Get Up and Get Out
John Fischer
Your mission today (should you choose to accept it) is to get yourself up out of bed and throw yourself out into the world. That’s right: Get up and get out.
My, how daring we are! Well, yes, when you consider how dangerous a place the world is, and how inadequate we feel when we try to make a difference in it. But just read this:
For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? (2 Corinthians 2:15-16 NIV)
Now there is a picture you and me having a significant effect on people, churning up reactions as varied as life and death by our mere presence. It’s no surprise Paul would wonder, in the next breath, who, if any, might be equal to this task. It’s a rhetorical question that he intends to answer, and he does in the next chapter. “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God who has made us adequate…” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). In other words, we aren’t adequate, but we are. We aren’t adequate in ourselves, but we are in Christ. And we find this out we when we jump into the world, believing.
By believing, you are taking the particular characteristics of a believer (a person in whom God’s presence is a factor) out into the world, and by nature of your presence in the world and the presence of Christ in your life, you will make a difference. So, you see, it is all about literally throwing yourself out there and trusting that God shows up when you do, even when you don’t exactly know what’s going to happen next, you just know you’ll be ready when it does by nature of the Spirit of God in you. How about that for living dangerously?
As a friend of mine said last night, almost nonchalantly, a true Christian is choosing the most dangerous occupation in the world. I think he’s right, not only because Satan is alive and well on planet earth working to discredit those who believe, but because God likes us living on the edge in believing Him. I really don’t think faith is mainstream. I don’t think it gets the popular vote.
Real faith does not win mass-market appeal. True faith is a challenge of wits. It’s the mover and shaker of the status quo. Faith kicks us out of our safety net and into the world. If nothing’s on the line, then there’s no faith required. That’s dangerous, but all the more exhilarating when God shows up and shows Himself to be true to His promises.
So get up and get out. It’s the only way to truly find out!
PDL
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Hidden Damage
Dan Betzer
Last August Hurricane Charley hit our town hard. Our church building alone had more than a million dollars of damage. Many good folks lost everything they had. My wife and I were so grateful that our house came through the storm without a hitch.
We were in for a shock the other day. We were preparing to remodel our master bedroom. Everything had to be removed -- the furniture, carpets, and drapes.
That’s when we learned the rest of the story. When the valances were taken down, we found that one end of the bedroom, an outside corner, had sustained some pretty good damage from water. Apparently, the 100-mile-per-hour winds had raised the shingles enough to let water seep inside the walls and the damage was undetected all these months.
No, the damage is not heavy, but it will have to be repaired. My goodness, that wood rot was lurking in our room all these months, hidden by the drapes.
The spiritual application here is evident. How much stuff gets hidden, we think, in our lives that God knows is there all the time -- the hidden motivations, the unspoken (though often-thought) words, the bitterness and anger, the resentments from so many past factors of our lives?
We have them all covered so carefully. Then something happens and the curtains get opened and the light of conscience, the light of Scripture, or some other illumination hits the wood rot. The question then becomes, what do we do about it?
Do we get the repair done? At whatever cost or inconvenience? Or do we threaten our entire lives with ever-developing mold? Now, what’s the name of that shingle guy?
cbn
Dan Betzer
Last August Hurricane Charley hit our town hard. Our church building alone had more than a million dollars of damage. Many good folks lost everything they had. My wife and I were so grateful that our house came through the storm without a hitch.
We were in for a shock the other day. We were preparing to remodel our master bedroom. Everything had to be removed -- the furniture, carpets, and drapes.
That’s when we learned the rest of the story. When the valances were taken down, we found that one end of the bedroom, an outside corner, had sustained some pretty good damage from water. Apparently, the 100-mile-per-hour winds had raised the shingles enough to let water seep inside the walls and the damage was undetected all these months.
No, the damage is not heavy, but it will have to be repaired. My goodness, that wood rot was lurking in our room all these months, hidden by the drapes.
The spiritual application here is evident. How much stuff gets hidden, we think, in our lives that God knows is there all the time -- the hidden motivations, the unspoken (though often-thought) words, the bitterness and anger, the resentments from so many past factors of our lives?
We have them all covered so carefully. Then something happens and the curtains get opened and the light of conscience, the light of Scripture, or some other illumination hits the wood rot. The question then becomes, what do we do about it?
Do we get the repair done? At whatever cost or inconvenience? Or do we threaten our entire lives with ever-developing mold? Now, what’s the name of that shingle guy?
cbn
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Ministry 24/7
Paul Colmanas told to Jennifer E. Jones
I see ministry as relationships. We’re one with God and one with people. Therefore, I don’t even think about [balancing ministry with career]. I’m ministering no matter what I’m doing, whether I’m on the plane or doing the show or talking to you.
Our hearts are in ministry to God. He knows the secret thoughts that are going through your mind and your heart right now. He knows the same with me. He knows whether I’m thinking, I can’t wait ‘till this is over, or I really want to serve You. He hears all that; it’s loud in His ear. That’s where our ministry begins -- when those other thoughts come through, and we say, “Get out. God, what do You want to say?”
For me, it’s talking to [a reporter] and making them feel like the only person in the world. To me, getting that stuff right is the ministry. Because whatever you do with that attitude, it’s going to minister to God and others.
I don’t like to compartmentalize my day into ministry moments and non-ministry moments. A lot of people like to. They pray for a ministry opportunity. It just sounds like someone speaking Latin to me. It doesn’t make any sense how someone can choose a ministry moment.
I can have a ministry moment with the person who’s at [airport] security. What if something unseen through the Holy Spirit passes through a smile from me to him when everyone else is giving him frowns? What if that’s exactly what he needed? What if he said, “God, just let someone smile at me, and I’ll know that You love me?” How do we know? It is a ministry opportunity. It's when we order coffee. It doesn’t stop.
People like to validate themselves and be religious. That's not relational. The most ineffective ministry moment is when you’re performing. There’s this stage, an audience, and lights, and it’s good. But you can’t disciple anyone from stage. So my life would be my ministry.
A girl came over to baby-sit my kids, and I asked her where she’d been. She said she was on a missions trip to Ireland. That sounds like a normal statement but to me that’s abnormal. I asked her why did she call it a ‘missions trip’. Don’t you go everywhere to do that? Does that change when you go to Ireland? Did you come tonight to look after my kids as a missions trip? Because my kids are a mission.
People validate one trip over another. You don’t view a trip to 7-11 as a mission so you’re disengaged, but Paul talks about us being soldiers. We’re always engaged. We’re always on a mission even if that mission is to relax and take some time to chill out.
We validate ourselves with all this stuff, and when you wipe it all away, all you’ve got is loving God and loving people. That’s it, and that’s what Jesus said when He was asked what’s the most important thing.
Our relationship with God and our relationship with each other are the only two things that will pass into eternity. Everything else is gone. Therefore, they must be the most important things here. So if you’re burnt out that means you haven’t put enough focus on relationships. That’s your restoration. Everything should happen through that. That’s your ministry.
cbn
Paul Colmanas told to Jennifer E. Jones
I see ministry as relationships. We’re one with God and one with people. Therefore, I don’t even think about [balancing ministry with career]. I’m ministering no matter what I’m doing, whether I’m on the plane or doing the show or talking to you.
Our hearts are in ministry to God. He knows the secret thoughts that are going through your mind and your heart right now. He knows the same with me. He knows whether I’m thinking, I can’t wait ‘till this is over, or I really want to serve You. He hears all that; it’s loud in His ear. That’s where our ministry begins -- when those other thoughts come through, and we say, “Get out. God, what do You want to say?”
For me, it’s talking to [a reporter] and making them feel like the only person in the world. To me, getting that stuff right is the ministry. Because whatever you do with that attitude, it’s going to minister to God and others.
I don’t like to compartmentalize my day into ministry moments and non-ministry moments. A lot of people like to. They pray for a ministry opportunity. It just sounds like someone speaking Latin to me. It doesn’t make any sense how someone can choose a ministry moment.
I can have a ministry moment with the person who’s at [airport] security. What if something unseen through the Holy Spirit passes through a smile from me to him when everyone else is giving him frowns? What if that’s exactly what he needed? What if he said, “God, just let someone smile at me, and I’ll know that You love me?” How do we know? It is a ministry opportunity. It's when we order coffee. It doesn’t stop.
People like to validate themselves and be religious. That's not relational. The most ineffective ministry moment is when you’re performing. There’s this stage, an audience, and lights, and it’s good. But you can’t disciple anyone from stage. So my life would be my ministry.
A girl came over to baby-sit my kids, and I asked her where she’d been. She said she was on a missions trip to Ireland. That sounds like a normal statement but to me that’s abnormal. I asked her why did she call it a ‘missions trip’. Don’t you go everywhere to do that? Does that change when you go to Ireland? Did you come tonight to look after my kids as a missions trip? Because my kids are a mission.
People validate one trip over another. You don’t view a trip to 7-11 as a mission so you’re disengaged, but Paul talks about us being soldiers. We’re always engaged. We’re always on a mission even if that mission is to relax and take some time to chill out.
We validate ourselves with all this stuff, and when you wipe it all away, all you’ve got is loving God and loving people. That’s it, and that’s what Jesus said when He was asked what’s the most important thing.
Our relationship with God and our relationship with each other are the only two things that will pass into eternity. Everything else is gone. Therefore, they must be the most important things here. So if you’re burnt out that means you haven’t put enough focus on relationships. That’s your restoration. Everything should happen through that. That’s your ministry.
cbn
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
UNDERSTANDING YOUR GIFTEDNESS
Romans 12:3-8
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
I walked through the shopping center, clutching a container of sherbet. Call it a childish reversion, a longing for a more simple and stable time in life. But there was something entirely delightful in that uncomplicated red-plastic-spoon-scoops-sherbet-meets-tongue-and-tastes-good moment. Somehow I felt more at peace than I had in a long while.
The previous few months had been filled with the "urgent" and "important." With our pastor needing some rest, I had taken on a greater speaking role in my church, on top of regular work and ministry responsibilities. I had also invested a lot of time in the lives of hurting and confused people--people with deep, multi-layered, call-in-the-professionals-type troubles. But now I was exhausted and beginning to resent church and all that I was doing "for God." Somehow this wasn't the way serving God was supposed to be.
Billy Graham's worldwide crusades have proven his calling as an evangelist. But even the resourceful Dr. Graham once lost his focus. Under obligation to an old friend, he accepted the presidency of a combined Bible college and seminary. At first he thought he might build an institution with a passion for evangelism, but he soon discovered he had little patience for the administrative detail required of the role. When he resigned 3 years later, Graham said in retrospect, "I was called by God to be an evangelist, not an educator."
Ours is a great big world of spiritual, physical, and relational needs. But we are finite and cannot possibly meet all of these ourselves. We're part of a body that can collectively address such needs as each member does its unique work. In a season of self-flattery, I had started to believe I could do it all myself.
My primary gift is in communication--speaking, preaching, writing, and broadcasting. I'm not gifted in mercy or helps. As I continue to walk with God, I'm learning more about what He has built me to do.
How's your gift assessment going? --Sheridan Voysey
DESTINATION POINTS
• What spiritual gifts do I have, as confirmed by others? (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4).
• What three things does history prove I do most effectively?
LINKS:
What are spiritual gifts?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/questions/spiritualgifts.html
How can I learn to appreciate and use the talents and gifts God has given me?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/questions/talentsgifts3.html
bottom line: Understanding our gifts helps us do our best for God.
souil journey
Romans 12:3-8
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
I walked through the shopping center, clutching a container of sherbet. Call it a childish reversion, a longing for a more simple and stable time in life. But there was something entirely delightful in that uncomplicated red-plastic-spoon-scoops-sherbet-meets-tongue-and-tastes-good moment. Somehow I felt more at peace than I had in a long while.
