I heard this radio program last night about a street urchin who snuck into an old widows kitchen to steal some eggs. As he was leaving, he was startled by a light coming on and dashed out the door, only to fall in the darkened alley breaking the eggs and scraping his knees.
The old widow, seeing all of this, came to the door to help the little boy up and into a kitchen chair.
The boy sat terrified at being caught and quietly awaited his punishment. The old lady patiently cleaned the egg residue off of his hands and clothes and cleaned and dressed his wounded knees. When she was through, the boy looking perplexed, asked her why she had done this instead of beating him or calling the police. The woman replied that the eggs were hers and noone else's and that she had chosen to forgive him for stealing them.
The boy was amazed at the woman's kindness. He thanked her and began to leave. The old woman asked the boy where he was living and he told her that he had made up a nice shelter a few alleyways over. The woman said that she wanted him to stay the night in her spare bedroom. The boy, of course, refused but the woman kept insisting. She said it wouldn't be any bother and she would not disturb him because her bedroom was upstairs while his would be downstairs adjacent to the kitchen. The boy questioned why she would allow him to sleep next to the kitchen and back door knowing what he had just attempted.
The woman replied that friends must learn to have faith in each other and that he should decide whether their new found friendship was more valuable than a few eggs.
That story caused me to think about my best friend Jesus, and how He has chosen to forgive us our transgressions. He's cleaned us up and offered us shelter from the world. He doesn't see me as an urchin. He sees me as a joint heir. Praise God!
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Giving Thanks
In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday I wanted to share a Peanuts comic strip with y'all.
It shows the Peanuts gang inside getting ready to enjoy a sumptuous turkey dinner and in the next frame you see Snoopy sitting on top of his dog house with a bowl of dog food. We all know how much he hates his dog food and he has a look of disgust as he is depressed because he can't be inside to share in the meal. In the third frame he resolves himself by thinking- "It could be worse, I could have been born a turkey."
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Have a blessed Thanksgiving
It shows the Peanuts gang inside getting ready to enjoy a sumptuous turkey dinner and in the next frame you see Snoopy sitting on top of his dog house with a bowl of dog food. We all know how much he hates his dog food and he has a look of disgust as he is depressed because he can't be inside to share in the meal. In the third frame he resolves himself by thinking- "It could be worse, I could have been born a turkey."
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Have a blessed Thanksgiving
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Is God Fair?
Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you, or that wicked people seem to get ahead, have more stuff, and don't seem to have as many burdens? When I say wicked, I mean people who are living with principles of "self" instead of God's principles.
In Psalm 73 Asaph is complaining to God about ungodly people because they-
have no struggles
don't have the same daily burdens
get away with oppressing others
mock God
are always carefree
In verses 13-15 He says not only is there no benefit to being good, but there is also a price to be paid for being good. And his heart is grieved.(vs.21)
Envy and comparison will always be a stumbling block to faith.
Notice starting in verse 16, he begins to turn his heart towards God. He said that he walked into the sanctuary of God. He isn't talking about corporate worship here. It's private and personal.
Turn our focus totally toward God and get alone with Him.
In verse 18 He starts to see that the wicked have costs too. And nothing is always and all.
He sums it up in verse 28, "But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your good works.
"As far as I can remember, being a celebrity has never helped me make a good picture ... or command the obedience of my daughter, or impress my wife. It doesn't even seem to help keep fleas off our dog, and if being a celebrity won't give one an advantage over a couple fleas, then I guess there can't be that much in being a celebrity after all." - Walt Disney
So... Is God fair?
Absolutely Not!
Or else we would get what we deserve. Thank You Jesus!
In Psalm 73 Asaph is complaining to God about ungodly people because they-
have no struggles
don't have the same daily burdens
get away with oppressing others
mock God
are always carefree
In verses 13-15 He says not only is there no benefit to being good, but there is also a price to be paid for being good. And his heart is grieved.(vs.21)
Envy and comparison will always be a stumbling block to faith.
Notice starting in verse 16, he begins to turn his heart towards God. He said that he walked into the sanctuary of God. He isn't talking about corporate worship here. It's private and personal.
Turn our focus totally toward God and get alone with Him.
In verse 18 He starts to see that the wicked have costs too. And nothing is always and all.
He sums it up in verse 28, "But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your good works.
"As far as I can remember, being a celebrity has never helped me make a good picture ... or command the obedience of my daughter, or impress my wife. It doesn't even seem to help keep fleas off our dog, and if being a celebrity won't give one an advantage over a couple fleas, then I guess there can't be that much in being a celebrity after all." - Walt Disney
So... Is God fair?
Absolutely Not!
Or else we would get what we deserve. Thank You Jesus!
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Our National Motto
If I were to ask the average American Joe or Jane what our national motto is, do you think they could tell me? Do you think they would even care? Well if you've been a reader of my blog for any time at all, you've probably guessed that it has something to do with God. Well you'd be right. It's "IN GOD WE TRUST."
This all came about because a simple preacher wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase in 1861 proposing that we should acknowledge Almighty God on our money because it would- "relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters."
