Daily Java: Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you. (Acts 24:24-25)
That can be a problem. You know you need to do something, but you do not want to do it.
Maybe you are living in a way that you like, or maybe feel you cannot change without a lot of effort. Maybe you are caught in a situation that to change it would be earth-shattering. Maybe you are just too lazy to change, or it would just be too hard.
Felix, the governor here, had a lot of respect for the apostle Paul, but he also had a lot of fear of the Jews. They could cause a lot of trouble and headaches for him and he just didn’t want to mess with them.
Whatever the reason, his problem was that he knew Paul was right. He needed to change and he didn’t want to.
We get in that problem a lot ourselves. We need to change our way of eating, or we need to do more exercise, or we need to get rid of a friend that is hurting us. Maybe the nights out where we drink too much cause a lot of problems with our family. Maybe just a little thing like a car that is causing us so much expense but we like it.
Whatever it is, we need to change, but we just feel it is too much trouble. After all, we like the food we eat, or the friends we have. Sure, they are hurting us, but changing just seems too hard.
Changing is hard. But sometimes we have to. Felix recognized that he needed to quit being the person he was and be something better.
But after all, he was a Roman governor, a position he didn’t get by being a good guy, for sure. And to change, he would have to give up a lot of stuff that he thought was fun.
He thought, there will come a time when I can do all this, and then I will listen.
We don’t know what happened, but chances are, he never found the time.
Then he died and it was too late.
I hope that doesn’t happen to you.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
daily java
Daily Java: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer. (Romans 6:1-2).
I was a youth pastor several years ago and decided to have a circle on the floor in the old auditorium. I tossed an afro comb (which I used at the time) to one of the boys and said tell us what God has done for you and then toss it to someone else.
He went into this long drawn out thing about how much he had sinned and God had forgiven him and how grateful he was.
He tossed the comb to another boy who went into the same thing. He tossed it to a third who did the same thing.
The third boy tossed it to a girl who sat for a moment looking somewhat embarrassed. She finally said, well, I haven’t really done that much wrong.
I reached over and took the comb back and stopped the confession fest.
The girl was embarrassed because she didn’t have a whole litany of things wrong that God had forgiven her for. She felt she just didn’t have that much grace in her life.
The boys, on the other hand (and I think they were lying for the most part) felt that they had been greater recipients of the grace of God because they had been stupid and made bad choices.
I was talking to a guy several years ago, also, who told me that people could not witness to people they didn’t understand. In other words, it took a crook to witness to another crook, or on in that same vein. After all, if you had not done the time, you could not understand the crime and therefore couldn’t counsel the criminal.
Baloney.
Jesus never did anything wrong, yet he is our leader in all we do. It doesn’t take a murderer to counsel a murderer nor a thief for a thief. Quite frankly, I would rather go to someone who had lived their life well to get answers than to someone who had royally screwed up. The person who had gone through the problems of life without falling down had far more answers than the one who was weak and had to turn around.
That isn’t to say that the second person can’t do good, but why would you go to a person who had so messed up to get answers?
I have known a couple of marriage and family counselors who were good at what they did, but who had been married several times and their kids wouldn’t even talk to them. Sure, they had a great abstract knowledge of what they talked about and they were, indeed, disinterested parties.
But their messing up did not qualify them as experts.
Some have the idea that the more you sin, the greater within the grace of God you are. And that is not true.
To sin relying on his grace is a dangerous path to take.
Yes, he will forgive anything (except the refusal to accept him in your life, of course).
But his forgiveness, even though at times his grace had to pile on you like a bunch of rugs, it doesn’t make you more holy.
Live in him in such a way that you remain pure and holy.
I was a youth pastor several years ago and decided to have a circle on the floor in the old auditorium. I tossed an afro comb (which I used at the time) to one of the boys and said tell us what God has done for you and then toss it to someone else.
He went into this long drawn out thing about how much he had sinned and God had forgiven him and how grateful he was.
He tossed the comb to another boy who went into the same thing. He tossed it to a third who did the same thing.
The third boy tossed it to a girl who sat for a moment looking somewhat embarrassed. She finally said, well, I haven’t really done that much wrong.
I reached over and took the comb back and stopped the confession fest.
The girl was embarrassed because she didn’t have a whole litany of things wrong that God had forgiven her for. She felt she just didn’t have that much grace in her life.
