Luke 15:17-24
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
If you have been around for any length of time, you will remember that Motel 6 commercial: "This is Tom Bodett, and we'll leave the light on for you." It was supposed to give that warm feeling of home, a place of comfort and rest, a place you are familiar with. When I think about the church, I realize we want those same feelings: rest, comfort for our souls, warmth, a familiar place we can go to. We are a rest for the weary, and we are a lighthouse.
Sadly, we all know people who have seen the bright lights of sin, as the prodigal son did, and left this harbor of rest and love for the pleasures of sin for a season. Then the question arises, what happens when the pleasure has worn off, when the reality of the pig pen sets in, what happens then? Many never come to their senses. But, for the ones that do, they are dealing with shame, personal doubts, perhaps even fear. They battle enough as it is getting back without that added problem of a church who has turned it's light off. Many churches have so much anger and pride and haughtiness, that when a sinner wants to come home (remember that when the pleasure wears off, they are going to remember the warmth of home), they see that the welcome sign has been taken away.
No doubt that father spent many a day looking out the window for his boy to come home. He was obviously looking for him, for "when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him," I imagine the father telling his wife, "Honey, lets leave the porch light on, just in case." He wanted to make sure that his son knew this was still home, even if it was in the middle of the night.
"I am no more worthy..." he said. But the father didn't even feel that one merited a response. "Bring for the best robe..." said the father. "This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."
So, even in the darkest of midnight, we want you to know, we'll leave the light on for you.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
God Remembered.......Who?
Genesis 19:29
"And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."
As I was listening to the Bible on CD the other day, this scripture was read. It really grabbed my attention. When I returned home I looked it up and read it slowly as to get the full impact of what I had heard.
There's not much good recorded about Lot. As God spoke with Abraham about His plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, we find Abraham pleading with God to spare the cities "peradventure" there be 50, 5 of the 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, even 10 'righteous' within the cities (Genesis 18:24-32). Evidently God found none righteous, or He would have saved Sodom and Gomorrah, yet Lot and his family lived there. Either this is the case, or God specifically could not find at least five righteous and Lot's family consisted of only four people.
There's a scripture about Lot making a righteous action by not looking back on Sodom and Gomorrah (II Tim. 2:7, 8), however we never read where Lot was considered to be a righteous or just man. One certainly could not throw Lot in with the likes of his uncle Abraham, Enoch, David, Peter, or Paul.
Getting to the point that struck me was that in order for Lot and his family to be saved from God's coming wrath, God had to remember Abraham for Lot's sake. There was nothing about Lot which would cause God to remember him. If it had not been for 'righteous' Abraham, the man God called 'friend', Lot and his family would have surely perished, for they were not remembered by God.
There are those who are faithful to church, consider themselves to be Christians, pay their tithe, give offerings, even show up for prayer meeting, yet if it weren't for the 'righteous Abraham' (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, best friend, pastor, etc...) in their life, God would never remember, bless, or protect them.
Another angle of this story is that the Bible tells us in II Peter 3:9 that God is "...not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance." God will use an 'uncle Abraham' in an individual's life to give them every opportunity to align themselves and make themselves right with Him, but in the end they must have it for themselves.
God dealt strongly with me through this illumination of scripture to make sure I'm living in such a way that He remembers me, and not someone else's righteous life on behalf of me.
We cannot be saved on 'uncle Abraham's' salvation, only on our own. I leave you with this scripture...
Philippians 2:12
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
"And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."
As I was listening to the Bible on CD the other day, this scripture was read. It really grabbed my attention. When I returned home I looked it up and read it slowly as to get the full impact of what I had heard.
There's not much good recorded about Lot. As God spoke with Abraham about His plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, we find Abraham pleading with God to spare the cities "peradventure" there be 50, 5 of the 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, even 10 'righteous' within the cities (Genesis 18:24-32). Evidently God found none righteous, or He would have saved Sodom and Gomorrah, yet Lot and his family lived there. Either this is the case, or God specifically could not find at least five righteous and Lot's family consisted of only four people.
There's a scripture about Lot making a righteous action by not looking back on Sodom and Gomorrah (II Tim. 2:7, 8), however we never read where Lot was considered to be a righteous or just man. One certainly could not throw Lot in with the likes of his uncle Abraham, Enoch, David, Peter, or Paul.
