Daily Java: Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:6 NIV)
Someone once said, do not open a house of prostitution with a prayer. Don’t argue religion with a drunk. Don’t discuss politics with a guy with a gun.
There are times and places for stuff and times and places when the stuff is absolutely out of place.
Don’t get into a discussion on diets at the buffet. Don’t argue religion with your parents. Don’t get in loud discussions in a movie theatres. You know, like the Turtles sang and Ecclesiastes said, there is a time and purpose for everything.
Jesus knew this. When he stood before king Herod at his trial, he said nothing. Even though in the gospel of Luke it says that Herod hoped to see him perform some miracle, Jesus did nothing. It made Herod mad enough that they ridiculed and mocked him. But Jesus knew that all Herod wanted to do was make fun of it.
Jesus knew that there are places and times for miracles and places and times to not have them. It would have done no good. Herod had decided not to believe in Jesus. He just wanted a magic show. Jesus didn’t do magic shows or tricks.
Sometimes it is useless to argue. Proverbs says to not answer a fool according to his folly. Just be quiet. That’s what Jesus did. He stood silent. He knew it was useless to even argue.
You’re not going to give your diamond earrings to your dog to play with and eat. You’re not going to throw your pearl necklace to pigs and let them stomp all over it.
And you’re not going to want to deface the gospel of Jesus Christ by trying to explain it to people who want only to make fun of what you believe. God will explain it to them one day. And they will believe it then.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
daily java
Daily Java: However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.- Acts 20:24.
I wrote on my Facebook page this week that it was easier to turn 60 than to stay 60. And that I didn’t really want to be 61.
By that I meant that I find it a surprise that I am at this age so early. I was not ready to leave my youth.
For one thing, I was not through with what I was doing.
People are retiring at this age and I am just beginning in this denomination. And I feel it.
What was surprising was the posts by others that followed. One fellow said that I was an inspiration and that I gave hope to him.
Another said, “ I'm sure John will pastor until he has fought the good fight & finished the course! Proud to know you brother!”
And then when I went to do the Scripture of the Day on the church’s Facebook page, there was Acts 20:24.
It was like the quiet voice of God saying the same thing that one of the posters on Facebook said to me.
And I needed it pretty badly.
It is funny how the Lord comes through with the message when you need it, to let you know, in a quiet way, that you are going right.
No great voices from heaven, no angels with flaming swords and flaming scrolls from heaven. Just a quiet scripture “randomly selected” by the Bible Gateway people.
Just the comfort I needed.
When it comes down to it, every pastor wants nothing more than to testify of the gospel of God’s grace. Out of all the pastors I have known in my 36 years of ministry, I have only known maybe 2 or 3 that I could truly say that they were in it for something other than what that scripture says.
All of the others were driven by the knowledge of the grace of God and the mandate of preaching the word.
As the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16, Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
It is our life, our mission, our mandate, our very existence. And we pray that we are not taken until we have done so adequately.
Praise God for his selection of me, as weak and frail and full of sin as I am.
I wrote on my Facebook page this week that it was easier to turn 60 than to stay 60. And that I didn’t really want to be 61.
By that I meant that I find it a surprise that I am at this age so early. I was not ready to leave my youth.
For one thing, I was not through with what I was doing.
People are retiring at this age and I am just beginning in this denomination. And I feel it.
What was surprising was the posts by others that followed. One fellow said that I was an inspiration and that I gave hope to him.
Another said, “ I'm sure John will pastor until he has fought the good fight & finished the course! Proud to know you brother!”
And then when I went to do the Scripture of the Day on the church’s Facebook page, there was Acts 20:24.
It was like the quiet voice of God saying the same thing that one of the posters on Facebook said to me.
And I needed it pretty badly.
It is funny how the Lord comes through with the message when you need it, to let you know, in a quiet way, that you are going right.
No great voices from heaven, no angels with flaming swords and flaming scrolls from heaven. Just a quiet scripture “randomly selected” by the Bible Gateway people.
Just the comfort I needed.
When it comes down to it, every pastor wants nothing more than to testify of the gospel of God’s grace. Out of all the pastors I have known in my 36 years of ministry, I have only known maybe 2 or 3 that I could truly say that they were in it for something other than what that scripture says.
All of the others were driven by the knowledge of the grace of God and the mandate of preaching the word.
As the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16, Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
It is our life, our mission, our mandate, our very existence. And we pray that we are not taken until we have done so adequately.
Praise God for his selection of me, as weak and frail and full of sin as I am.
cataract surgery
Ella had her cataract surgery this week and two things occurred to me.
First is the speed with which a surgical procedure was done that only a few years ago was a major procedure.
She went in at 7:30 and was out at 9:15. They chopped on her eye and put in a new lens and all that stuff and it took less than 2 hours. Astonishing. And she can already see a lot better than before.
In the old days, you would be flat on your back for a week at least and then have to wear those coke bottle bottom glasses. Ella’s dad had one of the newer style (in the 70’s, at least) that wrapped around a little. But you knew that those people had had cataract surgery.
Not now. She isn’t supposed to lift anything heavy and can’t bend over or stuff like that for a couple of weeks. But still, amazing.
The second thing was a wheelchair I used to carry her to the Omega Surgical Center (impressive, isn’t it?). It was an uncomfortable piece of junk that had, of all things, a brake on the handle like the ones on newer lawnmowers.
You know, the one that you always have to wire or duct tape closed so you can mow without all that hassle.
The wheelchair was not only ignorant and stupid looking, it was also uncomfortable, hard to get into and out of, and very inconvenient. We have come to know wheelchairs in the past few years, and this one was dumb.
It is not as if wheelchairs go out of control and people smash into walls and run over others’ feet, causing amputations and such.
It was a foolish and useless safety device that somebody paid a fat lot of money for.
As I tried to push her in it, it made it hard to get through some of the doors since you had to hold the handle closed. I thought about our “safety-conscious” world.
People are scared to death of everything. And do you know why?
Because God is not in their lives. Without God in your life, you are scared of everything and you will buy anything you think will keep you safe.
And of course, there are people to sell the stuff.
With God, there is confidence, and a spirit not of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).
She has such beautiful eyes. I am grateful to the doctors and the technology.
First is the speed with which a surgical procedure was done that only a few years ago was a major procedure.
She went in at 7:30 and was out at 9:15. They chopped on her eye and put in a new lens and all that stuff and it took less than 2 hours. Astonishing. And she can already see a lot better than before.
In the old days, you would be flat on your back for a week at least and then have to wear those coke bottle bottom glasses. Ella’s dad had one of the newer style (in the 70’s, at least) that wrapped around a little. But you knew that those people had had cataract surgery.
Not now. She isn’t supposed to lift anything heavy and can’t bend over or stuff like that for a couple of weeks. But still, amazing.
The second thing was a wheelchair I used to carry her to the Omega Surgical Center (impressive, isn’t it?). It was an uncomfortable piece of junk that had, of all things, a brake on the handle like the ones on newer lawnmowers.
You know, the one that you always have to wire or duct tape closed so you can mow without all that hassle.
The wheelchair was not only ignorant and stupid looking, it was also uncomfortable, hard to get into and out of, and very inconvenient. We have come to know wheelchairs in the past few years, and this one was dumb.
It is not as if wheelchairs go out of control and people smash into walls and run over others’ feet, causing amputations and such.
It was a foolish and useless safety device that somebody paid a fat lot of money for.
As I tried to push her in it, it made it hard to get through some of the doors since you had to hold the handle closed. I thought about our “safety-conscious” world.
People are scared to death of everything. And do you know why?
Because God is not in their lives. Without God in your life, you are scared of everything and you will buy anything you think will keep you safe.
And of course, there are people to sell the stuff.
With God, there is confidence, and a spirit not of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).
