Posts
Sometimes we are too pious for our own good.
This is how you should believe, act how I act, and don't change how you witness.
That's not what Paul said.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." In verse 19 he said "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible". If only that was our mindset. He's not compromising the Gospel, he is being part of the culture, whether Jew or Gentile(verses 20-21). In v22 he says "to the weak I become weak, to win the weak. He is losing self for the good of the Gospel.
Why don't we do that? Or look down on those who do?
We should mimic his statement in verse 12, "on the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ."
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tozer On Tuesday
"Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly. We insist upon trying to modify Him and bring Him nearer to our own image."
A.W. Tozer
A.W. Tozer
Working Wood
You can see the woodworker through the dim rays of light that flood the old shop. You can smell the fragrance of the freshly cut wood. The woodworker's muscles ripple as he pulls the wood plane over the grain, shavings drifting to the floor. Sweat dribbles down his face as he shapes the wood for beauty and function. His hands are calloused from his work, and he smiles as he works.
Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. God is sovereign, and has prepared and planned the work we do, and are to do.
Do you think it is a coincidence that Jesus was a carpenter? Most people never take the time to see Him as a woodworker, until maybe they saw The Passion of Christ. Yet doesn't He use the sharp tools of trials and tribulations to shapen us? He uses our problems to round our corners. He handles us with loving care, knowing what the finished product will look like. We might have cracks that need repaired, or splinters that need sanded. Some are full of knots(insert joke here).
Like any woodworker, He takes his time. It's about His time, not the wood's. And it's about the finished product that we will be.
Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. God is sovereign, and has prepared and planned the work we do, and are to do.
Do you think it is a coincidence that Jesus was a carpenter? Most people never take the time to see Him as a woodworker, until maybe they saw The Passion of Christ. Yet doesn't He use the sharp tools of trials and tribulations to shapen us? He uses our problems to round our corners. He handles us with loving care, knowing what the finished product will look like. We might have cracks that need repaired, or splinters that need sanded. Some are full of knots(insert joke here).
Like any woodworker, He takes his time. It's about His time, not the wood's. And it's about the finished product that we will be.
Monday, March 29, 2010
One Pastor for 10,000 People
China (MNN) ― The church in China is booming, but it is in desperate need of pastors. China Partner reports that there are only about 3,700 ordained and assistant pastors in China for an estimated 40 million believers. That's over 10,000 people to each pastor.
Due to this serious need, China Partner has put much of its efforts into pastoral training. China Partner hosts Pastor Training Seminars in partnership with local Christian leaders to create a training program for the area. Classes such as Evangelism, Pastoral Care, Discipleship and Christian Leadership are then taught with the help of China Partner staff, two to three pastors and some professors.
Providing this training not only encourages growth within the Chinese church, but it also provides an opportunity for more to hear and respond to the message of Christ as pastors are formally trained.
Like anything else, this training takes funding. The cost of the training and the literature distributed to Christian leaders adds up.
China Partner is currently working to raise $25,000 for this training. Until May 31, any gift donated specifically to China Partner's Pastoral Training Seminars will be doubled. Basically, a gift of $100 will provide the ministry with $200, a gift of $500 will provide them with $1000, and so on.
The church in China is ready to train new pastors but is in need of the proper funds to do so. To help China Partner help the growing church in China, see www.chinapartner.org/giving .
Article copied from Mission Network News, www.mmnonline.org. Mission Network News is a mission news service dedicated to keeping Christians informed on evangelical mission activity around the world. In doing so we hope to educate and motivate Christians to prayer, participation, and support of missionary work to help further the Great Commission.
Due to this serious need, China Partner has put much of its efforts into pastoral training. China Partner hosts Pastor Training Seminars in partnership with local Christian leaders to create a training program for the area. Classes such as Evangelism, Pastoral Care, Discipleship and Christian Leadership are then taught with the help of China Partner staff, two to three pastors and some professors.
Providing this training not only encourages growth within the Chinese church, but it also provides an opportunity for more to hear and respond to the message of Christ as pastors are formally trained.
Like anything else, this training takes funding. The cost of the training and the literature distributed to Christian leaders adds up.
China Partner is currently working to raise $25,000 for this training. Until May 31, any gift donated specifically to China Partner's Pastoral Training Seminars will be doubled. Basically, a gift of $100 will provide the ministry with $200, a gift of $500 will provide them with $1000, and so on.
The church in China is ready to train new pastors but is in need of the proper funds to do so. To help China Partner help the growing church in China, see www.chinapartner.org/giving .
Article copied from Mission Network News, www.mmnonline.org. Mission Network News is a mission news service dedicated to keeping Christians informed on evangelical mission activity around the world. In doing so we hope to educate and motivate Christians to prayer, participation, and support of missionary work to help further the Great Commission.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday Song- Wait for Your Rain- Todd Agnew
I cannot believe I'm this dirty
I'm ashamed to even ask to be clean
'Cause I can't think of anyone less worthy
I have nothing to offer or to bring
I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait
I'm not even sure how I got here
Wondered to this darkness from Your light
I still remember walking in the garden with You
Now I'm just stumbling through this night
I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait
Chorus:
I wait for Your rain to fall
The waves of Your grace wash over me
I wait for Your rain to fall
Strange how forgiveness comes so easily
When I call Your name
And wait for Your rain
Lord, this desert is killing me
My throat's dry from screaming Your name
I want to come home but the sands of time surround me
The dirt's finally covered my shame
So I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
I'm ashamed to even ask to be clean
'Cause I can't think of anyone less worthy
I have nothing to offer or to bring
I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait
I'm not even sure how I got here
Wondered to this darkness from Your light
I still remember walking in the garden with You
Now I'm just stumbling through this night
I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait
Chorus:
I wait for Your rain to fall
The waves of Your grace wash over me
I wait for Your rain to fall
Strange how forgiveness comes so easily
When I call Your name
And wait for Your rain
Lord, this desert is killing me
My throat's dry from screaming Your name
I want to come home but the sands of time surround me
The dirt's finally covered my shame
So I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
Friday, March 26, 2010
Remember
"Remember when you got into the word and it wasn't because you had a sermon to prepare or you needed to learn some things or there were some doctrinal problems or you knew that to progress as a useful servant you had to continue on in the things of the word of God? Do you remember when you just got into the word because you wanted to hear something from God? You wanted to know something about Him. Do you remember when you just prayed because of Him? Is your heart burning for Him?"
