Thoughts

Who is Like the Lord Our God?

2012-02-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

"Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God who is seated on high, who looks down on the heaven and the earth?"

This morning as I was reading from Psalms 113, the last phrase jumped out at me. Indeed, who is like the Lord our God who is seated on high? The thing that impresses me most about our God is that contrary to every other religion in the world, Jehovah, God, alone has provided a way for His presence to dwell within us. In other words, Jehovah, God is the only god in the world who has provided a way for those that serve Him to have a personal relationship with Him.

Serving all other gods is a matter of adjusting our minds to some preset list of things to do in order to have the god look favorable upon our lives. There is no personal relationship! The image that is worshipped is dead and cold and completely impersonal. With the follower of Jesus, the Son of God who is the designer and creator of the entire universe, as well as the creator of all mankind, those who serve Him have a personal relationship with Him. He's alive! He lives within me! He talks with me and I talk with Him! And I my guidance for daily living comes from that relationship!

Indeed! Who is like the Lord our God?

Why?

2012-01-31T08:29:00.000-08:00

This morning I am pondering the "Why" questions of life.

Why do we get sick at the most inopportune time?
Why do we resolve to do something about our overall health but never quite get to it?
Why did God make us wise grandparents? Wouldn't you think that as we are raising our children would be the best time to have the limitless wisdom of grandparents?
Why is up, "up," and down, "down," and why is in, "in," and out, "out?" Why can't in be "up," and out be "down?"
Why is blue, "blue," and red, "red?" Why can't blue be "red," and red, "blue?"
If it is ordained by God that man lives 3 score and 10 years, why does God take many of us long before that?

This morning I'm wrestling with God over the fact that a close friend of mine is battling with incurable, fast-growing cancer. My friend is just at the point of his life where he is planning his retirement, planning a future with a wife and children whom he loves very much. My friend and his wife had many dreams and plans of years together serving the Lord in retirement and now it appears as though God may be calling him home.

Why? Why does God choose to allow some of us to live extended lives and others He cuts short? I'm sure that parents who have lost small children have asked the same questions I'm asking? How do I provide words of encouragement to his wife, also a dear friend? What can I offer that will make sense? Do I even try?

I don't know all the answers? But I do know my Jesus and I know that He has the answers so I will continue to ask, Why?

Awake the Dawn

2012-01-27T05:32:00.000-08:00

Close your eyes with me and imagine being up at 6:00 in the morning in your quiet place (somewhere in your home or favorite spot outdoors) and you either sing your loudest or play your favorite worship CD as loudly as you can (okay, maybe with earplugs so you don't wake the rest of the household or neighbors) and you sing praises to God and "Wake the dawn" with your praises.

That's what David is doing here in Psalm 108. If you listen closely enough you can almost hear the music. "My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the people; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!"

There is no time like the early morning to usher in the dawn with our worship and praise. David understood that it takes time alone with God in the early morning hours to set the spiritual tone for the day. Our Lord understood that also as he went out early in the morning to pray to His Father.

Start your day (early) with worship and praise to Jesus. And through that time of submission to him in worship and praise, let Him speak to you, setting the agenda for your day.

I will sing and make music with all my being!

Do You Love the Lord? Say So!

2012-01-26T05:44:00.000-08:00

I was reading Psalm 107 this morning and saw this recurring theme. "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good!" David reviews the many ways that God displays His awesome power and might, the many ways that He lifts us up and gives us a new start, the many ways that He brings healing both to our physical bodies and our emotional distresses. Four times in this chapter David makes this exclamation, "Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of men!"

I challenge you today to slow down and consider all the ways in which the Lord brings new life to your body and soul today and as you recognize each one pause and give thanks to God. "Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of men!"

Do you love the Lord? Say so!

Sunshine Through the Fog!

2012-01-24T07:37:00.000-08:00

Another dark, dreary, foggy day,
Another struggle to find my way,
But no, the sun for once begins to shine,

And through this shadowy gloom of mine,

New hope has come for a better day!

I watch the sun break through the haze,

The brightness grows; my spirits raise,

New hope arises within my soul,

With renewed resolve I will reach my goal,

New hope has come for a better day!

Exchanging the Glory of God!

2012-01-24T06:33:00.000-08:00

I was reading from Psalm 106 this morning and was troubled in my spirit because David is writing about the propensity, sometimes even determination, of the Israelites (God's chosen people) to do the opposite of what God wanted them to do.

I'm troubled when I read, "Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the Sea, at the Red sea," (v. 7). "They made a calf in Horeb and worshipped a metal image. They 'exchanged the glory of God' for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt...", (vs. 19-21). And worst of all, "They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons: they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and their land was polluted with blood," (vs. 37-38).

I ponder the question, "How could they exchange the glory of God for the image of an ox?" The glory of God was so wondrous and beautiful and holy and powerful over and over again in their lives. Why would they desire to exchange it for something dead and absolutely worthless?But then I think, "Are we so different today? Those of us who love, serve and follow Jesus, know what it is like to see the glory of God. We know what it is to experience His wondrous glory in our lives. We've experienced it over and over again and yet our hearts rebel and we want to "Do our own thing." And so we leave the glory of God; we exchange the glory of God for that moment of self-centered, egocentric freedom and end up making a mess of things pretty much like these Israelites I read about in Psalm 106.

God forgive our bent towards going it alone and making a mess of things. Keep us in your glory. Give us hearts that desire your presence. And above all, God, I ask that you never stop reaching out to us and bringing us back into your glorious presence. Amen!

Springwinterfall

2012-01-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

What's with the weather!

Here it is January 18th and every other day it seems we are seeing spring or fall temperatures. And even the days we do have winter temperatures, for mid January they are only normal temperatures. Ahh perhaps we are experiencing a "La Nino~" weather anomaly in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean. You guessed it! Yes we are. It seems at though we are experiencing a "La Nino~" rather than the normal "El Nino~" in the far reaches of the southern pacific. And when a "La Nino~" event occurs those of us who live in Central Pennsylvania, get to experience a warmer than normal winter.

The current prediction for the impact of the "La Nino~" that is occurring right now is that "during January - March 2012, there is an increased chance of above-average temperatures across the south-central and southeastern U.S., and below-average temperatures over the western and the northwest-central U.S." This quote is taken directly from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. You can check it all out by clicking on the link below.

By the way there is a name for the season we're currently experiencing. It's "Springwinterfall." Isn't that a wonderful name?

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html

The Gift!

2012-01-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

Psalm 104 continues the thought string of Psalm 103 in that David continues his platitudes of the wondrous nature of God. He begins again with, "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" In this Psalm David is considering nature and God's creative genius. He considers that:

God laid the foundations of the earth
He separated the waters from the hills
He provides the waters for the animals to drink
The birds have homes in the branches of the trees
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the use of man
The trees are full of health and vitality
The high hills are made for goats and the cliffs are where the rock badgers live
The sun and moon have their times and places
Daylight and darkness have their functions

In nighttime the wild animals move about and feed
In the daytime they sleep and man moves about conducts his business

The sea is full of living things both small and large
And God controls everything - He opens his hand and they are filled with good, he removes his hand and they are troubled - he takes away their breath and they die

He ends with, "May the glory of the Lord last forever! I will sing praise to my God while I have am alive."

Here's something to try today. Everywhere you go today, driving, walking, jogging, hiking, in whatever outdoor activity you find yourself in, consider the fact that it is only through God's benevolence to you that everything you see, all the sensory perceptions you experience, are a gift from God to YOU!

Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!

Awesome

2012-01-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

This morning I was reflecting on Psalm 103 where David writes, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" He goes on to list the reasons for us to "Bless the Lord."

He forgives all of our iniquity (sin)
He heals all our diseases
He redeems our lives from the pit (satan's control)
He crowns us with his steadfast love and mercy
He satisfies us with good
He renews us and revitilizes us like an eagle
He does works of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed
He is merciful and gracious
He is slow to anger and overflowing with steadfast love
He doesn't stay angry with us
He doesn't deal with us according to what we deserve
His love towards us is as high as the heavens (limitless)
He takes our sin away as far as the east is from the west (incalculable)
He shows tremendous compassion towards those who fear (reverence) him
His love for us is from everlasting to everlasting (it will never end)

All I can do after reviewing all that God does for us, is to be on my face before Him and pour out my praise and adoration and shout with David, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless his holy name!" Awesome!

Brotherly Love, Hmm.

2012-01-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

I've been preparing a Bible Study for a Men's Discipleship Group that I lead. We've been working through 2 Peter1:3-11 and tomorrow we will be studying what "Brotherly Affection or Love" is all about.

It's pretty obvious that Peter is writing, here, to believers and so when he teaches that we are to have brotherly love, the inferred group that we are to lavish this brotherly love on is fellow believers.

However in Luke 6:27 & 28, Jesus tells us to have love toward our enemies and we are do do good, "brotherly love?" toward those who hate us. So there is a responsibility, I believe, to love those we would call our enemy, however Peter is talking specifically here in 2 Peter 1, about the kind of love we show each other as followers of Christ.

In the Christian community, as sons and daughters of God, we are to love and receive love from each other. This love translates into helping fellow believers in need, acts of benevolence towards fellow believers, encouraging one another. There are over 60 "One Another" teachings in the New Testament and all of them are involved in having Brotherly Love towards each other as fellow Kingdom heirs and sons and daughters of God.

It's a deep well we dig in, this "Brotherly Love" stuff, isn't it?

Be Still and Know that I am God

2012-01-11T10:24:00.000-08:00

This morning in my meditation time, I was feeling down because of the heavy weight of the stuff we pastors get weighed down with. Things like finances, need for ministry leaders, facility needs, people and their problems and I'm wrestling with all of this trying to make sense of it when out of nowhere God speaks. And He says, "Dale, be still and know that I am God." Ps. 48:10.

I'm immediately transported in my Spirit to that special place in God's heart where he opens my eyes to His truth. Dale I have all the finances you'll ever need; Dale I am right now grooming ministry leaders for you; Dale I have the answer to your facility issues and most of all, Dale, I know all about the problems and troubles your people are dealing with. I've been dealing with people and their problems ever since I created man.

Dale, Be still and know that I am God!