She has such beautiful eyes. I am grateful to the doctors and the technology.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
give to him who asks you
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42 NIV)
What do you do when a bum asks you for some cash. Give it to him or ignore him?
The world ignores him, treats him like a sidewalk stain or worse yet, doesn’t see him. And sometimes he will starve out in plain sight.
Of course, that is what the world does. It doesn’t care. After all, it thinks abortion is a remedy for society’s ills. It would just as soon the guy died and left them alone.
What would Jesus do? That old saying is still true. Jesus says what he would do in this verse. He would give it to them.
But wait! You say. They are bums. And winos and stuff. They will take the money and spend it on alcohol or drugs or something. And that may be true.
But what does Jesus say? Give it them if they can show an affidavit that they spent the money on food or clothing or scientific equipment? Did he put any qualifications on it?
He did not. He said give it.
But that is against human nature, you say. And it is. However, Jesus came to cause us to triumph over human nature. We have to rise above what we would do naturally and do what he wants.
And what Jesus wants is generosity. He wants his people to be known as generous people, who love others and want to help.
What the bum does with it is between him and God. After all, you gave it to God, not to that guy.
So what you do with your money is between you and God, too. Just don’t be stingy. Be generous.
What do you do when a bum asks you for some cash. Give it to him or ignore him?
The world ignores him, treats him like a sidewalk stain or worse yet, doesn’t see him. And sometimes he will starve out in plain sight.
Of course, that is what the world does. It doesn’t care. After all, it thinks abortion is a remedy for society’s ills. It would just as soon the guy died and left them alone.
What would Jesus do? That old saying is still true. Jesus says what he would do in this verse. He would give it to them.
But wait! You say. They are bums. And winos and stuff. They will take the money and spend it on alcohol or drugs or something. And that may be true.
But what does Jesus say? Give it them if they can show an affidavit that they spent the money on food or clothing or scientific equipment? Did he put any qualifications on it?
He did not. He said give it.
But that is against human nature, you say. And it is. However, Jesus came to cause us to triumph over human nature. We have to rise above what we would do naturally and do what he wants.
And what Jesus wants is generosity. He wants his people to be known as generous people, who love others and want to help.
What the bum does with it is between him and God. After all, you gave it to God, not to that guy.
So what you do with your money is between you and God, too. Just don’t be stingy. Be generous.
daily java
Daily Java: My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19).
Most problems in a church go back to being too quick to talk and too slow to listen. If we were quicker to listen, we wouldn’t get in so much trouble. Nothing is worse than a quick tongue and it is hard to take back words said carelessly. And little damages the kingdom more.
I guess that has been one of the biggest problems in my own life. About the time I think I have it under control, I will say something goofy. While I wish I could bring it back, I can’t.
I have gotten better as I have gotten older, but I still cannot seem to get rid of it. It is, to me, a thorn in the flesh.
Add to that the fact that I can say things that are truly off the wall, and usually do it during stress periods, it just makes it worse. As I told someone the other day, it was only the fact that I was as big as I am that saved me when I was younger.
It is something I hate, but it is true. It is, as James says in another place, easier to control anything in the world more than your tongue.
I don’t get angry like I used to. That is good, but of course, the apostle Paul said to take heed when you stand, lest you fall. So nothing to brag about.
But the quick speaking I hate. May God give me strength.
Most problems in a church go back to being too quick to talk and too slow to listen. If we were quicker to listen, we wouldn’t get in so much trouble. Nothing is worse than a quick tongue and it is hard to take back words said carelessly. And little damages the kingdom more.
I guess that has been one of the biggest problems in my own life. About the time I think I have it under control, I will say something goofy. While I wish I could bring it back, I can’t.
I have gotten better as I have gotten older, but I still cannot seem to get rid of it. It is, to me, a thorn in the flesh.
Add to that the fact that I can say things that are truly off the wall, and usually do it during stress periods, it just makes it worse. As I told someone the other day, it was only the fact that I was as big as I am that saved me when I was younger.
It is something I hate, but it is true. It is, as James says in another place, easier to control anything in the world more than your tongue.
I don’t get angry like I used to. That is good, but of course, the apostle Paul said to take heed when you stand, lest you fall. So nothing to brag about.
But the quick speaking I hate. May God give me strength.
Monday, May 24, 2010
giving an offering with a good heart
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24 NIV)
You had the argument of a lifetime and you are mad. Maybe it was with your wife, maybe your neighbor, maybe someone else. Now it is Sunday and time for church. Not only that, but it is communion Sunday.
You are going to go to church and try your best to pretend that you are the little lamb of God full of love and brotherhood.
But you are not. You are full of rage and anger and resentment and you are mad at your brother, or your sister, or your wife, or that stupid idiot who lets his stupid dog poop on your lawn every stupid day. And you told him just last Friday just what you thought.
Now you are facing public affirmation of your faith in God and your love for others.
And if they give a medal for hypocrisy, you would get a big fat gold one, with ribbons. And a dinner. With dessert.
Would Jesus have done that? On the cross he said, “Father forgive them, for they do not understand what they are doing.” Now there was a real attitude of forgiveness. When he comes to take communion in the new kingdom, he can do it fine.
You, on the other hand, need to forgive. Your brother, your sister, that stupid idiot. Forgive them. Even if they don’t ask. Jesus told you to do it, he didn’t tell them to ask.
Wait for communion. It will be there until Jesus comes again. And make peace with those you are angry with.
Then and only then will you be able to truly commune with God and with others.
You had the argument of a lifetime and you are mad. Maybe it was with your wife, maybe your neighbor, maybe someone else. Now it is Sunday and time for church. Not only that, but it is communion Sunday.
You are going to go to church and try your best to pretend that you are the little lamb of God full of love and brotherhood.
But you are not. You are full of rage and anger and resentment and you are mad at your brother, or your sister, or your wife, or that stupid idiot who lets his stupid dog poop on your lawn every stupid day. And you told him just last Friday just what you thought.
Now you are facing public affirmation of your faith in God and your love for others.
And if they give a medal for hypocrisy, you would get a big fat gold one, with ribbons. And a dinner. With dessert.
Would Jesus have done that? On the cross he said, “Father forgive them, for they do not understand what they are doing.” Now there was a real attitude of forgiveness. When he comes to take communion in the new kingdom, he can do it fine.
You, on the other hand, need to forgive. Your brother, your sister, that stupid idiot. Forgive them. Even if they don’t ask. Jesus told you to do it, he didn’t tell them to ask.
Wait for communion. It will be there until Jesus comes again. And make peace with those you are angry with.
Then and only then will you be able to truly commune with God and with others.
daily java
Daily Java: Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)
Loving each other should be the mark of the church. It should be a place where people go to know that they will be accepted and loved.
I suppose the problem is that we feel the most ill at ease and the most judged at church. It really isn’t any wonder why people don’t want to go.
Church should be the place to get comfort and love, to get acceptance and sympathy for problems.
But it isn’t.
This is not to say that you can go to church and do anything you want to do and never have to worry about someone telling you that you are wrong. That's foolish.
But neither should you have to go and be constantly worried that people will find yet another fault with you.
Griping churches never grow, because no one wants to associate with a group of people who are constantly looking for faults.
When a church is constantly looking for faults, constantly trying to impose their will on others, continually complaining, that church will never grow, no matter who much lip service it may give to wanting to grow.
We can make church into a refuge if we will learn to honor each other and accept each other in spite of our faults.
That is the way the Lord wanted it. He never wanted a fault-finding institution.
People get enough of that in the world without having to come to church to get it too.
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35)
Loving each other should be the mark of the church. It should be a place where people go to know that they will be accepted and loved.
I suppose the problem is that we feel the most ill at ease and the most judged at church. It really isn’t any wonder why people don’t want to go.
Church should be the place to get comfort and love, to get acceptance and sympathy for problems.
But it isn’t.
This is not to say that you can go to church and do anything you want to do and never have to worry about someone telling you that you are wrong. That's foolish.