The previous few months had been filled with the "urgent" and "important." With our pastor needing some rest, I had taken on a greater speaking role in my church, on top of regular work and ministry responsibilities. I had also invested a lot of time in the lives of hurting and confused people--people with deep, multi-layered, call-in-the-professionals-type troubles. But now I was exhausted and beginning to resent church and all that I was doing "for God." Somehow this wasn't the way serving God was supposed to be.
Billy Graham's worldwide crusades have proven his calling as an evangelist. But even the resourceful Dr. Graham once lost his focus. Under obligation to an old friend, he accepted the presidency of a combined Bible college and seminary. At first he thought he might build an institution with a passion for evangelism, but he soon discovered he had little patience for the administrative detail required of the role. When he resigned 3 years later, Graham said in retrospect, "I was called by God to be an evangelist, not an educator."
Ours is a great big world of spiritual, physical, and relational needs. But we are finite and cannot possibly meet all of these ourselves. We're part of a body that can collectively address such needs as each member does its unique work. In a season of self-flattery, I had started to believe I could do it all myself.
My primary gift is in communication--speaking, preaching, writing, and broadcasting. I'm not gifted in mercy or helps. As I continue to walk with God, I'm learning more about what He has built me to do.
How's your gift assessment going? --Sheridan Voysey
DESTINATION POINTS
• What spiritual gifts do I have, as confirmed by others? (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4).
• What three things does history prove I do most effectively?
LINKS:
What are spiritual gifts?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/questions/spiritualgifts.html
How can I learn to appreciate and use the talents and gifts God has given me?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/questions/talentsgifts3.html
bottom line: Understanding our gifts helps us do our best for God.
souil journey
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
The Heart of the Matter
John Fischer
I've been trying to get down to the heart of the matter,
But my will gets weak and my thoughts seem to scatter—
But I think it's about forgiveness, forgiveness—
Even if—even if—you don't love me anymore.
- Don Henley
Yes, Don Henley was right: it’s all about forgiveness. It’s all about forgiveness, because we are all in such a mess—we are all in such need of it. Applying large doses of forgiveness is a necessary requirement for any relationship to flourish.
Authentic fellowship requires forgiveness or it is a phony, surface fellowship. It skips over the sins, disappointments and letdowns of our lives because these are too painful or too hard to face.
The only way it wouldn’t be about forgiveness would be if everyone were perfect, and I checked myself in the mirror recently and concluded that my perfection doesn’t look like a possibility at least in my immediate future. I desperately need those around me to be forgiving if I am going to get anywhere near them, because I have so much in me that will stand in the way of a real relationship if it’s not brought out into the open. And when something like that is brought out into the open, something has to be done about it. It has to be the featured obstacle—the reason why we can’t get close—or it has to be forgiven.
I really don’t see this going any other way. Because we are all going to fail each other’s expectations so assuredly, I see only three possibilities here. Hate or fear each other and completely avoid any relationship. Carry on a superficial relationship where we hide most of our real feelings behind a mask of pretension. Or come out into the open and love each other applying forgiveness liberally to others and ourselves. Forgiveness is the only way to avoid resentment and anger. Fellowship is impossible without it.
“Above all, love each other deeply,” wrote Peter, “because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Whose sins are being covered over here, I wonder. I bet it is everyone’s. Love enables me to look past your sins and be in relationship with you. And love enables you to look past my sins and be in relationship with me. Not only that, but it also allows us to have our own sins forgiven so we can have a sense of being worth something to someone else as a friend.
Fellowship is a great thing, but don’t even try it without a commitment to forgiving each other. Otherwise, your fellow “ship” will never even get out of the harbor.
PDL
John Fischer
I've been trying to get down to the heart of the matter,
But my will gets weak and my thoughts seem to scatter—
But I think it's about forgiveness, forgiveness—
Even if—even if—you don't love me anymore.
- Don Henley
Yes, Don Henley was right: it’s all about forgiveness. It’s all about forgiveness, because we are all in such a mess—we are all in such need of it. Applying large doses of forgiveness is a necessary requirement for any relationship to flourish.
Authentic fellowship requires forgiveness or it is a phony, surface fellowship. It skips over the sins, disappointments and letdowns of our lives because these are too painful or too hard to face.
The only way it wouldn’t be about forgiveness would be if everyone were perfect, and I checked myself in the mirror recently and concluded that my perfection doesn’t look like a possibility at least in my immediate future. I desperately need those around me to be forgiving if I am going to get anywhere near them, because I have so much in me that will stand in the way of a real relationship if it’s not brought out into the open. And when something like that is brought out into the open, something has to be done about it. It has to be the featured obstacle—the reason why we can’t get close—or it has to be forgiven.
I really don’t see this going any other way. Because we are all going to fail each other’s expectations so assuredly, I see only three possibilities here. Hate or fear each other and completely avoid any relationship. Carry on a superficial relationship where we hide most of our real feelings behind a mask of pretension. Or come out into the open and love each other applying forgiveness liberally to others and ourselves. Forgiveness is the only way to avoid resentment and anger. Fellowship is impossible without it.
“Above all, love each other deeply,” wrote Peter, “because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Whose sins are being covered over here, I wonder. I bet it is everyone’s. Love enables me to look past your sins and be in relationship with you. And love enables you to look past my sins and be in relationship with me. Not only that, but it also allows us to have our own sins forgiven so we can have a sense of being worth something to someone else as a friend.
Fellowship is a great thing, but don’t even try it without a commitment to forgiving each other. Otherwise, your fellow “ship” will never even get out of the harbor.
PDL
Monday, July 25, 2005
WHERE LIFE BEGINS
Romans 10:8-11
8 The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."
Do you ever wonder, Where's my life going? What's it all about? Every heart longs for meaning. Everyone searches for fulfillment. But the real discovery of life and joy begins by kneeling before Jesus as Lord.
What does that mean? Well, that would depend on which side of the line you are standing. Yes, there's a line. It runs through eternity between heaven and hell. People try to straddle this line on earth--but not in eternity.
Sadly, not everyone is going to heaven. But track with me for a minute and you can be sure that you will. For you to know life and joy and fulfillment, and to be certain that heaven is your eternal destination, you must bow before Him and acknowledge Him as Lord of your own life. Though that's not easy, it's as simple as A-B-C:
A -- Accept the fact that you are a sinner. That shouldn't be hard--if you're in doubt, ask your family. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned." And so we are all under the just condemnation of a holy God. If you died this moment without the Lord, you would go to hell. But God has made a way for you to escape that fate through His Son Jesus.
B -- Believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sin. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on a cross, and paid the price for your sin so that God could righteously forgive you. Romans 5:8 says, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Do you believe that?
C -- Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Your next step is to openly acknowledge Christ as your own Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Today could be the turning point for you. It could be the time you remember 1,000 years from now as the moment you embraced Jesus as Lord. Of course, He will always be Lord. The question is, will you bow your knee to Him. Your life itself--now and in eternity--hinges on this. --James MacDonald
DESTINATION POINTS
• I will read these verses in the book of Romans to understand salvation more fully:
3:10 (Our Condition)
3:23 (The Reason)
5:12 (The Cause)
6:23 (The Penalty)
5:8 (God's Love)
10:9-11 (The Remedy)
10:13 (The Decision)
• What does the reality of salvation in Jesus mean to me?
bottom line: On which side of the line are you standing?
soul journey
Romans 10:8-11
8 The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."
Do you ever wonder, Where's my life going? What's it all about? Every heart longs for meaning. Everyone searches for fulfillment. But the real discovery of life and joy begins by kneeling before Jesus as Lord.
What does that mean? Well, that would depend on which side of the line you are standing. Yes, there's a line. It runs through eternity between heaven and hell. People try to straddle this line on earth--but not in eternity.
Sadly, not everyone is going to heaven. But track with me for a minute and you can be sure that you will. For you to know life and joy and fulfillment, and to be certain that heaven is your eternal destination, you must bow before Him and acknowledge Him as Lord of your own life. Though that's not easy, it's as simple as A-B-C:
A -- Accept the fact that you are a sinner. That shouldn't be hard--if you're in doubt, ask your family. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned." And so we are all under the just condemnation of a holy God. If you died this moment without the Lord, you would go to hell. But God has made a way for you to escape that fate through His Son Jesus.
B -- Believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sin. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on a cross, and paid the price for your sin so that God could righteously forgive you. Romans 5:8 says, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Do you believe that?
C -- Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Your next step is to openly acknowledge Christ as your own Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Today could be the turning point for you. It could be the time you remember 1,000 years from now as the moment you embraced Jesus as Lord. Of course, He will always be Lord. The question is, will you bow your knee to Him. Your life itself--now and in eternity--hinges on this. --James MacDonald
DESTINATION POINTS
• I will read these verses in the book of Romans to understand salvation more fully:
3:10 (Our Condition)
3:23 (The Reason)
5:12 (The Cause)
6:23 (The Penalty)
5:8 (God's Love)
10:9-11 (The Remedy)
10:13 (The Decision)
• What does the reality of salvation in Jesus mean to me?
bottom line: On which side of the line are you standing?
soul journey
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Super Hero; Super Friend
John Fischer
My new friend, the carpenter/handyman, stopped by again yesterday. He brought me a couple lemon cucumbers from his wife’s garden and his own contribution to my makeshift tool collection, a brand new carpenter’s square with a 45-degree angle and a built in level.
This guy is starting to take on legendary proportions in my mind. He might even start to challenge the “Super Palmer” of my past. For that story we have to go back some 30 or more years when I was in college and brought one of my roommates home for Spring break. My father was having some work done on our house assisted by a handyman from our church whose name was Palmer.
Now Palmer enjoyed legendary status around our house. There was seemingly no carpentry problem he couldn’t solve. He wasn’t there every day, but when my father ran into trouble, it was time to call in the big gun. Calling “Super Palmer” to the rescue had become a family joke.
One morning while my roommate and I were having breakfast, Palmer was doing some work on a ladder just outside the breakfast room window. We were just making some comments about our new super hero, when suddenly his boots lifted off the ladder and he was gone. Now, of course, he was just jumping on the roof, but there was no mistaking it for my roommate and me. It was clearly Super Palmer off to save his next amateur handyman in distress. “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…” well, you know how it goes.
So much in me says there must be a “sell” coming sometime soon with this new super hero who is helping me on my current remodeling project, but it doesn’t, and my doubts are whittling away. I’m sad and somewhat embarrassed at how suspicious I have become, and how hard it is to trust the innocent agenda of a helping, serving person.
Realizing this helps me understand how one’s purpose-driven mission to share Christ with others needs to be balanced by a spirit of genuine service, whether we ever talk about Christ or not. True service asks for nothing in return. If sharing Christ ever becomes the “sell” of our service, it will rob our words of their integrity.
No one wants to be someone’s project; everyone wants to be someone’s friend. With the Holy Spirit alive and well in you and me, and with the knowledge that God draws people to himself, even in spite of us sometimes, that leaves the mutual respect of a real relationship able to stand as an end in itself. In other words, you can serve without an agenda, and take it from me on the other side of the equation; it’s wonderful to be treated this way.
PDL
John Fischer
My new friend, the carpenter/handyman, stopped by again yesterday. He brought me a couple lemon cucumbers from his wife’s garden and his own contribution to my makeshift tool collection, a brand new carpenter’s square with a 45-degree angle and a built in level.
This guy is starting to take on legendary proportions in my mind. He might even start to challenge the “Super Palmer” of my past. For that story we have to go back some 30 or more years when I was in college and brought one of my roommates home for Spring break. My father was having some work done on our house assisted by a handyman from our church whose name was Palmer.
Now Palmer enjoyed legendary status around our house. There was seemingly no carpentry problem he couldn’t solve. He wasn’t there every day, but when my father ran into trouble, it was time to call in the big gun. Calling “Super Palmer” to the rescue had become a family joke.
One morning while my roommate and I were having breakfast, Palmer was doing some work on a ladder just outside the breakfast room window. We were just making some comments about our new super hero, when suddenly his boots lifted off the ladder and he was gone. Now, of course, he was just jumping on the roof, but there was no mistaking it for my roommate and me. It was clearly Super Palmer off to save his next amateur handyman in distress. “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…” well, you know how it goes.