I rest in that promise today!

Peace & Contentment

2011-03-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

...You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill.
I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around. (Psalm 3:3-6)

Do you feel as though you have enemies lurking at your door? Oh they may not be enemies with guns taking aim at you, but they might be things like fear, worry, anger, financial woes, relationship issues. All of these kinds of things become enemies of ours when we awake to them every day or they are always lurking just around the corner.

David had experience real enemies lurking at his door. In this case it was his very own son, Absalom, who was tyring to overthrow his kingship. Earlier in this chapter David says, "O Lord, how many are my foes! He's aware of them all around him lying in wait for him.

But does he panic, does he worry and fear? No! He claims the shield of God to protect him. He says that through his trust in God, he can keep his head high, he is not depressed and even more, he is able to sleep all through the night without worrying about what's about to happen to him.

He ends this section by proclaiming that because of his trust in God, that he will NOT be afraid of many thousands of enemies who are attacking him on all fronts. This is HUGE! David knows what many of us don't understand and that is when we put our full faith and trust in God, it makes absolutely no difference what happens to us. We are God's to use when, where and how he chooses. And in that knowledge there is tremendous peace.

Think about that!

On Being Blessed (Happy)

2011-03-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like the chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalms 1)

We've just finished February with devotionals coming from the Proverbs, written by wise King Solomon. Now I am planning to work through daily devotionals from the Psalms, written mostly by King David, Solomon's father.

Throughout his life, King David has experienced a plethora of events that have sharpened his senses to God at work in the world so he writes with a high degree of Spiritual awareness. He displays this attribute in the very first Psalm.

Do you want to be happy, do you want to be at peace with yourself and your world? Don't hang out with those who are at odds with God. Don't hang out with those who are constantly scoffing at Spiritual things. Living for selfish pleasure as the sinners and scoffers do does not bring true happiness and contentedness.

Rather, the Psalmist says, meditate on the law of God. Meditate in God's word, the Bible. It is actually a delight to do so. In fact, the happy person contemplates God's Word, "day and night." It is the contented person who takes counsel like Proverbs 3:5 & 6 seriously, acknowledging God in all his ways, and not trusting in his own understanding knowing that the outworking of that trust in God will be that God will always guide his pathway of life.

He ends by telling us that the most important reason not to follow the wicked person is that his ultimate end is eternal death. He uses the word perish to denote the finality of his end. But God knows the righteous person, he understands his desire to be righteous. And God will guide him to eternal happiness and glory.

Think about that!

Be Bold as a Lion

2011-02-28T04:35:00.000-08:00

The wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion. (Prov. 27:1)

Solomon understands something important here. Buried deep within every man or woman is a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong. When He created the very first man and woman, God buried deep within our brain a consciousness of right and wrong. It doesn't matter how depraved a person permits himself to become, he will have a sense of guilt when he does something morally wrong.

One only has to look to our first parents to understand this. After they ate of the forbidden fruit when they heard God coming through the Garden of Eden looking for them, they hid from him. That is what guilt does. Because they ate the fruit from that forbidden tree, they now knew the difference between right and wrong, between good and evil. That awareness of right and wrong has been passed down to every baby born since then beginning with Cain and Abel.

Because of this awareness, Solomon says, if one determines to not pursue evil, but rather to live a righteous life, they can be bold and positive in their pursiut of life because they will be free from guilt.

If you've been struggling with guilt, think about this verse from Proverbs. We really can be free from guilt every day because we have the choice to decide to live bold, righteous lives but when we give in to the urge to sin, guilt is the natural result.

Think about that today!

Iron Sharpens Iron

2011-02-27T04:58:00.000-08:00

As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Prov. 27:1)

Solomon also writes, "A good friend sticks closer than a brother," (Prov.18:24) and Moses wrote that "God spoke to him, face to face, as a man speaks to a friend," (Ex. 33:13).

When we find a good friend and cultivate that relationship they become a close friend and when two close friends get together then just as iron sharpens iron, so these two friends sharpen each other, will challenge each other without fear of rejection.

It is a good thing for a man or a woman to have just such a relationship. It is as we allow ourselves to become close to and vulnerable with a , good friend that we will grow in our faith in God, in our world view, in our relationship with our husband or wife and in our contribution to life itself.

Whether we like it or not that close friend will confront us with inconsistencies and with error, and they will be a sounding board for us when we are wrestling with major decisions. A close friend, although they will make us uncomfortable at times, will, in the end, make us a better person.

Think about that today!

The Fools Folly

2011-02-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

Like snow in the summer,
and rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool. (Prov. 26:1)

From the first verse to the last, the 26th chapter of Proverbs is all about the wise person seeing and understanding the pitfalls of the foolish and doing everything in his power to avoid them. I'll add my own proverb here. "A rotten apple spoils the whole barrel." Verse after verse in this chapter, Solomon warns the wise to avoid the foolish person.

The old axiom is right on point here. "The more you are around someone the more like them you become." The more and closer associate with a foolish person, the more likely it is that we will begin to act like them. His advice in verse 8 points this out. "Like one who binds a stone in a sling is he who gives honor to a fool." Who would think of sewing the stone into the sling so it never flies? Who would think of shooting an empty bullet? Who would square off the arrow point before shooting a bow and arrow at a deer? That's what we're doing when we associate or hang out with the foolish person.

If you desire wisdom, put the axiom to work that I pointed out a bit earlier. Hang out with, hang around the wise person. Study him/her. Commit yourself to becoming like them and you will find that God's counsel in Proverbs 3:5 & 6 will begin to work in your life.

Think about that!

Loving Our Enemies

2011-02-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

If your enemy is hungry,
Give him bread to eat.
And if he is thirsty,
Give him water to drink;
For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And he Lord will reward you. (Prov. 25:21& 22)

Does this sound a lot like, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you...?" (Matt. 5:44) There's much wisdom in loving our enemies. This doesn't refer only to enemies of the government under which we live. Solomon is also talking about those enemies of ours in our personal worlds.

We are to live at peace with everyone in our world. And by loving our enemy, by heaping coals of fire on his head, we bring shame onto his head for the way in which he has been behaving. Many person has turned and walked another way when confronted with the love of Jesus.

I remember once as a little boy as we were coming home from church one summer Sunday evening, we noticed some of our neighbor boys carrying one of our watermelons from our watermelon patch. Dad called to them and asked them to come to the house and bring the watermelon along with them. They complied, rather sheepishly, and dad proceeded to cut the melon and we had a neighborhood watermelon party right then and there. To my knowledge we never had any more watermelons stolen from our garden.

The way to promote "peace" is to do good even to enemies. The way to bring a man to repentance is to do good to him. God operates daily on this principle. He does good to all, even to the rebellious; and his goodness leads people to repentance; Romans 2:4. People will resist wrath, anger, and power; but "goodness" they cannot resist. It finds its way to the heart; and the conscience does its work, and the sinner is overwhelmed at the remembrance of his crimes and comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

Let today be the day you "Heap coals of fire upon someone who you consider your enemy."

Think about that!

Wisdom-Sweet as Honey

2011-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

My son, eat honey, because it is good.
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste.
So shall the knowlege of wisdom be to your soul.
If you have found it, there is a prospect,
and your hope will not be cut off. (Prov. 24:13-14)

Having wisdom is like the sweetness of honey and the honeycomb. Wisdom is sweet because it always leads us down the correct pathway of life. Many is the person who at mid-life wake up and realize there is a bitter taste in their mouth and it's because they have going down the road of self-centeredness, making wrong choices and basically making a mess out of life.

If you are in mid-life and reading this, and you have practiced holding wisdom close to your heart, you are truly blessed because your life is full of hope, and you eagerly anticipate your future. Wisdom has served you well. If, on the other hand, if you find yourself bitter and your life is not full of hope as you look to the future, read Prov. 3:5 & 6 and let these words of wisdom change the direction of your life.

Think about it!

Wise Children

2011-02-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
By the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.
Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who bore you rejoice. (Prov. 23:22-25)

It is truly the wise son or daughter who will recognize the wisdom of their parents. It's so sad to see youth who will completely reject the wisdom of their parents. Solomon tells us not to despise our mother in her old age. As I visit older persons and listen to them talk, it is so sad to see so many of they whose children don't bother visiting them anymore. I hear time after time from these older persons that their children are only interested in how much money is coming to them after their mother or dad dies.

Wise children are especially a gift to their parents. Young persons who may read this, I urge you to take the time, if you haven't done so yet, to develop a personal relationship with your grandparents if you still have them. Then whatever the struggle with your parents (if you have some) please make the effort to meet them where they are. In just a few short years, you will be so glad you did, really. The tables will be reversed and you'll be the parent.

Finally, our mothers so need to be shown love because of the sacrifices they made for us. First of all willingly going through the pain of childbirth. Then all the effort of raising us and teaching us the right and wrong ways to live. Yes, it is the wise young adult who praises their mother and shows deep respect for their father. I know they are not perfect. They're not and neither will you be when you become a parent.

Think about that today!

Training Children

2011-02-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6)

This is not as "light" a Proverb as it might seem on the surface. Training up a child in the way he should go cannot be done without thought. It takes work and effort and great sacrifice on the part of the parents who try to take this admonition seriously. You will need to invest whatever wisdom, love, nurture, and discipline is needed for him to become fully committed to God. And, of course, this assumes that the parents themselves are fully committed, mature followers of Jesus.

The second part of this Proverb is not so much a promise that a child raised in the way he should go will always turn out the perfect child and will not become a wayward child. It is, rather, a general principle that restates the idea of seeds sown in the early years of a child's life may not bring forth fruit until later years.

I like what the Apostle Paul has to say about this in Galatians 6:9. He writes, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Our mission, parents, if we should decide to accept it, is to sacrificially train up our children according to God's Word, as mature, committed believers, and then trust that God will keep his end of the bargain and in His timetable, not ours. We wait and trust!

Think about that today!

Integrity

2011-02-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

The righteous man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after him. (Prov. 20:7)

The wise man, the righteous man, lives a life of integrity which leaves a tremendous legacy-children who bless him. Many a man lives a life of convenience, making convenient decisions, decisions that run with the current, decisions that avoid conflict, decisions that deal with today but neglect tomorrow.