But neither should you have to go and be constantly worried that people will find yet another fault with you.
Griping churches never grow, because no one wants to associate with a group of people who are constantly looking for faults.
When a church is constantly looking for faults, constantly trying to impose their will on others, continually complaining, that church will never grow, no matter who much lip service it may give to wanting to grow.
We can make church into a refuge if we will learn to honor each other and accept each other in spite of our faults.
That is the way the Lord wanted it. He never wanted a fault-finding institution.
People get enough of that in the world without having to come to church to get it too.
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
the call of music
I recently watched a documentary about Jimi Hendrix. Whether you liked his music or not, and I did, you have to admit that he was a musician that pushed the boundaries of music.
It was this young man, only 28 at the time of his death, who brought about much of the kind of music we listen to today. Even in praise and worship bands, the influence of his style of music is common.
If you listen much to Christian radio this influence on modern Christian music is strong. In fact, it is hard to find a place where that influence is unknown.
However, unless all reports are false, he died outside of Jesus. His life was one of drug and alcohol abuse. And not only him, but the music industry is full of people who were like this. Tremendously talented, yet they burned themselves out by hard living, drugs, alcohol.
Why is this? Why would such talented people with all the world to live for die like this?
It is because music is a call from God, a gift. When one answers that call in God, that person is happy. It’s not that nothing bad happens, it is that they fulfill themselves in a way that no one outside of Jesus can.
Outside of Jesus, the music is nothing but self-gratification. Inside of Jesus, it is a response to the One who gave it to you.
Why else have we seen musician after musician over the years die from overdoses, suicide, just plain hard living?
Music in and of itself is not enough. It has to be in response to that call from God. Nothing in this world is greater than praising God anyway; and praising him with your instrument is wonderful.
It is no wonder that the psalmist kept on entreating people to praise God with instruments, drums, voices, everything within one’s power to use.
Listening to Jimi play is amazing. His style and sound is immediately identifiable. But it has been almost 40 years since he died of a barbiturate overdose. What would have happened if he had answered that call of God in his music?
What an amazing thought. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
It was this young man, only 28 at the time of his death, who brought about much of the kind of music we listen to today. Even in praise and worship bands, the influence of his style of music is common.
If you listen much to Christian radio this influence on modern Christian music is strong. In fact, it is hard to find a place where that influence is unknown.
However, unless all reports are false, he died outside of Jesus. His life was one of drug and alcohol abuse. And not only him, but the music industry is full of people who were like this. Tremendously talented, yet they burned themselves out by hard living, drugs, alcohol.
Why is this? Why would such talented people with all the world to live for die like this?
It is because music is a call from God, a gift. When one answers that call in God, that person is happy. It’s not that nothing bad happens, it is that they fulfill themselves in a way that no one outside of Jesus can.
Outside of Jesus, the music is nothing but self-gratification. Inside of Jesus, it is a response to the One who gave it to you.
Why else have we seen musician after musician over the years die from overdoses, suicide, just plain hard living?
Music in and of itself is not enough. It has to be in response to that call from God. Nothing in this world is greater than praising God anyway; and praising him with your instrument is wonderful.
It is no wonder that the psalmist kept on entreating people to praise God with instruments, drums, voices, everything within one’s power to use.
Listening to Jimi play is amazing. His style and sound is immediately identifiable. But it has been almost 40 years since he died of a barbiturate overdose. What would have happened if he had answered that call of God in his music?
What an amazing thought. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
daily java
Daily Java: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13).
As Christians, we have phenomenal freedom.
The only law is that of love (Matthew 22:36-39), and the works are those of faith (John 6:29).
But we do not have the right to do whatever we want. Freedom is limited by our desire to serve God with our whole hearts. It is tempered by our love for others.
In the kingdom of God, nothing is wrong in and of itself. You figure, if God made it, there is a reason for its being here.
It is the misuse of something that makes it wrong. And it becomes wrong if, by your doing something, you cause someone to sin.
If someone feels something is wrong and you force it on them anyway, then it becomes wrong.
But, if they feel it is wrong and you acknowledge that in their presence, it doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it always.
The things God made are not bad. Or God would not have made them.
God did not make only the things we like and then sit aside while the devil made the rest. That isn’t even logical.
Paul said that the kingdom is not in food or drink, but in power. In other words, arguing over stuff is worthless. There is no power in argument, or forcing your will on some one else.
Therein lies legalism and Paul says legalism cannot save you.
As I have said before, we are not saved by what we do, we are saved by who we are.
More later.
As Christians, we have phenomenal freedom.
The only law is that of love (Matthew 22:36-39), and the works are those of faith (John 6:29).
But we do not have the right to do whatever we want. Freedom is limited by our desire to serve God with our whole hearts. It is tempered by our love for others.
In the kingdom of God, nothing is wrong in and of itself. You figure, if God made it, there is a reason for its being here.
It is the misuse of something that makes it wrong. And it becomes wrong if, by your doing something, you cause someone to sin.
If someone feels something is wrong and you force it on them anyway, then it becomes wrong.
But, if they feel it is wrong and you acknowledge that in their presence, it doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it always.
The things God made are not bad. Or God would not have made them.
God did not make only the things we like and then sit aside while the devil made the rest. That isn’t even logical.
Paul said that the kingdom is not in food or drink, but in power. In other words, arguing over stuff is worthless. There is no power in argument, or forcing your will on some one else.
Therein lies legalism and Paul says legalism cannot save you.
As I have said before, we are not saved by what we do, we are saved by who we are.
More later.
Friday, May 21, 2010
forgiving yourself pt 2
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Philippians 3:12-15)
Forgetting the past is so hard. It is hard to forget not only the good but the bad. There are things that you have done that you would give an arm to change. But you can’t.
What you did in the past may have been incredibly stupid and cost you dearly, but it is in the past. It is gone.
You can’t change it; you can’t make it any better or worse.
And to sit around the rest of your life bemoaning that mistake does no one any good, least of all you. You have to let it go and put it behind you.
You can’t do anything to change it. All you can do is let it go and go on from here.
That is hard, incredibly hard. How many people have you known who have let a past mistake or illness stop them in their tracks, and have dwelt on it for the rest of their lives?
That wastes the life God gave us to use in service to him.
King David took a woman he wanted and had her husband killed. Yet he asked forgiveness and became a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). He didn’t dwell on it excpet to remember how much the Lord had forgiven him.
Others in the Bible were the same way. They were all flawed people doing dumb things, yet being forgiven and going on from there.
That’s really all you can do. Hanging on to old mistakes will cripple you and God never wanted that. Jesus came to save you from those past mistakes.
Accept it and move on.
Forgetting the past is so hard. It is hard to forget not only the good but the bad. There are things that you have done that you would give an arm to change. But you can’t.
What you did in the past may have been incredibly stupid and cost you dearly, but it is in the past. It is gone.
You can’t change it; you can’t make it any better or worse.
And to sit around the rest of your life bemoaning that mistake does no one any good, least of all you. You have to let it go and put it behind you.
You can’t do anything to change it. All you can do is let it go and go on from here.
That is hard, incredibly hard. How many people have you known who have let a past mistake or illness stop them in their tracks, and have dwelt on it for the rest of their lives?
That wastes the life God gave us to use in service to him.
King David took a woman he wanted and had her husband killed. Yet he asked forgiveness and became a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). He didn’t dwell on it excpet to remember how much the Lord had forgiven him.
Others in the Bible were the same way. They were all flawed people doing dumb things, yet being forgiven and going on from there.
That’s really all you can do. Hanging on to old mistakes will cripple you and God never wanted that. Jesus came to save you from those past mistakes.
Accept it and move on.
daily java
Daily Java: Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:53-54)
This is one of the weirdest thing Jesus said in all his teaching.
