Memorial Day.....The specific day set aside for us living Americans to honor and remember those military men and women who have served with honor protecting our rights and privileges and have now died. The purpose of this holiday is to pay honor and set aside time to remember the contributions of our military members. I am hopeful that we all do that. Yet, I am a realist. Now, I know that there are exceptions to the norm, but what I see even within our church are people who simply take advantage of another holiday. A day to focus on self and feed our own desires and wants. This case and point fits well with my sermon yesterday about really quenching the thirst of Christ by not only receiving the life He offers, but to be life giving people...sharing what we have with those who are far from God. Sound familiar? This holiday is not for us. It is for those who have served our nation with honor and are no longer with us. Show honor to them today. Don't miss this one....
Father...Thank you for your love. Thank you for our country. Thank you for the freedoms we enjoy today as Americans and thank you Father for the men and women who have served and died allowing us to worship You freely without fear of persecution. Bless the military members serving our country right now and the families of those brave men and women. In Jesus' name, we pray....Amen
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
True Worshipers
As I sit here this morning offering Jesus my worship from my easy chair in my "shack"....Some of you may be wondering, "What is my shack?". I am so glad you asked. We built an addition on to our house last year. It's a cozy room where I can escape from the noise and clanging. I at first named it the "Man Cave". Cool name, huh? But there was one problem.....Maddie didn't like that name cuz the name "Man Cave" would thereby exclude her. So she came up with the name, "Sugar Shack" Yeah, that's what I thought too...... "What kind of name is that? How manly is that to say to your fishing buddy, 'hey, I'm going to go study in the sugar shack'?" So, long story short....I shortened the name to shack. Now aren't you glad you got the whole sordid story on how the shack became the shack? Anyway, where was I? Ever do that where you are just so scatterbrained that you forget like who you are? Oh yeah...worship. That's what I was going to blog about. Ok. Here we go. Ready? Good.
As I sit here this morning offering Jesus my worship from my easy chair in my "shack". See, now you can feel the picture, huh? Oh yeah, focus, Milt. As I sit here offering Jesus my worship, I find myself always getting distracted and I just wished that I could really visually see Jesus sitting here with me. You know what I mean? I am praying and singing a song...(You probably don't want to put audio to that thought)and reading the scriptures and I can't help but long to see Jesus face to face. What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face....the One who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the Promise Land....what a day, glorious day that will be. Hopefully by now you just stop reading for a moment and close your eyes and picture Jesus Christ, the Righteous, taking you by the hand and leading through heaven...wow. I'll be right here when you finish your stroll with the Savior.
While you were strolling, I got a fresh cup of coffee. Mmmmmm. I love coffee in the morning. But not just any coffee. Oh, here ya go again, Milt. Focus, dude!
John 4:23-24
But the time is coming-indeed it's here now-when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."(NLT)
God is scanning the earth this morning and He's looking for true worshipers. Those who will choose Him over everyone and everything else. Must we remain so stoic and dignified? I long to just worship the way Jesus longs for us to worship. What does that look like? Great question! And I'm sure great Bible scholars will have 834 different answers to that. But since I'm the author of this blog, you'll get my thoughts. I believe that Christ is looking and scanning the earth for people who will put Jesus first in their lives...above their jobs, above their families, above their hobbies, above their bank account, and above their macho or dignified image. I believe Jesus wants us to become even more undignified than David was...Huh? What are you smokin'? Well, read 2 Samuel chapter 6 and read it closely. Then tell me how dignified the King of Israel, David remained. Hint.....pay close attention to verse 20. If you have any questions about this, let me know and I'll be happy to elaborate.
My friend, what I am saying is this....Don't get all uptight about how worship looks or feels. Don't worry about what others tell you that you should or shouldn't do. You do what God tells you to do. You lose that fear of what the person next to you might think. You and I certainly are not gonna stand before the person next to us one day. Nope....We'll stand before the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords and I long for Him to one day say, Milt.....you can't sing or dance, but I'm glad you offered your best!!"
But the time is coming-indeed it's here now-when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.
May He have all of you today and everyday.