So much in me says there must be a “sell” coming sometime soon with this new super hero who is helping me on my current remodeling project, but it doesn’t, and my doubts are whittling away. I’m sad and somewhat embarrassed at how suspicious I have become, and how hard it is to trust the innocent agenda of a helping, serving person.
Realizing this helps me understand how one’s purpose-driven mission to share Christ with others needs to be balanced by a spirit of genuine service, whether we ever talk about Christ or not. True service asks for nothing in return. If sharing Christ ever becomes the “sell” of our service, it will rob our words of their integrity.
No one wants to be someone’s project; everyone wants to be someone’s friend. With the Holy Spirit alive and well in you and me, and with the knowledge that God draws people to himself, even in spite of us sometimes, that leaves the mutual respect of a real relationship able to stand as an end in itself. In other words, you can serve without an agenda, and take it from me on the other side of the equation; it’s wonderful to be treated this way.
PDL
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Is My Halo Tilted?
Missey Butler
A few Saturday’s ago I found myself engaged in a rather heated debate with my sweet significant other—AKA my husband. Our body language began to speak loudly as we individually locked down into the dreaded folded arms posture, stubbornly standing toe to toe on the ground of our separate positions. It was becoming more and more apparent that no white flag of surrender was going to appear on the horizon anytime soon.
So what did I do? I took myself and my wounded ego out to the front flower bed to do some serious weeding and hopefully “vent” some frustrations at the same time.
With garden spade in hand and an unrelenting resolve, I proceeded to unearth the ground with great fervor. Dirt and mulch started flying everywhere. I was going at it like there was no tomorrow. Then suddenly, from behind my right shoulder, I heard the voice of my neighbor Melainie say, “What’s the matter, Missey? You look like your halo is a little tilted today.” I looked up at her with potting soil littered all over my face and hands, and we both just broke out laughing! She was just what I needed.
As we began to talk, she soon shared some of her own experiences. While she was speaking, I quietly exited from her presence in my mind to thank God for sending her to me. As I looked up at her smile, I thought to myself, She probably doesn’t even realize that she was sent this morning by divine appointment to walk across the street, and in her light-hearted way, to help me to NOT take myself quite so seriously.
Yep, it’s amazing to me that the world managed to continue spinning on its axis as my little tiff quickly dissipated into a “What was the big deal anyway?” kind of moment. My earth shattering problem did not seem to be nearly as monumental as it appeared only moments before.
The often used statement that “Christians are not perfect…just forgiven” is true! God understands our humanness more than we give Him credit for. That’s why many times He has to reach down and adjust our halos by dispatching one of His “On Call” angels. Those friends, loved ones, and sometimes even strangers who “appear” at just the right moment with a friendly ear or a kind word help us to step outside of ourselves long enough to begin to see things in a brand new light.
Help me, Father, to return the favor, by always being ready at Your command in case You decide to use me to help “re-adjust” someone else’s halo that might have become a little “tilted” by life’s unexpected circumstances. I consider it a privilege to be counted among that special group of people known as the A.O.C. – “Angels On Call.” I am ready to help out at a moment’s notice!
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor; For if they fall, the one will lift up his companion” (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10a).
cbn
Missey Butler
A few Saturday’s ago I found myself engaged in a rather heated debate with my sweet significant other—AKA my husband. Our body language began to speak loudly as we individually locked down into the dreaded folded arms posture, stubbornly standing toe to toe on the ground of our separate positions. It was becoming more and more apparent that no white flag of surrender was going to appear on the horizon anytime soon.
So what did I do? I took myself and my wounded ego out to the front flower bed to do some serious weeding and hopefully “vent” some frustrations at the same time.
With garden spade in hand and an unrelenting resolve, I proceeded to unearth the ground with great fervor. Dirt and mulch started flying everywhere. I was going at it like there was no tomorrow. Then suddenly, from behind my right shoulder, I heard the voice of my neighbor Melainie say, “What’s the matter, Missey? You look like your halo is a little tilted today.” I looked up at her with potting soil littered all over my face and hands, and we both just broke out laughing! She was just what I needed.
As we began to talk, she soon shared some of her own experiences. While she was speaking, I quietly exited from her presence in my mind to thank God for sending her to me. As I looked up at her smile, I thought to myself, She probably doesn’t even realize that she was sent this morning by divine appointment to walk across the street, and in her light-hearted way, to help me to NOT take myself quite so seriously.
Yep, it’s amazing to me that the world managed to continue spinning on its axis as my little tiff quickly dissipated into a “What was the big deal anyway?” kind of moment. My earth shattering problem did not seem to be nearly as monumental as it appeared only moments before.
The often used statement that “Christians are not perfect…just forgiven” is true! God understands our humanness more than we give Him credit for. That’s why many times He has to reach down and adjust our halos by dispatching one of His “On Call” angels. Those friends, loved ones, and sometimes even strangers who “appear” at just the right moment with a friendly ear or a kind word help us to step outside of ourselves long enough to begin to see things in a brand new light.
Help me, Father, to return the favor, by always being ready at Your command in case You decide to use me to help “re-adjust” someone else’s halo that might have become a little “tilted” by life’s unexpected circumstances. I consider it a privilege to be counted among that special group of people known as the A.O.C. – “Angels On Call.” I am ready to help out at a moment’s notice!
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor; For if they fall, the one will lift up his companion” (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10a).
cbn
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Choking on the Will of God
Paul Dailey
God most often speaks to me in analogies. This time was no different. As I was preparing a message for our youth group several weeks ago on “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” I got a revelation from two different Scriptures.
First, in John 4, is the story of Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well. His disciples had gone into town to get some food while Jesus stayed behind. When they returned and offered Him something to eat, He replied, “I have food that you don’t know anything about.” This left the disciples scratching their heads as to what He might possibly mean, so Jesus clarified it for them by saying, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and finish His work.”
Then, in Psalm 63:1, and again in Psalm 143:6, David iterates his intense longing for the presence of God in these words, “My soul thirsts for you.” God had brought him to a dry, deserted, lonely place in his life so that his craving for the presence of God would overwhelm him. That’s often a hard pill to swallow, but it is such good medicine!
After reading these several verses, the Lord began to speak to me in terms I could really understand. Think back to a time in your life when you sat down to a tantalizingly delicious meal. Perhaps it was a perfectly cooked and juicy steak right off the grill, complete with a side of sautéed mushrooms and onions. Or maybe it was that salad that had just the right combination of fresh veggies and topped with that one special dressing that just makes your mouth water. Or imagine being one of the five people left in this country who hasn’t sworn off carbs and there’s that particular dessert you dreamed about one night -- you know, the one oozing with chocolate or caramel, smothered in fresh strawberries.
Now, if you just kept eating and eating and eating your favorite food, whatever that might be, and never took a drink, that steak or salad or dessert would quickly lose its appeal, wouldn’t it? Imagine how dry and scratchy your throat would get. The food that once made your head spin with delight is now causing you some potentially life threatening problems. That’s because the liquids we drink help to coat the food as we get it from the plate to our stomachs.
It works the same in the spiritual as in the natural. Our food is to do the will of God, but it is God’s presence that we thirst for. Too many people have burned out and choked to death on the will of God because they neglected to make regular trips to the river for a drink of the water of life.
Jesus offered the Samaritan woman at the well water that would leave her eternally and completely satisfied. That water is Jesus Himself. Are you living for God at a breakneck pace, trying to do everything He’s called you to do? How long has it been since you stopped and just drank deeply of the presence of God? How long are you going to wait before you answer the Lord’s call to drink the water which will become in you a spring of eternal life?
If you are choking on God’s will, He is calling you to put down your forks, spoons, and knives for just a moment and take a healthy gulp of His presence. Do what the Samaritan woman did and just ask Him for that water. You will be glad you did!
cbn
Paul Dailey
God most often speaks to me in analogies. This time was no different. As I was preparing a message for our youth group several weeks ago on “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” I got a revelation from two different Scriptures.
First, in John 4, is the story of Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well. His disciples had gone into town to get some food while Jesus stayed behind. When they returned and offered Him something to eat, He replied, “I have food that you don’t know anything about.” This left the disciples scratching their heads as to what He might possibly mean, so Jesus clarified it for them by saying, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and finish His work.”
Then, in Psalm 63:1, and again in Psalm 143:6, David iterates his intense longing for the presence of God in these words, “My soul thirsts for you.” God had brought him to a dry, deserted, lonely place in his life so that his craving for the presence of God would overwhelm him. That’s often a hard pill to swallow, but it is such good medicine!
After reading these several verses, the Lord began to speak to me in terms I could really understand. Think back to a time in your life when you sat down to a tantalizingly delicious meal. Perhaps it was a perfectly cooked and juicy steak right off the grill, complete with a side of sautéed mushrooms and onions. Or maybe it was that salad that had just the right combination of fresh veggies and topped with that one special dressing that just makes your mouth water. Or imagine being one of the five people left in this country who hasn’t sworn off carbs and there’s that particular dessert you dreamed about one night -- you know, the one oozing with chocolate or caramel, smothered in fresh strawberries.
Now, if you just kept eating and eating and eating your favorite food, whatever that might be, and never took a drink, that steak or salad or dessert would quickly lose its appeal, wouldn’t it? Imagine how dry and scratchy your throat would get. The food that once made your head spin with delight is now causing you some potentially life threatening problems. That’s because the liquids we drink help to coat the food as we get it from the plate to our stomachs.
It works the same in the spiritual as in the natural. Our food is to do the will of God, but it is God’s presence that we thirst for. Too many people have burned out and choked to death on the will of God because they neglected to make regular trips to the river for a drink of the water of life.
Jesus offered the Samaritan woman at the well water that would leave her eternally and completely satisfied. That water is Jesus Himself. Are you living for God at a breakneck pace, trying to do everything He’s called you to do? How long has it been since you stopped and just drank deeply of the presence of God? How long are you going to wait before you answer the Lord’s call to drink the water which will become in you a spring of eternal life?
If you are choking on God’s will, He is calling you to put down your forks, spoons, and knives for just a moment and take a healthy gulp of His presence. Do what the Samaritan woman did and just ask Him for that water. You will be glad you did!
cbn
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Is Your Silence Golden?
Missey Butler
Lately, I’ve been contemplating the significance of silence. I’ve noticed how many of us find it hard to simply quiet ourselves down -- I mean, really shut down all the external voices, demands, and impulses that compel us to keep in motion all the spinning plates of thoughts and reasonings.
We live in a world where there is so much stimulation, so much noise, so much clamor. My mother used to have a funny saying. She used to say, “Child, it’s a wonder you can even hear yourself think with all that ruckus going on around you.”
I’ve come to believe that most of us like it that way. We prefer all the racket, because often times when we become still and silent, we then begin to hear that gentle voice of the Holy Spirit that is either confirming or convicting us of just where we stand with our Maker.
The Scripture says, “Be still and know that I am Lord.” This matter-of-fact verse does a swell job of summing it up for us. When we purpose to slow ourselves down and allow the dust to settle, then we can better hear the voice of our Shepherd speaking directly to our hearts whenever we need to regroup and put first things first.
“My sheep know my voice, and another they will not follow” (John 10:5).
All of us could probably benefit by pushing the mute button on the remote control of our daily lives. I’ve noticed that the older I get, the more I need to be comfortable within my own skin and be OK when the volume of life is turned down.
I no longer want to be uncomfortable when the silence falls and my soul begins to stir. I want to know what it is to be still and know that He is Lord. All I want to hear is the voice of Him who breathed life into my very spirit and called it…“me.”
Shhhhhh…Can you hear it? Listen to those soothing sounds of silence whispering to us, the audible hush of “deep calling to deep,” that beckoning voice of the One who longs to bring to us the peace that passes all understanding.
In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15).
cbn
Missey Butler
Lately, I’ve been contemplating the significance of silence. I’ve noticed how many of us find it hard to simply quiet ourselves down -- I mean, really shut down all the external voices, demands, and impulses that compel us to keep in motion all the spinning plates of thoughts and reasonings.