Unless you eat him and drink his blood you cannot live. That is something that is downright hard to accept.
Jesus had just gotten through feeding 5000 people with five small barley loaves and two small fish (John 6:9) taken from a little boy’s stash.
Then he displayed his power to his apostles by walking on the water in a storm.
They knew his power and all those around him did too. The crowds hung around Jesus just waiting for the next miracle, thinking about the next meal Jesus would provide, the next wonder he would show them. They thought he was great.
But they thought he was great because he was powerful, not because he was the Son of God. They were ready to accept him, not because they were looking for the power of God, but because they were looking for the power of miracles.
Jesus finally turned to them and said that they had to eat and drink him in order to be pleasing to God. The crowd looked at him and said, Yuck! That is gross. We don’t want to listen to this.
And a lot of them left him.
He asks his apostles what they thought. Were they going to leave him too? His own apostles were baffled, but their response was, Where in the world would we go? You’re the one we follow.
It is easy to follow Jesus when everything is going great, when miracles abound, and blessings flow. It is hard to follow him when things get hard.
Jesus said that in order to be a real follower of his, we have to take him into us like food or drink, make him part of us in such a way that we follow him anyway.
Miracles or no, he is my Savior. And I will follow him.
This is one of the weirdest thing Jesus said in all his teaching.
Unless you eat him and drink his blood you cannot live. That is something that is downright hard to accept.
Jesus had just gotten through feeding 5000 people with five small barley loaves and two small fish (John 6:9) taken from a little boy’s stash.
Then he displayed his power to his apostles by walking on the water in a storm.
They knew his power and all those around him did too. The crowds hung around Jesus just waiting for the next miracle, thinking about the next meal Jesus would provide, the next wonder he would show them. They thought he was great.
But they thought he was great because he was powerful, not because he was the Son of God. They were ready to accept him, not because they were looking for the power of God, but because they were looking for the power of miracles.
Jesus finally turned to them and said that they had to eat and drink him in order to be pleasing to God. The crowd looked at him and said, Yuck! That is gross. We don’t want to listen to this.
And a lot of them left him.
He asks his apostles what they thought. Were they going to leave him too? His own apostles were baffled, but their response was, Where in the world would we go? You’re the one we follow.
It is easy to follow Jesus when everything is going great, when miracles abound, and blessings flow. It is hard to follow him when things get hard.
Jesus said that in order to be a real follower of his, we have to take him into us like food or drink, make him part of us in such a way that we follow him anyway.
Miracles or no, he is my Savior. And I will follow him.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
all we do is to god's glory
Leszek Kolakowski, a great intellectual crusader against Communism, wrote: “A modern philosopher who has never once suspected himself of being a charlatan must be such a shallow mind that his work is probably not worth reading.”
The Bible said the same thing when it said, So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV).
Anyone who thinks he is great is fooling himself. You may be great, you may be wonderful, the most wonderful thing to ever grace the earth, but when you begin to think so, you have lost it.
That isn’t to say that you cannot have pride in your abilities to do a certain job, or know your talents in a certain area. Otherwise, no one would ever lead worship, or play piano, or teach, or preach.
But no one is more irritating than the person who thinks they are God’s gift to the church. The teacher that considers everything that drops from their lips to be divine honey. The singer who thinks that everyone in church is dying to hear her sing. The preacher who believes God only speaks through him.
We have to remember that all we do is to God’s glory. Every word we say, every song we sing, every committee we chair, everything, is to the glory of God.
The Bible says that we are brought into the kingdom to do whatever we do for his good pleasure (Ephesians 1). We are his oracles, his works, his glory. Not our own.
Again, that doesn’t mean that we cannot tell someone they did a good job doing what God gave them to do. That is a normal human response to someone who did good, and a normal human response to like being told you did good.
On the other hand, as one pastor friend of mine likes to hear me say, it is not why we do it.
We do it for God. As long as we remember that, we are standing firm.
The Bible said the same thing when it said, So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV).
Anyone who thinks he is great is fooling himself. You may be great, you may be wonderful, the most wonderful thing to ever grace the earth, but when you begin to think so, you have lost it.
That isn’t to say that you cannot have pride in your abilities to do a certain job, or know your talents in a certain area. Otherwise, no one would ever lead worship, or play piano, or teach, or preach.
But no one is more irritating than the person who thinks they are God’s gift to the church. The teacher that considers everything that drops from their lips to be divine honey. The singer who thinks that everyone in church is dying to hear her sing. The preacher who believes God only speaks through him.
We have to remember that all we do is to God’s glory. Every word we say, every song we sing, every committee we chair, everything, is to the glory of God.
The Bible says that we are brought into the kingdom to do whatever we do for his good pleasure (Ephesians 1). We are his oracles, his works, his glory. Not our own.
Again, that doesn’t mean that we cannot tell someone they did a good job doing what God gave them to do. That is a normal human response to someone who did good, and a normal human response to like being told you did good.
On the other hand, as one pastor friend of mine likes to hear me say, it is not why we do it.
We do it for God. As long as we remember that, we are standing firm.
daily java
Daily Java: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Philippians 3:12-15)
What makes a person mature? Is it just the fact that they have more than 21 years under their belts? Or is there more?
Maturity comes from being able to look at things differently from immature people.
Immature people only look at the surface. They only see what is obvious and cannot see the underlying meanings of the surface things.
One movie star was a beauty queen as a young woman. After she got old, she still dressed provocatively, and tried to keep her image as a beautiful woman, even to the point of hiring young body-builders to be her attendants and propping herself on them as she walked. She lived in the past because she could not accept the fact that she had aged.
Another famous movie star committed suicide on her 39th birthday because she could not bear to think of herself as a 40 year old woman. She also could not accept the fact that she was aging.
At high school reunions there is the guy who wants to talk about his success as a football player. He has done nothing of importance since and cannot stand to do anything but live in the past.
It is hard to accept the fact that your youth is gone and that you are different now. That is maturity. Maturity says that these things are gone and are irretrievable. The mature person accepts it and makes his or her life as good as he or she can now.
You put the old aside and accept the new. That is maturity.
What makes a person mature? Is it just the fact that they have more than 21 years under their belts? Or is there more?
Maturity comes from being able to look at things differently from immature people.
Immature people only look at the surface. They only see what is obvious and cannot see the underlying meanings of the surface things.
One movie star was a beauty queen as a young woman. After she got old, she still dressed provocatively, and tried to keep her image as a beautiful woman, even to the point of hiring young body-builders to be her attendants and propping herself on them as she walked. She lived in the past because she could not accept the fact that she had aged.
Another famous movie star committed suicide on her 39th birthday because she could not bear to think of herself as a 40 year old woman. She also could not accept the fact that she was aging.
At high school reunions there is the guy who wants to talk about his success as a football player. He has done nothing of importance since and cannot stand to do anything but live in the past.
It is hard to accept the fact that your youth is gone and that you are different now. That is maturity. Maturity says that these things are gone and are irretrievable. The mature person accepts it and makes his or her life as good as he or she can now.
You put the old aside and accept the new. That is maturity.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
mt st helens anniversary
This past week was the 30th anniversary of Mt St Helens going off.
May 18, 1980. It feels almost like last year, but it was 30 years ago.
Two things come to my mind strongly.
One is that I have never in my life seen a more awesome demonstration of power than that volcano. We lived through hurricanes a lot growing up in Freeport, Texas. They are big but they do not scare me. Except for Hurricane Carla in 1961, we stayed at home for all of them.
I have also been near tornadoes and earthquakes and other stuff. But that volcano. That was something. The earth blew up.
I was trapped in central Washington State for three days because of it. I had gone to Ephrata, WA, to preach that Sunday and it went off during Bible Class. So by the time church was over, the highway patrol had closed the roads.
My friend and I were stuck there at the pastor’s house, who was a friend of mine..