"You may be as clean and precise and civilized and respectable in your reformed Christian life and not at all be pleasing to God."
Paul Washer
"You may be as clean and precise and civilized and respectable in your reformed Christian life and not at all be pleasing to God."
Paul Washer
God Lives Under the Bed
I'm not one for forwarding emails, like many people do. I did get one that I wanted to pass along though. Like little children we should come to Him.
GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED
"I envy Bill. My brother, Bill, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Bill's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Bill lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Bill realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Bill to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Bill shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Bill is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Bill knows how to relax.
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.
He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Bill is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.. Bill seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Bill has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Bill comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Bill won't be surprised at all!"
GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED
"I envy Bill. My brother, Bill, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Bill's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Bill lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Bill realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Bill to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Bill shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Bill is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Bill knows how to relax.
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.
He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Bill is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.. Bill seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Bill has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Bill comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Bill won't be surprised at all!"
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Book Review- Unquenchable Worshipper- Matt Redman
This review is of an older book(2001) I've just read again. The Unquenchable Worshipper is a book by Matt Redman, one of today's most respected worship leaders and songwriters. Some of Matt's most popular songs include "The Heart of Worship", "Better is One Day", and "Facedown".This is one of those small hardcover offerings that has become popular as of late.
The book is subtitled Coming Back to the Heart of Worship, a phrase from Matt's song Heart of Worship. The book is 122 pages, and the ten chapters each name different types of worshippers. Unquenchable. Undone. Undignified. Unpredictable. Unveiled. Unstoppable. Unnoticed. Undivided. Unsatisfied. Unending. I don't know about you, but each word speaks to my spirit without even reading the chapters.
Matt shares about how we should enter into God's presence for worship. He also talks about attitude in worship.
He shares stories about results from worship. One I really enjoyed was about a ministry trip to Norway. In the middle of worship he felt that he was supposed to sing Michael Jackson's pop hit "You are not Alone". He tells of fighting with himself as to whether he should sing a pop song in the middle of worship. After the concert, that pop song let him be able to share with a group of young people. they weren't Christians, but he says that Michael Jackson song was an entry point to them. As they were leaving, a girl came up in tears. She had come to the service in a terrible state, crying and asking God all the way why He had left her. She told Him he needed to show her that she was not alone. When Matt began singing, "You are not alone, I am here with you", she knew that was from God.
In the chapter Unstoppable Worhipper, Matt teaches on several famous martyrs. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Rachel Scott from Columbine and the stoning of Stephen are shown as examples of unstoppable worshippers. In Unveiled Worshipper, he talks about our countenance reflecting our worship.
Several endorsements are made on the cover, including those by Jack Hayford, Louie Giglio, and Darlene Zschech. I highly recommend this book as a way to look at each of our relationships with God, and how we truly worship.
The book is subtitled Coming Back to the Heart of Worship, a phrase from Matt's song Heart of Worship. The book is 122 pages, and the ten chapters each name different types of worshippers. Unquenchable. Undone. Undignified. Unpredictable. Unveiled. Unstoppable. Unnoticed. Undivided. Unsatisfied. Unending. I don't know about you, but each word speaks to my spirit without even reading the chapters.
Matt shares about how we should enter into God's presence for worship. He also talks about attitude in worship.
He shares stories about results from worship. One I really enjoyed was about a ministry trip to Norway. In the middle of worship he felt that he was supposed to sing Michael Jackson's pop hit "You are not Alone". He tells of fighting with himself as to whether he should sing a pop song in the middle of worship. After the concert, that pop song let him be able to share with a group of young people. they weren't Christians, but he says that Michael Jackson song was an entry point to them. As they were leaving, a girl came up in tears. She had come to the service in a terrible state, crying and asking God all the way why He had left her. She told Him he needed to show her that she was not alone. When Matt began singing, "You are not alone, I am here with you", she knew that was from God.
In the chapter Unstoppable Worhipper, Matt teaches on several famous martyrs. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Rachel Scott from Columbine and the stoning of Stephen are shown as examples of unstoppable worshippers. In Unveiled Worshipper, he talks about our countenance reflecting our worship.
Several endorsements are made on the cover, including those by Jack Hayford, Louie Giglio, and Darlene Zschech. I highly recommend this book as a way to look at each of our relationships with God, and how we truly worship.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Move On
His court was surprised when David, after Bathsheba's baby had died, cleaned up, ate and worshipped the Lord. He had acted like a mad man when the baby was sick, pacing, praying, not eating. They were afraid what would happen when the baby died.
But David had moved on. He had sinned, sinned greatly, but had repented in front of the Lord. The past was past.
