!!
Chew on that today and you'll have a good one.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A Modern Day False Prophet
The pastor of my home church, that led it in its heyday in the late seventies and early eighties, brought the state leading baptism rate and growth rate to a sudden halt when he stood up one Sunday calling it quits and taking the blond in the skimpy summer dresses on the front row of the choir with him. She had been "counseled" by him. They wed a short time later and he moved to another denomination that would ignore his blatant manners and would welcome a loose gun. A loose gun he is...albeit with success...or is it?
I contacted him when I went to seminary. Everybody I grew up with spoke of him as a hero and I guess I needed some affirmation from a 'hero.' Through that contact, I got put on his church mailing list. Shortly afterwards, I was slightly overwhelmed with some of his comments and felt I should respond. He wrote on how a new Southern Baptist article of faith in the Baptist Faith and Message concerning the family would lead to abuse because it promoted submission in the home. The article was almost a direct quote of Ephesians 5:22. He wrote of his disappointment with his current denomination to not accept homosexuals into leadership in churches and how naive such a decision was. Then he promoted his summer lakeside series on the bridges that Buddhism and Christianity can build when you dovetail their truths to make a stronger bond within every individual. I had enough. I stamped out a letter that basically asked 'what along life's journey has led to you to deem your ideology of life's experiences higher than the timeless evaluation that Scripture gives to the matters in which we face and walk through?' He barked out a letter a little faster and challenged me not to be 'spiritually fat and lazy' but to open my mind...blah, blah, blah. I picked up the phone and called him and we had a pleasant, Christian confrontation over the difference of our 'humble' opinions. He basically told me that his life experiences and hours of counseling to thousands of people had taught him better.
I have remained on that mailing list and am always entertained by the heresies that he throws out and the people that have their dogs blessed by him and listen to his waterless cloud sermons that say very eloquently little to nothing at all. (Of course, I get that from his newsletter articles and the 'stands' he takes in his writings. I feel sure his sermons are not much different.)
We received a few weeks ago the announcement of his lakeside summer series which is titled "Why I take the Bible Seriously But Not Literally." He is preaching sermons this summer on how God did not bring catastrophes in which Scripture speaks, and the fallibility and the errors of the Bible. He preaches on the weaknesses of the creation story and the Bible's misjudgment of women. Still to come is the sermon on Mary not being a virgin when Jesus was born and the lack of truth in Jesus' proclamations of an eternal and fiery hell. All the while people sit under the trees and enjoy the lakeside breeze while they open their minds so wide as to let their brains fall out and be replaced by Scripture-less truths like these. Of course, remember it is all based on the experience of his journey instead of the power and validity of the Word. This month he beamed proudly about how local pastors had called him a heretic and then proudly proclaims himself to be one.
He is a great example of what I read about this morning in I Peter 2: 1-2- But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them...And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.
You may ask- Why do you still get his newsletter? It helps me to get a better knowledge of the schemes of the evil one even in the pulpits in America. In other words, it makes great preaching fodder, because it is a modern day example of what Scripture speaks of.
Stick to the Word. Once you have interpreted it properly, exegetically, literarily, and contextually, stick to it. A prophet is not a foreteller but a forthteller and the question you must always ask is- What is he speaking forth- God's Word or His thoughts?
I always want to ask someone like that- what parts of Scripture can you rely on and how do you make that determination? If there is that kind of uncertainty, why preach from Scripture at all? Just pick up the latest soothsayer's work and have at it. Then I realize, that is exactly what he is doing.
I hope that gives you something to think about today. Enjoy the Word and have a great day.
I contacted him when I went to seminary. Everybody I grew up with spoke of him as a hero and I guess I needed some affirmation from a 'hero.' Through that contact, I got put on his church mailing list. Shortly afterwards, I was slightly overwhelmed with some of his comments and felt I should respond. He wrote on how a new Southern Baptist article of faith in the Baptist Faith and Message concerning the family would lead to abuse because it promoted submission in the home. The article was almost a direct quote of Ephesians 5:22. He wrote of his disappointment with his current denomination to not accept homosexuals into leadership in churches and how naive such a decision was. Then he promoted his summer lakeside series on the bridges that Buddhism and Christianity can build when you dovetail their truths to make a stronger bond within every individual. I had enough. I stamped out a letter that basically asked 'what along life's journey has led to you to deem your ideology of life's experiences higher than the timeless evaluation that Scripture gives to the matters in which we face and walk through?' He barked out a letter a little faster and challenged me not to be 'spiritually fat and lazy' but to open my mind...blah, blah, blah. I picked up the phone and called him and we had a pleasant, Christian confrontation over the difference of our 'humble' opinions. He basically told me that his life experiences and hours of counseling to thousands of people had taught him better.
I have remained on that mailing list and am always entertained by the heresies that he throws out and the people that have their dogs blessed by him and listen to his waterless cloud sermons that say very eloquently little to nothing at all. (Of course, I get that from his newsletter articles and the 'stands' he takes in his writings. I feel sure his sermons are not much different.)
We received a few weeks ago the announcement of his lakeside summer series which is titled "Why I take the Bible Seriously But Not Literally." He is preaching sermons this summer on how God did not bring catastrophes in which Scripture speaks, and the fallibility and the errors of the Bible. He preaches on the weaknesses of the creation story and the Bible's misjudgment of women. Still to come is the sermon on Mary not being a virgin when Jesus was born and the lack of truth in Jesus' proclamations of an eternal and fiery hell. All the while people sit under the trees and enjoy the lakeside breeze while they open their minds so wide as to let their brains fall out and be replaced by Scripture-less truths like these. Of course, remember it is all based on the experience of his journey instead of the power and validity of the Word. This month he beamed proudly about how local pastors had called him a heretic and then proudly proclaims himself to be one.
He is a great example of what I read about this morning in I Peter 2: 1-2- But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them...And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.
You may ask- Why do you still get his newsletter? It helps me to get a better knowledge of the schemes of the evil one even in the pulpits in America. In other words, it makes great preaching fodder, because it is a modern day example of what Scripture speaks of.
Stick to the Word. Once you have interpreted it properly, exegetically, literarily, and contextually, stick to it. A prophet is not a foreteller but a forthteller and the question you must always ask is- What is he speaking forth- God's Word or His thoughts?
I always want to ask someone like that- what parts of Scripture can you rely on and how do you make that determination? If there is that kind of uncertainty, why preach from Scripture at all? Just pick up the latest soothsayer's work and have at it. Then I realize, that is exactly what he is doing.
I hope that gives you something to think about today. Enjoy the Word and have a great day.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Waffling
I am a decision maker, at least most of the time. There are times when I need to make big decisions, especially those about the direction of the church, that I pause on, but most of the time, "just make up your mind one way or the other." I don't like waffling. I don't like when other people wander from one point to the other wondering what to do. Make a decision and put your all into it.
That is appropriate with your salvation. Either give your life to the Lord and live for Him or don't. The way we have sold salvation with a "raise your hand when no one is looking" kind of philosophy has come back home to take root. We have people on the church rolls that are not genuinely saved but they raised their hand when no one was looking and they went on with the rest of their life with no change while everyone was looking. That is not true salvation and it causes a lot of doubts about salvation for a lot of Christians or pseudo-Christians. These doubts are some that you just don't HAVE to have. 2 Peter 1 talks about the building up of your faith by walking with the Lord. Then he says in v. 10- Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fail. You ought to be sure of your salvation and if you live for the Lord and work out your salvation and build your faith, you will be. The process is described in v. 5-7 of the same chapter. It is about taking that early, immature faith and building virtue on it, in other words, living it out. Once you are living it, you learn more, you grow stronger (self-control) and you are more steadfast in your walk with God. Not only do you grow to be more like the Lord (godliness) and the fellowship of believers get stronger and better (brotherly affection). Not an overnight process but a lifelong process. However listen to another passage in our reading today describe what happens when we do:
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. -- Ps. 92:12-15
So what I am getting this morning is that we need to not waffle about the Lord but to live strong for Him. If you have ever looked at the old and godly and wondered how you stay strong until the end like they have, I believe the process is laid out in Scripture. We just follow it...daily. Including today. Have a great day doing it.