Ash everywhere. It looked like a Twilight Zone with Vincent Price driving around in a station wagon fighting zombies or something.
Everybody was afraid they would get silicosis, (miner’s lung), so everybody (except me) wore painter’s or surgeon’s masks. I didn’t want to.
But still, it was scary. When I finally got home, I was so grateful. My wife and baby daughter were there and everything was okay.
But the absolute power was astonishing. It brought the Northwest to a screeching halt. We found ash in stuff for the next decade, long after we had moved away.
The second thing was that it has been 30 years. Thirty years. THIRTY YEARS. That is a 3 with a 0 behind it and measured in years.
I suppose that is the hardest thing of all. It seems like just a short time ago. I was 30 years old at the time and healthy as a team of horses (better looking, of course, than that before mentioned team).
And what was absolute power to us then is ancient history to our kids. And so it will ever be. That is a hard lesson for us baby-boomers to learn.
May 18, 1980. It feels almost like last year, but it was 30 years ago.
Two things come to my mind strongly.
One is that I have never in my life seen a more awesome demonstration of power than that volcano. We lived through hurricanes a lot growing up in Freeport, Texas. They are big but they do not scare me. Except for Hurricane Carla in 1961, we stayed at home for all of them.
I have also been near tornadoes and earthquakes and other stuff. But that volcano. That was something. The earth blew up.
I was trapped in central Washington State for three days because of it. I had gone to Ephrata, WA, to preach that Sunday and it went off during Bible Class. So by the time church was over, the highway patrol had closed the roads.
My friend and I were stuck there at the pastor’s house, who was a friend of mine..
Ash everywhere. It looked like a Twilight Zone with Vincent Price driving around in a station wagon fighting zombies or something.
Everybody was afraid they would get silicosis, (miner’s lung), so everybody (except me) wore painter’s or surgeon’s masks. I didn’t want to.
But still, it was scary. When I finally got home, I was so grateful. My wife and baby daughter were there and everything was okay.
But the absolute power was astonishing. It brought the Northwest to a screeching halt. We found ash in stuff for the next decade, long after we had moved away.
The second thing was that it has been 30 years. Thirty years. THIRTY YEARS. That is a 3 with a 0 behind it and measured in years.
I suppose that is the hardest thing of all. It seems like just a short time ago. I was 30 years old at the time and healthy as a team of horses (better looking, of course, than that before mentioned team).
And what was absolute power to us then is ancient history to our kids. And so it will ever be. That is a hard lesson for us baby-boomers to learn.
daily java
Daily Java: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:11-12)
One of the hardest things to do in life is to forgive yourself.
It is easy to forgive other people. And you look so stinking noble doing it. People pat you on the back and tell others what a great guy you are.
But forgiving yourself is something completely different.
To forgive yourself means to put aside all the guilt and sadness and allow yourself to get on with life.
We are crippled by this. When we sin, we see a side of ourselves that we cannot stand, a side that we wish we hadn’t seen. We did something that completely destroyed the confident feeling we had before.
From now on, when anyone says you are a good guy, you will know deep down that you are not. You will know that you are an idiot capable of doing stupid things. And you hate yourself for it.
However, if we believe that God forgives – and I do – and if we believe that when God forgives us, it becomes as far from him as the east is from the west – and I do, then why can we not forgive ourselves?
I guess the problem is that you know what you are capable of and it destroys your self-image. It is easy to be magnanimous to others, because you do not have to live inside their heads.
Destroying our self-image is not altogether a bad thing, though. After all, our self-image should be that of a saved and justified child of God, not some great guy who doesn’t wear his Superman suit simply because he is modest.
But you cannot carry that around, that guilt, that sense of failure. You have to get rid of it.
If you are to love your neighbor as yourself, you also have to love yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn’t care if God saved you. And obviously you do.
God says you are saved. Don’t argue with him. Accept it. And move on.
Of course, this is easier said than done. But it is no less true.
One of the hardest things to do in life is to forgive yourself.
It is easy to forgive other people. And you look so stinking noble doing it. People pat you on the back and tell others what a great guy you are.
But forgiving yourself is something completely different.
To forgive yourself means to put aside all the guilt and sadness and allow yourself to get on with life.
We are crippled by this. When we sin, we see a side of ourselves that we cannot stand, a side that we wish we hadn’t seen. We did something that completely destroyed the confident feeling we had before.
From now on, when anyone says you are a good guy, you will know deep down that you are not. You will know that you are an idiot capable of doing stupid things. And you hate yourself for it.
However, if we believe that God forgives – and I do – and if we believe that when God forgives us, it becomes as far from him as the east is from the west – and I do, then why can we not forgive ourselves?
I guess the problem is that you know what you are capable of and it destroys your self-image. It is easy to be magnanimous to others, because you do not have to live inside their heads.
Destroying our self-image is not altogether a bad thing, though. After all, our self-image should be that of a saved and justified child of God, not some great guy who doesn’t wear his Superman suit simply because he is modest.
But you cannot carry that around, that guilt, that sense of failure. You have to get rid of it.
If you are to love your neighbor as yourself, you also have to love yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn’t care if God saved you. And obviously you do.
God says you are saved. Don’t argue with him. Accept it. And move on.
Of course, this is easier said than done. But it is no less true.
Monday, May 17, 2010
daily java
Daily Java: And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 2:15-16).
In my meanderings though the web, I come across a lot of different articles and ideas.
I have been following the debacle that has become the Episcopalian Church for several years. In many ways, they have lost their course and have quit being the emissaries of God. They have replaced that mission with being emissaries of the liberal idea of American thought.
The Episcopalian Church has just ordained another lesbian bishop. In so doing, they have thumbed their noses at, not only their ancestors in the faith, but God and his holy scripture.
Although the Episcopalian Church has done good in the past, it has died as a force for God. It is a shame. As the writer said, they have confused their own desires with what God wants, and are wrong and suffering as a denomination because of it.
This article is a good one. One of the comments that he makes is that there needs to be a ctl-alt-del made to reboot the Episcopalian Church because it is messed up.
I don’t agree with much of his premise, but it is a good comment that they are messed up. One thing he says is that “Americans frequently mistake cultural conditioning for Biblical teaching.” Of course, his thought is that Americans believe in homosexual rights, but still. It is a good comment.
In the comments made by readers below, there is one from a Jewish commenter that is quite good. He says: “I would like to pose a question: to what extent is the Gospel considered Holy Writ? What I mean is that given Paul’s strictures, coupled with several millennia of exegesis, how could the Episcopalian Church, after “reflection and discussion” come to a different conclusion without diminishing the Writ’s holiness? Reform and Conservative Judaism have grappled with the same question and with the same result: degrade the Writ and achieve the desired result.”
The problem with a lot of denominations, not just the Episcopalian Church, is that they want something and are willing to bend the scriptures to get it.
The apostle Peter said that people want what they want so badly that they “wrest” what the scriptures say so that they can do what they want. They will use an homiletical method necessary to make it say what they want, and when they cannot, they will finally just say, well, that was just Paul, and will deny the passage.
If the scripture is real, it is real. If it is isn’t, all else we do as Christians is worthless.
The Episcopalians are just figuring that out. Unfortunately, they are dying as a church because of it.
In my meanderings though the web, I come across a lot of different articles and ideas.
I have been following the debacle that has become the Episcopalian Church for several years. In many ways, they have lost their course and have quit being the emissaries of God. They have replaced that mission with being emissaries of the liberal idea of American thought.
The Episcopalian Church has just ordained another lesbian bishop. In so doing, they have thumbed their noses at, not only their ancestors in the faith, but God and his holy scripture.
Although the Episcopalian Church has done good in the past, it has died as a force for God. It is a shame. As the writer said, they have confused their own desires with what God wants, and are wrong and suffering as a denomination because of it.
This article is a good one. One of the comments that he makes is that there needs to be a ctl-alt-del made to reboot the Episcopalian Church because it is messed up.