What a concept that most of us miss. Move on. The past is past. Someone may have wronged you. Forgive them. Move on. You may have sinned, sinned greatly. Repent, then move on. Don't dwell on your or other's past mistakes. That's a trick straight from hell.
Move on.
Sometimes we get so upset because we think God has missed our plan that we are too busy to notice we missed God's plan.
But David had moved on. He had sinned, sinned greatly, but had repented in front of the Lord. The past was past.
What a concept that most of us miss. Move on. The past is past. Someone may have wronged you. Forgive them. Move on. You may have sinned, sinned greatly. Repent, then move on. Don't dwell on your or other's past mistakes. That's a trick straight from hell.
Move on.
Sometimes we get so upset because we think God has missed our plan that we are too busy to notice we missed God's plan.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Everything
Most of you may have seen this video, it's been viewed almost 9,000,000 times on Tangle or Godtube. If you've seen it, it's worth watching it again. If you've never seen it, you may need tissues.
My prayer is that maybe you know someone that could be that girl- someone who has walked away from God because of a relationship, the wrong people, drugs, or other things in their life. Somehow have them watch the video, and know that they can come back to His love and grace-
My prayer is that maybe you know someone that could be that girl- someone who has walked away from God because of a relationship, the wrong people, drugs, or other things in their life. Somehow have them watch the video, and know that they can come back to His love and grace-
Monday, March 22, 2010
Without Love
Do you know any Christians that can answer any biblical or theological question you have, but don't want to get involved with the little kids or the homeless? Long time Christians that know all about the scriptures regarding love, but don't or can't show love to anyone?
Do you know any resounding gongs or clanging cymbals? (NIV)
It's funny how God works. I had started this post a few days ago and never finished it. On Sunday I didn't go to my church, but another. The young pastor preached on chapters 12 and 13 in 1 Corithinians. He talked about how it's all about love, and that love always wins.
He also shared a point that I had heard before. Look at verses 4 through 8. Every time it says "love" or "it" referencing love, put your name in there. See if it describes you. So it would be..... Sam is patient, Sam is kind.......Linda does not envy, Linda does not boast............... A humbling exercise?
So if we know all about faith, it doesn't matter. Do we know the Word? Doesn't matter. Served God on a missions trip? None of this matters if we don't love. Love others, parents, siblings, neighbors, nobodys, strangers, poor.
And love extravagantly.
Do you know any resounding gongs or clanging cymbals? (NIV)
It's funny how God works. I had started this post a few days ago and never finished it. On Sunday I didn't go to my church, but another. The young pastor preached on chapters 12 and 13 in 1 Corithinians. He talked about how it's all about love, and that love always wins.
He also shared a point that I had heard before. Look at verses 4 through 8. Every time it says "love" or "it" referencing love, put your name in there. See if it describes you. So it would be..... Sam is patient, Sam is kind.......Linda does not envy, Linda does not boast............... A humbling exercise?
So if we know all about faith, it doesn't matter. Do we know the Word? Doesn't matter. Served God on a missions trip? None of this matters if we don't love. Love others, parents, siblings, neighbors, nobodys, strangers, poor.
And love extravagantly.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Saturday Song- Healing Rain- Michael W Smith
Healing Rain
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming nearer to this old town
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It's bringing mercy, it won't be long
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming closer to the lost and found
Tears of joy, and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus' name
Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain
Lift your heads, let us return
To the mercy seat where time began
And in your eyes, I see the pain
Come soak this dry heart with healing rain
And only You, the Son of man
Can take a leper and let him stand
So lift your hands, they can be held
By someone greater, the great I Am
Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain
To be washed in Heaven's rain...
Healing rain is falling down
Healing rain is falling down
I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid...
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming nearer to this old town
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It's bringing mercy, it won't be long
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming closer to the lost and found
Tears of joy, and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus' name
Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain
Lift your heads, let us return
To the mercy seat where time began
And in your eyes, I see the pain
Come soak this dry heart with healing rain
And only You, the Son of man
Can take a leper and let him stand
So lift your hands, they can be held
By someone greater, the great I Am
Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain
To be washed in Heaven's rain...
Healing rain is falling down
Healing rain is falling down
I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid...
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Turf Wars
A nation threatens another nation, saying it will be wiped off the face of the earth. A different nation wants to keep its money sovereign, even though it's committed to a group of other nations. A major power is thinking of building a long fence, to keep other people from coming in. In our country, two men spend hundreds of millions of dollars to try to become president. Everyone has their own little "turf", or kingdom, to keep and protect.
Larger than all these can imagine, is God's kingdom. Six times in Matthew 13 Jesus tells us what the kingdom of heaven is like. Like bad fish and weeds being separated and thrown away. Like yeast working its way through the dough. Selling out, giving up everything to possess. God tells us that His kingdom is attainable to all who believe. None of these man-made kingdoms can keep us from being part of God's kingdom. But there is one kingdom that can keep us out.
It's our kingdom, the kingdom of ourselves. If we want to be the king, if we want it to be about me, that can keep us out. If we spend our resources expanding or defending our turf, we have no time for Him. We are too busy with our own pursuits to pursue Him.
The band Mercy Me put this into words rather profoundly in "In A Blink of An Eye"-
You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe
Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom When I'm so wrapped up in mine.
How true. How can we further His kingdom when we're so wrapped up in ours. All the nations and kingdoms on this earth can't stand up to His. What kingdom do we want to be a part of? Whose kingdom will stand?