That is appropriate with your salvation. Either give your life to the Lord and live for Him or don't. The way we have sold salvation with a "raise your hand when no one is looking" kind of philosophy has come back home to take root. We have people on the church rolls that are not genuinely saved but they raised their hand when no one was looking and they went on with the rest of their life with no change while everyone was looking. That is not true salvation and it causes a lot of doubts about salvation for a lot of Christians or pseudo-Christians. These doubts are some that you just don't HAVE to have. 2 Peter 1 talks about the building up of your faith by walking with the Lord. Then he says in v. 10- Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fail. You ought to be sure of your salvation and if you live for the Lord and work out your salvation and build your faith, you will be. The process is described in v. 5-7 of the same chapter. It is about taking that early, immature faith and building virtue on it, in other words, living it out. Once you are living it, you learn more, you grow stronger (self-control) and you are more steadfast in your walk with God. Not only do you grow to be more like the Lord (godliness) and the fellowship of believers get stronger and better (brotherly affection). Not an overnight process but a lifelong process. However listen to another passage in our reading today describe what happens when we do:
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. -- Ps. 92:12-15
So what I am getting this morning is that we need to not waffle about the Lord but to live strong for Him. If you have ever looked at the old and godly and wondered how you stay strong until the end like they have, I believe the process is laid out in Scripture. We just follow it...daily. Including today. Have a great day doing it.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Our little golden gods
We bought a new van at the end of last year. After looking at several slightly used cars, we could not find that one that just seemed to solve our needs and was at the right price. We did something that we have never done before...we bought a new vehicle. There is a luxury to having a new vehicle (especially when it is your first) but there is also a curse. The curse: it is a big heavy piece of mammon in the yard. A heavily invested piece of stuff that means too much to you when you get it. I finally told someone that I would be glad when it was no longer in immaculate condition. I needed a scratch. Well, I got one shortly there after. Millie underestimated a turn on her bicycle and lift a small scratch on some piece of plastic. I did not find out when it happened. I found out a few days later. The combination of the time it took for me to know about and my need for the car just to be normal for us, led me to just ask her not to ride close to the vehicles instead of tearing into her. I am thankful for the ride, but I know that is really all it is.
It is easy for us to lose our proper perspective about our stuff. It means too much to us. It can be different things for different people but we all have our pet rocks that we don't want anybody to mess with and that we put too much time and money in. Those things are idols. We may not bow before them, but we walk around them with awe and cherish just a little too much. I could give many examples but I don't want to pigeonhole any particular item(s), because then folks that don't have that but have something else will not think it is relevant to them. It is relevant to you. I promise.
God spoke through Isaiah about idols or good luck charms that people put way too much emphasis on and that hurt their relationship with God. Isaiah 46:6-7- Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. You don't have anything like that, do you? Sure you do. It may not be shaped like a god but there are things that you have put too much money into and thought too much of that do little for you and actually just get it in the way. Melt that gold down today and give it over to God. You are His. Everything you have is His. Give this day to Him as well. You have already dedicated your whole life to Him. Give today as well...and have a good one.
It is easy for us to lose our proper perspective about our stuff. It means too much to us. It can be different things for different people but we all have our pet rocks that we don't want anybody to mess with and that we put too much time and money in. Those things are idols. We may not bow before them, but we walk around them with awe and cherish just a little too much. I could give many examples but I don't want to pigeonhole any particular item(s), because then folks that don't have that but have something else will not think it is relevant to them. It is relevant to you. I promise.
God spoke through Isaiah about idols or good luck charms that people put way too much emphasis on and that hurt their relationship with God. Isaiah 46:6-7- Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. You don't have anything like that, do you? Sure you do. It may not be shaped like a god but there are things that you have put too much money into and thought too much of that do little for you and actually just get it in the way. Melt that gold down today and give it over to God. You are His. Everything you have is His. Give this day to Him as well. You have already dedicated your whole life to Him. Give today as well...and have a good one.
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Heat Is On
Well the young-uns have already been playing with the shaving cream and water guns this morning. Now it is checkers, I think. Nothin like going to Grandma's. I write later today because of the late night of driving in and the early morning (well, not so early) cup of coffee with my Dad. These are the moments I cherish. It is good to be at Ma and Pa's.
Have you been through the fires lately? Oh, my friend, they are going to come. If you do what God tells you to do, everybody will not like it. Count on it, but keep it all in perspective. I Peter 4:12 helps us- Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. And v. 19- Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
The heat is going to come. When it does make sure you are standing in the right place. If you are, keep on standing. God rewards just as that...just not always on the same day. Keep on Keeping on.
Have a great day!
Have you been through the fires lately? Oh, my friend, they are going to come. If you do what God tells you to do, everybody will not like it. Count on it, but keep it all in perspective. I Peter 4:12 helps us- Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. And v. 19- Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
The heat is going to come. When it does make sure you are standing in the right place. If you are, keep on standing. God rewards just as that...just not always on the same day. Keep on Keeping on.
Have a great day!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Two Great Things
Today is truly a 'red letter day.' I get to do things that I thoroughly enjoy: 1) to preach my heart out this morning as we worship together as a faith family and 2) go see my Mom and Dad. Gonna take a few days at the home place. I ran across two other great things this morning that really go together like peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, or peppers and onions (although I do much better without the bell peppers). Notice these two passages: The first is in Isa. 40:7 and says- The grass withers, the flowers fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever. And then in I Peter 3:12- For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer... I don't know about you but it is reassuring to me to know that the Word of God is timeless, relevant, and will never expire. A fresh Word filled with the breath of God daily. I also know He is watching me and listening to me and loving and caring for me. Those are things that I know and I knew them before I read them, however, like a good 'I love you' from someone you love, it never gets old hearing it or reading it.
The two (prayer and the Word) go together like peanut butter and pancakes. Hey, don't knock it until you try it. You will never like pancakes without it anymore.
Have a great day!
The two (prayer and the Word) go together like peanut butter and pancakes. Hey, don't knock it until you try it. You will never like pancakes without it anymore.
Have a great day!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The Cup
Years ago I wanted to get to the bottom of why Jesus referred to his difficulty in the garden as "the Cup." I would say that I had never heard a sermon on why he referred to his dilemma as "the Cup" but too many times I have heard someone say that they had never heard a sermon on something when they had heard me preach on it several times. Apparently not very effectively. I have often said that I have never been properly quoted. Too be fair, I have probably never properly quoted either (at least not off the cuff). Anyway, the Cup. What in the world is Jesus talking about when he asked if the Cup could be taken from Him and why did He refer to it like that? Well, to put it briefly, He is referring to the wrath of God. It was not the physical pain of the cross or the horrible shame of the public display that he dreaded the most. It was the separation that He would feel when He took on the sins of the world and for the first time ever had a sin barrier between He and the Father that would lead to a dreaded separation.
Why did He describe it as 'the Cup' and how do I know that? The Old Testament tells me so. There are several passages that refer to drinking down the dregs of the wrath of God and one of them is in our reading today ( http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ ) in Ps. 75:8- For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. In the previous verse it gives an explanation that it is referring to the judgment of God. What causes the judgment of God? Sin. What is the punishment for sin? God's Wrath. Therefore 'the Cup' is a reference to the wrath of God. Why 'the Cup'? If you have ever seen the devastation that alcohol can bring to a person, you know the sweeping and awful effects of something that was first taken by choice and enjoyed that has since turned into a curse. Alcoholism, death by accident caused by alcohol's influence, and the decisions made while under the influence are all great examples of why the wrath of God is described as 'the Cup'. God's wrath is sometimes discounted just like the effects of alcohol. God's wrath can be sweeping and devastating (just look at the cross) just like the horrible effects of alcohol. Alcohol not only hurts the guilty but also those that are influenced by them, just like alcohol reaches outside the borders of the individual. It is devastating, just as the wrath of God is.
Now to get the full understanding of the wrath of God, you only need to thoroughly study the Old Testament. It deals deeply with the judgment of God. OR you can look simply to the cross of Christ in the New Testament. Jesus took on God's Wrath at about noon that day on the cross. It caused the ground to shake, the sky to turn black. The earth literally trembled and shuddered due to the influence of the wrath of God.
But also get this: Due to Christ's taking on the wrath of God, we don't have to. Through the substitute of Christ, once we surrender to His Lordship, acknowledge His Sacrifice, and live for Him, the wrath that He endured covers the weight of our sin guilt. As He did for Abraham, He credits us with righteousness. Not because we earned it, but because Christ did. Not because of who we are, but because of whose we are.
That ought to put a smile on your face, a hop in your step, and a gitty in your go on this Saturday.
Christ loves you so much that He 'drank it down' for you. Give this day to Him and celebrate it!
Why did He describe it as 'the Cup' and how do I know that? The Old Testament tells me so. There are several passages that refer to drinking down the dregs of the wrath of God and one of them is in our reading today ( http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ ) in Ps. 75:8- For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. In the previous verse it gives an explanation that it is referring to the judgment of God. What causes the judgment of God? Sin. What is the punishment for sin? God's Wrath. Therefore 'the Cup' is a reference to the wrath of God. Why 'the Cup'? If you have ever seen the devastation that alcohol can bring to a person, you know the sweeping and awful effects of something that was first taken by choice and enjoyed that has since turned into a curse. Alcoholism, death by accident caused by alcohol's influence, and the decisions made while under the influence are all great examples of why the wrath of God is described as 'the Cup'. God's wrath is sometimes discounted just like the effects of alcohol. God's wrath can be sweeping and devastating (just look at the cross) just like the horrible effects of alcohol. Alcohol not only hurts the guilty but also those that are influenced by them, just like alcohol reaches outside the borders of the individual. It is devastating, just as the wrath of God is.