The man of integrity makes the hard decisions in life, decisions that run counter to conventional wisdom, decisions that may, in the short run, be quite painful but will be most beneficial tomorrow. The man of integrity follows the Christ's exhortation in Matt. 5:37 to "Let your Yes be Yes and your No, No!" He knows that in God's sight there is nothing more needed but to be a "man of your word."

How sad it is to see some of our senior adults who have lived their whole life for themselves, whose children have not been blessed and now are not a blessing to them. How sad to arrive at the end of your lifespan knowing that all you have left are your own thoughts of self-centered living.

You don't have to be like this man. You can determine today to life a life of complete integrity before your children and your God. It pays great dividends.

You think about it!

Caring for the Poor

2011-02-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given. (Prov. 19:17)

God associates Himself with the poor in a personal way. He tells us through this Proverb, that He will repay those who care about the marginalized of our society and show kindness to the poor among us. (Ps. 41:1-3)

Sheltering a homeless family, befriending a frightened stranger, visiting those in prison, or feeding the hungry are all great investments in the Lord's Kingdom. The Lord himself will repay us--not with wealth and comfort necessarily, but with the honor of reflecting His character by the sacrifice we make on behalf of those who, not of their own choice, live on the edges of our society.

When was the last time you "lent to the Lord," in this way?

Think about it!

Safety!

2011-02-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe. (Prov. 18:10)

Do you fee safe today? Much of the world is in chaos right now. Even here in the U.S. people are apprehensive. What's happening to our security? What's happening to the great way of life we've enjoyed for so long? Is it coming to an end? What will the future bring?

These are all questions many people are asking right now. And for the person who doesn't know Jesus, and hasn't enjoyed the safety a relationship with Him brings, life can be pretty scary right now. But it doesn't have to be. You can feel absolutely safe and secure today. Solomon tells us to put our trust in the Lord. Not only is he a strong, impenetrable tower, but the tower of the Lord reaches to the heavens. Absolutely no one will ever be able to break it down, or climb it to get to you.

Those who have a relationship with Jesus, know what it is like to run to Jesus, the strong tower in our times of worry and stress. If you aren't experiencing this "safety," I encourage you to simply run to Jesus and trust His strong, high tower to provide the safety you need right now. You will never feel as safe as you will when you trust Jesus with your safety!

Think about that today.

The Wisdom of Keeping Quiet

2011-02-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. (Prov. 17:27 & 28)

Have you ever known someone who just can't keep their mouth shut? They have an answer for everything and they are quick to let you know what is even if it is obvious that you don't want it. Remember that in this Book of Proverbs, Solomon is writing about obtaining wisdom and using wisdom in our day-to-day lives.

The person is wise, indeed, who can control their tongue. Check out what the Apostle James has to say about the tongue in James chapter 3. Solomon says that it is the person with knowledge (wisdom) who is able to use his words sparingly and effectively.

But he does seem to hold out some hope for the person who continually runs at the mouth that even they are considered wise, on those occasions when they do "shut their lips," and let the conversation run without their "wisdom."

If you have a habit of letting people know what you think of their life and feel as though you just need to tell them how to do better, think about this Proverb. Think about being wise. Think about being perceptive. It is indeed perceptive when you understand that "Unwanted advice or counsel is hardly ever appreciated."

Think about that today!

God is Sovereign

2011-02-16T03:37:00.000-08:00

The preparations of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. (Prov. 16:1)

A man's heart plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps. (Prov. 16:9)

God is Sovereign! We think in our heart, we plan with our heart, but the outworking or the result of our thinking and planning is directed by God. Since the beginning of time, Kings and Rulers have planned, schemed, thought out great strategies, but God sits above all our plans and schemes and great strategies and orchestrates the movement of man over time. In the end, God gets His way.

Think about that today!

Receiving Counsel Well

2011-02-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

The ear that hears the rebukes of life
will abide among the wise.
He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
and before honor is humility. (Prov. 15:31-33)

Do you have bristle when someone older and more wise gives you a gentle rebuke? Do you find yourself responding like, "Who are you to try to tell me how to run my life?" Maybe you don't say it out loud but you say it in your mind. Life is tough enough without someone butting in where they don't belong to give you unwanted advice.

God's heart is for his people to grow in wisdom and understanding. He tells us here, through Solomon, that if we will just accept that word of counsel given in love, we will be a better person for it. If we allow our "ear" to receive the kind counsel from someone who loves us, that is a sign of growth in wisdom and understanding.

Finally, if we continually walk in the "Fear of the Lord," we will yield to the counsel of friends who truly do love us. We honor the Lord when we willingly receive wise counsel.

Think about that today!

Life's Pathway

2011-02-14T05:47:00.000-08:00

There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death. (Prov. 14:12)

Right in the middle of Proverbs 14 there's this little verse tucked away in among all the other great proverbs in this chapter. This proverb might be little but it packs quite a punch. Many is the person who went through life following only his own compass, having all the answers to all of life's problems; not needing God; not needing Jesus, having life all figured out, but at the end of life dreading what lie on the other side of death.

It doesn't matter what path you choose through life. If your pathway does not include Jesus, God's Son, your end is death just as this proverb declares. The Apostle Paul speaks about this in Romans 6:19 when he writes, "...For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness." If our pathway does not include Jesus as the way to God, we are like the people Paul is writing about, unclean and lawless, going our own way totally oblivious of God and His path for us.

If, on the other hand we trust in God with all our hearts and refuse to lean on our own limited understanding, and acknowledge God in all our ways, (Proverbs 3:5 & 6) we are clean and righteous and God will direct all of our steps and our end is not death but eternal life with God in Heaven.

Think about that!

Think about that!

Disciplining our Children

2011-02-13T04:33:00.000-08:00

Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. (Prov. 13:24)

Contrary to the way many child experts feel today, the Bible tells us that we are to discipline our children. The "Rod" here in Prov. 13:24, is not necessarily a beating. Many the father or mother who has spanked their children while in a state of uncontrolled anger. That is sin! Many a parent has spanked their children in a state of uncontrolled anger and then quoted Prov. 13:24 as justification. How sad.

Read Psalm 23 for a primer on our attitude when we discipline our children. The word, "Rod" in Psalm 23:4, is the same word as Solomon uses in Prov. 13:24. The "Rod" is not a beating rod, is is a rod that beats back all the sinful junk that tries to pry its way into the hearts of our children.

Think of your role as parents as that of the tender shepherd in Psalm 23. If we are truly trying to have our children "lie down in green pastures," or leading them, "beside still waters," or anointing our children's head with the "oil" of joy, our attitude toward our children will be one of deep love and care and we will focus on what is going right in their lives rather than always focused on their badness.

Discipline, yes, most assuredly! Spanking or beating out of uncontrolled anger, NO, most emphatically!

Think about that!

The "Rod"

2011-02-12T04:13:00.000-08:00

The thoughts of the righteous are just;
the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
An evil man is snared by the transgression of hi slips,
but the righteous escapes from trouble.
From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,
and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.
Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
but a false witness utters deceit.
Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
but those who act faithfully are his delight. (Prov. 12: 5 & 6, 13 & 14, 17, 19, 22)

Proverbs 12 is full of counsel regarding the righteous person's speech. In fact the Bible has a lot to say about what comes out of our mouths. In Matt. 12, Jesus, was teaching about being known by our fruit. He was rebutting the religious leaders, once again, after their accusation that he healed the demon-possessed man by Beelzebul (satan). He challenged them to examine his fruit.

He then turned the tables on them by saying in vs. 34, "You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil."

"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." What's coming out of your mouth? Is it honey, or is it acid? Jesus says, what comes out of your mouth reveals what's going on in your heart.

You think about that!

The Wisdom of Wise Counsel

2011-02-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. (Prov. 11:14)

Solomon speaks about something here that is so important for the person who seeks to live a life of integrity. In our world today people are so "self-wise," and "self-sufficient," that it is hard to ask for let alone listen to wise counsel. How many times have you observed a teenager or even an adult that is bent on "hoeing their own roe," and make a real mess of life.

That's what Solomon is talking about here. There truly is safety in seeking the counsel of wise friends or even professional counselors. Life today is often terribly complicated and sometimes we really cannot see a way out, but Solomon tells us rather than just stumbling blindly on alone, to put our pride aside and seek the Godly counsel of those who are in a position of helping us.

After all we are all together in this thing called life. We truly are.

Think about that!

The Life of the Wise

2011-02-10T04:40:00.000-08:00

He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction goes astray.
Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
but he who restrains his lips is wise.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of wisdom. (Prov. 10:17-21)

In Proverbs 10, Solomon sets forth a series of sayings about life for the wise versus the unwise. They really speak for themselves. Listen to the descriptions of the type of life of the wise. "The person who keeps instruction is in the Way of Life," "He who restrains his lips is wise," "The tongue of the righteous is choice silver," The lips of the righteous feed many."

Contrast this lifestyle to the lifestyle of the unwise. "He who refuses instruction goes astray," "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking," "The heart of the wicked is worth little," "Fools die for lack of wisdom."

I don't know about you but I certainly want to be counted in the first group. Each of us has a different battle we fight to follow the way of wisdom, but follow it we must if we want our earthly lives to count for anything. Pay attention to these words of Solomon. Let them guide you every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to take these words and plant them deep inside your heart. And then ask Him to water them, nurture them, cultivate them until these "ways of the wise" become second nature to you.

Think about this!

Casting Your Pearls Before Swine

2011-02-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
Do not correct the scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov. 9:7-10)

As I was reading this text today the spirit immediately took my mind to Matt. 7:6, where Jesus says, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

These words of Jesus are allegorical, of course. I doubt anyone literally cast their pearls beforew swine. The meaning is pretty simple to figure out, I believe, and speaks directly to our text from Proverbs today. "Do not persist in offering what is sacred or of value to those who have no appreciation for it, because your gift (counsel) will not only become contaminated and be despised, your generous efforts could also be rebuffed and perhaps even openly attacked."

So if you find yourself confronted with a person who is openly antagonistic towards Biblical truth, don't keep on trying to shove it down his/her throat. He/she will only hate you or persecute you for your efforts. Save your exhortations, counsel, or advice for the person who is wise, the person who will accept what you have to offer. "Teach (counsel) a wise man and he will love you."