Larger than all these can imagine, is God's kingdom. Six times in Matthew 13 Jesus tells us what the kingdom of heaven is like. Like bad fish and weeds being separated and thrown away. Like yeast working its way through the dough. Selling out, giving up everything to possess. God tells us that His kingdom is attainable to all who believe. None of these man-made kingdoms can keep us from being part of God's kingdom. But there is one kingdom that can keep us out.
It's our kingdom, the kingdom of ourselves. If we want to be the king, if we want it to be about me, that can keep us out. If we spend our resources expanding or defending our turf, we have no time for Him. We are too busy with our own pursuits to pursue Him.
The band Mercy Me put this into words rather profoundly in "In A Blink of An Eye"-
You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe
Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom When I'm so wrapped up in mine.
How true. How can we further His kingdom when we're so wrapped up in ours. All the nations and kingdoms on this earth can't stand up to His. What kingdom do we want to be a part of? Whose kingdom will stand?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tozer on Tuesday
Let a man set his heart only on doing the will of God and he is instantly free. If we understand our first and sole duty to consist of loving God supremely and loving everyone, even our enemies, for God's dear sake, then we can enjoy spiritual tranquility under every circumstance.
A.W. Tozer
A.W. Tozer
We're Like Dogs
I loved to take walks with my Golden Retriever. We had to put her down a few months ago, 13 years old and failing. Up until the last year or two, she still acted like a pup. Sometimes we'd walk down our long lane, over the creek and through the woods. She loved this time with me, bounding ahead, then back to me. She had to check out every hole and rotten log, occasionally dashing off with a yip, only to return all wet from the creek.
Although she loved the time with me, her attention wandered and she got distracted. While I enjoyed watching her explore her world, I liked it best when she was by my side. When she was digging a hole or chasing a rabbit, she'd be too preoccupied to hear me call.
Isn't that how we are with God sometimes? We bounce off after this thing or that...careers, new "must-have' toys, hobbies. Jesus called these weeds. Rich Mullins sang that the stuff of earth competes for the allegiance we owe our King. We forget what the walk is about.
This walk is about drawing closer to Him. But many people's lives are too busy to walk with Him or hear His call. We need to hear His voice.
Although she loved the time with me, her attention wandered and she got distracted. While I enjoyed watching her explore her world, I liked it best when she was by my side. When she was digging a hole or chasing a rabbit, she'd be too preoccupied to hear me call.
Isn't that how we are with God sometimes? We bounce off after this thing or that...careers, new "must-have' toys, hobbies. Jesus called these weeds. Rich Mullins sang that the stuff of earth competes for the allegiance we owe our King. We forget what the walk is about.
This walk is about drawing closer to Him. But many people's lives are too busy to walk with Him or hear His call. We need to hear His voice.
Monday, March 15, 2010
With Christ
"Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ."
"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Wherever Again
I wrote a post about Dale, a former pastor, ministering and witnessing in a nursing home he is now a resident of here: www.asowersheart.com/2010/02/wherever
We need to tell and show the love of God wherever He puts us.
Andrea is a bubbly, joyful bundle of energy. She works in a hospital in housekeeping, cleaning the patients' rooms. Her smile is contagious, and she may adopt you as family. She laughs with you, and cries with you.
Housekeeping is her ministry, or more correctly, it's her avenue to ministry. God uses her in many different ways. He uses her to lighten moods, and to comfort in times of need. She can get into situations many of us can't. She can build up followers,and be a beacon of Hope (noun, not verb)to the hopeless.
God has put each of us in places or situations where we can be used of Him. We need to keep our eyes open, and pray each day that He will guide our steps.
We are each on the frontline.
We need to tell and show the love of God wherever He puts us.
Andrea is a bubbly, joyful bundle of energy. She works in a hospital in housekeeping, cleaning the patients' rooms. Her smile is contagious, and she may adopt you as family. She laughs with you, and cries with you.
Housekeeping is her ministry, or more correctly, it's her avenue to ministry. God uses her in many different ways. He uses her to lighten moods, and to comfort in times of need. She can get into situations many of us can't. She can build up followers,and be a beacon of Hope (noun, not verb)to the hopeless.
God has put each of us in places or situations where we can be used of Him. We need to keep our eyes open, and pray each day that He will guide our steps.
We are each on the frontline.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Saturday Song- I Saw What I Saw- Sara Groves
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
Something on the road, cut me to the soul
Your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
(what I am made of)
and what I know of love
we've done what we've done and we can't erase it
we are what we are and it's more than enough
we have what we have but it's no substitution
Something on the road, touched my very soul
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have and I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
Something on the road, changed my world
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
Something on the road, cut me to the soul
Your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
(what I am made of)
and what I know of love
we've done what we've done and we can't erase it
we are what we are and it's more than enough
we have what we have but it's no substitution
Something on the road, touched my very soul
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have and I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
Something on the road, changed my world
Friday, March 12, 2010
Pay the Price
"We honor the old prophets, we honor the Tozers and Spurgeons but we don't want to pay the price they paid, and they paid the price by being men who walked alone who lived with God and who loved his word."
"Most of you live your life on flimsy little songs, not upon the word of God."
Paul Washer
"Most of you live your life on flimsy little songs, not upon the word of God."
Paul Washer
What We Don't See
I know of an associate pastor at a church who is painfully shy. He's not much of a public speaker. Most would wonder how and why he was called to ministry.
But he has a heart for God. He is willing- willing to do whatever it takes to bring people to the Kingdom. He will serve any way he can. This man might not ever be a head pastor, but he has God and His church to serve. And his reward will be in heaven.