Now to get the full understanding of the wrath of God, you only need to thoroughly study the Old Testament. It deals deeply with the judgment of God. OR you can look simply to the cross of Christ in the New Testament. Jesus took on God's Wrath at about noon that day on the cross. It caused the ground to shake, the sky to turn black. The earth literally trembled and shuddered due to the influence of the wrath of God.
But also get this: Due to Christ's taking on the wrath of God, we don't have to. Through the substitute of Christ, once we surrender to His Lordship, acknowledge His Sacrifice, and live for Him, the wrath that He endured covers the weight of our sin guilt. As He did for Abraham, He credits us with righteousness. Not because we earned it, but because Christ did. Not because of who we are, but because of whose we are.
That ought to put a smile on your face, a hop in your step, and a gitty in your go on this Saturday.
Christ loves you so much that He 'drank it down' for you. Give this day to Him and celebrate it!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Looking Into the Son!
I am so proud of our Houston Solar Race Team. They have once again done it. For 11 years our high school voc tech team and at least one solar car have went to Texas for a national competition and came out on TOP...every time! This year they split the ladies and the guys and had two cars and two teams and both of them won their division. Check it out: http://www.solarcarchallenge.org/challenge/ . Our community gets behind this and allows it to be possible. It was my understanding that due to budget cuts, more money needed to be raised and I think I was told they needed $10,000 and raised $16,000. Congratulations Houston and even more so 'Congratulations, Solar Team.' If you are going to do it, do it right.
It is great that the community gets behind such a project instead of simply serving self. Enough with being self-serving, let's follow the example of Scripture and serve others. Thank God the prophets did. I Peter 1:12 says It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. What is that saying? It is saying that the prophets answered the call of God at great expense, even their lives, to proclaim the message of what God was bringing in Christ. They did not do it for what they would experience but for the coming generation. They simply looked forward to Christ, not seeing that promise fulfilled until they were in eternity. Don't you dare be self-serving today. Don't even be others-serving. Serve the Lord. You may not see the results until eternity but oh, what a day that will be! Keep your eyes on Him today, and your focus on the needs of others (especially their greatest need) and have a great one!
And again, Congrats, Solar Team!
It is great that the community gets behind such a project instead of simply serving self. Enough with being self-serving, let's follow the example of Scripture and serve others. Thank God the prophets did. I Peter 1:12 says It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. What is that saying? It is saying that the prophets answered the call of God at great expense, even their lives, to proclaim the message of what God was bringing in Christ. They did not do it for what they would experience but for the coming generation. They simply looked forward to Christ, not seeing that promise fulfilled until they were in eternity. Don't you dare be self-serving today. Don't even be others-serving. Serve the Lord. You may not see the results until eternity but oh, what a day that will be! Keep your eyes on Him today, and your focus on the needs of others (especially their greatest need) and have a great one!
And again, Congrats, Solar Team!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
I'm With Him
Rev. E.V. Hill was a great preacher. I used to watch him preach on TV, heard a tape of him preaching his wife's funeral and always loved to hear E.V. talk about "the Lord's Kitchen", a food ministry at his church in California. A well-respected black pastor, I heard him talking about traveling with Jesse Jackson overseas. Now for the record, E.V. seemed head and shoulders above the political maneuvering of Jesse, so don't let me lose you yet. He said that as they arrived in the center of the city in this foreign country, the press, the citizens, and the rest of the circus that surrounded Jesse started pressing in. Jesse went through a gate while E.V. struggled to get through the crowd and catch up. When E.V. arrived at the gate, they did not want to let him in. He said, "I am with Jesse" and they let him in. Then he made this point: E.V. alone had no power there. It was all in association to Jesse that the gates opened for him. He went on to point out how the Christian has power in prayer. It is not in what we have done, who we are, and what we can do. It is instead because of who we are with. When Christ defeated the grave, He took His place at the right hand of the Father, and began making intercession for us. Therefore now, when we come to pray, the gate is not shut. It is open, but not because of who we are but whose we are. Because we are with Christ our prayers are now, not only heard, but are powerful and effective. As James 5:16 puts it- The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Today, take advantage of the opportunity that you have to walk through the gate that Christ has opened and bring your petitions before the throne of God. What a thought! Have a great day.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Ole Blue, Big Red, and Friends
There was a bike thief in the neighborhood. There were bikes missing all over the place. That didn't matter that much until mine was missing. I had experienced this before. I had a rainbow bike one time. I think it was the first real (2 wheeled) bike I had. It was stolen off an Air Force Base, which is rare and odd. If the boy that stole it knew what would have happened to his Daddy if he had got caught, he would not have stole that bike. Of course, it might have been stolen by one of those CIVILIANS- you know how they are. I don't think I ever got that rainbow bike back, but I don't quite remember. Some scars we just repress.
But now 'ole blue' was missing. 'Ole blue' was not the best bike I ever had. Actually, probably the worst. It was bought at a yard sale, picked up out of a ditch, fell out of a garbage truck or something like that. It was a low period in my bike world, however, even with all that, 'ole blue' was mine. It doesn't matter that I remember riding 'ole blue' at least one day without a seat on it and that pole from the frame sticking straight up as I stood over it and rode. (Thank you, Lord, for watching over me that day in one of the dumbest acts that I have ever participated in.) Even with all that, 'ole blue' was mine and now it was gone.
I don't remember the investigation nor any wanted posters nor helicopter flyovers, I just remember we found out who it was and decided to go and get it. My older brother and a neighbor, who had less sense than we did, took off over into the other neighborhood and came to his house that summer day. His parents were not at home. That's a good sign! I don't remember the approach. He might have been in the yard and saw us coming and ran in the house or we might have knocked on the door and saw him run for cover, but somehow we were in the house, had chased him into his bathroom tub, and they were holding him. Now my middle brother is 5 years older than me and the neighbor was 4 years older than me and the thief was about their age. He was standing there frightened as my brother and the neighbor held him and whispered sweet nothins' in his ears. It was like a bounty movie. They looked at me and said- 'Hit him.' I cocked the hammer down and blasted him in the arm and belly with two of my best jabs. I wish I could say that he fell in a heap from the devastation that my 8 year old pythons had caused him, but I don't think he did. They released him and he fell into his tub weeping and begging that my posse would let him go. With a slap about the head, we retrieved the stolen property out of his basement and headed on our way.
(Now if any of what I said is against the law and thirty years is not long enough for the statute of limitations to be lifted and if that blonded headed boy is now a little down on his luck and would feel impressed to file any kind of civil suit against any of the said participants, let it be for the record that the names and identities of all these participants have been kept confidential and this account is BASED on the facts of a true account but may have been changed to protect the identities and the guilt of any of the said parties.)
More good news: The next year or so I got the bike to end all bikes. It was 'Big Red'. In one day I went from having the sorriest bike in the neighborhood to having the best in a neighborhood full of bikes. I remember admiring 'Big Red' as much as I do riding it. That year on my birthday I had a combination of chicken pox and poison ivy at the same time. I was sitting on an ash heap scraping my wounds with potsherds when God doubled my portion with 'Big Red'. Like a convertible in a showroom, they put 'Big Red' in my bedroom while I healed. 'Big Red' was a cutting edge bike that had a shock in the middle of it to ease the blow when you made those crucial jumps over someone's ditch in the local ditch jumping contest. Big Red with the shock worked much better than 'Ole Blue', the seatless wonder. I can promise you that. I do remember, however, that the weight of the shock made the bike so heavy that hang time was not quite great enough to cause the physical damage that the shock would have protected by being added. (Did you get that? It made the bike very heavy.) I don't know what happened to Big Red. It may be in the Smithsonian, my parents may have 'pedaled' it (get it?) and made a fortune and are now slowly ecking out the revenue of the interest. However, it probably got thrown out in some garage cleaning after we went on with life. So much for including it in my life museum one day.
Why did I ponder on all that at 5 in the morning? Because I read about friends. (http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ ) It makes a difference who you make friends with. I tell my oldest daughter that all the time. It is good to have friends that will drag a guy into his tub and hold him so you can hit him when he steals your stuff...I guess. Let me just put it this way: It is good to have friends that will 'watch your back,' support you when you need them, and that you can count on. However, you have to choose wisely. James 4:4- ...whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. If you spend all your time putting confidence in what will not last, putting your focus on what will lead you astray, and putting faith in what you can see and what you think you know by appearance, you will find yourself without. What you really need is what can sustain you more than anything this world has to offer... a friend in Jesus. We spend too much time asking the wrong people for the wrong things at the wrong time. Instead you have a friend in Jesus that will get back what the enemy stole from you, will fight the enemy for you, and will walk with you through any neighborhood that life requires you to venture. You have a friend in Jesus. Don't call this ole world your friend. It will let you down. Call on the one that gave his life for you yet lives to intercede for you and is coming back to get you. Praise the Lord! What a friend we have in Jesus! Spend time with your friend today and have a good one!