The boys, on the other hand (and I think they were lying for the most part) felt that they had been greater recipients of the grace of God because they had been stupid and made bad choices.
I was talking to a guy several years ago, also, who told me that people could not witness to people they didn’t understand. In other words, it took a crook to witness to another crook, or on in that same vein. After all, if you had not done the time, you could not understand the crime and therefore couldn’t counsel the criminal.
Baloney.
Jesus never did anything wrong, yet he is our leader in all we do. It doesn’t take a murderer to counsel a murderer nor a thief for a thief. Quite frankly, I would rather go to someone who had lived their life well to get answers than to someone who had royally screwed up. The person who had gone through the problems of life without falling down had far more answers than the one who was weak and had to turn around.
That isn’t to say that the second person can’t do good, but why would you go to a person who had so messed up to get answers?
I have known a couple of marriage and family counselors who were good at what they did, but who had been married several times and their kids wouldn’t even talk to them. Sure, they had a great abstract knowledge of what they talked about and they were, indeed, disinterested parties.
But their messing up did not qualify them as experts.
Some have the idea that the more you sin, the greater within the grace of God you are. And that is not true.
To sin relying on his grace is a dangerous path to take.
Yes, he will forgive anything (except the refusal to accept him in your life, of course).
But his forgiveness, even though at times his grace had to pile on you like a bunch of rugs, it doesn’t make you more holy.
Live in him in such a way that you remain pure and holy.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
daily java
Daily Java: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19-20)
The other day, a government official was forced to resign because of comments she had made which indicated a strong racially prejudiced view. The video of her speech was all over the internet and the network news channels.
As I watched it, my thought was that she needed to resign. In fact, my thought was that she needed not only to resign, but to maybe even become homeless and broke. She admitted that she had expressed overt prejudice in preferring black farmers over white ones in giving out loans and expressing strong prejudicial views against white people. She used her office to show her prejudice.
She was forced to resign as several institutions, including the White House and her own NAACP, ordered her to resign. One even told her to pull over to the side of the road and resign on the spot.
She did.
Then it came out that the speech was only a small part of a larger speech in which she told how she overcame those feelings of prejudice in her life. As it turned out, she was talking about things that had happened 25 years ago before she had changed her views.
The little short video was only a part of a larger speech. Out of context, she was horribly guilty of prejudice. In context, she was fine.
In my own life, I have been the victim of out of context statements. I have also known several who were also victims.
A preacher I respected as a young man had this happen to him. He was a “rising star” in the Church of Christ in the late 1960’s when the movie Midnight Cowboy came out.
Since it was an X rated movie, it was widely excoriated by the church community, which in the late 60’s, early 70’s was quite powerful.
The producers offered free tickets to Houston area ministers to see it to see if there were any redeeming qualities in it. Several took them up on it. When it was finished, the ministers roundly condemned the movie. The young preacher – his name was John, too – was asked, were there any redeeming qualities in the movie at all? His answer was that yes, there were, the results of a life lived without God.
The next day the papers read, Area Minister sees X Rated Movie as Good. It ruined him. The churches in the Houston area quickly jumped on him and drove him ultimately out of the ministry. He was a good man making an honest comment to a reporter who had an agenda.
It hurt the woman in this particular situation. The one who released the video was one I respect, but in this case it was wrong of him. I suppose the only thing that came out of this was the fact that all of the audience (a NAACP event) were shouting agreement like they were in a church service. That was particularly noxious. But it was not to her debit. She was relating a past experience to show that one can change.
Any time we see something, we need to weigh it. Unfortunately, churches are all too often the first to condemn and the last to admit fault.
In this situation, everyone jumped to condemn. The president of the NAACP was at the event, yet he also condemned. He had heard the whole talk, but all he saw was the potential damage to his cause. The same with the White House.
But the same thing happens all too often. We are quick to judge. And as much as I hate it, and hate having it done to me, I was quick to judge. I suppose that it fit with my own preconceptions of the NAACP and so I bought it easily.
She was angry, and I do not blame her. She was unfairly and unduly attacked. To be used as a sacrificial lamb by national organizations for no real purpose except fear of exposure is bad.
I hope that the next time, I listen and question a little more.
The other day, a government official was forced to resign because of comments she had made which indicated a strong racially prejudiced view. The video of her speech was all over the internet and the network news channels.