Getting to the point that struck me was that in order for Lot and his family to be saved from God's coming wrath, God had to remember Abraham for Lot's sake. There was nothing about Lot which would cause God to remember him. If it had not been for 'righteous' Abraham, the man God called 'friend', Lot and his family would have surely perished, for they were not remembered by God.
There are those who are faithful to church, consider themselves to be Christians, pay their tithe, give offerings, even show up for prayer meeting, yet if it weren't for the 'righteous Abraham' (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, best friend, pastor, etc...) in their life, God would never remember, bless, or protect them.
Another angle of this story is that the Bible tells us in II Peter 3:9 that God is "...not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance." God will use an 'uncle Abraham' in an individual's life to give them every opportunity to align themselves and make themselves right with Him, but in the end they must have it for themselves.
God dealt strongly with me through this illumination of scripture to make sure I'm living in such a way that He remembers me, and not someone else's righteous life on behalf of me.
We cannot be saved on 'uncle Abraham's' salvation, only on our own. I leave you with this scripture...
Philippians 2:12
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Seed Thoughts
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7).Suppose you go to visit a friend one day and find them working in their greenhouse. They explain to you that the greenhouse was a gift from their father. He used state-of-the-art equipment to create the ideal structure for growth. The atmosphere is perfect. The temperature is suited for flowers, fruit, or anything they want.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23).
This friend asks you to join him as he collect some seeds to plant. You've always thought they were a bit crazy, but this removes all doubt! You watch them walk into a field and strip seeds off of weeds. They collect crab grass seeds, dandelion seeds, grass burr seeds. They fill a bag with a variety of junk seeds and return to the greenhouse.
You can't believe what you've just seen and say, “I thought you wanted a greenhouse full of flowers and fruit.”
“I do.” he responds.
The logical question would follow, “Then don't you think you ought to plant flower seeds and fruit seeds?”
But your friend ridiculously argues, “Do you have any idea how much those seeds cost? Besides, you have to drive all the way to the garden center to get them. No thanks, I don't want to spend that much time on this.”
Everybody knows you harvest what you sow. You reap what you plant. But we forget this when we develop the land of our own hearts.
Think for a moment of your heart as a greenhouse. You can see right away — the analogy fits. Your heart is a gift from your Creator. It is perfectly suited for growing. And it has to be managed...by you.
Think about it for a moment— your thoughts are as seed. Some thoughts become flowers and others become weeds. If you sow seeds of hope, you will enjoy optimism. If you sow seeds of doubt, you can expect insecurity.
The proof is everywhere you look. Have you ever wondered why some people resist negatives and remain patient, optimistic, and forgiving? They have been faithfully sowing good seeds and are loving the harvest. Then there are others who have such a sour outlook and a gloomy attitude? If your heart is full of weeds and thorns, you will too.
You're the manager, so guard the door of your “heart” greenhouse.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
"What's hungry got to do with it?"
Years ago, when I had a motorcycle, I would meet up with Keith, my late brother-in-law, and close friend, Pastor David Gilbert. Sometimes we had as many as 20 men gather for a ride. They were great times.
When I first started riding with these two 'characters' I noticed right away that they would stop at the drop of a hat to eat a bite. It seemed they were always looking for another cafe. Many times we’d have only gone 30 or 40 miles and one would spot some hole-in-the-wall cafe and the CB would crackle, “I imagine they served some really good hot apple pie there.” “Well, you game?” “Yea, life’s too short to pass up a good piece of pie.” We’d slow down, turn around and go back. I wish I had a dollar for all the times we’ve stopped doing just that. At the end of a ride when I’d break off from them and head home I was usually so full I couldn’t eat another bite.
On one trip I remember, just a little while after we’d eaten a meal, they spotted one of those places. When they started tempting each other about stopping there, they asked if anyone was game to go back. One guy riding with us answered back with this statement, “I’m not hungry!” Keith came back with this unique answer; “What’s hungry got to do with it?” Now, there’s fodder for the thought mill.
A pet philosophy he enjoyed was that life was to be lived to enjoy a good cup of coffee, a juicy, dripping cheeseburger, or a piece of hot, homemade pie. In other words hungry shouldn’t have anything to do with eating some more good food.
Application: I do not want God’s Word to mean more to me when I am in a valley, going thru a trial, under a lot of pressure, feeling low, or needing something.