But now 'ole blue' was missing. 'Ole blue' was not the best bike I ever had. Actually, probably the worst. It was bought at a yard sale, picked up out of a ditch, fell out of a garbage truck or something like that. It was a low period in my bike world, however, even with all that, 'ole blue' was mine. It doesn't matter that I remember riding 'ole blue' at least one day without a seat on it and that pole from the frame sticking straight up as I stood over it and rode. (Thank you, Lord, for watching over me that day in one of the dumbest acts that I have ever participated in.) Even with all that, 'ole blue' was mine and now it was gone.
I don't remember the investigation nor any wanted posters nor helicopter flyovers, I just remember we found out who it was and decided to go and get it. My older brother and a neighbor, who had less sense than we did, took off over into the other neighborhood and came to his house that summer day. His parents were not at home. That's a good sign! I don't remember the approach. He might have been in the yard and saw us coming and ran in the house or we might have knocked on the door and saw him run for cover, but somehow we were in the house, had chased him into his bathroom tub, and they were holding him. Now my middle brother is 5 years older than me and the neighbor was 4 years older than me and the thief was about their age. He was standing there frightened as my brother and the neighbor held him and whispered sweet nothins' in his ears. It was like a bounty movie. They looked at me and said- 'Hit him.' I cocked the hammer down and blasted him in the arm and belly with two of my best jabs. I wish I could say that he fell in a heap from the devastation that my 8 year old pythons had caused him, but I don't think he did. They released him and he fell into his tub weeping and begging that my posse would let him go. With a slap about the head, we retrieved the stolen property out of his basement and headed on our way.
(Now if any of what I said is against the law and thirty years is not long enough for the statute of limitations to be lifted and if that blonded headed boy is now a little down on his luck and would feel impressed to file any kind of civil suit against any of the said participants, let it be for the record that the names and identities of all these participants have been kept confidential and this account is BASED on the facts of a true account but may have been changed to protect the identities and the guilt of any of the said parties.)
More good news: The next year or so I got the bike to end all bikes. It was 'Big Red'. In one day I went from having the sorriest bike in the neighborhood to having the best in a neighborhood full of bikes. I remember admiring 'Big Red' as much as I do riding it. That year on my birthday I had a combination of chicken pox and poison ivy at the same time. I was sitting on an ash heap scraping my wounds with potsherds when God doubled my portion with 'Big Red'. Like a convertible in a showroom, they put 'Big Red' in my bedroom while I healed. 'Big Red' was a cutting edge bike that had a shock in the middle of it to ease the blow when you made those crucial jumps over someone's ditch in the local ditch jumping contest. Big Red with the shock worked much better than 'Ole Blue', the seatless wonder. I can promise you that. I do remember, however, that the weight of the shock made the bike so heavy that hang time was not quite great enough to cause the physical damage that the shock would have protected by being added. (Did you get that? It made the bike very heavy.) I don't know what happened to Big Red. It may be in the Smithsonian, my parents may have 'pedaled' it (get it?) and made a fortune and are now slowly ecking out the revenue of the interest. However, it probably got thrown out in some garage cleaning after we went on with life. So much for including it in my life museum one day.
Why did I ponder on all that at 5 in the morning? Because I read about friends. (http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ ) It makes a difference who you make friends with. I tell my oldest daughter that all the time. It is good to have friends that will drag a guy into his tub and hold him so you can hit him when he steals your stuff...I guess. Let me just put it this way: It is good to have friends that will 'watch your back,' support you when you need them, and that you can count on. However, you have to choose wisely. James 4:4- ...whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. If you spend all your time putting confidence in what will not last, putting your focus on what will lead you astray, and putting faith in what you can see and what you think you know by appearance, you will find yourself without. What you really need is what can sustain you more than anything this world has to offer... a friend in Jesus. We spend too much time asking the wrong people for the wrong things at the wrong time. Instead you have a friend in Jesus that will get back what the enemy stole from you, will fight the enemy for you, and will walk with you through any neighborhood that life requires you to venture. You have a friend in Jesus. Don't call this ole world your friend. It will let you down. Call on the one that gave his life for you yet lives to intercede for you and is coming back to get you. Praise the Lord! What a friend we have in Jesus! Spend time with your friend today and have a good one!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Spilling the Peas
Two dear sweet ladies sat in church, standing up and sitting down a few times, during the singing part of the service. As the choir began to sing, they, unlike almost all Baptists, were not paying very much attention. Instead they started completing an earlier conversation. The one on the right asked, "What are you having for dinner?" "Huh?" was the reply. She asked again. A little louder but not loud enough. Therefore as the chorus cresendoed she repeated it again quite loud. This time is was loud enough and the lady responded, "Roast Beef, taters, and..." As she got to 'and' the choir did one of those sudden endings. You know, those 'fall off a cliff' songs. The kind where people sometimes start clapping, only to have the choir take off again for a final reprise. However, this time when they stopped singing, there was not that moment of quiet nor was there any clapping. Instead all they heard was a little sweet lady sitting toward the back yell out "PEAS!"
The tongue is such a devilish thing. It can get us in so much trouble. Not only are we embarrassed by saying too much some times, but we also can hurt folks to the bone when we did not even mean it. Smokey the Bear says be careful with fire. James calls the tongue a fire. And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell...no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. - James 3:6,8 As the church children's song says- "Oh, be careful little tongue, what you say!" You better never get casual with working with electricity. You better never get casual running a tractor. You better never get casual running your mouth. You may just spill your peas in an awful way! Be quick to listen today and slow to speak. Let only good things flow from your mouth. Have a great day!
The tongue is such a devilish thing. It can get us in so much trouble. Not only are we embarrassed by saying too much some times, but we also can hurt folks to the bone when we did not even mean it. Smokey the Bear says be careful with fire. James calls the tongue a fire. And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell...no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. - James 3:6,8 As the church children's song says- "Oh, be careful little tongue, what you say!" You better never get casual with working with electricity. You better never get casual running a tractor. You better never get casual running your mouth. You may just spill your peas in an awful way! Be quick to listen today and slow to speak. Let only good things flow from your mouth. Have a great day!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Hush and Go!
Theological discussion often amazes me. Being a religious studies major in college and then getting a master's in a baptist seminary and riding with three other students for 250 miles every day for over two years, then several years of working on a doctorate with very diverse theological students, I have been in some theological discussions. There are no winners in such a discussion. As a matter of fact, the loser in you begins to show rather quickly. There are 5 rules to remember in theological discussions: 1)Everyone in that discussion is at least a little right. 2) Everyone in that discussion is at least a little wrong. 3) You are probably not as far from each other's views as you think. 4)Most people that argue such don't know near what they are trying to proclaim that they do or they would not be arguing about it.
5) Don't ever take on seminary students in such a discussion unless you are one. It is too fresh for them. It is their homework.
The student center at the seminary in New Orleans sold a lot of coffee and housed a lot of such discussions. However, my experience with theological discussions (outside of a classroom setting and without a professor that was well groomed in the discussion that he started) is the following: 1) If you ask the two opposing voices about two of the right kind of questions you can get them to just about meet in the middle. 2)Both of them probably know little of what they are talking about. 3) The conversation usually is a matter of 'straining at the gnat and swallowing the camel.' The point is usually missed.
Please don't misunderstand me. Theological discourse is part of 'working out your salvation' and there are 'hills to die on' theologically and we don't all stand in the same place on all the issues. And the main point: Jesus is always right. However, most of theological discussions can be described as two or more egos colliding.
There is nothing controversial with this passage from the reading this morning, although I have heard people try to make it so. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2032,33,34,35;%20James%202 James 2:17- ...faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. I have heard lengthy conversations about this passage but there is nothing controversial here. All James is saying is: If it is real, it will show. If it does not show, it is not real. It is not the work we do for God that saves us but the salvation that God gives us will put us to work. If it is real we will be sharing him, loving folks, and making a difference in our world for the Kingdom of God. As a matter of fact, if you seat around the table discussing this passage too long instead of living it out, your faith will start to stink. Let's go make a difference for Jesus and put our faith in Him and His Words to work in the lives of those that He has planted before us. Have a great day in the Lord!
5) Don't ever take on seminary students in such a discussion unless you are one. It is too fresh for them. It is their homework.