Isn't that like God? He uses people or things we would never think of to further His kingdom. Moses was slow of speech, but he talked for a nation. David was a lowly shepherd boy-Jesse was sure Samuel would pick one of the older, stronger sons to be king.
So when someone you think isn't presentable enough or isn't a great communicator wants to serve the Lord, don't dismiss them as not being good enough. Like the song says, when others saw a shepherd boy, God saw a king.
But he has a heart for God. He is willing- willing to do whatever it takes to bring people to the Kingdom. He will serve any way he can. This man might not ever be a head pastor, but he has God and His church to serve. And his reward will be in heaven.
Isn't that like God? He uses people or things we would never think of to further His kingdom. Moses was slow of speech, but he talked for a nation. David was a lowly shepherd boy-Jesse was sure Samuel would pick one of the older, stronger sons to be king.
So when someone you think isn't presentable enough or isn't a great communicator wants to serve the Lord, don't dismiss them as not being good enough. Like the song says, when others saw a shepherd boy, God saw a king.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Success
The Success You Covet- taken from the devotional God at Eventide
Follow the path of obedience. It leads to the Throne of God. Your treasure, be it success necessary on the material plane, which will further the work of My Kingdom, or the hidden spiritual wonders revealed by Me to those only who diligently seek, this treasure lies at the end of the track.
From one point (a promise of Mine or a Command) to the next, you have to follow, till finally you reach the success you covet.
All your work for the moment is in the material plane and the spiritual is only to help the material. When your material goal is reached then the material will serve only to attain the spiritual.
For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. Romans 16:19
Follow the path of obedience. It leads to the Throne of God. Your treasure, be it success necessary on the material plane, which will further the work of My Kingdom, or the hidden spiritual wonders revealed by Me to those only who diligently seek, this treasure lies at the end of the track.
From one point (a promise of Mine or a Command) to the next, you have to follow, till finally you reach the success you covet.
All your work for the moment is in the material plane and the spiritual is only to help the material. When your material goal is reached then the material will serve only to attain the spiritual.
For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. Romans 16:19
Bound to Come Some Trouble
As Rich Mullins so eloquently sang, there is bound to come some trouble in your life. Don't we know it. This life we have is not perfect, and God never said it would be. We each have our own trials to bear and obstacles to overcome.
James says in Chapter 1 that trials and testing develop perseverance, and perseverance leads to maturity and completion. Paul talked about boasting to the other churches about the Thessalonians faith in the persecutions they were facing. But we don't like to stay the course for too long, we want relief and answers now.
The fathers of our faith, from Abraham and Moses all through the Old Testament, faced trials of great odds. The disciples were jailed, beaten and all died martyr's deaths except John. Our Christ and King was beaten, persecuted and hung on a cross to wash away the terrible sins we have today. Shouldn't we expect valleys and disease and deaths?
Our trials can be heavy and hard, ripping at your heart and spirit. Know that God knows, and is there for you. I don't understand how people can go through some of life's situations without the Lord. Many would say we only need God because we're weak. I say right on to that; His power is made perfect in our weakness. When he's walked you through it, you will be more mature for it if you've leaned on Him. When you are on the other side of it, if you've trusted Him, you will be closer to what He wants you to be.
James says in Chapter 1 that trials and testing develop perseverance, and perseverance leads to maturity and completion. Paul talked about boasting to the other churches about the Thessalonians faith in the persecutions they were facing. But we don't like to stay the course for too long, we want relief and answers now.
The fathers of our faith, from Abraham and Moses all through the Old Testament, faced trials of great odds. The disciples were jailed, beaten and all died martyr's deaths except John. Our Christ and King was beaten, persecuted and hung on a cross to wash away the terrible sins we have today. Shouldn't we expect valleys and disease and deaths?
Our trials can be heavy and hard, ripping at your heart and spirit. Know that God knows, and is there for you. I don't understand how people can go through some of life's situations without the Lord. Many would say we only need God because we're weak. I say right on to that; His power is made perfect in our weakness. When he's walked you through it, you will be more mature for it if you've leaned on Him. When you are on the other side of it, if you've trusted Him, you will be closer to what He wants you to be.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Compassion
“Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.”
Francis Schaefer
Francis Schaefer
Monday, March 8, 2010
Weeds
Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions and beats us down destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength, before going out to face the world again. "The thoughtful soul to solitude retires," said the poet of other and quieter times; but where is the solitude to which we can retire today?
"Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still," is a wise and healing counsel; but how can it be followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the radio and television(and internet- added)? These modern playthings, like pet tiger cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to devour us all. What was intended to be a blessing has become a positive curse. No spot is now safe from the world's intrusion. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.
What the world will do about it is their problem. Apparently the masses want it the way it is, and the majority of Christians are so completely conformed to this present age that they, too, want things the way they are. They may be annoyed a bit by the clamor and by the goldfish-bowl existence they live, but apparently they are not annoyed enough to do anything about it.
A. W. Tozer
"Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still," is a wise and healing counsel; but how can it be followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the radio and television(and internet- added)? These modern playthings, like pet tiger cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to devour us all. What was intended to be a blessing has become a positive curse. No spot is now safe from the world's intrusion. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.
What the world will do about it is their problem. Apparently the masses want it the way it is, and the majority of Christians are so completely conformed to this present age that they, too, want things the way they are. They may be annoyed a bit by the clamor and by the goldfish-bowl existence they live, but apparently they are not annoyed enough to do anything about it.