Finally in all of this, a healthy respect (fear) of God will keep things (your counsel and their reception of it) from blowing up in your face as you attempt to share you heart with another.

Think about that today!

The Excellence of Wisdom

2011-02-08T05:15:00.000-08:00

Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. (Prov. 8:6-8)

The pursuit of wisdom is a lofty goal for all mankind. Of course, followers of Jesus have the dynamic life of the Holy Spirit living within to help them attain this goal. Making correct life choices is so important in the life of the believer. Our text today speaks directly to this issue of life choices.

Wisdom demands that we speak good and right things from our lips. Wisdom demands that we speak truth. A lying tongue besides being an abomination to God is also evidence of a life not committed to wisdom. Wisdom demands that our lives give evidence of righteousness rather that wickedness or immoral behavior. Listen to Solomon's heart. "Wickedness is an abomination!" "All my speech will be laced with righteousness!" "Nothing dishonest, no slander, no malice will come from the mouth of the one committed to the pursuit of wisdom!"

Think about that today!

2011-02-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.
Keep my commands and live,
And my law as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart. (Proverbs 7:1-3)

What is the treasure of your heart? Does your heart long for the commands, laws, teachings of God? Keeping the words of God, for Solomon, is the highest good you can achieve. He uses a phrase we use today to describe the Laws of God. He says we should keep God's laws as "the apple of our eye." When we say that someone is, "the apple of our eye," we are saying that they are cherished above others.

Let's resolve today to make God's words to us "cherished above all other words."

Think about that!

What does God Hate?

2011-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

These things the Lord hates,
Yes seven are an abomination (outrage) to him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethern. (Prov. 6:16-19)

Today I am in chapter 6 of Proverbs. There are several excellent and godly instructions hat Solomon gives us but I want us to think about vs. 16-19 above.

The reason we read the Proverbs is because reading it and following its counsels helps us keep our paths straight and our lives successful, (Prov. 3:6) at least in God's eyes. In our verses today God specifically gives us seven things that he hates and are an outrage to him. In our venacular, they are "pride, lying, murder (hate), wicked living, an evil lifestyle, false testimony and sowing discord." '

Each of them speak for themselves. If we truly desire to follow Jesus, we need to ask Him to continue His cleaning work in our hearts to remove any vestiges of the above traits far from us. A true follower of Jesus is constantly working at "putting off" these things that God hates and "putting on" the things that God loves, such as this list in 2 Peter 1, vs. 5-7. He writes, "with all diligence add to your faith (in Jesus) virtue (positive life choices), knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love."

Brother or sister in Jesus, if you struggle with any of those things in your life that God hates, I urge you, today, to decide to become firm in your resolve to, through faith, live a life pleasing to God.

It is only through faith in Jesus, that we can hope to begin to please God by living lives that please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Faith that pleases God believes that ‘God is!’ and takes Him into account in our daily lives. ‘My grace IS sufficient for you’, 2 Corinthians 12:9, God told Paul. Not was sufficient (past), not will be sufficient (future), but is sufficient (right now).

Keeping a God focus will enable His grace to be sufficient in our life as well to help us live a life pleasing to Him.

Think about that!

The Danger of Adultery

2011-02-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,
That you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.
For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, Her setps laay hold of hell.
Lest you ponder her path of life--
Heer ways are unstable;
You do not know them. (Prov. 5:1-6)

Men, this proverb is directed to us. When we are consumed by fleshly desires, we can so easily fall for the honey dripping lips, the mouth that is smoother than oil. But mark Solomon's words well. The end of it all is wormwood, (bitterness), regret. If you really do spend time considering the way of an immoral woman, consider this, "Her steps lay hold of Hell;" "Her ways are unstable:" and you can't begin to understand it because satan is blinding your eyes to the folly of your ways.

In the following verses Solomon admonishes us to pay attention to his counsel and to stay away from all such thoughts because he says that in the end you will mourn (v.11) when you flesh and body are consumed, and you say, "How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction."

One such person who came to the end of his days and realized much too late was David Hume, the famous atheist who cried out on his deathbead, "I am in flames." Such was the recognition of the error of his life's pathway choice.

You think about it!

Security in Wisdom

2011-02-04T05:46:00.000-08:00

Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting,
get understanding. (Prov. 4:7)

Solomon, as he was penning these Proverbs, desires that people understand the tremendous value of obtaining wisdom. In his mind acquiring wisdom was the main endeavour of life. It's like Solomon is teaching a class in logic. He's saying, "We've established that wisdom is the principle thing to acquire in life, therefore it stands to reason (logic) that you will seek to acquire it.

In the verse just before the verse above, Solomon writes of wisdom, "Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her and she will keep you." It is a worthwhile thing to seek, treasure, value, and maintain the life-long commitment to obtaining wisdom. If we love wisdom as the "principle" thing, the wisdom we obtain will have come directly from God and it will never let us down. It will never permit us to make a wrong decision, because God is the giver of wisdom and His heart is always good and true for you.

Think about that today!

Trusting in the Lord

2011-02-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Prov. 3:5 & 5)

Once we make the decision to search for wisdom with all of our heart, God begins to develop within us a desire and a faith to just "trust Him with all of our heart." How many times have you found yourself leaning on your own understanding, totally inadequate as it was, in order to make an important decision in your life.

This couplet of verses is most often given to youth as they set out to conquer their world, however, the instructions like, "trusting in the Lord," and "Leaning not on our own understanding," and "acknowledging God in everything we do," apply to everyone and sadly apply to older persons as well who have not learned the wisdom from these two wonderful verses.

My prayer for you today is that you make that "wise" decision to trust God's heart for you today with all of your heart and stop relying on your own understanding. God created you and He knows absolutely what's best for you today. Trust, lean and acknowledge, and He will direct.

Dwell on that today!

Finding the Knowledge of God

2011-02-02T05:10:00.000-08:00

"My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God." Prov. 2:1-5

Aren't these wonderful words of instruction for us today! So often we make decisions based on our inner desires and feelings without ever considering the words of wisdom from God. Solomon surely knew the secret to making wise choices.

First of all we need to be willing to receive counsel from God. Do a "gut" check today. Do you find yourself willing to receive counsel from God? If you are, than right here in Proverbs 2 is a good place to begin to work at becoming wiser in your decision-making.

Ask yourself these questions. Do you treasure the commands of God in your heart? David writes, in Psalm 119:11,"Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Hide the word of God deep in your heart. Next ask yourself, Do you apply your heart to understanding? Do you really consciously work at developing an understanding of God's heart?

Do you cry out for discernment? Do you go down upon your knees crying out to God for the ability to rightly divide His word? Do you work as hard at understanding God's word as you do accumulating wealth? Do you search for God's heart as hard as you do for the Hidden treasures of life you work so hard to find?

You see, God has placed some conditions on our ability to make wise choices in life. There is quite a bit that we must on our part before the knowledge of God becomes ours. My prayer for you today is that you begin to develop a heart of desire to know God's heart. Once you do you will begin to see your choices in life become much clearer and much more in line with God's heart for you.

Consider wisdom today!

Pursuing Wisdom

2011-02-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

There are many people who go through life without ever considering where they came from or where they are going, or how the very life they represent ever came about. What is the "stuff" of life, or who is God, or why I even exist are questions they never ask. But can we really ever go through life never asking even one of those kind of questions? I don't think so.

Solomon, as he begins writing his "Proverbs" talks about the pursuit of wisdom and instruction, and understanding about just such mysteries. In verse 6 of the the first chapter he writes that the purpose of gaining wisdom and knowledge is to, "understand a proverb and an enigma (mysteries or things not understandable), the words of the wise and their riddles."

He states in the very next verse, v.7, that there's only one way for man to begin to understand the enigmas of life, to understand those mysteries that are seemingly not understandable. He writes, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

As I consider these words of Solomon, I believe that fools come in all sorts of disguises. We often think of fools as unlearned people who just aren't willing to invest their time and energy in the pursuit of learning and understanding. But there are fools, and there are many of this ilk, who are the most educated among us. And Solomon calls them fools because they reject the most basic and the first principle of wisdom and understanding, "The fear of the Lord."

At least the church, the body of Jesus, should be getting this right. Let's give God the awe and respect that He deserves. Let's begin our search for understanding of our world, origins and future, by being in complete awe, reverence and respect for Him who is the wisest of all.

Think about that today!

Sheltering in God's faithfulness

2010-01-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; and his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." niv

I've been meditating on this verse lately as I've been relating to my brother and sister-in-law who had been in an horrific automobile accident back in early December. The question that kept coming back to me was, "What does it look like when we experience being covered with God's feathers, when we find refuge under his wings? And exactly when did his faithfulness serve as a shield and a rampart for me?

Was it when when they were both transported safely to the trauma center 50 miles away? Or was it when my brother was in the trauma unit for four weeks in and out of consciousness? Was it when my sister-in-law who was not as severely injured was struggling with how to pay the bills or was it during the many hours of highway and air travel as siblings and friends made the weekly trip to Atlanta to provide care for them?

Was it when my brother was told that his right ankle may not be able to be fixed and that he may have to consider an amputation? Maybe God's protection was present when my brother found out that his left shoulder, severely injured also, could never be restored to full use.

To all my questions, I have been able to say "YES" along with the Psalmist. As I reflected on this psalm, all of a sudden I realized that to drive 50 miles to the trauma center, when normally a medivac helicopter would have been used God's wings provided support and refuge to keep them alive until they reached the trauma center. And God's feathers covered them during the many days of convalesence through the many, many visits from friends, family and co-workers. And most importantly God's faithfulness, like a shield and rampart, was evident through each new surgery my brother needed to have (5 in all).

Thank you, God, for your feathers, wings and faithfulness. You are truly to be praised!

God's Garden

2009-07-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was looking out at our perennial garden with all of it's variety of beautiful foliage and flowers, I considered how year after year, God enables these flowers to come back up and bloom all over again, and not only that but increase in quantity and quality with each succeeding year.