I do not want to be the kind who comes running for water after the whole house is on fire.
God is not a fire extinguisher (to be only used in case of emergency), and I’m not an emergency saint (one who only comes to Him with an emergency).
I want to love Him just the same when nothing is wrong as well as when everything seems wrong. I want to stay always close to Him.
Too often people never apply God’s word until they find themselves in a bad situation, then they come running for help. This is not relationship. I feel if we love Him always, when my “fires” need to be put out, it will simply be a friend helping another friend in the midst of a journey rather than a “Hi, I’m Wendell Elms, would you help me put my fire out….quickly, please ?”
Food does taste better when you’re truly hungry. Not so with God’s Word. So when it comes to His Word, I ask you, “What’s hungry got to do with it ?”
When I first started riding with these two 'characters' I noticed right away that they would stop at the drop of a hat to eat a bite. It seemed they were always looking for another cafe. Many times we’d have only gone 30 or 40 miles and one would spot some hole-in-the-wall cafe and the CB would crackle, “I imagine they served some really good hot apple pie there.” “Well, you game?” “Yea, life’s too short to pass up a good piece of pie.” We’d slow down, turn around and go back. I wish I had a dollar for all the times we’ve stopped doing just that. At the end of a ride when I’d break off from them and head home I was usually so full I couldn’t eat another bite.
On one trip I remember, just a little while after we’d eaten a meal, they spotted one of those places. When they started tempting each other about stopping there, they asked if anyone was game to go back. One guy riding with us answered back with this statement, “I’m not hungry!” Keith came back with this unique answer; “What’s hungry got to do with it?” Now, there’s fodder for the thought mill.
A pet philosophy he enjoyed was that life was to be lived to enjoy a good cup of coffee, a juicy, dripping cheeseburger, or a piece of hot, homemade pie. In other words hungry shouldn’t have anything to do with eating some more good food.
Application: I do not want God’s Word to mean more to me when I am in a valley, going thru a trial, under a lot of pressure, feeling low, or needing something.
I do not want to be the kind who comes running for water after the whole house is on fire.
God is not a fire extinguisher (to be only used in case of emergency), and I’m not an emergency saint (one who only comes to Him with an emergency).
I want to love Him just the same when nothing is wrong as well as when everything seems wrong. I want to stay always close to Him.
Too often people never apply God’s word until they find themselves in a bad situation, then they come running for help. This is not relationship. I feel if we love Him always, when my “fires” need to be put out, it will simply be a friend helping another friend in the midst of a journey rather than a “Hi, I’m Wendell Elms, would you help me put my fire out….quickly, please ?”
Food does taste better when you’re truly hungry. Not so with God’s Word. So when it comes to His Word, I ask you, “What’s hungry got to do with it ?”
Monday, January 22, 2007
Gifts That Grow
When our boys were just little "tykes" my husband would see flowers growing in the yard, no, not the ones that grow in the flower garden, but the little "weed-flowers that grow in the grass, and he would pull them and say to the boys, "Andrew, Jon, take these to Mom, she'll really like them.(good training) There were many "lawn-mowing days" the boys would come running into the house holding in their little dirty hands "weed-flowers" and hand them to me and all they said was, "here". They would then turn around and run outside to "help Dad" and I would turn and get a pretty vase. Most of the time my "vase" was a cup or glass out of the cupboard. I would fill it with water and put my "flowers" in to stay until wilted. Fast forward many years later....Andrew, was 18 years old. He was out mowing our yard in the HOT summer temperatures of North Texas. The lawn mower stopped for a time then I heard the door-bell ring. When I went to the door there stood my 18 year old, 6'5", 260 lb. son. In his huge hands he was holding some "weed-flowers". My heart almost stood still as my mind raced back to the little boy that use to come running into the house with dirty little hands holding the flowers! Then I heard the words, "Here Mom, I thought you'd like these!" "You're right" I squealed and I hugged him, then he turned away to finish his job. I ran to put them in a "vase", and yes, they stayed there until wilted. There are gifts we give through life that grow into bigger gifts. The little flowers my husband picked out of the yard, giving them to our boys to give to me, had grown into "full grown love" in that 18 year old man's heart! Andrew didn't have to say a word that day to let me know he loved me. It was the look in his eyes that told me everything! Now, I watch as our boys pour love into their little girls and I think, "the love they are receiving will someday grow into "full grown love" and they will then turn and give it to a man who loves God, and as their love grows and children are born to them, more love is given, and it grows...and grows...and grows". The "gift of love" is the most precious gift we can give to our children. There are many who have never felt the love I speak of today. They are hungry, searching for someone who would show them love. YOU are that person! Through YOU they will see and feel the love only given by the One who IS LOVE! Give them the "gift of love" and maybe it will grow into "full grown love" for Jesus Christ.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
When The Snow Melts...
