Scattered & Lame

Revelation/ Thunder

2010-02-13T19:30:00.001-06:00

“And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.”Revelation 4: 5.

One of the things I like best about Oklahoma is the thunder storms. I thrill to the hard rain, the low roll of thunder followed by the flash of lightning. Then the loud boom, which shakes the ground and the house. I feel the power of God and yet I realize that this is only an infinitesimal fraction of that power. In our own solar system Jupiter’s red spot is a storm that can swallow the earth whole. On a 12 inch scale, Earth would be one inch away from the Sun, Pluto 3 ½ feet. The nearest star other than the Sun would lie 4 ½ miles away! Our sun is only one lonely star among several hundred billion throughout the universe. Our galaxy is one amongst millions. Yet the Sovereign Almighty God who created all this became a man and lived among us! He was born not in a palace but a stable. He cried. His wonderful mother not much more than a girl herself cleaned him. He grew. He played. He worked. His muscles ached. He hungered. He ate. He was thirsty. He drank. He grew tired. He slept. He showed anger. He laughed with our children on his lap. He prayed. He fasted. He had compassion. He healed us. He fed us. He forgave us. He told stories. He taught. He taught us how to love. He showed us how to love. He told us to pray for those who persecute us, to love our enemies. He washes our feet and told us to do likewise. And then we killed him. I hear thunder.

“And I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;For You were slain,And have redeemed us to God byYour bloodOut of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”Revelation 4: 6, 7, 9.

Revelation / Stone

2010-02-05T09:06:00.002-06:00

Each Christian knows and loves Jesus in a way that no other Christian does. Each relationship is special and unique. This relationship will last through all eternity. You love and know God in a way that I and all other Christians do not. Yes that’s right even those who are in prominent positions in the church, pastors and teachers.
In Matthew chapter 26 the story is told of the woman who came to Jesus with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and she poured it on his head. The disciples who were with Jesus were angry that she wasted the money that bought this perfume and did not use it on the poor. Jesus reply? “The poor you will always have with you but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in her memory”. Think about this, the ones whom Jesus had chosen to spread the gospel around the world, the ones who were close to Jesus and been following him for three years did not understand that he was going to Jerusalem to be crucified, buried and raised. This simple woman did but they did not.
Yes we look up to and honor those who care and minister to us as we should, but please realize that your relationship with Jesus is just as special. You know Jesus in ways that none of us do.

“To him who overcomes, I will give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it”. Revelation 2: 17.

For all of eternity you will have a name known only by God and you!! Through all of eternity your relationship with God will not only be corporate but personal, one to one. You love and understand God in ways that I never will, and we will have eternity to try and teach each other about our wonderful Sovereign Lord God, Jesus Christ.

Revelation/ Patiently Endure

2010-01-30T04:41:00.007-06:00

The Risen Christ wants me to patiently endure. In the first three chapters of Revelation, while he speaks to the seven churches, the command is given. First it is given to all the churches in Ch. 1 vs. 9. Then he mentions it again in 2:2, 2:3, 2:19, and 3:10. if you read the verses in context, conquering is to patiently endure to the end. In fact he tells the wealthy church at Laodicea that they should ask for gold refined by him. I don't want to ask for struggles and pressures of life. I don't want to go through the fire, but it is going to happen and I am to patiently endure through it with the endurance that can be found in the Risen Christ. Onward Christian soldiers patiently endure!

In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:35-37.

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:21

Defintion 7 Conquer

2010-01-30T04:35:00.003-06:00

Conquer - To patiently endure to the end.

Abraham The Father Of The Faithful

2010-01-24T18:17:00.001-06:00

Did this man know happiness? Probably now and again as when Ishmael and Isaac were born or as when God stayed his hand in the land of Moriah. But that was not what mattered. His destiny, his cross, if you like, was to show faith, to lift himself time after time from the floor of disappointment and despair and return to the fight of life, to hear the tremendous promises and yet be content with the flimsiest of fulfillments before he died, to follow desperately God’s retreating shadow because he knew there was nothing else worth following, to lay down his pilgrim’s staff while still in the valley of deep darkness, seeing only the faintest rays of the suns rising on the distant hills. What an example is there for us whose faith is fitful and fleeting and cold and selfish, hardly deserving the name.

John C. L. Gibson The Daily Study Bible Series, Genesis. Westminster Press.

And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:5-6

Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. Genesis 15:13-15

So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? John 6: 67-68

Character Trait

2010-01-16T00:10:00.000-06:00

There is a character trait that God likes, hard work. Not just hard work but hard work for the stranger, for the alien. Please do not confuse busyness and work. Busyness clutters life and makes it unenjoyable. Work brings joy and a sense of accomplishment(I cant believe I just wrote that) especially when done for God. The young girl Rebekah was asked by Abraham’s servant for a drink of water, a very easy task, but she also watered his 10 camels. They were large pack camels and had just completed a long journey. One camel can drink up to 20 gallons of water!This task must have taken a tremendous amount of labor. All the while the servant sits and watches! Because of her kindness, because of her hospitality, because of the hard work for someone she did not know, she would be chosen to marry Isaac, Abraham’s son.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:46-48

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2

Quote 9 For New Years Day

2010-01-01T05:32:00.004-06:00

"The story of your past does not have to be the script for your future"

Mike Fleischmann
Inlandhills Community Church
Oceanside, California

Get Through It

2009-12-31T06:06:00.002-06:00

Noah got through a cataclysmic flood. All who entered the ark came out alive at the other end of that cataclysmic event. They entered the ark and "the Lord shut them in." Noah and family did not get through it unscathed. Think of the years of ridicule he went through while building the ark. Think of all the friends and family that Noah and his family lost due to the flood. Think of the devastation of the land after the waters departed. They had to start all over again.

Today we are going through what seems like cataclysmic times, floods, earthquakes, crime, unemployment ,recession, depression etc. etc. etc. Let God help you get through it. Let God help you endure. Let God help you start all over again. Let God share in your burdens. Go to Christ. Start that relationship with him on a daily basis. Pray, read and meditate on the scriptures and he will speak.

"These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. In other words, life continues, they got through it, and so shall we.

Mary's Response To The Angel Gabriel

2009-12-21T10:20:00.001-06:00

"Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.
Luke 1:38

Mary realized what this birth meant for her. How would Joseph respond? She knew there would always be whispers about her fidelity among the community. She has been told that she was favored among women but the blessing from God would bring hurt and pain along with it. She does not pray to change God's mind but accepts His plans. What a great example for us. It has been said that "Jesus Christ came not to make life easy, but to make men great." Mary had great courage and strength and a submissive attitude toward God. God chose well. May you and I develop these same qualities so we too may be used and blessed.

Joseph, Christmas Thoughts

2009-12-14T11:57:00.004-06:00

Life just never worked out the way Joseph had planned. I'm sure he imagined how wonderful marriage to Mary would be. The pain and disappointment he felt when Mary told him she was pregnant must have been great. Before he was told in a dream that the situation was from God, he showed great love toward Mary. He wanted to quietly take her away, to save her from disgrace. The marriage was not working out the way he had planned but God was in it.

How did he feel when arriving in Bethlehem, after a long and exhausting trip, to find there was no place for them at an inn? Why was not Joeseph's parents there? Did they abandon him? He could not find suitable accommodations for his wife, who was so close to giving birth. How did he feel when the child he would raise, was born in a stable with the livestock? Did he feel like a failure, an insufficient provider? This was not as he had imagined, but God was in it.

I wonder if Joseph liked living in Egypt? In one instance he had plans of returning to Nazareth with his expanded family. He probably was looking forward to the joy of being reunited with friends and loved ones. Introducing them to the new arrival. In the next instance the family are fleeing for their lives to Egypt. Egypt instead of Nazareth, but God was in it.

Sometimes life doesn't seem to be working out. Maybe, just maybe, God is in it.

The Shepherds

2009-12-07T10:52:00.002-06:00

Jesus says “I am the Good Shepherd.” John 10: 11. I have found that shepherds in Jesus time were looked down upon. They were continually in the field with their sheep and could not keep the rules of the orthodox, hand washing, ceremonial cleansing and stated hours of prayer. I have heard them called the homeless of their day. They did the hardest most time consuming work for the smallest of pay. Society did not think much of them but yet scripture, Old and New, is full of their example. I find comfort that Jesus identifies himself with the most humble of people. The shepherds may not have been able to keep the rules of the orthodox, but they spent their time with a strong awareness of God. Whenever they slept under the stars and were caught in the elements of nature, they, more than others were aware of God’s presence. I am reminded of the story of Christ birth. When God announced the birth of his son he did not announce it to the wealthy or the powerful. He did not announce it to Caesar. He did not announce it to Herod. He did not announce it the orthodox, Scribes and Pharisees. He did not announce it to the wise. The Magi had to study, search, and seek, but God split the skies open with angels who said to the humble shepherds, He’s over there! Be last of all. Be servant of all. Sit in the last chair

The Chrstmas Wise Men

2009-12-01T13:39:00.001-06:00

It amazes me that men not from Israel but from Persia(Iran) , made their way to Bethlehem to see the child Jesus. In their country they were men of wealth and influence. They were the priest of their region of the world. God gave these men a way to the truth through their own religion. These astrologers were given light by the grace of God. They proved how hungry for God they were by traveling all that way on camel and donkey. It was no easy trip and was extremely dangerous.Compare them to the scribes and Chief Priest of Israel who in Jerusalem, informed the Magi and Herod that the Anointed One would be born in Bethlehem a scant four miles away. Why did not the religious leaders of Israel who had been given and knew the ordinances and prophecies of the one true God go with the Magi? Their reaction was one of complete indifference. They were so busy in their Temple duties and religious obligations that Jesus meant nothing to them. He was completely disregarded. I believe that in the United States that we react like the scribes. There is a church on every corner, a Bible in every home and hotel room, and most of us know something about Jesus, his birth, death and resurrection, but we are indifferent to it all. Too busy.May we be like the Magi who hungered and thirst for the truth of God. May we also be willing to go through any hardship to find Him. May we cease to be indifferent when God has blessed us with so much. May we lay down at the feet of Jesus in worship and adoration. May we bring Him the very best gift we have, ourselves.

Quote 8

2009-11-12T09:05:00.003-06:00

"The good life- the one that truly satisfies-exists only when we stop wanting a better one. It is the condition of savoring what is rather than longing for what might be.........Satisfaction comes when we step off the escalator of desire and say, This is enough. What I have will do. What I make of it is up to me and my vital union with the living Lord."

Charles Swindoll
Living on the Ragged Edge
Study in Ecclesiastes

Thunder

2009-11-08T03:20:00.001-06:00

“And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.”
Revelation 4: 5.