I don’t agree with much of his premise, but it is a good comment that they are messed up. One thing he says is that “Americans frequently mistake cultural conditioning for Biblical teaching.” Of course, his thought is that Americans believe in homosexual rights, but still. It is a good comment.
In the comments made by readers below, there is one from a Jewish commenter that is quite good. He says: “I would like to pose a question: to what extent is the Gospel considered Holy Writ? What I mean is that given Paul’s strictures, coupled with several millennia of exegesis, how could the Episcopalian Church, after “reflection and discussion” come to a different conclusion without diminishing the Writ’s holiness? Reform and Conservative Judaism have grappled with the same question and with the same result: degrade the Writ and achieve the desired result.”
The problem with a lot of denominations, not just the Episcopalian Church, is that they want something and are willing to bend the scriptures to get it.
The apostle Peter said that people want what they want so badly that they “wrest” what the scriptures say so that they can do what they want. They will use an homiletical method necessary to make it say what they want, and when they cannot, they will finally just say, well, that was just Paul, and will deny the passage.
If the scripture is real, it is real. If it is isn’t, all else we do as Christians is worthless.
The Episcopalians are just figuring that out. Unfortunately, they are dying as a church because of it.
Friday, May 14, 2010
the problem of pain
My wife just fell down and hurt herself again. She has a big cut on her leg where she hit the edge of the pavement.
There is no reason for it and it makes me angry.
Someone said that there is a reason for everything, that God has a purpose for everything happening.
In the literal Hebrew, that is called Baloney.
Sometimes thing happen for no good reason. The only real reason they happen is because sin came into the world and with it came pain.
There is no good reason that Ella is in pain from her leg injury, anymore than there was for any one of the other injuries caused by her falling.
And it makes me mad that she has to go through this.
God could change it if he wanted. He could make a sovereign move and heal her of her MS and make it easier for her to walk and not be in constant pain from these stupid injuries.
But he doesn’t.
CS Lewis, the guy wrote the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe also wrote a book on the Problem of Pain. How can a loving and merciful God allow pain?
And that is a good question, too. The problem, though, is that the answer is not so easy
Sure, he could take away pain, but to do so, he would have to take away pleasure. We won’t have that until we get to heaven, according to the book of Revelations.
So while we are here, we put up with it, knowing that a better time is coming.
That is not always real comforting when I see my wife with bruises and cuts.
But the funny thing is, she still looks cheerful even when it hurts. I would want to hit someone, but she is cheerful. She is one who looks to the day when all pain is gone, all tears will be wiped away. And she loves her God.
There is no purpose, but God is still good. And he can use whatever happens to you to make something better. Just as he has in Ella.
He will do the same for you, if you will let him into your heart and allow him access. He can make the bad good and the unpleasant pleasant.
After all, he is God and he is in control. And he is good.
There is no reason for it and it makes me angry.
Someone said that there is a reason for everything, that God has a purpose for everything happening.
In the literal Hebrew, that is called Baloney.
Sometimes thing happen for no good reason. The only real reason they happen is because sin came into the world and with it came pain.
There is no good reason that Ella is in pain from her leg injury, anymore than there was for any one of the other injuries caused by her falling.
And it makes me mad that she has to go through this.
God could change it if he wanted. He could make a sovereign move and heal her of her MS and make it easier for her to walk and not be in constant pain from these stupid injuries.
But he doesn’t.
CS Lewis, the guy wrote the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe also wrote a book on the Problem of Pain. How can a loving and merciful God allow pain?
And that is a good question, too. The problem, though, is that the answer is not so easy
Sure, he could take away pain, but to do so, he would have to take away pleasure. We won’t have that until we get to heaven, according to the book of Revelations.
So while we are here, we put up with it, knowing that a better time is coming.
That is not always real comforting when I see my wife with bruises and cuts.
But the funny thing is, she still looks cheerful even when it hurts. I would want to hit someone, but she is cheerful. She is one who looks to the day when all pain is gone, all tears will be wiped away. And she loves her God.
There is no purpose, but God is still good. And he can use whatever happens to you to make something better. Just as he has in Ella.
He will do the same for you, if you will let him into your heart and allow him access. He can make the bad good and the unpleasant pleasant.
After all, he is God and he is in control. And he is good.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Philippians 3:12-15)
Some people think they have it all together. You may know one of these. They look great. Then one day, their lives come apart. And they themselves fall apart.
They have been perfect for so long, they don’t know how to function in hard times.
Their problems is the lack of hardships. Hardships toughen us. Just like exercise makes our muscles stronger, hardships make our faith and our ability to function stronger, if we let them.
There is a lot of difference between a Texas pine and a Maine pine. Both are basically the same kind of pine trees. But the Texas pine is soft. It grows up in a warm climate with only occasional cold spells.
A Maine pine is hard. It grows up under brutal conditions with hard winters and heavy winds off the Atlantic.
Both are pines, but they endure different climates. And it is the climates that make them soft or hard.
There was a story of a woman who had a beautiful voice, but no one wanted to hire her as a singer. It just seemed there was something missing. So she quit and got married and had children. Her husband and children were killed in tragic ways, one not long after the other.
After her period of grieving, she decided to try singing again. This time people wanted to hear her. The reason? Her voice showed the hardships she had undergone and it added a dimension to her voice that was lacking before;. What was merely good became beautiful because of the problems she had.
Even though we have problems, we still press on. There is something far greater in front of us than anything we have here. And we will participate in that if we just allow God to work in us through our problems.
Some people think they have it all together. You may know one of these. They look great. Then one day, their lives come apart. And they themselves fall apart.
They have been perfect for so long, they don’t know how to function in hard times.
Their problems is the lack of hardships. Hardships toughen us. Just like exercise makes our muscles stronger, hardships make our faith and our ability to function stronger, if we let them.
There is a lot of difference between a Texas pine and a Maine pine. Both are basically the same kind of pine trees. But the Texas pine is soft. It grows up in a warm climate with only occasional cold spells.
A Maine pine is hard. It grows up under brutal conditions with hard winters and heavy winds off the Atlantic.
Both are pines, but they endure different climates. And it is the climates that make them soft or hard.
There was a story of a woman who had a beautiful voice, but no one wanted to hire her as a singer. It just seemed there was something missing. So she quit and got married and had children. Her husband and children were killed in tragic ways, one not long after the other.
After her period of grieving, she decided to try singing again. This time people wanted to hear her. The reason? Her voice showed the hardships she had undergone and it added a dimension to her voice that was lacking before;. What was merely good became beautiful because of the problems she had.
Even though we have problems, we still press on. There is something far greater in front of us than anything we have here. And we will participate in that if we just allow God to work in us through our problems.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
watching the food channel while on a fast
NOTE: The following was written while I was on my three day fast recently.
I am watching the Food Channel and Paula Dean is making something for her husband and her for supper. She says it is a romantic dinner. I’ve seen her husband and he looks like he likes to eat.
It all looks good, and I can almost swear I can smell it.
The only problem is that I am on a fast. I have been for three days. We are fasting toward the National Day of Prayer and plan to go to the state capitol in Lincoln at noon for a city-wide prayer meeting.
Now why would a guy who was on a fast watch the Food Channel.
I don’t really know. I am not all that hungry, although Ella has been fasting all day today and she says she is.
But here I am, on a fast, watching Paula Deen make some stuff for dinner. Canapes, steak (filet mignon), other stuff, and dessert. Since I am on a low carb diet, it has been a while since I enjoyed dessert.
And I am not going to eat a single thing. But here I am, on a fast, watching the Food Channel.
There is a certain disconnect there. I guess it shows something about my character, but I don’t know what.
I remember in 1997 when I fasted for 30 days before the National Day of Prayer. I was walking through the grocery store buying groceries (I was cooking for my family and several others at the time). It occurred to me how strange it was to be shopping for food that I was not going to eat.