As I watched it, my thought was that she needed to resign. In fact, my thought was that she needed not only to resign, but to maybe even become homeless and broke. She admitted that she had expressed overt prejudice in preferring black farmers over white ones in giving out loans and expressing strong prejudicial views against white people. She used her office to show her prejudice.
She was forced to resign as several institutions, including the White House and her own NAACP, ordered her to resign. One even told her to pull over to the side of the road and resign on the spot.
She did.
Then it came out that the speech was only a small part of a larger speech in which she told how she overcame those feelings of prejudice in her life. As it turned out, she was talking about things that had happened 25 years ago before she had changed her views.
The little short video was only a part of a larger speech. Out of context, she was horribly guilty of prejudice. In context, she was fine.
In my own life, I have been the victim of out of context statements. I have also known several who were also victims.
A preacher I respected as a young man had this happen to him. He was a “rising star” in the Church of Christ in the late 1960’s when the movie Midnight Cowboy came out.
Since it was an X rated movie, it was widely excoriated by the church community, which in the late 60’s, early 70’s was quite powerful.
The producers offered free tickets to Houston area ministers to see it to see if there were any redeeming qualities in it. Several took them up on it. When it was finished, the ministers roundly condemned the movie. The young preacher – his name was John, too – was asked, were there any redeeming qualities in the movie at all? His answer was that yes, there were, the results of a life lived without God.
The next day the papers read, Area Minister sees X Rated Movie as Good. It ruined him. The churches in the Houston area quickly jumped on him and drove him ultimately out of the ministry. He was a good man making an honest comment to a reporter who had an agenda.
It hurt the woman in this particular situation. The one who released the video was one I respect, but in this case it was wrong of him. I suppose the only thing that came out of this was the fact that all of the audience (a NAACP event) were shouting agreement like they were in a church service. That was particularly noxious. But it was not to her debit. She was relating a past experience to show that one can change.
Any time we see something, we need to weigh it. Unfortunately, churches are all too often the first to condemn and the last to admit fault.
In this situation, everyone jumped to condemn. The president of the NAACP was at the event, yet he also condemned. He had heard the whole talk, but all he saw was the potential damage to his cause. The same with the White House.
But the same thing happens all too often. We are quick to judge. And as much as I hate it, and hate having it done to me, I was quick to judge. I suppose that it fit with my own preconceptions of the NAACP and so I bought it easily.
She was angry, and I do not blame her. She was unfairly and unduly attacked. To be used as a sacrificial lamb by national organizations for no real purpose except fear of exposure is bad.
I hope that the next time, I listen and question a little more.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
angels unaware
Hebrews 13:1-3 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
The other day, I was trying to get Ella to hurry up and get out of the van at WalMart so I could get a parking space that was really near to the door.
After all, I want to walk all over WalMart but I do not want to walk the extra 100 feet to the door.
She doesn’t move fast anymore and she was trying to, but it took her a bit and in the meantime, someone drove into the space.
I had to go ten spaces down and park.
When I got out and walked by the car, an elderly nun got out of the car. You know how you are when confronted with nuns. Not sure how to act, eve though I am not a Catholic. But still, society has ingrained a an odd feeling around nuns into us.
As I was walking up near her, a girl with Down’s Syndrome started jumping up and down in pleasure, laughing and clapping her hands. I don’t know how old she was, since it is a bit hard with Down’s Syndrome people, but she was probably in her 20’s, maybe 30’s.
Her pleasure was so obvious at seeing the nun who stole my parking space.
You could tell the nun was not sure who she was, but her mother/caregiver called her name so the nun could hear it and told her in a conversational tone, like she was talking to the girl, why the girl was so happy to see her.
She had obviously been in the nun’s school class at some time in the past and remembered her with great affection.
They talked as I walked by and I was glad I had lost my parking space to her.
If she had to take the one I got, she would probably not have gotten there in time to talk to the girl.
Sometimes inconveniences are good and help others.
Made the walk better.
The other day, I was trying to get Ella to hurry up and get out of the van at WalMart so I could get a parking space that was really near to the door.
After all, I want to walk all over WalMart but I do not want to walk the extra 100 feet to the door.
She doesn’t move fast anymore and she was trying to, but it took her a bit and in the meantime, someone drove into the space.
I had to go ten spaces down and park.
When I got out and walked by the car, an elderly nun got out of the car. You know how you are when confronted with nuns. Not sure how to act, eve though I am not a Catholic. But still, society has ingrained a an odd feeling around nuns into us.