One of the things I like best about Oklahoma is the thunder storms. I thrill to the hard rain, the low roll of thunder followed by the flash of lightning. Then the loud boom, which shakes the ground and the house. I feel the power of God and yet I realize that this is only an infinitesimal fraction of that power. In our own solar system Jupiter’s red spot is a storm that can swallow the earth whole. On a 12 inch scale, Earth would be one inch away from the Sun, Pluto 3 ½ feet. The nearest star other than the Sun would lie 4 ½ miles away! Our sun is only one lonely star among several hundred billion throughout the universe. Our galaxy is one amongst millions. Yet the Sovereign Almighty God who created all this became a man and lived among us! He was born not in a palace but a stable. He cried. His wonderful mother not much more than a girl herself cleaned him. He grew. He played. He worked. His muscles ached. He hungered. He ate. He was thirsty. He drank. He grew tired. He slept. He showed anger. He laughed with our children on his lap. He prayed. He fasted. He had compassion. He healed us. He fed us. He forgave us. He told stories. He taught. He taught us how to love. He showed us how to love. He told us to pray for those who persecute us, to love our enemies. He washes our feet and told us to do likewise. And then we killed him. I hear thunder.

“And I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;For You were slain,And have redeemed us to God byYour bloodOut of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”Revelation 4: 6, 7, 9.

Biblical Ghost Story - Eliphaz Sees a Spirit

2009-10-12T00:35:00.002-05:00

Job 4:12-19

“Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.
Amid thoughts from visions of the night,when deep sleep falls on men,
dread came upon me, and trembling,which made all my bones shake.
A spirit glided past my face;the hair of my flesh stood up.
It stood still,
but I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
there was silence, then I heard a voice:
‘Can mortal man be in the right before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
Even in his servants he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
how much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like the moth.

Song of Solomon

2009-09-17T04:41:00.005-05:00

As I was reading the Song of Solomon, the words and actions of the Shulammite girl reminded me of the Psalms. She remembers the previous times that she and her Beloved were together, she remembers his past acts. She dreams about him. She looks forward to the time when they will be together always, and know each other in a more intimate, stronger way. When they are apart, she seeks after him. She searches for him. She continually sings his praises. She reminds me much of the Psalmist.

"I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have
done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirst for you like a
parched land. Psalm 143:4-6

Unlike the Psalms we hear the personal response from the Beloved in a more direct way. He see's her as more beautiful than all others. He tells us how wonderful and perfect she is. And like the Shulammite girl, he wants to be with her as much as she wants to be with him. Think about that, God wants to be with you as much as you want to be with Him! I urge everyone to read the Song of Solomon and remember anew God's great love.

Love Despite The Hurt

2009-09-07T02:26:00.003-05:00

I am a very vulgar and flawed man. I remember things I have done in my life that make me shudder. God loves me anyway. He continues to bless me despite myself, even though I don't understand why. I love Him more because of it. I want so much to be more like Him. If He continues to love me despite my flaws, can't I love other flawed people in my life? The family member who continues to be combative, the boss who shows no understanding, the church member who is judgemental and hurtful. I want to be like Jesus.

Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 119: 1

Personal prayer From Psalm 119

2009-07-22T11:20:00.003-05:00

1. Deal bountifully with me.
2. Open my eyes to scripture.
3. Put false ways far from me.
4. Enlarge my heart toward others.
5. Turn me from worthless things.
6. Teach me good judgement and knowledge.
7. Keep steady my walk through life.
8. Let no iniquity get dominion over me.
9. Be ready to help me.
10. Grant me peace.

About God

2009-07-13T07:43:00.002-05:00

He is high above all the nations. - Psalm 112
He looks far down on the heavens and the earth. - Psalm 112
He is holy. - Leviticus 11:44
He remembers me. - Jeremiah 2:2
He is for me. - Psalm 56:9
He is compassionate. - Psalm 78:38
He cares. - 1 Peter 5:7
He does not wish that any should perish. - 2 Peter 3:9
He made himself nothing in the form of a servant. - Philippians 2:7
He is gentle and lowly of heart. - Matthew 11:29
He remembers that I am but flesh. - Psalm 78:39
He loves me. - Galatians 2: 20
He gave himself up for me. - Galatians 2:20
He was despised and rejected by men. - Isaiah 53: 3
He was slain. - Revelation 5: 9
He ransomed people by his blood. Revelation 5: 9
He abundantly pardons. - Isaiah 55:7
He atones for my iniquity. - Psalm 78:38
He satisfies the longing soul. - Psalm 107:9
He gives grace to the humble. - James 4:6
He gives power and strength to his people. - Psalm 68:35
He will never forsake me. - Hebrews 13:5
He will take me to himself. - John 14: 3
He is the beginning and the end. - Revelation 22: 13
He is to be feared. - Psalm 114: 7
He is to be recieved - John 1: 12

A Good Mix

2009-07-08T16:50:00.000-05:00

I saw the Lord seated on a throne high and exalted…. “Woe is me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6: 1&5. Someone told me this week that one sin is as bad as another. He spoke the truth and that is the great horror. There is a strange mix of joy, and horror in a relationship with God. The joy of being close and growing closer is very real but so is the horror of the awareness of sin and ugliness in my life. The closer my relationship to Jesus, the more I become aware, like Isaiah, of sin in myself and sin in the world. Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the alter. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. Isaiah 6: 6-7. Ouch!! Sounds painful and it is. Once sin is seen it must be repented of and cut out. I have found that sometimes God uses people who are just like me to do the cutting. He has used other Gary’s who are arrogant, prideful, selfish and hurtful to cut out the arrogance, pride, selfishness and hurtfulness in me. Sometimes sin is a one time occurrence that once revealed can be forgiven by saying I’m sorry and never doing it again. More than I would like to admit, it is deeper than that and can only be taken care of with pain. “My son do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Hebrews 11: 5-6. And there is joy! He loves us. He changes us. He helps us to become the human beings he always intended us to be. Oh what a mix! “ If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, I will punish their sin with a rod, their iniquity with flogging; but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness…Psalm 89: 30-35. “Holy, holy, holy is the LordAlmighty;The whole earth if full of hisglory.” Isaiah 6: 3.

My Mission Statement

2009-06-28T18:42:00.004-05:00

1.The world doesn't owe me anything, it was here first.
(from Mark Twain)

2. I have been given much. I have no time to ponder that which has been denied. (from Helen Keller)

3. I will not be ashamed.

4. To live is Christ and many years of fruitful labour.
(Philippians 1: 19-20)

5. I will give to God what I have. A few fish, a staff, a vial of oil.

Inspiration From The Persecuted Church

2009-06-07T07:56:00.000-05:00

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.” Revelation 12: 11. On my post, What is a Man Worth, I received a comment, “God died for me, would I do the same?” Good question. It is clear from the New Testament that we, if necessary, are to do just that, to be loyal to Christ even unto death. Eleven of the twelve disciples were martyred. In their deaths they gave the world one of the great proofs of the resurrection of Jesus. Men will not die for a hoax. They will not die for a lie. They saw the risen Lord and they died horrible, painful deaths in the confidence that they would be with Him.The Apostle Paul and most of his church planting companions were martyred, Barnabas, Silas, Aristarchus, Secundus, Sopater, Titus, Timothy, Gaius, John Mark, Aquila, and Luke. Thousands upon thousands of first and second generation Christians were executed because they would not proclaim Caesar as Lord. The early church father Polycarp while being led to his execution was asked to proclaim Caesar as Lord. He replied, “Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” And as he waited to be burned alive he prayed, “I give thanks that You have counted me worthy of this day and this hour.”Today in many countries, Christians risk their lives by professing faith in Christ. Anti- conversion laws have been written. Churches are burned, Christians beaten, arrested, taken away, imprisoned and yes some are being killed.And so the question remains, am I; are you, willing to die for Him? Am I; are you, willing to remain loyal to Christ and give up living the comfortable way? If we can’t do the latter I doubt we can do the former. The truth of Revelation 12: 11 is if we remain loyal in our lifestyle and our deaths, if we choose loyalty to Christ and suffer we defeat the “great dragon, that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan who leads the whole world astray.” Revelation 12: 9.Our Father, “deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13.“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6.

Whats A Man Worth?

2009-05-20T19:27:00.001-05:00

What's a man worth?
Does anyone know?
Is he measured by riches,
By friend or foe?
Can we tell by his virtues,
His station in life?
His accent? His color?
His peace, or his strife?
The length of his hair,
The shape of his nose,
His smile or his handshake
The cut of his clothes?
What's a man worth?
We turn to our Guide.
And Christ gives His answer,
"For each man I died."

Author unknown.

Freedom In Christ

2009-05-11T12:06:00.001-05:00

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude vs. 4. (ESV)

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.Colossians 2: 20-23. (ESV)

These are extremes. They were part of the early Church and they are with us today. John and Jude fought against those who would trade upon the grace of God to live a life gratifying any of their desires. The elderly disciple John would write that “anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God.” 2John: 9. (Message). The Apostle Paul was in a continual battle against those who would want to place burdens, rules and regulations on the Church to secure a place of control. Paul would say that “they want to shut you out of the free world of God’s grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and directions, making them feel important.” Galatians 4:17. (Message). You can find Churches that are close to one extreme or the other. Most of the arguing we have among ourselves as Christians is because our doctrines lean toward one or the other. To be honest I find this battle rages inside me. So what is the answer? Jude tells us to “carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love. Keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life.” Jude vs. 20-21. (Message). Spend time in personal communion with God. Read Scripture and practice the freedom of living deeply in Christ. We are free to imitate Jesus. We are free to be the person He wants us to be. We are free to walk with Him. We are free to talk with Him. When you commune with Christ wherever it may be, the living room, bedroom, outdoors or anywhere, heaven and earth become one, the seen and the unseen. Christ is all that matters and He lives in us. What a glorious time.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3: 17-18. (ESV)

Definition 6

2009-05-04T00:16:00.002-05:00

Joy- Is the confidence I feel in knowing and trusting Christ regardless of the circumstances.
Dr. Wendell Lang

To Give Grace

2009-04-27T19:20:00.001-05:00

Grace. If there is one word that I want to understand fully it is this one. I have experienced the grace of God, and yet I really do not know what grace is. How can I experience something and not know what it is? I feel like Paul, “I see in a mirror dimly.” With me there is the realization that I fully do not understand the grace and love that God bestows upon me. I am still so blind in so many areas concerning Christ, especially grace. I have looked up definitions of grace, but from the written page they come across coldly. In Vines Expository Dictionary the definition of grace is in part, favorable regard, loving-kindness and goodwill generally. Jesus while we were still at enmity with Him responded with grace. Even now despite the pride, selfishness, condescension, materialism, etc...etc...etc... which still exist within, Jesus treats me graciously. He has a favorable regard, loving-kindness, and goodwill toward me. Amazing. If I truly believe that God is gracious to me, despite myself, why the difficulty in being gracious toward others? Do I have a high regard for the inattentive waitress? Grace. Do I show loving-kindness for my co-worker who insults? Grace. Do I have goodwill generally for the person who may or may not be taking advantage of social services or am I just angry? Grace. Do I have a favorable regard for my supervisor? Grace. Do I show loving-kindness to my wife when we are at odds? Grace. Do I have goodwill generally for the brother or sister in Christ who seems always to hold a different opinion at Church business meetings? Grace. Grace is wonderful and easy to receive but sometimes difficult to give. May we choose to be gracious and pray for the strength.“Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.” Romans 12: 14-17.“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how to respond to each

Who Would I Be?