The last week has been the most weather-related, eventful week we've ever seen in Ranger. The snow was awesome!
As I looked out over the countryside while driving around the morning we received the snow, my thoughts went where they always go when I witness snow-covered landscapes. The snow covers up and conceals all of the physical inconsistencies around us. An ugly field becomes beautiful when covered in a white blanket of snow. Even an ugly house looks better. Trash strewn about by animals, the wind, or uncaring human beings is hidden beneath the snow. The snow evens out everything making the world look consistent and in perfect harmony.
Just like that snow, the Bible tells us that the blood of Jesus covers a multitude of sins.
Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
I'm thankful for the blood of Jesus Christ! But, something else came to mind as the snow in my front yard, and Savanna's first snowman, began to melt away. Just as the snow comes and makes everything beautiful, it's only for a short time. The snow comes and is beautiful, but just like sin, and the pleasures of it, the snow melts away.
Hebrews 11:25 tells us that Moses chose to suffer the afflictions of his people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Sin looks good, and may be enjoyable to the flesh, for a little while, but when the fun is over, all that is ugly returns. The inconsistencies of life, the trash of the world, and the stark, worldly landscape all can be seen again. When the hangover is gone, and the effects of the drug have worn off, all of the problems and demons return bringing with them more hurt and more pain. Only God remains and is faithful when everything else is gone.
Maybe the next time you see snow, you'll think about what God allowed me to see this time!
As I looked out over the countryside while driving around the morning we received the snow, my thoughts went where they always go when I witness snow-covered landscapes. The snow covers up and conceals all of the physical inconsistencies around us. An ugly field becomes beautiful when covered in a white blanket of snow. Even an ugly house looks better. Trash strewn about by animals, the wind, or uncaring human beings is hidden beneath the snow. The snow evens out everything making the world look consistent and in perfect harmony.
Just like that snow, the Bible tells us that the blood of Jesus covers a multitude of sins.
Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
I'm thankful for the blood of Jesus Christ! But, something else came to mind as the snow in my front yard, and Savanna's first snowman, began to melt away. Just as the snow comes and makes everything beautiful, it's only for a short time. The snow comes and is beautiful, but just like sin, and the pleasures of it, the snow melts away.
Hebrews 11:25 tells us that Moses chose to suffer the afflictions of his people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Sin looks good, and may be enjoyable to the flesh, for a little while, but when the fun is over, all that is ugly returns. The inconsistencies of life, the trash of the world, and the stark, worldly landscape all can be seen again. When the hangover is gone, and the effects of the drug have worn off, all of the problems and demons return bringing with them more hurt and more pain. Only God remains and is faithful when everything else is gone.
Maybe the next time you see snow, you'll think about what God allowed me to see this time!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
God Is
Jehovah! That name is synonymous with God, Yaweh, and ultimately Jesus. They are all descriptive of the only God that has ever existed. He has always existed and was not created. He just IS!
When Moses asked the Lord, in Genesis 3:14, "Who should I say has sent me?", God said, "I AM THAT I AM." The whole idea that God was never created, for Him to be created would mean there's another God bigger than He, is hard for the human mind to wrap around. This answer God gave to Moses seems puzzling because it's not a name. So, in my confusion and curiosity, I looked at the Hebrew Interlinear Bible and the Strong's Hebrew Dictionary to see what I might learn. It turns out, A LOT! (Bro. Hallford, you could probably provide much more insight than I with your knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet and language, and would like to hear it. Post away!)
Here's what I learned. 'I AM' is the word 'hayah' in Hebrew which means to exist, be or become, come to pass. It is always emphatic and never to be taken as "variable" or prone to be something different than 'emphatically existing'. A reference to the Hebrew word was given. This word is 'havah', meaning 'to breath, to be (in the sense of existence).' Another scripture comes to mind...