I thought how that's so like God and how He relates to me. Day after day, year after year God enables His love and His beauty to grow in me and each succeeding year His love and His beauty continue to grow within me and hopefully observed and felt by those who rub shoulders with me.

Consider James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." Thank you, God, for all the good gifts you send our way. Thank you for perennial gardens that reflect you beauty and your love.

Note: The photos of Lupines and Red Hot Poker are from our garden.

Sunny Day Thoughts

2009-06-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here reflecting on how great it feels to have two sunny days in a row. After the long run of rainy days, of dark, forboding clouds, and cool weather, I feel a sense of rejuvination again with the bright, warm, sunny days.

I was reading from Psalms this morning and in chapter 84, verses 10 & 11, David writes, "...I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

As I was sitting in my office with the bright morning sunshine streaming through my window, reflecting on God's grace and glory, the concept of God as a sun and shield was opened up to me. Just as following those long, wet and dark days, the bright sun comes and warms my heart, the brightness of God's love, the warmth of His grace and the brilliance of His glory are all part of the "sun and shield" of who God is in the midle of the darkness of life.

During the dark days of my life God is a shield to protect me from all the harm that I tend to permit into my life and just as surely as he is my shield in those times, he is my sun when I emerge from the darkness of the deep struggles of life, shining His light into my life, warming my soul, once again, and bringing hope back into my life.

Thank you, God for the sun!

The Value of a Bible

2009-06-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I wait for a "happily in-love" couple to fill out a marriage questionnaire in preparation for our counseling sessions, I'm reflecting on a letter I received yesterday. The letter comes from someone I don't even know and in his letter he is thanking me profusely for the Bible I gave to him (Someone requested a Bible for him). He makes sure he thanks me for the Bible, but then he says, "I am thanking you also for more than just the Bible."

He says, "If death would have come instantly to me several months ago I would not have known my destination. Now, day-by-day, as I have been reading my Bible, I came to realize that Jesus Christ loves me, and that I love him, that I too, can be with Him some day soon and that I should not continue to fool myself any longer. Now I know that when my 'time comes' I will be ready to live with my God! Thank you for setting me on the right road and I thank God for being truly born."

As I was reflecting on this letter, I was deeply moved, once again, to see how powerful the Word really is. This young man found the Lord by reading the Bible I gave to him. As I was reflecting on the marvel of God's Word, the Holy Spirit brought 2 Timothy, 3:16 to my mind, "All scripture is 'breathed by God' and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of god may be competent, equipped for every good work." This, I believe, is what Paul had in mind when he penned these words to Timothy.

My Hope is in the Lord!

2009-06-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was sitting with the Lord He impressed upon me, once again, in a powerful way that there simply is no other place to turn to put my hope in than in Him! The Lord had me perusing Psalms 146, where David is full of praise to the Lord for all that He is.

He made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in it.
He keeps His TRUTH FOREVER!
He executes justice for the oppressed.
He gives food to the hungry and freedom to the prisoners.
He opens the eyes of the blind and lifts up those who are depressed.
He loves the righteous and he watches over strangers.
He eases the burden for the fatherless and the widow but the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

I echo David's exclamation in Psalm 39:7 where upon reflection of all that is wrong around him he shouts aloud, "My hope is in you, Lord."

In the middle of the muddle of all the economic hardship we are currently living through, in the middle of some "tough stuff" at Sandy Hill right now, I can truly say with David of old, "My hope is in you, Lord." Selah!

Marriage Counseling

2009-06-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I began a series of Marriage Counseling sessions with a couple that will be married in August. Next Tuesday evening I will have the initial Marriage Counseling session for a second couple I will marry a week after the couple I met with tonight.

I've been reflecting on marriage counseling and here are a few of my thoughts after having conducted a number of counseling sessions:

We insist on it as pastors, but what value, really, is it when during the entire course of counseling, the couple only have eyes for each other and are so full of each other?
When we discuss some potential problem spots in their marriage, do they really take seriously the potential issues these problem spots could lead to?
Sometimes I get the distinct impression that these couples agree to counseling because I insist on it in order to marry them. They are not particularly interested in it.
Many couples don't have a clear Biblical understanding of marriage and how God speaks to the relationship between a godly husband and wife.
In spite of my questions, I find that I always look forward to these sessions as a precious time of getting to know better each person approaching marriage.
I look forward to dialoging with each couple what the Bible has to say about marriage.
I'm energized by the enthusiasm for making their marriage work, that each couple generally brings to the sessions.
And finally, on wedding day, I watch that new couple walk back out of the church as, "Mr. and Mrs." and I have high hopes that this particular marriage is one that will be committed to honoring God, due in part to the influence I as their pastor was able to bring to bear on their marriage relationship through the time spent with them in marriage counseling.

So, in spite of many questions, I actually look forward to these times of interaction with couples about to "tie the knot." And I pray that God keeps them safe from all the distractions this world will bring into their marriage.

I invite you to partner with me, by supporting me in prayer as I use these sessions to impart the truth of God's Word to two young couples excitedly looking forward to their wedding day in August.

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

2009-05-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here it is, Thursday already, the final day of our conference. This morning Crawford Loritts, a pastor from Atlanta, brought a powerful message on, "The Ministry of the Holy Spirit." Some of his introductory statements were:

1. "Effectiveness in ministry is an outflow of our walk with the Holy Spirit."
2. "We assume the Holy Spirit actively at work in our lives without developing a relationship with Him. We do our work from our learning from books and schools and then we give credit for our work to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told the Disciples in Acts 1, "You will have power..." (Dunamis-Gr.) Dunamis, among other things means "Inherent activity." The power of the Holy Spirit moves us to action. He stated that there are three aspects to ministering in the Holy Spirit. They are:

1. We are commanded to do so.
2. The case for Holy Spirit-Led Leadership.
3. The commitment to Holy Spirit-Led Leadership.

A. The command. (Eph. 5:18) "Don't be drunk with wine, but filled with the Holy Spirit. The cultural practice of the religious Ephesians would be to become drunk with wine believing that this brought them favor with Dionysus, the god of sensuality. Paul, knowing this tells the new Ephesian Christians, don't be filled with wine, as you did during the festivals with the god, Dionysus, but rather be filled, instead, with the Holy Spirit. It's a command for us to be filled.

It's a command in the imperative tense. Any believer not living under the control of the Holy Spirit is living knowingly and willingly in sin and disobedience to God. We need to be intentional about a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. It's controlling in nature. We are to "take the lid off of the bowl." For many of us we have become ministerial technicians. It's also continuous. "...but be filled." The Greek sense is to be "continually" filled with the Holy Spirit. We need the Spirit of the living God every minute of every day. "I need thee, oh, I need thee." We must die to self and invite the Holy Spirit to take over continually, consciously.

B. The Case for the Holy Spirit. (Gal. 5:16-25) There are five key words from the text that make the case for the Holy Spirit. "Walk," vs. 16; "Led," vs. 18; "Fruit," vs. 22; "Live," vs. 25a; and "Walk," vs. 25b.

1. Walk (vs. 16) (Gr. peripateō) It's how one lives their lives. Paul tells us to "Walk" as one who's outward characteristic is to be dependent on the Holy Spirit. If we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, we operate in a supernatural way. If not, we operate on our own.

2. Led (vs. 18) Speaks to freedom produced by the Spirit of God. Being filled, "or led," by the Holy Spirit produces freedom, joy of obedience and lightens our burden.

3. Fruit (vs. 22) Christlike character. The fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit re-creates the image of Jesus within us when we are "filled." When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with all of the fruit, singular. It's all one fruit. We receive the entire package of fruit, even thought some of our fruit may not be ripe yet.

4. Live (v. 25a) Live life to the fullest. Jesus said, "I have come to give you life and I give life more abundantly! If we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, "It doesn't get any better than this.

5. Walk (vs. 25b) (Gr. stoicheō) This word, "walk," represents the confidence with which I approach life. Be prepard-ready for battles. Being confident of everything. "I trust in God even if I cannot see the way forward." If you live by thye Spirit and are full of the Holy Spirit, then you MUST begin walking like it.

C. Commitment to be filled by the Holy Spirit. There are three Biblical verbs that are key to living a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. They are: 1) Repent, 2) Yield, and 3) Believe.

1. Repent (1 John 1:9) The problem with the filling of the Holy Spirit is that we all leak. We must confess our sins and repent daily. The Holy Spirit can only fill what is empty.

2. Yield (Romans 6:13) We are having wrecks and making a mess of ministry because we are not fully yielded to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives.

3. Believe (Col. 2:6) We are to "Walk" in Him, we are to "Receive" Jesus by faith, and we are to "Receive" the Holy Spirit by faith also.

Trust me when I say my cup is full and running over. This has truly been a blessed time this week. I will be receiving an "MP3) of all the sermons from which I will run off CD'S for anyone who wishes sto listen to these messages. I will provide a listing of each of the messages from which you can choose which one (s) you would like copies of.

Please pray for me as we begin our trip home tonight. We plan to return home sometime Friday afternoon. Thanks again for the opportunity to attend this wonderful conference.

Re-focusing our Focus

2009-05-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is, day #3 already at Moody. We've been blessed beyond measure. Each day we hear three great messages and in between are sandwiched great workshops. I've been attending workshops on "Worship Praying," and they've been a tremendous blessing to me.

Tonight's message was from Chip Ingram and he spoke to us about "Re-focusing our focus" as pastors. His "Big Idea" was that for the past 40 to 50 years the church in America has NOT been turning out mature disciples of Jesus as we have been commanded by Jesus to do.

He quoted a lot of statistics from Barna about the state of the church in America. Some of them are: 1) 9 out of 10 pastors surveyed stated that a lack of spiritual maturity is the #1 problem in America today. 2) Over 50% of those pastors surveyed didn't know how to correctly describe a spiritually mature believer.

Regarding pastors themselves, 1,500 pastors leave permanently every month in America. In the poll mentioned above, a full 50% of the pastors surveyed stated that they would leave their pastorate if they could handle it financially.

He had a treadmill installed on the pulpit and he used it as an effective illustration of where most pastors are. We are on a treadmill of programs, watching attendance and offering levels, building small groups, etc. We keep on doing them because that is what pastors do and as a group, we continue to burn out.