2009-04-20T17:27:00.001-05:00

As I read Mark’s Gospel, I wonder where I would be if I lived during the time that Jesus was on earth. What would I be doing, where would I fit into the narrative? Would I need, like Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, to be taken by the hand and lifted up in order to serve? Ch 1: 31. Would I be like the leper who came in need of cleansing? Ch 1: 40. Would I be as the four, who brought their friend to Christ, and would let nothing and no one, including a crowd stand in their way? Ch 2: 3-5. Would I, as Levi, leave my love for money and follow Jesus. Ch 2: 13-14. Would I be like the man who turned away from following, because of my many possessions? Ch 10: 17-22. Maybe I would be just one within the multitudes, part of the masses for whom Christ had great compassion. Ch 6: 34. Certainly I would have been one of those who followed Him but were not one of the chosen twelve. Ch 4: 10. Probably not. A shiver runs down my spine, for I know myself. When Jesus chose the twelve, I would have left in disappointment and possibly anger, thinking that Jesus plays favorites. Would I be like the men who asked Jesus to leave the area because he hurt business? Ch 5: 17. How I wish I was like the Gentile woman from Syrophenicia, who no matter how rudely treated, kept her faith in Christ. Ch 7: 24-30. Am I like the twelve, jockeying for position of who would be the greatest when Christ came into His kingdom? Ch 9: 33-34. Do I want more recognition within my church, and would I argue with others to get it? Would I be like the Scribes and Pharisees, unable to give up my position? Who were unable to say, like John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease?” John 3: 30. It is so difficult to voluntarily sit in a lower chair. I am some of all, good and bad. So who would you be? Who are you most like?

The Greatest News In All History!

2009-04-12T04:34:00.004-05:00

Up from the grave He arose
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Low in the Grave He Lay
Robert Lowry 1826-1899

Steadfastness In Chaos

2009-04-08T19:45:00.004-05:00

“You will give him perfect peace whose mind is steadfast on You.” Isaiah 26: 3.

I say this verse everyday. I want always, to keep my mind, my sight, on Christ no matter how difficult the circumstances. At present there is looming a situation that brings anxiety and I seek perfect peace by keeping my mind steadfast. The situation, though worrisome, is no greater than what most people have faced before and will face again. Life on earth is chaotic and Jesus will bring me through. In Matthew 14: 22-33, Jesus comes to the disciples with the storm, walking on the water. The wind and waves batter the boat just as chaos, turmoil and change batter our lives. We, as Peter, hear Christ say, “Take courage,” “Do not be afraid.” Peter shows us how we should respond. “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” If the storm is of God’s doing, the difficult circumstances are meant to bring us closer to Him. Peter got out of the boat. He acted courageously. As long as his gaze was on Jesus he walked on the waves. He conquered through Christ who strengthened him. When he became afraid, he focused more on the circumstances and sank. The situation overcame him. I can relate. Verse 31 is my favorite of the whole passage. “Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him.” I’m guessing it was a very powerful grip.

It comforts me to know that in life’s storms I can come through walking above the waves, unafraid, with my mind steadfast on Jesus. If my faith falters and I look more at the problems of life instead of Christ, He will grab hold.

A Hymnist wrote it best with these lyrics;
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
in the light of His glory and grace.”

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For Thou alone, O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety. Psalm 4: 8.

Quote 7

2009-04-02T07:38:00.003-05:00

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Luke 23: 39-43

"The thief could not walk in the paths of righteousness, for there was a nail through either foot. He could not perform any good works for there was a nail through either hand. He could not turn over a new leaf and live a better life for he was dying.”

Arthur Pink

We are not saved by what we do, but by our faith in what God has done in Christ Jesus.

Definition 5

2009-03-28T18:03:00.002-05:00

Judgement of Charity

Assumes the best in disagreement. There is no impugning of peoples motives.

Pay Attention!

2009-03-24T18:31:00.001-05:00

“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times saying I repent, you must forgive him.” Luke 17: 3&4.
I doubt the sincerity of anyone who asks forgiveness from me seven times in a day. That’s the point of this verse. We are not to look continually at others and how they treat us. We are to love them friend or foe. “Pay attention to yourselves.” When I read passages like the one above I tend to pass over them quickly, much less try to put them into practice. I am astounded Jesus wants us to do so many things difficult. Things like continually forgiving, loving our enemies, being last of all, not putting ourselves forward and take the last seat. The disciples thought these difficult too. “The Apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.” Jesus replies, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you.” Luke 17: 5&6. In Matthew 17: 20 Jesus says of mustard seed faith that it could “move mountains.” If one can move trees and mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed than how small is the faith needed to forgive? How small is the faith needed to love enemies? It seems that Jesus is telling us that these things take much less faith than the mustard seed size faith. No wonder Jesus ask the question, “When the Son of Man comes will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18: 8. May we pay more attention to ourselves and put more faith and trust in Christ to be able to love our enemies, turn the other cheek and continually forgive. Then, quite possibly, maybe, trees will be uprooted and mountains moved.

Mercy During Devestation

2009-03-20T09:01:00.002-05:00

One of the great theologians, Scarlett O’Hara, said in a time of great distress “tomorrow is another day.” If you don’t like receiving your theology from Scarlett how about from the Prophet Jeremiah? “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness,” Lamentations 3: 22-23. Jeremiah, unlike Scarlett, knew to hold on for the next day because he knew intimately God’s character. Jeremiah was a prophet that most did not want to hear. He did not fill large arenas. The popular false prophets told the citizens of Jerusalem what they wanted to hear. Jeremiah told them the uncomfortable truth. He brought God’s indictment against them. Their unrighteousness would bring punishment.As he stood on a hillside overlooking the devastated war torn city, he wrote the great words “His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning.” He wrote these words after seeing things that no human eyes should have to see. He wrote these words after being treated like no one should be treated. I don’t believe he had great joy in his heart when he wrote about God’s mercies. He was as devastated as the city. His laments are sorrowful and full of pain. “He had besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains.” Lamentations 3: 5-7. Walled me down with chains, besieged and surrounded! Jeremiah is paralleling his life with that of Jerusalem’s. His life has been bitter because he obeyed God, Jerusalem’s because they disobeyed. But then he remembered God! He remembered God and it brought him hope. “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,” Jeremiah 3: 21, 22.
Jeremiah knew God, he trusted God, and he had experienced God. The words he wrote about God’s character were fact. God is merciful and that was enough for him to go on to the next day and the next.We know more of God’s character than even Jeremiah. Jeremiah was looking ahead for the Messiah. We know, that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son..” We know that God gave His son to a world of chaos, devastation, bitterness and chains. Jesus experienced it all and he conquered. He loved us so much he was tortured and slain for us. Devastation is all around us, tsunamis, hurricanes, wars and terrorist have layed waste to many lives. Maybe the devastation is as simple as, being hurt by those we love, or the loss of a job. But then we remember God and there is hope.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 35-39.

Bittersweet Reality

2009-03-14T15:35:00.002-05:00

“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting.” Ecclesiastes 7: 2. Gary’s paraphrase; It is better to be at a funeral than to be at a party. I always take a longer glance at Old Testament scripture that reminds me of what Jesus taught. “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5: 4.
What does scripture mean that mourning is better than revelry? Ecclesiastes continues: “for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the heart of pleasure.” There are so many things in this life that distract us from God. I know that when I have been out of God‘s will, it is in the stillness and darkness of night that reality comes to my mind and spirit. I know that when I was without Christ and had no relationship with God it was at night and in silence the horror of my reality set in. I could not wait for daylight to come and the business to take me away from reality. To me this is what Jesus meant by “Blessed are those who mourn”, it is in the disastrous times and the worst of times that we are forced to face reality. I have found that the worst times of my life have turned out to be, eventually, the greatest blessings. God has, because of them brought me closer to him, and because I am closer to him I have more joy! There is nothing wrong with having fun, but for all of us, at times, we use it to ignore or forget about our condition or relationship with God. Gary’s paraphrase; the heart of the wise face reality, the heart of fools say “party on”.

Steadfast Love

2009-03-10T09:00:00.003-05:00

O give thanks to the LORD for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures for ever.
Psalm 118:1

God's steadfast love endures what forever?
circumstances?
troubles?
me?
the world?
time?
eternity?

Can you think of others? Please comment.

The Pearl of Great Value

2009-03-05T17:40:00.004-06:00

I have changed my mind concerning the meanings of two small parables in the 13th chapter of Matthew. Verse 44 say's,

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Verse 45 - 46 reads, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

All my life I have been taught that the kingdom of heaven is so important and valuable that we should put it of most importance in our lives. True, but salvation, the kingdom of God is a free gift. We cannot purchase or earn it.

In other parables, fields represent the world. There is only one great redeemer Christ Jesus the Lord who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2: 6-8 Jesus purchased the field. And so the pearl of great price is you! Make no mistake about it, God loves you! You are prized and valuable to Him.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession... Malachi 3:17

Truth About Jesus

2009-03-01T18:34:00.003-06:00

I was asked at work, in the hearing of others, if people of other religions were going to heaven. The person asking me was testing my faith in Christ. He was playing got ya. I do not like the feeling that I have when this moment comes, and if you share Christ it comes up often. I tell them the truth. It does not matter what I think. Jesus said about himself“I am the truth the way and the life no one comes to the Father but through me.” According to Jesus heaven is not the goal anyway but a relationship with God is. All other religions are guesses about God. Jesus is the truth, and he says about himself, that he is the truth. I didn’t say it, Jesus said it. It really does not matter what I think, but now it does matter what you think. C. S. Lewis wrote that to say the things Jesus said your options are limited to the following:1. He really wasn’t who he said he was and knew it which makes him a liar.2. He really wasn’t who he said he was but believed it which makes him a lunatic.3. He was who he said he was and said so which makes him Lord. Lord, liar or lunatic, the decision is yours. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name. John 1: 12.

Insulting Christ

2009-02-25T18:24:00.002-06:00

With the insults to Christ and his followers recently by men like Bill Maher, Christopher Hitchens and Jack Black, I am reminded by those who insulted Him while He was here on earth. On his way to the cross Jesus was insulted, ridiculed, reviled and viscously attacked verbally. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying…save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God! In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him. Matthew 27: 39-43.

Every insult then and now was nailed to his cross and crucified with him there. There is forgiveness for all of us at his cross, even those who insult him. Jesus does not want revenge, he is not angry; he only wants us to be forgiven. On the cross he prayed “Father forgive them they do not know what they are doing.” Forgiveness can be found at the cross. A thief who was crucified beside him believing that Jesus was the Son of God simply asked him “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23: 42-43.