We live in a world where there is so much stimulation, so much noise, so much clamor. My mother used to have a funny saying. She used to say, “Child, it’s a wonder you can even hear yourself think with all that ruckus going on around you.”
I’ve come to believe that most of us like it that way. We prefer all the racket, because often times when we become still and silent, we then begin to hear that gentle voice of the Holy Spirit that is either confirming or convicting us of just where we stand with our Maker.
The Scripture says, “Be still and know that I am Lord.” This matter-of-fact verse does a swell job of summing it up for us. When we purpose to slow ourselves down and allow the dust to settle, then we can better hear the voice of our Shepherd speaking directly to our hearts whenever we need to regroup and put first things first.
“My sheep know my voice, and another they will not follow” (John 10:5).
All of us could probably benefit by pushing the mute button on the remote control of our daily lives. I’ve noticed that the older I get, the more I need to be comfortable within my own skin and be OK when the volume of life is turned down.
I no longer want to be uncomfortable when the silence falls and my soul begins to stir. I want to know what it is to be still and know that He is Lord. All I want to hear is the voice of Him who breathed life into my very spirit and called it…“me.”
Shhhhhh…Can you hear it? Listen to those soothing sounds of silence whispering to us, the audible hush of “deep calling to deep,” that beckoning voice of the One who longs to bring to us the peace that passes all understanding.
In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15).
cbn
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Mysterious Ways
Read:Romans 8:28-39
[God] works all things according to the counsel of His will. —Ephesians 1:11
Bible In One Year: Isaiah 37-39
The twists and turns in the life of Jacob DeShazer sound like the plot of an intriguing war novel. But taken together, they show us the mysterious ways in which God moves.
DeShazer served the US Army Air Corps in World War II as a bombardier in the squadron of General Doolittle. While participating in Doolittle's raid on Japan in 1942, DeShazer and his crew ran out of fuel and bailed out over China. He was taken to a Japanese prison camp where he trusted Jesus as his Savior. After his release, he became a missionary to Japan.
One day DeShazer handed a tract with his story in it to a man named Mitsuo Fuchida. He didn't know that Mitsuo was on his way to a trial for his wartime role as the commander of Japanese forces that attacked Pearl Harbor. Fuchida read the pamphlet and got a Bible. He soon became a Christian and an evangelist to his people. Eventually, DeShazer and Fuchida met again and became friends.
It's amazing how God can take two men who were mortal enemies, bring them together, and lead them to Himself. But it shows us that He is in control. And nothing—not even a world war—can stop God from working "all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). —Dave Branon
My times are in my Father's hand;
How could I wish or ask for more?
For He who has my pathway planned
Will guide me till my journey's o'er. —Fraser
Every child of God fills a special place in His plan.
daily bread
Read:Romans 8:28-39
[God] works all things according to the counsel of His will. —Ephesians 1:11
Bible In One Year: Isaiah 37-39
The twists and turns in the life of Jacob DeShazer sound like the plot of an intriguing war novel. But taken together, they show us the mysterious ways in which God moves.
DeShazer served the US Army Air Corps in World War II as a bombardier in the squadron of General Doolittle. While participating in Doolittle's raid on Japan in 1942, DeShazer and his crew ran out of fuel and bailed out over China. He was taken to a Japanese prison camp where he trusted Jesus as his Savior. After his release, he became a missionary to Japan.
One day DeShazer handed a tract with his story in it to a man named Mitsuo Fuchida. He didn't know that Mitsuo was on his way to a trial for his wartime role as the commander of Japanese forces that attacked Pearl Harbor. Fuchida read the pamphlet and got a Bible. He soon became a Christian and an evangelist to his people. Eventually, DeShazer and Fuchida met again and became friends.
It's amazing how God can take two men who were mortal enemies, bring them together, and lead them to Himself. But it shows us that He is in control. And nothing—not even a world war—can stop God from working "all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). —Dave Branon
My times are in my Father's hand;
How could I wish or ask for more?
For He who has my pathway planned
Will guide me till my journey's o'er. —Fraser
Every child of God fills a special place in His plan.
daily bread
Monday, July 18, 2005
THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE
Psalm 90
1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. 3 You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." 4 For a thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning--though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. . . . 12 Lord, teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. . . . 14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. . . . 17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the work of our hands.
Ready or not, it's Monday and another week is under way. What's ahead for you? Can you see the obstacles and the opportunities?
I think Moses was asking the same questions when he wrote Psalm 90. Though it's one of the oldest chapters in the Bible, it identifies some of the same needs we face today. He asked this in his prayer, "Lord, teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" (v.12).
God wants you to think about your life. Biblically speaking, this reflection includes three things:
Look back. How was last week? How did you act in the relationships that matter most to you? How were you at work? How did you handle the challenges you faced? Look back and ponder it. You may be thinking, But when I do that, I see some ways I really blew it. So . . .
Look up! Take those things before God. Ask Him to forgive you. Purpose in your heart to begin again. Then . . .
Look ahead. For many years now, every Sunday night or early Monday morning I take some time to look ahead. What's coming this week? Who will I be talking to? Where are the hurdles that will have to be cleared? Think about it.
You're thinking, Where do you find time to do that? My point exactly. First of all, you must begin each day with Jesus. Second, God has given us one day a week where we take time to rest, and part of resting is reflecting. This is God's model in Genesis 2:2, and His command in Exodus 20:8-11.
This kind of reflecting will help you get your priorities in line. You'll move the big things to the top of the list. But you'll do that well only if you spend some time in reflection every week.
Time is to be used for a purpose. God wants to get some things done--first in us, then through us. His starting point is to plant His wisdom in us. Let that happen. Take some time today--reflect. --James MacDonald
DESTINATION POINTS
• Am I afraid to look at my life too closely? Why? • How can I cultivate the habit of reflection?
• Should I establish a time each week when I will Look Back, Look Up, and Look Ahead?
bottom line: Your days on earth are numbered--count carefully.
soul journey
Psalm 90
1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. 3 You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." 4 For a thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning--though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. . . . 12 Lord, teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. . . . 14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. . . . 17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the work of our hands.
Ready or not, it's Monday and another week is under way. What's ahead for you? Can you see the obstacles and the opportunities?
I think Moses was asking the same questions when he wrote Psalm 90. Though it's one of the oldest chapters in the Bible, it identifies some of the same needs we face today. He asked this in his prayer, "Lord, teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" (v.12).
God wants you to think about your life. Biblically speaking, this reflection includes three things:
Look back. How was last week? How did you act in the relationships that matter most to you? How were you at work? How did you handle the challenges you faced? Look back and ponder it. You may be thinking, But when I do that, I see some ways I really blew it. So . . .
Look up! Take those things before God. Ask Him to forgive you. Purpose in your heart to begin again. Then . . .
Look ahead. For many years now, every Sunday night or early Monday morning I take some time to look ahead. What's coming this week? Who will I be talking to? Where are the hurdles that will have to be cleared? Think about it.
You're thinking, Where do you find time to do that? My point exactly. First of all, you must begin each day with Jesus. Second, God has given us one day a week where we take time to rest, and part of resting is reflecting. This is God's model in Genesis 2:2, and His command in Exodus 20:8-11.
This kind of reflecting will help you get your priorities in line. You'll move the big things to the top of the list. But you'll do that well only if you spend some time in reflection every week.
Time is to be used for a purpose. God wants to get some things done--first in us, then through us. His starting point is to plant His wisdom in us. Let that happen. Take some time today--reflect. --James MacDonald
DESTINATION POINTS
• Am I afraid to look at my life too closely? Why? • How can I cultivate the habit of reflection?
• Should I establish a time each week when I will Look Back, Look Up, and Look Ahead?
bottom line: Your days on earth are numbered--count carefully.
soul journey
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Who Was That Guy Anyway?
John Fischer
Last weekend I was the beneficiary of a surprise act of kindness.
My wife had invited a carpenter she met to provide us with an estimate on some work required on our tired, old 1942 cottage. He stopped by on Saturday and after determining the extended time to complete the project, he declined the offer to bid. Nevertheless, he stayed and spent some time with Marti and I, introducing us to his extraordinary self — a man of worth and someone we felt we had known for a long time
In short order, we found we had a mutual appreciation and respect for C. S. Lewis and his writings, that we shared a similar desire to contribute within the mainstream of our culture, and that we expressed similar concerns that our culture was abandoning the essential foundation of its core values.
This oversized Hobbit-like man spoke as an old-school craftsman, where you “don’t charge extra for quality” and the timeframe of any job is “however long it takes to get it right.” (Do people like this exist?)
While bidding us good-bye, he passed by a project of my own remodeling two rooms built into our garage. When he saw the inferior tools I was using, it pained him, visibly. So much so that he offered to bring his truck by the next day and put his table saw to work on the angle cuts I was trying to coax out of the $7.99 plastic miter box and hand saw I bought at Home Depot. While sincere in his effort to cultivate a new relationship, I didn’t place a lot of stock in his actually showing up.
By golly, he did — right when he said he would — and until late into the night, he patiently helped me cut and install molding. By helping I mean he didn’t just do it for me, he showed me how to do it. I must say I am especially pleased with the windowsill - when it was cut and installed, it was a thing of beauty for which I will always be popping the buttons off my coat.
This burly, pony-tailed man with a heart as big as he was, spoke with great pride about his firefighting grandfather who lost his life “just doing his job.” And the servant’s heart lives on.
I couldn’t help being reminded of another Carpenter I know, who desires a relationship with me, teaches through experience, gives from His heart, and broods over my attempts to craft my life’s work — yet never asks for anything in return, and always makes a difference in everything I do.
PDL
John Fischer
Last weekend I was the beneficiary of a surprise act of kindness.
My wife had invited a carpenter she met to provide us with an estimate on some work required on our tired, old 1942 cottage. He stopped by on Saturday and after determining the extended time to complete the project, he declined the offer to bid. Nevertheless, he stayed and spent some time with Marti and I, introducing us to his extraordinary self — a man of worth and someone we felt we had known for a long time
In short order, we found we had a mutual appreciation and respect for C. S. Lewis and his writings, that we shared a similar desire to contribute within the mainstream of our culture, and that we expressed similar concerns that our culture was abandoning the essential foundation of its core values.
This oversized Hobbit-like man spoke as an old-school craftsman, where you “don’t charge extra for quality” and the timeframe of any job is “however long it takes to get it right.” (Do people like this exist?)
While bidding us good-bye, he passed by a project of my own remodeling two rooms built into our garage. When he saw the inferior tools I was using, it pained him, visibly. So much so that he offered to bring his truck by the next day and put his table saw to work on the angle cuts I was trying to coax out of the $7.99 plastic miter box and hand saw I bought at Home Depot. While sincere in his effort to cultivate a new relationship, I didn’t place a lot of stock in his actually showing up.
By golly, he did — right when he said he would — and until late into the night, he patiently helped me cut and install molding. By helping I mean he didn’t just do it for me, he showed me how to do it. I must say I am especially pleased with the windowsill - when it was cut and installed, it was a thing of beauty for which I will always be popping the buttons off my coat.
This burly, pony-tailed man with a heart as big as he was, spoke with great pride about his firefighting grandfather who lost his life “just doing his job.” And the servant’s heart lives on.
I couldn’t help being reminded of another Carpenter I know, who desires a relationship with me, teaches through experience, gives from His heart, and broods over my attempts to craft my life’s work — yet never asks for anything in return, and always makes a difference in everything I do.
PDL
Saturday, July 16, 2005
May I Have This Dance?
Missey Butler
In my senior year of high school, a fellow classmate and I were privileged to have been voted “Best Dancers” among a graduating class of approximately 400 students. I remember receiving my little plastic trophy at the awards banquet and relishing in the fun of being spotlighted for something that I simply loved to do.