As I sit here this morning offering Jesus my worship from my easy chair in my "shack". See, now you can feel the picture, huh? Oh yeah, focus, Milt. As I sit here offering Jesus my worship, I find myself always getting distracted and I just wished that I could really visually see Jesus sitting here with me. You know what I mean? I am praying and singing a song...(You probably don't want to put audio to that thought)and reading the scriptures and I can't help but long to see Jesus face to face. What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face....the One who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the Promise Land....what a day, glorious day that will be. Hopefully by now you just stop reading for a moment and close your eyes and picture Jesus Christ, the Righteous, taking you by the hand and leading through heaven...wow. I'll be right here when you finish your stroll with the Savior.
While you were strolling, I got a fresh cup of coffee. Mmmmmm. I love coffee in the morning. But not just any coffee. Oh, here ya go again, Milt. Focus, dude!
John 4:23-24
But the time is coming-indeed it's here now-when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."(NLT)
God is scanning the earth this morning and He's looking for true worshipers. Those who will choose Him over everyone and everything else. Must we remain so stoic and dignified? I long to just worship the way Jesus longs for us to worship. What does that look like? Great question! And I'm sure great Bible scholars will have 834 different answers to that. But since I'm the author of this blog, you'll get my thoughts. I believe that Christ is looking and scanning the earth for people who will put Jesus first in their lives...above their jobs, above their families, above their hobbies, above their bank account, and above their macho or dignified image. I believe Jesus wants us to become even more undignified than David was...Huh? What are you smokin'? Well, read 2 Samuel chapter 6 and read it closely. Then tell me how dignified the King of Israel, David remained. Hint.....pay close attention to verse 20. If you have any questions about this, let me know and I'll be happy to elaborate.
My friend, what I am saying is this....Don't get all uptight about how worship looks or feels. Don't worry about what others tell you that you should or shouldn't do. You do what God tells you to do. You lose that fear of what the person next to you might think. You and I certainly are not gonna stand before the person next to us one day. Nope....We'll stand before the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords and I long for Him to one day say, Milt.....you can't sing or dance, but I'm glad you offered your best!!"
But the time is coming-indeed it's here now-when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.
May He have all of you today and everyday.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
"911"
Have you ever called "911"? As a former police officer, I have responded to hundreds of "911" calls. They varied in severity and type. But the bottom line is that it was an emergency for the people who called. It was their crisis moment.
I went on a lot of calls for runaways. Parents would call the authorities to report that their child had run away from home. Perhaps there was a disagreement and the child didn't like the result so they grabbed some clothes and out the door they went. Perhaps there was some discipline and they didn't like being punished so they hit the road. Perhaps they felt like they were the "blacksheep"....always picked on and the only child who had to do this or that. They felt like they weren't being treated fairly so they take their toys and move along. I gotta tell ya, I rarely felt much sympathy for the child. I would defintely hear both sides. I would hear what the parent had to say and then I would find the child and hear their side. Most often times, I would simply find a child acting childish. A child who didn't get their way and acted out. A child who became extremely disrespectful, disobedient and self-centered. More times than not, it was the right thing for the parent to call the "authorities". Sometimes with a little firm discussion, they saw the light. Sometimes it required some paperwork and they were entered into the court system and placed on probation to try to get their attention. Sometimes this child had some previous experience acting out childishly and they were awarded a night or two in JDC (Juvenile Detention Center).
Why am I blogging about cop stuff and runaways? Right? I hear ya and now it's time to pull a "Paul Harvey and the 'rest of the story'".
Can you imagine if children were free to just pack up and say, "You know, Mom, Dad....I'm just not that happy here, so I'm gonna go live with someone else." The rules and atmosphere here just don't please ME that much....I think I'll go live with my friend where I will like it better." "You know, dad....I just don't like where I live. I mean, all my friends live there, so I'm gonna just pack up and move somewhere more convenient to my friends and school." WOW! What chaos we would have if we allowed such nonsense!!
Yet, in God's family, this seems to be the accepted norm. We are called brothers and sisters in Christ! We do life together. We worship our God in the same place and we laugh together and cry together and grow together. We are family. That is what we are called to do and be!