In tears the apostle Paul said that “many live as the enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction…and their glory is in their shame.” Philippians 3: 18-19. When Jesus is insulted, our tears are not because of the insult, our tears are for the insulters.

Ride On

2009-02-21T21:23:00.005-06:00

Ride on! ride on in majesty! Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry; O Savior meek, pursue thy road with palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on! ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die; O Christ, thy triumphs now begin o’er captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on! ride on in majesty! The angel-squadrons of the sky look down with sad and wondering eyes to see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on! ride on in majesty! Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh; the Father on his sapphire throne expects his own anointed Son.

Ride on! ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die; bow thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, O God, thy power, and reign.

Henry Hart Milman 1791-1868

"HENRY HART MILMAN." Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hart_Milman

An Important Command

2009-02-17T09:03:00.004-06:00

Love one another. God’s people should love one another. John the Apostle repeats over and over, love one another. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” 1 John 4: 7. “ Dear friends since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4: 11. “ God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4: 16. “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4: 19-21.

The Apostle Peter instructs the Church to love one another. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1: 22. Finally, all of you live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers. 1 Peter 3: 8. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4: 8.

Where do I begin in quoting the Apostle Paul writing about the Church loving one another? He wrote so much on the subject. Read chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians. Paul writes in Philippians to “make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:2”.

Our Sovereign Lord Jesus commanded us directly to love one another. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13: 34. Let me draw your attention to a couple of words, command and must.For a command to believers that is so repeated and stressed in scripture why are we doing such a poor job? We treat church quarrels as a natural occurrence. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. James 4: 1-2. In the meantime many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being wounded. They leave our churches never to return. Do we care about the damage we have done? Do we regret the pain the wounds we have caused? Do we really take our Lord’s command seriously?

Love one another. Be last of all. Be servant of all. Sit in the last chair.

Quote 6

2009-02-13T08:43:00.003-06:00

If the Lord does not grant a request, then it is best not to have it.

Eunice Crosby

Enemies At The Table

2009-02-09T00:52:00.002-06:00

“Love your enemies”. “Pray for those who curse you.” Turn the other cheek.” Forgive “seventy-seven times.” “Be last of all.” All things Jesus taught. Sometimes, we look at these teachings and think, they can’t be done. They can’t by us, but through Christ they can. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Jesus dwells in us and we in him. If we have close fellowship with him we can follow him in his teaching of non-resentment and non-retaliation. Part of the 23rd Psalm has always puzzled me. The phrase in verse 5, “Thou preperest a table for me in the presence of my enemies.” Why would God set a table for David so his enemies could look on? I believe that David is not to sit there and gloat. He is to invite them to dinner. They are to partake of the abundance that God has provided. The best way to destroy enemies is to make them friends. “But I say to you, 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, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven.” Matthew 5: 44, 45. We say we want to be like Jesus, to be the person he wants us to be. I have read that scripture uses the term “son of” as an adjective. So if someone calls you a “son of contentment” this means that you are a contented person. In the verse above we are “sons of the Father if we love our enemies. We are most like the Father and look most like him if we love our enemies. Do we really want to be like Jesus? Share your table. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5: 8. “He causes the sun to shine on the evil and the good, and sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5: 45.

The Horror The Joy

2009-02-05T08:59:00.003-06:00

I saw the Lord seated on a throne high and exalted…. “Woe is me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6: 1&5.
Someone told me this week that one sin is as bad as another. He spoke the truth and that is the great horror. There is a strange mix of joy, and horror in a relationship with God. The joy of being close and growing closer is very real but so is the horror of the awareness of sin and ugliness in my life. The closer my relationship to Jesus, the more I become aware, like Isaiah, of sin in myself and sin in the world.
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the alter. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. Isaiah 6: 6-7.
Ouch!! Sounds painful and it is. Once sin is seen it must be repented of and cut out. I have found that sometimes God uses people who are just like me to do the cutting. He has used other Gary’s who are arrogant, prideful, selfish and hurtful to cut out the arrogance, pride, selfishness and hurtfulness in me. Sometimes sin is a one time occurrence that once revealed can be forgiven by saying I’m sorry and never doing it again. More than I would like to admit, it is deeper than that and can only be taken care of with pain.
“My son do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Hebrews 11: 5-6.
And there is joy! He loves us. He changes us. He helps us to become the human beings he always intended us to be. Oh what a mix!
“ If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, I will punish their sin with a rod, their iniquity with flogging; but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness…Psalm 89: 30-35. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;The whole earth if full of his
glory.” Isaiah 6: 3.

Definition 4

2009-02-05T08:41:00.003-06:00

Habit- Is a consistent pattern in my life that for better or for worse ends up shaping the person I become.

Boring Scripture

2009-02-01T15:17:00.004-06:00

Have you ever been reading through the Bible and given up because of the endless genealogies, or instructions on building the tabernacle and procedures for sacrifices? It never ends. Maybe you have skipped over them and started reading where the story begins again. But then you can't say you read the whole Bible through. I've done both. I know that these are important, and that they are forshadowings of Christ and His crucifixion, but they still make for boring reading.

I'm reading the Bible through and and I am forcing myself to read every name, every instruction about every hook and crevice of the tabernacle. Tedious, tedious, tedious. I was reading instructions about the tabernacle in Exodus and realized that Moses was in the very presence of God when given these instructions! I'm sure they were not boring to him. Oh that God would be so specific with me. Maybe there's a reason He is not.

Exodus 27: 8 reads; " As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made."
When I am on the mountaintop and God tells me through my heart simple instructions like be nicer to your wife, do more housecleaning, call your mother more often, drop your anger to that person who offended you, etc.. etc.. etc.. and I continue on in my own habitual way of life, why should He tell me more? I need to do the first things before I can expect more instructions and more times on the mountain.

Thunder

2009-01-27T10:39:00.003-06:00

“And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.” Revelation 4: 5.

One of the things I like best about Oklahoma is the thunder storms. I thrill to the hard rain, the low roll of thunder followed by the flash of lightning. Then the loud boom, which shakes the ground and the house. I feel the power of God and yet I realize that this is only an infinitesimal fraction of that power. In our own solar system Jupiter’s red spot is a storm that can swallow the earth whole. On a 12 inch scale, Earth would be one inch away from the Sun, Pluto 3 ½ feet. The nearest star other than the Sun would lie 4 ½ miles away! Our sun is only one lonely star among several hundred billion throughout the universe. Our galaxy is one amongst millions. Yet the Sovereign Almighty God who created all this became a man and lived among us! He was born not in a palace but a stable. He cried. His wonderful mother not much more than a girl herself cleaned him. He grew. He played. He worked. His muscles ached. He hungered. He ate. He was thirsty. He drank. He grew tired. He slept. He showed anger. He laughed with our children on his lap. He prayed. He fasted. He had compassion. He healed us. He fed us. He forgave us. He told stories. He taught. He taught us how to love. He showed us how to love. He told us to pray for those who persecute us, to love our enemies. He washes our feet and told us to do likewise. And then we killed him. I hear thunder.

“And I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;For You were slain,And have redeemed us to God byYour bloodOut of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”Revelation 4: 6, 7, 9.

The Mature Christian

2009-01-23T09:44:00.002-06:00

The last post has got me to thinking of how little faith and lack of maturity in Christ that we church members have. We show it by all of the church hopping. When we leave a church because we do not get our way, it demonstrates our lack of maturity. When we leave a church because we don't like the new pastor as well as the old one, it demonstrates our lack of maturity. When we leave a church because someone has hurt our feelings, demonstrates a lack of maturity. When we leave a church because we may not particularly like some of its members, we demonstrate a lack of maturity. If we cannot love in the church what makes us think we can love people outside of it?

Our love for God will prove insincere,
Our love for the world will prove ineffective,
until our love for one another proves indisputable.

Black, White, Asian, and all other nationalities must be able to love,worship and work together. Blue collar and white collar, management and labour must be able to worship together. Rich and poor, contemporary and traditional, old and young must learn to worship together. Paul makes it clear in Ephesians that there are no walls in Christ Jesus. If we cannot love in the church what makes us think we can love people outside of it?

My church has gone though and is going through the same struggles that most other churches do. The church has had four pastors in seven years. We are working through, like most churches, having contemporary and traditional forms of worship. The church has a large senior citizen membership as well as a growing younger membership. Through it all members have come and gone. People who were close to each pastor have left. People have left because of the difficulties inherent in having contemporary and traditional services. But through it all there are also members who have stayed and continued to do the work of the church. They have chosen to remain and love all even when they disagreed with the decisions that were made. They are mature Christians. If we cannot love in the church what makes us think we can love people outside it?

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 12:10

Though He Slay Me

2009-01-17T09:45:00.005-06:00

“Lord, Son of David have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” Jesus did not answer a word. Matthew 15: 22, 23. He ignored her. She was not insulted; her need was greater than her pride. This Canaanite woman knew who could meet her needs. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” verse 23. She was persistent; she continually kept following after them to get to Jesus. Not only that but she was persistent in the presence of many, many who were condescending to her, and these many were the people who were closest to Jesus. Once again it didn’t matter her need was larger than her pride; her love for her daughter was greater than insult. He answered, “I came only to the lost sheep of Israel.” verse 24. Jesus tells her that he is here only to help certain people. For the third time she does not give up. The women came and knelt before him. Lord, help me! verse 25. And now what does Jesus do? He calls her a dog. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” verse 26. Was she hurt, was she crushed? No, she only knew the need of her daughter and she knew that Jesus was the only one who could help her. Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him. Job 13: 15. Her answer to Jesus seems even to have surprised him. Yes, Lord,” but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” verse 27. Then Jesus answered, “ Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” verse 28.
One of the great difficulties for us when we read this passage of scripture is that it seems so unlike Jesus. We can’t believe he could act in such a way, that he would respond in such a rude manner to this poor needy woman. Sometimes though Jesus would act much like an actor on stage to bring out the best in people. After the resurrection on the road to Emmaus Jesus acted like he was traveling further than the two disciples so that they would invite him to stay with them for the evening. Luke 24: 28-29. Jesus acted to bring out the best in this Canaanite woman so we could learn from her.
Is our need for Jesus greater than our pride? No matter how good the church there are always some in it who will ignore you. There are always people in it who are condescending because you’re not the right type of person, you don’t wear the right clothes, you’re not in management, or you don’t golf. Some of these people may even be in positions of leadership. But you must have fellowship, don’t let a few people keep you from experiencing all that God has for you. You can’t go it alone. Don’t let your pride keep you from your needs being healed. And her daughter was healed from that very hour. verse 28.