His challenge in his message to us was to have us Re-focus our focus. He challenged us to get back to making disciples and to do that we need to know what a spiritually mature believer looks like. So he spent the balance of his message walking us through a study of Romans 12:1-21, a description of what he calls an "R12 Christian.

Without going into great detail for lack of space, I'll just list the profile of an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ as described in Romans 12.

1. They are completely "Surrendered to God." (12:1) Offer your bodies as living sacrifices. What are believers sacrificing as a living sacrifice to God?
2. They are "Separate from the World." (12:2) Don't confirm any longer to the pattern of this world. Are we living separately from the world, or do we look just like them?
3. They are "Sober in Self-assessment." (12:3-8) Take regular, "sober judgment," inventory of our spiritual maturity. How does our spiritual maturity measure up to Christ's teachings about what it means to be a true disciple?
4. They "Serve in Love." (12:9-13) Practice sincere, heart-felt, love for each other. Are we devoted to one another? Are we joyful in hope, patient in our affliction and faithful in prayer?
5. They "Supernaturally respond to evil." (12:14-21) Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Live in harmony with each other. Have we conquered our temper? Do we even WANT to? Do we "feed our enemy," do we "give him drink?" And finally, do we always return evil with good and do we even desire to do that?"

The calling, he said, for pastors and church leaders is to present "Spiritual People" to God. His argument was that for most pastors, they don't have an effective "Metric" for measuring what spiritually mature people look like.

He absolutely insisted that the the church get back to effective discipleship, discipleship that is not done through programming but by having church leaders model it themselves and then teach it, and train believers in it, and finally hold the bar high regarding expectations for our people to actually begin to live it out.

This message really impacted me. It caused me much pain as I did some "Self-assessment" of my own, and found that I am much more oriented to programming and not nearly enough oriented towards modeling, training and holding high expectations for our people to live as mature followers of Jesus.

Pray for me as I come back to Sandy Hill. Pray that I will be able to understand clearly what God is saying to me through this message. I believe that God is talking to Sandy Hill. I deeply desire to hear his voice clearly and with the correct intensity.

My prayer for you is that you, too, will begin to do "Self-Assessment," and discover any areas that you may be deficient in your own level of spiritual maturity and as a church begin to walk out in "R12" spiritual maturity. God Bless!

Regeneration

2009-05-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Day #2 at Moody Pastors Conference. Pastor John Piper spoke tonight. It was a powerful message on the doctrine of Regeneration. I simply cannot do justice to in a short review, however I want to give you the highlights of his message.

He covered four specific things about regeneration. 1) What happens. 2) When does it happen? 3) Why it happens. 4) How do we (pastors) participate?

1. What happens when someone is born again? Four things! (John 3, story of Jesus and Nicodemus). 1) Spiritual life is given. A different kind of birth happens. 2) We're born of the Spirit. Flesh is Flesh and Spirit is Spirit. Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life. John 6:63, "The Spirit gives us life." 3) The Spirit himself is the one who gives us life. Those without the Spirit are "Dead Men Walking." 4) We are acted upon freely by the sovereign, awesome, holy, graceful God.

2. When does it happen? It can't happen apart from the Holy Spirit's drawing action upon them. They have to be told who they are because they don't know that they don't know. They are deceived. Ten things that describe how we are before regeneration.
1) Apart from the Holy Spirit we are spiritually dead (Eph. 2)
2) Apart from the Holy Spirit we are children of wrath (Eph. 2:3)
3) Apart from the New Birth we love darkness and hate light. (John 3:19)
4) Apart from the New Birth we have a heart of stone. (Eph. 4:19)
5) Apart from the New Birth we cannot please God. (Romans 8:7)
6) Apart from the New Birth we are unable to accept the Gospel. (1 Cor. 2:14) Natural (fleshly) person unregenerated, does not accept things of Christ--they look foolish to him.)
(You cannot accept as "wise" what you see as "foolish."
7) Apart from the Holy Spirit we are unable to receive the New Birth, unable to come to Him.
(John 6:37 & 44) No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," from the heart unless he has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him.
8) Apart from the New Birth we are slaves to sin. (Romans 6:7)
9) Apart from the New Birth we are slaves to Satan. (Eph. 2:1 & 2) We followed the "Prince of the air." If I deny that Jesus exists, it proves that I follow Satan.
10) Apart from the New Birth No good thing dwells in me. (Romans 7:18)

These ten things describe the warfare I am involved with daily. (Romans 5:48 & Deut. 6:4) Even though I have the Holy Spirit and his regenerative work within me, I offend God every day based on those two scriptures.

3. How does Regeneration Happen? 1) The Holy Spirit gives life. (John 3:8) 2) Re-generation always happens through the Gospel being preached. (1 Peter 1:23 & 24. 3) When the Gospel comes, attended by the Holy Spirit, faith happens. (Romans 10 & 1 John 5:1 & 2 Cor 4:4) 4) This new life we are receiving is from God. (1 John 5:11).

There is no sequence to our receiving regeneration. First we have the New Birth or awakening, followed by our eyes being opened, then we have union with Christ followed by faith in our heart, and finally we have life in our soul. And all this happens instantly. There is no sequence to these events happening upon regeneration.

4. What does the preacher have to do with it? We are called to do our jobs well. "My act of believing & God's regeneration runs together." Wherever there is faith their is regeneration. Jesus said, "I send you to open their eyes." (Acts 26:18) True we cannot literally work transformation, but we can be the conduit through which the Holy Spirit does his action in bringing change.

I know that I didn't do justice to his message, but hopefully you can catch a bit of his passion for the doctrine of Regeneration. One takeaway for me is that it is foolish for us as believers to expect the world to understand anything about coming to Christ apart from us actively engaging them, bringing the Gospel message to them." That was the challenge that deeply troubled me tonight. What am I doing to take the Gospel message to the unsaved that I am in contact with?

Your Solemn Charge

2009-05-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Monday evening started our week at Moody Pastor's Conference. Dr. Michael Easly, immediate Past President of Moody, spoke to pastors about preaching. He used 2 Timothy 4:1-5 as his text, where the Apostle Paul, on the very doorstep of his death gave this sobering challenge to Timothy. What a challenging passage!

He asked all 1200 pastors, "In light of the fact that Jesus is coming soon, who will judge both the living and the dead, what are you doing with your call?" His sobering challenge, "Preach (Herald) the Word! He said, "Preaching sound doctrine is more imporant than who's in the White House or than the state of our economy."

He challenged us to "Not be a speech-maker." He gave a quote from Warren Wiersbe, "Preaching is the presention of the clear truth of the Word. Anything else is just words." He gave us five impreatives from this text. They are: 1) Preach the Word, 2) Be ready, 3) Reprove, 4) Rebuke and 5) Exhort (with much tenderness and love).

He gave us a number of "One liners" that hit home. "Christian Ministers must always be on duty!" "Meetings are not ministry, they are just meetings." "If your life is being sucked dry by meetings-you're not leading, you're just conducting meetings."

He talked straight about the fact of this generation being a "distracted" generation. V.4 says that people will, "turn their ears away from the truth (of the Word), and be turned aside to fables (or myths).

The final "One Liner" was, "Sound doctrine is the only cure for false teaching."

As I reflect on his message, I am led to the conclusion that Paul's message is clearly for us today in the 21st century. In so many ways, the hearer's of the Word today are mirror images of the hearer's of his day.

I have been challenged anew to, "Herald the truth of the Word" with diligence knowing that the time is short and I do not have any way to justify to God, when I stand before Him, on the judgment day why I was an "ear-itching pastor."

God, help me to stand firm in the preaching of the truth of your Word!

Michael Phelps, is he for real?

2008-08-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

It's 10:15 p.m. and I'm about to watch Michael Phelps try for his third straight gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. This race is the 200 Meter Men's Freestyle. There they go. He started well and is leading the race. He's pulling away from the pack. He's trying to set a new world record. He's on a pace to to set a new world record by a full second. He won! He won! He's just won his third straight gold medal with a world record time of 1:42.96. Wow, is Michael Phelps for real?

For four years, since the Athen's Olympics, Michael Phelps has been totally focused on the training discipline necessary to allow him to perform at such a high level. As I watched yet another winning performance by him, I had to think about my training discipline for the race of life which I am running in. Michael Phelps spent five hours EVERY DAY swimming as preparation for these olympics. I'm chagrined when I think about how much time I spend practicing my Christian faith.

I am running in the Race of Life which will end with a face-to-face welcome by Jesus, himself and I'm not close to Michael Phelp's level of training commitment. I wonder why? Do you ever wonder why it is that spending a significant amount of time with Jesus is such a hard thing to do? Let's talk about it! Shall we?

We're off to Florida, Sort of!

2008-04-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

We finally got started on our vacation to Florida. We wanted to get left on Saturday, but Ida needed to have a biopsy and the only time that could be scheduled was at 8:30 today. Then I woke up during the night with a painful toothache and needed to see the dentist after Ida's biopsy. The story from the dentist is that I have a tooth that will most likely need to be pulled. I'm going to try to manage the pain with advil and an antibiotic that he gave me and trust God to make it through the two weeks. If the pain continues to get worse, I'll look up an Oral Surgeon in Florida when we arrive. (Makes an interesting vacation, doesn't it)

To top off our day, just as we were arriving in Charleston, WV, we had a flat tire and couldn't release the spare tire, and it took the AAA mechanic who came out to fix the tire an hour and a half to get the spare tire down. We finally got to our hotel room around 10:00.

We are now resting comfortably. We are optomistic about the rest of our trip.

I'll try to stay in touch.

Thoughts on Being Ill

2008-03-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

It's no fun being a sick pastor. A pastor is supposed to be available to tend the flock, but when the shepherd gets ill, the flock must fend for itself. At least that's how I feel tonight as I reflect on my lost weekend. My schedule included two speaking segments at the Men's Retreat and preaching at Sandy Hill Sunday morning. NOT! It wasn't going to happen. At the doctor visit Friday, the doctor basically said, "Cancel all your appointments. You've got the flu and you're too contagious to be in public. Shut'er down for the weekend."