I could do the twist, the monkey, the swim, and the boogalou with the best of ‘em! After becoming born again, though, I did notice that the Holy Spirit was faithful to help refine those “natural abilities” into more of an opportunity to bring honor and glory to God.
One of my favorite stories is about King David and his own love of dance. He had become so enthralled with his love for the Lord that he soon lost all of his inhibitions and passionately danced with great zeal and adoration before the God who had so completely captured his heart.
Sometimes, when no one’s around, I love to go up to my bedroom, shut the door, put on my favorite worship CD, and begin to lose myself in praise and worship. I can imagine myself stepping out onto the ballroom of Heaven and gracefully performing before the King of Kings.
I have to confess, one day in prayer I made a very personal request of the Lord. I said, “God, You’ve promised that one day soon You are coming back for a spotless bride, and that multitudes would gather together to celebrate at the Wedding Feast. I want to ask You now if on that day You would be so kind as to save a dance for me. With all of mankind looking on, I want to share a very special moment with the One that I’ve come to know and love so very much.”
So, on that grand and glorious day, when I’m toe to toe with the wonderful Lord of the Dance Himself, you’ll remember what I’ve shared with you here today and say, “By golly, she got what she wanted. Just look at her now! He gave her the very desire of her heart, just as He promised He would.”
“For eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
cbn
Missey Butler
In my senior year of high school, a fellow classmate and I were privileged to have been voted “Best Dancers” among a graduating class of approximately 400 students. I remember receiving my little plastic trophy at the awards banquet and relishing in the fun of being spotlighted for something that I simply loved to do.
I could do the twist, the monkey, the swim, and the boogalou with the best of ‘em! After becoming born again, though, I did notice that the Holy Spirit was faithful to help refine those “natural abilities” into more of an opportunity to bring honor and glory to God.
One of my favorite stories is about King David and his own love of dance. He had become so enthralled with his love for the Lord that he soon lost all of his inhibitions and passionately danced with great zeal and adoration before the God who had so completely captured his heart.
Sometimes, when no one’s around, I love to go up to my bedroom, shut the door, put on my favorite worship CD, and begin to lose myself in praise and worship. I can imagine myself stepping out onto the ballroom of Heaven and gracefully performing before the King of Kings.
I have to confess, one day in prayer I made a very personal request of the Lord. I said, “God, You’ve promised that one day soon You are coming back for a spotless bride, and that multitudes would gather together to celebrate at the Wedding Feast. I want to ask You now if on that day You would be so kind as to save a dance for me. With all of mankind looking on, I want to share a very special moment with the One that I’ve come to know and love so very much.”
So, on that grand and glorious day, when I’m toe to toe with the wonderful Lord of the Dance Himself, you’ll remember what I’ve shared with you here today and say, “By golly, she got what she wanted. Just look at her now! He gave her the very desire of her heart, just as He promised He would.”
“For eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
cbn
Thursday, July 14, 2005
SURRENDERING MY STUFF
Luke 12:22-34
22 Then Jesus said to His disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. . . . 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Stuff. Our culture is consumed with getting more stuff. If it doesn't fit in your house, put it in the garage. When that gets full, rent a storage unit. Just get more stuff.
If you struggle with wanting things you don't have, or if you're convinced that more is better, read Luke 12:13-40. That's where Jesus gives us His most concentrated teaching on the believer's relationship to money, possessions, and our desire for more.
Jesus gets right to the bottom line: Your life "does not consist in the abundance of [your] possessions" (v.15). Yet we often think it does.
"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" (v.24). So why are we more valuable than the birds? God has set His love on us. Our value is in the One who loves us.
But if I don't worry about preparing for the future, who will? What if I get sick? And the answer is, What if? Worry doesn't lengthen your life. Jesus said if God takes care of a field of flowers, how much more will He give you what you need! And then this gentle rebuke, "O you of little faith!"
We're like, Man, it always comes back to faith, doesn't it!? Ding! Ding! Ding!
Instead of worrying, we are to "seek His kingdom" (v.31). Be intense about God's thing. You take care of God's business; God will take care of your business. That's how it works!
I've never known a man or a woman to be greatly used by God who did not learn this lesson first: It all belongs to Him. Give your best to God. Give everything to Him. And watch Him flow blessings back into your life that you don't even have room to contain.
Surrendering your stuff to God is one of the most invigorating things you will ever do. Why? Because "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (v.34). --James MacDonald
DESTINATION POINTS
• When I evaluate my desire for stuff, what do I want more than anything right now?
• What does God want from me? I will give sacrificially to God's work, then evaluate my heart in 3 months.
bottom line: Give it all to God and the blessings will flow.
soul journey
Luke 12:22-34
22 Then Jesus said to His disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. . . . 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Stuff. Our culture is consumed with getting more stuff. If it doesn't fit in your house, put it in the garage. When that gets full, rent a storage unit. Just get more stuff.
If you struggle with wanting things you don't have, or if you're convinced that more is better, read Luke 12:13-40. That's where Jesus gives us His most concentrated teaching on the believer's relationship to money, possessions, and our desire for more.
Jesus gets right to the bottom line: Your life "does not consist in the abundance of [your] possessions" (v.15). Yet we often think it does.
"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" (v.24). So why are we more valuable than the birds? God has set His love on us. Our value is in the One who loves us.
But if I don't worry about preparing for the future, who will? What if I get sick? And the answer is, What if? Worry doesn't lengthen your life. Jesus said if God takes care of a field of flowers, how much more will He give you what you need! And then this gentle rebuke, "O you of little faith!"
We're like, Man, it always comes back to faith, doesn't it!? Ding! Ding! Ding!
Instead of worrying, we are to "seek His kingdom" (v.31). Be intense about God's thing. You take care of God's business; God will take care of your business. That's how it works!
I've never known a man or a woman to be greatly used by God who did not learn this lesson first: It all belongs to Him. Give your best to God. Give everything to Him. And watch Him flow blessings back into your life that you don't even have room to contain.
Surrendering your stuff to God is one of the most invigorating things you will ever do. Why? Because "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (v.34). --James MacDonald
DESTINATION POINTS
• When I evaluate my desire for stuff, what do I want more than anything right now?
• What does God want from me? I will give sacrificially to God's work, then evaluate my heart in 3 months.
bottom line: Give it all to God and the blessings will flow.
soul journey
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
TRADING PLACES
Mark 1:40-45
40 A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. "I am willing," He said. "Be clean!" 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.
He shouldn't have been there and he knew it. But the pain, the isolation, the humiliation . . . he was desperate. Was this the sum total of his life--to scream "Unclean! Unclean!" to anyone within earshot? To wear torn clothes that signaled his diseased status to the community? To feel so sore? To feel so lonely?
He hadn't been embraced in a long time. A hug would defile his wife, his family, and friends. That's what the law said about touching leprous souls like him (Leviticus 5:2-3). He knew the law well, both in word and experience. It said, "He must live alone; he must live outside the camp" (13:46). And so, he did.
But could this rabbi make things different? He had healed others. Would He be willing to risk seeing him? I've got nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain, he thought. I believe He is who He says He is. I'll try. Just got to get near Him.
He approached, a little fearful. Rabbis knew the rules-- but He wasn't abiding by the rules. This Man was so different from the other teachers of the law. So, well . . . compassionate.
"Please," he pleaded, dust aggravating the broken skin on his knees. "Are you willing?"
"I am willing," the rabbi replied. The holy man touched him! And . . . the skin! It began changing!
Yes, of course he would go see the priest, offer the sacrifices, do the religious stuff. Keep it quiet? Well, if Jesus insisted. (Although he would possibly mention it to Erasmus and Tobias. They needed healing too. They would keep it secret, to be sure.)
They didn't keep it secret. And soon Jesus could no longer enter a town, but headed to the community's outer periphery. To isolated, lonely places.
With one compassionate touch Jesus restored a man's physical and social life. He broke the religious rules, touched the untouchable, and wound up outside the camp.
Call it "trading places."
Call it "compassionate love." --Sheridan Voysey
DESTINATION POINTS
• In a way, this story expresses the very essence of Jesus' mission. How else did Jesus "trade places" with humanity, and with me personally?
• What words can I use to praise God for His work on my behalf?
LINKS:God's Message of Love
http://www.christianitytoday.com/moi/2001/005/oct/13.13.html
bottom line: God stepped into our place and paid the penalty.
soul journey
Mark 1:40-45
40 A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. "I am willing," He said. "Be clean!" 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.
He shouldn't have been there and he knew it. But the pain, the isolation, the humiliation . . . he was desperate. Was this the sum total of his life--to scream "Unclean! Unclean!" to anyone within earshot? To wear torn clothes that signaled his diseased status to the community? To feel so sore? To feel so lonely?
He hadn't been embraced in a long time. A hug would defile his wife, his family, and friends. That's what the law said about touching leprous souls like him (Leviticus 5:2-3). He knew the law well, both in word and experience. It said, "He must live alone; he must live outside the camp" (13:46). And so, he did.
But could this rabbi make things different? He had healed others. Would He be willing to risk seeing him? I've got nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain, he thought. I believe He is who He says He is. I'll try. Just got to get near Him.
He approached, a little fearful. Rabbis knew the rules-- but He wasn't abiding by the rules. This Man was so different from the other teachers of the law. So, well . . . compassionate.
"Please," he pleaded, dust aggravating the broken skin on his knees. "Are you willing?"
"I am willing," the rabbi replied. The holy man touched him! And . . . the skin! It began changing!
Yes, of course he would go see the priest, offer the sacrifices, do the religious stuff. Keep it quiet? Well, if Jesus insisted. (Although he would possibly mention it to Erasmus and Tobias. They needed healing too. They would keep it secret, to be sure.)
They didn't keep it secret. And soon Jesus could no longer enter a town, but headed to the community's outer periphery. To isolated, lonely places.
With one compassionate touch Jesus restored a man's physical and social life. He broke the religious rules, touched the untouchable, and wound up outside the camp.
Call it "trading places."
Call it "compassionate love." --Sheridan Voysey
DESTINATION POINTS
• In a way, this story expresses the very essence of Jesus' mission. How else did Jesus "trade places" with humanity, and with me personally?
• What words can I use to praise God for His work on my behalf?
LINKS:God's Message of Love
http://www.christianitytoday.com/moi/2001/005/oct/13.13.html
bottom line: God stepped into our place and paid the penalty.
soul journey
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
"WHY, LORD?"
Romans 8:23-28
23 We wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Early in her career, meteorologist Terri DeBoer was a TV reporter in Green Bay, Wisconsin. When five teenage girls who were walking home from school were plowed into by a teenage boy who had lost control of his car, it was her job to contact family members to see if they had any statement.
We've all seen TV reporters who seem to pounce on a grieving family, saying, "How do you feel?" It makes you want to scream, "Will you just leave them alone!" Terri didn't relish the assignment either.
Normally, when people became angry at what they perceived to be insensitivity, she would simply apologize and walk away. Yet she also came to realize that sometimes a family wanted to talk, wanted others to know more about the one they loved and not simply the way she died.
When she hesitantly knocked on the first door, a man with obviously red-brimmed eyes said, "Yes, we would like to say something. Our daughter loved Jesus with all her heart and had accepted Him as her Savior. Our hearts are breaking. We miss her so much. But we know that we will see her again. And we take comfort in that."
Terri, who had been raised in a family that had never gone to church, was amazed. Her incredulity continued as she visited the next four houses. Each of the girls' families had similar responses. All five girls had known Jesus as their Savior! As their families faced the nightmare of their deaths, they were able to find peace, comfort, and even joy in the faith of their daughters.
That experience was the beginning of Terri DeBoer's own spiritual awakening. God used the testimony of those parents to start Terri on her journey of faith. Not long after that, she too received Jesus as her personal Savior.
Although we cannot always know the "whys" of life, we can trust that God is not only aware of our suffering, but He's in control of the situation (Romans 8:28). And in His perfect plan He uses our heartbreak for His glory. --Cindy Kasper
DESTINATION POINTS
• What questions do I have for God? When have I asked God "why" but not really understood His answer?