As I was walking up near her, a girl with Down’s Syndrome started jumping up and down in pleasure, laughing and clapping her hands. I don’t know how old she was, since it is a bit hard with Down’s Syndrome people, but she was probably in her 20’s, maybe 30’s.
Her pleasure was so obvious at seeing the nun who stole my parking space.
You could tell the nun was not sure who she was, but her mother/caregiver called her name so the nun could hear it and told her in a conversational tone, like she was talking to the girl, why the girl was so happy to see her.
She had obviously been in the nun’s school class at some time in the past and remembered her with great affection.
They talked as I walked by and I was glad I had lost my parking space to her.
If she had to take the one I got, she would probably not have gotten there in time to talk to the girl.
Sometimes inconveniences are good and help others.
Made the walk better.
daily java
"The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” (Psalm 14:1)
I have read a lot of things lately and there are a couple of things that bother me about our country.
First is the recent Appeals Court ruling that cursing is fine on TV. European TV is fast and loose with everything including nudity. There are those who are almost desperate to have us be like them.
Of course, their society is dying, public nudity is acceptable, the church is virtually non-existent, and they do not have enough chidlren born to support those who are retiring.
I don’t really want our country to be like that.
Second is that the Health and Human Services Department is giving Pennsylvania $160 million to set up a new high-risk insurance pool that will cover any abortion that is legal in the state. That is from CNSNews on the web. It was promised that taxpayers would not pay for abortion and it was not true.
One good note is that the American Civil Liberties Union sent Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson a letter asking her to end her habit of opening some staff meetings with a prayer. Her response: she said it is a voluntary practice that she has no plans to discontinue. According to the article, her devout Christian faith is no secret and she plans to continue.
The world (ie satan, the prince of darkness) wants to destroy our civilization and to try to convince our young people that this country was never intended to be a Christian country anyway. And that Christianity is not all that great.
He is doing everything he can do to tear. And those who help him have been fooled into thinking that God is not real, and if he is real, he is not all that important.
The problem is, a religion you can leave at home or church when you go places is not worth having. And a god who doesn’t care is not a god. He is an idol. The idol here is the desire to do what you want no matter the consequences.
If more people stood up like Mrs Thompson, more good things will happen.
And the fools would be silenced.
I have read a lot of things lately and there are a couple of things that bother me about our country.
First is the recent Appeals Court ruling that cursing is fine on TV. European TV is fast and loose with everything including nudity. There are those who are almost desperate to have us be like them.
Of course, their society is dying, public nudity is acceptable, the church is virtually non-existent, and they do not have enough chidlren born to support those who are retiring.
I don’t really want our country to be like that.
Second is that the Health and Human Services Department is giving Pennsylvania $160 million to set up a new high-risk insurance pool that will cover any abortion that is legal in the state. That is from CNSNews on the web. It was promised that taxpayers would not pay for abortion and it was not true.
One good note is that the American Civil Liberties Union sent Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson a letter asking her to end her habit of opening some staff meetings with a prayer. Her response: she said it is a voluntary practice that she has no plans to discontinue. According to the article, her devout Christian faith is no secret and she plans to continue.
The world (ie satan, the prince of darkness) wants to destroy our civilization and to try to convince our young people that this country was never intended to be a Christian country anyway. And that Christianity is not all that great.
He is doing everything he can do to tear. And those who help him have been fooled into thinking that God is not real, and if he is real, he is not all that important.
The problem is, a religion you can leave at home or church when you go places is not worth having. And a god who doesn’t care is not a god. He is an idol. The idol here is the desire to do what you want no matter the consequences.
If more people stood up like Mrs Thompson, more good things will happen.
And the fools would be silenced.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
daly java
Daily Java: Pray continually. (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Prayer is our lifeline to God. In prayer we reconnect to the God that we serve. It is our pipeline to him and his favor.
It is hard to know someone or to love someone if you don’t know that person. We cannot truly serve God unless we know him. And we cannot know him unless we talk to him and get to know him.
The same is true with God.
When we pray – which is just an old word meaning to talk or to entreat – we connect to God and his being.
And prayer was meant for his people to use liberally and freely. As Hebrews says, we can boldly approach the throne of grace. We don’t have to make an appointment or stand in line or any of those things. We just come in and talk like our kids do with us.
Prayer was never intended to be used to rebuke others or to gripe in public. It was never intended to advance our own agendas.