Unchanging Gracious Loving God

2009-01-14T11:02:00.001-06:00

Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13: 8. Since God is the same today as He has always been, God’s character in the Old Testament should match that of the New Testament. It seems that the difference between the Old and New Testaments is one of perspective. The Old focuses more on Israel and God’s dealing with the nations on Israel’s behalf. God protects Israel, from whom will come salvation for all nations and all men, Jesus Christ. The New Testament focuses on Christ life, death, and resurrection. It tells of the spread of the Gospel, the good news, the church. It is concerned with only one kingdom, the Kingdom of God.In the Old Testament the relationships between God and the individuals who trust in Him are lovely. In the book of Genesis, I like the passages where God takes care of women who are in bad situations by no fault of their own. I love the verbs attributed to God. Sarah’s pregnant maidservant, Hagar, runs away. Sarah has become jealous and abusive because of the pregnancy. God is so gracious. In chapter 16 scripture states that God found Hagar, God heard Hagar, God answered Hagar. The Angel of God appeared to Hagar. God’s grace was so great that it gave Hagar strength to do what God wanted her to do, go back and put up with the abuse. Hagar was so amazed that she calls God the “God who sees me!” God was also gracious to Sarah for He fulfilled His promise to her and she in her old age became pregnant with Isaac.Leah and Rachel were sisters married to the same man because of the deceit of their father. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Scripture states in chapter 29 that God realized Leah was unloved. God opened her womb. God saw her misery. God heard her prayers. God gave her sons. God is so compassionate, He didn’t stop there. In this rivalry both sides felt hurt, both sides felt pain. God was gracious to both. Rachel also had children from her maidservant and then herself. Rachel says of God, “He took my side, He vindicated me, He listened to me, He gave me a son, He remembered me, He rewarded me.” The God of the Old is the God of the New, the same love and the same gracious acts.So Jacob sent word for Rachel and Leah to meet him out in the field where his flocks were. He said, “I notice that your father has changed toward me; he doesn’t treat me the same as before. But the God of my father hasn’t changed; He’s still with me.Genesis 31: 4-5

Thats My King!

2009-01-13T09:47:00.000-06:00

Character Trait

2009-01-10T10:14:00.001-06:00

There is a character trait that God likes, hard work. Not just hard work but hard work for the stranger, for the alien. Please do not confuse busyness and work. Busyness clutters life and makes it unenjoyable. Work brings joy and a sense of accomplishment(I cant believe I just wrote that) especially when done for God. The young girl Rebekah was asked by Abraham’s servant for a drink of water, a very easy task, but she also watered his 10 camels. They were large pack camels and had just completed a long journey. One camel can drink up to 20 gallons of water!This task must have taken a tremendous amount of labor. All the while the servant sits and watches! Because of her kindness, because of her hospitality, because of the hard work for someone she did not know, she would be chosen to marry Isaac, Abraham’s son.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:46-48

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2

Abraham The Father Of The Faithful

2009-01-06T17:23:00.006-06:00

Get Through It

2009-01-01T12:12:00.005-06:00

Noah got through a cataclysmic flood. All who entered the ark came out alive at the other end of that cataclysmic event. They entered the ark and "the Lord shut them in." Noah and family did not get through it unscathed. Think of the years of ridicule he went through while building the ark. Think of all the friends and family that Noah and his family lost due to the flood. Think of the devastation of the land after the waters departed. They had to start all over again.

Today we are going through what seems like cataclysmic times, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, crime, recession, depression etc. etc. etc. Let God help you get through it. Let God help you endure. Let God help you start all over again. Let God share in your burdens. Go to Christ. Start that relationship with him on a daily basis. Pray, read and meditate on the scriptures and he will speak.

"These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. In other words, life continues, they got through it, and so shall we.

Genesis 7:16

Genesis 10:1

Jealous Cain, Jealous Me

2008-12-31T10:05:00.005-06:00

I can relate to Cain. Yes that Cain who killed his brother Able. Are you ever the least bit jealous of others at church receiving recognition? Sometimes I am. Cain was jealous of Able because Abel's offering to God was accepted but his was not. God gives Cain and us a warning that there is danger in the jealousy.

If you do well, will you not be accepted?
And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.
Its desire is for you, but you must (master it) rule over it.”
Genesis 4:7

Jesus tells us to be last of all, servant of all and to sit in the last chair.
Mark 9:35

Paul says to treat everyone in the church as more important than yourself.
He further instructs us to outdo each other in bringing honour to one another.
Romans 12:10

I don't want to be a Cain. May we rejoice at the recognition given to our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we find abundant joy and satisfaction in quietly serving our Lord.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T07:03:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to all the earth!
For all who are hurting,
may you hear the song,
God sings for you.

He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
I will rescue the lame
and gather those who have been scattered,
I will give them praise
and honor in every land
where they were put to shame.
Zephaniah 3:17,19.

Come to me, all who labor
and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11: 28

Christmas Thoughts About Joseph

2008-12-19T08:02:00.009-06:00

Life just never worked out the way Joseph had planned. I'm sure he imagined how wonderful marriage to Mary would be. The pain and disappointment he felt when Mary told him she was pregnant must have been great. Before he was told in a dream that the situation was from God, he showed great love toward Mary. He wanted to quietly take her away, to save her from disgrace. The marriage was not working out the way he had planned but God was in it.

How did he feel when arriving in Bethlehem, after a long and exhausting trip, to find there was no place for them at an inn? He could not find suitable accommodations for his wife, who was so close to giving birth. How did he feel when the child he would raise, was born in a stable with the livestock? Did he feel like a failure, an insufficient provider? This was not as he had imagined, but God was in it.

I wonder if Joseph liked living in Egypt? In one instance he had plans of returning to Nazareth with his expanded family. He probably was looking forward to the joy of being reunited with friends and loved ones. Introducing them to the new arrival. In the next instance the family are fleeing for their lives to Egypt. Egypt instead of Nazareth, but God was in it.

Sometimes life doesn't seem to be working out. Maybe, just maybe, God is in it.

The Offering

2008-12-18T08:49:00.003-06:00

They gave to thee
Myrrh, frankincense and gold
But, Lord with what shall we
Present ourselves before thy majesty,
Whom thou redeemedst when we were sold?
We've nothing but ourselves, and scarce that neither,
Vile dirt and clay;
Yet it is soft and may
Impression take.
Accept it, Lord, and say, this thou hadst rather;
Stamp it, and on this sordid metal make
The beauty of the golden mine.

Jeremy Taylor
1613-67

The Christmas Wise Men

2008-12-15T00:47:00.001-06:00

It amazes me that men not from Israel but from Persia(Iran) , made their way to Bethlehem to see the child Jesus. In their country they were men of wealth and influence. They were the priest of their region of the world. God gave these men a way to the truth through their own religion. These astrologers were given light by the grace of God. They proved how hungry for God they were by traveling all that way on camel and donkey. It was no easy trip and was extremely dangerous.

Compare them to the scribes and Chief Priest of Israel who in Jerusalem, informed the Magi and Herod that the Anointed One would be born in Bethlehem a scant four miles away. Why did not the religious leaders of Israel who had been given and knew the ordinances and prophecies of the one true God go with the Magi? Their reaction was one of complete indifference. They were so busy in their Temple duties and religious obligations that Jesus meant nothing to them. He was completely disregarded. I believe that in the United States that we react like the scribes. There is a church on every corner, a Bible in every home and hotel room, and most of us know something about Jesus, his birth, death and resurrection, but we are indifferent to it all. Too busy.

May we be like the Magi who hungered and thirst for the truth of God. May we also be willing to go through any hardship to find Him. May we cease to be indifferent when God has blessed us with so much. May we lay down at the feet of Jesus in worship and adoration. May we bring Him the very best gift we have, ourselves.

The Blade of Grass

2008-12-11T09:21:00.005-06:00

'A SWORD SHALL GO THROUGH THINE OWN HEART.'
PROPHECY OF SIMEON

Oh! little blade of grass,
A little sword thou art,
That in thy haste to pass
Hast pierced thy mother's heart!

Oh! little blade of grass,
A little tongue thou art
Of cleaving flame,-alas!
Thou hast cleft thy mother's heart!

Oh! little blade, upcurled
Leaf, sword, or fiery dart,
To win thy Father's world
Thou must break thy mother's heart!

Dora Greenwell

Mary's Response To The Angel Gabriel

2008-12-08T09:27:00.006-06:00

"Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.
Luke 1:38

Mary realized what this birth meant for her. How would Joseph respond? She knew there would always be whispers about her fidelity among the community. She has been told that she was favored among women but the blessing from God would bring hurt and pain along with it. She does not pray to change God's mind but accepts His plans. What a great example for us. It has been said that "Jesus Christ came not to make life easy, but to make men great." Mary had great courage and strength and a submissive attitude toward God. God chose well. May you and I develop these same qualities so we too may be used and blessed.

Salus Mundi

2008-12-04T16:49:00.003-06:00

I saw a stable, low and very bare,
A little child in a manger.
The oxen knew him, had Him in their care,
To men He was a stranger.
The safety of the world was lying there,
And the world's danger.

Mary Coleridge (1861-1907)

The Shepherds of Christmas

2008-12-03T17:37:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T08:24:00.000-06:00

May we remember and be grateful for all that God has done for us.

Freedom

2008-11-24T16:47:00.003-06:00

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude vs. 4. (ESV)

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.Colossians 2: 20-23. (ESV)

These are extremes. They were part of the early Church and they are with us today. John and Jude fought against those who would trade upon the grace of God to live a life gratifying any of their desires. The elderly disciple John would write that “anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God.” 2John: 9. (Message). The Apostle Paul was in a continual battle against those who would want to place burdens, rules and regulations on the Church to secure a place of control. Paul would say that “they want to shut you out of the free world of God’s grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and directions, making them feel important.” Galatians 4:17. (Message). You can find Churches that are close to one extreme or the other. Most of the arguing we have among ourselves as Christians is because our doctrines lean toward one or the other. To be honest I find this battle rages inside me. So what is the answer? Jude tells us to “carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love. Keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life.” Jude vs. 20-21. (Message). Spend time in personal communion with God. Read Scripture and practice the freedom of living deeply in Christ. We are free to imitate Jesus. We are free to be the person He wants us to be. We are free to walk with Him. We are free to talk with Him. When you commune with Christ wherever it may be, the living room, bedroom, outdoors or anywhere, heaven and earth become one, the seen and the unseen. Christ is all that matters and He lives in us. What a glorious time.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3: 17-18. (ESV)

Thanksgiving Council

2008-11-19T08:37:00.002-06:00

Better is a dry morsel and quietness with
it
Than a house full of feasting with
strife.