The student center at the seminary in New Orleans sold a lot of coffee and housed a lot of such discussions. However, my experience with theological discussions (outside of a classroom setting and without a professor that was well groomed in the discussion that he started) is the following: 1) If you ask the two opposing voices about two of the right kind of questions you can get them to just about meet in the middle. 2)Both of them probably know little of what they are talking about. 3) The conversation usually is a matter of 'straining at the gnat and swallowing the camel.' The point is usually missed.
Please don't misunderstand me. Theological discourse is part of 'working out your salvation' and there are 'hills to die on' theologically and we don't all stand in the same place on all the issues. And the main point: Jesus is always right. However, most of theological discussions can be described as two or more egos colliding.
There is nothing controversial with this passage from the reading this morning, although I have heard people try to make it so. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2032,33,34,35;%20James%202 James 2:17- ...faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. I have heard lengthy conversations about this passage but there is nothing controversial here. All James is saying is: If it is real, it will show. If it does not show, it is not real. It is not the work we do for God that saves us but the salvation that God gives us will put us to work. If it is real we will be sharing him, loving folks, and making a difference in our world for the Kingdom of God. As a matter of fact, if you seat around the table discussing this passage too long instead of living it out, your faith will start to stink. Let's go make a difference for Jesus and put our faith in Him and His Words to work in the lives of those that He has planted before us. Have a great day in the Lord!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
The Mirror
My hair has not changed much over the years. I grew up parting it to the side. About ten years ago I went to a 50's party and slicked it back. I got home and my wife told me to wear it like that. I have ever since. However once every two years I leave the house without fixing my hair. I go to work, get my coffee, talk to everyone (who looks at me kinda goofy), go to the computer, get up to the go to the bathroom and BOOM! I realize I am unkept. I scoot out and fix it and come back. I guess the mirror was fogged. I guess I was in a hurry. I broke pattern in some way. Not a big deal but it feels to me like I have been standing there talking to an office full of people with my zipper down. It's just not me, I guess.
Do you know what is worse than missing the mirror? Missing the Word in the morning. You need it as much as you do your mirror (and you need your mirror, although Walmart shoppers give us great evidence that there is a lack of mirror reflection in our society today). The Word is like a mirror, in that, through the power and introspection of the Holy Spirit we see ourselves and our spiritual needs. The Word is like a sword, it cuts through and gets to the heart of the matter. You see yourself exposed when you seriously and methodically read the Word with full attention.
Do you know what is almost just as bad? Forgetting what you read and not living it out on the day in which you read it. I believe God has a customized message for you everyday through his Word. To forget that and to not forge your life around is about as bad as...well, James puts it this way- For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law...a doer who acts, he will blessed in his doing.- James 1:23-25
So start your day with the mirror of His Word and don't forget or neglect what you view......Don't forget the other mirror either please. Have a great Sunday!!
Do you know what is worse than missing the mirror? Missing the Word in the morning. You need it as much as you do your mirror (and you need your mirror, although Walmart shoppers give us great evidence that there is a lack of mirror reflection in our society today). The Word is like a mirror, in that, through the power and introspection of the Holy Spirit we see ourselves and our spiritual needs. The Word is like a sword, it cuts through and gets to the heart of the matter. You see yourself exposed when you seriously and methodically read the Word with full attention.
Do you know what is almost just as bad? Forgetting what you read and not living it out on the day in which you read it. I believe God has a customized message for you everyday through his Word. To forget that and to not forge your life around is about as bad as...well, James puts it this way- For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law...a doer who acts, he will blessed in his doing.- James 1:23-25
So start your day with the mirror of His Word and don't forget or neglect what you view......Don't forget the other mirror either please. Have a great Sunday!!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Angels?
I was pastoring my first church. The senior adult ladies had a meal once a month, a potluck lunch, that they enjoyed very much. I was a seminary student for the majority of that time so I could not attend the lunches. However, either one summer or when I had graduated, the teacher of the eldest ladies SS class came to me and said, "I want you to come and speak to us at our lunch and I want you to speak on angels." I said, "OK", not knowing that I needed wading boots to wander into their ecclesiastical disruptions. She then followed it up by saying, "Some of those ladies wear them pins and think they are good luck. One of them forgot theirs and was afraid to stay. She thought she better go home and get it." Then I knew what I was getting into. You see, it was very popular then to wear little gold angel lapel pins. The teacher of the class was a very no non-sense kind of person, who knew her Bible, just had never informed her face, and she was not going to tolerate the superstitions of her more shallow classmates, therefore 'sic' the preacher on them.' It would seem that I was too green to know the difference, however, the Holy Spirit said, "Hey, don't wade down into that!" and I appreciate His leadership. I studied a couple of topical studies on Angels and developed an outline without going too deep into the pluses and minuses of wearing angel decor on your lapel as a Christian good luck charm. At the same time, because I have never been properly quoted, let me also say there is nothing wrong with wearing an angel lapel pin. Just don't use it as a good luck charm or as a testimony.
What we have conjured up about angels is quite different than what the Bible says about them. There is no 'naked baby with wings' angels in the Bible. They are in the form of adult males, some with wings and some not. We don't become angels when we die. Therefore the little email poems that talk about God needed another angel or 'she'll be a beautiful rose in the garden of the Lord' is just that: sappy email poems. We will not be angels or flowers, we will be souls worshiping around the throne of God.
However, Heb. 13:2, tells us that angels are not as we expect them to be. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. The homeless that I have helped on the street- you don't see them on lapel pins. Nor do you see the little couple that came by a couple of years ago and asked for gas money as they travel around the country giving out tracts at campgrounds. I walked to the gas station and filled up their tank. He handed me two tracts and prayed for me. That was a change!
As the little overstuffed, worn out, Suzuki jeep rode off, I thought- Could it be...nah, surely not...not at least that I am aware of....Be nice out there today. You just don't know....
What we have conjured up about angels is quite different than what the Bible says about them. There is no 'naked baby with wings' angels in the Bible. They are in the form of adult males, some with wings and some not. We don't become angels when we die. Therefore the little email poems that talk about God needed another angel or 'she'll be a beautiful rose in the garden of the Lord' is just that: sappy email poems. We will not be angels or flowers, we will be souls worshiping around the throne of God.
However, Heb. 13:2, tells us that angels are not as we expect them to be. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. The homeless that I have helped on the street- you don't see them on lapel pins. Nor do you see the little couple that came by a couple of years ago and asked for gas money as they travel around the country giving out tracts at campgrounds. I walked to the gas station and filled up their tank. He handed me two tracts and prayed for me. That was a change!
As the little overstuffed, worn out, Suzuki jeep rode off, I thought- Could it be...nah, surely not...not at least that I am aware of....Be nice out there today. You just don't know....
Friday, July 15, 2011
Busting Out
Some time while I was in college, basketball players started wearing warrm up britches that had buttons that went down the side where the seam would normally be. After running around the floor doing layups and shooting different shots, they would get ready for the game by reaching down on the outside of their hips, grabbing their buttoned seams and with one sweet swoop 'rip' their pants off magically. Of course they had their playing shorts on under it and now they were ready to really play. When I played basketball in high school, we did not have such a thing. The high school team had some shiny, pretty pants that came unzipped at the bottom cuff, which made it easier to get over the hightop shoe, but no glorious buttons. I played church ball. I had regular ole, gather-at-the-bottom fleece pants that I was excited about because they came in the same color as my jersey. After I stopped playing organized ball, the cool pants came out. Once again a fad I was not able to get in on.
I thought about buying me some of those pants several times. I have wanted to use them for the very passage that I read this morning. Can you imagine me reading Heb. 12:1-2a- Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus... and then following that up with a talk about how sin clings like those pants but through the power of Jesus we can bust out. Then in my holy imagination I would reach down, grab the outside seams, and rip out of those fancy, cool britches. I have often thought about the masses that would flood the aisles due to my intuition and creative ability to grab their sinful attention and lead them to purity.
That is unless....
There is a wardrobe malfunction. I want to do nothing to bring shame to my Lord and ripping out my britches may do just that, if it all does not go well. When I was 170 lbs. in college, ripping out would have been cool. When you are (let's just say over 190 lbs.), ripping out of your britches is not near as fun and does not go near as well.
So let me just say, rip away from the sin that slows you in your run for the Lord and let nothing come in your way. Quit looking at everyone else and fix your eyes on Jesus, your goal and the finisher of your faith. If I don't see you before, I will meet you at the finish line!
I thought about buying me some of those pants several times. I have wanted to use them for the very passage that I read this morning. Can you imagine me reading Heb. 12:1-2a- Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus... and then following that up with a talk about how sin clings like those pants but through the power of Jesus we can bust out. Then in my holy imagination I would reach down, grab the outside seams, and rip out of those fancy, cool britches. I have often thought about the masses that would flood the aisles due to my intuition and creative ability to grab their sinful attention and lead them to purity.
That is unless....