• Does God discourage me from asking, "Why, Lord?"
LINKS:
"Why, God, Why?"
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2004/005/14.34.html
bottom line: Faith in God helps us find victory in tragedy.
soul journey
Romans 8:23-28
23 We wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Early in her career, meteorologist Terri DeBoer was a TV reporter in Green Bay, Wisconsin. When five teenage girls who were walking home from school were plowed into by a teenage boy who had lost control of his car, it was her job to contact family members to see if they had any statement.
We've all seen TV reporters who seem to pounce on a grieving family, saying, "How do you feel?" It makes you want to scream, "Will you just leave them alone!" Terri didn't relish the assignment either.
Normally, when people became angry at what they perceived to be insensitivity, she would simply apologize and walk away. Yet she also came to realize that sometimes a family wanted to talk, wanted others to know more about the one they loved and not simply the way she died.
When she hesitantly knocked on the first door, a man with obviously red-brimmed eyes said, "Yes, we would like to say something. Our daughter loved Jesus with all her heart and had accepted Him as her Savior. Our hearts are breaking. We miss her so much. But we know that we will see her again. And we take comfort in that."
Terri, who had been raised in a family that had never gone to church, was amazed. Her incredulity continued as she visited the next four houses. Each of the girls' families had similar responses. All five girls had known Jesus as their Savior! As their families faced the nightmare of their deaths, they were able to find peace, comfort, and even joy in the faith of their daughters.
That experience was the beginning of Terri DeBoer's own spiritual awakening. God used the testimony of those parents to start Terri on her journey of faith. Not long after that, she too received Jesus as her personal Savior.
Although we cannot always know the "whys" of life, we can trust that God is not only aware of our suffering, but He's in control of the situation (Romans 8:28). And in His perfect plan He uses our heartbreak for His glory. --Cindy Kasper
DESTINATION POINTS
• What questions do I have for God? When have I asked God "why" but not really understood His answer?
• Does God discourage me from asking, "Why, Lord?"
LINKS:
"Why, God, Why?"
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2004/005/14.34.html
bottom line: Faith in God helps us find victory in tragedy.
soul journey
Monday, July 11, 2005
In Your Eyes
John Fischer
I received a letter from a dear friend yesterday. The writer of the letter and her husband were the most influential people in my life during my formative, twentysomething years. Though our contact has become limited due to time and distance, they remain to be those kinds of friends you can revisit and pick up right where you left off, no matter how long it's been.
Her letter to me was prompted by reading my latest book, which is confessional in nature, and she revealed to me that she read it exactly as I would want a book like this to be read: “I laughed, I cried, I searched my heart.” Writers don't write about themselves because they think anyone actually cares that much. They are banking on the fact that in the process of wrestling something out of their own darkness, they can connect with that which is common to someone else. Doesn't have to be everybody, either. Just somebody. My friend, Anne Marie, became that “somebody” when she said, “I searched my heart.” I couldn't want for anything more.
Which, by the way, is also the nature of these devotionals. I have received comments from some of you who are not sure about my devotional style, and I understand that, because Oswald Chambers I am not. There are traditional devotionals, and more reflective ones, which is where I take my cue, taking ordinary daily events and observations and discovering God’s purposes in my own experience of these things. But to get the true benefit, you have to take the next step as Anne Marie did. You have to search your own heart. God forbid that it stops with me.
But it was what she said at the end of her note that really knocked me out. “However, I don't see you as being dysfunctional.” (That had been one of my confessions.) “You know John, when I look at your photo on the back of the book, and I look in those eyes, all I see is Jesus.”
Oh boy… this is what friends are for, and why we all need fellowship. We need those in our lives, who, because of their own faith and love — and perhaps due in part to their ability to overlook our flaws — can look in our eyes and see nothing but Jesus. We'll never get through without receiving this, as well as being these eyes for someone else.
PDL
John Fischer
I received a letter from a dear friend yesterday. The writer of the letter and her husband were the most influential people in my life during my formative, twentysomething years. Though our contact has become limited due to time and distance, they remain to be those kinds of friends you can revisit and pick up right where you left off, no matter how long it's been.
Her letter to me was prompted by reading my latest book, which is confessional in nature, and she revealed to me that she read it exactly as I would want a book like this to be read: “I laughed, I cried, I searched my heart.” Writers don't write about themselves because they think anyone actually cares that much. They are banking on the fact that in the process of wrestling something out of their own darkness, they can connect with that which is common to someone else. Doesn't have to be everybody, either. Just somebody. My friend, Anne Marie, became that “somebody” when she said, “I searched my heart.” I couldn't want for anything more.
Which, by the way, is also the nature of these devotionals. I have received comments from some of you who are not sure about my devotional style, and I understand that, because Oswald Chambers I am not. There are traditional devotionals, and more reflective ones, which is where I take my cue, taking ordinary daily events and observations and discovering God’s purposes in my own experience of these things. But to get the true benefit, you have to take the next step as Anne Marie did. You have to search your own heart. God forbid that it stops with me.
But it was what she said at the end of her note that really knocked me out. “However, I don't see you as being dysfunctional.” (That had been one of my confessions.) “You know John, when I look at your photo on the back of the book, and I look in those eyes, all I see is Jesus.”
Oh boy… this is what friends are for, and why we all need fellowship. We need those in our lives, who, because of their own faith and love — and perhaps due in part to their ability to overlook our flaws — can look in our eyes and see nothing but Jesus. We'll never get through without receiving this, as well as being these eyes for someone else.
PDL
Sunday, July 10, 2005
In the Dark
Barbara Godfrey
Have you ever wondered why it seems that the longer you remain in the dark, the clearer things become? It is awesome how God causes this to be so in the natural as well as in the spiritual.
I remember many times as a child being afraid of the dark. My father would say, "Do not be afraid. Just keep looking and you will begin to see." That reminds me of how eloquently our Heavenly Father says the same thing:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid" (Psalm 27:1, KJV)?
When I reflect on the course of my life, I find that I gain the most spiritual insight during times of deep despair. Not only do I learn how faithful God is, but I also learn how and why He orchestrates these situations.
During one of my most desolate times, I learned exactly what these Scriptures mean.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that Love God, to them who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28, KJV).
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1Thessalonians 5:18, KJV).
I have often wondered, "Lord, why is there so much pain? Why must I feel the agony of rejection and loss?" Through my crying out to God, I heard His voice reminding me of a prayer I whispered years ago but had forgotten. He said, "My child, remember you asked Me to show you those who were broken hearted and hurting?" "Yes, "I cried. "How can you minister to them unless you have felt their pain?" At that moment, the tears of sadness turned to tears of joy, because in this dark place, I was able to see the light!
God is a loving and merciful Father, and everything we encounter in our lives is because of His love. It causes us to grab hold of Him, exercise our faith, and mature into vessels fit for His service. Suddenly, I realized He answered my prayer and was equipping me to do the work I requested so long ago!
Whenever you find yourself in the dark, do not be afraid. Remember this:
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105, KJV).
God wants to use us to light the pathway for others in darkness so they can find their way to Him.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16, KJV).
When you are walking through a dark time in your life, be encouraged by this verse:
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9, KJV).
Being in the dark is not a bad thing; it can be a time to grow in God, a time to learn to trust God, and a time to be thankful for all God has done for us. This will give us compassion for others as God shows them the light in their darkness.
cbn
Barbara Godfrey
Have you ever wondered why it seems that the longer you remain in the dark, the clearer things become? It is awesome how God causes this to be so in the natural as well as in the spiritual.
I remember many times as a child being afraid of the dark. My father would say, "Do not be afraid. Just keep looking and you will begin to see." That reminds me of how eloquently our Heavenly Father says the same thing:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid" (Psalm 27:1, KJV)?
When I reflect on the course of my life, I find that I gain the most spiritual insight during times of deep despair. Not only do I learn how faithful God is, but I also learn how and why He orchestrates these situations.
During one of my most desolate times, I learned exactly what these Scriptures mean.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that Love God, to them who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28, KJV).
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1Thessalonians 5:18, KJV).
I have often wondered, "Lord, why is there so much pain? Why must I feel the agony of rejection and loss?" Through my crying out to God, I heard His voice reminding me of a prayer I whispered years ago but had forgotten. He said, "My child, remember you asked Me to show you those who were broken hearted and hurting?" "Yes, "I cried. "How can you minister to them unless you have felt their pain?" At that moment, the tears of sadness turned to tears of joy, because in this dark place, I was able to see the light!
God is a loving and merciful Father, and everything we encounter in our lives is because of His love. It causes us to grab hold of Him, exercise our faith, and mature into vessels fit for His service. Suddenly, I realized He answered my prayer and was equipping me to do the work I requested so long ago!
Whenever you find yourself in the dark, do not be afraid. Remember this:
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105, KJV).
God wants to use us to light the pathway for others in darkness so they can find their way to Him.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16, KJV).
When you are walking through a dark time in your life, be encouraged by this verse:
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9, KJV).
Being in the dark is not a bad thing; it can be a time to grow in God, a time to learn to trust God, and a time to be thankful for all God has done for us. This will give us compassion for others as God shows them the light in their darkness.
cbn
Saturday, July 09, 2005
YOU CAN BE LIKE GOD
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In the movie Bruce Almighty, Jim Carrey's character receives the power to run the universe for an entire week. And so begins the ultimate fantasy: What would it be like to play God, to possess wonder-working power in our fingertips?
Unlike Jim Carrey, we may not use our divine ability to part traffic, shoot sprays from fire hydrants, or teach our dog to use the toilet. But like Jim, we'd find that nothing could block our path to the top. We'd shock and awe our enemies into submission, humiliating them for good measure. We would dominate! And we would never be less like God.
An early Christian hymn, repeated in Philippians 2:6-11, reminds us that Jesus, "who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant" (vv.6-7).
Another version of the Bible mistranslates the word being as "although," implying that being God is a handicap to being humble. Although Jesus was God--the most powerful person in the universe--He managed to get around this obstacle and love us anyway. This couldn't be more wrong.
A stronger, more accurate translation of the Greek word here is "because." Precisely because Jesus is God, He poured Himself out on our behalf. To be God is to be humble. It is His nature to give rather than get--to set aside His own interests for the sake of others.
According to one theologian, we are so obsessed with playing the omnipotent God that we forget that the true God is humble. So when we ascend to where we think He should be, we find that He is no longer there and that we have passed Him on the way up!
We can play God. Not the impotent idol of Bruce Almighty, but the true God who powerfully condescends, who kneels with the fallen, who pours Himself dry so that others might flourish. --Michael Wittmer
DESTINATION POINTS
• What bothersome people would I most like to ignore or "put in their place"? How can I imitate God and humbly love them instead?
LINKS:
Humbler Than Thou
http://www.christianitytoday.com/moi/2004/001/feb/29.29.html
Bruce Almighty
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/movies/devotions/050105f.html
bottom line: We are never more like God than when we stop trying to be.
soul journey
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In the movie Bruce Almighty, Jim Carrey's character receives the power to run the universe for an entire week. And so begins the ultimate fantasy: What would it be like to play God, to possess wonder-working power in our fingertips?
Unlike Jim Carrey, we may not use our divine ability to part traffic, shoot sprays from fire hydrants, or teach our dog to use the toilet. But like Jim, we'd find that nothing could block our path to the top. We'd shock and awe our enemies into submission, humiliating them for good measure. We would dominate! And we would never be less like God.
An early Christian hymn, repeated in Philippians 2:6-11, reminds us that Jesus, "who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant" (vv.6-7).
Another version of the Bible mistranslates the word being as "although," implying that being God is a handicap to being humble. Although Jesus was God--the most powerful person in the universe--He managed to get around this obstacle and love us anyway. This couldn't be more wrong.
A stronger, more accurate translation of the Greek word here is "because." Precisely because Jesus is God, He poured Himself out on our behalf. To be God is to be humble. It is His nature to give rather than get--to set aside His own interests for the sake of others.