Proverbs 17: 1

Example

2008-11-14T14:45:00.003-06:00

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance of a man, humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Philippians 2: 5-11.To me this is one of the most exciting passages of scripture. My heart beats a little faster when Paul writes that every knee should bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus is so wonderful, but Paul uses this as an example which we should follow in our relationship with others. This is how we should behave toward other believers. Paul writes in these verses that Jesus did four things and expects us to do them as well.1. He made himself nothing.2. He took the very nature of a servant.3. He humbled himself.4. He became obedient. When we are asked to do as Jesus did the passage becomes daunting. It is our very nature to exalt ourselves, to be self important, to be dominating and to do as we please.It is clear we are unable to do this without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Do we really believe that we can do nothing without Christ? If we do we will pray. The very act of prayer is an act of humility. If we cannot humble ourselves before God how are we going to be able to humble ourselves before man? If we do not pray then we are trying to be self-sufficient and we will never be able to obey.The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2 what we should be like with other believers. Is this how we are when we gather at our local church? “Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interest of others. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God. Philippians 2: 2-4, 14.” Let us pray

Quote 5

2008-11-13T08:58:00.002-06:00

Real forgiveness means looking steadily at the sin, the sin that is left over without any excuse, after all allowances have been made, and seeing it in all is horror, meanness, and malice, and nevertheless being wholly reconciled to the man who has done it. That, and only that, is forgiveness. C.S. Lewis

Road

2008-11-10T13:39:00.000-06:00

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” Matthew 7: 13 & 14. This is another of those verses that are disturbing. If you ask a group of people if they were going to Heaven most would say they are. According to Jesus that is not the case. How I wish this verse were reversed and told us that the majority would find life and only a few of the very worst of people would go to destruction. To write that most will go to destruction and not find life is difficult. But I didn’t say it, Jesus did. Am I more loving and compassionate than Jesus? No, no, no, and neither are you. For Jesus is love, and he came to this earth to die. To sacrifice his life, to suffer, that all who would accept his sacrifice, might take the narrow road to life. “Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 15: 13. In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul wrote about the narrow road to life and it has become known as the Roman Road. “All have sinned and fell short of the glory of God.” Romans 3: 23. I have heard it said that we are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. We all in our heart fall so short of the goodness and purity of God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6: 23. But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5: 8. This is to me is the most amazing verse in scripture. To think that the Sovereign Creator of the universe would care for us at all is unbelievable! Add to that, that we are far short of what he created us to be and he still cares! He still loves! What is man that God is mindful of him? Yet Christ died for us! The last verses of the Roman Road state; “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10: 9. Welcome to the narrow road. “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Romans 10: 11 & Isaiah 28: 16.

Quote 4

2008-11-06T09:38:00.004-06:00

" Man achieves the fullness of prayer not when he expresses himself, but when he lets God be most fully present in prayer."

John Paul II
Crossing The Threshold of Hope

Danger

2008-11-03T08:01:00.002-06:00

“Forgive seventy times seven.” Matthew 18: 22. There are many times in scripture that what I read disturbs me. When I first read, Jesus wants me to forgive others infinitely, continually and completely, I think to myself, I can’t do it. This is impossible! Then I remember that Jesus doesn’t tell us to do anything that he doesn’t do himself. The greatest danger to my fellowship with Christ is when I sin and must ask him to forgive me for something I have asked forgiveness for time and time again. When this occurs I am so ashamed. Thoughts come to me that he will not forgive, that there is a limit. He is so holy. He is righteous. He is perfect. He also is love and he is merciful. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 9. Another danger is if I do not forgive. After Jesus tells Peter to forgive seventy times seven he tells the parable about the unmerciful servant. The servant after being forgiven a large sum of money by his master did not forgive a small amount that was owed to him. The master finds out and “in anger turned him over to the jailers to be tortured.” Matthew 18: 34. I have been in that prison, the prison of anger, bitterness and resentment. There is no happiness or joy in that place. Jesus paid a heavy price so that we may be forgiven. He “being the very nature of God”, “made himself nothing, and taking the very nature of a servant.” “He humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross!” Philippians 2: 6, 7, 8. Torture. To not forgive shows us as insincere and ungrateful for what He did.

Thunder

2008-10-27T13:15:00.002-05:00

“And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.” Revelation 4: 5. One of the things I like best about Oklahoma is the thunder storms. I thrill to the hard rain, the low roll of thunder followed by the flash of lightning. Then the loud boom, which shakes the ground and the house. I feel the power of God and yet I realize that this is only an infinitesimal fraction of that power. In our own solar system Jupiter’s red spot is a storm that can swallow the earth whole. On a 12 inch scale, Earth would be one inch away from the Sun, Pluto 3 ½ feet. The nearest star other than the Sun would lie 4 ½ miles away! Our sun is only one lonely star among several hundred billion throughout the universe. Our galaxy is one amongst millions. Yet the Sovereign Almighty God who created all this became a man and lived among us! He was born not in a palace but a stable. He cried. His wonderful mother not much more than a girl herself cleaned him. He grew. He played. He worked. His muscles ached. He hungered. He ate. He was thirsty. He drank. He grew tired. He slept. He showed anger. He laughed with our children on his lap. He prayed. He fasted. He had compassion. He healed us. He fed us. He forgave us. He told stories. He taught. He taught us how to love. He showed us how to love. He told us to pray for those who persecute us, to love our enemies. He washes our feet and told us to do likewise. And then we killed him. I hear thunder.

“And I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.You are worthy to take the scroll,And to open its seals;For You were slain,And have redeemed us to God byYour bloodOut of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”Revelation 4: 6, 7, 9.

Quote 3

2008-10-24T09:03:00.002-05:00

What can't be cured can be endured.
Puritan Adage

Faithful

2008-10-20T14:23:00.001-05:00

For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 108: 4. God is so faithful even when I am not. It is so amazing to me how He has taken care of me in the times when I have been in the process of going further and further away from Him. I was on staff at the church when I had been hurt by members whom I had loved in it. I did not leave immediately but stayed on even after they had gotten a new Pastor, about six months. When I resigned I had only a part-time job that I worked along with the church work. My wife works fulltime so she was supporting us. After about six weeks she told me we were behind for the month, about 280 dollars. I had to get a job.I went to a grocery store that I had been employed with while in collage. The store is family owned and one of three in the town. It was just before Thanksgiving and the day before I walked in asking for a job, they had lost an Assistant Manager. Rick a son in- law of the owner told me to go to one of the other stores the next day and speak with Larry, Manager, and son of the owner. The next day Larry hired me and then told me that his father Coy wanted to speak with me. In his office he said to me, “Gary, I knew I was going to hire you before you did.” He went on to tell me how two days previous he his son and sons in-law were discussing what they were going to do with Thanksgiving a week or two away and short one Assistant Manager. As Coy left the meeting he told them “Hire Gary Wood”. This was the same day my wife informed me that we were behind 280 dollars for the month. Just before I left his office he asked me as he reached for his wallet if I could use some help. I told him no that the job was enough and we would be fine. Then he said “Let me put it to you this way would you take a bonus for being hired?” He then laid 3 one hundred dollar bills on his desk! I went home put the money on the table with a short note and then went to my other part-time job and gave my two weeks notice. My wife came home and wept when she saw the way God had taken care of us. I wish I could say that this experience made me stronger with God but it did not. I continued to grow more bitter and cynical and further away from Him. Even when I am not faithful God is. Today the family that God used to help me at that time attends the church that my wife and I joined. When I see them I am always reminded that God is faithful and His love truly is great.

Introduction

2008-10-13T13:24:00.001-05:00

God heals the wounded. He changes hearts. When you’re not expecting Him he rescues you. For fifteen years I lived with a cynical heart. I loved God and had been hurt by people whom I had loved in Church. I was verbally and viscously attacked. Others sat on their hands and did nothing from fear of the ones attacking. There had been a vote on a new pastor. I made a mistake. I tried to sooth the situation by saying that I believed that whatever happened, whichever way the vote went would be God’s will. The side that lost did not agree. Two weeks later after a Sunday night service the attack came.My response to the attack was wrong. My wife and I tried going to other churches but trust was gone. I would see people at the church that reminded me of the people who attacked me. All the smiles seemed fake and insincere. I became cynical. I stopped consistently attending and participating in a Church. Ultimately I am to blame for my condition. How many thousands upon thousands of people all across the country have had a similar experience? How many Christians have been wounded by those they most loved? How many have responded wrongly? I hated the way I was. I wanted the heart I used to have. This made me angrier at the Church. Is this the way you have felt? Is this the way you feel now? I have very good news. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3: 17. Fifteen years later I told God that he could never change my heart back the way it was. That’s right; I told the Sovereign Lord of Creation that he could not heal me; my heart was too hard and cynical. Two weeks later the Holy Spirit came for a visit.I was looking for something to read besides the histories and baseball books I usually read. I picked up a book my wife had bought entitled The Lame Prince. It told about the relationship between David, Jonathan and Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. I began to identify with Mephibosheth. I like Mephibosheth had been lamed. I too had been living in a dry place. When I read how David’s messenger went to Mephibosheth,telling him it was time to leave Lo Debar to live in the Kings palace, the Holy Spirit began to take me out of my dry place. I began to cry as God poured out His love and presence on me. Deep calls to deep in the roars of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. Psalm 42: 7. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. John 7:37-38. The experience can best be described as a flood. Gods love is so big, bigger and deeper than the oceans. My wounds and cynical heart were washed away with the flood. He overwhelmed me with his love. Like Mephibosheth I was aware that I am living with the King totally undeserved!I don’t know the circumstances of your wounds. I don’t know who was or wasn’t at fault, but I do know that if you have stopped participating in a local church you like me have responded wrongly and sinned against God. I know now that God broke me for a reason. I am closer to Christ than I have ever been before. He remade my heart into one that was better. If you are scattered and lame and want healing for your wounds and from your own attitudes and actions ask Christ and he will answer. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Psalm 51:7-13.

Quote 2

2008-10-09T17:24:00.002-05:00

"If you can't feed 100 people then feed just one." ~ Mother Theresa

Command

2008-10-06T10:37:00.001-05:00

Love one another. God’s people should love one another. John the Apostle repeats over and over, love one another. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” 1 John 4: 7. “ Dear friends since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4: 11. “ God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4: 16. “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4: 19-21.The Apostle Peter instructs the Church to love one another. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1: 22. Finally, all of you live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers. 1 Peter 3: 8. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4: 8.Where do I begin in quoting the Apostle Paul writing about the Church loving one another? He wrote so much on the subject. Read chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians. Paul writes in Philippians to “make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:2”.Our Sovereign Lord Jesus commanded us directly to love one another. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13: 34. Let me draw your attention to a couple of words, command and must.For a command to believers that is so repeated and stressed in scripture why are we doing such a poor job? We treat church quarrels as a natural occurrence. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. James 4: 1-2. In the meantime many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being wounded. They leave our churches never to return. Do we care about the damage we have done? Do we regret the pain the wounds we have caused? Do we really take our Lord’s command seriously? Love one another. Be last of all. Be servant of all. Sit in the last chair.

Prayer In Praise of Christ

2008-09-29T13:52:00.003-05:00

Born as a son,led forth as a lamb,
sacrificed as a sheep,buried as a man,
he rose from the dead as a God,
for he was by nature God and man.

He is all things:
he judges, and so he is Law;
he teaches, and so he is Wisdom;
he saves, and so he is Grace;
he begets, and so he is Father;
he is begotten, and so he is Son;
he suffers, and so he is Sacrifice;
he is buried, and so he is man;
he rises again, and so he is God;

This is Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs glory for all ages.