There is a wardrobe malfunction. I want to do nothing to bring shame to my Lord and ripping out my britches may do just that, if it all does not go well. When I was 170 lbs. in college, ripping out would have been cool. When you are (let's just say over 190 lbs.), ripping out of your britches is not near as fun and does not go near as well.
So let me just say, rip away from the sin that slows you in your run for the Lord and let nothing come in your way. Quit looking at everyone else and fix your eyes on Jesus, your goal and the finisher of your faith. If I don't see you before, I will meet you at the finish line!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Not Knowing Where I'm Going
I have become GPS dumb! I grew up under the tutelage of my father to read a map, abide by it, and don't wander far from it. Don't worry about asking for directions. Know where you are going. I only remember him asking one or two times. I'm with him. I don't ask either. Plus, there are two laws to asking for direction- rules that cannot be broken: 1) You always ask someone who doesn't know. I wonder sometimes how some people get home everyday. OR 2) They do know but only in local terms. "Go down der & turn when you see that tree in Big Mac's pasture..." And I must say I get around pretty good. I got iron in my nose. I understand that iron in your nose helps your sense of direction. ( I wonder what the lead in my....just forget that.) However now there is also the GPS factor. Now we just type in an address and trust a machine running off satellites and developed by computer whizs in India to tell us how to get to anywhere in the US that we have never been. What a thought! However, I went to Phoenix and came back the long way leaning totally on a cellphone google map and a Garmin GPS and made it back without any wrong turns. Or at least, without a map, I never was aware that I made a wrong turn. I was heartbroken when I got 100 miles down the road on that trip and realized that I had left my big red atlas at the house . However, we made it through when we did not even know where we were going. And that is the problem with a GPS. If you rely on it, it will get you there, but you still don't know where you are going. I had never been to Memphis until 4 years ago when I moved to Mississippi. I have never drove to Memphis without my GPS. I cannot find a thing in Memphis without it. I have no idea where I have been. However, I have always got there in the time it was supposed to take. I am GPS dumb! I get where I need to go when I need to be there but I have no idea where I am going or how to get there. What a day in which we live!
It sounds like Abraham to me. ( http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ ) No, Abraham did not have a GPS. He had the Lord. Heb. 11:8- By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Abraham knew that God told him to go and he went, yet he did not even know where he was headed. I cannot help but think that some people trust their GPS more than they do the Lord. The truth of the matter is that if we would trust God to lead us on our path in life as much as we do a GPS to lead us on the roads we travel, our life would be much smoother. Think about it. Not only does He have a plan for you, but He will prepare you for it, lead you to it and through it and provide your every need along the way. Start this day handing the wheel of your life over to the Lord.
Guide me, God! Only you know where we are headed. Happy travels today, my friend!
It sounds like Abraham to me. ( http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ ) No, Abraham did not have a GPS. He had the Lord. Heb. 11:8- By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Abraham knew that God told him to go and he went, yet he did not even know where he was headed. I cannot help but think that some people trust their GPS more than they do the Lord. The truth of the matter is that if we would trust God to lead us on our path in life as much as we do a GPS to lead us on the roads we travel, our life would be much smoother. Think about it. Not only does He have a plan for you, but He will prepare you for it, lead you to it and through it and provide your every need along the way. Start this day handing the wheel of your life over to the Lord.
Guide me, God! Only you know where we are headed. Happy travels today, my friend!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Access
My internet is having trouble this morning. I write on a laptop from my den on wireless internet. "Connection Problem" came up this morning. I hate "Connection Problem." There is nothing more frustrating in the internet world than "Connection Problem." It got so bad that I had to go pull out the ethernet cable and do it the old fashioned way- plug it in. It is sporatic and slow like this. Most be a bigger than my little modem.
Aren't you glad that there is never a 'connection problem' when we come before the throne of God. Oh, that is not to say they may not be problems but these problems are easy to diagnose. They are always problems on our end. He never changes. We change constantly. After tackling internet problems this morning, then reading Heb. 10 (http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ ) I am celebrating in the access that we have in Christ.
Heb. 10:19-22- Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
And the more you read the better it gets about living our lives for Christ. Why? Because we have access. Log in to Jesus. Download The Truth of His Word. Upload it to your face. And connect your world to His Love.
Have a great day in the Lord!
Aren't you glad that there is never a 'connection problem' when we come before the throne of God. Oh, that is not to say they may not be problems but these problems are easy to diagnose. They are always problems on our end. He never changes. We change constantly. After tackling internet problems this morning, then reading Heb. 10 (http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ ) I am celebrating in the access that we have in Christ.
Heb. 10:19-22- Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
And the more you read the better it gets about living our lives for Christ. Why? Because we have access. Log in to Jesus. Download The Truth of His Word. Upload it to your face. And connect your world to His Love.
Have a great day in the Lord!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Welcome of Praise
There is seldom a joy any greater than when I come home to hear 'Daddy!' yelled with great excitement as my young-uns run into my arms. Oh, that they do the same at 16. Even my walk up, yard dog gets excited. Whoosie walked up last spring as a puppy and she claimed us. She is a great squirrel dog. She caught one and brought it to us. She catches mice and brings them to us. She caught a baby possum the other day. For some reason Momma is not impressed with her catches and don't like them laying on the carport. I am impressed myself. Even Whoosie gets excited when I pull up. She has a 'running spell.' She has a certain pattern in the yard that she will run to let me know that she is on the hunt. If I have been out of town, my children run with more vigor because even a day trip to Jackson that may lead to a late drive home requires me to come bearing gifts. http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/
Do you know who is coming? Get excited! Welcome Him by giving a shout. Heb. 9:28- Christ...will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Let's not wait until He comes to give Him praise. Let's praise Him without end until He Comes!
Do you know who is coming? Get excited! Welcome Him by giving a shout. Heb. 9:28- Christ...will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Let's not wait until He comes to give Him praise. Let's praise Him without end until He Comes!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Teaching Your Neighbor
I just went to the church to pray for the youth as they set out for summer camp week. I began to reflect on the many journeys I took with the church when I was their ages. One that stands out was when we did a VBS at a church in St. Louis. It was an inner city church in a multi-story building. A make shift sanctuary was on one floor, SS classes on another, a fellowship hall on another. It was in an impoverished area and was an impoverished church. It literally sat in the shadow of the Budweiser factory and I was told that the factory was so immaculate you could eat off the floors. The paradox, the symbolism, the tragedy...the immaculate beer factory among the poor, dirty poverty. How many folks' lives had been devastated, almost cursed from birth by the influence of alcohol in their families? Now when I say 'cursed from birth' we all are cursed from birth until Jesus comes to us and changes us for all eternity. And that message was what we went to St. Louis to share. I remember going door to door inviting folks to VBS, sharing Christ as the doors open. The reality is such trips help me develop in sharing my faith with others.
http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/
Our passage today says that there will come a day when we won't need to share. Hebrews 8:11- And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. That day is not here yet, so let's do all we can, with everyone we can, every opportunity we have: let's share Jesus. Let's encourage folks to 'Know the Lord' whether at their door, in their path, or along our way. Let's share Jesus until Jesus comes.
http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/
Our passage today says that there will come a day when we won't need to share. Hebrews 8:11- And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. That day is not here yet, so let's do all we can, with everyone we can, every opportunity we have: let's share Jesus. Let's encourage folks to 'Know the Lord' whether at their door, in their path, or along our way. Let's share Jesus until Jesus comes.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Lives to Pray
The Greatest Show on Earth has come to town and we went to see it. We were thoroughly entertained by the circus last night. The acrobatics, the animal tricks, the dude walking on the ceiling upside down without a net, the girls hanging by their hair, the motorcycle on the wire...it is amazing. I try to see how they do it...they just do it. When I go to the circus, I am like a kid.
I would enjoy it much more if I wasn't so worried about the performers. I worry about if they are making a living or just binding time. I worry about the underbelly of a show on wheels, long schedules, and the lifestyles that go along with all that. I worry about their insurance, what if they get hurt....I was praying for the boy walking on the ceiling last night...and the motorcycle dude...and the girl in the middle of the motorcycles riding around that huge hamster ball. Now when I say 'worry', don't take it too literally. I lost no sleep over such matters, but at the pre-show in the round, I was looking in their eyes to see if they were really enjoying it or just doing the show. It looked like they were enjoying it. I hope they do. I read an article about the lead clown in the paper this morning. He is loving it. Good for them. I know we enjoyed it.
Now when I say prayed, I meant that I prayed at the time, probably has much for my girls not to see tragedy as I did for the performers. Do you know what? We have one that LIVES TO PRAY for us.
Hebrews 7:25- ... he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Praise the Lord! Christ lives to pray for you and me. That is real prayer, not just for a moment but for all of life. ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Micah%205,6,7;%20Hebrews%207 )
Serve Him today and know that He loves you and prays for you.