If we gripe about things, we do it in private. The psalms are full of David especially griping to God about things that had gone wrong or people that had done wrong to him or to God.
Prayer was meant for us to call on him when we had trouble.
But corporate prayer – the prayer of people gathered together in his name - is meant to bring community concerns before the Father. Telling other people things you don’t like about them under the guise of prayer is not what God had in mind. It is foolishness masquerading as holiness.
Prayer is our hearts reaching out to our God. When you talk to him, it is like your children coming in and talking to you. Their hearts are reaching out to your heart and for a few moments, you share a great communion.
We often confuse prayer with a formal application of our desires and the occasional praise. We use stilted language and a formal manner as if we were addressing a government officer or one with whom we have little or nothing in common. Instead, we should speak as if we are coming into the presence of a trusted and loved parent, one with whom we have a good relationship, one we can talk to easily.
That is the lifeline. The more we talk to God, the more we will know him and he will know us. And the more that knowledge, the more the reconnection.
Prayer is our lifeline to God. In prayer we reconnect to the God that we serve. It is our pipeline to him and his favor.
It is hard to know someone or to love someone if you don’t know that person. We cannot truly serve God unless we know him. And we cannot know him unless we talk to him and get to know him.
The same is true with God.
When we pray – which is just an old word meaning to talk or to entreat – we connect to God and his being.
And prayer was meant for his people to use liberally and freely. As Hebrews says, we can boldly approach the throne of grace. We don’t have to make an appointment or stand in line or any of those things. We just come in and talk like our kids do with us.
Prayer was never intended to be used to rebuke others or to gripe in public. It was never intended to advance our own agendas.
If we gripe about things, we do it in private. The psalms are full of David especially griping to God about things that had gone wrong or people that had done wrong to him or to God.
Prayer was meant for us to call on him when we had trouble.
But corporate prayer – the prayer of people gathered together in his name - is meant to bring community concerns before the Father. Telling other people things you don’t like about them under the guise of prayer is not what God had in mind. It is foolishness masquerading as holiness.
Prayer is our hearts reaching out to our God. When you talk to him, it is like your children coming in and talking to you. Their hearts are reaching out to your heart and for a few moments, you share a great communion.
We often confuse prayer with a formal application of our desires and the occasional praise. We use stilted language and a formal manner as if we were addressing a government officer or one with whom we have little or nothing in common. Instead, we should speak as if we are coming into the presence of a trusted and loved parent, one with whom we have a good relationship, one we can talk to easily.
That is the lifeline. The more we talk to God, the more we will know him and he will know us. And the more that knowledge, the more the reconnection.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
dear dad
Dear Dad:
I was thinking about you on your birthday and want to wish you a Happy Birthday.
Since I am your oldest son (at 60 years old), I remember a long time and a lot of things.
One thing came to mind especially. You had a 1956 red and white Chrysler station wagon that you used as a work car back in the early 1960’s. It had a pushbutton transmission and seemed like a decent car. Of course,
I was only about 12 or so, I don’t remember exactly.
But one vacation, you worked for a construction company for the whole two weeks. Gerald, my little brother who is 3 years younger than me, and I rode our bicycles out to where you were working.
It was several miles and we felt almost like pioneers going a long distance. I had a red 24 inch bicycle with balloon tires, and Gerald had a more modern Schwinn-style bike. We got to your work place about quitting time, and you took us home in your station wagon.
It was a small thing, but one that I have remembered all of the rest of my life. I believe we went to the grand opening when it came on line. There were hot dogs and other prizes, and even an appearance of Cadet Don, a children’s program star on Channel 13. I remember that he was much smaller than I thought he would be. I found out later that almost every TV and even movie star are little.
Later, when I was grown, I went out with you on your job in your company car. This was after you had been promoted to the safety department. It was good being with you that day. I even had my first Slurpee that day from 7-11.
I have a lot of good memories about you and I recognize that you don’t remember them. But that is okay. I will remember them for you. One day, as we stand in the glorious presence of the Almighty Lord, our Healer,
I believe he will give you that remembering and will heal your memory. And if he doesn’t, it will not matter. We’ll still be there.
But for now, I will remember. But remember that I love you.
Johnny
I was thinking about you on your birthday and want to wish you a Happy Birthday.
Since I am your oldest son (at 60 years old), I remember a long time and a lot of things.