We do that a lot in other ways. Kind of like the guy who collects beer paraphernalia but who doesn’t drink.
Or the guy who collects car posters but doesn’t have a driver’s license. Or the Christian who has a collection of Bibles displayed prominently but never reads them.
I suppose all of us do stuff that others consider strange.
But God loves us anyway and it is he who takes up the slack where we leave off and makes us whole.
So even if we do weird things that sometimes make no sense, in him we are perfect and whole. He loves us in spite of the quirks.
Maybe I’ll make that asparagus dish Thursday.
I am watching the Food Channel and Paula Dean is making something for her husband and her for supper. She says it is a romantic dinner. I’ve seen her husband and he looks like he likes to eat.
It all looks good, and I can almost swear I can smell it.
The only problem is that I am on a fast. I have been for three days. We are fasting toward the National Day of Prayer and plan to go to the state capitol in Lincoln at noon for a city-wide prayer meeting.
Now why would a guy who was on a fast watch the Food Channel.
I don’t really know. I am not all that hungry, although Ella has been fasting all day today and she says she is.
But here I am, on a fast, watching Paula Deen make some stuff for dinner. Canapes, steak (filet mignon), other stuff, and dessert. Since I am on a low carb diet, it has been a while since I enjoyed dessert.
And I am not going to eat a single thing. But here I am, on a fast, watching the Food Channel.
There is a certain disconnect there. I guess it shows something about my character, but I don’t know what.
I remember in 1997 when I fasted for 30 days before the National Day of Prayer. I was walking through the grocery store buying groceries (I was cooking for my family and several others at the time). It occurred to me how strange it was to be shopping for food that I was not going to eat.
We do that a lot in other ways. Kind of like the guy who collects beer paraphernalia but who doesn’t drink.
Or the guy who collects car posters but doesn’t have a driver’s license. Or the Christian who has a collection of Bibles displayed prominently but never reads them.
I suppose all of us do stuff that others consider strange.
But God loves us anyway and it is he who takes up the slack where we leave off and makes us whole.
So even if we do weird things that sometimes make no sense, in him we are perfect and whole. He loves us in spite of the quirks.
Maybe I’ll make that asparagus dish Thursday.
daily java
Daily Java: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.- Ephesians 4:32.
Compassion and forgiveness should be the hallmark of any Christ follower’s life. It should be a Christ follower that people come to when in times of distress and pain. We should be known as people who care.
In the first century, as in many countries today, boys were preferred over girls in families. Boys carried on the family’s name, they could work and bring in income, all that. So many times, when a girl was born, she was taken and placed on the steps of a local temple to one of the pagan gods and “dedicated” to that god.
In other words they left the little girl baby outside to either freeze to death or be taken by brothels who would raise them to be prostitutes.
Christians became known for the fact that each morning they would try to beat the girl sex market people to the temples to gather the babies and take them home with them.
They had compassion. They were known for feeding people and helping people. Jesus himself said that one of the marks of his ministry that showed its authenticity was that the gospel was preached to the poor.
He came to people who could not pay him back or do anything for him. And he had compassion on those same people.
And he forgave them, just like he forgave you. The amazing part is that he did it in advance, before we asked, or even knew we needed it. Romans 5 says while we were dead in our sins, Jesus died for the ungodly.
We don’t have to prove our worthiness, we are made worthy.
So what do we do when faced with people who act stupid to us? We are kind and compassionate and we forgive. After all Jesus forgave you of a lot, so you should do the same. Any fool can hold a grudge. But it takes a child of God to forgive.
Besides, how we treat each other is how God will treat us. He gave a few parables saying that same thing.
So how do we want God to treat us when it comes to the crunch? Be kind and compassionate and forgive.
Compassion and forgiveness should be the hallmark of any Christ follower’s life. It should be a Christ follower that people come to when in times of distress and pain. We should be known as people who care.
In the first century, as in many countries today, boys were preferred over girls in families. Boys carried on the family’s name, they could work and bring in income, all that. So many times, when a girl was born, she was taken and placed on the steps of a local temple to one of the pagan gods and “dedicated” to that god.
In other words they left the little girl baby outside to either freeze to death or be taken by brothels who would raise them to be prostitutes.
Christians became known for the fact that each morning they would try to beat the girl sex market people to the temples to gather the babies and take them home with them.
They had compassion. They were known for feeding people and helping people. Jesus himself said that one of the marks of his ministry that showed its authenticity was that the gospel was preached to the poor.
He came to people who could not pay him back or do anything for him. And he had compassion on those same people.
And he forgave them, just like he forgave you. The amazing part is that he did it in advance, before we asked, or even knew we needed it. Romans 5 says while we were dead in our sins, Jesus died for the ungodly.
We don’t have to prove our worthiness, we are made worthy.
So what do we do when faced with people who act stupid to us? We are kind and compassionate and we forgive. After all Jesus forgave you of a lot, so you should do the same. Any fool can hold a grudge. But it takes a child of God to forgive.
Besides, how we treat each other is how God will treat us. He gave a few parables saying that same thing.
So how do we want God to treat us when it comes to the crunch? Be kind and compassionate and forgive.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
fasting and prayer
Day three of my fast. Ella has joined me in fasting from anything to drink except water. Today she is joining me in not eating, but is drinking other things besides water.
I am hoping he will answer some questions I have. My prayers tend to take a yearning quality sometimes: unspoken yearning for God’s will triumphant in my life.
I am tired of being depressed and am ready to know that I am in God’s will.
It is funny at how many times in my life I have fasted for three days and heard an answer at the end.
In 1994 when we came out of the Church of Christ, we were truly in some difficulty. What would we do? We knew we couldn’t stay in the COC, yet we didn’t know where to go. The Christian Church looked like the best bet, but we just were not sure.
I called a friend to ask him something and his daughter answered the phone. Della was her name. Della said that her father wasn’t there, but that she had a word from God for me. At the time, I really didn’t believe in words from God. I was a firm cessationist. I told her that. But then I also said, “on the other hand, I haven’t anything better lately.”
She told me that if I would fast for three day, God would answer me.
I decided to try it. It kind of frightened my family, as I sat nobly at the table at supper fasting. Ella asked what if I don’t hear anything at the end. I said, then I will eat.
At the end of the three days, a Christian church in Colorado called me. And I began my journey into something besides the COC.
For the most part, through the intervening 16 years, that has almost always been the case. If I will fast for three days, many times God will give me some kind of answer.
Not always, of course. God is not an order form, available to us any time we feel like it.
But he loves me and I know he is available.
And I fast, looking for an answer.
Hear my cry, O God. Hear me and answer me. Fill my life with your presence and your glory. Give me peace. Please, God, give me peace.
I am hoping he will answer some questions I have. My prayers tend to take a yearning quality sometimes: unspoken yearning for God’s will triumphant in my life.
I am tired of being depressed and am ready to know that I am in God’s will.
It is funny at how many times in my life I have fasted for three days and heard an answer at the end.
In 1994 when we came out of the Church of Christ, we were truly in some difficulty. What would we do? We knew we couldn’t stay in the COC, yet we didn’t know where to go. The Christian Church looked like the best bet, but we just were not sure.
I called a friend to ask him something and his daughter answered the phone. Della was her name. Della said that her father wasn’t there, but that she had a word from God for me. At the time, I really didn’t believe in words from God. I was a firm cessationist. I told her that. But then I also said, “on the other hand, I haven’t anything better lately.”
She told me that if I would fast for three day, God would answer me.
I decided to try it. It kind of frightened my family, as I sat nobly at the table at supper fasting. Ella asked what if I don’t hear anything at the end. I said, then I will eat.
At the end of the three days, a Christian church in Colorado called me. And I began my journey into something besides the COC.