A. W. Tozer
Jealous
Have you ever been jealous? Your boyfriend is spending alot of time with another "friend"? Your child would rather go to the movies with someone else. Your friend seems to have it all. Do you get jealous?
We serve a jealous God.
He wants your time. Does He need it? He has been before the beginning and will be for eternity. No, he doesn't need it.
He wants your talent. Does He need it?He has the greatest music ever with Him, and He has painted the greatest universes and the most magnificent mountains. No, He doesn't need it.
He wants your money. Does He need it? He created gold and silver, and owns not only the proverbial cattle but all those hills as well. No, He doesn't need it.
He wants you. He wants you to spend time with Him, use your talent for Him, and wants your obedience as much as your money. The God who made this world, who made the universe and all the stars, wants to spend time with you.
We serve a jealous God.
He wants your time. Does He need it? He has been before the beginning and will be for eternity. No, he doesn't need it.
He wants your talent. Does He need it?He has the greatest music ever with Him, and He has painted the greatest universes and the most magnificent mountains. No, He doesn't need it.
He wants your money. Does He need it? He created gold and silver, and owns not only the proverbial cattle but all those hills as well. No, He doesn't need it.
He wants you. He wants you to spend time with Him, use your talent for Him, and wants your obedience as much as your money. The God who made this world, who made the universe and all the stars, wants to spend time with you.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Saturday Song- How Can I Keep from Singing- Chris Tomlin
There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring
And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling
How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing
I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives
And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give
I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring
And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling
How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing
I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives
And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give
I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Make Me Clay
Author Phillip Keller, while visiting in Pakistan, read Jeremiah 18:2, which says, "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My Words to you." So he and a missionary went to a potter's house in that city. In his book A Layman Looks at the Lord's Prayer, he writes-
In sincerity and earnestness I asked the old master craftsman to show me every step in the creation of a masterpiece…. On his shelves were gleaming goblets, lovely vases, and exquisite bowls of breathtaking beauty.
Then, crooking a bony finger toward me, he led the way to a small, dark, closed shed at the back of his shop. When he opened its rickety door, a repulsive, overpowering stench of decaying matter engulfed me. For a moment I stepped back from the edge of the gaping dark pit in the floor of the shed. “This is where the work begins!” he said, kneeling down beside the black, nauseating hole. With his long, thin arm, he reached down into the darkness. His slim, skilled fingers felt around amid the lumpy clay, searching for a fragment of material exactly suited to his task.
“I add special kind of grass to the mud, “ he remarked. “As it rots and decays, its organic content increases the colloidal quality of the clay. Then it sticks together better.” Finally his knowing hands brought up a lump of dark mud from the horrible pit where the clay had been tramped and mixed for hours by his hard, bony feet.
With tremendous impact the first verses from Psalms 40 came to my heart. In a new and suddenly illuminating way I saw what the psalmist meant when he wrote long ago, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay.” As carefully as the potter selected his clay, so God used special care in choosing me….
The great slab of granite, carved from the rough rock of the high Hindu Kush mountains behind his home, whirled quietly. It was operated by a very crude, treadle-like device that was moved by his feet, very much like our antique sewing machines.
As the stone gathered momentum, I was taken in memory to Jeremiah 18:3. “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.”
But what stood out the most before my mind at this point was the fact that beside the potter’s stool, on either side of him, stood two basins of water. Not once did he touch the clay, now spinning swiftly at the center of the wheel, without first dipping his hands in the water. As he began to apply his delicate fingers and smooth palms to the mound of mud, it was always through the medium of the moisture of his hands. And it was fascinating to see how swiftly but surely the clay responded to the pressure applied to it through those moistened hands. Silently, smoothly, the form of a graceful goblet began to take shape beneath those hands. The water was the medium through which the master craftsman’s will and wishes were being transmitted to the clay. His will actually was being done in earth.
For me this was a most moving demonstration of the simple, yet mysterious truth that my Father’s will and wishes are expressed and transmitted to me through the water of His own Word….
Suddenly, as I watched, to my utter astonishment, I saw the stone stop. Why? I looked closely. The potter removed a small particle of grit from the goblet…. Then just as suddenly the stone stopped again. He removed another hard object….
Suddenly he stopped the stone again. He pointed disconsolately to a deep, ragged gouge that cut and scarred the goblet’s side. It was ruined beyond repair! In dismay he crushed it down beneath his hands….
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter” (Jer. 18:4). Seldom had any lesson come home to me with such tremendous clarity and force. Why was this rare and beautiful masterpiece ruined in the master’s hands? Because he had run into resistance. It was like a thunderclap of truth bursting into me!
Why is it my father’s will- His intention to turn out truly beautiful people- brought to nought again and again? Why, despite His best efforts and endless patience with human beings, do they end up a disaster? Simply because they resist His will.
The sobering, searching, searing question I had to ask myself in the humble surroundings of the simple potter’s shed was this: Am I going to be a piece of fine china or just a finger bowl? Is my life going to be a gorgeous goblet fit to hold the fine wine of God’s very life from which others can drink and be refreshed? Or am I going to be just a crude finger bowl in which passers-by will dabble their fingers briefly then pass on and forget about it? It was one of the most solemn moments in all of my spiritual experiences.
“Father, Thy will be done in earth (in clay), in me, as it is done in heaven.”
From Alone With God, by John Macarthur
In sincerity and earnestness I asked the old master craftsman to show me every step in the creation of a masterpiece…. On his shelves were gleaming goblets, lovely vases, and exquisite bowls of breathtaking beauty.