According to one theologian, we are so obsessed with playing the omnipotent God that we forget that the true God is humble. So when we ascend to where we think He should be, we find that He is no longer there and that we have passed Him on the way up!
We can play God. Not the impotent idol of Bruce Almighty, but the true God who powerfully condescends, who kneels with the fallen, who pours Himself dry so that others might flourish. --Michael Wittmer
DESTINATION POINTS
• What bothersome people would I most like to ignore or "put in their place"? How can I imitate God and humbly love them instead?
LINKS:
Humbler Than Thou
http://www.christianitytoday.com/moi/2004/001/feb/29.29.html
Bruce Almighty
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/movies/devotions/050105f.html
bottom line: We are never more like God than when we stop trying to be.
soul journey
Thursday, July 07, 2005
THE GREAT DISCONNECT
Luke 10:30-37
30 Jesus said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite . . . passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan . . . came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds . . . 36 Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
"Hello." The call began innocently enough. But a moment later, I found myself privy to a conversation in which I had no part: "I was sitting in the bathroom when you called earlier," said the voice on the phone.
Casually shuffling through shirts, I was in the department store when the woman next to me answered her cell phone. She quickly retorted, "Sshhh! You're on speaker-phone" while leaning closer to the phone as if to will it to privacy.
An hour later, I was still laughing. Yet it reminded me how our desire to be connected through technology has driven us to the place of disconnect.
Don't get me wrong--I enjoy my cell phone. I can be available almost anytime or anyplace. And if I don't feel like being reached, my phone has this handy "ignore" button. With the slightest of pressure I can restore the silence while my voice-mail politely assures the caller that I will return the call.
How often, though, do I hit the "ignore" button to my everyday world? Gabbing on the phone to my sister as I'm in the store, I watch but don't see the people who walk past me. I'm too busy being connected. Always accessible, yet absolutely disconnected to those nearby.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus vividly portrayed the commandment to connect--to love the Lord our God with all that we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we are too disconnected to engage with those we pass by while doing the most ordinary of tasks, could we be like the priest and the Levite who "passed by"?
The problem is not technology. The problem exists within our hearts. The answer lies in the response of the Samaritan who felt compassion when he came upon the beaten man (Luke 10:33).
We live in speaker-phone mode and the Great Commission is a call to connect. Are we moved with compassion, or do those around us find themselves privy to a conversation in which they aren't welcomed? --Regina Franklin
DESTINATION POINTS
• When was the last time I really stopped to look at the faces of those I pass by as I go about my day?
• What must I be willing to do to connect with those God brings across my path?
LINKS:
The Compassion of Jesus
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0208
bottom line: The Great Commission requires compassion.
soul journey
Luke 10:30-37
30 Jesus said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite . . . passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan . . . came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds . . . 36 Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
"Hello." The call began innocently enough. But a moment later, I found myself privy to a conversation in which I had no part: "I was sitting in the bathroom when you called earlier," said the voice on the phone.
Casually shuffling through shirts, I was in the department store when the woman next to me answered her cell phone. She quickly retorted, "Sshhh! You're on speaker-phone" while leaning closer to the phone as if to will it to privacy.
An hour later, I was still laughing. Yet it reminded me how our desire to be connected through technology has driven us to the place of disconnect.
Don't get me wrong--I enjoy my cell phone. I can be available almost anytime or anyplace. And if I don't feel like being reached, my phone has this handy "ignore" button. With the slightest of pressure I can restore the silence while my voice-mail politely assures the caller that I will return the call.
How often, though, do I hit the "ignore" button to my everyday world? Gabbing on the phone to my sister as I'm in the store, I watch but don't see the people who walk past me. I'm too busy being connected. Always accessible, yet absolutely disconnected to those nearby.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus vividly portrayed the commandment to connect--to love the Lord our God with all that we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we are too disconnected to engage with those we pass by while doing the most ordinary of tasks, could we be like the priest and the Levite who "passed by"?
The problem is not technology. The problem exists within our hearts. The answer lies in the response of the Samaritan who felt compassion when he came upon the beaten man (Luke 10:33).
We live in speaker-phone mode and the Great Commission is a call to connect. Are we moved with compassion, or do those around us find themselves privy to a conversation in which they aren't welcomed? --Regina Franklin
DESTINATION POINTS
• When was the last time I really stopped to look at the faces of those I pass by as I go about my day?
• What must I be willing to do to connect with those God brings across my path?
LINKS:
The Compassion of Jesus
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0208
bottom line: The Great Commission requires compassion.
soul journey
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Giants in the Land
Mike McCrary
The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size (Numbers 13:32).
Perhaps you’ve wondered, as I have, why God required the Israelites to work so hard to inherit a land He had already promised to give them. When someone offers to do us a favor, we normally expect no strings to be attached.
God has a long and storied history of requiring human activity to carry out His will – not because He needs our help, but because He wants our hearts. I’m not so sure we would relinquish this most vital of organs any other way.
If God did everything, He’d become a genie. If God did nothing, He’d become an afterthought. If either was the case, the best you could say of us is that we acknowledged God’s existence. But that’s not the same as knowing or loving Him.
The only way for God to have a relationship with us is for God to have a partnership with us. That’s His desire, and that’s one reason why He won’t always give us the easy way out.
As you look out over the landscape of your own life, you may see some very real problems. There are giants in the land. They aren’t living, breathing Canaanites, but they’re a big deal to you – fear and guilt and worry – not to mention the really big sources of pain like losing a child or watching a parent grow old.
If He wanted to, God could remove these giants in His sleep. And we sometimes slide into bed at night hoping He’ll do it in ours. He rarely does, and for this, we should be thankful. Because if He magically removed all the problems in our lives without asking us to do anything hard, anything “impossible,” we would never be able to demonstrate faith. That means we would live our entire lives without ever pleasing God. We would gain the Promised Land in such a way that it would cost us the very thing we need most: a relationship with our Creator.
We serve a God who has the ability to do anything, but chooses not to. He doesn’t let us off so easily. But the real beauty of it all is that, even when He requires us to do the seemingly impossible, it’s never as difficult as it appears. And sometimes, it’s almost easy – at least after that first difficult step.
In the end, all we need is faith . . . midget-sized faith. That’s all it takes to embolden us to walk into the land of giants, trusting God to either make them smaller, or to make us bigger.
cbn
Mike McCrary
The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size (Numbers 13:32).
Perhaps you’ve wondered, as I have, why God required the Israelites to work so hard to inherit a land He had already promised to give them. When someone offers to do us a favor, we normally expect no strings to be attached.
God has a long and storied history of requiring human activity to carry out His will – not because He needs our help, but because He wants our hearts. I’m not so sure we would relinquish this most vital of organs any other way.
If God did everything, He’d become a genie. If God did nothing, He’d become an afterthought. If either was the case, the best you could say of us is that we acknowledged God’s existence. But that’s not the same as knowing or loving Him.
The only way for God to have a relationship with us is for God to have a partnership with us. That’s His desire, and that’s one reason why He won’t always give us the easy way out.
As you look out over the landscape of your own life, you may see some very real problems. There are giants in the land. They aren’t living, breathing Canaanites, but they’re a big deal to you – fear and guilt and worry – not to mention the really big sources of pain like losing a child or watching a parent grow old.
If He wanted to, God could remove these giants in His sleep. And we sometimes slide into bed at night hoping He’ll do it in ours. He rarely does, and for this, we should be thankful. Because if He magically removed all the problems in our lives without asking us to do anything hard, anything “impossible,” we would never be able to demonstrate faith. That means we would live our entire lives without ever pleasing God. We would gain the Promised Land in such a way that it would cost us the very thing we need most: a relationship with our Creator.
We serve a God who has the ability to do anything, but chooses not to. He doesn’t let us off so easily. But the real beauty of it all is that, even when He requires us to do the seemingly impossible, it’s never as difficult as it appears. And sometimes, it’s almost easy – at least after that first difficult step.
In the end, all we need is faith . . . midget-sized faith. That’s all it takes to embolden us to walk into the land of giants, trusting God to either make them smaller, or to make us bigger.
cbn
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
A Different Gospel
Read: Galatians 1:6-12
You are turning away so soon . . . to a different gospel. —Galatians 1:6
Bible In One Year: Hosea 5-7
What is the greatest challenge to us as Christians in the 21st century? Is it rampant immorality? Is it divisive social issues? Is it increasing hostility toward God? Those are dangers, for sure, but I would venture to say that our biggest threat is religion—religion that draws us away from the gospel.
Some religions openly oppose Christ, but others are more subtle. They use language Christians already know, giving their faith a familiar sound. Then they add to it their own twisted brand of thinking.
If such groups sound Christian, how can we know if they are preaching "a different gospel"? (Galatians 1:6). Here are some false teachings to watch out for.
1. Salvation through anything other than faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross (Acts 4:12).
2. A refusal to see Jesus as the eternal God in the flesh, our only Savior (John 1).
3. Giving more importance to the word of man than to the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).
4. Leaders who do not provide Christlike guidance through careful biblical instruction (1 Timothy 4:6; Jude 4).
There are those who want to lead you into another gospel. Learn God's Word, so you won't be deceived. —Dave Branon
The Word of God provides the light
We need to see the way;
So if we learn what God has said,
We'll not be led astray. —Sper
Apply yourself to the Scriptures and the Scriptures to yourself.
daily bread
Read: Galatians 1:6-12
You are turning away so soon . . . to a different gospel. —Galatians 1:6
Bible In One Year: Hosea 5-7
What is the greatest challenge to us as Christians in the 21st century? Is it rampant immorality? Is it divisive social issues? Is it increasing hostility toward God? Those are dangers, for sure, but I would venture to say that our biggest threat is religion—religion that draws us away from the gospel.
Some religions openly oppose Christ, but others are more subtle. They use language Christians already know, giving their faith a familiar sound. Then they add to it their own twisted brand of thinking.
If such groups sound Christian, how can we know if they are preaching "a different gospel"? (Galatians 1:6). Here are some false teachings to watch out for.
1. Salvation through anything other than faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross (Acts 4:12).
2. A refusal to see Jesus as the eternal God in the flesh, our only Savior (John 1).
3. Giving more importance to the word of man than to the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).
4. Leaders who do not provide Christlike guidance through careful biblical instruction (1 Timothy 4:6; Jude 4).
There are those who want to lead you into another gospel. Learn God's Word, so you won't be deceived. —Dave Branon
The Word of God provides the light
We need to see the way;
So if we learn what God has said,
We'll not be led astray. —Sper
Apply yourself to the Scriptures and the Scriptures to yourself.
daily bread
Monday, July 04, 2005
CAN WE CALL IT GOOD?
Psalm 13
1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.
How do we determine the nature of what comes our way? Do we always know whether life's circumstances can be called good or bad?
Your car breaks down and you are faced with a terrible inconvenience just before you had planned to take a road trip. But when you take the car in, the guy says, "Good thing you didn't take this thing out on the road. Coulda caught fire."
Could God have been protecting you?
Your child decides not to follow your dreams, and she pursues interests that aren't all that interesting to you. You wanted her to play basketball and run track. She wants to sing and play the oboe. You feel frustrated, but she excels and ends up with a scholarship in music.
Could God have been directing her?
Your extended family faces a conflict not of your making--and you get dragged into the middle of it. Your heart is broken by accusations that fly your way despite your innocence. Resolution is difficult and time-consuming, but peace is finally restored.
Could God have been preparing you for a ministry of empathetic support for others in troubled situations?
Sometimes it's hard to see how God is working. His mysteries don't always reveal their secrets to us. Our journey of the soul is often slowed or redirected by detours not of our own doing, and we wonder why. Yet as we travel those detours, perhaps God is showing us a new route for our lives.
If we declare those side trips to be bad without waiting to see God work, we're telling Him that we don't trust Him at all--that He doesn't know what He's doing.