James 1:17
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
This scripture describes God's answer to Moses, as to who was sending Moses, 'I AM'. The word 'THAT' is 'aher' which is a conjunction meant to show the connection between the first 'I AM' and the second 'I AM'. The second 'I AM' is the same as the first, in other words, 'I AM WHAT I AM".
This is what Barnes' Notes revealed:
"The words express absolute, and therefore unchanging and eternal Being. The name, which Moses was thus commissioned to use, was at once new and old; old in its connection with previous revelations; new in its full interpretation, and in its bearing upon the covenant of which Moses was the destined mediator."
Then we find in verse 15 God commanding Moses to tell Israel, who were slaving away in Egypt and had done so for over 400 years, "The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."
This is what Barnes' Notes had to say about verse 15, which corresponds directly with verse 14:
"Jehovah Yahweh, God of your fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. It corresponds exactly to the preceding verse, the words "I am" and "Jehovah" (Yahweh) being equivalent. This name met all the requirements of Moses, involving a two-fold pledge of accomplishment; the pledges of ancient benefits and of a new manifestation.
[Name ... memorial] The name signifies that by which God makes Himself known, the memorial that by which His people worship Him."
When we move to the New Testament, when Jesus has just asked the question of the disciples, "...but who do you say that I am?" The revelation of who Jesus IS hits Peter. "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God", and Jesus responds immediately by saying, "...upon this rock (truth, understanding, revelation) will I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
The reason Israel was delivered and became God's nation in the earth is the same reason His church was built in the New Testament. Israel recognized the Hebrew words for 'I AM THAT I AM' as being the same or synonymous with 'Jehovah' which was the name Israel recognized as meaning 'God'. Peter, and we, recognize 'Jesus' as being synonymous with all the above Old Testament words; Jehovah, Yaweh, I AM THAT I AM. Peter recognized Jesus as being the great I AM! (Keep in mind Peter was Jewish and understood the Jewish language even though it had changed some by his time.)
To sum this all up I would like to say this.... For those churches and organizations who leave the understanding of God's existence and His oneness, their's is a meaningless trek shrouded in nothing more than large crowds and social events of which God has said, "I-chabod: the Spirit of the Lord is departed."
As much as God IS, all they see are the remnants of what is left when all that He IS has gone.
When Moses asked the Lord, in Genesis 3:14, "Who should I say has sent me?", God said, "I AM THAT I AM." The whole idea that God was never created, for Him to be created would mean there's another God bigger than He, is hard for the human mind to wrap around. This answer God gave to Moses seems puzzling because it's not a name. So, in my confusion and curiosity, I looked at the Hebrew Interlinear Bible and the Strong's Hebrew Dictionary to see what I might learn. It turns out, A LOT! (Bro. Hallford, you could probably provide much more insight than I with your knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet and language, and would like to hear it. Post away!)
Here's what I learned. 'I AM' is the word 'hayah' in Hebrew which means to exist, be or become, come to pass. It is always emphatic and never to be taken as "variable" or prone to be something different than 'emphatically existing'. A reference to the Hebrew word was given. This word is 'havah', meaning 'to breath, to be (in the sense of existence).' Another scripture comes to mind...
James 1:17
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
This scripture describes God's answer to Moses, as to who was sending Moses, 'I AM'. The word 'THAT' is 'aher' which is a conjunction meant to show the connection between the first 'I AM' and the second 'I AM'. The second 'I AM' is the same as the first, in other words, 'I AM WHAT I AM".
This is what Barnes' Notes revealed:
"The words express absolute, and therefore unchanging and eternal Being. The name, which Moses was thus commissioned to use, was at once new and old; old in its connection with previous revelations; new in its full interpretation, and in its bearing upon the covenant of which Moses was the destined mediator."
Then we find in verse 15 God commanding Moses to tell Israel, who were slaving away in Egypt and had done so for over 400 years, "The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."
This is what Barnes' Notes had to say about verse 15, which corresponds directly with verse 14:
"Jehovah Yahweh, God of your fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. It corresponds exactly to the preceding verse, the words "I am" and "Jehovah" (Yahweh) being equivalent. This name met all the requirements of Moses, involving a two-fold pledge of accomplishment; the pledges of ancient benefits and of a new manifestation.