I know there are lots of churches out there. There are growing churches. There are dying churches. There are traditional churches. There are contemporary churches. There are deep and meaningful churches. There are entertaining churches. There are small churches. There are large churches. There are churches that tell the truth and there are churches that tickle your feet. Your options are endless! I am very grateful for Quarry Rock Church. For all of my brothers and sisters in Christ who worship at Quarry Rock, I love you and am so blessed to be your pastor! I long to do the right things and do things well. I am, however....human! Perfect? Not even! I would like to leave you with a poem that I love to use often:
The Perfect Church
If you find the perfect church without one fault or smear,
For goodness sake don't join that church, you'll spoil the atmosphere!
But since no perfect church exists made by perfect men,
let's cease looking for that church, and love the church we're in!
So, remember....there is no perfect church! Love the one you are in. And by the way, you made a great choice in my biased opinion by choosing Quarry Rock. If, however, you try running away, I'm calling the authority! "Father!!!"
I went on a lot of calls for runaways. Parents would call the authorities to report that their child had run away from home. Perhaps there was a disagreement and the child didn't like the result so they grabbed some clothes and out the door they went. Perhaps there was some discipline and they didn't like being punished so they hit the road. Perhaps they felt like they were the "blacksheep"....always picked on and the only child who had to do this or that. They felt like they weren't being treated fairly so they take their toys and move along. I gotta tell ya, I rarely felt much sympathy for the child. I would defintely hear both sides. I would hear what the parent had to say and then I would find the child and hear their side. Most often times, I would simply find a child acting childish. A child who didn't get their way and acted out. A child who became extremely disrespectful, disobedient and self-centered. More times than not, it was the right thing for the parent to call the "authorities". Sometimes with a little firm discussion, they saw the light. Sometimes it required some paperwork and they were entered into the court system and placed on probation to try to get their attention. Sometimes this child had some previous experience acting out childishly and they were awarded a night or two in JDC (Juvenile Detention Center).
Why am I blogging about cop stuff and runaways? Right? I hear ya and now it's time to pull a "Paul Harvey and the 'rest of the story'".
Can you imagine if children were free to just pack up and say, "You know, Mom, Dad....I'm just not that happy here, so I'm gonna go live with someone else." The rules and atmosphere here just don't please ME that much....I think I'll go live with my friend where I will like it better." "You know, dad....I just don't like where I live. I mean, all my friends live there, so I'm gonna just pack up and move somewhere more convenient to my friends and school." WOW! What chaos we would have if we allowed such nonsense!!
Yet, in God's family, this seems to be the accepted norm. We are called brothers and sisters in Christ! We do life together. We worship our God in the same place and we laugh together and cry together and grow together. We are family. That is what we are called to do and be!
I know there are lots of churches out there. There are growing churches. There are dying churches. There are traditional churches. There are contemporary churches. There are deep and meaningful churches. There are entertaining churches. There are small churches. There are large churches. There are churches that tell the truth and there are churches that tickle your feet. Your options are endless! I am very grateful for Quarry Rock Church. For all of my brothers and sisters in Christ who worship at Quarry Rock, I love you and am so blessed to be your pastor! I long to do the right things and do things well. I am, however....human! Perfect? Not even! I would like to leave you with a poem that I love to use often:
The Perfect Church
If you find the perfect church without one fault or smear,
For goodness sake don't join that church, you'll spoil the atmosphere!
But since no perfect church exists made by perfect men,
let's cease looking for that church, and love the church we're in!
So, remember....there is no perfect church! Love the one you are in. And by the way, you made a great choice in my biased opinion by choosing Quarry Rock. If, however, you try running away, I'm calling the authority! "Father!!!"
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Entertaining Angels?
Hebrews 13:1,2 Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
Wow.....(large sigh) What a day!! It is Sunday and we experienced our largest attendance of our church history....186 people. God is just too cool! I can't wrap my brain around how awesome Jesus really is. Suppose God was impressed today? Was He impressed with 186 people coming to Quarry Rock today? Was He impressed that we held church and sung some songs, heard a message from God's Word? I'm not sure God is all that impressed by our accomplishments! But what i want to share today in this blog/devotion is not about 186 people. I want to share about one man. We'll call him Mike....cuz that is what he said his name was.