On top of my getting the flu Thursday, three others of our congregation became ill as well, and should have been visited. It wasn't going to happen. So I struggled all week-end with the why of it all; schedules all messed up, other peoples schedules needing to be re-arranged, all because the preacher got the flu.

"Lord, you're certainly aware of all the good stuff that was on my schedule this weekend, why did this happen now? A week earlier would have been much better. What did you have for me through the timing of this illness? I confess I'm confused. But, Lord, I yield to you and to your plan for me. So, even though I don't know and it doesn't make sense to me, I'll rest in the fact that you know best and your plan for me is perfect. At least I am now more aware of how a an unplanned illness affects people and might be able to share a bit from this experience.

Philadelphia Flower Show 2008

2008-03-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

Monday, dawned bright, crisp, and clear. It was a great day to take a trip to the 2008 version of the Philadelphia Flower Show. As it usually is, the flower show was literally packed with people and georgeous displays of all kinds of flower displays much like the still flower first prize winner shown here. There was something for every flora and fawna lover. The theme this year was Mardi Gras. There was Dixieland Jazz blaring pretty much throughout the whole day. Colorful trees were adorned with brightly colored beads hanging all over them. It was really quite a festive day and we capped it off by eating a wonderful dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Philadelphia. It was a Great Day!

Angel Food Distribution Day

2008-03-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the volunteers who came out today to help bless 223 families from Chester County who arrived at Sandy Hill to receive their Angel Food grocery boxes today. It was truly a fun day of blessing these families. I wonder if those families who came for food met Jesus today? I believe they did. Jesus said, "In as much as you showed benevolence (my words) to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to me." (Matt. 25:40) I truly believe we did that today. Way to go!

If My People...

2007-05-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, May 3, is the National Day of Prayer and tonight our church joined numbers of other churches in the greater Coatesville, Pa. area in a prayer service for our Community, State and Nation.

What I saw tonight was men and women of different color, nationality, and denominational affiliation coming together as an Ephesians 4 church. For two hours we were all One Body, in One Spirit, crying out and confessing our collective sin to One God. The Holy Spirit blessed us with Spiritual eyes and we saw the Spirit of God coming among us.

As I was driving home from this beautiful time of cleansing and of aligning our hearts, once again, with God's heart, I had to think, "Our communities would be a completely different place if God's people in our communities would "humble ourselves and pray and seek His face, He will hear from Heaven, and He will forgive our sin, and He will heal our land. (Our communities and cities.)"

I believe if God's people, from our communities, you and I, would frequently and routinely, come together to pray, to confess our sins, to seek His face, and to ask the Father for favor, our communities would begin the process of transformation. Justice and mercy would begin to come into our communities and cities. Crime would be significantly reduced and God's Word would, once again, be welcome.

Find someone tomorrow and spend some time in prayer. Even though you might not get to one of the many organized prayer times throughout all of tomorrow, you can still find someone and ask them to join you in a time of prayer for your community, and for your state and for our nation.

God Bless

Test of Clipmarks

2007-04-25T19:17:00.001-07:00

I think the following Article by Steve Ridgell is really on point. Thanks, Steve for being so honest with us.

clipped from http://www.heartlight.org/

But I Have to Cheat ... I'm Not Good Enough
by Steve Ridgell
Every time I open my sports page I get to read another article dealing with steroid abuse. Why do they do it? They know it is dangerous, they know it is cheating, and they know the consequences if they get caught. ... (read more)

Bring Thoughts into Captivity

2007-04-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

Devotional Thoughts for today:
Scripture: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4 & 5)
Observation: If "every thought" is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, everything would begin to fall in line with our relationship with Jesus. Our wills will begin to become His will for us. What a great thought!
Application: I will endeavor to bring my thoughts and my will into captivity to the obedience of Christ today and watch what He does in my life.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to submit my thoughts to obedience to you. Holy Spirit, continue to prompt me when I'm wanting to entertain thoughts that are outside of Christ's perfect will for me. Do this for me, just for today. Thank you. In Jesus name, Amen!

He is Risen

2007-04-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
What wonderful words! Imagine just having been told by Angels that Jesus is alive as He said he would be, and you are running back to tell your friends, when all of a sudden, there is Jesus in the road in front of you. You stop dumbfounded and you hear the words, "Greetings," from a person you thought to be dead. (Matthew 28:(9)

What great and life-changing words. Jesus was alive and He is alive today! He confronts us with that truth. A dead Jesus could never have said, "Greetings." And a dead Jesus would and could never be the agent of transformation in our inner persons as well as in the world.

My prayer for you this Easter is that you will experience, just as the disciples did, the living, loving, life-transforming Jesus, who rose from the grave and earned the applause of all of heaven.

Have a most blessed Easter!

the Cross, Part 3

2007-04-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

On the Cross
Today is Good Friday. Today is cross day for Jesus. Jesus came to earth for this day. He lived his 33 years on earth for this day. He agonized yesterday and especially last evening, in the garden, over this day.

Did you ever stop to think about how his crucifixion, in addition to being the atoning work it was intended to be, was also a perfect graphic, an illustration of the reaction of mankind to Jesus. Remember the two thieves who were crucified, one on either side of Jesus? They are a universal representation of mankind's response to Jesus ever since.

On one side, you have a thief who is railing against Jesus, who refuses to see Jesus for who he really is, the Son of God. He says, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself, and then he adds, 'and us as well.'" (Luke 23:39) He represents the vast amount of people who simply refuse to see Jesus for who he was. Their interest is for themselves only. They are also those professing Christians who see Jesus as a "Tinkerbell Jesus," the Jesus who just sprinkles some fairy dust and makes everything well in their life.

But on the other hand you have the other thief who represents those people (much less in number) who have bent the knee to Jesus, who call Him Master and Lord. The other thief said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (Luke 23:42). And we're told that Jesus did just that. Jesus told him, "....Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)

"Remember me." Words of confession, words of relationship, words that denote that inner need we all have to be in relationship. That's the whole deal! That was the whole deal for the woman who had a diseased womb, as she just touched His garment. (Remember me!) That was the whole deal for the woman at the well whom Jesus gave the living water. (He remembered all she had ever done). That was the whole deal for the second thief and it is the whole deal for you and me today, 2,000 years later.

The message of Thursday and the message of Friday, is "Remember me!" Cry out to the One who knows all and brings to the Father all those who cry out to Him. Just as he was waiting there on the cross for the second thief to cry out to Him, He waits for you and for me to cry out to Him, "Remember me!" And He does! He comes into an intimate, personal relationship with us, a relationship that eventually leads to Paradise to be with Him forever.

Today, I attended the funeral of a family member who simply, flat out, loved Jesus. Just before she took that step into glory, she was heard to say, "Jesus, take me out of here." And he did. After those words, she simply closed her eyes and went answered Jesus call to be with Him in Paradise.

Hallelujah!

The Cross, Part 2

2007-04-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

His Trial
A big joke! That's what his trial was, a big joke. It was a joke to the Chief Priests, it was a joke to Pilate, it was a joke Peter, he couldn't even bring himself to identify with Jesus.

But it wasn't a joke to you and to me. Jesus trial was a mockery because God had beforehand instituted that it would be that way in order for Him to be convicted and be sentenced to the cross. It needed to be that way.

Jesus told His disciples earlier, "I must suffer (and die,) and on the third day rise from th edead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed inHis name to all nations...." Luke 24:46 & 47.

So Jesus trial, while it was a big joke to the Religious Leaders, and the Roman Rulers, was no big joke to God, and to all people who would go on to become His followers. The cross, where Jesus would lay it all down, for the sake of those who would choose to believe in Him and who He was.

So let's not grow faint and weary at the injustice, the mockery, the shame of His trial. God had so ordained that it would be that way and we are the beneficiaries.

Praise God! Sunday's coming.

The Cross, Part 1

2007-04-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

In the Garden

I join Christians all over the world this week in focusing on the fact of the of Jesus, the Son of God, on a crude, violent, Cross, all alone on the hill called Goltotha. My reflection is separated into three parts: Part 1, "In the Garden;" Part 2, "His Trial;" and Part 3, "On the Cross." Today, The Cross--Part 1, "In the Garden."

Prior to His Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane outside of Jerusalem. He was there with his disciples after he had observed passover with them. Now He was in the Garden, the place He had come to many times to be alone with His Father.

What lie ahead of Him must have tormented Him far beyond our capability to understand. Not only was He facing physical in a most excruciatingly horrible way, as he was alone in the Garden, he was also contemplating what it would be like to carry the sin of the entire human race on his shoulders.

If it is possible, he would pray, please, God, take this cup, this bitter pill of sin he was about to carry, take it away from me. Please God, find some other way to do this. But, no, His Father is silent. There is no other way. That's the plan and we're sticking to it.

Will it all work out? Will all the pain and agony Jesus is about to face accomplish all that the Father has planned? Will this be the final act in the redemption of mankind from the grip of sin and their continual bent on self-centered living?

Questions, many questions, for Jesus that night, but no easy answers. Trust me, the Father says. Trust and obey! So Jesus makes a final commitment to the great plan God had put in place before the world began and walks out head held high to meet Judas and the boys. Hello, Judas. How about a kiss?

Visit with Becca!

2007-04-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

Why?
Why, God? Why do you allow seven- year old s to become sick, like Becca? What has she done to warrant this issue with her kidneys? She loves you and she is a lovely, loving person who desires to please you, so why? These are my thoughts today, as I drive to the hospital to visit Becca?

Wonderful!
I arrive at the hospital and proceed to Becca’s room expecting to see someone all down in the mouth about her situation as she waits for a kidney biopsy tomorrow. But, joy, joy, Becca is smiling and happy. She’s happy to open the homemade get-well cards we delivered from her Sunday School classmates. She’s happy to open one of the presents they wrapped for her. She’s happy to be alive and to share her stories of her family’s recent trip to Chile. So rather than bringing her cheer it went the other way around.

God knows!
As I drove the hour and a half back home, I was reflecting on how she blessed me in so many ways and I had to think about Jesus and his discussion regarding hairs and sparrows and knew assuredly, that Christ has Becca right where she is for a very special reason and Becca’s content, even in her small faith, to just accept what He has in store for her and therein lies her contentment and joy.