I would enjoy it much more if I wasn't so worried about the performers. I worry about if they are making a living or just binding time. I worry about the underbelly of a show on wheels, long schedules, and the lifestyles that go along with all that. I worry about their insurance, what if they get hurt....I was praying for the boy walking on the ceiling last night...and the motorcycle dude...and the girl in the middle of the motorcycles riding around that huge hamster ball. Now when I say 'worry', don't take it too literally. I lost no sleep over such matters, but at the pre-show in the round, I was looking in their eyes to see if they were really enjoying it or just doing the show. It looked like they were enjoying it. I hope they do. I read an article about the lead clown in the paper this morning. He is loving it. Good for them. I know we enjoyed it.
Now when I say prayed, I meant that I prayed at the time, probably has much for my girls not to see tragedy as I did for the performers. Do you know what? We have one that LIVES TO PRAY for us.
Hebrews 7:25- ... he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Praise the Lord! Christ lives to pray for you and me. That is real prayer, not just for a moment but for all of life. ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Micah%205,6,7;%20Hebrews%207 )
Serve Him today and know that He loves you and prays for you.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
What a Refuge!
Have you ever had to flee? The first time that I really moved away from home, I moved to New Orleans Seminary. I had lived in a dorm in college but came home quite often. My stay at New Orleans was the first real time that I had packed the Honda Civic and moved 600 miles from Momma. It was a big deal. I got there in late June or early July, when folks usually don't move in. I wanted to get a head start.
I was not there long when I saw someone that I vaguely knew. David was a friend of a friend but he soon became a friend. He had his own family and I was single, but he gave me a warm welcome at a lonely time in a strange place. God planted him there, no doubt. His sister-in-law had been a dear friend of mine in middle school. She came to see them that summer. It was a good reunion with an old friend. That is until Hurricane Andrew hit in August. New Orleans was to evacuate. Where was I to go? Limited resources and a long way from home. The only folks I knew had to leave too. The only ones they knew were in SC too. Therefore we headed out. Three cars in a pack headed north. We stopped in Hattiesburg, MS hoping to share tight quarters for one night (six of us pile in and manage). They were all booked. I remember riding in the heavy rain in heavy traffic wondering what I was to do. When Hattiesburg was booked, we just decided to go back to SC. We drove all night. If I am not mistaken, I spent about 24 hours with Mom and Dad and then headed on back. I was no more than a refugee seeking refuge from a storm.
Katrina would come later but Andrew was not a Katrina to New Orleans. Other parts of Louisiana suffered greatly, however, and I made new seminary friends helping with the cleanup one Saturday. I remember Hurricane Andrew for the long night's drive and the wonderful refuge of my old bed at Mom and Dad's. I remember Hurricane Andrew for the friend, David Wike, that gave some order to my chaos, some company in my storm.
Thank God that although we face storms of all kinds, we have a refuge in the midst of our storm.
http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ Hebrews encouraged me this morning by reminding me of my refuge.
Hebrews 6:18-19 is talking about how God has made us an unchanging promise in Christ so that "we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,".
No matter what may come we have a refuge in Christ who is an anchor in the storm and gets to the heart of the matter. When the storms of the day hit us, let's pile up and convoy to Jesus and rest in the reassuring Anchor of our souls.
I was not there long when I saw someone that I vaguely knew. David was a friend of a friend but he soon became a friend. He had his own family and I was single, but he gave me a warm welcome at a lonely time in a strange place. God planted him there, no doubt. His sister-in-law had been a dear friend of mine in middle school. She came to see them that summer. It was a good reunion with an old friend. That is until Hurricane Andrew hit in August. New Orleans was to evacuate. Where was I to go? Limited resources and a long way from home. The only folks I knew had to leave too. The only ones they knew were in SC too. Therefore we headed out. Three cars in a pack headed north. We stopped in Hattiesburg, MS hoping to share tight quarters for one night (six of us pile in and manage). They were all booked. I remember riding in the heavy rain in heavy traffic wondering what I was to do. When Hattiesburg was booked, we just decided to go back to SC. We drove all night. If I am not mistaken, I spent about 24 hours with Mom and Dad and then headed on back. I was no more than a refugee seeking refuge from a storm.
Katrina would come later but Andrew was not a Katrina to New Orleans. Other parts of Louisiana suffered greatly, however, and I made new seminary friends helping with the cleanup one Saturday. I remember Hurricane Andrew for the long night's drive and the wonderful refuge of my old bed at Mom and Dad's. I remember Hurricane Andrew for the friend, David Wike, that gave some order to my chaos, some company in my storm.
Thank God that although we face storms of all kinds, we have a refuge in the midst of our storm.
http://www.lifejournal.cc/bible/ Hebrews encouraged me this morning by reminding me of my refuge.
Hebrews 6:18-19 is talking about how God has made us an unchanging promise in Christ so that "we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,".
No matter what may come we have a refuge in Christ who is an anchor in the storm and gets to the heart of the matter. When the storms of the day hit us, let's pile up and convoy to Jesus and rest in the reassuring Anchor of our souls.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Free
The sound of prison doors shutting behind you is a scary thing. I am thankful that I have never served time or been arrested, but I have been to prison. To visit. I preached in a prison a few times in south Mississippi and shared my faith with those in solitary confinement that could not come to worship. Door to door, cell by cell, man to man, a different situation each and every time. Some would curse and yell from the other row. Some would cry when they saw you. A neat way to serve the Lord. My prison congregation was all male, about 90% black and very engaging. The choir would sing and sway...it was awesome. And those in prison, who realize the only hope they got is in the Lord, they will preach you to death. Never have I preached before a more engaging, praising, amening audience. Its fun. I was afraid to go to the bathroom, but it was fun. It was fun for me because when I got done, I walked out through the courtyard and back out those steel gates, and went home. I was free. What an opportunity when you see that others are not.
I am not only free in the U.S., I am free in Christ. Listen to the Psalmist http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%2013,14;%20Psalms%20100,101,102;%20Hebrews%205
Psalm 102:18-22 - Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.
I am not only free in the U.S., I am free in Christ. Listen to the Psalmist http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%2013,14;%20Psalms%20100,101,102;%20Hebrews%205
Psalm 102:18-22 - Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Starting Again
Well, I am so sorry if you tried us out over the last two days and got nothing new. Let me explain. On our trip out west we took a camcorder and my cinematographer desired deeply to make our documentaries complete. In other words, we have a lot recorded on a hard drive camcorder. A 30 gb camcorder holds about 14 hours of video. We only had one hour left, therefore we had about 12 hours from the trip (I had left one hour of spring children programming on there). Now once that hard drive is full, we cannot capture every fleeting moment in life so I needed to preserve those memories. (Memories? Why even have memories? I have it all on video.) A dvd holds about 2 hours. The process of moving it from the camcorder to a dvd through this laptop takes about 2 hours a piece. (An hour to pick your scenes and an hour to burn the dvd). Therefore the last mornings I have tied up this laptop with dvd burnings so that I could complete our "director's cut collection," not allowing me to write my blog. I began by making the spring dvd of the church children's spring musical and our spring dance recital. Then I took the trip across America again dvd by dvd. A total of 7 dvds of just the trip. Tedious process but I am glad we got it.
It was funny- we loved the change of terrain when traveling. Dawn and I were like two kids waiting on Santa Claus. Every little hill we would go over we were ready to see what else was ahead. Half of the time in anticipation Dawn would go ahead and start recording us driving down the road in anticipation (although we had no idea what was coming). If she didn't pull it out and start it, I would see something that I liked and say "oh my!" or "look at that" or "ain't that something". Every time I would say it, it was like I was a director yelling "Action". She was johnny-spot on it. She was so on it, she thought she tore it up. The camcorder cuts on when you open the viewing window. If it didn't cut on quick enough, she would close it and open it again real fast and say "this thing is dying". The debate is still out whether we have wore it out or not. However, we got our recordings. We've got them on dvds. We've got them on an external back up hard drive. Plus I just bought 50 more blank dvds. "Let the capturing of our precious moments (every last one of them!) continue!"
I love the challenge in our reading today ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%2010,11,12;%20Psalms%2073;%20Hebrews%204 ) of Hosea 10:12- Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. Isn't it a blessing to know that even if you are not where you need to be today in Christ, that can all change very quickly. The spiritual ground of your heart that has not been freshly plowed can become fruitful again. How? By allowing the Lord to plow through the clods of your life, sow the things of God within your soul, and watch Him move and work in your life again. That is where fruitfulness comes in. Mix that with what Hebrews 4 tells us about the convicting power of the Spirit of God working through the Word of God and the opportunity to ask for forgiveness from the Lord who sympathizes with us. What an opportunity we have in Christ to come boldly before His throne.
Do it right now! Sow and reap....sow and reap...and have a great day doing it!!