As church ended this morning, I happen to notice that a young man was standing in our welcome area. He appeared a bit unkept. That is the polite way to put it, isn't it? He had hair in dreadlocks, wearing a blaze orange stocking cap, jeans and a jacket of some sort. See how observant I am? Not that good for being a former cop, huh? Oh well...anyway, Mike was speaking to Isaac and Isaac called me over to introduce Mike to me. Mike told me that his brother was critically ill and was awaiting a serious surgery to save his life. Mike went on to explain that he was on his way to Washington, D.C. to see his brother but had run out of gas money to travel on. He stated he spent the night in his car across the street from our church. He walked in a little after 11am. I told him that we could get him a tank of gas. I gave him directions to the gas station and told him to go in and state his name and the type of vehicle he was driving and I would call in to "OK" the gas assistance. Mike shook my hand and walked away.
Within a few minutes, he walked back up to me and said, "What was the name of that gas station again?" I told him, shook his hand again and he started to walk away from me for the second time. God spoke straight to me and told me to stop Mike. I yelled, "Mike!" He kept walking.....(About now, I am suspicious his name is not Mike). "Mike!?" No response. "Mike!" This time, he turned to me. I said, "Would you like some soup before you go on in your trip?" He lit up like the sky and said yes. He walked back up to me, shook my hand and I escorted him to the snacks, sandwiches and soup. He got some food and disappeared. I got distracted by some other people who had talked to me in the line. I frantically scanned the room for Mike. Then I saw him sitting down in a booth eating his soup and snacks.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. All alone like he has leprosy. Poor guy isn't even noticed in this room full of people. Oh....my worst nightmare as a pastor!! How embarrassing to lead people like this, right?
No!!!! That is not the picture I saw. When I scanned the room for Mike, I saw him sitting at a booth eating and talking to a family that just invaded his space. They loved him like he was one of the family....Indeed he was! There was Lance, Kim, Alex, Derrick, and Austin....all about Mike!! They laughed and talked with Mike. I was deeply moved as I watched. To think I almost sent him out with a lousy tank of gas!!!
Mike had something magical about him. He captured the hearts and attention of about everyone in our fellowship hall. They weren't staring like "who's the dude with the cap.... Oh gross!" No, not at all. It was more like, "Hey pastor, who is the guy in the orange hat talking with Alex? What's his story?" He moved everyone in the room. It was........well, really it was weird. In a cool sort of way.
Fill his gas tank and fill his belly. Cool. Now send him on his way, right? Nope, not yet. Our church wasn't done yet. People almost in a line kept filing by Mike, giving him a hug and a wad of cash.....yeah, for real!! Hugs and cash. Then someone went to the food pantry and packed a box of groceries for him as he travelled. Mike was speechless. He received the soup, the gas, the groceries and the cash. But what really lit Mike up was the hugs. I wonder how long its been since he felt that. On second thought.... I don't want to know how long it has been. But today........today, he got hugs. He saw, tasted, felt and experienced Jesus in a very real and raw form.....It was indescribable. I have tried in this blog but there is no way possible to fully describe what happened here in our church today!!
Mike.....(If your name is Mike) and really, I don't care what your name is. I don't care if you have a brother or not. I want you to know I love you, man!! Jesus loves you. He died for you!! You are amazing! You are God's handiwork! And you have changed my life. You touched our hearts and my prayer for you, Mike......My prayer is that the love of Jesus will fill your heart at this moment and I can only hope that we blessed your life half as much as you blessed ours!
Talk about a proud moment!!! I wouldn't change places with any preacher in the world. I have the greatest congregation of lovers of Jesus and lovers of God's people. Way to go, Quarry Rock!!!! You rocked my world today. I am so proud!!!
Mike, I will look for you every time I see a blaze orange stocking cap or dreadlocks. Travel well, my friend.
Hebrews 13:2 Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
Wow.....(large sigh) What a day!! It is Sunday and we experienced our largest attendance of our church history....186 people. God is just too cool! I can't wrap my brain around how awesome Jesus really is. Suppose God was impressed today? Was He impressed with 186 people coming to Quarry Rock today? Was He impressed that we held church and sung some songs, heard a message from God's Word? I'm not sure God is all that impressed by our accomplishments! But what i want to share today in this blog/devotion is not about 186 people. I want to share about one man. We'll call him Mike....cuz that is what he said his name was.