One thing came to mind especially. You had a 1956 red and white Chrysler station wagon that you used as a work car back in the early 1960’s. It had a pushbutton transmission and seemed like a decent car. Of course,
I was only about 12 or so, I don’t remember exactly.
But one vacation, you worked for a construction company for the whole two weeks. Gerald, my little brother who is 3 years younger than me, and I rode our bicycles out to where you were working.
It was several miles and we felt almost like pioneers going a long distance. I had a red 24 inch bicycle with balloon tires, and Gerald had a more modern Schwinn-style bike. We got to your work place about quitting time, and you took us home in your station wagon.
It was a small thing, but one that I have remembered all of the rest of my life. I believe we went to the grand opening when it came on line. There were hot dogs and other prizes, and even an appearance of Cadet Don, a children’s program star on Channel 13. I remember that he was much smaller than I thought he would be. I found out later that almost every TV and even movie star are little.
Later, when I was grown, I went out with you on your job in your company car. This was after you had been promoted to the safety department. It was good being with you that day. I even had my first Slurpee that day from 7-11.
I have a lot of good memories about you and I recognize that you don’t remember them. But that is okay. I will remember them for you. One day, as we stand in the glorious presence of the Almighty Lord, our Healer,
I believe he will give you that remembering and will heal your memory. And if he doesn’t, it will not matter. We’ll still be there.
But for now, I will remember. But remember that I love you.
Johnny
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
daily java
Daily Java: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35)
It is easy to see all of this around us as being permanent, but it will one day be gone.
The earth seems so permanent, so strong, so eternal. But it isn’t.
It is dying. Not because of global warming, or global cooling, or any of those other foolish inventions of humanity, but because it was never designed to last forever. It was designed to last as long as God wanted and then it would be destroyed.
It is dying. But is that so hard to believe? That the world can die?
Think about yourself. After all, your hair is grayer and there is less of it, you are older and weaker, even though you used to be strong. You are much more out of shape when you were younger, even last year.
Your house is having wear and tear, your favorite chair is wearing out and so is your car. Your favorite shirt is fading. Even your computer is out of date.
Everything Is wearing out. That is because nothing you own was designed to last forever.
The only thing that will last is the word of God. His truth alone is eternal, his ways alone are true, his will alone will prevail.
God can be truly objective. And the best thing about it is that we know he loves us.
It is easy to see all of this around us as being permanent, but it will one day be gone.
The earth seems so permanent, so strong, so eternal. But it isn’t.
It is dying. Not because of global warming, or global cooling, or any of those other foolish inventions of humanity, but because it was never designed to last forever. It was designed to last as long as God wanted and then it would be destroyed.
It is dying. But is that so hard to believe? That the world can die?
Think about yourself. After all, your hair is grayer and there is less of it, you are older and weaker, even though you used to be strong. You are much more out of shape when you were younger, even last year.
Your house is having wear and tear, your favorite chair is wearing out and so is your car. Your favorite shirt is fading. Even your computer is out of date.
Everything Is wearing out. That is because nothing you own was designed to last forever.
The only thing that will last is the word of God. His truth alone is eternal, his ways alone are true, his will alone will prevail.
God can be truly objective. And the best thing about it is that we know he loves us.
Monday, July 5, 2010
daily java
Daily Java: Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. (John 2:23-25)
Jesus knew that people would do anything to advance their own agenda, even to the point of tearing the church up. He knew that and he kept his own counsel about what he was doing. However, we know he was a sociable guy, doing his first miracle at a party, and was obviously someone that people liked to be around.
People will do anything to accomplish what they want. Whether it is a change they want, or that they want no change at all. They will sit at your table, eat your food and drink your coffee, while planning their coup. This is true, although I cannot understand it.
Even at his death, Jesus knew this. He said, Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. They thought they were doing things normally, when they were actually perverting the will of God.
People in the church think that what they are doing is normal and the way people do church. They, many times, do not realize that they are doing the opposite of what the will of God is.
Of course, sometimes they know, but do it anyway. In that way they are kind of like King Saul, who tried to kill David, knowing God’s favor was on David. He figured that if he killed David, God would have to go ahead and use him and Jonathan. He knew it was wrong, but felt compelled by his own feelings and desires to do it anyway.
I mean, I know why. It is a desire to be in charge that is so strong that one will tear up everything to get it. The fact that people are hurt is beside the point that you want to get something done. It is almost suicidal.