[Name ... memorial] The name signifies that by which God makes Himself known, the memorial that by which His people worship Him."
When we move to the New Testament, when Jesus has just asked the question of the disciples, "...but who do you say that I am?" The revelation of who Jesus IS hits Peter. "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God", and Jesus responds immediately by saying, "...upon this rock (truth, understanding, revelation) will I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
The reason Israel was delivered and became God's nation in the earth is the same reason His church was built in the New Testament. Israel recognized the Hebrew words for 'I AM THAT I AM' as being the same or synonymous with 'Jehovah' which was the name Israel recognized as meaning 'God'. Peter, and we, recognize 'Jesus' as being synonymous with all the above Old Testament words; Jehovah, Yaweh, I AM THAT I AM. Peter recognized Jesus as being the great I AM! (Keep in mind Peter was Jewish and understood the Jewish language even though it had changed some by his time.)
To sum this all up I would like to say this.... For those churches and organizations who leave the understanding of God's existence and His oneness, their's is a meaningless trek shrouded in nothing more than large crowds and social events of which God has said, "I-chabod: the Spirit of the Lord is departed."
As much as God IS, all they see are the remnants of what is left when all that He IS has gone.
Nighttime Bloom?
Many years ago when my boys were young, I was going through a "wilderness experience" with my health. One day I was walking through my house wondering what was going to happen, and asking myself, "How am I going to get through this? What is going to happen to me, and if what I "feel" is going to happen, what about my family?" You know, when you're walking through the wilderness, your mind will get negative real fast. I thought, "I'll go outside for a few minutes. Maybe that will make me feel better." When I stepped out my eyes were drawn to the side of the porch where the most beautiful, yellow rose was blooming. I just couldn't contain the joy of seeing such a beautiful flower. Our son was riding his bicycle down the gravel road, so I called out "JONATHAN.....COME HERE.....I WANT YOU TO SEE SOMETHING!" He came riding as fast as his little legs could peddle. When he stopped, I showed him the rose and I'll never forget what he said to me that day in my "wilderness". He said, "YEAH, IT'S BEAUTIFUL! And as he road off he turned and yelled back to me, "THEY ALWAYS BLOOM IN THE NIGHT, DON'T THEY MOM?" You see, the rose had not been at its full beauty the day before. In fact, I hadn't even noticed it! It seemed to have bloomed "over night"! I walked into the house with tears in my eyes, and spoke to my son, even though he didn't hear me, "Yes, Jonathan they always bloom at night!" It was so much easier to look at my situation and see there was a ROSE in the middle of my situation, even though it had some thorns on it.
Only God
Here is yet another good poem somebody sent me on my email. I thought I would pass it along. I'll slip it in somehwere along the way.
Only God
Trials keep you strong,
Sorrows keep you human,
Failures keep you humble,
Success keeps you glowing,
But only God keeps you going!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Who's Gonna' Be First?
I am always fascinated by the story of Israel crossing the Red Sea. Israel had just been delivered from Egypt by the hand of Moses when they ran up against the Red Sea. You know the story....Pharoah and Egyptians pursuing them and the Red Sea blocking them.
Think for a moment about all Israel witnessed in that short amount of time. They saw an angel and the pillar of cloud move all the way around them so that it stood behind them between them and Pharoah. That would be awesome, maybe even scary, especially to the small children of Israel! Then Moses tells them the plan, "We're going to go through the middle of the Red Sea on dry ground!" Do what? Moses stretches out his rod and a wind from the east that would equal the force of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Andrew together begins to blow. That had to be scary. It had to be one of the loudest things they had ever heard! Then the Red Sea begins to part, just as Moses said.
Let's recap shall we: Pharoah's chasing them, the angel and pillar of cloud moves between them and him, Moses announces an inconcievable idea that this vast body of water, big enough to be called a 'sea', is going to split down the middle, giving between one and three million people the ability to cross through on dry ground. Then an easterly wind, the likes of which none had ever witnessed, blows down on the Red Sea and parts it.
I would like to pause the story for a moment. The children are crying, afraid of all they have just seen and heard happening around them. The eyes of all the adults and youth of Israel are wide with excitement, fear, and nervous anticipation of what might happen next. As they stand there gaping at this giant trench going right through the middle of the Red Sea, the thought had to cross somebody's mind, "Who's gonna' be first?" Somebody had to be wondering, after all of the unbelievable things they had witnessed, who was going to be brave enough to even move first, much less have enough faith to begin walking down into the recent thoroughfare made by God Himself. To move would be to single yourself out.