As church ended this morning, I happen to notice that a young man was standing in our welcome area. He appeared a bit unkept. That is the polite way to put it, isn't it? He had hair in dreadlocks, wearing a blaze orange stocking cap, jeans and a jacket of some sort. See how observant I am? Not that good for being a former cop, huh? Oh well...anyway, Mike was speaking to Isaac and Isaac called me over to introduce Mike to me. Mike told me that his brother was critically ill and was awaiting a serious surgery to save his life. Mike went on to explain that he was on his way to Washington, D.C. to see his brother but had run out of gas money to travel on. He stated he spent the night in his car across the street from our church. He walked in a little after 11am. I told him that we could get him a tank of gas. I gave him directions to the gas station and told him to go in and state his name and the type of vehicle he was driving and I would call in to "OK" the gas assistance. Mike shook my hand and walked away.
Within a few minutes, he walked back up to me and said, "What was the name of that gas station again?" I told him, shook his hand again and he started to walk away from me for the second time. God spoke straight to me and told me to stop Mike. I yelled, "Mike!" He kept walking.....(About now, I am suspicious his name is not Mike). "Mike!?" No response. "Mike!" This time, he turned to me. I said, "Would you like some soup before you go on in your trip?" He lit up like the sky and said yes. He walked back up to me, shook my hand and I escorted him to the snacks, sandwiches and soup. He got some food and disappeared. I got distracted by some other people who had talked to me in the line. I frantically scanned the room for Mike. Then I saw him sitting down in a booth eating his soup and snacks.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. All alone like he has leprosy. Poor guy isn't even noticed in this room full of people. Oh....my worst nightmare as a pastor!! How embarrassing to lead people like this, right?
No!!!! That is not the picture I saw. When I scanned the room for Mike, I saw him sitting at a booth eating and talking to a family that just invaded his space. They loved him like he was one of the family....Indeed he was! There was Lance, Kim, Alex, Derrick, and Austin....all about Mike!! They laughed and talked with Mike. I was deeply moved as I watched. To think I almost sent him out with a lousy tank of gas!!!
Mike had something magical about him. He captured the hearts and attention of about everyone in our fellowship hall. They weren't staring like "who's the dude with the cap.... Oh gross!" No, not at all. It was more like, "Hey pastor, who is the guy in the orange hat talking with Alex? What's his story?" He moved everyone in the room. It was........well, really it was weird. In a cool sort of way.
Fill his gas tank and fill his belly. Cool. Now send him on his way, right? Nope, not yet. Our church wasn't done yet. People almost in a line kept filing by Mike, giving him a hug and a wad of cash.....yeah, for real!! Hugs and cash. Then someone went to the food pantry and packed a box of groceries for him as he travelled. Mike was speechless. He received the soup, the gas, the groceries and the cash. But what really lit Mike up was the hugs. I wonder how long its been since he felt that. On second thought.... I don't want to know how long it has been. But today........today, he got hugs. He saw, tasted, felt and experienced Jesus in a very real and raw form.....It was indescribable. I have tried in this blog but there is no way possible to fully describe what happened here in our church today!!
Mike.....(If your name is Mike) and really, I don't care what your name is. I don't care if you have a brother or not. I want you to know I love you, man!! Jesus loves you. He died for you!! You are amazing! You are God's handiwork! And you have changed my life. You touched our hearts and my prayer for you, Mike......My prayer is that the love of Jesus will fill your heart at this moment and I can only hope that we blessed your life half as much as you blessed ours!
Talk about a proud moment!!! I wouldn't change places with any preacher in the world. I have the greatest congregation of lovers of Jesus and lovers of God's people. Way to go, Quarry Rock!!!! You rocked my world today. I am so proud!!!
Mike, I will look for you every time I see a blaze orange stocking cap or dreadlocks. Travel well, my friend.