Written by Saint Melito of Sardis

Voice

2008-09-28T11:55:00.001-05:00

I know a little about everyone’s future. We are all going to die. A voice tells Isaiah to “cry out”. Isaiah asks “What shall I cry?” The voice answers “All men are like grass, and their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass.” Isaiah 40: 6-8. Everything we take pride in ourselves about will end and be forgotten. Some are great writers; they and their writings will eventually be forgotten. Some are great artists, they and their drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and music will end. Some are proud of their exploits but in the end they are nothing, for they all will perish. Some are intellectuals and have great pride in their intellect but that too will die. We are grass! We are grass! Our glory is like the flowers that fade and fall. We live and then die all too quickly. But there is a way for permanence. The voice continues, “The word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40: 8. If we stand with God’s word than we too will stand forever. The Apostle John writes, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God! The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We beheld his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father full of grace and truth….grace and truth came from Jesus Christ. Yet to all who receive him, to those who believe in his name he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1: 1,14,17,12. We do not have to die. We can have permanence and live eternally with God. God tells Isaiah, “Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who live in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew (fruitfulness) is like the dew of the morning, the earth will give birth to her dead.” Isaiah 26: 19. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3: 16. Trust in Christ today, and live.

Table

2008-09-15T00:43:00.000-05:00

“Love your enemies”. “Pray for those who curse you.” Turn the other cheek.” Forgive “seventy-seven times.” “Be last of all.” All things Jesus taught. Sometimes, we look at these teachings and think, they can’t be done. They can’t by us, but through Christ they can. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Jesus dwells in us and we in him. If we have close fellowship with him we can follow him in his teaching of non-resentment and non-retaliation. Part of the 23rd Psalm has always puzzled me. The phrase in verse 5, “Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies.” Why would God set a table for David so his enemies could look on? I believe that David is not to sit there and gloat. He is to invite them to dinner. They are to partake of the abundance that God has provided. The best way to destroy enemies is to make them friends. “But I say to you, 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, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven.” Matthew 5: 44, 45. We say we want to be like Jesus, to be the person he wants us to be. I have read that scripture uses the term “son of” as an adjective. So if someone calls you a “son of contentment” this means that you are a contented person. In the verse above we are “sons of the Father if we love our enemies. We are most like the Father and look most like him if we love our enemies. Do we really want to be like Jesus? Share your table.

Sincerity

2008-09-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

The closer you are to God, the more you’ll have a heart for others.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Galilee

2008-09-07T16:19:00.001-05:00

Within the story of King Solomon building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, there are four verses that are somewhat different than all that is around them. In 1 Kings we are told of the wealth, skill and time that it took for Solomon’s building projects. We are told of the planning of the temple and the arrangements for labor. Thirty thousand men sent here, seventy thousand sent there, eighty thousand stonecutters. We are told about the building of the temple and the gold and all the nations that contribute. The scripture gives us details about the temple furnishings and all the wealth that was placed within, bronze pillars, the Sea of cast metal and twelve bulls on which it was placed. 1 Kings continues with the golden alter, the golden table, the pure gold lamp stands. The Ark of the Covenant is brought to the temple as a great festival takes place among the people. God appears to Solomon two times, the temple is dedicated and God moves in with a cloud. The whole world comes to visit including the Queen of Sheba. Within all this, four verses tell of King Solomon giving twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, 1 Kings 9: 10-14. Can you imagine the thoughts of the citizenry when they were given a way? During a great move of God and a time of national celebration they are used as payment for construction. To add insult to injury King Hiram is not pleased, he tells Solomon “What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” And he called them the Land of Cabul. Cabul means good for nothing. I believe that at times we all feel like we are good for nothing. I look around at the talented and accomplished people at my church and the wonderful work that God is doing through them and I feel insignificant. But these four verses give me hope, for out of the land that was “good for nothing” came beauty, glory, grace and truth. Out of Galilee came one who was greater than the temple, (Matthew 12: 6), and greater than King Solomon, (Matthew 12: 42). So we should not feel insignificant. Out of our lives can come great beauty. We are qualified to be last of all. We are qualified to be servant of all. We are qualified to sit in the last chair. We are qualified to wash others feet. We are qualified to weep with those who weep and to laugh with those who laugh. Rejoice! Be glad, for we are like our master. We are Galileans! “We are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.” 2 Corinthians 13: 4. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5: 3. I pray the remaining years that I have left on earth that something beautiful will come of it.

Bread

2008-08-31T13:42:00.000-05:00

Wherever the words of Jesus echo in the Old Testament scripture I always take a closer look. “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30: 8-9. This reminds me of the Lords Prayer when Jesus instructing us how to pray say’s “Give us today our daily bread.” Matthew 6: 11. For me it is quit clear from scripture that we are not to pray for more than we need. Continuing in chapter 6 of Matthew, Jesus teaches that we are not to worry about tomorrow concerning what we are to eat or drink or what we are to wear. He ends his comparison to us with the lilies of the field: So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ Or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows you need them. Matthew 6: 31-32. Please beware of wrong teaching. Jesus compares the pursuit of material possessions with paganism. It is of the world and not of God’s kingdom. King David also assures us, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.” Psalm 37: 25-26. My favorite scripture concerning wealth and poverty comes from the Apostle Paul and should be our attitude as well. “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13. May the presence of Christ be with you. Be last of all, be servant of all and sit in the last chair.

Reality

2008-08-25T09:21:00.000-05:00

“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting.” Ecclesiastes 7: 2. Gary’s paraphrase; It is better to be at a funeral than to be at a party. I always take a longer glance at Old Testament scripture that reminds me of what Jesus taught. “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5: 4. What does scripture mean that mourning is better than revelry? Ecclesiastes continues: “for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the heart of pleasure.” There are so many things in this life that distract us from God. I know that when I have been out of God‘s will it is in the stillness and darkness of night that reality comes to my mind and spirit. I know that when I was without Christ and had no relationship with God that it was at night in the silence that the horror of my reality set in. I could not wait for daylight to come and the business to take me away from reality. To me this is what Jesus meant by “Blessed are those who mourn”, it is in the disastrous times and the worst of times that we are forced to face reality. I have found that the worst times of my life have turned out to be, eventually, the greatest blessings. God has, because of them brought me closer to him, and because I am closer to him I have more joy! There is nothing wrong with having fun, but for all of us, at times, we use it to ignore or forget about our condition or relationship with God. Gary’s paraphrase; the heart of the wise face reality, the heart of fools say “party on”.

Quote

2008-08-20T11:44:00.004-05:00

"Our love for God will prove insincere,
Our love for the world will prove ineffective,
until our love for one another is proven to be indisputable.

Mike Fleicshmann

Shepherd

2008-08-18T11:20:00.001-05:00

I have been reading about names and titles in scripture that Jesus took for himself. Jesus says “I am the Good Shepherd.” John 10: 11. I have found that shepherds in Jesus time were looked down upon. They were continually in the field with their sheep and could not keep the rules of the orthodox, hand washing, ceremonial cleansing and stated hours of prayer. I have heard them called the homeless of their day. They did the hardest most time consuming work for the smallest of pay. Society did not think much of them but yet scripture, Old and New, is full of their example. I find comfort that Jesus identifies himself with the most humble of people. The shepherds may not have been able to keep the rules of the orthodox, but they spent their time with a strong awareness of God. Whenever they slept under the stars and were caught in the elements of nature, they, more than others were aware of God’s presence. I am reminded of the story of Christ birth. When God announced the birth of his son he did not announce it to the wealthy or the powerful. He did not announce it to Caesar. He did not announce it to Herod. He did not announce it the orthodox, Scribes and Pharisees. He did not announce it to the wise. The Magi had to study, search, and seek, but God split the skies open with angels who said to the humble shepherds, He’s over there! Be last of all. Be servant of all. Sit in the last chair.

Definition 3

2008-08-13T12:19:00.001-05:00

Grace- The experience of living in the love and the power of Jesus Christ.

"The power of Christ will become a permanent reality in your heart when the Christ of power becomes a permanent resident in your heart."

Truth

2008-08-11T09:33:00.001-05:00

I was asked at work, in the hearing of others, if people of other religions were going to heaven. The person asking me was testing my faith in Christ. He was playing got ya. I do not like the feeling that I have when this moment comes, and if you share Christ it comes up often. I tell them the truth. It does not matter what I think. Jesus said about himself“I am the truth the way and the life no one comes to the Father but through me.” According to Jesus heaven is not the goal anyway but a relationship with God is. All other religions are guesses about God. Jesus is the truth, and he says about himself, that he is the truth. I didn’t say it, Jesus said it. It really does not matter what I think but now it does matter what you think. C. S. Lewis wrote that to say the things Jesus said your options are limited to the following:1. He really wasn’t who he said he was and knew it which makes him a liar.2. He really wasn’t who he said he was but believed it which makes him a lunatic.3. He was who he said he was and said so which makes him Lord.Lord, liar or lunatic, the decision is yours. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name. John 1: 12.

Pictures

2008-08-08T11:09:00.002-05:00

I enjoy the stories and examples that the Bible gives us to try and understand the enormous love that God has. Did you know that God keeps our names continually before Him? Isaiah 49:16 says that God engraves us on the palm of His hand. Sounds like God has that first love kind of love. I remember when my wife and I first fell in love, the intensity of it, the passion of it, the strength of it. Gods love is like that, now and always. In verse 15 God compares His love to a mother of a nursing child, again a picture of a strong emotional love. What love can be greater than mother and child. In Luke 15 Jesus compares Gods love to a father who is looking and yearning for the return of a prodigal son. When he sees the son in the distance he runs to him. God is excited to be with us and is overjoyed when we return to Him. Gods love is greater than the love of a mother, the love of a father and the love of first love. We are His treasured possession. Malachi 3:17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

If Gods house was burning and He could only bring out a few precious items He'd take you!

Definition 2

2008-08-06T11:45:00.002-05:00

Love- Meeting needs without expecting anything in return.

Spear

2008-08-04T09:07:00.001-05:00

I picked up my 9 year old son from school one day and as I always do I asked him how school went. On this day he said fine and told me that during recess he asked three boys if he could play with them and they said no. Needless to say I hurt for him. I like most parents worry about my child and this information soured my day. He told me the names of the three and I hurt more. They’re all generally good kids. Within my mind I said a quick prayer for my son and asked God to help him. Sometimes as parents it is very difficult to trust God and understand what he is doing with your child. But the lessons of this life must be taught and as all of us know the one on handling rejection is tough.When we got home he had his snack and I read to him. At this time I was reading A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards. It is the story of Saul, David and Absalom. On previous days we read about King Saul throwing spears at David and David not throwing them back. He would not throw Saul’s spear back or throw one of his own. I told my son this meant when others throw insult to harm you, you are not to throw insult back. This day, we read about when David finally fled King Saul and the kingdom, he left alone. I asked my son a question from the book, when you leave a kingdom why must you leave alone? I was not expecting the right answer, but that’s what I got. He told me if you leave with others you’re not leaving the kingdom you’re splitting the kingdom and taking part of it with you. The only way to leave is alone. I was amazed and in a split second I thought to myself that flesh and blood did not reveal this to him but the Holy Spirit did. There in front of me I saw God talk to my son. The Lord Jesus is with my boy and is shaping him and teaching him into the young man he wants him to be. The lessons of life are sometimes cruel and difficult but Jesus is with him and knowing that brings me joy and peace.