Then, crooking a bony finger toward me, he led the way to a small, dark, closed shed at the back of his shop. When he opened its rickety door, a repulsive, overpowering stench of decaying matter engulfed me. For a moment I stepped back from the edge of the gaping dark pit in the floor of the shed. “This is where the work begins!” he said, kneeling down beside the black, nauseating hole. With his long, thin arm, he reached down into the darkness. His slim, skilled fingers felt around amid the lumpy clay, searching for a fragment of material exactly suited to his task.
“I add special kind of grass to the mud, “ he remarked. “As it rots and decays, its organic content increases the colloidal quality of the clay. Then it sticks together better.” Finally his knowing hands brought up a lump of dark mud from the horrible pit where the clay had been tramped and mixed for hours by his hard, bony feet.
With tremendous impact the first verses from Psalms 40 came to my heart. In a new and suddenly illuminating way I saw what the psalmist meant when he wrote long ago, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay.” As carefully as the potter selected his clay, so God used special care in choosing me….
The great slab of granite, carved from the rough rock of the high Hindu Kush mountains behind his home, whirled quietly. It was operated by a very crude, treadle-like device that was moved by his feet, very much like our antique sewing machines.
As the stone gathered momentum, I was taken in memory to Jeremiah 18:3. “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.”
But what stood out the most before my mind at this point was the fact that beside the potter’s stool, on either side of him, stood two basins of water. Not once did he touch the clay, now spinning swiftly at the center of the wheel, without first dipping his hands in the water. As he began to apply his delicate fingers and smooth palms to the mound of mud, it was always through the medium of the moisture of his hands. And it was fascinating to see how swiftly but surely the clay responded to the pressure applied to it through those moistened hands. Silently, smoothly, the form of a graceful goblet began to take shape beneath those hands. The water was the medium through which the master craftsman’s will and wishes were being transmitted to the clay. His will actually was being done in earth.
For me this was a most moving demonstration of the simple, yet mysterious truth that my Father’s will and wishes are expressed and transmitted to me through the water of His own Word….
Suddenly, as I watched, to my utter astonishment, I saw the stone stop. Why? I looked closely. The potter removed a small particle of grit from the goblet…. Then just as suddenly the stone stopped again. He removed another hard object….
Suddenly he stopped the stone again. He pointed disconsolately to a deep, ragged gouge that cut and scarred the goblet’s side. It was ruined beyond repair! In dismay he crushed it down beneath his hands….
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter” (Jer. 18:4). Seldom had any lesson come home to me with such tremendous clarity and force. Why was this rare and beautiful masterpiece ruined in the master’s hands? Because he had run into resistance. It was like a thunderclap of truth bursting into me!
Why is it my father’s will- His intention to turn out truly beautiful people- brought to nought again and again? Why, despite His best efforts and endless patience with human beings, do they end up a disaster? Simply because they resist His will.
The sobering, searching, searing question I had to ask myself in the humble surroundings of the simple potter’s shed was this: Am I going to be a piece of fine china or just a finger bowl? Is my life going to be a gorgeous goblet fit to hold the fine wine of God’s very life from which others can drink and be refreshed? Or am I going to be just a crude finger bowl in which passers-by will dabble their fingers briefly then pass on and forget about it? It was one of the most solemn moments in all of my spiritual experiences.
“Father, Thy will be done in earth (in clay), in me, as it is done in heaven.”
From Alone With God, by John Macarthur
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Love More
We need to love more. This isn't about loving your friends and family more(but we should) , or loving the weak and "least of these" more(but we should). It's not even about loving our enemies more.
Is there someone at your work that you just can't stand? They think they are always right, and never have anything good to say about anyone or anything. Or maybe they get along with others but they don't like you.
Maybe there is a friend or acquaintance that has everything always go their way, and they flaunt it in front of everyone else. Or someone at church that you feel in self-centered, or who just rubs you the wrong way.
We have forgotten, in society and in the church, what empathy is. We forget to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, to maybe look at them how God must look at them.....and at us.
When God says love your neighbor as yourself, he means the neighbor you fight with about noise and property lines; not just the ones you barbecue with. He says in His Word that anyone can love those who love them. We need to love the ones that might not be so lovable.
We need to love the ones that might not be so lovable.
Spread some love this week. Spread it to someone who doesn't like you; or someone you don't like. A person at work, or at church, a relative or that mean clerk at the store.
Love the unlovable.
Is there someone at your work that you just can't stand? They think they are always right, and never have anything good to say about anyone or anything. Or maybe they get along with others but they don't like you.
Maybe there is a friend or acquaintance that has everything always go their way, and they flaunt it in front of everyone else. Or someone at church that you feel in self-centered, or who just rubs you the wrong way.
We have forgotten, in society and in the church, what empathy is. We forget to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, to maybe look at them how God must look at them.....and at us.
When God says love your neighbor as yourself, he means the neighbor you fight with about noise and property lines; not just the ones you barbecue with. He says in His Word that anyone can love those who love them. We need to love the ones that might not be so lovable.
We need to love the ones that might not be so lovable.
Spread some love this week. Spread it to someone who doesn't like you; or someone you don't like. A person at work, or at church, a relative or that mean clerk at the store.
Love the unlovable.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
House Burned Down
My cousin's house burned down yesterday. All the way to the ground. They didn't have time to get one item out. No one was hurt.
I can't imagine having the security of my home denied me. My home is, like any other's, a place to decompress and find solitude when I need it. A retreat from life.