Hebrews 13:2 Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Busy
My, how we become busy! There are things to do with every turn of our heads, isn't there? Especially now with the snow melting. All of the remains from a harsh winter remain after the snow disappeared....mud, ruts, debris. There is spring cleaning to do and preparations have already begun to plant the garden...or not. Time to get the lawn mowers out and get things cleaned up and tuned up. Should we paint this year? Maybe.... And then if there are children involved, you have to think of track events, and softball, baseball, drivers ed.....It could really make a person lose their hair....Oops. Too late! And we are still expected to take care of the normal daily routines...cooking meals, doing laundry, cleaning the house, going to the job site...... Is there no time to rest?
If there isn't, you are living in a lifestyle that is less than pleasing to God. The devil tells you to hurry, go faster, do more, tomorrow..yeah, tomorrow there will be time to rest. God says something much different, doesn't He?
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength......... Sounds nice, huh?
Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."
So....let's stop fretting. Do not listen to the devil. He is not the boss of you.....he better not be!!!! The Lord Jesus tells us to come to Him and find rest.
The schedules stay busy but remember that God gives you the same 24 hours He gives to everyone else. Use it wisely. Put Him first, not in the "if I have time" category. He comes first and then it is just amazing how He allows us to get done what He wants us to get done. The rest......Well, i guess it wasn't His will to get that done today.....because He wants you to have "The Rest"
If there isn't, you are living in a lifestyle that is less than pleasing to God. The devil tells you to hurry, go faster, do more, tomorrow..yeah, tomorrow there will be time to rest. God says something much different, doesn't He?
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength......... Sounds nice, huh?
Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."
So....let's stop fretting. Do not listen to the devil. He is not the boss of you.....he better not be!!!! The Lord Jesus tells us to come to Him and find rest.
The schedules stay busy but remember that God gives you the same 24 hours He gives to everyone else. Use it wisely. Put Him first, not in the "if I have time" category. He comes first and then it is just amazing how He allows us to get done what He wants us to get done. The rest......Well, i guess it wasn't His will to get that done today.....because He wants you to have "The Rest"
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Only Way
And Jesus said unto His disciples, "Go into all the world, teaching all men to live any way they want, and urging each to find his or her own path to God. Let not any one of you make someone feel inferior or victimized because of their beliefs. Above all, be tolerant. Verily, verily, I say unto you that what you believe and how you live do not matter, so long as you are sincere."
Leaving that place, Jesus led His disciples to Jerusalem where they broke bread at Club Upper Room. There He addressed them again, saying, "I am one of the ways, one of the truths, and just one possible life. If you are basically a good person, you're okay in my book. And if you choose to come to the Father (or Mother, if you prefer) through Me, that's cool. Now go forth to live according to whatever feels good to you."
And there was much rejoicing.
I promise you that you won't find that passage of scripture in any Bible translation. But there are plenty of people today who live as if that's exactly how the Bible does read.
In the 21st century, everybody wants to be cool with everybody else. Nobody wants to offend others or be thought of as narrow minded or intolerant. Ours is a live-and-let-live world.
It's tough to be a Christian in that kind of culture, isn't it? You want to follow Jesus. You want your friends to know about Him, too. But whenever you start talking about the Bible and what's right or wrong, everyone jumps up and calls you a judgmental bigot. After all, who are you to say what's right or wrong?
The TRUTH is out there.....and Jesus is that Truth. Jesus didn't say He was one of the ways to get to God; He said He was the only way. When it comes to being intolerant, Jesus is the leader of the pack. He will not let you stay on a fence.
Choose today who you will serve......As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Jesus is the Truth. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We should be intolerant of being held captive by people, world views and even our own fear....fear of being labeled a Jesus Freak. I can think of no greater honor. How about you?
I pray that you receive courage, strength, and a holy boldness to stand up for Jesus this week. Stand up and speak up! Time is drawing to a close. And then no more.....
"If only I had talked to him/her when I had the chance..." I don't want you to ever have to say or think that. This is your chance....Go for it!!!
Leaving that place, Jesus led His disciples to Jerusalem where they broke bread at Club Upper Room. There He addressed them again, saying, "I am one of the ways, one of the truths, and just one possible life. If you are basically a good person, you're okay in my book. And if you choose to come to the Father (or Mother, if you prefer) through Me, that's cool. Now go forth to live according to whatever feels good to you."