From 1938 until the present, that statement of faith has been on virtually every form of American currency.
A law passed by the Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress and approved by the President on July 30, 1956 declared "IN GOD WE TRUST" the national motto of the United States of America.
Notice that our motto isn't "IN god WE TRUST", or "IN gods WE TRUST." It signifies the one true GOD above all other gods. It's really scary how prophetic that simple preacher's concern about disowning God was when you read and hear about the ACLU and other groups passionately trying to eliminate any and every mention of the Triune Godhead.
Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His inheritance.
Isaiah 60:12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve You shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined.
Are we as passionate about TRUSTING in our GOD?
This all came about because a simple preacher wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase in 1861 proposing that we should acknowledge Almighty God on our money because it would- "relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters."
From 1938 until the present, that statement of faith has been on virtually every form of American currency.
A law passed by the Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress and approved by the President on July 30, 1956 declared "IN GOD WE TRUST" the national motto of the United States of America.
Notice that our motto isn't "IN god WE TRUST", or "IN gods WE TRUST." It signifies the one true GOD above all other gods. It's really scary how prophetic that simple preacher's concern about disowning God was when you read and hear about the ACLU and other groups passionately trying to eliminate any and every mention of the Triune Godhead.
Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His inheritance.
Isaiah 60:12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve You shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined.
Are we as passionate about TRUSTING in our GOD?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Stretch Out Your Hand
"Do you want to be healed?"
"It is easy to tell people that you are feeling tense. It is not as easy to tell three or four people in a small group of the great ache in your heart because a relationship with your husband or wife, son, daughter, or friend has fallen apart at the seams. Nor is it easy to talk of your fears—losing your job, the operation you face, losing your mother who is dying. But when you do and turn with hope to God and the prayers of members of the group, a slow inner transformation begins that never fails to surprise people and that keeps them coming back." Avery Brooke, Healing in the Landscape of Prayer
I think many folks visit church for the first time due to a great big ache in their soul that longs to be acknowledged and healed. Is your community the place where true transformation and healing begins? Or is it only a place where you can tell people you are feeling tense?
Transformation is a $10 word that is tossed around the church often. I wonder if we talk about transformation so much because it is so rare?
Perhaps the first step toward healing or transformation is to admit that we need healing. Maybe the next step is to show or acknowledge our wounds. Perhaps that is what Jesus meant when he said: "Stretch out our hand."
Is your congregation a place where folks can stretch out their hands?
"It is easy to tell people that you are feeling tense. It is not as easy to tell three or four people in a small group of the great ache in your heart because a relationship with your husband or wife, son, daughter, or friend has fallen apart at the seams. Nor is it easy to talk of your fears—losing your job, the operation you face, losing your mother who is dying. But when you do and turn with hope to God and the prayers of members of the group, a slow inner transformation begins that never fails to surprise people and that keeps them coming back." Avery Brooke, Healing in the Landscape of Prayer
I think many folks visit church for the first time due to a great big ache in their soul that longs to be acknowledged and healed. Is your community the place where true transformation and healing begins? Or is it only a place where you can tell people you are feeling tense?
Transformation is a $10 word that is tossed around the church often. I wonder if we talk about transformation so much because it is so rare?
Perhaps the first step toward healing or transformation is to admit that we need healing. Maybe the next step is to show or acknowledge our wounds. Perhaps that is what Jesus meant when he said: "Stretch out our hand."
Is your congregation a place where folks can stretch out their hands?
Thursday, November 03, 2005
You Are There
Have you ever read a story or parable in the Bible and wondered what you would be doing if you were there? Think of the feeding of the 5000. Would you be discussing with your friends the impossibility of a seemingly endless supply of food coming out of the basket being passed around, or by faith would you just accept it?
What if you were in the garden with your best friend over the past three years? Your Lord and Savior is in obvious pain and stress and you can do nothing about it. All of a sudden a huge and intimidating group of soldiers appears to take Him away and possibly kill or torture Him. What are you going to do? Flee? Throw yourself in front of Him inviting imminent death? Or stand numbly in shock as they take Him away.
I was reading in Luke 5 this morning about the paralytic man and his four friends that were carrying him on a stretcher, doing what they could to get him to Jesus. I would hope that I would be one of those men willing to do anything necessary to get my crippled friend to the feet of Jesus where he will have his sins forgiven and paralysis ended. Would I be? Or would I be pushing through the crowd trying to see and hear the prophet for myself not even thinking of my friend? Or, worse yet, would I just stay home because of the hassle- and I hate crowds-and they're all dumb anyway for following anybody anywhere?
What am I like today? Am I willing to do everything I can to bring my sick, broken, and sin paralyzed friends to the feet of Jesus? All too often I just stay at home.
What if you were in the garden with your best friend over the past three years? Your Lord and Savior is in obvious pain and stress and you can do nothing about it. All of a sudden a huge and intimidating group of soldiers appears to take Him away and possibly kill or torture Him. What are you going to do? Flee? Throw yourself in front of Him inviting imminent death? Or stand numbly in shock as they take Him away.