I believe Moses led them through the Red Sea, but it was only because He had more faith in God than everybody else, and trusted Him. God is causing the impossible to begin happening for our people and our churches, but somebody has to be first to step into the unknown land of miracles and blessings. And so I ask again, "Who's gonna' be first?" It's just a thought....
Think for a moment about all Israel witnessed in that short amount of time. They saw an angel and the pillar of cloud move all the way around them so that it stood behind them between them and Pharoah. That would be awesome, maybe even scary, especially to the small children of Israel! Then Moses tells them the plan, "We're going to go through the middle of the Red Sea on dry ground!" Do what? Moses stretches out his rod and a wind from the east that would equal the force of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Andrew together begins to blow. That had to be scary. It had to be one of the loudest things they had ever heard! Then the Red Sea begins to part, just as Moses said.
Let's recap shall we: Pharoah's chasing them, the angel and pillar of cloud moves between them and him, Moses announces an inconcievable idea that this vast body of water, big enough to be called a 'sea', is going to split down the middle, giving between one and three million people the ability to cross through on dry ground. Then an easterly wind, the likes of which none had ever witnessed, blows down on the Red Sea and parts it.
I would like to pause the story for a moment. The children are crying, afraid of all they have just seen and heard happening around them. The eyes of all the adults and youth of Israel are wide with excitement, fear, and nervous anticipation of what might happen next. As they stand there gaping at this giant trench going right through the middle of the Red Sea, the thought had to cross somebody's mind, "Who's gonna' be first?" Somebody had to be wondering, after all of the unbelievable things they had witnessed, who was going to be brave enough to even move first, much less have enough faith to begin walking down into the recent thoroughfare made by God Himself. To move would be to single yourself out.
I believe Moses led them through the Red Sea, but it was only because He had more faith in God than everybody else, and trusted Him. God is causing the impossible to begin happening for our people and our churches, but somebody has to be first to step into the unknown land of miracles and blessings. And so I ask again, "Who's gonna' be first?" It's just a thought....
A Poem From Home
I enjoy using poems in messages and lessons. There is a poem that I memorized from a young boy about being thankful. This poem hung on our kitchen wall for years. I remember it most vividly at our house at 3509 Kent Ln. It says this...
Thank God for dirty dishes,
They have a tale to tell,
While others may go hungry,
We're eating very well.
With home, health, and happiness,
I shouldn't want to fuss,
For by the stack of evidence,
God's been very good to us!
We need to always be thankful for what we have, even if it's a mess. Just remember, some don't have anything to make a mess with.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
That's A Big Door!
Here's my alpha thought. In the story of Noah's Ark we read where the door was so large only God could 'shut them in'. As I thought about the story and how God gave Noah specific instructions on how to build the ark, it struck me that God wanted the door to be so large and so heavy that Noah and his three strong sons couldn't shut it themselves! God never makes mistakes and He does everything on purpose, for a purpose.
Keeping that thought in mind, several other things occured to me.
1. Once Noah and his family did their part to be saved, they still had to
rely on God to finish what they had begun. They could not be saved
from the flood completely on their own. Their dependence was on
God in the end, even though they had accomplished a great thing
on their own.
2. Our salvation is the same. We must obey God's Word to be saved,
but in the end it's God who saves us. It's God who shuts the door.
It's God who seals our salvation after we've done our part.
Maybe these few thoughts will birth some others with you and you can build on it for something. I have already preached from these thoughts, and believe me, there are so many ways you can go with them.
Keeping that thought in mind, several other things occured to me.
1. Once Noah and his family did their part to be saved, they still had to
rely on God to finish what they had begun. They could not be saved
from the flood completely on their own. Their dependence was on
God in the end, even though they had accomplished a great thing
on their own.
2. Our salvation is the same. We must obey God's Word to be saved,
but in the end it's God who saves us. It's God who shuts the door.
It's God who seals our salvation after we've done our part.
Maybe these few thoughts will birth some others with you and you can build on it for something. I have already preached from these thoughts, and believe me, there are so many ways you can go with them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