Legacy

2008-08-01T12:18:00.002-05:00

This week one of my older cousins died. As I thought about him and his family, I realized that in my thoughts he was always smiling. Although I did not know him well, he has given me nothing but pleasant memories. He had (or I should say has ) a great faith and love for Christ Jesus. I would be happy to leave on this earth a legacy such as this.

Matthew 25:23
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Definition

2008-07-30T19:09:00.001-05:00

Humility- A mindset of lowering oneself so that others around you may be lifted up.

Whats A Man Worth?

2008-07-28T15:40:00.000-05:00

What's a man worth?Does anyone know?Is he measured by riches,By friend or foe?Can we tell by his virtues,His station in life?His accent? His color?His peace, or his strife?The length of his hair,The shape of his nose,His smile or his handshakeThe cut of his clothes?What's a man worth?We turn to our Guide.And Christ gives His answer,"For each man I died."

Author unknown.

Faithful

2008-01-20T02:39:00.001-06:00

Rebel

2008-01-12T22:53:00.000-06:00

We are to die to self and live for Christ. Andrew Murray says that mankind has fallen from life in God into a life of self -- a life of self- love, self- esteem, and self- seeking, a life concentrated on the perishing pleasures of the world. He calls this the kingdom of self. I like the term. Jesus calls us to the kingdom of God. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news. Mark 1: 15.” Repent? From what should we repent? From the kingdom of self, sin. All sin which includes greed, drunkenness, slander, stealing, envy, sexual immorality and so on comes from self. Repent from sin, stop living life the way you want to, and live it God’s way. And what is God’s way. Jesus is God’s way. Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. John 14: 6. C. S. Lewis writes that “fallen man is not just imperfect, needing improvement; he is a rebel who must surrender his weapons. It is not that man is only a little less then he should be but that he actively rebelled against his very best, what he was intended to be.”And what is the good news? For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3: 16. Repent and accept Jesus death on the cross as the punishment for your sin. Give up living life your way. Surrender and ask Jesus to forgive you for your sin and to come into your life and heart and lead you in the way you should go. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. Romans 10: 9. You will leave the kingdom of self and enter into the kingdom of God. You will be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ our King. There is nothing to fear from God. God is Love. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Though you are hostile toward God he loves you. Though you resent God for spoiling your good times he loves you. Though you have ridiculed God and laughed at Jesus and all of his followers he still loves you and pursues you. There is nothing that you have done that Jesus will not forgive. He was betrayed, rejected, beaten and scourged, abandoned, and crucified. Yet on the cross as the religious leaders mocked him saying,” He saved others but he can’t save himself, let him come down now from the cross. He trust in God let God rescue him now if he wants him, Matthew 27: 41-43”, what did Jesus do? He said Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23: 34.” We have done this and more and yet Jesus will forgive us.Repent and believe the good news. Surrender and pray for forgiveness. Accept Jesus unfailing love for you and ask him into your heart and life. The kingdom of God is here please enter in.

The Horror, The Joy

2008-01-05T23:43:00.000-06:00

Thunder

2007-12-30T19:06:00.000-06:00

“And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.” Revelation 4: 5. One of the things I like best about Oklahoma is the thunder storms. I thrill to the hard rain, the low roll of thunder followed by the flash of lightning. Then the loud boom, which shakes the ground and the house. I feel the power of God and yet I realize that this is only an infinitesimal fraction of that power. In our own solar system Jupiter’s red spot is a storm that can swallow the earth whole. On a 12 inch scale, Earth would be one inch away from the Sun, Pluto 3 ½ feet. The nearest star other than the Sun would lie 4 ½ miles away! Our sun is only one lonely star among several hundred billion throughout the universe. Our galaxy is one amongst millions. Yet the Sovereign Almighty God who created all this became a man and lived among us! He was born not in a palace but a stable. He cried. His wonderful mother not much more than a girl herself cleaned him. He grew. He played. He worked. His muscles ached. He hungered. He ate. He was thirsty. He drank. He grew tired. He slept. He showed anger. He laughed with our children on his lap. He prayed. He fasted. He had compassion. He healed us. He fed us. He forgave us. He told stories. He taught. He taught us how to love. He showed us how to love. He told us to pray for those who persecute us, to love our enemies. He washes our feet and told us to do likewise. And then we killed him. I hear thunder.“And I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.You are worthy to take the scroll,And to open its seals;For You were slain,And have redeemed us to God byYour bloodOut of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”Revelation 4: 6, 7, 9.

Communion

2007-11-24T00:34:00.000-06:00

“And they heard the sound of The Lord God walking in the garden…” Genesis 3: 8. (NASB)“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the son’s of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.” Exodus 24: 9-11. (NASB)These are a few verses that tell of times when Heaven and Earth were one, the seen and the unseen. God walks and talks with man. God even dines with men. I like these verses for they show what God wants from us. He wants us to be with Him. Heaven and Earth, the seen and the unseen, united together. In the garden, sin and rebellion separated man from God. On the mountain top the elders of Israel enjoyed God for a short time but again sin and rebellion separated them from the Eternal One. Once off the mountain top Israel turned from the living God and worshiped a man made god of gold. In the very first chapter of Ephesians we read how God had us in mind long before the foundations of the world were created. He has always wanted us to be with Him, eternally with Him in fellowship. God wants us to be with Him so much that He gave His own son to accomplish it. God became man, God came to earth physically. In the first chapter of 1st John, the elderly disciple speaks for all the first generation Christians who were with Jesus. John writes, “That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked at and our hands have touched…The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it.” 1 John 1: 1-2. (NIV) That first generation of Christians also walked, talked and dined with God. My motive for this post is simple. It is the same as John’s motive for writing 1 John. “We’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. We want you to enjoy this too.” 1 John 1: 3-4. (The Message)

Danger

2007-03-29T16:26:00.001-05:00

“Forgive seventy times seven.” Matthew 18: 22. There are many times in scripture that what I read disturbs me. When I first read, Jesus wants me to forgive others infinitely, continually and completely, I think to myself, I can’t do it. This is impossible! Then I remember that Jesus doesn’t tell us to do anything that he doesn’t do himself. The greatest danger to my fellowship with Christ is when I sin and must ask him to forgive me for something I have asked forgiveness for time and time again. When this occurs I am so ashamed. Thoughts come to me that he will not forgive, that there is a limit. He is so holy. He is righteous. He is perfect. He also is love and he is merciful. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 9.
Another danger is if I do not forgive. After Jesus tells Peter to forgive seventy times seven he tells the parable about the unmerciful servant. The servant after being forgiven a large sum of money by his master did not forgive a small amount that was owed to him. The master finds out and “in anger turned him over to the jailers to be tortured.” Matthew 18: 34. I have been in that prison, the prison of anger, bitterness and resentment. There is no happiness or joy in that place. Jesus paid a heavy price so that we may be forgiven. He “being the very nature of God”, “made himself nothing, and taking the very nature of a servant.” “He humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross!” Philippians 2: 6, 7, 8. Torture. To not forgive shows us as insincere and ungrateful for what He did.

Billy

2007-02-04T19:14:00.000-06:00

Recieved this in my email.
Subject: New Orleans--Billy Graham

Subject: Billy Graham In New Orleans Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 16:21:15 In what might prove to be the crowning achievement of an illustriouscareer in ministry, the 85-year-old evangelist, Billy Graham shocked the16,300 in attendance at the Celebration of Hope crusade in New OrleansArena on Sunday Night. Touted in advance as possibly his lastevangelistic crusade, Graham invited the packed house of evangelicalChristians and the hundreds of new converts to join him on the one milewalk from the arena to New Orleans' infamous Bourbon Street. "While we have seen God do tremendous things here the past couple ofevenings. Yes, it is true that a great healing and a great manysalvations have occurred within the confines of this auditorium. Stillyet, there lies a great mountain in this city which needs to beconquered." Then taking from the Biblical Book of Joshua Chapter 14 he read, "I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strongthis Day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then,so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Nowtherefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day,"his voice suddenly sounding more forceful than during his 22 minutesermon. "I last preached in the City of New Orleans in 1954 and I felt then thatthere was some unfinished business. Tonight, in what very well might bemy last evangelistic service, I aim to finish that business and lead asmany of you that would follow me to the multitude of lost souls that fillBourbon Street tonight. That is my mountain ! That is where we shall see the harvest!" said Graham as the stadiumerupted in cheers that lasted the next several minutes. Utilizing awaiting mobility scooter, the elder Graham joined his son and heir to theministry, Franklin across the Arena floor and through the opened doorsleading towards the French Quarter. In a show of solidarity anddetermination reminiscent of civil rights marches of the 1960's, nearlythe entire capacity crowd joined in the 20 minute trek while singing,"When the Saints Go Marching In". As the march crossed Canal Street and headed northward towards BourbonStreet, many onlookers stood in stunned silence as the massive crowd ofpeople began singing in unison the Christian hymn, Amazing Grace. Uponentering the west end of Bourbon Street, Billy Graham was soon recognizedby partiers. Soon those joining in the march began to approach those partying onBourbon Street with the Gospel message that they had heard preached justa half hour before. Graham himself joined with a group of local streetevangelist in ministering to a man who had survived Hurricane Katrina inthe lower 9th Ward. Within 30 minutes the entirety of Bourbon Street was packed withChristians and the once blaring music of nightclubs and strip joints hadbeen replaced by weeping and worship as people poured out their drinksand sought prayer from the Christians who were now reaching out to them."I have never seen anything like this in my life," said 20 years NewOrleans Police Department veteran, Tom Phillips. "This is unbelievable!We thought a riot was going to break out, but this looks more like arevival than a riot!" Two hours later, a glowing Graham sat back down on his scooter andsmiled. "Now I know how the Apostle Paul must have felt at the end of hisministry. Do the work of an evangelist; make full proof of thy ministry.For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is athand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have keptthe faith." Hours later hundreds of Christians remained on the street ministering tothe many people eagerly waiting to receive prayer and ministry. NewOrleans will never be the same. And the press remained mute on this "newsitem?" Did anyone see it on TV/hear it on radio/read it in the paper? Why are wenot surprised? Can't have THAT just prior to a major election, now, canwe? Well, just on a whim, spread the news, anyway. It cost our elderbrother, Billy Graham, more than any of us know to make that effort. Theleast we can do it publicize it. "I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find outthere isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and find out there is."