He had built his home 30 years ago with the help of others. It was built behind his parent's house, where he had lived all his life. He purchased the land from our aunt. Ten years ago his parents, my aunt and uncle, got divorced after 50 years of marriage. They were in their late 70s. They sold that house in front, the one he had been raised in. When my uncle died a few years ago, some of his kids didn't speak to each other or their mom at the funeral. Now, after all that, his home is gone.
Oh, and by the way, his wife has been fighting cancer for the last two years. Talk about a Job-like story.
We are so spoiled to be devastated when our perfect lives don't go our way. Our 401k tanks, we don't get a promotion, and we may even be off work for a while. Most of us have blinders on to other people and their problems. How can we ever start to minister when we don't know what empathy even means?
But what do you say when someone is hurting like this? If someone has lost a child or spouse, or been told they have cancer. Or had their family destroyed, and their house burned down. Do they want to hear how much God loves them? Should then be the time to remind them that God has a plan for their life?
Now is the time only to love and to act. Talk can come later, when it can be soaked in. All those things should be shared, but only when they are ready to receive.
Many Christians feel that the only witness they need to be is how they live their lives. I disagree most of the time, feeling that they need to share the story of why they live like that and Whom they are living for. But I do think this is a time or situation for no talk, and more action. And more prayer.
Prayer is the least used weapon in a Christian's arsenal, even though it's the most powerful.
Please pray for my cousin.
And remember, Christian is a verb.
I can't imagine having the security of my home denied me. My home is, like any other's, a place to decompress and find solitude when I need it. A retreat from life.
He had built his home 30 years ago with the help of others. It was built behind his parent's house, where he had lived all his life. He purchased the land from our aunt. Ten years ago his parents, my aunt and uncle, got divorced after 50 years of marriage. They were in their late 70s. They sold that house in front, the one he had been raised in. When my uncle died a few years ago, some of his kids didn't speak to each other or their mom at the funeral. Now, after all that, his home is gone.
Oh, and by the way, his wife has been fighting cancer for the last two years. Talk about a Job-like story.
We are so spoiled to be devastated when our perfect lives don't go our way. Our 401k tanks, we don't get a promotion, and we may even be off work for a while. Most of us have blinders on to other people and their problems. How can we ever start to minister when we don't know what empathy even means?
But what do you say when someone is hurting like this? If someone has lost a child or spouse, or been told they have cancer. Or had their family destroyed, and their house burned down. Do they want to hear how much God loves them? Should then be the time to remind them that God has a plan for their life?
Now is the time only to love and to act. Talk can come later, when it can be soaked in. All those things should be shared, but only when they are ready to receive.
Many Christians feel that the only witness they need to be is how they live their lives. I disagree most of the time, feeling that they need to share the story of why they live like that and Whom they are living for. But I do think this is a time or situation for no talk, and more action. And more prayer.
Prayer is the least used weapon in a Christian's arsenal, even though it's the most powerful.
Please pray for my cousin.
And remember, Christian is a verb.
Monday, March 1, 2010
With Christ
"Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ."
"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
O Ye of Little Faith
"O Ye of Little Faith". Jesus used this phrase several times, for the Pharisees, for the people, even for the disciples. It was a rebuke for what He saw was lacking. Did 'little faith" mean at least they had some? Interesting thought.
George Muller was a man who had much faith. Muller had five orphanages in Bristol in the UK in the 1800s. The number of children under the care of him and his wife grew from 30 to over 2,000. Muller built these five homes, costing over 100,000 British pounds even back then(5.8 million British pounds today), without ever asking for financial support or going into debt. Many times he received unsolicited food just hours or minutes before they needed to feed the children. Muller prayed, faith believing, that God would provide.
Just think, building a church, or an orphanage, or going on a missions trip, without asking for money or going into debt. Where are the men and women of Muller's faith today? Imagine a principle of seeking money and provision through prayer instead of fund-raising. Do we have that kind of faith?
Mullers's diaries show that life was hard at times, and he had to learn to be persistent, and felt that God had given him a task to demonstrate the faithfulness of God in prayer. His diaries stated he had documented proof of 50,000 answered prayers, many answered within 24 hours.
Don't we look like those of "little faith" compared to Muller? We need persistence, we need to ask boldly and believe. But we need to keep knocking.
Muller's diaries stated that "without the trust in God through Jesus Christ and in His provision in answer to prayer, our activity will be ill founded. The ways in which we do things may change but this godly pattern remains unchanged. "
George Muller was a man who had much faith. Muller had five orphanages in Bristol in the UK in the 1800s. The number of children under the care of him and his wife grew from 30 to over 2,000. Muller built these five homes, costing over 100,000 British pounds even back then(5.8 million British pounds today), without ever asking for financial support or going into debt. Many times he received unsolicited food just hours or minutes before they needed to feed the children. Muller prayed, faith believing, that God would provide.
Just think, building a church, or an orphanage, or going on a missions trip, without asking for money or going into debt. Where are the men and women of Muller's faith today? Imagine a principle of seeking money and provision through prayer instead of fund-raising. Do we have that kind of faith?
Mullers's diaries show that life was hard at times, and he had to learn to be persistent, and felt that God had given him a task to demonstrate the faithfulness of God in prayer. His diaries stated he had documented proof of 50,000 answered prayers, many answered within 24 hours.
Don't we look like those of "little faith" compared to Muller? We need persistence, we need to ask boldly and believe. But we need to keep knocking.
Muller's diaries stated that "without the trust in God through Jesus Christ and in His provision in answer to prayer, our activity will be ill founded. The ways in which we do things may change but this godly pattern remains unchanged. "
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)