For the most part, through the intervening 16 years, that has almost always been the case. If I will fast for three days, many times God will give me some kind of answer.
Not always, of course. God is not an order form, available to us any time we feel like it.
But he loves me and I know he is available.
And I fast, looking for an answer.
Hear my cry, O God. Hear me and answer me. Fill my life with your presence and your glory. Give me peace. Please, God, give me peace.
daily java
Daily Java: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.- Philippians 4:6-7.
Peace is not a readily available commodity today. People do almost anything to get it, from seminars to excessive drinking to just about everything. People want peace.
And it is natural to want peace. No one thinks it is normal to be in a constant state of fear and worry. That is because it isn’t.
We are designed to live in the love of God and to feel his presence, not to sit around wringing our hands in worry.
The Word says over and over to not worry. That isn’t an admonition to just “don’t worry, be happy.” Only an idiot would be able to do that. Only someone with very little brainpower would be able to just put everything aside and “snap out of it.”
It is not possible to just “snap out of it.”
That is because we are not able to do stuff ourselves. If we could, we would be fine in all parts of our lives.
The problem is that we cannot snap out of it. We cannot rearrange our own minds in any positive way. We can sure do it negatively, of course. We can worry ourselves into an early grave, into a massive bout of depression, into suicide.
But we cannot think our way to happiness. Only God can bring us into that state.
It isn’t magical or anything like that. It is just that we will not be happy, really happy, really content, until we have God in control of our lives.
Adam and Eve were fine in the garden until they took matters into their own hands. When they did, they ceased being happy and became worried and afraid. And we have never stopped.
The Christ follower has a peace that comes from knowing he is loved. And that peace is hard to explain because it comes from inside. It is the knowledge that God loves you.
That knowledge only comes from having God in your heart. It is not necessarily sudden or overwhelming. Sometimes it is just knowing he loves you. Sometimes it is knowing you are not alone, that someone greater than you cares about what is happening in your life.
He does care. Even when the storm rages, he cares. Someone once said, God never promised a smooth sea, just a good strong boat. You’ll get wet, but you will not drown.
Peace is not a readily available commodity today. People do almost anything to get it, from seminars to excessive drinking to just about everything. People want peace.
And it is natural to want peace. No one thinks it is normal to be in a constant state of fear and worry. That is because it isn’t.
We are designed to live in the love of God and to feel his presence, not to sit around wringing our hands in worry.
The Word says over and over to not worry. That isn’t an admonition to just “don’t worry, be happy.” Only an idiot would be able to do that. Only someone with very little brainpower would be able to just put everything aside and “snap out of it.”
It is not possible to just “snap out of it.”
That is because we are not able to do stuff ourselves. If we could, we would be fine in all parts of our lives.
The problem is that we cannot snap out of it. We cannot rearrange our own minds in any positive way. We can sure do it negatively, of course. We can worry ourselves into an early grave, into a massive bout of depression, into suicide.
But we cannot think our way to happiness. Only God can bring us into that state.
It isn’t magical or anything like that. It is just that we will not be happy, really happy, really content, until we have God in control of our lives.
Adam and Eve were fine in the garden until they took matters into their own hands. When they did, they ceased being happy and became worried and afraid. And we have never stopped.
The Christ follower has a peace that comes from knowing he is loved. And that peace is hard to explain because it comes from inside. It is the knowledge that God loves you.
That knowledge only comes from having God in your heart. It is not necessarily sudden or overwhelming. Sometimes it is just knowing he loves you. Sometimes it is knowing you are not alone, that someone greater than you cares about what is happening in your life.
He does care. Even when the storm rages, he cares. Someone once said, God never promised a smooth sea, just a good strong boat. You’ll get wet, but you will not drown.
Monday, May 3, 2010
daily java
Daily Java: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans 12:12.
Our problem in our society today is that we are pitiful in hope, obnoxious in affliction and rarely ever if ever pray. Yet we expect God to hear us and bless us anyway.
Our culture glorifies whining. If there is anything wrong, we run to “the authorities” to have them deal with it. Somebody has to be at fault and something has to be done to make us happy again.
Our hope turns into nothing but pitiful wishing. We want stuff and don’t have it and we sit and look at magazines and newspaper ads about the stuff we don’t have and just wish.
Our prayer if fitful at best, non-existent most of the time, yet we expect God to hear what little we say and answer our bleatings.
We look to the best end humanity could ever imagine – life with God in eternity. We know this world is not all and God is always available.
And we know he loves us.
Do what he says.
Not a happy post, but I am drinking coffee and thinking about this. Two requirements for everything in this blog.
Our problem in our society today is that we are pitiful in hope, obnoxious in affliction and rarely ever if ever pray. Yet we expect God to hear us and bless us anyway.
Our culture glorifies whining. If there is anything wrong, we run to “the authorities” to have them deal with it. Somebody has to be at fault and something has to be done to make us happy again.
Our hope turns into nothing but pitiful wishing. We want stuff and don’t have it and we sit and look at magazines and newspaper ads about the stuff we don’t have and just wish.
Our prayer if fitful at best, non-existent most of the time, yet we expect God to hear what little we say and answer our bleatings.
We look to the best end humanity could ever imagine – life with God in eternity. We know this world is not all and God is always available.
And we know he loves us.
Do what he says.
Not a happy post, but I am drinking coffee and thinking about this. Two requirements for everything in this blog.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Daily Java: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - Hebrews 11:6.
Coming to Jesus is relatively simple. You believe in him and ask him into your heart. It is pretty easy to do that, especially when you are in a time of stress and you really feel the need for him.
Someone once said that there are no atheists in foxholes. That is because at that particular time, frightened for one’s own life, it is easy to feel the need for God.
The same goes for “jail-house” conversions. You are at a point where you know you have messed up your life and are ready for someone to help you.
It is afterwards that the real test begins.
After you have survived the combat, after you have gotten out of jail – then you face the task of keeping your promises.
God does not ask us just to come to him. He asks us to stay with him.
That is the problem with a lot of people in getting married. They like the honeymoon and the getting to know each other. However, they do not care for the day to day living and keeping promises and stuff like that.
Without faith, that is, without the day to day living and the keeping of promises, it is impossible for us to please God.
He doesn’t want gigantic promises made. He doesn’t care if we promise to go to Africa or write a multi-volume commentary in Klingon on the book of Jude. He does not necessarily want great things from us.
He wants us.
When we live in him, that is the real believing in his, the real believing he exists and that he rewards.
It is easy to promise stuff. It is not easy to keep those promises.
Those who come to God keep their promises, and regard God as real, not just some fire-escape to be used when things are desperate.
Living in him. Now that is the real work.
Coming to Jesus is relatively simple. You believe in him and ask him into your heart. It is pretty easy to do that, especially when you are in a time of stress and you really feel the need for him.
Someone once said that there are no atheists in foxholes. That is because at that particular time, frightened for one’s own life, it is easy to feel the need for God.
The same goes for “jail-house” conversions. You are at a point where you know you have messed up your life and are ready for someone to help you.
It is afterwards that the real test begins.
After you have survived the combat, after you have gotten out of jail – then you face the task of keeping your promises.
God does not ask us just to come to him. He asks us to stay with him.
That is the problem with a lot of people in getting married. They like the honeymoon and the getting to know each other. However, they do not care for the day to day living and keeping promises and stuff like that.
Without faith, that is, without the day to day living and the keeping of promises, it is impossible for us to please God.
He doesn’t want gigantic promises made. He doesn’t care if we promise to go to Africa or write a multi-volume commentary in Klingon on the book of Jude. He does not necessarily want great things from us.
He wants us.
When we live in him, that is the real believing in his, the real believing he exists and that he rewards.
It is easy to promise stuff. It is not easy to keep those promises.
Those who come to God keep their promises, and regard God as real, not just some fire-escape to be used when things are desperate.
Living in him. Now that is the real work.
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