And there was much rejoicing.
I promise you that you won't find that passage of scripture in any Bible translation. But there are plenty of people today who live as if that's exactly how the Bible does read.
In the 21st century, everybody wants to be cool with everybody else. Nobody wants to offend others or be thought of as narrow minded or intolerant. Ours is a live-and-let-live world.
It's tough to be a Christian in that kind of culture, isn't it? You want to follow Jesus. You want your friends to know about Him, too. But whenever you start talking about the Bible and what's right or wrong, everyone jumps up and calls you a judgmental bigot. After all, who are you to say what's right or wrong?
The TRUTH is out there.....and Jesus is that Truth. Jesus didn't say He was one of the ways to get to God; He said He was the only way. When it comes to being intolerant, Jesus is the leader of the pack. He will not let you stay on a fence.
Choose today who you will serve......As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Jesus is the Truth. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We should be intolerant of being held captive by people, world views and even our own fear....fear of being labeled a Jesus Freak. I can think of no greater honor. How about you?
I pray that you receive courage, strength, and a holy boldness to stand up for Jesus this week. Stand up and speak up! Time is drawing to a close. And then no more.....
"If only I had talked to him/her when I had the chance..." I don't want you to ever have to say or think that. This is your chance....Go for it!!!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Dash
Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews tells us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Imagine walking through a spiritual "hall of fame". You read the names. You scan the faces. You see on every plaque those two dates that indicate when the person's race began and when it ended......with a little dash (-) in between. Then you come to your plaque. What does it say?
I would like to invite you to personalize this. Take a piece of paper. Write your name at the top. Under your name, write the date you were born, a dash and then a "?" for the date at the right. Something like this:
___________________________________
________________ - _______?________
You had no say at all in the number on the left. You arrived on this planet one day without being consulted at all ahead of time. Ready or not, here you came. You did not get a vote on your parents, your birthplace, your family order, or your DNA. All of these were chosen for you. You were made the bearer of a human soul, created in the image of God, destined for an eternal existence.
You may be very happy about having entered the world, or you may feel that your life is a crushing burden. But you should know this: God is very pleased that you exist. He "knit you together in your mother's womb." That year when you were born is one of His favorite years.
One day the question mark on the right will be replaced with a number as well. We don't have much say about that number either. This is part of what gives life its urgent value. We have one shot at it.
That brings us to the great question: What are you going to do with your dash? What will you do with the turns you get to play the game? That little dash is yours to spend: to shape character, to give allegiance, to choose hope or cynicism, to seize initiative or resign in passivity; to grow stagnate, to be known or to hide.
And the range of what is possible in one life is staggering: Adolf Hitler, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Attila the Hun, my grandmother--each of these was given a single dash.
And now....ready or not.....you have been given a turn. The bell has sounded. It's your race now. What will you do with your dash?
I would like to invite you to personalize this. Take a piece of paper. Write your name at the top. Under your name, write the date you were born, a dash and then a "?" for the date at the right. Something like this:
___________________________________
________________ - _______?________
You had no say at all in the number on the left. You arrived on this planet one day without being consulted at all ahead of time. Ready or not, here you came. You did not get a vote on your parents, your birthplace, your family order, or your DNA. All of these were chosen for you. You were made the bearer of a human soul, created in the image of God, destined for an eternal existence.
You may be very happy about having entered the world, or you may feel that your life is a crushing burden. But you should know this: God is very pleased that you exist. He "knit you together in your mother's womb." That year when you were born is one of His favorite years.
One day the question mark on the right will be replaced with a number as well. We don't have much say about that number either. This is part of what gives life its urgent value. We have one shot at it.
That brings us to the great question: What are you going to do with your dash? What will you do with the turns you get to play the game? That little dash is yours to spend: to shape character, to give allegiance, to choose hope or cynicism, to seize initiative or resign in passivity; to grow stagnate, to be known or to hide.
And the range of what is possible in one life is staggering: Adolf Hitler, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Attila the Hun, my grandmother--each of these was given a single dash.
And now....ready or not.....you have been given a turn. The bell has sounded. It's your race now. What will you do with your dash?
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