The only way to make sure we learn, grow, and benefit from what seems to be bad is to keep trusting God in spite of our feelings--trusting that in His wisdom, what looks bad can be turned into something good. --Dave Branon
DESTINATION POINTS
• What bad thing is going on in my life today? If it is a result of sin or poor decisions, I will acknowledge that.
• If the bad things come despite all of my best efforts to follow God's teachings and live for Him, I'll increase my efforts to cling to Him and trust His hand.
• In what troubling circumstance can I say with the psalmwriter, "He has been good to me"?
LINKS:
How Much Does God Control?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0109
bottom line: God knows the way--follow Him.
soul journey
Psalm 13
1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.
How do we determine the nature of what comes our way? Do we always know whether life's circumstances can be called good or bad?
Your car breaks down and you are faced with a terrible inconvenience just before you had planned to take a road trip. But when you take the car in, the guy says, "Good thing you didn't take this thing out on the road. Coulda caught fire."
Could God have been protecting you?
Your child decides not to follow your dreams, and she pursues interests that aren't all that interesting to you. You wanted her to play basketball and run track. She wants to sing and play the oboe. You feel frustrated, but she excels and ends up with a scholarship in music.
Could God have been directing her?
Your extended family faces a conflict not of your making--and you get dragged into the middle of it. Your heart is broken by accusations that fly your way despite your innocence. Resolution is difficult and time-consuming, but peace is finally restored.
Could God have been preparing you for a ministry of empathetic support for others in troubled situations?
Sometimes it's hard to see how God is working. His mysteries don't always reveal their secrets to us. Our journey of the soul is often slowed or redirected by detours not of our own doing, and we wonder why. Yet as we travel those detours, perhaps God is showing us a new route for our lives.
If we declare those side trips to be bad without waiting to see God work, we're telling Him that we don't trust Him at all--that He doesn't know what He's doing.
The only way to make sure we learn, grow, and benefit from what seems to be bad is to keep trusting God in spite of our feelings--trusting that in His wisdom, what looks bad can be turned into something good. --Dave Branon
DESTINATION POINTS
• What bad thing is going on in my life today? If it is a result of sin or poor decisions, I will acknowledge that.
• If the bad things come despite all of my best efforts to follow God's teachings and live for Him, I'll increase my efforts to cling to Him and trust His hand.
• In what troubling circumstance can I say with the psalmwriter, "He has been good to me"?
LINKS:
How Much Does God Control?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0109
bottom line: God knows the way--follow Him.
soul journey
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Spiritual Sparklers
Missey Butler
We are God’s “lights” to the world, His bright illuminations that shine forth in a very darkened world, a world that grows darker by the day.
The Scripture’s explain that in the last days gross darkness will cover the earth, and though the darkness will increase, so also will the light! As born-again believers, each one of us carries within ourselves a holy light, an “aura” that can be keenly detected by our fellow man. Many times you’ll even hear people say, “I’m not sure what it is about you, but for some reason I just like being around you.”
As a very young Sunday school preschooler, I remember vividly one particular song that I used to love to sing with every ounce of my 4- year-old heart. I would sing it at the top of my lungs and (usually) somewhat off key. It went something like this:
A Sunbeam, a Sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam. A Sunbeam, a Sunbeam, I’ll be a ‘Sunbeam’ for Him!
Even as a grown woman I find myself still singing that song… with all of my now 54-year-old heart! Those simple but meaningful lyrics have never left me; in fact, they hold more meaning for me today than ever before.
The other evening, while lying in bed, I reached over to turn out my reading lamp, and instead of the room going black, the light bulb suddenly became brighter. I turned the switch again and it got even brighter. I turned it a third time and -- you guessed it -- super bright! My husband had slipped in a three-way bulb without my knowing it.
As I laid there with sleepy eyes gazing at the finely woven filaments inside the bulb, I began to wonder if perhaps in a similar fashion, that is how it’s going to be as we are transformed from glory to glory.
Second Corinthians 3:18 in the Amplified version of the Bible tells us:
And all of us, as with unveiled face, (because we) continue to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit.
I immediately had a rather interesting vision of a vast group of believers. All of them were shaped like Sylvania light bulbs. Each one had been hand blown by the Divine glass-blower, twisted and turned into unique shapes and sizes. After creating these delicate containers of light, He lovingly placed each one of them atop a beautiful custom designed lamp. All the bulbs that He created were “perfect” within themselves (what we are after receiving salvation). Then, individually, they began to reflect forth varying degrees of light. Some of them were 15-watt, some were 25-watt, some 75- and some 1000-watts!
A portion of these bulbs were made to be “street lamps” to help illuminate the many walkways of life. Others were made to be traffic lights to help guide those who needed to stop, go, or slow down with caution. Some were twinkling decorative lights that simply brought joy and laughter to those who desperately need it. And a few were made to be powerful flood lights, for times when imminent danger was approaching and plenty of light was needed in order to find a safe way out!
I found a couple more Scriptures where this analogy is described:
The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differ from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:41)
The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18).
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever (Daniel 12:3).
It was beginning to get late, so I leaned over and turned out my reading lamp, and the room quickly surrounded itself with darkness. As the moments quieted down and all I could hear were my thoughts, I began to pray: “Father, help us NOT to become a dimly lit night light, hidden away in some dark corner barely being seen by anyone. Instead, cause us to shine forth with the brilliance of Your glory, by flipping the switch and sending the current of Your anointing to emanate radiantly through us, just like Your word in Isaiah describes: “Arise and shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!” (Isaiah 60:1)
cbn
Missey Butler
We are God’s “lights” to the world, His bright illuminations that shine forth in a very darkened world, a world that grows darker by the day.
The Scripture’s explain that in the last days gross darkness will cover the earth, and though the darkness will increase, so also will the light! As born-again believers, each one of us carries within ourselves a holy light, an “aura” that can be keenly detected by our fellow man. Many times you’ll even hear people say, “I’m not sure what it is about you, but for some reason I just like being around you.”
As a very young Sunday school preschooler, I remember vividly one particular song that I used to love to sing with every ounce of my 4- year-old heart. I would sing it at the top of my lungs and (usually) somewhat off key. It went something like this:
A Sunbeam, a Sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam. A Sunbeam, a Sunbeam, I’ll be a ‘Sunbeam’ for Him!
Even as a grown woman I find myself still singing that song… with all of my now 54-year-old heart! Those simple but meaningful lyrics have never left me; in fact, they hold more meaning for me today than ever before.
The other evening, while lying in bed, I reached over to turn out my reading lamp, and instead of the room going black, the light bulb suddenly became brighter. I turned the switch again and it got even brighter. I turned it a third time and -- you guessed it -- super bright! My husband had slipped in a three-way bulb without my knowing it.
As I laid there with sleepy eyes gazing at the finely woven filaments inside the bulb, I began to wonder if perhaps in a similar fashion, that is how it’s going to be as we are transformed from glory to glory.
Second Corinthians 3:18 in the Amplified version of the Bible tells us:
And all of us, as with unveiled face, (because we) continue to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit.
I immediately had a rather interesting vision of a vast group of believers. All of them were shaped like Sylvania light bulbs. Each one had been hand blown by the Divine glass-blower, twisted and turned into unique shapes and sizes. After creating these delicate containers of light, He lovingly placed each one of them atop a beautiful custom designed lamp. All the bulbs that He created were “perfect” within themselves (what we are after receiving salvation). Then, individually, they began to reflect forth varying degrees of light. Some of them were 15-watt, some were 25-watt, some 75- and some 1000-watts!
A portion of these bulbs were made to be “street lamps” to help illuminate the many walkways of life. Others were made to be traffic lights to help guide those who needed to stop, go, or slow down with caution. Some were twinkling decorative lights that simply brought joy and laughter to those who desperately need it. And a few were made to be powerful flood lights, for times when imminent danger was approaching and plenty of light was needed in order to find a safe way out!
I found a couple more Scriptures where this analogy is described:
The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differ from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:41)
The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18).
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever (Daniel 12:3).
It was beginning to get late, so I leaned over and turned out my reading lamp, and the room quickly surrounded itself with darkness. As the moments quieted down and all I could hear were my thoughts, I began to pray: “Father, help us NOT to become a dimly lit night light, hidden away in some dark corner barely being seen by anyone. Instead, cause us to shine forth with the brilliance of Your glory, by flipping the switch and sending the current of Your anointing to emanate radiantly through us, just like Your word in Isaiah describes: “Arise and shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!” (Isaiah 60:1)
cbn
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Billy Graham and the Last Crusade
John Fischer
No, it’s not Indiana Jones; it’s Billy Graham. Indiana Jones could only dream of being a more formidable hero. Indiana is fiction; Mr. Graham is for real and because he was the main figure in God’s calling of me, he will always be my hero. The only fiction for Billy might be the contention that this last weekend in New York was his last crusade. We all know better. The day he stops preaching is the day he dies.
When I was eight years old, I went forward to receive Christ after a Billy Graham film was shown in my church. Not sure which one it was, but in the mid ‘50s, I’m sure there were only a handful of possibilities. The fact that it was a movie shows the incredible power of this man’s mission and his message. I don’t remember any details except for the fact that I was drawn to the front of the church. I’m not sure I knew even what I was doing; I just had to get myself up there. An invisible hand was drawing me there. I wasn’t seeking God; God was seeking me. Billy Graham was the conduit.
It occurs to me that this is what we are, when God uses us in another person’s life. We are conduits for the Holy Spirit to reach someone else. Think of who played that role in your life, and then think of when you’ve had a chance to be that person for someone else. Either way it’s a powerful visitation. You realize you are not doing this; God is.
I don’t think our purpose in life can get any clearer than when we are introducing someone to the Lord. This is when eternity visits time — when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven — when all other pursuits pale in significance.
And here is a man who has stood at the vortex of that encounter for millions of people over the last 60 years. I can see him standing there, arms folded, eyes piercing the darkness, with the ability to see into the souls of so many with the eyes of the Spirit of God.
He will be the first to say that it wasn’t him. Never was. Nor will it be for you or me. It’s the Lord among us. No wonder it’s so exciting.
They say that this was his last crusade but I highly doubt that. If he can still say one word, it would be enough. He could say, “Come,” and they would do just that. They’ve been coming for 60 years, why stop now?
PDL
John Fischer
No, it’s not Indiana Jones; it’s Billy Graham. Indiana Jones could only dream of being a more formidable hero. Indiana is fiction; Mr. Graham is for real and because he was the main figure in God’s calling of me, he will always be my hero. The only fiction for Billy might be the contention that this last weekend in New York was his last crusade. We all know better. The day he stops preaching is the day he dies.
When I was eight years old, I went forward to receive Christ after a Billy Graham film was shown in my church. Not sure which one it was, but in the mid ‘50s, I’m sure there were only a handful of possibilities. The fact that it was a movie shows the incredible power of this man’s mission and his message. I don’t remember any details except for the fact that I was drawn to the front of the church. I’m not sure I knew even what I was doing; I just had to get myself up there. An invisible hand was drawing me there. I wasn’t seeking God; God was seeking me. Billy Graham was the conduit.
It occurs to me that this is what we are, when God uses us in another person’s life. We are conduits for the Holy Spirit to reach someone else. Think of who played that role in your life, and then think of when you’ve had a chance to be that person for someone else. Either way it’s a powerful visitation. You realize you are not doing this; God is.
I don’t think our purpose in life can get any clearer than when we are introducing someone to the Lord. This is when eternity visits time — when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven — when all other pursuits pale in significance.
And here is a man who has stood at the vortex of that encounter for millions of people over the last 60 years. I can see him standing there, arms folded, eyes piercing the darkness, with the ability to see into the souls of so many with the eyes of the Spirit of God.
He will be the first to say that it wasn’t him. Never was. Nor will it be for you or me. It’s the Lord among us. No wonder it’s so exciting.
They say that this was his last crusade but I highly doubt that. If he can still say one word, it would be enough. He could say, “Come,” and they would do just that. They’ve been coming for 60 years, why stop now?
PDL