Pray!
If you happen to read this Blog, just pray that God will reach down and touch her body and bring healing to her kidneys. We pray in faith believing that God's heart is for all of His creation to be whole.
"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying
hold of His highest willingness." (Archbishop Trent)

Robins, Spring and House Cleaning

2007-03-30T08:26:00.001-07:00

Each winter, as spring approaches, my wife and I compete with each other to see who will see the very first Robin. We look for them in our back lawn, we look for them as we drive, and constantly looking for that very first sign that spring is right around the corner.

When we see our first robin we have a little celebration around the dinner table that evening and share our experience of when and where we saw our robin. This is just a little ritual we go through each spring which is part of the process of preparation for the season that is right around the corner, the season of new life, cleaning up, and starting over.

Some of our tasks this year are picking up all the small branches that have fallen down during the winter, cleaning up the front lawn from the snow plows mess they leave on the lawn as they plow snow during the winter, washing the front porch and the walks to remove the gritty grime from winter. And the list goes on and on. I’m sure each of you has their own list of “cleaning up” that needs to be done at your house.

Just this week my wife and I were watching the robins cleaning themselves on top of our pool cover. There is a bit of water lying on the top of the cover and the robins were just having a ball, splashing around, preening and cleaning themselves as though they also realized that spring is here and they need cleaning up from their winter also.

Spring is the season for cleaning. Nature is cleaning itself. People are spring cleaning their homes. Take the opportunity to clean all the “junk” from your life that has been collecting all winter. In the Bible, the Psalmist writes, “Who can come into the Lord’s presence?” Then he answers, “Those who are clean-handed and pure-hearted.” Let springtime, this year, be the time to bring some cleaning into your spiritual house. I have, and I’m enjoying anew the freshness that a clean heart brings to the experience of life.

I found this little poem that echoes my sentiments as I experience the arrival of spring this year. I thought you would enjoy it.

Spring Cleaning
March bustles in on windy feet,
And sweeps my doorstep and my street.
She washes and cleans with pounding rains,
Scrubbing the earth of winter stains.
She shakes the grime from carpet green
Till naught but fresh new blades are seen.
Then, house in order, all neat as a pin,
She ushers gentle springtime in.

Author: Susan Reiner

Have a blessed cleaning day.

Snow, Maybe?

2007-02-01T04:08:00.000-08:00

Snow today? The weather folks are finally calling for our first measurable snow today. Will it snow? Maybe? I don't know, but it would be nice. It is now February 1st and still no snow.

God knows! We spend a lot of time worrying about the weather. I wonder why we spend so much time worrying about that which we have no control over? God knows what is going to happen today. In fact, the Bible tells us He controls the weather and because He controls the weather I really don't have to worry. Let it snow or not snow today. My day will not be impacted by whether or not it snows, or how much it snows, if it does, in fact, snow today. Because I rest in the fact that God is in control and I rest in God.

Let it snow!

Another New Day

2007-01-29T08:07:00.000-08:00

Another day! It's Monday and a new day stares me in the face. Another new day to try to get it right, another new day to right the wrongs of yesterday, another new day to determine to live for someone other than myself.

Another Week! It's Monday and another week stretches out ahead of me. Another week to try to get it right, another week to right the wrongs of last week, another week to determine to live for someone other than myself.

Another Year! It's Monday and a whole year lies out there farther than my eye can see. It looks rather fuzzy. I grow faint thinking about the possibilities, thinking about the potential failures, the dreams not accomplished the attempts not completed.

Another day! I think that I'll enjoy today, and accept the challenge of the adventure that awaits me today. I'll not think too much about the year that lies, rather hazy, out there somewhere ahead of me.

Thank you, God, for this new day you've given me. Help me accomplish all that you desire for me to accomplish today. Amen.

Cold Weather

2007-01-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

It's not cold this morning, but watch out for tonight. This cold weather just kinda "snuck up" on us. (Like that word snuck)?
Complacency in our experience with God comes upon us just like the weather. Sometimes it just sneaks up on us also. It comes upon us when we least expect it. It often arrives right on the heals of a tremendous personal experience with God. We are celebrating the wonderful experience when all of a sudden we wake up and we are in this relational "funk" with God.
So like the weather that sneaks up on us, let's be alert to complacency that will kinda sneak up on us also.

Where's Winter?

2007-01-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

Has winter shortchanged us? Wither has winter gone? For
those of us who live in the Northeast, winter has by in large been a fizzle. This picture was taken in late December when there
should either be snow on the ground or the ground should be
frozen.
Old man winter makes his own rules. This winter season has served notice that we aren't in control of things as we think we are. We make our plans and trust that the normal turn of events will occur but God determines what the course of each day will be. Old man winter marches to His beat. God controls the seasons and it's He who sends the rain and the snow, the warm weather and the cold weather.
Reflecting! As I was reflecting on our weather God brought to my mind Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, where King Solomon records the fact, from his life experience, that God has assigned a time for everything in life. Go ahead and study this text. I think that God orders the weather just like he orders everything else in life. What do you think?

Running the Race

2007-01-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

The Eagles are HOT! Whether you love or hate the Eagles, you must admit that their current six-game win streak is amazing. Take a group of guys who are dis-organized, seemingly down and out, get them to rally around a vision of the possible and amazing things can happen.

Run the Race! I'm reminded of the writer of Hebrew's counsel to us as well. We're told in Hebrews 12:1, "Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." I'm quite certain that the Eagles are totally focused on their game tomorrow with New Orleans. I'm quite certain that the Eagles have "thrown off every possible thing that would hinder them from being at their very best tomorrow. I'm sure that the Eagles are totally focused on "running the race that is set before them."

How about you? Are you running your race as if your very life depended on it? Have you been able to "throw off" everything (everything?) that would possibly hinder you from running the spiritual race of your life? Are you totally focused, have you fixated on Jesus, the one who saved you, the one who completes you, the one who makes your faith viable?

Let's finish well! Whether the Eagles win or lose tomorrow, you can be a winner in your life's race by completely fixing your eyes on Jesus, by setting aside those nasty habits, setting aside those secret sins that so easily entangle us and rob us from running a great race. Sometimes we are down and out like the Eagles were, and sometimes we think that we can't win anymore, but if you renew your faith in the one who has invested the most in you, if you are willing to recapture the vision of a life totally committed to Jesus, you can mirror the Eagles and their fantastic finish.

Finish Well!

The Eagles Soared

2007-01-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

A Win is a Win is a Win! It wasn't pretty, but the Soaring Eagles soared just high enough to keep moving on in the post season. Garcia, Westbrook & Co. were just good enough to beat a Giant team that were gamers. My prediction of Eagles 27, Giants 10 wasn't too far off, was it? Go Birds! I'll give my predictions for the Seattle game a little later on this week.

Give Credit where credit is due! During the course of this NFL season I've been pondering the question, "Where does the talent come from that is displayed out there on the playing field every Sunday?" Now we know that talent is born, it's developed by the many years of playing lower level football, it's honed in by a lot of bookwork, it's enhanced by many hours in the weight room and so on. But is that all there is to talent? Talent is given to us by God and all the effort we put into improving our talent is man's attempt to improve that which God has already given us. So when we watch our birds next Sunday, let's remember that the talent we are watching has been given to these players by God and it's okay to "praise God," for the talent that He has put into these players. It's an awesome thing.

Soaring Eagles

2007-01-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

Will the Eagles soar or crash? By now we know that the Eagles have been flying high for five weeks. Winning is fashionable once again. I take great delight in seeing an "old man" run all over the football field with the energy of a 20 year old, throwing pin point passes to his receivers. But will his energy level stay high one more Sunday? Will Westbrook be able to snake his way through the Giant defenses? Will the once porous, now impenetrable defense continue its domination of the line of scrimmage?

Tune in Sunday afternoon to see. My prediction. Eagles 27, Giants 10.

God is in the details!

2007-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

This morning I awoke to a gorgeous sunrise. As I watched this sunrise grow ever more bright and ever more beautiful, I began to notice the details. I noticed how one small wisp of cloud, was angled just right in order to catch the full value of the sun and how another larger cloud was more dense and reflected less of the sun, thus being a bit darker. I noticed how the clouds were layered one layer upon another. I noticed how the rays spread their color and beauty in an ever-increasing spread of orange across the morning sky. I began to see that, if it weren't for the small details of that sunrise, it wouldn't have been much to see. God is in the details.

God is in the details not only of the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets of sky, but He's also in the details of the sunrises and sunsets of our lives. He's constantly at work in us, much like a world class painter, spending time on the details of our lives in order to bring out the very best in us.

Thoughts facing another new year!

2007-01-02T09:08:00.000-08:00

Another chance at life. Long held expectations, life dreams, opportunities wasted, opportunities taken. Our past is our past. The future's wide open. Grab for real living.

Happy New Year! No matter how 2006 turned out, no matter how many opportunities were wasted, 2007 is a brand new year. It is indeed a "Happy New Year?" So, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." Many wonderful opportunities lie ahead of you. Happy New Year? It's up to you.

I blew my resolve in 2006! Another perfectly put together personal plan out the window. Buried under a busy schedule and laziness. But God is with us even when we cave in to the pressures of a busy schedule. There's always hope.

You can do it. One day at a time, one hour at a time, one moment at a time. We cannot win the battle by worrying about tomorrow. Frustration will be the result, so don't go there. The battle will only be won by shortening our time frame. Make each day the important day, make each hour the important hour, make each moment count.

Wishing you victory in today's battle.

Where is God When you Need Him?

2006-08-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I preached from Acts 7. Luke the Biblical Historian records the story of Stephen bringing this hard hitting, high impact message to the religious leaders of his day. Stephen is telling his detractors about the history of the Jews and how before they were a nation, they were a bunch of slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. And as I was preparing for this message, I struggled with a God who would leave his chosen people to waste away under intense persecution as slaves for over 400 years.

Why didn't He answer their cries for help? Why did it need to take 430 years for Him to act? Does He really care? I know what I finally concluded but I'm curious what you think? If you're a follower of Jesus (or not) I'd like to chat with you regarding your thoughts about whether or not God really cares about our issues or if He does, why does he often not respond in any time frame that makes sense to us.

What do you think?