It was funny- we loved the change of terrain when traveling. Dawn and I were like two kids waiting on Santa Claus. Every little hill we would go over we were ready to see what else was ahead. Half of the time in anticipation Dawn would go ahead and start recording us driving down the road in anticipation (although we had no idea what was coming). If she didn't pull it out and start it, I would see something that I liked and say "oh my!" or "look at that" or "ain't that something". Every time I would say it, it was like I was a director yelling "Action". She was johnny-spot on it. She was so on it, she thought she tore it up. The camcorder cuts on when you open the viewing window. If it didn't cut on quick enough, she would close it and open it again real fast and say "this thing is dying". The debate is still out whether we have wore it out or not. However, we got our recordings. We've got them on dvds. We've got them on an external back up hard drive. Plus I just bought 50 more blank dvds. "Let the capturing of our precious moments (every last one of them!) continue!"
I love the challenge in our reading today ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%2010,11,12;%20Psalms%2073;%20Hebrews%204 ) of Hosea 10:12- Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. Isn't it a blessing to know that even if you are not where you need to be today in Christ, that can all change very quickly. The spiritual ground of your heart that has not been freshly plowed can become fruitful again. How? By allowing the Lord to plow through the clods of your life, sow the things of God within your soul, and watch Him move and work in your life again. That is where fruitfulness comes in. Mix that with what Hebrews 4 tells us about the convicting power of the Spirit of God working through the Word of God and the opportunity to ask for forgiveness from the Lord who sympathizes with us. What an opportunity we have in Christ to come boldly before His throne.
Do it right now! Sow and reap....sow and reap...and have a great day doing it!!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy 4th!
When I think of July 4th through the years, I think of grilling out and fireworks. It is always fun to get family together and have an eating and then a firing off of fireworks. We were blessed with a wonderful neighbor when I was growing up. Charlie, or 'Uncle Charles' as I affectionately called him later, had lost one eye to disease and one eye to a mill accident. He could see very little. He loved gardening, George Jones music, laying in his swing in late afternoon, and...fireworks. He loved to buy fireworks and let us send them off. Charlie did not go light on the fireworks. He would buy so many that before you get done, you are sending off bunches at a time, shooting them at each other, starting small fires, and terrorizing the neighborhood. We had Roman Candles that we would shoot for the mild at heart. We had parachute bottle rockets. All the kids would fight over the parachutes, hang them in their rooms for two days, and then they come up missing. Mom, what happened to my charred firecracker parachutes? We had some that even parachuted American flags. Nothing more patriotic than a firework that shoots off the American flag. It was always a lot of fun. The next day we would find them on top of houses, in the neighbors' yards. Usually in those yards of neighbors that did not like fireworks, did not like kids, did not like much of anything. It is a wonder that we didn't blow up the whole neighborhood. Nothing brings a community together and apart at the same time like fireworks.
This morning we began studying Hebrews ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2015,16;%20Hosea%201;%20Hebrews%201 ). You have to love Hebrews. It is a challenging book but it is a bridge builder. It is there to point the Jew to the real Messiah, Jesus. What a way to describe Him, Hebrews 1:3- He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. We know all we need to know about God through Christ. Not only does He reveal God to us, but He has the whole world in His Hand.
Before you celebrate today, before the fireworks go off, and the grill fires up, take a few moments to give God praise for Christ, the wonderful radiance of the powerful glory of the magnificient God.
Have a Happy 4th!
This morning we began studying Hebrews ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2015,16;%20Hosea%201;%20Hebrews%201 ). You have to love Hebrews. It is a challenging book but it is a bridge builder. It is there to point the Jew to the real Messiah, Jesus. What a way to describe Him, Hebrews 1:3- He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. We know all we need to know about God through Christ. Not only does He reveal God to us, but He has the whole world in His Hand.
Before you celebrate today, before the fireworks go off, and the grill fires up, take a few moments to give God praise for Christ, the wonderful radiance of the powerful glory of the magnificient God.
Have a Happy 4th!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Real Worship
What a wonderful evening on the square we had last night! Fun to fellowship in the heat. I used to live in a community about the same size as the one I live in now. In the weekly paper there were recap articles written by several of the churches. These were letters that were not edited. They were fun to read. A phrase I remember seeing in one church article again and again was: A fun time was had by all. I don't know if that is proper grammar but it sure is not good writing (not that this is either). Anyway, it looked to me like a fun time was had by all last night.
I look forward to the day today. Not only do I get to preach but Nathan Carlisle is going to sing. He sings with the Metropolitian Opera in New York City and formerly for the military. He is excellent and testified on the square for the Lord last night. Should be a good day.
I love Isaiah 6. It is one of my favorite passages because it shows us an order of worship. First there is praise (v.3). Then confession (v.5). Then cleansing (v.6-7). Then Commission (v.8a), and then commitment (v.8b). All of that teaches me that when we become aware of who we serve, we will realize our uncleanliness and confess it to Him. He is faithful and just to forgive us when we do and then He will give us tasks to work through in our lives and for His Cause. When we commitment and carry it out, real worship has taken place. My prayer today is not for mere praise nor recognition, but for cleansing and commitment. May God have His Will in His Way in my life and in our worship.
Have a great day in the Lord today!
I look forward to the day today. Not only do I get to preach but Nathan Carlisle is going to sing. He sings with the Metropolitian Opera in New York City and formerly for the military. He is excellent and testified on the square for the Lord last night. Should be a good day.
I love Isaiah 6. It is one of my favorite passages because it shows us an order of worship. First there is praise (v.3). Then confession (v.5). Then cleansing (v.6-7). Then Commission (v.8a), and then commitment (v.8b). All of that teaches me that when we become aware of who we serve, we will realize our uncleanliness and confess it to Him. He is faithful and just to forgive us when we do and then He will give us tasks to work through in our lives and for His Cause. When we commitment and carry it out, real worship has taken place. My prayer today is not for mere praise nor recognition, but for cleansing and commitment. May God have His Will in His Way in my life and in our worship.
Have a great day in the Lord today!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Real Peace
The peace symbol is back! When it started making its rise again, I did not like it. Preachers are not suppose to like anything new, you know. Although the peace symbol is 50 years old, when my child started wanting it on everything then I got keyed up. Although many say it has its roots in all kinds of bad things, I haven't come across real evidence for such. It appears it was created in 1958 by a British man named Gerald Holtom who designed to be a sign for nuclear disarmament. It was to be a combination of two semaphore signs (semaphore is a coded sign language made with flags so that people can read it from a far distance): one for N as in Nuclear and the other for D as in disarmament.
Put these two signs on top of each other and you get that peace symbol that looks like a crow's foot. I grew satisfied with that answer and Abby has a lot of peace symbol stuff. But don't ever get an effort for peace or just a fashion statement mixed up with real peace. In Isaiah today real peace is discovered and I love the passage that I read. Isaiah 2:4- He shall judge the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Don't you love it! There is coming a day when the strife will be gone and there will be no need for weapons. However, the fruitfulness will be so bountiful that people will be taking those valuable weapons and making common farming tools out of them so that they can take in all the harvest that is before them.
Do I understand all of that? No and be suspect of anyone that says they do, however, what it tells me is that real peace can only come through the Prince of Peace. In the rest of our Isaiah passage the Lord is ridiculing His People for going through the motions in worship but not living it out the rest of the time. He is more interested in us living it out daily than just showing up on Sunday. When we live it out and then come together for the common cause of Christ, He will bless us with so much fruitfulness that we will be looking for tools to bring in the harvest quicker.
Do you get it? If the only hope at peace is the Prince of Peace, then live it out through Him and for Him until we see Him face to face and His Peace reigns in all places. In the meantime, let Him reign in your life. Even Today!
Put these two signs on top of each other and you get that peace symbol that looks like a crow's foot. I grew satisfied with that answer and Abby has a lot of peace symbol stuff. But don't ever get an effort for peace or just a fashion statement mixed up with real peace. In Isaiah today real peace is discovered and I love the passage that I read. Isaiah 2:4- He shall judge the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Don't you love it! There is coming a day when the strife will be gone and there will be no need for weapons. However, the fruitfulness will be so bountiful that people will be taking those valuable weapons and making common farming tools out of them so that they can take in all the harvest that is before them.
Do I understand all of that? No and be suspect of anyone that says they do, however, what it tells me is that real peace can only come through the Prince of Peace. In the rest of our Isaiah passage the Lord is ridiculing His People for going through the motions in worship but not living it out the rest of the time. He is more interested in us living it out daily than just showing up on Sunday. When we live it out and then come together for the common cause of Christ, He will bless us with so much fruitfulness that we will be looking for tools to bring in the harvest quicker.
Do you get it? If the only hope at peace is the Prince of Peace, then live it out through Him and for Him until we see Him face to face and His Peace reigns in all places. In the meantime, let Him reign in your life. Even Today!
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