No real answers here, but it is a problem that besets every pastor.
I know why, but I do not understand it.
Jesus knew that people would do anything to advance their own agenda, even to the point of tearing the church up. He knew that and he kept his own counsel about what he was doing. However, we know he was a sociable guy, doing his first miracle at a party, and was obviously someone that people liked to be around.
People will do anything to accomplish what they want. Whether it is a change they want, or that they want no change at all. They will sit at your table, eat your food and drink your coffee, while planning their coup. This is true, although I cannot understand it.
Even at his death, Jesus knew this. He said, Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. They thought they were doing things normally, when they were actually perverting the will of God.
People in the church think that what they are doing is normal and the way people do church. They, many times, do not realize that they are doing the opposite of what the will of God is.
Of course, sometimes they know, but do it anyway. In that way they are kind of like King Saul, who tried to kill David, knowing God’s favor was on David. He figured that if he killed David, God would have to go ahead and use him and Jonathan. He knew it was wrong, but felt compelled by his own feelings and desires to do it anyway.
I mean, I know why. It is a desire to be in charge that is so strong that one will tear up everything to get it. The fact that people are hurt is beside the point that you want to get something done. It is almost suicidal.
No real answers here, but it is a problem that besets every pastor.
I know why, but I do not understand it.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
daily java
Daily Java: God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)
Freedom is strange. It means so many things to so many people and they are all different.
I was raised in America, of course, like most Americans. But my family came here from somewhere else, again like most people in America.
They came to America to be free. It was a different freedom for all of them.
It may have been economic freedom, or freedom to pursue their own interests. It may have been freedom from oppression.
For many it was the freedom of religion. They didn’t want to be told how to worship and in what churches that worship was acceptable.
Nobody comes to us to make us do otherwise. That is strange to us in America since we have that freedom and take it for granted.
That isn’t the case in many of the Muslim countries. The news (or at least the news that isn’t biased) tells of conversion squads that go through villages in Africa and some of the Asian countries forcibly converting people, maiming and raping those who refuse, killing pastors and leaders.
Of course, you also read of those in America that would like to curtail all mention of Jesus in society. There is even an organization called Americans for the Separation of Church and State that tries hard to squelch all mention of God anywhere.
The liberal school system tries hard to cut any mention of God. It seems that every week, I read of another lawsuit against a school system on behalf of freedom of speech in mentioning God. That may include t shirts with religious comment, prayers at lunch, having a Bible in open view in front of a teacher who is “offended” by it.
And it is a funny thing. Funny in an ironic sense, that is. These people would never be able be able to say what they want to say in any society that wasn’t Christian. It is only under that Christian framework that people have the ability to worship as they please.
Freedom means different things to different people. But to the Christ-follower, it means that he is no longer under the bonds of sin and death. He is free.
And he knows that God loves him. Love brings tremendous freedom.
Freedom is strange. It means so many things to so many people and they are all different.
I was raised in America, of course, like most Americans. But my family came here from somewhere else, again like most people in America.
They came to America to be free. It was a different freedom for all of them.
It may have been economic freedom, or freedom to pursue their own interests. It may have been freedom from oppression.
For many it was the freedom of religion. They didn’t want to be told how to worship and in what churches that worship was acceptable.
Nobody comes to us to make us do otherwise. That is strange to us in America since we have that freedom and take it for granted.
That isn’t the case in many of the Muslim countries. The news (or at least the news that isn’t biased) tells of conversion squads that go through villages in Africa and some of the Asian countries forcibly converting people, maiming and raping those who refuse, killing pastors and leaders.
Of course, you also read of those in America that would like to curtail all mention of Jesus in society. There is even an organization called Americans for the Separation of Church and State that tries hard to squelch all mention of God anywhere.
The liberal school system tries hard to cut any mention of God. It seems that every week, I read of another lawsuit against a school system on behalf of freedom of speech in mentioning God. That may include t shirts with religious comment, prayers at lunch, having a Bible in open view in front of a teacher who is “offended” by it.
And it is a funny thing. Funny in an ironic sense, that is. These people would never be able be able to say what they want to say in any society that wasn’t Christian. It is only under that Christian framework that people have the ability to worship as they please.
Freedom means different things to different people. But to the Christ-follower, it means that he is no longer under the bonds of sin and death. He is free.
And he knows that God loves him. Love brings tremendous freedom.
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