I was reading in Luke 5 this morning about the paralytic man and his four friends that were carrying him on a stretcher, doing what they could to get him to Jesus. I would hope that I would be one of those men willing to do anything necessary to get my crippled friend to the feet of Jesus where he will have his sins forgiven and paralysis ended. Would I be? Or would I be pushing through the crowd trying to see and hear the prophet for myself not even thinking of my friend? Or, worse yet, would I just stay home because of the hassle- and I hate crowds-and they're all dumb anyway for following anybody anywhere?
What am I like today? Am I willing to do everything I can to bring my sick, broken, and sin paralyzed friends to the feet of Jesus? All too often I just stay at home.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Neighbors and Enemies
It seems like pain and suffering in ourselveswould teach us a little about pain and suffering in others.
Too often it doesn’t.
It seems like having a loved one face a potential life threatening illness would soften our hearts to others who are facing a life threatening illness.
Too often it doesn’t.
It would seem that knowing the fear pain, confusion, hurt and loss that is associated with a loved one’s suffering would move us in a manner that we would never want to see another human suffer.
It would be rather hypocritical to beg God to heal and cure my friends and family while I live a life that perpetuates indifference and even hatred toward others.I may not be violent, but I surely am not following Jesus when it comes to loving my enemies.
Something seems wrong with "Dear God, please heal my wife." While I advocate sending kids off to a foreign land to kill and hurt the "enemy" and to be killed and injured by the "enemy." Does God only hear my prayers? I mean, does God hear my prayers for healing of a loved one while ignoring those who live opposite of my views? If God hears my prayers knowing my potential for evil, what would possess me to think that somehow God wouldn’t hear the prayer of those who differ from me? That is about the same mentality as, "Please God help my team win" while hoping the opponent’s quarterback gets creamed.If I am going to pray for a loved one, it would seem that God would expect me to pray with at least the same intensity for the healing of others. Too often I don’t. I wonder how that impacts God? Seriously, I wonder what God must think? "Dude, I know you love your wife, but how 'bout passing on some prayers for those you can't stand."
Perhaps that is a mark of my spiritual maturity? Praying with the same intensity for those I dislike as those I love. Passionately praying for those who I think are my enemies the same way Jesus instructed. If so, I am not all that mature.
I need to repent. I mean if I am going to use the Word and talk about repenting I ought to at least repent and turn toward the Love and believe the Good News. That is, that God loves us all the same. Even those I don't like.
But while I am begging God to heal those I know and love there are those with whom I differ who are begging God to heal those they love. Tonight as we pray for a friend to be healed from cancer there is a mother begging God to return her son or daughter home safely from a war or a dissident begging God to help end government oppression and abuse or some woman begging God to end the violence in her own home. If I am going to pray, then my prayer life ought to transform my world view and the way I live. My prayer life ought to not be only for my healing but the healing of the planet. Because, prayer really isn't all about me.
Lord in you mercy hear OUR prayer(s).
Too often it doesn’t.
It seems like having a loved one face a potential life threatening illness would soften our hearts to others who are facing a life threatening illness.
Too often it doesn’t.
It would seem that knowing the fear pain, confusion, hurt and loss that is associated with a loved one’s suffering would move us in a manner that we would never want to see another human suffer.
It would be rather hypocritical to beg God to heal and cure my friends and family while I live a life that perpetuates indifference and even hatred toward others.I may not be violent, but I surely am not following Jesus when it comes to loving my enemies.
Something seems wrong with "Dear God, please heal my wife." While I advocate sending kids off to a foreign land to kill and hurt the "enemy" and to be killed and injured by the "enemy." Does God only hear my prayers? I mean, does God hear my prayers for healing of a loved one while ignoring those who live opposite of my views? If God hears my prayers knowing my potential for evil, what would possess me to think that somehow God wouldn’t hear the prayer of those who differ from me? That is about the same mentality as, "Please God help my team win" while hoping the opponent’s quarterback gets creamed.If I am going to pray for a loved one, it would seem that God would expect me to pray with at least the same intensity for the healing of others. Too often I don’t. I wonder how that impacts God? Seriously, I wonder what God must think? "Dude, I know you love your wife, but how 'bout passing on some prayers for those you can't stand."
Perhaps that is a mark of my spiritual maturity? Praying with the same intensity for those I dislike as those I love. Passionately praying for those who I think are my enemies the same way Jesus instructed. If so, I am not all that mature.
I need to repent. I mean if I am going to use the Word and talk about repenting I ought to at least repent and turn toward the Love and believe the Good News. That is, that God loves us all the same. Even those I don't like.
But while I am begging God to heal those I know and love there are those with whom I differ who are begging God to heal those they love. Tonight as we pray for a friend to be healed from cancer there is a mother begging God to return her son or daughter home safely from a war or a dissident begging God to help end government oppression and abuse or some woman begging God to end the violence in her own home. If I am going to pray, then my prayer life ought to transform my world view and the way I live. My prayer life ought to not be only for my healing but the healing of the planet. Because, prayer really isn't all about me.
Lord in you mercy hear OUR prayer(s).
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